So, what now?" Tonks asked after Dumbledore had left, possibly to do some damage control, possibly to do whatever it was he planned to do. Tonks mentally thanked anyone who was listening that the man had the sense to take Snape with him. After making sure that everyone was okay, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall left to give the group some privacy.
"Finish what's left of the school year, I suppose," Harry shrugged.
"That's it?!" Sirius blurted out. "You just fought Voldemort, and now you're going to just finish your school year?"
"What else am I supposed to do?" Harry asked rhetorically. "I just told Dumbledore and Fudge - basically, the two biggest men in our government - about what had happened; it's up to them to do what they want to do. Meanwhile, I'm not going to spend the rest of my life living in fear, it's kind of hard to be scared of Voldemort when you've not only seen him completely naked, but and also kicked his pasty ass."
"I'm sorry, he was naked?" Andromeda frowned in a disturbed manner.
"His ass was pasty?" Ted asked suddenly, and everyone turned to look at him. "What?"
"I'm sorry, but no." Tonks stood up and faced Harry. "I am not leaving it like this, I'm going to Madam Bones right now. I'm going to tell her everything."
"Do you think it'll make a difference?" Harry asked with a small sigh. "I'm sorry to tell you, Tonks, but right now, I don't have much faith in government."
"Look, I get that Fudge is a colossal clotpot," Tonks began.
"An imbecile," Agreed Andromeda.
"Incompetent bufoon," Added Ted.
"Ducon," Fleur said. "I believe it translates in your language to the word 'dickhead'," She explained when everyone looked at her.
"Impotent, ineffectual, ignoramus." Sirius piped up, earning surprised looks from everyone. "Lily once called James that," Explained Sirius with a shrug of his shoulders, earning an amused grin from Harry.
"O...kay," Tonks took a moment to digest that before continuing. "I'm still going to try. Madam Bones is a tough nut, she won't crack under Fudge. Besides, she hates the death eaters and their boss with a burning passion. If there's even a chance that he's alive, she'll make sure that he won't get the opportunity to stay alive for too long unless he's in a maximum-security cell in Azkaban. And she's not going to let a dollop-head like Fudge stop her." Tonks said confidently. "Alright, I'm going to go talk to her now. I'll be back in a bit and let you know how it ends. Spoiler alert: It ends with Madam Bones deploying every available auror in the country, including my brilliant self, to track down and stomp out you-know-who and his merry band of murdering pricks. Back in a bit," She said before all but running out of the room.
"Poor girl," Fleur said softly. "She's going to get her heart broken."
'I'll damn well break the hearts of anyone who breaks Tonks's heart,' Venom growled from within Harry.
'She wasn't being literal,' Harry explained to Venom.
'Yeah, but I was,'
Tonks walked with an intensity that she often didn't show, not even tripping over a single bin on her way to Madam Bones' office. Every auror stayed out of her way with the exception of Kingsley, who started walking alongside her.
"Tonks, what is happening?" He asked as he followed after her.
"You-know-who is back, and Fudge is trying to hide it," Tonks said bluntly, without stopping, not caring how many people heard her. "And I'm damn well going to tell Madam Bones about it, no matter what Fudge says,"
"But Tonks, I -" Kingsley trailed off as they reached Madam Bone's office. The senior auror stopped, but Tonks didn't and walked straight to the door, opening it and walking in without even knocking.
"Madam Bones, I..." Tonks trailed off while entering the office, dimly aware of the door closing behind her. It turned out that Madam Bones was not alone; the woman in question was sitting behind her desk like usual. Standing next to her was head auror Rufus Scrimgeour, and standing opposite the pair was none other than Minister Fudge and one Dolores Umbridge.
"Are we under attack?" Scrimgeour asked lightly. "I must assume so if you think it's permissible for you to simply just run into Madam Bones's office like this."
