Stolen Eggs
18th of July, 1997.
Draco walked down to the gym. He grabbed the weights and sat down. His hair was a mess and he still had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. Now, however, his misfortune was playing into his hands.
"Rough time huh?" Jules said as he got into a machine.
"You don't say," Draco said. "My beloved father," he spat the words, "thought I would benefit from an apprenticeship with Master Kato Peverell just because the guy is a jack-of-all-trades."
"Isn't as prestigious as he thought it would be for ya. I hear ya. This ain't what I was hoping for either. Working with dragons sounds grand but I'm seriously thinking of leaving this place. All I need is the funds," Jules said.
Draco nodded slowly. "I hear you," he said.
"So what's Peverell doing here anyway? He certainly doesn't act like our regular newbie," Jules asked.
Draco snorted. "Nah, I'd be surprised if he did," he said. He placed his weights down and leaned forward with his arms on his knees. "Just between you and me, he is here to find an egg thief. They called him in when the dragons got upset," he said. "I don't know what he is playing at with that Weasley, but I bet you he isn't serious about it."
"You think Peverell suspects him?" Jules asked.
Draco shrugged. "Whatever he is doing it isn't getting cosy. You should hear him sometimes." He didn't say anything else. He didn't want to give too much away right at the start.
Draco got home and cleaned up sometime later. Jules was a nice enough guy. He couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life and Draco was going to use that to his advantage. He knew that a good deal of people probably wouldn't believe the lies, but that was fine as long as the people they were trying to get to believe him.
Kato had left with Taka early that morning so Draco had to entertain himself. He walked over to the Elephant and knocked on the door. Ellie had always been nicer to him than the rest, and he knew she was home.
"Hey, Draco, how's it hanging," Ellie said happily.
"Well enough," Draco said. "Kato left earlier. Taka needed him for something."
"And now you're lonely," Ellie said. "Come in, I'm painting so it is a little messy. I hope you don't mind."
"No, that is fine," Draco said. He closed the door behind him and followed her. She had canvases and paint everywhere. There was something beautiful about the mess around her. He was glad he had come over. If he gained nothing else from this trip, he would hopefully have a new friend.
…
Kato turned back towards the houses. He had felt his wards break. It wasn't a pretty job either. Bill would certainly have things to say about it.
"What is it Kato-san?" Taka asked.
"Someone broke into Hedgehog," Kato said.
"You don't think Draco-kun just messed up?" Taka said.
"Possibly," Kato said before focusing back on the task at hand. He'd clean the mess up when he got back. He wondered what Draco had told people to warrant a break-in.
"There you go," Taka said as she finished applying salve to the wing of one of the older Horntails.
"Be careful flying and you should heal before nightfall," Kato told the dragon.
"You are more than just a kendov, warrior," the dragon said. "Faad ven." He flapped his wings and took off.
"This is easier with you around," Taka said.
"How do you usually do it?" Kato asked.
"We knocked them out," Taka said.
Kato nodded. That made sense to him. Though he preferred speaking to the dragons to knocking them out, at least when possible. "Looks like there is rain coming," he said.
"We should head back," Taka said. "We have done what we came here for."
They headed back to the compound and wrote a report. More dragons had received help than normal since Kato showed up. It worried Kato a bit since he knew he wasn't sticking around. He hoped that Charlie could learn enough to get by if he built enough repertoire with the Dragons.
Once home Kato scanned the house. Some crazy person had placed listening devices all over the house. Now the question was did they use that to their advantage or did he get rid of them?
…
Draco looked like a mess and a half when he walked out of the Elephant.
Kato was standing in the kitchen making samosas. "You look like you need a shower," he said.
"If father could see me now…" Draco looked down at himself.
"Lucius isn't that much of a stick in the mud. He was young once you know," Kato said.
"That's what mother would have said," Draco pointed out. "I just can't imagine it I guess."
Kato laughed. He would have to invite the Malfoys over someday. He was pretty sure he could get Lucius to relax and have fun. All he needed was some time away from his stuffy manor.
