Avada Kedavra: Investigating the death of Draco Malfoy.
By, Kuroi Shi
Chapter 3: Getting closer. Maybe.
~ * ~ * ~ 8:55 am. Gryffindor common room. ~ * ~ * ~
Somehow, the death of Ron didn't upset Harry, and Hermione as much as one would have thought. It was almost as if he wasn't dead at all, As if it was all a really creepy dream. But, that was impossible, wasn't it? They saw Ron get hit with an axe, did they not? Besides, He bled far too much, for the event to be just a mere dream. Either way, they were dreading the moment, when they would have to explain to Mrs. Weasley that her two youngest children were horribly murdered, by an unknown enemy.
"This is getting too weird." Harry stated. "Not that it wasn't weird to begin with... It's beyond weird. It's... Insane. Freakishly insane."
"If I understood what you were talking about, I'd probably agree. We need a plan. A strategy, a GOOD one. We have to figure out who's behind this, without having any more students die. We've lost... what, 10% of the students already?" Hermione said. After a few seconds of silence, Harry could have sworn a light bulb appeared over her head. "Do you remember the way to the Slytherin common room?" She asked in a very excited tone.
Harry and Ron had visited the Slytherin common room back in their second year. But, due to an unfortunate circumstance, involving a potion, and a cat, Hermione was un-able to join them.
"I think so. I'm not totally sure though. Ron and I got pretty lost before Malfoy found us. I may remember, if we return to the dungeons though." harry told her.
"Good enough for me. Grab your invisibility cloak, and lead the way. I have a plan." Before Harry was even able to ask Hermione about that plan, she took off up to the dormitories, got Harry's cloak, and dragged Harry out the door. "Lead the way."
Hermione followed Harry down to the dungeons, into what seemed like a giant maze. It looked a lot bigger than before. Harry desperately tried to recall the path he took the first time they voyaged down to the dungeons, several years ago. "This is where we met Percy..." He whispered to himself. "Malfoy found us, and we went... this way." He whispered once again, going right. After 20 minutes, and several wrong turns... "I think this is it!" He said, pointing straight ahead, to a stone wall.
"Ok! All we have to do now, is hide under the invisibility cloak, and wait for a Slytherin to open the door."
"Then what?" Harry asked, after he threw the cloak over Hermione, and himself.
"Shh. I'll explain when we get inside."
~ * ~ * ~ 9:20 am. Slytherin common room. ~ * ~ * ~
Harry and Hermione didn't have to wait long for a Slytherin to come along, and open the door.
"Morsmordre." Said the random Slytherin.
Harry, and Hermione followed him in. The common room was completely empty, except for the student who had just opened the door for them. It didn't take long, for the student to get what he came for, and leave.
Harry And Hermione checked to make sure the common room was empty, before taking it off.
"So... Will you tell me your plan now?" Harry asked.
"Well... No student is strong enough to conjure muggle weapons out of this air, right? So, if the murderer is a Slytherin, there will be weapons, or a pile of stuff to transfigure around here somewhere." She explained. "Or, failing that, Some other clue. It's a long shot, but if we do find something, we can blame a Slytherin. If not, We shall never speak of Slytherins as possible suspects again."
"Ok. I'll search the dormitories. You take the cloak, and search the common room. If someone comes in, Hide, and send a signal or something." Harry said.
Harry headed for the dorms, while Hermione checked absolutely everything in the common room. Including the pillows on the chairs, and the inside of the fire place for clues.
Harry too was checking out everything, in trunks, under beds, behind curtains... And, He found nothing. He returned to the common room, the check on Hermione. He found her staring into the fireplace, and holding something.
"What's that, Hermione?" He asked.
"We're being watched."
"What? How? There's no one here."
She handed him the item she was holding.
"It's just a mirror." Harry stated.
"No. turn it over. It's a muggle two way mirror. It's used like a portkey. Except, instead of being transported, the people on the other end can see whatever we're doing." She explained.
