Chapter 7, The Raven and the Owl
She woke slowly to the dull ache throbbing in her ribs and extremities. A smell of sweet herbs, wood smoke, and something else she could not quite place, filled her. It was peaceful and strangely it brought clarity to her sleep-fogged mind.
She was not sure where she was but knew it wasn't familiar. Before she could begin to explore her new situation her mind reeled with images of the wreck. Hit Wizards and the drop both Harry and her fell from spun sickly through her mind. Once the sensations passed for she cautiously, and slowly, opened her eyes.
It was dark, wherever she was. She lay still trying to get her bearings sorting through her thoughts and waiting for her stomach to calm down. Whatever was in the air helped sooth it a great deal.
After a few moments she looked about trying again to get an idea for where she was, or at least, what was going on. It was too dark to tell what was inside the room. She couldn't see any windows or any other sources of light around her. Aside from the heavy scent it was stifling in these dark confines. The blankets that covered her were heavy and not what she was use too. The soft sound of a footstep in the dark broke her from her inner assessments.
Someone walked over to her and sat on the bed. She wasn't able to see much of them. Just a vague outline. A young feminine voice broke the silence. "You're awake, good. How do you feel?"
Hermione looked to the dark shape sitting next to her. She didn't recognize the voice but it sounded pleasant. Not what she would have expected if they had been captured. Hermione's voice was rough from disuse and sleep when she asked, "Where's Harry?"
It was silent a moment while the young woman placed the back of her hand on Hermione's forehead. Not expecting it she flinched even though she could tell the woman was trying to check her temperature. "You must be inquiring about the man who was with you when you were found. We did not know which one was his name but Grandfather has been calling him Son of Raven, or Raven. Young Raven is not well."
Hermione felt the hand move quickly to her arm as she made to get up effectively stopping her. "However," the strange woman assured her. "Grandfather has spoken of a healing that could help him. First however you must speak with him. Grandfather has been waiting for you for some time, Daughter of Owl."
A few moments passed while thoughts stormed through her mind. "Why did you call Harry 'Son of Raven' and why did you call me 'Daughter of Owl'?"
The amusement in the young woman's voice chimed out in her light musical laughter. "My Grandfather is very traditional and set in the old ways; it was he who gave you those names. You should listen to his council because Grandfather has been waiting for you and Raven for a long time. Well, according to Father he has been. However, that is his story to tell. For the moment, I will tell you of some of the injuries you had when you were brought here."
Hermione waited quietly as the unknown woman paused a moment to think. "Both of you suffered a great many broken bones from the wreck. Grandfather is very skilled in many different types of medicine and healed both of your bodies. I should say he healed Raven and instructed me to care for you. You have been sleeping for a few days now."
"Have no fear. Though I do not have the calling my Grandfather does for healing, I have been studying to be a Nurse for several years and Grandfather has given me a few things to help your recovery."
Hermione felt her mind whirling while processing everything the healer was telling her. Her thoughts seemed hung up on two aspects of what she learned so far. She broached the first. "Why did your Grandfather have you heal me instead of doing it himself? Was Harry hurt worse?"
The reassuring voice spoke again from the vague figure sitting next to her. "No, you both were similarly wounded. Broken bones mostly. Raven has a…different malady that is interfering with his healing. Grandfather will explain."
"As to why I was to heal you, it was because Grandfather ordered it so. No men are to enter this room without you or Raven's permission. Not even Grandfather would come in here. He is afraid of offending the spirit of Raven should his mate be seen or touched by another man. Only men, mostly my Grandfather and Father out of respect and to avoid offense with your spirit, are tending Raven."
"Are you feeling well enough to try moving around now?"
With that completely confusing answer, Hermione blinked trying to process what she was hearing. After a few moments she made the effort to move hissing through her clenched teeth. Judging by how much it hurt she imagined she broke more than a few bones in her body in that wreck. However the pain was something she would happily deal with because that meant they were alive. Someone found them in time. That knowledge was worth a little pain.
Thankfully she felt nothing tear and only a few bones creak as she moved to sit up from the weighty blankets cocooning her. After a few moments her strange healer helped her to her feet and both of them walked out into the noonday sun.
The brightness of the day took her a moment to get used to. The young woman half holding her upright waited for a few moments to let her get used to being about.
"Excuse me, what is your name?" Hermione asked while blinking furiously trying to get her eyes to focus.
"Marlene."
"Hermione." She replied introducing herself properly. Once she finished adjusting to the brightness of the area she took in her surroundings.
The house she was in looked like a log cabin, but it was one of only a few that looked that old. The rest of the buildings in the area looked more modern. Other than a single road, which looked like the only way in here, the clearing was ringed with small homes. She figured there was about twenty of them. Other than the two cabins that sat close to where she was at, there was only one other structure around. It sat in the middle looking like a great hall.
"Where are we? What is this place? Can you at least tell me how we got here?" Hermione questioned in her rapid fire manner as she started coming to grips with the situation.
When Hermione turned to her companion she got her first good look at her. She noticed Marlene had long midnight hair and a distinct dusky hue as she smiled at her. Her dark eyes shined with her own inner amusement at the questions. Aside from the strange manner in which she had talked to her she was dressed in a light airy blouse and blue jeans. Quite modern.
"My people call this place Heartland. We are the People of the Flint, or at least that is how it translates in your language. Our community here resides in the very center of the valley and is a holy place to us. Not many of our people come here anymore, but those who live here almost never leave. A least the older ones don't."