That was for another time though. For now, he needed to make sure he didn't burn the samosas.
Draco came back down and took a seat. "So far so good," he said.
"They left a bunch of listening devices," Kato said.
"Did you leave them active?" Draco asked.
"Sort of," Kato said. "We can speak freely. They'll only pick up what we say if I want them to." Kato walked around the room as he placed the samosas on the table. He attached a rune array to the wall. "There now you can activate them too. Just remember to deactivate them when you are done saying what you want them to hear."
"Sounds easy enough," Draco said.
"I turned off all background noise for them so if it is just quiet they'll assume we aren't talking," Kato said.
Draco nodded slowly. They were going to give these idiots a show they would believe. He actually looked forward to it. He wondered what they were expecting though. He'd have to think about that one.
21st of June, 1997.
"Get up! We have things to do. You don't have time to lazy about," Kato roared. He headed downstairs while Draco grumpily got out of bed.
"Yes, Master. Will do Master," he muttered. He groaned. "Ouch." He turned the silence fields on so the listening devices couldn't hear any more as he walked downstairs. "I want a bruise and then I want you to glamour it," he said.
Kato raised an eyebrow. "You want people to think that I hit you?" he asked.
Draco nodded. "I do," he said. "I could use it to mess with them." He stood still as Kato applied a bruise to him and then glamoured it half-assed. Considering Kato normally just healed his bruises the people who knew Kato would never believe that he had done this.
…
Draco followed Zoe around later that day. He rubbed his neck uncomfortably as they walked into the storerooms.
"We're packing up orders for Gringotts today," Zoe said. "Find the items in this list and put them on the table over there. I'm going to find Olga. She should have been here already."
"Got it," Draco said. He didn't mind this so much. It reminded him of helping his Uncle Severus sort his ingredients for potions.
He wandered around and found loose scales and jars of heartstrings. He rubbed his neck again.
"Somethin' wrong?" Olga asked as she placed a jar of claws down on the table.
"Nothing you need to worry about," Draco said.
"Oh, really?" Olga said. She didn't pry any further. She knew better than to push. She'd get her answers anyway.
Draco helped Zoe until lunch when she had to head out to the Short-snout reserve. After he had gone home to eat he headed down to the gym.
"Heard you seemed to be having trouble," Jules said as he joined Draco.
Draco gave Jules an unfriendly glare. "Whoever told you that needs to check their facts," he said. He put the weights away and started heading towards the door when Jules drew his wand.
The door opened and Ellie walked inside. "What are you doing, Jules?" she asked just as Jules cast a finite at Draco.
Ellie's eyes widened as she saw a handprint bruise bloom across his cheek. "What happened to you Draco?" she asked. She walked up to Draco and touched his face. "Who did this and why haven't you shown Kato?"
"Maybe because dear master Kato is the culprit?" Jules said. "He's not as nice as everyone seems to think. You should hear the way he talks when no one is around."
"And how would you know anything about that?" Ellie asked irritably.
"That man is as false as they come. Did you know he thinks you are floaty, unfocused and easily manipulated?" Jules said.
Ellie's eyes narrowed "You are lying," she said. Kato was really nice. There was no way he thought that way about her. She looked over at Draco. "We should go get that bruise tended to," she said. She took Draco's hand and led him back to the Elephant so she could heal it.
Jules wasn't fooled. It would seem like Master Peverell abused his apprentice. He would have to tell Olga. Maybe they could help him…
23rd of July, 1997.
Zoe knocked on the Hedgehog's front door. The sun had barely risen above the horizon, but if she knew Kato he would be up already. She had no wish to head off on this assignment on her own, but they were spread thin. Still, Kato was in many ways more proficient than several of the rest of them put together.
Kato opened the door. "Good morning. Would you like my help with anything?" he asked.
Zoe nodded. "Norberta's hatchlings are having trouble," she said.
"I'll be right out," Kato said. "I'll catch up with you."
