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  This chapter was edited by Gdiusx. Check his works on HP and ASOIAF, I highly recommend them.

  Thursday 17th of June,

  Potter Manor foyer.

  “The solstice ritual?” Harry gnced at his ancestor's portrait as he waited patiently for his guest.

  “Indeed. It would be prudent of you to dedicate the whole night. It's quite simple as well, just a prayer to however you interpret magic in your faith. Many pray towards the major nexuses, considered sacred by some, while others dabble in arcane rituals that cost fortunes for a chance to earn a gift from magic.”

  “What do you think, Chiara?”

  “I usually do my prayers in my room, but I would be gd to join you in a commune if you would prefer.” Chiara was standing just behind him, holding a tray of salted crackers and pumpkin juice. To his amusement, she was garbed in a formal attire cobbled from some muggle magazines supposedly used by maids. It was a knee-length bck dress with a white apron with plenty of frills and ce.

  “That would be lovely. We can have it by that yew tree near the ke.” The tree in question was a massive old thing that died a long time ago, its deep brown bark long bleached bone-white. “You are knowledgable about rituals, Henry?”

  The man had insisted he call him by name as he compined that great-grandfather was too much of a mouthful and ancestor sounded weird as he wasn’t that old. Nevertheless, Henry twirled his impressive moustachios as he looked knowingly at him. “I am knowledgeable about many things, but I would not recommend you dabble in rituals at your age. Your thirteenth birthday approaches, perhaps we will talk more then.”

  Before he could retort that it was too te for the warning, the firepce sprang to life with green fmes, and a voice came out of it: “Wotcher, Harry.”

  “You can come in, Tonks.”

  The fmes shone for a moment, and Nymphadora Tonks sprang out of it with a tired grin, her red Auror robes fluttering behind her. She would have made a captivating entrance if she had not tripped on her own feet. Harry steadied her before she crashed her head on the new solid marble floor he had installed.

  “Easy now,” The woman’s face was beet red in embarrassment as she seemed to shrink into herself. “Are you alright, Tonks?”

  “I-I’m fine, thanks.” The older girl steadied herself as she stared behind him, her eyes shining in recognition. “Chiara! How’ve you been, girl?”

  “I’m doing well, thank you for asking, Tonks.” The werewolf replied politely, causing the other girl to frown slightly.

  “You know each other?”

  “Yeah, we were in the same year. Both of us were in Hufflepuff, actually.” Shuffling awkwardly, Chiara seemed to be unsure how to act.

  “You don’t have to be so stiff with me, you know,” the Metamorph snorted. “I’m not like the others who cut ties once they learned of your affliction.”

  “I know you are better than that, Tonks.” Chiara smiled demurely at the other girl, but Harry could tell she was shy. “I’m here in my capacity as Mr Potter’s attendant. It would not be proper if I greeted you without his permission.”

  At that, both girls looked at him questioningly, Tonks with narrowed eyes while Chiara with a knowing smile. “Hey, I’m the one who asked you to call me Harry, yet you insist on calling me Mr Potter. If I knew all I needed was to order you, then so be it. I command you to be at ease.”

  Chiara smiled, silver eyes dancing with amusement. “As you command, My Lord.”

  Harry sighed inwardly at the cheek but couldn’t help but grin. The werewolf girl was plenty pretty, but Lord Stark had always said that the retionship between you and the retainers ought not to be abused, lest you wanted plenty of woe. Friendly banter was fine, but flirting was a terrible idea unless he intended to take the young woman as a bride. It was paramount to avoid unnecessary drama in your household.

  “Well, that expins why I didn’t see you in the Leaky over the st few days.” Tonks huffed as she gnced at him for a second, then shrank to match his stature with her robes reducing in size with her body. Harry had no idea why she would choose to be so short when Tonks could adjust her height to a foot taller or shorter than her original form. “Tom said you found a new job, but never would I have imagined it would be with Harry Potter.”

  A coughing sound came from the wall, and they turned to Henry’s portrait. “How rude of me. Tonks, allow me to introduce you to my great-grandfather, Henry Potter.”

