Just a bit more… Albus Potter thought as he carefully placed the last card on top of his house of cards. His hands were shaking; it had taken him almost four hours and three unsuccessful attempts to finally get it right. He squinted at the cards through his wire-rimmed glasses, his brows furrowed in concentration. A bead of sweat was rolling down his forehead to his cheek. Careful now, Al… you can do it…

BAM.

The cards went flying as Scorpius Malfoy banged open the door of his office, his blond hair dishevelled, robes askew.

“What did you do that for?� Albus yelled, staring at his hard work lying in ruins in front of him. “Do you know how long –�

“Never mind that, Potter,� Scorpius said, waving his hand dismissively. “You can make your little trash anytime you want. Right now, we've got a new murder case.�

“Well, that’s something that never happened before,� Albus said sarcastically, gathering cards. He guessed that they would have to wait a while. “Who, where, and when?�

“Victim was Kenneth Lee,� Scorpius said grimly, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Albus’ desk.

“Kenny?� Albus repeated, frowning, remembering the lean, bespectacled Ravenclaw in their year. “But – but – who would want to kill him? I mean, he was a genius. Top grades. No record of brawls with anyone, ever. Everyone loved him – even Slytherins had nothing against him.�

“I know,� Scorpius said. “But the case gets even weirder. He was home alone, and the door was locked – anti-Apparition wards,� he said quickly before Al could open his mouth, “so no one could Apparate out. And as you know, their apartment is at the heart of London, so there were plenty of people around the place.�

“So someone must have spotted the killer leaving,� Albus said, frowning.

Scorpius nodded. “Or if the place was so crowded, no one would have bothered looking. It was during the rush hour – people were eager to get home. Anyone could have got in and killed him.�

“Let’s go and check it out,� Albus said, getting up. He grabbed his travelling cloak and along with Scorpius, left his office.

---

Half an hour later, the two Aurors were staring down at the body of their former classmate, which was lying face down on the wooden floor. Albus felt sorrowful as he looked at the wounds on Kenny's head. He was a good friend, and seeing him like this was the last thing Albus would have expected.

Just to avoid looking at him, Albus looked around. The apartment was spacious, with richly adorned walls and lavish carpets and sofas. The living room was full of famous Muggle paintings on the cream-coloured walls – Lee’s father was a Muggle and loved to collect paintings like Da Vincis and Rembrandts. The curtains were made of purple velvet – another sign of how rich they were. Lee, being so brainy, had managed to earn himself a job that paid millions of Galleons a year.

The room was also full of Aurors. A young female Auror, Tabitha Goldstein, was hunched over Kenny’s body, performing the autopsy. “Cause of death,� she was saying as she examined the body, “is a fatal blow to the head. Lots of blood loss. Looking at the condition of the wound and the temperature of his body, I’d say he died around twelve hours back – ten-thirty last night.� She waved her wand around his head and muttered a few incantations. “No signs of any magical inflictions,� she added.

“Which means our killer is probably not a witch or wizard,� Albus said, his brows knitting into a frown.

Scorpius mulled it over. “Not necessarily. Maybe he didn’t want to use magic so that his wand wouldn’t give him away. �

“In that case, he could have used another person’s wand. Or bought a new one.�

Scorpius couldn’t think of an answer to that. “Where is his wife?� he asked instead, conjuring parchment and quill with a wave of his wand. “We need to ask her a few questions.�

Another Auror led him and Albus to the dining room, which was as lavish as the living room before. A young woman was sitting on a dining chair. Her head rested on her hands which were folded on top of the wooden table. She had long jet-black hair and wore a rather elegant and exposing Muggle dress that Albus thought was inappropriate for a woman whose husband had just died.

“Mrs Lee?� Scorpius called to her. The woman looked up. She was Asian and had a pretty face, but her dark eyes were swollen and puffy; she had been crying. Black mascara trailed down her cheeks. Her name was Cheryl Chan – now Cheryl Lee – and the last time Albus had seen her was when he had been invited for Kenny’s wedding two years ago.

She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and said, “Yes?�

“We are the Aurors investigating your husband’s death,� Albus said. “Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?�

“Not at all.� She sniffed, and motioned for them to sit down. Albus and Scorpius took two seats at the dining table directly opposite her. The chairs were very comfortable.

“Mrs Lee, where were you last night?� Scorpius asked in an official tone.

“I – I was at the Muggle ice-sculpture exhibition,� she said. “I had gone to see them; they were always so pretty. I wanted to see if I could buy one of them for our house.� That explained the dress, especially if she hadn’t changed since.

“Wouldn’t it have melted?� Albus whispered to Scorpius.

“What’s magic for, you git?� Scorpius hissed back.

“Oh yeah...�

“Can anyone verify your presence there?� Scorpius was asking Mrs Lee.

“Of course,� she sobbed silently, another tear leaking down her eye. She quickly dabbed at it. “Everyone saw me there. When I returned home, I opened the lock and saw – and saw that -� She could not continue, for she broke into sobs.

It took a while to comfort her. When she was a bit more stable, Albus asked, “Did you find anything stolen from the house when you returned?�

“I don’t know. I didn’t check.�

“Would you please let us know if you find anything?�

“Yes, of course.�

Albus and Scorpius got up to leave, but the latter paused for a second. “Mrs Lee,� he said, frowning, “Did your husband have anything against anyone else? Any enemies or anyone threatening him?�

Cheryl seemed to think for a while. Then, with another sob, she replied, “I don’t think so. He was such a nice man; no one would have anything against him.�

“Anyone at work, or...?�

Cheryl shook her head. “No, everyone at work loved him. He was very intelligent, but he wouldn’t have hurt a fly. Why would anyone hurt him, then?�

“Thank you,� Scorpius said, for he didn't have a answer to her question yet.


With that, the two went out of the room, back to the crime scene.

“You guys found anything yet?� Scorpius asked one of the junior Aurors, Tom Thornbush. “Murder weapon?�

“No, nothing,� Thornbush replied. “There were a lot of heavy things, but none had traces of blood or cracks on them. If he was hit that hard, the thing was bound to shatter, but so far, nothing looks even remotely broken.�

“Although,� another spoke up, “we did find splashes of dried blood and water around the victim. Looks like it was mopped up. �

Albus went over to the body. Sure enough, the floor looked damp and had reddish splotches.

“Look for a mop,� he said to the Auror. The thin man nodded and went over towards the kitchen.

“What’s wrong with Evanesco?� Albus asked.

“If he was a Muggle, he’d definitely use a mop, wouldn't he?� Scorpius replied, rolling his eyes at his partner.

The Auror returned back in a short while. “There’s no mop anywhere, sir,� he said.

“That’s strange,� Scorpius muttered. “The killer breaks into a rich guy’s house and he only takes a mop, leaving behind all these.� He motioned towards the ornate vases and paintings.

“And,� Albus continued, as if reading his mind, “he only took it because it linked to the murder weapon. Clearly he came here with the intention of murdering Kenny.�

“Bingo.�

And then suddenly, they heard a loud, piercing scream.

Albus ran towards the Lees’ bedroom, Scorpius following closely behind him. He pushed the door open roughly, wand at the ready, and barged in. Years of training under his own father had taught him how to behave in such situations, for he never knew who could be behind closed doors.

However, the only person inside was Cheryl. She was hunched over her dressing table, her hands clutching her hair. She was howling in evident misery.

“What happened?� Scorpius asked, lowering his own wand. Beside him, Albus looked rather baffled. “We heard you scream, and –�

“My ring was stolen!� she screeched, pointing at her open jewellery box, tears streaming down her eyes. “It was a rare pink diamond ring – only one of a kind! And it’s gone!� She let out a loud, hysterical sob.

“A pink diamond?� Albus whispered to Scorpius, surprised further. He had thought all diamonds were white. “Do they even exist?�

“Apparently they’re very rare,� Scorpius replied in hushed tones. “Rose kept going on and on about one last year, about how beautiful it would look on her finger.� Scorpius couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the naivety of his wife. “It was like she needed the damn thing. I had to buy her a normal diamond ring with my entire month’s salary just to get her to shut up. Women. You’re lucky you’re not married yet, Potter.�

Albus felt a strong urge to laugh, but he suppressed it. Instead he went over to Cheryl. “How did it look? Can you describe it?�

“It – it was a golden ring – stu-studded with a huge pi-pink diamond!� she cried, covering her face with her hands. “Ken had got it for me especially on our second anniversary! I just can’t lose it! It-it was th-the only thing he’d ever – ever given me with so much – so much love! I had promised him I’d never lose it, and now it’s... it’s gone...� She started crying harder.

“When did you last see it?� Scorpius asked quietly, patting her shoulder in what he thought was a consoling manner.

