CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter  contains content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, self-harm and suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault, strong language and more.

Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.

LORELEI

I PORED over the files on the deaths of the two founders, looking if something weird would jump out at me. Habang binabasa ko ang ilang page ng autopsy report, abala si Loki sa pagre-review ng mga security footage. Paulit-ulit niyang binalikan ang mga scene bago at pagkatapos bumulagta ang mga biktima sa sahig.

"Coffee?" Leona placed a mug of hot coffee on my workstation. She also offered one to my companion who did not even thank her. Once he became too absorbed in a case, he would forget about the people around him.

Mukhang oras na para hingin ang opinyon ng iba tungkol sa kasong ito. Nanghiram ako ng phone stand kay Leona at inilagay roon ang gadget ko. Siniguro kong mahahagip ng front cam ang aking mukha.

"Okay na ba ang connection? Nakikita at naririnig mo ba ako, Al?"

"Loud and clear, Lori."

Gaya ng sinabi kanina ng kababata ko, willing siyang magbigay ng insights bilang member ng QED Club. So I decided to video call him. He was driving his car when he answered. His phone was conveniently placed somewhere on the dashboard. Its camera caught a good angle of him.

"The victims wouldn't just collapse without any explanation. What does the autopsy say?"

I flipped through the pages of the medical examiner's report, looking for the phrase cause of death. Hiniwalay ko ang dalawang report at sabay na inilipat ang mga page nito. Nabasa ko ang word na curare sa autopsy report ni Godfrey Griffin, ang biktimang nakasuot ng scarf na may red and yellow stripes. It matched with the report on Sylvester Salazar, the one wearing green-and-white striped scarf.

"Curare. A type of poison that causes paralysis and leads to asphyxiation owing to the inability of the victim's respiratory muscles to contract."

"How was it introduced to the victims?"

I read further until I found the part that answered his question. "The medical examiner believes the poison entered the victim's system through the puncture mark on their nape."

That confirmed it. No abra kadabra was involved in the deaths of Godfrey and Sylvester. As Loki said, it was an ingenious trick. The questions were what and how.

"So someone pricked the victims' nape with a needle laced with curare. That's quite a clever trick."

"Pero paano nangyari 'yon? Bago nag-collapse ang mga biktima, wala namang lumapit na puwedeng nagtusok ng karayom sa kanilang batok."

"The culprit must have worn an invisibility cloak," biglang sabi ni Herschel na lumitaw sa likuran ko. Ngumiti siya at kumaway kay Alistair. Gano'n din ang ginawa ng kausap ko.

Tumingala ako sa kaniya. "Invisibility what?"

"Invisibility cloak, one of the three Deathly Hallows in the Harry Potter series that can make the wearer invisible."

"But such thing doesn't exist in our world—"

"Sorry, I was trying to lighten up the atmosphere." Tinapik niya ako sa balikat bago lumakad palayo. "My order has arrived."

Dalawa ang pinatay sa kasong ito, kaya parang hindi yata tamang magbiro siya ng gano'n.

"Lori, I'm about to enter an underpass. Baka mawalan ako ng signal. Just text me the new details that come in. I will be in touch with you after my business here."

"Sure, Al. Drive safely." Nagpaalam na ako sa kaniya sabay tap sa hang-up button. I reclined in my chair and heaved a sigh. This case was getting more complicated. Whoever's behind this series of murders must be clever.

Did Loki share the same opinion about the culprit? Saktong nag-turn ang upuan ko sa direksiyon niya nang nakita ko siyang tumayo. With furrowed brows and a serious face, he began pacing back and forth in the room.

"Found anything on the footage?" I asked.

"I'm wondering how the two victims got pricked by curare-laced needles," he replied.

"Oh?" Napasulyap ako sa folder na nakapatong sa mesa. Hindi ko pa naiabot sa kaniya ang autopsy report, pero mukhang alam na niya kung ano ang pumatay sa dalawa. "You already knew their cause of death? Have you read the report?"

"No, I was listening to your conversation with Alistair while watching the videos over and over. Have I told you that I'm good at multi-tasking?"

Bago ko pa masagot ang tanong niya, biglang bumukas ang pinto ng lab. Pumasok si Herschel na may dala-dalang dalawang set ng uniform at magkaibang kulay na scarf. Those were the same outfit of the Harry Potter Club members.

"As you know, may acquaintance party mamaya ang Order of the Phoenix," sabi niya sabay lapit sa amin. "That's a members-only event, so we need to dress up."

