Ministry of Magic
Six minutes after Barnaby's "non-intervention" on the Hogwarts Express.
Tonks was delivering the performance of a lifetime, controlling every facial muscle, every small contraction of her tense body, and even consciously regulating her sweat and skin flush thanks to her well-practiced skills as a Metamorphmagus.
Even her Occlumency was at full power!
No one should be able to detect anything unusual about her…
"Can someone please explain to me how we lost forty Dementors during a simple inspection?!" shouted a uniformed man, whose level of obesity and prominent baldness betrayed his high rank. "What the hell is that thing?!"
No one who actually did their job well here could get that fat.
Tonks could only think of one person capable of dealing with those amortal creatures.
A handsome guy, with hair the color of fire, stunning eyes like starry jewels, and a muscular body that could knock out an ox with a single slap.
That's right—her incredible boyfriend, Barnaby!
More specifically, she had no doubt that the reported creature, which had started devouring the Dementors like a certain bearded headmaster and his licorice cockroaches, was one of Barnaby's pets/visitors.
When she heard what had happened, she wanted to raise her fist to the sky in joy but had to restrain herself to avoid giving anything away.
Seriously, what kind of idiot sends the creatures that give Azkaban prisoners nightmares and depression to inspect a train full of happy children?
The cold, the feeling that all joy had died, the terror of seeing that dark, tattered cloak up close…
If it were up to her, she would arrest the person who gave the order and investigate them under suspicion of being a dark wizard, being manipulated, or simply missing a few screws in their head.
But that wasn't the issue here. The people around her were more concerned with the fact that the Dementors were gone.
You see, until now, only a well-placed Patronus (like the one her boyfriend helped her practice) could repel Dementors.
The key word is "repel," not hurt or kill.
Dementors were amortal after all, multiplying as long as they absorbed enough joy.
It was because of this condition, along with their terrifying natural abilities, that Dementors begrudgingly served as guards at Azkaban.
But now, what seemed like their natural predator had appeared, something more terrifying than the Dementors, and the Ministry of Magic had no information on such a magical creature.
From the perspective of many present, it was a stroke of luck that the massive creature's attention was focused on its "snacks" and not on damaging the Hogwarts Express or the students inside.
"Perhaps we should seek advice from Mr. Scamander?" suggested a short, blonde Auror. "If anyone knows about little-known creatures, it's him."
The overweight man who thought himself important narrowed his eyes and nodded after thinking it over.
For far too long, in Tonks' opinion.
"Bring him here as quickly as possible," the man ordered with an impatient wave of his hand.
The Aurors exchanged uncertain glances. While they had the authority to invite people to the Ministry of Magic, Newt Scamander's backing and reputation made no one eager to take the initiative of being the one to bring him in.
"I'll go," Tonks volunteered, stepping forward to take on this "thankless" task. "I think I can convince him."
Moody frowned for a moment but then nodded silently in agreement. He believed Tonks would have no trouble talking to Newt. She was young, had a cheerful personality, and Newt would at least give her time to explain herself because of her friendly attitude.
Besides, completing this "difficult" request could earn her some additional merits, which would be quite helpful as she approached the end of her training and became a fully qualified Auror.
Yes, this was Tonks' third year of training, and it wouldn't be long before she shed her apprentice's robe and took up the mantle of a true Auror.
Tonks quickly left the Ministry of Magic and, once in a secluded spot, pulled out the cyan thunderbird staff and used the shadowy brambles to travel as close as possible to Scamander's location.
"I need more practice," Tonks reminded herself as she stowed the staff.
Her boyfriend could cover the necessary distance in a single move, but she had to make five stops to get close due to her lack of familiarity.
And she wasn't even dizzy! This mode of travel was simply fantastic.
Tonks was greeted by Tina and quickly met up with Newt, who was helping a Nundu brush its teeth with what Tonks thought looked like a torture device from the 15th century.
"Ah, Tonks, yes, yes, Barnaby told me about you," Scamander greeted warmly as he took a seat. "So, what brings you here?"
"Well…" Tonks recounted what had happened, her suspicions about Barnaby's possible creature, and what the Ministry expected.
"It sounds like a Gore Magala. I had the chance to study one six years ago when it was shedding its scales. One of its wings had a particularly golden hue…" Newt recognized the creature without much difficulty. "Come on, I'll think of some information on the way to cover for Barnaby."
Tina could sense that her husband wasn't as calm as he appeared on the surface as she watched him change and leave with Barnaby's girlfriend.
She seemed like a good girl; Tina hoped the local Ministry of Magic wouldn't spoil her…
Scamander's swift arrival at the Ministry of Magic took everyone by surprise, even the overweight man. They had thought it would be impressive if they could get the Magizoologist to agree to come within three or four hours—but it hadn't even been twenty minutes!
Tonks undoubtedly gained a wave of recognition for such a feat.
Moody secretly sighed in relief to see them arrive on good terms, especially noting the absence of beast-inflicted wounds on Tonks.
"Mr. Scamander! I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but the circumstances necessitate seeking the help of the best in this field…" the overweight man began.
His ability to apologize in a hundred and eight different ways, kiss up, dodge responsibility, and put on an ingratiating face had been honed over many years to climb to his current position. Handling an old man who knows a few things about repugnant beasts shouldn't be a problem…
"I see, so… did you say you sent Dementors to inspect the train my grandson was on?" Newt asked, making sure he'd heard correctly.
The atmosphere became extremely tense as those innocent words left his mouth, and everyone realized they had overlooked an important detail in the matter. They began sweating profusely as Newt's gaze sharpened, like a predator deciding how best to finish off its prey.