Stonehenge was one of the few mysteries left on Earth that both Muggles and wizards had yet to solve. It had stood strong and proud in the grassy region of Wiltshire for well over four millennia, that much was beyond dispute. However, its origin, its purpose, and its construction were topics of discussion that had intrigued researchers for a very long time. Muggles had proposed several plausible theories. Perhaps Stonehenge had been an observatory or a burial ground. Perhaps the igneous bluestones that adorned the site had originated from the quarries in distant Wales. And, if so, perhaps the stones had been dragged all the way to Wiltshire, where construction had undoubtedly taken a countless number of years to complete. Yet no matter how plausible the Muggle theories became, they were just theories and not certifiable facts. The Muggles could hardly be blamed though, for they did not have magic at their disposal.
The Unspeakables, those wizards and witches from the Department of Mysteries that devoted their lives to the study of such mysteries, faced no such impediment. With the use of advanced tracing, dating, and tracking spells, the Unspeakables had investigated countless wonders and phenomena over the years and had unearthed a treasure trove of information. Unfortunately, the DoM very rarely shared their findings with the Ministry and the wizarding public, but the majority of the few reports they had published provided answers for some of the world's greatest wonders.
The mystery behind the construction of the Pyramids of Giza had plagued Muggle archaeologists for centuries. However, nearly four years after they had begun their research, the Unspeakables published conclusive findings which proved that magic had been involved in their construction, particularly with the movement and placement of the massive limestones that comprised the Pyramids. The Yonaguni Monument had been discovered in Japan not a decade past, and when word reached Britain, several Unspeakables had been dispatched to discover the truth. While the Muggles squabbled over the Monument, trying to determine whether or not it had been manmade, the team of Unspeakables had silently performed a holistic magical analysis of the Monument. In four months, they had determined its origin, history, and composition, and had then published their findings in a succinct paper that renewed the public's interest in archaeology for a while.
Yet, despite their brilliance, the Unspeakables had been unable to crack the Stonehenge mystery. For a reason they had yet to determine, the ancient stones seemed impervious to any and all magic, as was the ground on which the monument lay. No matter what spells, charms, or rituals they attempted to use, the end result was always the same: failure. Several compelling theories concerning the site had been proposed over the years; however, each and every one of them had been disproven. After years of failure, the DoM eventually decided to funnel its resources into other projects. Until the summer solstice of 1988, which later came to be known as the Bloody Solstice.
The events of that day forced both the DoM and the Ministry to shift their entire focus back to Stonehenge. Day and night, Unspeakables swarmed over the stones, while hosts of Aurors maintained the perimeter of wards and muggle-repelling charms. Yet even though the Unspeakables had the full financial backing of the Ministry, they once again were unable to reach any definitive conclusions. As the years went by, the Ministry's funding began to dry up, and the Aurors and Unspeakables were reassigned to other, more pressing projects. Eventually, as events unfolded, both the public and the Ministry's interests in Stonehenge evaporated, until only a couple of Unspeakables and a single Junior Auror remained to continue the research. Still, even before the Bloody Solstice, Stonehenge was a fascinating mystery worth salivating over for any wizard or witch that had an ounce of curiosity in their body.
August 31, 1994
Nymphadora Tonks couldn't have cared less about Stonehenge.
She had initially been excited when her supervisor, a bitter old Auror named Dryden Norgard, had informed her of her first assignment as a Junior Auror. The task had seemed intriguing enough - protect the Unspeakables that were researching the site, help them whenever they requested aid, and oversee the wards and Muggle-repelling charms to ensure that they remained active. And that, coupled with the location of Stonehenge, had been more than enough to pique her interest and sense of importance. Her parents had been delighted when she had informed them. If she recalled correctly, her mother had let out a shriek of joy and had promptly organized a party to celebrate her daughter's advancement. Tonks smiled slightly at the memory - Headmaster Dumbledore himself had attended and personally congratulated her, naming her as an integral part of the future of light he envisioned.
Her smile quickly shriveled as she numbly tossed a small stone up and down to herself. She should have known better, especially since it was Norgard that had assigned her the task. After her first couple of days on the job, her excitement quickly withered into pure, mind-numbing boredom, and there were three reasons why.
