Chapter 3
Harry's POV
Nott would have had the bloody house trapped from stem to stern. For whatever reason, we didn’t think to check the obnoxiously large potted plant. And of course, that’s where Ron planted his foot to hop over the fence. Nott was fully ready to throw unforgivables at us the moment he spotted us. We barely had time to throw invisibility spells over us.
Thankfully we were quick enough, and we flattened to the ground.
“I knew you Aurors were coming!!” Nott cried from his home. He began mumbling, pressing his hands to either side of his head, and his eyes shooting back and forth.
“He’s gone raving mad,” Ron flinched as Nott nervously threw another unforgivable at a bird flying by.
“There’s no way we can leave him here. He’ll hurt himself or some random muggle passing by,” I shifted, reaching for the wand at my hip.
Ron grabbed at my wrist, “Now you’re the mad one. Robards said don’t engage! We’ve gotta get out of here before he starts throwing Avadas.”
I let out a large sigh, Ron was right. I gave him a curt nod and we started to crawl away.
Once we were out of range of Nott, we got to our feet and hoofed it. Robards and his intern stood out by the van and our car.
“His whole home is charmed, down to the potted plants,” I said, panting lightly.
“Good to know,” Robards simply nods before looking at the intern. “This is a perfect learning moment, always check all objects for charms. Even the inconspicuous ones.”
The intern only nodded, I don’t think I’ve heard the man speak once. Maybe he’s mute.
“Well gentlemen, let's see if we can get in there,” Robards calmly walked around the other side of the house.
Ron stood there a bit gobsmacked, we barely got out of there with our heads now he was just traipsing back in with no wand drawn and mute intern in tow.
“Come on,” I grabbed at his collar and followed after our boss.
It took a bit but we eventually found a cellar door. Robards had the intern unlock it with some sort of charm. Neither Ron nor I could hear it.
“Gentlemen,” Robards gestured toward the dark hole that had just opened up before them.
Ron’s jaw fell and he looked to me and then to Robards, “Why do we have to be the guinea pigs?”
Robards made no comment and just left his hand outstretched to the cellar door.
“I hate it here,” Ron groaned and pushed forward, descending down to the darkness.
I followed quickly after, but as I passed by Robards and the intern I got this itching feeling. Like there was an aura around them. The air smelled like iron and sweat. This had the reek of a protection aura all over it. What was Robards protecting?
I shook it off and followed the rickety steps down to the cellar, the creaking of steps behind me signaled that Robards and that intern were quick to follow.
The intern. He must be protecting the intern. I whispered ‘Lumos’ letting my wand light up and started to inspect the space. The intern stayed next to Robards, who was holding his wand at the ready.
The cellar itself was well-kept. Not the decrepit and sinister hole I would have expected of a Death Eater’s Hideout. Rows of canned food along freshly dusted shelves, large jugs of galloned water. It looked like more of a doomsday prepper home. There were blankets, backpacks, clothes, everything someone could need for the end of the world.
Ron lifted his wand along the shelves and inspected a jar full of canned meat, “How long has this bloke been hiding out here?”
“A long time…” Robards muttered, heading toward another set of stairs. “Mr. Nott is bound to be armed at the top of these stairs. Stay vigilant gentlemen, shields up.”
I gave a curt nod, “Ron.”
He looked at me and I jutted my chin toward the stairs he set the jar down and followed my lead up the stairs.
Each step we took was gingerly, avoiding making loud creaks and potentially alerting the mad wizard upstairs.
It felt like an eternity climbing those stairs, every step could mean the end of them all. One wrong foot placement and they would be toast.
I wrapped my hand around the brass doorknob and twisted slowly. The small click of the mechanism sent a shock down my spine. Now was not the time for sounds.
I quickly pushed the door open and shifted my weight back, ready to fire at any moment. I gripped that wand so hard I thought it may snap.
Ron stepped forward first and peered out of the doorway, looking left then right before taking two fingers and waving them in the air.
All clear.
Our little posse stealthed forward, inch by inch, watching each others six. We checked every room of that house, Theo Nott had vanished.
The only thing left behind were bare bones furnishings, a sink filled with dirty dishes, and a recycling bin filled with cans.
“The idiot ran. We should have taken him out when-” I kicked the recycling bin.
“We’ll just have to set up some more surveillance and wait for him to come back right?” Ron questioned.
“Unlikely,’ the lanky intern finally spoke.
“Ah so the intern does speak, why do you say that?” I holstered my wand and looked at him.
“Th- Mr. Nott has been hiding here for months, it’s more of a safehouse than a hideout at this point. And now it’s been compromised, he’ll likely run and run far.” He ran a hair through his messy curls.
It wasn’t until now that I noticed a blonde streak starting from his part curling down a strip of his hair.
“So this was for fuck all then?” Ron threw his hands up and walked over to the pantry. “I’m at least getting something to eat out of this.”
“We will still set up surveillance,” Robards placed a hand on the intern's shoulder ‘Just in case.”
We set up a few charms around the house and set up a few one-way mirrors. We didn’t have much use for two-way communication like with me and Sirius. The Department for Magical Advancement fashioned a way to modify the spell and make it more of looking glass for whoever cast the spell.
I had finished up my last alert charm and headed back to Robards. Ron walked up as well, his face stuffed with something crummy and falling out of his mouth. I shot him a look.
“Really?” I furrowed my brow a bit.
And while talking with food in his mouth, “Wha? The feath eatehs wond need id.”
My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I turned my attention back to the boss. “We should be all set now. We should get out of here before someone else shows up, Nott likely still has contact with Malfoy. That’s the last thing we need.”
The group all nodded and we made our way to the front door and out on the lawn. “Good work men, I’ll see you in the office first thing tomorrow,” Robards shook both Ron and I’s hands and began to usher his intern to the street.
I felt a cold chill run down my back, and the world seemed to slow as I turned to speak with Ron and his eyes went wide. Blood began to drip from his mouth and he fell forward.
Directly behind him stood Theodore Nott with his wand drawn and the most terrified look on his face that I had ever seen.
“Ron!” the world moved in slow motion as I moved to draw my wand and aim for him.
Nott’s hand moved and he aimed for Robards and the intern.
“Get down!” I screamed before barreling toward Nott. If I couldn’t take him out with magic, brute force would have to do.
“Nice try Au-” a flash of light flew from his wand as I collided with him. I gripped him around his body and tackled him to the ground, kicking the wand away and wrestling his arms behind him.
I grabbed the anti-magic cuffs from my back pocket and managed to get one cuff around his wrist before he wriggled away from me.
His eyes were filled with fear as he scrambled up. Looking around and muttering under his breath. He fidgeted with his hand, picking at the skin around his nails and pulling on his thumbs.
“Theo!” a voice called from the street.
Nott’s head snapped in that direction and I slowly made my way closer to him.
“Come on man, you’ve got to calm down.” The voice said once more, coming closer. It sounded like the intern. How did the intern know Nott??
“Calm down?! The Aurors!” Nott screamed and jumped away from me. “They're coming, They're coming right now. They’re coming to get me,” his voice was frantic and his hands raked up into his hair.
“Theo!” the intern stood 30 feet away from us now. Wand in hand, staring down Nott.
“I know that voice. How do I know that voice? Who are you? What are you doing what-” Nott fired off questions one after the other. Not taking a single breath in between.
“Revelio.”