Being granted permission to carry out the raid thrilled Percival. For years he had dreamed of this opportunity, driven by his hatred of Grimsditch and unspoken fury at the impunity with which he acted. He was being given a chance to make sure that what had happened to Newt and his creatures would never happen to anyone else.
He called in his aurors – sending notes scuttling across the streets for those who were currently absent. Only Tina was excused, as she was caring for Newt and it was clear that the Brit needed her. The rest of the aurors would be needed, if he was to carry out raids on several different properties simultaneously. They could not afford to mess this up. When everyone was assembled, he split them into four teams, arranging for his most trusted aurors to lead each team. Two official properties linked to Grimsditch, a third that Percival had strong suspicions about, and the Grimsditch household itself.
Each team was given a photograph of Newt, and told to show it to any children that they found, to promise that Newt was safe and they would see him soon. Percival couldn’t help worrying over how the obscurials would react – an obscurial loose in the city would be a disaster and could expose everything that they had worked so hard to hide.
The teams would assemble around their properties, far enough from the building that they wouldn’t be seen as they cast anti-apparition wards. Those wards would be put up as the sky darkened, but before the sun set. Once those were in place, the real fun would start.
Percival was heading the fourth team, targeting the house where Rufus Grimsditch would most likely be found. Giving the signal to head out, Percival lead his team to the vast estate that Rufus called home. He had read about the glamorous parties held on the sprawling land but had always refused an invite. Therefore, he couldn’t avoid being impressed by the sight of the building. It made the Graves’ ancestral home look modest.
“All of you.” He turned to the five aurors who were standing beside him. “The anti-apparition wards are vital. Cast those, when you have completed your section and you are confident that it will hold return here. When we are all together, we will start to make a gap in his own wards and go from there. Any questions?”
The aurors shook their heads, fanning out around the vast estate. Percival waited until they were all in place before starting to fire out the wards. Temporary wards like this wouldn’t necessarily last for more than a couple of hours, and a team of strong wizards would be able to bring them down. But they had the element of surprise on their side. Rufus wouldn’t be able to bring down wards that he was unaware of.
Slowly, a faint glowing light approached from each side, his own wards meeting those of the aurors either side, knitting together to encircle the property before arching up above it, twisting together and trapping the building beneath a dome. The air shimmered a little, and then turned back to its normal colour. It was still possible to escape the building, but you would have to do so by foot or on broomstick, rather than apparating away. It would slow an escape.
The other aurors returned slowly, slotting into place beside him until all six of them were standing there. “Remember to consider your own safety.” He warned, directing his words to a couple of the younger aurors who had been known to become a little enthusiastic during duelling. When everyone had nodded their agreement he moved forwards, casting spells to highlight any wards that they faced. The first was little more than a tripwire, easy to move around, but the second was a defensive wall around the side of the building. He signalled and the aurors fanned out, wands all aimed at the same spot. The second a spell hit it their presence would be discovered.
Percival counted down, hand held up so that the aurors could see. As he curled his last finger into place, six spells shot out, slamming into the same spot of wall with a resounding crunch. The shields that had been put up around the house were not eager to break. They were strong; Grimsditch had hired the best when it came to warding his properties. But they weren't there right now. Percival planted his feet, braced himself, and directed all of his strength into cracking those walls, knowing that his aurors were doing the same.
The wards held for a few more moments, and Percival heard one of the aurors gasp in pain, his own breath coming in short gasps as he forced his focus to remain. It worked. When the wards started to crumble he staggered forwards, catching himself before he could fall forwards onto the ground. He raced towards the mansion. Now that the main wards were down, the others posed little difficulty - it had never been expected that anyone would get that far. Grimsditch had been confident that his name alone would protect him from what was about to happen.
Percival was looking forwards to proving him wrong.
The aurors surrounded the building, and it was Percival who made his way in first, through the front door. The other entrances were covered by the aurors. He raced forwards, to find Rufus Grimsditch sitting in an armchair. He was frowning, a glass of whisky in his hand. He took another sip, and arched an eyebrow. "Hello Percival. I do hope you have a warrant if you are going to burst in at this kind of time of the evening. You could have knocked."
