A cursory, magically-aided glance around the corner confirmed the report: physical barricades, half a dozen wands poking through gaps, probably every defensive magic they know stopping anything getting through. Taking a step back from the corner, Billy considered his options.

AK was off the table, regardless of precautions taken.: Blackwell wanted prisoners regardless of casualties, and despite any misgivings Billy might have he had to abide by the decision. A frontal assault would be suicide without proper equipment, which Billy did not have. Tunneling under the floors would probably cause serious issues with the ward matrices, and Billy was absolutely not qualified to disentangle them, especially under fire. Going up would have a similar problem, and from what little he knew about the ministry's layout the elevators are the only way a layman can get around the structure.

There was, however, another means of attack: blow through the connecting rooms, whose thin wooden walls would be hopefully free of any magical infusion. At the very least the defenses on the flanks of the barricade would be weaker; Billy bet they would be non-existent, and with surprise and ruthlessness the defending group would likely be able to be pacified with minimal casualties.

Finding the ursine man, Billy gave his suggestion. "Mr Blackwell, my plan would be to go through the connecting walls, breach behind the barricade and remove the defending forces."

With the man nodding his response, Billy set to work checking for traps and lifesigns on his projected path. Three wizards scurried down the hall, intent on suppressing the defenders. Two aurors jogged up beind Billy mid-incantation. He recognized one, a beanpole of a man, one Jeffrey Kayle. The other, a woman of modest build with short auburn hair introduced herself as Auror-in-training Michelle Gait.

Billy spoke after his incantation was completed. "Mr. Kayle, Ms. Gait. The first room is clear of anything. The second on our path has several humans inside: we'll have to enter and subdue them non-lethally, friend or foe. Have either of you gone through breach training?". Kayle nodded, Gait shook her head. Both were obviously tense, both clenching their jaws and full of too much adrenaline to speak. Billy didn't need them to, and at least they weren't in tears. Billy raised his hand to the wall, a circle of plaster and wood six feet in diameter falling inwards with a dusty thud.

"Both of you prepare muffling charms and eye protection. Mr. Kayle, you'll take the left side, I'll take the right. Ms. Gait, support our entry. Understand?" Both nodded, already waving their wands to prepare the specified charms. Billy followed suit as he walked towards the wall, taking his place leaning against the garish yellow plaster, knocking an empty painting frame from its hanging dismissively. Kayle took up position a few strides away from him, Gait standing a off to the side, a few meters back.

Billy spoke quietly, trying furtively to make out any sound and failing. "Three. Two." Everyone tensed, Billy feeling his muscles contracting and burning slightly in anticipation. "One." He pointed his wand and the median point between himself and Kayle, and spoke softly and clearly.

"Inana Medocritate". With a bangs and the cracks of splintering wood, a roughly-circular hole formed in the wall, the excess debris being sucked back into the room, spraying in all directions. Fortunately, none hit Gait, though Billy managed to find time while he and Kayle pivoted to face the hole to chide himself for endangering her with a slap-dash casting job. Both men yelled as one, their wands pointing into the hole before they could identify anything inside, the tips of their mismatched wands just peeking through the makeshift aperture.

"Micosonitus Maxima!". Their wands lit up like the sun, dimmed to bearable levels by the enchantments. A sound filled the room, a screeching yelling roar, barely dampened by their own precautions and no doubt overwhelming the wards on at least two adjacent offices. To her credit, Ms. Gait barreled through the hole, wand at the ready, already making the motions for 'Stupefy'. A flash of light came through the damaged wall, and both Billy and Mr. Kayle lept through after the auror-in-training, wands whipping as they made to stun the hopefully incapacitated, hopefully uninjured occupants of the brown-painted office.