“Before – before I left for the exhibition last night! It was... right here, between the beads of my opal necklace...�

Scorpius nodded as he scratched down the details onto the parchment with his quill. Once he and Albus were outside the room, leaving Cheryl to the care of a young Auror, he said, “The killer isn’t as stupid as we thought. He did take something valuable.�

“The most valuable thing too,� Albus agreed. “A pink diamond. Must have cost millions of Galleons. I think I once heard a Muggle sold it for one-point-two billion pounds, but I was so sure the news must have been a fake one, I never gave it a–�

“Never mind that,� Scorpius cut across him, not paying attention to what Albus said as he looked at his notes. “D’you think it might have been a robbery after all? I mean, maybe the guy broke in, thinking that both of them would be out, considering it was a Friday night. They could easily both have gone to the exhibition. He took the ring, but as he was about to leave, Kenny saw him and tried to stop him. In frenzy, the robber hit him on the head with something heavy. When he realised he killed him, he mopped up after himself and took the mop along.�

“That’s plausible,� Albus said. “He must have know that Cheryl was taking part in the exhibition, then.�

Scorpius shrugged. “Could have been someone close to them,� he replied. “We should check out everyone who knew about the exhibition.�

However, the more Albus thought about it, the more puzzled he got. Something wasn’t right. “How does that explain the closed doors?�

“Hmm?�

“The door was locked. Cheryl had the keys, and she opened them to get in. The house had anti-Apparition wards.� Albus paused. “How did the guy get out?�

“Sir!� one of the Aurors – Tom Thornbush – called out, distracting them. “We found this.�

Leaving Scorpius to look through his notes, Albus shuffled over. “What?�

“It’s the end of a cigarette. Beside it is the victim’s wand.� Albus took a close look at the stub of the cigarette. It didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary.

“Did the victim smoke?� he asked.

“We think so, sir. We found a packet of cigarettes in a drawer of the kitchen cabinet.�

“What was the last spell the victim performed?�

Thornbush took out his own wand and muttered, “Prior Incantato.�

The wand shot out what looked like a smoky flame. He had conjured a small fire.

“I guess he lit up the cigarette, sir,� Thornbush said. Albus nodded and went back to Scorpius.

“What was it?� Scorpius asked.

“Nothing, just Kenny’s cigarette stub,� Albus said offhandedly.

“He smoked?�

“Looks like it...�

Scorpius shrugged. “He never seemed like the smoking type to me. Anyway, we’d better get going. There doesn’t seem to be anything else to investigate here. Let’s go and think about it back at the office.�

After a quick word with the Aurors and Cheryl, the two of them left the building.

As the two of them Apparated into the Atrium of the ministry, Albus said, “I think we should go and check if Cheryl’s alibi checks out.�

“You think she did it?� Scorpius asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

“No, but there’s no harm in going to check, is there?�

Scorpius shrugged. “Whatever you say. But first, I need to have a cup of tea. This crime’s given me a headache.�

---

Albus conjured up Muggle clothes and dressed into them as he got ready to leave for the ice-sculpture exhibition. He waved his wand and a large mirror appeared, allowing him to check his reflection to see if he looked Muggle enough. As he was wearing blue jeans and a full-sleeved dark green T-shirt on top, he thought it looked convincing enough. With another flick of his wand, the mirror disappeared. As he was stowing his wand into his pocket, he heard a knock on his door. “Come in,� he called.

Scorpius entered, dressed in black trousers and a white shirt. “Ready to leave?� he asked.

Albus nodded. Exiting Albus’ office, the two of them headed for the lifts that lead down to the Atrium.

“Malfoy!�

They were almost about to enter the lift when they heard someone call. Turning around, they saw the Head of the Auror Office hurrying over to them.

Harry Potter, despite of being over fifty, had more energy than the two thirty-year-old Aurors combined. His thinning grey hair and the lines around his jaw gave him the appearance of an old man. But the determined look in his green eyes proved that he still had the magical prowess of the young wizard who had defeated the Dark Lord.

“Yes, sir?� Scorpius asked.

“Do you still have the files of the Higgins case?� Harry asked. Scorpius nodded. Turning to Albus, he said, “Al, would you mind going alone? I have an important case to discuss with Malfoy.�

“Of course not, sir,� Albus said, smiling slightly. Saying goodbye to his father and his colleague, he went into the lift and descended to the Atrium. Wondering if he’d find any new leads, he got out when the lift screeched to a halt, and once he was at the Atrium, he Disapparated into a deserted alley of Muggle London.

The first thing Albus realised as he stepped through the doors of the exhibition was that it was extremely cold. Rubbing the sides of his arms, he looked around. The room was very large with a very high ceiling. The walls were a light shade of blue with white crowning, and they were lined with various portraits that all seemed to be from different eras. The windows were tall, and the curtains lining them were parted, allowing the afternoon sunlight to stream in through the glass. The carpet was a light shade of grey, and filling up the whole room were tables, on top of which rested around fifty sculptures that seemed to sparkle in the light. From far away, it seemed they were made of diamond.

“Excuse me?�

Albus turned around and came face to face with an old man. His first impression was that this man looked like a pillar; he was tall, around six and a half feet, and was very thin, as though he hadn’t eaten for days. He had a large, bushy moustache and a bald patch on his head. He was looking at Albus with a quizzical look on his face.

“Good evening, sir,� Albus said in his official voice. “I’m a detective, here to investigate a murder.� He showed up his Auror ID. The IDs that the Aurors had had a special charm on them – to Muggles, they looked like police badges.

“Oh.� The man frowned. “I’m George Willis, and I’m in charge of the exhibition. How may I help you?�

“I need to know if Cheryl Lee was here between nine and eleven pm last night. Do you remember seeing her?�

“Cheryl Lee?� he asked in surprise, his tiny eyes lighting up. “Of course I remember seeing her! Very talented young woman, I tell you! Made the finest sculpture we’ve seen in a long time!�

Albus nodded. “Did she leave any time between ten and ten thirty?�

Willis pondered over the question for a while. Then he replied, “I don’t remember seeing her leave, but I wouldn’t know for sure. I had other sculptures to look after as well. I just know that I saw Cheryl come in at around eight last night when the exhibition started, and she left with the other sculptors at eleven pm. They all left their sculptures behind as the judging started today.�

“Thank you so much,� Albus said, smiling at the man. “I’ll come back if I need anything else.�

“It was my pleasure, detective!�

Once out of the exhibition, Albus ran to a dark alleyway and Apparated to the Ministry.

---

“Found anything?� Scorpius asked when Albus plopped down on a chair in his office.

“Nah. Cheryl’s alibi checks out. The in-charge remembers seeing her there.�

“There goes your wife-murderer theory.�

“Yeah, well.� Albus shrugged. “Let’s check his workplace. I’m sure he must have had tiffs with someone or the other, even though he didn’t tell his wife.�

“The last time I heard, he was working in Gringotts, right?� Scorpius said. “We can ask your Uncle Bill; he’s the head of the Gringotts’ curse breakers.�

Nodding, Albus got up and walked to his fireplace. Being the Assistant Head of the Auror Office had its advantages; he got his own fireplace. Taking a handful of the Floo powder from the grate, he threw it into the orange flames. With a hiss, they immediately turned bright emerald.

“Let’s go,� he said to Scorpius, and he stepped into the dancing green flames. As the flames licked his trousers, he announced clearly and loudly, “Gringotts!� Slowly, the fire engulfed him and he started whizzing around. He caught a few glimpses of other living rooms through the grates he flew past, until finally, he stopped. Stumbling out, slightly disoriented, he found himself standing in the lobby of the Wizarding bank.

A few seconds later, Scorpius staggered out of the grate and clutched onto him for support. “I still prefer Apparating, or better, brooms,� he muttered.

Albus sniggered, earning himself a blow to the head. “Git,� he muttered ruefully, massaging his head.

Scorpius, meanwhile, walked towards the reception. Sitting behind the marble counter, hunched over some parchment, was a goblin with tall, pointy ears. Tufts of white hair sprouted out of his matted, wrinkled skin.

“Excuse me,� Scorpius said. “I’m here to meet William Weasley, the Head curse breaker. Where can I find him?�

The goblin looked up. His small, beady eyes were narrowed suspiciously in Scorpius’ direction. “Do you have an appointment with Mr Weasley?�

Scorpius flashed his badge, putting on an authoritative expression. “I am an Auror. I need to speak to Mr Weasley now, please.�

Baring his sharp, pointed teeth, he stepped out from behind the counter. “Right this way.� He started walking towards a long, narrow corridor to the left. Scorpius and Albus followed suit.

“How’d you do that?� Albus whispered to Scorpius as they trudged down the corridor. Their footsteps reverberated off the walls.

“Do what?�

“You know, command everyone around.�

Scorpius smirked. “Why? Is the Deputy Head thinking that I am a much better choice than himself?�

“No,� Albus replied irritably. “I was just asking.�

However, that smug look refused to vanish off of Scorpius’ face for the rest of their walk.

