A Certain Magical Hogwarts

With a flick of his wand, William froze the bottle mid-air.

He plucked it between two fingers, sniffing it theatrically, and grinned.

"Ah, Floo Lane's shrimp lemon juice… with a splash of cheering charm and a generous mix of royal killer bee jelly!

"Quite the luxury, Tonks. Seems like your post-graduation lifestyle has upgraded; you're no longer as stingy as before."

Tonks, who had previously relied on Hogwarts kitchen elves for free snacks, looked sheepish.

William tilted his head back and downed the drink in one gulp.

"Hey! That's mine!"

Tonks rushed forward, snatching the now-empty bottle. She peered inside, only to find not a single drop remaining.

She spread her arms and said pitifully,"I'm just a probationary Auror making a miserable fifteen Galleons a month. It took me ages to justify this treat…"

"Calm down." William smirked, pulling an identical bottle from the enchanted storage within his ring. He tossed it to her casually and conjured a chair with a wave of his wand.

Tonks grinned. She plopped into the chair, drained the drink, and eyed William curiously.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Could you… maybe transform back? It's unsettling."

"I know, right?" Tonks scrunched her face in concentration, as if desperately trying to remember something. 

After a second, her wrinkles vanished, her hair deepened to a vibrant pink, and she reverted to her eighteen-year-old self.

William couldn't help but draw a comparison in his mind.

She looked like the women in red form game of thrones.

Tonks pulled out a small mirror from her pocket, twisting her head to inspect her hair from various angles.

"Well?" she asked.

"You look great, Auntie Tonks," William said , reclining comfortably in his chair.

"Don't call me Auntie! I'm only eighteen!" she snapped.

"Three years' age difference is a generational gap, and you're six years older than me. Calling you Auntie seems perfectly reasonable," William grinned.

Tonks, who had graduated alongside Charlie Weasley, was indeed six years his senior. 

She had been a Hufflepuff, neighbors with Cedric, and the two were friendly enough for William to have known her well.

Tonks' claim to fame at Hogwarts had been her annual hairstyle change. Seven years, seven different looks, like saiyans, there wasn't much of a colour choice left for her.

"By the way, Tonks, why did you become an Auror? Didn't you always say the Ministry wasn't for you?" William asked.

Tonks stretched and sighed.

"My mom thought it was a good idea, and Mrs. Weasley said the Ministry was a secure career choice for girls.

"You know how it is—same old arguments."

William nodded knowingly. In the stagnant waters of Britain's magical society, a job at the Ministry was the ultimate iron rice bowl, much like a civil service position in the Muggle world.

Even if the pay wasn't great, a Ministry job made you a hot commodity in the matchmaking market.

Sometimes, people liked to be real.

"Eventually, I gave in. I didn't know what else to do, so I signed up for the Auror program. Three years of training under Moody."

Tonks spilled her story like beans from a jar.

"And now that you've got my life story, tell me something," she said, leaning forward. Her bright eyes locked onto William.

"How did you know the old hag was me? I've tried this disguise many times, and let me tell you, no one's ever seen through it!"

As a natural Metamorphmagus, Tonks could change her appearance at will, a gift vastly different from the Animagus transformation William had studied.

The latter blows the former!

"Go on, spill it!" she urged.

William chuckled. Since the Merlin Award ceremony, he'd developed a network of informants, including the ever-gossipy Bertha Jorkins from the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

From her, he'd learned the names of all the Aurors assigned to Hogwarts for the Quirrell investigation.

Coupled with his use of the Marauder's Map, spotting Tonks was child's play.

Of course, her talent was impressive, and without these resources, she might have fooled him.

"Come on, talk!" Tonks pressed impatiently.

"I have a pair of 'Demon King Eyes,' similar to Mad-Eye's magical one," William said seriously, "They can see beyond the boundary of visible reality. Your disguise didn't stand a chance."

Tonks gave him a playful look, that said, 'I'd be an idiot of I believed you', said in a serious tone of her own.

"Shitting bullshit is a reallly powerful ability as well. Let's see you master Metamorphmagus transformation, then!"

"You're just cheating with your natural talent! Are you trying t o bully people here at Hogwarts?" William rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine. Enough about me," Tonks said, her tone suddenly shifting. 

She leaned in closer, resting a hand on his shoulder in a gesture that felt too familiar.

"Now, let's talk about you."

William quirked an eyebrow.

She whispered; "Scrimgeour, my boss, is upstairs in Dumbledore's office. He's my supervisor, you know? I'm still on probation, and whether I get permanent placement depends on how well I do here.

"So, help a girl out. Give me something I can use."

William look at her suspiciously.

Tonks blinked innocently. "Something real, okay? Not the same canned lines you've been feeding everyone else. Who was pulling Quirrell's strings?"

William laughed. "So Scrimgeour's playing the long game, huh? Sending you to soften me up?"

It was clear now that Scrimgeour didn't expect William to spill anything to him directly. Sending Tonks, someone William was friendly with, was a calculated move.

Smart, but ineffective.

"I really don't know," William said, shrugging. "But I'm absolutely certain Quirrell was the dark wizard who attacked me at Gringotts."

"You really think Quirrell was that powerful? Someone that strong wouldn't let students walk all over him like that," Tonks countered.

"Maybe he's got… unique preferences?" William suggested with a smirk. "Who knows what dark wizards are into?"

Tonks snapped her fingers and leaned back. "Fine. Forget Quirrell. Let's talk about you!"

"What about me?"

"The Auror Office has a whole box of files on you. Every move you've made, including your Christmas trip to Nicolas Flamel's estate with a certain girl."

"Wait, the Ministry's investigating me?" William's eyebrows shot up. "I haven't broken any laws."

"Some folks are curious how a twelve-year-old wizard became so strong. You have enemies in the Ministry, don't you?"

"Of course. You should know about my run-in with Umbridge."

"That's old news. I doubt she's got the pull to orchestrate this."

William chuckled. Umbridge herself might not have the influence, but she could certainly pillow talk Fudge's ear.

According to William's sources, Umbridge was going to be Fudge's secretary, and their relationship wasn't exactly vegetarian.

Of course it doesn't mean Fudge himself will do the investigating.

Scrimgeor had also tried to woo William, to know what Dumbledore was planning. It wold make sense if the man investigated secretly. Tonks, an Arour intern being here was proof enough.

"Why are you telling me all this?" William asked suddenly.

"Why?" Tonks grinned proudly.

"Because I'm secretly working for Dumbledore. He told me to."

William rolled his eyes. The Ministry really was as leaky as a sieve. Dumbledore's reach extended everywhere.

Or rather…

Who in the wizarding world doesn't work for Dumbledore?

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