4. The Investigations of Theodore Nott

It was well after midnight, but all of the seventh-year Slytherins were still awake.

Theodore Nott put down his quill and looked across the table towards Perdita Spinks.

'Thank you, Perdita,' he said quietly. 'I'm sorry that you've had to wait so long. But our story corroborates that of the other girls. I'm afraid that none of us will get any rest until I give the Head Boy some answers. Would you mind helping me rearrange the chairs, please? Then we can ask the others to come back in here, and hopefully, we'll eventually get into bed.'

Perdita blushed, reached across the table and squeezed his hand. Theodore wondered at her blush, and flinched at her touch. He knew that, theoretically, many people liked to be touched and held, but his mother had died when he was eight, and his father had always been remote. His father was untouchable, both figuratively and literally. Physical contact made Theodore nervous.

Theodore looked into Perdita's eyes, saw disappointment, and resolved to try to become a more tactile person. Zabini touched people all of the time, and he made friends easily, too. If Voldemort fell, he'd need friends who weren't Death Eaters, and if Voldemort won, then perhaps people he'd befriended might turn to him for help. But having friends required trust, and helping people for no reason. Trust had always been an issue. Trust no one, his father always said. Draco was the same.

'Sorry,' he apologised. 'I—sorry.'

Perdita simply nodded and helped him with the chairs. He asked her to place five chairs facing the desk, but several feet away. He then placed two pairs of chairs, including Draco's, at right angles to the five, creating an open rectangle, chairs forming three sides, the table the fourth.

'If you can sit there, please, Perdita.' Theodore pointed at the fourth chair from the left in the row of five. Perdita sat obediently.

Theodore then pushed open the door to the Head Boy's Room and peered out. Everyone else was sitting in the common room. He had now spoken to every Slytherin student in his year. He had all of the evidence he could get.

'Could everyone come through, please?' he asked.

Draco was first into the room, pushing past Pansy in his haste. Theodore noted the malevolent glare Pansy gave her boyfriend.

'Well?' Draco demanded.

'In a moment, Draco, I'd like everyone to take a seat first, please. If you'd sit here, Pansy.' He guided her to the central chair, the one directly opposite his own. 'Blaise, between Draco and the table. Millicent, you're next to Draco too. Daphne, between Millicent and Pansy. You two, go to that end.' He pointed Crabbe and Goyle to the two seats opposite Blaise and Draco. Tracey Davis sat uneasily between Perdita and Crabbe.

'Well?' Draco demanded again the moment that everyone sat.

Theodore walked silently around the table and sat. He looked around at his fellow Slytherins and clasped his hands.

'Well?' Draco was beginning to sound petulant.

Theodore looked directly across the table and into Pansy's dark brown eyes.

'Well, Draco, I'm satisfied that both Pansy and Blaise had nothing to do with this. Perhaps you'd like to apologise to them.' Theodore noted the flash of thanks on Pansy's face and turned to face Draco.

'Their stories are ridiculous,' Draco snapped.

'So ridiculous that they must be true,' replied Theodore evenly. 'Any fool could have come up with a better story, and neither Pansy nor Blaise are fools. You saw me test the mugs. They both contained a sleeping draft. I've spoken to all of you. I know what happened, and how. But I still have no idea who. I'm hoping that Blaise will be able to tell us, but first. This is what happened.' Theodore Nott paused for dramatic effect.

'The thief—we'll call her "X"—was in this room with us when you explained your plan, Draco,' began Theodore.

'She! How do you know it was a she?' Pansy asked.

'Because she kissed Blaise,' Theodore said. 'She was invisible, but Blaise is confident that it was a girl.'

'Hopes, more like,' Pansy whispered to her friends. Theodore ignored the giggles, girls did not appear to understand the beauty of deductive reasoning.

'How do you know she was here?' asked Malfoy.

'I don't know, but it's extremely likely. You very publicly announced to Blaise that you had something important to tell him, and Goyle might be a fool, but even he can tie a shoelace. It was neatly done, very neatly done. You opened the portrait hole and entered the common room. Goyle tripped over his own shoelace, giving "X" the chance to slip into the common room. She was invisible, of course.

'Then you ordered us all into this room and Goyle tripped over his lace again. Are your laces tied tightly, Goyle?' Theodore asked. Goyle examined them carefully and grunted an affirmative.

'Then walk to the door, please,' he asked, hiding his wand under the table. Goyle managed only two steps before he tripped over his lace.

