Testimony
On Monday Tonks took a seat next to a portly gentleman in the deepest bowels of the Ministry. Being barred from the case did not mean she couldn't watch the trial, but to escape Robards' disapproving gaze, no one would recognize the bespectacled blonde in black robes.
Despite being the largest dungeon, the courtroom, dark and unfriendly as ever, was full to bursting. The trial of the teenage son of an imprisoned Death Eater, scion of one of Britain's most prominent wizard families, had attracted much attention. Across the room, the Wizengamot, conspicuous in their plum robes emblazoned with a silver W, were taking their seats.
"Fascinating, innit?" her neighbor said in a wheezy voice. "Took off work to watch this. Making 'istory, ain't they?"
She nodded politely, hoping it would be the right kind of history. She'd been honest with Harry and the others; too many variables were at play to predict an outcome. For reasons outside her knowledge, the trial had been delayed until the afternoon, pushing her own testimony to tomorrow. He leaned closer. "What I reckon is—"
The doors swung open, and everyone quieted. Scrimgeour and Thicknesse strode forward, followed by Percy Weasley, taking their raised seats at the front. Percy pulled out a quill and hovered over a scroll of parchment as if fast and furious proceedings would commence any second.
Robards led the next group, accompanied by Alex, Jason, and a veteran DMLE solicitor named Finneus Macmillan. Tonks kept her face expressionless, but her insides burned with resentment. She should be there with them. It was her own fault, of course, but she should be sitting at that table. And so should Coop…
She blinked her eyes, willing herself to focus. Draco Malfoy was last, accompanied by his mother and solicitor. Narcissa Malfoy was a model of composure, her icy gaze revealing nothing but dismissing all as beneath her. The solicitor, Norman Wilkes, was known to all in the DMLE as a smooth, competent lawyer with few scruples about ethics. A cousin of a Death Eater killed in the First War, he had long worked for the Malfoys and others in their circle when they wished to take the legal route (or couldn't buy their way out of something).
Everyone openly stared at the accused, so Tonks didn't bother to hide her studying gaze. Malfoy himself was plainly scared. Skin waxy, eyes bloodshot, mouth downturned, lips thinned. He pressed his hands together under the table and leaned toward his mother. As she'd predicted, he wore his Hogwarts uniform, his robes pinned neatly with a Slytherin crest. He kept running a hand over his slick blond hair. Tonks didn't mind admitting his obvious nerves pleased her.
Scrimgeour cleared his throat, shuffling parchment in front of him. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, you are here today to answer charges of Death Eater activity, including a plot to allow unauthorized access to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The full Wizengamot will hear the evidence and testimony before deciding the verdict. Do you understand?"
Malfoy stood. "Yes, sir."
A Wizengamot member stood, clearing his throat. Tonks was surprised to recognize none other than Dumbledore. Scrimgeour waved for him to speak. "Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock. I wish to excuse myself on the grounds that I am the Headmaster at Hogwarts, at which Mr. Malfoy was a student until very recently."
Scrimgeour nodded. "Very well, Dumbledore."
Onlookers and participants alike burst into intrigued murmurs, and once more Tonks blatantly tared, shocked. Was Dumbledore so blind to Malfoy's guilt that he would have no part? She supposed it was preferable to arguing for his innocence, but she still found it upsetting. It gave her the uneasy feeling there was more at play than was immediately apparent.
After Dumbledore departed, Scrimgeour indicated for Finneus to begin. His opening statements were brief and to the point, something she expected the Wizengamot would appreciate. No one liked a drawn-out trial or long-winded solicitors.
Soon enough Alex was on the witness stand. "Alexander Renaud, Senior Auror."
"Tell us how you came to investigate Mr. Malfoy, Auror Renaud."
"My team received a tip alerting us to the possibility that Mr. Malfoy had joined the ranks of the Death Eaters and was pursuing a mission for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named while at Hogwarts."
"And who provided the tip?"
"Our source will remain anonymous for his or her protection."
