Tonks had asked for Harry to follow her one afternoon when there were no classes between the two of them. "Lord Black, I want to ask you a very important question." Tonks started.

Slowly Harry nodded, he had figured that at some point his guardian would ask something of him, so this was what he expected.

"I, have this book," Tonks started as she pulled out the black leather-bound tome. "It's, one of my families, I guess, your family now." she chuckled as she realized that this now did rightly belong to Harry. "In it are some, bad spells." Cringing as she tried not to think of the weight she was putting on a young child's shoulders.

"Okay." Patiently waiting for her to further explain what she was doing.

"Lord Black, these are the dark arts, and I think, you might need to know them, to keep you safe," she explained.

"Safe from what?" Harry inquired as he saw how nervous Tonks was.

"The other student, monsters, people," Tonks tried to answer. "I shouldn't be doing this." she said quietly before she jumped when Harry gently placed his hand on her leg.

"Nymphadora, if you think I need to know this, there is nothing wrong with taking a look, right?"

"Actually that's part of the problem, I can't look." Tonks said as she hung her head.

"Why not?" Harry wondered as to why she couldn't look.

"It's family magic, I couldn't read the words or see the drawings even if you shoved the book in my face." Tonks answered. "It's sort of like a Fidelius, a powerful charm to hide things."

"So this is dangerous magic that you want to teach me to keep me safe?"

"Yes, Lord Black, it's very dangerous."

"But you think I need to know it?"

"Maybe."

"Then help me learn, if I don't need it, I won't use it, but if I do, then at least I won't be defenseless anymore." Harry smiled at Nymphadora for thinking about his safety that much that she was willing to do something that made her uncomfortable.

Throughout November, Harry's free time was in unused classrooms away from prying eyes. This led to the creation of a number of rumors about the intentions of Nymphadora Tonks but she ignored them, their words only informing her exactly how vicious her schoolmates were. It cemented in her that she had been right to not get romantically involved with them as they were saying some truly despicable things about her.

Hermione was not in much better shape either, after being seen walking around with Harry and Tonks, some of the other girls had figured she was offering the young lord favors for saving her. It infuriated her that people assumed that she was like that and that Harry was like that as well. She learned that Harry never had a mean word to say about anyone, he was incredibly patient as she helped him with his homework even when she would be a bit bossy towards him.

The end result was that Hermione had ended up further retracting from her other housemates, she realized that she didn't need a lot of friends, not like the other kids she knew growing up, she just needed good friends. So she had continued to follow Harry and see his lessons with Tonks.

Her first instinct upon hearing the intended lesson plan was shock and horror and to drag Harry away from the other girl and report her to the teachers. However, she realized that she could be wrong as she had been before. While Harry had cracked open the book, Hermione asked why Tonks was doing this.

"The Dark Arts, they aren't, all bad," Tonks slowly said as she chose her words carefully. "It's just they are, stronger." Knowing that description wasn't very helpful in explaining what she meant.

"It's not the same, I mean, Diffindo, a charm you learn this year, it cuts things, but Lacero is also a cutting spell, but it's a curse." Tonks tried using those spells as an example. "It's not that you couldn't kill someone with the first, but it's easier with the second spell."

"So for the Dark Arts they are just harder to get the results you want?" Hermione questioned as while Defense Against the Dark Arts talked about spells you could use to protect yourself the lectures haven't exactly gone over what those spells were yet.

"No, some are very easy," Tonks rubbed her light blue hair. "There's a spell used by healers to restart the heart, sounds like a good one to know?"

"Yeah, I could see that being very necessary for a healer." Hermione nodded as she agreed.

"It was a curse made to stop peoples hearts, just if you used it a second time it started it back up," Tonks continued.

"So some of the spells used are Dark but they have light uses as well," Hermione said in awe.

"Yes, it's complicated, in Durmstrang, another wizarding school, they teach the Dark Arts alongside the Defense, they believe you have to know how to do something to properly defend against it."

"And what Harry is learning?" Hermione inquired.

"These." Sighing, Tonks looked away ashamed. "These spells are truly dark though, these have no other use than to cause pain, suffering and death. The Black family, they are the quintessential dark family. I wouldn't even consider the idea of doing this but, Harry, he's been here two bloody months and has nearly died twice already. I don't like it, but I would rather he be able to protect himself or others with overwhelming force than rely on luck next time."

"That's completely-" quieting herself before she said something rude Hermione sat and watched as Harry started to whip his wand around. This discussion was clearly not a topic that could easily be summed up in a single afternoon, she realized.