First, the wards and charms around the site were by far the strongest she had ever seen and were reinforced more times than she could count. Tonks wasn't sure if an army of wizards could even get by them, so sturdy were they. They definitely did not require her surveillance - or anyone's really.
Second were the Unspeakables she was supposed to be helping and 'protecting'. Tonks let out a derisive snort at the thought. It had been the same two Unspeakables since the moment she had begun, and she did not even know their names despite approaching the end of her second month on the job. On her first day, she had tried striking up a conversation with the pair, but they had simply ignored her. Annoyed, she had continued to pester them for details, until the taller one, whom she had dubbed Gloom, had told her to shut up and stay out of the way. Tonks had grown upset and had justifiably hurled a few insults at them. After one of her more clever barbs, the shorter one that she called Doom had drawn his wand and hexed her in the blink of an eye. When she tried to draw her own wand, Gloom immediately stunned her with his own lightning-quick reflexes. They had then warned her to not interfere with them again, or else they would issue a formal complaint to her supervisor, which was something that Tonks could not risk as a new Junior Auror.
That first day had been an eye-opening experience. Tonks had felt invincible after she had completed the Auror training program, so being defeated effortlessly by the wizards she was supposed to protect had been humbling, to say the least. Fortunately, Doom and Gloom had never once reminded her of the incident, though that didn't mean much, as they remarkably hadn't acknowledged her presence even once since her first day. Tonks had quickly realized that they took the name of their job quite literally.
The third reason for her boredom was Stonehenge itself. Despite her humiliating first day, Tonks had still believed that the stony monument would be enough to enthrall her in her work, or rather, the lack thereof. After all, she was about to be working full-time at the site of the Bloody Solstice itself! Tonks had been sure that by aiding the Unspeakables, she could eventually help unravel the mysteries of that day. But Doom and Gloom continued to ignore her, and soon enough, the location that once captivated her turned stale.
There were fifty-two stones at Stonehenge in total, and each one of them weighed around 25,000 kilograms. Yet by the end of her first week, Tonks felt that she had become intimately familiar with each and every one of them, for there was nothing to do besides stare at their cracks and bumps. When she had complained to Norgard, he had simply told her that the post needed to be filled and that as a Junior Auror, she would be the one to do it. That had made Tonks feel important for about a day before her situation once again began to weigh down on her.
Initially, Tonks had been reluctant to inform her parents about the nature of her work, as she hadn't wanted to disappoint them. However, by her third week, she had decided that enough was enough, and had told them the truth. When her mother had exploded into one of her trademark rants, Tonks had feared that she would be the target. She wasn't, though she instead had been forced to listen to a half-hour diatribe detailing the evils of Dryden Norgard and the dark. Tonks had completely tuned out about halfway through, though one thing her mother had said stuck with her - that Norgard was simply trying to provoke her, and saddle her with lesser work to hinder her rise through the Auror ranks. After all, she was destined to become one of the pillars of the light faction; Dumbledore himself had said so! And Dryden Norgard was about as dark as they came - Tonks could hardly believe that the man had not been a Death Eater during the First Wizarding War. Tonks soon resolved that she would stick it to Norgard by staying perfectly calm and composed, no matter how hard that might be. And, hopefully sooner rather than later, one of Norgard's colleagues or superiors would notice her devotion, and name her as their junior partner.
Each and every day, she woke up excited, expecting to receive the news that an Auror had chosen to take her on as their partner, and each and every day, she went to bed feeling apathetic and disappointed. As the weeks dragged by, her anticipation slowly dulled into a sense of dread at the prospect of spending another day in the charming company of Doom and Gloom. Still, she persevered, refusing to let Norgard win. However, her resolve was deteriorating by the day, and she didn't know how much more torture she could endure.
So, there she was, atop one of the grassy knolls situated around Stonehenge, tossing a stone up and down over and over again, wanting nothing more than to crawl out of her own skin.
Her ruminations were interrupted by the sound of movement, and Tonks quickly perked her head up. A good twenty meters away, she spied Doom and Gloom emerging from behind the shadow of one of the taller standing stones. Tonks decided to engage in her new not-so-favorite pastime of trying to decipher what exactly the two of them were doing.
