Upon hearing this, Tonks flippantly shook her brightly colored short hair, "Who says Aurors have to dress like sewer rats? We're patrolling, protecting civilians, not doing assassinations—being noticeable might actually deter troublemakers, right, Harry?"
She tried to find an ally in Harry.
Harry just smiled, well accustomed to Tonks' style, "Good evening, Tonks, which area are you covering?"
"The old district near the Shrieking Shack—though the house isn't screaming tonight."
Tonks came closer and found a spot to sit down, snatching the thermos out of Ron's hand while he wasn't paying attention, "Wow, this is Molly's handiwork, fantastic!" She comfortably closed her eyes, her hair turning into a warm chestnut color.
"After all, the one who made it scream isn't even in the United Kingdom now."
Harry shrugged and smoothly asked, "Speaking of Remus... how have you been lately?" He remembered that they seemed to have started dating some time ago.
At the mention of this, Tonks' bright smile suddenly faltered a bit, "That blockhead?" She spoke with some resentment, "He ran off with his 'boyfriend', even though I expressed that I still have vacation days this year and don't necessarily have to spend Christmas night sitting alone on the rooftop. But he eloped anyway without hesitating."
Lupin's boyfriend was obviously—Sirius.
The latter's global travels had recently reached South America, and Lupin was probably invited for a vacation.
So, brotherly love or romantic love?
"They're practically conjoined twins!"
Tonks let out a wail while Harry and Ron couldn't help but laugh, knowing Lupin's character—he wasn't really a blockhead, leaving only one possibility that the Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor might still be concerned about his identity.
Lycanthropy is a hereditary condition.
Although now the welfare for werewolves in society is much better than before... racial discrimination isn't something that can be dispelled by slogans, especially since their children will likely be wizards too, needing to attend a "hat-first, then sorted" magic school...
Lupin probably fears confronting this relationship, though Tonks doesn't seem to mind it.
"Maybe..." After a long silence, Harry still offered a suggestion, "You can be more direct? Lupin sometimes needs clearer signals."
"Are my signals not clear enough?"
Tonks couldn't help but retort, "I'm almost writing 'I want to date you' in my hair... never mind, I know what's going on, it'll just take time." The girl finally spoke somewhat dejectedly and gave the emptied thermos back to Ron.
Then, the group chatted a bit more about work trivia, exchanged updates on the areas, and as night deepened, the crowd in the square didn't reduce at all, instead grew more lively as midnight approached, with magical fireworks occasionally bursting in the night sky, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Harry listened as Ron and Tonks talked up a storm while still allocating part of his attention below, his gaze sweeping over laughing couples, chasing children, fleeing black-cloaked figures, elderly lining up for hot drinks, young people leaning against a wall whispering...
...Wait a minute.
Fleeing black-cloaked figures?
Realizing this, Harry instinctively turned around only to see a man stumbling out of the shadows in panic, glancing back fearfully from time to time, with his figure completely wrapped in a dark Wizard Robe, though his hood had fallen, revealing disheveled hair underneath.
Compared to the people dressed up for the festival, his panic-stricken appearance was obviously out of place.
"We've got a situation!"
Harry immediately warned his colleagues, his magic wand at his waist already in his palm, and before he could take the next step, three or four dark figures swiftly dashed out from the alley shadows—they were clearly chasing him.
Upon hearing this, Ron and Tonks, sitting nearby, sprang up simultaneously, looking in the direction Harry indicated, while Tonks' partner also came closer, gripping his wand tightly.
However, in just those few seconds their gaze focused, the fleeing man seemed to stumble over something and fell hard on the snow-covered street, pursued by figures swiftly closing in, their wands glowing ominously—
"Diffindo! (Severing Charm)"
"Protego! (Shield Charm)"
While the Reductor Curse glided, Harry's figure spun into action, appearing amidst the scene first amidst the spell, his adept Apparition leaving no dizziness upon landing as he raised a Protective Shield.
Ron was slightly slower but appeared at a much more tricky angle, appearing to the side of the alley, as Glok's gun muzzle spewed silver magic glow.
"Bang bang bang—"
Pre-cast Disarming Spell had its effect, though those guys turned tail the moment they dropped their wands, and by the time Harry dispersed the Protective Spell, those figures were almost gone into dark shadows, just as Harry was about to pursue, a colorful shadow whisked past him.
"We'll chase them."
Tonks' voice broke apart a little from the cold wind.
Alright.
Harry stopped, turning to look at the guy who was just crawling up from the ground, now ready to run again, his wand flicking as the man's legs suddenly twitched violently like cramps for a moment, entangled together, causing him to fall back again.
"Name."
Harry stepped forward, turning the man over with a light flip of his wand.
"Release me..."
The man didn't answer, merely struggled futilely, making Harry frown.
"Name."
He repeated with emphasis.
"Let me go..."
The man's tone started resembling a plea.
But this time, before Harry could continue questioning, "Boom—" a sharp explosion interrupted his thoughts, instinctively turning his gaze to where Tonks disappeared, which was now filled with raging flames—
The fire's reflection began turning Harry's face increasingly pale.