He handed me a set of the famous Hogwarts uniform—black robe, gray jumper, white buttoned shirt, and skirt—and gave me a scarf with yellow and black stripes, making me a member of the Hufflepuff House. Loki received the other set of uniform. He was handed the scarf with blue and white stripes, sorting him in the Ravenclaw House.

"By the way, Hershey, have you tried tracking down the number of the Avada Kedavra message sender?" Loki asked as he played with the scarf. Parang kinikilatis niya ang pagkakahabi at ang telang ginamit dito. "That's just a piece of cake for you, isn't it?"

"I tried locating the two phone numbers where the text messages came from, but my efforts yielded no result. The culprit probably expected that the authorities would attempt to track their numbers down."

My companion wrapped the scarf around his neck. "Who made the costumes of these Harry Potter fanatics? The materials seem substandard. This scarf is too thin."

"Ipinagawa nila ang mga 'yan sa isang supplier," sagot ni Leona na napaharap sa amin. "Nakapagtataka nga, e. Mataas ang singil sa membership fee at miscellaneous expenses pero parang hindi worth it ang kapalit. That's why some Potterheads in school have decided not to join the Order."

Baka may kickback ang mga officer kaya mahal ang membership fee. May club sa dati kong high school na ginawang business ang paghahakot ng members.

"You're a man who believes in science and logic." Loki threw the scarf behind him and turned to Herschel who was inspecting the clothes-drying oven. "How come you've gotten yourself involved with the Order of the Sphinx?"

"Phoenix," Herschel corrected him, but my companion would not probably care. "I'm not interested in their fan club. But they asked for my help. They needed my genius. So I obliged."

"Help?"

Herschel opened the white cabinet at the back of the room and rummaged through whatever's inside. He took out a black stick, around thirteen to fourteen inches long, and showed it to us.

"Leona dear, kindly close the windows and turn off the light."

At first, his assistant shot him an annoyed look, silently protesting the command. But she later gave in and got to her feet. The room became dimly lit as all windows were closed. When she pressed the light switch, everything went pitch-black.

Herschel cleared his throat first before yelling, "LUMOS!"

The darkness was driven away as a light coming from the tip of the stick illuminated the room. I stared in awe at him triumphantly smiling.

"So you created a flashlight that looks like . . . what? A wand?" Loki jested, unamazed by what he had just witnessed.

"It may seem ordinary to you, but a voice recognition system has been installed in this wand." The proud inventor held the stick at both ends. "No need to press a button or flip a switch. Just say the magic word! At the moment, the wand only has five spells available."

"Wow, brilliant." My companion remained unimpressed. "Can we now focus on the case? Leone, when you went near the second victim's body, did you notice anyone pricking him on the nape? Or did you see a needle-like object?"

The lab assistant slowly shook her head. "We didn't have time to search the body. Binuhat siya ng mga kasama ko no'n para dalhin sa clinic kaya kung may tumusok sa kaniya, hindi na namin napansin."

"Sino-sino ba ang mga kasama mo?" If I remembered correctly, Leona was walking alongside two other guys dressed in the same black robes and scarves with different stripes.

"Rowen Ravino and Helios Hontiveros, the other two founders of the Order."

"Kumusta ang relationship ng tatlo?" sunod kong tanong. "This observation may be quite a stretch, but they did not seem close to the victim—literally and figuratively. Friends usually walk side by side. In their case, nauuna si Sylvester at may distance sa pagitan niya at ng dalawang founder. There's no hint of urgency in the way he walked, kaya bakit siya mauuna?"

"Spot on observation, Lorelei." Loki gave me an approving look, and I felt slightly flattered. He did not sound sarcastic so he probably meant it.

Leona fell silent for a moment. "The four founders always have had disagreements. You're right. They're not that close. Gusto ni Sylvester na maging istrikto sa pagpili ng tatanggaping members sa Order. Pero 'yong tatlong founders, open sila sa kahit sinong interested basta willing magbayad ng membership fee. 'Yong ibang applicants kasi, nakikiuso dahil sikat ang club namin."

"In short, the remaining two founders will somehow benefit from their colleague's death. No more opposition for them." Loki caressed his chin. "Who else will benefit from this recent development?"

"After Godfrey's death and before Sylvester's, naghanap na kaagad ng kapalit sina Rowen at Helios. They were vetting a friend of mine for the vacant slot in the Hogwarts Four. His name is Lucius Malvar."

"Is that why you were with them in the second video?" I asked. "Because they want to know more about the candidate?"

"Agad na nagpasa ng application si Lucius para makasali sa Hogwarts Four. Sa acquaintance party mamaya, i-a-announce na ang kaniyang appointment. They're now searching for Sylvester's replacement."

