Oh Merlin, her face, Hermione sees the hole in the victim's face where nose should be and the slightly unhinged jaw in her mind again and shivers run down her arms as she sits at the DI's office again after a visit to the morgue. As she remembers listening to Dr Hooper's voice go on about the mystifying cause of death, it leaves no room of doubt in her mind that the body lying on the slab was indeed killed by the killing curse. And now Lestrade is showing her the wand and Sherlock is keenly watching her. Now, how can she take the wand?
She takes the wand in her gloved finger. She gingerly touched it. "This w-", Hermione discreetly coughs, "stick looks old and used. Almost twenty years or more," yeah she can say that, her own wand looks the same. If that is the case…this witch might be as old as her. This means, maybe they went to Hogwarts together. But damn it her disfigured face just ruled out any way to positively identify her!
Due to her internal musings, she did not pay much attention to the shocked silence that ensued after she spouted out her deductions out old.
"Huh," Lestrade whispered under his breath.
"That is so weird," John thought.
While Sherlock just frowned. He said almost the same things! And then he did observe how she changed a word in the beginning of her deduction. So, she does know what it is. But she did not share it with anyone, he wonders why. His phone pings. It is Billy. "Excuse me," he says to everyone, "I need to go make a call."
As he leaves, Hermione sees her opportunity. What she is going to do is highly illegal, but she knows this is a plausible excuse to use it. She brings out her wand from her hidden jacket pocket and speaks the incantation clearly, "Imperio."
Lestrade and John see her taking out a slim wooden stick out from her jacket. They both look shocked, but as they are going to say something about it, their minds go wonderfully blank.
"Now give me the stick, you guys don't need it. It's gone." Hermione says. Lestrade hands her the wand. Hermione puts the other wand in her bag and softly closes the door as she leaves.
As she walks down the street trying to get to the alley she apparated in, a strong hand firmly grasps her forearm. She looks up and her heart falls to her knees. It is Sherlock.
"I saw that," he growls under his breath.
"Saw what?" Hermione squeaks. Of course she knows what he saw.
"Don't play stupid. I know you're smart enough."
Hermione wrenches herself out from his grip and backs in the alley. She takes out her wand again and mutters, "Stupefy!"
Sherlock obediently falls down and lies thoroughly stunned.
"Oh shit," Hermione mumbles and apparates.
She can worry about Sherlock later as she apparates in Diagon Alley. She needs to find out the owner of this wand first, freak out later. She takes a gulp and marches towards Ollivander's wand shop.
She steps in the shop. The sound of the door creaking brings out a middle aged wandmaker. Ollivander was no more, but his favourite apprentice now owned and ran the wand shop. He walks up to the counter and says, "Yes how may I help you?"
"I wanted to know the identity of the wand's owner," Hermione says as he hands over the wand to the man.
He takes the wand in his hands and inspects it closely, "Hmm, pine wood and dragon heartstring. I reckon it was bought twenty three years ago."
Hermione gasps. Then the witch is her age! She shakily asks, "Can you tell me who owned the wand?"
"Sorry miss," the wandmaker says apologetically, "My predecessor sold this wand. I can only identify the ones I have sold."
"Oh it is quite alright," Hermione say dejectedly, "Thank you." As she turns her back to leave, the wandmaker speaks up, "You can try the Prior Incantato spell."
Hermione whips around with her face lightening up, "Yeah! You're right! Thank you!"She leaves the shop with a new purpose. Now to go to the privacy of her apartment and figure this out.
She apparates in front of her apartment and removes the protection charms and walks in. She drops her bag and removes her kitten heels. She pops her knuckles and takes out the other wand from her bag. She takes a deep breath, "Okay. Pri-"
There's a knock on her door. She frowns and feels petrified at the same time. She hopes it's not him. She gingerly walks up the foyer to the door and peeks through peephole. She curses under her breath. Of course, it is him.
A/N. So I posted another chapter today because it is my best friend's birthday! Happy birthday Noyo!
I am gonna take this opportunity to also say a big THANK YOU to everyone who read or is reading my first ever attempt at a fanfic! THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS! Virtual hugs to everyone!