Trap Setup

Meanwhile, Alex had already left the area, cloaked in disillusionment. The moment Raven II triggered an alert at the outer wall, Alex acted swiftly, slipping into a fireplace and concealing himself. He directed Raven I to hover outside a window on the third floor, ensuring he left no traces of his presence.

Through careful observation, Alex deduced that the house's outer walls, windows, and doors were heavily protected by alarm and defense spells, making external breaches nearly impossible. A looking glass hung on the second floor, likely enchanted to monitor any unusual activity. The inner walls and fireplace, however, seemed free of such protections. If he wanted to infiltrate without setting off alarms, those were his best options.

In his mind, Alex sketched a detailed, three-dimensional map of the house, analyzing every possible route. After evaluating the risks, he nodded to himself. The plan was feasible, and the success rate looked promising. All that was left was preparation. Alex quickly returned to the Leaky Cauldron, securing a room for the night. Tom, the innkeeper, greeted him warmly and even waived the fee, pleased to have his company.

Not long after settling into his room, an owl named Tailwind arrived with a message. Augusta had received Alex's earlier note, and the arrival of the owl confirmed her acknowledgment. Alex gave the owl a fond scratch on the head. "You've done well," he said softly. "Rest here for now. There's still work ahead, so don't let me down."

After feeding Tailwind some water and nuts, Alex cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and slipped out through the window. Outside, he unfurled a map of London, scanning for his next target. Moments later, his eyes lit up, and he set off toward a specific location. His destination: a small warehouse stocked with medical equipment and chemical supplies.

Back at the Leaky Cauldron, Tailwind dozed peacefully. A few hours later, as darkness blanketed the city, the sound of the room's window creaking open startled the owl awake. 

With a chubby owl perched on his arm, Alex walked downstairs as though nothing unusual had happened. Once in the kitchen, he prepared an impressive spread of dishes, cooking enough to fill the table for himself, Tom, and Tailwind. The aroma of the food wafted through the bar, catching the attention of lingering customers, who kept glancing over curiously.

Tom, the bar's owner, joined Alex at the table, chatting with him while savoring the delicious meal. Their conversation and dinner stretched leisurely into the evening, only wrapping up after nine o'clock. With a satisfied sigh, Alex stood up, bid Tom goodnight, and headed back to his room with his owl in tow.

Once inside, Alex got straight to work. He went to his desk, pulled out some parchment, and began writing letters. After sealing the last one, he turned to Tailwind, speaking in a serious tone. "Tailwind, tonight's mission is critical. I'll attach a messenger claw ring to you in a bit. Pay attention to the signals I send—just like we practiced in the Forbidden Forest. Got it?"

Tailwind, who had never seen his master so solemn, stared at Alex with wide eyes before nodding firmly. "Good. These two letters are your top priority." Alex held up two white envelopes. "If you get a signal from me tonight, it means things have gone wrong, and I need backup. Deliver these immediately—one to Moody and the other to Dumbledore at the Ministry of Magic. Understood?"

Tailwind tilted his head, clearly processing the instructions, and gave another nod. Alex then picked up two brown envelopes. "Now, if you receive two signals, it means the operation is going smoothly. Deliver one of these to Moody at the Ministry by 6 a.m., and take the other to Rita Skeeter at the Daily Prophet by 10 a.m. Make sure she acknowledges receiving it personally."

Tailwind's feathers ruffled slightly as he tilted his head again but nodded, showing his understanding. Finally, Alex laid out the last contingency. "If you receive three signals, it means the operation can't proceed, but the enemy hasn't found me. In that case, you don't need to do anything tonight. Just take this final letter to Augusta tomorrow afternoon. After that, head straight to Longbottom's house and wait for me there. No coming back early, understood?"

Tailwind bobbed his head enthusiastically. Alex repeated the instructions a few more times, making sure his owl was clear on the mission. Once satisfied, he sorted the letters neatly on his desk and patted Tailwind gently on the head.

After preparing everything, Alex cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, grabbed his equipment, and climbed out of the window, disappearing into the dark night.

Diagon Alley was quiet under the moonlight. The streets were mostly empty, save for the occasional wizard walking briskly through the alley. Most of the shops had long since closed their shutters, leaving the area eerily silent.

Hovering just a foot above the ground to avoid leaving tracks, Alex moved swiftly and silently toward the house where five Death Eaters were hiding. The building was dark and unassuming. Emmeline Vance, who had been monitoring the location earlier, was now nowhere to be seen.

Not knowing if the Aurors had gone home or were still hiding nearby, Alex carefully scouted the area, checking several possible surveillance spots. Once he was certain no one was watching, he summoned a raven and sent it to the third-floor windowsill to observe.

The raven reported back through their shared vision: four of the five guest rooms had their curtains drawn and lights out. The fifth room, dimly lit, revealed Yaxley sitting at a desk under the glow of an oil lamp, folding a letter and sealing it in an envelope. After finishing, Yaxley stretched, removed his coat and shoes, and climbed into bed, wand in hand. Before lying down, he flicked his wand toward the window, drawing the curtains shut.

"They're sleeping fully armed—ready to bolt if something happens," Alex murmured, impressed by their preparedness. Keeping his Disillusionment Charm active, he slipped into a narrow alley beside the house and waited.

Half an hour later, convinced they were asleep, Alex floated silently up to the roof. Summoning another raven, he sent it down the chimney to scout the third floor while the first raven remained on the windowsill, keeping watch.

Raven No. 2 flitted through the shadows, noting that the looking glass from earlier had been moved to the third floor. However, it remained inert, failing to react to the raven. After circling the third floor and confirming there were no traps, the raven returned to Alex on the roof. "Good, their nighttime defenses haven't changed. Time to get started," Alex muttered, exhaling slowly to steady himself.

Alex worked swiftly. A bundle of plastic hoses in various shapes and sizes floated silently in the air under his control. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he manipulated them carefully, keeping noise to an absolute minimum. First, he attached a thick industrial plastic hose to the gas cylinder, securing it tightly. On the other end, he installed a diverter, connecting it with meticulous precision before lowering a rubber hose slowly down the chimney.