CHAPTER FOURTEEN

On the day of their trip to Lincoln, both Harry and Barty got up early to get washed, dressed and have breakfast so that they could spend as much of the day in the town as possible. Lily was happy that her son was so eager to spend the day with one of his suitors, but was less happy to be called down to breakfast by Nipsy at around nine thirty on a weekend when she went to bed quite late due to left over paper work. Mrs. Crouch was content with breakfast in bed, deciding it was best to leave her son to his thoughts.

Barty Senior kept his nose in his paper, doing everything in his power to ignore his family and distract him from the fact that Barty Junior was going to spend his day with his suitor and not use the day to try and ensure that Harry would support Barty Senior's bid to become Minister for Magic.

Harry had spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to decide between his dark green summer shirt and his violet one; he had grumbled at his talking mirror that he was acting more like a girl than anything else, only for the mirror to tell him he was being ridiculous and that caring about one's appearance was only natural.

"Put your gel in your hair and stop being silly," was the final word from the mirror. Harry sometimes wished that his mother had replaced some of these magical mirrors with more Muggle ones. Those at least did not talk back!

Draco would be much worse, though, Harry could not help but think, which made himself laugh and thus expelled some of his nerves. He could at least eat breakfast without feeling like he needed to puke.

"Does Young Master need a potion for the nerves?" Nipsy asked as he poured himself some lavender tea after finishing his last pancake.

Harry smiled brightly. "No thank you, Nipsy, but thank you for asking."

The elf beamed but quickly regained professionalism. "Will Young Master be gone for the whole day so Nipsy knows how much food needs to be made for afternoon tea?"

"No, no, no, you don't need to keep me in mind, don't worry," Harry reassured.

"Very good, Young Master," Nipsy stated before disappearing with a sharp CRACK! in order to get on with the rest of her morning chores.

It wasn't long until Barty Apparated to Mossbridge. Lily had actually raced Nipsy, who had sensed the visitor crossing the wards, to the door, much to Harry's amusement and Barty's shock when the door swung open with Lily looking triumphant and Nipsy looking extremely put-out.

"Mistress should let Nipsy answer the door!" the house elf protested.

"Mistress likes opening doors now and again as you well know, Nipsy. Good morning, Barty! Come in – would you like something to drink?" Lily beamed at her son's suitor awkwardly stepped into the entrance hall.

"No thank you, my Lady. I had two cups of tea already," Barty reassured.

"OK then. Well, I hope the two of you enjoy yourselves," Lily stated happily. She turned to Harry. "Behave yourself; do not attract too much Muggle attention."

"Of course not, Mama," Harry rolled his eyes.

"I wanted to have it said, because if I don't I never know what mischief you get up to otherwise," the Lady Regent gave him a pointed look. "I learned my lesson from the time I didn't give that warning and then got a panicky Fire Call from Narcissa Malfoy about you, Draco and Blaise going into Muggle London and pranking street artists!"

Barty's eyes widened at that; Harry bit into his cheek to make sure he didn't start laughing in glee. Nipsy was giving him a very stern look as well; it was not good to incur that elf's wrath.

"Oh yes, that did happen," Harry was impressed his managed to keep his tone relatively neutral.

"Yes. Hence, my warning!" Lily huffed.

"Don't fret, my Lady, I will keep an eye on him," Barty grinned, causing Harry to mock-scowl at him.

"I know you will," Lily smiled serenely. "Just have fun!"

Harry fetched his sunglasses and then followed Barty out of the house and down the gravel way, his suitor chuckling. "You, young Malfoy and young Zabini pranked Muggles in London? Really?"

"We were bored," Harry replied, sounding a little sheepish. "Besides, it wasn't anything too overtly magical so we got away with it. Unfortunately, we forgot momentarily that we were underage and we ended up getting tracked down by some Aurors who – after splitting their sides – escorted us back to Malfoy Manor and told Lady Malfoy what we had been doing."

"I bet she did not like that," Barty grinned.

"She spent the next half an hour lecturing us, after summoning Mama and Lady Zabini and apprising them of the situation," Harry grumbled. He did light up a little. "Lord Malfoy made the mistake of laughing when he heard of what we did, and then promptly got shouted at by his wife for the next half an hour, giving us a break."