Alex continued to provide the details leading up the discovery of the vanishing cabinet, including the raid on Borgin and Burkes. He was cautious not to name Tonks, leaving her out until her own testimony tomorrow. Finneus and Alex agreed it was likely Malfoy would attempt to use their familial relationship against her, and so her involvement would be minimalized.
Alex's cross examination wasn't lengthy. He had been careful to go by the book, and Wilkes was savvy enough to know it would do no good to retread territory. He did press him on the anonymous source that started it all, but Alex remained steadfast in his refusal. Protected sources were standard procedure in the Auror Office, and they absolutely did not want Harry's name brought into it. Wilkes did his best to imply that it was another student, but he too was careful not to name anyone.
By the time Alex stepped down, the afternoon had waned enough for Scrimgeour to call it a day. They'd begin fresh in the morning with Tonks on the stand. Good timing for her, too, as she had an appointment with her Ministry therapist in half an hour. She didn't know which she dreaded more but gloomily predicted neither would be particularly beneficial to her psyche.
Tuesday dawned dreary and chilly, which suited her mood. She'd testified a few times over the course of her two-year career, but she remained uncomfortable and so drew reassurance from the presence of her parents in the audience.
"Nymphadora Tonks, Junior Auror," she stated for the record.
"Auror Tonks, tell me about your experience in Borgin and Burkes."
"We conducted a thorough inventory of the store when we seized it after Reginald Borgin's death.
On the night of February twenty-first, we discovered a vanishing cabinet." She went on to describe the cabinet, how it worked, and her discovery of the link with Hogwarts, finishing with how it connected with their original tip.
"Very good, Auror Tonks. And how did you come to believe Draco Malfoy was planning to exploit this link?"
"I am currently stationed at Hogwarts Castle to provide protection for the students. After some investigation, I discovered the room containing the sister vanishing cabinet. The surroundings matched the room to which I traveled from the store. I watched the room for several days and saw Draco Malfoy enter it. On one occasion, late at night, I placed myself inside the room beforehand and watched unseen as Mr. Malfoy attempted to fix it."
"Fix it?" questioned Finneus. "Why would he need to fix it?"
"When I traveled through the cabinets, it was very painful and I had to apparate myself out on the return trip. It's my belief that he was trying to make the journey safer in order to put them to reliable use."
"What else did you see?"
"At one point, Mr. Malfoy pushed up his left sleeve. Clearly marked on his forearm was a skull tattoo, consistent with the Dark Mark in my experience. I took photos of this and of him with the vanishing cabinet."
Jason delivered the photographs to the Minister, their coup de grace. Malfoy's face darkened like a thundercloud, and after gaping in astonishment, he glared at her with undisguised hatred. Narcissa, Tonks noted, looked not at her but at Andromeda.
"Thank you, Auror Tonks. No further questions."
While Finneus took his seat and Wilkes strode toward her, Tonks took the moment to slowly exhale, making sure she was both inwardly and outwardly composed. She thanked whomever was responsible for making her a Metamorphmagus, for it gave her an advantage in these situations. Wilkes would undoubtedly try to rattle her, but her testimony would be most effective if the Wizengamot saw nothing but a professional.
"Auror Tonks, describe your relationship with Draco Malfoy."
This was an interesting start. "I have none. Before this investigation, we'd never spoken a word."
"Was your mother not formerly Andromeda Black?"
"She was."
"And is she not a sister to Narcissa Malfoy, formerly known as Narcissa Black?"
"She is."
"So, Auror Tonks, if your mother and Draco's mother are sisters, does that not make you and Draco first cousins?"
"Technically yes, but like I said, we never—"
"Thank you for clearing that up. Your mother has two sisters, does she not?"
Tonks was beginning to wish her mother was not in the audience. "She does."
"And who is her other sister, besides Mrs. Malfoy?"
"Bellatrix Lestrange," she answered, ignoring the urge to grit her teeth.
"Describe your history with your aunt."
"I have no history with either of my aunts. We've never spoken."
