(Hogshead) Something you need?

[Cattrim Rallon]

Relaxed in the corner of the bar, Catt had his feet propped up upon the tabletop, a cluster of finished pint glasses still about his feet, and the prone form of his drinking partner, who obviously couldn't handle their drinks as they were snoring fitfully away already. It was only 11 in the morning, but Harold had offered to pay, so Catt had willingly accepted. A few free drinks later, and this was where he was; contentedly twiddling his thumbs in the corner. The barman hobbled over, to pick up the empty glasses muttering, "want anymore...sir?"
Catt had found the old man's attitude quite hilarious, so he replied, "I'll try what ye call a full english, cheers." Grumbling the man wandered back to the bar, shouting into the tiny kitchen behind, "breakfast."

Downing the rest of his pint Catt wondered if the man actually had the goods on him, then he could definitely make a good transaction price, he wouldn't be so stupid as to bring them direct would he?

Checking about the room he saw everyone else was occupied with their drinks, busy talking or otherwise engaged, an old couple kissing in a corner made his lip curl in disgust, but then again when he grew old he'd still carry on kissing he was sure. Slipping his feet back under the table Cattrim lazily moved closer to his drunk companion, with a non-plussed look, his hands went delving into the man's pockets, wrapping around an object Catt couldn't help but smile; this was too easy.

Things have a habit of changing very quickly around Catt, today was no exception, within seconds Harold had grabbed his arm, in his shock Catt barely had time to register the two other men who came running shoving the table aside with a huge crash to grab a hold of Catt. Twisting out of Harold's loose grasp he elbowed his fellow, then knocked aside a blow aimed for his head from his two bodyguards as he realised they were. Lashing out at one with his foot, he pushed him away, as the other heedless of Catt's blows charged, shoving Catt bodily into the wall. As Harold landed a blow into Catt's ribs, the Red Rose was pushed into the corner, as the three men began raining in heavy blows against him.

It continued unabaited, Catt's defence withering rapidly, until he sank to his knees, nose bleeding, and fresh bruises all over. "Agh," he cried aloud as Harold kicked him hard in the stomach. Grabbing a hold of his hair he smashed Catt's head back against the wall, handed a knife by his companion he hovered it close to Catt's unprotected throat. His wand had long since been taken and stuffed deep within the bowels of Harold's pockets. "You shouldn't have needed a warning, mate," Harold spat, literally spitting into Catt's face, as he grimaced up at his attackers. "you shoulda stayed off me patch." He let his knife knick Catt's throat who gulped and looked up, fear creeping into his eyes as his expression became haggard. "Nice knowing the infamous Catt," he guffawed, stepping away after giving Catt a stinging blow across his cheek, that near broke his jaw. "Finish him." He stated simply crunching through the ruins of the table, and tossing a pouch of money onto the bar for the eager fingers of the barman. The other customers had long since fled as soon as the trouble began. Now Harold strode out the back entrance, leaving his thugs to finish their work. Catt swooned, holding onto the men's arms as they dragged him aloft, his legs wouldn't hold him as they drove their fists into his midriff once more, throwing him onto the broken, wreckage of the table and shattered pint glasses. One took out a flick knife, an evil smile creeping across his ugly, brutish face as he stepped forward. Catt lay groaning, near senseless upon the floor, broken glass beneath him, he tried in vain to rise, but his arms buckled when a foot smashed into his back; pinning him down.

The knife flashed downwards...

[redrose]

'STUPEFY!'

A bolt of red light came hurling out of Aurélie's elm wand, and sent the knife bearer hurtling backwards into one of the inn's tables. The other man span round in an instant with his wand held offensively, his brutish face screwed up in anger.

'Don't even try.' She said firmly, her french accent thick and her wand pointed threateningly as she stepped over an overturned table. Her eyes flicked to the floor as she heard a crunch of broken glass under her feet - the remaining attacker took this as his chance and shot his wand into the air. 'Petrificus Totalus!' She yelled, only just in time. The man froze to the spot mid action, and Aurélie muttered under her breath. 'Imbécile.'

She quickly removed the wand from the man's immobilised hand, and grabbed the wand laid abandoned near the now unconscious knife-bearer. A groan emmited from behind her, and Aurélie's head shot round, fear in her eyes as she saw Cattrim still collapsed on a wreck of timber and glass. She dropped to the floor to kneel by her colleague... blood was splattered across his face where his nose had received numerous heavy blows, his neck was steadily trickling out blood from a shallow slash and ugly bruises were becoming dotted about his body.

His eyes were still open, and Aurélie placed a hand on his cheek to move his face round to meet her eyes. 'Always getting yourself into trouble aren't you Hotshot.' She smiled down at him, and gave a elegant flick of her wand. A signal had been sent. Help would be on the way.