She watched as Gloom applied a black, oil-looking substance to the base of the stone. Doom then raised his wand and appeared to murmur a spell at the substance. The pair stepped back and waited. And waited. After a minute of complete and utter silence, the two leaned in towards each other and started speaking in hushed whispers. Tonks rolled her eyes. It was common knowledge by now that Stonehenge was resistant to magic, and Tonks highly doubted that whatever primitive sludge Doom and Gloom had conjured up would solve a puzzle as old as this. She supposed they were similar in that way, for like her, their work seemed pointless, as nothing they did ever appeared to work. Tonks had initially rejoiced in their struggles and had kept a mental tally of each and every time Doom and Gloom faltered and failed. However, she had long stopped counting, as the tally had reached 500 faster than even she could have anticipated.
Tonks crossed her arms to warm herself from a light breeze of wind as Gloom calmly strode back to the stone and reapplied an extra layer of the sludge. Again, Doom cast some sort of spell, and yet again, there was nothing to show for it. Frowning, Gloom strode backward a few paces and repeated Doom's wand movements, but the result was the same. Tonks couldn't help but snicker as the Unspeakables held another conference before they moved back behind the stone, and out of Tonks' view once again. That snicker soon ceased when she remembered that she had nothing to entertain herself with now except her silly little throwing stone. She had her metamorphmagus abilities, but what good were those without an audience? So, Tonks once again began her entrancing routine of throwing the stone as high as she could, before catching it. Throw and catch and throw and catch and throw and catch and throw . . .
Time dragged on. Doom and Gloom would reappear at random intervals and cast some obscure spells that Tonks had never heard of. And each and every time it appeared as if nothing had happened. Like clockwork, they would then confer, before trying the spell again, while tweaking a minor aspect such as their positioning, their wand movements, or the loudness of their incantation. Every so often, Gloom would make a mark in his notebook, and they would once again head to a different part of the site, out of Tonks' field of vision. Tonks didn't care, for she had grown bored of mindlessly tossing her stone, instead training her telekinetic muscle by levitating the stone for as long as she could. But after an hour of barely straining herself, she had grown bored of that too.
The sun had just begun to set, and by now, Tonks was approaching her wit's end. Finally, her charmed pocket watch started vibrating, signaling the end of her shift. Sighing in relief, she immediately apparated into the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, not bothering to bid Doom and Gloom farewell.
As her eyes adjusted to the darker setting, she was unsurprised to see that the Atrium was jam-packed with wizards and witches making their way to the floo system. Unfortunately for Tonks, she couldn't head home just yet.
Tonks jostled her way through the crowd as she headed for the lifts, earning herself a few grumbles and insults. When she got to the lifts, she moved to one that had just arrived, and a tide of Ministry workers flowed out. Normally, Tonks wouldn't have minded waiting the extra few seconds for the elevator to empty, but she had had enough of waiting for one day. She started making her way against the current, shoving people aside until she eventually entered the lift. The moment the last person had exited, she punched the Level 2 button and impatiently tapped her foot as the grille began to close. Just as it was about to click itself shut, a gloved hand shot out, forcing the grille to halt and slide open again. Tonks groaned as a stocky, grizzled wizard she had never seen before stepped inside. The man stiffly nodded at her, before making his way over to the panel and pressing the lowest button.
Tonks' displeasure was instantly replaced with burning senses of curiosity and distrust that warred within her. She warily eyed the man as he moved to the corner of the lift furthest from her. The grille slid shut, and the lift began to move downwards. It did not stop at Level 9, the Department of Mysteries, and instead continued to descend towards Level 10, where the Wizengamot Chambers were located. Four years ago, Level 9 had been the lowest level the lift would go to, and Level 10 was only accessible by a stairwell situated at the entrance of the DoM. However, the construction of the new level had forced Cornelius Fudge to finance two additional stops for the lift systems.
The lift was just passing Level 10 when Tonks' curiosity finally won out. "Why are you heading down there?" she asked, not caring if her question was rude or intrusive.
The man's head snapped up, and a look of irritation flashed over his face. "Because I work there," he replied snidely.
Now Tonks was really interested. She had never met a Level 11 employee, which was in part due to her mother branding the whole lot of them heretics, sycophants, and fools. She had forced her daughter to stay away from them whenever Tonks had had the chance to meet one. Yet now she was alone, without her mother's nagging in the background.
