Template:HP character Nymphadora Tonks (born c. 1973) is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels, first appearing in Order of the Phoenix (2003).

Tonks, who despises her given name, prefers to use her surname alone. She is described as a vivacious young woman in her twenties, an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. As a Metamorphmagus, Tonks can alter her appearance at will. She makes extensive use of this skill, not only to disguise herself in the line of duty, but also for experimenting with her appearance, and even for the entertainment of her friends. However, she is notoriously clumsy, and unskilled at household spells, like cooking, cleaning, and setting up place settings — tending to break dishes when trying to help.

By heritage Tonks is a half-blood, the daughter of pure-blood witch Andromeda Tonks (née Black) and her Muggle-born father Ted Tonks.

A child at the time of the first war against Lord Voldemort, Tonks was not yet a member of the original Order of the Phoenix. She was educated at Hogwarts, as a member of Hufflepuff,^[1] where she must have been a very good student to meet the standards required for her later profession as an Auror. She was not made a prefect, apparently due to her behavior. She was a classmate of Charlie Weasley; they both entered Hogwarts in 1984.

Tonks left Hogwarts in the summer of 1991 and began three years of Auror training. As a Metamorphmagus she barely had to study for her Concealment and Disguise exam but had difficulty with Stealth and Tracking, due to her clumsiness. Nevertheless, she qualified as an Auror in 1994, one year before her first appearance in the Order of the Phoenix.

Tonks is a born Metamorphmagus, which means that she is a shape-shifter who can change her appearance at will (she seems, however, limited to a human-like form). In Order of the Phoenix, Tonks explains that: "Metamorphmagi are really rare, they're born, not made." So far, none of Tonks's relatives are known to be Metamorphmagi. Although her features can change, her natural appearance is that of a young woman with a pale, heart-shaped face and dark eyes. She first appeared in the fifth book with purple hair, tried several different colors as disguises, and then settled on bubble-gum pink.

Tonks is introduced early as a member of the Order in the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. At the time, she, and senior Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, were acting as covert spies for the Order, at the Ministry, which had turned in strong opposition against Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter. Officially they were assigned the Ministry task of tracking down and monitoring the activities of the Death Eaters, and searching for Sirius Black, who was a fugitive and refugee in his own house — the hidden Headquarters of the Order at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Indiscreet action at the Ministry would have cost Tonks and Shacklebolt their positions, due to the prevailing anti-Dumbledore policy, but they were able to supply intelligence to the Order as to what was going on.

Tonks took part in escorting Harry, first from the Dursley family house to the Order headquarters, and then on to the Hogwarts Express train at the King's Cross railway station for school.

Tonks later fought the Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries together with Alastor Moody, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Albus Dumbledore. She was injured by her aunt Bellatrix Lestrange and had to be taken to St Mungo's hospital. She was fully healed and released, and a short time later got together with Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin and some of the Weasleys to confront Vernon Dursley about Harry's treatment at Number Four Privet Drive.

During Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Tonks was stationed at Hogsmeade and assigned to guard Hogwarts. Harry observed her behaving uncharacteristically: she was constantly depressed, rarely smiling or being friendly as she had previously been. Her hair had reverted to a mousy brown color, her abilities as a Metamorphmagus had been disturbed, and her Patronus changed some time after the battle from its original form to a large, hairy, four-legged creature. Such changes were held to be evidence of extreme shock or strong emotions. Harry and his friends assumed that her evident depression was due to the death of Sirius Black. Harry speculated that Tonks might have been in love with Sirius, since he thought that her Patronus resembled Sirius' Animagus form. Some speculation was also made at this time by the Weasley children (particularly Ginny) that their mother was trying to match Tonks up with their brother Bill, who is engaged to Fleur Delacour, because Molly Weasley kept inviting Tonks around for dinner; rather, Tonks appears to have been consulting Molly for comfort and advice. However, after Albus Dumbledore's death, it was revealed that Tonks had fallen in love with Remus Lupin (who was reluctant to return her affections, because he thought that he was too dangerous), and that her Patronus had been a werewolf instead. At Dumbledore's funeral, it appears that Tonks and Lupin have gotten together; they are seen holding hands and Tonks' hair has returned to her favoured pink, signifying that she is happy again.

Nymphadora literally means "Gift of the Nymphs". Nymphs are guardian spirits in Greek mythology who rule trees, sacred groves, streams and the ocean. During the Renaissance, northern Europeans equated the classical nymphs with their own legends of elves. Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream sees traditional English elves like Robin Goodfellow alongside Greek nymphs as servants of Diana (Titania).

'Nymph' is also the name of the immature stage of a dragonfly or damselfly before it moults, metamorphosing into a winged adult.

Tonks is the daughter of a pure-blood witch, Andromeda Black (who was born into the old Black family) and muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks. The Black Family greatly valued blood purity and therefore disowned Andromeda for marrying Ted. For this reason, Andromeda is considered a blood traitor by the old wizarding families; therefore, Tonks is not considered a member of the Black family at all (she is not on the Black family tree and Sirius noted that Kreacher, who is supposed to follow the orders of all family members, refuses to obey her).

Neither of Tonks' parents have made direct appearances in the novels or films so far, other than passing mentions. Almost nothing is known about their personalities, though they are evidently alive. Tonks describes them in the present tense in Order of the Phoenix. She describes her mother Andromeda as having had a talent for cleanliness, but Ted was "a right old slob." Andromeda is also responsible for naming their child Nymphadora, a name the latter utterly detests.

Andromeda was Sirius Black's cousin, making Tonks and Sirius to be first cousins, once removed. In Order of the Phoenix, Sirius describes Andromeda as having been his favourite cousin. Tonks has never had much of a chance to get to know Sirius, as he was imprisoned for most of her life, and dies a year or so after she finally becomes acquainted with him. Andromeda's sisters, Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, are Tonks's aunts. Lucius Malfoy and Rodolphus Lestrange are her uncles by marriage. Draco Malfoy is her first cousin, though neither she nor Draco acknowledge this; in Half-Blood Prince Tonks dispassionately refers to Draco as "the Malfoy boy."

Tonks gets along well with Harry, Hermione and Ginny. Tonks usually acts as an older sister for Ginny, the youngest child and only girl in a family with seven children, and also to Hermione, who is an only child. During Ron and Hermione's party in celebration of their being made prefects, Tonks turns her hair "tomato-red and waist-length" — looking for the moment like a Weasley herself, "like Ginny's older sister".

In Half-Blood Prince, Tonks reveals that she is in love with Remus Lupin, but has been frustrated and depressed by his refusal to pursue the romance for her own protection. This explains Tonks' personality and appearance change. However, Remus stops resisting Tonks after Dumbledore's death, and Tonks' personality and appearance return to normal.

Tonks is played by actress Natalia Tena in the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which was released on July 11, 2007 in the U.S. and Canada.

Anna Friel, who is David Thewlis's common-law wife, came out after the publication of Half-Blood Prince and said due to the fact that Tonks becomes romantically linked with Remus Lupin, she was offered the part of Tonks, but she turned it down.

• The Black family tree

• Tonks's entry at the Harry Potter Lexicon