Harry had kept moving for over ten minutes without any spells being fired at him. He was trying to think of a way to go on the offensive but not knowing where your enemy was made that hard. Harry was coming up on a creek by the sound of it. He broke through the underbrush and found a wide stream running steadily and some rocks creating a path of sorts. The only way across was to hop from rock to rock. Harry got an idea and hopped across the only place where the rocks were close enough to do so.
Harry paused in the middle of crossing and bent down to splash some water over a smaller stone. Once the rock was covered, Harry wandlessly cast the Freezing Charm on the rock turning the water into ice. Harry was pleased that the rock just looked wet. He finished crossing the stream and climbed up the hill to a vantage point behind a few live trees and a fallen one. He could see up and down the stream quite a ways and he had the best view of the rocks. Harry waited and caught his breath.
The minutes ticked by and Harry watched. A slight movement of the first rock brought his wand to bear on the approximate location of his pursuer. Harry knew he had to focus as much as possible. He had to force as much of his magic into his spells. Tonks had been giving him skills and hints at becoming better with his magic. She knew what was going to happen and she helped him as much as she could in the two days they had before today. Harry chose his spell and summed up all the intent and willpower he could and waited for a more conclusive indication that Horace was crossing the stream.
The moment that Harry heard a "Shite!" and a splash, he unleashed repeated stunning spells blanketing the area near the ice-covered stone. A silver shield appeared slightly down stream from the rocks and Harry adjusted his aim. He was firing spell after spell and the silver shield sounded each time it was struck. Harry was pouring his magic into the spells. He was beginning to feel that 'pushing' sensation he had when doing wandless magic.
The silver shield held, but no spells were being returned. Harry held his current course of action because he didn't know what would happen if he didn't. A cold feeling broke his concentration. He started hearing his mother's screams in his head. 'Dementors.'
Harry ducked down and moved away from the stream. He summoned up all his will and intent remembering the time he saved Sirius. He thought of the strongest positive memory he could think of too. Tonks in a t-shirt minus her pants kissing him was the one he selected. Harry pushed all the magic he could into yelling, "Expecto Patronum," and cast his Patronus. The silver stag erupted from his wand and charged into the woods to Harry's right. Harry thought the stag was larger than before, but now was not the time to think about anything other than surviving.
Deciding that the right was full of Dementors, Harry ran to the left. He kept running bouncing off trees and breaking through brush. His face was getting cut up by the angry twigs that would snap at him as he ran past. The stag came running or floating by and went ahead of Harry. A screeching sound told Harry that Dementors were ahead of him as well as behind. He veered slightly to the right and saw a clearing up ahead.
Hoping that a clearing meant a better chance to see his opponent, Harry ran for the open space. The Dementor screams grew quieter as Harry progressed giving him a more positive feeling of his current direction. The open space was a yard to an old farm house. Harry saw a paddock behind the house and a water troth waiting for an animal to drink from it. The house appeared to be well maintained and its thatched roof looked new in the sunlight. Harry saw no movement in or around the house so he ran up the walking path leading to the side door.
A quick "Alohomora" and the door swung open allowing Harry to run in at full speed. He closed the door and muttered "Colloportus" locking the door behind him. Harry ran up the stairs and found a bedroom with a window overlooking the way he had come. He opened the windows and eased back into the shadows making sure he had a good view of the tree line. Harry took the time to catch his breath. 'This is one of the stupidest things you have ever done, Harry. What in the fuck are you trying to prove? Who are you trying to prove it to and why does it matter? Ah, got you.'
Harry stopped berating himself when he saw the outline of a shape emerging from the woods. Horace was using the Disillusionment Charm and the sunlight allowed Harry to see his outline instead of it being hidden by the trees and leaves in the forest. Harry lined up his wand and forced his magic out again. "Incarcerous," Harry said quietly. Ropes leapt from his wand and quickly wrapped around the hidden shape. The ropes followed the shape to the ground as it fell over.
Harry ran from the room, down the stairs, and out the door, he had sealed closed, after removing the locking spell. He found his ropes lying in a pile where he had seen Horace collapse. "Damn it," Harry managed to say before being struck by a Bludgeoning spell. Harry rolled with the force and regained his feet fighting to take a breath since his chest had taken most of the force.
Harry fired a Cutting Curse in the direction he could best figure the spell came from. Hearing no impact, Harry swung his wand in an arc casting "Flagrate" in all directions. He saw a shield snap into existence to his left so he focused his spells to that area. Stunners, Reductors, and Impedimentas were fired repeatedly. Harry saw the shield weaken slightly and the Disillusionment Charm fade.
Horace was standing there looking a little beaten sporting own cuts and burns from Harry's attacks. With an angry scowl, Horace ducked and fired the Cruciatus Curse at Harry causing him to dive out of the way. Horace followed it up with his own Incarcerous spell. Harry countered with the Cutting Curse and followed it up with a Stunner.
Horace batted the stunner away looking insulted that Harry would even try. Harry knew that he had to use something stronger than his school hexes. Harry remembered the spells he had read during his first day home. "Ossis Fragmen," Harry said quietly trying to remember that yelling did little to help your magic. The spell struck Horace in the left arm and Harry heard a bone snapped loudly. Horace held back his yell, but a whimper escaped.
Harry continued his assault with another Reductor Curse which was blocked. Horace fired another Cruciatus Curse at Harry forcing him to the ground. Harry returned fire with "Ossis Disffringo." Horace was struck in the left leg. The sound of his leg bone shattering was drowned out by his yell of pain as he fell to the ground instantly.
Harry regained his footing but was brought to his knees when Horace scored a hit with "Crucio." Harry did his best to hold in his screams, but he was disoriented by the pain. He was seeing stars as the hot knives drove themselves into his joints. Harry tried to roll away from the pain, but he figured in reality he was merely rolling around in the same place.
Horace must have stopped his spell because Harry regained control of his body. 'Never again will I take the pain from that spell. Where is that arsehole, I want him to hurt?' Harry shakily got to his knees and saw Horace on the ground ten feet away trying to steady his wand on Harry. Horace was still trying to cast a spell at Harry even though he was lying on the ground.
