A/N: I originally wrote this before HBP, but it has since been edited to fit new canon and thus has spoilers. It was always slightly AU, but that's half the fun. There are spoilers for Star Wars, too, if by chance you haven't seen the original films. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, the Excalibur Hotel and Casino, or Star Wars


Part One of Three

Las Vegas, Tonks decided, was the best city she had ever been in. Everything moved so quickly. The lights were dazzling and the excitement filled her senses. The bright green hair she currently sported fit right in with the crowds of wizards and Muggles alike. It seemed fitting that the American magical community had chosen this city as the location for its government. They could practically wander the streets in robes and cloaks and not look out of place. This was a city Tonks longed to explore.

For this reason, Tonks regretted that she was, in fact, on a mission for the Order. Since the Ministry was now taking an active role in the war against Voldemort, they had started recruiting foreign wizards, sending members of the Department of International Magical Cooperation all over Europe. The Ministry did not see the need to involve the American witches and wizards, but Dumbledore had always insisted they were the best at dealing with terrorist activity and other incidents involving murderous madmen.

Since Dumbledore's untimely death, the Order had realized he had been right about needing help, and they had all agreed to carry out his wishes despite the Ministry. Tonks knew this plan was sound, as the American magical community had always had more problems dealing with extremists and Muggles in general. Their intelligence department was the best in the world.

Her mission was to inform the American Secretary of Magic of Voldemort's return and ask for his support in eliminating the threat posed by the Death Eaters. As an Auror, she had decent credibility, and she hoped she could convince the man to send some of his experts to England. She also hoped this would not take too much time. She was using her vacation time for this mission, and she wanted to fit in at least some semblance of vacation.

"Why did Minerva arrange for us to stay in a casino?" Remus Lupin, who was Tonks's partner for the mission, was not as amused by the city as she was. After the long layover in International Portkey Customs, he was in quite a foul mood. He was also, however, the only member of the Order with unlimited free time for long missions, since he had given up his undercover work with that nutter Fenrir Greyback.

"All the good hotels in Vegas have casinos. It's one of the city's main attractions."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression we were here to request American support in the war against Voldemort, not gamble away our savings playing stupid little games," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

Tonks flashed him a brilliant smile. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Come on, this city is great! Doesn't it make you want to do something crazy?"

Remus made a point of glancing around at the flashing signs, oversized advertisements and general chaos that was the Las Vegas strip. "No. In fact, all I want right now is to find this hotel and take a nice long nap."

"Be that way," Tonks replied, humming a happy tune as she walked a few feet in front of Remus. In the distance, she could see what looked to be a large medieval castle. As they drew closer, she read the name on the sign outside – Excalibur Hotel Casino.

"You've got to be kidding me," Remus said as Tonks dragged him to the front desk.

"Hello!" she said brightly as she approached the clerk, successfully managing to avoid tripping over the elegant woven carpet. "We have a reservation for Tonks and Lupin."

The woman fiddled with her computer and printed off a receipt. Not for the first time, Tonks was thankful for the many visits to her Muggle grandparents' house. It made her much more knowledgeable when it came to situations like this.

Tonks took two key cards from the clerk, who reminded them they must check out before eleven in the morning on Saturday. The woman smiled knowingly as Tonks handed a card to Remus. With a huge grin, Tonks dragged him to the elevator.

"Nymphadora, this is so tacky," Remus commented as they passed several fake suits of armor. "Minerva must be getting a good laugh out of this – oh good grief, the Merlin Theater. This is ridiculous."

"What, you've never seen the muggle version of magic? My dad's Muggleborn. I've been to Disney World…trust me, this is tame," Tonks whispered as she pressed the button for the elevator. "And don't call me Nymphadora."

"Sorry, I don't get out much," Remus replied sarcastically.

"Well, we'll just have to change that." Tonks pulled him into the elevator and pushed the number 14. If only he knew how much she wanted to change that. She thought they had made progress, but now he was back to his moody self.

They rode the elevator in silence. When it stopped at level fourteen, Tonks stepped out and extended the handle on her muggle suitcase so she could wheel it along behind her. Remus stepped out as well, looking confused.

"Nymphadora, there was no thirteenth story. The numbers skipped from twelve to fourteen."

Tonks stopped in front of a door marked with the number "1430" and inserted her key card. "Well naturally. The number thirteen is bad luck, after all. And stop calling me by that name."

"That's ridiculous. Even if it isn't numbered as such, this is still the thirteenth floor."

"You're thinking too rationally. Muggles are superstitious, especially in this country. If you recall, the States were mostly founded by religious exiles from Europe. Puritans, the lot of them."

"Thank you ever so much, Nymphadora, for that riveting history lesson," said Remus as he stepped into the relatively tasteful room. "Hang on...why do we only have one room?"