Zoe waved as she headed off. She knew he would be good on his word. She met up with Owen on the way. Hopefully, the three of them could figure things out. For some reason, Norberta had settled close to the gate. It was unusual and a little worrisome.
Kato caught up to them a moment later just before they reached the gate. Norberta was one of the few dragons that the keepers had a name for since Hagrid had named her Norbert. Her real name was Lotgaaf and she had prospered. This was her first clutch.
It wasn't strange that Zoe and Owen were worried about her now that she was lining her eggs up against the compound wall. It wasn't normal behaviour for a dragon.
"Lotgaaf!" Kato called as they walked closer to the eggs. No mother dragon left their eggs unprotected so she was probably nearby.
Owen's eyes narrowed as he watched Kato greet Lotgaaf. The ease by which this man spoke and interacted with dragons confused him.
"Norberta thinks there is something wrong with her young since they haven't hatched yet," Kato said.
"Hatching can take time," Zoe said.
Kato nodded. "She didn't have a mother nearby when she hatched though," he said. "If I remember correctly she hatched in a fireplace in Britain."
Zoe grimaced as she walked over to the eggs. "I assume you explained things to her," she said.
"I did," Kato confirmed. "She seems to have a bit of difficulty understanding though."
"She does well most of the time. I wonder why this is a problem now," Zoe said.
Kato walked up to the eggs and summoned fire. He knelt so he could properly tell how he was affecting the eggs. "Come join me Lotgaaf," he said. "Blow yol, fire, onto them. Only if they are kept at the right temperature will they hatch. Hagrid did this for you with wood and flame. Now you have to do this for your little ones."
"But how do I know what is right?" Lotgaaf asked.
"We can tell you but you have to promise to learn," Kato said.
Lotgaaf moved closer to him. "You are wise Krinahkro," she said.
Owen snorted and rolled his eyes. Kato watched as he stomped off and wondered what had made the man act in such a way. He didn't have time to figure that out for now. Norberta needed his help first.
Zoe and Kato moved between the eggs, heating them as best as they could while Kato tried to explain to Norberta how and why the heat was necessary.
From time to time Kato could see Owen skulking around the eggs. He didn't seem to be doing anything to either help or harm their efforts, but there was something about the way he looked at Kato that put the Dragonborn on edge.
The sun was slowly setting as Norberta finally seemed to calm down. She was lying around her eggs. Her fiery breath warmed their shells. She would take comfort in the fact that she had felt no deception from either the human or Krinahkro.
Zoe gazed over the rolling hills towards the setting sun. The sky burned orange and pink as clouds moved in.
"Do you know where Owen disappeared off to?" Kato asked. He tugged at his hair and looked around.
"Owen goes where he wants to," Zoe said unconcerned. "He will come back when he feels like it."
Kato nodded slowly. He turned to leave with Zoe when he saw a shadow moving beyond Norberta. His eyes narrowed. Was this an egg thief? Somehow he doubted they would be so foolish as to get seen, yet he couldn't just walk away Norberta would be devastated if one of her eggs disappeared. "Zoe!" he called. "I'll make my way back on my own," he said.
Zoe just waved and kept walking. She was certain he much like Owen could handle himself so she wasn't about to tell him no, not after she had seen him take down that Ironbelly.
Shadows crawled over the ground as Kato walked past Norberta. "Las Yah Nir," he breathed as he got closer to the nearby treeline. Under the leaves and needles, a red shape moved away from them. Kato rushed into the forest while taking great care not to trip over anything. Owen disappeared between two large rocks and Kato followed while summoning Kali. He looked around in wonder as he passed the rocks. Polished shards of dragon eggs covered the ground in an intricate design. Kato walked carefully into the grove while looking around.
"Your sil, soul is different," Owen said in a thick voice that hadn't been used in a long time.
Kato raised an eyebrow as he looked over at the older man. "You speak the language of dragons," he said.
"The only tongue I speak," Owen said. "Once I knew other tongues but I can no longer speak. I thought that was how it was, but you can do both with ease I do not possess. How?"
