I wearily opened my eyes (a casual light brown for today). Darn it, I must have tripped over something. Probably got knocked out, knowing my talent. Remus was right- I was the clumsiest individual he had ever met.
Sweet, green grass tickled my nose and bare, slightly freckled feet. I sat up and looked around- I was in some field. It looked like the Quidditch pitch, only without the goal posts and stands. I laid back down- I felt terribly lightheaded, and didn’t feel like throwing up so soon after supper.
A heavy weight was pressed onto my stomach. First I thought my meatloaf sandwich (yum!) coming up, but then I realized that was only my bag. It was actually an old, grayish brown satchel- Minerva had given it to me about a week ago. I took it off my stomach and emptied it onto the ground.
Inside was a book, so thick even Hermione would probably get a headache from it. It had no title, only plain brown leather for a cover. I opened it up, and out fell a weathered-looking sheet of parchment.
In fancy script was the title- Black Forest and Surrounding Areas. I wrinkled my freckled nose (for today I looked like a Weasley) - I obviously wasn’t in the Black Forest, since the Black Forest was (obviously) black and I was laying on a green meadow. I had no idea what the map was for- someone had probably left it there when they got the book, and forgot to take it back.
The sun was starting to set in a pinkish color, sort of like my favorite hairstyle. I picked up my wand (it was lying a foot away), lighting some grass aflame as I did so. Cursing my clumsiness (I had picked up some bad vocabulary from Sirius over the past few weeks), I put out the fire (making the patch of grass all soggy), and examined the remaining items in my bag.
Another article in the satchel (which had decorative pink rhinestones on it, due to my total creativity) was a small, hard object that sort of looked like those things Muggles use to time the time they brush their teeth with when they have dental problems. Obviously Muggles can’t count to one hundred and twenty, or else they wouldn’t use those. But I digress.
I turned the object over in my hands. It was getting harder to see (the sun was setting quickly), so I whispered, “Lumos,”, and the small object became much easier to observe.
It was a Time-Turner. I scrutinized it carefully; its thin gold chain, its tiny bits of sand inside the glass. I hadn’t been wearing it when I got here; so why was I in another place? Before, I was in the Weasley’s backyard. Something was very strange...
There was one last object on the ground. My pink running shoes, complete with purple-and-orange toe socks balled up inside. I eagerly put the apparel on (for my toes were starting to go numb, even if it was a summer’s night) and leapt to my feet. Something crunched under my left foot. I first thought it was my wand (if it was, Mad-Eye Moody would kill me personally), but my wand was safely in my back pocket (another thing Moody hated).
I pulled off my shoe and searched the inside. I wasn’t afraid of anything creepy being inside; those dead Puffskeins at Sirius’s house were enough to keep me fearless.
Inside my shoe was a thin scrap of parchment. I sighed with relief, grateful it wasn’t anything dead (except for the tree it was made of). I unrolled it, shivering slightly as a cool breeze started to pick up. Scanning it briefly, I could almost hear my Head-of-House from my Hogwarts years yelling at me, telling me to pay more attention to details. Wrinkling my nose at the memory of the woman, I read the letter more carefully. My eyes traveled down the page, widening as I started to remember why I was here.
Tonks,
I know this might seem a little too much for you, but Dumbledore thinks you’re ready for this. First, I’m sending you back in time. You may not be able to remember everything, but this should spark your memory. DO NOT LET ANYONE SEE THIS LETTER!
After you wake up, walk to the local town. Yes, it’s a Muggle village. Ask someone where the local orphanage is; they’ll be able to tell you. Use your Time-Turner if you have to. Then you need to save a dying woman’s life. Give her a potion in your satchel- it’s in one of the pockets. If you save this woman’s life, it will greatly help Harry and Dumbledore in the future.
Find a way back into our time. It won’t be easy, but don’t be afraid to take whatever measures you need to.
I’m counting on you, Tonks. I know you can do this. CONSTANT VIGILANCE !
