this chapter is subtitled: The One Where Leander Prewett Throws Up.
Enjoy :)
The first Quidditch match of the season was today; Ravenclaw versus Slytherin. It was a gorgeous, windy day perfect for sport spectating. The stands would be packed. I was certain Leander Prewett, my next suspect, would be there.
I wore a pale blue dress with a matching overcoat adorned with owl appliques that matched my wide-brim owl sunhat. Every lady had on big hats today; tall hats, round hats, hats with bows, sequins, veils, or all of the above.
Beside me was Everett Clopton. He was disguised beneath a huge hat with a dark veil that went all the way around and a long velvety cloak. To anyone but me, he looked like an elderly woman.
"If anybody asks, you are Lady Warburton, a friend of mine from Hoghill," I whispered.
Everett nodded. "Am I a widow?"
"I don't know."
"I feel as though I would be."
"Fine, you're a widow. With two kids," I said flippantly.
"No, no kids." Everett squinted, wrapping the dark velvety cloak around his shoulders. "We were not blessed with any."
Quinn and Samantha joined us. Quinn wore a bright blue gown and matching cap with a feather in it. Samantha had chosen to wear a leather coat over a pretty purple dress. I introduced them to my "friend".
"Lady Warburton," Everett croaked in the most horrendous accent I'd ever heard. "Charmed!"
Quinn and Samantha fawned over "Lady Warburton" and allowed Everett to weave the most ridiculous stories.
"Quinn," I whispered. "I need your help."
I formed my own plan with Quinn as the match started. Quidditch seemed odd without women. Seeing teams of just men made the sport seem, somehow, more gladiator-like and violent. There were many close calls; people almost got knocked from brooms, or the players just flat-out punched each other in the face. The spectators gasped, some booed, but Lord Bart did nothing to stop any of it.
I gasped when a Slytherin keeper tried to push "Everett Clopton" from his broom, knowing that it was really Imelda under the effects of polyjuice potion.
"Oh, no." I couldn't watch.
As I hid my eyes, I heard the crowd react in a loud outcry.
"Holy broomsticks," Samantha cried out. "Everett just decked Peter Slughorn!"
"What!?" I couldn't believe it. Imelda, as Everett, was pumping his fists in the air triumphantly. She could play rough, easy.
Amongst the excitement, I noticed Leander Prewett get up from his seat in the Gryffindor section. He was likely headed to the restrooms.
"Go get him," I whispered to Quinn.
I followed my friend down into the rafters, where I waited for her to intercept Leander with a bit of feminine charm. If what people said about Leander was true, he couldn't resist a pretty girl.
"Hello, Lord Prewett," Quinn said in her sweet coquette chirp. "Lovely day for a Quidditch match."
"I couldn't think of a more perfect day. And please, call me Leander."
I see. To catch the big fish, all we needed was some pretty bait. I listened to their conversation while hidden behind a Gryffindor tapestry just on the other side of Quinn.
"If I recall, you play for Gryffindor as a keeper?" Quinn gushed. "Why, you had a point accuracy of 93% as a 4th year!"
"I'm impressed that you remembered," he grinned. He was loving getting his ego stroked.
"Well, I am a Ravenclaw. We're quite good at remembering facts."
"No, I mean, I'm impressed that you, Quinn Fawley, remembered. I'm truly honored."
"As are we."
Leander paused. "Huh?"
"Levioso!" I caught Leander by surprise, levitating him into the air. I had to admit, his dumbfounded expression was pretty satisfying.
The Quidditch match was in the middle of an exciting play, which meant we'd be left uninterrupted for a while. I wasted no time getting to the questions. "Where were you the night Morgana Rosier died?"
"What?" He sputtered. "I was in Gryffindor Common Room with Garreth! And why are you asking me about her?"
"I have reason to believe you knew her well," I said, holding him hostage in the air.
"S-sure, I knew her. Lots of people knew her."
It didn't seem like this was going anywhere. Leander was being too evasive and pussyfooting around what we wanted to know. I didn't know how else to get him to talk.
Suddenly, I saw Leander go pale at the sight of something behind me. "Oh, no. Not you."
I looked over my shoulder. Sebastian had joined us. He was wearing a fine black jacket made of velvet, and a green necktie. He moved towards Leander like a hound stalking prey.
"Tell the truth, Leander," Sebastian commanded. "Everyone knows you're the biggest rake in Hogwarts."
Leander scoffed, obviously nervous. "I'm engaged now."
"You need to tell Lady Prisma what she needs to know." Sebastian said, stalking closer. "This will all be over sooner if you cooperate."
"Wh-what will be over sooner?" Leander stuttered. I was wondering what exactly Sebastian was planning. Quinn was still present. If Sebastian was planning on using an Unforgivable, I would have to stop him.
As I kept Leander in mid-air with levioso, Sebastian took out his wand, and said:
"Flipendo."
Suddenly, Leander was spinning like a carriage wheel, going round and round at a sickening speed. His screams were drowned out by the noisy Quidditch match above us.
"Arresto momentum!" Sebastian stopped Leander from spinning. The poor red-haired man looked green.
"Just how well did you know Miss Rosier?" Sebastian asked.
"I can't say," Leander replied, which was a terrible mistake. Sebastian sent him spinning again, and Quinn and I watched in horror as he grew greener, and greener, until eventually he threw up.
Sebastian stopped Leander once more. "I'll ask you one more time," he said through gritted teeth. I began to worry that if Sebastian flipped him one more time, Leander may suffer brain damage.
"Sebastian," I gestured for him to stop. Slowly Leander was lowered to the ground again, where he fell face first to the floorboards. Sebastian held him up by the arms so I could speak to him.
"She made me promise not to tell anyone," Leander groaned.
"So you two were romantically involved?" I pressed.
"We were... At first," Leander admitted. "It was fun for a while. And it very quickly wasn't anymore. Oh, god, it wasn't fun anymore."
I looked Leander in his green face. "Did you take advantage of her?"
"Me? Take advantage of Morgana Rosier? She took advantage of me more like it!" He cried out. "After we had sex, she said that if I told anyone, she would tell the whole school about all my other affairs and ruin my reputation."
Maybe it was the vomit already on the floor and on the walls, but I was beginning to feel terribly sick. Quinn, also, was horrified.
"I don't believe you," I croaked.
Leander looked about ready to pass out. "You all thought I was the biggest heartbreaker in the school. But it was her. Morgana Rosier had men wrapped around her little finger."
Oh, dear! Leander also has an alibi for the night Morgana was murdered. But wait- Morgana was with OTHER men?? Just who else was she with?? And did Prisma really know her friend at all?? -kittyhawk