Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended

I only own the plot and some characters; I don't own Harry and co.

Guardian of Magic

By: Kakole

Chapter Four: Help From Strange Places

Harry awoke the next morning with a huge headache, he had gone over his first year charms book three times the previous night, and he now had a greater grasp on how his magic worked. While he was changing his clothing for his morning run, he mentally broke down some of the more powerful spells he knew. As he was stretching, Harry went over the pronunciation of said spells, and reviewed his hand movements in an attempt to determine if he could make his spells more effective. Then while running, he wondered if he could alter or add certain similar spells together to increase the strength. He figured that there had to be certain books on this subject, so he put the thought aside and focused on running.

When he turned the corner to return to #4 Privet Drive, he was too rapt up in his thoughts, so he didn't notice when Tonks appeared of nowhere; so Harry ran into her full force. "Oww, that bloody hurt.Watch where your going" yelled Tonks, pain present in her voice. Harry got to his feet after untangling himself from her and looked at his friend. Tonks had kept what looked like her real appearance, and by what Harry was seeing; she was a very attractive woman. "Tonks.Is this your real appearance" Harry asked as he helped her up. "Yea.you don't like it" she responded in an annoyed and depressed tone. "No, that's not what I meant, I was just thinking that you should be yourself more.You're quite the eyeful" Harry said while taking in her lithe form. Harry looked at her fully when she finally stood, and he could truthfully say that she had a pretty face and a petite but curvy build. In other words, she was what other women called voluptuous. Harry also realized that she always kept relatively close to her natural appearance around Harry. After all of the deception he had endured, she wanted to be as genuine with him as possible.

As Tonks dusted herself off, Harry noticed that she had a nasty gash and bruise on her right arm; without thinking, Harry grabbed her left arm and led her to his house. Upon opening the front door, Harry motioned for her to be quiet while Harry looked for any signs of the Dursleys. When Harry was satisfied, he again took her hand and led him to his room. Once inside his room, Harry sat a surprised Tonks on his bed, put his finger to his lips motioning for her to be quiet, and slipped out of the room. Within a few minutes Harry was back carrying a first aid kit. While Harry tended her wounds, he could feel Tonks' eyes fixed on him unwaveringly. It was a little unnerving, even if he had grown used to it.

"What are you staring at me for?"

"I'm not staring at you." Tonks said weakly.

"Yeah, right. And Voldemort's not evil in the slightest." Harry retorted.

"How did you know, anyway?"

"Your eyes were practically boring holes through me. What's up?"

"I miss Sirius, I know Moony is distraught, how are you coping." Tonks murmured in a small voice. Harry looked up at her, slightly shocked to see her crying.

"I'm surviving, if that's what you mean, but I miss him a lot. I see his death every night when I go to sleep. I fell apart when I had to come back here, but I have gotten better since the letter." He murmured, sitting next to her.

"What letter" questioned Tonks. Harry went over to his desk, handed her the letter, and went to go change while she read it.

When Harry returned, Tonks was balling. She tried to wipe the tears that were falling heavily. Again without thinking, Harry scooped her into a hug and started whispering soothing words in her ears. When she finally calmed down, he released her and said "That's better. I hate to see pretty women crying." Tonks looked at him and cheekily replied "Taking his letter seriously are you, trying to chat me up are you." Harry blushed deeply and said "Not in the slightest, I'm only stating a fact." Tonks colored slightly.

"Thanks for showing me the letter, I know that it was rather personal."

"It's okay, you're my friend. With everyone keeping secrets from everyone, it's kind of refreshing to be able to talk to someone openly."

"So you consider me your friend?"

"Well yea.you are one of the only people that is straight and truthful with me. I really need people like you around me when I do what needs to be done." "What are you talking about 'doing what needs to be done', what's that all about. You better not be talking about going after Voldermort on your own."

"No.I'm not going after him now, but you know the prophecy he wanted.Well it said in the final battle it was going to be me and him. So, I am gonna train hard for as long as I can."

"Wow. The order never knew. Does Dumbledore know?"

"Who do you think heard the original prophecy?"

"Really, why would he keep something so important from us" said Tonks with frustration in her voice.

"You weren't the only one. I only found out after Sirius' death. How do you think I felt, he's known since before my parents were killed? Don't you think I have." said Harry with unshed tears in his eyes.

