(Gilderoy Lockhart)
I spotted Tonks before she spotted me, which was a rare achievement worth savoring.
She was hunched over her desk, tongue poking slightly out of the corner of her mouth as she scribbled furiously across a parchment. A mountain of paperwork loomed at her side, stacked so high it threatened to collapse under its own importance. Ink bottles, half-used quills, and charmed folders littered the desk in chaotic defiance of any filing system known to wizardkind.
I approached quietly, light on my feet, staff held loosely at my side. For a brief, foolish moment, I considered sneaking up behind her and covering her eyes.
I never got the chance.
She spun around without warning, wand already moving, and a sharp stinging hex shot straight at my chest.
I reacted on instinct.
My staff snapped up, intercepting the spell in a brief flare of magic that fizzled harmlessly into the air.
"Woah, woah," I said quickly. "Calm down. It's just me. To what do I owe such an enthusiastic greeting?"
Tonks blinked, her hair shifting from a muted brown to a startled pink.
"Oh. It's you, Gil," she said, lowering her wand. "Sorry about that."
She slumped back into her chair with a groan. "Moody's come out of retirement and he's been hexing everyone left and right, shouting 'constant vigilance' like a loon, it has everyone on edge."
I chuckled, twirling my staff once before resting it against my shoulder. "Well, it does seem to be working wonders for your reflexes."
She snorted. "You should see the others. He even started setting traps in the bathroom."
I winced. "Ouch. Now that's just evil."
Tonks rubbed her temples, then fixed me with a suspicious look. "Alright. Out with it. What do you need?"
She gestured pointedly at the towering stack of parchment. "And make it fast. I still have all this to finish."
"Oh," I said pleasantly, "then it's rather fortunate that I got you an hour-long break from Madam Bones."
Her eyes widened.
"Really?" she asked, hope lighting her face instantly.
I couldn't help but grin. "Really. I merely applied a modest amount of Lockhart charm, and she agreed almost immediately."
Tonks laughed, pushing herself to her feet. "I still don't know how you managed to get a woman that stiff to like you," she said, grabbing her jacket, "but I am not about to complain about the benefits."
She stretched, rolling her shoulders as if shedding the weight of the paperwork entirely, then turned to me with renewed energy.
"Well?" she said brightly. "What are we waiting for? An hour's not very long."
I inclined my head, gesturing for her to lead the way.
Indeed.
An hour was short.
Which meant I intended to make every minute count.
…
We went back to the same little coffee shop as last time, tucked between two taller buildings and smelling permanently of roasted beans and warm pastries. It was quiet at this hour, the kind of place Ministry workers used to pretend they were normal people for a few minutes. We took the same table near the window, sunlight filtering through the glass and catching in Tonks' hair, which had shifted into a relaxed sandy blonde.
As our food arrived and the waitress turned away, I casually tapped my staff against the leg of the table.
A subtle shimmer spread around us.
First, a small privacy ward. Then, layered neatly over it, a notice-me-not charm. Nothing dramatic, nothing flashy. Just enough that anyone nearby would hear only harmless chatter about weather and caffeine.
Tonks noticed immediately.
Her playful expression vanished, replaced by sharp focus. She leaned forward, elbows on the table, voice lowered.
"Alright," she said. "What's going on? You wouldn't do that unless it's serious."
I wrapped my fingers around my cup, letting the warmth steady me. "I'm going to tell you something that very few people know," I said. "And once you hear it, there's no unhearing it."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she nodded. "Go on."
"There's an organisation," I began. "The Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore created it during the last war to counter Voldemort and the Death Eaters. It worked in the shadows, gathering intelligence, fighting where the Ministry could not or would not."
Tonks' brows rose. "You mean like a secret spy organisation?"
I allowed myself a small smile. "That is one way of putting it."
I continued, explaining how the Order was being reactivated, how Voldemort's return and the Azkaban breakout made it necessary, how Dumbledore was already reaching out to former members and new candidates alike.
"And," I added, watching her carefully, "I suggested you."
She leaned back slightly, studying me. "Hold on. Wouldn't that interfere with my job as an Auror?"
"Normally, perhaps," I said calmly. "But you wouldn't be the only one. Moody is already in. Kingsley Shacklebolt as well. You would not be crossing any unseen lines."
She tapped a finger against her cup, thinking. For a moment, the clatter of dishes and the murmur of other patrons seemed very far away.
Then she grinned.
"You know what?" she said. "It sounds fun. I'm in."
I straightened immediately. "Tonks," I said firmly, "this is not a game. If you join, you will be right in the middle of the war. Things might get dangerous. Possibly very dangerous."