"Sorry, Sir, but it is possible that we could be under attack soon," Tonks said once she recovered from her surprise. She looked around before a determined look appeared on her face as she stepped forward. "Madam Bones, as Minister Fudge knows, the Triwizard Tournament was completed not even two hours ago. During this time, Harry Potter had disappeared, and he had reappeared far later than he should have with two dead bodies. Harry Potter has stated before myself, Minister Fudge, the Hogwarts student population and multiple members of Hogwarts staff, including Chief Warlock Dumbledore, that the dark wizard referred to as he-who-must-not-be-named has returned."
"Yes, the Minister was just telling me about it," Madam Bones nodded slowly. "We have confirmed one of the bodies as Bertha Jorkins, while the other is currently being identified. The Minister has tasked us with working out who exactly was responsible."
"Who? Who was responsible?" Tonks repeated with disbelief. "I just told you who is responsible. It's you-know-who."
"Rubbish," Minister Fudge scoffed immediately. "There is no way that a wizard, even one as horribly terrifying as you-know-who, can come back to life from the dead."
"Harry Potter stated himself in front of a stadium full of people that he was back, and he's not the sort of person to lie about something like this," Tonks insisted.
"The boy was probably scared and terrified from whatever he had seen," Fudge said dismissively. "It explains why he would come back with such outlandish tales of dead men returning to life and absolutely ludicrous claims of upstanding citizens dressing up as death eaters."
"Indeed, Minister," Madam Umbridge simpered, agreeing straight away, kiss-ass that she was. "He's just a scared little boy who has obviously been frightened out of his mind and saw things that were not there."
"He is not a boy," Tonks said softly, quietly.
"I beg your pardon?" Madam Umbridge turned to Tonks, giving the pink-haired auror an unimpressed look.
"I said...that Harry Potter is not a boy," Tonks said firmly. "He's been through more than most adult wizards. If he says that you-know-who is back, then I believe him. We have to take action and start preparing."
"That's all very good then; we at the ministry will act according to a pink-haired auror instead of the will of the actual Minister of Magic," Umbridge sneered at Tonks.
"You're dressed all in pink!" Tonks glared at her before turning her hair into a dull brown colour. "There, my hair is not pink anymore, but frankly, it doesn't matter even if it's purple with yellow polka dots. You-know-who is back, V...Voldemort is back."
"Don't say that name!" Fudge flinched.
"He's back, and if we don't take action then not only are we dooming ourselves but also countless lives," Tonks continued. "He went so far into the dark arts that it's entirely possible for him to have abilities that we don't know of. Nobody ever found a body."
"The unspeakable and auror departments have examined the scene repeatedly and determined that they had been destroyed," Fudge said at once.
"It's possible that they're wrong or that they missed something or that -"
"Oh yes," Umbridge cut in with a mocking laugh. "How silly of us to rely on the words of trusted and experienced Ministry experts instead of just consulting with a teenager and a trainee auror."
"I'm not a trainee, and I am merely stating that -"
"That we at the ministry are wrong?" Umbridge pressed.
"That we at the ministry are human and are not infallible," Tonks said, resisting the urge to whip her wand out and blast the woman in front of her to pieces. "And that Harry Potter, a person who has no reason to lie, is not lying. Not about this, not about the murderer of his parents. And if that's not enough, then Severus Snape - who is pretty much known by the whole wizarding world to hate Harry Potter - agreed with him, along with Professor Dumbledore himself."
"No doubt because Dumbledore was the one that put them both up to it," Fudge said in such a way that made it clear that he expected everyone to understand and agree immediately with him. "Everyone knows that Severus Snape owes Dumbledore for keeping him out of Azkaban. As for the boy in question, he's Dumbledore's boy through and through."
"No, he's not," Tonks shook her head.
"I think that's quite enough," Scrimgeour cut in but was ignored by Tonks.
"I know full well that Harry doesn't get along with Professor Dumbledore; I've witnessed the two arguing before. If these three individuals are all agreeing on something this serious, then I'm inclined to believe them."
