This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful reader megsjedi, hope you enjoy this surprise. Your comment on the last chapter made me giggle and inspired a part of the conversation.
Last Chapter:
Dumbledore sat in the corner seething as he watched the two women embrace their children, as they blushed and tried to fend their mothers off. He had to think of another plan. He couldn't let this get more out of hand. He had to pull this back into his favour. He watched like a hawk as the rest of the Slytherins parents arrived. Watched as the parents fussed over their spawn and got their charts from Poppy. Finally, Sirius and his team arrived, he knew he had to try and use his influence as Headmaster and the defeater of Grindelwald to sway this investigation. He stood up and cleared his throat.
"Well!" Dumbledore clapped his hands happily. "It appears everyone that is needed is here. I am sure you are all itching to get started." Dumbledore kept talking, either ignoring or truly ignorant of everyone staring in disgust or annoyance. Amelia was even glaring with her arms crossed, foot tapping in frustration.
"I think it will be best to take the interviews up into my office my boy." Dumbledore smiled at Sirius, the Auror sharing looks of bafflement with his three team members and Amelia. "It will be much more comfortable for everyone up there, the infirmary isn't really the place for interrogations." Dumbledore chuckled as if amused at the very prospect.
"Albus Dumbledore!" Amelia thundered, magic flaring slightly, reminding those in the room why she had been a powerful and fear-inducing Auror before rising to Head of the DMLE. "You are not in charge here!"
"Just sit down, shut up, and let us do our jobs." Sirius snarked with an eye roll. "Which by the way is not interrogating the victims!" Dumbledore's expression went dark at the disrespect.
"Madam Pomfrey?" Amelia called, the Matron turned around from checking on Colin Creevey. "Do you want the students to stay here for observation?" She asked, pointing to the eight Slytherin's, all of whom were in the arms of their parents.
"Preferably yes." Madam Pomfrey said with a nod as she made her way over to them. "Mr and Miss Riddle have core bruising, nothing dangerous, but the protocol is at least one night of observation. The rest of them only had scrapes and bruises, but I am still worried about shock. They are only in their second year and have been through something traumatic."
"Of course." Amelia nodded. "Interviews will be held here then and no child will give their statements without a parent or guardian." She emphasized with a flick of her eyes at Dumbledore.
"We should send for the other two Heads of Houses to secure the Houses and make sure every student is accounted for. Apparently, Six second-year Slytherins and a first-year Gryffindor were able to get attacked while the Headmaster was assuring us in his office that everyone was safe and in their dorms." Sirius spoke from where he was talking to Kingsley Shacklebolt, John Dawlish and Gawain Robards. With the lives of children at stake, Sirius hadn't risked bringing any trainees like his dear cousin Nymphadora Tonks and had only brought along Aurors with the same rank and experience or more as himself. The Legend of the Auror office, Sirius' own mentor and trainer, Alastor 'Mad-eye' had tried to invite himself. But Sirius believed he was too close to Dumbledore to be trusted to be impartial in this investigation.
"Yes of course." Amelia nodded in thanks to Severus as he sent off a note to both Pomona Sprout and Filius Flitwick. Using the same spell The Ministry used for Interdepartmental memos, making the parchment fold into a plane and fly off straight to the person intended. He wasn't sure if they would be in their Houses common rooms, or offices and wasn't going to waste time flooing around the castle.
"Is Lord Yaxley apprised of the situation?" Amelia asked Sirius, eyebrows furrowed.
"Yes Madam Bones, I managed to catch him right as he was leaving the office," Sirius nodded. "He said he would've liked to be here, but he and Minister Fudge had a meeting with the French Minister and his Head Auror." Sirius finished, nodding as his team got copies of each of the children's medical charts.
"Oh yes, Lord Yaxley and Minister Fudge informed me of the circumstances a few days ago." Amelia nodded, they were working fast, which hopefully meant the Wizard who escaped the French Ministry's trial cells would be caught soon. After a year-long investigation, he had been arrested for experimenting on Muggles with magical blood transfusions. Resulting in extremely painful, disturbing and explosive deaths.