Marlene began leading Hermione toward the other cabin, which was not too far away as she continued. "My Father found you and Raven at the boundary of our lands and the American peoples. Why, is his story to tell. He has only told me that he found Raven and you injured from your wreck while fleeing dangerous people. You are quite lucky; he only surveys the lands once a year. Normally no one who resides here would have found you in time if not for Father."
Hermione allowed herself to be guided the rest of the way silently. Lucky didn't cover it. As usual she found herself picking apart everything that had happened trying to find some sense, or at the least, order to what had happened to them.
Her first question was how they got found in the first place. Granted, Hit Wizards were the elite of the elite as far as trackers and hunters went. She knew the Ministry had a few in their employ but not many. Besides, the blokes had a different kind of accent. Australian maybe? Definitely freelance by the way they handled trying to capture them, and not use to taking prisoners alive.
Still, it begged the question of how they were discovered. Maybe they had a tracking charm on them they missed? No, otherwise they never would have lasted as long as they did in the isles. She supposed they could have just been very good trackers. Still, where were they now? What happened to the Hit Wizards after the wreck? It's not like they were in any condition to fight them off once they were knocked off the cliff.
Her second set of query's revolved around who these people were. She was pretty sure they were one of the Native American tribes that originally inhabited these lands before the colonies, but which one? Hermione's eye's looked about. Not a public library insight either. She hoped that Marlene's father or maybe her Grandfather could fill in these blanks. Though they have been nothing but kind to her, she was leery and very worried about Harry.
The main problem was Harry not being awake yet. It spoke greatly of his injuries because Harry usually healed fast. Sadly she knew very well how fast he healed from a wide range of injuries from their shared time at Hogwarts.
Hermione looked up at the wooden door to the cabin as they approached it, seeing it open and an ancient looking man walk out. He looked like an older male version of Marlene. He was thin, very tall with midnight hair and eyes that seemed almost black. She reasoned he couldn't be as old as he looked if he was indeed Marlene's father. Marlene didn't look much older than Hermione. Maybe a couple of years older at the most.
When the man started talking she was surprised by how musical and fluid his language was. The young healer holding her replied in the same language but seemed to be laughing inside by the look in her eyes. The man winced.
"Something wrong?" Hermione asked.
Marlene laughed. "I cannot go inside. Normally, women are not allowed and besides, Grandfather has ordered the cabin closed to all. I was telling my father that he would have to help you in to see Grandfather but he is afraid of upsetting the Spirit of Raven."
Hermione snorted. "Honestly, is this all really necessary?" She looked at the older man. "Surely you had to touch me to bring me here."
The older man began speaking in English. His voice deep but clearly conflicted. "I am sorry, I am sure you will understand once you have spoken to my Father and he has explained. We are not as backward as we may seem, but our current circumstances are… unique."
"Let me introduce myself and we can talk a bit. My name is Jim, and we have been waiting for you for some time. I am glad you are feeling well enough to be up and around."
The young woman helped Hermione to sit down at a bench next to the cabin before giving the older man a kiss on the cheek and walking away, still chuckling to herself. The older man appeared to be a bit sheepish as he knelt down so they could look at each other eye to eye.
"My daughter. She is not deep into the old ways preferring to live in the modern world. She believes, but they do not guide her spirit as they do for my Father and me. He will answer all your questions once we sit with him but I needed to tell you a few things first."
"Raven is well in body," Hermione nodded relived. There was nothing in his eyes to make her think there was anything but truth in his words. "Though he is a bit weak. I do not have great wisdom in healing but my Father does. Rest assured we have taken good care of him."
"One of the things I would like you to understand is my Father has been waiting for the two of you for some time. As such, if you have questions please ask and he will answer. In his excitement he may forget something. Also, he does not speak your language so I will be there to translate for him. Please, even though you will be hearing his words through me pretend I am not there. Any questions before we speak to my father?"
Hermione shook her head. All that mattered to her at the moment was getting answers to her questions and it seemed the only one who could do so was this man's father. Like Marlene she found herself laughing a bit inside when the older man offered his arm for her to use as support. His face was very conflicted. He drew a deep breath to steady his nerves before he lead her inside.
The first thing she noticed was this room offered no windows and it was very dark compared to the light of day outside. Candles were lit but it did not do much as her eyes tried to adjust once again to the darkness. The room was not very big and seemed smaller than it should be with all off the furs, skins, bones, and other such things adorning walls or lying about. She felt a bit like she did when she got to Hogwarts the first time. Like she was stepping into the past or something similar.
Jim helped her to sit on the floor among a large pile of skins while she was looking around the room. Hermione absentmindedly thanked him while taking in everything. It was like being in an old western movie where the cowboys talked with the Native Americans, but also not quite like it. This was no movie set. She could feel the magic in the air, either from the strange incense or from the objects about her.
As her attention spanned the room she finally focused on the man in front of her. If Jim looked old, the man in front of her looked absolutely ancient. Older than Dumbledore but without the beard. He sat with his back strait and tall, legs folded wearing many necklaces and a strange headdress of pelts, feathers, and beads. His eyes shone brightly through the darkness that shadowed his aged face while he waited for her to get comfortable. When he spoke, his voice was a mix of emotions and as musical as the other times she heard it. Jim translated almost immediately but she kept her eyes on the man in front of her.
"I am pleased to see you are awake, Daughter of Owl, and that you have finally come. I know you are concerned for Son of Raven. I would like you to understand that I know a great many medicines form a great many people. To understand how we can heal him, you need to understand my story. I have never told anyone my story, but you will need to know because you will need to trust me. Healing Son of Raven will depend greatly on this trust. Will you listen to my tale?"