"Ms. Granger," Minerva called out to one of her lion cubs after she ended class. "Would you please stay behind for a moment."

Hermione waved off Harry who waited to see if she wanted him to stay behind. "It's fine, I'll see you in Charms Harry." she smiled as Harry left to be escorted to his next lesson.

"I wanted to speak with you about the incident last week." Minerva said as she motioned for the twelve year old girl to sit. "To see how you are doing."

"I am, okay," Hermione answered honestly, she had been very shook up from the ordeal but after being around Harry and Tonks she was feeling better than she had the last two months, all because she had friends.

Minerva smiled. "I am very happy to hear that. I have noticed that you are spending quite a bit of time with Mr. Potter. May I ask how that is?"

Nodding slowly, instead of blurting out an answer Hermione carefully thought about what to say, that didn't violate her friends' privacy. "It was actually Tonks ma'am, she's very dedicated to Harry. But Harry is also a very easy person to get along with and I think the both of them will be very good friends for me."

"Quite, I have heard some rumors though."

"All of them are false and the people who say them are horrible, awful people," Hermione sharply interrupted her professor. She was sick of the looks she got, the words people said just on the edge of her earshot. And so her response was bitter and frustrated. "Will that be all professor?"

"Yes, quite," Minerva sighed having suspected that bringing up the topic would cause some animosity. "Have a nice day Ms. Granger." she said to her student who hurried to the next class.

"So do we intervene?" Filius asked at the staff meeting they were having about the last couple of months. He had been speaking about the current topic, Lord Potter-Black and the two young ladies who followed him around.

"Currently, Ms. Tonks denies any and all allegations of 'wrongdoing'," Pomona hissed. "With Mr. Potter."

"As does Ms. Granger," Minerva added. "She was quite cross with me even bringing up the subject."

"His school work has improved in my class when they work together," Severus commented. "I am unsure if I should allow them to pair up as often as they do."

"P-p-p-Potter, is d-d-d-doing, s-sh-shockingly good," Quirrel stuttered out as he wondered what changed. He knew it was more than just a bright young witch helping him with his homework, even if a seventh-year was assisting something was changing with that damnable child but he couldn't place what it was.

"On a different topic. The first game of Quidditch begins tomorrow, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor." Aurora Sinestra said happily. "It's going to be quite nice to see how the teams play this year."

"I don't know, Minerva, how's the new seeker," Severus slyly grinned. He knew that the current Seeker for Gryffindor was barely able to fill the position, while the rest of the team could be considered adequate, that key role was the clear weaklink.

"You just mind your own fliers Severus," Minerva turned up her nose. "My lions will win the cup this year, I'm certain of it."

Near the end of November was the first match of the season. The students had come out to the stadium, as there was very little else to do that day. So they bundled up and sat in the stands to support their houses. Or in the case of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw to root against the Slytherins.

"I don't really much care for sports, this seems like it would be a waste of time," Hermione sulked as Madame Pince came out for the game and thus kicked out the students from the library.

"Think of it, as learning more about wizarding, sorry magical," Harry corrected as Hermione felt that the term wizarding was exclusive. "Culture. It's a sport native to the people here. Think about it that way and you might enjoy it, or at least how the people act."

"I guess," Hermione smiled softly, she did like the idea of learning more about the culture of the world she was in and there were entire fields of study to understanding the entertainment and games of other civilizations.

"Just kind of wish we could sit with Nymphadora." Harry sighed as he wasn't particularly interested in the game either, flying around on a broom was fun during flying lessons, but he couldn't really see himself making a game of it with rules and points.

"Harry, I wanted to ask you something." Hermione remembered something she had wondered.

"Hmm," Harry hummed as he politely clapped when the teams came out, going along with the crowd.

"You call Tonks, by her first name, and she doesn't get mad at you, but, everyone else has to call her by her last name, why is that?" As Hermione had tried to say Nymphadora and the older girl got really defensive about it. She could easily see that was a button she didn't want to push, and yet Harry never got scolded. It was a mystery.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "I never thought about that," his shoulders slumping. "I've probably been annoying her when I do it too, huh."

"I wouldn't say that, maybe it's just different with you. She does only call you Lord Black after all." Hermione said as no one else used that title with the boy, except for Tonks.

Harry thought on that for a moment as the reasoning was sound but he knew he would need to talk to Nymphadora about it and if she wanted him to stop he would. "I guess, I should definitely DUCK!" Harry shouted as he tackled Hermione and the person behind them to the ground as a bludger careened into the stands.

