The Mystery of the Dead Hogwarts Students

Summary: Goyle comes across several bodies of dead Hogwarts students on the floor in the Transfiguration room. What in the name of Merlin is going on?

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter books and movies, nor its characters. I only own this story.

After a delicious lunch that consisted of dishes full of deep fried chicken and mashed potatoes, the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry filed out of the Great Hall. Some headed straight for their next classes, while those who had a spare period headed either to the library, their dormitories or outside.

Malfoy, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle were among the students exiting the Great Hall. They stopped to poke fun at some first-years, before they made their way down the familiar corridor that led to the Charms classroom.

"Did you see that first-year?" Malfoy asked, chuckling. "He was practically crying for his mother!"

"So pathetic!" Blaise said, with a laugh.

"We still have plenty of time before Charms starts," Crabbe pointed out. "What should we do?"

"Let's go see what Potty and the Weasel are up to," Malfoy suggested, eager to bully the two male members of the Golden Trio.

"I didn't see them at lunch," Blaise said. "In fact, I hardly saw any of the Gryffindors at lunch."

"Let's go to the library," Malfoy said, gesturing for the guys to follow him. "They're probably there, begging the Mudblood to do their Potions essays for them."

Eager to pick on Harry, Ron and Hermione again, the four Slytherins started making their way towards the library. As they walked, Malfoy rummaged through his bag and frowned when he couldn't seem to find what he was looking for.

"Shit, I left my wand in the Transfiguration classroom," he said. "I was in a hurry to get to lunch. Go get it for me, Goyle."

Goyle nodded, as he reluctantly separated from the group and proceeded in the direction of the Transfiguration room.

"We'll wait here!" Blaise called to Goyle.

Goyle groaned as he approached the Transfiguration classroom. He hated doing everything Malfoy told him to do, but he knew that Malfoy didn't take no for an answer and Goyle certainly didn't want to find out what would happen if he did refuse one of the Slytherin prince's orders.

The door was slightly open, so Goyle pushed it open and walked inside and was greeted with a bizarre sight.

Three dozen Hogwarts students, from various grades, were standing in a large circle, looking around at each other, with worried looks on their faces. The badges on their robes indicated that there were students from every house, with the exception of Slytherin. The desks were moved against the classroom walls, giving the students enough room to form a large circle.

However, what frightened Goyle the most were several motionless bodies of Hogwarts students on the floor. He looked up at the many students that were still standing and was wondering why they didn't seem to care about the students on the floor. In fact, they didn't even seem to notice he was there.

Goyle was about to ask what was going on, but before he could, a window-shattering scream was heard.

"Merlin!" Parvati Patil cried, bending over, as if someone just hit her with a Cruciatus curse.

Goyle watched, helplessly, as the Indian Gryffindor collapsed onto the floor, her eyes remaining closed. Despite having the brain of a cauldron cake, he knew something wasn't right.

"Bloody hell!" Oliver Wood yelled, holding his hands to his face in agony. "It's like getting hit by a Bludger!"

Before Goyle could say anything, the Gryffindor quidditch captain's knees gave in and he fell over, his hands still over his face.

Goyle looked shocked, as he started fidgeting in the doorway. His eyes darted from Parvati to Wood, who both looked as lifeless as the other students' bodies around them.

"My scar!" Harry screamed, his eyes squeezing shut in excruciating pain. "No...still...to fight Voldemort...final battle..."

By the time the Harry's lifeless body fell to the floor, Goyle had already bolted out of the room, desperately needing to tell Malfoy, Crabbe and Blaise what was going on.

"Man, what is taking him so long?" Malfoy asked, exasperated.

"Relax, Draco," Blaise said, trying to calm the blonde Slytherin. "I'm sure he's on his way with your wand right now."

Before Draco could reply, Goyle came running after them, his eyes widened to the size of frisbees.

"Goyle, you look like dessert has been cancelled," Malfoy said, confused at his friend's appearance. "Did you get my wand?"

"You're not going to believe what I just saw in the Transfiguration room!" Goyle cried, trying to catch his breath.

"Goyle, stranger things have happened in the wizarding world," Blaise said, shaking his head. "I'm sure whatever you saw was nothing out of the..."

"Potter died!" Goyle cried, interrupting Malfoy.

"You're kidding!" Malfoy exclaimed, not believing him.

"He did!" Goyle replied, trying to convince Malfoy that he was telling the truth. "His scar started hurting, then he collapsed!"

"What do you have to be upset for, then?" Malfoy asked, looking as though Christmas had come early for him. "This is the best day of my life!"

"I can see Potter's tombstone now," Blaise said, with a laugh. "Here lies the body of the Boy-Who-Lived-But-Failed-To-Defeat-The-Dark-Lord-Voldemort-Because-He-Died-A-Painful-Death."