Hermione nodded while also replying that she would. Jim translated quickly while the older man looked like he had gotten his birthday wish. As he talked Hermione found herself drawn into the story. He was very expressive, waving his hands and showing great emotion in his lined face at various points through the tale. It did not take long for her to no longer hear Jim translating, but to almost be able to hear it from this Shaman himself. English words ran alongside their native tongue all blending together in the tale she became lost in.
"My tale begins long ago in the old days of our people. I was a child, not even a man when this tale starts. Our Shaman of the day, Owl Bear, called our people together for celebrations to honor our ancestor's spirits.
"I sat next to my father's father who was a great warrior of our people. Our people have always been warriors, even after the peace with the Americans. Our people were still deep in the old ways then and they danced in the firelight calling out to their ancestors for guidance, protection, or to send their love. Great songs of battle, victory, love, and honor were sung that night while I watched for the first time."
"But I did not spend long watching the celebration. I felt a great call come to me and turned away from the dancing and singing of my people. My Father's father felt the call too and turned with me also seeing the pair at the edges of the clearing. He told me, our Ancestors spirits were calling me, I must answer or I will offend them. Knowing my duty and unafraid, I walked to the pair I felt calling me with the proud eyes of my Fathers father watching."
"In a tree sat a great Owl and Raven. Both are very spiritual vessels recognized by our people, and many other peoples who are wise in the old ways. It is very rare that our Ancestors come to us in any form, rarer that they come in these. It signifies a great change or events of great importance. I was very young but raised in these ways. So I bravely walked to them to take on myself the council of my Ancestors spirits.
"When I stood before them I could hear their words in my mind telling me I was chosen on this holy night. They had come to me to tell me I must turn from the Warrior's Path of my people and devote myself to become a Shaman. I was powerful, blessed with the gifts of our ancestors to heal. Owl told me I would do this, learn the medicines of our people and then after I became a man, I was to leave my homeland and travel seeking the medicines of other peoples and make them my own."
"Raven then spoke to me. I was told that one day, they will return and when they did they would bring their children with them. Their children would be hurt, and their lives would be on my hands to heal. My ancestor's spoke of how important this was at great length and that I must not fail. It was possible that they may never return, but I had to be ready if they did."
"If I failed in my quest our people would all die, our ancestor's spirits were restless in the fear of this happening. A great Darkness was rising to the east, across the great waters and after it had passed, it would return. Greater than before sweeping the world and leaving behind only those who joined it. Our people would not join such a thing, and so our fates were tied."
"I was saddened and happy. Sad, because I could not be a great warrior like my Father and my Father's father and all my ancestors before me. Happy because our Ancestors had honored me with this great quest to help my people."
"Young though I was I knew my duty to my people. The spirits of my ancestors flew away and I returned to my Father's father deep in thought. He waited for me concerned because he could see our ancestors visit, but not hear them speak. I told him what was required of me, what our ancestors wanted me to do. My Father's father gave me council for my conflicted heart telling me that he had slain many enemies of our people. He had defended our peoples many times and lived through many battles and had brought great glory to our family. Yet, he felt in his bones that I would shadow all because our ancestor's spirits had never visited any of our family before. Nor had any achieved such a greatness that could claim to have saved all."
"And so I began my training with Owl Bear. I spent many years learning the medicines of our people and when I became a man, I began my journeys away from my home into the lands of other peoples to learn of their medicines."
Hermione did not know whether to laugh or cry. What was it about Harry that attracted prophecies to him the way they did? Why was it always Harry who was involved in these things? She sat silently thinking and listening while the Shaman continued his tale.
"I was gone a great many years as I traveled the wide world. I studied hard learning all I could so that when my time came I would be ready. As the years past and my time away from my people lengthened I became concerned. I was worried that I had been gone too long and yet, I was afraid I did not know enough to return. Fearing returning unprepared I continued for many years more. It was not until Owl and Raven came to me in my dreams that I stopped my traveling ways."
The ancient man seemed to be lost within his memory as Hermione watched. "I remember the night was black and I was far from home learning the medicines of a people that no longer walk the world. They came to me and spoke of how pleased they were of my devotion and progress. However, it was time for me to return to my people. They told me it would be many years until they returned with their children, if they did at all."
"And so I returned to my people and found that Owl Bear had gone and my people needed me. I was very wise in healing and became our peoples Shaman. I spoke to any of our people who left our lands and asked of them to find and bring me anything of healing from any peoples they came across. I was not sure if I was ready for my task but I did not want to break my ancestors trust. I continued to learn all I could while helping my people and waited for the Return of my ancestors."
"During this time my son was born and for the first time I had a joy outside my duty to my ancestors. Very much like my Father's father he is. My ancestors visited me in my dreams once again not long after his birth. They counseled me that my son needed to be a warrior of our people and must once a year journey these sacred lands after he became a man. One day, if they returned, he would be the one to bring their children to me."
Hermione couldn't help but look at Jim when she heard the surprise in his voice while he translated. He was looking at the old man who sat before them with wonder and wide eyes. If it wasn't for the fact that Harry was hurt and this whole thing seemed to be a way to help him, she would have been very upset at the Dumbledore like manipulation she was seeing here. In the end she let go of the slight. At least this was something that could actually help Harry, not kill him.
Thinking of Dumbledore almost had her frown. Hermione had make an effort to not to so it wouldn't upset the Shaman. Dumbledore, at least as far as she could tell, wanted Harry weak. She was not sure why, but she knew of some of the lengths he had gone through. At night, not as much as it used to be, Harry would tell her things. Horrible things. Things that had happened to him, at the Dursleys, at Hogwarts when she was not around, and during his summers. She already knew some of it but Harry would share even more during those times. He shared his pain, and for Harry, that was a big deal because he was a very private person. Unfortunately, a side product of being raised in a home absent of love. At least, love for him.