Harry drew up his wand and stared into Horace's eyes. "Crucio!" Harry pushed all the pain he had suffered from Horace and his family in the last few days into his spell. He added a little of his hatred for Bellatrix too. Horace was laid flat on the ground, screaming, from Harry's spell. Harry held him under the spell wanting him to feel every bit of his anger and suffering he had. A shout from the side caused Harry to break off his spell and turn his wand on the voice.
A Reductor Curse shot from Harry's wand and flew towards the voice. Harry couldn't see who it was, but he was still disoriented from the Cruciatus Curse he had been under for an undetermined amount of time. A feminine shout of the shield spell helped Harry re-center himself to reality. His vision came back into focus and he saw Tonks moving his way warily with her wand drawn. She was recovering from her dive to the ground to avoid his 'Crucio' spell.
Harry looked down at his wand and back up at Tonks. He released his wand and it fell to the grass softly. Tonks stowed her wand and fell to her knees a little out of control right in front of him. She pulled him into a hug and held him as he took deep breaths assessing his injuries.
"It is over, Harry," Tonks said near tears. "I am sorry I brought you here. I didn't know they were planning such real test. I am so sorry, Harry."
Harry didn't know what the big deal was, but he knew Tonks had to calm down. "Hush, Tonks. I am fine no big deal. Just a little pain. Nothing I haven't been through before. This is par for me, remember?"
"Harry, you have serious injuries and you were held under the Cruciatus for way too long. We ran down here as soon as you were hit with it. I need to get you to the healers right now."
"What injuries? I am just a little tired and sore, no worries." Harry pushed Tonks back and started trying to get to his feet. He was shaky but he managed.
Tonks didn't know what to do, but she helped Harry stand up and kept him from falling over. Marcus watched Harry stand and looked at Horace still curled into a ball on the ground. He saw Harry waver a few times, but when Harry's wand flew into his hand Marcus knew something was going on and it was a good thing.
"You lost, old man," Marcus said with a laugh to Horace. He received a grunt of pain followed by a whimper. "I will just call the medics then." Marcus snapped his wand in the direction of the door and a silvery shape shot out of it. Marcus walked over to Harry and Tonks assessing his condition more thoroughly.
"The healers are on their way, Harry. I need your face covered since you have most definitely passed the test." He conjured a grey hood that would cover Harry's face and placed it over his head. "Harry, I am going to heal the cuts on your face and then cover it so no one knows who you are. Okay?"
Harry looked to Tonks who nodded. Harry sighed and gave his permission. Marcus waved his wand a few times and the small cuts healed. Harry's face was covered with the hood, but he could still see Tonks worried face.
Tonks pulled the hood of her cloak up and her face was shrouded instantly in shadows. "Remember to call me Chamel, Harry. I won't say your name when the healers arrive. They will want to take you to the medical wing because of your injuries."
"What injuries? I didn't get hit that much."
"Your left arm is broken, Harry," Tonks explained. "You have a puncture wound to your leg and a burn on your chest not to mention the exposure to the Cruciatus Curse."
"I don't remember anything but the curse and that was at the end. When did the rest happen?"
"The whole time you were fighting," Tonks was really worried that Harry couldn't remember getting hit by the spells. "Now, you rest and we will let the healers do their thing."
The door opened and the healers entered the normal-looking room. There were five people, two women and three men, and they hurried over to Harry and Marcus. One of the women started giving orders and the others began their work. Wands were waved and spells cast.
"Broken arm, shattered leg, fire burns, rope burns, contusions, and Crucio exposure," a man said.
"Broken arm, penetrating wound, lacerations, fire burns, and Crucio exposure," said a woman.
The woman in charge shook her head, "What is this, Marcus, a final aptitude test or something?"
"No, Speers, it was an admission test," Marcus said lightly.
"Admission my arse, these are serious wounds. If this is what I can expect in the future I demand that a healer be present during the testing. I don't even want to know what spells missed." Speers directed the healers to levitate Horace and walk Harry to the medical bay.
Harry shook off their help and leaned on Tonks urging her to lead the way. 'I will do things myself if I can. If not, I will ask for help if I need it.' Harry walked slowly after the healers. They repeatedly tried to help him, but he waved them off every time. It took Tonks telling them to let him alone before they stopped offering to help.
The medical bay was right across from the training room which Harry thought was the most sense he had ever seen at use in this building. He was laid on a bed and his healer team started pouring potions down his throat. He was poked and prodded and scanned and measured. Tonks sat with him the whole time giving him all the support he could stand.
He heard various things from the other side of the room. Most of it was medical talk that he didn't understand and couldn't be bothered to figure out since his medication had started working. Marcus was in the room speaking with someone, but Harry was starting to drift off. His arm was throbbing from the Skele-Grow he had taken. The last face he saw was Tonks' covered head hovering above him.
Harry came to with the smell of disinfectant in his nose and the sounds of people talking quietly reaching his ears. He opened his eyes and immediately noticed that his glasses were somewhere other than his face. He willed them into his hand and soon found them resting lightly in his palm. He carefully slipped them on and the world came into focus or what he could see with his hood in place.
He saw three healers moving about the room straightening things and restocking shelves. He also saw Horace resting in his own bed. There were empty potion bottles of varying sizes next to his bed. He seemed to be asleep at the moment, but Harry could clearly remember what the man had done to him earlier. Harry wished he knew what time it was, but since there were no windows he had no clues to go from.
Looking to his side, Harry found Tonks slouching in a chair. Her eyes were closed, but she was humming a tune to herself. Harry looked to see if he saw anyone else in the room but it was empty. The room was smaller than Madam Pomfrey's hospital, but it was well supplied judging by cabinets of potions that lined the back wall. Everything was in perfect order and labeled from what Harry could tell. He turned his attention back to Tonks and cleared his throat quietly.
Tonks' eyes snapped open and a smile grew on her face. She sat up and leaned forward coming closer to Harry. "Do you hate me?" Her smile had disappeared and a hesitant frown was in its place.
"No, why would I?" Harry didn't know what to say.
"I got you hurt," Tonks said tentatively. "Most people would be pretty horked off at me for doing something like that."
"And when have I ever been like most people? Honestly, I spend my summer doing wandless magic, getting my life threatened, and getting cursed left and right in a secret department under the Ministry. Does that sound like most people? Didn't think so. I am fine, To…Chamel. I feel good right now aside from feeling a little sore and not completely with it."
