Alex stood on his feet as soon as his uncle and professor come to view. 

"Alexie!" Professor Ralph exclaimed excitedly and gave the youngest wizard a big hug followed with a few pats on the back. "I was thoroughly surprise when Dory told me bout' you handling the case!"

Alex just gave him a tight lip smile while glancing awkwardly at his uncle. And as if taking his nephew's glance as a sign, Dorian placed his hands over Ralph's broad shoulder and steered the buffed-professor to one of the armchair.  "Because! you're not suppose to know that," the older Evcans said.

Ralph looked up at him from his seat with jaw dropping and quickly pressed his lips together, sending Dorian a begging look, "Please don't tell me that I had to take another vow." said he,  resigned. 

Dorian chuckles, shaking his head, "Nah, there's no need." he grins, "Side's, Julia knew as well and she didn't take any vows."

Alex just watched as his professor scoffs, but worries still planted all over his facial. "But how could you letting Alexie to handle this madness?" he furrowed his brows, sending Alex a quick glance before fixated his eyes on Dorian's.

Dorian sighs, "It was-- long story,"

"I got time,"

"But he doesn't." Dorian nodded his head at his nephew. Ralph turn his face to Alex as well. "Dear boy need to be back at school before dinner-- as per agreement with Madam Headmistress." Dorian clasped his palms together, "Now, shall we start?"

Ralph let out a loud, heavy sighs. "I believe that you'll tell me everything, eh?

Dorian shrugged, "I've plan too."

Another sighs escaped from the professor's lips, "What is it that you need me to cast a Revelio's on?"

Alex notices his uncle's facial lit up and grins slowly stretched on his lips as he took Yves' letter from the table and gave it to his friend. "This is a letter that Alex managed to get from one of the potential victim; Yolanda Yves."

Ralph flip the letter in hand and bring it near to his nose for a smell, "A love letter?"

"Don't know, not sure," Dorian sat next to Alex. "Everything is just a mere speculation at this moment and we're just wanting to make sure that there are no hidden anything when we finally read it."

"I see. Welp--" Ralph handed the letter to Alex, "Would you do the honour?"

Alex cast a brief glance at his uncle before reaching for the letter. Staring down at the letter in hand, Alex took a deep breath and proceed to tear the envelope, revealing a piece of folded parchment inside. Pulling the letter out, a couple of sparkling dust falls follows which Dorian quickly covers Alex's and his' mouth and lips with his hands. As do Raphael. 

As soon as the dust settles on top of the coffee table, they slowly let loose. "Fae dust." Dorian said as he swept his forefinger on the dusts and rubs them between fingers. "Why?" he absent-mindedly ask as he looked at his nephew.

"Enhance excitements; happiness? Good feelings?"

"Or maybe it just for appearance sake?" Dorian arched his brows, "The perp probably think that fae dust would wipe off anything suspicious about the letter, from our victims. I mean, you know--"

Alex nodded, "Fae dusts; innocent, child-like, good luck-- in short, everything that is good."

"Exactly." Dorian snapped his finger at him and did a finger gun. "Now, let's see what inside."

Alex proceed to unfold the letter;

My Dearest Yolanda,

Have you not received any of my letter? I have waited for your replies.

S.B

Bingo. A satisfying grins appeared on Alex's lips. There's an initial just as how he has hoped. 

"S and B"

Alex glanced up at his uncle who seems to say his thought out loud and took the letter off his hand. Placing the letter on the table, he spoke again, "Cast the charm on the letter."

"Now?"

Dorian nods. Within second, Ralph swung his wand and yellow light emitted from the end of his wand. Slowly a small, single number appears on the letter footer. 

"Huh." Dorian took the letter again and squints his eyes to have a better look at the mysterious number. 

"What is it?" Alex asked with anticipation.

"3." is all Dorian said.

Alex frowned. "3?"

"Hmmmmm....."  Dorian slumped himself back on the couch with his eyes closed as if he was racking his brain.

"What 3 means?" Ralph finally spoken after a while. 

"It could mean many things; he 3rd letter, 3rd victim, 3rd day, 3rd tries--" Alex explained. 

"Yea, it could be one of those," Dorian sighs and straightened up. "But at least now we can narrow our search with these two letter; S and B."

"Or it could be someone with the name Sebby? A short forSebastian? Maybe?" Ralph suggested.

"Hmph, we definitely can't ruled that out from the possibility. Usually, these monsters are those who would fall under the average type."

Alex jotted down his notes.

"Remember Alex; look for the type that doesn't stand out." Dorian reminds him. 

Alex nodded. "A question though,"

"Shoot."

"Since the letter is obviously the perp's channel to communicate with the victims, I wonder how did they choose their victims? Like, how would they know if the chosen one is a muggle-born and what's not?"

"Hmmm, good question." Dorian rubbed his chin, thinking. "Have you found anything that could connect these girls in any way?"

Alex shook his head, "But I have suspicion that they might knew each other as acquaintances and not friends."

"Basically, they're literally just a classmates?" Ralph asked.