"My apologies, I should have clarified. Your aunt Bellatrix."
"I have no history with her."
Wilkes sauntered back to his table, making a show of consulting a piece of parchment although he undoubtedly knew the contents. "Is that so? Auror Tonks, were you or were you not hospitalized in St. Mungo's on the night of the eighteenth of June of last year after the events in the Department of Mysteries that resulted in the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"The events at the Department of Mysteries last June did not result in the return of Vo- of YouKnow-Who. He was back a year before that."
Wilkes adopted a tolerant smile. A highly irritating, tolerant smile. "Of course. But answer the question, Auror Tonks. Were you in St. Mungo's after fighting in the Department of Mysteries?"
"Yes."
"And why were you sent there?"
"I had a head injury."
"How did you receive this head injury?"
"I fell down a dozen stone steps."
"What caused you to fall?"
"I was stunned." She knew what he was getting at, but her interrogation training kicked in. Never volunteer more information than one has. Besides, she was probably annoying the piss out of him.
"By whom?"
"Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Aha!" His smile turned triumphant. "So you do have a history with your aunt Bellatrix. Why did you tell me otherwise?"
"I said we'd never spoken."
"Did you duel her?"
"Yes. I realize the amount of duels that happen in the legal profession is shockingly low, so you may not be aware, but in my experience I don't often have time for a chat when someone is trying to kill me." A few onlookers tittered. Wilkes' smile didn't waver, but his eyes glittered coldly.
"I see. But you do admit she attempted to kill you?"
"Yes, I expect she'd enjoy that," she replied, allowing neither flippancy nor amusement to color her tone despite her words.
"Does that bother you?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if lawyers become used to death threats, but yes, attempts to kill me do bother me. I quite like being alive." Chortles again, but Alex sent her a brief look of warning.
"Therefore, would it be safe to say you hold ill will toward your aunt Bellatrix?"
His repeated use of 'your aunt' was getting under her skin, but as that was what he wanted, she refused to allow it to rattle her. "I suppose so."
"And would you say that ill will extends toward your other relatives, the Malfoys?"
"No, I would not." She couldn't resist adding, "Unless they try to kill me, too."
"As you say," he replied skeptically. Wisely, he moved on. "Now about your testimony, Auror Tonks. Did you receive assistance in your investigation?"
She tensed without realizing it. Had he somehow found out about Harry's involvement? "The other members of my team helped."
"To be specific, would this include Auror Lesley Cooper, your partner?"
Tonks froze, completely forgetting about staying collected. Coop, her Coop, at her side for so long and now gone forever… Why would he ask about Coop? The audience was beginning to murmur amongst themselves before she found her tongue again. "Yes—yes, it did. He… he was there with me. Always, or almost. We are—we were partners, it's what partners do," she babbled.
"And why isn't Auror Cooper in this courtroom to testify as well, if he played such a large role?"
A hundred knives stabbed her insides. She hated him, hated him at that very moment more than she'd ever hated Bellatrix. Given free rein, she'd jump over this table and show him what it meant to hurt like she hurt right now.
"Auror Cooper is deceased, Mr. Wilkes," said Scrimgeour sternly. "Auror Tonks should not and will not be made to answer questions about him. Let's recess until one for lunch, and when we return, I expect you to move on."
Tonks bolted from the courtroom the minute she could, finding the nearest loo and sealing herself inside without any regards for anyone else who might need to use it. She barely made it to a toilet before she retched. The few contents of her stomach and a thousand emotions came up.
That son of a bitch. That he'd done it on purpose, she held no doubt. Her hope was that the Wizengamot would see if for the bullying it was, allowing it to cast a negative shadow on the defense. And when this was over, she would make it her personal mission to find some way to bring Norman Wilkes down.
The face that stared out of the mirror was sickly and pale. Was that a frown line between her eyebrows? Her eyes reflected the trouble she had been having sleeping, and she almost thought her cheeks looked thinner. Of course, she hadn't been eating as much lately, replacing food with too many cigarettes.