"Oh my god Harry, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault In any case, it won't stop me from ending all this. It just means that I will never look at Dumbledore the same.I don't know if I will ever trust him again.He's so manipulative. I mean every time he wanted to speak with me, the whole time while probably using legumency on me.It just angers me to no end."

There was a silence for a long time, and then Tonks said "What can I do to help?" "Well, I just started rereading all my textbooks, but I will need to go to Diagon Alley for some more books and things. I also need to get some personal things.I'm tired of dressing in hand me down rags. If you could help me, I would be in your debt."

Tonks looked at him for a long time and said "Yeah, I suppose I could do that. You know that Sirius would be so proud of you, you know. He was always going on about you when you weren't around. I know it may have seemed like he thought of you as another James at times, but he never saw you like that. You were Harry to him. Not Harry Potter, and certainly not James Potter. You surprised him so many times Harry - like when you set up the DA. I guess he saw you in a different light after that - he never really understood why you weren't always ready to take unnecessary risks to have a little fun - he began to understand your motivations after that. He really respected you, you know. He saw himself in you just a little bit, so if you only want me to help you get to Diagon Alley for books, if you need help training, or if you need someone to talk to; then I'm your girl. That is if you can put up with my clumsiness."

Tonks was crying freely again, but there was a smile on her face. Harry could feel tears on his own face, and even though he didn't know what he could do to calm her, he instinctually reached forward and palmed her face in his hands and gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs. Harry then pulled her into a very tight hug that lasted at least five minutes. As Harry was let her go, he kissed her on the forehead, and said "It would be my honor to 'put up with your clumsiness." While saying those words, Harry was staring directly into her deep brown eyes, and she knew he was being completely honest.

After looking at the clock, Tonks let out a small shriek "My shift is almost up. I have to go, but I will be back soon with a definite answer." Tonks gave him another quick hug, and then ran back to her post. As she was running, she reflected on the hug that they had shared. 'I've never felt as safe as when I was in his arms, whoever he ends up will be a very lucky woman.' Within the next minute, her relief arrived, and she disapparated from Privet Drive.

Meanwhile, Harry was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the Dursleys, when his Uncle Vernon came into the room and said "Boy, I heard two voices, who is in your room?"

"Oh that was one of the Order members; she just came to check in on me. It was one of the people you met at the train station" Harry answered noncommittally.

"Why did she come here, haven't you been writing letters to those people?"

"Yes, but she wasn't convinced that you weren't treating me okay, she said that one of the other people had stopped by and seen me doing work outside. She said that they had been observing me doing my chores for a while now, and she just wanted to make sure that you weren't working me too hard" lied Harry smoothly.

Vernon sputtered and started coloring deeply. Harry was unsuccessfully trying to keep a straight face, so he turned back to the eggs on the stove in order not to be seen. When they were done, Harry distributed them and sat down to eat. "So what am I doing today" questioned Harry while looking down at his plate.

"Nothing, there isn't any work to be done" answered Uncle Vernon with haste. "When are those people coming back?"

"I don't know, she said that she would be dropping by periodically to check on me."

"Very well boy, you may go to your room" Uncle Vernon growled.

Harry didn't give him time to change his mind; he was up the stair and in his room in a flash. Once there, Harry took out his Transfiguration book, some ink and parchment and started rereading and taking notes.

Things continued in this fashion for several days until Saturday morning. Today was Tonks off day and they had decided to drive to the Leaky Cauldron As Harry was returning from his morning run, he saw Tonks waiting for him at his front door. When he was close enough, Harry tried to give her a hug, but she pushed him away protesting that he was sweaty and stinky. Harry raised an eyebrow to her but said nothing as he led her to his room. Sitting on her perch was Hedwig. Upon seeing her, Harry totally forgot that Tonks was present, and lunged at the tired snowy owl. Hedwig looked at him as if he was mad, but when Harry began stroking her feathers and whispering words of encouragement and gratitude, she warmed to him considerably. Tonks stood silently and watched as Harry cared for the owl, while reaffirming her earlier suspicion that his girlfriend or wife would be a very lucky woman indeed. After relieving Hedwig of her burden and feeding her, Harry took off his shirt, and was reaching for his towel when he heard a gasp. Harry spun around and came face to face with a shocked Tonks.

"How did you get those marks on your back?"

