I have to agree that the wand may have been planted - and I suspect that auror, the nasty one, of having something to do with the murder or the murderer...

I find it interesting that people keep telling Scorpius he is the reason his mother dropped out - it seems to me that even a powerful wizard would have difficulty impregnating his mother before his own conception, but then, maybe these people know something I don't... silly me, if I were them, I'd more likely blame Astoria and Draco... but interesting how he is reacting to being connected to his mother, and then Ollivander brings it up at the end of the chapter - nice for someone besides Harry to finally have an "important" mother...

The whole pine wand business is very interesting. Did you make up pine being protective, or find it somewhere? Here a 'pine box" is (or was - my slang is behind the times) is slang for a coffin. hm...

Am now trying to picture using my double point sock knitting needles as wands, as they are about the same length. no - a pencil, I just measured. Will now go around practicing with a pencil for days, I suppose...

Waiting for next chapter!

Thea

Author's Response: I'm not sure Astoria is necessarily important in this story, it's more the way he's more like his mother (his core) than his father, despite people mixing them up because of the way he looks.

The pine wand business is from Pottermore. I was researching the wand woods and cores and pine fitted Sally-Ann's character to me, but there was this thing attached about longevity and protectiveness. However, that also suited, in my mind, the way the person died, so I decided she had a pine wand.

Interesting suspicions you have. Next chapter is written and beta'd, just waiting for me to edit and add (next week probably. I'm a little ahead of myself, but need to get back to this soon before I lose track of the story.

Thank you for reading and reviewing! ~Carole~

OH MY GOSH THIS IS SOO FREAKING AWESOME!! I love your style of writing!

Author's Response: Thank you so much. There should be another chapter coming up soon. :) ~Carole

really good! but what does higgledy-piggledy mean?

Author's Response: higgledy- piggledy means a mess, so everything is mixed up. Thanks for the review ~Carole~

I especially like the Draco vs. Harry by-play. And I would write more, but I am on my Nook and the touch screen is very,very annoying.
Note to self, do NOT get Iphone...

Author's Response: I have an iPhone . . . I am pleased you liked Draco. When I had the idea about including him, I was hugging myself with girlish glee because I do so like writing his snark and also the dynamic between him and Harry. At times they're still the schoolboys they were and can never quite leave the past behind. Thanks for the review ~Carole~

The chapter title says it all: so many threads here! I loved the locket, and meeting Pomona in a Muggle garden, and finding that diary with Susan Bones. And then introducing new suspects like Cormac - the plot thickens! Great stuff. Love the dynamic between Harry and Scorpius - Harry so calm and understanding, Scorpius eager to learn and help. Oh, and throwing in that last bit about Proudfoot - great details! Loving it! Such fun to read - keep it coming! ~Gina :)

Author's Response: There are a lot of threads in this tale and hopefully they won't all get tangled - ha. Thank you, Gina for the review. I will keep going because I'm really enjoying writing it. ~Carole~

That review seems to have submitted itself by accident before was finished, so you get two for one here... ;-)

I really don't know who did it, which impresses me. Could be Cormac, he's such an idiot, could have done it by accident - but that's so obvious. I'm sort of hoping Draco is at least under suspicion for a bit... not that I think he did it, but it would be so delightful to have poor Scorpius pulled in so many directions, and while I do believe he would do the right thing in the long run, I can see you doing so much with the suspense...

BTW, her robes probably have a fair percentage of something like polyester, which works perfectly with her being on the assisted students scholarship...(I got the suggestion that they were probably synthetic at least in part from my expert..)

Author's Response: It could be Cormac, the idiot, or it could be Draco, or maybe it's ... No, I can't say. No hints at all. She certainly wore cheap robes and nothing bespoke. That does fit with Sally-Ann's profile, but it's not been confirmed yet. ;p ~Carole~

With any luck, they will read it in the next chapter. This is a cracking story.

Author's Response: Thank you very much and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. The diary might take a little longer to decipher than the next chapter . . . ~Carole~

I feel dreadful because I didn’t really like her much, and all I wanted was my necklace, but if that body is her, then -” She gulped and her face drained of all colour. “Merlin, this is worse than I thought. All those years of thinking badly of her ... it was my grandmother’s necklace, you see, and ... and ... and she couldn’t have returned the necklace to me, anyway - not if she was dead. Neville, what am I -”

This is so finely handled! Very in-character, very human. What a shock it must have been for her to see it in the paper!

I like the party scene as well - very true to life. Although I think you and I must agree to disagree about Oliver, because in another universe he and I are married and ...I shall be tactful and just smirk... :-)

That's the beauty of the characters who are less fleshed out, isn't it? There's so much more you can do with them, or rather, so much more that needs doing with them.

Lovely, as usual!

Author's Response: Oh, we can agree about Oliver. He says in another fic I wrote, that he's 'discerning', that leaves the field wide open :D .

Yes, the beauty of minor characters, especially more or less non existent ones like Scorpiuswho I have so much fun writing.

Thea, thank you very much for your review and support. I'm glad you appreciated Hannah's 'human' reaction. I think she's feeling a lot of guilt now for feeling badly towards the girl, but nothing is certain ... yet (although I might have just left you another red herring - heh heh heh) ~Carole~

Loved it! "...perhaps our hero's about to have some fun." Er, with his girlfriend's mum? LOL! That was a great moment.
Let's see. First of all, I was loving James Sirius until he went and published that article. Git. At least Ginny knows; I hope Harry calls him on it sometime, though.
Then the woman with the arms and the flour - hahahahaha! Sorry, the image and then the name was just highly amusing to me.
Neat little twist with Tamara Flint, especially with her being out in the Muggle world now. There's a story to that, I'm sure.
Fun chapter, and looking forward to some more leads as theirs seem to have all gone!
~Gina :)

Author's Response: There is a story to Tamara Flint and you might just find out some more - Mwahahahahahaha. Seriously, Tamara bloody Flint looked set to take over the story which was why this couldn't be finished in time for the challenge, so hold onto your hat for her. (sigh, I'm spoiling now).

Thank you for reviewing. Yes, James Sirius is being an arse, but he would say he's only doing his job, and Scorpius shouldn't have been talking to Ben, really. I think Ginny will screech at him, not to mention Molly who adores Scorpius now. (She loves abandoned ducklings).

Okay, now I'm rambling, and I really need to get a move on with chapter 11 before kara hexes me. Thanks again ~Carole~

I liked how you made Scorpius slightly imperfect talking to Ben without thinking.

Author's Response: Scorpius is far from perfect, but he's still my hero - ha ha. Thanks for mentioning that; he's still very new at this game and his enthusiasm is going to get the better of him occasionally (not to mention his Malfoy moods). ~Carole~