Claimed
Chapter 27
The Daily Prophet
Tonk's showered and dressed, getting ready to go see Harry. She had to know the truth, if Harry had turned evil because of what they did, she would have to join the Order in killing him. It would be the hardest thing she would ever have to do, but as an Auror she had an obligation. Tonks laughed in bitter amusement, she knew she didn't have the stomach to do it. She wouldn't be able to kill him, she had killed many people, evil wizards and witches this was different. Harry had been part of her life, part of a life she had envisioned all those years ago. Before Remus had died and the world had become a strange sight for her.
With a flick of her wand she began her breakfast, knowing better than to make it herself. She was clumsy, apart from when it came to using magic of course. Nobody had been more surprised, than her parents when she had managed to get into the Auror Academy. Her clumsiness didn't matter; she was powerful and extremely alert when it came to fighting. She knew though, deep down its not why they had hired her. She knew it was because of her abilities to shape shift. She also knew that's why she had been allowed in the order too. It was obvious because Dumbledore asked her to check things out, and she wasn't about to do that in her normal form.
The food was put on the plate; she had grown up in a Muggle home, so she didn't own a house elf. Her father was a Muggle, and her relatives hated that fact and wanted them dead because of it. She hated thinking of them as relatives, they were anything but, and most of them were evil.
A barn owl flew through the open window, dropping of the morning paper, waiting for the money. Tonks grabbed her cloak, and fished out the coins and put them in the pouch for the bird. Giving it a slice of bacon, she didn't like it much anyway, and she knew owls loved it. The owl practically gobbled it down before taking off, after hooting gratefully at her. No doubt heading back to deliver yet another paper to someone else.
Tonk's ate her breakfast as she opened the paper; her fork fell on the plate, her mouth agape at the contents. Suddenly her stomach rebelled against the food she had managed to consume. Standing up, she tripped up on her chair, sending herself and the chair flying. Cursing Tonks managed to make it to the sink before her stomach rebelled completely.
Tonks continued to dry heave for at least ten minutes, closing her eyes against the image in her mind. She felt so disgusted, my god how could someone do something like that? She wasn't sure what she was talking about, putting it in the paper or Dumbledore's actions. She realized she had her answers, Harry wasn't evil, but he still needed help. What if that was the real reason Harry had left? What if Dumbledore had hurt him too?
She grabbed her cloak, unable to look at anything else; she half wanted to go to the Ministry. Other part of her realized she needed to visit Harry, let him know. If that paper was true, Dumbledore was probably going to attack them pretty soon. Pretty soon is probably right now - goodness knows what Dumbledore could or would do.
She had no idea he had arranged it.
Standing outside the castle, she wondered how to get to him; she kept coming up against the shields. She tried once more, only to get the scare of her life when ten vampires surrounded the wards. She backed up, terribly outnumbered, and completely worried. Swallowing thickly, she gathered up the remains of her courage and spoke.
"I need to speak to Harry, it's urgent," said Tonks her hair was black today, reflecting her mood quite nicely.
"He's not available," sneered Trey.
"He's in trouble, real trouble please…even if it's just out here, I'll stay here you can watch me," said Tonks.
Trey looked at her in contemplation, she seemed genuinely worried about him, and he could smell that. He wasn't going to take that for granted though, especially with the news that had just gotten out. He apparated out and into the dining hall, where Harry, Severus and his human friends were reading the paper, their hands covering the video - unable to stomach that.
"We have someone at the gate - she's asking for you and she seems rather worried," said Trey.
"Who?" asked Severus asking for confirmation, the 'you' he said wasn't exactly their names.
"Harry," said Trey.
"She? There are only a few females in the Order…that could possibly know where I am, I wonder what she wants?" asked Harry surprised.
"Remove her wand and anything she could have on her person and bring her up." said Severus he wanted to know what she wanted.
"Done," said Trey apparating out again.
Tonks waited on pins and needles, the vampire had just vanished with no warning. The others were staring at her as though she was a tasty meal. The urge to apparate out of there was strong, but she couldn't. She had loved Remus, and she knew she had to help Harry - its what he would have wanted.
