𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓

Chapter 28

Previously:

On the eve of Harry and Draco's dinner date with Lucius, Seamus unwittingly let the cat out of the bag. Devastated, Harry sabotaged the dinner and put an end to whatever relationship they had. Draco and Zach bonded over mutual pain and Theodore Nott went missing, only to be found later, dead.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Mother Knows Best

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Red Lights

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Students and faculty, if I could please have your attention?" Dumbledore requested, standing empirically in front of the faculty tables. "As I'm sure many of you already know, and I say this with great regret, Theodore Nott was found dead late Monday night."

The death of Theo Nott had spread like a forest fire around Hogwarts. Rumors of him being involved in a multitude of scenarios (a car-jacking, a bank robbery, a meth lab explosion, a drive-by shooting) circulated the hallways, getting more and more ridiculous as time went on. As it usually is, the truth was far less exciting. He was dropped off outside of the ER and pronounced dead on arrival. The toxicology report tested positive for methamphetamine.

Harry had been feeling eyes on him since he walked into the room, but as Dumbledore's speech continued, they grew more obvious. If he concentrated, he could make out his name being said among the students' whispered conversations.

"People are saying you killed him," Seamus whispered from across the table.

Harry felt his stomach turn. "What?"

"Even though you were in the hospital that night," the Irishman said. "They think you shot him up with drugs to make it seem like an accident."

His healing injuries from when he was ran off the road probably didn't help that theory at all. It was an intriguing story, Harry mused. A new student comes to Hogwarts senior year, the press outs him as a murderer who covers his crimes via intravenous injection, and then he gets into a fight with the school bully and kills him the same way he killed his dead boyfriend. Not particularly imaginative, but they could've done worse.

"That's ludicrous," Draco scoffed.

"I know, but after everyone found out about, you know, you and Cedric…" Seamus shrugged, uncomfortable. "I doubt anyone actually believes it, but they love to talk about it."

"I should've said something," Harry lamented. "I knew he had a drug problem. Hell, I found that out months ago, but I never told anyone."

"You can't blame yourself for this, Harry," Dean said, keeping his voice low. "He made his own mistakes."

Harry shook his head, moving his uneaten food around his plate. "That doesn't mean I couldn't have prevented it."

"-and with that being said," Dumbledore concluded, "let us all keep young Theodore and his family in our thoughts and our prayers."

"This is getting depressing," Seamus stated. "Now that we're not on lockdown anymore, I call for a karaoke night. Take everyone's minds off of this."

Harry stood up with his tray, walking off without a word and ignorant to the concerned stares that followed after him. His vacated seat was soon taken by a tired-looking Oliver Wood. "Sad, isn't it? Can't say I liked the kid, but nobody deserves that."