A Journey Begins

The sound of the crowd cheering in the stands and the anticipation of an opponent to defeat—that is what Salazar has come to enjoy since entering the dueling realm six years ago. Salazar, or Sal to his friends, is the heir to four powerful houses: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor—the very houses that founded Hogwarts. As a result, he is being groomed to be the next Wizard King. However, such a prestigious lineage came at the cost of companionship during his childhood.

At the age of ten, Sal convinced his mother to show him the world from which his house descended. During their travels, he stumbled upon a dueling match that ignited his passion for the sport. That was six years ago, and now he stands in the arena, facing none other than Fleur Delacour. Fleur, along with Viktor Krum, had become his close friends and rivals on the dueling circuit.

"So, Sal, what do you say? Loser buys dinner?" Fleur teased, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.

"Delacour, are you asking me out?" Sal retorted, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous grin.

"Keep dreaming, Sal."

Sal placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "How can you say that?"

Fleur laughed softly. Being half-Veela often made it difficult for her to form genuine friendships. Many of the boys were too busy drooling over her, while the other girls kept their distance out of jealousy. As a result, she poured herself into dueling when she wasn't at school. Meeting Sal on the dueling circuit had been a refreshing change. His wit, charm, and refusal to take her too seriously allowed a friendship to blossom between them.

As the duel commenced, the crowd's cheers grew louder. Both competitors took their stances, wands at the ready, knowing that this match was not just about victory, but about pushing each other to new heights.

Sal was the first to move. With a flick of his wand, a burst of green light shot toward Fleur. She sidestepped with ease, conjuring a shimmering silver shield that deflected the attack into the stands, where it dissipated harmlessly.

"You'll have to do better than that," Fleur called, retaliating with a quick succession of stunning spells. Sal countered, twisting his body to avoid the blasts, his wand tracing patterns in the air as he fired back.

The duel became a dance, each spell met with another in rapid succession. Fleur conjured a fiery whip that lashed toward Sal, but he dissolved it mid-air with a gust of wind, sending sparks flying in all directions.

"Impressive," Sal admitted, circling her cautiously. "But you know I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

He summoned a torrent of water from the arena floor, sending it rushing toward Fleur in a powerful wave. Fleur, undeterred, flicked her wand, freezing the water into a wall of ice. The crowd erupted in applause.

They exchanged grins, neither willing to give an inch. Fleur launched a flurry of hexes, forcing Sal to dodge and weave, the energy crackling around him. With a final, powerful incantation, Fleur aimed to disarm him, but Sal parried at the last second, sending her wand spinning through the air. It landed a few feet away with a soft thud.

Breathing heavily, Fleur placed her hands on her hips. "Fine. Dinner's on me."

Sal laughed, offering a hand to help her up. "I'll pick somewhere expensive."

As they exited the arena, the crowd cheered for both duelists.

Flashback - Six Years Ago

"So this is Hogwarts?" Sal asked his mother, gazing up at the towering castle that would soon become his school.

"Yes," his Mom replied with a soft smile. "Now, I want you to behave while we meet the headmaster."

Lindsey Cross had been a Ravenclaw during her time at Hogwarts. When Sal expressed his desire to attend, Lindsey reached out to Headmaster Dumbledore, who graciously agreed to meet with them. While Sal's tutors in Albion were excellent, she believed experiencing Hogwarts firsthand would provide the broader education he needed to one day become the Wizard King.

"Ah, Ms. Cross. It's good to see you again," greeted Professor Minerva McGonagall as they entered the castle.

"Hello, Professor. It's good to see you, too," Lindsey responded warmly.

"Hello, Professor. I'm Salazar, but you can call me Sal," he said, stepping forward and holding out a smooth stone. With a flick of his fingers, the stone transformed into a crystal cat, which he presented to her. "This is for you."

Minerva's eyes widened slightly. "Thank you, but you didn't have to do that."

"I know, but Mom says it's wise to make a good first impression, and I find welcome gifts are always helpful," Sal replied with a grin.

McGonagall chuckled softly. "I can't argue with that logic. But Sal, who taught you to perform magic like that?" she asked, clearly impressed.

"My tutor. It's nothing, really," Sal said modestly.

"Well, thank you again. The headmaster is ready to see you. Follow me."

As they entered the headmaster's office, Sal was met with the sight of an elderly man with a long white beard and half-moon glasses. Albus Dumbledore stood and greeted them with a warm smile.

"Ms. Cross, I was pleased to hear from you. And this must be your son, young Salazar Slytherin."

"Yes, sir. But you can call me Sal. I'm not supposed to go by Cross for my last name," Sal explained.

Dumbledore nodded knowingly. "Yes, of course. I imagine it would cause quite the stir if people discovered you're the heir to all four houses."

"Oh! Before I forget, this is for you," Sal said, pulling another stone from his pocket. With a soft incantation, he transformed it into a crystal phoenix and handed it to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore examined the figure closely, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "That was very impressive magic—silent and without a wand."

"Well, I don't have one, so I had to learn to do without," Sal answered nonchalantly.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Indeed. Sal, is it true that you wish to become the Wizard King?"

"Yes, and to do that, I need to be the best. One day, I'll challenge you and win."

Lindsey sighed. "Sal, why don't you go explore the castle for a while? Just stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Mom," Sal said, already halfway to the door.

Dumbledore watched him leave with amusement. "He certainly has ambition. What he did just now was extraordinary."

"His tutors don't believe in accidental magic," Lindsey explained. "They encouraged him to practice whenever something happened, and he's improved ever since."

"I think he's going to fit in quite well. I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes during his time at Hogwarts."

Sal wandered the seventh floor when a door suddenly appeared before him. Never one to ignore a mystery, he opened it and stepped inside. The room he discovered was filled with books he'd never seen before and, on the other side, what looked like a training room for dueling.

"I'm going to use this room a lot," Sal whispered to himself.

On his way back, he spotted a familiar face from his dueling research.

"Hello there. I don't believe we've met," said Professor Filius Flitwick.

"I'm here with my mom, Lindsey Cross. I hope to attend Hogwarts," Sal replied.

"Ah, Ms. Cross. She was in my house. A very talented student—top of her class."

"I know you from my research. You're a dueling champion!" Sal said excitedly.

Flitwick chuckled. "It's been some time since then. Does that mean you wish to become a duelist?"

"Yep! I'm going to be the best and challenge Professor Dumbledore someday."

"Good luck with that."

"Professor, do you run a dueling club by chance?"

Flitwick shook his head. "I run a choir, actually."

Sal's face fell slightly. "Well, it was worth asking. Nice meeting you, Professor. I have to find my mom."

"Until we meet again," Flitwick said with a smile.

"Sal, there you are," Lindsey said. "How would you like to see a dueling match before we go home?"

Sal's eyes lit up. "That would be great!"