Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to HP. It all belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Inc., Warner Bros., and any other entities involved.

Harry was seething.

He'd been extremely worried about Ginny, when she had been taken, he confusedly remembered for a moment a flash of blond hair that could only have been Malfoy's. He could also Apparate to the Manor; Draco could open the wards for him. He had made up a plan and had the support of the Weasleys.

Just to cover all the bases, they let Dumbledore know, and the ancient wizard insisted he had to come over and review the plan. He and Moody had perniciously pointed out how dangerous it was, how there were Dark Arts artifacts in the Manor that could cause instant death like the Veil. Everyone drew their particular conclusions, and Harry was torn between the need to rescue Ginny and the equally great need to keep everyone he loved safe. They managed to make him wait for a day.

And it was a crazy plan of Moody's! Or Moody was in cahoots with whoever wanted to hurt Ginny.

Harry pondered Draco's words about Moody. They were right, in a sense. A teacher transfiguring a student into an animal and bouncing him around would surely merit instant dismissal at any school. Yet in Hogwarts, Dumbledore and McGonagall did absolutely nothing. Harry thought that it had to do with the fact that Draco was a Slytherin and those two teachers could barely stand them.

If Moody or fake Moody had been expelled, the Triwizard Tournament would not have become a deadly trap. Cedric would have lived, later on, Sirius would have survived.

Maybe Voldemort would have found a way to get Harry, undoubtedly he would've. But Cedric and Sirius might have had more time to live, more time to love.

Harry decided that he would try to curb his Gryffindor tendencies of acting without thinking, and would develop his hidden Slytherin qualities.

Harry watched as Draco transformed Moody back from a mangy dog to his own self, and bound him magically, Harry covertly sent a wandless spell which made Moody's Mad-Eye incompatible with magic, so at least he would not use that feature to cheat his jailers.

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Draco spoke a moment with his mother, and then, noticing Tonks, approached her.

"Chère cousine, it is a pleasure to see you," said Draco.

"Hello Draco, I'm glad to see you are here," replied Tonks.

"If I could have a word with you, cousine, it would please me no end," stated Draco.

"Then let's go to Ron's room, it is closer," answered Tonks.

Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron had watched the exchange. Their interest having been piqued, they followed the pair to Ron's room and stood watch just outside, using extendable ears to listen to the conversation inside.

Draco neared Tonks, and said, "Nym of the fair land of Nym, I thank you for your gift a year ago."

Tonks replied, "What do you mean? What gift Draco?"

Draco replied, "A year ago, after my father was sent to Azkaban, I finally had the run of the Manor, and I was freer than I had ever been. One day I was riding through the countryside when a tawny, temperamental owl approached me. After nearly biting my fingers off because I had no treats to give him, the owl deigned to drop a package on me."

"After checking it for Dark curses, I opened it and found it was a book. It didn't say from whom. Furthermore, it was a Muggle book."

"I was bored that summer, and so I read the book. I found that, even though it had been written by a Muggle, it was a fascinating tale of hope and despair, of love and redemption."

"So thank you, Nym, for giving me Victor Hugo's 'The Miserables.' Soon I was looking for more books by this author, and later on, his contemporaries. Eventually I would read almost every book I could get my hands on."

"In the book you gave me, there is a moment when the protagonist, a wanted man, robs a priest of his silver. Policemen catch up with him and hold him for questioning. When they ask the priest to press charges, instead he states that the man had his permission to take the silver. When the priest forgives Valjean, Tonks, this gave me hope that maybe one day, Harry would forgive me."

Tonks replied, "But what makes you think I gave you the book?"

Draco answered, "After I finished it and hid it in the Heir's room, I went to Diagon Alley to look for more books. I found a bookstore that sold predominantly Muggle books and the owner, Miss Walshingham and I, became friends. One day I was browsing the bookshelves when you came in, Nym. The owner greeted you and asked you if you wanted another Victor Hugo, or if The Miserables had been too heavy for you."

Tonks laughed, "You've got me, Draco! The few times I saw you, you seemed a little burdened. Not too much, mind you. The Malfoy mask fits you perfectly. It's just that sometimes it seemed you wanted more. If I had gone and talked to you, nothing would have been solved, as you had been raised by your father, and I imagine that kind of upbringing takes time to reconsider."

"So I decided on a subtler approach. I knew that Lucius was away that summer, so I thought I would interest you in a completely fresh viewpoint. If I know you, Draco, I know that you are extremely curious. The challenge offered by the book would be taken up. The rest depended on you."

"I'm glad that you are here today."

Draco answered in a low tone, "There's more to consider, Nym. You saw the Liege Bond with my mother. What you may not be aware of, is that one of its results is that I have become Lord Black, head of the House of Black."

Tonks answered, astonished, "But didn't Sirius leave all his inheritance to Harry, shouldn't he be Lord Black?"

Draco replied, "Sirius left all Black property to Harry. However, the Lordship can only be transmitted by blood. I'm their descendant, heir by blood and magic to the House of Black."

"This poses unique opportunities," Draco continued. He spoke in a lazy, eerily authoritative drawl, "As head of the House of Black, I acknowledge the wrongs done to you and yours, Nymphadora Black Tonks, and reinstate your family into the protective bosom of the Black family, with all their magic intact."

Tonks felt a magic pulse wash over her, starting in her solar plexus and ending on her toes. Her knees felt weak, and it was only Draco's strong support that kept her upright. She felt full of a strange type of magic. She almost felt like she could fly.

Her mother Andromeda was a very cheerful person, and the nucleus of the Tonks family. Both her father and she relied on her solid optimism, resourcefulness, combativeness. Yet sometimes, when she talked about her sisters, Andromeda would get a wistful look in her face and sadly sigh, and immediately try to change the subject. It pained her greatly to remember that, let alone talk about it, and the rest of the family respected her wishes.

If this was what her mother had been stripped of when she was disowned, Tonks understood perfectly.

Draco whispered, "How would you like to become an Animagus like our cousin Sirius, Nym?"

Draco continued more loudly, "However, my instincts tell me that major problems await the Blacks. Here, hold this quill while I cast the Portus spell."

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Harry had listened to the conversation in growing consternation, and he'd been extremely surprised. Draco liked Victor Hugo? Draco was the Head of the House of Black?

However, when he heard them talking about the Portus spell, he knew he had to act. Draco would probably make a portkey and take them out of the Burrow and into who knows what danger. And Harry would be on the outside looking in, he'd be powerless to help if they got into danger, and knowing Draco, he would. And of course Tonks would get into trouble too.

So while Ginny, Ron and Hermione had gobsmacked expressions, Harry quickly pulled out the Invisibility Cloak out of his pocket, threw it over himself, not without sending the others a glare, commanding them to say nothing and pretend nothing out of the ordinary was happening. He quickly opened the door and rushed in. In his haste, he just grabbed into whoever's arm it was and hoped they would not portkey without him.

However, when he looked up, he found himself facing what he least expected, and he knew fear, deep gut-wrenching fear.

Tbc