•Second Degree - Heritage, Pt. I•
My entire family has always, in some way, or another been the most looked upon and famous, if not infamous, of all of those in the wizarding world. My family has produced Headmasters of Hogwarts, recipients of varying classes of the Order of Merlin, high ranking members to the Ministry, and some of the most respected people in the entire wizarding world.
And here I am, one of the last remaining members of the family, and what do I have to show for it? I'm a second rate Auror at best, a first class klutz at worse. I don't know what I'm doing here, at this party celebrating the downfall of Voldemort, due to the work of one Mister Harry James Potter, who is currently standing in front of a painting of Sirius, paying his respects to the one man who in the short time they knew each other, impacted Harry's life in ways that transcend those of people that have known you your entire life.
Oh, Harry, I've watched you since you were that angst ridden boy I helped pack for a hurried rescue out of your horrible relative's house, into the sharp and charming young man that you are today: The Man Who Defeated Voldemort, Order of Merlin, First Class. I believe you like that better than your previous nickname, yes? You have become much like the younger brother that I never had, and we're always going to be there for each other. When you start your Auror training at the end of the summer, I will make sure that I get to work with you as much as possible. Who wouldn't want to work with the future leader of the wizarding world? Oh, if I wasn't so much older than you, I could definitely see myself as "Mrs. Nymphadora Potter" in a few years...although the girl with the blonde hair in the plait that is currently coming near me certainly has the chance to if she isn't crazy.
"Tonks, right?" the girl asks me, with a curious expression on her face, a face that reminds me a lot of someone that I just can't place immediately.
"Correctumundo," I replied, giving the girl a scrutinizing glance, before asking, "I'm sorry, but I just can't place your face with a name..."
"Susan Bones," the girl replies with a slight laugh, holding her hand out. I shake it as I'm thinking, 'SUSAN BONES?! The one girl that Harry talks about every so often? Wait, BONES?! That would mean-'
"You're Madame Bones' niece aren't you?" I ask, shaking the girl's hand.
"Yes, she's my Auntie," she says with a small smile that doesn't quite meet her eyes, "In fact; she should be getting here any moment now. That's, um, why I came over to the fireplace."
"Same here," I say with a disarming smile, trying to make the girl feel less nervous, "I'm just waiting for my dear old mum and dad to get here."
We stand silent for a moment, before Susan suddenly speaks up.
"When you left Hogwarts did you immediately know what you wanted to do?" she blurted out suddenly, then blushed embarrassed.
I stand thinking for a moment, before answering, "Well, I always had wanted to be an Auror, but I wasn't entirely sure until I started 'boot camp' for the program some three months after I graduated, so I guess you could say that I didn't know immediately what I wanted to do for sure. Why do you ask?"
"I guess, well, with my Aunt being the new Minister, and the stories I've heard my entire life about how 'great' my family has been in fighting the Dark Lord," the girl takes a breath, "Well, I feel as if there is no way that I will ever be able to measure up to what's come before me."
I'm instantly shocked. This girl has is thinking exactly what I've been thinking. Looking out of the corner of my eye for a moment, I notice Dumbledore as he passes, but quickly concentrate again on the girl in front of me.
"Susan, I must say," I start, and see the girl is priming herself for some form of condescending response, "I have been having much of the same thoughts lately. My family has included Headmasters of Hogwarts, and all sorts of other important people, and what am I? Nothing but an Auror who wouldn't even be worth her space if she couldn't change her appearance at will, and even that is barely enough reason."
The girl looks back at me in obvious surprise.
"Well, I don't know much about the Auror program," Susan begins, "But from what my Auntie has told me, they only accept the best of the best to be in their program. So you obviously have to be a really good witch Tonks! You're a Metamorphmagus too, right? That makes you extra special then! You shouldn't be worrying at all! Auror's are some of the most well regarded group of people in the world! The fact that you are one should be enough to let anyone know that you are as good as, if not better, than those who came before you in your family!"
The girl has a point, and I give her a small smile, still not totally convinced, but based on her reaction I can't help but think that maybe I shouldn't be holding myself to such a high standard as I recently have been trying to do. Besides, most of my family members were nothing but evil, weren't they?
"What about you Susan?" I ask, "What are you thinking of doing?"
"I don't really know," the girl responds after a moment, echoing an earlier sentiment that she told me, "I am thinking about becoming a healer, but I'm not to sure if I would be able to handle that. After that, I don't know what else I could possibly do? I've spent the past two years of Hogwarts getting prepared to become a Healer, could I possibly do anything else?"
I feel sorry for the girl, but within her statement resides something that I felt when I finished Hogwarts. Did I really want to become an Auror, could I actually handle it?
"Susan, I felt the same way when I left Hogwarts," I respond, putting my hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eye, "You don't know until you actually start with any profession, so don't worry to hard about that. Besides, you need to be a highly skilled in many areas of magic to even get accepted into any Healing programs, so you are no doubt a very proficient witch, so you have nothing to worry about."
Susan gave me a slight smile as I continued on, "Besides, you seem to have already found someone that can help you out in any pursuit that you go into. What else can you hope for?"
Susan turns around and stares at Harry, who is currently deep in conversation with Dumbledore, before saying, "That's true...would you mind if you could watch for my Auntie for me?"
"Sure, I'm going to be waiting here anyway," I respond with a wink, as I am waiting to see my parents for the first time since before Voldemort was defeated, "Go and talk to Harry."
"Thanks," she says with a smile, before walking over towards Harry, passing by Dumbledore on the way, who is heading towards the doors of the hall.
Scanning the room I notice Hermione Granger and Mad-Eye in the corner of the room. Hermione has always been an enigma to me. She is so knowledgeable about so many things, but for all of her knowledge, she still at times does not seem smart. She is highly socially awkward, and while this isn't a problem, her people skills are almost second to last. She doesn't know how to compromise, it's her vision (or more correctly, what book's she just finished vision) or bust. For all her knowledge of the spells and potions of the wizarding world, she knows absolutely nothing about its true cultural history. While at times she has her heart set in the right place, the fact that she can't see past what she holds to be true, or to accept anyone else's opinion as having some form of validity, will be her downfall in my eyes. I hope this doesn't turn out to be the case for this girl however, as she is more important to Harry than she'll ever know.
Mad-Eye, now he's an entirely different story. He has been the greatest mentor, in fact the only mentor I've ever had, in the past three years. His knowledge about fighting tactics and being an Auror is second to none. He has lived through the most evil times, and has survived as a constant reminder to society what can happen when it becomes too lazy. He embodies much of the 'never say die' attitude that I see flashes of every so often in Harry, and like to think that I possess as well.
Suddenly, the fire flames up and out comes my mum, looking as poised as ever, and my dad, as clumsy as ever falling flat on his face. Helping him up, I give both of them a long embrace, in which I can feel silent tears coming out of my mum's eyes.
"I was so worried about you in those final days Nymphadora," my mother says, a slight hitch to her voice. For once, I don't complain about her using my full name, as even if I wanted to, I couldn't quite speak at that moment.
"Come now Andromeda, Nymphadora," my father says, leading us away from the fireplace, "We're blocking the fireplace."
As I look at my parents, and reflect upon my conversation with Susan, I can't help but think that I shouldn't be worrying about trying to live up to the 'standard' set by those who have come before me in my family. For right now, I feel pretty content with where I am, and nothing that anyone can say, or do, will be able to change that about me.
Nymphadora Tonks is going to set the world on fire.