The money Lewis had paid to old Tom was more than enough for him to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for a full week, but in reality, he stayed for less than two days. On the morning of the third day, Nymphadora Tonks appeared outside the Leaky Cauldron with a bright smile and brought him to her home using Apparition. Before parting in Irondale, they had already agreed that Lewis would spend the rest of the Christmas holiday with the Tonks family.
Tonks's background was far from ordinary. Her mother was a pure-blood witch, originally named Andromeda Tonks, the second daughter of the Black family and the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy. Both of her sisters were prominent figures in the wizarding world—the former a devoted follower of the Dark Lord, and the latter the wife of Lucius Malfoy and mother of Draco Malfoy. Yet Andromeda was the most rebellious of the three. After graduating, she married the Muggle-born wizard Ted Tonks and was consequently disowned by her family. Now, the Tonks family lived in a modest detached house on the outskirts of Enfield, not wealthy, but undeniably happy.
At the Tonks household, Lewis received an exceptionally warm welcome. In Tonks's telling, Lewis was her savior, the one who had pulled her back from death at the hands of the poachers. Because of the potential risks, she had not revealed his involvement to the Ministry, but within her home, he was treated as an honored guest. That very evening, he was served a lavish banquet: pan-seared sole rolls, lamb wraps with salad, roasted walnut pumpkin purée, and braised candied potatoes, followed by a dessert of pastry filled with vanilla cream. As expected of a witch from an old pure-blood lineage, the meal was exquisitely prepared, and most surprising of all, it was not traditional British fare but a localized version of French cuisine. That alone made Lewis reevaluate his impression of British pure-blood families. He enjoyed the meal thoroughly.
In truth, the dinner was not just a welcome feast for Lewis, but also a celebration for Tonks. By eliminating Pickle Curtis, the leader of Britain's second-largest poacher organization, and wiping out his core subordinates, she had earned significant recognition from the Ministry. She was awarded a Second Class Order of Merlin along with a substantial monetary reward. Such an achievement meant she had a strong chance of becoming a full Auror within six months—a process that normally took three years of training. Additionally, she mentioned that she had caught the attention of a deputy head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, who had even invited her to a private gathering.
Tonks wanted Lewis's opinion on the matter. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was the largest and most important department in the British Ministry, overseeing the Auror Office. A deputy head there was already a significant figure. For someone like Tonks, who had just graduated and achieved remarkable success, being approached by such a person was both an opportunity and a political signal. Accepting the invitation would mean aligning herself with that faction, gaining priority training and future promotions. Refusing it, however, could mean missing out on those advantages. Normally, Tonks would never discuss such matters with an eleven-year-old, but Lewis's maturity had convinced her otherwise.
Lewis himself had no firsthand experience with political maneuvering, but his knowledge from his previous life gave him some insight. In his view, she should neither accept nor refuse immediately. Instead, she should delay her response, gather information about the deputy head, and wait to see if other offers appeared. With her achievements, she was in a position to compare options.
But everything changed the moment Tonks mentioned the deputy head's name.
"You're saying this deputy head… is a woman named Proudmoore?"
Lewis froze, then shot to his feet. After encountering too many anomalies from other worlds, he had become extremely sensitive to such details. Grabbing Tonks's sleeve, he asked urgently, "Is her name Jaina?"
"Yes… it is. How do you know?" Tonks blinked in surprise.
Lewis ignored the question and pressed further. "Blonde hair or white?"
"Blonde. Why would she have white hair? She's only thirty-six."
Blonde, thirty-six, deputy head… Lewis's thoughts raced. If this really was the Jaina he knew, then she must have arrived in this world long before certain events that would have changed her appearance. The timeline alone raised countless questions.
"When did she join the Ministry?" he asked.
"Oh, so you're interested in her too?" Tonks immediately became animated. "Deputy Head Jaina is a legend. She's said to come from a reclusive wizarding family and didn't even graduate from Hogwarts. She joined the Ministry eleven years ago and quickly earned everyone's respect with her powerful magic. Her unique spells helped capture numerous Dark wizards, and many believed she could become the next great light-aligned wizard. But later, she shifted her focus to her career, rising steadily through the ranks until she became deputy head last year. She's also a role model for non-pure-blood and female witches."
Lewis nodded slowly. A core figure from another world, thriving even here. But eleven years… again that number. Combined with earlier clues, it only deepened the mystery.
"…Hey, what are you thinking about?" Tonks interrupted.
"You still haven't answered me. Should I accept her invitation?"
"Yes. Absolutely accept it," Lewis said without hesitation.
"But earlier you said I should wait and compare options…"
"That was before I knew her name," Lewis cut in. "If you had told me sooner, I would have told you to accept immediately."
"I see…" Tonks smirked teasingly. "So even a genius like you can be a fan of someone. I thought you didn't even care about Albus Dumbledore."
Lewis chose not to argue. As long as his goal was achieved, it didn't matter how she interpreted it.
Encouraging Tonks to accept the invitation was his way of creating an opportunity to approach Jaina. Just as he had intentionally approached Cirila, these individuals from other worlds naturally shared a similar perspective with him. They were outsiders, aware of forces beyond this world, capable of seeing further than its natives. They were far more likely to become allies.
Lewis's ambition was to reshape this world's magical system based on arcane principles. In a world where Muggles dominated and wizards hid under secrecy laws, he saw enormous flaws. Magic, in his view, could rival technology in building a great civilization. He envisioned a flourishing magical world and even the exploration of other realms. Arcane magic already contained the means to traverse planes and worlds—it was only a matter of reaching that level.
But such a vision required resources, manpower, and influence. Alone, even if he surpassed Dumbledore, he could not achieve it. He needed allies. Hermione, Cirila, and Tonks were part of his plan, but they were still growing. He also needed figures with real authority—people who could support him within official systems and public influence. In the long term, such power had to belong to his own side.
Originally, he intended to win over established factions through strength and shared benefits. But now, Jaina's presence offered a new path—a breakthrough.
Lady Jaina Proudmoore… you wouldn't want to lose your way back to Azeroth, would you?
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