Vows

In a flash of light, Sal, Tonks, and Tulip appeared at the archway, blinking as they reoriented themselves to their own realm. The forest around them felt quieter, almost as if it, too, had been waiting for their return.

"Well, that's certainly helpful," Tulip remarked, brushing off her robes.

As they stepped through the archway, Sal's voice broke the silence. "Tonks, Tulip—we have to vow not to tell anyone about this."

"I swear," Tulip replied, holding up her hand dramatically. "But why did the tower suddenly appear here?"

"You said it acts like the Room of Requirement back at Hogwarts," Sal mused. "I think it knew we needed it."

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "While I do believe I needed an adventure this summer, I find it hard to believe a magic tower appeared just because I was bored."

"True," Sal agreed, "but I think it chose to reveal itself because you were the safest option. The tower might recognize certain people as trustworthy."

"But why? What's so special about us?" Tonks asked, her curiosity piqued.

Sal hesitated, glancing between them. "I had hoped never to reveal this, but while I was exploring the Ravenclaw vault, I found a book… the Book of Prophecy."

Tulip's eyes widened. "Prophecy? As in… future-telling prophecies?"

Sal nodded gravely. "Yes. Because of the risk of self-fulfilling prophecy, I decided to keep the book's existence a secret—even from my mom."

Tonks crossed her arms. "Okay, but what does this have to do with us?"

Sal took a deep breath. "One of the prophecies I read was about Harry Potter."

Tulip frowned. "Harry Potter? But he's just a kid."

"I decided then to keep an eye out for Harry when he comes to Hogwarts," Sal explained.

Tonks' expression softened with realization. "That's why the tower didn't appear to me. Sirius would be all over it—and that doesn't even count my mom."

"Same for me," Sal said. "With my mom and Julius constantly watching me, the tower probably felt it safer to reveal itself to you, Tulip."

Tulip looked thoughtful. "What exactly did the prophecy say about Harry?"

Sal hesitated for a moment. "It basically says that the only person who can defeat Riddle is Harry."

Tonks blinked. "But Harry doesn't know magic, and the last time Riddle saw him, he was a baby."

"That's right," Sal said. "Tom Riddle isn't dead. He's… a shade at best, waiting for an opportunity."

Tonks groaned, rubbing her temples. "So, my cousin's godson hasn't even gotten his letter yet, and he already has a dark lord waiting to kill him."

"True," Sal admitted. "But now he has us."

Before they could say more, a voice called from the edge of the forest. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you—it's almost dinner time," Tulip's dad called out, waving them over.

Sal glanced at the archway, ready to make an excuse, but to his surprise, it had vanished completely.

"Well, that solves one problem," Sal thought, following Tulip and Tonks toward the house.

After dinner, the trio gathered quietly in Tulip's room, determined to make sense of what they had experienced.

"Given what happened outside, it seems the tower can hide itself," Tulip said, flipping through the book she had taken from the library.

"Or maybe it's the Watcher controlling it," Tonks suggested, sipping butterbeer.

Sal nodded thoughtfully. "Either way, what you said about the tower makes me wonder what its true potential might be. The Keeper of Wisdom said it hasn't been accessed in a thousand years."

Tulip leaned forward. "Yeah, and those deactivated portals I saw… they weren't just broken. I think they were sealed on purpose."

"That could mean the tower was once connected to multiple places," Sal said. "We might need to dig deeper into its history."

Tulip turned the page, her brow furrowing. "Listen to this—'The Mage's Tower once served as a sanctuary for magical scholars during times of great unrest. It connected to hidden enclaves across realms, providing refuge and knowledge to those deemed worthy.'"

Tonks whistled softly. "That sounds bigger than just a secret hideout. Why would something like that just disappear?"

"Maybe it didn't disappear. Maybe it was hidden because of what it holds," Sal speculated. He leaned closer to the book. "Look at this symbol—I've seen it before, in Rowena's vault."

