Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 84 Disguised Magus

“Alastor, Frank, Gideon,” Dumbledore’s blue eyes gleamed sharply behind his half-moon spectacles, “the three of you will head to the Tonks’ house in East London later. The Death Eaters plan to attack Ted and Andromeda Tonks tonight.”

"Is the news from Mundungus reliable?" Gideon Prewitt asked, frowning.

Dumbledore nodded slightly, his long beard swaying gently with the movement: "Although Dunger can sometimes... be overly focused on certain 'business opportunities,' his sources are trustworthy this time."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each member of the Order of the Phoenix present: "Andromeda is a member of House Black, and she married Ted, a Muggle-born man. In the eyes of those pure-blood fanatics, this is an unforgivable betrayal."

“I originally suggested they just move out,” Dumbledore continued, “but Ted thought it would be a good opportunity to capture a few Death Eaters. After all, passive defense is never the best option.”

Snape looked up, a dangerous glint in his dark eyes. He looked at Dumbledore inquiringly, as if to ask if he could simply kill the Death Eaters. But Dumbledore had already noticed his gaze, and shook his head slightly, signaling him to remain silent.

Moody jumped to his feet, his wooden leg slamming against the floor with a dull thud. "Then let's not waste time. We need a plan."

Dumbledore waved his wand, and a map appeared in the air, clearly showing the neighborhood where the Tonks family lived.

“Alastor, you’re in charge of leading the team,” he said. “You’ll arrive ahead of time and set up an ambush. Also… this time you’ll take Severus and Lily with you, but they don’t need to participate in the battle; just let them get used to actual combat.”

Alice squeezed Frank Longbottom's hand tightly, then let go.

"You must be careful," she whispered.

Ten minutes later, Moody, Frank, Gideon, Snape, and Lily stood in front of the fireplace, preparing to use the Floo Network to reach the nearest Order of the Phoenix contact point to the Tonks' house.

“Remember,” Dumbledore concluded, his voice cutting through the crackling flames, “the primary task is to protect the Tonks, especially their four-year-old daughter. Minimize casualties as much as possible.”

Green flames rose, and the five members of the Order of the Phoenix disappeared one by one into the fireplace.

As they stumbled out of the fireplace at the other end, a light rain began to fall outside the window. The fine raindrops formed silver streaks under the dim streetlights.

“I’ll lead the way,” Gideon said in a low voice. “I was here once when they got married; it’s two blocks from here.”

“Wait,” Moody suddenly stopped them before they left the contact point. “We can’t just go out like this.”

“Everyone except Gideon, cast Illusion Charms on each other,” he commanded gruffly, wand already in hand. “It’s not a good idea for a group of people to go openly.”

Snape and Lily stood facing each other, gently tapping each other's heads with their wands.

The air trembled and rippled, and everyone's figures gradually became transparent, disappearing into the air.

“Now it’s alright,” came Moody’s hoarse voice from the void. “Giddyon, lead the way.”

“When we get there, squat down and tie your shoelaces. We’ll go in first, then you continue walking. Find a secluded spot to cast a spell on yourself and come back.” They followed Gideon silently through the light rain and breeze. Warm lights shone from the windows of the houses lining the street, a stark contrast to their tense atmosphere.

Near Bethnal Green, a two-story red brick building came into view. Gideon, as planned, crouched down, pretending to adjust his shoelaces.

The front yard of the small building was filled with blooming geraniums and roses. Among the flowers, a blond-haired, pot-bellied man was pruning the branches in the rain, his movements so leisurely that it seemed like just an ordinary day of enjoying gardening.

As Moody walked past him invisibly, he gently touched him.

Ted Tonks immediately understood, put down the scissors, turned around and walked up the steps, opened the front door, and deliberately said loudly, "The rain is getting heavier! This awful weather!"

“Come in quickly,” Ted said in a low voice from inside the doorway, his eyes scanning the street outside warily.

“Leave the door open for a while,” Moody whispered in Ted’s ear, his voice barely audible. “Gideon hasn’t come in yet.”

The members of the Order of the Phoenix quickly entered the house, walked behind the screen blocking the entrance, and dispelled the illusion spells on their bodies. Four figures gradually appeared in the hallway.

In the living room, a woman was kneeling on the carpet, looking after a little girl with pink hair. The girl turned her head, her large, bright black eyes on her heart-shaped face staring curiously at the stranger who had suddenly appeared.

When the woman looked up, Snape, despite having prepared himself, couldn't help but catch his breath, almost thinking he was seeing Bellatrix—the same handsome face, the same high cheekbones and aristocratic jawline.

But upon closer inspection, the differences between Andromeda and Bella become apparent. Her hair is a smooth, light brown, her eyes are larger and softer than her sister's, and she has natural smile lines at the corners of her mouth, making her appear completely harmless.

“Thank you for coming,” Andromeda said, his voice trembling slightly. “We could hardly believe it when we received Professor Dumbledore’s message…”

“You’re very brave,” Moody said gruffly, his eyes still scanning the windows. “Don’t worry, we’ll protect you. We’ll teach them a lesson.”

Little Tonks wobbled toward the strangers, looking up curiously. Suddenly, her hair changed from pink to a bright blue, and then to purple.

"Wow!" Frank exclaimed, "Her hair!"

“Nymphadora’s hair began to change color from the day she was born,” Andromeda explained, a look of pride on his face as he temporarily forgot his worries. “She is a natural-born Disguise Magus.”

"Are you all Aurors?" Tonks asked, his large, dark eyes wide. "The kind of wizards described in the newspapers, the most powerful wizards?"

“Yes, we are the most powerful wizards.” A rare gentle smile appeared on Moody’s serious face, although the smile looked somewhat sinister on his face. “Little girls, we will protect you.”

“I want to be an Auror when I grow up,” Tonks said seriously, then her nose suddenly grew twice as big, making her giggle.

“Impressive,” Snape crouched down, looked the little girl in the eye, and exclaimed with a smile, “Tonks, you’re born to be an Auror!”

(End of this chapter)