"Good," Tonks hesitated saying Harry. "You were amazing. Horace hadn't had such a fight in years. He usually toys with people and then finishes it. When he starts throwing the Cruciatus Curse around, you know you are doing something right. That is his finisher. I still remember when he used it on me."
"It was bad, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't that terrible. He has nothing on Voldemort or Bellatrix." Harry saw Tonks flinch. "If you are going to spend any amount of time around me get used to me saying Voldemort. I have earned the right to call him whatever I want and I intend to do just that."
"Not everyone has faced him so we aren't all at your level of acceptance. Most people have never seen him in person. Why do you think he is so scary? The less you know about something, the scarier it is."
"Well, I have seen him and he is scary in person too, but that is no reason to give him more power by being afraid of his made up name. His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. He just made up Voldemort by messing around the letters. Anyway, what do I do now? And what time is it?"
"Those I can answer. It is around two and we are to meet Marcus before we get you outfitted. Then, we have your first mission to complete before we can leave."
"I have a mission, already?"
"Oh, it is an easy mission. You don't even have to leave the Ministry. That will be explained later. Now up you get so we can go shopping."
"Shopping? Why do women like shopping so much?"
"Because it gives us pleasure and we get new things that we didn't have before. Now let's go."
"Fine, fine." Harry swung his legs off the edge of his bed and set them on the floor. He tested his steadiness and then forced himself into a standing position. He swayed to the right, but Tonks grabbed his shoulders stopping him from falling.
"So you are up," called a healer. She bustled over like all healers do. 'They must be taught how to do that in medical school,' Harry thought.
"Here," she said handing him a vial. "You must take that before you leave. It will perk you up and help you with your balance issues. You should be as good as new in a few minutes."
Harry took the offered greenish potion and downed it quickly. He expected an awful taste and frightening texture so he didn't believe the sweet taste he was met with. It flowed down his throat smoothly. Harry found himself perking up in the few minutes as promised. His balance wasn't perfect, but it was constantly improving.
She waved him out the door faster than he had ever seen a healer do so. He allowed Tonks to lead him past door number sixteen, the training room, to door number two. She knocked and helped Harry in when the door opened.
Harry found himself in a room that felt old. Everything in the room seemed modeled from the 1800's. The lights were old style gas lamps similar to the ones in Grimmauld Place only more basic. There was a book shelf over flowing with books that were stuck in at every direction they would fit. There were three green leather chairs facing the antique desk that Marcus was seated behind. The desk was clear in the center, but papers were piled high around the edges. Quills were lying about the desk in various stages of wear.
Marcus looked up from his high-backed leather chair and smiled a wide smile that seemed to fit the man. "You are free to speak here, Harry. This room is constantly protected against all forms of eavesdropping. Now, I need you to sign the last form again if you wish to enter our program, of course."
Harry looked from Marcus's hopeful face to Tonks' caring one. "Yeah, I think I will as long as I will learn things that can help me stay alive. If I am just going to be a punching bag or poster boy, then I am out."
"None of that will happen here, Harry. We don't have poster boys for one, kind of defeats the secrecy thing doesn't it? As for the punching bag part, it may seem like it for the initial stages, but I think you can progress beyond that quickly enough. Here is the form and the nasty quill again."
Harry grabbed the quill and paused thinking what he should have thought long ago. 'Am I just trading one controlling old man for another? This one is telling me he will teach me things and I have the chance to learn on my own if need be. The other one said he would teach me, but all I got was Snape and no information. The real difference is that I am choosing to do this. I never had the choice before. That is the real truth; I am deciding to do this under my own power. I am making the decisions.' "This is for real? I will learn everything I saw today and more?"
"Yes, I promise that you will learn what you saw today and more. You will also learn how and when to apply those skills depending on the situation. Sometimes, we are a very direct group of people. Other times, we work in subterfuge. If you are willing to give it a shot, sign the form. You can always back out if things don't work out for you. I will warn you that your oaths will last for your entire life and we may decide to Obliviate certain things if we think they are excessively dangerous for us. That is the deal you are walking into. It is your choice?"
Harry thought about the situation for awhile. "Fine, I am in." Harry signed his name again and felt Marcus's spell at work. The presence was more pronounced than before and took longer to fade. "It is normal for the second time to be more invasive. It is the level of permanence causing it. Now, if you go to room number eighteen you can get outfitted. I am sure Chamel can help you with that. I wish to welcome you to our family, Harry Potter. We may not trust many people often, but we rely on everyone who takes the oath. Oh, and on a side note, you won me a case Ogden's Finest with your performance today. Thank you."
Tonks grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him out of the office and down the hall. "He bet a case on you and you came through. You earned points with him today. I am proud of you." They continued down the hallway and Tonks seemed to regain her clumsy ways. Harry had to stop her from falling twice on the way to room eighteen. She tapped the door with her wand and said a word causing the door to shudder and open.
Harry entered the room and saw, stuff. It was full of stuff. One wall had cloaks lined up in one really long rack. They were all grey and seemed rather common. The back wall had a few swords and daggers with matching leather gear beneath them. The wall opposite the cloaks had shelves of books and various magical devices that Harry recognized from Dumbledore's office and Moody's classroom. The center of the room had boots in the far section and small trunks in the near section.
"Okay, we are here to outfit you. First is a cloak." Tonks walked over to the cloaks and started sliding down the rack checking the length every now and then. She paused about half way down and pulled one from the rack and held it up to Harry. It was about a foot too long. "Not quite right, eh," She returned the cloak and walked down until she seemed happy.
Tonks pulled another cloak out and the length was about two inches from the floor but the shoulders were about six inches too wide. "Now you can see why I didn't get the job at Madam Malkin's." Tonks returned the cloak and checked for one with smaller shoulders. She pulled out another one and held up it to Harry. "Not bad, try it on will you."
Figuring he might as well play dress up for her, Harry removed his hood and donned the cloak. It fit nicely in length but the shoulders were a touch too large. Harry's original opinion of the cloaks being common had to be revised. The material was soft and very comfortable. The room was like most clothes storerooms, stuffy and warm, but the cloak felt nice and cool.
