Disclaimer: All rights to Harry Potter and the literary properties concerned are held by JK Rowling. This story is based on the story "Long Live The Queen" by offsides and is set in that universe by his kind permission to the community.
Chapter One Off Shift
Tonks was in after a long shift that had led her down some of the seedier parts of Knockturn Alley. The parchment work on the arrest had been pretty straightforward. She was looking forward to a long hot bath, a glass of wine and some solid sleep, followed by an actual weekend off.
The desk man raised his hand as soon as he saw her. "Tonks. Sorry. DMLE wants to see you, his office."
Bloody hell. I almost made it. She couldn't think of anything that she'd done right or wrong that would call for either a bouquet or a brickbat from the Director of Magical Law Enforcement in person.
Rufus Scrimgeor had moved on after his brief and unsuccessful foray into politics, and Kingsley Shacklebolt had the job now. They'd never been drinking buddies even when they'd both been in the Order of the Phoenix, but certainly he deserved the appointment. He asked nothing of his people that he didn't give himself, though that wasn't much consolation given the hours he kept. Well, speculating was not going to get it done. She headed over to Mahogany Row where the Director and the other seniors had their offices.
Appearances mattered, so she adjusted her hair to brown and her face and appearance to normal. As a Metamorphmagus, all of those things she could change at will. Useful for an Auror working undercover, and it had kept her alive as a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
The door was open and the lights were on, so the thin hope that he'd gone home went glimmering. She knocked on the door frame and waited.
"Ah, Tonks. Please come in and have a seat." That smooth deep baritone had more than a few women daydreaming. Tall, very dark and very handsome didn't hurt, either. He was one of the few people who hadn't needed to be told twice that she hated her first name of Nymphadora, which got him more points from Tonks.
He picked up a file folder out of the stacks of parchment cluttering his desk and handed it to her. "I'll ask you to read this, please, and tell me what you think."
She took it and opened it. It was a standard Confidential Informant report.
CI# 443. Report rated C2.
That's a little odd. She remembered the system well enough.
Sources were rated A to E, and the reports themselves 1 to 5. A1 was as good as galleons, E5 was complete rubbish from a lying bastard. C meant that the source was middling reliable at best, but a 2 rating meant the report was about as good as you were going to get outside of an Auror's report or an interrogation under Veritaserum. A report graded higher than the source was unusual.
"Source reports that Death Eater sympathizers linked to the late Bellatrix Lestrange are preparing to take action against Sirius Orion Black, current Head of the House of Black. Method and timing unknown."
The report was signed Andrew Greengrass, Auror. Tonks pursed her lips and thought a bit before opening her mouth, always a good policy in the Boss's office. Greengrass was by reputation a competent man.
The Dark Lord and his marked followers had been taken down hard two years ago during what had become known as the Restoration when the Muggle … sorry, the non-Magical … Queen had taken very tangible steps to express her displeasure at the mis-governance of Magical Britain. Those who had questioned her authority to do so had found out just how disastrously wrong they were.
Bellatrix Lestrange had been a sadistic lunatic even by the standards of the Death Eaters. She was certainly dead of a sniper's bullet in the head, and a good thing too. How she could be plotting against anyone was certainly a puzzle. Greengrass had said "linked to", though. It was a little hard to say exactly what he might mean by that.
This was the sort of woolly thing that normally didn't make it this far up the food chain. Sirius Black's name on a report graded 2t changed that equation. Black had been one of the two people whose petition to the Sovereign had triggered the Restoration. Everyone knew that name of the other. Having harm befall him on DMLE's watch could result in said DMLE being called on the carpet in front of the Sovereign to explain why.
Albus Dumbledore had been there and by all accounts had not enjoyed it at all. He was retired and out of play, by Royal Command.
Tonks shrugged and decided to risk sounding dim. "That's not my beat, Sir. Could you give me a little background? Bellatrix Lestrange is quite definitely dead. How is there a credible threat here?"
Shacklebolt leaned back in his tall leather chair. "Well, all right. The marked Death Eaters were the inner circle. We suspect that at least some of them had their own networks of lower-level ... I believe the term is wannabes ... who were trying to work their way up to the inner circle. Unfortunately, we have no hard evidence or suspects to support an investigation."
"And now the inner circle is dead." Tonks replied. "Their smart move is to run and hide. I much doubt if loyalty to a cause is a concept to these people."