"If the culprit is someone who has grudge against the founders, they may need to vet for more replacements," Loki commented. "If one of the two remaining founders drops dead next, this becomes a serial killing."

"And the acquaintance party later is the perfect opportunity to strike," Herschel added. "Yes, there will be a huge crowd. But the presence of other people didn't stop the culprit from killing Sylvester."

If ever that was true, I hoped that Loki and I would be able to stop another murder from happening. We could not allow any more blood to spill here. Not in our presence. Malaking sampal 'yon sa amin bilang mga detective kung sakali.

WE SPENT the rest of the morning going through the files of every member in the Order. Thanks to the social media group created by the founders, we came up with a tentative list of suspects. If the killer wanted to take the life of one or both of the Order's remaining founders, they would have to attend the party later.

Unfortunately, after more than an hour of reviewing their posts, nothing jumped out at us. In the end, our only choice was to wait for the event to happen. There, we could observe the attendees and try to deduce who among them was the most suspicious.

Mag-a-alas-dos na ng hapon. Alistair had not called back me for hours. Baka busy pa siya sa meeting na pinuntahan niya. S-in-end ko na sa kaniya ang mga kopya ng security footage. He might have some ideas that would help us close this case.

By three in the afternoon, Loki and I went to Herschel's apartment to change our clothes. Kailangan na naming mag-prepare para sa acquaintance party. Akala ko noong una'y may iba siyang kasama dahil sa sobrang lawak nito, pero mag-isa pala siya. He led me to a separate room and closed the door.

"Perfect," I mumbled, standing in front of a tall mirror and turning around a couple of times. I wore a thick, gray V-neck jumper over plain white buttoned shirt with a necktie sporting yellow and black stripes. Tinernuhan pa 'yon ng pleated skirt na hindi man umabot sa tuhod ko ang haba. Sinuot ko muna ang plain black robe at ibinalabal sa leeg ko ang manipis na scarf bago lumabas ng kuwarto.

Nakaabang na sa living room sina Loki at Herschel. Halos parehas ang suot naming tatlo, maliban sa kulay ng necktie at scarf—sa kanila'y may blue at white stripes—at gray trousers na suot nila imbes na palda.

"Oh! By the way . . ." Inabutan kami ng wand ni Herschel bago kami lumabas.

Nasa loob ng campus ang apartment. Hindi na namin kinailangang magpahatid dahil walking distance ang venue. Nakasabay namin sa paglalakad ang ilang estudyante na may kaparehong Hogwarts uniform outfit. Habang papalapit kami, narinig ko ang mabagal na instrumental music galing sa loob ng function hall. Soundtrack siguro 'yon ng Harry Potter movie.

"Guys!" Leona ran toward us, waving her hand and greeting a smile. She was also wearing the same outfit except for the scarf. Hers had green and white stripes. She led us inside the function hall along with other attendees. Akmang haharangan na kami ng mga taong naka-istasyon sa registration desk, pero agad silang kinausap ng mga kasama namin.

When I was about to enter the hall, my phone repeatedly buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and read my childhood friend's name on the screen.

"Go ahead," I told my colleagues, tracing my steps outside. Maingay na rin kasi sa loob kaya baka hindi kami magkaintindihan. Nang tolerable na ang ingay sa paligid, tinap ko na ang answer key. "Hi, Al! Kumusta? Tapos na ang meeting mo?"

"Sorry, Lori. My lunch meeting with your father took some time."

"I thought something hap—wait, what did you say? You had lunch with my dad? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I knew you would protest once you found out. Kinumusta ka niya sa akin. You have nothing to be worried about."

Why did I feel otherwise? Naalala ko tuloy ang sinabi ni Dad bago kami nagkahiwalay noong araw na muli kaming nagkita. Baka may kinalaman doon ang lunch meeting nila ni Alistair. O baka nag-o-overthink ako.

"Anyway, are there any developments in the case?"

"The two deaths might be a part of a killing spree. If we're right, two more lives are in danger. Nasa acquaintance party kami ng kanilang club ngayon para i-observe kung sino ang kahina-hinala sa mga attendee at pigilan ang anumang atake."

"Observe those who come into contact with the potential targets. Take note kung sino ang mga nakikipagkamay at lumalapit sa kanila, pati na rin 'yong mga hindi gano'n kalayo. Probably people within five to ten meters."

"Huh? Bakit?"

"I did some research on curare and found out that indigenous people in South America are using this poison. They dip their arrows or blowgun darts in curare before shooting their prey."

