"Merlin's beard," Tonks muttered under her breath. Tonks dropped to her knees and knelt besides Harry. Quickly she looked towards the end of the hall. The students who had beaten him up were no longer to be seen.
"Harry, can you hear me?" Tonks asked.
His head moved slightly. Tonks let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't dead. Tonks rummaged through her pockets to find an object to make a Portkey. She found her wallet, it would do fine.
Tonks placed the spell on the wallet, and held Harry close to her. "You're going to be fine, Harry," she whispered.
She felt the familiar tug on her navel and found herself in the hospital wing. "Madam Pomfrey!" Tonks shouted.
The medi-witch was by her side in an instant. "Whatever happened here?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"I don't know," Tonks said frustratedly. "I found him this way."
"Help me move him behind this curtain," Madam Pomfrey said quickly. Tonks complied. "Now please go get Professor Dumbledore."
"Sure thing," Tonks said, and ran out the door. She ran as fast as she could towards Professor Dumbledore's office.
Facing the gargoyle, she said "Ice Mice," quickly. The gargoyle woke up, and the staircase appeared. Tonks took the stairs two at a time.
"Professor Dumbledore!" she cried, pounding on the office door. The door opened quickly, and Tonks ran in. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were both there, playing a game of cards.
Professor Dumbledore stood up quickly. "Has something happened?"
"Harry's been beat up," Tonks informed them.
"Where is he now?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"In the hospital wing," Tonks replied.
"We must see him," Professor Dumbledore said.
The three walked in silence as they headed towards the hospital wing. She couldn't quite believe what she had found. "He's going to be all right," Tonks muttered to herself.
Moments later, Professor Dumbledore stood over Harry's body. "Will he live?" Professor Dumbledore asked sharply.
Madam Pomfrey looked insulted. "Of course he will live, Albus. Why in the world did you ask that?"
Professor Dumbledore looked sadly at Madam Pomfrey. "I meant no offense, Poppy…"
"I know, I know," Madam Pomfrey said, pouring a vial into a cauldron. "He's pretty bad though. It looked like they cursed him quite a bit before they used their fists."
"How long until he recovers?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"At least a week," Madam Pomfrey told them.
Professor Dumbledore seemed to be pondering something. "Poppy, may we use your office for a moment?"
Madam Pomfrey nodded, and started stirring her cauldron furiously.
"Come, Nymphadora. There are issues to discuss," Professor Dumbledore said.
Tonks followed the two professors and sat down quietly. Professor Dumbledore took his customary position behind Madam Pomfrey's desk.
"We can't let this get out," Professor Dumbledore said softly.
"What ever do you mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"If Voldemort's supporters think they can kill Harry by using their sons, they will never stop trying until Harry is dead," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "We'll move him to Headquarters. Remus is there, he can watch over him until he is better."
Professor Dumbledore looked up and Tonks knew what he was about to ask of her. "I'll be Harry for a week," Tonks said.
"Thank you, Nymphadora. I wish it didn't come to this," Professor Dumbledore said sadly. "I'm going to request that two Aurors follow Harry at all times. I will not have him taken by surprise again.
"Minerva, please go and fetch Nymphadora a uniform for her to wear," Professor Dumbledore asked. Professor McGonagall nodded and left the office.
"I don't want anyone to know about this," Professor Dumbledore said.
"Well, I need to tell Severus," Tonks said. "I can't just disappear for a week."
"Nymphadora, Severus cannot know that you are going to be posing as Harry."
"Why in the world not?" Tonks asked.
"I can't risk Severus treating Harry Potter differently for the next week. If he knew it was you as Harry, he might change his behavior," Professor Dumbledore said.
Tonks hated to admit it, but Professor Dumbledore was right. "I'll tell him you have a mission for me, top secret," Tonks said. "But what about you? What if you need me to fill in for you over the next week?"
"We shall have to hope that my health cooperates," Professor Dumbledore said, with a slight smile.
Professor McGonagall returned with a uniform. Tonks took it, and went behind a white curtain, and quickly changed. Then scrunching her face, she transformed her body to Harry's.
She then went back into the office. "I'm not sure about the height," Tonks said, chewing her lower lip.
"His eyes are greener," Professor McGonagall said. Tonks concentrated and changed her eyes a bit. "He's about a quarter inch taller."
Finally, Tonks was comfortable with the morph. "The longest I can hold a full body morph is twelve hours," she told them. "I need to be in my natural state for at least an hour then, before I can do another morph."
"That shouldn't be a problem. You can get that amount of rest at lunch, or between classes," Professor Dumbledore said.
Tonks nodded. "I guess I should start then, shouldn't I?" she asked.
"I'll tell Severus that I sent you on a mission," Professor Dumbledore said.
"Thank you," Tonks said. "Now what class should I be in?"
Professor Dumbledore smiled. "I believe you're getting ahead of yourself, Nymphadora."
"I'm already late for class, Professor. I really should get a move on."
"I don't think many people will think you're Harry with that voice," Professor McGonagall said, clearly amused.
"Oh. That," Tonks said.
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Fifteen minutes later, she left Professor Dumbledore's office. The transformation was complete. She was now Harry Potter.
