Murder By Wand by FeatherTrader
Chapter Notes: A big thank you to my beta, Suzie. Also, the first line in the one-shot is a direct quote from the sixth book.
"MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!” I shouted, hovering over my precious Draco Malfoy. My Draco had collapsed on the white tiled floors, his blood pouring from the deep cut marks that tore into his ebony coloured robes.
That wretched Harry Potter didn’t even try to hush me as I continued to wail hysterically. He was too busy standing shock still, steadily growing paler.
After the sixth-year Gryffindor reached the equivalent shade of a blank piece of parchment, Severus Snape came rushing into the lavatory.
If it was at all possible, the wretched boy turned even paler as his professor entered the room. Harry bloody Potter began to stutter pointless explanations.
Yet Severus -that’s what I informally met him as when he was at school- was too busy casting healing charms on my precious Draco to listen to the foolish boy. I feared he was too late to rescue Draco from his hideous fate.
At first, nothing seemed to happen. The blood continued to pour from the gushing wounds. After several attempts of healing the poor Slytherin, Severus began to make progress.
The few minutes passed while Severus hummed continuous charms on the blood deprived body with an irregular long length of time. Slowly, Severus cleared the blood from Draco’s body and healed the skin completely by knitting it together. When his hand rested on my poor Draco’s throat, (obviously searching for a pulse) my worst fears were met. Hesitantly, Severus forced my Draco’s eye-lids shut. They would never be opened again.
With newfound rage I hurled my translucent body towards the murderer. The boy who killed the only person who ever consistently visited me. The boy who killed the second person I might have ever loved.
“Potter,” began Severus in deep, rage filled tones, “come with me.”
Without any sign of invitation from either of the men, I followed the pair. I was determined to make sure that proper punishment was issued to the deserving Gryffindor. The murderer.
Distracted, I slipped into Dumbledore’s office after that git, Harry Potter, void to any knowledge of the previous conversation between Severus and Harry.
“Snape? What are you-?” the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry paused in his speech. His eyes were glued to Harry’s blood splattered robes, the boy still pale from shock.
“I-I didn’t mean to, Professor. I didn’t-”
“The boy killed Mr. Malfoy,” accused Severus offensively, as I watched his emotionless profile. As distraught as he seemed to be, I’m positive he wasn’t as nearly upset and vengeful as I was feeling.
Immediately, I began wailing. My hysterics seemed to cause an awkward pause in the conversation, but at the moment, I couldn’t care less what they thought of the wailing ghost who inhabited the girl's bathroom. Normally, I might have. But not at such a drastic moment as this.
Out of my clouded round framed glasses, I watched the wretched boy begin to tear, although he was obviously trying to hide the wetness forming in his eyes. He should feel remorse. He killed his school mate. He killed my precious Draco Malfoy. If anything, this only made me wail harder.
“Myrtle-” began Dumbledore, but I cut him off with an even higher pitched scream. If I could, I would have began throwing objects at the boy. Instead, the only thing I could manage to do was race through his body, filling him briefly with my rage and misery.
“Snape, please explain,” the Headmaster mentioned, fidgeting with his spectacles on his desk.
The distraught professor shrugged slightly. “I heard the ghost-”
“Myrtle!” I screeched in protest. The world is insensitive, and the only person who ever cared is dead.
“Okay, I heard Myrtle carrying on about a ‘murder in the bathroom.’ So, I obviously felt obliged to go see what had happened. There, I found Mr. Malfoy lying in a pool of blood. His blood. I tried to heal him, but I guess I wasn’t there quick enough,” finished Severus, his distaste for that wretched Harry Potter evident.
“Mr. Malfoy is still in the bathroom then?” questioned Dumbledore cautiously. “And you are sure he’s moved on?” he questioned, wincing slightly.
I watched Severus nod gravely, which sent me into a louder series of screams.
“Mr. Potter, you know the punishments will be grave for such an incident?” assured a downtrodden Dumbledore. Wrinkles were forced onto his face as a result from his drooping frown.
“An incident?” repeated a rage filled Severus. “This is no incident, Dumbledore! He’ll have his wand snapped for this! He could be sent to Azkaban! And he will only be getting what he deserves.”
“I know, Snape. I know,” responded Dumbledore remorsefully. “We best call on all the professors to relieve the Prefects of their patrolling duties tonight. The students will be relieved of their classes until further notice. And the body will need to be levitated to the Hospital Wing. His mother will need to be contacted.” Dumbledore paused, almost regretfully, “We’ll need to owl the Ministry, also. They’ll need to send someone over to take Mr. Potter into custody.”
After Severus exited the gargoyle protected office, Albus Dumbledore looked towards the wretched boy apologetically. I watched spitefully, hoping for the Headmaster to lash out at the pathetic Gryffindor and reprimand him. Instead he stated simply, “Mr. Potter, I’ll need be needing your wand.”
After the incident, many people believed the wizarding world was without hope for anyone to fight against He Who Must Not Be Named. And they were right.