Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Year 7

Chapter 4

"...the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, the portrait of Armando Dippet, Fawkes-"

"Thank you, Mr. Lee," Dumbledore interrupted. "I was merely making sure none of you were asleep in History of Magic. Now, as I'm sure you all know-and are very excited about-in the very near future, you'll be enjoying career experiences at the Ministry of Magic, specifically the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. (He glared at Tonks to keep her from screaming out loud.) Your supervisors will give you your credentials and any further details. Please be reminded that the people you'll be working with, as well as your professors, have to power to pull you from the program for reasons such as grades, discipline, and so on-much like in real life. You're expected at the ministry right after breakfast on Saturday. You'll be using the fireplace connected to the floo network in the great hall. Feel free to ask Professor Snape for floo powder if you need to. Now, unless you have any more questions, you're dismissed."

"I'M GOING TO THE AUROR OFFICE!" yelled Tonks once she left Dumbledore's office with Charlie and Dani.

"Eh, I'd rather be at the Beast Division. At least I might see dragons," said Charlie. "And you don't have an embarrassing dad, Dani. And I'm pretty sure Tonks doesn't have parents who work at the ministry."

Tonks shook her head. "My dad is a muggle reporter and my mum is a healer. They're just boring."

"Let's face it, a lot of our parents are," said Charlie. "This time next year, our dads will be poring over muggle artefacts and your mum will be mixing potions while you're chasing down dark wizards, I'm taming dragons and Dani's breaking even more curses."

"Graduation can't come quickly enough," said Tonks as they arrived in the Potions classroom.

"All I'm saying is that, if you think about it, muggle chemistry is really quite similar."

Snape ignored Sikander and turned to the approaching students. "Miss Jackson. Miss Tonks. Mr. Weasley. Here for floo powder to go to the ministry, I presume?"

"Yep! We're going to learn what it takes to be aurors!" exclaimed Tonks.

"Oh, aurors, how lovely!" said Sikander. "You know muggles have got-"

"Police?" Dani finished his sentence.

Snape audibly groaned. "Alright, alright, Professor Dumbledore made me give you the floo powder. Just promise me, for the sake of the school, don't engage-never mind, it's not like any of you will listen." He shoved Tonks the bag of floo powder. "Get out of my sight."
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Saturday morning...

"Dani!" Corey beckoned Dani to where he was sitting with Beatrice at the Gryffindor table. "I know you'll have to be off soon, but I found us a star witness!"

"Then make it quick," said Dani, grabbing a slice of toast.

Corey nudged Beatrice. "Don't hold back, tell Dani what you told me!"

"Merula's been going to the whomping willow a lot lately. She always comes back in a bad mood. The end, can I go now?"

Dani nodded, and Beatrice leapt to her feet and practically ran towards the Hufflepuff table. "That's awfully suspicious, considering we literally caught Shiratori because of a quill at the willow. We've got to check that out soon, Corey."

The owl post arrived. One of the school owls dropped an envelope on Dani's plate.

"Who's it from?" Corey asked excitedly as Dani opened the letter. "Your crush?"

Dani was reminded of her last-second love howler to Barnaby that was totally not a sonnet (but hey it's probably fine). "No, it isn't, it's from-" She rolls her eyes when she sees 'agents inside the ministry' and 'constant vigilance'. No thank you, Alastor Moody, Dani figured as much hearing from her dad about how the ministry is dirtier than Alex's quidditch robes when he came home for the holidays.

"From who?!" Knowing Moody wouldn't be happy with her showing or telling all her friends what they were discussing, Dani pulled the letter away as Corey took a shot at it. She was too late to keep him from seeing the last few words at the bottom, though.

"YOU KNOW MAD-EYE MOODY? OHMYGOD HE-"

"Dude, not so loud! I don't think he wants me to show all this off to everyone."

"...OK." Corey sulked back to his seat. "I guess that's what Conebush and Persimmons would do."

Once she'd finished her food, Dani joined her classmates near the fireplace.

"Will they kick me off the program if I wear the wrong socks?" Barnaby asked no one in particular.

"If they're providing lunch, I hope they have vegan options," said Liz.

"Isn't the point of this to prepare us for our future jobs?" said Ben. "I bet we'll have to get lunches ourselves."

Dani noticed Tonks still at the Hufflepuff table. She wasn't eating, just staring at the group at the fireplace. Dani went over.

"Nervous?"

"I can't believe we're about to go to the ministry," said Tonks, still staring at her friends. "Feels like the first real step in actually becoming an auror... What if I turn out to be a rotten one?"

Dani almost laughed out loud. "You, Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks (Tonks groaned dramatically), ROTTEN? You do realize how RIDICULOUS that is, right? Firstly, you're an amazing witch. Secondly, you know what a rotten auror is?"

"What?"

"A death eater. Where's your dark mark? Thirdly, unfortunately, Dumbledore is making you go. So come on!" Dani grabbed Tonks by the wrist and dragged her to the fireplaces as they prepared for their next adventure.