-Mad Eye
I blinked. I was in for a heap of trouble.
* * *
I read the letter one last time before setting off for the nearest village. I desperately wanted to Apparate, but I didn’t know where I was going and would probably Splinch myself. But it didn’t help that it was dark out and I only had on jeans, a Weird Sisters T-shirt, and bright running shoes with clashing socks.
After what seemed forever, I reached a small town. It looked deserted; all the houses were dark and no one was around. Then I remembered that it was nighttime. Thanks, Mad-Eye, for sending me when everyone’s asleep!
Use your Time-Turner if you have to.
Of course! Now it made sense. Merlin, Mad-Eye, I better be getting I pay raise.
I took the Time-Turner out of my satchel. Should I turn it forwards or backwards? Forwards would be easier; I wouldn’t have to worry about myself coming into town. But what if the woman was dead by morning?
I frantically took out Mad-Eye’s letter again. Nothing about whether to go backwards or forwards in time. Typical! And make that a double pay raise.
I decided to flip a Knut. Cheesy and risky way of saving someone’s life, but I had no other ideas. Placing the bronze coin on my thumb, I flipped it over. Well, I actually just launched it into a gutter.
Patience, Tonks, I told myself. I took out another coin and tossed it, this time away from harm. Heads, forwards, tails, backwards.
Heads. Hmm. Perhaps I should do it again?
Tails. One more time, to see whether it turns on heads or tails.
Heads. Best out of ten?
Heads.
Tails.
Tails.
Heads.
Tails.
Tails.
Tails.
I supposed I should have stopped after the third, but nervousness was starting to get to me. I put the Time-Turner around my neck, and turned it three times. Three was my lucky number; maybe it would be lucky this time.
Colors flashed before me, and I felt like I was on one of those carousels my Dad had taken me on when I was little. People and animals rushed back and forth, and I closed my eyes to keep the nausea from coming up. At last, the spinning stopped, and the world was back to normal.
I looked around. Men and women walked up and down the narrow streets, some on carts led by horses, others shuffling in the snow. Snow? When had it started to snow? Last time I checked, it had been summer! Perhaps time travel affected the weather. Ugh, I was getting a headache. I really had to stop thinking like Hermione.
People were snickering at me as they passed. I thought they looked pretty darn funny themselves- the women wore dresses with puffy coats, and the men had on breech-like pants and weird hats. How far back had I gone?
I decided to use some of the Muggle money Dumbledore had provided me with to switch clothes. If I was condemned to wear a dress to save a life, so be it. As long as the paycheck got tripled.
“Excuse me,” I said politely (well, as politely as I could manage, I actually sort of screamed at her) to a young woman carrying a straw basket. “Do you know where I could possibly get a change of clothes?”
The bewildered woman directed me to a small shop down the street. Then she quickly left, as though she didn’t want to be seen with a young woman with fiery red hair and a pink-rhinestone covered satchel.
I walked to the shop as fast as my legs could carry me. It was snowing hard, and my skin was a lovely shade of blue that I hadn’t Metamorphed it to be.
Inside the shop was a black-haired lady sitting at a desk. She had on a dark green dress, and her hair was tied back. She had an oddly squashes-looking face, as though she had run into a brick wall several times without any particular purpose.
“Hello,” I said. “Do you have any women’s dresses?”
The woman nodded and stood up. Beckoning me with a pale finger, she gave me an outfit of light grey material, and a matching coat. I changed in the back of the shop, and handed over some money to the woman.
“Thank you very much,” I said as I handed over the cash, noticing how the woman had her eye on me.
“What?” I asked impatiently. I had a mission to go on and this lady was holding me up.
The woman whipped something out of her pocket and whispered something. I was thrown back off my feet, and hit the wall with an unpleasant sound.
The woman’s face was contorting. It evened out, and a maniac glint appeared in her dark eyes. I swallowed, afraid for the first time.
“Hello, dearest niece,” Bellatrix Lestrange said, and I knew I was in trouble.