"These people aren't the brightest wands in the shop, Tonks." Shacklebolt replied. "We believe the Death Eaters had means of enforcing obedience - means that may have run past their own deaths."
Tonks thought about that. There were ways to do that, though past the death of the person casting that spell was a new wrinkle. "They would have to have submitted to that voluntarily, Sir."
"And that takes us back to these people not being the brightest wands in the shop." Shacklebolt replied reasonably.
Tonks was willing to grant him that. The Death Eaters had been very deep into very dark wizardry. Something like that was actually ... uncomfortably plausible. Given that, there was certainly cause for concern. The suspects would have been able to stay underground for two years, so they had at least some street smarts. Ruthlessness was a given.
"What would you like me to do, sir?" she asked carefully.
"I believe you have family ties with Sirius Black. He would more likely be receptive to hearing this from you. At least, he should be warned." Shacklebolt replied reasonably.
"I can do that, Sir." Tonks replied. "Who was the CI?"
"Mundungus Fletcher. I think you know him."
Tonks did, from her days in the Order. Kingsley did as well, she was sure. Petty criminal, coward, and ne'er-do-well. Albus Dumbledore's eyes and ears in the underbelly of the magical world. No great surprise that he had wound up as an informant.
"The rest of the family should also be warned, but I will leave that to your discretion. You've had a hard day, Tonks. I'll not take any more of it." He said, waving her a courteous dismissal and turning back to the work on his desk.
Tonks was out the door and down the hall before the penny dropped. Smooth, Kingsley. Very smooth.
It was late in the evening when she arrived at the door of the House of Black. She was one of the very few people for whom that door was visible, far less accessible.
Sirius answered the door himself. "Tonks. Good to see you. Please come in and be welcome."
Kreacher the house elf brought tea. It was hot, strong and very welcome. "What brings you here, cousin?"
"I have some news, Sirius. Not very good news, I'm afraid. It concerns you and Harry."
Sirius held up his hand to stop her, and said to Kreacher, "Please ask my son to join us."
It took a couple of minutes before Sir Harry Potter came down the stairs and poured himself a cup of tea. "Hello, Tonks. Good to see you."
"Good to see you, Sir Harry. I wish the circumstances were better." Tonks replied, carefully. He was looking well, she thought. He and Sirius both had had some time of peace to recover from the tumultuous events of the Restoration.
She decided to get right to it. The news wouldn't get any better with age. "We have an informant report, deemed credible, that there is a group of Death Eater sympathizers who are planning action against you, Sirius. Mentioned by name as the Head of the House of Black. There are, unfortunately, no other details."
"Are you likely to get in any trouble for telling us this, Tonks?" was Harry's immediate question.
She shook her head. "No, this is authorized by DMLE personally."
"Is there an investigation going on?" Harry asked.
"Not that I was told about, and I think I would have been. The report is pretty vague. There's really nowhere to go, especially with the new rules." Tonks said. Those changes were something that Aurors lived with every day.
She held up her hand before Harry could speak. "I don't question the need for them. Merlin knows there were abuses enough before Her Majesty cleaned house. Does mean we can't go on a fishing expedition."
It's not all sweetness and light now, either. Corners get cut and sometimes you dance with the devil to get it done. Not the time or place for that conversation, or the company, either. Tonks added mentally, then moved on.
He nodded. Sirius asked, "What do you recommend, Tonks?"
"I know you keep security here at 12 Grimmauld. I'd suggest that you review and update it, perhaps get someone in to do so. Don't go anywhere alone or without your wand. Apparate or go by Floo network if at all possible. If you have a regular pattern, haircut, pint at the local, change it. Keep your eyes open and if you see anything at all suspicious report it." Tonks replied, easily. Standard advice and good sense.
Sirius nodded, and she felt better. Unlike a lot of people, Sirius didn't need security explained to him. Staying alert was grained into the marrow of his bones by years on the run.
"Who was the source, Tonks?" Harry said, quietly. It wasn't a request.
"Mundungus Fletcher. He was … still is … a CI for Andrew Greengrass." Tonks replied at once.
Normally, divulging information like that to a 18 year old civilian would have got her in a world of trouble. Harry Potter was an ordinary 18 year old about as much as Albus Dumbledore was an ordinary schoolteacher. He was a civilian only in the sense that he was not an Auror.