Her belief in Dumbledore and her trust in the system was destroyed after listening to Harry cry night after night. Nothing; there was absolutely nothing in this world that could justify what was done to him, and she truly believed it was done on purpose. Why, she didn't really know but she knew it had something to do with that stupid prophecy. She wished Harry had time to tell her the full contents before the Hit Wizards showed up.
Hermione had a long list of what she called 'Crimes against Harry' that she had looked into over the years. Sadly with little to no success. When Harry had started sharing she made lists trying to reason it all out so she could help him by showing him why it had to be this way. Unfortunately she never found one ounce of anything that would justify any of it.
He should have gone to Sirius; it was what Godfathers were for after all. Yet he didn't because Dumbledore said so. Someone should have been checking on him over the years, but no one did. Considering he was illegally placed it made sense that no one in the Ministry would have but Dumbledore should have. Yet he didn't.
Not to mention the growing up without birthdays, Christmas, friends, or love. Being forced to cook, clean, or get regular beatings. It wasn't until they became a couple Harry actually started to think it was okay be do well in school. Before he always choose to dumb himself down to avoid doing better than his cousin for fear of getting beaten or not getting fed. That was no life at all for anyone.
Yes, for some reason Dumbledore wanted all this to happen to Harry, to make him weak. The only conclusion was he wanted Harry easily controllable or something. Again, she really had no clue what the purpose in all this was.
Hermione found herself broken out of her internal musing when Jim started translating again. She quickly looked back up at the aged man before her and fell back into the story he was weaving.
"So we waited. I here with our people learning all I could and my son protecting our sacred lands. More years past and the seasons came and went, until now. I had grown worried that I had failed or that you would not come. Now you know my story, it is time for you to know why Son of Raven has not woken yet."
"Son of Raven has a great malady of the soul." At Hermione's confused face he clarified. "There are three components that make a person who and what they are. Their mind, soul, and body. There must be balance at all times between the three. If the mind is unwell, the body will not respond as that person desires. Even if the soul and body are well. The same can be said for the body, A person's mind may be strong and their soul bright, yet if the body is unwell, the person will not function correctly."
"Son of Raven's malady is within his soul and it is this darkness that I hope to heal. The reason you must trust me is that I can heal him, but I cannot heal him alone."
"What do you mean you can't heal him alone?" Hermione asked, though she had an idea where this was going.
The old man paused for a moment before he began talking again. "Young Raven has a Darkness within him. A Darkness that has been inside him for a long time. I think, all his life. You wanted to know why he had not healed and awakened yet, it is because I have made him not. This Darkness he carries has grown tired of sleeping and is trying to take Raven. Raven's mind is too weak to fight him. To heal Raven we must take the Darkness from him. This is dangerous to do, not just for Raven, but also for all of us. They are bound together tightly. This Darkness does not wish to leave Raven, and Raven cannot help us. This is why we need you."
Without a second thought Hermione leaned forward with a determined look in her eye. "What do I need to do? How can I help Harry?"
The Shaman nodded and cautioned, "This Darkness has bound itself to Raven's soul. We must cut it free before we can kill it. To do so will make Raven even weaker, possibly Raven may die. They have been a part of each other for a very long time, I do not know if either can survive without the other."
At hearing Harry might die she could not help the tears that gathered in her eyes before she heard Jim translating what the old one before her was saying. She did note the compassion in his eyes. "Fear not, in my travels I learned a great many things, and while far to the south in lands older than these I learned of something from a lost people that may help Raven. It is very risky, and if it does not work we may die with Raven. I do not know how strong the Darkness is, but I do know it will fight us as we try to kill it."
"The Healing requires Raven to be strong, something the Darkness inside him will not allow. If you truly wish to help Raven I can bind your soul to his. With your soul bound to Raven's he will become stronger. Be warned, this will not work unless both of you are very close. If your love is strong for each other, Raven will fight the Darkness. You will keep him strong, Raven will fight, and I will cut the Darkness away from Raven. Once we have completed the healing and Raven is strong enough alone, I will unbind you from him."
There was no doubt in her mind she would do it. Anything for Harry. Thoughts swirled about in her mind while she tried to make sense of it all. Mistaking her silence for consideration she looked up when Jim translated his last words to her.
"Think about it Daughter of Owl. Come to me tonight with your answer. However, come no later. If we are going to heal Son of Raven, it needs to be tonight."
With that the Shaman rose slowly from his seat and moved through an archway that was covered by a great hide of some kind leaving her to her thoughts. She did not know how long she was there for but when she looked up Hermione noticed Jim was still there.
Thoughts in order she looked at the kind face of the man before her. "Is it possible for me to make a phone call? It's international, but I can pay you for it."
Nighttime was only a few hours away.
Chapter 8, Thoughts and Memories
Nymphadora Tonks sat at a small table in a tavern she normally frequented, thinking. The last month had been full of surprises and this was one of the first quiet moments she had to do just what she was doing. She took a long pull of the Guinness as she tried to sort out everything. Between her time in the Auror Corps, The Order of the Phoenix, and a few private pursuits she had little time to do so before now.
Her first thoughts were on her beloved cousin, Sirius. She missed him fiercely. He was everything her mother had told her. Funny, childish, completely irresponsible, and thankfully innocent of the crimes he was accused of. Needless to say they hit it off right from the word go.
