The Veil of Shadows and blood

Chapter 9: The Investigation Intensifies

With Sirius framed for the murders, the Aurors intensified their investigation. Tonks, determined to clear her cousin's name, worked around the clock, poring over evidence that didn't quite add up. She had been at the scene of all three crimes and noticed a disturbing pattern—something beyond the physical clues.

Each body had been found with eerie similarities: Harry raped and left in the forest, Draco stabbed in the throat in his dorm, and Soren bled to death, wires coiled around his body in a disturbing display of brutality. A note had been found at each crime scene, cryptic, mocking the investigators. The killer was playing a game, and they were always a step behind.

"It doesn't make sense," Tonks muttered, sifting through papers and crime scene photos in her office. "Sirius couldn't have been at all these places at once, and there's no motive for him to kill these kids."

Kingsley leaned in, his brow furrowed. "We're missing something. We need to think outside the box. Whoever this killer is... they're too smart, too precise. They knew exactly when and how to strike without getting caught."

Tonks paused, her eyes narrowing as she studied the notes again. "What if the killer is someone within the school? Someone who knows the layout, the schedules... someone who could blend in easily?"

Kingsley nodded, his expression grim. "It's possible. The notes left behind are taunting us. They show intelligence, a personal connection to the victims."

As they continued their investigation, the mood in the Auror office grew tense. The implications of their findings weighed heavily on them. Each day, new evidence surfaced, but it only led to more questions.

"We should interview the students again," Tonks suggested, her mind racing with possibilities. "We need to find out if anyone saw anything unusual leading up to the murders. Someone must have noticed a change in the victims' behavior or interactions."

"Agreed," Kingsley replied. "Let's also pull in the staff. They might have insights we haven't considered yet. And we need to look into any potential connections between the victims."

The team set out to conduct interviews, spreading out across Hogwarts to gather information. Tonks approached Slytherin first, hoping to find out more about Soren's interactions before his tragic death. As she entered the common room, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Students whispered nervously among themselves, glancing toward her with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Listen up!" Tonks called, her voice firm but encouraging. "I need to speak to anyone who can provide information about Soren Desmond or any interactions you might have had with Harry and Draco in the weeks leading up to their deaths."

One student, a second-year named Millicent Bulstrode, stepped forward, her expression apprehensive. "I—I saw Soren talking to Harry and Draco a lot. They were close, but he seemed scared, like something was bothering him."

"Scared? What do you mean?" Tonks probed, trying to draw out more details.

Millicent hesitated before answering. "I don't know. He would sometimes look over his shoulder, like he thought someone was watching him. I didn't think much of it at the time. He's always been... fragile, I guess."

Tonks took note of her words, intrigued. "Did he mention anything specific? A name, perhaps?"

"No," Millicent said, shaking her head. "Just that he felt something was off, that something bad was going to happen."

The insight hung in the air as Tonks pressed further, gathering snippets of information from the other students. Each story painted a picture of fear and uncertainty among the Slytherins. Something was clearly unsettling the house, and Soren's fear seemed to ripple through the students.

Later, as Tonks and Kingsley regrouped, she shared her findings. "Soren was scared. He felt like someone was watching him. We need to find out who he was worried about."

Kingsley considered her words. "It's possible that whoever killed the others was also targeting Soren, making him their next victim. We should dig deeper into the relationships between all three boys and anyone they might have crossed paths with."

With renewed determination, they expanded their investigation, seeking out information from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students, hoping to find clues that connected the victims. As they pieced together the timelines, a disturbing picture emerged: each boy had received threats in the weeks leading up to their deaths, but nobody seemed to take them seriously.

Back in McGonagall's office, the atmosphere was thick with tension. "We need to talk to the head of each house," Tonks insisted. "They might have noticed changes in their students or any signs of distress."

"Agreed," McGonagall replied, her voice steady. "We need to mobilize the staff to keep a closer eye on the students. The killer may strike again, and we cannot allow this to escalate further."