The Next Dance

THE NEXT DANCE

BY AERIE22

CHAPTER 19

"HAPPY NEW YEAR, HARRY"

* * *

Harry was bored. He had completed his holiday school assignments and was at wits' end without Parvati around. He had gone out with Tony and Mae to help in some their church work. He had even stopped by the hospital to visit old Mrs. Beaupre, who seemed to be recovering slowly from her bout with pneumonia. The old lady had been groggy, but nonetheless recognized him and patted him on the hand with a weak smile. He had done some running, using the fancy running shoes that were one of the presents he received from Tony for Christmas. But then the weather turned ugly, then mild again, leaving most of the running areas too muddy for new shoes. So he was bored.

It had only been three days. It was New Year's Eve.

He sighed and gazed absently at the tele.

'...and the crew of a Japanese scientific research ship will be ringing in the New Year from the most remote location on Earth, the Challenger Deep of the Mariannas Trench, where scientists announced that a remotely operated deep sea vessel once again dove below the 10,000 metre mark in their exploration of the deepest ocean on the planet. Further west, preparations for New Year's celebrations in Bangkok were marred by ...'

Harry flicked the remote on the tele, silencing the smarmy newsreader. That's how he felt. Without Parvati around, with Tony and Mae running around on various errands to prepare for tonight's New Years celebration, and without the gang at Hogwarts to talk to, Harry felt like he might as well be in the Challenger Deep.

He returned to his room and began sorting through his trunk. He could go through Sir Richard Burton's notebooks some more, he thought. Then he spotted an odd book, and he chuckled. It was a copy of Wizarding University Hornbook, Series 4--Apparation and Disapparation: Its Theory and Practice, that straight-laced Percy Weasley had sent him for his birthday the previous summer. He had been sent to investigate Harry's accidental apparation to save Freddie 'the Freeloader' Shipman, a down-at-heel semi-vagrant who did odd jobs in the area, from falling off a roof. Percy apparently decided that it would be better if Harry understood apparation thoroughly before letting such rule-breaking happen again.

Harry knew he wouldn't even be eligible to take the exam for his apparation license for another year and a half, but he figured it might be interesting to page through the book.

Within 15 minutes, he was ready to fall asleep. There were excruciatingly detailed explanations of the theory of apparation, from direct apparation to places one might be familiar with, apparations based on pictures of the destination, those done based on descriptions of the locale, to coordinate-based apparation. It was better than a sleeping draught.

So Harry casually paged to later sections. These, in contrast to the earlier, theoretical sections, suddenly grabbed Harry's attention. There was a detailed, step-by-step guide to teaching apparation, with all practical elements described in simple language. The preface to the chapter emphasized that students learning apparation must be guided in simple, clear language, setting forth each element to be learned with sample explanations that would, if followed, have allowed even someone as ethereal as a Terry Boot to explain the process clearly.

Harry chuckled as he read some of the common questions students might ask, including ones as silly as 'Why can't I apparate backward in time?' and 'Why can't I apparate into the Gringotts' vaults?'

Then he came to a section on practicing for the apparation exam. He stared as he read that simple household shielding charms against detection of underage magic would work, allowing underage students to practice at home under the supervision of their parents or guardians. The book, however, urged teachers to discourage this practice as it was a technical violation of current Ministry rules.

Harry burst out laughing. 'Talk about your wink-and-a-nod to the Ministry rules,' he thought.

He then sat back and pondered. Finally, he smiled and shrugged. 'Why not?'

Harry slowly made his way down to the cellar. While it wasn't exactly clear, with a boiler, a work bench, and endless boxes of storage, there was suitable open space to give it a try.

Harry reread the chapter on the basics. It didn't seem to be terribly complicated, provided you were apparating in a straight line with no obstacles to a line-of-sight destination.

Harry reread the chapter a third time until he was satisfied he knew what he was doing. He then activated the wards that Cyrus Jordan had set up that protected him from detection by the Ministry of his underage magic. He took a position at one end of the cellar and, wand in hand, concentrated. Then he tried.

Nothing happened. Harry looked up, puzzled. He tried again. Still nothing. He frowned and went back to the chapter and reread it. He shrugged. Try again. Harry positioned himself and, concentrating on the other end of the cellar, tried to apparate. He felt a tug, but it felt like someone was standing on the hem of his robe. Again, nothing happened.

Harry frowned again. Then he heard Mae come into the house upstairs.

"Down here!" he called.

Mae opened the door to the cellar and poked her head in with a smile.

Harry gave her a half-hearted smile. "Just studying," he said with a shrug.

She nodded and closed the door again.

He returned to his frustration over his apparation. He thought about what the chapter had suggested. Students should be reassured to remain calm. Maybe that was it.

Harry took several deep breaths and relaxed. He looked at the spot at the other end of cellar, and imagined himself at that end. Again, he felt a tug, but also the same strange sensation that he was being held back.

He began to get annoyed. The other suggestion was that students practicing apparation should concentrate, that they should focus on their destination.

Harry stood at the end of the cellar and focused his mind on the spot he wanted to be. He could almost sense himself on the other side. He took a deep breath and tried.

There was a sudden noise, halfway between the tearing of heavy canvas and the crackling of an arc of electricity.

Harry gasped. He was at the other end of the cellar where he intended to go. But had he splinched himself? He looked down and instinctively grabbed his crotch. He was still all there. All his body parts were still in place.

He suddenly sat down, unsure what had just happened. He didn't feel anything was different. But he had been in the presence of people apparating before and they usually made a 'pop' or a 'crack.' He'd never heard such a tearing noise.

* * *

Jason Scourby was sitting in his office in the Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement sorting through reports of drug trafficking when the alarm shrilly went off. He practically fell off his chair when be looked up at the board.

Suddenly, words magically appeared on the wall. 'Code Green 3 C.'

Scourby opened the desk and quickly grabbed a code book and a special wand that Senior Auror Cyrus Jordan had put there for just such emergencies. After a quick glance at the codes, he recited a special incantation. Green sparks flew out of the wand, then stopped.

The words on the wall quickly changed from a lurid violet to a cool blue. 'Thank you,' they read.