"I was taught by another," Kato said. "From an early age. I have heard of those who lose their original voice before though. It seems more common than those like me." He said that just so Owen would feel a little better. He doubted they would meet many others like them considering what it took to make that happen.
Owen sighed. "Zu mindoraan," he said. "Do you know why we are like this?"
"Two bloodlines carrying the blood of dragons joined in us," Kato said.
"But my siblings are not like me," Owen said.
"Not all children are cursed or blessed depending on how you view your powers," Kato said. "I have no siblings, but my mentor has a brother who does not share her powers." He moved closer to Owen. "There are many kren, broken eggs here," he pointed out.
"Discarded after hatching. Zu, I did not take eggs from their monah," Owen said irritably.
Kato moved back and raised his hands in a calming motion. "All I know is that someone is taking eggs, and it is angering the dovah," he said. "They have asked me to find the culprit."
Owen nodded slowly. He had seen Kato fight dragons and help them heal. He had a hand with these winged beings that no one else possessed. It made him both respect Kato and envy him. Life certainly wasn't fair. "I understand their plight and I guess I was acting a little strange," he said. He tugged at his hair. "Do you have any idea who it might be?" He gave Kato a hopeful look.
"Not yet," Kato said and he could see the disappointment in Owen's eyes. "We're working on it though."
"That is good," Owen said. "It is nice to have someone to talk to." It had been so long since he had been able to speak with another person.
"Draco can, tinvaak, speak and Charlie is learning," Kato said.
Owen smiled. He liked the prospect of more people to talk to, but it made him wonder. "Won't that steal their voices?" he asked.
"Not unless they learn Thu'um," Kato said. "I can feel you using it with every word you speak, but it is weak and does little. Learning how to use it better might let you deal with the dragons more easily but you will become more dangerous to the humans around you as well."
That gave Owen something to think about. He could possibly learn to cast magic with his voice the way he had seen Kato do it, but in learning so he might never be able to speak to another person again. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do.
"We should probably head back," Kato said.
Owen nodded slowly. They probably should head back. It was getting late after all.
25th of July, 1997.
It was raining. Kato had left early that morning to take care of some of the Ironbellies while Draco was going over his Dragon tongue work. He could hold a simple conversation now and he really enjoyed trying to just speak like a dragon. He wandered over to the fridge and grabbed some chicken salad for lunch before continuing with his work.
…
Hours later Kato arrived back home. He slammed the door shut and darkened the windows. "We have a direct audience this evening," he said. He flipped the matrix. "Get up!" he barked. He moved the table to the side and shielded Draco's work.
Draco moved his chair and pulled his sleeves up. "I've just about had enough of you," he said.
"Is that so," Kato said.
Outside Jules, Ellie and Zoe stopped as the sounds of a fight blurted out of a device Jules was carrying. "Don't you think that sounds like Peverell is beating his apprentice?" he asked.
"We should stop them," Ellie said.
"They could just be mock fighting," Zoe said. She had seen Kato train Draco in hand-to-hand combat and she knew he used a very hands-on method. It just sounded like they were practising to her.
Then Draco groaned loudly.
"Does that sound like a fight to you?" Jules asked.
Charlie, who had just been passing by, walked up to Jules. "What is going on?" he asked.
"I'd say Peverell is sexually abusing his apprentice, but that is just me," Jules said.
"Kato would never do that," Charlie said as he glared at Jules.
Jules shrugged and looked up at the house with a worried look on his face. He really hoped that Draco would be okay. He winced as a loud bang followed by a pained yelp sounded from the device in his hands.
Charlie's eyes narrowed. He didn't know how Jules could have a device that projected sound from inside the Hedgehog, but he wasn't going to just stand out there and listen like everyone else. He marched up to the door and tore it open. "What is going on here?" he asked angrily.
Draco tore himself away from Kato. He stormed out and slammed the door shut behind him. He mended his clothes and did his best to hide his face as he ran past Ellie. He knew she would try to follow him so he would have to shake her somehow. He moved as quickly as he could and smirked as Kali leapt down from one of the buildings. He was looking forward to being able to summon his own familiar. "Shake them, girl," he said before taking off down a side road. If he could make it to the great hall hopefully Jules would find him.
