Disclaimer: If I did ever own Harry Potter and his chums I would be a very lucky person and therefore I would not have to spend time writing all the fanfiction stories nor read everybody elses.

A/N: Thank you very much to everyone who has reviewed. The next chapter are not beta-read as bigkihap is out of town for a few days and could not finish editing them before she left. So, me being the impatient one,has decided to post it anyway and when she sends back the edited version I shall re-load the whole chapter. Oh and beware of the bad language! Anyone that doesn't like bad language, don't read! There isn't too much but you have been warned!

Bex

Quill of Minerva: I thought I would write one where Alastor and Minerva are actually crime solving. I have read lots of stories where they were aurors or have solved crimes but I thought it would be good to see them rise and fall like in real crime mystery's. I hope you like the next chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

Always Hopeful: Thank you for reviewing! I hope you find the next chapter asinteresting!

Aurinko: The response I was hoping for! Thank you! It was supposed to be scary! I thought it would be good to show how Minerva can manage to keep her class under control later on after she has quit the ministry! Thanks again! i hope you enjoy this chapter!

foci: Thank you for putting it on your fav's! And i'm glad you like Minerva! I hope you like this next chapter!

'Tis a Gift to Be Free: I should put an AU sign on it really, lol. I'm glad you have read it! Thank you for the praise! I hope you like this chapter!

discompobilated: Well you have your wish, my dear Amanda, you have read it before everyone else lol! Thanks for the review!

Chapter 2

Rudy Brighter was in no mood to piss about with anyone and the last thing he needed right now was to dig up a self-righteous old git who could not be bothered with anything except his own reputation. Billius Omen had got on every last nerve of Rudy ever since the dear 'doctor' was passed onto the auror headquarters. He had been given every last thing from instruments, a brand new office in the newly build part of the ministry, to redecorating the mortuary. How the old man ever got his medical decree, Rudy never new. But it certainly wasn't by talent. Striding up the pink paving slabs that lead to the medical examiners house, Rudy banged rudely on the door.

"Wake up you lazy sod," he shouted to the open window upstairs. A horse-faced woman with curly blonde hair poked her head out, net curtains flying either side of her. Rudy looked up at the woman with a no-nonsense stare.

"What do you want?" she hollered at him, turning up her nose as she realised who he was.

"Your husband, tell him to get in the mortuary in fifteen minutes or I'm gonna bust his ass!" Rudy shouted at the woman as she stuck her middle finger at her, and stormed back down the front garden, taking extra care to slam the gate.

"Arsehole!" the woman yelled at his retreating back. After walking a safe distance away from the muggle road, Rudy apperated to the crime scene where Miss McGonagall and Mr Moody stood talking to a tall man clad in bright blue robes.

"Problem taken care of, ma'am." Rudy nodded curtly to Mad-eye and Minerva.

"Excellent, I want you to keep an eye on him while he does the autopsy. You know what Billius is like with missing the obvious. Any major developments occur then come and find me." Minerva said brusquely and turned to the man in bright blue robes. "This is Auror Rudy Brighter, Mr Reiner."

Rudy bowed to the man and shook his hand. John Reiner stared at the young auror and sniffed with the air of having a nasty smell that had been put right under his nose.

"Pleasure," he said coldly to Rudy. Alastor growled at the superintendent as if he wanted to tear him apart. "Well, must be going. Lots of work to do. I'll have to give the press a report too,"

"Oh I shouldn't think that would be necessary. We don't yet know enough about the crime scene or the body to be releasing statements," Alastor said baring his teeth.

"Well that's YOUR job to find out, Special Auror Moody, isn't it? I want full autopsy reports and auror reports by Friday, Minerva." Superintendent Reiner sneered at them.

"You shall have them, John, when we have investigated all aspects of the investigation." Minerva replied curtly. She hated being told what to do by some one who was incapable of running even the simplest investigation. The superintendent narrowed his eyes and nodded to the three aurors. Once he was out of earshot, Alastor muttered a few choice insults at the arrogant wizard, and turned his attention back to Minerva and Rudy.

"Right, well as far as we know. The body was facing towards the river, on his back, with his arms folded over his chest in a criss-cross." Mad-eye informed them and Minerva walked around looking for clues of any other sort. "We reckon that the body was killed elsewhere as there is no sign of blood or anything else at this point. The body itself was as clean as anything, so it's a good chance that the killer knows all about evidence."

