A niggling little doubt began to bother him. Harry coughed slightly, uncomfortable about what he needed to say. "Um, no offence, Tonks... it's great to see you again and I'm sure you're a right capable Auror and all that, but don't you think you're the wrong person for this investigation? I mean..." He smiled apologetically. "You are first cousins with Draco."
"Yeah, and we're really close, too," Tonks said sarcastically, somehow rolling her eyes and glaring all at once. "I never miss a Malfoy family barbecue. Roast Muggles. Mmmm, my favourite."
"I didn't mean you liked him. I was was just thinking of public perception--"
"Damn straight I don't like the snide little git. As for public perception, Harry, my opinion of all things Malfoy is pretty well known. Their stance on blood purity is an insult to my own father, not to mention me. Draco may have gotten clever enough to not want to go into the family business, but if you try to tell me he's morphed into some bunny-hugging type who dreams of all the wizards in the world holding hands and singing songs of peace and friendship, I'll probably sick up right here on the spot."
"Tonks, that's enough," Kingsley said, the reprimand gentle. It was enough though.
Tonks took a breath, nodding. "Right, boss. But Harry? Considering how much I despise him, I'm the perfect person for this investigation. If I say he's innocent, that implies he really is." She looked towards Severus, and said with an air of putting an end to the discussion, "So, when can we see him?"
The Potions Master rose smoothly to his feet. "Right now, if you're amenable. I'll be back with him in a few moments. No," he said when Harry started to get up. "Stay here and see to our guests."
Our guests. Harry really liked that. He waited until Snape had Flooed away to ask, "So, are you sure I can't get you anything?"
Ignoring the question, Kingsley regarded Harry gravely. Uh-oh. Harry started to wish he'd gone off with his father, because now there was no telling what the Aurors might ask him. On the other hand, Snape would never have left if he'd had the slightest doubt about what would happen in his absence. By that measure, everything was all right, but Harry still felt his palms getting a bit sweaty as he sat there.
"Nice crest," the black Auror finally said.
Harry's brow furrowed for a moment, since he wasn't wearing his robes.
"I noticed it before," Kingsley added. "Reminded me of a couple of potions labels I've seen over the years. Specially made brews, things Severus worked up for the Order. He always draws the snake twisting just so..."
Of course. Draco had asked Snape at the time who had done the artwork on Harry's new crest, and Snape had basically ducked the question, but now it all made sense.
"Yeah, my dad's a man of many talents," Harry said with more than a little pride.
"Your... dad."
Harry glanced at Tonks. "Yeah, my dad. What's the matter? You knew he'd adopted me, didn't you? I thought pretty much everybody knew these days."
Tonks chewed her gum loudly as she replied. "Sure, I knew. It just sounded odd the way you said it, Snape a dad and all. I had him for Potions, don't forget."
"There's more to him than Potions." Harry smiled. "Though I will admit I'm just a little bit nervous about having him teach me again after all this. Not that he hasn't been teaching me all along, but class is something different. He said he was leery of it, too."
"You'll be fine," said Kingsley.
"Too bad Draco can't partner me; he's really good at Potions," Harry mused. "I'm all right, but Draco just eats them up. It's funny, you know. I used to go to Potions class dreading the prospect of getting paired with him but now I know I'd get better marks if he could be allowed to go back to class... What?" he asked, because Shacklebolt looked like he had something to say.
"Your faith in him is absolute?"
"He didn't kill Pansy. You'll know that yourself soon enough."
"I wasn't referring to the murder," said the Auror, his deep voice gone more intense than Harry had ever heard it.
"Oh, you meant in general? Then yes," Harry answered, giving Tonks a significant look. "My faith in him is absolute. I'd trust him with my life. Actually, I have... the Order was briefed about Horace Darswaithe, right? So you know that Draco saved me that day. I could go on, scads of other things he's done that prove his loyalty, times he's put my safety above his own needs, but I think you get the point."
Instead of answering, Tonks made a show of fishing another stick of gum from a pocket sewn into the seam of her Auror's robes. Kingsley was still wearing his as well, Harry realised. "Um, I can hang your robes if you'd be more comfortable without--"
"We keep them on for the intimidation factor," Tonks explained, popping the gum in her mouth. "Not that it's so necessary when Veritaserum comes into play, but it's Ministry policy. Might as well make this investigation look as above-board as we can."
"The Aurors who came to question Draco after he turned in my wand... they weren't very above-board. I think they practically tortured him or something, but Severus and Draco won't really go into details. Whatever they did, it was bad. Is that Ministry policy?"
"What were they supposed to do?" Tonks asked in a hard voice. "Your wand was checked nine ways to Sunday, but it had been in Death Eater hands. Anything could have been done to it. New spells, things the Ministry can't yet detect. And then it's 'returned' by a boy who could well have just been doing his father's bidding. And his father just happens to be a charter member of You-Know-Who's inner circle? They had to make sure it wasn't some sort of ruse. It's a rough world out there and if we aren't ready to fight fire with fire then we ought to just all go hide in our cellars, see?"
"It just seems a little... well, sadistic," Harry said. "I mean, they knew already from the Veritaserum that he was sincere."
"You think Lucius Malfoy gave his consent for Draco to take truth serum?" asked Kingsley. "He was still the boy's legal father at that point."
"But..." Harry frowned. "Draco did take truth serum."
"Not officially," said Tonks. "It would have been illegal. The Ministry doesn't issue Veritaserum except under very strict procedures. We have to account for every drop."
Harry's heart sank a little bit as the truth came to him. "So the Ministry, the Auror corps, they all sort of think Draco might be a double agent or something? Still?"
Tonks popped her gum again. "Well, face it, his last name is Malfoy. Now, maybe he's turned over a new leaf and all, but it's a bit much to swallow when you don't know that Albus and Severus verified his change of heart using truth serum. Hell, it's a bit much to swallow even when you do know that. The last name thing again. Like it or not, Draco Malfoy has a lousy reputation."
"But Tonks, he wants to be an Auror when he graduates," Harry whispered, looking from her to Kingsley.
"Pigs'll fly first," was her immediate assessment.
"It doesn't look good," Kingsley said in a more moderate tone. "Applicants are judged as much on moral worth as magical skill. There's just too much potential for corruption, otherwise. Take that diamond button, for example. If Malfoy found something like that he might just pocket it instead of turning it in as evidence. And then there's the whole issue of exposure to the Dark Arts. Not to mention his racism. We don't want Aurors who are going to trust purebloods over Muggleborns, do we? Or not investigate properly when the victim of a crime is someone they think deserves to be victimised?"
"But it's all right to mistrust and victimise him because of his bloodlines? To keep him out of the Auror program?"