Chapter 244. Tonks
On the second day of the Aurors' stationing at Hogwarts,
At night, Adrian Wesson closed his office door, stretched, and stepped into the dim corridor.
"It's that time again."
He patted the little hedgehog Patronus that had suddenly appeared on his shoulder and smiled slightly. He was just about to go and check on Bart.
To be honest, Bart really was a very interesting tree.
Because of the Dementors' previous influence, Bart's mood had been a bit low.
And at a time like this, as Bart's parent, Wesson naturally needed to spend more time with it.
Passing through the courtyard, Wesson ran into a familiar figure.
"Lupin?"
Wesson stared at the person approaching and couldn't help being taken aback.
Running into Lupin at this hour—now that was rare.
But today…
Wesson looked up at the blindingly full moon hanging in the sky, and his brow knit of its own accord.
"Good evening."
Lupin gave Wesson a calm nod and then turned to leave without looking back.
Something's wrong!
Wesson narrowed his eyes.
By rights, tonight was the night Lupin transformed into a werewolf—he couldn't possibly be strolling around so leisurely.
And Wesson had only just given Lupin the latest Purification Potion not long ago; Lupin ought to be tucked away in some hidden corner right now.
"Wait!"
Wesson grabbed Lupin by the arm at once.
"What is it?" Lupin turned back, puzzled. "Is something the matter?"
"Just a small thing," Wesson smiled. "It might take a moment of your time."
No sooner had he said it—
Vines of Devil's Snare shot from Wesson's sleeve, snaking up Lupin's arm.
Lupin's face changed at once. He tried, by instinct, to pull free, only to find the vines had already coiled round his neck; no amount of struggling would shake them off.
"Let me go, sir, I surrender!"
Halfway through speaking, Lupin's voice began slowly to change, and in the end became a woman's voice.
Wesson looked up and found a young woman he didn't recognise, with a head of bright pink hair and black eyes that gleamed in the dimness.
"Nymphadora Tonks, Auror Office, Ministry of Magic," she said between breaths. "I was assigned to assist in the capture of Sirius Black."
Wesson was silent for a moment, then had the Devil's Snare release Tonks.
Naturally he knew who Tonks was—a born Metamorphmagus who could change into anyone at will.
What he couldn't understand was why Tonks had turned into Lupin.
"My apologies, sir," Tonks said, rubbing her arm and neck, a bit embarrassed as she explained. "I'm on patrol, trying to catch that criminal. I thought it would be more convenient to move around looking like a member of staff."
Wesson raised an eyebrow. "You must be new."
"How did you know!" Tonks flushed. "No—I mean… I'm still in training; I'm not a fully fledged Auror yet."
"You don't need to explain all that to me," Wesson sighed. "Did the Ministry only send trainee Aurors?"
Tonks scratched her head. "I'm an exception…"
"All right then, Tonks," Wesson held out his hand. "I'm Adrian Wesson, a professor at Hogwarts. Pleased to meet you. But next time, please use your own appearance—at least while you're inside Hogwarts."
After the handshake, Tonks pulled a face. "All right."
She did, of course, have a certain respect for professors.
But… how had she never seen this professor before?
"Professor Wesson," she asked curiously, "what do you teach?"
"Care of Magical Creatures."
"What about Professor Kettleburn?"
"He retired three years ago. I took over his post. And by the way, the person you just turned into is Professor Lupin—the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."
After Wesson's explanation, Tonks looked slightly surprised.
No wonder she'd never seen Wesson before—the year she graduated just happened to be the year he arrived at Hogwarts.
As for Lupin, she had seen him that morning—a gentle, amiable middle-aged man—which was why she'd chosen to become him.
"Oh, I've got to go," Wesson said after checking his pocket watch. "See you tomorrow, Tonks."
"Where are you going?" Tonks asked.
"The Forbidden Forest," Wesson answered offhand; it wasn't something that needed to be kept secret.
"The Forbidden Forest?" Tonks' eyes lit up, and she immediately fell into step with Wesson. "Wait, Professor! I'm coming too!"
Wesson stopped and tilted his head at her. "What for?"
"Sirius Black!" Tonks lowered her voice, her excitement barely concealed. "I'm going to find that criminal. They all say Black is most likely hiding in the Forbidden Forest."
Seeing Tonks like this, Wesson couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
A young person indeed, still full of zeal for the job.
Not that it mattered.
"Keep up, then," Wesson beckoned. "But I should say this: trying to find one person in a forest that big is basically impossible."
"That's nothing you need to worry about," Tonks said with a grin. "I'm very good at reconnaissance and tracking."
About ten minutes later.
Wesson and Tonks were walking in the Forbidden Forest.
To be honest, Wesson's first impression of Tonks wasn't bad.
Tonks was a young woman brimming with energy, and very quick to make herself at home with others.
Even so, following a stranger through the Forbidden Forest at night was hardly sensible.
Either Tonks trusted Wesson a great deal, or she was very confident in herself.
Wesson thought she was probably the former—especially after she learned they were both Hufflepuff graduates.
All along the way, Tonks was visibly excited.
"This is the first time I've walked openly through the Forbidden Forest," Tonks said with a cheerful grin. "As a student, I'd never have dared."
"I'd have put you in detention for a month," Wesson replied casually.
"Oh! I'm on assignment now," Tonks said, arching an eyebrow in triumph.
"Awooo—"
Just then, a long howl rang out from within the Forest.
Tonks halted at once, suddenly on edge.
"Relax," Wesson turned back to smile at her. "It's only a wolf—quite common in the Forbidden Forest."
The vigilance in Tonks' eyes didn't ease in the least. "I'm going to take a look. We can't let any anomaly slip by."
Seeing this, Wesson nodded slightly. "All right, since you insist. But I have to go and find a friend now."
"A friend?" Tonks looked puzzled.
"A little cutie who lives in the Forest," Wesson said simply.
Tonks nodded.
She knew Wesson taught Care of Magical Creatures; his "little cutie" was probably some sort of magical creature.
"Then let's split up," she suggested readily.
Wesson, of course, had no objection to that.
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