"No, you don't get it!" Goyle yelled, irritated. "Potter isn't the only one who died! That Patil girl and Wood guy from Gryffindor did too! They just fell over in pain! There are other students in the room too and they are just looking around at each other, as if they didn't notice who died!"

"So, that's three Gryffindors down," Malfoy said, with a shrug. "The fewer Gryffindors, the better."

"Look, something is seriously wrong!" Goyle shouted. "They're just dying one by one! Something is killing them. We could be next!"

"Ugh, Crabbe, go check out the situation, will you?" Malfoy ordered, frustrated. "I'm starting to think that Goyle had too many butterbeers last night. And while you're at it, get my damn wand!"

Crabbe nodded, obediently, and hurried off to fulfill Malfoy's request.

Crabbe was approaching the Transfiguration room, when he heard a high-pitched scream come from inside. He took a look in the classroom and was surprised to find half a dozen dead bodies on the floor.

"Goyle wasn't kidding," he said to himself.

Many students were still standing in a large circle, their eyes drifting from one person to another, wondering who would be going down next. They didn't move from their spots, let alone speak to each other.

Crabbe cautiously entered the classroom as quietly as he could. He suspected that the murderer was still in the classroom because the students still standing looked like they were afraid to breathe.

"No!" Ron cried, clutching his throat, as though he was suffocating. "Not now...want...one more...Chocolate Frog..."

Appalled, Crabbe watched as Ron fell to the floor, shaking, as he continued to choke. Within minutes, the red-headed Weasley stopped moving.

"What just...how did...what's going on?" Crabbe babbled, trying to comprehend what was going on.

Unfortunately, Crabbe wasn't getting any answers from any of the students still standing, especially Hannah Abbott, who collapsed onto the floor in such a manner that one could think she fainted.

"How are they dying?" Crabbe whispered, looking around, frantically. "There's no one here!"

"Shit...losing air!" Ginny Weasley cried, gagging, as though someone was trying to drown her. "I'm...tell Colin...he's..." She took one final breath. "...weird!"

Crabbe watched with widened eyes as Ginny keeled over right in from of him, her body completely immobile. He looked around at the students still standing and sensed that something terrible was happening.

Not wanting to be killed next, Crabbe wasted no time in getting as far away from the Transfiguration room as possible.

"What do you mean you don't have my wand?" Malfoy questioned, angrily.

"Malfoy, Goyle wasn't kidding!" Crabbe shouted, trying to convince Malfoy that was he saw was true. "The students are just dying one by one! There's no one else in the room!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Malfoy yelled. "First Goyle, then you? Has everyone lost it?"

"Believe me, Zabini!" Crabbe said, turning to Blaise. "The students that are still alive don't even notice their housemates choking or being in pain! They're possessed or something!"

"Don't believe the idiot, Zabini!" Malfoy shouted, irritated. "Do you honestly think that some sort of mystic force is killing off Hogwarts students?"

"If Crabbe and Goyle think something strange is happening, then it can't be some sort of delusion," Blaise explained. "Like I said, stranger things have happened."

"Fine!" Malfoy spat, folding his arms in front of him. "If you believe the meatheads, then go to the Transfiguration room and see it for yourself!"

"Damn it, fine!" Blaise yelled, storming off, while muttering to himself. "Merlin, I know's he's a Slytherin and all, but he really needs to take an anger management class."

"And for the love of Merlin, get me my fucking wand!" Malfoy shouted at his friend's retreating back.

"Or maybe two," Blaise muttered, as he hurried off, shaking his head. "Nah, three at least."

When Blaise entered the Transfiguration classroom, he was shocked to find about a dozen dead bodies on the floor. He looked around and seemed to recognize the lifeless bodies of Susan Bones, Cho Chang and the Weasley twins.

"Damn, what happened here?" Blaise questioned, to no one in particular.

The Italian Slytherin glanced at several of the Hogwarts students that were still alive and breathing. He tried waving to get their attention, but the expressions on their faces didn't change. They continued to look from one person to another, predicting who would be the next one to go.

"Ugh, the searing pain!" Lavender wailed, breathing heavily with her hand over her heart.

"Brown?" Blaise said, stepping closer to her, tentatively.

"Can't...hurts..." Lavender mumbled, her knees giving in. "Must say...one more...thing..."

Blaise just watched her, pondering whether or not to let the Gryffindor die or bring her to see Madam Pomfrey.

"Tell him...only teased him...because..." Lavender uttered, her eyes slowly closing. "I...love...Neville..."

Unable to breathe much longer, Lavender tumbled to the floor next to a motionless Parvati.