They came to a long series of doors. They seemed to be at an office of some sort. This, Albus thought, was probably the curse breakers’ offices.

The goblin and the Aurors stopped in front of the door at the very end of the corridor. “This is the office of Mr Weasley, the Head of the Gringotts’ curse breakers,� he said in a raspy voice. Without another word, he walked back the same way they had come.

Shrugging, Scorpius knocked on the door.

“Come in,� came the voice of Albus’ uncle.

Scorpius turned the doorknob and entered the office.

Compared to the rest of Gringotts, Bill’s office was much more homely and cosy. There was a plush red carpet covering the stone floors, and the furniture was all made of a coffee-coloured wood. The walls were covered in bookshelves full of fat volumes of books and an occasional photo frame or ornament. A warm fire crackled in the grate. Bill Weasley sat at a desk towards the back of the room, poring through a stack of paperwork. His long, greying hair was, as usual, tied in a ponytail. When the newcomers entered, he looked up.

“Albus, Scorpius!� he said happily, standing up to greet them. They walked forwards and shook hands. “What brings you here?�

“Uncle Bill, I assume you’ve heard about Kenny Lee?� Albus said, getting straight to the point.

A grim look flashed across Bill’s lined face. “Yeah, I heard. It was a great loss; he was one of our best curse breakers.�

“We were wondering, did he have any enemies at work?� Scorpius asked. “Anyone he had any fights with or anything?�

Bill shook his head. “I believe not. He was on good terms with everyone here.� He paused, thinking hard. “Though, now that you mention it, I think there was someone.�

“Who?� Albus asked, edging forwards in his seat. Was this the person they were looking for?

“Jeremiah Rufflesius. They had a very big... confrontation last week. In the end, I had to pull Rufflesius off. When I was dragging him away, he was yelling at Lee. He said, ‘Watch yourself, you two-faced bastard. The next time I get my hands on you, I’ll break your head open.’�

“Jeremiah Rufflesius, you murdered Kenny Lee.�

Albus narrowed his eyes and looked menacingly at the black-and-white photo of Rufflesius that Bill had provided them with. The gaunt man leered back at him from the picture.

Scorpius rolled his eyes at his partner. “Seriously, Potter? Now you’re talking to a photo?�

“What, don’t you think this guy did it? I mean, look at him,� Albus replied, motioning towards the sunken cheeks and menacing-looking, black eyes. “He could easily be our guy!�

“There’s practically no evidence he’s the murderer!� Scorpius said heatedly.

“What about Uncle Bill’s statement? Rufflesius threatened to kill Kenny, and a week later, the guy ends up dead. I hope you’re not planning to tell me it’s a coincidence. �

Scorpius sighed. It had been two days since they had learned about Rufflesius from Bill, but the Aurors hadn’t been able to track him down. Albus and Scorpius were sitting in Albus’ office, poring through Rufflesius’ documents, trying to work out where he might have gone. So far, they had found nothing. It was as if the man had vanished from the face of the earth.

Scorpius ran a hand through his sleek, blond hair. He had to admit, Albus did have a point. If he hadn’t murdered Kenny, then why did Kenny ended up dead a few days after Rufflesius had threatened him to murder him the same way that he was found dead? And why had Rufflesius gone missing the very same day that Kenny had died?

“He hasn’t been to work,� Albus reeled off; he’d been chanting the same mantra all morning, “and his name isn’t on the St Mungo’s register, meaning he’s not ill. They’ve been sending him owls from work every day and he hasn’t replied to any of them. His house was found locked when the Aurors went to haul him out. If he didn’t do it, then why the hell did he scarper?�

Scorpius had no answer to that question, however. “Let’s go and ask his family,� he suggested, finding nothing else to say. “Who’s listed as his next of kin?�

“Sandra Finn, his sister,� Albus replied promptly. He had even the minute details memorised, having gone through the papers at least ten times. “Lives in Canterbury.�

“Didn’t he have a wife?�

“Deceased. She died in an accident in Egypt, but nothing else about the incident is mentioned. �

Scorpius nodded. “Let’s go and check out the sister. If luck favours, we’ll finally find him.�

---

An hour later, they were sitting in the Finns’ living room. The room was rather cramped and small, and some of the white paint was peeling off the walls, revealing the grey plaster underneath. The wooden floorboards, though kept clean, squeaked whenever stepped on. The only furniture in the room was a shabby sofa set and a wooden coffee table. The house, though rather old and poorly furnished, seemed to be well cared for; Albus thought it rather felt like he was in The Burrow.

The owner of the house came in from the kitchen, carrying two cups of tea, which she set on the coffee table. Mrs Finn was a thin, red-headed young woman with kind, brown eyes. She wore threadbare robes, on top of which she had put on a tattered, flowery apron. smiling nervously, she sat down on the armchair, facing them.

Albus and Scorpius took their cups of tea. Albus took a sip and grimaced; the tea tasted rather watery.

“Sorry, my tea isn’t the best,� Mrs Finn admitted, noticing Albus’ expression. Albus, always the polite one, immediately put on a fake smile, insisting that the tea was actually rather good.

“Mrs Finn,� Scorpius said, once Albus had successfully convinced the woman, “do you know where your brother is?�

“Jeremiah?� she asked, sounding slightly worried. “Why? Isn’t he at his house?�

Scorpius shook his head. “He’s not answering our owls and his house is locked. He hasn’t come to work, either. We think he’s on the run after murdering one of his co-workers, Kenny Lee.�

“What?� she said, looking shocked. “Ken... no, Jerry wouldn’t do such a thing!�

“He threatened to split Mr Lee’s head open,� Albus put in. “And Mr Lee was found dead after a fatal blow to his head. I think it all adds up.�

“Just because my brother threatened someone doesn’t mean he’d actually go ahead and do it!�Mrs Finn replied, flaring up. Her eyes, which had been kind and warm a few seconds ago, suddenly seemed fierce. “He just... he had reasons!�

“Why would he threaten to kill someone?� Albus countered. “What good reason does he have?�

Mrs Finn took a deep breath and looked away, apparently pondering whether or not to tell them. Finally, she sighed and replied, “Jerry’s wife, Enid, died in a pyramid in Egypt when they went holidaying there last month. One of the curses on the tomb killed her the moment she accidentally touched the sarcophagus of the Pharaoh, though there was a sign forbade anyone to do it. Kenny Lee was the curse-breaker responsible for the tomb, and he had failed to remove that deadly curse. Jerry believed it was his fault.�

“Kenny was transferred here from Egypt three weeks ago,� Scorpius muttered to Albus.

“I’m telling you, Jerry was angry, but he wouldn’t murder the man!� Mrs Finn said in a pleading voice.

“I understand,� Scorpius said calmly. “If you want to prove him innocent, please tell us where he is.�

The woman sighed. “I don’t know,� she said dejectedly, looking close to tears. “Jerry didn’t tell me anything about where he was going. He just came in two nights ago, looking totally dishevelled, like he’d just gone through hell. I guess... now I know why. My husband wasn’t home at the time. All Jerry said was, ‘Sandra, I’m in trouble. I don’t know when this will be over. Just pray.’ And he Disapparated before I could say a word,� she finished with a sob.

“So you don’t know where he is?� Scorpius repeated.

Mrs Finn shook her head. “No,� she replied, sniffing.

“Did he have anywhere to go? A country house?�

“Auror Malfoy, we are poor people,� Mrs Finn said, suddenly looking at Scorpius with a stony gaze. Scorpius realised his mistake and averted his gaze. “We don’t have country houses or anything. All our money goes into just feeding ourselves, not useless spending that people like you can afford. �

Scorpius mumbled an apology.

Suddenly, an idea hit Albus. “Mrs Finn,� he said, standing up. “Where exactly did he Disapparate?�

“There,� she replied, pointing at a spot near the sofa.

Albus went and stood in the spot she had mentioned. “Here?� he asked. The woman nodded.

Albus took out his wand and rotated it in a perfect circle around the position he was in, muttering incantations. A thin strand of silver light shot out of his wand and twisted around him, shimmering. Silver sparks shot out of his wand and formed a bright dome that hovered above his head.

Scorpius gaped at his partner. “What the hell are you doing?�

“ Rivelano portale... it’s something that reveals the last destination of Apparition,� Albus said between incantations. “ Portarmi Avanti... Monstrare Velit... Aunt Hermione invented this spell. Once it’s done, we’ll Apparate exactly to where Rufflesius went to.�

Mrs Finn looked at him, horrified that she had probably revealed to the Aurors, albeit unknowingly, her brother’s location.

“Wow,� Scorpius muttered. “Sometimes, I don’t even know what my mother-in-law is capable of.�

Once Albus was finished, the circular patch of wood beneath his feet vanished; he seemed to be standing on bright, white light only. It was an odd feeling, Albus thought, to be levitating in thin air.