Sir Harry James Potter, Knight Commander of the Victorian Order, was the personal Knight of the Queen. That was not just a title. That question, or any other from him, had the force of a Royal Command backed, if he so chose, by the Magic of the Realm. Aurors had rules, regulations and policy. Sir Harry had the authority to go anywhere, question anyone, and use any and all force required on Her Majesty's Service. There was a short list of people that Harry Potter would go to Hell and back for, and Sirius Black was at the top of that list.
Well, you got what you wanted, Kingsley. May you not regret it. Tonks was far from sure that wish would be granted.
After he had graduated Hogwarts, Harry had been offered a position with the Crown Wizard's Office. He had turned it down. Then he had been invited to tea at Buckingham Palace, and he'd changed his mind. Tonks didn't blame him for wanting a quiet life, or for finding it hard to say no to the Queen.
"Tonks, I'm going to need your help on this." That wasn't a request, either.
She nodded. "I'll inform DMLE."
He cocked his head, clearly thinking out loud. "Fletcher tells the truth when he's more afraid of you than the people he's informing on. I think that's the case here, but I want a word with him myself to be sure. Checking for Imperius would be good, too."
Tonks nodded. "I'll have Greengrass set that up, sooner rather than later. Overt or covert?" Tonks didn't much care if Mundungus Fletcher showed up in Knockturn Alley with his throat cut, but that wasn't her decision.
"Covert. Right now he's our only lead." Harry replied. "I'll have the Crown Wizard's Office go through my back mail to see if there's anything that might be relevant. That will take some time. It's a long cast at a venture, but worth a try."
It took Tonks a couple of seconds to do the arithmancy. Boy Who Lived, personal Knight of the Queen, etc., etc. There was going to be a lot of mail, and a lot of it was going to be from eccentrics and outright lunatics. All of it would have to be checked for curses and Merlin knew what else. There weren't enough hours in the day for him to deal with it himself. It all had to be opened, sorted, and filed against the day, like today, when it just might be useful.
Remind me not to apply for that job. Tonks didn't always like the one she had, but there were worse ones.
Major Stanley Lee, Commander of Her Majesty's Magical Military Squad, looked up as the envelope appeared in his In basket with a subdued pop. He picked it up and tapped it with his wand to open it. Reading it didn't take long. From the Crown Wizard's Office, of course, with that means of delivery. He read it quickly, then re-read it to make sure had the details right.
The name of the MMS had been accurate years ago. It had been a small detachment of soldiers who could use a wand as well as well as a rifle, tasked to the safety of the Sovereign. Now they were the Magical world's SAS, and not much smaller, either. Grindelwald and Voldemort had put paid on the comfortable idea of just letting the Magical Realm sort its own problems.
"O Group, Troop Commanders and RSM, now." That announcement was going to put the rumour mill in high gear, but that was just a fact of military life. The Troop Commanders would brief their people from what came out of the Orders Group. Normally the Deputy Commanding Officer would be there as well, but he was on leave.
"Good morning, gentlemen. We have a heads up from Crown Wizard's office. There is an intelligence report, deemed credible, of possible Death Eater activity. Not top tier, but second tier who escaped the clean-up. The force is at 12 hours notice to move at this time, and routine training is suspended. There will be a section strength Quick Reaction Force, heavy weapons and transport, configured to operate in a high-magic environment. Rotate that among the Troops."
The RSM's nod said that the QRF would be ready as soon as humanly possible. The Troop Commanders of X, Y and Z Troops finished taking notes and looked up.
"The intel report is sketchy. The target is reportedly Sirius Black, a prominent supporter of Her Majesty. CWO has a high level asset on the ground checking out the report, and we will get updates as they have them."
X Troop was commanded by Lieutenant McKendrick, who was new in the force. "Due respect, Sir, but does this asset know what he's about?"
The Z Troop Commander chuckled. "Let me guess, Sir. The asset has Sir in front of his name."
Lee agreed to that by saying nothing.
The Z Troop Commander nodded. "He knows what he's about. If he calls in the clans, make sure you're loaded for basilisk. He doesn't start at shadows."
Major Lee made a mental note that McKendrick seemed to have the good sense to listen to the old hands.
"Has Black gone into hiding, sir?" that question came from the Y Troop Commander.
"Negative. He's upped his personal security and is spending less time on the non-Magical side, but that's it for now." Lee replied.
"Dismissed to your duties, gentlemen." Lee concluded, and watched them leave. This might be a teapot tempest. A lot of them were. But if you were long enough in the Army, you got a feel for these things.
I don't have a good feeling about this one.