"Yep, that sounds like Narcissa all right," Barty laughed. He held out his arm to his young suitor. "You ready, my Lord?"

Harry rolled his eyes but grinned as he took Barty's arm and they Apparated away to Lincoln. The pair came to a patch of grass close to the flying buttresses of Lincoln Cathedral; no one was paying much attention to the right side of the Cathedral so the Muggles that happened to pass or park their cars nearby didn't really see them appear or if they did, they just assumed that the pair had come by car. Wearing Muggle clothing really helped them to blend in too; the Muggles assumed that they simply had not seen the pair before.

Harry gaped as he looked up at the impressive Gothic structure, taking a few steps back to try and take it all in. "Whoa," he stated breathlessly.

Barty grinned. "Awesome, right? I have never been one for religion but I have to admit that the Muggles could do some impressive things for the things that they believe in. The inside is even more amazing! Those Rose Windows … I mean, the Notre Dame's Rose Window is exquisite but these windows are quite a sight too. I also would love to show you my favourite element of the Cathedral: the Lincoln Imp!"

Harry's interest had been piqued as they made their way down the street. "The Lincoln Imp?"

"Yes," Barty grinned. "It is a carved imp close to St. Hugh's Shrine, and it's story is absolutely amazing."

"Oh?" Harry cocked his head. "Do tell."

"Right," Barty lit up further, if that was possible, "the story goes that there were once seven imps who came from Hell who wreaked chaos and mayhem all over Lincoln until they came to the Cathedral. Six of the imps looked at this place of worship and decided it was not worth the trouble. One imp cracked his knuckles and flew into the Cathedral and proceeded to bully the priests, terrorise the choir, graffiti the stained glass – you get the picture. Now, this behaviour soon caught the attention of a few angels who came down to Earth, folded their arms and told him to stop. The imp sat down on a nearby column and taunted them, "Stop me if you can!" he said. The angels exchanged a look of exasperation, clicked their fingers and turned the imp into stone!"

Harry could not get rid of his grin. "Merlin, that is so cool!" he suddenly had a thought. "Do they sell copies of the Imp?"

"Absolutely," Barty grinned. "Why? Are you thinking of buying one for your mother?"

"She would love it, especially if we tell her the story," Harry stated with certainty.

"Shall we visit the Cathedral first, or do you want to go to the Castle?" Barty wanted to know.

"We are here right now; might as well cross the Cathedral off our list already," Harry replied easily. He frowned. "Wait, do we even have Muggle money?"

Barty nodded and winked at him. "I am very well prepared. Don't worry."

The young Lord flushed, kicking himself for being so sappy.

Harry loved the Cathedral. Not just because of the history and the architecture – he genuinely found it fascinating that the Cathedral had been the tallest building in the world from 1311 to 1549 when the spire collapsed and that it had been the seat of Parliament during the 14th century – but it was watching Barty geek out and spewing more knowledge than even some of the paid tour guides that was making his day already. While admiring the St. Hugh's Shrine and admiring the carving of the imp close-by, Harry spent most of his time taking in the gleam in Barty's eyes.

All the while, Barty continued regaling. "Did you know that the pipe organ is actually the last one Henry Willis ever made? It has four thousand pipes! The music that comes from it is pure magic – am I talking too much?"

Harry shook his head fondly. "No," he reassured with a grin. "You're not."

"Good," Barty sighed with relief. He laughed shortly. "I do tend to get carried away now and again, though so you have to tell me if it is getting too much."

"I actually would like to know more," Harry responded easily. He turned his attention to the Rose Windows. "What can you tell me about the windows?"

Barty lit up. "Well, I don't know if you know this but Rose Windows were a rather rare feature in medieval English architecture – Westminster Abbey has one because Henry III was determined to copy the 'French manner', as certain elements of Gothic architecture has been dubbed, for example. On the north side of the Cathedral there is the "Dean's Eye", which survives from the original structure of the building and on the south side there is the "Bishop's Eye", which was most likely rebuilt between 1325 and 1350 because of its distinct curves."

