"Besides the Ministry of Magic personnel, was there anyone else at the scene?" Alan suddenly remembered the dragons Kiki had mentioned and couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, there were others. About six or seven individuals were bound with Magic-Suppressing Handcuffs, and there were several dragons there too!" As Kiki recalled this, her eyes sparkled with excitement; she had never seen a dragon with her own eyes before.
"More than one dragon? Could you describe them to me? How many there were, their condition, colors, sizes, and so on." Alan hadn't yet taught Kiki about magical creatures, so he expected she wouldn't recognize the species on her own.
"Yes, Master. I counted five dragons in total. They were all very large—probably five or six meters long and two meters tall even when lying on the ground. They looked similar, so they must be of the same species: covered in smooth, brass-colored scales with fangs, a black ridge along their spines, and yellowish horns on their heads."
"When I found them, they were all tightly bound with chains. Two were motionless, either unconscious or dead, while the other three were struggling but kept under control by the Aurors. When Aseria and her team arrived, they took over the Aurors' work, and the Ministry staff jointly cast spells on the dragons to put them to sleep."
Listening to Kiki's description, Alan lowered his head in thought, quickly determining that the species was a Peruvian Vipertooth. Their size actually wasn't large compared to other dragons; Kiki likely only thought they were huge because she had no frame of reference. Although the Vipertooth is small, its danger level is extreme. Its fangs possess highly toxic venom, and rumors suggest the Dragon Pox Curse is linked to this species. Alan knew this to be true; his metal magic book recorded that the saliva and teeth of a Peruvian Vipertooth were essential raw materials for the curse.
However, he remembered that the habitat of this dragon was in the Americas; they were named for being first discovered in Peru. *So how did they appear in Britain? Smuggling? But over such a distance, how did these smugglers transport them?* Alan was at a loss for answers. He shook his head, clearing his worries for the moment. The intelligence was still too thin; he needed more information.
He looked back at Kiki. "Any other discoveries at the scene?"
"Reporting, Master: after I arrived, I found many traces of battle, and the surroundings were sealed off by various jammers. Aseria and the others must have arrived on foot. Also, every one of those Aurors was wearing our equipment; it seems they really rely on it," Kiki boasted proudly.
Alan nodded. Indeed, areas covered by Anti-Apparition Jammers cannot be entered by Apparition, though House-elves like Kiki could come and go freely.
"Oh, right—besides the dragons, there were only those handcuffed wizards. I noticed that their clothing was quite different from what we see in Britain," Kiki added.
"In what way?" Alan raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
"Their clothing wasn't as formal as ours. Both their shirts and coats were very loose, and the colors were much brighter, unlike our mostly plain tones," Kiki described.
"It seems they are indeed smugglers from the Americas." Alan nodded, then looked at Kiki again. "What happened next?"
"Later, most of the Aurors took the prisoners away. Only a small group and Aseria's team remained. They tied the dragons to large wooden boards and had them pulled away by black flying horses. I followed from a distance until they returned to the Ministry. This morning, I found that Aseria had gone home, so I came to Hogwarts immediately to find you," Kiki reported.
"So you spent the entire night on this?" Alan looked at the exhausted elf. "You've worked hard. You should rest for a day here at Hogwarts before going back."
"I'm not tired, Master. I need to rush back to look after the shop. It's late, and the family shop hasn't even opened yet. It will affect your business," Kiki said, forcing herself to stay awake.
"Nonsense!" Alan glared at her. "That shop can wait. Right now, you must rest. This is a command."
"Yes… Master." Kiki realized she had made him angry and immediately lowered her head nervously.
"Go to Hagrid's hut and get some sleep. I'll bring you something to eat. Don't worry about Diagon Alley today. Go now," Alan urged.
After arranging for Kiki to rest, Alan pondered the events of the night. It was clearly a large-scale Ministry operation aimed at capturing illegal smugglers dealing in high-risk magical creatures. The equipment the Ministry had been so eager to purchase was clearly meant for this very arrest.
However, smuggling is usually discreet, yet the Ministry seemed to know exactly when and where to strike. It appeared something had happened prior to the equipment purchase that tipped them off.
*So, what role did Aseria and the Silver Spear play in this?* Alan wondered. He had suspected Aseria for a long time. Now that he knew her original wand had been replaced with the aspen wand—standard issue for the Silver Spear Dueling Club—and that she was hiding her true strength, the connection was undeniable. To say she had no link to the Silver Spear was impossible.
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