G inny and Harry were still pouring over the information when Luna and Hermione returned forty minutes later. There was a smug smile on Hermione’s face that had to mean the case had been solved. Harry immediately slid over to let Hermione sit.

“Did you find the killer?” Harry asked immediately, his interest piqued.

“We solved one mystery, but no, we have not found the killer. It appears the victim had many people seeking to kill her.”

Confusion spread over Ginny and Harry’s face, so Hermione quickly delved into her explanation.

“We fingerprinted Pansy Parkinson and Tracey Davis using powder from my compact, ink, and parchment. When we compared the fingerprints on the black bag to Tracey and Pansy there was a perfect match. Once we confronted Tracey with this information, she squealed. Pansy, on the other hand, refused to talk.”

“Tracey talked? What did she have to say?” Ginny asked, pushing a pile of papers away to lean in closer.

“Tracey admitted to poisoning Daphne with powdered Lily of the Valley. She was dipping the tip of the victim’s quill into the powder. Daphne had a habit of sucking on the point of her quill. Pansy will not admit her involvement in the plot, but Tracey assures us she was hired to poison Daphne. Tracey claims Daphne was in possession of a powerful item that Pansy would have killed to get her hands on. This item would insure Pansy’s favor in the Dark Lord’s ranks.”

“So Pansy killed Daphne. A Death Eater killing another Death Eater to up their status,” Harry hissed.

“Actually, no. Tracey says that she and Pansy were to meet Daphne on the train before students started boarding. Tracey had come into the compartment and found Daphne dead. She panicked and left her bag in the room. Both of us believed Tracey, so we called on the Head Boy to put them under surveillance. Right now they are in body binding hexes, being watched along with the teachers.”

“Well, where does that leave the case, then?” Ginny asked, scrunching her nose in thought. “Who else could possible have the motive for killing Daphne?”

Hermione sighed and glanced at Luna. “There was one other led, though I hoped it would go nowhere.”

Luna’s face fell once she realized what Hermione was talking about. She could not believe Hermione was even considering this course of action. Then again, it really was their only other option. They had already discussed it in private.

“You see, when I went to interview Terry Boot I noticed broken chain links from a necklace scattered on the floor. With Luna’s help, I concluded that the murderer must still be in possession of the murder weapon and Daphne’s key. That could mean that the killer is in that compartment. Terry Boot, Michael Corner, and Cho Chang were the only people present.”

Harry let out a sigh of disbelief. “You know that only one of them was missing from breakfast this morning, right?”

Everyone turned to look at Harry who looked almost sick to his stomach. “No one was allowed to board the train until breakfast was dismissed. As you said, Hermione, Daphne’s time of death was put before everyone boarded the train.”

“Who was it Harry?” Ginny asked, reaching across the table to put her hand over his.

They reached Terry’s compartment and opened the door. All three inhabitants were still there. However, they all looked surprised when their room was suddenly overflowing with visitors.

“Something wrong?” Terry asked nervously.

Hermione nodded. “Very. I want all of you to empty your pockets.”

“What?” Michael croaked, but a glance from Terry eventually subdued him. Various items were poured onto the seats, including a gold chain and key.

“This is your copy, right?” Hermione asked Terry. He nodded.

“It is almost identical to the one Daphne wore around her neck, only it is not as ornate or as old.”

Hermione smiled and then walked over to Michael and Cho. There was nothing incriminating in their piles. The girl’s face fell, and she tried to lean in closer to each pile, searching for a golden key. When she leaned in close to Cho, the girl turned away.

“Cho, what happened to your face?”

The girl blanched and tried to put a hand over the mark, but Hermione was too fast. She pulled Cho’s hand away, revealing an ugly gash just over her left eye.

“Empty all your pockets, Cho.”

Cho sank into her compartment seat, tears streaming down her face. She began to hiccup uncontrollably, her whole body shaking. Incoherent babble tumbled out of her mouth. Hermione tried to lean forward, to make out the words, but Michael pushed her away.

“Let me handle this,” he commanded. Hermione moved out of the way and watched in horrified sorrow as Michael pulled his girlfriend into his arms and rocked her gently back and forth. His tone, when he spoke, however, was harsh.

“Where is the key, Cho?” He asked his voice low and commanding, like it would be if he were talking to an upset child. Cho sobbed harder, and clutched at his robes fiercely. Cringing, Michael began to search her pockets, finally discovering the object that Daphne had worn around her neck.

It was a single, antique, gold key.

Michael gawked at it before handing it to Hermione. For a moment Hermione’s heart stopped. The key was defiantly old, for it dated back to the birth of Hogwarts. Hermione had seen this key once before, in the first magical book she ever read: Hogwarts A History. Emblazoned on the top of the key, among the graceful bodies of two eagles, was a large ‘R’. It was the original key to the Great Hall, handcrafted by Rowena Ravenclaw. It would make a perfect horcrux.