“Are you coming, or what?� he said to Scorpius. Scorpius hurried over to the disc of light and stepped into it, realising that he had sunk about an inch into the floor.

“Please, my brother didn’t do anything. Don’t harm him,� Mrs Finn was pleading.

Scorpius nodded slightly. “Don’t worry, we won’t. Thank you.�

With a loud crack, the two Aurors Disapparated from the small room, leaving behind a stunned Mrs Finn.

With a loud crack and a bright flash of light, the two Aurors found themselves suspended in mid-air. In a split second, before they could realise what was going on, the invisible floor gave way and they started plummeting towards the earth, the wind rushing violently past them. Albus yelled at the top of his voice, his arms flailing wildly as he tried to slow down his fall. Scorpius, on the other hand, grappled inside his robes for his wand, his eyes watering as he tried to see. They were merely a few feet away from instant death when finally, his fingers curled around the familiar wooden stick. Tugging it out, he pointed it at the ground and screamed, “Arresto Momentum!�

It was as if an unseen rope had been tied on their waists; they suddenly came to a halt, their faces a foot above the ground. The smell of earth and grass filled Albus’ lungs before at last, the non-existent cord snapped and they fell to the ground with a loud thud. Albus thought he heard a small crick, before suddenly feeing a sharp pain on his face; he realised he had just broken his nose.

Scorpius clambered to his feet, massaging his forehead, and he stowed his wand back into his pocket. “Nice spell-work back there, Potter,� he commented.

Clutching his throbbing nose, Albus groggily got to his feet. “I guess I could do wid bore practice. Baybe I forgot to add da salvatierra at de edd. Or baybe it was da Reduco gravita.�

“Lovely,� Scorpius said sarcastically. “You forgot the most important spell, the one that makes us land safely on the ground instead of plummet down from the sky. Happens sometimes, doesn’t it? Happens to us all.�

“Shut it,� Albus growled. Blood was dribbling down his face from between his fingers. “Fix by dose?� he asked, removing his hand to display his bloody and obviously broken nose.

Scorpius pulled out his wand again, looking at Albus with a mix of pity and amusement. “Reminds me of the time when that Bludger smashed into your face in fifth year. Thanks for that, by the way; Slytherin wouldn’t have won without you and your rookie Beater. Episkey.�

Albus grunted as he felt another stab of pain while his nose fixed itself. With a quick wave of his wand, he siphoned off the blood covering his face. “Where are we?� he asked, looking around for the first time.

They were in some kind of valley. There was lush green grass all around them, and a few shrubs or small trees sprouted out of the ground here and there. Behind them was a small hill, on top of which stood a rather large house, almost completely covered with ivy.

“I bet ten Galleons that Rufflesius is in there,� Albus muttered under his breath.

Silently, the two Aurors trudged up the hill. Having gone on many little ‘excursions’ to the hills around the Burrow, Albus seemed familiar to the topography of the place; knowing where to place his footing, he made it up to the top without much difficulty. Scorpius, on the other hand, had lived in a small village for the most of his life and his parents had hardly allowed him to venture outside on his own. For that reason, Scorpius had never found trekking up hills his cup of tea.

Once Albus had helped Scorpius up onto plane ground, they slowly started walking towards the rotting, ivy-covered front door. After a minute of silence, they reached it. There was no knocker or doorbell on the door, however.

“There would have been no point knocking, anyway,� Albus said. “Besides, they probably made this house to hide from people; it’s in such a desolate area. No one would come visiting, so why make a knocker in the first place?�

“Yeah,� Scorpius agreed. “It’s covered with so many plants. No one would have guessed that anyone lived here, and Muggles probably wouldn’t even notice it.�

Albus took out his wand and pointed it at the rusty keyhole, the only thing on the door. “Alohomora,� he muttered. The keyhole glowed white and something clicked inside. With an ominous creak, the door swung open. Wands raised, the two Aurors tiptoed into the building as the door swung shut behind them, leaving them in pitch-black darkness.

“Lumos,� Scorpius whispered hastily, and the tip of his wand glowed. Albus thought he detected a hint of fear in his partner’s voice. He knew that Scorpius didn’t really like the dark.

The living room seemed like a deserted, haunted house. It was filled with cobwebs from top to bottom. The clothes covering the furniture had turned black, their original whiteness hardly discernable. The wooden floor was thankfully covered with an inch of dust; otherwise, their footsteps would have echoed loudly in the cavernous room. A threadbare rug lay underneath what Albus assumed were the remains of a coffee table. The curtains on the windows were drawn, preventing any sunlight entering the room. Albus thought he heard a faint buzzing coming from them and felt a sense of foreboding.

“Who in their right mind would live in such a filthy rat’s hole?� Albus hissed, crinkling his nose as they walked towards a rickety staircase at the back of the room.

“If anyone does live here, he’s definitely a person worth investigating,� Scorpius replied. “Anyone living here would be up to no good. It’s the perfect place to do something illegal; no one would bother to enter and check it out, because they’d assume no one lives here.�

The stairs creaked softly as they crept up the winding flight. As they got to the landing, they found themselves face to face with a long, dark corridor that led up to nothing but a single door at the end. Cobwebs were suspended from the ceilings. There was a shrill squeak and a scurry of tiny feet on the wooden floor as a rat ran into a small crack in the wall at the sight of the newcomers. It was then that Albus noticed an oddity in the corridor.

“Look,� Albus whispered, pointing at the bottom of the door. Scorpius saw it, too; a faint strand of light was streaming in through the gap beneath the door.

Someone was inside.

Immediately, Scorpius put his index finger on his lips and signalled for Albus to be quiet. He positioned himself to the left of the door and held his wand aloft. He motioned to Albus to stand in front of the door. He held up three fingers and then drew his fingers together into a fist and separated them quickly. Albus nodded, understanding the tactic. Looking straight at the door, Scorpius held up one finger, then two, and then finally, three.

“REDUCTO!� yelled Albus.

There was a loud bang and an explosion and the door was blasted off its hinges, showering the two Aurors with dust and debris. The force of the blast sent Albus spiralling backwards; he landed a few feet away with a loud thump. Scorpius, who was shielded from the direct impact, instantly hurtled into the room. Albus immediately sprang to his feet and charged through the door-frame, his wand raised high.

As the dust and smoke settled, however, the two Aurors found themselves in a completely empty room. The only thing inside was a large, iron cauldron filled with a bubbling potion, resting idly on top of a crackling fire.

Albus let out a sight of frustration. “Damn!� he cursed. “That blast must have alerted him now, wherever he was. He’ll be gone before we can even say his name.�

Scorpius walked towards the cauldron and peered into its contents. The green concoction inside was frothing and hissing wildly, letting out puffs of smoke now and then. Scorpius sniffed. The fumes filled his nose, giving him the sensation that he was soaring. He immediately stepped back, shaking his head to get rid of the fuzzy feeling.

“Myrrh, meswak extracts and cloves,� he stated, his brows knitting into a frown. He’d always been good at potions in school. “The ingredients needed to make herbal toothpaste. However, mixed with roots of baneberry, a dash of bloodroot sap extracted on a full-moon and rufflesius leaves, they make a powerful wizarding drug most commonly used for intoxication: Cittanil.�

“Whoever was here was making drugs?� Albus asked, surprised. Scorpius nodded.

Albus waved his wand, and in a flash, the cauldron and its contents vanished. “I sent it over to the Ministry for inspection,� he said. He then looked around. The rooms seemed to be in a slightly better condition, for there were no cobwebs and the walls looked much cleaner. This made him sure that someone did live here, whether or not they visited other parts of the house. But then, where did they...?

“We’d better get going, then,� Scorpius was saying, stowing his wand back in. “No point hanging around. We’ll bring reinforcements later on; whoever was here will come back for the cauldron.�

Albus was staring at the wall opposite the door. As he blinked, it seemed to flutter.Could it be –?

“Potter, are you coming?�

Albus spun around quickly, putting a finger on his lips and waving his wand. Scorpius frowned, but then eyes widened for a second, and he quickly withdrew his wand. Hastily, Albus motioned to the wall in front of him.

“Yes, Malfoy,� he said loudly, walking towards the wall. “Let’s go.�

“There’s nothing here, after all,� Scorpius said loudly, playing along, wondering what on earth his partner was up to.

Albus was inches away from the wall. Raising his wand, he whispered, “Homonem Revelio!�

Right in front of their eyes, the wall vanished and revealed an extension of the same room, comprising of a straw bed, and in one corner, a urinal. Crouched on the bed was an oddly familiar man.