"I think it might be best if you take over and start the interviews while we secure the school and students." Sirius continued motioning to himself, Shacklebolt, Dawlish and Robards. pausing for a moment as Professor's Sprout and Flitwick arrived, Severus stepped in to explain the situation. Amelia just nodded, brown eyes darting to make sure Dumbledore was staying out of the way. The old man hadn't said a word since being told to shut up. He seemed to be in shock that they weren't obeying him without question. Thankfully, he was quiet in the corner, for now, looking over Amelia rolled her eyes when she noticed he had transfigured his chair into a copy of his Great Hall throne. She didn't like how Minerva McGonagall kept darting her eyes to the Headmaster as if awaiting orders. She would have to be watched.
"You don't mind?" Amelia confirmed. Most Aurors wouldn't be happy with giving up control on a case, even to the Head Auror or the Department Head.
"We need to keep these children safe." Sirius nodded. "You became the youngest Head of the DMLE for a reason," Sirius said with a flirty bat of his eyes and a smouldering grin. Ah, there was the man she knew. He knew how to be serious, how to make the right calls, but was still an outrageous and flirtatious good-hearted bad boy.
"Alright then. Auror Black with Professor McGonagall," Amelia barked, falling back into the role of Lead Investigator, she rolled her eyes when Sirius snapped to attention dramatically. She knew he would be trusted to watch McGonagall and if she tried anything like Dumbledore, he would be able to deal with it.
"Auror Shacklebolt, with Professor Snape." Kingsley nodded, moving over to talk to the man about their plans. Kingsley was tall, matching Remus at 6-feet-2, towering over Severus' 5-feet-8. He was a broad-shouldered black man with an extremely deep and soothing voice, he also had thick skin and dry wit which made him ideal to be paired with Severus.
"Auror Dawlish, with Professor Flitwick." John gave a rare grin, he was a serious young man even as a child. but being paired with his old Head of House and tasked with securing his old dorms, that bought a smile to his lips. He pushed a hand through his sandy blonde hair, light brown, almost golden eyes sparkling as he greeted Filius.
"Auror Robards with Professor Sprout." Gawain nodded firmly, He was the oldest of the group, in his early fifties, streaks of grey in his brown hair. He was the shortest of the Aurors but held himself with a quiet and proud sort of strength. Amelia eyed the man, hopeful he would keep being the Auror he used to be. He had been passed over in favour of Corban Yaxley for Head Auror and he had been rather quiet and solemn since. But she had faith he would be professional and wouldn't become bitter against the Ministry.
"Aurors! you will confirm that every student is accounted for, classes are cancelled, and no student is allowed out of their dorms until we have more information on this situation. The Safety Wards of each house will be activated to keep them inside unless in the case of life-threatening scenarios. Heads of Houses will stay close and patrol the hall outside their House entrance." Amelia spoke, her authority ringing clearly.
"Yes, Madam Bones!" Sirius, Kingsley, John and Gawain chorused, their wands holstered on their forearms over the sleeves of their robes. They cut an impressive sight, the four Aurors in their uniforms, standing tall. The Auror robes were a deep black, almost like a void. The chest was a double-breasted slim fit jacket with bright silver buttons. Once reaching the hips, the material stopped at the front. But the sides and back continued down to their knees.
They swept out of the room in unison, almost looking like it had been planned. The Head of Houses following them. Amelia glaring at Albus when it became obvious he intended to stay for the interviews, unfortunately, as this issue was about Hogwarts and he was Headmaster, she couldn't demand he leave. Amelia turned to the students, Madam Pomfrey had moved them all into individual beds. She had little orbs floating from Harry and Hermione, monitoring the bruising to their cores which had been caused by the Horcrux lashing out. Thankfully it wouldn't get worse and wasn't putting them in danger. A bit like a minor infection.
"First thing, I should've asked this earlier. The one that attacked you, and you believe was behind the Petrifications, are still in Hogwarts and a danger to the students?" Amelia asked, sitting down. She had her chair far back enough that she could see the eight students, although their beds had been moved closer to each other to make it easier on her.
"No Madam Bones." Hermione shook her head, wincing at the pain that sparked with the movement. Harry had had the great idea to bash each other around a bit with magic, causing bumps and scrapes to sell their story. Although Harry, Blaise, Draco and even Theo enjoyed it a little too much in Hermione's opinion. The Quidditch competitiveness and drive to do well in any task coming through she supposed.