"Unfortunately, the ministry doesn't act according to what you're inclined to believe." Fudge glared at her before turning to Madam Bones. "It was only a week or two ago that you insisted that your department needed a bigger budget. If you're all left with enough time to be able to investigate delusional stories from fourth-year students, then I don't see the point in diverting more valuable ministry resources to a department with so much free time on their hands."
"What?!" Tonks squeaked before snapping her head towards Madam Bones. "Boss, come on, I -"
"Enough, Auror Tonks." Madam Bones said in a tired voice.
"But I -"
"For Merlin's sake, Girl!" Snapped Scrimgeour. "Enough is enough. Are you truly so incapable of following orders, or have you just left your ability to hear behind when you stormed into this office unannounced?"
"Auror Tonks," Madam Bones spoke up. "Minister Fudge has insisted we investigate this case, as we are required to do. However, he has also insisted that we ignore Harry Potter's 'ridiculous' claim of Lucius Malfoy and other named individuals appearing along with the now-deceased wizard known as 'you-know-who.'"
"Are you kidding me?" The words escaped from Tonks's mouth before she could stop herself. Tonks couldn't help but feel like a part of herself had just died off and wilted into nothing as she heard Madam Bones, the woman who was one of her idols, basically say that they would ignore Harry's claims and not investigate any of what he had said. She knew exactly what Madam Bones was saying. Because of Fudge, they were going to ignore any possibility of Voldemort being back, and they weren't going to investigate any of the men that Harry claimed were there. 'These idiots are going to doom us all,'
"My patience with you is rapidly wearing thin, Auror Tonks," Scrimgeour said through gritted teeth. "It's bad enough that you nearly created an international incident by arresting the French Minister's wife."
"She tried to use her allure to control a student!" Protested Tonks. "I have multiple witnesses to that fact, including but not limited to her own daughter! Let me guess, you all have already let her go, right?" She asked knowingly, earning a heated glare from Scrimgeour.
"I think since words are not enough for you, perhaps a more severe punishment is in order. You are suspended without pay for three weeks." Tonks stared at him, her mouth slightly open as she took in what he said. She turned her gaze to Madam Bones and saw from her face that she wouldn't be of any help.
"Now, now, I'm not entirely sure that's necessary," Umbridge said with her annoying little giggle. "I think perhaps there's a way for us to resolve this all peacefully and without so much trouble." She walked forward and stopped in front of Tonks. "Auror Tinks," She began.
"Tonks," Tonks said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, yes," Umbridge waved her hand dismissively. "Now, I am sure that - like myself - you have joined the ministry of magic with the intention of making it better, of keeping it going and of making sure it doesn't collapse into anarchy."
"I joined to help people," Tonks said bluntly before turning to Bones and Scrimgeour. "I thought we all did." She said bitterly. "I thought that when we joined the auror department, it was to help as many people as we can, not to play politics." Tonks knew that politics was important, even if she didn't like it, but she also knew that it should damn well take a backseat when lives were on the line.
"Politics are an important part of any organisation, Girl," Umbridge said condescendingly, bringing Tonks's attention back to her. "If we were to entertain Harry Potter's fantasies, then this organisation could collapse into chaos. I challenge you to help anyone when that happens. As of right now, Harry Potter is a threat."
"A threat?!" Tonks gaped at her.
"A threat to the ministry, yes," Umbridge continued. "His words could cause a mass panic and strike fear into the hearts of our proud citizens. We can't have that. Head Auror Scrimgeour wished to suspend you, but that is such a waste of such...talent," Umbridge said, not entirely able to keep out all of her doubt on the last word. "Perhaps there is something better...something more important that you could be tasked with, an opportunity to truly help many, many people."
"And what is that?" Tonks asked slowly, clenching her fists as she stared at the irritant in front of her.
"We, at the ministry, need to know what exactly the boy is doing and what he is saying before he can do any damage," Umbridge began.
"You want me to spy on him?" Tonks realised, not even bothering to hide her glare this time. She remained dimly aware of her hair starting to turn red.
