Chapter 21 A Taste of Betrayal
Harry was woken up from an uneasy sleep by the sound of Dumbledore voice roaring through the school.
"ALL STUDENTS ASSEMBLE IN THE GREAT HALL AT ONCE!!! THERE HAS BEN A MURDER OF A STUDENT BY A STUDENT AND I MEAN TO FIND OUT WHO IT IS, DO NOT TRY TO STAY IN YOUR DORM, IT WON'T WORK, ASSEMBLE IN THE GREAT HALL NOW!!!" Harry was up, dressed, and down the stairs like greased lightning. In the great hall he did a double take, then walked up a bit nearer to the teachers table and stopped, half hidden in the shadows.
The teachers were standing behind the table; the look on Dumbledore's face was so murderous and enraged that Harry was careful to avoid him. On the table, in a crumpled heap, lay a fourth year girl. Harry recognized her as the best friend of the McKinnon twins. She was a member of Ravenclaw and not one of the transfers. Slowly the school assembled, Dumbledore beckoned Harry over.
"Harry I want you to search every mind here for the killer, it had to have been someone inside the school, the killing curse was done by a person between 15-17, search them all Harry, we need to know. When you do find a likely mind give all the names to Severus, he'll tell me and we'll put them under a truth spell or potion for questioning." Harry nodded and ducked back into a small alcove that appeared in the wall where he sat down, Snape stood to the side; Harry did the invisibility spell and began.
The whole school was seated in chairs in rows and made to stay there. Harry started with the first row and worked his way back. Invisible he got up and walked among the students, careful not to bump anyone, seeking.
Who would have done this? No move on.
Oh my god, oh my god, nowhere is safe from Voldemort! No.
What if they say it was me? I was just going to the bathroom! Didn't hear anything, but I was up, oh no. Nope.
She's just a little girl, 3rd or 4th year! How could anyone dot hat? No.
I've never seen anyone look so mad, no wonder Voldemort fears Dumbledore. Why would anyone do this? No.
How could any student kill another? No.
They must have been drunk or insane, how did she die? No
Melinda! No, not Melinda, please say she's still alive, no. Nope.
Damn whoever did this for al eternity! Killing a child? That just horrid! Definitely not.
Harry continued for a half hour, as the students grew more and more restless, then, to distract them Dumbledore began to talk, quietly but with anger in his voice.
"We've examined her, she was killed around midnight by the Killing Curse. The person who killed her was a student, we can tell because 1 he was in the school, and 2 he, yes he, was 15-17 year old. An Order Patrol discovered her right here on the table. If anyone knows anything please come forward." No one moved, Harry was growing tired. Then he got something.
He'll never guess who it was, they can't know. Harry marked this person as 7th year Rhal McKinnon and moved on.
After two hours Harry went back to the alcove and thought it over. Three suspects. Rhal McKinnon, Simon Bersely, and Jan Shororo. All in seventh year, Rhal in Slytherin, Jan in Slytherin, Simon in Hufflepuff. He went out on a final search
Hah! Old weakling doesn't have a clue, he's cared stiff, and of me, just an ickle 7th year! Hah, my lord will be proud. This from Rhal, Harry was satisfied but went to the others anyway.
How could anyone? Look at her friends crying, how could anyone do that? Mentally Harry scratched Simon off the list.
That poor, poor thing, I wonder if she even knew what hit her? There went Jan as well.
He returned and whispered to Snape "Rhal McKinnon murdered her."
"Are you sure?" It was barely audible, and Snape lips didn't move.
"Positive, he thinks his Lord will be proud, is that enough?"
"I didn't think death eaters were recruited that young."
"I guess they've changed, Rhal thinks we'll never guess, and that Albus is scared stiff of having a murderer in the castle, and he prides himself in being that murderer." Snape's eyes flickered with anger, "his mind is absolutely disgusting to look in so could I possible be absent from any interrogation?" Snape may not have heard, or he didn't answer, he went over to Dumbledore. Harry went to the back of the hall and entered again, he silently slipped into an extra chair in the third row without anyone noticing due to a momentary zone-out spell.