"Don't call me Nymphadora." Tonks flopped into an armchair and began rifling through her bag. "Minerva was probably trying to save money. This hotel is expensive, but it's really close to the Department entrance. At least the bed is big," said Tonks thoughtfully.

Remus'mouth dropped open and his suitcase fell to the carpeted floor with a soft thunk. "There's only one bed?" he choked.

"Oh come off it; the bed is huge. Minerva is probably getting a big laugh out of this, like you said, and goodness knows she could use it. Besides, didn't you notice the look on the receptionist's face? People get married every five minutes in this city.Naturally they would think we're at least engaged, if not already newlyweds," Tonks remarked with a sly grin, silently thanking McGonagall for her excellent little shove in the right direction.

Remus made a face, but it was hard to tell if he was amused or horrified. He sighed loudly and made his way towards the bathroom. "I think I'll sleep on the floor."

Tonks shrugged, slightly amused by his gentlemanly attitude but still somewhat annoyed. "All right, whatever. Our meeting with Secretary Lucas is at nine."

"I know, I know. I'll be awake and ready to go, trust me. Good night, Nymphadora."

As Tonks pulled an oversized Weird Sisters shirt over her head, she realized she did not really mind when Remus called her Nymphadora. He had a way of making it sound much more pleasant. Smiling, she burrowed under the comforter and switched off the sword-shaped lamp.


"My, we're looking conservative today," Remus said as Tonks stepped out of the bathroom. He had figured out how to use the electric coffee machine and was sipping a mug of the strong-tasting stuff.

Tonks glanced down at her plain black pants and button-up blue blouse. "Well, I figured I should make an effort to look presentable. I've got my Auror robes for later, too."

"I meant your hair, not your clothes," Remus replied, gesturing to her mousy brown shoulder-length bob.

"Oh." Tonks twirled a piece of hair around her finger and looked at Lupin thoughtfully. Had he really not noticed that her hair had been this color for almost the entirety of the past year? "This is my real hair. This is what I really look like."

"Wow," Remus breathed, taking another slow sip of coffee. He stared at her for a few moments before shaking his head as if to clear an offensive thought. "Well, we'd best get a move on."

Tonks nodded, then looked at the mug in his hand. "Is that coffee any good?"

"No." Remus took the mug to the sink and poured the rest of its contents down the drain. "There's supposed to be a continental breakfast in the lobby. If we hurry, we might make it."

As it turned out, the continental breakfast consisted of the same bad coffee and several varieties of doughnuts. Tonks bit into a large jelly-filled one and watched a troupe of actors performing nearby. They appeared to be reenacting the tragic love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot.

"This is so tacky," Remus said, brushing doughnut crumbs from his khaki-colored jumper. "I had forgotten how inaccurate the Muggle version of this story was."

Tonks glanced at a nearby wall clock, which gave the time as a quarter to nine. "We should get going." She led the way down the hall and into the Merlin Theater. A narrow door seemed to appear out of the shadows just to the left of the stage, and Tonks pulled in Remus quickly.

"This is the entrance to the American Department of Magic?"

"Of course. The best hiding place is often right out in the open. I mean, who would suspect it? It's too obvious." Tonks pulled her Auror robes out of her pocket and enlarged them to their normal size. After slipping them on somewhat haphazardly in the cramped space, she pulled out her wand and tapped the grate covering an air vent. "Bridget Bishop," she said clearly.

Remus shook his head and coughed loudly. Tonks looked at him curiously. "Why is the password the name of the first woman to be hanged for witchcraft in seventeenth century Salem?" he asked incredulously. Tonks did not respond; he couldn't really expect an answer to that question, right? She waited for the grate to disappear and the hole in the wall to expand to the size of a normal doorway. "These Americans must be out of their minds," Remus muttered as he followed Tonks through the doorway.

The main floor of the Department was not as glitzy as the city outside. The walls were a crisp white, and witches and wizards bustled about normally as though the world's most expensive playground was not lurking nearby. Many of them, Tonks noted, were dressed like Muggle professionals, though a few still wore robes. Tonks suspected the magical community here did not hold to as many of the old traditions as did its European counterparts.

"Name and business," the witch behind the visitor's desk stated. "You'll need to show your wands as well."

"My name is Nymphadora Tonks, and this is Remus Lupin. We are guests from England, here to meet with Secretary Lucas." She obligingly set her wand on the counter, and stepped back so Remus could do the same.

The woman checked her schedule and nodded, handing Tonks two name badges. After a quick inspection of their wands, she returned them and smiled. "The secretary's office is on the fifth floor. The elevator is just down that hall."

Remus and Tonks pinned on their name badges and walked towards the elevator. The Department building was more or less similar to the British Ministry, but the Americans had clearly integrated more Muggle technology. The elevator stopped at level five with a soft "ding."