Draco breathed out as he closed the door to the gym.
"Had a feeling you would come here," Jules said. He walked up to Draco. "How are you doing buddy," he asked.
Draco shook his head. "Wish I could get the hell out of here," he said. "That madman just attacked me out of the blue. He is insane."
"I tried telling the others, but they wouldn't believe me," Jules said. "I'm sorry."
Draco shook his head. "That's fine," he said dismissively.
"I think I can make it up to you though," Jules said. "If you're willing to help keep everyone busy."
"What do you need me to do?" Draco asked while rubbing his neck.
"I'm not sure… but I know someone who does," Jules said. "Let's head over and check with them."
Draco followed Jules around the compound for a bit until they reached a set of older unused warehouses. Jules knocked on the door in a strange pattern and it opened slowly. The person inside gave them a long slow look before opening the door more.
"Olga is getting things ready," a deep voice said calmly as they moved back and disappeared into the darkness.
Draco followed Jules inside, looking around while trying to look like he was disinterested. He stopped as Jules stopped and looked over at a car covered by a tarp.
"You brought the runt," Olga said as she appeared. She glared at Draco judgingly. "You goin' to be a problem, runt?" she asked. "We've got a delicate operation here."
"Jules says you can get me out of here," Draco said.
Olga chuckled. "Oh, we certainly can," she said. "Not even that Master of yours will be able to change it."
Draco nodded. "Sounds good," he said. "What can I do to help?" he asked.
"We're heading out soon. We need everyone to be busy so we can leave without them noticing," Olga said.
"Set off a crate of fireworks in one of the dragon pens," Draco said. "That would pull all of the handlers."
Jules' eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected Draco to come up with such a destructive way of dealing with the handlers.
Olga was smiling though. She had been trying to figure things out. The rest of these dunderheads certainly wasn't helping. Fireworks would create a mess and upset the dragons. It would be easy to set it off too. She really liked it. "Good, Jules, get a crate as early as you can tomorrow," she said. "We can head off for now, take Malfoy with you and get some sleep."
Draco went with Jules to the Groundhog. All the way there he was thinking of a way to contact Kato. He doubted Jules was going to let him out of his sight. He hadn't seen any eggs yet so he didn't want to jump the gun. For now, he just wanted Kato to know he was alright.
26th of July, 1997.
Draco and Jules left the Sanctuary the next day to get fireworks. While Jules was grunting as he carried a concealed crate back to the Groundhog, Draco caught Qozul's attention and handed him a note for Kato. He hoped to find the eggs soon. Jules wasn't as good company as Kato was. He was already getting tired of the constant complaints. He felt like Jules would be better off just doing something about his problems rather than complaining about them.
"Olga will want these as soon as possible," Jules said. He huffed as he shifted the crate in his arms.
Olga was rummaging through some blankets when they arrived. She looked over at them as Jules put his crate down. As she moved the blanket Draco could see what he would presume were eggs. He wished he could take a closer look, but he figured Olga wouldn't like that.
"We got the stuff," Jules said as he walked up to Olga. He kissed her. "How is everything coming along?" he asked.
Draco couldn't hear Olga's response, but he assumed it was a positive one since Jules seemed happy enough. He was wondering just how he was going to let Kato know that he had seen eggs without anyone noticing what he was doing.
"Hey, Malfoy come over here and help with this car," Olga called as two handlers Draco didn't know grabbed the crates filled with fireworks. "You're a good kid," she said. "Shame you ended up with a guy like Peverell."
Draco looked down at the floor. "Was what father wanted," he said. "He basically signed me over."
Jules grabbed Draco's shoulder in a friendly manner. "Don't worry kid," he said. "We'll get you out."
