Chapter Two: Diagon Alley

[Trot]

"Goblins you say," Mathis says, if there were Goblins back there then Glen should have them secured, neither side had ever been wholly innocent in the wizard goblin conflicts of the past, but most goblins would not attack wizards on a busy street at mid day. Producing her wand he places his own against the tip, and mutters "Prior Incantantem". A simple spell that would show him the last spell she cast. The nature of the spell would determine who was attacked.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Mathis was proficient in this type of magic, although this as of yet unidentified witch had no knowledge of it. She had to think fast at this point, she knew that it was only a matter of time before the truth came out, and she could not be caught...she couldn't afford to be caught...her family couldn't.

1-6: Frozen with fear and indecision, the witch does nothing
7-11: The witch makes a mad break for it while Mathis was distracted
12-17: The witch presses a finger to her arm...
18-20: The witch presses a finger to her arm...

13. While Mathis investigates the spells, the witch presses a finger to her arm. Mathis is able to see that the witch he has detained was indeed responsible for an attack on two goblins, one of which was murdered. Her motive, however, remains unknown for now.

As Mathis looked up he would have been able to glance the witch disappearing as she ran away. In her place, two hooded wizards stood. They had strange masks on their faces. They lifted their own wands, prepared to attack...

[Trot]

Mathis registered this all in a split second he needed to keep the wand for evidence and who the hell were these strange wizards? Their intentions were clear he raises his own wand "Bombarda Maximum" he calls pointing to a space between the two wizards. The spell would knock them off balance giving Mathis a moment to take his bearings. He needed cover and alley he could slip into...

[Pontifex Maximus]

(Standard bad NPC stats)

Mathis felt the witch's wand yank out of his hand and into the hand of one of the hooded figures, who disapparrated almost immediately. The second one remained for a moment, the tip of his wand glowing a faint yellow. His spell missed, while Mathis' struck home in the center of the street. Bricks from the road went flying every which way, glass broke and onlookers began to scream and scatter in every direction. The hooded figure was knocked backward, but was staggering to his feet, his wand held aloft.

(Imminent duel with the engaged wizard)

[Axis Sunsoar]

Glenn was fairly proficient in the nature of charms and as such was a reasonably capable healer, but it did not take much to realize that this goblin's wounds were beyond his control. "Vulnera Sanentur," he whispered, hoping to provide something of a stop-gap healing measure. Then as an afterthought added "Petrificus Totalus" Once again directing his wand at the hapless goblin, to ensure that he stayed there. With the patient thus addresed, Glenn hastened back toward the main street where he had split from Mathis, hoping he would arrive in time to aid his comrade with whatever encounter he found himself embroiled in.

[Trot]

Mathis cursed as the wand was pulled from his hand and the wizard vanished. He could still salvage this if he could stop the other from escaping. Stun him and bind him the wizard could be brought in and interrogated in the official capacity in the ministry. Stupify, he thought aiming a stunning spell at the wizard, and preparing to doge any incoming attacks. He needed to bring this one in to salvage anything of this fiasco. How had the witch got these strange men here, and what the hell was with those masks? Questions that he would need to find answers to, but for now he had to focus on the wizard in front of him.

[Pontifex Maximus]

The goblin's light bleeding seemed to stop as just around the same time another explosion was heard. Screaming in the alley intensified...As Glenn approached, he would have the opportunity to cast a spell almost in ambush, before the distant figure would recognize his approach...

Meanwhile Mathis began to face down the hooded wizard.THey seemed evenly matched, for as soon as Mathis cast his stunning spell, his opponent blocked the spell with a simple harm, deflecting the spell into a brick building and away from himself. The man's hood fell back, revealing a gaunt man with a long, black beard. His raspy voice called out "Axelo!" A blue light appeared at the tip of his wand, Mathis had been seconds to respond with his own attack.

[Axis Sunsoar]

"Stupefy," Glenn muttered, leveling his wand at the figure as he continued to advance, trying to better understand the nature of this threat. He knew that to have any chance of saving the goblin he had left in the alley this would have to be quick, and to have any understanding of what the seemingly pointless attack was all about, they needed a prisoner.

[Trot]

Mathis reacted quickly, shouting "Obscura" The spell would blind the man throwing off his aim and the man threw himself to the side and transformed taking the form of a shaggy golden retriever.

[Pontifex Maximus]

The debilitating combination of spells and attacks rendered the attacking wizard unable to reply, he has been successfully stunned. Against two Aurors, the enemy stood no chance. Between this stunned wizard and that of the wounded goblin, much evidence had been gathered. Soon, other aurors, called to the scene via the uproar, began to gather. There seemed to be no mention of Penelope and Edmund.

[Trot]

Mathis changed resuming his normal form the spell having flown through the area he had been before the change. Now the man laid across from him stunned and unable to see. It seemed Glenn had arrived at a good time. The witch was gone as was her wand, but they had one man captured and that would have to do for now. Walking over to the man he picked up the fallen mask. It appeared to be a skull and the item gave Mathis chills. He looks up to see the Aurors that had gathered around and gestured to one of them. "Take this one into questioning, there's at least one Goblin in the alley back there that needs to be taken to Saint Mungos at once."

Once Glenn had come to join him, "There was a witch that was disarmed and went that way. he said gesturing in the way the witch went. Without her wand she can't apperate away. If we move fast we may be able to get her." Without waiting for a response Mathis strides ahead to see if he could find a sign of the witch that had run off.

