"Alastor, Frank, Gideon," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes glinting sharply from behind his half-moon spectacles, "the three of you will go to the Tonks residence in the East End of London later. The Death Eaters plan to attack Ted and Andromeda Tonks's family tonight."
"Is Mundungus's information reliable?" Gideon Prewett asked, frowning.
Dumbledore gave a small nod, his long beard swaying gently with the motion. "Mundungus may sometimes be... overly preoccupied with certain 'business opportunities,' but this time, his source is trustworthy."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over every member of the Order seated in the room. "Andromeda is from the Black family. She married Ted, who was born a Muggle. To those pure-blood fanatics, that's an unforgivable betrayal.
"I advised them to relocate," Dumbledore continued, "but Ted believes this is an opportunity to capture a few Death Eaters. After all, passive defense is never the best strategy."
Snape raised his head, a dangerous gleam flickering in his pitch-black eyes. He looked to Dumbledore, silently asking if he could take out the Death Eaters directly. But Dumbledore, having caught his look, shook his head slightly, signaling him not to speak.
Moody stood abruptly, his wooden leg thudding heavily against the floor. "Then let's stop wasting time, we need a plan."
Dumbledore waved his wand, and a map appeared in midair, clearly displaying the neighborhood where the Tonks family lived.
"Alastor, you'll lead the team," he said. "Arrive ahead of time and set up an ambush. Also... take Severus and Lily with you. They won't join the fight, just let them observe and get familiar with real combat."
Alice squeezed Frank Longbottom's hand tightly, then released it.
"Be careful." she said softly.
Ten minutes later, Moody, Frank, Gideon, Snape, and Lily stood before the fireplace, ready to travel via Floo Network to the Order's nearest contact point to the Tonks residence.
"Remember," Dumbledore called out, his voice carrying over the crackling flames, "your top priority is protecting the Tonks family, especially their four-year-old daughter. Minimize casualties."
Green flames roared up, and the five members of the Order disappeared one after another into the fire.
When they stumbled out from the fireplace on the other end, a light rain had begun to fall outside. Under the dim streetlights, the fine raindrops stretched into silver threads.
"I'll take the lead," Gideon said quietly. "I visited when they got married, it's about two blocks from here."
"Wait." Moody suddenly threw out an arm to block the group as they reached the door of the contact point. "We can't just walk out like this."
"Everyone except Gideon, use Disillusionment Charms on each other," he ordered gruffly, wand already in hand. "A group walking openly down the street would be a mistake."
Snape and Lily faced each other and gently tapped each other on the tops of their heads with their wands.
The air rippled faintly, and their figures began to blur, vanishing into thin air.
"Now we can go," came Moody's rough voice from the emptiness. "Gideon, lead the way. When we arrive, crouch down and tie your shoe, we'll go in first. Then find a quiet spot to charm yourself and come back in."
They followed Gideon silently through the drizzle. The warm light glowing from the windows of the houses on either side stood in stark contrast to the tension in the air around them.
Near Bethnal Green, a two-story red-brick house came into view. Following the plan, Gideon crouched down and pretended to tie his shoelace.
The front yard was filled with blooming geraniums and roses. In the flowerbed, a man with golden hair and a rounded belly was trimming the plants in the rain, moving with the calm ease of someone simply enjoying a bit of gardening.
As Moody passed by him, still invisible, he gave the man a light nudge.
Ted Tonks immediately understood, set down his shears, and walked up the steps. He opened the front door and called out loudly, "Rain's getting heavier! Bloody weather!"
"Come in quickly," Ted whispered from inside, his eyes darting warily across the street.
"Keep the door open a bit longer," Moody murmured almost inaudibly near his ear. "Gideon's not in yet."
The Order members swiftly slipped into the house, stepping behind a screen near the entryway before canceling their Disillusionment Charms. Four figures gradually reappeared in the foyer.
In the living room, a woman was kneeling on the carpet, watching over a little girl with pink hair. The girl turned, her heart-shaped face framed by that soft, colorful hair, her wide black eyes staring curiously at the newcomers.
When the woman looked up, Snape, despite having prepared himself mentally, couldn't help but freeze for a second. For a moment, he thought he was looking at Bellatrix. The same striking beauty, the same high cheekbones, the same aristocratic jawline.
But a closer look revealed the differences. Andromeda's hair was a smooth, light brown. Her eyes were larger, softer. There was a natural kindness in her smile, the kind of warmth utterly absent in Bellatrix.
"Thank you for coming," Andromeda said, her voice trembling slightly. "When we received Professor Dumbledore's message, we could hardly believe it..."
"You've been very brave," Moody said gruffly, his magical eye still sweeping the windows restlessly. "Don't worry, we'll protect you. And give those Death Eaters a lesson they won't forget."
Little Tonks tottered toward the strangers, looking up at them with bright curiosity. Her hair suddenly changed from pink to bright blue, then to violet.
"Wow!" Frank exclaimed. "Her hair!"
"From the very first day she was born, Nymphadora's hair began changing color," Andromeda explained with a proud smile, momentarily forgetting her worry. "She's a natural Metamorphmagus."
"Are you all Aurors?" Tonks asked, her big black eyes wide. "The really powerful wizards, the ones from the newspapers?"
"Yes, we're the most powerful wizards," Moody said, his usually stern face softening into a rare smile, though on him, the expression still looked somewhat grim. "And we're here to protect you, little one."
"I'm going to be an Auror when I grow up," Tonks said seriously. Then her nose suddenly doubled in size, sending her into a fit of giggles.
"Impressive," Snape said, crouching down so he was eye level with her, smiling faintly. "Tonks, that gift of yours, you're born to be an Auror."