Order of the Hidden Dragon

Albus tried not to get distracted as he frantically tried to remember how Sophia's computer worked. How could he have been so stupid and left her alone? He should have realised that she would be a target! The Knocker had been waiting for exactly this scenario! He didn't even want to think about what he could be doing to her. He had evaded capture again, just when they thought they had him cornered. And Sophia didn't even have a Tracker!

He wanted to punch the stupid computer, but he knew that that wouldn't help anything. He was back at the Base for the Order, where what she called her "mainframe" still was. He knew it was linked to her laptop. The one the Knocker had taken with him. He hoped it wasn't broken.

"Albus! What are you doing here? I thought you were in France with Sophia!" a voice said behind him. Mary. He had hoped not to run into her, but maybe she could help. Mary seemed to realise something was wrong at once.

"What happened?"

"Sophia was kidnapped."

Mary gasped.

"By the man you were chasing?"

"Yes."

"What do you need?"

"Do you know how this works? He took her laptop, and I know she can trace it from this, but it won't start."

"I know how to start it, but I don't know her password."

"I do."

"You do? How? She never tells anyone her passwords."

"She's typed it next to me many times. I can find it within a few attempts."

Mary decided not to waste time asking about the details. She went down on her knees and pressed something under the desk. The computer lit up at once.

"Sophia mentioned it's that box under the desk that is the actual computer. This is just the screen it's connected to," she said. "Now we need to guess the password."

Within seconds, Albus was in and looked at what Mary called the desktop. But he didn't see anything like what Sophia had pointed out as the best way to trace the computers! He started pressing some of the buttons on the keyboard and eventually found what was labelled the control panel. From there he found what he needed. Sophia had shown him this. He breathed more evenly, as every painful second ticked by while the computer worked. Finally, he got the answer. The laptop was in Blackpool. Had he really returned to Britain? Or had he just left the computers there? No matter, he had the information he needed. He made sure to take note of the exact spot, just like Sophia had done, and remembered to say thank you to Mary before running outside again. There was no time to lose. The Knocker had already had Sophia hostage for over a day while they wasted time searching around in Marquise. He should have gone back to the Order Base immediately to track the computer.

He quickly returned to the Ministry, and they called in every available Auror. Most of them had already been there, since they had heard what had happened. Albus gave the coordinates, and they were off.

It didn't take long to find the correct warehouse. Was this too easy? Did the Knocker really not expect them to be able to find him again? They took every precaution and made as little noise as possible. He thought he heard a scream from inside, but he couldn't react to it. Rose held his hand to reassure him, or to hold him back. She had heard it too.

They didn't dare go through the doors, after seeing what he had prepared for them in France. He started slowly burning a hole through the wall. He heard the tail-end of a conversation.

"No thank you? Do you want to get shackled to the floor next? I don't know why I even bother."

Then he heard more screams from Sophia, and it took all he had to not just break down the wall then and there.

He finally had a large enough opening and stepped through. He saw Sophia splayed down on the floor of a large cage, unable to move, but clearly in pain. She saw him but managed to keep talking, keeping the Knocker's attention on her.

"You really are a monster," he heard her say as he sneaked closer and closer. "I thought they were exaggerating, but they are right. Who else would find pleasure in torturing others?"

"I'm a monster?" the Knocker said. "Am I the one who leaves creatures abandoned on the street? Wizards go to great lengths to hide these creatures, leaving them in cages just slightly larger than mine…" whatever else he was about to say was cut off as Albus knocked him on the head and he fell on the floor. He didn't even wait to see if he had killed the man before running over to Sophia. He ripped away the cage and held her tightly. She didn't seem to have been harmed physically, but he had clearly tortured her with the chain, just like Scorpius had described. He ripped the thing off, it hadn't been on more than a day. The way she sobbed out his name threatened to make him cry as well. He was barely even aware of the other Aurors coming in and securing the Knocker and some of them helping the person in the other cage, probably Yang, onto a stretcher.

"Can you walk?" Albus asked after they had held on to each other for several minutes. She just shook her head.

"I can barely even move. How did you find us?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when we're out of here."

"Where are we?"

"In Blackpool."

"He returned to Britain?"

"Yes. He probably thought he was clever."

Albus stood up, carrying her in the most comfortable way he could. Rose saw and quickly produced a stretcher for her as well. He lowered her down on it.

"No. Don't leave me," Sophia said in a vulnerable voice. Albus hadn't intended to.

"I'll be right here," he whispered. He didn't let go of her hand, just started walking them both out of the opening he had made.

"What about Yang?" she asked.

"We got him out as well. Don't worry. It's all over now." Albus reassured her as he Disapparated with her.