"My Uncle came home from work drunk a couple of times" replied Harry, while doing his best to not look in Tonks eyes. When she was about to say something, Harry said "I don't want to talk about it.can you wait here for a bit, I'll be done with my shower in two shakes." Before she could respond Harry was already out of the room, so she walked over to the dozing snowy owl and started petting her. Hedwig looked at Tonks as if she was sizing her up, but then she hooted in approval and went back to sleep. While watching the owls antics Tonks mind was ablaze. 'I wonder why he never said anything, how long has this been going on, how can he be so passive, how is it that he is still a loving and kind person after that'. Tonks thought about the last thought for a long time before thinking 'Harry has been through so much, and he still has a lot to go through. I don't think I could do it'. Tonks thoughts were interrupted when Harry reappeared.

"Aren't you gonna read your letters?"

"I will do that on the way, what about my hug" Harry asked while mock pouting.

Tonks laughed and gave him a big hug. "When did you become such a charmer?"

"Well if I am going to take Sirius advice seriously, I have to practice on someone; and who better than a pretty lady that happens to be my friend."

"Your incorrigible" said Tonks with a smile. All the while wondering if Harry really found her attractive, or if he was just trying to chat her up like most of the men she knew.

"That's not exactly a bad thing, a guy could do worse than trying to use his charm on a stunningly beautiful, gifted Auror" Harry countered with a huge grin.

"A woman can live on complements you know, you better stop before you're stuck with me" replied Tonks while playfully fluttering her eyes. They both laughed. Then Harry said "You act like I would complain.Anyway, are you ready to go?" While speaking, Harry was walking out of his bedroom, and it was because he didn't want her to see him blush; however, had he looked back, Harry would have seen that he wasn't alone in blushing.

When they got into the relatively new looking car, Harry couldn't help himself when he asked "When did you learn to drive?"

Tonks got this far away look in her eyes as she responded "My father was a muggle, and driving was one of the one things he taught me before he passed away."

"I'm sorry Tonks; I didn't mean to bring up any unpleasant memories"

"That's okay, what's in that package. If it's a letter from an admirer I will be offended" Tonks said with a mock pout.

Harry laughed and said "Even if it was from an admirer, I could never have a relationship with anyone who thought of me as 'The Harry Potter' instead of plain old Harry."

Tonks looked at him thoughtfully for a minute, but then said "Stop delaying."

Harry laughed but opened the first letter.

Dear Harry,

I'm feeling better everyday. It's also good that you aren't blaming yourself for things that were out of your control. Ron and I are so happy that you are talking to us again, we wanted to tell you on the train right after it happened, but you weren't the best company.

Anyway, the best tool for storing editing and classifying information would be muggle computers. The closest thing that the Wizarding World has to what you want would be the Quick Quotes Quill that writes down what you are thinking. The downside would be if you made a mistake, you would have to get a new piece of parchment. In my opinion, it would be more effective and a little cheaper if you got a computer, or specifically a laptop. Well, study hard, and send me some books when you're finished with them. Also if you're serious about getting into shape, join a gym that offers self defense classes.

P.S. Send me updates too

Good Luck With Your Project

Love Hermione

"Oh, quite the steamy love letter" joked Tonks "Now the other one, it has to be something good like a betrothal letter or something."

Harry scowled at her, but started reading the letter aloud.

Dear Mr. Potter,

I hope this letter receives you well because I was quite surprised to hear from you. Firstly, let me tell you that I am not angry at you for the destruction of the Sorcerer' Stone. That battle lies between Albus and I, and that's only because he didn't allow me to use the stone again before destroying it. Furthermore, I have lived a more than full life, so seeing what follows is something I am looking forward to.

Secondly, pertaining to the personal matter that you spoke about, I regret to inform you that I didn't know any of your ancestors because I was living outside of the country for the last 250 years. However, I do know that the Potter line was a direct descendent of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw line. For more information, I would recommend you contact a good friend of mine, Anthony Greengrass, because he specializes in things like that and he is very discreet.

Lastly, I would be delighted to help you. In fact, I have included the Kame Stone with this letter. This stone helps a wizard reach his potential because it shows the wizard what areas of magic he or she is gifted in. This is a priceless artifact that was used in the days of old when wizard apprenticeships were still common. You may have the stone providing you keep it safe and pass it down when you see fit. Write me and tell me what you come out with or if you have difficulty finding books on a specific subject let me know. I have an extensive library and I will lend you some good books.

