Chapter Two – Tailing Challenge
Tonks ran from the surveillance position donning an invisibility cloak. She passed through Jarad's basic security charms with ease, Professor Flitwick had always said she'd been one of his best pupils, and she approached the front door at speed. She had to get in there and quickly, however concentrating on speed and not on where her feet were going meant she fell over the doorstep and careered into a crate of milk bottles which promptly smashed. Quick thinking Tonks whispered "reparo" as she fell so that in the instant that the bottles broke they were repaired. Tonks drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly reminding herself that she needed more haste, less speed, and that this was her last chance to become an Auror, so extreme caution was needed. 'Alohomora' thought Tonks pointing her wand at the lock. She was glad she had paid attention in Defence against the Dark Arts, non-verbal spells were a good skill to have, especially as a potential Auror. The door swung open and Tonks crept in. She had studied a plan of the house and knew that the operational floo network fireplace was behind the third door on the left. She tip-toed forward and pushed the door ajar.
"Diagon Alley" she heard Jarad direct and then the flash of green light as he was whisked away. She stepped into the room, grabbed a handful of floo powder and repeated the instruction. Despite tucking her elbows in tightly Tonks could still feel them ricocheting off the passing walls. She clenched her wand tightly, sensing she was slowing down, and drew the invisibility cloak tight around her body. It would not do to be seen. She felt her feet hit solid ground and she marched forward out of the fireplace, wand raised in anticipation. Tonks was in Knockturn Alley and she could see Jarad striding further down the narrow street. He hadn't struck her as the dark arts type, but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover; she should know that as a metamorphmagus, she reminded herself. Tonks quickly glanced around and then stepped into an empty side street. She removed the invisibility cloak, the street being too narrow for her to safely pass people without knocking them. She concentrated on changing appearance to one which would go unnoticed in a place like Knockturn Alley. She looked down, glad she had decided to wear black robes that morning, and brought out a small mirror from her pocket. A long greasy haired witch with a dirty unwashed look about her blinked out at her.
"I look like Snape's sister" she murmured, grimacing at the thought of her former potions master, "but its just the look I'm after" She grinned and tucked the invisibility cloak and mirror in her robe pocket. She pulled the sleeve of her robe down over her drawn wand and stepped out again into the street and scurried after Jarad.
Tonks had totally forgotten that this was part of her final Auror test; all she was interested in was what Jarad was up to. She was on a mission and it had nothing to do with her career plans. Jarad was up to something and it was her job to find out what. She turned to look in a window as Jarad glanced back over his shoulder to check he wasn't being followed. She was going to have to change appearances often if he was going to be so jumpy. Tonks watched out the corner of her eye as Jarad looked left and right before entering a tall dark grimy building. Tonks walked straight past the entrance and again slipped down an empty side street. She wrinkled her nose and once again changed her appearance. She then walked back to the seedy looking entranceway and giving a cursory glance at the security troll entered.
Tonks was in a large dark room, one side of which was lined with tall book shelves. The texts were mostly leather bound and many looked to be centuries old. Several books lay discarded on tables and Tonks noted dully that there were some notable ministry banned texts and their content was mostly concerning the Dark Arts. The room seemed to be a library of sorts, combined with a shop and coffee house. There were several small tables dotted around the room surrounded by stiff hard backed chairs. One or two seats were occupied by hunched figures pouring over mouldy looking texts and sipping strong smelling coffee. There were several tables displaying wares for sale and a counter top and till towards the back of the room which had a good view of all the shop and its patrons. Jarad crossed the room confidently and passed through a heavy curtain in the far right hand corner. Tonks followed Jarad but cursed as her foot caught in the hem of her robes. She careered into a table containing a display of sneakaskopes and remembralls which scattered far and wide with a resounding crash. Jarad spun round, his wand raised and fear plastered across his face.