  “A pleasure to meet you, sir.” Tonks nodded politely, and Henry inspected her closely.

  “Tonks, you say? Nymphadora Tonks?” The Metamorph’s brow twitched, but inclined her head questioningly. “I remember seeing you as a newborn when your parents visited. My daughter-in-w, Dorea Bck, was fond of your mother and helped her when she was banished from her House.”

  “Really? I know mother mentioned Dorea fondly when she spoke of the Potters, but I wasn’t aware of the details.”

  “Indeed, I think there was a picture of my grandson, Gerald, holding you lying around somewhere, but…well…”

  Harry sighed sadly as Tonks shuffled awkwardly next to him. He had not found such a picture, and if it existed, it was most likely destroyed with nearly everything else in the manor.

  “Perhaps we could continue this discussion over dinner?” Harry motioned for Chiara to approach with the tray, “Please have a bite and wash it down.”

  Tonks looked happy for the distraction, though she stared strangely at him and at the offered food before taking a bite with a shrug. Harry could almost feel the magic of the act and nodded to himself. “With this, Guest Rite is invoked, and I offer you safety and my hospitality for the duration of your visit.”

  The pink-haired auror gawked at him before bursting out in ughter. “You are so old-fashioned, Harry.” He could see Henry frowning in his portrait, but Harry had the benefit of sensing that the girl meant no offence. Tonks chortled along for a solid minute before gazing at him fondly. “My mother would love you for that.”

  “I’m gd you approve. Now, dinner?” Harry led the way to the dining table, followed by the two girls. Tonks eyed the hallways with interest and engaged in small talk about the repairs and many additions they had done to the manor. It still wasn’t completely up to snuff, and the basement was only half cleared from the annoying pests that called it home, but Harry was still gd that their efforts were noticed. He was even able to access the Potter family tapestry, and it was very fascinating to see the generations before him. It was nothing to the Stark’s ungodly eight thousand-year rich history, but he would take eight hundred years over not knowing anything about his family.

  Once seated, they ate in silence, interrupted only by the occasional comment on the food. Dobby had outdone himself once more; this time, dinner was a familiar affair of roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and a medley of seasonal vegetables like carrots, peas, and brussels sprouts. There was also a bloody rib-eye steak for Chiara, as the girl preferred to eat all her meat rare. Tonks ate with gusto, nearly matching his appetite, and Harry wondered whether the girl hadn’t eaten in days or if Metamorphmagi require a lot of sustenance to use their powers.

  “Thanks for the dinner, Harry. It’s been a long day at work, and I missed my lunch break on a wild goose chase because someone cimed they saw Sirius Bck at a pub. Turned out it was Stubby Boardman having a secret rendezvous behind his girlfriend.”

  Harry had no idea who Stubby Boardman was, but he shrugged nonetheless. “It was my pleasure, Tonks.” An hour ter, they were sitting on the terrace behind the manor overlooking the ke. Chiara had excused herself to give them privacy once tea was served, but Harry knew she needed to check on a potion she was brewing. “How do you like the manor?”

  “Oh, you’ve done very well restoring this pce. Many in the force didn’t think you would have it in you to bother with repairing it, and would just tear the whole pce down. There were some contractors who cleared up their schedules in hopes you would be looking for builders, I suppose they will be disappointed.”

  “I have pns for the future, but for the present? Who knows?”

  Tonks hummed as she sipped her tea. “Who did you hire to fix the pce? Chiara is a good witch, but Transfiguration was never her forte.”

  “A distant cousin of mine, Reginald Carrow, offered the services of a man he vouched for. Do you know him?”

  “The owner of The Magical Menagerie?”

  “That’s the one. The builder refused to work until we cleaned up the pce and ensured no work hazards were in the manor. The first wizard I’ve met who had a proper sense of caution, probably a muggle-born.” Harry rubbed his chin as Tonks chortled. “Still, I liked his work, even if it cost me a pretty coin.”

  “Interesting.” Tonks gnced at the statues pced along the terrace and the trimmed shrubbery under the railing. “You’ve managed to turn this into a home, Harry.”

