When Hogwarts finally broke for the summer holidays Tonks came to stay at the cottage with Penny and Minerva for a couple of weeks, giving them both a welcome distraction from recent events. The two girls had spent most of their time exploring the loch, walking on the beach or playing in the forest. Occasionally they would take their brooms out and race each other across the moorland, only returning home for something to eat every now and then. More often than not they wouldn't return home until after dark, only when they could no longer see their hands in front of their faces, happy and exhausted.
On a couple of rainy and miserable days they sat downstairs in the living room beside the large, black, cast iron fire place, which was surrounded by an ornate wooden mantelpiece. Above the mantelpiece was a large oval mirror, in which your reflection would sometimes take on a life of its own, often pulling faces at you or walking off altogether. Laid all around the living room were books of all different shapes, sizes and colours from all across the globe, collected by Penelope during the course of her travels.
There were also many artefacts in the house belonging to Penelope that had always interested Penny. There were little silver trinket boxes, with bright jewels encrusted on the lids, which would turn from a bright emerald green to red when someone with bad intentions was near. They would also make their contents disappear if opened by anyone other than the owner.
There were also many amulets and talismans placed all around the living room, to protect the house's inhabitants. There were also crystals placed all over the house, to also protect and encourage growth.
Penny had always loved all of the quirky things her grandmother brought back from her trips away. She'd always bring her back a gift and stories of the evil she had defeated. Penny would wait, rather impatiently, for her grandmother's return, much to the displeasure of her great grandmother or great aunt, depending on who was taking care of her at the time, as she would ask them constantly for news or when she'd be returning home.
Penny adored her great aunt and great grandmother, who had sadly passed away a few years earlier, but her love for her grandmother was like none other and nobody ever quite compared. Penelope had to fill in as mother, father and grandmother and she very much felt the same for her granddaughter, fiercely protective of her and incredibly proud of her and her achievements.
'Aunt Minerva, in what year did the Ministry of Magic introduce the Statue of Human Transfiguration?' Penny asked on one particularly dull afternoon, as she and Tonks sat on the floor with their transfiguration homework laid in front of them.
Minerva looked at them both over the rim of her glasses and placed the book she had been reading beside her, inserting a book mark to keep her place.
'It should tell you in your text book.' She replied as she looked at them both, never being one to give a student the answer, believing that they would only learn if they found the information themselves.
'Well that's just it, I've been searching for ages, but I'm confused. On page two hundred and twenty six it says that the use of transfiguration on humans was used illegally by a dark wizard named Izmark Wendigum in 1247, but on page two hundred and thirty it states that the first Transfiguration Law wasn't introduced until 1301.' Penny explained, her nosed wrinkled in confusion, a look somewhat matched by Tonks.
'So what does that tell you both?'
'That the text book is wrong and likes confusing us?' Penny replied hopefully, much to the disdain of her aunt.
'Is it possible that it came under another wizarding law?' Tonks asked, feeling doubtful that she was correct. 'I mean, maybe it was a clause in something else?' She added.
'Exactly Tonks!' Minerva said with a smile, but still not willing to give them the full answer. 'So what do you think you're looking for now then?'
'The initial law in which the Statute of Human Transfiguration is originally stated?' Penny asked rhetorically, turning once again to her book.
'I'd try reading the chapter again from the beginning.' Minerva suggested casually as she grabbed her book once more, with the smallest of smile's forming.
Over the next few days this became their routine as the last minute rush to finish their homework set in, until the final week of the summer holidays arrived. Excited at the thought of returning to Hogwarts, but saddened that they would soon be leaving the private sanctuary of Ardnagrask Cottage, Penny and Tonks spent their last few days together on the beach.
Tonks was to return home a couple of days before term started so she could spend some time with her family, whilst Penny would be returning to Hogwarts with Minerva a couple of days early, as Minerva needed to arrive with the other teachers to prepare for the upcoming year.