Scourby wondered what kind of crisis was afoot. However, as a clerk/dispatcher, he wasn't privy to such things. After a few moments, he returned to his paperwork.

* * *

Cyrus Jordan was in his slacks and a jumper as he sat in the living room, laughing and arguing with his son, Lee, over Quidditch when his wand began vibrating and whistling. He pulled the wand out and aimed it at the ceiling with a notch facing him. He whispered something and a Green 'C' appeared at the three o'clock position to the wand's tip.

"Bloody Hell," he muttered as he grabbed his heavy cloak and apparated.

* * *

Ben Chadwick was refreshing a warming charm in his back yard when the alarm went off. He apparated.

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks was walking toward the Auror substation in Hogsmeade, thankfully looking forward to a change of shifts without a mass of paperwork to do, when her alarm went off.

* * *

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were sitting in Remus's flat, relaxing and chatting after Lupin's particularly dicey transformation, given his injuries from the fight at Knockturn Alley just 10 days before, when their wands sounded the warning.

* * *

Alastor Moody was ensconced in a corner booth of the Hogs Head Pub in Hogsmeade, waiting for a friend and warily watching the door which was interfering with his enjoyment of a skiff of Wizard's Ale, when his alarm went off. He quickly rose, only to get his elaborately carved wooden leg wedged between a table leg and the bench he was sitting on. After muttering a quick oath, he managed to get free and dashed out of the pub. He made his way down an alley and, after taking a cautious look around, checked his wand. He was the last to apparate out.

* * *

Cyrus Jordan and Nymphadora Tonks arrived almost simultaneously in the back yard of the vicarage at Little Whinging. Jordan motioned for Tonks to take the back entrance while Jordan raced around to the front, his heavy leather cloak billowing behind him.

He uttered a quiet Alohamora charm and ducked into the house to come face-to-face with a startled Mae Strowbridge.

"Mercy!" she shrieked, wide-eyed. "You're...I know you! A magical constable! Is something wrong?"

Jordan eyed the drawing room. "There's been a breach of security," he hissed. "Who's here?"

Mae blinked in confusion. "Harry's downstairs. The cellar."

Suddenly Tonks appeared through the kitchen. She shrugged and quietly made her way toward Tony's study/sitting/TV room. She glanced in and shrugged.

The front door opened and Remus and Sirius stepped in, wands drawn.

Jordan wheeled, but recognizing them, motioned toward the cellar door.

Chadwick appeared through the kitchen door, looking around warily. Jordan motioned him and Tonks to check the upper floors. They stealthily climbed the stairs and were soon out of sight.

Mae watched all this in anxiety. She edged over to the fireplace and grabbed one of the fire irons and glanced back and forth between the fireplace, that only a week ago had been used by Harry and Parvati as a floo gateway, and the two entryways to the drawing room.

By this time, Remus and Sirius had carefully opened the door down to the cellar. Cyrus quickly followed.

There, the three came upon an odd sight. Harry was sitting on the stone floor with his back to them, scratching his spiky hair and studying

a text book.

"Harry," Jordan hissed quietly.

Harry jumped in surprise and turned to see his Godfather, his former DADA professor, and his favorite and most trusted Auror friend, all looking wildly about for signs of trouble.

Harry was instantly on his guard, whipping out his wand and glancing anxiously about. "What's going on?" he whispered.

Jordan, still looking around warily, whispered out of the side of his mouth. "Someone broke the anti-apparation wards. Anyone been here?"

Harry stopped looking around and stared at Cyrus. "What?"

Jordan was still looking around, checking to small windows high on the wall for possible breaches. "The anti-apparation wards. Been a breach."

Harry turned to Sirius, who was turned toward the stairs up to the house, ready for trouble, while Remus was checking the coal chute and bin along with stone stairs up to the outside entrance to the cellar. He took a deep breath. "I apparated across the cellar," he said in a quiet, nervous voice. "I was practicing."

The three turned to look at him in astonishment.

Harry hung his head. "Well, it took me five tries before I got it right," he replied defensively.

Jordan blinked. "You...apparated? Down here?" he said in a heavily accented, yet suddenly squeaky voice.

Remus let out a breath. "You broke the wards?"

Harry shrugged nervously. "I thought they were only supposed to keep people out. I didn't know."

Suddenly there was a guttural cry from upstairs, then the sound of a body hitting the floor.

Then they could heard Mae scream. "HE'S HERE!!! VOLDEMORT'S HERE!!!"

Sirius was up the stairs instantly followed by Remus then Harry. Cyrus followed up in a near panic.

The four were nearly toppled by Tonks and Chadwick, who were barreling down the stairs.

The six were met by an extraordinary sight.

Mae Strowbridge was atop a moaning and struggling Alastor Moody, who was clutching his right wrist while trying to fend off a strangling headlock by the vicar's wife.

Harry suddenly bolted and grabbed Mae. "That's not Voldemort, Mae!" he exclaimed. "That's one of my professors!"

Tonks was the next to react as she reached down to pick up Moody's wand, which had been dislodged from Moody's grip by a vicious swipe from the fire iron Mae had swung at him.

"Oh, Alastor," she said, breaking out in giggles. "How many times have we told you, always keep a good grip on your wand."

By this time, Sirius and Remus were leaning against each other, trying desperately not to break out in laughter. Jordan was smirking and Chadwick, the Hufflepuff Auror, was gritting his teeth to keep from chuckling while still eyeing the area warily.

Mae Strowbridge, on the other hand, was not amused. "I would like an explanation," she said firmly as she rose from the floor.

Moody, who was nursing a badly fractured wrist, was growling in a combination of anger, pain and embarrassment. "Wards went off. Like yer Muggle security alarms," he wheezed. "Had to come and check. Could have been trouble. What was it?"

Sirius and Remus looked to Cyrus, who shrugged, somewhat abashed. "Harry fractured the anti-apparation wards."

Moody's head jerked up to stare at Jordan. "What kind of bloody war...oh, beggin' yer pardon, mam," Moody muttered in embarrassment toward Mae Strowbridge, who was looking a little less upset. "What kind of wards did you put up, Jordan?"