She remembered all the pranks they had pulled together against the Order during meetings fondly. One thing her cousin could do was making people laugh, and laughter was something that was in short supply now a day with Voldemort in the open. Rarely was the old convict, no pun intended, serious about anything. One of the few times he was she still remembered with crystal clarity.
Sirius Black sat across from her in the quiet kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Her first Order meeting had been a great disappointment to her and neither of them had opted to leave the room when the others had.
Tonks found herself unimpressed with what they were doing. She had a lot of questions and had gotten few answers from Dumbledore. She could understand guarding Potter but why couldn't they talk to him? She didn't know him well, other than a few glimpses of him during her seventh year. Seventh years had almost no contact with firsties, much less firsties from other houses. Be they big shot heroes or not. She was curious now though but they were forbidden from even saying 'Hello'.
"Knut for your thoughts." She looked up at his voice and saw him sipping from a small glass of Firewhiskey. She did not know him very well yet but so far her mother had been right about him. Still, he drank too much and seemed…well off.
Considering his time in Azkaban, it could be understandable. Being trapped in this old manor was not helping him much either. Her mother had told her horror stories about this place and what it was like for Sirius growing up.
Tonks shrugged one shoulder, not voicing her disquiet. His chuckle told her he saw through her deflection.
"Not quite what you expected eh?"
Tonks frowned at being caught out so easily. She sighed not denying it. "No."
Sirius nodded as if he had expected it. "Before I was locked up, the meetings were a lot like this too. A lot has changed in the time I've been gone, but not this."
Tonks blinked surprised. "You were a part of the original Order?" Her mother never mentioned that part in her tales about her favorite cousin.
Sirius half smiled, half frowned. "Yeah, and we were losing then too. Albus can pretty it up all he wants but it's only been a month since Voldemort was returned and already I can see where the wind is blowing."
"With the Ministry denying his rebirth, we have little chance. Thanks to Fudge he has full reign to do what he likes, recruit allies, build up stockpiles, safe houses, and make plans. Still, we are doing nothing to stop him."
"Dumbledore has a plan though…" Tonks stopped talking when she noticed the murderous look in Sirius eyes. She swallowed thickly.
Realizing he was frightening her he, thankfully, closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. When he reopened them she could still see a bit of what the Aurors called 'The Azkaban Stare' in his eyes. It was…a bit disconcerting.
"What are you willing to do to win…Tonks." She smiled. Sirius was one of the few who actually tried to make the effort not to use her first name, which everyone knew she hated. Now and again he would call her Nymie but she only allowed it because he was close to her mum back in the day when she was a baby and he used to call her that.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
He was quite while still piercing her with that half dead, half insane stare of his. "Are you willing to kill?" he whispered.
She blinked at his question but nodded. "If I have to. I don't want to, but I know it might come to that."
Her cousin nodded at her honest answer. A moment later he asked, "Being an Auror you know more about the dangers of what we are going to face than many. Still I'll ask, are you willing to die in this war?"
Tonks nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
His questions started getting a bit tougher. "If Dumbledore told you he needed you to go on a mission and this mission was high risk would you do it? Knowing full well that you most likely won't come out alive in the end, but it had to be done."
Tonks simply nodded not understanding where this was going. She was well prepared for exactly that. Moody had been giving her history lessons of the last war she knew every mission was likely to be just like that.
Sirius continued his questions. "If you found out that Dumbledore was sending out someone to do something similar, and you knew for a fact that this person had no chance whatsoever of coming out alive, much less even completing the fool mission, would you let them go? Would you be willing to sacrifice that person for the 'Greater Good'?"
Here Tonks frowned and thought out her answer. She could feel him leading into something but what she did not know. "I don't know. It would depend on who it was and if they knew what they were getting into. I mean, why would anyone be under qualified to do anything for the Order and yet be a part of it?"
Sirius nodded taking a sip of his drink but didn't answer her question. "Why do you think Harry is so important to Dumbledore?"
"I assumed it was the same reason he was important to any of us. He's Harry Potter. What's with the questions Sirius? Do you know something I don't?"
Boy did he. Tonks thought with a sigh. At the time it all sounded like ravings of a deluded paranoid ex-con, which in a lot of ways Sirius was. Over the next few months however she started to see the truth of what he was only guessing back then. When he told her that Harry was the light sides' sacrificial lamb, she laughed at him. There was just no way Dumbledore of all people would endeavor something like that. Yet the Order seemed to be strangely focused on him. The inconsistencies were getting more and more confusing.
Tonks started going over them in her mind while she lightly swirled the muggle drink her eyes looked at without actually seeing. Take guarding his house. First of all she was under the impression that it was under powerful Blood Wards. Okay, granted they were illegal and have been for some time but it's not like they were not still used. All the Pureblood manors and homes had them tied in to the schemes.
Add to this the place was the greatest kept secret in the isles. The ministry didn't even have his address on file, she knew, she looked on Dumbledore's orders. They knew where Harry lived, vaguely, just not the exact location. Well, they didn't until the Dementor thing. She was pretty sure people could suss it out now but that was beside the point. They were already guarding the place before that happened.
So back then, why the need for guards in the first place? They were even forbidden to talk to Harry, which she found really odd. It was almost like they were there not to guard Harry so much as keep him prisoner.
She herself had seen firsthand how his relatives treated him and was appalled. When she tried to bring it up to Dumbledore he only stated it couldn't have been that bad and most likely was not typical of their interactions. Tonks snorted. She had seen it happen far too often for it to be anything but typical.