Best of Luck,

Nicolas Flamel

"Wow, too be so young, you are pretty well respected and connected, not to mention that fact that you're actually related to two of the founders of Hogwarts" said Tonks.

"Thanks, I guess I am.Sorry to disappoint you about the steamy love letter though."

"It's alright, there's always next time."

"I don't think so; nobody is interested in me, why would they be. I'm short, underweight, and if a girl did like me they would probably be targeted by Voldermort" replied Harry while taking the Kame Stone out of the wrapping.

"You don't truly believe that do you?"

"And what if I do." "Well then you are seriously mistaken. Now that I think about it what ever happened to that girl that you were dating?"

"Don't make me laugh, Cho was Cedric's old girlfriend. Whenever she wasn't depressed about Cedric, she was jealous about the amount of time I spent with Hermione."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"No problem.hey this stone is really cool, it just told me that I had two Animagi forms."

Tonks temporarily lost control of the car, and screeched "What did you just say?"

"The stone says that I have two animal forms, but it didn't say what they were. I'm not gonna use the stone until were there though, it doesn't seem as if you can take any surprises" joked Harry.

Tonks glared at Harry and said "Real funny mister, and for your information we should be there in about ten minutes."

While Tonks was driving, Harry was looking out the window. Outside the window, Harry spied a nice courthouse, and an idea popped into his head. "Tonks can we stop by that building for a minute?"

"Sure, can I ask why?"

"I just wanted to ask a court clerk a question." "Okay. This is against my better judgment, but I expect a full explanation when you get back."

"That's fine."

So Tonks parked in front of the ornate building, and said that she would wait in the car if Harry would allow her to use the stone. Harry quickly agreed, and was in the building before Tonks had a chance to reconsider.

Once Harry was inside, he approached the main desk, and asked the receptionist where he had to go to fill out the form to emancipate minors. The receptionist looked up at Harry and saw the way he was dressed, and said that she would personally take him to a judge. Within 45 minutes, Harry exited the courthouse a new man. All he had to do was tell them that his parents and godfather were both deceased, that his other relatives never really cared for him, and that when he was younger his Uncle beat him for not completing his chores while intoxicated. The judge personally wanted Harry to press charges, but Harry declined. When Harry got back in the car he gave Tonks a big hug and a quick kiss on her cheek.

"What was that for, and what took you so long?"

"Well, I originally went in there trying to ask a question, but the receptionist took pity on me and took me to see a Judge. To make a long story short, I am a new man; I legally no longer have to stay with the Dursleys or will be prohibited from doing magic."

Tonks wasn't exactly a happy camper. "Harry, do you know what you have done? Do you know how much trouble I will get into? I could be fired." Tonks was frantic now, and Harry hated seeing her like that.

"I'm so sorry Tonks, I didn't mean for anything to happen, I will tear up the papers if it will help you keep your job. Don't be angry with me please. I don't want to lose you as a friend. What can I do to make this situation right again."

When Tonks looked at Harry her heart almost broke, he was close to tears because she was mad at him and he didn't want to lose her as a friend. She remembered the marks on his back, and she had seen him outside doing chores in the sweltering heat, while his relatives sat inside eating ice cream. Then she thought about the stories she had heard about him living in a cupboard for the first eleven years of his life. She then realized that Harry would have done this eventually with or without her and she regretted blowing up at him.

"Its okay Harry, but you have to promise me that you will try to refrain from using spells even though you are legally able to."

Harry quickly agreed then said "Do you still want to be friends, I wont be mad if you don't want to since it was my fault." but Harry didn't get the chance to finish before Tonks nearly squeezed the life out of him with a hug. "Its okay Harry, I don't see why it's so special you to be friends with a klutz like me, but I won't stop you."

Once Harry could breathe again he said "As you know, I don't have many friends, I never have. When I was younger, Dudley me beat up but he didn't stop there. He would also beat up anyone who wanted to be friends with me, and then tell my relatives that I was acting up in school. If anyone came by the house looking for me, I would be locked in my cupboard for days without food. Now I really value friendship.With you its different though, you have gained my trust, you're always honest with me, and you would actually give up your day off to spend time with me. The only people who usually treat me like that are the Weasley's and Hermione. With Ron and Hermione together now, I didn't want to crowd them. I don't know what I was thinking, but I was hoping that we could hang out at Grimmaud Place later on this summer, while Ron and Hermione do their own thing." While Harry spoke his eyes were downcast as if he knew that when he looked at Tonks, he would see rejection in her eyes.