Harry soaked in as much of his suitor's enthusiasm as he could; he happily bought a copy of the Lincoln Imp for his mother. Barty's infectious giddiness didn't abate when they decided to go to Lincoln Castle next; the Crouch heir rattled off anything and everything he knew about the castle, from the fact it was besieged in both Battles of Lincoln, it was used as the place of signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 and that it had once been a prison. A few of the castle staff who overheard them could not contain their amusement.

Barty was soon blushing in embarrassment again. "Sorry. I think I really should stop doing all the talking!"

"Hey, you're having fun. It's OK," Harry reassured with a laugh.

"Still, I think you should tell me something," Barty insisted as they started towards Lucy Tower first.

"If you insist," Harry grinned and lowered his tones. "Well, here is a quick update about the dragons: the reserve may be getting some new residents soon, in the form of a breeding pair of Romanian Longhorns."

"Oh!" Barty's eyes shone.

"Yeah, negotiations are on-going. Madam Bones also sent some Aurors to try and boost the defence of the reserve, thank Merlin – oh, and Evan has finally met the family," Harry continued. "I think he may need to visit again in order to win over Inyala, Rocla, Layna, Bartok and Synok completely but Evan has won over Metis and her children, which is not difficult I admit. Oh – how could I forget! Inyala's eggs have hatched!"

Barty blanched. "Really? You mean, while Evan was there?"

"Yes. I mean, it's like the Fates are enjoying springing surprises on my guests," Harry grinned.

Barty wilted a little. "Yeah …"

Harry caught the change in his suitor's mood instantly and gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. "Hey, they are asking for you to visit them again soon, Barty. I am very sure Metis and her children want to see you."

"I know," Barty sighed. "I just wish I had been there to see the hatching myself."

"I get that," Harry answered quietly. "I would have felt like total crap had I missed Inyala's eggs hatching – especially if the one that needed a little extra help died because I was not there for him."

"What?" Barty's eyes widened.

"Yeah, one of Inyala's children could not hatch on their own; they're even smaller than they should be," Harry admitted with a deep sigh. "I hope that the little one doesn't have any health issues but I think he does."

"Oh my," Barty exhaled heavily. "That's … I can't even imagine what Inyala might be feeling."

"I think she's just glad that her child is alive," Harry replied candidly. "She was worried he would be stillborn."

"But he wasn't," Barty smiled smally. He regarded Harry for a moment. "Completely off topic, but are you seeing Rodolphus again soon?"

Harry grinned. "I am going to Anglesey with him and his family for four days next week."

"Wow," Barty half-laughed. "Your mother agreed to that?"

"Yes, she did – my Pout of Doom is one of her weak points," Harry looked very pleased with herself. "I also told the siblings and they were rather relieved that I am going away on holiday, which I think is rather worrying!"

"If your children are telling you to take a break, you should probably listen," Barty chuckled. "Did you ever take family trips with your mother and your uncles other than to Loch Ness?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Mama told you about that? Oh Merlin!" he laughed. "We went to Scotland a lot, we went to Italy twice and Belgium a couple of times. I went to France with Draco's family too. I am kind of disappointed I only went to a foreign country a few times in my life because I do want to travel."

"Really?" Barty could not disguise his surprise.

"Yes, which is why I have always wanted to work for a little while on the reserve in Romania," Harry answered with a grin. "I mean, I would love to travel to different reserves to see how they handle their dragons and see what we can learn from them. International cooperation between Dragonologists has never been more important because poachers are becoming very bold."

"That is very prudent," Barty concurred.

The topic quickly switched to the impressive structure of Lincoln Castle and how inconvenient it must be for Muggles to move to Lincoln considering that some of the streets were so narrow and that the moving vans would probably take up most of the space, causing a kerfuffle. After their visit to the Castle, at around eleven-thirty, Barty and Harry decided to get a bite to eat and a drink at a Muggle pub, much to Harry's surprise.

The Adam & Eve Tavern; it was the last place Harry thought Barty would be caught dead in because of how quaint and unassuming it looked. From the inside, the pub looked like any other pub and Harry almost had to laugh at how at home Barty looked.