Whilst Tonks and Penny were out on the beach on their final day together, Minerva took the opportunity to collect her things together and pack them in her trunk, when she spotted the letter given to her by Dumbledore sat on her bedside table.
She'd read her sister's letter through time and time again, until she must have read it over a hundred times since Dumbledore had given it to her; but it didn't make reading its contents any easier. It also didn't make the idea of telling Penny any easier either, but she knew she was going to have and she was going to have to do it sooner rather than later. She didn't want Penny going to Hogwarts without knowing the complete truth, but that meant that she was running out of time.
However, Penny still hadn't come to terms with what Dumbledore had told her the day he had visited them and to let her read the contents of that letter would certainly destroy her at this present moment. So Minerva hadn't pushed it, in fact they hadn't even mentioned anything about it, although she knew that when Penny was ready she would come asking, but she was concerned that the decision might be taken out of her hands and she would soon be forced to tell her.
As she tried to shake the thoughts from her mind she glanced out of the window and watched as Penny and Tonks ran about on the beach beside the loch, running in and out of the water, screaming and giggling in the cold. She smiled and decided to abandon her packing until later, preferring the idea of joining the two girls than being stuck inside.
Penny and Tonks were enjoying playing in the loch, skimming stones across the water and swimming across to a small island near the middle, until they saw Minerva on the beach, who called them back for lunch. She'd conjured a few plates of sandwiches and cakes which were now placed on the red tartan rug she'd laid out on the sand.
A light breeze was blowing as they ate as much as they could, the plates kept refilling themselves each time they came close to finishing. There were a couple of clouds streaked across the bright blue sky and the hot sun was beating down on them, a perfect way to spend a summer's day.
'Thanks Aunt Minerva for this.' Penny said with delight, taking yet another sandwich.
'You're welcome.' Minerva smiled back. 'Now if you're going back into the water make sure you don't swim too far out, because I won't come in after you if you get into difficulty.' She added as they both finished eating and made their way back to the water.
Both girls giggled, mumbled something about "we won't" and then ran off. Minerva smiled again as she watched them, before taking out her book and beginning to read.
'Don't you find it weird being Professor McGonagall's niece?' Tonks asked once they were out of earshot.
'Not really; I mean she's always been my great aunt so I don't really know any difference.' Penny replied with a giggle. 'But I don't want everyone at school to know; I'm not ashamed to be her great niece, but can you imagine what Barton would say if she found out?'
'Good point. Well I think most of the teachers know now. I heard Snape and Hooch mentioning how Professor McGonagall had lost her sister and was now her sister's granddaughter's guardian.' Tonks explained, as they both now tip toed their way over some rocks.
'That's not so bad I guess; Aunt Minerva did say she thought they'd figure it out one day, but she's planning to tell them all when we get back anyway. Although I bet old Snape would love it if we didn't come back.'
'Why?'
'Snape is like the assistant deputy headmaster; meaning that in the absence of Dumbledore and Aunt Minerva he's in charge.' Penny explained.
'Git!' Tonks replied, making Penny laugh. 'How you ever managed to get top marks in his class I'll never know Pen, he hates anyone that's not in his house. Although Barton didn't do so well in her exams, so I think he was furious when he found out.'
The two girls sat on the rocks looking out onto the loch as the day began to draw to a close. In the distance they could see the sun begin to set and it was slowly becoming dusk around them. Penny was laughing as Tonks scrunched up her face and changed her nose into a different shape and then her hair, making it go from blonde to pink and from short to long and back again.
As their laughter died down and they became quiet once more, Penny began to think. She was really going to miss Tonks for the few days they'd be separated and she knew that once she was alone with Minerva, they would have to discuss the prophecy and what was in her grandmother's letter.
'Are you alright Penny?' Tonks asked her with concern as she saw the blank look on Penny's face, although her brow was creased in thought.
'Me? Yeah, yeah course I am, why wouldn't I be?' Penny replied quickly, too quickly for Tonks' liking.
'What's wrong?' She pressed and she stared intently at her friend.