I'm not a smoker. Smokers smoke every day.
She cracked a smile, but it disappeared just as quickly, for it brought thoughts of Harry, and thoughts of Harry, to put it simply, made her sad. Not the sharp, soul-burning pain of Cooper, but a dull, bittersweet ache tinged with regret. She missed him, questioning her decision every day, but surely they were better off as friends. Merlin knew Harry had enough issues of his own without adding hers to the mix. No, she could be a much better friend than girlfriend, and if the thought of him with someone else made her feel like rather aggressively hitting something, she would get over it eventually. Him, she meant. She would get over him.
Splashing water on her face, morphing a bit of color back into her cheeks, and running through some calming techniques, she unlocked the bathroom door, unsurprised to find her mother waiting.
"Are you okay, baby?"
"Fine, Mum. Just ready for this to be over."
"You were wonderful. There can't possibly be more they can question you about."
"You'd be surprised. Where's Dad?"
"Talking to Arthur Weasley. Do you want to go to the canteen and get some lunch?"
And endure more sympathy from coworkers? Absolutely not. "I'd rather eat somewhere else. We have time. Let's go play Muggle in Whitehall."
They found Ted, who called Wilkes a name that made Andromeda exclaim, "Theodore!", and wandered around London for a bit before finding a burrito shop that Tonks insisted on trying, where Andromeda admitted it was delicious and not one mention was made of her testimony.
She resumed her place on the witness stand as cool and self-possessed as she was the first time, with strengthened resolve not to let him get to her again.
He began as if they were resuming a friendly chat from minutes before. "Auror Tonks, I would like to return to your experience traveling through the vanishing cabinet from Borgin and Burkes. Describe how that felt."
Curious, she did as requested. He had her reiterate certain details several times, and when he focused on her mental as well as physical state upon arrival in Hogwarts, she suddenly saw where he was going.
"So by your own words, it felt like 'an apparition gone wrong'," he read from Percy's notes. "Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"What did you do after you arrived in what you believe to be Hogwarts?"
"I tried to return to Borgin and Burkes the same way I came."
"You tried to return. Were you unsuccessful?"
"Yes. It didn't take long for me to realize that it wasn't working, so I attempted to apparate out."
"What happened then?"
"I was found unconscious in an alleyway a few stores away from Borgin and Burkes." When Wilkes strode to his table, picking up a piece of parchment again, Tonks beat him to the punch. "I was taken to St. Mungo's, where I stayed overnight and was treated for a splinching plus other wounds."
"I see. Had you ever splinched yourself while apparating before that night?"
"No."
"So would you say your mental state was not quite calm and focused when you apparated?"
"I… suppose so."
"Therefore, by your unique experience, travel between the vanishing cabinets was so traumatic that it led to injuries that required hospitalization and an uncertain mental state. Is that a fair statement?"
"I suppose."
"And so knowing that you were in pain and possibly of diminished mental capacity when you exited the vanishing cabinet, can you say with one hundred percent certainty that you were in Hogwarts castle?"
She struggled for a way to answer the cleverly phrased question truthfully. "Yes, I believe I was in Hogwarts."
"But is there not a possibility that since you were under great duress at the time, your recollection when you found the cabinet in Hogwarts could be faulty? That you wanted to believe it was the same cabinet?"
"I didn't want to believe anything. I believe what I saw with my own eyes. But yes, I was in pain, and yes, I suppose the minute possibility exists that my memory was slightly hazy," she was forced to admit reluctantly.
He nearly smirked as he returned to his seat. "Very good. Thank you, Auror Tonks. No more questions."
Tonks took her seat at the table with Alex, Jason, and Finneus, mentally exhausted. She detested testifying, loathed people picking at her brain, poking holes in her stories, and sometimes all but accusing her of lying. Thank Merlin she didn't have an appointment with Beaky tonight. She couldn't handle this twice in one day.
