Thank you to: The Grim (naturally), witchintraining (hehehe) and mollziki for your reviews of chapter 4. Where is everyone else though?

Testing the Water

"And this parcel was indeed wrapped in brown paper, Mr Potter?"

"Yes! It was just an ordinary parcel!" Harry groaned; he had already been subjected to 3 equally despairing interviews, conducted by 3 equally patronising and idiosyncratic members of the Magical Law Enforcement. He had just about had enough.

"And this brown paper was indeed brown?"

"For fuck's sake, no! it was purple!" Harry leapt out of his seat, where upon a pair of straps sprang up through the arms of his chair, grabbed him at the waist and bound forced him down. He wriggled helplessly; like a fly, caught in the web of an ever approaching spider.

Tonks stood outside, cursing continuously like she had been since she woke up; and remembered. How could she have been so stupid as to trust a 16 year old with probably the most important thing in the Ministry since Harry and Voldemorts' prophecy. That's what it all came down to – trust. Too often given out too generously, with disastrous effects. Tonks' career was being reviewed, but because of the shortage of Aurors at the moment she was still working, though no-one was talking to her. Harry could still work with her, but under strict supervision, but it had been decided it would be better for him to do more practical work so she would be setting him up an obstacle course this afternoon.

Harry emerged flushed and gratefully took the handkerchief she handed him. They walked to the Auror offices in silence and continued some paperwork they'd been doing earlier.

"Hey, Harry. You hungry? Cos it's lunchtime now..."

"Sure, um, where do you want to go?"

"Well, we're not going back in, because of the obstacle thing so, do you want to go to Diagon Alley?" Harry nodded, with a slight grin.

Mittonner Magie was located next to a bunch of cafes, its emerald front welcoming any passers-by. Harry and Tonks choose a table near the door into the kitchen and ordered their grilled sandwiches. They were surprisingly good, so much so that Tonks demanded to see the very chef that cooked them. A tall figure appeared in the doorway, his red hair sneaking out under his cap, he sheepishly walked over to the table being pointed out to him by the waitress.

"Um, hello. You asked to see me?" Ron tried not to look at the people on the table, from where one of the occupants was having uncontrollable giggles.

"Like your hat Ron!"

"Harry! You bastard! What are you doing here!" Ron looked at the tall, thin, blonde, and busty woman sitting opposite him, preening her nails. "Tonks?"

"Ugh!" the bimbo became a smart, neat woman of about 30. "Honestly chef, your sandwiches were quite disgusting...ly good!" she grinned.

Ron was pleased to see that harry had cheered up a bit at the prospect of an exciting afternoon. He told them all about the work he was doing; he hadn't really felt it was the place last night, and they wondered what Hermione was up to. They all agreed she would already be exasperated by Trelawney, and argued about how long she would take to crack and have a huge disagreement.

When Ron had finished his, enlightening story, about how the marrow he'd been chopping magically came to life and tried to decapitate him Harry and Tonks said goodbye and went to the Floo Powder station. Harry had never realised that there were actual stations where you could use it, they checked their destination with the price chart, paid their fare and headed for an empty fireplace. They stepped into the green flames and quickly appeared next to a large barn. Tonks led Harry to the entrance.

"Now , would you ever suspect that this is the Auror training centre? Thought not, no Muggle would be interested in a rusty old barn." She spoke a password and a small door appeared in the previously blank corrugated iron. Harry's mouth widened as they entered into a smart reception, in the distance he could see a large arena where two young wizards were duelling. They were led to a small gymnasium, except it wasn't,; was filled with odd contraptions and apparitions.

"Right Harry, you start here." She pointed at a patch of grass growing inside the room. "and basically work your way around the room. I'll be here if you need a hand." She slumped down against the wall.

Harry cautiously approached the thick green mist ahead of him, he used a Diffusing Charm to disperse the mist into another part of the room, and ahead was a line of doors. He pulled at the handle of the first, it opened reluctantly to reveal a cupboard full of tiny Doxies, all bearing their teeth. He stunned them and moved to the next door. Behind each door he found a different problem, and the doors became harder to open; he had to resort to more than Alohomora, the task too became more challenging. At the final door he was greeted by a Dementor, Harry hadn't seen one for over a year, and although he knew this had to be a boggart it was already affecting him. He couldn't deal with it as a boggart, so instead he tried a Patronus, after two attempts he focused on the fact that even if he died this year, it wouldn't be so bad; he would get to see his parents and Sirius – this was the only slightly optimistic thought he had, but it worked. He was clear of the doors.

Spells and hexes began to pelt at him from no-where, he used a Shield Charm to deflect the minor ones, but some he had to fight off physically. A large snake appeared in front of him.

"Hi." Harry said coolly, snakes were OK, at least normal ones.

The snake looked startled, "hello," it hissed, "I wasn't expecting a chat; people just normally try to kill me."

"Oh, sorry,"

"Quite alright, quite alright. Now was there anything you wanted particularly?"

"Oh, I just wondered if I could go through this way..."

"Certainly sir." The snake bowed its head and slithered off, muttered about how kind and courteous young boys were nowadays.

Harry emerged from the course half-an-hour later, he was quite pleased. Tonks came over to him grinning.

"Look! You got 87! That's really high, but they took marks off for chatting to the snake!" They departed, Harry clutching a certificate, he could barely wait for the next day. Becoming an Auror seemed much more eminent now.

A/N: Yes, it's short, so what? Just had to write a chapter for another story and I've got so much homework, but I can't let down my faithful reviewers can I? I've kinda forgotten the evil I know, it'll be back. Does anyone want to know what Hermione's doing? Reviews please!