Jordan continued to look away in embarrassment. "They were Class Four. Ministry Level. Only Dumbledore, and maybe a few of the Unspeakables, could put up Class Five Wards," he said, looking at his shoes.

Moody winced as Tonks suddenly knelt down beside him and began basic bone-setting and healing charms on Moody's wrist. "Potter! You apparated?" Moody barked.

Harry was now blushing and looking guilty. "I got a text book and put up an underage magic charm. It took me several tries, then there was this tearing, crackling sound. I thought I splinched."

Tonks helped Moody to his feet and into a chair.

Mae then disappeared into the kitchen and came out with a First Aid kit, which she offered to Tonks. "There's a wrist brace in there. It's not a splint, but it might help stabilize his wrist." Mae then took a close look at Moody. "So you're not Voldemort?"

Moody opened his good eye and gave her a poisonous look, as the rest of the room erupted in laughter.

Mae frowned. "Harry described him as having recently been burned severely around the neck and face, that he was heavily scarred."

At this point, Moody turned to Harry, his magic eye going as wide as Harry had ever seen, while his normal eye simply glared at his student.

Mae cleared her throat. "Now, there's aspirin and Ibuprofen in there, but nothing that will provide direct relief to your wrist. For that, I'm afraid you're going to have to go to a hospital. We have a clinic about four blocks away. I can drive three of you in the Vauxhall, four in a pinch. Or would you prefer your own facilities?"

Tonks, still giggling, reached into her robe and pulled out a small box. She clicked it open and, with a stroke of her wand, it enlarged four-fold. She withdrew a small glass vial. "Here you go, Voldy. That should take the edge off."

Moody growled again, to the amusement of the rest of the room, but he took the potion willingly.

By this time, Mae had recovered her composure. "Harry, will you introduce me to your friends?" she said as if Harry had merely breached etiquette, rather than wards.

Then the door opened and Rev. Anthony Strowbridge entered and stopped, staring. "Uhhh, guests for tea?"

Mae suddenly smiled warmly. "That would be nice, if you all would care to stay for a while."

And with that, Tony and Mae Strowbridge were introduced to: three Aurors--including a metamorphmagus; a werewolf; a Hogwarts professor; and Sirius Black, once an accused mass murderer and the most sought after fugitive in the Wizarding and Muggle worlds, and now, simply Harry's godfather.

* * *

"So, what kind of name is Tonks, dear," Mae asked the young Auror over tea.

Tony heard the quiet chuckles from several of the others around the table.

"What kind of name is Nymphadora?" Sirius whispered loud enough to draw a renwed round of chuckles from most of the table and a glare from Tonks.

Tonks continued to scowl at the group before turning back to the vicar's wife. "Well, we believe it's Dutch. My dad says it was probably spelled Toncks with a 'C' sometime in the past. Probably something like Van Toncks or den Toncks."

Tony Strowbridge bit down on his biscuit thoughtfully as he glanced around the table. These were all magical people. And yet, with the exception of Harry's professor, Alastor Moody, they all seemed perfectly normal, even archetypal.

Moody, of course, with his scars, his eerie 'magic' eye, and irascible nature, seemed the stuff of a children's comic-book villain. Ben Chadwick, on the other hand, had all the look of some young, junior assistant in some office, a tall, bland-looking late 20ish young man who seemed constantly alert yet comfortable to remain quiet in the background. Cyrus Jordan was a big, imposing Black man who radiated authority, like some cinema version of a tough American street cop, a look that was belied whenever he spoke in his strange, almost comical mix of accents. Nymphadora Tonks, who kept raising a fuss whenever someone used her first name, seemed an almost prototypical punk girl, at once both mischievous and sullen by turns, depending upon the swing of the conversation. Remus Lupin had a weary, tweedy, professorial air about him, like someone having spent a few too many afternoons locked in meeting rooms engaging low-stakes power struggles in university faculty meetings.

And then there was Sirius Black. Tony had recalled the news reports of his escape from prison three years ago. The pictures used were old ones, when he apparently had first been captured. They were a frightening portrait of a young man who might have been handsome, but whose eyes held a maniacal, desperate glint to them. His face conjured up a creepy combination of matinee idol inhabited by the soul of Charles Manson.

Yet as he sat at in the drawing room in the vicarage in Little Whinging, sipping his tea and casually answering questions or tossing out occasional jibes to his friends, Tony could see an attractive man with a glib manner, but whose seemingly ready smile rarely reached his eyes. He looked just like what he was: a man with a past, a horrible, tragic past, who had yet to come fully to grips with it.

"So, any big plans for New Year's Eve?" Mae asked brightly, finally over her fright and annoyance at their home invasion by the Wizarding World. "Surely you have a date, Miss Tonks."

Mae blinked as Tonks's face seemed to transform briefly into a darker version of itself, then return to its mischievous self.

"It seems schedules have played havoc with my romantic life," she said with a roll of her eyes. "It seems there was a nice young gentleman who I had seen once or twice who I had hoped would take me dancing. But, unfortunately, something came up at the last minute. He just happened to discover that he was married with a couple kids and had to beg off due to a scheduling conflict," she said with a wry grin that wasn't reflected in her angry eyes.

Mae blushed. "Well surely there are many other young men who aren't...encumbered," she said in an attempt to cover her embarrassment.

Tonks leaned back with a sigh. "Sure. Hey Ben," she said, glancing at the quiet Auror at the end of the table. "Your wife isn't due for a couple months. Does that mean you're free tonight?"

Chadwick blushed briefly, then smiled. "Sure, as long as you don't mind changing diapers on my son Danny."

The group chuckled. Tonks sighed. "Well, then," she said, turning to Moody. "I guess it's just you and me and the Hogs Head Inn, eh, Voldy?"

Moody simply growled and glared.

Tony frowned in concentration. Finally, he cleared his throat. "You know, Miss Tonks. The Parish has organized a First Night's dance for the teens of parents who want to go out and celebrate. It may be a little dull for you. There's no alcohol and it will only be records--you'll have to settle for whatever records the kids bring in to dance to, but I suppose you might have some fun with people closer to your own age. What are you, 20?"

Tonks turned to Tony with a wide-eyed smile. "I turned 20 in September. A dance? Cool!"

Tony nodded, but Harry frowned.