  He could only nod in agreement; the pce was indeed not a chore to live in. In fact, it was loads better compared to the spartan life at the Wall. The older girl had taken off her robes earlier, showing off her muggle attire of jeans and a sleeveless shirt of some kind of rock band. He had to admit she was gorgeous, even when she aged herself down to his own age. He imagined with her ability, she could look however she wanted, causing him to remember something. “Do you mind if I ask you something about your ability?”

  Tonks nodded hesitantly, “So long as it’s not weird.”

  “Nothing of the sort, I just wonder about the limits of your transformations. I can do something simir, but it’s quite limited.”

  “Oh, really?! Show me, show me!” The older girl nearly jumped from her seat to his own from excitement as her hair and eyes turned a brilliant yellow, and he found himself smiling at her exuberance.

  “Alright, give me a moment.” Harry focused as he changed his facial structure to a mix of Harry and Jon and darkened his eye colour to nearly bck. He had practised this over the past couple of weeks, and while limited, Harry had managed to make transformations to his features but not to his bones or muscles. He theorised that his transformations were limited by the features of his ancestors, yet that did not expin why he could turn to Jon.

  “Oh, wow.” Tonks moved her hand to trace his face as if to make sure it wasn’t an illusion. “Er, you don’t mind me touching you, Harry?”

  “A bit te for that, but go ahead.” He chortled at the girl’s bashful face. It was easy to speak to her when she kept her height simir to his own, and she adopted a teenage face. It was like speaking to a yearmate rather than the older and beautiful girl that she was.

  “How does it feel for you? To me, it comes naturally. Like, I would just imagine myself with red hair or a duck’s beak, and it happens.” Tonks changed her features, and Harry snickered at her duck beak as she pecked him on the cheek. It actually hurt.

  “I have to focus on it, almost like casting transfiguration on myself.” With some focus, he tried to turn his hair red like hers, but only managed to make it look like copper. He was gd for the hand mirror that Dobby brought earlier.

  “Hmm, I doubt your ability is Metamorphic, but I'm sure it's simir. My ability allows me complete shape-shifting, even helps me to heal cuts and bruises, while yours seems limited.” Tonks grew her hair down to her waist to eborate, turning it a warm red as well as changing her eyes to green. She grew a few inches, and her bust noticeably grew with her. Harry forgot to breathe as he found himself looking at what his mother looked like before she died.

  “Not funny, Tonks.” He grumbled, though he couldn’t stop the happy smile growing on his face. The older girl giggled before turning her hair blonde, her eyes blue, and her bust got even bigger; now she looked like Narcissa. “Still not funny.”

  They ughed for a solid minute, and Tonks returned to her original features, even shrinking to his height again.

  “Why do you do that?” Harry stared at the now much younger-looking girl, it was a bit jarring how she could go from drop-dead gorgeous to adorable.

  “Do what?” Even the girl’s voice became childish as she looked confused at him.

  “Shrink yourself to my height and act my age.”

  “I just thought you would prefer someone your age to speak to.” The girl shrugged, “you might act a lot more mature than any kid your age has any right to, but that doesn’t mean you would like talking up to people all the time. If you don’t like it, I can just return to normal, I suppose.”

  “No, er, it’s not that. I mean, I appreciate your kindness, but don’t feel forced to change for me.” Harry rubbed his brow in embarrassment. He had thought the girl was teasing him in some roundabout way, but she was just being considerate. “For the record, I also prefer talking to older people.”

  “Sounds good.” The bubbly girl grinned brightly as she shot up by more than a foot…then kept going up until she was over two meters tall! Her hair, which was waist length earlier, now reached her shoulders, and her teats were now the size of his head! The girl’s grin turned into a smirk, and before Harry could react, she pulled him onto her p.

  “What the hell, Tonks!” Again, he was treated like a doll, this time by a giant woman whose uproarious ughter reverberated through her chest and into the back of his neck. “This is too bloody much, Nymphadora, now let me go.”

  “Hey, don’t call me that.” The girl squeezed him harder but yelped when Harry bit her hand and jumped away. “You’re no fun, Harry.”

  Her pout almost made him grin. Almost.

