Murder Most Horrid

By Freddie

Harry was sitting in the garden of the Burrow when Ginny came out to talk to him. Fred and George were in their room, no doubt making trouble, Hermione was showing Ron and Arthur how to use the computer that he had brought home, Percy had locked himself in his room, working, and Molly was making lunch. Bill was also in the garden and Charlie was somewhere in the house doing something to do with dragons.

"Do you think that 'you-know-who' is going to rise back to power?" Ginny asked, voicing her own fears and the fears of all who knew what really happened that night at the tri-wizard tournament.

"I don't know" Harry said, "I just don't understand why Fudge wouldn't admit it was true, what happened"

"I know," Ginny agreed, "He's an idiot if he thinks it's just going to go away." She paused before calling her oldest brother over, "Bill"

"Yes Ginny?" He walked over.

"You know Fudge won't admit about 'you-know-who'?"

"Yes"

"Well, do you think it's something to do with what happened…?" She trailed off but Bill seemed to understand what she was talking about.

"I don't know but I think that it could be"

"What?" Harry asked, "What happened?"

"Well-" Ginny began, but was interrupted.

"Ginny, you don't know what really happened" Bill said.

"Yeah, you told me"

"No, you were only nine, we told you the sugary, fairy tale ending."

"What do you mean?"

"It wasn't an accident"

"What do you mean?"

"He meant to kill"

"Who did?" Harry asked.

"I'm not really the best person to say" Bill said, "I wasn't there,"

"Where is Charlie by the way?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Bill replied, "CHARLIE" He yelled. Charlie appeared behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. Bill jumped.

"Yes?" Charlie asked.

"Will you tell us Moira's story?" Ginny asked, "The real one, not the fairy-tale one"

"Ok" Charlie said, sitting down, "Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning?" Bill suggested.

"Ok…

I was in seventh year the year before you came to Hogwarts Harry. Fred and George were in second year and Percy was a forth year. One day, just after the beginning of term, Fred and George were obviously planning something. So I followed them. They didn't realise that I was following them and they went to near the lake. It was a very sunny day, especially for September. They collected some green rope from a tree trunk and set something up. At first I thought it was a trip wire, but it couldn't be because the rope would have easily been spotted. They looped the rope in the middle and put the loop exactly in the middle of the gap between two trees. They then took one end of the rope each and hid behind the trees.

There was a girl in my year, a Slytherin, called Moira Parker. I never did find out just why she decided to go to the lake at that particular time, but she did. She walked towards the lake and just as she walked into Fred and George's trap I realised what they were doing.

"FRED! GEORGE!" I yelled, "Don't you-" But they had already pulled the ropes. The loop tightened round her ankles, causing her to trip and fall into the lake. They then ran for their lives. I ran over to where she was struggling to get out and helped her.

"I'm so sorry about my brothers, they're real pains sometimes" I apologised.

"That's Ok," She laughed, "Don't worry. No harm done" She pulled her wand out of her robe pocket and muttered a spell to dry herself. Instead however, a hat appeared in her hand. She looked inside it and pulled out a rabbit.

"Okay," She laughed, "I don't think that was quite what I wanted" She made the rabbit and the hat disappear and muttered the spell again. This time it worked.

"Charms never was my best subject" She explained. I tried to speak, but found that I couldn't. My stomach was tying itself in knots and my brain seemed to have gone dead.

"Oh well" She said, "I'll um, I'll see you around yeah?"

"Moira" I found myself saying, "If, if you want I can, I can help you with Charms"

"Really?" She looked delighted, "That would be wonderful"

"Um, I could, I could help tomorrow lunch break"

"Yeah, thank…Oh, sorry I can't do tomorrow, how about Tuesday" Oh, did I mention that this was on a Sunday? Obviously not, well it was.

"Yeah, That would be fine" I smiled.

"Ok, well, see you Tuesday. Um here?"

"Yeah"

"Great" She said, "umm, Bye" As she walked away, I realised. I was in love."

"Ahh" Ginny, always the romantic said, "That's so sweet"

"Yeah" Charlie agreed, "But that's about the only time that it is…

We met every Tuesday and after a while we began to see each other on other days too. But never Monday. She was always busy Monday. Occasionally I would ask her what she did on Monday's but she always changed the subject.

Now this may seem like a minor detail, but it's important later. The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was not Quirrel. It was someone called Professor Bracken. He had been there six years. He is important, remember him. There was also a different Quidditch teacher. Madame Hooch was only the assistant. The teachers name was Madame Carli. She too is quite important.

There was a rumour going around at the time that there was some romantic history between Snape and McGonagall. This was completely false. There was, never has been and I very much doubt if there will be anything between Snape and McGonagall. However, there was something between Snape and Madame Carli. This is also important because they were the only witnesses."

"Witnesses to what?" Harry asked.

"Witnesses to a Murder…

One evening Snape and Carli were outside, walking, when they heard a scream coming from the divination tower. They looked up in time to see someone push someone off the roof of the tower.

They sprinted over to where to body had fallen; face down, onto hard concrete. Blood was pouring from her head, but they could still recognise her. It was Moira.

Harry gasped. Suddenly a thought occurred to him.

"Charlie," He said, "How do you know all this?"

"The stuff about the teachers Moira told me, but the stuff about the Murder, the police told me…

The police first questioned Snape and Carli. They could tell the police nothing. Well, nothing except what I've just told you. All they saw of Moira's assailant was his, or her, silhouette.

Then they questioned me. I could tell them even less. I knew very little about her, despite the fact that we were going out. All I knew was that her parents were dead, and they already knew that.

Then they questioned Professor Bracken. I didn't understand why, not until the police questioned me again.

"Mr Weasley. How well did you know Moira Parker?" The police officer asked.

"Quite well, we were going out" I replied.

"Where were you at 10 O'clock on the night of Monday November 15th?"

"I was asleep. You've already asked me this, why are you asking me again?"

"Did you know" The other police officer asked, "That Moira was regularly sleeping with Professor Bracken?"

"You're joking" Ginny exclaimed.

"Nope. That's where she was going every Monday. He was blackmailing her…

Although I wasn't there when this interview was conducted, I was there in court when they played the tape…

"Is it true, Professor Bracken, that you were blackmailing Ms Parker into having sex with you regularly?"

"No"

"Is it True that on Monday November 15th she refused?"

"No"

"And is it True that on that night you took her up onto a high roof and pushed her off?"

"NO"

"Oh, don't give me this. We have evidence. Someone saw you arguing, someone that you bribed and blackmailed, but is willing to make a statement. You see, you went too far killing Ms Parker."

"Alright" He replied, "I did, everything you've just said is true, happy?"

"Tristan Bracken I'm arresting you for the murder of Moira Parker, you do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.""

"BILL" Molly's voice yelled, "GINNY. Come and Lay the Table"

"Coming Mum" They both yelled back.

"I'll help" Harry said and they all went inside. Charlie stayed outside, thinking about Moira. Suddenly he heard Ron's voice yell, "Yes, the CD player's working at last!" He smiled to himself and looked at the sky.

"Oh Moira" He said, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"CHARLIE" His mothers voice yelled, "Are you coming in?"

"Yeah" He said, more to himself than anyone else, "I'm coming"

When the cold of Winter comes

Starless night will cover day

In the veiling of the sun

We shall walk in bitter rain

But in dreams

Is still hear your name

And in dreams

We will meet again

When the seas and mountains fall

And we come to end of days

In the dark I hear a call

Calling me there

I will go there

And back again

~*~In Dreams*~*