Tonks turned to Harry. "Hey, wanna be my date, sexy?"

Harry flushed furiously. What he wanted was to be with Parvati. Suddenly, he felt Tonks's foot prodding his leg under the table.

"What do you say? I here you can really cut a rug," she said brightly.

Harry looked at Tonks in confusion. "Uhhhh..."

Tonks gave a curt nod. "Good," she said with a grin. "I've got just the outfit."

"And you, Remus?" Mae said, turning to the werewolf.

Remus merely shrugged and gave Mae a wistful smile. "A colleague of mine and I are meeting with Sirius and his new lady friend. It should be a most interesting evening."

Sirius gave his friend an uncertain look.

Mae brightened. "That's right! Harry told me you had taken a liking to Parvati's older sister. What's she like?"

Harry leaned forward now with a smile, but was distracted by Moody shifting his arm with a groan. A sudden tingle went through his scar as he saw Moody's magic eye suddenly zero in on him. He shook it off, feeling disconcerted and suddenly a little annoyed, and turned his attention back to Sirius.

"She's okay, I guess..." Sirius was saying.

Harry frowned. "She's really nice, Sirius," he said a little more forcefully than he had intended.

Sirius shook his head slowly. "Sure, they're all nice," he said quietly, without much feeling.

Harry frowned. "I like the Patils. They're all nice. Even Monkey. They're a real family."

Sirius shrugged. "I guess. They just seem to me like a soft, warm tidal wave. You don't want to wade in too deep or you'll drown."

Harry, who couldn't shake his feeling of disquiet, frowned deeply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Tony and Mae were suddenly on guard about Harry's sudden change in mood.

Sirius leaned back, a little wary. "It means, Harry, that Shi-Shi is nice. I don't mind being around her. That's as far as it goes, okay?"

Harry was suddenly angry. "You like her. I know you do. And she likes you. She likes you a lot. Now, all of a sudden, she's just another girl? What, are you going to give her a fidelity necklace so you can break it on her like you did with all those girls you told me about when you were Hogwarts?"

Sirius was taken aback, as was Remus, who now was looking at his best friend with concern. "Look," Sirius said in exasperation. "She's a big girl and I'm a big boy. So we'll have a little fun together. But don't expect any wedding bells. It's not my way."

Harry was now very angry. And suddenly, his scar began to throb. "Don't you...don't you dare take advantage of her," he yelled, and bolted from the table.

Tony made to get up, but Mae pushed him back down and went after Harry herself.

At that point, tea began to break up. Sirius continued to sit at the table, and Tony managed to grab Remus for a quick word. Remus nodded and Tony returned to the table just as Sirius began, ashen-faced, to stir. "Why don't you stay awhile," Tony said softly. "I don't have anything to do for a couple hours and you look like you could use a drink."

* * *

Sirius was still frowning from Harry's outburst as Tony led him by the elbow into his study off the main drawing room.

"Sit down, Sirius," Tony said in a hearty voice. "I understand you're responsible for my sudden good taste in fine whiskey."

Sirius simply sat down in a cushy armchair as Tony opened a small sideboard that showed a few liquor bottles of assorted brands. Sirius eyed the bottles there and frowned again. "Private stash?" he queried.

Tony chuckled. "Well, I'm not much of a drinking man myself. But I don't mind on occasion sharing a dram with a friend. And I find a spot of brandy or a sip of sherry does wonders when a parishioner comes in with a problem, or just wants to talk." Tony turned with a mischievous grin. "Care for a tot of a fine whiskey that came from Harry by way of a certain unnamed wizard of refined tastes? Or would you prefer, say, some of this?" he asked, holding up a bottle of cheap port. "I personally think it tastes like grape juice spiked with rubbing alcohol, but some of the ladies of the parish find it quite delightful."

Sirius snorted, then couldn't help but begin laughing. "The whiskey will do me fine."

Tony continued to chuckle as he walked behind his desk and opened a small refrigerator. "Neat? Rocks? Soda? Water?"

Sirius shrugged. "On the rocks. No use diluting it."

Tony nodded as he reached into the freezer portion of the refrigerator and dropped cubes into two tumblers. He then poured the whiskey, a stiff one for Sirius and a lighter one for himself, topping his with a splash of soda from a small bottle.

As the two settled down into their matching armchairs with the bottle of whiskey on a stand between them, Tony leaned his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he sighed. "You know, Sirius. Harry really admires you. I'm glad he has someone in your world to watch out for him and to serve as a kind of a guide. He never had a chance in my world. I just hope that Mae and I can make up for some of what he's been through."

Sirius frowned and took a decent sized sip of his drink. "A wee bit smoother than firewhiskey, that's for sure," he muttered.

Tony chuckled. "Harry told me about firewhiskey. He claims that when you drink it, steam comes out of your ears."

Sirius smiled. "Actually, it does. It's very strong, like some of your Muggle rums, and it's flavored with--well, you don't want to know what it's flavored with."

Tony nodded benignly. "As I was saying, I'm glad Harry has a worthy role model to look up to in your world. It seems from his descriptions that most of his professors are eccentrics, with the odd sadist thrown in. Sounds like a typical Muggle boarding school, if you ask me."

Sirius frowned as he finished his drink. "I don't know if I'm a role model for anyone," he said quietly, as Tony poured another, somewhat more generous drink into Sirius's glass.

"Nonsense!" Tony exclaimed. "You were best friends with his parents. You managed to be there for him when he needed you, even though you had to escape an inescapable prison and live life on the run to do so. Quite the contrast to his former guardians, who mistreated him throughout his life."

Sirius growled in anger at the thought and took another healthy sip of his refreshed drink. "I hope they're paying for their crimes. Maybe your world has a better sense of justice than mine."

Tony watched Sirius carefully as he took a small sip of his own drink. "Both his aunt and uncle are still in custody, in the care of the mental health branch of our criminal justice system. I regret that Harry's Uncle Vernon has not adjusted well. They were let out on condition that they move far away from here. Yet Vernon was caught attempting to buy an illicit firearm, a highly illegal act. And his Aunt Petunia went into nervous collapse after Vernon was once again taken away and caused quite a row."