  “You shouldn’t tease a boy on the cusp of manhood so much, Nymie. Who knows what may happen.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You sound like my Dad.” The girl shrank to her normal height of 5’7” and refilled her tea. “Don’t grow a crush on me now, at least not for a few years.”

  Harry ignored that st comment as he retook his seat and refilled his own tea. “So you can turn to anything?”

  “Yep, anything.” He easily let the breathy reply flow past him as he grinned wickedly at the alluring girl.

  “Even a human-dragon hybrid?” Harry snickered as Tonks choked on her tea.

  “It was just once! I lost that damn bet when… Ugh, which Weasley tattled about it? Was it that dragon nut, Charlie?”

  “Bill, actually. So you dated Charlie?”

  “For a few months in his st year, but it went nowhere. We didn’t even go half-way through first base, and the bloke wouldn't shut up about his dragons, ending up going to Romania before he even got his NEWT results.”

  “He did seem like a dedicated man, if only to the wrong thing.”

  “Oh, you ftterer, you.” Nymphadora batted her eyeshes teasingly his way, and he coughed in an attempt to change the subject.

  “Now, while I greatly enjoy your company, how about we get to the crux of the matter. What brings you to my humble abode?”

  “Humble my foot, my parents' ft barely fits in your entrance.” Harry chortled, but her face grew serious. “You have heard of Sirius Bck?”

  “Who hasn't? Are you here to warn me about him? Is this in your capacity as an Auror or a daughter of the House of Bck?”

  Tonks bit her lips before chortling, “The day I am acknowledged as a member of House Bck would be the day You-Know-Who returns from the dead.” Harry couldn’t help but feel a sliver of dread run through his spine. “As an Auror, I have been tasked to notify you that Sirius Bck is an extremely dangerous individual, and there is a high chance he might come after you to finish his master's job.”

  “I see, and I assume it has nothing to do with the fact he betrayed my parents?” Harry tried to keep his tone measured, remembering his conversation with Henry, but it was difficult to think a traitor to his family still lived. He flexed his fists under the table, but the older girl must have noticed, for she smiled sadly at him.

  “Ah, you know about that. Well, I'm here as your friend to warn you against going after the man.”

  He bit back the first retort on his lips about not shying away from a fight and breathed deeply instead.

  “What do you know about him? He was your mother's cousin, right?”

  “Yes, I don't think I ever met him, but he was close to my mother when they were children. She hadn't talked to him for a couple of years before he went bonkers. Mum bmes herself for never reaching out to him when he was at his lowest, especially when her great aunt Dorea helped her and Dad when they eloped.”

  “Ah, like Henry said?” Tonks nodded, and Harry wondered if Andromeda Tonks felt she was duty bound to help every other member of the House of Bck in escaping from their clutches. Personally, he felt it was appalling that they would run away from the duties that came with their nobility, but he did not know as much about their House as he would’ve liked. If they were as bad as the Boltons, then certainly he would help anyone escape from such a cursed House. “How dangerous is he?”

  “Very dangerous. Aside from being a devil with a wand, he was also knowledgeable about muggle life and contraptions, which is why the ministry warned the muggle authorities about him.”

  He wondered how that would work but shrugged inwardly for it didn't matter. He wouldn't bother seeking the man, but if Sirius Bck came after him, Harry shall not hold back.

  “Hang on, as an Auror? Not Trainee?” It was now that he noticed the gleaming badge attached to Tonks’ belt.

  “Yep! I'm gd you noticed. As of yesterday, Madame Bones had given me an early promotion, and I'm now assigned directly under her. It's thanks to a case I've been in, which reminds me, I have a tiny favour to ask.”

  “Oh? Do tell.”

  .

  .

  .

  “… And that's how it is. I would help them myself, but my sary is barely enough for my expenses and the ministry is in uproar from Bck’s escape and the upcoming Mot meeting as well as the Ball.”

  They had abandoned the terrace for a stroll. Tonks had shrunk her height down to his own again, and held his arm as he guided her around the grounds. Harry rubbed his chin as he stared idly at the calm ke where he knew some sort of water creatures called home, “Where is Mr Prewett staying right now?”