Harry looked closer at the other side of the mirror, and indeed it was acting as a monitor. He could see into another room, completely filled with objects such as the one he was holding. All of them had labels, saying which room they were looking into. There was one for the great Hall, Slytherin common room, and, well.. Pretty much every office, class room, hall way, and dorm room in the school. The library, and quidditch pitch were bring monitored too. Harry looked into the mirror even closer. he recognised it as Dumbledores office. But, there was no one in the room. Harry threw the invisibility cloak over himself, and Hermione, and they both took off out of the common room, as fast as they could.
"Do you think that whoever is responsible for the murders, watches us in the mirror, to check for people who come close to solving the mystery?" Harry asked.
"Yes!! That would explain why someone dies every time an accusation is made."
They stopped running, they both realised it was pointless, since they were under an invisibility cloak, and the entire school was being watched.
"When I looked into the mirror, I saw Dumbledore's office... Wouldn't he know that his office is being used, as a .. base of some kind, for this killer?" Harry asked.
"He should. But, He's been interviewing students in the great hall all day." Hermione explained. "Well, let's get out of here. I don't want to stay in the dungeons for longer than I have too."
"Agreed." Harry said, as they made their way to the exit.
Harry, and hermione walked as quickly as they could, through the maze, that was the dungeons. As soon as the exit was in sight, both of them stopped dead. Fred and George Weasley were lying on top of each other, on the floor, in a pool of their own blood, with an iron sledgehammer beside them.
"Do you think... this was... because of us?" Hermione asked.
"I really hope not." Harry was definitely not looking forward to telling Mrs. Weasley that all of her children, attending Hogwarts were now dead.
Once again, Harry, and Hermione took a trip to the hospital wing.
~ * ~ * ~ 9:50 am. Wandering the school. ~ * ~ * ~
By this time, there were some pretty wild accusations flying around the school, because everyone wanted to be the one to solve the mystery.
"I'll bet anything it was you-know-who." Said a little Hufflepuff girl.
"Nope, It couldn't be. Harry's still alive... If it was You-know-who, He'd have been the 1st to go, rather then one of his own people." Her friend replied.
"It was a muggle born kid then! The weapons are all muggle weapons, and, not a single mudblood is dead." Said a random Slytherin
The death count was approaching 100. 15% of the students were dead.
40 Gryffindors, 30 Slytherins, 20 Ravenclaws, and 4 Hufflepuffs. Which some students noticed was very suspicious.
"It was a Hufflepuff! They're getting revenge, for being beaten in everything!!" Said another random student.
All of their accusations went straight down the toilet, when they heard it again.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!!"
A muggle born Hufflepuff, Justin, was killed when a bundle of at lest 200 news papers, that swung down, from the ceiling, on a rope, going well over 500 kilometers an hour, hit Justin right in the face, breaking every bone in the poor kid's skull, Just as he entered the corridor.
The bundle of papers came apart on impact. Harry, and several other students grabbed a paper. The only thing written on it, was "You have 2 hours." It was written hundreds of times. And there was a picture on the front page too. It showed Justin getting hit, over, and over again.
~ * ~ * ~ 10:05 am. Gryffindor common room, Yet again. ~ * ~ * ~
Now that Hermione knew about the mirror monitors, she was easily able to locate every mirror in Gryffindor tower. She gathered them all up, and tossed them out the nearest window. Just as she was closing the window, Lavender, and her best friend Parvati walked in.
"Umm, hi guys." Lavender said, when she noticed Harry, and Hermione. "Have you... umm... Figured anything out yet, involving this... umm... killer thing?" Lavender too noticed that murders were caused when someone made an accusation, and was being careful. Either that, or she was at a loss for words.
"You're safe here. Hermione found out how the killer knew when we made an accusation and got rid of the problem." Harry said. "Do you know who did it?"
"Well, um. No. But, We know who can help!" Said Parvati.
"Yea! I can't believe we didn't see it before! It's so obvious!" Lavender added.
"What is?" Harry, and Hermione asked together.
"Professor Trelawny!" Lavender, and Parvati shouted at the same time. Harry should have known that they'd suggest their favourite teacher.
"You can't be serious." Hermione said.
"We're very serious." Lavender replied, remembering just how much Hermione despised the divination teacher. "She may be able to give us a lead, or some valuable information we can use."