She shrugged, utterly unconcerned. "I'm already in the middle of it thanks to my job," she said. "At least this way I'd have more information. That actually sounds safer to me."
She tilted her head, eyes sparkling mischievously. "And I have you, don't I?"
Her lashes fluttered theatrically. "You won't let anything happen to little old me, will you?"
I puffed out my chest instinctively. "Of course not," I declared. "You can trust me completely. After all, I am Gilderoy Lockhart. I could probably end the war single-handedly."
I paused, then added magnanimously, "It's just that I prefer not to deny others the chance to shine."
Tonks burst out laughing, nearly spilling her drink.
I joined her, the tension easing at last, even as I knew that what we had just agreed to would change both our lives in ways neither of us could yet fully imagine.
…
Later that afternoon, duty called in the form of my third-year class.
Despite everything that had happened with Azkaban, the Order, and whispered fears of war, Hogwarts remained stubbornly, beautifully Hogwarts. Corridors echoed with laughter, portraits argued loudly about nothing, and students still managed to worry more about homework than dark wizards. In a way, it was comforting.
I stood at the front of the classroom as Hagrid wheeled in a reinforced cage that hummed and buzzed with frantic energy.
"Settle down, everyone," I said pleasantly, tapping my staff against the stone floor. "Today, we're travelling all the way to Australia, without the uncomfortable pull of a portkey or the deadly spiders."
That earned a few curious looks.
"Allow me to introduce you to the Billywig."
Hagrid lifted the cloth covering the cage, revealing a swarm of small, bright-blue insects darting back and forth like living sparks. They looked like oversized flies, but their wings sat on top of their heads, spinning so fast they blurred into transparent discs, much like a Muggle helicopter rotor. At the bottom of each one was a thin, sharp stinger.
A few students leaned back instinctively.
"Now, don't panic," I continued smoothly. "Billywigs are native to Australia and are quite harmless… in moderation."
I paced slowly as I explained, enjoying the way their eyes followed every word.
"When stung, the victim experiences mild giddiness," I said, "followed by temporary levitation. This is why young Australian witches and wizards often provoke Billywigs on purpose. Quite popular at parties, I'm told."
A ripple of excited murmurs spread through the room.
"However," I added, raising a finger, "too many stings can cause allergic reactions. In extreme cases, one might float permanently, which is far less charming than it sounds."
That sobered them slightly.
I smiled. "So. Who would like to volunteer?"
Ron Weasley's hand shot up immediately.
"I'm used to being my brothers' test subject," he said bravely. "This sounds safer."
That earned a snort from several classmates.
I turned to Hagrid, who was gripping the cage like it might bite him back. "Hagrid, if you would open it, please."
Hagrid frowned. "Are you sure, Professor? They're fast little blighters. Could escape."
"Yes, Hagrid," I said confidently. "Don't worry. I have it handled."
He hesitated, then shrugged. "If ye say so."
The moment the latch clicked open, the Billywigs surged toward freedom in a streak of blue.
I swung my staff once and the air immediately locked.
Every Billywig froze mid-flight, wings still spinning but bodies held perfectly in place, as if time itself had decided to pause for them. Gasps filled the classroom.
One Billywig drifted gently toward my outstretched hand. I caught it carefully between my fingers, mindful of the stinger.
"Mr Weasley," I said. "If you'd be so kind."
Ron swallowed hard and stepped forward, holding out his hand.
"Relax," I told him. "It's perfectly safe."
I guided the Billywig down and let it sting him lightly.
"Ouch," Ron muttered.
Then he started smiling.
No, grinning.
Then giggling.
A second later, his feet lifted cleanly off the ground.
Laughter burst from him as he floated upward, arms flailing slightly. "Whoa, this is brilliant!"
The classroom erupted.
"That looks fun!" Seamus called out. "Can I go next?"
Hands shot up everywhere.
One by one, I obliged, carefully rotating Billywigs as they ran out of venom, stinging just enough to keep things controlled. Soon the clearing was filled with softly bobbing students, drifting a foot or two above the floor, laughter spreading everywhere.
They looked like a collection of very excited balloons.
Even Hagrid chuckled, scratching his beard as he watched them float around, gently bumping into trees and each other.
I kept a close eye on the Billywigs, swapping them out regularly and monitoring the effects, because fun was all well and good, but responsibility came first.
Eventually, with a flick of my staff and a counter-charm, gravity reclaimed its due. The students settled back onto the floor, flushed, breathless, and grinning ear to ear.
"Now that," I said proudly, "is how you learn magical creatures."
For a little while longer, at least, the war felt very far away.
…