Sirius snorted. "Good."

Tony frowned. "I tried to intervene, at least to help them understand how poorly such behavior would be received. Unfortunately, I met with much resistance," he said with a sigh.

Sirius scowled. "Yeah. And Harry goes from them to me. Some role model."

Tony quietly refreshed Sirius's drink yet again. "Don't take Harry's outburst to heart," he said softly. "I'm sure he didn't mean it."

Sirius shook his head sadly and gave a half shrug. "I guess I deserved it a little. The Patils were trying to be nice. Too nice, if you ask me."

Tony's features now became a little more alert. "Why don't you tell me about this woman, Lakshmi. Is she a charmer like Parvati?"

Sirius looked up at Tony. "Parvati's a wonderful young lady. I like her. But Lakshmi...well, she's a woman," he said as he turned back to stare at his hands. "She's bright and attractive, but she's also...I don't know. I guess she's been alone for a long time. And all of a sudden, she likes me."

Tony sat and waited as Sirius tried to collect his thoughts.

Finally, Sirius sighed. "Look, she's been waiting for some knight in shining armor. I'm no knight, not even one in rusty armor. I don't know," he said quietly. "She very smart and surprisingly funny. And challenging. And she's fun to be with." Sirius paused as if to find the right words. "But...I...I don't know. She seems to have...expectations. I guess I'd rather not have the responsibility. I don't like worrying about whether I'm going to do the wrong thing or hurt her or...well, not live up to what she wants."

Tony sighed. "Do you know any woman who doesn't have some expectations in a relationship?"

Sirius shrugged. "I...Well, I've been having some fun with this other girl, Merrie. She's all right, I guess."

Tony frowned. "Who's Merrie?"

Sirius shrugged, blushing a little. "Well, she's...well, she's a bar girl," he suddenly said.

Tony's face flickered a bit in disappointment. "You like this...other girl?"

Sirius shrugged. "It's not like I have to pay. She and I just sort of like to get together when she's not working. Just for laughs. No expectations. No strings. No disappointments."

Tony glanced at the clock to see he still had 45 minutes before Mae would come looking for him. "So, because she's a bar girl, a woman of the streets, you think she doesn't have any hopes or dreams? That she can't be disappointed?"

Sirius's head jerked up to look at Tony. "But...she's a bar girl. Little more than a squib..." But then his voice trailed off in silence, shocked at how callous he had sounded.

Tony looked into Sirius's eyes. "She may be just a prostitute, but rest assured she does have hopes and dreams. They might not be lofty or earth-shattering. Maybe just to have a small flat to call her own and a man who she knows will come home to her, to support her and protect her. To take her away from what she's now doing. They are small hopes and dreams. But they are hopes and dreams."

Sirius now was hanging his head, staring at his now finished drink in his hands, silent.

"Sirius, Harry told me you were a prisoner, sentenced to life without parole, in solitary confinement and subjected to daily psychological abuse. But didn't you have hopes and dreams, even when there was nothing to hope for?" Tony asked softly.

Sirius again was silent. "I wanted to get back at Pettigrew. I wanted to have fun with Remus. I wanted to protect and care for Harry..." he muttered quietly.

Tony nodded. "So maybe things won't work out with Lakshmi. But is that any reason not to try? You said she was nice, that you seemed to like her. Why not make the effort? You may be surprised and find something you didn't even know you were looking for."

A strangled sound came from Sirius's throat. "But...don't you see? I've failed everything and everyone in my life!" he cried into his empty glass. "I couldn't save my brother from my parents' hate and prejudice. I've hurt or disappointed every girl I've ever dated. I couldn't protect the two people I cared about most in this world, Harry's parents, and it cost them their lives. I couldn't capture or take revenge on the weakest, most evil, person I'd ever known for betraying James and Lily. I couldn't even defend myself before getting thrown in prison. Even after I escaped and vowed I would do anything, including sacrifice my life, I couldn't protect Harry when Voldemort took him to resurrect himself. And I was only two miles away when Voldemort, Pettigrew and the rest attacked Harry and Parvati and I didn't even know he was in danger. I'm nothing but a failure. What can I do to fulfill the hopes and dreams of a nice young woman like Lakshmi? She'd be better off wrestling dragons than falling in love with me."

Tony had by now reached across to grab Sirius's shoulder, squeezing it. "You are not a failure," he said softly. "Harry loves you, and I've seen how much you care for him. He sees a man who isn't a failure. He sees a man who has succeeded in overcoming impossible odds to protect him and care for him. A man who has kept his humanity, his compassion, his capacity to love, when the world seemed determined to strip you of these qualities. Maybe it's time you tried to share these qualities with someone else, someone who might be able to love you for them. Maybe someone like Lakshmi."

Sirius looked up at Tony through tear-stained eyes. "But what if it doesn't work out?"

Tony gave Sirius a sad smile. "But what if it does?"

Sirius suddenly sat up straighter, but seemed to sway a little bit. "Oh, sh... I've got to pick up Lakshmi...what time is it?"

Tony glanced up at the clock. "5:45 pm."

Sirius shook his head as if to clear it. "I've got to pick her up at 8:00 and...how much of that whiskey did I have? I'm in no shape..."

Tony gave Sirius a benign smile. "Your friend Remus promised me he would return at 6:00. He assured me that he was good at sobering charms. Too bad there aren't similar charms in my world," he said with a chuckle.

Sirius looked up at Tony with a puzzled expression. "You...arranged it? You set me up?"

Tony shrugged. "You looked like someone who needed to talk."

Sirius was now breathing deeply. "I don't know whether to thank you, or maybe take a swing at you," he said with a chuckle.

Tony laughed. "People have done both in my time. But for now, I'd be thinking about your date for New Year's Eve if I were you."

* * *

"Harry! Your date is here!" Mae called up the stairs with a laugh.

Harry looked in the mirror, a mask of anxiety. He reached up and quickly stripped off his tie and laid it on the bed. 'No tie. This is casual,' he thought furiously. 'Am I going to look all right? Will I be out of place? Is this too casual?'

"Come on, Prince Charming! Your princess awaits!"