Tulip traced the rune with her finger. "It's the mark of ancient magical binding. It's used to lock away powerful artifacts or knowledge too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands."

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "So… are we talking dangerous artifacts? Lost spells?"

Sal nodded. "Possibly both. If the tower holds secrets powerful enough to shift the balance of the magical world, it explains why the Watcher warned us."

Tulip closed the book gently. "I think this tower might be more than a forgotten relic. It could be a vault—one that holds the potential to change everything."

The three sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the discovery settling in.

Tonks broke the quiet. "Well, guess we have our work cut out for us."

Sal smiled faintly. "Yeah. But at least we're in this together."

Tulip smirked. "Next time, though, let's try to explore without nearly getting turned to stone."

After the discovery of the tower, Sal and Tonks had to return home. When Sal wasn't working at the forge, he was practicing his magic. He had discovered that the underage trace didn't work where he lived, giving him the freedom to experiment without Ministry interference.

"Learning the magic your opponent uses can help you predict what they cast," Sal thought, swatting away an imaginary spell. "Deflecting or countering becomes easier when you anticipate the intent."

As summer neared its end, Sal found himself reflecting on everything that had happened. "So much to do and so little time to do it in," he muttered.

A few days later, a letter from Hogwarts arrived detailing the supplies he needed for his upcoming classes. The curriculum was more advanced, aligning with the workload of fifth years, and Sal was instructed to choose his electives. After some thought, he selected Ancient Runes and Charms.

"Wow, Sal. You've doubled up on every subject. Are you sure you don't want to just take one elective, in case it's too much?"

Lindsey asked, scanning his list.

"I'm sure. Like you said, I can always drop one later," Sal replied confidently.

Lindsey's eyes widened as she spotted something else. "Look at that— a prefect badge. That would make you the youngest prefect in history."

Sal's eyebrows shot up. "I need to write to Tonks and Tulip about this."

Later that evening, Tulip received Sal's letter not long after getting her own Hogwarts letter. She unfolded it eagerly.

"Hey Sal,

I just got my letter—it looks like we're both going to be prefects! For electives, I'm choosing Charms and Care of Magical Creatures. I'm going to write to Tonks too, if you haven't already. Congratulations, by the way. We're definitely going to make an impression this year.

Tulip."

Meanwhile, Tonks found herself receiving three letters—one from Hogwarts and two from her friends. She flopped onto her bed, laughing at the sight.

"You're both workaholics," she muttered, skimming through their notes.

"Sal, I expect you to help me with my studies if you're taking all those classes. As for electives, I'm taking Charms and dropping everything else to have some time to actually rest. Also, congratulations on making prefect! That'll make pranking much easier."

Tonks sealed her letters and leaned back against the pillows. The weight of school hadn't even settled in, and she already felt exhausted.

The next day, Sal began preparing for the return to Hogwarts. He spent the morning sorting through his textbooks, organizing them into neat piles. His mother watched from the doorway with a proud smile.

"Do you think you'll have time for all of this?" Lindsey asked, gesturing to the growing stack of books.

"I'll make time," Sal replied. "Besides, I've been practicing managing my schedule."

Lindsey arched an eyebrow. "Is that what you call staying up late reading spell theory?"

Sal grinned sheepishly. "I prefer to call it dedication."

Tulip, on the other hand, decided to spend her day collecting ingredients for her potions kit. She had taken a keen interest in potion-making since last year and wanted to be ready for the more complex assignments ahead.

Her father accompanied her to Diagon Alley, helping her pick out fresh supplies. "You sure you need all these rare ingredients?" he asked, eyeing the jars of powdered dragon claw and phoenix ash.

"You never know what you'll need in a pinch," Tulip replied cheerfully.

Tonks was far less structured in her approach. She stuffed her school supplies into her trunk without much thought, prioritizing pranking supplies and sweets from Honeydukes.