[Axis Sunsoar]

Glenn hurried quickly after Mathis after pointing a couple of the other aurors back in the direction of the alleyway that currently housed a petrified and injured goblin, informing them that he had attempted some healing and also locked him into position in case he had been a perpetrator than a victim. Catching up to his partner he mentioned briefly, "The other team isn't anywhere in sight, we should keep an eye out for Edmund and Penelope." Then as they continued their pursuit, "We should try and find an opportunity where we might be able to walk around two ways, maybe cut her off. If we come at her from the same direction, more opportunity for her to get away. She started this whole mess, it seems important we track her down."

[Pontifex Maximus]

The other wizards had disappeared into the night...seemingly without a trace. It would be impossible to track them down now. The duo now had two choices before them, either seek out their fellows who had gone into Knockturn Alley, or return to the Ministry to questions the suspect and the victim of the apparent attack.

[Axis Sunsoar]

"We shouldn't leave our companions alone," Glenn panted to Mathis as he whipped around the back of a building and came face-to-face with his companion once again, finally giving up the pursuit of their quarries. "If we ran into this much trouble here, I can't imagine how Knockturn alley might have turned out. I'm sure our Ministry compatriots are competent enough to handle this situation for while before we can get back." In truth, Glenn was worried about the other group that had set out for the disreputable Knockturn Alley. It was his way to be concerned about people, and with the injured goblin now in good hands, he could transfer that worry somewhere else. Really, focusing anywhere was better than being allowed too much time alone to think.

Assuming Mathis would follow, he took a moment to assess where they were and then set off towards Knockturn Alley, hoping to arrive in time to be of some aid.

[Trot]

Mathis shakes his head slightly, there were so many questions he needed answered, and he didn't trust the other Aurors to ask them. "You go check on them I need to interview the wizard myself. There is to much there to be left up to chance." He turns disapperating to appear before the ministry of Magic. Penelope was capable enough to handle any trouble that arrived, he needed to find answers. He entered the phone booth and dialed the phone so he could gain entrance to the ministry. Striding through the gilded halls and passing paper airplanes he goes to where the suspects aurors bring in are kept. Speaking briefly with the witch manning the desk he is directed to a small cell where the stunned Wizard was.

When he entered he took a seat and paused, removing the other mans stunning spell.
"What is your name, and what brought you to that alley?" Mathis asks the man trying to get the basic questions out of the way first.

[Pontifex Maximus]

And so it was decided, Glenn would be left within the field while Mathis retreated to the familiar, warm welcome of the ministry...

"Sir." One of the underlings of the department reported to Mathis. "We've stabilized the goblin in the alley and secured the wizard apprehended in the alleyway...he allowed Mathis to push past him to the incarcerated wizard's cell. In truth he had little choice. He entered a holding cell. chains held the wizard loft, asif he would drop at any moment at the absence of the enchantment at the head of the chamber. The wizard looked up and gave a nasty smile. "Come to see, eh?" he asked, spitting. "What do ye want?"

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Soon Glenn was left within the dark, dampness of the alley. Despite what he might think himself, the Ministry did a swell job of cleaning up messes on the street and yet here now he stood, motionless. A slight rain had begun to fall, and he remained motionless, silent. It was some time before he began to move, involuntarily, towards Knockturn Alley...

[Pontifex Maximus]

When he entered he took a seat and paused, removing the other mans stunning spell.
"What is your name, and what brought you to that alley?" Mathis asks the man trying to get the basic questions out of the way first.

"Lawrence Nyeman." The wizard said miserably. He was relatively unwounded from the brief skirmish in the streets, but he was glaring at Mathis with amusement. "And you brought me to the alley." He said sardonically. "You were giving one of my friends a hard time, so I thought I would intervene."

[Trot]

"Well Mister Nyeman," Mathis begins slowly addressing the man, "Your freind is wanted for the murder of one goblin, and the attempted murder of another. That makes you on accomplish to the crime. On top of that I can add the attack on an Auror, and obstruction of Justice." He paused letting the implications of this sink in. "You are looking at a very long trip to Azkaban Mister Nyeman, a very long trip indeed." The threat of the wizard prison would set most people talking in an instant, "However if you cooperate, that stay might not have to be so long." He could push for just the trial on the obstruction of justice charge which would carry a sentence of a few months to a year. "I need the name of the witch you came to save and your other companion in the mask, and He holds up Neilman's own mask, I need to know what this symbolizes."

[Pontifex Maximus]

Nyeman did not even want to imagine the tortures Magda was suffering due to her failures. "If you had even the slimmest notion of what almost happened tonight, you wouldn't be threatening me. You would be bribing me." He was probing, seeing how much this Auror knew of their machinations. The Dark Lord would reward him when he was inevitably freed. There were tortures more fearsome than Azkaban, though he did not relish the idea spending any time there. "How was I to know you were an Auror? The way I see things, I was just walking down the street when I saw a man attacking a woman. I don't know anything of dead goblins." He said with a smile. He scratched at his arm.

[Trot]

Bribing, him why would he be bribing anyone in that fools place. There seemed to be a lot more to this then Mathis understood, more clues to be uncovered. What almost happened tonight? "You interfered in an active Auror investigation, You are going to Askaban, the question is for how long." Mathis paused considering his next words, "If you fail to cooperate it could be you never escape that prison is that understood?" Once the man knew the full extent of what he was dealing with he went on, "Now are you going to answer my questions or just keep playing games? Give me the names of your companions now, and then we will go on to your other activities this night." If there was something the Wizard thought was going down Mathis wanted to give the impression it was known and had been stopped.