Chapter 63: Chapter 63. Self-Sabotage

Minerva paced outside the castle for a few minutes, there was a weak sunrise but she couldn't even appreciate the warm ball of light brightening the sky.

Keeping the peace was very important, and that responsibility fell to her as the Head of Hogwarts.

She went straight to Professor Slughorn, this unfortunate incident that had occurred concerned his House so he was the first person he went to.

Gabe Garrett and Adelaide Coyle were also called down to Professor Slughorn's office. They were the 7th-year prefects of Slytherin.

While Headmistress McGonagall told Professor Slughorn exactly what happened at the Black Lake that morning, she merely told the prefects that the student, Sawyer Patris had gone missing.

Hogwarts was a large castle filled with teenagers, it wasn't unheard of that a couple of troubled students would hide out in the numerous rooms because they wanted to be alone.

It had been just a day since Sawyer went missing, there were secret paths out of Hogwarts to the nearby Wizarding town, he could have been anywhere.

Headmistress McGonagall would not have even made a fuss about it if the events of this morning had not occurred.

Adelaide had worry written all over her pimpled face, she was a studious student who barely paid attention to student gossip.

Gabe on the other hand was in the know and was quick to say all that he knew about Sawyer and his possible missing state.

"I had from a couple of students that Sawyer was seen leaving the dorms after the Start of Term feast." Gabe said with confidence. "Mathias Helton, a 6th-year student, mentioned that he spoke to Sawyer before he left the dorm that night."

"And?" Professor Slughorn prompted, a grave look on his face.

"It would seem that Sawyer had left to see Albeline." He continued, heavy implication in his words.

Professor Slughorn turned to look at Headmistress McGonagall at this, he had dressed in a hurry when the Headmistress came looking for him at dawn.

His brown bowtie was askew, his dress shirt untucked like he had rolled just out of bed and thrown his clothes on.

"Adelaide please return to your dorms, same with you Gabe but return after breakfast." Minerva dismissed the students.

"What is the next step?" Horace said to the Headmistress after the two prefects left his office.

Minerva pushed up her glasses to rub at her eyes, this had been a horrible start to the day indeed.

"The Ministry would have to be involved, there was a murder at the school by the means of an Unforgivable curse no less." She answered solemnly.

Professor Slughorn went quiet, he tried to think of the two students involved in the matter.

Sawyer Patris was a bit of a troublesome student but in his 6th year, he seemed to have turned over a new leaf. 

Instead of stirring up trouble as he usually did, he became a much quieter student. He was very far from a model one that's for sure but it was a welcome change.

Audric Albeline on the other hand, had a somewhat similar change, only in the opposite direction.

From a quiet, troublesome, and rather dumb student to a popular and brilliant student.

It was such an odd change considering that the two of them used to move together in their previous years only to separate in their 6th year before their changes.

"Also I would ask that you do a check through the possessions of Sawyer and Albeline after the students leave the dorms, we might find something worth noting in there."

"Of course, just leave it to me."

-*-

I was caught off guard when Gabe led the way to Professor Slughorn's office. It was the last place I had been expecting to be taken to.

I stepped in to find Professor Slughorn standing behind his desk with Headmistress McGonagall sitting on the chair behind his desk.

"Take a seat, Albeline." Headmistress McGonagall invited me, pointing at the only chair right in front of the desk.

I looked behind me to find Gabe stationed at the door, his eyes angry as they returned my stare.

I sat down as directed, looking expectantly at the two teachers in front of me. "Is there a problem?"

Headmistress McGonagall's tone was icy. "I'm afraid there is, Albeline." She settled her elbows on the desk in front of her and laced her fingers. "Could you tell me what you did on the night of Sunday, 9th of January?"

I frowned. "On Sunday night?" I repeated, wanting to be sure that I heard right. "Nothing out of the ordinary." I shrugged, wondering what this was all about.

"Then you should have no problem narrating your activities of that night, word for word." She punctuated.

I went on high alert at this, my senses were blaring. The happenings of this morning were too bizarre for me not to get suspicious.

"After I got to Hogwarts, I got ready for the Start of Term feast same as any other student, after the feast, I returned to my dorm for the night."

"What did you do after you returned to the dorm?" Headmistress McGonagall asked.

"Uh, sleep? The journey here was exhausting, anyone would."

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"Don't play smart with me Albeline, what is this?" She dropped two objects on the desk.

One was a very familiar book, my diary. My brows dropped low on my face at the sight of it.

The other thing was a piece of paper scribbled on it.

I looked up at the Headmistress, cocking a brow at her. "Looks to be my diary and some piece of paper I've never seen before."

She lifted the well-worn book. "So you admit that this is yours?"

"I believe I answered that already."

Anger flashed on Headmistress McGonagall's face. "Why don't you read the paper, it might help jog your memory." She shoved the piece of paper in my direction.

It read…

… meet me by the pitch when you see this. Audric Albeline...

My brows furrowed, it was so vague. It was also not written by me.

"What is this?" I found myself asking.

"I should be asking you, Albeline." Headmistress McGonagall leaned back in her seat. "Now, I'll ask again, what did you do when you returned to the dorm?" 

My eyes went shrewd, it was easy to piece the puzzles together, they were accusing me of being responsible for Sawyer's disappearance.

"As I said before, I went to bed. You can ask Tanner Walker and Blair Bosely, they followed me to the dorms after the feast…"

"I did, they said that you all separated in the common room and they have no idea what you did after that." Gabe cut me off.

I turned around to give him a cold look and then sat back in my seat. Things were not looking good for me.

I should have destroyed my diary because it gave them extra ammunition but it seemed like it was unnecessary, I would have been framed for Sawyer's disappearance anyway.

The fake note that had supposedly been found was proof of that.

I had destroyed the only sheet of paper talking about Vindicta but I had kept the diary out of some sentimental value, being sentimental had brought me to this point. I was at a very bad point.

The diary, although the contents in it were supposedly written before I lost my memory, held damning information. 

Page after page was filled with notes on how much Sawyer made my life miserable, I couldn't defend against that now but the note…

"Believe what you want but I retired to my bed after I parted ways with them in the common room. Also, I have to ask, where did you find this piece of paper?"

"In Sawyer's locker." Headmistress McGonagall humored me, "Do you recognize it now?"

"I did not write this." I said in a steady voice, keeping eye contact with her.

"The name on it begs to differ, I also had Professor Slughorn compare this to your handwriting, and what do you know? They're similar." She dropped on my lap.

I remained unshaken. "It could have been forged." I deadpanned.

The Headmistress huffed out a dry laugh. "Now why would anyone want to do that?"

"Is what I would like to know as well."

"And your diary?…"

"An invasion of privacy." I cut her off.

"Let me finish, Albeline." Her voice went cold. "Just because you helped out a little last term does not mean that you are no longer a student."

Professor Slughorn kept his gaze straight the entire conversation.

"Do you deny that the diary is not yours as well?"

"It seems like we are going in circles, Headmistress, I have answered this very question twice before…" It was probably not wise of me to infuriate her but I had had enough.

All this was merely a ruse of civility, it didn't matter what I said, she already believed that I had a hand in Sawyer's disappearance. It would just look better on paper if I admitted to doing anything even vaguely suspicious.

"Alright, I'll put it to you straight, Albeline." Her tone changed completely. "Sawyer was found dead in the Black Lake this morning…"

A gasp came from Gabe behind me, it seemed like he was not yet informed of this.

"I do a little research and all fingers point to you, Albeline, there's also tangible evidence on hand. I'm afraid you will have to be subjected to Legilimency to get the truth."

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