Tonks was lost in thought for a few minutes. 'I never knew that he truly thought about me as a true friend. His life must have truly been hell, I wonder if he will ever have peace'. Then she asked Harry to look at her. When he lifted his eyes, she could see the hope in his eyes, but what she saw in abundance was resignation. She saw that he was already expecting the worst and it stirred something in her. "I will be your friend for as long as you will have me, and I like spending time with you. Maybe when you get to Grimmaud Place we can hang out a lot more."

"You mean it."

"Yup, now if were through here, I think we have a lot of shopping to do." With that they made their way to the Leaky Cauldron.

Once there, the two went straight through Diagon Alley to Gringotts. Since Tonks had to get some gold too, they shared a cart. Harry saw first hand that Tonks was not struggling for money, but when she saw his vaults, she was left speechless. There were a few piles of shillings and knuts toward the front of the vault, but there were also gold galleons as far as the eye could see, and the fact that this was only his first vault made her wonder why he wanted to be an Auror. While Tonks was in a daze, Harry grabbed two preloaded hefty sacks of galleons and started looking for his birthday present. After a while, Harry found his fathers old Auror trunk and pressed the button to shrink it. Once he had done that, Harry found a book bag that had a letter with Sirius' messy scrawl on it. Harry knew that he didn't have time to read it now, so he grabbed the trunk, letter and bag and made his way to the cart. Tonks didn't say anything to him the whole trip back to the main level. Once they were back inside the bank, Harry walked to a goblin and exchanged some money into muggle currency.

Once outside the bank, Harry directed them to Florean Fortescue's Ice cream Parlor, where he treated them both to huge ice cream sundaes. "What are you trying to do to me? If I eat this, I'll get fat" protested Tonks, while eating happily. "Trust me, nobody will mind if you gain or lose a couple pounds. You have what us guys call the full package, and if someone does say anything send them to me and I'll sort them out proper."

Tonks laughed and replied "Will you now."

Harry nodded and went back to his sundae. When he was almost finished with his ice cream, he took out the stone, and decided to see what all of his talents were so he could get the corresponding books. Tonks took out some parchment and a quill and set it down in front of Harry, while trying not to disturb him. When he opened his eyes, he thanked her and started writing. He did this a couple more times in between bites until he was finished. When he was finished, he handed the list over to Tonks. She looked at it and gasped. It said that Harry had talent in Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dark Arts, Summoning, Enchantment, slight Beast Speaking capabilities, Dual Animagi forms with a slight inclination toward magical creatures, slight healing capabilities, strong Elemental capabilities, a slight telepathy, with the corresponding strong Occulemency and Legemency, and the ability to bond with a familiar. After she put the list down she stared at Harry until he cleared his throat. She looked at him sheepishly, but he just said "Kinda overwhelming isn't it. I wonder what it would say if Dumbledore held it?" "You're telling me, all the thing said about me was stuff that I already knew. Well, except for me being able to be an Animagus."

"Wow, that's neat, do you want to become one" Harry asked in a hushed tone.

"Yea, it could really help me when I go on missions."

Harry was thoughtful for a few minutes, and then said "Would you want to train with me when we get to Grimmaud Place?"

"Sure it's a date" said Tonks while watching Harry blush with much amusement. Once they had finished their ice cream they headed for Flourish & Blotts bookstore and ordered the books, they were told it would take some time to get their order, so they left. The next destination was the Apothecary, where Harry purchased a very expensive Master brewers kit; which contained a little of every ingredient known to wizards. After putting it in his trunk, the two shoppers hit muggle London. They stopped at an electronics store where Harry purchased a nice laptop, a CD player, and a nice stereo. They went to a music store where Harry bought a ton of CD's including some of the newer punk music for Tonks, then the proceeded to the Optometrist, where Harry got two new pairs of glasses and several pairs of contacts. The final stop in muggle London was the clothing store. Harry and Tonks spent the better portion of the Afternoon picking out clothing. By the time they exited the store, Harry had an entire wardrobe. They stored all their purchases in his trunk and stopped to get dinner at a nice Italian Café, throughout dinner, Tonks teased Harry and said that he was trying to seduce her; however, Harry was able to shut her up when he asked "Okay so you know that I am trying to seduce you, is it working?" After saying those words, Tonks went a brilliant shade of purple and changed the subject.

