Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 29: Welcome To...
Seven days after the resurrection.
Nymphadora Tonks was experiencing the worst week of her life.
[IMAGE]
Not only had she failed in her duties, almost lost her dream job, and disappointed her mentor, but one of her best friends had been killed in front of her, while she could do nothing about it.
The mind healer who spoke with her was certain that she had been placed under the effects of the Imperius Curse and later had her mind wiped clean, leaving no memory of the encounter with the mysterious criminal.
However, she was sure the void left behind in her mind was much worse than actually remembering what had happened. Because then, her imagination filled the gaps, and none of her thoughts were pleasant ones.
"Miss Tonks, you may enter now." The secretary came to fetch her.
"T-thanks…" Tonks stood up from the chair and walked out of the waiting room, feeling very nervous about facing her bosses.
Even though Madam Bones had assured her that her job was not at risk, she still felt concerned.
After a quick knock on the door, Tonks walked into the office of Madam Bones, the Director of the Auror Department.
Inside the room, she found not only the older woman sitting behind her desk, but also her mentor, Alastor Moody, who had recently returned from Hogwarts.
He could have stayed to finish the last month of classes as an actual professor, but after what happened to him, he didn't feel like staying.
"Miss Tonks, I was told you were feeling ready to return. Are you sure about that?" Madam Bones asked. "You can take more time if you want."
"Bah! She's a tough girl. One of my best recruits," Moody proclaimed.
A smile appeared on Tonks's face. She couldn't be happier to hear those words.
"I'm fine, Madam Bones. There's nothing physically wrong with me, and… if I'm active with work, I don't have to think, ehm…"
"I understand, Miss Tonks." Madam Bones nodded. Keeping one's mind occupied often helps with recovering from trauma.
"Take a seat, then."
"Am I going to be reassigned?" Tonks asked.
"That's correct." Madam Bones pointed at Moody. "This is why I called him. You two will be working together in the field for a while."
"Really?" She glanced at her mentor. Tonks knew well that Alastor Moody was not fond of working with partners, so this was definitely unusual.
"Aye, you're now a proper Auror, so we're going to be cleaning the alleys of all the pests that plague Magical Britain. You better be ready, because it's not an easy task."
"Yes, sir!" Tonks responded with enthusiasm.
Her first thought was that they were doing this to help her recover, to place her with someone she trusted. But regardless of the reason, this was still a great opportunity for her. Now she could continue to learn from one of the best Aurors.
"Oh… Madam Bones?" Tonks turned to her boss.
"Yes? If you have doubts about your assignment, th—"
"No, ma'am! It's not that… It's about what happened in Azkaban. Is there any progress in finding the culprit?"
Part of her really wanted to find out who did this to her, and why...so she could get some payback, even though it didn't seem likely.
"I'm afraid not. But I've placed several of my best investigators on the case… I'm sure they'll figure out who this criminal is."
Tonks merely nodded, but she could tell by Madam Bones's expression that she wasn't very confident in that outcome.
"If there's nothing else, Alastor will answer any questions you have. I now have a meeting with the Minister," Madam Bones said.
"Right… thank you, Ma'am. You know… for giving me another chance," Tonks said.
A warm smile appeared on Amelia Bones's face. "Everyone deserves another shot. And I think you have what is necessary to become a great Auror. Good luck."
<><><><><><><><>
"I wanted to thank you, too, Mister Moody. I'm sure you also had a lot to do with… You know… me keeping my job." Tonks and Moody were conversing after leaving the Director's office.
"You can drop the 'Mister' now. I'm no longer your instructor, just your partner. Just remember to always be prepared. I won't be there to cover your back forever," Moody said.
"Right! Thank you." Tonks said with a wide grin on her face.
"Your service won't start officially until tomorrow. But if you're free tonight, there are some people that I want you to meet," Moody said in a low tone, after making sure no one was around.
"People I should meet?" Tonks wondered what her mentor was talking about.
"The attack on Azkaban wasn't the only terrible thing that happened that night. However, we can't speak about it in public. Not yet, at least. There's a group of qualified individuals who are trying their best to handle matters the Ministry chooses to ignore."
"Sir… what are you saying? You seem to be talking about a group of vigilantes… and what are these terrible things that happened?" Tonks asked.
Moody chuckled. "Aye, vigilantes…" He found the idea of Albus Dumbledore being called one quite amusing.
"Can't speak here. The walls have ears… sometimes literally." His magical eye moved around while he spoke.
<><><><><><>
Hours later, Tonks found herself staring at the gates of an old building while Moody stood by her side.
An ugly house elf opened the door, wearing an angry expression.
Moody instructed her to enter, and she walked inside the house without much thought.
"Whose house is this?" She noticed several emblems on the furniture and paintings. The symbol was very familiar to her, she was sure she had seen it before.
"This used to be the dwelling of the House of Black," Moody told her.
"What?! That's my mom's…" She stopped.
This was her mother's family. But they had kicked her out when she decided to marry her Muggle-born father instead of whatever man they had chosen for her.
Tonks had grown up hating this old pure-blood house and everything it represented.
"Why are we here? The House of Black is no more…"
"On the contrary, missy." Sirius poked his head out from inside the kitchen, surprising her in the process. "There is at least one still around."
"Sirius Black!" Tonks shouted. This was a well-known criminal.
She was about to pull her wand when Moody stopped her.
"Now, girl. Put that away. Things aren't like you've heard."
"But he's a murderer!" Tonks glared at Sirius.
"Why haven't you informed her about this beforehand?" Albus Dumbledore walked into the hall.
"Headmaster! You're here too?!" Tonks was shocked to see her old Headmaster here.
Dumbledore glanced at Moody. "Are you sure about this?"
"One hundred percent. She may be young, but she'll make an excellent new member."
"Member?" Tonks looked confused.
Dumbledore adjusted his glasses with one finger.
"Miss Tonks… welcome to the first meeting of the Phoenix Order."
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