Verity Goodwit

Verity Goodwit sighed as she took the letter the barn owl had brought her. Absently she picked up the dead mouse her black cat Ebony had recently dropped at her feet and offered it to the waiting bird.

Hooting softly, the owl swallowed the mouse and took off.

"Hogwarts …,"she murmured softly as she perched on the arm of her plush chair. "What do you make of that, Ebony?"

"Raow?" responded the feline before resuming her bath.

"Yes, that's what I thought as well."

It had been ten years since her graduation from Hogwarts and Verity had been working as an investigator for the Department of Mysteries, specialising in murders. She wondered what the school could possibly want with her.

"Nothing for it, I suppose," muttered Verity as she opened the letter. She read in silence and then reread it. "Listen to this, Ebs: Ms. Goodwit, your presence is requested on an urgent matter. Your numerous talents are required to solve a most perplexing mystery here at Hogwarts. I shall say no more other than you have been highly recommended by your superiors for this detail." She glanced at Ebony, who was still very much involved with her bath and appeared to take no interest in what Verity had read. "What do you suppose the case is, Ebs? I'm certain I would have heard something regarding a murder on the grounds of my old school."

Ebony paused in midlick then continued on.

"Yes, I suppose you're right; I won't know anything until I arrive to speak with Headmaster Marvel." She stood and walked over to her desk to check her agenda. "I suppose I could just go by train. The Hogwarts Express would be taking students to the school tomorrow for the start of term. Would you like that, Ebs? It could be like old times."