Appearances are deceiving, Harry reminded himself as he and Barty were seated at a table, lively chatter and laughter around them. Barty happily read the menu.

"You can pick for me; you know your way around," Harry grinned.

"Are you sure?" Barty frowned.

"Yeah. I don't mind. Might broaden my horizons a little more," Harry shrugged.

"All right," Barty still seemed unsure but he didn't dare argue.

The young Potter Lord regarded his suitor for a moment. He waited until their waiter came up with a smile, took their order and left before he decided to ask Barty something that he hoped wasn't going to backfire.

"I am just curious, but did you happen to find anything in Papa's journals yet?"

Barty's eyes widened for a moment but they soon relaxed. "I have, but at the moment none of it really makes sense to me – until I break your father's code completely, it's just a bunch of nonsense that sort of makes sense, but … doesn't, if you get what I mean." He sighed in frustration. "Most of his journals were concerned about targets – whether official or unofficial."

"Like who?" Harry asked eagerly.

"The ones who show up the most are Cyclops, Yew and Pharaoh," Barty confessed. "I have no idea who they are for certain, but I have my theories."

Harry could hardly believe his ears. "Why did Papa keep an eye on those three? Or is that the part that is still hidden?"

"He followed Cyclops into Knockturn Alley at least three times, he had been keeping an eye on Yew's legislation and Pharaoh … that one was not as clear but there were a lot of meetings," Barty huffed, looking frustrated. "Your father should have been an Unspeakable; they would have loved him for the classification process."

Harry laughed. He quickly composed himself again. "You told Mama?"

"Of course. I spent most of my time talking to your Runespoor about what I had managed to figure out; I felt like I was going mad," Barty admitted.

Harry snorted as their food and drink arrived. "Well I am sure Clarisse, Nesrin and Vanya were rather worried about your mental health too – I mean, they did tell me you were very kind but a little strange …"

"That's because I took a turn about the room as a break and was singing to myself."

Harry's eyes shone with mirth. "Ah, OK. Yeah, I get why they call you strange."

"Hey, singing to myself helps me clear my head," Barty smirked. "I never said I was normal."

"No, you're courting me and sitting willingly in a normal pub – definitely not normal!" Harry snorted as he sipped his Coke.

Barty snorted. "Touché!"

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Lily was enjoying her Saturday evening in the garden with a book, sitting under a parasol and enjoying the sounds of the wild life around her. The jackalopes were snoozing in the shadows of her parasol and the birds cawed and tweeted gratefully every time she refilled their bird baths with magic. She had just finished the last of the paperwork she needed to do and was hoping the world would leave her alone for a bit – at least until Monday.

However, it seemed that the Fates had other ideas.

The Lady Regent was about to summon Nipsy and ask for some iced tea, when the Head House Elf suddenly appeared in front of her with a POP! without having to be called. She rarely ever did this. Lily frowned.

"Nipsy? What is the matter?" she wanted to know.

"There is someone to sees you, Mistress," Nipsy informed. "A Madam Amelia Bones, Mistress."

Amelia Bones … was here?

Even the jackalopes and the nearby corvids had not expected a stranger to come to their home.

How had Madam Bones found out that Lily and Harry were residing in Mossbridge Hall? And what did she want with Lily that could not be put into a letter? All of a sudden, Lily had alarm bells ringing in her head.

Had something happened to Harry and Barty?

"Where is Madam Bones, Nipsy?" Lily asked.

"Nipsy has Madam Bones waiting in the parlour, Mistress," the Head House Elf responded primly.

"Good. Thank you Nipsy. I can take it from here," Lily got to her feet, shutting her book with a sigh.

CRACK!

"Urgh," Lily grumbled to herself as she made her way back towards the conservatory door. "Why can I never just get a weekend to myself?"

This had better be important, she added internally just in case Amelia Bones could hear her.

Despite being of a higher rank than the witch in question, Lily found Amelia Bones genuinely one of the most intimidating witches she ever had to deal with. She could make one feel like a naughty school child with only one look and only two words stated in severe disappointment. Amelia was sitting like one of the higher born pureblood Ladies in one of the armchairs in the parlour with a briefcase at her feet. Once she saw Lily in the door way, Amelia rose grandly to her feet and curtsied.

