The caverns smelled of burnt wood and smoke. The cages of animals were now quiet as they had been opened and the animals inside released.
The four boys now sat in the middle of the cavern. The women leader sitting on a chair with her hands and feet tied tightly.
"So, what do we do with her?" Erik's voice cut through the silence of the cavern.
Yet no one answered, they didn't think they would leave her with a person. They had talked about killing her, but brining her in to the ministry of Germany also had come up as a plan. They would put her in prison for a long time. But the boys were troubled. Turning her in could bring trouble to them for killing the other poachers.
"Alright, I will bring her to the German ministry. And you guys get out of here." Linus said as he looked over the group.
The others seem to hesitate. "You sure?" Said Niko.
Linus nodded, "Yeah, maybe I can smooth talk myself out if anything happens."
This seems to have convinced them.
"Alright, we owe Linus. We'll meet again in school." Erik said.
Armin grabbed Linus shoulder. "See you at school." Erik and Armin walked out from the cavern. Niko stayed behind for a bit.
"Thank you, Linus. For the help. It means a lot." Niko said as he sat up from the box he was sitting on.
Linus waved him of as saying no problem. "It's what friends do. And it was fun."
With that Niko left the cavern as well, leaving only Linus and the women. He looked at the supposed unconscious women sitting in the chair. "You can stop pretending now." Linus said coldly.
The women slowly opened her eyes. "Wow, so you knew. And here I thought I was a good actor." She said with a slavic accent.
Linus sat down on a box in front of her. "What's your name?" he asked to her.
She laughed a little. "Oh, I thought you were here to hunt me down." She kept laughing. "Got taken out by some kids on a scout trip."
She seemed to be pretty calm even though her whole team is dead, and she is tied up I a chair right now.
She leaned back in the chair and asked. "So what are you going to do with me. Bring me to the ministry? Kill me?"
The thought about just killing her had crossed Linus's mind, but he also wanted to see her suffer a little. And the best place for that would be a magic prison. The question was just how to do it.
Linus grabbed her arm, the world started spinning and soon the cavern disappeared.
The world appeared again after just a few seconds. Buildings now surrounding them.
"Did you just use apparition?" She asked as she looked around.
Linus didn't even answer and just tugged her arm to go along with him, she didn't resist.
They have apparated to the village where Linus and his friends had been before.
'There should be a ministry station here' He thought as he walked around with the women in tug.
The small wizarding town smelled like after rain and newly baked bread. The cobblestone road still wet by the rain from before. as Linus walked down the alleys he saw people looking back at him as they passed.
He soon walked into a official looking building. It was empty, apart from the recipient sitting in the front office. She looked up as she heard the door open.
"Hello…" Linus started as she looked at him. "Are there any aurorers here? or ministry officials who may help?"
She looked confused, but as she saw the restraints on the other women's she suddenly sprung to like. "Yes of course, one moment."
She stood up and walked into one of the room behind the front office. After two minutes she returned, behind her came two official looking people. One woman and one man. They both wore dark blue robes, clearly aurorers.
The older man looked at the restrained women and then looked over towards Linus, "Did you catch her?" he asked, there was a slight doubt in his voice.
Linus nodded slowly, "Me and some of my friends did."
The man and women looked towards him for a minute.
"Well how nice, an early Christmas." Said the women who had come out of the room before. "This just saved us a lot of hassle. The women went behind the poacher and pulled her away to another room, before she could close it Linus go a look inside. There were cages inside.
Linus turned his gaze back towards the man who was still standing in front of him in the entrance of the building. there was a silence.
"Good work I quess, kids aren't supposed to do this stuff, but I think you know that." He said, he didn't sound like he was giving a lecture. Just normal conversation. "go back home before the press and stuff comes along, this one is pretty wanted so there is going to be a lot of people coming." Linus didn't mind the waring as he was already really wanting to leave this place and go home.
He left the building and as he left there already started showing signs that something was coming. Reporters arrived and more aurorers went into the building. Linus slipped by and left towards a dark alley where he apparated away.
When he appeared again he felt the smell of pine and wet wood. He stood before the Gray estate, the doors opened and he stepped inside. Fire's crackled in the fireplace and one of the maid walked forward to take Linus's coat.
In the living room sat Astrid, "You're back, finally. I was starting to get tired of begin the acting head of the house." She said with a smirk before pulling him into a hug.
"Fells good to be back." He said with a smile, the warmth of Astrid spread through his body as he melted into the hug. He told her about his training and the poachers, she thought it was a stupid idea to bring his friends along.
The Gray estate looked the same, and most importantly felt the same. Linus and Astrid sat in the living room watching the fireplace. "How are things going with the prisoners?" he asked breaking the long silence.
She sighed. "They aren't saying anything important, even with Veritaserum. They don't know anything." She said out. This made Linus fell a slight annoyance as he thought these ones would give something.
"Kill them." he said coldly, his eyes reflecting the blazing fire in the fireplace. Astrid just gave a nod and stood up and left the room.