A Lead Change

Two weeks after Tonks's failed undercover job, the team was no closer to catching up with Lysander Nichols. Nichols now knew that they were on to him and had done what any guilty criminal would do, disappear. The case had gone stale and Tonks was stuck, once again, behind her desk doing paperwork.

"Tonks!" Bensons called bitterly across the office, "Haman wants a word." Benson still had not forgiven Tonks for messing up the undercover job, and Tonks now wondered if he ever would. Sullenly she followed Benson into Haman's office.

The office was only just big enough for the three of them. Just big enough to set Haman apart from those who worked in cubicles in the open planned office. Benson sat down in the only spare chair, leaving Tonks to lean against the wall. "I want to move our investigation in another direction." Haman announced.

"What about Nichols?" Tonks asked.

"We'll still be keeping tabs on all his movements, I just think we should be looking into other suspects."

"You mean like Severus Snape, sir?" Benson moved forward on his chair in anticipation.

Haman moved forward, matching Benson's excitement. "Yes. We'll go up to Hogwarts now and bring him in for questioning."

"Can I ask what has brought this on now? I mean why not yesterday, or the day before?" Tonks asked trying to hide her alarm.

"Well now that Dolores Umbridge is Hogwarts High Inquisitor, she's overridden Dumbledore's request to leave Snape alone. So, Tonks, we move in now."

"That's good," Tonks lied.

Tonks had not set foot on Hogwarts grounds since graduating, but it hadn't changed. The school still stood majestically between the high Scottish mountain ranges. Tonks pulled her travelling cloak tightly around her. It sure felt colder then London this far north.

She followed Haman and Benson silently through the large oak doors. Instantly Tonks heard the rumble of voices coming from the Great Hall, "Lunch time", she thought. A short squat women, who Tonks recognized from the Ministry, stood in the Entrance Hall waiting for them.

"Minster Umbridge, It's a pleasure to see you again," Boomed Haman.

"Auror Haman, it is my pleasure to help you with such a hideous case," Umbridge almost whispered back.

"This is my team, Auror Benson, and Junior Auror Tonks," Haman introduced.

"Yes." Umbridge gave a small nod to Benson and Tonks. "I will take you down to Snape's office."

As they set off across the Entrance Hall two first years raced out of Umbridge's way, and into the Great Hall. The four of them made their way down to the dungeons, weaving their way through the labyrinth of hallways till they arrived at a heavy wooden door. Umbridge knocked, but opened the door before waiting for a reply.

The fire place was empty, Tonks felt a chill run up her spine, she was sure that it was colder down here than it had been outside. Severus Snape sat behind his desk, rolls of parchment sat in neat piles in front of him, he briefly glanced up at Haman.

Snape pushed back his chair and held his hands in clear sight, "What can I help you with Auror Haman?" he asked dully.

"Snape," Spat Haman. He walked round the desk so that he stood right in front of Snape. Haman reached down to Snape's waist and pulled Snape's wand out from its small pocket in his cloak. Then Haman knelt down and removed a knife that Snape had concealed on his ankle. "Anything else I should know about now?" Haman demanded.

Snape didn't answer, but instead placed his wrists together behind his back. Haman tapped them with his wand. Restraints sprang from the tip of his wand and tightened around the potion professor's wrists.

Leaving the school had been easy, most of the students were at lunch and the Entrance hall had been empty. Walking through the Ministry proved to be harder. Although the Atrium had been deserted, the Juror's office had been a buzz of people. The older Aurors called out malicious comments, while the younger Aurors watched as their former potions professor was marched through the office into the questioning room.

Now Snape sat with his wrist chained to the table. Haman and Benson sat across the table from their suspect, while Tonks sat on a chair off to the side.

"How do you want to do this Severus?" Haman asked.

"It does not matter how I want to do this," Snape said coolly.

"So you are going to talk to us?"

"Talking is not what you have mind, so no."

"What is it if not talking?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I believe you would call it informal questioning. I would have a few other names for it."

"You're right, I will be calling this informal questioning." Haman stood up and began pacing the room. "What part are you playing in this Blue Ring circuit that's sprung up?"

"Blue Ring? I read about that in the Prophet. But I don't have any part-" Haman smacked Snape's head down on the table with an unpleasant crunching sound.

Slowly Snape pulled his head up straight, a stream of blood was running from his nose.

"Sure you don't want to change that answer?" asked Benson.

"I don't have anything to do with it," Snape said almost conversationally.

This time Haman swung a left hook into Snape's face. Somehow he stayed upright in his chair. Tonks screwed up her hand into a fist and bit into it.

"What about now?" asked Benson.

Snape spat out a mouth full of blood and spit. "No, that's all I have to give as a statement."

Another left hook, this one did send Snape crashing to the floor. His wrists were still awkwardly chained to the table.

The onslaught lasted for an hour. Snape said nothing more. Tonks breathed deeply and concentrated on not crying out.

"Tonks, clean him up and send him on his way." Haman tossed a clean handkerchief at Tonks. "And don't think this is the last you've seen of us Severus. We'll be watching you."

Benson followed Haman out of the room. As soon as the door closed Tonks let out a sob. She grabbed the handkerchief along with the water jug and raced over to the table. She tapped the chains that held Snape's wrists in place. Instantly he reached up to hold his face.

"It's just my nose that they broke," mumbled Snape.

But Tonks wasn't listening – she was too busy trying to hold back the sobs she could no longer suppress. She couldn't get out of her mind the image of her superior beating up a restrained man. Her belief in a moral justice system was shattered.

Snape reached out and took hold of Tonks' wrist. "Miss Tonks, pull yourself together, fix my nose, then send me on my way. Go home tonight to that werewolf of yours, tell him all about today, and then come to work tomorrow as if nothing happened."

Tonks looked into the cold dark eyes of a man she hardly knew, "How?"

"Just think about what, who, you can protect by working in the position you have at the ministry. Now, my nose."

Tonks took a deep breath and put her wand to Snape's nose.

When Tonks walked into Remus' shack, he was sitting massaging his shoulder. His transformation the night before had been tough. He had woken up with a nasty cut on his shoulder; it was still weeping. Remus was glad to see Tonks; perhaps she could fix his shoulder.

"Hello, Dora." Remus welcomed Tonks, "Do you mind having a look at my shoulder? I really hurt it last night."

"Yeah, I'll have a look." Tonks dropped her bag by the door and sat down on the couch next to Remus.

Remus pulled his shirt off his shoulder. He looked at Tonks, her eyes where puffy and red. Remus heart lurched as he realized that Tonks must have been crying. "Wait, Tonks, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Tonks went to the kitchen to get a cloth and water.

"Something is wrong. You've been crying." called Remus.

Tonks came back into the room. "I'm fine, really."

As she began to wipe clean Remus wound, she tried to keep her lip from wobbling.

Remus reach over with his free hand and cupped Tonks face. "What happened?"

"They dragged in Severus Snape in for questioning. Haman spent the whole time beating him up." Tonks managed to get out.

"How long did this go on?"

"About an hour. I know the guy's a jerk and all, but it was meant to be some questions. They broke his nose. And I'm meant to just look the other way. It's terrible."

Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Remus pulled Tonks into a tight embrace. "Snape's pretty tough. I'm sure he'll be OK."

"It's not that- not that I don't care at all- it's the corruption. It's the idea that they would do that - could do that- to anyone they were questioning."

Remus held Tonks closer to him. As much as he wanted to reassure her, he could not find anything to say that would help. In the end he just held her closer, soothing her with his presence.

A/N:hey guys you know what to do....