"And a bludger goes wide into the stands, did anyone see who hit it?" Lee Jordan commented as the Gryffindors got back up. "I thought the stands were charmed to have the bludgers avoid them?" Lee asked McGonagall next to him, covering the microphone with his hand which muffled the question.

Nodding. "They are supposed to be, as long as it is a one time incident in the match, it should be fine, afterwards Rolanda and Filius will take a look to see if maybe something interfered with the stands or the bludger itself, it could be time to redo the spellwork."

"That's interesting to know," Lee nodded as that was a good answer. "Wait, where is that bludger. It should have come back by now?" he said into the device.

Rolanda stepped out onto the field and fired up an Orange spark, signaling a referee timeout, halting the game. "We are missing a bludger. Does anyone-" she started to ask before the Gryffindor stands erupted into shouts and screams as the heavy iron ball shot through the crowd again.

Students dived out of the way to avoid the fast moving object until it became quite clear that the ball had a target. "Oh bloody hell," Nymphadora swore as she could see it from her seat that this was another attempt on Harry's life. "Ange," Nymphadora shouted to the person on a broom nearest her.

"What," the chaser turned to see who called her.

"Give me your broom." Nymphadora demanded as she waved her hand wanting the girl to get closer to the stands.

"Alright." The chaser agreed and floated closer. "Ollie, we have a bludger attacking students, our housemates."

Oliver shook his head for a moment. "Right, Fred, George, what are you waiting for, use those bats." pointing at the bludger as it slammed through the stands.

"On it," the twins shouted back as they rushed in to beat off the iron ball.

Harry toss Hermione off towards Hagrid, she had been following him and trying hit the bludger with whatever spell she could think of but it kept missing. He was glad she was trying to help but she was putting herself in danger. In a dead on sprint Harry ran towards the edge of the stand as the bludger rapidly closed in on him. Taking a large leap he heard the satisfying crack of wood meeting metal as Fred smacked the bludger away from taking Harry's head off.

Only falling about a foot before Tonks caught him. "I got you Lord Black," she said as she started to get him away from the stands, she figured Harry would be faster on a broom rather than trying to run and dodge on foot. They just had to hold out until one of the professors could get close enough to take out the ball.

"Behind you Tonks," George shouted as he intercepted the ball.

"Thanks," Tonks smiled, that bought them a few more seconds to try and get closer to the professors, when suddenly the broom she was on started to buck. "Woah, hey now." she tried holding on to the wood as it did everything it could to knock her to the ground.

"Ma'am someone's cursing the broom," Lee tapped McGonagall's arm, forgetting that he had the microphone in hand. "This isn't an accident." The entire stadium hearing his words.

"I know Mr. Jordan," Minerva sighed as she drew her wand to try and counter the spell, but she was far away and counter curses was not her specialty.

Fred and George raced on their brooms to try and catch up to the bludger but it would dodge every time they swung. "Tonks look out," they shouted hoping it would be enough warning.

It wasn't.

The bludger slammed into Tonks' body as she shielded Harry from taking the hit, the blow knocking them both to the ground, thankfully the field was charmed to soften falls or else they would both be dead. But it was still jarring for them to stop suddenly.

Harry groaned as he picked himself up off the grass. "Nymphadora..." Harry called out as he saw that she wasn't moving. "Nymphadora." He said louder as he shook her on the shoulder. The only thing he could see was that she was still breathing.

"Harrikins," the twins shouted as they saw the bludger coming around for another shot at the boy on the pitch.

Snarling Harry drew his wand. "Tempestas Fulmina," Harry shouted in anger at the damnable object that hurt Nymphadora. The crowd was unable to hear the spell he incanted as the sharp crack of thunder suddenly filled the air with sickly red lightning erupted from his wand, arcing towards the flying iron object, a natural conductor as the force of the spell impacted and disintegrated the ball. Huffing from exertion Harry lowered his arm and turned back towards Nymphadora. "Please be okay." he said as the Professors finally managed to get down onto the pitch.

"I got her Mr. Potter." Poppy said as she started to work on Tonks. After a moment to stabilize the unconscious student, she began to levitate Tonks off the field and start leading her back towards the castle.

"Young Harry," Albus said as he looked down the bridge of his nose at the child before him. "What spell was that, I do not believe it's one taught by any of the professor's here."

"Family Magic sir," Harry answered as he was instructed too. If he didn't want people getting on his case about the spells he was using, he could stop any inquiries by declaring that what he was using was family magic.

"Ah, well, then I only ask that you never use that on a student." Albus said as he knew that was not a Potter spell in the slightest. He could see how anxious Harry was as he kept glancing towards Madame Pomfrey and the young Ms. Tonks. "That is all." The moment he finished the sentence Harry took off running to catch up to the nurse.