"What do you do there?" she asked.
The man sighed in annoyance. "I work in the approval division, though I hardly see how that's any of your business."
She decided to ignore the second part of the man's response. "What's it like down there? Is it different from the other departments, or is the layout the same? And do you actually get access to -" she was interrupted by the chime of the lift, as the grille slid open. Before she could react, the man was already out, striding towards four Aurors that were arrayed around a large arch in the distance. Tonks surged to the front of the lift, trying to get a closer look. The grille nearly slammed her in the face as it slid close, and the platform began to rise once more, headed for Level 2 - the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Tonks huffed. Perhaps her mother had been right after all. The man had stormed out before he had answered any of her questions, a clear indicator of his rudeness. Then again, maybe it was she that had been discourteous by prying into the man's private work life - but she could hardly blame herself. After all, she was desperate for any tidbit of interesting information, and the man worked at Level 11 for crying out loud! Who wouldn't have been curious?
Fortunately, Tonks' already frayed patience did not have to endure any additional stops, and the lift eventually reached Level 2. The grille opened, and Tonks pushed her way through the line that had formed around the lift. She strode through the long and rangy halls of the DMLE until she finally reached the Auror offices. As she continued her memorized route, she gazed at the wide, spacious offices, and vowed to herself that she would soon occupy one of them.
Tonks took a final turn and saw her destination in sight, at the end of the hall. She sighed, before walking forward and pushing open the door.
Like every other day, Dryden Norgard was seated behind his desk, poring over some nondescript case files. At the sound of her entrance, he looked up at her and sneered. "Tonks. Report."
"All quiet sir," Tonks said. She had been delivering the same response each day for the last two months.
Norgard nodded and returned to his files. "Very well. Off you go then."
Tonks turned around to leave, but hesitated. Despite her resolve to prove herself as the ideal Junior Auror, she wasn't sure if she could survive another day at Stonehenge. Besides, tomorrow would officially mark the end of her second month on the job, and she was sure that her shift could be delegated to another Junior Auror instead.
Norgard, noticing she hadn't yet left, affixed her with one of his more pointed glares. "Is there a reason you're loitering in my office, Tonks?"
Making up her mind, Tonks turned to face her superior and strode to the center of the office. "Yes sir. It has been two months since you assigned me the post at Stonehenge. At the time, I was overjoyed to learn of my new position. However, I have since come to realize that the post is merely stunting my development as an Auror. The wards and charms are practically unbreakable, and the Unspeakables require neither my protection nor my aid. Furthermore, I am beginning to believe that other Aurors have not yet offered me a spot as their junior partner because the entirety of my day is spent at Stonehenge. I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider alleviating me of the post so that I might be free to pursue such a partnership." It killed her to have to speak so politely to him.
Norgard's sneer deepened as he leaned back in his chair. "Really Tonks? This again? I could swear that I had already explained just how unique an opportunity you have been given." He drummed his fingers on the desk. "To be quite frank, being the lone Auror to guard such a historic monument is a far greater honor than you deserve. And yet, you once again come into my office, making demands of me because you do not have the patience to stomach a standard guard shift. Ninety-five percent of your time as an Auror will be spent dealing with paperwork, office tasks, guard duty, and the like. Your lead instructor must not have made that clear to you in the training program. And as to your lack of partnership, perhaps you should look inward instead of blaming others. Your impatience and brash attitude are far more feasible explanations as to why no other Auror has yet to approach you with an offer."
Tonks ballooned, momentarily forgetting her goal to maintain calmness and composure. "Honor? What honor is there in sitting around all day? Anyone in their right mind would go mad after two months - but you already know that don't you? That's why you've yet to delegate the post to someone else, despite the fact that you could have done so weeks ago. You dislike me, plain and simple, and you're doing everything in your power to stop me from rising through the ranks!"
Norgard's sneer morphed into a smirk. "And why, pray tell, would I try to stop you from 'rising through the ranks'? I fail to see what makes you special enough for me to purposely plot a demise to your 'budding' career."
Seeing the look on his face, Tonks quickly realized she had fallen for his trap, and she cursed herself. Now, Norgard would have an ample explanation for anyone who cared to ask why she was still posted at Stonehenge, as he could cite her 'lack of restraint' and 'impulsiveness'. Swallowing, Tonks bit back her retort. "My deepest apologies, sir. I was way out of line. It won't happen again."