"If she really is psychic, why didn't she tell us who's responsible hours ago?" Asked Hermione.
"Well, You know she never leaves her tower. How was she supposed to know?" Parvati replied.
"Shouldn't she have already known?"
Lavender, and Parvati didn't even try to reply to that. And, Hermione gave in. It was worth a shot, wasn't it? And, what did they have to lose? They may even get lucky, and the Divination teacher would be the next to go.
Harry and Hermione followed Lavender, and Parvati to the north tower.
~ * ~ * ~ 10:20. The north tower. ~ * ~ * ~
"Ah, I was expecting someone to arrive." Said the professor.
"We've come to ask for help." Lavender explained. "We want to know if you can -+
"If she is a seer, she should be able to tell us what we are here for." Hermione interrupted.
"Indeed, do know why you have come to see me. The murders. The one who did it...." The professor stared into her smoke filled crystal ball. Lavender, and Parvati stared at her, Harry, and Hermione stood against the wall, By the trap door.
"The one who did it, is the one most would least suspect. The result of this day will be like no one could have expected. The person responsible for this mess is -"
"AVADA KEDAVRA" Professor Trelawny's entire crystal ball collection went flying of the shelf, and every single one shattered in her face, and other various parts of her body, leaving a bloody, glassy, dead mess.
"Hmm. I didn't see that one coming." Hermione said sarcastically.
~ * ~ * ~ 10:35 am. The Halls. ~ * ~ * ~
Lavender and Parvati stated in the north tower, with there favourite, now deceased teacher, and Hermione, and Harry took to wandering the halls, contemplating the problem at hand.
"Maybe it was..." Hermione started. "No... That makes no sense."
"How about..." Harry began. "No, that doesn't make sense either."
They both sat down at the top of a stair case, and thought for a while. After a few minutes, both of them were interrupted by Mrs. Norris, and Mr. Filch. "The headmaster would like to see the both of you now." Said the caretaker.
It was their turn to be questioned. Hermione, and Harry went with the caretaker to the great hall, where the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore was waiting for them.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
To be continued.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Who do you think is behind the deaths?
By, Kuroi Shi
Chapter 3: Getting closer. Maybe.
~ * ~ * ~ 8:55 am. Gryffindor common room. ~ * ~ * ~
Somehow, the death of Ron didn't upset Harry, and Hermione as much as one would have thought. It was almost as if he wasn't dead at all, As if it was all a really creepy dream. But, that was impossible, wasn't it? They saw Ron get hit with an axe, did they not? Besides, He bled far too much, for the event to be just a mere dream. Either way, they were dreading the moment, when they would have to explain to Mrs. Weasley that her two youngest children were horribly murdered, by an unknown enemy.
"This is getting too weird." Harry stated. "Not that it wasn't weird to begin with... It's beyond weird. It's... Insane. Freakishly insane."
"If I understood what you were talking about, I'd probably agree. We need a plan. A strategy, a GOOD one. We have to figure out who's behind this, without having any more students die. We've lost... what, 10% of the students already?" Hermione said. After a few seconds of silence, Harry could have sworn a light bulb appeared over her head. "Do you remember the way to the Slytherin common room?" She asked in a very excited tone.
Harry and Ron had visited the Slytherin common room back in their second year. But, due to an unfortunate circumstance, involving a potion, and a cat, Hermione was un-able to join them.
"I think so. I'm not totally sure though. Ron and I got pretty lost before Malfoy found us. I may remember, if we return to the dungeons though." harry told her.
"Good enough for me. Grab your invisibility cloak, and lead the way. I have a plan." Before Harry was even able to ask Hermione about that plan, she took off up to the dormitories, got Harry's cloak, and dragged Harry out the door. "Lead the way."
Hermione followed Harry down to the dungeons, into what seemed like a giant maze. It looked a lot bigger than before. Harry desperately tried to recall the path he took the first time they voyaged down to the dungeons, several years ago. "This is where we met Percy..." He whispered to himself. "Malfoy found us, and we went... this way." He whispered once again, going right. After 20 minutes, and several wrong turns... "I think this is it!" He said, pointing straight ahead, to a stone wall.