"A little too big, but it will do. Now, to brief you on your brand-new, slightly-used, Unspeakable wear, I will list off their handy dandy features." Tonks finished with a flourish. "I love doing that in case you couldn't tell. The standard cloak is made up of two parts; the outer and inner. Kind of like a belly button only this thing has a much greater lint factor and isn't a button since it has no buttons."
Harry nodded his head twice before switching to a shake. 'Tonks is another of those crazy people I should watch out for.'
Tonks never paused in her description. "The inner is made up of a soft liner the muggles make. The outer is all us though. The exterior is made up of three separate materials. Hungarian Horntail hide is overlaid with the hair of a Demiguise interwoven with the skin of a Grand Chameleon. The dragon hide gives us added protection from spells. The Demiguise hair gives us the ability to disappear to a certain degree. It isn't as good as an invisibility cloak, but then it is cheaper than that too. Remember, this is government work so you settle for less than spectacular equipment. The Chameleon skin gives us the ability to blend into our environment.
"The invisibility can be activated by tapping your wand on the cloak, or wandlessly I guess, and saying 'Invisible.' Real technical stuff we have to remember here. The Chameleon feature is more versatile. Same tap and you say 'blend,' or 'color' then the color you want. I like grey or blue or really any color actually. You will want black or another normal color I suppose."
"That is me, Tonks, boring."
"You are for from boring, Harry. You simply haven't been properly motivated to try new things. That is where I come in just so you know. Now, on with other features. Self-cleaning upon command. Wrinkle-free always. Temperature control to keep you nice and warm or comfortably cool. A hood that has Obscuring Charms in place to hide your face and a security feature to prevent others from removing it but one of us. Don't ask me how, it just works that way. Built-in wand holder for either arm that can be activated by thought. There is a spell to attune you to it so it all works right. Enough pockets that you will lose stuff for weeks and the kicker is that they are summon proof too. So when you lose something and try to summon it you get naught. Tailors with a sense of humor.
"Is there anything else?" Tonks thought on the subject for a bit. "Umm, that is all I can think of. Now that you have your new threads, let's get you some boots."
The section of boots was searched and Harry found a pair of boots that fit well. "Hungarian Horntail as well with the self-cleaning, temperature control, and Chameleon features. Your cloak is long enough that you can crouch a little so you don't need the invisibility option. Remember, government work."
"Now the trunks are all the same, Harry. They have a modest shrinking charm on them as they are one third the size of the real one. They can be shrunk more, but then they would be hard to find in here. Pick one and let's open it up." Harry grabbed one and set it on the floor. Tonks tapped it with her wand and countered the charm. The trunk grew to full size and Harry opened the lid. Inside was a blank journal, an empty set of vials, a sleeping bag, a canteen, a round clear ball similar to Neville's Remembrall, a self-inking quill, a Pocket Sneakoscope, and a few storage cubbies.
"You know what most of this crap is so I will only explain the odd things. The clear ball is used to identify someone's injuries. A medically skilled team member will use it. The journal is like most journals but it is never-ending. You are supposed to put all your notes in it. Basically, you will have your own spell book when you get into it. Otherwise, there is a pocket for this thing right near your belt line. Shrink it and put it in there." Harry shrunk the trunk and put it in the pocket.
"Now we move onto the edged weapons. I am too clumsy to carry one so I don't. Last thing I need to do is remove my own arm. You should grab one and a sheath and put it on the inside of your robe. There are access pockets so you can reach things on the inside." Harry found a dagger that was about eight inches long and had a sturdy frame. He found a sheath that was slim and held the dagger tightly preventing any accidents. He used the access pockets to store the dagger in an inner holder designed for a blade. Harry also tested out the wand holder in his sleeve.
Tonks said the spell to make the cloak respond to his wishes. After a few minutes testing the wand holder, Harry was satisfied with its response as his ability to catch the wand properly. "Well, I think we are done in here, Harry. You said you learn better by doing so we will skip the books for now. Anything else you need from here?"
"No, I think I am good for now. What do we do now?"
"Well, Harry, you need to get your hood up and you can cue me in so I can see your face. Don't ask me how it works; it is more of the Department secrets that I don't care to learn. Flip up the hood and once you are ready then tap the hood and say 'Reveal to' and the full name of the person." Tonks smile faded as she just realized she told Harry to say her real name.
Harry smiled at her and decided to have some fun with her. Tapping the hood, he spoke very clearly and slowly. "Reveal to Nymphadora Tonks." Harry saw Tonks hesitate slightly, but the smile returned.
"There I can see you just fine now. I will do the same so you can see me." Tonks followed the same procedure and Harry could see her face clearly as if the hood wasn't there.
"Neat trick, Tonks. Where to now?"
"Back to the man in charge, he has to give you your mission for the day. You should have loads of fun with this one. I know I did." Tonks skipped out of the room and started down the hall. Harry followed her trying to keep up without running. He only caught up after she tripped and fell down completely. Harry assisted her to her feet and they finished the trip without skipping anymore.
The office door opened for them and Harry was greeted with a friendly smile. "Now you look like one of us. A little loose in the shoulders, but medical can fix that. Here is your ranking bar. Chamel can explain it later."
Harry looked at the patch and saw that it was made up of different colored, vertical bars underneath an empty horizontal bar that went the whole length of the patch. The patch was about two inches long and one inch tall. Harry found the location for it over his left breast right where the Hogwarts House patch would go. Harry affixed the patch and let is pass from his mind.
"Your mission for the day, Harry, is a multipart mission. Since you are a minor according to the Ministry you are to infiltrate the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. More specifically, the Improper Use of Magic Office. Once there, you will locate the sensory device that has been attuned to you or your current location. You must disable the device without it being obvious. Hitting it with a Reductor Curse would be an example of how not to do it. A strong Freezing Charm could do it. The device only does something if it detects magic in its target area. So, it doing nothing is what we are after. I am sure you have no love lost with that particular department.
"The second part of your mission is to gain access to the main storeroom containing records on all magical people. You will place this form in your folder without being detected. The form is simply a legal document stating that you have been emancipated. Since you are under the age of seventeen, you must be emancipated to work in any capacity outside of a family business. Once I put our seal on the documents you signed, a record will be made of you entering into an employment contact. That is as detailed as it becomes, but if there isn't an emancipation document in your folder the clerk for the Wizengamot will be notified automatically.