Harry rolled his eyes. It was Tonks' voice. How did he get stuck taking her, of all people, to the First Night dance? And was she going to be as impossible as she was during their late-night prefect patrols when the Golem was loose? Thank heavens there would be no alcohol served. Harry couldn't imagine dealing with a sober Tonks, much less one who had been drinking.

Harry slowly made his way down the stairs and almost missed the last one when he looked up to see Tonks. Under her open black cloak, she was wearing a pink fuzzy jumper, a violet leather miniskirt, stockings that were lavender covered with little musical notes in black, and violet leather dancing pumps. Her hair was a bright yellow, with orange, pink and dark violet highlights. And that longish hair was bound by a strip of leather held in place by...her wand.

"Want to see the notes on my stockings dance, Harry?" she said with a gleam in her eye.

Harry took a deep breath. "Tonks! We're going to a Muggle party. Please, no magic!"

Tonks ignored his outburst and walked up to him, grabbing his arm. "Ooooo, I get to be with the sexiest wizard under 25! Maybe I'll get a New Year's smooch out of it, too," she said in a sing-song voice.

Harry glanced over at Tony and Mae. Tony was trying not to laugh and Mae was simply smiling and rolling her eyes.

He almost made to bolt back upstairs, but Tonks held firm. "Come on, gorgeous. Tonksie's looking forward to showing you off tonight," she purred mischievously.

At this, both Tony and Mae burst out laughing as Harry flushed scarlet to his ears. "Remember, we should be back from Sir Basil's party around one. We'll expect you to be back well before then, Harry," Mae said with a smile.

Tonks gave the couple a grin. "Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure he's back as soon as the dance ends. And no need for concern. I am a trained law enforcement officer. I will defend my virtue to the utmost, no matter what this brute tries," she exclaimed, pulling Harry out the front door of the vicarage with a wave to a still laughing Tony and Mae.

On the front porch, Harry, who was still struggling to put on his overcoat, stopped and blinked. There in the driveway was a battered old Austin Mini.

Tonks sighed. "Ah, the Rolls was in the shop, so we had to settle for this coach. It seems that it turned into a pumpkin a little bit before midnight, however. Quelle dommage."

Harry rolled his eyes in frustration. "Tonks, it's only a block to the hall. It's just past the church."

Tonks stepped back from him. "Don't you trust my driving?"

Harry gave her a glance. "I don't trust your walking."

Tonks gave a dejected shrug and began dragging Harry to the sidewalk. They weren't four steps toward the church hall when Tonks stumbled, forcing Harry to grab for her to keep her upright.

Suddenly, Harry stopped. "Tonks, you're an Auror, yet you seem to be the clumsiest person I know. How did you ever get through Auror training?"

Tonks looked back at him and, after a brief pause, flashed a grin. "My good looks, of course."

She started back down the block but stopped when she realized Harry wasn't following her. "Well, are you coming?"

Harry crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm serious. Why do you act so clumsy, yet you get to be an Auror?"

A sudden frown crossed Tonks's face. "You think I'm clumsy?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've seen you trip over shadows."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said in a annoyed voice.

Harry was annoyed, too. "Look, I don't know what I want to be when I graduate. But I just sort of assumed I would become an Auror. But I've seen a lot of Aurors recently. Moody is smart and tough. So is Cyrus Jordan. Ben Chadwick seems okay, but he's awfully unsure of himself. Then I see people like Kingsley Shacklebolt, who seems to be really powerful magically, but doesn't know the first thing about what all Muggle constables know about police work. Then there were some of the other Aurors who were at Hogwarts when the Golem was loose. They couldn't even guard a three-foot high stone wall in an open field. Then there's you, who can't keep your feet under you. What does that say about being an Auror?"

Tonks's eyes narrowed in anger. "What does that say about me?" she hissed.

Harry watched, suddenly realizing how deeply he had insulted her. He was about to apologize when Tonks seemed to shrink a little. Then, in the blink of an eye, she seemed to hitch up her skirt and spin into a kick. He never even saw the heel of her shoe as it passed within an inch of the top of his head, but he felt it brush a stray cowlick. In belated reaction, he stumbled backward, almost falling on his backside.

Tonks was in a karate stance, glaring at him, her hair suddenly turning several shades of red.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Tonks," he stammered.

She straightened up, eying him, then pursed her lips. "You want to go back home? Do you want me to leave?"

Harry blinked in surprise and embarrassment. "Uh, no. I'm sorry. I like being with you," he said rapidly. "It's just that...well, I get so annoyed at some of the Aurors I've seen. And you never seem to take it seriously..." he stopped, thinking he'd insulted her again.

She walked up to him and grabbed him by the front of his overcoat. "I like to have fun, Harry. But don't you ever think that I take the job less than serious," her said in a cool, firm voice.

Harry looked down at her. Then he realized that she did seem smaller than she was at the vicarage, or when he worked with her on the prefect patrols. "Did...you shrink?"

Suddenly, it was Tonks's turn to blush. She started to say something, then turned away.

Harry blinked in alarm, thinking he had put his foot in his mouth again. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything. Are you being a metamorphmagus now?"

Tonks sighed and turned back to Harry. "No. As a matter of fact, I'm not at the moment."

Harry shook his head in confusion. "Look, I'm really sorry for being such a prat. I just don't know much about you or Aurors and I sometimes say things...well, I get annoyed at some things and blurt out what's on my mind. Maybe it's because I was never allowed to speak up when I was growing up or something and now when I can speak up, I don't know when I'm being rude or being polite."

Tonks sighed. "No problem, Harry."

He frowned. "But you do seem shorter than you were a few minutes ago."

Tonks turned and gave him a sad, speculative look. "You want to know about me and metamorphmagi?"

Harry shrugged, puzzled. "I guess."

Tonks sighed again. "Look, Metamorphmagi can alter their skin, hair, muscle and connective tissue. We can't alter our bones, okay?"

Harry simply shrugged again. "Okay."

"So I can do this," she said as her hair returned to the rainbow hues it had before. "But if I wanted higher cheekbones to make me prettier, I could only do it by playing with the muscles in my face until I could mold them to look like I have higher cheekbones. The bones would remain the same shape as they were."

Harry nodded uncertainly.