"My Lady, please forgive the intrusion," Amelia started. "However, as the Lady Regent of House Potter, I thought it was best that you be informed of the findings Auror Kingsley has submitted to me regarding the defences of your son's dragon reserve."

Lily was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered. "I see. Take a seat, Madam Bones. Would you like a cup of tea or a glass of iced tea?"

Amelia Bones smiled. "No thank you, my Lady. I will not be staying long."

The Lady Regent took the chair opposite as Amelia opened her briefcase and lifted out a folder. Amelia put on her glasses. "It seems that the wards around the reserve were only recently renewed – by one Bartemius Crouch Junior – and that there were some concerning weaknesses in some of the other protective spells that surrounded in the reserve. Apparently they were particularly poor at the back of the reserve; Auror Kingsley had ordered Auror Tonks and Auror Vyner to fix them almost immediately, they were in such a poor state."

"I see," Lily frowned. "So, what further measures will be taken?"

"Auror Kingsley and his people are ordered to redo the spells and strengthen them immediately," Amelia responded crisply. "So far, they have managed to do most of what needs to be done but we will see if their efforts pay off. The issue is, we would need someone to be foolhardy enough to try and poach those Opaleye eggs."

"Hatchlings," Lily corrected automatically.

Amelia frowned. "Excuse me?"

"The eggs hatched not too long ago," Lily informed with a smile.

"Oh I see," Amelia smiled smally. "How wonderful." She thought for a moment. "How is the young Lord and yourself?"

"We are as well as can be expected," Lily replied candidly. "I admit I find it difficult to fill the role of both father and mother now and again, especially when Harry acts like James. Severus, Remus and Sirius have tried their best but it just isn't the same. It will never be the same."

"I can imagine," Amelia sighed, closing her eyes momentarily.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Amelia, do you know anything about what James was up to during his last assignment?"

The face of the witch opposite her hardened in an instant. "You know I am not at liberty to divulge classified information to anyone, even the family members, of my Aurors, my Lady. No matter the circumstances."

"Classified information? He was on the Minister's protection detail!" Lily scoffed. "I know the tactics are classified but-"

"A few months after the late Lord Potter's death, the assignment became classified," Amelia sighed. "I do not know why. Every single file has been redacted to almost a ridiculous extent." She closed her eyes again. "I probably should not tell you this, but I recently had what I call a 'clean out' of old cases – to make sure that we only keep active cases on hand quickly and put cold cases into the archives for now. Some of the files from your husband's last assignment are missing."

"Missing?!" Lily repeated in disbelief. "How can files like that go missing? There are protection spells after protection spells on those!"

"True. I intend to get to the bottom of it," Amelia promised. She then frowned. "But I am going to ask you to refrain from interfering while I do so."

Lily tried to look innocent. "I have no idea what you could be insinuating, Madam Bones."

"No of course you don't, my Lady," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement rolled her eyes. "I know you well. After all, I figured out that this would be the most likely place you would raise your son – private, magical and close to his beloved dragon reserve."

The Lady Regent of House Potter huffed. "No one likes a smarty pants, Amelia."

Amelia chuckled and composed herself. "In all seriousness, leave finding those files to me. I do not care if you try and find other clues and follow them – I know I won't be able to stop you anyway. But those files are my jurisdiction."

Lily bowed her head, conceding. "Very well."

"I will keep you up-to-date," Amelia promised as she got to her feet. "I would also advise you to make use of Evan Rosier and that charming smile of his to try and get some answers. I know he is a suitor of Lord Potter's, but I believe you could get more done with Mr. Rosier's less-than-orthodox information gathering approach."

Lily snorted at that. "Thank you, Amelia," she stated sincerely.

"No problem, my Lady," Amelia's eyes twinkled with mirth. "I will see myself out. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Lily found herself heading back outside, back to her chair under the parasol and to her book. Nipsy had indeed anticipated her need for iced tea and there was a glass of peach iced tea waiting for her too. However, all the while Lily was trying to concentrate on the story, she could not shake Amelia's advice from her head.

