Notice: Harry Potter, Tom Riddle, and any other characters you may recognize in this story are the property of JKR and/or whoever had the brains, contacts, and cash (or other negotiable items) to secure the rights to them. Alas, I had the brains, just none of the other stuff.

After the Park

Tonks had hurried to try to at least keep Harry in sight. It stunned her that the young man who had just ran the equivalent of six miles in under thirty minutes would have the ability to out pace her so badly. Maybe the Order should look for someone from the Nigerian Olympic team to be a guard. As Tonks swung onto Privet Drive, she was just in time to see and hear the door slam at #4.

When Tonks got back to #4 herself, she had a quiet chat with Kingsley and Hestia; making sure that Harry got back and that it actually was him going though the door.

"Yeah, that was him coming back that you heard. That boy is seriously pissed off." Kingsley said when Tonks asked about it. "Funny. He seemed like he was okay when he left here earlier. Did anything happen to him at the park?"

Tonks paused a moment before answering her friend and fellow auror. She knew the first rule for surveillance was 'Never talk to your target.' She could just see Kingsley reading her the riot act if she told him the entire story. She also knew that she was now yet another reason (albeit unwittingly) that Harry was upset. She obviously had a few things to think about in her relationships with Harry, the Order, and Albus.'I think I'll keep this to myself until I can check some facts.'

"No, He ran ten laps around the park and then came back. When he was close enough, it looked like he was saying something over and over again, but I just put it down to a cadence to keep the running rhythm going. I'm going to get back to my post."

Once back on the other side of the house, Tonks settled down for a good, hard, thinking session. According to Albus, the blood wards should keep the Death Eaters or anyone else who wished to harm Harry from being able to gain access to the lot known as #4 Privet Drive. She was here to keep the Death Eaters from kidnapping Harry and to keep him from being hurt, wasn't she? According to Harry, she had failed in that last part miserably. According to the above statements from Albus, there was no need for her to be watching Harry, except when he left the property.

Why then, would Harry need three guards, all under orders not to speak to him, but to report his actions to the headmaster? How would Vernon and Dudley Dursley be able to have access to the property if they were going to harm Harry? Maybe it was just for wizards and witches that wanted to hurt him. As an auror and daughter of a muggleborn, Tonks knew that you could die just as easily from a rock to the back of the head as an Unforgivable curse.

What was it that Harry had yelled at her? Broken bones when he got back from the train station? As well as beatings when he was late with dinner? Starved? He looked fine when she spoke with him. A bit on the thin side, but other than that, no indication of a problem. No bruises on the face, nose straight. If he could run like that with broken ribs, what would he be like without them? Maybe she should check into that. Maybe he had some healing potions in his trunk from while he was at school. The only thing she knew for sure was that he wasn't lying about it. You don't lie while in full blown rant mode like he was.

Her thoughts stayed with her until the relief team consisting of Mad Eye Moody, Dung Fletcher, and Remus Lupin arrived. After giving them the basic report of "Still inside, went to the park for a run, came back and went back inside. Hasn't left." Tonks asked Alastor, "Does Harry have any healing potions in his trunk? Or in his hiding place in his room?"

Alastor's eye swirled around and looked through the house. "Nope, nothing up there but a privacy journal, his broom, some clothes, and his books. The kid's gonna blow a cheek off pretty soon if he isn't careful though. Still has that damned wand in his back pocket."

"Thanks Moody." Turning to Lupin, "Remus, how has he been sleeping? Any nightmares?"

"Actually, last night was the first time that I have seen him NOT have a nightmare since he got back. Usually they wake him up around three or so. It might have something to do with the fact that he didn't get to bed until about two in the morning though. Moody said he spent a lot of time writing in that journal of his. I sure hope that it helps him. Why do you ask?" Remus was worried about his best friend's son. He knew that Harry had a lot on his mind. He may have had some doubts about what Dumbledore might be asking of Harry in the future, but was sure that it was for the best. After all, Albus Dumbledore was the greatest wizard since Godric Gryffindor, wasn't he?

"Oh, just wondering. He seemed very angry today when he was running, and still was when he returned. I've never seen anyone run like him before." Tonks evaded. 'Hmm. No potions. Every night at three. I wonder...' While thinking this, she looked at everyone and said "Well, I better be going. Gotta get ready for a hot date." With that, she started off to the apparation point between the shed and the wall. A moment later there was a slight 'Pop' and she was gone.