"Longbottom?" Blaise questioned, his eyes darting to the boy in question, who didn't seem moved by the girl's confession. "What the hell? This is crazy!"

"Ah, my back!" Seamus growled, clutching the lower half of his back, in agony. "Son of a boggart!"

Blaise flinched slightly at the sandy-haired boy's use of foul wizard language, before watching him collapse onto a lifeless Hannah.

"Ugh, in the neck!" Alicia Spinnet cried, holding the side of her neck. "I can't believe you did that!"

Blaise's eyes widened as he turned his attention to the Gryffindor chaser. She knew her attacker! She knew who was killing the other students!

Blaise was about to ask for the identity of the murderer, but Alicia started yelling something about shoving a broomstick up the murderer's arse, before she collapsed onto the floor, breathless.

Justin Finch-Fletchley caught a whiff of a foul odour that caused him to suffocate. Unable to breathe, he keeled over onto the floor, but Blaise didn't notice because he had bolted out of the room and closed the door prior to Justin's collapse.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" Malfoy spat. "You can't be serious, Zabini!"

"Two jarheads seeing people randomly dying before their eyes is unlikely," Blaise answered. "When a third person with more common sense sees the same thing, it's has to be real."

"It's bullshit, if you ask me," Malfoy growled, folding his arms.

"It's not just the Gryffindorks," Blaise said. "Even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws are dying."

"Maybe it's some sort of dark magic eliminating those who are not loyal to the Dark Lord," Malfoy said. "That's why the Slytherins aren't affected."

"Look, that Spinnet chaser knew her attacker, but she died before I could find out who it was," Blaise explained, trying to convince Malfoy that they might be in danger. "Who knows, the attacker could finish them off and come after us next!"

"Do you honestly think that would happen?" Malfoy asked, with a chuckle. "I'm more likely to see a flying pig than die in the hands of an invisible attacker."

"I'm telling you this is not normal!" Blaise shouted, exasperated. "The students are getting killed and those who are still alive are doing nothing to stop the attacker, whoever the attacker is!"

"Shut up, Zabini!" Malfoy snapped. "People might think you've gone mental!"

"Look, I know we're not the biggest fans of the students from outside of our house, but we can't just do nothing!" Blaise yelled. "When Dumbledore finds out that all of the students, but those from Slytherin, are dead, guess who will be his primary suspects in the murders?"

"Fine, let's check this out!" Malfoy yelled, running off towards the Transfiguration classroom.

Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise passed Professor McGonagall as they hurried after Malfoy. She frowned and followed them, prepared to dock Slytherin points for running in the corridor.

Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise reluctantly followed Malfoy as he approached the closed door to the Transfiguration room.

"See?" Malfoy said, gesturing to the classroom. "I don't hear any screams of terror coming from inside, do you?"

"They're probably all dead now!" Goyle cried. "All of the Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors and Ravenclaws!"

"We could be next!" Crabbe added. "We should tell Dumbledore."

"Look, I'm sure you three were all just damn delusional!" Malfoy spat, angrily. "You should head to the Hospital Wing and have Madam Pomfrey check you out!"

"We're not delusional!" Blaise yelled. "Someone here at Hogwarts is killing students. Not just the mudbloods and half-bloods! May I remind you that the Weasleys were killed?"

"Hey, his muggle-loving father probably had to pay for associating with mudblood filth," Malfoy explained.

"Then, explain why other purebloods were murdered!" Blaise demanded.

"You're being ridiculous!" Malfoy yelled. "Who would start murdering students here?"

Just then, a loud accusation was heard from inside the classroom.

"Hermione, you're the murderer!" a female voice shouted.

Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise raised their eyebrows at Malfoy, whose eyes widened as reality hit him like a flying Bludger.

"The Gryffindor mudblood!" he yelled.

Just then, Professor McGonagall approached the four Slytherins outside her classroom, panting slightly after the long run. After catching her breath, she cleared her throat to make her presence known.

"Twenty points from Slytherin!" she scolded, as they whipped their heads around to look at her. "No running in the corridors!"

"Professor, you won't believe this!" Malfoy said, startled. "Granger is killing Hogwarts students!"

"What nonsense, Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall answered, with a frown. "Miss Granger would never do such a thing!"

"We saw students getting killed one by one," Blaise explained, speaking for himself, Crabbe and Goyle. "The murderer was probably wearing an Invisibility Cloak or something because we couldn't see who was behind the murders."

"And what makes you so sure that Miss Granger is responsible for the deaths?" Progessor McGonagall questioned, folding her arms in front of her. "May I remind you that she is a model student with a clean record?"

"I just heard a girl in your classroom declare her the murderer," Malfoy explained, gesturing to the door. "See for yourself!"