Evan had been one of the last witnesses to see James alive, and having an altercation. Evan also had the trust of Dark aligned wizards and witches; he had connections that Lily had not. He was very useful to her indeed.

Lily resolved to write him a letter soon.

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Rocla was exhausted by the time dinner came, as were her siblings. They had supervised the meeting of Metis' hatchlings with Inyala's hatchlings and as the Hebridean siblings thought, the younglings got on like a house on fire. Meaning, the hatchlings spent a long time chasing each other, climbing onto their Hebridean babysitters and already training to hunt by targeting Inyala's carers' toes. Finch, Llewelyn and Aneurin were not too happy about that, understandably.

*I am going to bed early tonight,* Synok stated before Mama Anya and Mama Lila came to see them with their dinner.

*I think we need to go to the spa pool tomorrow,* Layna sighed with exhaustion.

*I am not looking forward to teaching the hatchlings how to fly. I think we may be missing some trees by the end,* Bartok added.

*I hope Papa brings his friends and mates again soon; then at least we have some back-up,* Rocla commented as she stretched her front and hind legs.

*We do need to tell them to wear some sturdy boots or their toes might be bitten off,* Layna grumbled as their human mothers began bringing their dinner into their cave.

Mama Anya could not understand them, but she could read their body language. "Tired after a very interesting and active day?" she asked in a teasing tone.

There was a vexed hissing coming from the young Hebridean Blacks at this point.

"That is a yes," Mama Lila chuckled. "Well, hopefully dinner will cheer you up! Oh, and the Romanian reserve has decided to continue talking to us about the Romanian Longhorns – the new upgrades to the wards and protection spells have made them more amenable to sending the pair to us!"

The Hebridean Blacks lit up at this, stopping with eating momentarily. They really could not wait to have more friends!

*Let us hope they don't get eggs too soon though! We already have enough hatchlings to deal with,* Bartok complained; his siblings whacked him around the head for that comment. *Oww! Hey, I wouldn't actually mind if they got eggs; I am just really tired.*

Mama Anya continued. "I don't know if the four of you noticed, but Owaine and Guendolin have been sleeping in each other's caves for two nights in a row – I think we might have our first breeding pair of Welsh Greens!"

*You don't say! Guendolin liked Owaine the moment they met,* Synok commented as he finished his portion of cow leg. *I am surprised that it has taken this long!*

*Synok, shut up,* Layna advised.

*What? I am just saying it would have been more surprising if it had been Arca! I mean, she stills hides behind her wings when her caretakers come to bring her meals, for Lady Tiamat's sake!* Synok protested.

*Arca can't help it!* Rocla reminded him.

*Marsha would have been surprising too – I hear Owaine is still buttering her up,* Bartok chuckled.

*At least she isn't rejecting him out right,* Layna lifted her head from her bull's head. *Rodolphus really did work miracles, despite being such an idiot!*

*I hope Papa has fun with Rodolphus. I asked Guendolin about their old home, and from what she says, Wales is really pretty,* Rocla sighed happily. *I would love to see Wales one day too.*

*I also hope Papa had fun with Barty today,* Synok grinned. *They both need to relax a whole lot more.*

*Do you think Evan will ask Papa to go on a trip with him too?* Layna asked curiously.

*He had better; otherwise Evan is not worthy of being Papa's mate,* Rocla stated primly.

*I like Evan,* Bartok commented. *He was pretty good with Inyala's hatchlings and Metis' hatchlings loved him, and he didn't even complain when they sat on him or chewed on his clothes.*

*Is he clever like Barty, though?* Synok wanted to know.

*He helps keep the wizard government in control. I think you need to have a brain for that,* Layna rolled her eyes.

*He is not as intimidating as Rodolphus, though,* Rocla pointed out.

*Papa can kick butt for himself, Rocla!* Bartok protested.

Rocla was about to make a retort when suddenly a scent wafted into her nose. Layna, Bartok and Synok became alert as well; the siblings sniffed several times and very soon, their bodies tensed up when their brains processed what the scent smelled like.

Cabbages. Warm cabbages.