"So posibleng pinatay ng killer ang dalawang biktima nang hindi sila hinahawakan?"

"Similar with South American indigenous people, they could have used a blowgun to shoot the poison-laced needle. Kaso kahit anong review ko sa video na ipinadala mo, wala sa mga estudyanteng visible sa frame ang naglabas ng gano'ng bagay at direktang itinutok sa mga biktima. Either the culprit was out of the frame or they thought of a much clever way to conceal the weapon."

Out of frame? Come to think of it, may mga pillar sa hallway na dinaanan ng mga biktima. Posibleng nagtago roon ang salarin, inihanda ang murder weapon, at hinintay na dumaan ang target niya. That would explain why we saw no one suspicious in the video.

"Pero may flaw sa reasoning na 'yon. If the culprit shot the poison-laced needle, paano 'yon naka-penetrate sa suot na scarf ng mga biktima? You said that the autopsy reports revealed puncture marks on their napes, right?"

Napahawak tuloy ako sa telang nakabalabal sa leeg ko. Ganito rin ang ginawa ni Loki kanina. "Hindi makapal ang telang ginamit sa scarf kaya baka puwedeng tumagos ang karayom at tumusok sa balat ng biktima."

"Has Loki come up with a theory on how the killer committed the murders?"

"Wala pa siyang sinasabi sa 'kin pero mukhang gusto niya munang makilala ang mga suspect."

"If he already has a suspect in mind, my insights won't be needed anymore. Call me kapag may update ka. I would like to know how this case will be resolved."

My childhood friend hung up. I returned inside the function hall. The huge room was illuminated by candle-like bulbs on the chandeliers. Four banners with different colors and animals printed on them hung on the ceiling. Sa sobrang dami ng mga tao at dahil pare-pareho ang suot namin, nahirapan akong hagilapin sina Loki, Herschel, at Leona.

I walked past the long tables where some students seemed too eager to start the party. Ang naging palatandaan ko para makita ang mga kasama ko ay ang magulong hairdo ni Herschel. Nang nai-spot-an ko 'yon, nagmadali akong lumapit sa kanila at napansing may kausap silang dalawang lalaki.

"It's such a pleasure to have you here," said the guy with curly hair, shaking hands with Loki. His circular eyeglasses were slipping down his nose. He was wearing the same outfit, but with blue-and-white striped necktie and scarf.

"Sana ma-invite n'yo rin kami kapag may ganitong party sa club n'yo," dagdag ng katabi niyang lalaki na may malapad na pangangatawan. His bowl haircut made him look a bit goofy. His necktie and scarf shared the same color as mine.

These two must be the two surviving founders of the Order. And one of them, if not both, might end up collapsing on the floor later after receiving the Avada Kedavra message.

"Oh, by the way!" Herschel motioned his hand to me. "This is Lorelei Rios, the vice president of their Harry Potter fan club. She's a Hufflepuff like you, Helios."

"Pareho pala tayong taga-Hufflepuff House!" Inalok ng matabang lalaki ang kaniyang kamay sa akin. "Ako nga pala si Helios Hontiveros. Always pleased to meet a fellow Hufflepuff."

"And I'm Rowen Ravino from the Ravenclaw House. What an honor to make your acquaintance," the bespectacled guy introduced himself next.

Nakipagkamay ako sa kanila, pinilit kong ngumiti at magmukhang friendly. Hindi ko ma-explain kung bakit parang hindi ako gano'n ka-comfortable.

"Enjoy the party." Both Rowen and Helios waved at us before leaving our company. Nakasabit ang mga wand nila na may ibang disenyo sa kanilang belt. They were different from the plain black sticks that we got from Herschel.

"So what did Alistair tell you?" Loki whispered as we slowly crossed the hall. "Did he say anything that can be of help to our investigation?"

I gave him a questioning look. "How did you know it was Al?"

"It could be your aunt, but she'll message you first before calling you unless it's urgent. It could be your father, but you're not fond of him so your conversation won't probably last for more than thirty seconds. It could be any of your classmates, but today's a weekend so you're not required to take their call. That leaves Alistair, the only one who can make you stay on the line for five minutes."

He got everything correct except for one thing: If my father were to call me, our conversation would not last three seconds because I would have immediately hung up.

"He suspects that the culprit probably used a blowgun to shoot the poison-laced needle at the victims," I told him. "Hindi na kinailangan ng suspect na lapitan ang mga biktima para tusukin."

Loki nodded. He did not appear surprised. "I've arrived at the same theory. This case reminds me of the Sherlock Holmes novel The Sign of Four. The murderer used a blow pipe to shoot a poisoned dart at the victim. If our Avada Kedavra killer used the same trick, how did they conceal the murder weapon? We didn't observe anyone blowing a pipe in the footages."