"I know it sounds silly, but the Ministry has been mucking around in peoples lives for centuries. They have some really stupid rules and procedures in place, but I see this as a fun challenge for you to test out your new toys. Do you have any questions?"
"Do I come back here when I am done or what? And how do I get in here anyway?"
"Great questions, Harry. You come back here when you are done. I will stamp the documents then. Now getting in here, you tap the wall like you saw Chamel and you say your password. You will set it the first time you enter. I have already adjusted the wards to permit you entry into the door the first time. Once you learn some of the transportation methods we can adjust them to let you in other ways that are more convenient for you. Any more questions?"
"Don't think so."
"Brilliant. Now, Chamel will go with you, but she will not help you in your mission. She is only there to get you out of trouble should you get caught, but if that happens just cop an attitude and reveal your badge. Most people know to leave us be when we ask."
Harry looked down to see that his badge had indeed disappeared. He drew his wand and tapped it one causing it to reveal itself for a short time. Harry shook hands with Marcus, grabbed the document, and followed Tonks out of the offices. Once he left the secret door in the main hallway outside of the Department, he turned around and repeated the double-tap and the box-motions as he had seen Tonks do when they first arrived. He heard a faint voice ask for a password. Harry thought for a moment before saying his password, "Marauder's for the win."
He turned and walked towards the lift. He pressed the button and waited calmly as the lift worked its way towards level nine. "So, Chamel, what do the colors on the badge mean?"
Tonks tapped hers and the badge revealed itself. The colors went from left to right, red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and black. "The red bar is for offensive spells. The number of bars is a weighted average based on power, knowledge, and skill with the spells. Everyone needs to be at least a level three in red and blue to be added to a team. Blue is for defensive spells. Next is green and that is speed and accuracy of spells. A dueler would be really high in this area. Yellow is for healing spells and purple is for Stealth, Tracking, and the Covert skills. Last is black and that reflects your ability with the Unforgivables. Speed of casting, ability to hold them, and proficiency at fighting them.
"As you can see, I have five red out of seven. I would be in the upper end of the main group. Offensive spells are important to us. I have five bars of seven for blue. I am pretty skilled with my shields and counter-curses. The Patronus falls into this group as well so you should have a good score here once they start measuring you. I have a five for speed and accuracy. Two in yellow makes me able to heal very minor wounds in a controlled environment. You have seen and been a patient of those skills and you are still alive so no worries there. I have six purples. My tendencies for tripping keep me from a seven. I am the highest of all team members in this area. I have a three for the Unforgivables. I can't hold the Cruciatus for very long and my Killing Curse is luck if it works. My Imperius is good, but my lack of raw power keeps me from a four.
"We can test as often or as seldom as we want to get our levels reassessed. At the beginning, people are always trying to get higher levels but over time they settle for what they have. The top bar indicates our rank and our team. I have a Roman Numeral III saying I am part of team three. I have two pips of five showing that I am a level two operative. A level one is a new member or someone who is still learning the ropes. A level three is the team leader.
A level four is a team leader and operation specialist meaning they can command multiple teams and have operational discretion if a mission becomes complicated by external forces. In short, if the mission is fucked a level four can change the mission to something attainable or call it off. A level five would be Horace and Marcus. They call the shots and plan the missions. I wouldn't want their job if you paid me. In the old days, there used to be level fives that went on missions and were consistently in the field but that is long past now.
"Let's see what they started you out as and don't worry about any of your levels right now. They are bound to go up." Tonks tapped Harry's hidden patch and her mouth dropped open. "Holy shite, you really must have impressed them earlier. You will make some friends and enemies among the teams with levels like this starting out." Harry looked down and saw the colored bars. Four red, three blue, 5 green, no yellow, two purple, and three black with one pip in the upper field.
"Everyone gains at least one level in all areas and many get an increase of two or more levels. You could be hitting sixes and maybe sevens in a few years. The pip and your levels in offensive and defensive spells mean that you can be added to a team and sent on missions already."
The lift arrived at that time and Harry couldn't wrap his head around everything. He just wanted to finish his mission and go home. He was tired and needed sleep not to mention he hadn't eaten yet. He knew it wasn't even four yet, but that didn't change the fact that he wanted to go to bed. He entered the lift and pressed number two. The lift rattled and started on its way to the floor containing the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and his first stop.
The lift paused on the seventh floor, the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and two people entered the lift hesitantly. Tonks and Harry were in the rear of the lift and in opposite corners. The newcomers looked up and down at Harry and Tonks before the continued their conversation in very hushed tones. Harry turned to see if Tonks was bothered by their actions at all. He saw her alternating her hair color randomly. She seemed completely oblivious to anyone else.
The lift proceeded to level five, Department of International Magical Cooperation, and one more person entered the lift. He was a stout little man and had wild mustache that seemed to reach his shoulders. He greeted one of the other men happily by name and struck up a conversation completely ignoring Harry and Tonks.
Without further interruption, the lift arrived at level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Harry wasn't sure how to exit the lift. He wasn't sure he could say anything or do anything. Tonks, however, didn't waste one minute. She cleared her throat and all three people in the way leapt to the sides making room for her to exit the lift without a risk of being touched. Tonks strode from the confined space exuding confidence with every step.
Harry followed trying to mimic her. He managed to keep up with her until the lift closed and continued to the first floor. "Is that normal? People reacting like that?"
"Yep, most are dead scared of us," Tonks said stopping near one of the magical windows. "The whole secrecy thing really frightens some people. You will get used to all the whispering and hesitation. They actually think we care about their business? Games does one event a year maybe two at the most. Otherwise, they just muck with the Quidditch leagues. Cooperation can't cooperate with themselves let alone others. One thing you will learn is that every department thinks their shite doesn't stink and their business is the most important. Ha, my arse."
"So, we want people to fear us?" Harry was beginning to wonder if the Unspeakables weren't like the Death Eaters only with different colored cloaks.
"No, but people always fear what they don't know. By nature, we are not to be known. Besides, if people are on their toes when we are around things go smoother. Half the time when we show up to something going on, people are ever so helpful to us. Now, on we go. People in the MLE are more used to us so they won't be jumping out of the way. Here is a hint, use your fancy new cloak if you want."