"Or could they be in a same club?"

"Not that I 'm aware of-- That sounds quite impossible right? Other than them, being a classmates,I mean" Alex wondered.

"Nahhhh, there's no such thing as impossible. They probably have their own little study group--club thingy going on that not many are aware of," Dorian suggested, "I think, they probably were introduced to each other and invited to join?"

"Hmmmmm, I'll try to look into it. I feel like that first week of the programs, got me missed lots of things," Alex said while scribbling something on his notebook. 

Dorian nods, "You do that. Now, let's open this another letter."

Alex ripped the envelope and took the letter out, along with the fae dusts. The young wizard cleared his throat as he read;

Soft curls, flush cheeks,

Brown eyes, brightest smiles;

You're the one I've been looking for,

Will you let me know your name or

left me wonder for the rest of my life?

S.B

Ralph stifles his laughter while Alex bit his lips to stop himself from grinning as he watched his uncle scowled, "That's. Fucking cringe." he muttered and Alex laughed.

"Who the fuck would think that's romantic?" his scowled deepened as he took the letter off his nephew hand. Dorian shivers as he re-read the poem before practically threw the letter on the table, "Just cast the spell already,"

Raphael laughs as he conjured his wand and did the spell. 

"Now, it's number 1." Dorian points out, showing the small number that just appeared. 

Alex crossed his arm over his chest and thought, "Does this means the perp first's letter?"

Dorian pressed his lips together,  "Could be?" said he, "But one thing I'm 100% sure of, this person definitely have close to non-existence social life."

"It's pretty intriguing the way he manage to capture the victim's attention though," Ralph commented. 

"Or maybe, just the naturally curious type." Alex said. 

"Meaning?" Dorian asked

      "I mean, let's put ourselves in the victims shoes," Alex said, "We found a poems literally been describing us in some random place--"

"--So we got curious as wanting to know whether there is someone have been admiring us from afar," Ralph continues.

"Exactly." Alex nods, "And thus, as for Ms Yves-- As she's already have a boyfriend, she probably reply to this first letter just to feed her curiosity and after the perp doesn't give her the answer on their second, she probably decided to just drop it," 

Dorian rubbed his chin, "But both letter were unopened."

Alex pursed his lips up, "My wild guess is Ms Yves probably did the repairing spell?"

"Make sense," Dorian agrees, "That's pretty much explain why she only have the first and third letter."

"And get rid of the second?" Ralph asked. 

    "Maybe. She could be trying to hide from her boyfriend the fact that she's actually did replies to any of the letters." Alex answers.

"This brings me to a question," Dorian clasped his hands together and look at the other two wizards, "Where do you think the perp puts these letters? And how would they know their victims would be the one who read it?"

Alex leans back on the couch, with his arms crossed at the back of his head, "My best guess, the perp might've been stalking their victims and if I'm not wrong, Natasha did mentioned about her getting letters from the library book."

"So you're saying that the perp could be lingering in the library just to see what type of books their victim would read?" Dorian asked, "Then.. This would erase the suspicion on that witch who you were telling me about earlier."

Alex thought for a moment. Now that his uncle reminds him of the little Ravenclaws, he wonder if it safe to rule her out? But what if the witch is an accomplice? 

"--Or perhaps, you're still doubtful of her?" Dorian asked again.

Alex looked at his uncle as he continue contemplating. "Maybe I put her on hold, for now; until I find her initial's out." he finally said.

Dorian nodded, "That's a good thinking."

The younger Evcans just smiles. 

"I can't help but to wonder, about the targets finding those letter," Ralph said.

The two Evcans turned their attention to the professor.

"I mean, there's definitely a couple of other students who would be reading that same book where the killer hid those letters..."

Alex shifted on his seat. His professor is right and this brings him to another question; how does the letter find the targets?

"All I can think of now is there's some kind of spells, that we're not familiar with, to allow that to happen," Dorian answers

Alex nodded. He thought the same thing. There still numbers of spells and charms that are yet to be discovered.

"I'll ask around," Dorian continues, "Maybe some of my acquaintance have the answers to that,"

"Yeah, I'll help too." Ralph said and the trio fell into deep silence.

Then a soft growl was heard. Alex and Dorian exchanged a quick look with each other before looking at Ralph who were now grinning sheepishly.

"hehe, that' was me. I haven't eat yet," he said, embarrassed.

Alex chuckles as he leans back on the couch, with his muscle relaxes, "Not gonna lie, I a, too actually. I just had simple breakfast and firewhiskey," he muttered

Ralph scoffs as his eyes widened at the news, "Wow, you had firewhiskey that early?-- I don't even wanna know what happen this morning,"

Dorian just shrugged and did a stretched as he stood up, "Welp, sometimes not knowing are better," said he, "So, pizza anyone?"

"I'll eat anything right now," Ralph stated, looking resigned and Alex just laughs at his statement.

****

A/N : work has been taking 93% of my life right now haha ORZ

 and I just wanna thank you for waiting. 

Bless your heart and soul always <3