I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Sally Anne, Pansy, Nev.

(Good thing I don't have to use private messages to talk to you lot since there's three of you. I heard Jones got well cheesed at Bones--heh, that rhymes!--'cause Bones sent her a PM she couldn't read 'cause she was third on the list. I bet that happens all the time, people forgetting you can't have more than two.)

Anywiz. Last night some of us were messing about and came up with a game you play with switching spells that turned out to be a real laugh! You need to get a bunch of stuff together--like we had Bundy's bunny slippers and Towler's omnioculars and my wrist sheath and a load of other things--nobbly rubber balls and some ribbons and a bell and just a load of stuff--and then you take one thing and swap something on it with something on one of the others, and then you pass it to the next person and they have to swap something on it with something from one of their things and then you pass it on. It gets really mad!

It's a bit complicated putting it all right at the end, of course. I think Towler's omnioculars have still got bunny ears.

Anywiz, I was thinking you might want to play. (It'd be great with jam!!!!)

And Nev, you should totally try it. You were hiding out last night so we wouldn't ask, weren't you?

Comments

[alt_ron]

Have you told Madam Hooch?

I mean, Evelyn's sure it hadn't got out of the Tower at all, right? So how'd anyone get in here to do something awful to it?

Unless it was a Gryffindor that did it.

You don't think-

[alt_neville]

She hasn't told any of the teachers yet. She hadn't told anyone until I wormed it out of her because she's been crying.

[alt_lee]

How does she know it got killed and didn't, I dunno, just die?

[alt_neville]

Well, there wasn't a mark on him.

But someone cut his paw and used the blood to write 'Blood traitor' next to his body.

I'll bet whoever did it used Avada Kedavra to kill him. Which means someone taking Dark Arts, yeah?

Evelyn's really broken up about it, and she's scared, too. But she won't say anything to Hooch, and she doesn't want me to say anything, either. I don't know what to do.

I'd offer to get her another kitten, but that might not be a good idea, if it ends up like Fitzwilliam.

[alt_gredforge]

That's...that's just sick.

And you think it was Nott and Goyle? D'ye want us to take those gentlemen aside and pound them for you?

[alt_neville]

No! I don't have any proof, and that might things even harder for Evelyn and me. It's just that they were hinting that they knew. Maybe they heard about it from whoever did it. If, you know, it was a Gryffindor.

[alt_gredforge]

All right. We'll keep an eye out for her. For both of you. Thanks for letting us know, mate.

And if it was a Gryffindor...we'll find out. And we'll make them pay. Somehow.

[alt_sally_anne]

Is there anyone in Gryffindor House who isn't quite awful enough to kill someone's pet, but who IS awful enough to 'accidentally' let it out of the tower and then tell Teddy Nott where it is?

They'd have to be awful enough they don't mind having a cat killed. I think Lavender might be willing to be that cruel to Evelyn but I'm not sure she'd be that cruel to a cat, you know?

[alt_ron]

Hang on, though. I mean, if it was Avada Kedavra--

You really think Nott can do that? I mean, I've heard stuff about his father and all, but that's really advanced, and they've only just started Dark Arts.

I mean, Sally Anne. What do you think? D'you think Nott can do Avada Kedavra and make it work?

I think it'd have to've been a teacher. An adult, anyway. I mean, maybe a 7th year. I've never heard of anyone using that spell while they're still in school. Have you?

[alt_sally_anne]

Actually if it was actually Aveda Kedavra I don't think it was Teddy. He would have

well

he might have used magic but it would've been something bloodier, or at least not as clean as AK. I don't know how much detail you want me to go into here considering the circumstances. What I'm trying to say is that I would expect Teddy to kill Evelyn's cat some other way.

I don't think anyone in our year can do AK yet and have it work. MAYBE Greg can, because although he's completely in the dark at anything at all about theory (or ethics or COMMON BLOODY SENSE) he is really good at the spells. But I'd be surprised if he could actually do AK.

[alt_sally_anne]

It wouldn't have to be a teacher though. There ARE older students who can do it. And if anyone in our year CAN manage it, it would be Greg.

Here's the other thing though, how closely did you look at the cat? I mean there are other spells that can kill that won't leave a mark that's easy to see.

[alt_neville]

I wouldn't know how to tell what sort of spell it was, and anyway, I didn't see him before she took him out and buried him.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, I don't think either Teddy or Greg would've been able to get into Gryffindor House, any more than you could walk into Slytherin.

So there must have been a Gryffindor involved, which is just awful.

[alt_pansy]

Was it found in her rooms?

That means it might've been a girl.

I'm sorry, Nev. That sounds dead awful.

[alt_neville]

Not in her room, no. Sort of tucked behind the corner of one of the hanging tapestries, in the archway just inside the portrait hole, so you wouldn't see him unless you were looking for him. Which she was, because he'd been missing for three days. And then you didn't see the writing unless you moved the body. She found him late at night when no one else was around. I don't think she told anyone except for me. I'm trying to get her to agree to tell one of the prefects, because I think they should know.

So...did a Gryffindor take him outside and let someone outside the House do it, and then put him back inside? Or did a Gryffindor do it? Either way, it looks like a Gryffindor must've been involved somehow.

Which rules out either of the Professor Carrows, I suppose. Well, unless they had a Gryffindor help. Maybe one of the older students in the Dark Arts class.

[alt_sally_anne]

I hate the thought that someone in your house would have done that to her.

If she doesn't want to talk to a prefect or Madam Hootch do you think you could persuade her to talk to Professor Brutka? He's kind, and he might be able to work out who did it. Or if she wants another pet he might be able to charm it in a way that would keep it safe. He put a charm on Sebastian to make it so the cats wouldn't notice he was there and chase him. I don't know if there's a way to keep a pet safe from people.

[alt_neville]

Me, too.

I don't think she's going to want another pet for awhile. But if she does, talking to Professor Brutka is a good idea. Thanks.