The ministry had an entire department devoted to the child welfare, especially with regards to wizards or witches living with Muggles and she knew very well that they would have pulled Harry from that house in seconds had they seen what she did. When she tried to talk to Sirius about it he told her not to bother trying. He had been trying to get that department to do something about Harry's life at the Dursleys for the last two years, all anonymous of course, but nothing ever happened. He was pretty sure Dumbledore had someone on the inside that made sure nothing came through that got acted on as far as Harry was concerned.
After the Dementor thing she had changed to look like a respectable muggle woman and took a walk through Harry's neighborhood. Tonks posed as a middle-aged woman looking for a new property and used this as an excuse to look about the area and talk to the muggles. She had learned a lot more about Harry's life.
Harry had a reputation as a juvenile delinquent. She learned the rumor was that attended St. Brutus's School for Incurably Criminal Boys and was a particularly nasty example. Yet most of the people around the area didn't believe he was that bad. He was always polite to everyone, never caused any trouble, and had been seen by many of the young mothers protecting the younger ones at the park from pranks, bullying, and other actions when he was around.
One woman had even remarked how skilled he was at gardening and had told her there was no way a young man with such skills could do the things the rumor mill said he did. Of course Petunia claimed the credit for the condition and beauty of her roses but no one believed her. Too many times Harry had been seen toiling away tending those plants and everyone did see how the plants seemed to wilt when he was away as if missing his tender care.
Sirius was unsurprised by her revelations when she related them to him the following day at Headquarters. He'd known from just after his escape when he spent a few days watching over him before the he blew up his Aunt. Not that Sirius blamed him for it, on the contrary. Harry's prank was Marauder worthy, or would have been had he done it on purpose. Either way, it saved him from doing something himself as he was close to at the time.
None of it made any sense to her. She could make herself believe that his living conditions, though horrendous, might be necessary but not the treatment he suffered through during his time at Grimmauld Place. Molly Weasley had done everything she could to take control of Headquarters and ordered everyone around to her liking. Okay, she's a bossy woman so maybe that could slide, but not the subtle other things she witnessed. She would constantly berate Sirius and did everything she could to minimize his time with Harry. Add to that the fact that her constant pairing together of Ginny and Harry was so obvious that Tonks was pretty sure Harry was the only one who hadn't noticed it.
Tonks could tell Harry was only interested in Ginny as a friend by how he acted around her. Never once did he sneak a look at her bum or bits while they worked. Ginny had made a few obvious passes at him but he never seemed to notice them. As she looked back on it she did remember him sneaking looks at Hermione, and vice versa.
Sirius commented on it once that he liked the match. Ginny had a lot of the physical looks that Lily had, almost her twin really aside from her eyes. That brought all kinds of disturbing things to the old Marauders mind. He had confessed he had a hard enough time keeping Harry separate from his memories of James thanks to his time in Azkaban. If he had a go with Ginny he was pretty sure he would have slipped completely and lost it. Not great reasons why they two shouldn't date but he was pleased with Harry's choice in Hermione.
Ginny might have looked like Lily, but Hermione had Lily's mind. Lily was a brilliant witch without peer while in school. Tonks didn't know Lily Potter but she had seen pictures of her and agreed with Sirius that it would have been mildly disturbing had Harry dated someone who looked like his mother. Other than that she liked Ginny and hoped the girl got over her crush. Even though Harry and Hermione didn't act like a couple it was obvious they enjoyed each other's company and had real feelings for each other.
A smile graced Tonks face while she took a drink from her glass. The vial from Madam Midnights was proof enough they were more than 'Just Friends' now. The smile slipped as she continued her thoughts about how Harry was treated while at Headquarters.
Personally she thought he was brilliant defending his cousin from Dementors. Especially since the Order had dropped the ball and didn't. Yet people had treated Harry like he had done something wrong. Instead of praising him for saving a life they condemned him for getting in trouble with the Ministry. Tonks shook her head at that. She herself had pulled Harry aside one night and told him that she thought he did great, a corporal Patronus was no mean feat for a kid his age. Hell, it was no mean feat for a full-grown Wizard or Witch!
Then there were the issues she had with banning Harry from receiving Owl Post. First of all it was highly illegal to tamper with post of any kind to anyone. Even inmates in Azkaban got post, properly screened of course, from time to time unless they were in high security levels or lifers.
Dumbledore must have had long arms because Sirius told her that he had stopped all mail through muggle post to Owl post from getting to Harry. His explanation was that Death Eaters would discover Harry's location. She shook her head, no but the Ministry tried to kill him, which was just as bad. His minders could have easily just delivered the post personally after having the owls routed to Grimmauld Place but no, Dumbledore had shot that down too when Sirius had suggested it.
Tonks knew that Harry was getting post from someone, most likely Hermione now that the truth of their relationship was known. A few times when she was on duty she had followed him to the Muggle Post Office where he apparently had a private box. She had watched him mail letters and receive them a few times. The only person other than her who knew of it was his minders and Sirius after she told him. Dumbledore never found out which was a cause of laughter to the ex-con. Especially when she told him it was registered under James Evans.
Tonks looked up broken from her musings and thoughts when she heard a loud laugh. At the bar was a Scottish man dressed in a traditional kilt and all. She smiled when she saw him sitting next to an Irish man, each trying to outdo the other.
Only in this pub, which was why she loved it so much. The bartender didn't care who came in, Scots, Irish, businessmen, Joe Guy, or Jane Girl off the street. He happily served them all. It wasn't like that in a lot of other pubs around the isles. Tonks herself was wearing casual clothes aside from her ever-present pink hair, but in this place it was not out of place. Most people had their own look to them and odd would have been any two people dressed similarly.