[Fitz Hargreaves]

Pretty much confined within the Three Broomsticks, Fitz would have moped in his room once upon a time, now he just simmered over a drink trying to figure out how best he could foil the Ministry in their latest plan to bring in raw recruits. The Red Roses were careful about their choices, choosing only the most dependable and passionate people, but those who could keep a cool head in any circumstance, why he was a Rose he'd never know.

So there he was mulling over his wine; he'd decided to treat himself this once with an early lunch too, when a distress signal had been emitted. Now the Roses had had this crazy idea for the signal to go off right in a person's ear, to make sure they were alerted and definitely heard it. he heard it all right, cutting into his chicken with a very sharp knife, he had jumped a mile knocking his wine glass off of the table to smash upon the stone flagons below. "Aaah," he'd cried aloud as the high pitched beep resounded in his poor eardrums. Of course nobody else could hear it, so he looked a right fool, as he quickly fled the pub, shouting a hurried apology for the mess as he went. Complex magic had been used to make the signal, he didn't know who'd come up with the idea of the beeping, but the next part of the plea for help was quite ingenious. Somehow he was given a strong sense of where to go, at first it had been weak when he'd been the guinea pig, but eventually they'd got it right and he now knew to make a beeline straight to the Hog's Head.

Breaking into a run Fitz made his way down a back street towards the old inn, taking out his wand when he saw nobody watching. Arriving at the entrance he peered in through the window, seeing absolute devastation he ducked in case the enemy were still present. Crouched he now crept towards the door, breathing excitedly, at last he'd be able to fight someone with his new duelling skills, and likely get beaten but so long as he didn't die or get too mauled it would be good experience for him. Running through the best way to go in he thought the conventional and straightforward method would work best; running right on in. So jumping up he kicked the door open and dived right on in, wand poised in a fancy duelling stance he nearly let loose his "devastating arsenal" towards...Aurélie, knelt upon the ground with someone's head in her arms, he feared the worst instantly. Fitz ran to her side demanding to know, "what's going on?" He needn't have asked when he saw the state of Catt. "Bugger," he breathed, "who the hell did it?" Only then did he notice the unconcious brutes, "ah, you took them out did you?" He asked with a wry grin as he knelt beside Fitz, "hmm should we get him back to Headquarters or treat him here?" He pondered aloud, gingerly assessing the severity of Catt's injuries; he looked in a bad way, and the healing skills necessary were far beyond him for sure. He wasn't so sure about Aurelie though, she tended to be resourceful, but it was too much to hope that she knew first aid like the back of her hand. Seeing Catt's eyes flicker he muttered reassuringly, "we'll get you out mate." Looking worriedly up at Aurélie he grimaced, he didn't know the best solution, usually he had time to think up one.

[redrose]

When a customer had wandered into The Three Broomsticks looking rather pale and distracted, Aurélie had immediately magicked him a strong drink (ignoring the time of day) and started the usual customer/barmaid chitchat. A moment or two revealed to her the fight that was taking place in the other pub which he had just made a quick exit from, 'Nothing new zair.' She had joked with him - everyone was well aware of the other inn's slightly dodgy reputation.

'Nah, this one was different.' He knocked back the drink, and pushed the glass forward for another.
'What do you mean?' Aurélie had asked, magically pouring more liquid into his glass.
'Well it was that ole Enforcement bloke, wadnnit? I even had a few run ins with 'im back in the day.'
'Old Enforcement Bloke?' She had repeated, wiping down the bar surface as she listened.
'Yeah, that Raven.. Ralven, no, Ralvon-'
She shot her head to face him. 'Rallon?'
'-Oh, you know 'im then.. he-'

She hadn't stayed for the rest of his sentence, as hurried over to a table in the darkest corner of the pub. 'Fitz, Cattrim iz in trouble.' She muttered under her breath, topping up his wine and glanced around for any eavesdroppers. 'It's too risky for you to be seen, I'll send the signal if we need you.' She walked as unsuspiciously quickly as she could out of the pub, excusing herself on the way out.

*i need a gap*i need a gap*

Aurélie jumped as the door smashed down, and Fitz came bounding into the threshold. 'Subtle Fitz.' He quickly gained composure and assessed the situation, asking her various questions. 'I know some basic healing charms.' Aurélie said, biting her lip slightly. 'But some of zese cuts are beyond me.' She scanned his wounds, head shaking.

'Vee can't stay here. Someone iz sure to have called the authorities.' She then gave a nod towards the body-binded and unconscious attacker. 'I don't know who they are, but by the state of Catt, I'd say zis wasn't just a random attack. Ze authorities can deal with them.'

[Chloe Hargreaves]

A disturbance at the Hog's Head inn, that was hardly a surprise, there often scuffles and all out brawls taking place there, but not at this hour. An informant of the Ministry had been sleeping soundly in a corner when he'd heard the rush of feet stream past as people had fled the premises. Looking up he'd seen the beating begin, and had immediately hightailed it out himself, not giving a backward glance as he ran for the nearest Ministry point of patrol. The High street of Hogsmeade.