Tonks nodded back. "So what do I do if I want to appear taller?"

Harry shook his head.

Tonks frowned. "I can't grow my bones. But I can thicken the ligaments and cartilage between the bones."

Harry looked at her in curiosity.

Suddenly, Tonks seemed to grow in front of his eyes until she was almost at eye level to him.

"I didn't grow taller. My bones are the same size. But I can work the cartilage and ligaments between the bones to be thicker, understand?"

Harry frowned, then nodded.

"That's what I just did. So now I'm about Parvati's height."

Harry nodded again. "And you can stay at this height if you want?"

Tonks sighed. "Well, that's the problem. I could. But when you expand the cartilage and ligaments between the bones, you become a lot less stable. Sure, you become more flexible, but your lateral stability is reduced."

"Like dominoes," Harry offered.

Tonks looked confused.

Harry shrugged. "My friend, Peter Boyd taught me how to play dominoes during the summer. After one game, he started stacking the dominoes lengthwise. He bet me a two-liter bottle of ginger beer that I couldn't stack ten dominoes on top of each other but that he could. I stacked seven up lengthwise but they collapsed when I tried the eighth one. Then he sat back and laid the dominoes flat and stacked twenty five before I knocked the pile over. So you're saying that, when you're thickening your cartilage, it's like stacking the dominoes lengthwise, but when your cartilage is normal, it's like stacking them flat."

Tonks blinked. "I suppose you're right," she said thoughtfully. "Of course, it's not that bad."

Harry pondered. "So that's why you trip or knock things over. Your bones aren't as stable so you tend to misjudge things, right?"

Tonks shrugged and nodded with a hint of embarrassment.

Harry paused. "So why bother?"

Tonks looked at Harry in surprise. "Why bother?"

Harry nodded. "Why would you want to be taller when it only makes you clumsy and unstable?"

Tonks gave Harry a wide-eyed look of exasperation. "Harry. I'm barely five-foot three inches tall. With my frame, I'm just average. But stretch me out to five-foot seven or so and I'm suddenly tall with an elegant, willowy figure. So why wouldn't I stretch?"

Harry stared at her. "But you're very pretty. And you can look like almost any one you want. Why not stay the way you are and save the hassles? After all, Hermione is only about five foot three and she's fine the way she is. And Parvati is always complaining how she's too tall and that I should keep growing. Like I have that choice," he said petulantly.

Tonks blinked at him. "You think I'm pretty?"

Harry blushed. "Well...sure, I guess."

Tonks suddenly gave Harry a broad smile. "Harry Potter, are you flirting with me?"

Harry stared at her. "Uh, no? No I'm not, I guess..." he stammered.

Tonks gave him a mischievous pout. "Are you sure, Harry?"

Harry began to regain his composure a little. "Uh, no. I guess I'm not. I better not."

Tonks cocked her head and gave a couple coquettish rolls of her shoulders. "And why aren't you flirting with me if I'm so pretty."

Harry suddenly gave her a mischievous grin of his own. "Because if a brute like me tried to flirting with you, you would probably kick me in the head in defense of your virtue."

The two burst out in laughter and Tonks grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him to the dance.

* * *

"No Parvati?"

Harry frowned. "No, she's with her family down in Portsmouth," he said absently as he helped Sara Geddes move another table into place to set up the snacks.

Sara nodded. "So who's this one?"

Harry gave an exasperated sigh. "She's a friend from school. She was in the neighborhood and just broke up with her boyfriend. So Tony and Mae said I should bring her here."

Sara eyed Tonks. "She's pretty. Funny how all these pretty girls are suddenly falling into your lap," she said with a smirk. "I never see you 'rescuing' a homely girl," she said, cocking an eyebrow.

Harry blushed. "She's like years older than I am. And she's weird. I mean, she's nice and all, but ..."

Sara laughed, as Tonks walked over.

Sara turned and smiled, then glanced at Harry.

Harry blushed. "Sara Geddes, let me introduce, uh, Dora Tonks."

Tonks gave Harry a quick look, then turned back and gave Sara a broad smile. "Just Tonks."

Sara gave her a cautious smile. "Pleased to meet you, uh, Tonks. That's an interesting name. What kind of name is it?"

"Welsh," Tonks said brightly.

"Have you known Harry long?"

Tonks continued to beam. "Just a few months. We had prefect patrol together." She then reached over and gave Harry's cheek a pinch. "Isn't he the cutest thing? Couldn't you just eat him up with a spoon?"

Sara burst out laughing, which Tonks gleefully joined. Harry blushed furiously and, giving the two laughing women a glare, stalked off.

* * *

Tonks was back teasing Harry, when he saw Jim Jamison wander in. Jim took one look at Tonks, and his jaw dropped. He quickly motioned Harry over.

"Who's that?' he said with wide eyes.

Harry smiled. "She's just a friend from school."

Jim was still staring at her as she swayed to some tune only she could hear. "She is way cool. Is she, like, your date or something?"

Harry smiled. "No. Parvati's my girlfriend. Tonks is just a friend."

Tonks wandered over, giving Harry and Jim a sly smile.

"Jim, this is Tonks."

Jim stared. "Um...uh...hi?"

Tonks smiled broadly, turning on the charm. "Hey, Jim. You dance?"

Jim blinked. "Well...no...I mean, I suppose."

Tonks gave a throaty chuckle. "Well, we'll just have to find out when the music starts."

"Sure," Jim said, desperately trying to think of something else to say to keep the conversation going. "Uh, what kind of name is Tonks?"

Tonks smiled. "Ukrainian."

* * *

Harry was a little out of breath. He and Tonks had just finished a series of fast dances, surprising many of the teens that they could actually keep in step and in rhythm, while acually keeping up with each other.

Harry leaned back in his chair and smiled at Jim, Pam DiMarco, Beth Simon, Patty Rourke and Jack Tallerdy, his Muggle friends. Finally, he got up. "I'll be back in a few. Anyone want anything from the snack bar?" After hearing what everyone wanted, and ignoring Tonks's request for Dragon's Blood, Harry wandered off.

Pam suddenly leaned forward toward Tonks. "Are you dating Harry, too?" she asked, frowning.