Nervously, she held the note that the Headmaster had given her. Harry was supposed to be in Potions, and the note was giving her a pass to be late. Though part of her was excited. She couldn't wait to see Severus teach. Tonks wondered if he was still as mean as a teacher when she was in Hogwarts.
Tonks opened the door, and quietly walked inside. She felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of her face. She was nervous. She had no idea which seat was Harry's.
"Potter!"
Tonks looked up guiltily. "Yes, sir?" she asked, sounding just like Harry. Tonks tried her hardest not to smile at Severus. But she ended up grinning.
"Find something funny, do you?" Severus sneered.
Tonks choked down a laugh. "No, sir, not at all."
"How dare you walk into my class more than half way through," Severus said dangerously.
"I have a pass," Tonks told him. She held her head up high. She doubted very much so, that Harry was afraid of Severus.
"Give it here," Severus said, snatching the note for her hand. He looked it over. "Very well. It is too late to brew your own potion. Go watch Granger brew hers."
"Yes, sir," Tonks said. She couldn't believe how upset Severus looked.
She sat down next to Hermione. "Why were you late?" she whispered worriedly.
"I'll tell you later," Tonks whispered to her.
"Where are your books?" Hermione asked.
Tonks realized that Harry's books must be in his dorm. That or they were stolen by the students that beat him up.
"Stop that infernal racket!" Severus said. "Five points each from Gryffindor."
Tonks thought the class would never end.
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Tonks slumped down in a chair in the common room. All she wanted was to go to bed. She had been in the morph for almost eight hours, and she was tiring. So far, Tonks was quite pleased with her performance as Harry. She had quite a lot of fun at dinner, but was confused by the looks Neville Longbottom kept giving her.
Finally, Tonks announced to the group she had been doing homework with that she was going to bed.
"Me too," Ginny said quickly. Together they walked up the stairs.
Tonks reached the seventh year boys dorm room. She had been there once before, her sixth year, with her boyfriend at the time. She was grateful now, otherwise, she would have no idea what room she was in.
"Well, goodnight," Tonks said to Ginny.
"Not yet, silly," Ginny said. "Let's go in. Everyone's downstairs."
"Okay," Tonks said nervously. Ginny had taken her hand. Tonks was frantic. Harry and Ginny must have started dating!
Tonks opened the door, and led them inside. Quickly, she tried to figure out which bed was Harry's. She saw a trunk with the initials HJP, and walked towards that bed.
But Ginny put her arms around her and started kissing her passionately. Tonks stood there, motionless. She started debating whether or not to tell Ginny that she wasn't Harry. She had no problem impersonating him, but this felt completely wrong.
"Harry?" Ginny asked, sounding concerned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing's wrong," Tonks said quickly.
Ginny laid her head on Tonks' chest. "Then why aren't you kissing me back?"
"Long day?" Tonks said unconvincingly.
Ginny looked at her carefully. "I'm tired too, but we never have a chance to be together like this," Ginny pouted.
"I'm sorry," Tonks said. And she meant it too. She remembered how hard of a time it was to find a good place to snog in Hogwarts.
Ginny kissed her again, but softer this time. Tonks sighed and decided she better just play along for a little bit. She desperately hoped Ginny didn't have any plans to go further than kissing tonight.
Tonks had kissed women before, so this wasn't that big of a deal. But then she remembered that Ginny was probably only sixteen years old. That was a big deal to Tonks. She broke away.
"I'm sorry, Ginny," Tonks said, sitting on Harry's bed. "I'm really tired."
"Oh, okay," Ginny said softly. Ginny gave her one last kiss, and walked towards the door. "Goodnight, then."
"Goodnight," Tonks told her. Ginny left the room, and closed the door quickly behind her. Tonks flopped back on the bed. Then sighed, figuring she better take a shower before the rest of Harry's dorm mates come up.
Rummaging through Harry's trunk, she grabbed a pair of pyjamas and headed towards the bathroom. There were other students already in there. Luckily, the showers had a little partition with a curtain to undress in before you needed to get wet.
Tonks stepped inside, and cast an imperturbable spell on the curtain. She had learned a long time ago, that in order to get really clean, she needed to be in her natural state.
She showered as quickly as she could and then got dressed. She quickly changed back into the pyjamas and headed back to her dorm.
It looked like Harry's dorm mates had all come up. "Hey, Harry," one said.
Tonks had no idea what this student's name was. "Hey," she said back, hoping someone would say his name. She knew Ron, and Neville, but the other two, she drew a complete blank.
The boy laughed. "Snape seemed really pissed that you were late to potions," the boys said.
"I had to talk to Professor Dumbledore," Tonks answered. "I'm tired. I think I'll turn in."
Tonks slid into bed, and drew the curtains around the bed tightly. She quickly cast another imperturbable charm on her bed. She knew that that charm was going to be her best friend this week.
Quickly, she morphed back to herself. The pyjamas she was wearing now were much too big, so she slipped them off.
She laid her head on the pillow, and suppressed a giggle. Tonks was almost positive that Harry wouldn't giggle like she does.
She had kissed Ginny Weasley! That was something Tonks wouldn't have thought of when she woke up this morning. Her mind lingered back to the summer when Harry had kissed her. It looked like he had gotten over her after all.