Three weeks later.
In the Hufflepuff Common Room, a young adult was holding her own purple hair in frustration.
"Why is it so hard to talk to him?" Tonks lamented, collapsing onto the couch, her voice laden with helplessness and sadness. Her hair changed color from purple to gray.
She had tried to reach out to her cousin, but he spent most of his days in the Slytherin Common Room, and when he wasn't there, he was in the library in the forbidden section where she couldn't enter!
During classes, they couldn't meet since she was in her seventh year and he was in his first; it was as if fate was conspiring to keep them apart forever.
Tonks didn't want to resort to it, but she was considering breaking into the Slytherin Common Room, which was a terrible idea. If caught, all Slytherins would be her enemies, and she might even be expelled for breaking one of Hogwarts' most important rules.
Biting her nails anxiously, she made a decision: "Screw the consequences!"
Her hair suddenly changed from gray to pink.
Tonks stood up, leaving the Hufflepuff Common Room, and suddenly changed her appearance, transforming into a Ravenclaw student.
She walked through the corridors of Hogwarts in search of a Slytherin, something she had never imagined herself doing.
After a while, she spotted a platinum blonde teenage girl with an arrogant demeanor. She recognized the girl as Dorea Malfoy, one of the two princesses of Slytherin, alongside Daphne Greengrass, the ice queen. The girl was a typical Slytherin through and through.
Seeing Dorea heading towards the library, Tonks felt a surge of determination. As she turned the corner, she transformed into Dorea and confidently strode towards the dungeons, where the Slytherin Common Room was located, beneath the Black Lake.
Upon reaching the entrance, Tonks looked at the massive door adorned with a silver serpent and didn't hesitate to speak the password.
"Pureblood."
As the door opened, a smug smile formed on Tonks' lips. Slytherins were easily predictable, and this time was no different.
Upon entering the Common Room, Tonks couldn't help but widen her eyes at the luxury and elegance of the place. It was a bit dim, but the entire ambiance seemed magnificent and filled with refinement, in shades of green, silver, and black. The black wooden furniture was beautifully carved with snakes. The whole room was a spectacle to behold.
Tonks didn't want to admit it, but she felt a twinge of envy. It seemed like the entire school budget had been invested in the Slytherin Common Room. Shaking her head to refocus, she searched for her cousin, and to her surprise, she found him!
He was by the fireplace, seated on an elegant chair that looked more like a throne than a simple seat. He read a newspaper while a nearly empty glass of wine rested on the nearby side table.
Tonks couldn't help but feel that her cousin certainly knew how to enjoy life. At the same time, she couldn't help but notice that he looked like one of those villainous princes that would make any teenager fall for the "Bad Boy" vibe.
As she pondered this, Tonks approached arrogantly and sat in the chair next to him, a chair that resembled a throne, but more elegant and silver in color, unlike the black throne where her cousin was seated.
Asterion noticed her presence and furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Hello, Asterion," she said with a sweet and gentle voice, like a teenager vaguely expressing her crush. Tonks was secretly proud of her performance; she felt like she deserved an Oscar!
But his next words made Tonks' body stiffen, her presumption disappearing as quickly as it came.
"You're not Dorea."
Asterion couldn't help but feel a certain amusement with the situation before him.
"So, who are you?" Closing the newspaper, Asterion asked, his eyes shining with slight interest.
He observed the fake Dorea and noticed that her magical aura was similar to Dorea's, but Dorea Malfoy herself didn't like him, so it was impossible for her to speak in that tone with him, especially sitting on the throne he had prepared for Daphne beside him. Hierarchy in Slytherin was strict, and such an act of disrespect would not be tolerated.
Suddenly, to his surprised eyes, Dorea's appearance began to undergo an impressive transformation. Her body changed, first in height, then in skin color, followed by facial features, and finally, her hair. Asterion watched the transformation with interest. In place of the blonde, emerged a young adult with purple hair and black eyes. She bore a certain resemblance to someone he knew, especially in the cheekbones.
Asterion recognized the process; the young woman was a Metamorphmagus, a talent that seemed to commonly appear in the Black family. A very powerful talent for infiltration and combat, as it could alter even the body's composition, making it as hard as steel or as light as a feather.
The young woman had a somewhat embarrassed smile, which Asterion could understand.
"If you wanted to get close to me, you should have chosen my fiancée or Tracey. Both are close to me, unlike Dorea, who hates me to the core," commented Asterion as he finished the last sip of wine in his glass.
"But it didn't seem like she hated you, in the occasions I saw you two together," the woman asked, confused.
"Well, Slytherin has a rule: to be united outside the Common Room. Conflicts should always remain within the Common Room."
The young woman opened her mouth, surprised and unsure of what to say.
"So, who are you?" Asterion asked again, his red eyes shining slightly as he observed the young woman beside him.
Nymph squirmed in her chair and spoke with a embarrassed tone: "I know it must be strange, but I'm your cousin, Nymph Tonks."
Asterion's expression remained unchanged.
"Aren't you surprised?" Nymph asked, noticing his lack of reaction to the revelation.
"I have many cousins, Miss Tonks. One more is not so surprising," replied Asterion, reaching for a bottle of wine from the shadow beside him and refilling his glass.
"But let's talk about you. Why did you come to me?" Swirling the glass in smooth, circular motions, he asked, looking at her with his red eyes. Honestly, he already knew who Nymph was, or rather, Nymphadora.
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Author's thoughts: Poor Nymphadora, she chose the wrong person to transform into...
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Next Chapter: Chapter 51 - Request (2), Chapter 52 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (1), Chapter 53 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (2), Chapter 54 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (3), Chapter 55 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (4), Chapter 56 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (1), Chapter 57 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (2), Chapter 58 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (3), Chapter 59 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (4), Chapter 60 - School Council, Chapter 61 - Mission (1), Chapter 62 - Mission (2), Chapter 63 - Mission (3), Chapter 64 - Mission (4), Chapter 65 - Mission (5), Chapter 66 - Consequences of the Attack (1), Chapter 67 - Consequences of the Attack (2), Chapter 68 - Invasion of Hogwarts (1), Chapter 69 - Invasion of Hogwarts (2), Chapter 70 - Invasion of Hogwarts (3), Chapter 71 - Invasion of Hogwarts (4), Chapter 72 - Invasion of Hogwarts (5), Chapter 73 - Invasion of Hogwarts (6), Chapter 74 - Invasion of Hogwarts (7), Chapter 75 - Invasion of Hogwarts (8).