Nymphadora Tonks makes her first appearance in a Harry Potter movie in 2007's Order of the Phoenix. In that blockbuster, fans learn that she's able to change her appearance at will, has an amusing personality needed in the darkest of times, and is a formidable fighter, taking part in the battle at the Department of Mysteries. Tonks then returns in the Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows: Part 1, and Deathly Hallows: Part 2 blockbusters, tragically dying during the latter.
Inevitably, Warner Bros couldn't give fans every little detail on Tonks from the book. Here are things only people who have read J.K. Rowling's novels know about the character.
She Was Mentored By Alastor Moody
Being an auror isn't easy. One has to undergo numerous tests and Tonks reveals she very nearly failed on 'stealth and tracking' in order to get into the profession. Fortunately, however, she was mentored by Alastor Moody - perhaps the very best in the game. Moody is successful at hunting down dark wizards during his time with the Ministry of Magic, carving out a formidable reputation for himself in the process.
Tonks is gutted when Moody dies, breaking down when the news filtered through. We find it hard to imagine Moody being a great mentor given his paranoia but it seems he was certainly up to the job, with Nymphadora showcasing her skills on the battlefield throughout the series.
She Lacked Traits To Be A Prefect
One thing the Order of the Phoenix movie doesn't mention is Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger being named prefects. This is something that rankles with Harry, who feels he should have been given the honor instead given all he's achieved in life - like stopping Lord Voldemort on numerous occasions.
Tonks senses his anger and reveals she was told she lacked certain traits to be a prefect. When Ginny Weasley quizzes her on specifically what, she amusingly says 'like the ability to behave myself.' This, along with the news that his father and Sirius Black were overlooked as well, helps Harry feel a bit better about the situation.
She Guarded The Prophecy
In the fifth Potter movie, fans see Arthur Weasley attacked by Nagini while he's guarding the prophecy located within the Department of Mysteries. If you've only seen the films, and not read the books, you can be forgiven for thinking this was solely Arthur's responsibility. But this wasn't the case at all, with all members of the Order of the Phoenix doing their bit.
This means that Tonks was one of the people who was on guard duty and, had Nagini decided to visit on a different night, it could have been the auror who was on the receiving end of a horrific attack. She, Moody, and other members of the team all visit Arthur when he's recovering in St Mungo's Hospital - something else that wasn't shown on the big screen.
She Tricked The Dursleys
After Harry and Dudley are attacked by Dementors in the Order of the Phoenix movie, the Dursleys then head out, leaving the Boy Who Lived all alone. This is when the good guys make their move, taking the Boy Who Lived away from Number 4 Privet Drive to 12 Grimmauld Place--the headquarters of the anti-Voldemort movement and where the beloved Ron, Hermione, and Sirius are all waiting for him.
What the movie doesn't reveal, however, is that they leave because of Tonks. She sends them a letter by muggle post saying they've been shortlisted for the 'All-England Best Kept Suburban Lawn Competition'. Everybody is amused at the prospect of Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley all leaving the house only to find out they've been had. Funny stuff.
She Gave Harry A Mini Firebolt
This is just a minor little thing, but it's neat nonetheless. Tonks is actually a big Quidditch fan, something she reveals to Harry when she comes to rescue him from Privet Drive. And she's fascinated by his Firebolt broomstick, which is meant to be the very best in the business--even being used by the Ireland and Bulgaria teams at the World Cup during the events of the Goblet of Fire.
For Christmas, Tonks gives Harry a mini model of his Firebolt. It's a cute gift and the Boy Who Lived likes it, even if he prefers and possesses the real thing. Harry only ever gets gifts from the Weasleys at Christmas in the movies but his present network is significantly bigger in the source material.
She Saved Harry On The Train (Instead Of Luna)
In the Half-Blood Prince blockbuster, Harry thinks he's being smart by using his Invisibility Cloak to eavesdrop on a conversation between Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini on the Hogwarts Express. Unfortunately for him, Draco notices a sudden movement overhead and catches the Boy Who Lived in the act. He immobilizes his enemy and breaks his nose in revenge, with the wounds of Lucius Malfoy's arrest mere months previously still raw.
Luna then comes to Harry's rescue but, in the book of the same name, it's Tonks. She fixes his nose and sends him on his way but the Gryffindor pupil notes his friend feeling and looking glummer than usual.
She Became Depressed
Tonks suffers from depression during the Half-Blood Prince. Not just because Lord Voldemort is fully back causing havoc around the world, but because Remus Lupin spurns her affections. She develops a big crush on the werewolf and falls deeply in love with him yet Remus, worried about the consequences of her dating a werewolf would be, continuously dismisses her.
It's only after Fenrir Greyback's attack on Bill Weasley that the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has a change of heart. Lupin and Tonks end up getting together and later married but their relationship, as you'd expect, doesn't always go plain-sailing.
She Was Nearly Abandoned By Remus
As mentioned above, Remus and Tonks marry in secret after the events of the sixth book and movie. Harry isn't able to come to the ceremony due to the fact he's stuck at Number 4 Privet Drive but he's delighted for the couple nonetheless. Nympahdora is absolutely thrilled, radiating joy in the aftermath. But Remus cuts a sullen figure and, in the Deathly Hallows book, actually attempts to leave his wife and unborn child behind.
Lupin visits Harry, Ron, and Hermione at 12 Grimmauld Place pleading to join them on their adventures. But the Boy Who Lived gives him a stern dressing down, reminding him of his responsibilities and insisting his father would be ashamed of his friend's actions. This leads to Remus staying put and things work out for the best.
She Was A Mother
We mentioned Tonks and Lupin having a child above and that's another thing the Potter movies, somewhat bafflingly, don't go into. Tonks finds out she's pregnant and the couple later have a baby named Teddy, which we have to say is rather adorable.
During a gathering at Shell Cottage, the home of Bill and Fleur Delacour, Lupin and Tonks then name Harry as godfather. The Boy Who Lived feels extremely honored to be given the role but worried about whether he'll be as reckless a godfather as Sirius was to him--especially as he's planning to break into Gringotts at the time.
Her Father Was Killed By Snatchers
Snatchers appear in the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 movie. They come across Harry, Ron, and Hermione and take the trio to Malfoy Manor, where Death Eaters such as Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Corban Yaxley are there waiting for them. But, in the source material, they're also responsible for the murder of Ted Tonks--Nympahdora's father.
As a muggle-born, Ted is forced to go on the run after refusing to register his identity. He meets Griphook the Goblin and Dean Thomas on his travels and Harry overhears the trio talking about himself and their belief he played no role in Albus Dumbledore's death. Tonks' mother helps the Boy Who Lived after he leaves Privet Drive but this, again, was something the movies didn't show.