A worker from the Ministry evidence vault testified briefly, but she barely paid attention. Wary of her experience, they had not attempted travel between the pair again, and Wilkes got him to admit it was possible the cabinet they had retrieved from Hogwarts was not a match with the one from Borgin and Burkes. It was a minor point, but she knew certain Wizengamot members would use the slightest hole as an excuse to let Malfoy go.
When it was over, she spoke to her parents before heading to level two. Morphing inconspicuously on the lift, she kept her head down as she slipped through the department, giving off a clear air of Do Not Disturb and trusting her official robes to serve as enough to stop people from questioning her.
She had to take a deep breath before tapping the code on the team door. You can do this, she told herself. Just a room. That was all. Just a room.
And then she opened the door, and it was just a room where they had played darts a thousand times. Just a room where he had given her that ridiculous nickname. Just a room where she was debriefed after her first kill and he sat with her for an hour before she could talk again. Just a room where he convinced her the assignment in Scotland wouldn't be the end of the world. Just a room where she broke his heart when he walked in at the very moment she realized she was attracted to Harry. Just a room where she had hugged Coop for the very last time.
"Tonks? Tonks!"
She blinked, and Jason was standing right in front of her. "Something the matter?" he asked.
"Just… ghosts."
She crossed the room without telling herself to do so, gazing at the locker that still read 'Cooper, Lesley T'. Her fingers brushed the plaque, imagining she could still feel the warmth of his hand, that if she opened the locker, she could smell his cologne on an old pair of robes. She did so eagerly, willing to endure the pain if she could just have a small part of him back.
It was empty.
"Where is it?" she demanded, whirling around so fast she wound up with a mouthful of brown hair.
"What did you do with his things?"
Her teammate held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Maureen came to get them last week. She thought we'd like to keep his nameplate." A pause. "She asked about you. You should probably go see her."
"I will, but… not quite yet," Tonks mumbled. She looked around the room that seemed alien now, searching for something she would never find. "Have they learned anything? About, you know, how it happened?"
"No." Jason leaned against the edge of the table, folding his strong arms. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we ever will. It's not as if whomever it was stuck around."
"You were with him," Tonks remembered suddenly, bits and pieces of that night that had thus far been overshadowed by the end now coming back. She remembered other things, too, remembered who was supposed to be by his side, last words and glances full of unspoken meaning, but it wasn't something she could fully process at the moment. She focused on what she could. "You were supposed to be with him."
"I know." She was in front of Jason without being aware of moving, eyes locked even while he stood. "We got separated, just for a bit, you know how it—"
"You were supposed to be with him," she repeated louder.
His answer, too, was the same. "I know." No anger permeated his voice. "Do you blame me?"
A retort was on her lips even before the wrath flashed in her eyes, but she knew it was false, knew she was merely lashing out at whomever she could. "No, I don't. I can't blame you any more than I can blame myself or I can blame…" Harry. "Anyone else. At least until I find out who did it."
"Cooper's death was… regrettable," Jason said, rubbing the back of his neck. It was an odd choice of word, but then again he was so uncomfortable with emotions that Tonks often referred to him as a robot. She was surprised he said anything at all. "Just be careful, or you'll end up as me."
Jason's story was legend among the Aurors, as well known as the Longbottoms, Mad-Eye, and Alaric the Audacious. "I don't think you have to worry about that."
"Perhaps you should take some time off. I'll cover Hogwarts for you, don't worry about—"
"Merlin, no. I need the distraction. Any more time alone with my head, and I might actually go off on my own."
"As you wish." He cleared his throat. "How's Potter?"
She shrugged as nonchalantly as she could manage. "Okay, I suppose."
He held her gaze for a time that was both brief and just longer than needed. "If you say so. Give him my best. Kid's been through a lot."
"I will." The room had become suffocating. "I think I'm out of here. I'm completely knackered."
"Wilkes is a right bastard."
"Too right. Later, mate."
"Goodbye, Tonks." To her astonishment, he gave her a hug, something she could count on one hand the number of occurrences in the past.
She managed to find a lift to herself, sagging against the wall as it rose. What a hell of a day