"We have a warrant." "Would you like some whisky while we wait for your aurors to finish their search?" "No." Percival had his wand pointed towards the man. "Stand up." "Whatever you think I'm hiding, I'm hardly going to be sitting on it." Grimsditch snarled, but he stood. "I do hope you know I will be letting the Ghost know about this little charade. Just because the President isn't very popular at the moment is hardly a reason to arrange raids on innocent men. I thought we'd outgrown such childish rivalries."
"Kettering?" Percival called over one of the other aurors. "Hold him, and make sure he doesn't escape. I'm going to see what we can find. Feel free to silencio him if he gets too much of a problem for you." "Gladly sir." Kettering walked over with a smirk, wand drawn, casting the silencing spell. Percival had wanted to arrest Grimsditch for a long time, but at this moment that couldn't be his focus. His priority would be on finding the children and getting the evidence that they needed in order to make sure no one else got hurt. He had promised Newt that. He wouldn't fail him.
"Sir, a little help?" Davidson called out from across the corridor, and Percival raced to them to discover what was wrong. What they were met with startled him. A man stood in the middle of the room. He was wearing black pants, which were ripped, and his hair fell to his shoulders. The most noticeable thing about him was the pitch smoke which was pouring off of him. He was glaring, his teeth bared in animal rage. Behind him was a small girl, her blond hair in pigtails. She had her knees drawn to her chest, and was wearing the remains of a dress. She was crying in fear.
"Hello." Percival greeted the boy. "You must be... Credence Barebone?" The boy snarled, but some of the smoke wavered. Percival pulled out the picture of Newt from his pocket and held it out. "Newt is with us. Newt is with us, and he wants to see you."
The boy stayed still, staring at him, his eyes tainted with white which swirled across his pupils. "Newt has been asking us to help you. He wants to check that both of you are safe. Please, come with us..."
The boy nodded, concentrating as the smoke was absorbed back into his body. He fell, crashing to his knees. There were cuts across his back, some still bleeding, and he reached out. The little girl nervously made her way forwards and wrapped her hand around his. Percival smiled at both of them. "Come with me, I'll take you to Newt..." He reached out for the boy's hand, helping him to his feet. "Davidson, help Kettering take that man to the cells. I'll be along to check on him once I've got these two back to Newt." After so long, this mattered far more than arresting Grimsditch.
Fill: Ab Irato (13/?)
He called in his aurors – sending notes scuttling across the streets for those who were currently absent. Only Tina was excused, as she was caring for Newt and it was clear that the Brit needed her. The rest of the aurors would be needed, if he was to carry out raids on several different properties simultaneously. They could not afford to mess this up. When everyone was assembled, he split them into four teams, arranging for his most trusted aurors to lead each team. Two official properties linked to Grimsditch, a third that Percival had strong suspicions about, and the Grimsditch household itself.
Each team was given a photograph of Newt, and told to show it to any children that they found, to promise that Newt was safe and they would see him soon. Percival couldn’t help worrying over how the obscurials would react – an obscurial loose in the city would be a disaster and could expose everything that they had worked so hard to hide.
The teams would assemble around their properties, far enough from the building that they wouldn’t be seen as they cast anti-apparition wards. Those wards would be put up as the sky darkened, but before the sun set. Once those were in place, the real fun would start.
Percival was heading the fourth team, targeting the house where Rufus Grimsditch would most likely be found. Giving the signal to head out, Percival lead his team to the vast estate that Rufus called home. He had read about the glamorous parties held on the sprawling land but had always refused an invite. Therefore, he couldn’t avoid being impressed by the sight of the building. It made the Graves’ ancestral home look modest.
“All of you.” He turned to the five aurors who were standing beside him. “The anti-apparition wards are vital. Cast those, when you have completed your section and you are confident that it will hold return here. When we are all together, we will start to make a gap in his own wards and go from there. Any questions?”
The aurors shook their heads, fanning out around the vast estate. Percival waited until they were all in place before starting to fire out the wards. Temporary wards like this wouldn’t necessarily last for more than a couple of hours, and a team of strong wizards would be able to bring them down. But they had the element of surprise on their side. Rufus wouldn’t be able to bring down wards that he was unaware of.