Chloe had been leaning against a house on the outskirts of the village, where the mainstreet really began, watching the arrivals of various individuals. On the look out for any who looked in the least bit suspicious; she'd stopped and searched ten people already, including an old granny who'd believed herself quite safe from a stop search. Chloe had had to restrain the demented old woman as she'd lunged at her young apprentice, a simple flick of her wand had taken the old lady by complete surprise. Chloe had to admit that her young apprentice was rather too eager, especially wanting to search any girls arriving, she'd have to watch otu for that; Tim would soon learn. So Chloe had been watching her apprentice with a raised eyebrow as he ordered a young lady to show him what she held in her handbag; not a good idea, especially the way he said it. She'd been about to step in, before he was threatenedn with another handbag flying at his head, when the informant had rushed up to her, panting heavily and blarting out about the rucous. They'd dropped everything. "Tim head back to base and bring up reinforcements, I'll meet you there directly." With that she command Chloe briskly walked off, near smiling as Tim ran to the ministry owned house to bring some back-up. Chloe walked calmly, but quickly, she didn't want to get there too quickly, and arise unnecessary attention, waiting for back-up was her plan, to make sure they dealt witht this swiftly, and mercilessly. She envisaged a large brawl, but the informant, who jogged alongside her, said it had been three large men attacking the one; no ordinary fight then.

Coming up on the inn Chloe slipped out her wand, creeping forward cautiously, her back pressed up against the houses as she moved along the row to the end where the Hog's Head stood. Raising a hand to stop her informant she whispered her thanks then moved along a few more steps to peek in through the grimy, stained window. Unable to clearly see those within she surmised there were at least two people crouched over a prone body, no one held the fallen man in their arms, perhaps they were helping him, unless they held a knife to his throat. Unsure due to the poor visibility she threw caution to the wind, they could be killing the man, deciding not to wait for back-up she hurriedly thought up a plan. Make it seem as if there were plenty of people to bring them in. With a swish of her wand she opened the door calling in, "Magical Law Enforcement, we've the building surrounding, come out with your hands up." If they did she'd simply stun them one by one as they exited. If all went to plan, now she only had to hope her back-up arrived quickly.

[Fitz Hargreaves]

Pocketing his wand, hoping he'd have no further use for it, Fitz now knelt beside Catt trying to assess the seriousness of his injuries, and failing quite utterly, they looked bad to him, yet were they deep, could they get infected? He couldn't say with any measure of certainty. Sure he'd done a few articles on medicines before, and even first aid, but he'd never had the actual life experience. Only his own writing where he'd claimed a substantial knowledge simply so his readers would believe his words. In reality he had no idea how to cast spells that would stop blood from flowing, that was until that fateful night, when he'd seen death first hand, then he'd learnt the hard way and had learnt a couple of healing spells, but only to a small degree, he was in no way proficient. He wouldn't even trust himself to heal a papercut.

So he looked to Aurélie, unfortunately she wasn't exactly brimming over with confidence either. "Same here," he replied hish shoulders hunching as he tried to figure out what would be best for their friend. "They're way beyond me," he grimaced on seeing a particularly gruesome looking slash across Catt's chest.

"True," he muttered his agreement knowing the Ministry wouldn't be far behind them, knowing their luck, and Catt showed just how low their luck had sunk. Turning to look at the unconcious thugs, he gave them a once over, searching for any means of identifying them, nothing not even a scrap of paper. "No ID," he muttered distractedly, "Rogues or a private matter between them?" He pondered aloud, scratching his chin in deep thought as he mused aloud. "Rogues wouldn't do this would they? How'd they know he's a Rose? But then why would Catt have anyone with such an agenda against him? They meant to kill him." He shook his head trying to figure it out was near impossible, but he was determined. Guessing they'd have to wait until Catt woke later, Fitz rushed to help Aurélie lift him. Wondering if he could lift his dead weight, he clicked his fingers in inspiration, "a spell of course." Taking his wand out he whispered "levicorpus," flicking it upwards and drifting Catt's body into the air.

Suddenly a voice cut through the air, Fitz wheeled about in shock, nearly losing his concentration and dropping Catt to the floor. "Bugger, they're here already," he cursed eyes narrowing as he looked to their front, there was likely only one way out, if they were quick, gesturing towards the back way he whispered, "cover me." Then proceeded directly to take Catt through the back, moving around behind the bar, he wafted his colleague over the counter, knocking over a bottle in the process, "meh," he muttered, drawing his companion towards the back door, and opening it as quietly as he could. Unfortunately the barman was on the other side, and was determined to keep his produce, alocohol in particular safe, with his superior bulk he held the door against the slighter Fitz, he yanked hard on the door but couldn't budge it. "Damn it," he didn't immediately think to blast the door open, no it was Fitz, he rarely thought like that. "What do we do?" He asked Aurélie, his voice near breaking as he settled Catt's prone form down behind the bar. He was too slow witted for this sort of thing, give him a quill anyday.