"Ok! All we have to do now, is hide under the invisibility cloak, and wait for a Slytherin to open the door."
"Then what?" Harry asked, after he threw the cloak over Hermione, and himself.
"Shh. I'll explain when we get inside."
~ * ~ * ~ 9:20 am. Slytherin common room. ~ * ~ * ~
Harry and Hermione didn't have to wait long for a Slytherin to come along, and open the door.
"Morsmordre." Said the random Slytherin.
Harry, and Hermione followed him in. The common room was completely empty, except for the student who had just opened the door for them. It didn't take long, for the student to get what he came for, and leave.
Harry And Hermione checked to make sure the common room was empty, before taking it off.
"So... Will you tell me your plan now?" Harry asked.
"Well... No student is strong enough to conjure muggle weapons out of this air, right? So, if the murderer is a Slytherin, there will be weapons, or a pile of stuff to transfigure around here somewhere." She explained. "Or, failing that, Some other clue. It's a long shot, but if we do find something, we can blame a Slytherin. If not, We shall never speak of Slytherins as possible suspects again."
"Ok. I'll search the dormitories. You take the cloak, and search the common room. If someone comes in, Hide, and send a signal or something." Harry said.
Harry headed for the dorms, while Hermione checked absolutely everything in the common room. Including the pillows on the chairs, and the inside of the fire place for clues.
Harry too was checking out everything, in trunks, under beds, behind curtains... And, He found nothing. He returned to the common room, the check on Hermione. He found her staring into the fireplace, and holding something.
"What's that, Hermione?" He asked.
"We're being watched."
"What? How? There's no one here."
She handed him the item she was holding.
"It's just a mirror." Harry stated.
"No. turn it over. It's a muggle two way mirror. It's used like a portkey. Except, instead of being transported, the people on the other end can see whatever we're doing." She explained.
Harry looked closer at the other side of the mirror, and indeed it was acting as a monitor. He could see into another room, completely filled with objects such as the one he was holding. All of them had labels, saying which room they were looking into. There was one for the great Hall, Slytherin common room, and, well.. Pretty much every office, class room, hall way, and dorm room in the school. The library, and quidditch pitch were bring monitored too. Harry looked into the mirror even closer. he recognised it as Dumbledores office. But, there was no one in the room. Harry threw the invisibility cloak over himself, and Hermione, and they both took off out of the common room, as fast as they could.
"Do you think that whoever is responsible for the murders, watches us in the mirror, to check for people who come close to solving the mystery?" Harry asked.
"Yes!! That would explain why someone dies every time an accusation is made."
They stopped running, they both realised it was pointless, since they were under an invisibility cloak, and the entire school was being watched.
"When I looked into the mirror, I saw Dumbledore's office... Wouldn't he know that his office is being used, as a .. base of some kind, for this killer?" Harry asked.
"He should. But, He's been interviewing students in the great hall all day." Hermione explained. "Well, let's get out of here. I don't want to stay in the dungeons for longer than I have too."
"Agreed." Harry said, as they made their way to the exit.
Harry, and hermione walked as quickly as they could, through the maze, that was the dungeons. As soon as the exit was in sight, both of them stopped dead. Fred and George Weasley were lying on top of each other, on the floor, in a pool of their own blood, with an iron sledgehammer beside them.
"Do you think... this was... because of us?" Hermione asked.
"I really hope not." Harry was definitely not looking forward to telling Mrs. Weasley that all of her children, attending Hogwarts were now dead.
Once again, Harry, and Hermione took a trip to the hospital wing.
~ * ~ * ~ 9:50 am. Wandering the school. ~ * ~ * ~
By this time, there were some pretty wild accusations flying around the school, because everyone wanted to be the one to solve the mystery.
"I'll bet anything it was you-know-who." Said a little Hufflepuff girl.
"Nope, It couldn't be. Harry's still alive... If it was You-know-who, He'd have been the 1st to go, rather then one of his own people." Her friend replied.
"It was a muggle born kid then! The weapons are all muggle weapons, and, not a single mudblood is dead." Said a random Slytherin
The death count was approaching 100. 15% of the students were dead.
