AN: Since people have kept trying to insist on this in the reviews I'm just going to come out and say it. Tonks was not mind-controlled, she was not obliviated or affected by the Force in any way. She was young, let her excitement for her ambitions blind her, and made some dumb choices. Now, she's refusing to accept that she messed up before and is making things worse.

AN2: Sorry, that's it's been a bit for this story. I was writing it when I realized that I'd hit a roadblock. Part of this chapter had to happen and then I realized the other part that was originally going to be paired with it wouldn't work here without a jarring mid chapter time skip that would have made it clunky. Add my muse being a petty little shit and refusing to cooperate and you get the delay. So, I managed to figure out what I could do for this, but the chapter is still on the shorter side. Next one will be longer as we, hopefully, avoid any more gaps.

Shadow of the Force

Chapter 31

-Obi-Wan-

Grimacing at the protests of his old bones, and wondering how in the blazes Yoda was still so damned spry, Obi-Wan managed to settle into the carved wooden seat. The old Grand Master of the Jedi Order humming to himself as he waddled around the small wattle and daub hut to prepare tea for the three of them.

"You seem quite at peace, Master Yoda." Kota remarked, the blind general sipping at the simple drink their old comrade and mentor offered to them, "I'm glad."

"Pleased I am, that made it here safely, you have." Yoda nodded "Little word of the outside world, I get to hear. Only one brief visitor since my exile, I've had."

"There's…been a great deal of change." Obi-Wan sighed, "With us, with the other survivors, the rebels…and Anakin."

"Anakin you say?" Yoda looked up, eyes sharp "Not 'Vader'?"

"No, he is Darth Vader no longer." Obi-Wan shook his head, conviction ringing clearly in his voice, "As I said, there has been a great deal of change." So, with that, he began to talk. Telling Master Yoda of what had occurred ever since he met Luke and the droids in the deserts of Tatooine up to the recent return from Orlais and Illum.

"Hmm, surprising, this is." Yoda tapped a clawed finger on the head of his cane "This outcome, I did not foresee."

"None of us did." Obi-Wan shook his head, "But now we need your guidance, your wisdom."

"Hah, need an old man like me, do you?" Yoda hmphed, "Seems like a new plan, you have already decided. New directions, already taken they are. Fail to see what need there is for me, I do."

"Master Yoda, just because we are trying to grow with these changing times, to take things in a new direction, doesn't mean we want to throw away everything good about the past." Kota shook his head, "You were the Jedi with the longest history with the Order. You have forgotten more secrets of the Force than I'll likely ever know. But more than that, you're our friend. I don't want to leave you here in self-imposed exile, stewing over the ghosts of the past."

Yoda seemed caught off guard by the intensity of the declaration before giving a tired wry smile, "Hmm, shame this old fool, you do. Too lost in old pains, I have been. Go with you, I think I will. Meet this new Mandalore, I am eager to."

"Be prepared for him to tease you." Obi-Wan shook his head with fond amusement, "He's got a sharp tongue and a wry sense of humor."

"Hah, not the first soldier I have ever met, will he be. Not the last time my speech is joked about, will this be." Yoda smirked, hopping down with new life appearing in the short master's eyes "Show this young one that as give as good as I can get, I shall." Yoda's cackle did not make him feel eager about introducing him to the chaos of the Citadel crew.

-Amelia-

Frowning, Amelia went through the report on the results of the Death Eater's attempted assault on Hogwarts and the Potter boy. Of the multitude of Death Eaters that had escaped from Azkaban, all but one had been recaptured and secured in their cells, or a grave, once again. Most of the various Ministry officials saw this as a massive win, feeling that with all but one secured they could relax. After all, if everyone else had been taken down by the group of aurors stationed around Hogwarts, a couple teachers, and two third years then there was surely nothing to worry about?

She didn't share those sentiments.

From the interrogations done on the captured terrorists, she'd learned that the one remaining Death Eater still at large had split off from them all almost immediately after they'd escaped. The group had been discussing what to do and eventually decided their plan to go after Potter. They woke up the next morning to find Barty Crouch Junior gone but, after they failed to get apprehended right away, wrote the man off as a coward.

"He likely went to go and find his master." A tired Dumbledore sighed, tossing his own copy of the report back onto her desk, "I remember him being one of Voldemort's more devoted followers."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." Amelia sighed, having thought the same but truly hoped Dumbledore would have had a different logical idea that made more sense, "So what do we do now?"

"We keep preparing, as we have been." Dumbledore sighed, the man's age showing with how exhausted he appeared, "It's all we can do. Unless someone spots Crouch and tips off the aurors so we can capture him then all we can do is continue to strengthen our defenses and prepare for the unfortunate inevitability of him finding Voldemort and doing all he can to ensure his master's return."

"And of course, we still have that blasted tournament." Amelia grimaced. An international event set up by Fudge prior to his removal, and one heavily prepared and agreed upon by multiple Ministries meant she couldn't just say no and toss the concept out the window, no matter how much she wanted to. All she could do was push for more precautions than Fudge had. Even if that wasn't nearly as high of a bar as she wished it was.

"Please don't remind me, I'm the one who's school will have to host it." Dumbledore gave her a tired deadpan, "At least the extreme auror patrols aren't occurring during it. With how on edge everything and everyone was it would have been a diplomatic incident waiting to happen."

"Too bad the other countries didn't cancel due to the escape." Amelia sighed wistfully.

"Amelia, when have our lives ever been that simple?" Dumbledore's expression had her snort despite the irritation of it all.