With a crack splitting the still air the red-robed Auror and blue shirted Hit-Witch appeared on the edge of a thick wood in the Cotswolds. The leaves had already started to grow back, even though it was only late February, and the old and gnarled trees were starting to get their lives back. There were no Muggles in sight, and Omari breathed a sigh of relief. He would’ve hated to start the mission with having to obliviate some bird enthusiasts, as that would have resulted in more paperwork than was necessary.

He stretched his neck and shook out his robes, his hand keeping a firm grip of his wand.

“The cottage is just up ahead,” he turned to Tara and said. “I’m not expecting too much trouble, but keep yer wits about ya.”

With that he started into the forest, heading North. The undergrowth was thick, and hard to walk through, and Omari was struggling with his metal leg getting caught. It was not ideal, as each snapped branch made him more aware of how loud the duo were being. He hoped the wizard was too preoccupied with the Common Welsh for them to still have the element of surprise.

It took almost a quarter of an hour for Omari and Tara to reach a clearing where a small cottage stood. It was an old building made out of timber and with moss and fungi covering its roof. A crooked chimney let a steady stream of unnaturally coloured smoke out, and a couple of mishandled broomsticks leaned against the wall. Omari motioned for Tara to stop at the edge of the clearing and kneeled down, letting the sounds of the forest take over. Voices were coming from the cottage, and Omari tensed.

Not a voice—multiple voices!

He was sure Tara had heard it too, and had probably also realised that the information they had been provided with was wrong. It wasn’t just one wizard who had an infant dragon in his house, there were more people involved. How many, he wasn’t sure, but he had to find out before they did anything further. He raised his wand.

“Homenum Revelio,” he said, and soon he could feel the swooping sensation flowing over him. Normally it would’ve readied him, but this time it made him tense up even more. It didn’t come back once, or twice, but he felt the wave swoop over him again and again and again. He turned to Tara, his face now serious.

“There’s ten o’them.”

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Art by Eva Kedves

It had been a trek, admittedly it was pleasant, the area was nice, she enjoyed listening to the crack of twigs, along with the sound of the wind going through the trees, the birds chirping high above. She wondered if there were Centaurs here, there must of been, she suspected if they were close by then they were being observed, the Centaurs would be watching, perhaps curious as to their intrusion, perhaps they know why. Or perhaps she was wrong, they are just not nearby or not living here. Or they'd simply managed to avoid patrols.

She had kept quiet and observant as they moved, wand shifted up her sleeve, ready to drop into her palm at a moments notice should they be ambushed, but shifted back to allow herself to move easily should she fall.

He spoke of the cottage, and she nodded her head, they shouldn't be far, she slowed a little, falling behind as she shifted a small metallic buckler shield out of her bag and strapped it around her left arm, it wasn't the same as her old one, she'd lost that in the cave. She knew it was gone, it was a replacement, she wasn't fond of it, her old one had a silver sheen to better deflect spells. But she couldn't use that now, they hadn't allowed her since her transformation. She was the one who paid for it.

They had reached the cottage after awhile and she fell back from him, listening for his lead, as much as she hated taking orders from the Auror. She would do so as her job demanded it, she was just there to take the flack and ensure he survived.

She listened and waited as he scanned, could pick up many voices, but couldn't discern how many, it was too noisy in the place for her to pick up. He said it was ten however, so she would go with what he got from his spell. Ten, ten people in the building, she doubted many of them would stick around and that was more to their benefit, even if it meant that they wouldn't be captured, it made it easier to capture the others.

"We won't fight ten, more then likely several are to flee, we could set up to stop apparition but then it means we are outnumbered." She said in a hushed tone.

She started trying to come up with a plan in her head. The brooms can be hexed, rig them up to take out anyone who goes to grab them and flee. As much as it amused her she didn't think setting the cottage on fire would be the best plan sadly.

"I have a plan if you'd like."

Omari’s thoughts were a tumultuous mess, each thought fighting for their space. How had the intel been so disastrously wrong? If they had known the extent of the gathering currently taking place in the cottage, they would sure have asked for more than two wands, right? And why would there be ten people at an illegal dragon sale? Surely whoever set it up would prefer as few people as possible to know about it?  And what were they to do now? Run in, wands at the ready and hope for the best? No, that was a stupid idea, even for Omari. Split up and cover any entrances from the back? Shoot stunning spells through the window?

          ”I have a plan if you’d like.”

And why wasn’t he coming up with a plan faster than the annoying witch he had been forced to take with him? It was his job, as the Auror of the two, to plan and give orders, hers to execute them. He sat still for several more moments after Tara had spoken, scrunching his face up in concentration whilst examining every possibility. But something about Tara hunching beside him, apparently already with a full scope on the situation, made him draw a blank. Hi sighed, and turned to her.

“Alright, go on.”

He didn't seem happy, that was understandable, Aurors hated not being immediate with ideas and plans, it hurt their ego. Her plan however should probably help with that and his publicity, he can be the shining Auror who captures them all. She'd just be in the background of the news story if mentioned at all at how she assisted and he got the brunt of the work.

How it always went really. Always make heroes of the generals not the troops.

"Right, you go around the front and hex the brooms, make them so that they cannot fly off on them, set up a ward to stop them from apparating away. It does mean we'd need to take out more, but if they're fleeing immediately they likely can't fight that well or, aren't the usual criminal type." She pointed at the windows slowly.

"I'll sneak around the back, hexing any windows so they can't get out with those. You take position behind cover with good sight on the front door. I take the back of the cottage, if there's a door I burst that, if not...I create one."

She quickly drew the cottage on the ground with her wand, prodding at the soil to mark out the building.

"Any who would flee, would be forced out the front, you can incapacitate them as they try to escape. Any others who fight would be engaging me, you can come in once those fleeing are down to take them from the other side."

She looked up at him again after she had drawn her little plan on the soil. "Some may still escape if they get outside but we should get most if it works out. Do you know many good noise reduction charms for yourself?" She asked with a small, almost sadistic smile.