"Oh my goodness! I'm terribly sorry. I'm so clumsy" Tonks exclaimed, clearing up the mess with a wave of her wand. She picked up a remembrall and approached the angry looking witch behind the counter,
"How much is this please?" she asked
"Twelve Sickles" was the reply. Tonks handed over the money and hurried out of the shop, a glow of red hinting at her cheeks. She ran into the alleyway and transformed again, and taking the extra precaution of not being recognised transfigured her robes into a deep bottle green colour. She made to move back out but then reconsidered. The shop wasn't too crowded. Perhaps the invisibility cloak was a better idea? She could use her new look when they came back out of the shop onto the narrow street where an invisibility cloak was almost impossible to use successfully. She silently nodded to herself and replaced the invisibility cloak, praying that she would not trip over or knock anything over again. She then crept out the alleyway and back past the security troll and hurried over to the curtain in the far corner. As she carefully passed the sneakaskope and remembrall display there was high pitched whistling sound. The sneakaskopes could detect her if nothing else could! The witch behind the counter cursed and sent a silencing spell at them,
"Stupid things are always going crazy in here. They don't like the clientele" she pointedly looked towards a wizard who seemed to be trying to conceal something under his cloak. Tonks let out the breath she had been holding and approached the curtain cautiously, wondering how to get through it without drawing attention to herself. She raised her wand, hidden under her invisibility cloak and murmured several security detection incantations. There didn't seem to be any other than a muffling charm. How to get through though? She was pondering this when a small but curvy and very attractive witch approached the curtain, levitating a tray of six glasses and a bottle of Firewhisky high above her head. If Tonks could just slip through behind her then she could finally see what Jarad was up to. She got as close to the scantily robed waitress as she could and followed her through the curtain.
"Oi!" she heard a darkly sinister voice growl, and her heart leapt into her mouth, "what the bloody hell you wearing that for? Take it off at once!" Tonks wondered in panic if he could see her, and then calmed herself when the man spoke again, "You're late and damn it Rachel, I've told you a million times. The punters pay to see your beautiful body not an allusion to it."
"Well I'm hardly gonna walk down Knockturn Alley dressed like this am I? So shut your face Carter. How's Kwikspell working out for you? Ha! I have things on you too Carter, so don't test me. You're nothing more than a dirty good for nothing squib"
"You don't scare me missy and one more quip like that and you're out on your nelly!"
"Bite me!" the witch retorted and strutted over to a table of leering men, losing the robe all the same. Jarad seemed to be in the centre of the catcalling, groping action. The room seemed to be an illegal gaming pit and whorehouse combined. Two baby dragons were in the pit and witches and wizards alike were throwing Galleons down on the result of the fight. Women draped themselves around poles and wiggled seductively at the gaming wizards and were seen to lead takers into side-chambers. Jarad was leaning enthusiastically on the pit barrier cheering the Welsh Green on and handing over a handful of Galleons to a wizard who was taking the bets. He glanced up and winked at the waitress bring the Firewhisky,
"Give her a break Carter, I like this little striptease act of hers!" He glanced down at the dragons and then fished in his pockets and looked thoughtfully at the coins in his palm,
"In fact how much for her?"
"I'm not for sale Mister" exclaimed the horrified waitress, her eyes widening as Carter growled,
"50"
"20" bargained Jarad.
"I'm not for sale!" Rachel reiterated but Carter ignoring her said,
"40 and not a knut less".
"30 is my last offer Carter. I would take it if I were you" warned Jarad. Carter nodded, holding out his hand,
"Deal." The men shook hands and Rachel looking from one to the other as if to gauge whether they were joking at her expense, snapped,
"You have got to be kidding? I am not for sale Carter. I'm warning…."
"Do as you are told Rachel"
"I will not. My brother…" Carter pulled Rachel away and snarled,
"If your brother cared so much for you he wouldn't let you work here, besides Mr Jarad here has friends, know what I mean? Friends who are not good to have as enemies. You do as you are told or both you and I will regret it. I don't want to regret it Rachel." The waitress Rachel screwed up her face and then snapped,
"Fine. I hate you Carter. Just so you know."
"Good! Now go do it." smiled Carter in an oddly sinister fashion as though he were unused to it. Rachel turned to go but then circled back,
"I get the money, the 30 Galleons."
"Nope. Off you go," and with that Carter pushed Rachel towards Jarad. Rachel's beautiful face was disfigured by the anger which crossed it,
"Don't touch me Carter! I'll take 20"
"5 tops!" bargained Carter undeterred by Rachel's expression.
"5? 10 plus tips, plus this weekend off. No arguments Carter. Jarad is waiting"
Carter looked nervously at Jarad before shrugging and resignedly saying, "Fine. Just go."
Rachel grinned and strolled over to Jarad. Without a backward glance she lead him into a side chamber. Tonks still disguised under the cloak, concentrating hard on not tripping on her cloak hem or the uneven floor, followed. This was not where she wanted to be but Jarad might say or do something which may decipher who he really was. The image he had portrayed for the majority of her and Manders' surveillance of him was in direct contrast to the man she saw before her now. Jarad was an enigma which needed solving.