Harry looked at her and then remembered his cloak could become invisible to a certain degree. He also had his own invisibility cloak on him from when he originally arrived at the Ministry. Harry tapped his cloak and said, "Invisible," and he faded from sight with only a slight distortion giving him away. Harry wandlessly cast a silencing spell on his feet and pulled his own cloak from the inside pocket where he had stowed it. With a swirl, Harry disappeared completely from view.
He walked down the hallway ignoring the scenes the windows projected. He stopped at the door to the Auror Headquarters and took a deep breath. 'Now or nothing I guess.'Harry turned the handle and was met with the sounds of a busy office. He slipped into the room silently and stayed close to the left wall. He saw a few people walking about discussing things and a few paper airplanes floating about near the ceiling.
Harry slinked his way to the rear of the room where a closed door sat beneath a small, hanging sign that read, 'Improper Use of Magic Office.' Under the sign was a name plate, 'Mafalda Hopkirk.' Harry recognized Hopkirk's name quite clearly. It was her letters that caused Harry so many problems last summer and before that during his second year. Reaching the door, Harry tried to open the door slowly, but it was locked.
Harry wasn't sure what to do next. Usually this was when Hermione would jump in with an idea and it would work perfectly. 'No, Hermione here, now what? Well, if I want in I could always knock.' Left with few options, Harry knocked softly so the aurors wouldn't hear it. 'I could use my wand to unlock the door but that would trigger the device in the room.'
The door opened quickly nearly hitting Harry in the shoulder. He moved to the side against the wall. Mafalda looked out the doorway checking for a visitor. She saw no one right there so she looked around the door to see if anyone was hiding behind it. Harry thought he had a chance to sneak in, but she was blocking the entire doorway. 'She has to be at least a hundred kilos. How can I get past all that?' Harry's moment of opportunity was fading quickly.
Mafalda finished her search mumbling under her breath about idle children and worthless gits and began to close the door. Harry started to panic a little. 'If this is a common problem then she won't open the door again. Do something you idiot.' Harry saw the door closing and he had a few inches left before the door was locked again. He pushed his magic out and cast a Freezing Charm on the latch hoping it would work.
The door closed and Harry waited for a few minutes before slightly pushing on the door. It swung freely allowing Harry to breathe again. He waited for a lull in the noise of the auror's room before quickly slipping into the adjoining office. He closed the door knowing that Tonks was now two doors away from him should he get into trouble. He was alone until he left both offices. The mission was his alone at this point.
He heard quills on parchment coming from a room in the back. He had a short wall blocking his view of the small office where he knew Mafalda was waiting. He walked to the wall and peered over it. He saw a well kept desk directly behind the wall and Mafalda sitting there methodically sorting papers. 'She must have been Percy's idle before he was promoted to Fudge's staff.' A large stack of papers were already sitting in an out-going box. Harry saw another door in the rear of the office and the quill sound was coming from in there.
Harry slid around the short wall and worked his way to the rear door and found it to be unlocked, but Mafalda was sitting at her desk sorting papers. Harry saw a chance to get in without her noticing. He moved to the end of her desk and waited for her to look away. A few minutes later, she did, and Harry nudged the neatly stacked pile of papers causing them to slip out of alignment and begin to fall off the desk. Mafalda noticed the papers shift and reached out with her short arms and try to stop them from falling over. Her efforts only caused the stack to fall over in a very dramatic way.
Papers were scattered in all directions and Mafalda cussed once before getting out of her chair and started picking up the papers. Harry retreated to the back door and opened it when he saw the chance. Inside the room he saw at least thirty drum-like devices similar to old seismographs. There was a quill hovering above a piece of parchment near the base of the device. Harry saw labels on every machine and moved to get a better look. One read 'Wales,' another was 'South London,' another was 'North London.' The list kept going. Many major cities had their own device.
After a few minutes, Harry found the device he was after. He knew it was the one for him because it said so is dark writing, 'Harry Potter,' beneath his name was scribbled 'Surrey.' 'I hate Fudge. I wonder how long this thing has been trained on me. Well, now it is time to fix the problem.' Harry pushed his magic with as much intent as he could and fired a Freezing Charm at the device.
Harry looked at the device and waited for something to happen. Nothing did. He knew he had cast the spell because he felt it happen just like when he was practicing at Privet Drive. After a few more minutes, he decided to test out using his wand. 'If it detects me, then I might have a chance to get the sheet before it is sent out.' Harry grabbed his wand from his built-in holder and pointed the wand at the ceiling. "Wingardium Leviosa."
The machine did nothing. Harry tried the Shield Spell and a Summoning Spell. Again, the device did nothing at all. 'Cool. I am free of this blasted department finally.' Harry turned and approached the door wearing a large smile on his face. He checked his invisibility cloak to make sure it was covering him properly and opened the door slightly.
He saw Mafalda finishing up on rearranging her papers. She had her back to the door and Harry was sure he heard her mumbling under her breath. He slipped out of the detector room and closed the door. Moving very carefully, Harry worked his way to the front of the room and the exit that led to the auror department. Mafalda was done sorting her papers and was sitting down again. Harry looked over the barrier making sure she was far enough away in case she heard him open the door.
'Now is my chance.' Harry opened the door quickly and as silently as he could. He slipped out of the room and closed the door. Once the door was closed, Harry retreated to the door leading out to the hallway. He kept one eye out for aurors and one on Mafalda's door. When he reached the doorway to the hall, Harry saw two aurors coming into the room. He waited for them to move away from the door before he approached it.
In one quick motion, Harry opened the door and slipped through to the hallway. He turned around to look for Tonks, but didn't find her. 'Where the hell is she?' Harry wondered if she had left or if this was part of the mission as well. Remembering that her cloak could become invisible too, he pulled off his personal cloak. With a tap of his wand and the spoken counter, Harry turned off the invisibility feature of his Unspeakable cloak.
Seconds later, another person materialized down the hall a few feet standing next to the windows. The figure moved towards him and Harry could see Tonks' face under her hood. He smiled feeling like he had accomplished something on his own. 'I did this on my own. I did this because I wanted to, sort of. This had nothing to do with Hogwarts or Dumbledore. I am free, I am really free. I am in control of my life more than ever right now.'
Tonks smiled at Harry and when she got close enough she pulled him into a hug. Harry felt her arms encircle him and hold him to her chest. "Great job, Harry," she whispered. "Can you do magic now?"