That was the same question in Alistair's mind. My guess? The blowgun was disguised as something else so it would not appear suspicious. Loki must be thinking the same.

"Our dear members of the Order! The program will start in a short while. Please rise, prepare your wands, and come closer to the stage."

Nagsitayo ang ibang members ng Order mula sa mga long table at pumunta na sa harapan. Mabuti't nasa bandang unahan na kami. A minute later, everything went dark in the hall. Kahit maliwanag sa labas dahil alas-kuwatro pa lang, aakalaing kumagat na ang dilim. Malamang, tinakpan ng black clothing ang mga bintana para hindi makapasok ang liwanag mula sa labas.

"They'll ask us to do something stupid," Loki, who was standing on my right, muttered. "In three, two, one . . ."

"Raise your wands and illuminate the function hall with your magic! On the count of three!"

"One! Two! Three!

"LUMOS MAXIMA!"

"Let there be light!" My voice was drowned out by their synchronized casting. Hindi ko alam kung anong spell ang isisigaw. Kahit mali ang binanggit ko, nagliwanag pa rin ang aking wand.

"Avada Kedavra!" Loki shouted one of the Three Unforgivable Curses. He could care less if anyone heard him.

Biglang nagliwanag ang venue, hindi dahil muling binuksan ang mga ilaw, kundi dahil sa liwanag na nagmula sa dulo ng mga wand. Salamat sa voice recognition system na in-install ni Herschel, nagmukha talagang magic ang lahat.

Lumingon ako kay Leona na nasa kaliwa ko. Her eyebrows furrowed as she was inspecting her wand. Its tip was not lighting up.

"Is there any problem?" I asked.

"Ayaw yatang gumana ng voice recognition function ng wand ko," sagot niya sabay angat ng tingin sa akin. "I'll check it later, baka may naputol na wire sa loob."

As I stared at the plain black stick in her hand, an idea struck me. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. That's probably how the culprit did it in the first two murders! And they were holding the murder weapon without anyone noticing it!

Tumuntong na sa stage sa harapan sina Rowen at Helios, kasabay ng pagpapatugtog ng isang march na mabilis ang tempo. The two remaining founders waved their wands in the air as they drew cheers from the crowd. Muling binuksan ang mga ilaw sa chandeliers ng function hall.

Rowen stood before the lectern while Helios stood a meter or two behind him. Hinintay niya munang mag-fade ang music at humupa ang hiyawan ng mga member ng Order. Napatakip pa ako ng tainga dahil baka mabasag ang eardrums ko sa sobrang ingay.

"To the new members of the Order, welcome! To the old members, welcome back!" he addressed everyone which drew cheers again. "Before we officially begin our acquaintance party, let us offer a moment of silence for the two fallen founders of the Order."

Yumuko ang halos lahat sa amin at sandaling namayani ang katahimikan sa bulwagan.

After a minute of quietness, Rowen raised his head and faced the crowd again. "Now, I would like to make some announcements. In line with the untimely passing of our colleagues, Helios and I have decided to open one of the two slots in the Hogwarts Four. And we have found the right person to join our ranks. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for Lucius Malvar, the new Head of the Slytherin House!"

A guy with pale, pointed face emerged. His jet black, flowing hair reaching past his shoulders bounced with his every step. Sinalubong siya ng palakpakan habang paakyat sa stage. His wand hanging on his belt also had a different design compared to ours.

"In the name of the Hogwarts Four, we hereby ap—"

Biglang huminto sa pagsasalita si Rowen. May inilabas siya mula sa itim niyang robe. Dahil malapit ang kinatatayuan namin sa kaniya, napansin kong namutla ang mukha niya habang palingon-lingon sa paligid. There was a hint of fear etched on his face.

Loki craned his neck to see what caused the interruption. He began panning his head from left to right, trying to spot any suspicious person. "He's looking at his phone. It must be the Avada Kedavra message."

But the show went on. Lucius, who was only a few steps away from Rowen, knelt before the founder and offered his wand. Inilabas ni Rowen ang wand niya at akmang babasbasan na ang bagong miyembro ng Hogwarts Four. Pero muli na naman siyang huminto. This time, napahawak ang kaliwang kamay niya sa leeg na parang may kinakapa. Nabalot ng pagtataka ang mukha ng mga nakapalibot sa kaniya.

Seconds went by, he collapsed on the stage. His wand rolled until it fell on the marble floor.

q.e.d.