Chapter Six

After a long day of snatching the team went back to camp. They had only settled down for a few minutes when an owl flew in carrying three letters, one for Greyback, one for Scabior, and one for Katherine. She had been reading quietly in her tent when it dropped into her lap. It had a wax seal with an "M" stamped into it. She tore it open curiously.

To Miss Katherine Harper,

Due to your honorable assistance to the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, your presence is requested at the Celebration Banquet hosted by the Ministry of Magic on Friday evening, the seventeenth of December at seven o' clock.

Attire is formal. We look forward to your company.

When she had finished reading, the letter folded itself back up neatly. Katherine went outside the tent looking for Scabior and found him with his feet propped up just finishing his own letter.

"Have you come to escort me to the ball?" he teased when he saw her walk up.

"So you got one too," she said sitting down next to him.

"Yeah looks like we'll be getting some sort of award. Ministry does these kinds of things all the time. Waste o' money if you ask me. Boring as hell."

"Do we have to go? I can't remember the last time I wore a dress..." said Katherine agitatedly.

"I guess we don't have to..." said Scabior, "But you know...it probably wouldn't be so boring if we went together."

"What do you mean?"

Scabior stood up very straight and proper in front of Katherine putting one arm behind his back.

"Miss Katherine, it would do me a great honor if you would accompany me to the Ministry banquet," he said with a deep bow and a wink holding out his hand. Katherine laughed at his attempt to drop his accent but took his outstretched hand. She played along making a small curtsy and bowing her head.

"It would be my privilege." And with that, Scabior pulled her in tightly against his chest.

"You know there's going to be dancing," he said. Then he dipped her low gripping her waist with his strong arms.

"I'd do anything to see you in a suit," she grinned while fiddling with the collar of his dirty coat. He pulled her up but held her close, their faces only inches away.

"Anything?" he said suggestively. But before she could respond –

"Oi boss! 'Ow come Greyback gets invited to this and we — oh 'scuse me," said Todd as Katherine separated from Scabior's arms.

"No, no. Don' let me interrupt," he said mockingly while taking a seat and folding his arms, "Carry on. I'm not even here."

Scabior snatched the letter from Todd's hands and hit him hard across the head with it.

"Idiots don't get invited to special dinner parties," said Scabior walking off with the invitation. Katherine smirked and went back to her tent. The party was only a few days away and she had no idea where and how she was going to get a dress.

The next day started off like normal for everyone. They apparated to the approximate location and Katherine led the way, Scabior beside her as usual. All of a sudden they heard several popping sounds nearby.

"Hide!" Scabior hissed and at once all of the Snatchers disappeared. Scabior and Katherine huddled together behind a large tree. She tried to make a step forward out of his grasp to see but he pulled her in tighter.

"Stay close by me," he whispered looking distantly into the woods. They could hear people talking.

"These aren't the people we're looking for. They're still farther off.," whispered Katherine, "There are five people here now," she paused, "Something else is there. Something that isn't human." Suddenly there was a deafening roar and the rattling of a cage. Scabior peered around the tree.

"Dragon smugglers. We can get some real gold for them," said Scabior calmly.

"Are you insane?" hissed Katherine, "They have a live dragon over there and you want to try and capture them?"

"It's not full grown and it's in a cage!" whispered Scabior. Katherine just stared at him incredulously.

"Fine. You stay here," Scabior signaled to the other Snatchers. Katherine watched from behind the tree as they all sneakily surrounded the smugglers.

She could hear Scabior questioning them but they didn't look as frightened as most of the muggle-borns did when they caught them. In fact, most of the bandits looked pretty calm...but that was only because they were prepared. Suddenly, spells were being shot back and forth. Loud bangs echoed through the forest as curses were deflected. Katherine tried to stay hidden as many of the smugglers scattered behind trees shooting spells around them. But abruptly, one of the bandits rounded the tree that Katherine was hiding behind. Shooting one last spell, he crouched down and turned around looking just as surprised as Katherine was.

"Who are you?" the man asked, but she didn't need to answer as he noticed the red band around her arm. Before she could even reach for her wand, the man grabbed her by the arm and drug her from behind the tree. He quickly grabbed her wand and threw it into the leaves. Then he pulled her up and stood behind her with his arm locked around her neck and shoulders holding his wand to her neck viciously.

"Hey Snatchers! Is this yours?" he shouted towards them all each in their own battles. Scabior had just stunned one of them while Greyback had another pinned to the ground. The rest of the Snatchers were still dueling. Scabior turned to Katherine's captor and was about to attack.

"Stay back! I'll do it!" The kidnapper dug his wand into Katherine's neck even more making her wince in pain. Scabior lowered his wand but didn't back away. The dragon rattled in its cage.

"Now why don't you just let us all go and you can have her back," Katherine struggled in the man's arms, but he held her back, "We can pretend this never happened." Greyback released his victim but the others were still fighting behind him.

"Fine, we'll let you go," Scabior raised his hands innocently. The man walked slowly towards the others while dragging Katherine with him.

"Hey guys knock it off!" he shouted to his fellow smugglers who scrambled to his side. Todd was on the ground and Campbell and Brooks stood panting a few feet away as the battle stopped.

"Hand her over," Scabior commanded. His team ran over and stood behind him. Greyback glanced at the restless dragon and whispered something to Brooks and Scabior.

"You let us go and she's yours," the smuggler said loosening his grip on Katherine's shoulders.

"It's a deal," said Scabior, his eyes twinkling. The smuggler let go of Katherine and shoved her forward but right as she was released, Brooks raised his wand ––

"Bombarda!" The cage crashed open and the dragon flew out blasting the air with a huge gust of flames and flinging Katherine across the forest floor. Then it soared into the air and disappeared into the sky. The last thing Katherine could remember was a chorus of popping sounds and the feeling of being lifted off the ground. Then everything went black...