Title: Retrograde
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Harry's trial before fifth year goes differently because someone knows more than they should about Harry. Time Travel Fic.
The old man looked around the dingy pub. He had a weather-beaten face, hands with gnarled fingers and sunken knuckles and his posture was stooped, like he was more used to bending than standing upright. His hair was sliver and had thinned significantly art the front, and his eyes were dark and wary. All in all, someone who had led a hard-working life.
The pub was not exactly the kind of establishment you would find in Diagon Alley. While it was not for the upstanding citizens of the Wizarding World, it was also not a 'den of skulduggery' as the old saying goes, where the darkest of Witches, Wizards and Magical Races like Werewolves and Hags, gathered to do the kinds of things that give normal Witches and Wizards nightmares. No, this establishment was somewhere down the dark path, Light enough that an unfamiliar face would not instantly be kidnapped, tortured, killed and sold for potions ingredients on general principal but Dark enough that, for those who were known and familiar, most Grey and Dark services or products were available for those with the stomach and the ability to pay.
The old man had been around long enough that he was trusted but not so long that everyone knew everything about him. He also did not partake in any of the goods or services provided, he simply sat and unobtrusively listened. After finishing the awful drink, the old man stood slowly, and shuffled out of the pub, not looking around at anyone but careful not to appear drunk but not fully sober either, as either conclusion could get you killed.
Once far enough away from the pub that he was sure he was not being followed, the figure straitened, the bones in his back popping with the release of tension and then everything about him began to change. Seconds later it was not the old man standing there, it was Junior Auror Tonks. After another quick look around, Tonks apparated out of the area back to the Task Force Safe House.
The old man was one of her disguises to infiltrate the Dark to find Peter Pettigrew. Tonks knew that Sirius was alive and innocent but for some reason Dumbledore refused to do anything about it but also hid all the details from Tonks and the other Aurors in the Order, like Kingsley. Most of the Order underestimated Tonks as she came off a bit clumsy. This was not all an act but she was not as clumsy as people thought. Partly is was an affection to make people underestimate her, but often when she was at her clumsiest around the Order members was after she had been undercover.
Often for weeks at a time she was in another form than her preferred form, but the Dumbledore had always insisted she be in her 'base form', as he called it, when she was around the Order Members. Firstly, despite her tendency to do small morphs to amuse people, doing a significant morph like changing into someone else completely was not a simple, or painless process. Added to that each different person's form, based on another actual person or a made up disguise like the old man, had different centres of balance and ways of moving.
The DMLE understood this, so when she was going undercover they gave her several hours to several days lead time, depending on the duration of the mission and scrutiny she would be under, to get comfortable with the required form. Dumbledore's insistence for her reverting to her 'base form' for Order Meetings meant that when she was on assignment she ended up stumbling around, used to another form, for the duration of the meetings and then morphing back to disguise form and having to re-acclimatise again to that form, though that usually only took twenty odd minutes after a standard Order Meeting. For the record was not her real natural form but more her 'self-image' form of how she wanted to look. She had not been in her real natural form since she was three and could not even remember what she really looked like.
"How did the night go?" Senior Auror Proudfoot asked.
"A few bits of intel but nothing on the primary target." Tonks said, dropping into a chair and surpassing a groan.
"You know you don't have to do that, right?" Proudfoot continued. "You're here because of your knowledge of the Black Family and your dedication to justice, not due to morph abilities."
"I know, but I can't just sit around and do nothing." Tonks replied.
"Get some sleep." Proudfoot ordered. "Shooter may have a lead for tomorrow."
Tonks just nodded and headed off to bed. She had a need to find Pettigrew and clear the name of her Cousin Sirius. Tonks had a strong sense of justice and duty, which is why she had joined both the Aurors and the Order, but now she questioned how effective the Order actually was with Dumbledore in charge. The Headmaster had always insisted on non-lethal methods, which Tonks agreed with… to a point. The time sometimes came when lethal force was required but the Headmaster would not hear of it. In regards to Sirius, from what Tonks had heard from other Order members, part of the reason the Headmaster had done nothing was something to do with the now missing Harry Potter and something to do with redemption, but not Sirius' redemption from what she could gather. When Director Bones had given her this assignment she had still believed in the Order, now she was a hairsbreadth from quitting and telling them all to stuff it.
Closing her eyes, she tried to settle her inner turmoil and get some sleep.
The students looked around in confusion as they assembled at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. All students from Fourth through Seventh Year doing DADA were standing in their year and, for the younger students, House groups. Unlike normal, they were all dressed in a special uniform that the four Professors present, Harry; Flitwick; McGonagall and Vector, had transfigured from their regular outfits. They were all now dressed in dappled green military fatigues, though most Purebloods were completely confused about the outfits.
"Alright, today's exercise is simple in concept. Capture the Flag." Harry explained. "You will be divided into two teams, red and blue. Each team will get a Flag. The objective is the take the other team's flag and return it to your base. To win you have to have both your flag and the opponent's flag in your base at the same time."
"While you can protect your flag at your base," Flitwick continued the explanation. "There are limits. The flag can not be more than six feet off the ground and no concealing spells can be cast on the flags, nor any spell to prevent the flag being moved."
"You are restricted to the colour changing charm, blue team will fire blue, red team will fire red. Professor Flitwick and I will fire yellow. Professors McGonagall and Vector will referee the bases, while Professor Flitwick and I will be out in the field." Harry took over again. "Once you are hit with the charm, you are out. Anyone found casting anything besides the colour changing charm will not only declared out but will be serving detention with me."
Some of the students shuddered at that. Harry's detentions were not writing lines or anything like that, they were running laps around the Black Lake or sprints up and down the stairs from the entrance hall all the way up to the Seventh Floor.
Harry selected the two Captains. Seventh Year Allan Trent was selected as Red Team Captain while Susan Bones was selected as Blue Team Captain. Susan was given first choice to select a team member, so naturally she chose Hermione first, then Trent selected his first choice. By the end of the selection, almost predictably, all of the Sixth Year students were on Susan's Team while all but one of the Seventh Years were on Trent's team, the exception being Katie Bell. The Fourth and Fifth Years were split evenly between the two teams, but most of the students who had been in Hermione and Susan's Defence Club the previous year, including Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley, were on Susan's team.
The teams were identified by coloured armbands. Vector followed Susan's Blue Team to where they would establish their base, while McGonagall went with Trent's Red Team. Once the two groups of students were out of sight Professor Flitwick allowed a grin to spread across his face. It was the grin of a warrior, as both Flitwick and Harry would be playing wildcards, hunting the two different groups.
"Remember, don't just attack when you see them." Harry reminded. "Only engage for maximum effect at an unexpected time. No favourites either."
"So, you'll tag Young Bones?" Flitwick asked.
"Absolutely." Harry replied. "I may be married to her Aunt, but all's fair in love and war."
"Amelia know you think that?" Flitwick asked.
"Of course." Harry grinned. "She wouldn't have it any other way."
With a warrior's fist-bump, the two Professors split up and went hunting.
TBC…