Her mother, Andromeda, sighed. "You could at least make an attempt to organize, Nymphadora."

Tonks wrinkled her nose. "Mum, it's just school. I'll sort it when I get there."

"You're a fifth year now," Andromeda reminded her. "Set an example."

Tonks smiled. "I'll set an example of how to survive school with style."

By the time the Hogwarts Express was set to depart, the trio felt ready—each in their own way.

The morning of the Hogwarts Express departure was bustling with activity. Platform 9 was alive with students and their families, trunks being loaded, and owls hooting from their cages. Sal, Tulip, and Tonks managed to find each other through the crowd, dragging their trunks toward the scarlet train.

"I swear every year this place feels more chaotic," Tulip grumbled, shifting her heavy bag of potion ingredients.

"You'd think with all the magic flying around, someone would come up with a better system," Tonks added, helping load Sal's trunk onto the train. "But I guess some things never change."

They stepped into the corridor, weaving through students trying to find compartments. After passing several filled ones, Tulip finally pointed to an empty spot. "Here's one!" she called, sliding the door open.

Just as they settled in, the compartment door slid open again, revealing a tall, red-haired boy wearing a gleaming prefect badge. Percy Weasley stood with an air of self-importance, clipboard in hand.

"Afternoon," Percy greeted, glancing at them over the top of his glasses. His eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the prefect badge pinned to Sal's robes. "You must be Salazar Cross. I heard you were appointed prefect this year."

"That's right," Sal replied, offering a polite nod. "And this is Tulip Karasu, also a new prefect."

Percy's expression shifted, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "A first-year prefect? That's… highly unusual. I was made prefect in my fifth year, like most students."

Tonks, who was lounging with her feet on the seat, smirked. "Sal's just special like that."

Percy straightened his glasses. "Well, it's a big responsibility. The younger students will look up to you. I'm sure you'll manage, though it won't hurt to observe the older prefects—like me."

Sal exchanged a glance with Tulip, who was trying not to laugh. "I appreciate the advice," Sal said diplomatically. "I'm sure there's a lot I can learn."

Percy nodded approvingly. "Good. Discipline is important at Hogwarts. If you need any guidance, don't hesitate to ask. I take my duties very seriously."

Tulip grinned. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Percy."

Percy gave a stiff nod before retreating into the corridor, continuing his rounds. As the door clicked shut, Tulip burst into laughter. "He's so… formal. Does he ever loosen up?"

"Not that I've seen," Tonks replied with a grin. "But he means well. I think."

Sal leaned back against the seat, gazing out the window as the train began to move. "Well, I guess we're prefects now. This is going to be an interesting year."

"I'll say," Tulip added, shaking her head. "Here's to making sure we don't turn out like Percy."

Tonks raised her butterbeer in an imaginary toast. "To mischief… but responsibly, of course."

The three laughed as the train sped toward Hogwarts, ready for the new challenges that awaited them.

As the train rolled on, the compartment door slid open once more. This time, it wasn't Percy—it was Fred and George Weasley, identical grins plastered on their faces.

"Well, if it isn't the youngest prefect in history," Fred teased, leaning against the doorframe.

"We had to see it for ourselves," George added. "A first-year prefect. That's legendary."

Tulip grinned. "I bet you're both here to get tips on how to avoid getting caught."

Fred gasped dramatically. "Tulip, you wound me. We'd never."

George nodded solemnly. "We're merely here to observe… and gather information."

Tonks laughed. "I'm sure you are. But you're wasting your time with Sal. He's way too responsible."

Sal shrugged. "I just try to keep you out of trouble."

Fred and George exchanged glances. "Sounds like a challenge," they said in unison before disappearing down the corridor.

Sal watched them go with a shake of his head. "I'll give it two weeks before they try something big."

Tulip smirked. "Two weeks? You're being generous."

The three settled back into their seats, the distant sound of laughter and chatter filling the train as the castle loomed closer on the horizon.