  “Leaky Cauldron. His daughter still hasn't woken up, but Daddy says she is just magically exhausted and should wake up any day now.” Tonks followed his gaze to the ke, where they saw a pair of yellow eyes peek from the water before diving back once it realised they could see it. “Grindylow.”

  Harry nodded in thanks, as his knowledge of magical creatures wasn’t the best. “Isn't Molly Weasley his cousin? Why not go to the Weasleys?”

  “They… did not part on the best of terms. Being a squib is worse than being a muggle-born.”

  “It’s been years, if not decades, since then. I wager Arthur Weasley would be ecstatic to speak to a man who knows so much about muggle life.”

  Tonks giggled as they walked away from the ke, heading towards the nearby woods. From here on, the nd was still wild and untamed, so they used their wands liberally to clear any weeds and grass in their way. “I also heard that Molly hasn't been the same since her son’s death.”

  Harry remained silent as he weighed his options. He had no intention to host someone he didn't know in his home, but, as he looked around, his nd was expansive, and he did hope to start a town. Nevertheless, that was still far in the future.

  “I feel for the man and his situation, but how do you expect me to help?”

  “In any way you deem fit.” Tonks shrugged unhelpfully, and he slightly frowned.

  “He doesn't have any access to magical funds, does he?”

  “Nope. Not even muggle. He was an accountant, but his assets were frozen by the muggle authorities. If he tried to go to a muggle bank, he would be arrested, and it's far too te for us to do any damage control.”

  “I see.” Harry twitched his nose at the smell of troll, knowing he was approaching a certain spot. He wondered about the wisdom of showing it off to an Auror, before shrugging. Tonks was too cool to make a fuss about it. They continued walking in silence until the girl froze at the grotesque form of a rotted troll strung up on a tree.

  “Harry?” Her tone was wooden as she covered her nose from the smell.

  “Madame Bones did warn me that more trolls could be in the area.” He chuckled at the girl’s exasperated look and regaled her with his fight against the trolls.

  “You do realise you will need to dispose of the corpse? Trolls are disease ridden sacks of filth when alive. Dead trolls are even worse, and unless you want your nd contaminated and the worst kind of pests to call it home…” The girl’s voice was stern, as she left him to imagine the consequences of his makeshift scarecrows.

  “I suppose I should,” Harry shrugged before setting the corpse on fire and Tonks helped him vanish the remains. He showed her the rest of the strung-up trolls and gave them the same treatment, yet he could tell she was impressed with how he killed so many of them.

  Once done, Tonks reminded him of their previous discussion, causing him to sigh.

  “I'm afraid I can't see any way to help except financially. I will give him a hundred Galleons for living expenses and to cover his daughter's school expenses, but I need to make this not seem like some form of favouritism. If I start giving money left and right, I won't get an end to people coming to me for money.”

  Tonks grimaced at that st image but nodded happily nevertheless. “That's already much more than I hoped, and you're right. I had hoped to have little Mafalda registered as a muggle-born so she could get a stipend, but the ministry has rejected her case, stating she has close enough magical ancestry that should cover for her.”

  “Wait, how does that work? Her mother is a muggle, and her father is a squib.”

  “Yes, but her grandparents were magical, and she has a living great-grandmother that may or may not want to take custody of her. I'm not sure Muriel Prewett would want to raise a kid, let alone the daughter of the man she disowned.”

  “Who is that?”

  “Muriel is the oldest surviving member of House Prewett and controls all their fortunes. I remember Charlie mentioning she would visit them and harp about how none of them will get her inheritance if they don’t do some silly favour for her or whatnot.”

  “Sounds like a bint.”

  Nymphadora guffawed as they made their way back to the manor. “She kinda is.”

  “But that doesn’t expin why the ministry would give Mafalda a hard time for that stipend.”

  “It's a way to control muggle-borns, squibs, and their children. Nobles were known to make a big fuss about squibs of their family getting help from the ministry. Some worry about bloodline theft, while others simply find it a matter of pride.” Tonks shrugged carelessly as she blew a strand of hair out of her face, shrinking it to her head. “Even if their magical family wanted nothing to do with them, the ministry would have much more power over them if they relied on their goodwill. That, and if they make an exception for one student, they would have to make plenty more, which would require drafting new ws and a lot of paperwork.”