Draco nodded solemnly, but on the inside, he was smirking coldly. He was better at playing the victim than he thought, based on previous attempts. Jules was just eating it all up. Now all he needed was to get a message to Kato
…
"Where is Draco?" Charlie asked as he looked around the kitchen in the Hedgehog. While he didn't mind having Kato to himself for a bit he didn't want anything to happen to Malfoy either. He wasn't as bad as Charlie had imagined he would be. From what Ron had told him the few times they did write he had thought Draco would be a spoilt brat. He was to a certain degree, but as far as Charlie was concerned it wasn't much worse than Ron himself could be sometimes.
"He is over at Jules' place," Kato said. He was nervous about Draco so he was baking to keep it from showing. He was glad no one at the Sanctuary knew him well enough to know that was something he did.
"I didn't know he knew Jules that well," Charlie said. "It's good that he's branching out." He walked up to Kato and wrapped his arms around his waist. He noticed how tense Kato was. He wondered why, but he didn't know how to ask. As much time as he had spent around Kato recently, he still didn't know him that well. He wanted to learn though. He had never really felt that way before. He tended to get bored or his partners wanted him to leave his dragons because they didn't like how much time he spent working. Kato wasn't like that and it made him so much easier to just talk to if nothing else. "Are you making enough for the entire crew?" he asked as he watched Kato's hands work. He wondered briefly if Kato, like his mother, was baking just to have something to do. Unlike Molly Weasley though Kato seemed fine with him being right there holding him. Molly did not like anyone touching her when she was that stressed.
"Monah, monah! Kahsotvah found little ones in cloth on metal beast," Qozul said excitedly as he landed next to Kato. "Did Qozul do good?"
"Yes, thank you Qozul," Kato said as he put a sheet of buns in the oven. "What building was Kahsotvah in?" he asked.
Charlie watched as Kato walked over to the door and Qozul pointed something out to him. He had understood that something was going on. Kato had relaxed a little as soon as Qozul stopped talking. He knew enough to get most of what Qozul had said, but without context, he didn't know what was going on. He watched Kato send a patronus off before walking back in.
"Draco has found the stolen eggs," Kato said softly.
Charlie had been reaching for him but he had frozen in his movement. "You mean to say that Jules is involved," he said.
"Unfortunately, yes," Kato said. "I just sent for Aurors to help us just like Albescu should have from the start."
"Draco is out there in the thick of it because Wadim wouldn't call in the Aurors?" Charlie said. "A kid is hanging out with egg thieves. How could you allow that?" he said.
Kato sighed. "He is bright and mischievous enough to make it out just fine," he said. "He has a hard out and I have Qozul watching him. I don't like that he is out there, but he had the best way in."
"You'll talk to the Aurors, right?" Charlie asked. "If they just come barging in then Draco might be in trouble."
"I'm off to do that now," Kato said. "Don't burn the buns."
Charlie looked after Kato as he left. He was no baker. Mostly his mother had pushed him out of the kitchen. He could cook, but he wasn't good enough at it to please the Weasley matriarch. He really hoped that Kato had set a timer before he left.
"Hey, Charlie."
Charlie looked over to the open door. Ellie was standing with a concerned look on her face.
"Is Kato alright? He looked stressed. Did the two of you fight?" Ellie asked.
Shaking his head, Charlie offered Ellie a smile. "We're doing alright," he said.
"Have you told him yet?" Ellie asked.
Charlie shrugged. "I haven't really had the time. We're always busy doing something," he said. "I know he is leaving in a few days, but I don't want to push."
"You're going to lose this guy because you aren't pushy enough," Ellie said. She folded her arms over her chest. "At least ask to stay in contact with him or something."
Charlie chuckled. He loved how Ellie was so invested in his happiness. She had always been that way. He didn't mind since she listened to what he wanted. She was only pushing now because she had seen how happy he was with Kato.
"What is that smell?" Ellie walked up to the oven. "Is Kato baking?" she asked.
"He asked me to take them out," Charlie said.