'Easy,' said Theodore, revealing his wand. 'I unfastened the knot and moved the lace under his other shoe. I recommend that you use a double knot in future, Goyle. Once might have been an accident, but twice, in front of each door? It was a clever way to gain entry. And of course, once inside this room, you told us and "X" everything. I'm certain that she was working on her plan from the moment she saw us casting the protection spells on the cupboard. The Sketch Board was the obvious target. Without it, you have no idea who the mirror is seeing.'

'But the door was locked and the room was alarmed,' Draco said.

'True, but unimportant. May I borrow your necklace, Pansy?' said Theodore. 'Thank you for not repairing it.'

He made a complex series of stabbing movements with his wand, and the tiny silver chain transformed into large steel one.

'Had you been paying attention in Professor McGonagall's class, Draco,' Theodore said, 'you'd know that Transfigured items retain a memory of the object they were Transfigured into. This chain fits under the door.' He stood, and demonstrated the truth of his statement. 'And so, apparently did the Sketch Board. So we know how, and now we must try to determine who.'

'And what spectacular bit of magic are you going to use to determine that, Nott?' snapped Draco. 'Or are you going to simply announce that it was Weasley? Because who else could it be?'

'It wasn't Weasley!' protested Zabini, horrified.

'Then it must have been Lovegood,' Pansy suggested.

'Merlin, no!' Zabini slumped in his chair, horrified at the thought. 'It couldn't have been Lovegood,' he protested. 'This girl could talk sensibly.'

'I don't think that it was either of them. But you will tell us, Blaise. If you'd care to stand up, please,' Theodore ordered.

Blaise did so.

'And if you will all stand too.' He indicated the girls. They cautiously stood. Theodore had arranged them in order of height. Millicent was the tallest, taller than Blaise, and Tracey was the smallest, she and Pertida were the only ones shorter than Theodore himself. Blaise looked along the line, and then looked curiously at Theodore.

'Height,' Theodore demanded. 'Was your head up, or down?'

'Down at the start but up by the finish,' Daphne giggled.

Theodore looked at her in confusion. The girls all laughed.

Blaise gazed thoughtfully between Pansy and Daphne. He bent forwards towards Daphne, moving his lips towards hers. When she lifted her head to reciprocate he stepped hastily backwards.

'Taller than Pansy, almost Daphne's height,' he announced. 'Perhaps she was a fraction shorter, but she was nowhere near as tall as Bulstrode.'

'I'm five feet and nine inches tall,' said Daphne.

'And I'm five feet seven,' said Pansy.

'Arms,' said Theodore.

Zabini grabbed Daphne's upper arms and released them immediately. He turned and grabbed Pansy's.

'Not as flabby as Daphne's, more like Pansy's,' he said confidently. Theodore watched with interest. Suddenly, Blaise was prepared to play the game. He watched as Blaise pulled Pansy close.

'She was nowhere near as well-endowed as Pansy,' Blaise announced. He stepped sideways and grabbed Perdita Spinks. She did not object. 'More like Perdita.'

'Flat-chested, then,' said Pansy proudly.

'So, we're looking for a girl of five foot eight or nine, flat-chested and fairly slim,' said Theodore. 'That's the best I can do for you, Draco; I'm sorry. But as Lovegood and Weasley are no taller than Davis, then we can be sure that it wasn't them.'

Although he spoke to Malfoy, Theodore was watching Zabini. For a second, he thought that Blaise had an idea.

'Perhaps Granger sneaked back into school,' suggested Pansy. 'In heels, she'd be the right height and build.'

'Mudbloods stink, Pansy,' Zabini said. 'I'd have been able to smell her.'

Draco nodded his agreement.

'All we can do is look around the school, Malfoy. I'm sorry,' said Theodore. 'Unless your intimate knowledge of girls has given you anything else, Blaise.'

Everyone laughed, except Draco.

'We must get the Sketch Board back,' announced Draco angrily. 'This is no laughing matter. It must be everyone's top priority. Tomorrow morning, everyone must try to track down the thief.'

'We will, Draco,' Pansy promised.

Draco snarled and stormed from the room. Theodore grabbed Zabini's sleeve and indicated that he wanted a final word in private.

'You thought of a name, Zabini, I saw it in your eyes,' he told him after everyone else had left. 'Who was it?'

Zabini shook his head. 'I can think of one girl who definitely fits the description, but it can't possibly be her,' he said.

'Why not?'

'Because she's Susan Bones!'