"Alright, that is good." Amelia nodded, quickly pulling out a parchment and a self-writing quill. "Let's start at the beginning, what happened when you left the Great Hall after the attack on Mr Zacharias Smith?"
Harry took a deep before talking, hand clenching the blanket in his hands, eyes shifting around the room.
"We were being led back to the Slytherin Dorm by Professor Lockhart," He started, voice trembling with nerves. Tom had to hold in an impressed smirk as he watched with awe as his son played his part perfectly. Hartford was so much like a young him, it was like watching his own memories in a Pensieve.
"We saw him, Creevey I mean, walking by himself," Hermione added quickly, shooting an apologetic look at her Mother, pretending to be afraid for leaving the safety of the large group. "We ran over to tell him he had to go back to his dorm! We just wanted to do the right thing!" She cried, looking from her parents to Madam Bones wildly, tears in her green eyes.
"How did you manage to escape from the rest of the Slytherin's and Professor Lockhart?" Dumbledore asked suspiciously. "It is awfully convenient that no one else noticed you were missing and no one else was there to see what happened to Mr Creevey."
"How dare you!" Tom cried out, leaping to his feet.
"Is this how investigations are handled now?! Headmasters accusing victims?!" David Greengrass shouted the magical lawyer incensed, his wife Camille wrapping her arms around her eldest daughter. As if shielding her from the Headmaster and events that led to this moment.
"We were called in because our children were attacked and injured!" Theodore Nott senior snapped, from his son's bedside.
"My son has suffered through enough without these baseless allegations." Samantha Nott sniffed.
Caterina Zabini was nodding in agreement as she checked over her son. He was the only thing that mattered right now, he was all she had left. Xenophilius Lovegood in a similar situation, his daughter was everything to him, she was quiet compared to her friends, so much like her mother.
"I am starting to think our children would be better in another school." Memphis Parkinson mused, his delicate wife, Marigold tucked into his side.
"These are questions that need answering!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Somehow a bunch of second years escaped their escort back to the dorms and now a first-year is fighting for his magic and life."
"Albus!" Amelia snapped. "You will be quiet or you will get out!" The old man glared and sat back petulantly.
"We didn't escape?" Luna spoke, eyes blinking in confusion, head tilting to the side. Her father sitting in a chair beside her bed, running his hand through her hair, eyes watery.
"Lockhart was too busy talking about how he knew what the monster was, that was behind the petrifying but how he was going to defeat it and save us all." Draco scoffed, with an eye roll.
"But he didn't even see Creevey walking by himself or us running after him." Daphne scoffed, her Mother sitting on her bed next to her, arms over Daphne's shoulders. Her Father was standing ramrod straight on her other side.
"Yes, the board of governors have received many complaints about his teaching methods." Amelia nodded with a grimace.
"Oh come off it, a bunch of students complaining about a Professor?" Dumbledore sighed disappointedly. "Madam Bones, even you cannot take that seriously. Student's will always have a Professor they have an issue with."
"Dumbledore! This is your last chance." Amelia snapped, "This is not the topic on hand. But you should know I will be investigating the claims. All of which were sent with the student's memories of each claim." Dumbledore went pale. If they had memories of how incompetent Lockhart was, they might look into his reasoning for hiring the man. He could not afford the trouble. Lockhart had to disappear, and quickly.
"May we get back to the matter at hand?" Lucius asked smoothly, raising a pale eyebrow.
"Of course," Amelia nodded, shooting another glare at Dumbledore.
"What happened next?" She asked gently.
"We called after him." Draco took over, "Tried to get him to stop. But it was like he couldn't hear us. He just kept walking."
"Eventually we caught up to him just as he reached the second-floor girl's bathroom." Pansy said, furrowing her eyebrows, "He walked in, acting like he belonged there. It was odd."
"We followed him in, telling him he had to get to his common room. And that's when it happened." Hermione said, biting her lip nervously, eyes darting around the room.
"What happened?" Amelia prodded.
"He opened The Chambers of Secrets." Harry breathed. "With Parseltongue."
I hope you enjoyed this newest update! Let me know what you think =)
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