Tonks did not have a date that night. It was just a good excuse to get away from everyone. Remus had decided to pull his 'Broken down old werewolf' routine to push her away one too many times. She decided she didn't need his drama in her love life right now. She worked with him in the Order, and wished him the best, well, second best. It just got to be annoying to throw yourself at someone, they seem to catch the hint, and just when things were going good, he'd bail out on her yet again. There's only so much a girl's ego can take. Even when you are incredibly beautiful, talented, and fun to be around. This always brought a smirk to her face.

Where she went was to the Ministry of Magic. Specifically, to Mafalda Hopkirk's domain. The Department of Underage Magic kept track of all magic by witches and wizards under the age of seventeen. Their sensors could tell whether it was intentional or accidental, and if intentional, what spell it was. If it was accidental or wandless, they could generally tell the type of spell and the power of the magic released.

"Wotcher Fletch!" Tonks greeted Fletcher Pratt, a fellow Ravenclaw as she walked through the door to the Department.

"Hey Tonks. Long time no see. Finally decide to take me up on that standing offer of marriage?" Fletcher Pratt had told her in his second year that he was madly, deeply, head-over-heels in love with her and that she would always have the option to marry him. The only trouble was that Tonks was a fifth year at the time. They still grew to be good friends, surprisingly enough, and it was now a long standing joke between the two of them.

"Sorry, no can do right now, Fletch. I do need to hit you up for a small favor, though. Can you tell me any magic that has taken place in the last say, ten days at #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?" Tonks asked.

"Hang on a sec. Gotta get the file." With that, Fletch disappeared into the back office. As he came back, Tonks saw a monstrous file in his hand. "Wow. Harry Potter? Don't tell me I've been jilted for a younger man. I've never seen a file this large on a kid before, though. Let's do some checking."

"Let's see... Two offenses of underage use of magic, one in... 1992, and the other just last year. Seems like the first was cake levitation, and the second was... a Patronus charm? Both dropped. Everything else seems to have been wandless or accidental. Yup. Six of them in the past eight days. Seems to be some kind of healing magic, earliest was at two forty seven in the morning and the latest at three thirty one, also in the morning. A couple of them pretty high level too. Don't know too many people that can pump that kind of power into a healing charm myself."

"What about the rest of this mess? Are they all the same?" Tonks was wondering what was going on at this point. According to the reports, there was never anyone around at that time of night for Harry or anyone else to be doing any unspecified healing spells.

Fletch did some random checks. "Pretty much, all in the middle of the night. All the way back to... November of 1984. What the hell is going on at that place?"

Tonks looked her friend in the eye and said "I have no idea, but I intend to find out."

"Hey Tonks, I've seen that look in your eye before. You had it when you were looking at Charlie Weasley like he was a dessert. Go easy on the kid. I don't think he can handle you."

"What are you talking about. He's just a person I'm doing surveillance on. Besides, I can be discrete!"

Fletch started laughing at this statement. "Oh, sure! Nymphadora Tonks, Miss Purple and Pink Hair herself! Discrete! The nearest you ever got to being discrete was when your hair was blue and bronze, and that was only on the quidditch pitch!"

"Fletch! Take that back! Take it back or I'll hex you into next week!"

"What? Your hair was always wild colors. Usually cycling through them and clashing as much as possible!"

"Not that, you prat! You said my first name!" Tonks declared as she put her wand under his chin.

"Oh! Sorry, Tonks. It just slipped out." Fletch said with a grin.

"Besides, I DON'T have a thing for Harry Potter. I just meant that I could find this out without him knowing about it." Tonks huffed.

"Damn. And there goes the money Teen Witch Weekly was going to pay for an interview with Harry Potter's latest girlfriend down the tubes." Fletch looked at Tonks mock-sorrowfully. "Are you SURE you won't reconsider being his girlfriend? For me? I'll even split the galleons with you!" Fletch had to duck as the wand was out and the hex went right where his head would have been.

"Good BYE Fletch. Thanks for the info, even if I don't quite know what to make of it yet. I owe ya one."

"That's okay. I'll wait till you owe me enough to make good on my offer!" Fletch called to her has she walked out the door.

Tonks now had a puzzle on her mind. She just didn't know if she would ever get all of the pieces to it. She headed back to her flat for dinner, a very stiff drink, and a lot of thinking.

A/N: Seemed like a good time to get another part of the plot line going. What did you think? please r&r. If there were spelling mistakes on this, I tried. Unfortunately at work the most advanced word processor I have is WordPad. No spellcheck. Ack.