Minerva crouched down and picked up an old shaped nail from the ground.

"Strange, all the bodies have been placed in ritualistic positions too," she asked Moody, while looking suspiciously at the nail she picked off the ground.

"That nail your looking at is from a cuff, bag it. It could mean something," Moody said gruffly and took out a cigarette from a small packet. Minerva took out a sandwich bag from her pocket and slipped the nail into it, taking care to fold it and put it in her inner pocket on her cloak.

"Hey, you fancy a bit to eat? I'm starvin'," Moody complained loudly. Minerva glanced up at him and shook her head.

"No thank you, Alastor." Minerva replied firmly. "There is one thing I have noticed about these killings."

"I'm all ears," Alastor blew out smoke that flew out towards the river.

"They are all on the North side of the river." Minerva said with a calculating look and Moody's eyebrows shot up.

"I think we had better get a map and mark out the killin's. There maybe a pattern?" Alastor suggested, tapping the end of his cigarette.

"Yes. But in the mean time, I want you to focus on getting Albus Dumbledore in. I want a second opinion before we jump to conclusions." Minerva looked sharply at Alastor.

"Alright, I'm goin'. I'll see if he wants to take me out for dinner then," Alastor growled at her, rolled his eyes and walked off down a back-alley to apperate. Minerva smiled slightly at his retreating back. Good, she thought.

Albus sat at his old mahogany desk in his classroom going over the fifth year's homework. He was particularly please with this years batch of transfiguration students, most had seemed to fail in their four years, until his return into teaching the past September. Albus had set them a test to see what they already had been taught by Georgis Burkeman, the other part-time teacher, who had taught them all through the war while Albus was away. Now Albus had come back, the two teachers had come to an agreement that if Georgis taught the lower years, Albus would teach the higher years the advanced stuff so they both got to keep the job they loved. Albus thought it unfair to kick his old friend out of the job just because he had returned from war. Having it this way, Albus got to do more things that he had wished he had done when he was a young man.

Looking up at the clock, Albus saw that it was nearly half past five. Ah excellent, I can just finish these last couple before dinnertime. He thought, happily sucking on his last lemon drop that he had found at the bottom of his draw. A sudden WOOSH quickly squashed that feeling as Albus jumped to his feet with his wand at the ready, knocking down the chair. Albus almost choked on his lemon drop as he tried to figure out who the impostor was.

"Well, nice to see you to Albus!" grumbled Alastor as he walked swiftly out of the fire.

"Oh dear Merlin, Alastor! You gave me a fright," cried Albus, trying not to cough on his sweet, but failing. Alastor walked round to his friend and slapped him on the back.

"Thank you," he replied weakly, gesturing for Alastor to sit in the chair opposite him. Picking up the chair that had been knocked down, Albus sat down again and interlined his fingers with each hand.

"What can I do for you, Alastor?" said Albus after he had recovered from the shock.

"I have to ask a favour of you, Albus." Moody started, getting straight to the point. "Are you free for dinner? Perhaps we could talk about it there?"

"Yes, of course. Where do you have in mind?" Albus smiled at the auror.

"I saw a nice Chinese place in Edinburgh last week. Wanna try it out?" suggested Alastor, rubbing his stomach, which had just growled. Albus looked at him in amusement and smiled wider.

"Of course. I shall let the headmaster know and we shall be on our way," he replied and pushed himself out of the chair. Walking over to the fireplace, Albus grabbed a handful of Floo powder and shouted "Headmasters' office." A small man with hazel eyes and thinning grey hair sat at a big desk filled with a number of interesting books and parchment looked into the fire as Albus's head appeared.

"Good evening, Armando. I'm sorry to intrude like this but I thought I have better let you know that I shall not be at dinner this evening. Something else has cropped up that I must discuss with a former friend of mine," Albus informed the headmaster. Armando smiled at Albus.

"Not at all, my old friend. Please, come and go, as you will. Thank you for letting me know. I hope you enjoy your supper," he replied cheerfully.

"Thank you, Armando. Good night," said Albus and disappeared from the green fire. Turning around to see Alastor waiting at the door, Albus summoned his travelling cloak from his office and followed the auror.

Please set my humble heart at bay and tell my this chapter went ok...