Tonks lowered her eyes to her table and returned to her thinking. Sirius had noticed her disquiet through the months that passed. It had reached a critical point during the Christmas Holidays when she had a partially bad date. She had really liked the guy, Jason Wells.
Jason worked in with the Ministry in Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures. They had been seeing each other off and on for a few months and she was just starting to think she had finally broken her dating curse when just before Boxing Day he pulled out a photo of a girl he wanted her to change into. Tonks sighed, just like every other bloke she dated. It had taken two bouncers to pull her off of him when she attacked him.
She had gone to Headquarters and was drinking her woes away when Harry had found her. She was already passed drunk and working on senseless when he had sat down next to her and they started talking. Before she even knew what was going on she had told him all about her horrible date and everything that had gone wrong in her love life since she learned she was a Metamorphmagus. Harry held her while she cried and spilled her tale of sorrow, listening to everything she said. Despite having drunk an entire bottle and a half of Firewhiskey to herself she still remembered that night perfectly.
Tonks looked up and into his burning green eyes filled with compassion and understanding. She had never noticed his eyes before, so clear without his glasses and so expressive. She felt herself lean in and placed her lips on his, not noticing at the time his entire body freezing in place while she kissed him hungrily.
It took a few moments before she realized he was not returning the kiss. When she tried to slide her tongue into his mouth she found his lips firmly closed though his breath had hitched as she tentatively slid along his lips.
She slowly opened her eyes looking with confusion into his eyes. She saw sadness there. "What's wrong? Am I…am I too ugly?"
Before Harry could answer her she began unconsciously going through the forms of all the people her ex's wanted her to be trying to find one that would make him react. One moment she was a large breasted ginger, the next a slim blond. "I need this, please…whatever you want I can be…"
She got no reaction to any of those forms so started moving though his classmates she had seen him interacting with while she was guarding him at school. Brown, the Patil's, Ginny, Bones, Abbot, Greengrass, Lovegood, Chang, Davis, Parkinson, she finally got a reaction from him when she changed into Hermione.
"Anything you want Harry…" she stated in Hermione's voice. She tried leaning in again to kiss him again but the finger he placed on her lips stopped her before she moved far.
Tonks looked fearfully into his eyes silently, his finger still on her lips. His expression was so tender, as was his voice when he started speaking again. "Change back Tonks." She did. That tender look never left his face. "You don't need to do these things to get a good guy Tonks. You are not ugly but I can't be what you want me to be. I can be a friend; I would really like that, if that's okay?"
She cried herself to sleep in his arms after that. When she woke up she was horribly sick from her drinking and what she had tried to do. Tonks found herself in her room at Grimmauld, thankfully alone but no knowledge of how she got there. She spent a good part of the morning being sick until Harry and Hermione came in to help clean her up, give her a few potions to settle her stomach, and be with her.
She couldn't look either of them in the eye the entire time but Harry never said anything about the night before, and neither did she expect to vaguely say she was sorry. He gave her a hug and told her not to worry about it and if she needed anything she could always come to him.
After the holidays she went to Sirius and told him she wanted in on what he was doing to protect Harry. Maybe it was guilt for trying to take advantage of him; maybe it was appreciation of him not taking advantage of her. Didn't matter either way, she felt she owed him and this was the least she could do.
Harry was the only one who ever denied what she had shamefully offered him. After she had thought about it for a while she easily decided that she could no longer allow the things that were happening to him to continue and turn a blind eye. Together with Remus and Mad-Eye they started to become a faction within the Order whose sole goal was to help Harry. Either in protecting him from Voldemort or Dumbledore. It was decided by all of them both wizards were just as bad as the other was to him.
Tonks pulled out envelope stamped with the Gringotts seal from her back pocket. It was this bit of parchment that brought her here for a drink. It was the summons for the reading of Sirius's will and here she was in a bit of a quandary.
She knew from her talks with Sirius that Harry was the primary inheritor but if he didn't show to claim it Dumbledore would or, and far worse to her mind, Draco Malfoy. He was the closest blood kin to Sirius aside from Harry of the male descendants. Black Family tradition dictated that the estate had to fall to a male issue. Because Sirius had none that meant it fell into contestation between Draco and Harry. It didn't matter that Sirius was disowned, as the last male direct descendant he technically was Head of House Black, even if he couldn't claim it himself.
Harry had the better claim because Sirius claimed him as his heir. That coupled with the fact Harry's Grandmother was a Black from the direct line gave Harry the best claim over Draco. True, Narcissa was a Black but both Tonks mother and her were from a side branch, not directly descendant from Sirius side, as it was Sirius's father's sister that had married into the Potters. Tonks shook her head; she was nowhere near drunk enough to be thinking of the convoluted pureblood lines.
The problem was getting this information to Harry. She knew he didn't want to be found but if he didn't personally assign a proxy, Dumbledore would claim the honor and the entire estate would be under his control. Harry wouldn't be able to do anything about it until he reached his majority at seventeen. Mad-Eye had a lead but didn't give any details on it only saying that he would be gone a few days. He did say it was farfetched but any lead was better than nothing.
Of course none of them had mentioned any of this to Dumbledore, instead keeping it within their group. If they found Harry the only thing they planned to do was give him a few supplies, get him to assign the proxy and see if he was willing to keep them informed of what was going on with him just in case something happened and he needed them. Tonks hoped Moody's lead panned out; she really didn't want to see Harry screwed out of his inheritance by Dumbledore or Malfoy. It wouldn't bring Sirius back, but it would help a bit to have something of him.