After checking in with the Secretary's clerk, they settled into squashy armchairs to wait for their appointment. Tonks picked up an issue of "Magical Time," which appeared to be an American wizarding publication. It contained the typical news and gossip, but there was no mention of Voldemort anywhere. Perhaps the Americans did not see him as something that could affect them.

"Mr. Lupin? Ms. Tonks? The Secretary will see you now," the receptionist said pleasantly, gesturing towards a plain oak door with a gold name plate. Tonks and Remus exchanged a look, then pushed open the door together.

"Well hello!" a man with graying hair and a full beard said cheerfully. "You must be the diplomats from the British Ministry. My name is Clifford Lucas. Please, sit down. Can I get you some coffee?"

Tonks and Remus both declined the coffee politely and took their seats in front of the Secretary's large desk. The walls of the office were decorated with what looked like Muggle movie posters, and a large cardboard cutout of a man wearing a long black cape and a black helmet stood in one corner.

"Hey, that's Darth Vader!" Tonks exclaimed, pointing at the cardboard statue.

"Who?" Remus asked, puzzled.

"Really, Remus, you need more Muggle friends. Darth Vader is the villain in a series of films called Star Wars. My dad loves the Muggle cinema. I take it you are a fan as well, Mr. Lucas?" Tonks inquired politely.

Mr. Lucas reclined in his chair and chuckled softly. "Actually, George Lucas is my brother."

"No? Really! My dad would be so excited!" said Tonks with a grin. Remus still looked confused. "So, is he a wizard, then?"

"Yep," Mr. Lucas said proudly. "That's why he named his company 'Industrial Light and Magic.' Always hide out in the open, I say." He took a large drink of coffee before continuing. "So, about this Voldemort fellow. The message I received didn't explain much, aside from the fact that whoever wrote the missive kept referring to him as 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.' Seemed a bit weird."

Remus spoke first, glad the topic had switched to something he could discuss. "Voldemort returned about almost two years ago, but our Ministry has only recently taken an active role in the fight against him. We are, therefore, behind in our plans regarding his removal from power."

"Why did it take so long for his return to be recognized?" Mr. Lucas inserted.

"The only witness to the return was a fourteen-year-old wizard named Harry Potter," Remus explained. "Naturally, the Ministry did not want to believe the truth."

Mr. Lucas nodded thoughtfully. "Ah yes, the Boy Who Lived. I recall hearing that story. Let me guess, Potter is the only one who can eliminate Voldemort and restore order to the wizarding world?"

"How in the world did you guess that?" Remus asked skeptically. There had been speculation in the Prophet, of course, but it seemed unlikely that Lucas would have read that. "That information is highly classified; only a select few are aware of it." After Dumbledore's death, Harry had only told himself, Tonks, and Moody so they would leave him alone. Harry was convinced he had to work by himself.

"It's like Star Wars," Tonks replied easily. "Except Voldemort is most definitely not Harry's father." Remus opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again and put a hand to his forehead. "Sorry, Remus, I keep forgetting that your knowledge of Muggle pop culture ends with the phonograph," Tonks teased. She looked back at Mr. Lucas seriously. "Anyway, back to business."

"Right," said Mr. Lucas, sending a small smile in Remus' direction. "I assume you are looking for several of our terrorism experts to help coordinate a form of 'search and destroy?'"

Remus nodded. "Albus Dumbledore, who was one of our most well-respected wizards, believed the American input would be a great asset. He always wanted to arrange a task force, if you will, that would be in place until the threat is eliminated. He was…killed…about a month ago, and with this great loss the Ministry has finally acknowledged that we need help. Part of the operation could be based here, but it would be necessary for several of your experts to spend at least a little time in Britain."

Mr. Lucas stroked his beard and took another long swig from his coffee mug. "I will get in touch with the head of our intelligence department and arrange a meeting for later this week. Could the two of you make it here Friday, same time?" Remus and Tonks both nodded, and Lucas clapped his hands eagerly. "Good! Well, Mr. Lupin, Ms. Tonks, it has been a pleasure. I will see you on Friday."

As they rode the elevator back to the lobby, Remus questioned Tonks about Star Wars. "What were you going on about, with Voldemort not being Harry's father? What has that got to do with anything?"

"That's a big plot of the films. The villain is actually the hero's father. The hero himself shares many of Harry's characteristics, oddly, which is why Lucas more or less figured out the prophecy. It's kind of hard to explain if you haven't seen the actual films. Maybe we could get them in the hotel. We have two days of free time, after all," said Tonks with a wide grin. "Las Vegas, here we come!"

Remus stifled a laugh as Tonks' joyful exclamation was cut off by her crashing into an elegantly carved bench. "I can hardly wait," he said gravely.