After dinner they made their way back to Diagon Alley. Their first stop was to Madame Malkins Robes for All Occaisions. Here Harry picked up some robes for himself and Tonks, and had Madame Malkin put indefinite charms on all the clothes and robes so that if they grew that the clothes would adjust. She told them that it would take her an additional twenty minutes, so they went back to the bookstore and picked up their order. Harry decided to go get some wand polish while Tonks wanted to go to the stationary store so they split up. Upon entering the store, Mr. Ollivander greeted him by handing him another wand without giving Harry any reasons. Much like his 11' holly, this wand sent sparks flying everywhere. In fact the only thing Ollivander said was "Very curios indeed." Harry decided to get the wand, but he also got two wand holsters. Once finished, Harry met Tonks at the counter, and discretely paid her bill without her noticing. Once they exited the store, they noticed that it was becoming dark, so they decided to call an end to the day once they picked up their purchases. After getting their robes and clothes tucked into the trunk securely, Harry and Tonks made their way toward the Leaky Cauldron.

On their way to the Leaky Cauldron, they saw a group of people wearing black cloaks accosting some Diagon Alley patrons. Tonks watched them warily as they passed. Harry could have sworn he saw one of the group focus in on his scar, so he subconsciously took out his two wands. None of the shoppers noticed the tension between the two groups, until the group of thugs, donned masks and started firing curses at Harry and Tonks. Pandemonium broke out in Diagon Alley as Harry grabbed Tonks around the waist, and dove behind a street vendors concession stand. Within seconds after that, Diagon Alley was a battlefield. Curses were flying, and the poor shoppers were screaming and running for cover. Harry stood behind the cover shouting curses ferociously; he personally took out five of the twelve attackers by himself. Tonks was having a harder time, she had taken out five Death Eaters by herself, but the last two wizards had a firm grasp on the Dark Arts, and were starting to corner her. Harry, without thinking conjured a rope around one of the Death Eaters, and while his movement was restricted, Harry stunned him. Once the last Death Eater saw that all of his comrades had lost, he started throwing Unforgivable Curses around like they were simple stunners. Harry saw Tonks dodge a Killing Curse, but she tripped in the process, and Harry saw an Imperious Curse and Cruciatus Curse heading straight for her. Without thinking, Harry jumped in front of the curses. Harry felt his mind submerge under what felt like ice water, and he was able to throw it off just as the Cruciatus hit him. Harry gritted his teeth and stared at the shocked Death Eater. With all the pain Harry was feeling, he had a hard time focusing, but he channeled those feelings of pain and anger into his curse. Harry pointed both wands at the scared Death Eater and yelled "Stupefy". The force of the spell knocked Harry off his feet, and he saw the Death Eater fall to the ground. His mask fell off, and the only thing Harry noticed before passing out was the man's blonde hair.

Throughout the last seconds of the battle, Aurors and Order members had arrived just in to see Harry jump in front of the two curses. It was a rumor that Harry could throw off the Imperious Curse, but it was another thing to see it in person. When they saw what hit him next, they started running while shooting curses at the remaining Death Eater. Most spells missed, others were dodged. Then out of nowhere, the Aurors and Order see Harry, raise two wands and yell 'Stupefy' with so much force, that it sent tingles down their spines. When the Death Eater was hit, it looked like his body was systematically shutting down, and a couple people thought that the Death Eater was dead. Upon closer inspection, the Death Eater, Peter Pettigrew, was still breathing, but nobody knew what to make of it because his eyes were still open.

The people who had witnessed the battle were starting to gather around Harry, who was being cradled like a baby, by an emotional distraught Tonks. He mind was a mess, and all she could do was cry and cradle Harry while rocking back and forth.

When Harry started to come around, the first thing he noticed was the embrace he was in, the second was the water that was hitting his face. As he opened his eyes, the crowd started to cheer before the Aurors started doing crowd control. As Harry looked up, he saw Tonks tear streaked face, her eyes held worry and another emotion he couldn't place. Before he could think about it further, she started yelling at him for doing something stupid. She started crying anew, and beat on his chest. When she was all tired out she said "We need to talk later" and stood dropping Harry in the process, and went to go speak with the closest Auror. When she returned, she was all business, and she spoke in a calm detached manner. "Harry it's time to go, the Aurors and Order want to have a word with you, but they have decided to postpone your debriefing. If you will follow me, I will escort you home." With that she unceremoniously turned around and started walking away.