Norgard shook his head. "See to it that it doesn't. Now, off with you. I have work to do."
But Tonks refused to leave with her tail between her legs. "With respect sir, might I at least ask when my current post will change?"
Norgard leaned back in his chair, stroking his brown goatee like some Muggle cartoon villain. "You may." He smirked again. "If you must know, I had planned on releasing you from the Stonehenge shift tomorrow. You had shown good discipline and poise the past few weeks, neither of the Unspeakables had issued any complaint, and the wards remained safe and secure. I had really thought you were changing. But after this recent juvenile outburst, I see that I was wrong. As such, you will continue to guard Stonehenge until such time that I deem you eligible for a junior partnership." He paused. "A real shame, all things considered, since both Kingsley Shacklebolt and John Dawlish approached me this morning, inquiring about your availability."
Tonks' blood boiled, and her control over her abilities slipped, causing her hair to change colors at a rapid pace. She wasn't about to let a dark wizard like Norgard taunt her without putting up a fight, courtesy and respect be damned. "You have no right to restrain me from pursuing a partnership, especially if two Aurors are interested. I passed the training program, the same as every other Junior Auror. If this treatment continues, I will be forced to raise a complaint with the head of the Auror division."
Norgard's eyes flashed. "On the contrary, Tonks, I have every right. Do not think me a fool. I know of you and your family's close ties with Albus Dumbledore, and I know that your lead training instructor, Alastor Moody, is one of Dumbledore's closest confidants. However, Moody isn't the only instructor, as you are well aware. One of them happens to be a close friend of mine, and he talks about the program and its candidates from time to time. He's one of the best Aurors I know, and I trust his word absolutely. Do you want to know what he said about you?"
"What?" Tonks spat out, instantly knowing the Auror Norgard was referring to - Rudy Wexley, a man whose personality was even uglier than his appearance. Tonks and Wexley had often butted heads during the course of the program, and she was not surprised to learn he was friends with Norgard. Had it not been for Moody, she doubted she would have survived the program, since Wexley seemed to have some sort of vendetta against her. A vendetta that Norgard seemed to share.
Norgard cleared his throat. "He said that in all his years, he had never seen a candidate nearly as inept and incompetent as you, despite your metamorphmagus abilities. He said that it was a miracle that you had even gotten accepted into the program, let alone that you passed it. And, after seeing your demonstration at your final exam, I fully agreed with his assessment. Yet somehow, despite your despicable performance, Moody and the other two fools saw fit to approve you."
Tonks winced at the mention of the final exam. All aspiring Aurors had to undergo a series of practical tests at the conclusion of the training program in order to demonstrate their readiness to become a Junior Auror. Typically, these examinations were performed in front of an audience of five or so established Aurors. During Tonks' final, she had unfortunately messed up a number of the tasks and questions. Her five judges had been Shacklebolt, Norgard, Wexley, Moody, and Nora Lysander, an Auror she vaguely remembered as being a friend of her mother's. When they had conferred, Tonks had been devastated, convinced that she had failed both her family and herself. Fortunately though, by a 3-2 verdict, Tonks had passed and became a Junior Auror. She had never given the event much thought afterwards because the only thing that mattered was that she had been approved. Apparently though, Norgard had given it some thought, especially since he and Wexley had been the two to vote against her. Tonks cleared her head and turned her attention back to the git in front of her.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" she demanded angrily.
Norgard rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious? The reason you passed the final was not because of your talent as an Auror, but because three of Dumbledore's lackeys were on the panel of judges. Add in the fact that your parents are some of the Headmaster's closest allies, and we arrive at one inescapable conclusion. You, Nymphadora Tonks, are merely another one of Dumbledore's catspaws. And I'll be damned if I let the old goat's corruption spread even further throughout this department. So, until you prove that you possess the traits worthy of a Junior Auror - patience, respect, integrity, and a work ethic - you will continue your shift at Stonehenge. Complain if you want, but know that if you do, I will be forced to inform Bones of both of your outbursts, as well as the suspicious circumstances surrounding your approval into becoming a Junior Auror."
