Chapters 191-200

Magical Forensics

Harry cleared his throat. He looked nervous. This was the first Order meeting he was allowed to conduct since he’d been made Deputy Head.

Hermione smiled at him in encouragement, hoping that her smile would not betray the voice inside her head that ranted, ‘For God’s sake, Harry, get ON with it!’

‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, Madam Minister.’ He bowed to Andromeda Tonks-Black. The acting Minister for Magic sat in the place of honour at the end of the long table, together with Minerva McGonagall. Tonight Fleur was taking care of Teddy, so Draco was present as well. He sat next his aunt; stiffly, obviously uncomfortable, staring straight ahead.

Not for the first time Hermione wondered what the relationship between Draco and his aunt was like. Or, for that matter, the relationship between him and his parents. About a year from now his parents’ probation would end and he’d be allowed to contact them again. But would he?

Harry had finally finished greeting the special guests that attended this meeting, among them Healer Mugwort, Madame Dubois and Lois. ‘…The Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Unspeakables have concluded their investigations of the deaths of the late Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and the head of the Registry Office, Dolores Umbridge. Specialists at St. Mungo’s have examined the bodies and provided a final report as well.’ He shifted uncomfortably.

If I were a Muggle, Hermione thought, I’d be tempted to use a clichéd phrase and say that Harry looks as if he’s seen a ghost. What is so terrible about the results of those examinations?

‘Well.’ Harry reshuffled the papers in front of him for the third time. Then he took a deep breath. ‘Umbridge was not killed with magic. Her death was the result of an overdose of Muggle drugs, cocaine and heroin. A Muggle syringe was used—’ He flicked his wand at the silver screen in front of the tables and a picture of the instrument in question appeared. ‘—to inject the mixture directly into her bloodstream. She must have died within just a few minutes.’

A wave of whispers flowed through the room. The faces of the purebloods present showed a mixture of shock and revulsion, while the Muggle-borns and half-bloods looked rather bewildered as they stared at the screen.

‘We have no idea who killed her,’ Harry went on. ‘Draco was the last person to see her alive. He saw her walking towards the visitors’ entrance just before he left the Ministry. We must assume that she went to meet her killer. Since he or she used the visitors’ entrance from Muggle London and since Muggle means were used to kill Umbridge, it seems likely that her killer was Muggle. At the very least it must be someone who is extremely familiar with the Muggle world.
‘The problem is that while many wizards and witches have a reason for wanting to kill Umbridge because of her activities during the term of office of Thicknesse, we have no lead on why a Muggle would want to kill her—and how they would know enough about our world to actually execute such a plan.’

Hermione felt Severus tense beside her. More would have to be said about Umbridge yet tonight.

‘The Minister for Magic—’ Harry paused and swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed. ‘The late Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt was killed at the beginning of December, probably around the 6th. Since there were no wounds, the specialists at St. Mungo’s believe he was killed with magic. However, since he never left the Ministry between his death and Umbridge’s death, we can rule out an Unforgivable. The casting of any Unforgivable would have triggered the defences of the Ministry and raised alarms. Additionally, we can assume that the wand that was used against him must be registered with the Ministry, or the wards and the alarms would have prevented his death or at least led to the capture of his murderer.’

Harry fell silent again. He was staring down at the pile of parchment in front of him, teeth clenched, as if he had to fight down a surge of nausea. Hermione didn’t have to turn her head to know that Severus was frowning.

‘When…the late Minister of Magic collapsed on New Year’s Eve, he…’ Harry swallowed visibly once more. ‘…his body had been raised from the dead as an Inferius.’ He held up his hand to forestall any arguments. ‘The specialists at St. Mungo’s were able to identify the ingredients of an unknown potion in the tissues of the body. The main ingredient of this potion is jarvey musk. Apparently this potion, in conjunction with a modified version of the ritual for raising Inferi, has accomplished what has been thought impossible so far: to bestow speech upon Inferi.’

‘Oh God,’ Hermione gasped. ‘Colin!’

Harry nodded. ‘Based on the report from St. Mungo’s, I believe that the raising of Colin Creevey was an experiment with that jarvey potion. It’s impossible to say if the potion was still faulty at that point, or if the date—Halloween—counteracted the modified ritual. But it must have been the same kind of magic that first got Colin speaking again.’

His hand strayed to the scar on his forehead. Pale as he was, it stood out clearly tonight. And the bright colours of the tattoos on his hands appeared almost garish.

‘There’s more,’ Harry said. ‘The Unspeakables managed to trace the spell that animated the—the body. To Umbridge. But the power, the magical energy that fuelled the spell—was not Umbridge’s. In fact, it doesn’t seem to originate from this world or this plane of existence at all.’

Oh God, Hermione thought. So that’s what Umbridge has been doing with the stolen magic! She shuddered. Her stomach constricted. And she could see from the way the muscles in Harry’s jaws tightened that he was not yet at the end of his report…