Born to Run

Chapter 11


A month passed and for Ted, it felt like nothing had changed. Andromeda had gone back to quietly ignoring his presence, and he hers, but he couldn't help but continue to notice her worsening appearance each day. Her face was so colourless, her expression so devoid of animation, her body skinny and frail, like she was stretched too thin over life.

The papers too were growing worse every day. More and more deaths. Not a day passed without a report in the Prophet of a fresh murder. At first, it had just been Muggles and Aurors, but now there had been reports of Muggleborn witches and wizards found dead or reported missing. Ted couldn't deny he was scared. Being a Muggleborn, he himself was a target. And if, as he strongly suspected, Andromeda's family were involved in all this, he was practically first on their list.

And the rumours were everywhere. Rumours that this new Dark wizard had spies in all corners of the Wizarding World, even within the Ministry of Magic.

Each day, Ted waited, terrified for his parents, praying that they would remain unscathed. He hated this. He hated being stuck at Hogwarts, useless and futile, each day waiting in fear for more inevitable bad news to come. He wanted to do something, not just sit on the sidelines watching more and more innocent Muggles and wizards be slaughtered. It was time he did something about it.


"Come in."

Ted pushed open the heavy oaken door and stepped cautiously into Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Good morning, Mr Tonks, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore said, smiling benevolently at Ted from behind his half-moon spectacles.

Ted fidgeted slightly in the doorway.

"Please, do sit down, my boy." Dumbledore gestured to the tall backed wooden armchair in front of his desk.

"Thank you, sir," Ted said, sitting down hurriedly. "I wanted to talk to you about…well…the news."

A knowing look came into Dumbledore's eyes. "Of course, my boy, of course. You wish to discuss the rising of this Dark wizard."

"Yes, sir," Ted replied. "I don't want to sound naïve or foolish-"

"My dear boy, I do not believe for one second that you possess either of those characteristics," said Dumbledore, with a kindly smile. "Please continue."

"I'm just tired of sitting around and watching innocent people get hurt. I want to help."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, surveying Ted over clasped hands. After a moment's silence, he laid his arms down on the desk and looked closely at Ted.

"There is something you can do to help," he began. "You are of age after all. But are you sure it's what you want? These are dangerous times, my boy, especially for someone of your blood." Dumbledore looked briefly uncomfortable, as if he regretted his choice of words, but Ted didn't mind.

"I am sure, sir."

"What a brave and selfless young man you are," Dumbledore said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "It is a wonder you were not placed in Gryffindor. Still, the hat never lies, and no doubt it believed that your qualities of loyalty and justice were stronger than any other of the qualities you possess."

Ted smiled.

"I would not have you join our resistance, if it were up to me. There is nothing more sacred than young life. But if it is what you want, I cannot prevent you from your wishes," Dumbledore said, closing his eyes briefly, as though in pain. "There is an organisation," he began. "called the Order of the Phoenix…"


Andromeda sat alone in the dim corridor, her head against her knees. It was nearing midnight; she could hear the distant ticking of the Great Clock in the tower. The castle was completely silent; there was not a soul around.

She couldn't sleep. In fact, she had barely slept for weeks. The weight of responsibility and fear pressed on her mind, making every night sleepless and painful. She had left her dorm tonight, unable to bear the stifling feeling of the place, or to watch the peaceful sleeping faces of her carefree roommates.

Her heart pounded slightly in her chest as she imagined what would happen to her if she were to be caught. But she reminded herself that nobody was around at this hour.

The clock finally chimed to signal midnight had arrived. Andromeda gave a heavy sigh and got to her feet. It was time she returned to her dormitory. She wandered along the dark corridor, her slippered feet making no sound on the flagstoned hallway. She was just reaching the end of corridor when she caught sight of a pair of yellow, glowing eyes not three yards away from her.

Cursing her bad luck, she quickly stumbled backwards, as the small shadow of Mrs Norris slunk towards her, eyes glinting menacingly.

"Go on then," Andromeda whispered. "Aren't you going to get Filch? Or are you just going to stare at me, you stupid little beast?"

The cat gave a loud, indignant hiss, before abruptly turning tail and scampering off. Andromeda rolled her eyes. She was just about to head off in the other direction, when she heard a sound that made her freeze.

"What is it, old girl?" came the distinctive wheeze of Argus Filch.