"Spy is such an ugly word," Umbridge giggled, which did not really help Tonks's temper. "No, dear, think of it simply as you keeping an eye on a potential problem for the Minister of Magic, and by extension, the ministry itself. And, of course, we understand that this might be a difficult experience for you. So I am sure that your department will be willing to compensate you greatly for it, perhaps a pay rise and a promotion of some sort?" She finished, looking at Bones and Scrimgeour.
"I..." Scrimgeour coughed deeply before straightening up. "...I think that would be fair," He said slowly and with some effort. "Madam Bones?" He asked, turning to Amelia. Tonks stared at her for a moment as well. One last bit of hope rested in her heart as she saw the indecision on Madam Bone's face. Madam Bones stared at her for several seconds before glancing at Fudge and then facing Umbridge, who was looking at her expectantly.
"I am sure that something could be arranged," Madam Bones said simply, her face void of any emotion. Any redness in Tonks's hair died out, and her hair turned into the dullest brown she had ever possessed.
"You see?" Umbridge faced Tonks with a victorious smile. "It behoves us all to work with the system, and it is what I encourage you to do. Work with us, and the possibilities for your career are limitless, my dear. Perhaps one day, you might even end up working under me if you play your cards right." Umbridge said, dangling in front of Tonks what she believed was a particularly juicy treat. "So, what do you say?" Tonks stared at Umbridge for about two seconds before taking several deep breaths.
"Madam Junior Secretary," Tonks began with a completely neutral face and voice, promptly wiping the smug smile off of Umbridge's face.
"That is 'Senior Undersecretary,'" Umbridge corrected her.
"Yes, yes," Tonks waved her hand dismissively. "I just wanted to say something to you, something I've wanted to say since I first met you. You know that statue in the Ministry Atrium, the 'Breathern of Magic' one? The one where all the magical creatures stare up lovingly at the wizard and witch? I would just like to say that that is what I think about every time I see you, Madam Umbridge. It is what you remind me of, and it is what I believe that you embody."
"Oh?" Umbridge said, a pleased tone to her voice.
"Looks like somebody is on board," Fudge said with a small chuckle.
"You remind me so much of that; in fact, I think that we should alter the statue slightly to make it more fitting for a woman like yourself." Tonks continued, her voice decidedly pleasant.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Umbridge asked with a smile on her face.
"I propose we take the statue, make it a bit bigger, shine it up real nice. Polish it, you know, make it the cleanest statue in the entire world," Tonks said before narrowing her eyes and turning her hair into the brightest shade of pink she could. "And then I propse we should shove that whole thing straight up your ass! Fuck you, you stuck-up, repugnant, excuse of a toad masquerading as a human!"
"Auror Tonks!" Madam Bones said loudly while the whole room stared at her with shock.
"How dare you?!" Umbridge shouted furiously.
"This is the quality of aurors you have in your department, Madam Bones?!" Demanded a livid Minister Fudge.
"Shut it, both of you!" Tonks snapped at them. "I sincerely hope that you'll both live to see the day when Voldy is back. I hope that when he is discovered to be alive that I can see the looks on both of your faces when the public realises just who is responsible for not nipping the problem in the bud at the start. Also, fuck you, Scrimgeour," Tonks said matter-of-factly to the red-faced man as she stared at him with an unimpressed look as she took out her auror badge and tossed it at his feet. "Do me a favour and fire me already, I'd quit but I want my severance package, you idle sod."
Transporting from one place to another instantly shouldn't feel long, but it did for Tonks as she made it to outside of the Hogsmead. She had never felt so mentally exhausted in all of her life. She wasn't feeling any better as she realised exactly what had happened as she walked towards Hogwarts. She supposed she could have apparated a bit closer, but she really wanted a few moments to think. It was starting to hit her fully that she had just ended up losing her dream job. For as long as she could remember, she wanted to be an auror. She had done her best at school and trudged through the gruelling auror academy and even impressed old Mad-Eye Moody himself so she could become an auror.