Tonks could hardly believe her ears. "How dare you of all people accuse Headmaster Dumbledore of corruption. He is the greatest wizard since Merlin, the leader of the light faction, and the main reason for our victory in the First Wizarding War. Though that's probably why you hate him. After all, you probably had many dark, Death Eater friends that he helped capture and put in Azkaban. And if the DMLE was as corrupt as you claim, I never would have ended up with you as my initial supervisor. As for my exam, you and I both know that I passed it fair and square! Now, I demand to hear one actual reason why I have to be the one to do the Stonehenge shift, beyond your own corrup–!"
"Enough!" roared Norgard, face quickly purpling. "You are only digging yourself deeper, Tonks. You will continue your shift and you will do so without another peep of dissent. Be assured that we will have a discussion tomorrow about your lack of decorum. But for now, get the hell out of my office. I have more important things to deal with than whiny lickspittles who think themselves more important than they actually are."
Tonks was about to fire back when the door opened, and an annoyed-looking man peered through. It took a moment, but Tonks pegged him as Rufus Scrimgeour.
"What in Merlin's name is going on in here? You can hear the racket from five doors away." When neither answered, Scrimgeour shook his head in exasperation. "Keep it down Norgard, a lot of us would rather not have our work interrupted by a juvenile shouting match with a Junior Auror," he said irritably, before closing the door again.
Tonks turned back to Norgard, who had slipped back into a calm demeanor. Raising an eyebrow, he merely pointed at the exit. Deciding to cut her losses, Tonks swallowed the litany of insults that were on the tip of her tongue and strode out of the room, slamming the door angrily on the way out.
September 1, 1994
September 1st had been Tonks' favorite day of the year during her Hogwarts years. She still remembered the overwhelming awe she had felt when she had stepped off the Hogwarts Express and seen the legendary school for the first time. That awe had never diminished, even in later years, when Tonks had been more concerned with her exams, her friend group, and her long line of boyfriends.
Unfortunately, as she sat on her usual grassy knoll, Tonks was feeling the wrong kind of awe - awful.
After storming out of the DMLE, Tonks had flooed over to her parents' house, where she had told them of her confrontation with Norgard. Tonks' ears were still ringing from the ensuing tirade her mother had given, a tirade in which Norgard, Lucius Malfoy, and Tonks herself had been the targets. Andromeda Tonks was a good witch and a great mother, but she was unbearable to listen to whenever someone insulted her family, herself, or the light. She was a lot like Molly Weasley in that regard, though her mother would never admit it.
Her father had eventually calmed Andromeda down enough for them to start plotting ways to free Tonks from Norgard's clutches. Ted had said that she should complain to Amelia Bones, but Tonks had reminded him of the warning Norgard had given her. As the initial supervisor for all Junior Aurors before they found a partner, Norgard had a significant amount of influence within the DMLE, and his word carried weight. Additionally, she knew that Bones wasn't exactly on friendly terms with her family, and Tonks didn't want the head of the DMLE to find out about her 'outbursts', justifiable as they may be. Bones could view the two incidents as forms of insubordination, which would seriously damage both Tonks' career and her reputation - hell, Bones could even send her back to the training program!
After the idea of going to Bones had been dismissed, her father had suggested asking Dumbledore for help, but Tonks had quickly shot that down too. If the Headmaster pulled some strings to help Tonks, that would only prove Norgard's claims of corruption, and the oily git would likely spout off his grievances to Bones, or worse, to Lucius Malfoy. Besides, the Headmaster's schedule was probably filled to the brim with his Hogwarts duties and their Malfoy problem, and Tonks didn't want to create another headache for the man. And, though she hadn't said it, Tonks was also afraid that Dumbledore would be disappointed in her if he found out.
They had then ping-ponged a number of ways to circumvent Norgard, but none of them stuck. Eventually, they had run out of ideas, and Tonks had grown tired, so she stormed off to her childhood bed. The plan had been for Tonks to move out the moment she became a full-fledged Auror, but Tonks was beginning to wonder if she would ever even reach that point. After tossing and turning for at least two hours, Tonks had finally fallen asleep, only to be woken five hours later by her pocket watch. Realizing there was nothing to be done, Tonks had drearily risen and headed to the DMLE to check in for her usual shift.