Finally, after several weeks of trying to force it to the back of her mind, Penny opened up about what Dumbledore had said. She told Tonks about being related to Gryffindor, about being the Angel of Adustum and the letter from her grandmother.
Of course Tonks was shocked at first. She had heard about the Angel of Adustum, as had most in the wizarding world, but she never thought for a moment that the Angel actually existed, let alone that she would be friends with her.
'What do you think is in the letter?' Tonks asked as they walked back towards the cottage.
It had now become dark and Minerva had long since gone back up to the house. They could just make out the outline of smoke billowing from the chimney.
'I don't know; but from the way Aunt Minerva reacted when she read it, I can't imagine it's anything good.' Penny exclaimed, a lump of fear forming in her throat as she thought about it.
They continued to talk about it all the way up to the front door of the house until they entered, suddenly becoming quiet until they saw Tonks' mum Andromeda sitting in the living room waiting for them.
'We were beginning to think you were never coming home.' She said as she greeted her daughter with a tight hug.
Andromeda was a tall, slim woman with a pointy face. Her wild dark brown hair had silver streaks which made her pale complexion look even paler. She had dark rather striking eyes, which at first glance could be mistaken as unkind or unfeeling eyes; but on the contrary, as Andromeda was very kind and loving, completely the opposite of the rest of her family.
The two women and two girls made their way into the kitchen to the very large stone fireplace, where Andromeda took out some floo powder.
'Bye Tonks.' Penny said as she hugged her friend goodbye.
'See you in a few days.' Tonks waved as she and her mother disappeared.
Once they were gone an awkward silence fell around the cottage as Penny tried to avoid her great aunt's gaze. Minerva was still trying to assess the situation, trying to decide when the best time to allow Penny the opportunity to read the letter.
Penny had decided that she still wasn't ready to read the letter yet, but there were one or two things she wanted to know, things she hoped Minerva could answer.
'If you have a question Penny, ask it; I'll do my best to answer.' Minerva said calmly once she and Penny were sat in the living room, in their night clothes and dressing gowns, with a mug of hot chocolate a piece. She had sensed for some time that Penny was desperate to ask something.
'Did you and Grams know I was the Angel of Adustum?'
'I believe your grandmother knew from the day you were born, or at least from when you first started showing your powers; I, however, only discovered the truth about who you are the night your grandmother died.
'She had intended to tell you herself, when she felt you were old enough to understand, but obviously that decision was taken out of her hands. There's a lot about the Prophecy of Adustum that Professor Dumbledore didn't tell you, things that I will do my best to reveal to you over time, as it's quite a burden to shoulder. But as Professor Dumbledore also said, both he and I are here for you, to help you and to guide you.' Minerva explained.
'If there's light there always got to be dark; so if I'm known as the Angel of Light, do I have to fight evil? Are there dark warlocks and entities waiting for me, like Grams always warned me about?' Penny continued as her mind racing with all the possibilities, the good and the bad.
'That's not something you will have to worry about any time soon, but I think your destiny is becoming quite clear. You're going to go on to do fantastic things Penny, but for now you need to concentrate on learning skills that'll assist you in that future, before you consider anything else.' Minerva replied after a few minutes of silence.
'And now I think it time we both went off to bed. We've got a busy few days ahead of us, so we'll both need our rest.'
Penny thought that her aunt's reply was rather evasive to that particular question, but the look her aunt gave her made her not want to push the subject further. For now, exhausted and mentally drained, she was going to have to let the subject rest, much like herself.
She climbed the candlelit stairway to her bedroom, lighting her oil lamps in her bedroom and falling into bed. Her mind was still whirring with regards to the prophecy, knowing there was more for her to discover, but feeling a little annoyed the her great aunt would tell her nothing further. She wasn't sure what she preferred, being told her role in dribs and drabs or being told everything at once.
Before she could think further on the matter though she had drifted off to sleep, closely followed by Minerva in the room next to her, who had quietly been cursing her sister for leaving her in this position in the first place.