"Very well," Professor McGonagall said, reaching for the door handle.

As soon as Professor McGonagall opened the door, Malfoy pushed past her and ran into the classroom, with Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise right behind him. The four Slytherins had smiles on their faces, excited for catching Hermione red-handed, but their smiles faded as they took in the scene before them.

All three dozen Hogwarts students that were in the room from the start of the incident were all on the ground, motionless. Some were sprawled out, while some were lying down on top of other students.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on?" Professor McGonagall asked no one in particular.

Just then, several of the students starting waking up slowly. Some of them groaned in pain, while others just moaned as they woke up.

"Ugh...where am I?" Wood asked, looking for some answers.

"What just...did I...must have fallen asleep," Cedric Diggory muttered, with a yawn.

"Would you get off of me, Finnegan?" Hannah yelled, trying to shove the sandy-haired Gryffindor off of her.

Hermione squinted, as she tried to identify the four figures standing in the doorway.

"Professor?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "Is that you?"

"Miss Granger, what happened?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I'm not sure," Hermione answered, with a shrug. "One minute I was in the library, finishing a potions essay, and the next thing you know, I'm here."

"Do any of you remember anything?" Professor McGonagall asked, concerned. "Anything at all?"

The three dozen students shook their heads, looking extremely confused.

"I can't remember how I ended up here," Harry explained, running a hand through his jet black hair. "The last thing I remember doing was practising Quidditch on the pitch with the team."

"Yeah, I remember that too," Alicia said. "Next thing you know, I was out like a light."

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, turned to face the four Slytherins standing next to her and asked, "Did you four have something to do with this?"

"No, Professor!" Malfoy answered, just as confused as the others were. "We didn't do anything! We just came across them dying one by one!"

"Well, they are not dead as you can clearly see," Professor McGonagall said, with a frown. "Was this some sort of prank because I assure you, it was not a good one!"

"It was not a prank, Professor," Blaise replied, trying to convince his Transfiguration teacher that Malfoy was telling the truth. "They all started collapsing one by one. Then, we overheard someone declare Granger the murderer!"

"What nonsense!" Professor McGonagall yelled, angrily. "Do you really expect me to believe that, when the students that you claim were dead are standing in this room in perfect health?"

"Granger did it!" Malfoy shouted. "I know she did it!"

Ron, who was struggling to get up, noticed a wand on the floor and asked everyone, "Anybody lose a wand?"

Professor McGonagall marched towards the wand on the floor and picked it up. She inspected it and her suspicions were confirmed when she found the initials D.M. engraved near the bottom of the wand.

"Mr. Malfoy, would you please explain to me what your wand would be doing in my classroom?" Professor McGonagall questioned. "Why is it that it is not with you?"

"There it is!" Goyle piped up, pointing at the wand, excitedly. "I found your wand, Malfoy!"

"Shut up, Goyle!" Malfoy snapped, quickly. "I can explain, Professor. You see, I lost it and..."

"Fifty points from Slytherin!" Professor McGonagall said, sternly. "For sabotaging a model student's reputation by framing her for a crime that did not even occur. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

Malfoy looked appalled, as he protested, "But, Professor..."

"Fifty points from Slytherin for pulling such a dangerous prank!" Professor McGonagall added. "Do you realize that hexing students and leaving them in an empty classroom for your own amusement is considered unacceptable?"

"We didn't do that!" Blaise tried to explain, but was interrupted by Professor McGonagall.

"And another fifty points for giving me false statements to cover up your prank," she added, gesturing to the door. "Let's go have a word with your head of house. I assure you, detention is the least of your worries right now."

Hermione restrained herself from smirking, as Professor McGonagall ushered the four Slytherins out of her classroom.

"Oh, those of you who suffered any injuries from this prank should see Madam Pomfrey immediately," Professor McGonagall told the students in the classroom. "Those of you who were not injured should proceed to your respective classes. I am truly sorry that you all had to experience this terrible ordeal."

As soon as Professor McGonagall left and closed the door behind her, the students burst into laughter.

"That was hilarious!" Harry exclaimed, with a chuckle.

"Good job, Detective Lovegood," Hermione said, turning to Luna. "You were right. I am the murderer."

"Playing that Muggle game was fun," Angelina said. "But, getting four Slytherins in trouble and docking off a lot of their points was even more fun!"

"What was that game called again, 'Mione?" Ron asked, curiously.

"Wink Murderer," Hermione answered, with a smile.

Well, there you go! My first Harry Potter one-shot! Questions? Comments? I might make a short epilogue for this one-shot. Let me know if I should.

Please Review! Reviews are greatly appreciated! =D

~TeenQueen661