"Headmaster I have the results of the search. The murderer has been pinpointed. Our original guess of a seventh year was correct." There were murmurs and gasps, everyone regarded the seventh years with suspicion. "Would Rhal McKinnon please come forward?"
He didn't have a choice, two order members grabbed him and dragged him forward to stand beside his victim, and Harry listened to his thoughts.
How? How? Why? What are they going to do? They'll kill me! Somebody help! Where's my lord? I did my job where is he? Nnooooo! Harry gave Dumbledore a nod, it was Rhal McKinnon.
"Rhal did you kill Melinda?" Dumbledore asked, his voice deadly.
"I-I."
"Did you? Truthatus!" The spell hit Rhal as he struggled for freedom.
"Yes, yes, I put under the imperius curse so she would come here, I made her wait until I could sneak out then I killed her, my lord will be proud, he will reward me for my good work. He'll kill you all." Rhal looked horrified at what was coming out of his mouth. There was a long, pause, his shoulders slumped in defeat, then the McKinnon twins stood and ran down beside him.
Janice McKinnon reached up and with all her strength smacked her brother across the face, Pearl McKinnon kicked his shin as hard as she could.
"You traitor! Your rotten traitor! How could you join him? HOW? HE KILLED OUT MOTHER, TRAITOR! I'LL KILL YOU!" Pearl screamed at him, drawing her wand, Janice already had hers out and raised it.
"Avada Ked-"
"NO!" The entire hall turned, Harry was on his feet.
"Janice listen to me, if you kill him you will be no better than he is. Do you want to be like them? Let him go…he will be punished enough." Pearl raised her wand. "Pearl he killed your best friend, must you go his way and kill as well?" Harry pleaded softly. Slowly both girls lowered their wands, and then burst into tears. Harry stood and hurried to their side; kneeling down beside them he put an arm around each of them. Janice threw her arms about his neck and cried into his shoulder, Pearl just slumped to the floor against his knee, head in her hands, sobbing. Hermione hurried up and knelt beside her, soon they help the two girls up and left the hall with them, Ron followed, picking up the two wands, which had been dropped onto the floor. The door closed behind them with a soft thud.
Sad I know, well please review as always!
Harry was woken up from an uneasy sleep by the sound of Dumbledore voice roaring through the school.
"ALL STUDENTS ASSEMBLE IN THE GREAT HALL AT ONCE!!! THERE HAS BEN A MURDER OF A STUDENT BY A STUDENT AND I MEAN TO FIND OUT WHO IT IS, DO NOT TRY TO STAY IN YOUR DORM, IT WON'T WORK, ASSEMBLE IN THE GREAT HALL NOW!!!" Harry was up, dressed, and down the stairs like greased lightning. In the great hall he did a double take, then walked up a bit nearer to the teachers table and stopped, half hidden in the shadows.
The teachers were standing behind the table; the look on Dumbledore's face was so murderous and enraged that Harry was careful to avoid him. On the table, in a crumpled heap, lay a fourth year girl. Harry recognized her as the best friend of the McKinnon twins. She was a member of Ravenclaw and not one of the transfers. Slowly the school assembled, Dumbledore beckoned Harry over.
"Harry I want you to search every mind here for the killer, it had to have been someone inside the school, the killing curse was done by a person between 15-17, search them all Harry, we need to know. When you do find a likely mind give all the names to Severus, he'll tell me and we'll put them under a truth spell or potion for questioning." Harry nodded and ducked back into a small alcove that appeared in the wall where he sat down, Snape stood to the side; Harry did the invisibility spell and began.
The whole school was seated in chairs in rows and made to stay there. Harry started with the first row and worked his way back. Invisible he got up and walked among the students, careful not to bump anyone, seeking.
Who would have done this? No move on.
Oh my god, oh my god, nowhere is safe from Voldemort! No.
What if they say it was me? I was just going to the bathroom! Didn't hear anything, but I was up, oh no. Nope.
She's just a little girl, 3rd or 4th year! How could anyone dot hat? No.
I've never seen anyone look so mad, no wonder Voldemort fears Dumbledore. Why would anyone do this? No.
How could any student kill another? No.
They must have been drunk or insane, how did she die? No
Melinda! No, not Melinda, please say she's still alive, no. Nope.