“Well, well, well,� Albus said scornfully, stepping into the extended room, his wand pointed at the gaunt man. Scorpius followed him in, his own wand raised.“Jeremiah Rufflesius... what a pleasure.�

Rufflesius looked up, his eyes fixed on Albus in terror. His dark brown hair was far more dishevelled than in the picture the Aurors had of him, not to mention the fact that he was thinner and looked extremely pale. His cheek bones were jutting out, and his limbs looked no thicker than sticks. He looked as though he hadn’t eaten anything for the past two days.

“What - who - who are you?� he said, his voice gravelly, looking from Albus to Scorpius apprehensively.

“Aurors,� Albus replied carelessly. “Put your hands up where I can see them. Do not reach for your wand.�

Wide-eyed, Rufflesius raised his hands. His beady, black eyes darted from Albus to Scorpius to the door, searching for any way to escape. There weren’t any chances of that, however; even if he managed to dodge the first Auror, the second one would get to him.

Scorpius silently summoned Rufflesius’ wand, catching it gracefully with his Keeper’s skills as it flew towards him in an arc, and pocketed it. Stepping forwards, his wand raised, he said, “Jeremiah Rufflesius, you are under arrest for the murder of Kenny Lee.�

Rufflesius’ eyes widened. ““What? I didn’t murder -�

“You have the right to -�

“No, really! I thought you got me for -�

But before he could speak any further, ropes flew out of Albus’ wand and wrapped themselves tightly around Rufflesius. Unable to keep a balance, he toppled over and fell sideways with a dull thud, his head hitting the floor hard. Rufflesius yelled in pain and writhed on the ground like a helpless caterpillar.

Albus lowered his wand. “Make another sound and I’ll gag you too,� he said through gritted teeth.

Unarmed and outnumbered, Rufflesius realized that there was no use struggling. He stopped moving and lay limp.

“That’s better,� Scorpius said. “Come on now, you’re going with us to the Ministry for questioning. Locomotor Mortis.� Scorpius lifted his wand and Rufflesius’ tied up body started to hover a few feet over the ground. With his wand, he directed the prisoner towards the door. Albus went first and Rufflesius drifted along behind him, while Scorpius brought up the rear.

“So that’s another case solved,� Albus said cheerfully as he strutted down the flight of stairs. The termite-infested wooden steps creaked loudly beneath their feet.

“We still have to question him, don’t forget that,� Scorpius reminded him. “There are chances we might end up with a new lead.�

Even though Rufflesius didn’t speak, he nodded fervently.

“I don’t think so,� Albus replied, completely ignoring the bound man. “There’s enough evidence against him to send him off to Azkaban for a long time. Add in the drugs and he might be looking at a life sentence.�

Scorpius still had a nagging feeling in his stomach that it wasn’t over. He was sure they were overlooking something very big... he just couldn’t put his finger on it. There was a huge flaw in the case somewhere. He started to have doubts that Rufflesius was their real man.

As they neared the door, they could again hear the faint buzzing noise coming from the curtains. Knowing that it was probably full of Doxies, Scorpius veered away from it. But he hadn’t noticed the mischievous glint in Rufflesius’ eyes. In one fluid motion, Rufflesius struck Albus with a massive head-butt and knocked him hard into the curtains. Albus let out a muffled yell as he fell backwards, his eyes wide in surprise. In an instant, an angry swarm of the dark, pixie-like creatures shot out of the curtain; spotting Albus, they darted towards him and enveloped him. Albus’ wand clattered uselessly to the floor. “Aaaarrrghh!� he yelled as the Doxies clawed at every inch of his body they could find. “Malfoy!�

Instinctively, Scorpius raised his wand towards the Doxies, unaware that in doing so he had broken the spell on Rufflesius. Free from both spells, Rufflesius let out a lunatic cackle, and looking victorious, he made a run for the door.

Scorpius, however, was too preoccupied with the Doxies to notice. “Stupefy!� he yelled. A red jet shot out of his wand and hit a few of the Doxies, which dropped to the floor like a rock. “Impedimenta! Immobilus!� Scorpius kept on shouting the various spells that flew through his mind, though only a few Doxies were hit at once. Albus continued to shriek in agony as he shielded his face with one arm and tried to knock the Doxies off with the others. Stopping the attack, Scorpius bent down to pick up Albus’ wand, which was lying uselessly at his feet. Whipping out Rufflesius’ wand, the one they had Disarmed off him, Scorpius pointed all three wands at the Doxies. If one didn’t work, maybe the combined effort of all three would.

“STUPEFY! �

The whole room was filled with blinding light as a wave of red sparks shot out of the wands and enveloped the Doxies. In a split second, all the creatures fell to the floor with loud thumps, exposing a bloody and bruised Albus.

The Auror slumped to the floor, panting heavily. “Th-thanks,� he gasped.

Scorpius, however, threw Albus’ wand at him and sprinted out of the door, yelling, “Pick your arse up and come on!�

Cursing, Albus pulled himself up and dashed after Scorpius.

Running into the fields outside, Scorpius scanned the valleys below. There was no sign of Rufflesius anywhere; the man had just disappeared. “Fuck!� Scorpius yelled.

Panting, Albus arrived by his side. “He... he Disapparated?�

“Yeah,� Scorpius said, kicking the ground. “He’s gone and we have no bloody way to trace him!�

“Aunt Hermione’s spell won’t work; we don’t know exactly where he Disapparated,� Albus said, slumping down on the ground.

“Way to state the obvious,� Scorpius said roughly. “It’s your fault he’s escaped, Potter. If you knew how to defend yourself from those bloody Doxies, he wouldn’t have got the chance! What a Deputy Head you are... whose brilliant idea was it, anyway?�

Albus, however, had a strange glint in his eye. “Dad didn’t hand me the post for nothing, though.�

“You let the git escape, Potter.�

“That’s what you think, Malfoy,� Albus said smugly. He pulled out his wand and muttered, “Umbrius.�. In a second, a smoky, map-like object appeared, and it had a bright red dot right in the centre. “There he is.�

“But - how?� Scorpius stared at the red dot, which was blinking. Around it, the scenery changed constantly.

“Right when we caught him, I placed a tracking charm on him just in case he managed to scarper.�

Scorpius was impressed at Albus’ handiwork. “Really?�

“Yeah. And just for the record, the panel gave a unanimous vote. They thought they might be able to get inyo Dad’s good books if they voted for his son. Come on now,� he added, beckoning for Scorpius to come closer. “We’d better follow him before he goes any further. Grab my arm.�

Scorpius did as he was told. Albus touched the tiny red dot and closed his eyes. In a split second, the valley and the ivy-covered house vanished.

Unlike the sensation of being sucked through a rubber tube like that of Apparition, they felt as if they were being scrambled into a million pieces as they were transported through space at a speed faster than light. The Aurors couldn’t feel their arms or legs; they couldn’t feel anything. After a few seconds, the queer sensation came to an end as Albus and Scorpius felt themselves reassemble, and they landed in a heap on a cobbled walkway.

Albus got up and brushed the dust off his robes, looking around. They were in a small village of some sort. Dingy, mismatched buildings lined the street they were standing in, some of them boarded up while others had their curtains drawn firmly over the windows. There was an eerie silence. The sky overhead was murky and cloudy, making the whole place look like something out of a classic Muggle horror movie.

“So Rufflesius came here,� Scorpius stated, looking around.

“Looks like the place a criminal would go to,� Albus said, scrunching up his nose.

Ignoring Albus, Scorpius began to walk, looking closely at the buildings. Albus followed suit.

“Maybe we should begin asking around?� Albus suggested.

“If we could only find some people to ask,� Scorpius said. “Where is everyone? It’s still broad daylight and there’s not a soul in sight!�

“We can try out there,� Albus said, pointing at a dingy pub. The Witch’s Brew, read a small sign in front. Albus could sense magical traces on and around it; it was most probably hidden from any Muggles around.

Scorpius nodded. The two Aurors made their way towards the termite-eaten, wooden front door. The door handles were rusty and the paint was peeling off the walls of the pub. A low rumbling noise was coming through the door; there seemed to be a small crowd congregated inside.

Albus pushed the door open. The moment the two Aurors stepped in, a hush fell over the crowd as they all looked around to stare at them. There were around twenty men inside, ranging from scruffy teenagers to men in their fifties. The only noise was emanating from a radio on the counter: a commentary from the latest Quidditch match - Appleby Arrows versus Puddlemere United.

“Who are yeh?� the barman, a gruff looking man with a wheezy voice, demanded. “You ain’t from around ’ere.�

“No, we’re not,� Scorpius said authoritatively, walking over to the counter. He flashed his badge and said, “We’re Aurors. We want to know if you’ve seen this man.� He took out the picture of Rufflesius from his robes and showed it to the barman, who scrutinised it closely.