Slowly, a faint glowing light approached from each side, his own wards meeting those of the aurors either side, knitting together to encircle the property before arching up above it, twisting together and trapping the building beneath a dome. The air shimmered a little, and then turned back to its normal colour. It was still possible to escape the building, but you would have to do so by foot or on broomstick, rather than apparating away. It would slow an escape.
The other aurors returned slowly, slotting into place beside him until all six of them were standing there.
“Remember to consider your own safety.” He warned, directing his words to a couple of the younger aurors who had been known to become a little enthusiastic during duelling. When everyone had nodded their agreement he moved forwards, casting spells to highlight any wards that they faced. The first was little more than a tripwire, easy to move around, but the second was a defensive wall around the side of the building. He signalled and the aurors fanned out, wands all aimed at the same spot. The second a spell hit it their presence would be discovered.
Percival counted down, hand held up so that the aurors could see. As he curled his last finger into place, six spells shot out, slamming into the same spot of wall with a resounding crunch.
The shields that had been put up around the house were not eager to break. They were strong; Grimsditch had hired the best when it came to warding his properties. But they weren't there right now. Percival planted his feet, braced himself, and directed all of his strength into cracking those walls, knowing that his aurors were doing the same.
The wards held for a few more moments, and Percival heard one of the aurors gasp in pain, his own breath coming in short gasps as he forced his focus to remain. It worked. When the wards started to crumble he staggered forwards, catching himself before he could fall forwards onto the ground. He raced towards the mansion. Now that the main wards were down, the others posed little difficulty - it had never been expected that anyone would get that far. Grimsditch had been confident that his name alone would protect him from what was about to happen.
Percival was looking forwards to proving him wrong.
The aurors surrounded the building, and it was Percival who made his way in first, through the front door. The other entrances were covered by the aurors. He raced forwards, to find Rufus Grimsditch sitting in an armchair. He was frowning, a glass of whisky in his hand. He took another sip, and arched an eyebrow.
"Hello Percival. I do hope you have a warrant if you are going to burst in at this kind of time of the evening. You could have knocked."
"We have a warrant."
"Would you like some whisky while we wait for your aurors to finish their search?"
"No." Percival had his wand pointed towards the man. "Stand up."
"Whatever you think I'm hiding, I'm hardly going to be sitting on it." Grimsditch snarled, but he stood. "I do hope you know I will be letting the Ghost know about this little charade. Just because the President isn't very popular at the moment is hardly a reason to arrange raids on innocent men. I thought we'd outgrown such childish rivalries."
"Kettering?" Percival called over one of the other aurors. "Hold him, and make sure he doesn't escape. I'm going to see what we can find. Feel free to silencio him if he gets too much of a problem for you."
"Gladly sir." Kettering walked over with a smirk, wand drawn, casting the silencing spell. Percival had wanted to arrest Grimsditch for a long time, but at this moment that couldn't be his focus. His priority would be on finding the children and getting the evidence that they needed in order to make sure no one else got hurt. He had promised Newt that. He wouldn't fail him.
"Sir, a little help?" Davidson called out from across the corridor, and Percival raced to them to discover what was wrong. What they were met with startled him. A man stood in the middle of the room. He was wearing black pants, which were ripped, and his hair fell to his shoulders. The most noticeable thing about him was the pitch smoke which was pouring off of him. He was glaring, his teeth bared in animal rage. Behind him was a small girl, her blond hair in pigtails. She had her knees drawn to her chest, and was wearing the remains of a dress. She was crying in fear.
"Hello." Percival greeted the boy. "You must be... Credence Barebone?"
The boy snarled, but some of the smoke wavered.
Percival pulled out the picture of Newt from his pocket and held it out.
"Newt is with us. Newt is with us, and he wants to see you."
The boy stayed still, staring at him, his eyes tainted with white which swirled across his pupils.
"Newt has been asking us to help you. He wants to check that both of you are safe. Please, come with us..."
The boy nodded, concentrating as the smoke was absorbed back into his body. He fell, crashing to his knees. There were cuts across his back, some still bleeding, and he reached out. The little girl nervously made her way forwards and wrapped her hand around his. Percival smiled at both of them.
"Come with me, I'll take you to Newt..." He reached out for the boy's hand, helping him to his feet. "Davidson, help Kettering take that man to the cells. I'll be along to check on him once I've got these two back to Newt." After so long, this mattered far more than arresting Grimsditch.