  Harry raised an eyebrow. He wouldn’t judge the ministry for proactively working to bring the dispossessed to their side of seeing things. Providing food and shelter in return for loyalty? Wasn’t that what he was doing with Chiara? Or what every lord in Westeros promised their subjects? Yet, considering what he had learned about the ministry, there was bound to be some corruption going on. “And it has nothing to do with them perhaps pocketing the leftover stipends of the year?”

  “That too, I suppose.” Tonks groaned in disgust, “Leave it to the comfy paper pushers to skim all the gold from on top of the pile while us front-line workers get hexed for doing the grunt work.”

  “Well, you’re the one who chose to work that job.” Harry shrugged at the girl’s mock gre. “Anyway, I promised my help, but I would prefer to meet the man first. Perhaps after his daughter wakes up.”

  “Thank you, Harry. That is very kind of you.”

  “I just do what I can. Will I see you at the Ball?”

  “Yeah, but I'll be on security detail. Mom and Dad were invited, though, as it is tradition to invite the head healer of St Mungo's to the ball. Dad managed to get elected a week ago. He mentioned he expected a lot of pushback from Malfoy, as he was the chief donor to the hospital. That changed, as the papers had shown that Aunt Narcissa was clearly on your side, and your generous donations convinced the board to choose my Dad instead.”

  “Sounds good, gd to be helpful even when I don’t mean it.” Harry ran his fingers through his hair as the girl grinned.

  “How humble of you.”

  “Yep, that’s me, Mr Humble. Now, I wonder how the Mot meeting will go. It's the morning of the Ball, right?” They returned to the terrace and into the kitchen, Harry bringing out a jug of pumpkin juice from the ice box.

  “Yep, too bad it will be behind closed doors. I think you spooked out Fudge big time with your stunt.” Tonks sipped her drink leisurely as she leaned on the kitchen table.

  “Shame, I wouldn't mind barging in and getting more benefits.”

  “Oh, you're incorrigible.” Tonks giggled over her drink for a few more seconds before frowning. “I think it's fair to warn you that Umbridge has been on the prowl ever since Sirius escaped. With a mass murderer on the loose and potentially aiming for you at school, she might just be able to get that new w of hers approved.”

  “I see, thank you for the warning. I suppose it will be up to Dumbledore to handle Hogwarts affairs.” Harry shrugged as he finished his drink, and Tonks stared at him strangely.

  “A shame you do not have a seat in the Wizengamot. You would still have the right to attend, even at your young age.”

  “I have no clue why I don’t have a seat, but maybe Henry knows?” Harry gnced at one of the portraits he had purchased for his ancestor to travel around the manor.

  Speaking of the man, he simply shrugged. “I might have downpyed how many enemies I made in my time. Ended up losing the seat to that punk, Goyle. Our house was not financially stable back then, and I had no wish to bankrupt it just to maintain that seat. I’m sure you will be able to fix that soon, however.”

  Harry nodded in understanding just as Tonks yelped. He turned to the girl who was checking her watch. “Sorry, Harry, but Amelia expects me back soon.”

  “Wait, I thought you said you finished your shift?” Harry followed the girl as she grabbed her robes and hurried back to the floo.

  “No, I said it was a long day and missed my lunch break. Madame Bones sent me here to check on you and to take that break. Anyway, thanks for the meal and the stroll. It’s been lots of fun.” She grew to her regur size and age before giving him a tight hug. “I’ll see you at the ball, then?”

  “Yeah, see you then.”

  Nymphadora Tonks smiled at him before disappearing into a burst of green fire. Harry was still dazed from her sudden rush but couldn’t help shaking his head in amusement. He had a ball to prepare for, and a new wardrobe to try.

  I honestly did not expect this chapter to go on for so long. This was supposed to be a short meeting with Tonks before we hopped onto the ball, but when the characters started speaking and bonding, I just couldn’t help myself.

  The next chapter will be the Ball, and expect a beefy one.