Chapter 476 - Ambush

Under the dark evening sky, the thinner more solemn version of Auror Percius Clements is followed by his new Auror partner, John Dawlish through a murky forest. Auror Dawlish not only comes highly recommended but had received perfect O's while attending Hogwarts. The Auror academy instructors speak with great pride about Dawlish since the young man is a rather talented wizard including his past Auror training partner, who still sang his praises.

Auror John Dawlish in not only very capable and self-assured. He is rather ruggedly handsome with his noticeably short, wiry hair. However, Percius had found that whenever Dawlish was feeling unsure of himself, he would blink and look around rather foolishly. For an Auror that is simply a terrible weakness to possess. Auror's are often placed in uncertain situations and must act self-assured at the time whether be in front of the enemy, the panicked masses, or the media. An Auror could not afford to be uncertain.

"Clements, where are we going?" Dawlish whispered as they made their way through the fog.

"Dawlish, what have I told you about asking such questions before?" Percius murmured in resignation as he kept his wand out in hand and glanced all around.

It was a pain in the rear to break in a new partner. The only reason he had gone so long without one was that he had the excuse of hunting Vinovich's killer. Now that the identity of the group responsible for her murder had been officially confirmed, Elphinstone with Ogden's immediate permission had immediately assigned him a partner. And if Moody could get along with Scrimgeour than so could Percius Clements with John Dawlish.

"As Auror's we are not trained to question our superiors at every turn, but rather those present the scene of the crime and criminals," Dawlish chorused back feeling rather embarrassed.

"Exactly," Percius said as they made their way through the forest. "Now be quiet, we're getting close!"

A low owl-like hoot causes Percius to pause and softly hoot back. A response is heard some meters away as Percius hoots back twice. Moving forward, Percius reaches the edge of the tree line to spot several waiting Auror's among them are the Prewett brothers, Fabian and Gideon.

Next to them are several other Auror's who had been paired up with fledging Auror's just out of the academy that are in the process of being trained on the field. After the fledging Auror's were done being trained they would be assigned a permanent partner to work with. Percius spotted a few such members by name Proudfoot, Savage, and Shacklebolt in the same graduating class as Dawlish at present paired with their new permanent Auror partners.

Personally, he had gladly taken the tall, dark, broad shouldered Shacklebolt any day. Shacklebolt kept cool in any situation and is fiercely talented. But Elphinstone gave Dawlish to him for a reason in order to train and ground the young skittish Auror.

Though the latest fledglings from the newest batch of graduates is quite talented. Among them is Marlene Stein now Marlene Mckinnon and Sturgis Podmore. Marlene Mckinnon would have graduated with Shacklebolt, but she had gotten married and had a baby while attending the Auror Academy. As such, she had to take a few months off and was pushed back an entire year. That and she had another baby did not help the situation. But given that she was so vastly talented none of the instructors of the Academy protested. They would rather have her on their side then not at all.

Sturgis Podmore is square jawed with thick straw-colored hair. His features give the impression that his head is thatched. Either way, the boy is quick on his feet and could cast a hex that could blow one's eyebrows right off. A good addition to the force.

Percius nods to one of the other veteran Auror's as they begin to spread out and creep towards their point of destination a creaky home in the woods. It was a temporarily hide out for the Death Eaters until the Dark Lord's return. The perfect time to attack.

The door slams open loudly as a tall, burly Death Eater emerges from the front door as the mist gathers around the folds of his heavy robes. The man removes his cowl to reveal long pale twisted features. The dark-haired man with broad shoulders smirks most arrogantly. Antonin Dolohov says, "Well, well, what do we have here? Why it is the irritating, buzzing flies from the ministry. To what do we owe the dubious honor of this most unwelcome visit?"

"Backs to each other!" Percius roared as invisible cloaks were dropped as Death Eaters appeared from among the trees and from the shack behind them. Strings of sparks emerged from both sides to strike each other earning pained grunts from both sides.

It looked like a murderous firework show the way spells are being cast left and right. "Stick close to me, Dawlish," Percius gasped between the firing of spells.

Someone most likely a veteran cast the Area charm, conjuring an omnidirectional shockwave that stuns all opponents in a small radius. Thankfully, it was concentrated only at those Death Eaters emerging from the front and did not affect the Auror's in the front.

A crowd of Death Eaters fell to the ground stunned but those more powerful threw off the spell much a trained Auror was trained to do so. Which frankly raised an appalled eyebrow from the veteran Auror's as they stared at the masked figures. Where there Auror's mixed among them?

"Understood, Clements," Dawlish gasped. "Aqua Eructo!" Sending a powerful jet of water to the figures before him and blasting two Death Eaters into trees, while the third slipped to the ground.

Rushing forward, Percius emerged from the trees with Dawlish at his back. Further down the line, Percius can see a veteran Auror go down only to be covered by his partner the fledging Shacklebolt, who blasts the Death Eater off his feet.

Percius nods in approval as he says, "Deprimo!" Blasting a hole in the ground causing more than a few Death Eaters to stumble and fall to their feet. Allowing the Auror's time to stun the Death Eater's.

A scream of pain is suddenly heard as Percius whirls around to see Dolohov cutting Gideon Prewett with his violent trademark slash. Fabian rushes to his brother's aid and dodges too late. He falls to the ground in pain at having part of his right ear cut off, the top cartilage part to be precise.

Still Fabian manages to scream out, "Protego Duo!" Casting a shield bubble like charm around them to protect them from further attacks.

Dolohov sneers at the measly charm. As if that would stop him, before a fiery rope whirls around Dolohov's middle and sends him flying into the tree line. Percius shouts, "Take Gideon and go!" Fabian nods and rushes forward as he grabs his brother and apparated away.

Popping like sounds can be heard all over the field as the Death Eaters begin to flee, while the Auror's try to capture as many as they can. Whirling around, Percius moves to attack Dolohov, who merely sneers and safely apparated away. Cursing, Percius aids in the capture of the still stunned Death Eaters on the ground.

With a loud burst of flames the Death Eater hide out bursts into flame as a tall, thin dark-haired man with ice cold dark eyes loudly says, "We will meet again, Auror's." Before safely apparating away.

The strength of the fire spell is so powerful that the Auror's must step back from the heat of the flames. Within a mere minute the entire shack comes tumbling down as the auror's do their best to put out the flames. The flames finally thankfully go out, but there is nothing left but charred ashes to leave any clues behind of what exactly the Death Eaters were planning.

Percius glances around at the ash filled faces and says, "All those wounded depart, if unable to safely do so, partners accompany them. The rest of you spread out let us make sure there are no more Death Eater's in hiding."

Without even being told what to do the fledging Auror's remain behind with the captured Death Eaters. As the auror's spread out the auburn-haired young woman with steely brown eyes and soot covered pale skin sniffs. Marlene McKinnon says, "Well, I suppose it was considered a successful mission. What do you all think?"

"I think I'm going to be sick," Sturgis Podmore said looking a bit green around the gills.

"It's just nerves, it'll pass," said, a slow, deep reassuring voice. Sturgis glanced at the source Auror Shacklebolt, tall handsome, dark skinned. A shame about his taste in fashion is being bald, but still no one else could have pulled it off. Despite his solemn air there was a bit of a roughish air about him. It must have been the single gold hoop earning in one of his ears.

"Mm," is all Sturgis Podmore could reply.

Kingsley Shacklebolt glances through the mist at the returning Auror's. "Look sharp, they're returning," he said. Instantly the rest of the fledglings straighten up and look alert. They had their own roles to play no matter how small they were.