Adrianna Tonks - Book Six - The Half Blood Prince

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 12: 𝓛𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓷 𝓡𝓸𝓽𝓱

Late in the afternoon, a few days after New Year, Harry, Ron, Addy, and Ginny lined up beside the kitchen fire at the Tonks' old house to return to Hogwarts. The Ministry had arranged this one-off connection to the Floo Network to return students quickly and safely to the school. Mrs. Weasley, Dora, and Addy's mum were there to say good-bye, as Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Bill, and Fleur were all at work, and Addy's dad was still on his mission. Mrs. Weasley dissolved into tears at the moment of parting. Admittedly, it took very little to set her off lately; she had been crying on and off ever since Percy had stormed from the house on Christmas Day with his glasses splattered with mashed parsnip (for which Fred, George, and Ginny all claimed credit).

 "Don't cry, Mum," said Ginny, patting her on the back as Mrs. Weasley sobbed into her shoulder. "It's okay. . . "

"Yeah, don't worry about us," said Ron, permitting his mother to plant a very wet kiss on his cheek, "or about Percy. He's such a prat, it's not really a loss, is it?"

Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever as she enfolded Harry in her arms.

"Promise me you'll look after yourself. . . stay out of trouble. . . "

"I always do, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. "I like a quiet life, you know me. "

She gave a watery chuckle and stood back.

"Be good, then, all of you. . . "

Addy gave her sister and mum a hug and then, she stepped into the emerald fire and shouted "Hogwarts!" She had one last fleeting view of her old kitchen and Mrs. Weasley's tearful face before the flames engulfed her; spinning very fast, she caught blurred glimpses of other Wizarding rooms, which were whipped out of sight before she could get a proper look; then she was slowing down, finally stopping squarely in the fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office. She barely glanced up from her work as she clambered out over the grate.

"Evening, Tonks. Try not to get too much ash on the carpet. "

"No, Professor. "

Addy brushed through her hair with her fingers as Ron came spinning into view. When Ginny and Harry had arrived, all four of them trooped out of McGonagall's office and off toward Gryffindor Tower. Addy glanced out of the corridor windows as they passed; the sun was already sinking over grounds carpeted in deeper snow than had lain over the Burrow garden. In the distance, she could see Hagrid feeding Buckbeak in front of his cabin.

"Baubles," said Ron confidently, when they reached the Fat Lady, who was looking rather paler than usual and winced at his loud voice.

"No," she said.

"What d'you mean, 'no' ?"

"There is a new password," she said. "And please don't shout. "

"But we've been away, how're we supposed to--?"

"Harry! Ginny! Addy!"

Hermione was hurrying toward them, very pink-faced and wearing a cloak, hat, and gloves.

"I got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck--I mean Witherwings," she said breathlessly. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah," said Ron at once, "pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim --"

"I've got something for you, Harry," said Hermione, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him. "Oh, hang on--password. Abstinence. "

"Precisely," said the Fat Lady in a feeble voice, and swung forward to reveal the portrait hole.

"What's up with her?" asked Harry.

"Overindulged over Christmas, apparently," said Hermione, rolling her eyes as she led the way into the packed common room. "She and her friend Violet drank their way through all the wine in that picture of drunk monks down by the Charms corridor. Anyway. . . "

She rummaged in her pocket for a moment, then pulled out a scroll of parchment with Dumbledore's writing on it.

"Great," said Harry, unrolling it at once to discover that his next lesson with Dumbledore was scheduled for the following night. "I've got loads to tell him--and you. Let's sit down --"

But at that moment there was a loud squeal of "Won-Won!" and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron's arms. Several onlookers sniggered; Hermione gave a tinkling laugh and said, "There's a table over here. . . coming. Ginny?"

"No, thanks, I said I'd meet Dean," said Ginny, though Addy could not help noticing that she did not sound very enthusiastic.