Harry gave her one last squeeze and stepped back. He drew his wand and cast the Orchideous spell for Tonks and handed her the bouquet of flowers that it produced. He smiled widely at the grin and sigh on her face.
"Well done and thank you. Now the next part of the mission." Tonks turned around slowly, smelling her flowers the entire way to the lift. Once they were in the lift, Tonks pressed the button for level eight. "Now we go to records to let you add that sheet to your file. Oh, one more thing."
Harry was smiling and turned to Tonks when she said her last part. Harry found Tonks moving towards him and she grabbed his head with her hands. She pulled him down to her and planted a big kiss on his lips. Harry wasn't expecting it, but he couldn't find anything to complain about. She held the kiss, causing Harry to remember the last time they had kissed, until the lift chimed at a floor other than the one they wanted.
They separated quickly assuming positions in either corner of the lift as the doors opened. Harry noticed that they were on level five and Arthur Weasley stepped into lift hesitating for only a second. He gave a forced smile and nodded to both Tonks and Harry. Tonks didn't return the nod, so Harry forced himself to do the same. He watched Arthur turn and press the button for level seven.
Harry wondered what Mr. Weasley would be doing with the Magical Games and Sports department, but he tried to focus on his next mission. The lift cleared of anyone else and started moving again. Tonks reached over and grabbed Harry's shoulder.
"This should be easy and you can do what you need to do. Make me proud."
Harry nodded and stepped off the lift when the doors opened. He made his cloak invisible and put on his own cloak. He moved down the long hallway which had doors on both sides every twenty feet or so. There were letters on each door for every letter of the alphabet. Harry sped up his pace so he could get to door 'P' and get home. The fatigue he had before was getting worse. The fight with Horace had taken a lot out of him and he knew it.
Seeing an 'N' on the door to his left, he knew that 'P' was going to be next. He walked the twenty feet and found it. He tried the doorknob, but it wouldn't open. He drew his wand and tried the Unlocking spell, but nothing happened. Not really knowing any other spells to unlock things, Harry used all his will and intent to open the door. It took him a few tries, but finally he heard the lock click open when a pinkish colored spell shot from his wand.
Harry opened the door and moved inside closing the door behind him. He lit the lamps around the room, put his cloak in his pocket, and started searching the long room for his name. There were shelves and shelves of folders inside of boxes. The shelves were along the outer wall and a set of shelves were in the middle of the room as well. The organizational method seemed to be by family name. Harry started at the end, on his right, and started looking at the labels on the boxes. 'Pwy' was the last name on the last box.
Spending the next few minutes searching and pausing at the 'Prewett' box, Harry found the box labeled 'Potter.' Harry pulled the box off the shelf and found that the outside of the box was completely clean of dust. Harry had found some boxes that had layers of dust on them meaning that the people had either done nothing worth documenting for years or the family was dead. The 'Prewett' box was covered in dust making Harry think that Molly Prewett Weasley's activities must be filed under 'Weasley.'
Once Harry had the box on the floor, he removed the top and looked inside. There were rows of miniaturized folders lined up side-by-side. Harry could see that there were a few levels worth of folders as well. Searching for a while, Harry found a section that had a small label on it marked, 'Harry James Potter, 1980.' Harry pulled out the section and set it on top of the rest of the files. He enlarged the section and opened the front of the folder. The first sheet was a certificate of live birth stating that Harry had been born on July 31th, 1980 at St. Mungo's at 12:46 P.M. to Lily and James Potter.
Harry saw the signatures of his parents on the certificate and found his eyes beginning to wet. 'I have never seen their signatures before. The map might have my dad's writing on it sometimes, but I never knew his writing was like mine.' The spiky letters were very familiar and his mother's writing looked very much like Hermione's. 'Must be a muggle-born girl thing. Guys just don't write like that.'
Harry wanted a copy of this certificate so he had something else of his parents or at least could see their handwriting. Harry performed the copy spell he had seen Hermione use so many times over the years. The spell was fast and it worked. The only problem he found an odd ghosting of the word, "COPY" on the sheet. 'The originals must be protected somehow from duplication.' Looking at the rest of the box and knowing he shouldn't waste time reading through his folder, Harry skipped ahead to the back of his folder. The last thing in his folder was a sheet saying Harry had completed his fifth year of Hogwarts. He looked at the sheet right before that and found McGonagall's and Dumbledore's signature on a sheet that reinstated him to the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
'So nice of them to let me know about this.' Harry returned to the end of his folder and pulled out the emancipation form. He slid it into his folder and there was a slight glow before everything returned to normal. Harry reshrunk the folder and replaced it in the box. Harry paused before putting the lid on the box.
'Fuck it, I want this information. This is about me and my family.' Harry pulled over an empty box that was sitting at the end of the row. Harry concentrated hard and cast the duplicate spell again focusing on the entire box. After a few seconds, the empty box started filling up with miniature folders. Harry kept doing whatever it was that he was doing since it was working.
After a minute or so, the new box was full of folders just like the old one. Harry pulled out a folder labeled 'James Harry Potter, 1960.' Harry enlarged the folder, opened it, and saw that his father's certificate was there as well. Forcing himself not to read anymore, Harry reshrunk the folder and returned it to his box. He put he original back and made sure it was lined up properly like the rest of the boxes on the shelf.
Harry sealed his new box and shrunk it. He picked up the box and placed it in a pocket of his robes. Moving to the door, Harry extinguished the lamps with a wave of his wand. With a feeling of accomplishment bursting from inside, Harry opened the door and exited the room. He saw Tonks sitting on the floor leaning against the 'Q' door. She was looking right at him wearing a large smile, again.
"I am done," Harry said. "Where to now?"
"To our boss and then home. You look really tired right now."
"That is because I am. The test took a lot out of me."
Tonks smirked and stood up, but under her breath Harry heard her say, "Not as much as it did from Horace."
Harry looked at her, but she acted like she hadn't said a word. She put her arm around his waist and directed him to the lift. When they reached the lift, Tonks pressed the button then turned to Harry and starting kissing him again.
Harry was enjoying the kissing, but he didn't know what it was all about. Tonks had always been forward and he was always confused afterwards. 'I am not sure what to do, but I will keep doing what I have been since this is fun.' Harry slid his hands around Tonks' small body and held her firmly to him as she moved slightly as she kissed him. Harry decided to try the Legilimency trick again since it had a rather interesting result the last time.