“I ain’t seen ’im around,� he grunted. “None of us ’ave.�

“How are you sure?� Albus pressed on. “Someone must have -�

“I told yeh!� The barman bellowed, looking mad. Albus’s eyed widened. “Everyone knows each other ’ere! If there’s any new bloke aroun’, I woulda know it!�

Scorpius seemed to have a hard time controlling his temper, his hand twitching inside his robes as if he was about to reach for his wand. “Very well,� he said through gritted teeth. “Did anyone come into the village today, except us?�

The man scratched his unshaved chin for a while before grunting in affirmation.

“Who?� Albus pressed urgently. If it was Rufflesius -

CRASH.

Instinctively, Albus turned around and drew his wand, followed immediately by Scorpius. What happened next was a blur. One moment, a man had upturned the table he had been sitting in, trapping a fellow customer underneath, who yelped in surprise. The next moment, Scorpius had been whacked to the ground, his attacker sprinting out of the door.

“What the -�

Without pausing, Albus dashed outside, running as fast as he could. The dark figure was only a few feet away, looking over his shoulders as he ran. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Albus pointed his wand at the figure and yelled, “Stupefy!� at the top of his voice.

The spell hit the man squarely in the small of his back as he crumpled to the floor, sending up a puff of sand and dust. Albus skidded to a halt beside him and fell to his knees, panting heavily.

Just underneath the wig of golden blond hair was the face of Jeremiah Rufflesius.

“So we meet again,� Albus said, pointing his wand at the bridge of his nose.

“I’m telling you, I didn’t kill anyone!� Rufflesius gasped, going cross-eyed as he tried to look at the tip of Albus’ wand.

“Why did you run away then, eh?� Albus said venomously. Scorpius had come up beside him, his wand pointed at Rufflesius too.

“Come on, you,� he said, pulling Rufflesius up by the collar. Scorpius brought his arms behind him, and with his wand he conjured a thin band of yellow light that clasped around Rufflesius’ wrists like handcuffs. “You’re coming with us to the Ministry of Magic.�

The interrogation room at the Auror Headquarters was a small stone chamber with harsh fluorescent lighting emanating from two balls of light floating near the roof. The only pieces of furniture in there were a rectangular wooden table, around which were three chairs, one for the suspect and two across the table for two Aurors. One of the walls of the room was actually not a wall; it was a one-way see-through screen which allowed other Aurors to view the room from a smaller chamber and take notes without the knowledge of the suspect. The room was fortified by various spells, including Imperturbable charms to prevent any unwanted eavesdropping.

Once they were back at the Auror Headquarters at the Ministry, Albus and Scorpius took Rufflesius straight to the interrogation room. Shoving him into one of the chairs, Albus quickly activated the charms around the room. He and Scorpius then took their seats in the chairs across the table.

“Mr Rufflesius, why did you kill Kenny Lee?� Scorpius asked calmly, leaning forwards.

“I didn’t, though that son of a bitch deserved what he got,� Rufflesius said, sneering. His black eyes had a gaunt look in them.

“You threatened to break his head open. He was killed with a blow to the head. We can add two and two together.�

Rufflesius shrugged. “Mighta been luck. We had a tiff; I threatened him. I had nothin’ to do with it.�

“Why did you escape, then?� Albus asked this time.

“Oh, please,� Rufflesius rolled his eyes. “If a bunch of Aurors suddenly jumped at you and said you were wanted for killin’ someone as well as drug peddling and that you were gonna be locked up in Azkaban fer good, would you go along with them quietly?�

“If I had nothing to fear, then yes,� Scorpius said, looking straight into his eyes.

Rufflesius snorted, shaking his head. “We have a lotta practice dealing with you lot. All of us in the drugs business know what you Aurors are like. Most of you don’t really give a shit whether we did anything or not; all you do is just bring us in and lock us up in Azkaban. You don’t know what it’s like, living in poverty, how we survive, and what we’ve gotta do for quick cash. You’ll never give a -�

“You had a job, Rufflesius!� Albus yelled, slamming his fist on the table. The loud thud resonated around the room, amplifying it. “You weren’t in bloody poverty! You managed to go on a holiday in Egypt with your wife!�

“I was a bloody caretaker!� Rufflesius bellowed, standing up and thumping his fist on the table. He looked tormented, his eyes wild. “No one told you that, eh? My job was to cast Cleaning Spells on the floors and tables while everyone else had their own rooms with Cooling Charms in ’em! It took me years of savings to get a house! And when my wife wanted to go on a trip to Egypt, what could I do? I had no money. Then a friend told me about the drugs business, and it showed me a way out. I could rake in galleons. I took my wife on our first holiday.�

“What does this have to do with Kenny’s murder?� Scorpius asked, looking confused.

Rufflesius paused. And then he smirked, his lips curling upwards in a menacing way, as though this was what he’d been dying to say for a long time.

“I now know why my wife had been so darn eager to visit Egypt.�

Albus was puzzled, wondering how all of it was related. He was wondering if Rufflesius was unhinged after all.

“My wife is having an affair with Kenny Lee.�

Albus’ eyes widened. He couldn’t believe Kenny could do something like that. He had a wife who he loved, he had everything; why would he waste it all for another woman? And then something Rufflesius just said clicked in his head.

“Is having? I thought your wife was -�

“Dead?� Rufflesius laughed in a deranged way. “Oh, she fooled me too. What a clever plan; I feel like hitting myself for not realizing it sooner. That bitch faked her death so she could go and live with that scumbag without me in the picture. She’d have kept me grieving all my life had a friend not seen them together and come straight to me. And that’s why I attacked Rufflesius in the office that day,� he said, jerking his head towards Scorpius.

Albus was thinking about the absurdity of it all when a piece of parchment appeared in a puff of blue smoke above their heads and drifted slowly down on the table. Scorpius picked it up and scanned through it, his eyes moving over the paper like darts. Once he was done, he looked up, his lips pursed, his brows knitted into a frown. He looked at Rufflesius and said, “Your fingerprints match those of the crime scene. Your DNA matches the saliva found on the small cigarette stub. What do you make of that?�

Albus looked closely at Rufflesius, looking at any signs of discomfort or worry. However, instead of looking like someone whose house of lies was falling apart, Ruffesius actually nodded.

“It should. I went over to his house the day he was murdered.�

“So is that a confession?� Albus asked loudly, hoping that it was.

Rufflesius scowled at Albus before replying, “No, I went over to ask him to give me back my wife. But of course, he said nothing. He denied it. He said he didn’t know about Gwen, that bastard!� Rufflesius’ voice rose with every syllabus until it became a yell.

“How do we believe you?� Scorpius asked, leaning forwards. “All the evidence is against you. How can we just believe that you’re not lying?�

“Use Legilimency; I don’t care. I don’t have anything to lose.�

Albus bit his lip. The use of Legilimency on suspects had been controlled over since his father had become the Head of Auror Office. He had considered it to be an invasion of privacy and had allowed it only under special circumstances, with prior consent from the suspects themselves. Albus considered this to be a dire situation.

Scorpius turned to him. “What do you think?�

Albus had made his decision. “We’ll do it.� Turning to Rufflesius, he asked, “Do you agree to us performing Legilimency on you?�

“Like I said, I’ve got nothing to lose,� he replied, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning backwards on his chair.

“Very well. I’ll go and get the consent forms.� He stood up and stretched his leg muscles, tired of sitting. Cursing the anti-Summoning and Imperturbable charms, he walked out of the room towards his office. He returned with a form, a quill and an ink-bottle minutes later.

Rufflesius signed it without hesitation and sat straight up, his hands by his sides. Scorpius, who was the only skilled Legilimens in the Auror department (asides from Harry himself), looked directly into his eyes. Finally, after about a minute, he broke the eye contact and blinked rapidly.

“Well?� Albus asked once Scorpius had regained himself. “What is it?�

“He’s telling the truth,� Scorpius said. “He didn’t kill him. He used Kenny’s wand to light the cigarette, that’s why we saw the smoke with Prior Incantato.�

Rufflesius leaned back against his chair, crossing his arms across his chest, smirking contentedly.

Albus’s mouth fell open. “What?� But- how? He had been so sure it was Rufflesius.

“Very well then,� Scorpius said. “You’ve been cleared of the murder charges. But that doesn’t nullify your charges against drug pedalling. You’ll be dealt with by the Office of the Control of Intoxicating Substances as well as the Improper Use of Magic Office, and questioned there considering your involvement with drugs, including their creation and distribution.�

“Three months in Azkaban,� Rufflesius said spitefully. “When I get out, I want my wife back.�

“We’ll try our best to get her back,� Scorpius assured him, standing up. He walked out of the room, followed closely by Albus, leaving Rufflesius inside.

When they reached Albus’ office, Scorpius quickly sent memos to the Office of the Control of Intoxicating Substances and the Improper Use of Magic Office to handle Rufflesius’ case. He then sat down on a chair and rubbed his temple, thinking hard.