"Give me both your wands, and everything else you have on you, weapons or Portkey's put them in here." said Trey handing over a rectangle box - he wasn't about to touch anything just in case.
Tonks wasn't surprised by that demand, but she was deeply unsure of what to do. In the end she knew she had to do what her conscience was telling her to do. She placed the Portkey she had on her person. Before even more reluctantly giving up her wands, the one on her wrist, and the other on her calf.
"Can I see him now?" asked Tonks exasperated a piece of her true personality showing through.
"Very well, let's go," said Trey, he grabbed Tonks and apparated her to the dining room.
"Fred, George?" gaped Tonks her eyes going huge upon seeing them.
"Hi Tonks," said the twins together as one, as per usual.
"What are you doing here?" asked Harry coldly. The excited happy man was gone; in place was a man who had been betrayed by all he had known.
"I…I um came to warn you," said Tonks, this wasn't the welcome she had been expecting, but she shouldn't have been surprised. Harry had been betrayed after all, but she hadn't been a part of that.
"About what exactly?" asked Severus coolly, staring at the woman in cautious curiosity. Who was she? Why was she warning Harry now? Was it some sort of trap by the Order? Time would only tell, but he couldn't smell deceit from her.
"Dumbledore plans on attacking Harry and killing him," she said, feeling awkward at being the only one standing. They weren't exactly being welcoming, but she wasn't here for tea so she had to get it over with and get to work.
"So what's new?" sneered Harry bitterly.
Tonks stared at Harry, he had changed so much and she thought he had been bitter in his seventh year.
Suddenly a vampire apparated into the building putting Tonks even more on the defensive.
"They've all been arrested, Madam Bones has taken charge, everyone else is in ciaos," explained Derek, who had until Harry arrived on the scene been Severus' right hand man. Not that Derek was angry with that; it just gave him more time to search out his own mate.
"Really? Who arrested Dumbledore?" grinned Harry his dour mood already forgotten.
"Moody," said Derek.
"You mean he didn't know about Dumbledore?" asked Fred incredulously.
"Obviously not, Dumbledore and Moody began fighting big time, in the middle of the Great Hall. Moody played dirty, and bound him, he's in the Ministry they had to bind his magic to make sure he kept in place." smirked Derek holding up a vial of liquid that they all knew to be pensive memories.
"That I have to see!" said Harry grabbing the potion grinning widely.
"Wait for me!" shouted Fred, George, Luna and Neville together wanting to see it too.
Severus shook his head in amusement, he would see it later right now, and he needed to know more about this woman.
"Sit down," said Severus finally being accommodating. "Thank you Derek keep us posted."
"Will do," said Derek apparating out immediately after.
Tonks sat down feeling rather weak and grateful for a sit down.
"Who are you?" he asked his face passive.
"My name is Nymphadora Tonks, I prefer Tonks though," said Tonks almost sheepishly.
"Why help Harry now?" asked Severus handing over a coffee.
"After the war…I was sent to look for Remus, I didn't know what was happening until I got back. By then Harry had left the wizarding world," said Tonks.
"Remus Lupin?" asked Severus curiously.
"Yes, but I think he's dead or he would have been back by now," sighed Tonks her face contorted in agony.
"He's up the stairs," said Severus bluntly, he could sense her love for this man.
"Really?" asked Tonks her entire face lightening up, relief splashing through.
"Why did you think he had left voluntarily," asked Severus disgusted with her short-sightedness.
"It was in the paper," said Tonks.
"And of course you just accepted that as true, why did you never think of going and finding him? If you did not have anything to do with it, why didn't you let him know you believed in him?" sneered Severus.
"I have no answer," whispered Tonks ashamed.
"I'd gather not, at least you didn't make half assed excuses," said Severus, a grudging respect bloomed for her.
will she be accepted or will they just let her go or will they keep her becuase she knows too much? will i have it be a quick trial? want to see the fight between moody and dumbledore? R&R PLEASE!