The exact same disgusting warm cabbage smell that the four of them had smelled the night when someone had first tried to steal Inyala's eggs. Immediately, the siblings began growling, hissing and snarling angrily. Naturally, Anya and Lila had no idea what had happened to suddenly induce this aggression into their charges.

*CABBAGES!* came the war cry as the Hebridean Blacks surged forwards, almost knocking over their human mothers in their haste.

"Bartok, Synok, Layna, Rocla – calm down!" Anya called after them.

"What is going on?" Lila added.

The four dragons ignored them, following the scent with a blind, zealous determination to catch however smelled like cabbages and deliver them to Inyala for fiery retribution. Bartok, Synok, Rocla and Layna were heading straight for the eastern gate of the reserve, which was coincidentally one of the areas of the reserve that had less work done on their protection spells, with Anya and Lila closely behind them.

*Do you still smell it?* Bartok asked urgently as the siblings began to investigate the surrounding area.

*Yes, I do! By Lord Bahamut, this human stinks,* Layna complained.

*They're not in the bushes; check the trees!* Rocla snarled.

Anya and Lila watched the young Hebrideans take to the air and meticulously going through several of the surrounding trees, looking for something or someone with a level of determination that told them that something was badly wrong. Once the four were back on the ground, Anya clicked her fingers sharply, getting their attention.

"Right, what is going on?" she demanded coolly. "What is the matter?"

Bartok, Synok, Layna and Rocla were shaking with the tension that they felt but they started hissing over each other and miming, clearly trying to communicate to one of their mothers what was going on. Anya, though, could not discern what her young dragon children were trying to say; Lila, on the other hand, did have an idea about what had gotten the dragons riled up.

Lila stepped up and locked her gaze with theirs. "You smelled someone familiar didn't you?"

The emphatic nodding gave her all the answer she needed. "Was it one of the poachers?" Lila wanted to make sure she wasn't misinterpreting.

More nodding and hissing; Anya and Lila exchanged a look.

"All right. The four of you keep an eye out but do not do anything that could put yourselves into danger. We will be right back with help," Anya stated in a tone full of authority. The siblings gave a curt nod before the two Dragonologists ran as fast as they could to get some back-up.

Very soon, there were twenty Dragonologists searching the east gate, inside and outside, in conjunction with the four Hebrideans guiding them to where they smelled the scent the strongest, the siblings getting more and more annoyed with each passing moment that they didn't find the Cabbage Human.

They had not found the person after half an hour to forty minutes of combing through the eastern area of the dragon reserve. Bartok, Synok, Rocla and Layna soon lost the scent too, which made them incandescent with rage – they had to be bribed to stop them from trying to leave the reserve to try and hunt the scent and its owner down.

Once the young Hebrideans were calmed down, the Dragonologists called a meeting.

"It seems we need to contact the Auror department that the eastern gate is still to vulnerable," Finch commented, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I refuse to be the one to tell Inyala one of the poachers actually came back," Aneurin added.

"I also refuse to be the one to tell Harry as well," Lila continued, shaking her head. "That boy already takes too much on his shoulders. This would just freak him out and he may even cancel his trip to Wales."

"Agreed. We keep this from Harry, for a while," one of their superiors agreed readily.

One of the other Dragonologists frowned. "But why did they come back now?"

"What do you mean, Hallow?" Lila wanted to know.

"They would likely know we are still a little up-in-arms about their previous attempt," Hallow explained. "So, why would one or all of them risk coming back when we have just started to re-do our wards and protection spells? How did they know that our eastern gate has not been fortified as well as the rest of the reserve? If they came for Metis or Inyala's children, how did they know the eggs hatched?"

The Dragonologists exchanged a concern look as a tense silence descended over them.

"I hate to say this out loud," Finch gulped. "But I think we may have a traitor in our midst."

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Uh-oh! It seems the poachers are getting a little bolder; were they after Inyala's children or the young Pendragons? Will the Dragonologists be able to keep this from Harry or will he find out somehow anyway? Will he still go on his trip to Wales with the Lestranges? Will the dragons become more zealous in their hunt? Stay tuned to find out!

Disclaimer: I do not own the world, I am simply playing in JK's sandbox!

Kingmaker'sUmbreon