40 Gryffindors, 30 Slytherins, 20 Ravenclaws, and 4 Hufflepuffs. Which some students noticed was very suspicious.
"It was a Hufflepuff! They're getting revenge, for being beaten in everything!!" Said another random student.
All of their accusations went straight down the toilet, when they heard it again.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!!"
A muggle born Hufflepuff, Justin, was killed when a bundle of at lest 200 news papers, that swung down, from the ceiling, on a rope, going well over 500 kilometers an hour, hit Justin right in the face, breaking every bone in the poor kid's skull, Just as he entered the corridor.
The bundle of papers came apart on impact. Harry, and several other students grabbed a paper. The only thing written on it, was "You have 2 hours." It was written hundreds of times. And there was a picture on the front page too. It showed Justin getting hit, over, and over again.
~ * ~ * ~ 10:05 am. Gryffindor common room, Yet again. ~ * ~ * ~
Now that Hermione knew about the mirror monitors, she was easily able to locate every mirror in Gryffindor tower. She gathered them all up, and tossed them out the nearest window. Just as she was closing the window, Lavender, and her best friend Parvati walked in.
"Umm, hi guys." Lavender said, when she noticed Harry, and Hermione. "Have you... umm... Figured anything out yet, involving this... umm... killer thing?" Lavender too noticed that murders were caused when someone made an accusation, and was being careful. Either that, or she was at a loss for words.
"You're safe here. Hermione found out how the killer knew when we made an accusation and got rid of the problem." Harry said. "Do you know who did it?"
"Well, um. No. But, We know who can help!" Said Parvati.
"Yea! I can't believe we didn't see it before! It's so obvious!" Lavender added.
"What is?" Harry, and Hermione asked together.
"Professor Trelawny!" Lavender, and Parvati shouted at the same time. Harry should have known that they'd suggest their favourite teacher.
"You can't be serious." Hermione said.
"We're very serious." Lavender replied, remembering just how much Hermione despised the divination teacher. "She may be able to give us a lead, or some valuable information we can use."
"If she really is psychic, why didn't she tell us who's responsible hours ago?" Asked Hermione.
"Well, You know she never leaves her tower. How was she supposed to know?" Parvati replied.
"Shouldn't she have already known?"
Lavender, and Parvati didn't even try to reply to that. And, Hermione gave in. It was worth a shot, wasn't it? And, what did they have to lose? They may even get lucky, and the Divination teacher would be the next to go.
Harry and Hermione followed Lavender, and Parvati to the north tower.
~ * ~ * ~ 10:20. The north tower. ~ * ~ * ~
"Ah, I was expecting someone to arrive." Said the professor.
"We've come to ask for help." Lavender explained. "We want to know if you can -+
"If she is a seer, she should be able to tell us what we are here for." Hermione interrupted.
"Indeed, do know why you have come to see me. The murders. The one who did it...." The professor stared into her smoke filled crystal ball. Lavender, and Parvati stared at her, Harry, and Hermione stood against the wall, By the trap door.
"The one who did it, is the one most would least suspect. The result of this day will be like no one could have expected. The person responsible for this mess is -"
"AVADA KEDAVRA" Professor Trelawny's entire crystal ball collection went flying of the shelf, and every single one shattered in her face, and other various parts of her body, leaving a bloody, glassy, dead mess.
"Hmm. I didn't see that one coming." Hermione said sarcastically.
~ * ~ * ~ 10:35 am. The Halls. ~ * ~ * ~
Lavender and Parvati stated in the north tower, with there favourite, now deceased teacher, and Hermione, and Harry took to wandering the halls, contemplating the problem at hand.
"Maybe it was..." Hermione started. "No... That makes no sense."
"How about..." Harry began. "No, that doesn't make sense either."
They both sat down at the top of a stair case, and thought for a while. After a few minutes, both of them were interrupted by Mrs. Norris, and Mr. Filch. "The headmaster would like to see the both of you now." Said the caretaker.
It was their turn to be questioned. Hermione, and Harry went with the caretaker to the great hall, where the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore was waiting for them.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
To be continued.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Who do you think is behind the deaths?