Albus sat in his own chair, looking glumly at the ceiling. The plan had been a brilliant one. Gwen Rufflesius had taken her husband to the same tomb that Kenny was supposed to have worked on. By pretending to die in that tomb, they had made it look like Kenny hadn’t done his job properly, hence bringing about Kenny’s transfer back to England. After that, Kenny and Gwen had been able to continue their affair. Kenny could have easily made it look like he’d been working long nights; however, as it had been much harder for Gwen to slip out unnoticed, she had to be off the chart. “We’re back to square one,� he said. “Not a step closer to solving this.�

“On the bright side, we know that it’s not Rufflesius, and that Kenny was having an affair.�

Albus grunted. “Rufflesius’ wife is alive. It could have been her. Maybe she wanted to go back to her husband, and the only way to leave Kenny was by killing him.�

“That’s plausible,� Scorpius admitted. “We need to know where she is, though. And we have no idea where she could be.�

“Let’s try looking into Kenny’s vault,� Albus suggested. “His last withdrawal, any transactions, who has access to it, everything.�

Scorpius nodded. Pulling himself off the chair, he said, “Back to Gringotts again.�

---

Unfortunately, the Gringotts goblins proved to be very difficult to extract information from. They refused to let a wizard interfere in their monetary dealings, irrespective of the fact that it was related to a murder investigation. Only after they provided a warrant for the Ministry of Magic did they agree to help, though with much reluctance.

“The last time any money was withdrawn from the Lee vault was on the twentieth of this month,� the goblin at the reception, a portly goblin named Ragnus, growled. “Two hundred Galleons.�

“That’s the day before the murder,� Albus muttered.

Scorpius nodded. “Withdrawn by?�

“Kenneth Lee.�

Scorpius paused before saying to Albus, “That’s a lot. What do you think it was for?�

“I don’t know, maybe for Gwen Rufflesius?� Albus shrugged.

Scorpius turned back to Ragnus, who was watching them beadily. “How many people have access to the vault?�

“Two.�

Scorpius was getting annoyed at the goblin’s short answers. “Who?�

“Cheryl Lee and Kenneth Lee,� Ragnus grunted.

“So if only Cheryl and Kenny had access to the vault...� Albus muttered, frowning. Something ticked. “Who last accessed the vault? To know the balance?�

The goblin ruffled through his papers before replying, “Cheryl Lee.�

“Thank you,� Albus said. Turning to Scorpius, he said, “Let’s go. We’ve got everything we need.�

Scorpius frowned. “You sure?�

Albus nodded. “Come on.�

Confused, Scorpius followed Albus towards the fireplace, ignoring the piercing look the goblin was shooting at them. One by one, the two Aurors disappeared in swirls of green flames.

Back in his office, Albus began pacing, thinking hard. The only thing found near Kenny’s body was the cigarette stub. What else had been there? On the floor there was blood and water ... water -

“Malfoy?� Albus said aloud.

“Huh?�

“What did Cheryl say she had been doing at the exhibition?�

Scorpius looked at his notes before replying, “She went to see the sculptures to buy one for the house.�

“And guess what the in-charge at the exhibition told me.�

Albus told him. Scorpius’ eyes widened. “She lied!�

“Yep. Our vic’s wife didn’t go there to buy anything. She went there to participate.�

“Then why didn’t she tell us that? Where was her sculpture?�

“It was near Kenny.�

Scorpius frowned. “There was no ice.�

“Think, Malfoy, think.�

In a second, it hit him. “The water!� he gasped.

“Bingo.�

“Thank you for coming in, Mrs Lee, please take a seat.�

Looking curiously around Albus’ office, Cheryl sat down, wringing her fingers. “Is there anything I can do, for you?�

“Yes,� Scorpius replied calmly, taking a seat across the table. “We found your diamond ring.� He held out his palm, on which sat a harmless-looking ring with a very large, pink-coloured diamond.

Cheryl’s eyes widened. “Really?� she said, her lips curving upwards into a huge smile as she reached for the ring. “Thank -�

Scorpius, however, withdrew his hand. “We found it in your dustbin,� he told her.

Cheryl’s face blanched, but she quickly masked it with a look of mild surprise.

“Along with the mop,� Albus put in, “that was used to remove the blood and water from the floor.�

“Who- who put it there?� Cheryl asked curiously, her voice terse.

“We found no prints on the mop except yours,� Albus said, standing up. “Maybe the killer had worn gloves.�

Cheryl looked at the floor. “That’s possible,� she replied.

Albus nodded. “Where did you go the night your husband was murdered, Mrs Lee?� He started to pace the length of his office.

“I already answered that,� she replied, looking up and smiling calmly. “I went to buy an ice sculpture.�

“Not to participate?� Scorpius asked. He was noticing the tiny movements in Cheryl’s eyes. They subconsciously darted towards the door once in a while.

“Well I - I had originally decided to, but then I thought I wouldn’t bother, so I just thought I’d buy one instead.�

“You didn’t make a sculpture?�

“I - yes, I -�

“Where is it?� Albus asked, stopping in his tracks to look at Cheryl.

“It - well, I don’t have it. It melted,� she said. “Can I go now?� She stood up abruptly, scurrying towards the door. “I have a -�

In a flash, Albus had his wand pointing towards her. “Sit,� he ordered.

“What is the meaning of this?� she hissed, glaring at Albus venomously, whipping out her own wand and pointing it straight at him. Scorpius, however, disarmed her before she had a chance to do anything else, a frown knitting his brows.

“You,� he said, stowing her wand inside his robes, “don’t get your wand back till this is over. Sit.�

Cheryl complied, crossing her arms across her chest, still glowering at Albus.

You are a witch, Mrs Lee,� Albus said, now pacing again. “You wouldn’t just let your sculpture melt. Tell the truth.�

“I’m telling you -�

“You killed him, didn’t you?� Scorpius guessed, looking into her eyes.

“No!�

“You smashed his head with the sculpture, and you mopped it up!�

“You can’t prove it!� Cheryl screamed. Her words rang around the room as she breathed deeply, her chest heaving. She glared at the two Aurors.

Silence.

And then Albus smiled. “As a matter of fact, we can.�

Then he began telling her what had happened that morning.



Donning Muggle attire, Albus and Scorpius Apparated to the ice sculpture exhibition as fast as they could. As soon as they stepped into the chilly room, Albus spotted the in-charge standing in one corner or the room, talking in hushed tones with a short and stubby man. With Scorpius in tow, Albus jogged over to him.

“Excuse me, Mr Willis?�

The in-charge looked up, while the other man looked at them with an annoyed expression etched on his face. “I’m Detective Potter, Mr Willis, and this is Detective Malfoy. Nice to meet you again,� Albus said. Noticing the quizzical look on the man’s face, he added, “I came here a couple of days ago to investigate a murder case. I hope you remember me?�

Willis’ expression changed to one of recognition. “Ah, yes, I do. Just a moment.� He turned to the man he had been talking with previously and excused himself before returning to Albus. “Yes, detectives, how may I help you?�

“Sir, do you remember what Cheryl Lee’s sculpture looked like?�

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. Albus knew that he had a soft spot for Cheryl and her talent. “It was a serpent, and a very beautiful one, too! The details were absolutely stunning; I couldn’t believe how much work she had put herself through to get that much fineness. The eyes had been striking. They looked absolutely real - it seemed like they followed you around!�

“When did you first see it?� Scorpius asked. He knew Cheryl had been a Slytherin at Hogwarts.

“When she came in. Why?�

Sidestepping his question, Albus said, “Was it there when she left?�

“I believe so. When the sculptors all left, I counted the number of sculptures on the table. There were a total of twenty sculptors, and there were twenty carvings when they left.�

“We need to see them,� Albus prompted.

Willis hesitated. “Detective, we can’t let anyone examine -�

“Please, sir, we need to see them,� Albus pressed, a serious look on his face. “It’s a crucial piece of evidence.�

Albus thought that Willis looked sceptical, as though wondering how on earth an ice sculpture could be crucial evidence. Nonetheless, he reluctantly led them towards a table near the centre of the room. The plush carpet muffled the noise of their feet as they walked along the rows of glittering figurines.

However, when Willis spotted the serpentine figure, he stopped in his tracks.

“That’s odd,� he muttered, frowning.

Albus’ heart hammered in his chest. “Mr Willis?�

“This - this is not it,� he spluttered, his eyes widening in shock. “This is not the carving Cheryl showed me.�

“What do you mean this is not -�

“This one is far less detailed than the least. You can’t see the scales and - the biggest thing is that the snake is facing exactly the opposite direction!�

“So this isn’t Cheryl’s original?� Scorpius said, jotting away in his notebook furiously, his brows knitted into a frown.