Damn whoever did this for al eternity! Killing a child? That just horrid! Definitely not.
Harry continued for a half hour, as the students grew more and more restless, then, to distract them Dumbledore began to talk, quietly but with anger in his voice.
"We've examined her, she was killed around midnight by the Killing Curse. The person who killed her was a student, we can tell because 1 he was in the school, and 2 he, yes he, was 15-17 year old. An Order Patrol discovered her right here on the table. If anyone knows anything please come forward." No one moved, Harry was growing tired. Then he got something.
He'll never guess who it was, they can't know. Harry marked this person as 7th year Rhal McKinnon and moved on.
After two hours Harry went back to the alcove and thought it over. Three suspects. Rhal McKinnon, Simon Bersely, and Jan Shororo. All in seventh year, Rhal in Slytherin, Jan in Slytherin, Simon in Hufflepuff. He went out on a final search
Hah! Old weakling doesn't have a clue, he's cared stiff, and of me, just an ickle 7th year! Hah, my lord will be proud. This from Rhal, Harry was satisfied but went to the others anyway.
How could anyone? Look at her friends crying, how could anyone do that? Mentally Harry scratched Simon off the list.
That poor, poor thing, I wonder if she even knew what hit her? There went Jan as well.
He returned and whispered to Snape "Rhal McKinnon murdered her."
"Are you sure?" It was barely audible, and Snape lips didn't move.
"Positive, he thinks his Lord will be proud, is that enough?"
"I didn't think death eaters were recruited that young."
"I guess they've changed, Rhal thinks we'll never guess, and that Albus is scared stiff of having a murderer in the castle, and he prides himself in being that murderer." Snape's eyes flickered with anger, "his mind is absolutely disgusting to look in so could I possible be absent from any interrogation?" Snape may not have heard, or he didn't answer, he went over to Dumbledore. Harry went to the back of the hall and entered again, he silently slipped into an extra chair in the third row without anyone noticing due to a momentary zone-out spell.
"Headmaster I have the results of the search. The murderer has been pinpointed. Our original guess of a seventh year was correct." There were murmurs and gasps, everyone regarded the seventh years with suspicion. "Would Rhal McKinnon please come forward?"
He didn't have a choice, two order members grabbed him and dragged him forward to stand beside his victim, and Harry listened to his thoughts.
How? How? Why? What are they going to do? They'll kill me! Somebody help! Where's my lord? I did my job where is he? Nnooooo! Harry gave Dumbledore a nod, it was Rhal McKinnon.
"Rhal did you kill Melinda?" Dumbledore asked, his voice deadly.
"I-I."
"Did you? Truthatus!" The spell hit Rhal as he struggled for freedom.
"Yes, yes, I put under the imperius curse so she would come here, I made her wait until I could sneak out then I killed her, my lord will be proud, he will reward me for my good work. He'll kill you all." Rhal looked horrified at what was coming out of his mouth. There was a long, pause, his shoulders slumped in defeat, then the McKinnon twins stood and ran down beside him.
Janice McKinnon reached up and with all her strength smacked her brother across the face, Pearl McKinnon kicked his shin as hard as she could.
"You traitor! Your rotten traitor! How could you join him? HOW? HE KILLED OUT MOTHER, TRAITOR! I'LL KILL YOU!" Pearl screamed at him, drawing her wand, Janice already had hers out and raised it.
"Avada Ked-"
"NO!" The entire hall turned, Harry was on his feet.
"Janice listen to me, if you kill him you will be no better than he is. Do you want to be like them? Let him go…he will be punished enough." Pearl raised her wand. "Pearl he killed your best friend, must you go his way and kill as well?" Harry pleaded softly. Slowly both girls lowered their wands, and then burst into tears. Harry stood and hurried to their side; kneeling down beside them he put an arm around each of them. Janice threw her arms about his neck and cried into his shoulder, Pearl just slumped to the floor against his knee, head in her hands, sobbing. Hermione hurried up and knelt beside her, soon they help the two girls up and left the hall with them, Ron followed, picking up the two wands, which had been dropped onto the floor. The door closed behind them with a soft thud.
Sad I know, well please review as always!