Percy Jackson and the Locket of Salazar [Book 6]

28) Detective Potter

"We'd better get up to the school," Hermione said, gently guiding Leanne up the road, "we'll be able to find out how she is. Come on..."

I tore off my scarf, grimacing at the bitter bite of the wind, and wrapped it carefully around the necklace, making sure to not touch it. "We'll have to show it to Madam Pomfrey."

I felt sick. I knew of someone who was trying to murder somebody, and this seemed like a pretty good way to go about it. Had they not torn the package, Katie very well might of brought it up to Dumbledore. Even if she got stopped at the entrance, the real perpetrator wouldn't be caught.

I just really hoped it wasn't Draco.

"Malfoy knows about this necklace," Harry said, further ruining my day. "It was in a case at Borgin and Burkes four years ago, I saw him having a good look at it while I was hiding from him and his dad. This is what he was buying that day when we followed him! He remembered it and he went back for it!"

"I — I dunno, Harry," Ron said hesitantly. "Loads of people go to Borgin and Burkes... and didn't that girl say Katie got it in the girl's bathroom?"

"She said she came back from the bathroom with it, she didn't necessarily get it in the bathroom itself —"

"McGonagall!" Ron warned us.

And there she was, rushing down toward us into the sleet. "Hagrid says you five saw what happened to Katie Bell — upstairs to my office at once, please! What's that you're holding, Jackson?"

"The thing she touched," I said.

McGonagall's face somehow paled even more as she took the bundled up necklace from me. "Good Lord. No, no, Filch, they're with me!" She cried as the man eagerly waddled toward us with his Secrecy Sensor. "Take this necklace to Professor Snape at once, but be sure not to touch it, keep it wrapped in the scarf!"

We trailed after McGonagall into her office. The room was cold in spite of the fire roaring in the hearth, and Leanne was still crying.

"Well?" She snapped. "What happened?"

As Leanne attempted to get her crying under control, she told Professor McGonagall what had happened. With many pauses and gasps, she repeated what she had told us until she got to the argument, where she couldn't say anything more through her tears.

"All right," Professor McGonagall said gently, "go up to the hospital wing, please, Leanne, and get Madam Pomfrey to give you something for shock." When she had left, McGonagall turned back to us. "What happened when Katie touched the necklace?"

"She rose up in the air," Harry said quickly, "and then began to scream and collapsed. Professor, can I see Professor Dumbledore, please?"

"The Headmaster is away until Monday, Potter." McGonagall blinked in surprise.

"Away?" Harry hissed.

"Yes, Potter, away!" McGonagall said sourly. "But anything you have to say about this horrible business can be said to me, I'm sure!"

Harry hesitated for a moment, and in that moment I prayed he would learn to shut his mouth. Unfortunately, he did not. "I think Draco Malfoy gave Katie the necklace, Professor."

"That is a very serious accusation, Potter," McGonagall said slowly. "Do you have any proof?"

"No," Harry admitted, then proceeded to tell her about our stalking Draco to Borgin and Burkes.

McGonagall did not look concerned, which was of great relief to me. In fact, she looked rather perplexed. "Malfoy took something to Borgin and Burkes for repair?"