Snakes & Secrets || Ominis Gaunt

Chapter Fourteen: A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

Felix had just touched his feet on the ground when he heard a voice calling his name from across the pitch.

"Felix!"

He turned to see Poppy Sweeting running toward him, wide eyed and looking a little dishevelled. His teammates looked around amusedly at the girl as they headed toward the changing rooms, tired at the end of a long quidditch practice.

"What's wrong?" Felix asked in concern when Poppy was close enough for him to see her properly. There was a panicked look in her eyes.

"It's the poachers," she gasped. "I found something - and some of it has to do with you. I need you to come with me," she said urgently.

Felix nodded and hooked his leg back over his broom, gesturing for Poppy to climb on behind him. She did so nervously, she wasn't really a fan of flying on a broom, much preferring Highwing as her flying companion.

Felix kicked off and shot into the air as Poppy tightly wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Tell me where to go!" he called to her over his shoulder. She yelled directions down his ear and then buried her face into his back, peeking out every so often to check they were going the right way.

"Here!" Poppy called and tugged on Felix's forearm. He guided them slowly down to the ground, touching down at the edge of the forest.

The moment their feet hit the ground, Poppy slid off the broom and panted for air. Felix climbed off and stowed his broom in some bushes nearby, hiding it from plain view, as he often did when he went out adventuring.

"Are you alright?" Felix called as he walked over to Poppy.

"Fine," she gasped. "Felix, I was in Hogsmeade and I overheard some poachers, they were talking to people in the town, I think they're trying to recruit. But Felix, they mentioned you. They're looking for you." Poppy's eyes were wide and it was clear she was shaken by what they'd heard.

"What did you hear?" Felix asked seriously.

"They were asking people if they'd seen you, where they might be able to find you. They were... there was a lot of them. It sounded bad," she said anxiously.

Felix sighed and punched the bridge of his nose. "They've been looking for me for a while, don't worry."

"Is this to do with Rookwood? I was there that day in Hogsmeade with the trolls, I remember him threatening you."

"Yes, he's after something I found, he's working with Ranrok," Felix sighed.

"What? Felix, this isn't good!" Poppy was bouncing anxiously on the spot.

"I know. But right now I'm more worried about what you found," he said to redirect her focus.

Poppy filled him in on everything. How she'd followed the poachers after hearing them talking about a place called 'Horntail Hall', how she'd tracked them to a clearing nearby.

"We better go check this out then." Felix took the lead, the two of them skirting just inside the tree line to avoid detection. When they reached the camp, they found it abandoned.

"What? They were here just hours ago," Poppy said in confusion.

"Let's look around," Felix said quietly. The fire was still burning lowly, so he had a feeling they weren't too far away. The camp was strange, cages and equipment left lying around. When Felix's eyes set on a gigantic collar too large for any wizard or goblin, he gulped hard. It reminded him far too much of the collar the dragon was wearing the day of the carriage attack. He took a deep breath and looked away before the anxiety could rise too much inside him.