Once Tonks got Harry into the car, she really started yelling at him. "What were you thinking? You could have been hurt or worse. What would we do then, what would I do?" Tonks didn't say anything else; she just pulled over and started crying. Whenever Harry tried to say something, she yelled at him, and when he tried to comfort her, she just squirmed out of his embrace. The rest of the trip to Privet Drive was a silent affair. When they arrived in front of the house Harry waited until Tonks looked at him. Once she looked up Harry said "I know that your mad at me, but when you want to talk to me either owl me or come over, but like you said, we need to talk, and it seems like that's only going to happen when you calm down." With that Harry opened the door, and walked to his house without looking back. After Harry got inside, he resized his trunk and was making his way to the bathroom for a shower when the doorbell went off. The Dursleys were in the den watching some program, so Uncle Vernon yelled at Harry to get the door. When Harry answered the door, he came face to face with a fuming Tonks. Before Harry could say anything, she slapped him with so much force that he stumbled backwards. Then Tonks pushed past Harry and headed for his room. Harry was left gaping at the empty doorway. After a couple of minutes, Harry went upstairs, took a long shower in an attempt to let Tonks cool down. Harry was brushing his teeth when he heard a knock on the door. "Harry if you don't get your scrawny butt in here soon, I will hex you into oblivion prophecy or not." That was all Harry needed to hear. Within a minute flat Harry was fully dressed in his pajamas and in his room.

"Now before I kill you myself, you are going to explain to me why you jumped in front of those curses."

Harry thought for a minute, then answered truthfully "I don't fully understand why I did it, in my head I knew that I could throw off the Imperious, and I wasn't sure if you could.I would prefer to throw off the curse then have to fight you because I know I would lose. I know I wouldn't fight back. I know this is going to sound kind of corny, but another part of me would rather endure pain than those close to me. In that split second I heard my mother sacrificing herself for me, I saw Ron on that knight sacrificing himself so I could advance and face Voldermort, I saw Hermione petrified, I saw Cedric dying in front of me, I saw Sirius falling through the veil. In that split second I made my decision, and I don't regret it. While I was under the Cruciatus Curse for some reason I remembered your hair smelling like strawberries, I remembered all our witty banter, you klutzy nature that makes you endearing, and the warmth I feel from your hugs. If you want to be mad at me, go ahead. I am satisfied with the decision I made and I would do it again." After his monologue, Harry focused on folding and storing his clothes, while his laptop charged and his stereo played a contemporary song at a low volume. When Harry had finished putting his old belongings into his new trunk, he looked up at Tonks, whom had been watching him the entire time. "I'm not going to break if you don't watch me you know" stated Harry in an attempt to break the ice. Tonks response was a primal growl so Harry reckoned it would be safer to be quiet. When Harry was finished, he took out the book bag that Sirius had left him with the letter. "While you're here, would you like to look at this with me?" Tonks slowly nodded, and whispered "I don't think I could take any more surprises right now, but I will come over next week sometime." Harry nodded. Since nothing was being said between the two, Harry laid down on his bed with his book and notepad, and began taking notes. He was almost finished with his fifth year books when he started to doze off. Before falling asleep, Harry motioned for Tonks to come sit on his bed beside him. "Tonks can you do me a big favor before I forget. Can you put an unbreakable charm on my laptop and stereo? When she did, Harry pulled her into a half hug. He was more asleep than awake, but when he snuggled into Tonks, he whispered "I did it because your special" after saying that Harry gave her a gentle but sleepy kiss on her forehead, and dropped into dreamland. Tonks carefully and reluctantly extracted herself Harry's embrace and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight Harry" "Goodnight Nyphie" Harry slurred. Tonks had to resist the urges to laugh and throttle him simultaneously as she made her way to the door.

I would like to thank everyone that has read my story, and for those of you who reviewed. The only thing I can say is I hope you like it. I read the reviews, so keep me posted if you have any questions. I hope I answered the question about the argument between Flamel and Dumbledore adequately. Oh, and know that I will not make Harry into some super hero. It will take him a great deal of time to master his new skills. Happy Holidays.

Kakole