Tonks burst into laughter. "Oh, he's much too young for me," she exclaimed. Then she got a mischievous look on her face. "But, he's cute enough and a good enough dancer that I could be tempted."

Pam and Beth both frowned at this, although Patty seemed unperturbed.

"What's she like? Parvati, I mean," Beth said in barely a whisper.

Tonks raised an eyebrow as the rest of the girls at the table leaned in. "I've only met her briefly a couple times," Tonks admitted. "She seems nice enough, I suppose."

Pam frowned again. "We met her, too. She seemed the jealous type, hanging on to him and all."

Tonks smiled. "I'd hang onto him, too."

Pam leaned a little closer. "What kind of reputation does she have at your school?"

Tonks began to frown a little. She was uncertain whether to have a little fun with this or not. She took a deep breath. "She likes Harry a lot, and Harry likes her," she said softly. "I hear she's got a temper, so watch out," she said with an uncertain smile."

Pam and Beth suddenly leaned back in their chairs with thoughtful looks.

Finally, Pam looked up at Tonks with a frown. "What kind of name is Tonks, anyway?"

Tonks leaned across the table. "Danish," she whispered so only Pam could hear.

* * *

Peter Boyd, Harry's best Muggle friend, danced a slow dance with Tonks as Harry danced with Sara. He looked at the her and smiled. "You better watch out," he said with a smile. "You know Parvati, Harry's girl?"

Tonks nodded and smiled. "I met her a couple times."

Peter's smile softened. "So did I. Better watch out for her. She's real possessive."

Tonks chuckled. "And is Sara possessive?" referring to Peter's girlfriend since the summer.

Peter laughed. "I hope so," he said.

They danced for another minute. Then Peter leaned back. "What kind of name is Tonks, anyway."

Tonks smiled up at him. "I have no idea."

* * *

The dance was winding down, as was the year 1995. The lights flickered as everyone returned to their tables, their friends or their dates.

The DJ made a show of looking at his watch, then the clock at the back of the hall.. "One minute to go."

Harry was tired. Then he was surprised when Tonks pulled her chair over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I think it's just about time for my smooch," she purred.

Harry laughed. "Parvati will kill me," he said, when suddenly, his eyes flickered.

"Well, we just won't tell her..."

The DJ was now standing up. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

The pain hit Harry with a blinding force.

'Happy New Year, Harry.'

It was Voldemort's voice in his head.

'I hope you've had an enjoyable year. It's taken me a while to contact you like this, but you see I've finally managed,' the oily voice hissed.

'Well, Harry. I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year. I don't think you will be seeing another. Or any of your little friends. Or your slut.'

Harry's head was throbbing now.

'By the way, Harry. I saw you this afternoon with that withered old fool Moody and that useless layabout you call your Godfather. And now I see that stupid bitch Nymphadora with you. So you are in the Wizarding World, being protected by your Headmaster's minions after all, and not roaming free in the Muggle World, despite Lucius's suspicions. All the easier to find you...'

Harry grimaced. Then an image rose in his mind. An image of Voldemort burning during their confrontation in the Forbidden Forest. 'Burn, you bastard,' Harry growled under his breath. 'Burn,' he muttered again as he heard a high-pitched voice scream.

'Parvati,' he whispered as he passed out.

* * *

Harry blinked and Tonks's worried face came into focus. "Voldemort?" she whispered.

Harry nodded through the receding pain.

Several people were gathered around him, but Tonks waved them off, including the adult chaperones. "It's a migraine. He's had them before. I know what to do," she announced in her Auror's voice.

She made a show of pulling her wand out of her hair and poking it around in her voluminous purse, as if using it to find something. She uttered a quiet spell to enlarge her medical kit without anyone realizing and pulled it out. She gave him a vial of pain potion and got him to his feet. "I'll take him home," she announced.

* * *

Parvati and Padma sat at the table at the wizarding club that the Patil family had taken them all to for the New Year's celebration. Both were tired from dancing, both with each other and with strangers. But neither were all that happy.

Parvati leaned against Padma. "I wish Harry was here," she said with a sigh. "I don't trust him among the Muggle girls."

Padma sighed. "I know what you mean. It would be nice to get a kiss from Terry for New Year's, PeeVee."

Parvati chuckled. "Wait until you get a real kiss from a real guy. Then you'll know how I feel, PeeDee."

Padma gave Parvati a pinch.

Everyone started to rise to their feet, and the twins followed suit.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Happy New Year!!!"

Parvati felt something move against her chest and looked down.

Padma was looking wide-eyed at her sister's fidelity charm. "I just saw it move."

Parvati lifted it up to look at it. The two hearts were once again on top of one another, after having drifted slightly apart over the past couple days.

A huge smile split Parvati's face. "He's thinking of me!" she exclaimed.

Padma gave her sister a tight hug. "You're so lucky, PeeVee," she shouted over the noise of the crowd.

Parvati raised the hearts on her necklace to her lips and gave them a warm kiss. "This is going to be a wonderful year," she whispered to herself.

* * *

'Medical charms used in dueling: Using surgical incision incantations as slicing curses.'

Draco lay in his bed, his eyes wide, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. He leaned back against his pillows and a true smile crossed his face as he rested the open copy of Volume I of D.N. Crump's The Art of the Duel across his chest.

'This stuff is so cool,' he thought. He couldn't believe that Professor Snape had given him the Crump set of dueling books. He had barely left his dorm to take meals for reading them. He had scanned Volume II on defense. There was some interesting ideas. Maybe he'd read it later. Volume III on knowing your opponent was a bore. He knew Potter was an arrogant, ignorant, Muggle-loving git. What else was there to know?

But Volume I was wonderful. The spells and curses were inventive, exciting, and often scary. Reading about them made him feel alive for the first time since his mother had died.

Then he heard a disturbance outside the castle. He stood up on his bed and pulled himself up to the ledge of the narrow, ground-level window. Craning his neck, he finally noticed someone had set off fireworks down by the lake.

He frowned in puzzlement. Then it hit him. He looked down at his clock. It was midnight.

Draco flopped back down on his bed and grabbed Volume I again. It was the New Year. It was 1996. It was going to be his year.

He couldn't help but laugh.