“Definitely not!�

Albus knew it. “Thank you, Mr Willis. Now, could you please give me the names and contact numbers of all the other contestants?�



“That means nothing!� Cheryl said, crossing her arms across her chest.

“You lied to us,� Scorpius replied. “What’s your excuse?�

“The killer may have bought him off.�

“And the other witnesses?�

She paused. “What other witnesses?�

Albus walked over to his desk and took out a Pensieve from his desk drawer. It was a gift from his father on his twentieth birthday. Setting it softly on the table, he put his wand to his forehead and slowly withdrew a thin strand of shimmering, silver thread. He put it in the Pensieve and gave the contents a swirl. Immediately, the smoky figure of a plump young woman with curly hair rose from the whirling plasma below.

“I remember seeing her going into the loo with her sculpture at around ten fifteen,� she said, scratching her head lightly. “I just thought she might be going for a touch-up and didn’t want to let it out of her sight. But she didn’t return for a long time. Eventually I forgot about it. The next time I saw her was at around ten thirty-five, and she looked... well, scared. Her hair was dishevelled and there was water on the hem of her clothes. Her sculpture wasn’t there. But again, during the judging, she was standing beside it. It was kind of odd, I’ll tell you.�

Albus gave the figure a prod with his wand and it dissolved. Another figure rose up instantly, this time of an impeccably dressed Muggle man.

“Oh yes, I saw Mrs Lee. I was standing outside my door at around ten-twenty, waiting for my butler to open it, when she came in through the lift. She looked very happy when she was going into her house - she had a beautiful ice figurine in her hands. I wouldn’t give it a second thought, but soon I heard voices. Mrs Lee and Kenneth were arguing. Having no interest in listening to their row, I rang my bell again, and after the butler opened it, I went inside. The last thing I heard before the door closed was the sound of something breaking - china, perhaps.�

By then, Cheryl had gone white.

“Anything else, Mrs Lee?� Albus asked, stowing the Pensieve back in his drawer. “Or were they bought off, too?�

“The Gringotts goblin said that you were the last to know about your vault balance,� Scorpius put in. “Imagine your surprise when you saw two hundred Galleons missing from your vault. You must have wondered where they went.�

“You did some digging to know where that much money had disappeared to,� Albus said, now pacing again. “And you found a slip in Kenny’s desk, on which was an address.�

“You went to that address on the day of the murder, didn’t you, Mrs Lee?� Scorpius asked.

“And the only person you found there was Gwen Rufflesius,� Albus said.

“Who was, as you recall, supposed to be dead because your husband didn’t manage to remove the curse on the pyramid she had been inside,� Scorpius added.

“You put two and two together, didn’t you?� Albus said, now coming to a halt and looking at her. He was pleased to see that she was looking daggers at them. “And so you killed him.�

“I didn’t kill him,� she hissed.

“Yes you did!� Albus bellowed, slamming his fist on the table.

“You can’t prove I did it!�

“You murdered him in cold blood instead of leaving him!�

“He wouldn’t let me leave!�

“You killed him because you knew he was having an affair!�

“No, I didn’t kill him!� She yelled. “I didn’t even know he had an affair!�

“Come on, Cheryl, don’t give us this crap,� Scorpius said. “You were a brilliant student at Hogwarts - Slytherin Prefect, always top of the year. I’m sure you must have linked it all together.�

“You couldn’t stand the fact that your husband had another woman in his life,� Albus said. He knew he was now pushing her towards the edge; her sweaty face and the way she was struggling against the bonds told him that she was breaking down. “As a matter of fact, you’ve been making regular trips to Gwen’s house, haven’t you? Yes, we know about that,� he added, noticing how her eyes had gone wide. “What were you planning? Did you want to kill her too?�

“I’m telling you I didn’t!� she screamed. “It must have been her, go arrest her!�

“We all know that’s not true,� Scorpius said. “Why don’t you save us all the trouble and admit that you killed your husband because he betrayed you and was living with another woman!�

“I gave the traitor what he deserved!� she screamed.

And then she realised what she had said.

Albus stood upright, exhaling deeply, a triumphant smile on his face. He glanced at Scorpius, who nodded solemnly.

“Now, Mrs Lee, if you would care to explain what had happened that night,� Scorpius said, conjuring his quill and parchment.

“No!� She made a run for the door, but this time Albus was ready. Tackling her to the ground, he pinned her down while Scorpius conjured a thin band of yellow light - like the one they had used on Rufflesius before - and clasped in around her wrists. By then, Cheryl’s hair and face was a mess. Her hair, which had been tied neatly in a bun when she had come in, was hanging about her face in mad curls. Her face was sweaty and her make-up was smudged. Albus then got off her, pulling her up and shoving her onto the chair.

“Try to do that again and you’re dead,� Albus growled. Screw the protocol.

Cheryl slumped back on her chair, covering her face with her cuffed hands, letting out a sigh.

“Very well,� she said in a defeated tone. “Kenny had been acting odd ever since we came back from Egypt. He wasn’t the type of person who would be so careless about removing curses, and I thought he was acting like that because of his demotion. He stayed out late and often didn’t come home at night. I tried to talk to him, but he avoided me. I started to become suspicious. I asked around his office but everyone claimed that they didn’t know. I tried to follow him, but he caught me and we had a huge fight about it. Ever since then I knew that he was doing something he didn’t want me to know. I guessed he might be having an affair.

“I went to Gringotts to check our account for anomalies,� she continued, her lips curled upwards. “Turns out he took out two hundred Galleons. Why would he need that much money unless he had another woman? But just to be sure, I checked his office, where I found an address tucked away in one of his files. I went there immediately and found that woman. In a moment, it clicked. Kenny knew she was alive, and why was she living alone instead of with her husband? I realised their whole plan; Kenny made it look like she was dead so that they could live together without anyone else knowing.

“I decided not to tell anything to him just yet; I had that competition and I didn’t want him and that woman to ruin my chances of doing the only thing I loved. For a while I forgot about it. I made the sculpture and went to the exhibition, where everyone told me it was brilliant and Mr Willis even told me that I might just win it. I was so happy that I Apparated home to show the sculpture to Kenny, forgetting that he really didn’t care about me.�

Albus was listening intently. He knew that, now, Cheryl would tell them how she had done it. He looked at Scorpius, who was listening as eagerly as him; for once, he had charmed his quill to write down automatically.

Cheryl closed her eyes, took a deep breath and continued, “Kenny was drunk, and one look at the house told me someone was there. I just knew it was her. I asked him about it, but he denied it. He saw the sculpture and told me - he told me it was the worst thing he’d seen. He told me that I... that I never cared about him and that his Gwen - that that woman was the only person who loved him.� Tears stained her face. “I got so cross - I didn’t know what I was doing and - one moment I was holding my statue and the next moment I had - I had hit him on - on his he-head!�

Cheryl let out a whimper and started to sob, her eye-liner dribbling down her cheeks. Wiping it away with a piece of tissue she had conjured, she said. “I was so angry I didn’t realise that I had hit him. He just fell down and - and didn’t move anymore. I checked his pulse, but he was already... gone.�

“What happened next?� Scorpius asked.

“I had already killed him; I didn’t want to go to Azkaban. If anyone figured it out, I would have been chucked away for life. So I cleaned up. I mopped the floor and threw the mop away so that no one would find the prints. I threw away my necklace for good measure, deciding to get it back later, so that when you came you would think it was a robbery. I conjured up another sculpture and went out of the building. I Apparated back, knowing full well that I would lose, because it just wasn’t as good as the last one. Once it was over, I came back and called the Aurors. You know what happened then.�

Albus sighed. They had finally got a confession - They had found out Kenny Lee’s killer. Standing up, he stated, “Cheryl Lee, you are charged with the murder of Kenny Lee. You shall be taken to Azkaban to await further trial.�

Scorpius stood up too, and sent a memo to Azkaban. Once he was done, he walked over to Cheryl and said, “You know what’s ironic, Mrs Lee? Had you simply surrendered yourself and told us that you had mistakenly killed your husband, the charges against you would have been much less. You would have been in prison for what, seven or eight years? But now you’ll be charged with covering up yourself and trying to impair the course of justice, indicating a planned murder. This would account for at least fifteen to twenty years.�

"And you know what?" Albus asked. "Gwen never went to your house. It was her husband who went to warn Kenny."

Cheryl’s eyes widened. She then covered her face with her hands and fell forwards onto the table, sobbing harder than ever.

Looking at the woman with pity, Albus left the room, followed closely by Scorpius, who locked the door tightly and secured the room with a wave of his wand.

“She dug up her own grave,� Albus said quietly.

Scorpius nodded. “On the bright side, the case is solved.�

“A few more weeks of her trial by the Wizengamot and we can finally close this file.� Albus said, yawning. It had been a long day. “And then I can finally finish my house of cards.�

Scorpius snorted. “You’re insane, Potter.�

Albus simply grinned.