Andromeda cursed under her breath, and cast her eyes around desperately for somewhere to hide, her eyes falling on a small door she had not noticed before. Yanking it open, she slipped inside, shut the door and pressed her back against it, her heart pounding.

She listened closely as she heard Filch's voice say: "What is it, eh? There's nobody around. Where did they go, eh Mrs Norris? This way?"

Andromeda waited until his voice had died off into the distance and the sound of his shuffling feet had completely disappeared, before she slid to the floor, head in her hands. That was too close. She should get back immediately. Merlin knew what her parents would do to her if she got a detention. But right now, a detention seemed like the least of her worries.

She couldn't help but worry about Ted. They might not be friends anymore, but if something happened to him, she would never forgive herself. And she was terrified that it would. Things were getting worse and worse, and she knew that her family would be all too happy to get rid of him, the last trace of that brief stain she had almost caused on their family.

Andromeda slowly lifted her head and looked around her. She had never seen this room before. It was large, with a high vaulted ceiling, and it was practically completely empty, save for a tall silhouette in the corner covered with a large white sheet.

Curious, she got to her feet and went over to it, pulling the great white swathe of cloth from it. It was a mirror.

She gazed at it for a moment, surprised at the beauty and apparent mystery of it. It was very large, and gilded with gold, and there was an inscription along the top. The Mirror of Erised.

She moved in front of it and gasped. For looking back at her was not her gaunt, pyjamaed reflection, but a radiant and grown-up young woman, a great beaming smile lighting up her face.

But it was not the smile that shocked Andromeda. It was the two people standing behind her. They looked so different from normal that she had barely recognised them at first. An elderly dark-haired man, a benevolent smile on his face, and a beautiful woman who looked so much like Andromeda herself, her arm around Andromeda's shoulder. It was her parents.

It was long after two in the morning before Andromeda was able to drag herself away from the mirror. She went back to bed then, and managed to fall back into a fitful sleep, her dreams filled with visions of her smiling parents and a white face with red, snake-like eyes.

She spent all the next morning pondering what she had seen in the Mirror. She understood that the Mirror must show a great desire. And she knew what she wanted above all else. To be loved and appreciated by her own family.

She wanted to go back to the Mirror the next night, but she was so exhausted from worrying about her family and Ted that she fell asleep on her Ancient Runes books in the Common Room.


It was a Thursday evening, and Ted had made his way to a safehouse on the outskirts of Hogsmeade to a meeting of the Order. It was nearing eleven at night but a large group of them were still clustered around the table covered in maps and drawings.

"So since we've had a tip-off that they are planning an attack on Gringotts, we're sending two groups to patrol the area…."

Ted tried to keep his eyes open. He had been in this meeting for nearly three hours now. There seemed to be ever more plans to discuss, maps to draw up and strategies to work out. At last, Dumbledore decided to call it a night and dismissed everyone.

"You alright, Ted?" asked Aberforth Dumbledore, who was standing beside him and noticed him stifling a yawn, as people started to gradually filter out of the meeting room.

"Yeah thanks," Ted replied with a weary smile. "Definitely ready to head home."

"You're a brave kid, you know that right? Not many other lads your age in this room this evening."

"Well someone needs to stop this," Ted replied, with a grim smile.

"That's the spirit," Aberforth grinned. "See you around, kid."

Ted nodded as Aberforth strolled off to talk to his brother.

"It's Ted, right?"

Ted turned at the sound of his name to see a pretty blond girl standing behind him.

"Er yeah that's right," he said, with a slightly bemused smile. "Nice to meet you," he said, sticking out a hand.

"Gina Demetrius," the girl smiled, shaking his hand. "Professor Dumbledore sent me to you. Said you had some of the plans for our part of the patrol."

"Ahh yes of course," Ted said, nodding quickly. "They're just here." He pulled out a sheaf of papers and handed them to her.

"Thanks," she said, shooting him a dazzling smile. "Hope to see you around soon, Ted."

"Likewise," he said. He smiled as he watched her walk away, her long blonde hair dancing behind her.

"Quite something, isn't she?" grinned Fabian Prewett, glancing over at Ted from where he was organising some papers. "She's in the year below you at Hogwarts. Dumbledore said she's top of her year in Defence – apparently she has a wicked Stinging Hex. Quite a looker too."

Ted chuckled. "A valuable asset to the team then."