"Sir, I know that spell." Severus said to the headmaster. "It was one of Bellatrix's favorite."

"So it is dark magic then." Albus sighed as he had suspected it to be so, but this was confirmation.

"Yes, but it is Family Magic," Severus added on as Bellatrix was unable to teach even the Dark Lord the spells, no matter how useful and dangerous they were. Severus was thankful for that small miracle as the Dark Lord with all the dark spells of the Black family at his disposal would have laid waste to the entire world.

"That does complicate matters a bit then," Albus said as he stroked his beard. "It seems that Nymphadora is teaching the Lord Black things I wish she wouldn't."

Opening her eyes and groaning when she sat up Tonks recognized the familiar hospital wing. "What hit me." she asked as she felt like she had been run over by a lorry.

"Nymphadora!" Harry shouted as he latched onto her, his arms wrapped around her waist. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry," he said as he held her tightly. "I shouldn't have gotten on that broom with you, then you wouldn't have been hit."

"I got hit," Tonks questioned as the blow seemed to have messed with her head a bit. "Oh right the bludger, damn. What happened?" she asked.

"The twins were trying to keep the ball away from us, but then something happened to the broom. You, took a hit for me," Harry said sadly. "You weren't moving Nymphadora." Harry sniffled. "I was scared."

"But you're okay now." Tonks asked as it didn't look like Harry had a scratch on him.

"I'm fine, but Nymphadora. You could have been really hurt, I don't want people getting hurt for me."

"Lord Black it is my du-" Tonks tried to explain.

"NO!" Harry declared with authority. "It is not okay for you to suffer, to be injured, so that I don't have to. I won't allow it."

"You think you can tell me what I can and can't do!" she shouted at Harry, angry that he would say that to her.

"If this Lord Black is to mean anything, especially to the people who care about it, then yes, I as Lord Black, forbid you from allowing yourself to come to harm for my sake." Harry said unflinchingly.

"No, no, no," Tonks shouted as she got out of the bed. "You can't do that, take it back."

"I will not, Nymphadora, I was scared for you, I thought you weren't going to be okay." Harry said to her as he tried to keep calm. He needed to be able to explain himself and not act like a child. "I care about you very much and I refuse to let those I care about get hurt. Not if I can prevent it."

"You can't order me around like that. I just won't listen." Nymphadora spat at the young boy in front of her.

"Nymphadora, do not test me on this. I will never be okay with you being hurt for my sake." Harry said firmly, stomping his foot. "If the worst happens, it's better for me to die than someone who is special and has worth like you."

"You. You absolute bastard," Tonks screamed as she stormed out of the hospital wing, her hair a fiery red, furious that Harry could say those words, let alone think them.

"Oh my," Poppy squeaked as the door slammed shut, she had heard the shouted and was going to get involved until Harry delivered an order, that was family business, she couldn't interfere until it was over.

"Madame Pomfrey," Harry sniffled as he sat on the bed. "I hurt," he said clenching his robes over his heart. "It hurt to yell at her like that. Why?"

"Because Lord Black, you care about her, and when you hurt someone you care about, you hurt yourself as well."

"I don't want to hurt her though."

"I understand. But sometimes you have to do something that hurts someone to make sure they don't get hurt later."

"I was scared Madame Pomfrey." Harry wiped his cheek. "I thought she was going to die, for me."

"Why would that scare you?" Besides the obvious this was a chance for the young boy to open up.

"Because every time someone has died for me, my life got worse. When my parents died, I was put with my relatives, when my Godfather died, I became a bigger target, if Nymphadora died..."

"What do you think would happen if she died Harry?"

"I was worried that if she died, I'd die too." he softly answered.

"What do you mean?"

"If she died, the first person I met who cared about me, I think I would want to die. I don't want to die, is that selfish?"

"Certainly not. And I can understand what you mean. My husband, when he died, in the war, I felt like a part of me died with him. The world wasn't the same, my life wasn't whole."

"I'm sorry."

"For what Harry?"

"For not stopping the war sooner."

"That wasn't your responsibility Harry." Poppy quickly said. Aghast that Harry believed it was his job to defeat the Dark Lord.

"But Nymphadora is mine. I'm Lord Black, I have a requirement to protect those in my house, not the other way around." Harry stood up. "I need to get stronger, I will not allow something like this to happen again." Declaring as he left the hospital wing.

"Oh no," Poppy sighed, she could only see this getting worse over time.