Fortunately, Norgard had been away attending to some DMLE business, so she had checked in with his assistant instead. She had then apparated over to Stonehenge, where she had begun her daily routine of cursorily checking over the perimeter of wards and charms. Next, she had patrolled the grounds until Doom and Gloom arrived. Without even sparing them a glance, she had made for the nearest hill, where she was still sitting nearly three hours later.
At the very least, Tonks wasn't bored senseless anymore. She had spent the past hours running through her 'conversation' with Norgard over and over again. It was likely that Norgard had merely been lying about Shacklebolt, Dawlish, and the end of her Stonehenge post in order to goad her on. However, the slim possibility that he had been telling the truth made her lambast herself and her lack of self-control. Maybe her supervisor was right. Maybe she did lack the qualities necessary for an Auror - and if so, perhaps she lacked the talent as well.
That in turn had led to a lengthy rumination on her final examination. Tonks would never have admitted it, but Norgard's words had really hurt. During the exam, she had botched two concealment charms, three offensive spells, two legal questions, and had even fallen to the ground during the resilience and defense test. In the moments after, she had been completely overwhelmed with shame, but that shame had morphed into joy the moment the judges announced she had passed. She had been so proud of herself afterwards, yet a flicker of doubt over her performance had always remained in the back of her mind, feeding into her fears and insecurities. And now Norgard's words had stoked that flicker, and each and every minute she spent internally deliberating only caused it to grow in strength.
Did Norgard actually have a point? Normally, Tonks would have scoffed at such a notion and moved on with her day, but she currently had nowhere to go and nothing to do. She knew that Moody was one of Dumbledore's closest confidants, as Norgard had said. She also surmised that Nora Lysander was firmly in the light as well, or else she wouldn't be friends with her mother. But Kingsley Shacklebolt was an honorable Auror who didn't appear to have any close ties with the Headmaster. Surely he would have voted fairly and honestly, especially since he had offered to be her senior partner, if Norgard was to be believed.
So engrossed was she in her thoughts that she did not notice the pop that came from the center of the monument. She did, however, hear the cry of panic that was cut off mid-sentence, followed briefly by a pair of thuds.
Tonks was on her feet in an instant. But as she turned towards Stonehenge, she hesitated. On her first day, Norgard had told her that if anything unusual were to happen, she was to immediately apparate back to the Ministry and inform him. Heart pounding, Tonks prepared to do just that, but then Norgard's words from the previous night flitted through her mind. He had basically told her that she was an incompetent Auror, something that Tonks was unwilling to accept. By dealing with whatever had just occurred, she could prove to herself and everyone else that she was worthy. Besides, what if Doom and Gloom had merely had an accident, and needed her help right away? If those noises were indeed related to whatever strange form of research they had decided to undertake, then she would be ridiculed for raising such an alarm. Making up her mind, Tonks canceled the apparition and strode towards Stonehenge, wand in hand.
Cautiously, Tonks peered around the first large standing stone but saw nothing. Creeping forwards, she slowly moved into the open area, turning in circles to make sure no one was coming up from behind her. Then, when she rounded the second standing stone in her path, she froze.
The center of the monument consisted of three arches, each formed by a stone that laid flat across the top of two other standing stones. And one of the arches was . . . vibrating, emitting a low-frequency buzz while it did so. The space in between the arch seemed off as well. It was almost as if the air between the stones was sparkling, looking eerily similar to fairy dust. In the back of her mind, Tonks realized that the arch perfectly resembled the accounts that witnesses to the Bloody Solstice had given.
But that was not what had grabbed her attention. Rather, the pair of face-down bodies scattered a few meters from the foot of the arch had. After staring for a moment, Tonks rushed over to them. Turning them over, she quickly identified them as Doom and Gloom. Shaking, Tonks slowly lowered her hands to check for their pulses, and sighed in relief when she detected them. Upon further inspection, she realized that neither Doom nor Gloom bore any signs of injury, which she found odd. Perhaps the injury was magical? Or maybe they had been attac -
Tonks suddenly heard movement behind her and turned just in time to see a streak of something crimson flash across her field of vision. She immediately raised her wand and cast a shield charm that encompassed her fully - but the crimson streak cut right through it. Tonks barely had time to gasp in horror before it slammed into her. Then nothing.