"Maybe you should do that then. They smell done," Ellie said while punching him playfully. She laughed as Charlie started looking around for oven mites. She loved this. Charlie certainly deserved to be happy and he, strangely enough, had been speaking about other things than dragons lately. She hoped that Kato could accept just how much Charlie loved working with dragons. "What should we do with these?" she asked as she looked at the buns. "Dinner is soon. There is enough here for everyone."
"I'm sure Kato doesn't want them to just lay about," Charlie said. "Let's just bring them."
Dinner was loud. Kato didn't show up, but no one but Charlie, Zoe and Ellie seemed to notice. They could see Draco sitting with Jules. He seemed to be doing alright which calmed Ellie down. Charlie had told them what little he knew. He couldn't stand being the only one in the know. He hoped Kato was coming back soon. He headed over to the Elephant with Ellie and Zoe.
"Yolfronin!" Qozul called.
Charlie turned. He didn't know exactly what the little dragon had said. He heard fire and kin. He assumed that Qozul was speaking to him considering he was heading straight for him. "What do you want Qozul?" he asked.
"Krinahkro wants to speak to Yolfronin, Midjun and Mulod in nest," Qozul said.
Charlie stared down at Qozul as he got comfortable around his neck. "Zu, I don't understand," he said.
"Monah says come home," Qozul said with a huff.
"I think Kato wants to talk to us," Charlie said slowly.
Ellie scratched Qozul as she walked around Charlie. "Then I guess we're heading over," she said. She bounced ahead of Charlie and Zoe as they followed her to the Hedgehog.
…
The sun was setting slowly. The sky burned orange. Draco lifted a crate and placed it in one of the cars. A backpack had been prepared for him. He was heading out with two other men on foot. What little he had heard of Olga's plan didn't seem that great. The distraction would help, but he somehow doubted they would have been able to pull this off even if Kato wasn't around.
"Ready to go, Malfoy?" Olga called.
"Ready, ma'am," Draco called back. He put his backpack on and headed over to the guys he was going with.
The fireworks hadn't started yet. It was quiet. Barely any wind was blowing, but it looked like it might rain later. It was a good night to sneak things out. Draco and his companions were quiet as they moved quickly over to another group of houses. They hid in the shadows and waited.
"What is up with you?" one of the men hissed as Draco twitched and looked behind him.
"Nothing, I thought I heard something," Draco said. He moved his collar slightly so Qozul could get more comfortable. He felt better knowing he had the little green dragon with him once again. It was hopefully a sign that Kato had things under control. He wondered briefly when he had started feeling safe around Kato. He could still remember clearly just how angry he could get at the man. Maybe it was easier arguing with Kato because he was younger than any teacher Draco had been tutored by in the past. He also didn't use a strict teaching method which was confusing to Draco but certainly effective.
In the distance, colours started marring the darkening sky. The sound soon reached them. All around them, the alarms sounded and they could see how people made their way over towards the gates holding the separate reserves.
Draco and his companions lay low for what felt like hours until everything calmed down but the angry roars of the dragons. They were going to use one of the old exits that Olga and her people had slowly opened up again recently while the cars were going through the main gate.
Draco grabbed the straps of his backpack tightly as they got closer to the gate. They were running now that they could see their goal.
"Halt!" a sharp voice called out. Draco wasn't sure what to do. He'd rather not end up in more trouble. He froze in place as his companions dropped their bags and pulled out a rusty old chain that they grabbed onto.
One of the men called something out in a language Draco didn't understand and then suddenly as the port key activated the man who had shouted fell forward. Kali was standing on his back. Her teeth were bared and she was crushing the portkey. Her master didn't want these people to go anywhere so they were staying.
Four Aurors walked up to the group and cuffed them while Kali watched closely. She fell into step next to Draco as they started heading towards the main gate. The cars had been stopped on the cusp of the gates. Draco counted twelve Aurors, but there could be more.
"He made me do it," Olga called in a teary voice as she pushed away from Jules. "He said he would hurt me if I didn't do what he wanted."
Draco wondered briefly if her attempt at casting the blame on Jules would work as no one seemed to stop her.