He opened his eyes a little and hesitated in kissing back causing Tonks to open her eyes slightly. Once he saw her now purple eyes, Harry willed himself into her mind. He felt like he was falling into a very soft and fluffy pillow. It was a warm sensation and he felt very safe. He started kissing her again and she reacted immediately to his ministrations. He felt heat beginning to rise inside of her. She started moving up and down against him as she kissed more intently very second.
Harry felt his body move in response to her and he had to fight down his urges. He knew they were in the Ministry and could be seen by anyone who came down the lift, but he didn't really care at the moment. He could feel her emotions and what could only be desire raging in her. He heard a distant chime indicate the lift was on its way to pick them up. Harry let her win the tongue battle and held her close for a second before removing his mind from hers.
He looked at her and saw Tonks trying to control her breathing. She was fixing her clothes as well. Harry smiled and wondered what she was going to say if anything. The lift arrived and they entered the very empty compartment. Harry pressed button nine and the lift started moving again.
Tonks looked at him and shyly said, "You have to tell me how you do that and what you see or feel."
Deciding to be coy, Harry replied, "I will think about it."
Harry was saved from being hit by his quick actions and the doors opening at the right time allowing him to escape. Harry sprinted down the hallway as fast as he could considering his exhaustion. Tonks moved after him and watched him open the entrance to the office. They entered together and headed to Marcus's office. Tonks knocked and the door opened for them. They entered and found Marcus sitting behind his desk and Horace in one of the chairs.
"Done?" Marcus asked.
"The device was frozen and the form was added to my folder," Harry answered.
"Brilliant," Marcus said. "I look forward to more successful missions from you."
"I want you here tomorrow at seven to begin your training. Sleep well since it will be a tough day." Horace had a wicked gleam in his eyes as he stood and left the office.
"You will do fine, Harry," Marcus said. "I have no doubts about that. Now that you have everything you need, I believe you are free to go. Also, medical and Horace wanted you to take this potion tonight."
"What does it do," Harry asked not trusting anything without knowing what it was.
"It is an enhancement potion," Marcus explained. "All of the operatives have used them. It enhances your body's strength and endurance. You are in shape, don't get me wrong, but you are still on the small side. This potion will help you out in that area. Everyone reacts differently to it and its results vary. It won't hurt you if that is what you are concerned about."
"Fine, I will take it tonight. Does it work quickly?"
"It works over time," Marcus said. "After a few weeks it will run its course and you can see what you have. This is a restricted potion and only Unspeakables have access to it."
"Okay, thanks," Harry said.
"We should be going," Tonks said. "It has been a long day and I think tomorrow will be even longer."
"Quite possibly, Chamel," Marcus finished. "Good day, and welcome, Harry."
"Good bye," Harry said and followed Tonks out of the office.
Both of them tapped their cloaks and Harry saw the same small box appear from a very well concealed pocket from Tonks' cloak. Harry saw a wand appear and tap the box making it turn blue for a second. The wand was concealed again and a finger motioned Harry forward. He touched the box and waited for the tug on his navel which happened quickly.
Harry appeared in the back garden of Privet Drive and heard Tonks hit the ground with an, "Oof." Harry tapped his cloak and saw a wand do the same. Both visible now, Harry helped Tonks up. She stumbled into Harry and stayed that way for a few seconds before moving away slowly.
They approached the rear door and Harry tried to open it finding it locked. For the first time at Privet Drive, Harry pulled his wand intending to do magic without worrying. He cast the Unlocking Charm and opened the door. He let Tonks in and closed the door locking it manually. The kitchen was spotless as usual and the house was quiet.
They moved into the hallway and up the stairs to Harry's room. Once inside, Harry removed his new and old cloak storing them appropriately. Harry pulled out his shrunken box of files causing Tonks eyes to open widely.
"Harry, what is that?" Tonks asked but it seemed she knew what it was.
"I made a copy of my Family's records. What about it?"
Shaking her head, Tonks said, "I have created a monster. It is illegal to be in possession of Ministry records, like those, without the proper requests and such. You are in big trouble, Mister." The last was said in such a way that Harry knew she was having one on him.
"Is that so, Ms. Auror? What are you going to do about it?"
"I am going to punish you," Tonks was smiling in a sexy way and she was moving closer every second.
"Well, can you punish an Unspeakable?"
"Oh yes, since I am one too, I can do that. I also outrank you, but we don't get hung up on rank in our department."
Tonks pulled Harry into a kiss and he wrapped his arms around her. They kissed for awhile before falling onto the bed and relaxing. Tonks saw Harry yawn and knew he was tired.
"It is almost six and you have to get some sleep. Take your potion and go to bed. You won't need any food with that potion since it fills you up basically."
"What about you?"
"I will take care of my self, Harry. Here, drink your potion and get in bed." Tonks left the room for a second not saying where she was going.
Harry took the potion and felt it slide down his throat. He didn't know what was going to happen, but it didn't taste terrible. As Harry was removing his shirt and pants, he found that he didn't need any food. He felt very full and only wanted to sleep. He crawled into the bed and settled in to his pillow.
The bed sunk a little and a warm hand moved around him and gave him a little hug. Harry turned around and was staring into the face of the real Tonks again.
"I thought you didn't want it to become a habit of looking like yourself?"
"With you it works," Tonks said very quietly. She looked him in the eyes and kissed his nose lightly.
"I am falling asleep, Nymphadora, so I will say goodnight now." Harry leaned forward and gave Tonks a strong kiss on the lips before easing back and closing his eyes.
Tonks stared at Harry as he fell asleep. "It is Tonks, Harry," she said very quietly under breath. She sighed pleasantly and rolled over as well. She moved her back against Harry and snuggled into him. She found his arm moving to encircle her as had happened before.
'Oh, I love this part,' Tonks thought. She was pulled to his warm body and held tightly there as she, too, fell asleep thinking of how great an affect Quidditch had for certain people.
Neither saw nor heard the door open a few hours later. Neither saw nor heard the inquisitive eyes and strangled gasp. The door was closed tightly and the floorboards creaked a little as the person moved away from the room that held Harry Potter, student and Unspeakable, and Nymphadora Tonks, his guard and 'friend.'