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It was amusing to see how recognition and surprise appeared on the girls' faces as I approached. Why is the word "girl" applicable to Andromeda? As you know, a woman is only as old as she looks.

"I won't say that it was unexpected but curious, yes," I turned to Andromeda and Nymphadora with a smile.

"Cousin is not a snob!" smiled the pink-haired girl broadly. "That's fantastic!"

"Nymphadora, behave yourself. At least for the first few minutes," Andromeda chided the girl, and when she heard her name, the pink-haired girl grimaced as if she had eaten a lemon.

"In that case, allow me to introduce myself. Maximilian Knight. And you, I presume, are Mrs. Tonks and her daughter?"

"You're right, young man," Andromeda smiled politely and seemingly on reflexes gave me her hand, which was immediately intercepted by me and the air above it kissed. "The fact that our kinship is no news to you makes acquaintance much easier."

"Fi, etiquette," Nymphadora held out a hand that should have been shaken, which I did. "And call me Tonks. I don't like my name."

"Got it, Nymphadora."

"Hey!"

"Yes, Nymphadora?"

"Grr-r-r..." Nymphadora's hair changed color several times, and she decided to go on the offensive, reaching her arms around my neck like a zombie. "I'll strangle you..."

Without my wand, I conjured a tiny spot of Glisséo under her feet, and the girl immediately slipped on it, starting to fall backward, but I intercepted her arm and brought her back upright.

"Nice. You're very dexterous, Nymphadora. But don't overdo it. You can only fool the ignorant drunks at the Knockturn like that."

"What are you talking about?" she pulled away.

"Metamorphmagus adapts to changes in the body as easily as it creates these changes. There can be no exceptions."

I let go of the girl's hand, and she smiled predatorily.

"Are you sure you're a Gryffindor?"

"The hat suggested Slytherin, but I refused. Too much trouble."

"Why don't we take a walk around Hogwarts, discuss the questions that have arisen for sure?" Andromeda interrupted our tirade.

Looking around the room, I noticed that the other champions and their relatives were also about to leave the room.

"Please, Mrs. Tonks."

Somehow it turned out that for me, as a gentleman accompanying a lady and a relative in one person, Andromeda put her hand on the crook of the elbow. Next to me, a pink-haired misunderstanding snorted, standing half a step behind and from the side in order to have a good view.

We were almost at the door, but there were the Weasleys - Molly and Bill. There was a slight hitch.

"And this is my classmate, Max Knight," Harry decided to introduce us.

Molly Weasley looked at me with some disapproval and shifted her gaze to Mrs. Tonks.

"Ah, Andromeda..."

"Long time no see, Molly."

"Indeed."

Bill was in no hurry to give me his hand either, though, from the look in his eyes, he recognized me, even though we had seen each other only briefly. He took a step forward.

"I guess it's you that kid that likes to beat up my brothers so much, huh?"

Bill tried to look stern, but it didn't work. The Weasleys, in fact, were far from the tallest. Except Ron would be pretty tall, and so would the twins. So Bill could not sternly hang over me - I was already a little taller than him.

"Are you jealous of your brothers? Don't worry about it. I can continue this glorious tradition on you."

Andromeda let go of my hand - the right decision in case of conflict.

"Hey," Nymphadora interjected. "What are you guys up to?"

"As I can see, Molly, your children are not very upbringing. Heard about incidents," Andromeda's voice was cold.

"Don't tell me how to raise my children!"

"That's the kind of kin you have, Harry," I smiled at Potter.

"No way!" shrieked Molly again. "The Weasley family has nothing to do with these..."

"So you, Mrs. Weasley, deny being related to the Black family?" I looked at the woman with bewilderment.

"Of course, such an honest and bright family has nothing to do with dark families!"

"Then," I looked at Bill. "I would ask Bill Weasley to return to the Black family that amulet that now hangs around his neck."

With a glance at the item in question, I expected the reaction of this very Bill. This amulet, among many others, I had seen in one of the books of the Restricted Section describing famous and uncommon magical amulets, talismans, and artifacts. The only copy.

"Why would that be?" Bill proudly folded his arms across his chest.

"Because this amulet is the only copy and was a gift to the Black family by its creator, Henry Potter. And what an interesting coincidence, an amulet that protects and partially reflects back the veela charm suddenly finds itself on you at precisely the moment when not just a Beauxbatons champion is present at Hogwarts, but the daughter of the head of the DMLE of France."

Turning toward the wizards listening intently and watching the conflict, I found Mrs. Delacour with my gaze.

"Pay attention to Fleur," I nodded toward the girl who was looking strangely at Bill. "You can't fool an adult Veela like that, but someone so inexperienced..."

Apolline, which is the name of Fleur's mother, if memory serves me correctly, glanced at her daughter and took her away by the elbow.

"This is extremely outrageous!" Monsieur Delacour spoke with a very serious tone, looking at Bill.

"Um... I beg your pardon, but I didn't know..."

"Absurd," I smiled. "You're a curse-breaker at Gringotts, as far as I know, and they don't hold fools. Either you sign your professional unsuitability and inability to identify the charms on the famous, it's worth remembering, amulet, or you're purposely using it for personal purposes. Either way, I am waiting for the return of the amulet during this day, or else I will be forced to challenge you to a duel for stealing ancestral property. See you later."

Nodding to those present, I felt Andromeda's hand on the bend of my elbow, and we bravely headed for the exit.