Chapter 6- Suspects

Jade snatched the paper and read it to herself. Kimmi sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Well?" she asked, leaning over the Slytherin's shoulder. "What does it say?"

"It says that the circumstances in which the break-in occurred are unknown. Mr. Malfoy stated that his mansion has very high security. He has no clue how the man could have gotten in to speak with him. On top of that, all of his servants say that they didn't let anyone into the house that day," Jade read for the group.

Jade looked up and caught Mini's eye. Kimmi looked on, interested. It seemed that the two girls knew more than what they wanted to say aloud.

"Does it describe the man?" Mini asked.

Jade smirked at her cousin. "Are you sure the hat said that you should be in Gryffindor, Mini?"

Now it was Mini's turn to roll her eyes at Jade.

"Well?" she urged.

"Yes, it does."

Mini came around to stand by Jade as she pointed to the section in the article that described the vandal. Ron, Harry, and Hermione moved to do the same but stopped short. The sound of Professor McGonagall's voice calling for the trio pulled them back.

"This is probably about our Transfiguration Homework. She mentioned that she wanted to see us about it after class. We'll be back. Fill us in then," Harry said, and the three left the room.

Mini looked up from the newspaper, eyes glancing upward in the way one does when they are annoyed--even though the annoyance was expected.

"Shoulder length blond hair, tall, gray-blue eyes, and quite full of himself," Mini quoted from the paper.

"Yes, Mini," Jade said, apparently expecting Mini to lecture her. "It was Tariq."

Kimmi let out a loud gasp. Jade and Mini jumped and turned, seeming to have forgotten that she was listening.

"Tariq?" Kimmi asked, stepping closer to the two. "As in the vampire?"

"You've heard of him?" Jade asked.

Kimmi looked slightly offended by that question.

"Well, yeah! Anyone who's ever read anything about vampires has heard of Tariq and the Kane Clan," she answered.

"Yeah, well," Mini said, crossing her arms, "Jade--how would they say it here in Europe?--fancies him."

Kimmi gasped once more. She looked quickly from Jade to Mini and back again. It was as if she wanted to make sure her fellow Gryffindor wasn't yanking her chain. When she assured herself that Mini wasn't joking, she stared wide-eyed at Jade.

"Jade, you…like him? How did you meet him? Do you know where he lives? Have you had contact with him? Can I meet him? I have so many questions to ask him!" Kimmi spit out at about a mile a minute.

Jade held her hands up defensively. "Hold it there, Kimmi! The last time I saw him was the Halloween Dance."

Kimmi sighed sorrowfully. "And I had to deliberately spill that drink on Granger that night! I miss all the good encounters!"

"Deliberately?" Mini asked, eyebrow raised.

"Accidentally, I mean," Kimmi amended quickly. Jade smiled.

Mini laughed. "Don't worry. Next time we meet them, I'll make sure that you're with us."

"You better!" Kimmi said.

Mini took the newspaper from Jade. Looking down, she stared at the picture of Mr. Malfoy pacing--more like prowling--back and forth while the Ministry wizards searched his house.

"Why did he do it?" Mini asked wonderingly. "Why would Tariq break into Malfoy Manor?"

Jade opened her mouth, about to answer, but she stopped when she seen that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had returned. Hermione was looking rather smug, while the two boys were looking rather pallid.

"I have to redo my homework. Again," Ron sighed.

Hermione turned to him and said, "Well, Ron, if you had listened in class, then you would've known how to do it properly."

Ron began to retort, but Harry cut him off.

"So, who broke in?" Harry asked.

Ron and Hermione stopped their small quarrel and turned their attention to Kimmi, Mini, and Jade. The three of them exchanged a look.

"Um…well," Kimmi began to stutter.

Mini stepped forward.

"Must you ask, Harry?" she said, shaking her head. "If we knew for sure, then the authorities would know for sure. The criminal, if you can call anyone who breaks into the Malfoy house that, would most likely be arrested."

"So, you don't know?" Harry asked, a tone of disbelieving underlying his question.

"We all have our theories, Harry," Mini said.

"Mini's right, you know," Jade said, shooting Mini a look. "Since the three of you fancy yourselves as detectives, why don't you go off and investigate? I've heard you're good at that. After all, what can we discover in the hospital wing?"

Ron snorted and rolled his eyes. "Bloody Slytherin logic."

"Always reliable, though," Jade smiled.

Still looking somewhat unconvinced, the Golden Trio left. Kimmi smiled wickedly. Once their footsteps could no longer be heard in the hall, she turned to the two other girls.

"What can we discover in the hospital wing?" she asked.

"Only what we already know!" Mini burst out. "Tariq is a danger. How foolish! What could he have really hoped to accomplish?"

"Mini!" Kimmi admonished. "He's a legend!"

"And he's friends with Tobias," Jade added. "Tobias is not irresponsible."

"Phooey…Quit taking up for those two. What if they'd killed Malfoy? For Draco's sake, for their sake!"

"What do you mean?"

Silence fell. It seemed that once again Jade and Mini were knew more than what was being said. The suspense was almost unbearable for Kimmi. Finally, Jade's eyes widened with comprehension.

"You think Tariq has earned a new enemy," she said simply.

"That's exactly what I think," Mini said, nodding. "And if he'd killed Mr. Malfoy, Draco would have swore vengeance in his name--corrupting that already corrupted brat even more. Secondly, the vampires could have gained a more important nemesis. Lord Voldemort himself."

Jade's face took on a look of worry that was most unlike her. Kimmi shook her head.

"Oh, no. That can't be good," she said.

…………………

Thirty minutes had passed, and the girls had successfully thrown off any suspicions that Madame Pomfrey might've had about them hanging around in the hospital wing. Kimmi had faked nausea. Pomfrey, having obviously found nothing wrong with her, had simply instructed her to rest. This gave them the time they needed to perform the simple plan they had concocted.

"Will this work?" Kimmi asked, pushing her empty hospital tray towards Jade.

She reached into her robe's pocket and placed an inkwell, a quill, and a piece of parchment in front of the Slytherin.

"Write to Tariq. Ask him to visit you," Mini instructed.

Jade quickly scribbled the note. She then folded it and handed it to Kimmi.

"Okay, Kimmi, you said that you would take this to the Owlery on the way to the library, right?" Jade asked.

"Right," Kimmi said, hopping off the bed. "I'll see you soon."

Kimmi all but bolted out of the room. Mini turned to Jade.

"What exactly did it say?"

"Exactly what it should. Now, come on. Dad's expecting me."

…………………

Kimmi climbed the stairs to the Owlery two at a time. All the while, she mulled over the day's events.

"Why would Tariq want to kill Mr. Malfoy?" she muttered to herself, pushing the Owlery door open.

Entering, she went directly to the center of the room. Looking up, she called for her owl, Athena. The large, gray owl descended onto her mistress's arm and stuck out her leg. Kimmi tied the note to it.

"Now," Kimmi said, walking Athena over to the nearest window. "Don't get lost, alright? I know how you like to wonder off, but this is really important. Off you go!"

Athena hooted once and then launched herself out of the window. Kimmi sighed and turned. Shutting the Owlery door behind her, she made her way to the library.