Tonks absentmindedly paid for her next drink from the waitress when she came by only adding a second drink when she noticed her friend walking through the doors to the pub. Hestia Jones was not a part of their group officially but she was receptive and the two of them had been best girlfriends for the last year ever since they were partnered up on a job with the Aurors. Tonks quickly put away Harry's letter and waited while the heart faced ever blushing Hestia threaded her way through the crowd to her table. By the time she arrived their drinks had arrived.
"I love this pub. No one ever bothers me if I forget to take of my work robe when I come in here." Tonks laughed at her friends greeting while sliding her glass over to her. Hestia was still dressed in her Auror Robe but no one in the pub so much as blinked at her as she walked through them. Hometown was the only pub like this she knew of. The muggles just didn't care as long as you didn't cause trouble.
"Told you this was a great place. What's going on? I wasn't expecting you here tonight." She asked.
Hestia took a small sip from the dark amber liquid that Tonks had given her only raising an appeased eyebrow at the flavor. "Message from Mad-Eye. He thinks he found Potter and Granger."
Tonks leaned in very interested. "Where?"
Hestia had an impish smile on her when she answered. "America, somewhere in New York State he said. The local Ministry is in an uproar over a foreign and very dead Hit Wizard that tried to raid one of the Native American communities there."
"Mad-Eye said it's not an uncommon occurrence but what makes it stand out is the fact they closed their lands after they turned over the body and lodged a complaint. That and the bloke never checked himself through their countries customs which means he was there illegally."
Tonks blinked surprised. "How did he die?"
"Muggle thing, I'm not sure really. Mad-Eye said it was a clean kill though and the Native Americans are claiming credit for the kill using an old law from their Peace Accords that date back to colonial times."
Tonks whistled while she leaned back in her chair. She agreed with Moody, the whole thing had 'Harry was Involved' stamped all over it. "Hope Harry and Hermione are all right. Hit Wizards are nasty business. I wonder what tipped Mad-Eye that they went to the States? He never said when he left."
Hestia nodded her head. "I asked him that. He said that something was shipped from the room Potter used in Ireland to the States via Muggle ways. He figured they might try and retrieve it so he left to follow it. By the time he got through customs he heard about the Hit Wizard and decided it was a better lead."
Tonks nodded. It was one of the things that made Mad-Eye such a great tracker and Auror. He took small nonsense things and put the pieces together. Hestia though was not done talking. "Come on, let's hit a club. You look like you need something loud, heady, and mind killing. If we are lucky, we might even have time for a drink and a turn on the floor."
Tonks smiled and rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. Hestia had been trying to get her a date for the last few weeks so they could double with her new boyfriend. Tonks put down a few pounds for the waitress and to clear her tab before they both walked outside and into the night leaving behind their half empty beers.
Knowing Mad-Eye had a real lead and she might be able to help Harry save his inheritance lightened her heart considerably. They walked down the street talking lightly about nothing when they came across a figure in the street.
Tonks had to cover her mouth with her hand at the giggles that threatened to spill from her. It was the Scotsman she saw earlier in the pub. Apparently the Irishman won their contest and he had drunk more than his share. He was sprawled on his back just off to the side of the sidewalk in the grass lightly snoring. She turned to look at Hestia with a wicked twinkle in her eyes.
Tonks pointed her thumb at the young well-built man sleeping in the grass. "Hey Hestia, you ever wonder if true what they don't wear beneath their kilts?"
Her friend's eyes grew wide at what Tonks was suggesting but before she could stop her Tonks had started creeping close to the sleeping man. Hestia looked around frantically but no one was around and just as quietly she joined her next to him feeling her cheeks glowing in embarrassment of what they were going to do.
Being very careful not to wake the man Tonks summoned a nearby stick and slowly, gently, and very carefully stuck the tip under the hem of the kilt and lifted it a few inches so they could see. Both witches sucked in a breath as both clearly saw there was nothing more than what God had graced him with upon his birth before them. Said grace was quite impressive and both young women stood for a few moments drinking in the sight.
They marveled for a few moments before Hestia spoke in a hushed whisper, eyes still locked on the sight before her. "We should go Tonks…"
That gleam in her eyes hadn't left as Tonks nodded and handed the stick over to Hestia. Confused she tore her eyes from the sleeping man and turned to her friend questionably. Tonks reached up and pulled one of the blue silk ribbons from Hestia's hair before she answered the unspoken question. "Let's leave him a little present before we go. It's only right after all…"
Hestia's hand slightly shook while trying to hold the stick standing there watching Tonks with wide eyes. She couldn't believe her friends audacity. Tonks for her part quietly and completely focused on her feet crept up and knelt before the sleeping man they had been ogling. She never allowed her hands to touch any part of him but tied Hestia's ribbon into a bow lightly around the star of the evening. Once finished Hestia slowly lowered the hem of the kilt and both of them quietly moved away a few feet before running off like a couple of naughty school girls to apparate away in a nearby alley, laughing and blushing madly the entire way.
XxXDaRXxX
The sleeping Scotsman woke an hour later to find himself lying on the grass beside a road. Still foggy with all the drinks he and his best mate had drank that night he managed to climb unsteadily to his feet. Wobbling and unfocused he vaguely registered he needed to relieve himself so stumbled off to a nearby tree to take care of his business before he headed off home a few miles down the road.
Swaying slightly he walked around a bush next to the first tree he came to and lifted up the front of his kilt only to gawk at what he saw.
In a startled voice still looking down the drunken Scotsman couldn't help but declare aloud, "Lad, I don't know where you've been, but I see you've won first prize!"