But the job wasn't anything like she had expected; she was busier filling out paperwork and releasing spoilt brats out into the streets than she was catching actual criminals and saving lives. So much blood, sweat and tears had been given up by her so that she could get this job, and now she had lost it and likely would never ever get it back. Truth be told, she wasn't sure she wanted it back now, not if imbeciles like Fudge and Umbridge were in charge, nor if people like Scrimgeour were making sure they focused more on obeying restrictions than helping people.
She especially wouldn't be returning after Umbridge's less than subtle attempt to make her spy on Harry. It pissed her of beyond belief that someone had brought back a concern about a very dangerous individual and it was all getting sweapt under the rug. Even if Fudge didn't believe Harry's claim about Voldemort, he could have at least investigated the other men that Harry claimed to be there. But no, he wouldn't do that; he was too scared of the dip in his pockets that would happen if he did so. The whole wizarding world would potentially go up in flames, all because of one stubborn idiot.
Walking forward, while thinking about many things, such as how to explain what happened to her parents and to Harry, she heard a large booming noise from her right. She stopped in her tracks and found herself outside the entrance to the forbidden forest. Bright flashes came from within, followed by a loud scream.
"Damn," She cursed quietly before taking her wand out and heading into the forest, ready to help whichever poor soul was currently in trouble. She wondered what exactly was happening. Was it the death eaters trying something already? This soon? As she got closer and closer to the action, she was eventually able to see what was happening, and she froze as her brain struggled to register what was happening.
Fleur was tossed to the ground in front of her eyes while a well-dressed man stood opposite her with a victorious grin on his face. There were several other unconscious and/or dead bodies scattered around. Harry was also there, and he was a short distance away, being pinned against a tree by a woman. Not just any woman, but Apolline Delacour! The usually breath-taking woman was wearing a rather pretty silver dress with a slit that allowed one leg to be revealed. Though right now, she wasn't looking that beautiful.
She had a sharp, beak-like appearance, her eyes were narrowed and changed into a bright red colour, and scaly wings had erupted out from her shoulders while feathers covered both of her arms and even some of her legs. Her hands were larger than before, and her nails were sharper and longer, looking perfectly capable of ripping a person's guts out with ease. Both of those hands were wrapped around Harry's head and seemed to be trying to pop his brain out of his skull. He screamed in pain as her grip got stronger.
"Harry!" Tonks aimed her wand at the vicious veela in front of her, ready to fire off a spell when all of a sudden, something really unexpected happened.
A large black tentacle shot out from Harry's torso and charged towards the other man, grabbing him so violently by the neck that the man ended up dropping his wand. More tentacles shot out from Harry, including one that went up and over his head before grabbing Apolline by the neck. Several tentacles wrapped around the tree behind Harry, and others pushed him off the ground while a black goo wrapped around his body.
"You've got to be kidding me," Tonks whispered to herself as she saw Harry transform into none other than the man that she had been chasing for so long.
Venom hung in the air from his tentacles while pulling Apolline towards him, along with the other man. Venom had his knees bent and near his stomach while his arms stretched out as if he was about to pounce on her. Apolline's earlier vicious confidence in the face of easy prey was shattered and replaced with some very healthy fear. Venom tensed one of his tentacles, and a loud, piercing sound was heard as the man's neck snapped.
"What...what are you?!" Appoline shrieked.
"We are Venom," Venom said before turning his head to look at Fleur, who was red-faced and had a small cut on her right arm. The two stared at each other for a moment before she gave him the slightest of nods. Venom turned back to Apolline and grabbed her arms with both of his before leaning forward. His mouth (which previously was not there) was filled with razor sharp teeth that would make a shark feel inadequate. He lunged forward, his mouth instantly becoming bigger, and a second later, Apolline's head was removed from her body and travelled down his throat.
"Oh shit!" Tonks blurted out loudly.