"Take them all in," a stoic-looking woman said abruptly. The Aurors started moving and Olga threw her plan out the window. She knew just how good the Rumanian Aurors could be at getting the truth out of people. She cursed loudly as she drew her wand. She wasn't going down without a fight. The green beam was heading for the Head Auror in less than a second. For Draco, it felt as if time slowed suddenly just before Kato appeared with a thick silver-blue shield held out in front of him. The killing curse impacted the shield and shattered it. Draco's heart jumped up in his throat for a second before he could see through the rain of silvery magic that Kato was still standing, his amber-coloured eyes glowing in the faint light. He moved to the side so he wasn't standing in the way of the Head Auror who looked quite surprised yet grateful.
"Come on, get them to the holding cells!" she roared before walking closer to Kato. "You have my gratitude, Master Peverell," she said calmly. "Two little boys still have a mother because of you."
"Anytime," Kato said. "I know what it is like to grow up without."
"Don't get into trouble," she said sternly.
Kato smiled. "I'll do my best. I hope I can get my apprentice back," he said.
"The one guarded by the panther?" the Head Auror asked.
"The very one," Kato said.
"Come in tomorrow around noon. We'll be done with him then," she said before walking off.
Kato watched after the Aurors as they took the thieves away. Then he turned to the cars so he could help the Aurors who had stayed take inventory. They didn't want to bring any eggs with them since that could be harmful to them.
It was late when Charlie walked back into the Hedgehog. He found Kato sitting by the kitchen table.
"How are the dragons?" Kato asked.
"Well enough now that the mothers know they will get their eggs back in the morning," Charlie said. He looked up the stairs. "Is Draco here?" he asked.
Kato shook his head. "They took him in with the rest," he said. "I'll be picking him up tomorrow. He stood up and walked up to Charlie so he could bury his face in Charlie's shoulder. "Stay," he said softly.
"Sure," Charlie said as he wrapped his arms around Kato.
27th of July, 1997.
"She used me," Jules said for maybe the thousandth time that day. He looked over at Draco whom he shared a cell with. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this," he said softly.
Draco sighed. He had been interrogated earlier that morning. The Aurors had just wanted to know what had happened and why he had been the one to go undercover so to say considering his age. He had answered their questions and even offered up a few memories. He had nothing to hide. Jules didn't have to feel bad for him though. He was getting out as soon as Kato showed up. He wondered if he could tell Jules, but didn't want to end up in danger in case Jules reacted violently.
"Draco Malfoy?"
Draco turned around and stood up. On the other side of the bars stood an Auror he hadn't met before and Kato. The gate opened up and Kato walked in.
"How are you doing?" Kato asked. He placed his hands on Draco's shoulders and ran a scan while looking over at Jules. "I know you have a bad impression of me, Mister Barnes. Know that not everything is as it seems, and the future isn't as bleak as you make it out to be," he said calmly.
"I'm sorry you had to end up here Jules," Draco said. "But what you were doing was wrong." He followed Kato out of the cell while Jules looked after them. He snorted and laughed. The kid had fooled him. He could see now how they had been caught so efficiently. Draco had somehow given information to his master.
"What will happen to him?" Draco asked the Auror.
"He will have to work off his debt to society. The court will decide for how long, but he'll be alright," the Auror said.
Draco paused for a moment before grabbing Kato's arm. "Could I write something for him that he could get once his sentence is served?" he asked.
"That shouldn't be a problem," the Auror said. "We can place it with the rest of his belongings."
Kato just nodded. He certainly didn't mind. "We'll be heading home once you are done," he said. "I'll take you back to the Sanctuary so you can say goodbye and then we're going back to Britain for a bit. I have a few things to do back home."
"I can go see my parents?" Draco asked.
"It would make things easier for me," Kato said.
Draco finished the letter and walked over to Kato. "Let's get going," he said. He had missed Malfoy Manor. He certainly wouldn't say no to going back home for a bit. Even if he might miss both Zoe and Ellie just a bit.