Planning for the future

After leaving King's Cross Station, Tonks decided to help her mother, Andromeda Tonks, make dinner.

"Since when do you cook?" Andromeda asked, glancing at her daughter with a raised eyebrow.

"I learned it at school," Tonks replied casually, tying her apron.

"Since when did they start teaching cooking at Hogwarts?" her father, Ted Tonks, chimed in from the doorway.

Tonks grinned. "They don't. I learned it to help with potions."

Ted chuckled as Andromeda set down her knife. "I didn't realize Severus had changed his teaching methods."

"Be nice, Dromeda dear," Ted teased, using the affectionate nickname he had for his wife.

Andromeda smirked. "Very well, but seriously—thinking of potions as cooking? That's clever. Both require using ingredients precisely."

Tonks shrugged. "My friend Sal came up with it. He's a literal genius."

Andromeda narrowed her eyes playfully. "Isn't that the boy who gave you that hairpin for Christmas?"

Ted raised an eyebrow. "That was a nice gift. Couldn't have been cheap. Do I need to have a talk with him?"

Tonks's hair shifted colors, betraying her flustered mood. "It's not like that! We're just friends."

Her hair flickered pink and back, which earned a soft laugh from Ted. "You're a walking mood ring, Nymphadora."

"Alright, that's enough," Andromeda interjected, smirking at her husband. "And I'm the one who wasn't being nice?"

Tonks crossed her arms. "As I was saying, Sal's brilliant. He's doing fourth-year work as a first-year."

Andromeda's eyes widened slightly. "Really?"

"That doesn't even count what he does outside of class. Did you know he can do wandless magic?"

Before Andromeda could respond, a familiar voice echoed from the living room.

"Is that my favorite little cousin I hear?"

Tonks's face lit up. "Sirius! When did you get here?"

Sirius Black sauntered into the kitchen, dusting soot off his cloak. "Just Flooed in. Couldn't miss your first day back. Besides, I wanted to hear about the pranks you pulled this term."

Harry Potter trailed behind him, grinning. "Yeah, we've been hearing all sorts of stories."

Tonks laughed, pointing her spoon at them. "Well, one of the best things that happened was Sal making me a pair of gloves that shrink if you try to use them."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You're saying a first-year made enchanted gloves?"

"Yeah! And that reminds me—he's entering the junior dueling circuit this summer. Can you get us tickets, Sirius?"

Sirius grinned mischievously. "Alright. Now I have to see this kid for myself. Any friend of yours who can enchant gloves sounds worth watching."

Over the next few days, Tonks settled back into the rhythm of life at home. She spent mornings lounging in the family's sunroom, reading letters from Tulip and occasionally exchanging notes with Sal. Her afternoons, however, were often more exciting, especially when Sirius dropped by.

One afternoon, Sirius challenged her to a casual duel in the backyard, using dummies he had conjured.

"You've been practicing with that friend of yours, right? Let's see what you've learned," Sirius said, flicking his wand lazily.

Tonks grinned. "You're going down, cousin."

The duel was lighthearted but competitive. Tonks disarmed Sirius twice but found herself constantly dodging his playful but relentless hexes. Harry, watching from the sidelines, cheered her on.

Afterward, they sprawled out on the grass, panting and laughing. "You're getting better," Sirius said, ruffling her hair. "But you still lead with your left. Watch that."

Tonks flicked her wand, sending a harmless puff of smoke into his face. "I'll remember that."

Later, as the sun dipped low, she helped her mother in the kitchen once more. Andromeda watched her daughter with soft eyes. "I like seeing you like this—happier, more confident. Hogwarts is good for you."

Tonks smiled. "It really is. I feel like I belong there. And having good friends like Sal and Tulip makes it even better."

Andromeda kissed the top of her head. "Then I suppose I owe Sal a thank you for keeping you out of trouble. For the most part."

Tonks laughed. "Oh, trust me, there's plenty of trouble. But it's more fun with friends."

Sal had been writing to Tulip and Tonks for the past several days, keeping them updated on his progress. Now, the time had come for his first real duel in the junior dueling circuit.

"Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards, welcome to the first international junior dueling match! Our first duelists are Salazar Cross from Hogwarts and Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons!"

Sal stepped onto the dueling platform, scanning the crowd briefly before turning his attention to his opponent. Fleur stood with an air of calm confidence, her wand held delicately but ready. Sal had to admit she was striking, but something felt off—there was a subtle tugging at his mind, like a faint whisper urging him to lower his guard.

Veela allure, Sal realized. She's using it to throw me off.

A sly grin crossed his face. Clever, but not today.

Deciding to test her reflexes, Sal flicked his wand. "Stupefy!"

Fleur reacted instantly, raising a shimmering shield. The stunning spell ricocheted harmlessly to the side. Fleur's eyes narrowed slightly. Strange, she thought. Most boys hesitate or stumble when I focus my allure.

She countered swiftly, sending a hex sailing toward Sal. He parried with ease, conjuring his own shield in return.

"It looks like our duelists are testing each other," the announcer's voice echoed across the arena.

Sal's focus sharpened. Fleur's spells were fast and precise, but he could see the patterns forming. She liked to lead with quick offensive strikes to overwhelm her opponents early.

Time to shift the momentum.

"Expelliarmus!" Sal aimed directly at her wand, forcing Fleur to sidestep. The movement gave him an opening, and with a flick of his wrist, he sent a follow-up Petrificus Totalus flying toward her.

Fleur blocked, but her footing wavered slightly. Sal pressed forward, weaving between offense and defense fluidly. Fleur retaliated with a burst of blue sparks that danced across the platform, but Sal ducked low, firing a Flipendo that caught her off guard.

With a soft thud, Fleur hit the ground, landing gracefully but losing her grip on her wand. The duel was over.

"And the winner is—Salazar Cross from Hogwarts!"

Sal extended a hand to Fleur, helping her up. "That was a great duel. You're fast."

Fleur accepted his hand with a nod, brushing her hair aside. "You're not bad yourself. Most don't resist the allure so easily."

Sal smirked. "Let's just say I'm used to distractions." He thought briefly of Tonks and Tulip, imagining their cheers from afar.

As they left the platform, Sal couldn't wait to write to his friends. This was just the beginning!

The following matches came quickly, and Sal found himself climbing the rankings of the circuit. Each opponent brought a different challenge—some relied on brute magical strength, while others were masters of subtlety and misdirection.

One duel against a Durmstrang student named Viktor left Sal nursing a singed shoulder. Viktor's fire-based hexes were relentless, but Sal managed to outlast him with a series of water-conjuring charms that doused the flames mid-air.

In another match, Sal faced off against an Ilvermorny student who specialized in transfiguration-based dueling. His opponent turned sections of the dueling platform into shifting sand, forcing Sal to stay light on his feet. He responded by conjuring solid stone barriers to regain control of the battlefield, narrowly claiming victory.

Between matches, Sal spent his evenings refining his cloak's enchantments, adjusting the runes to account for weaknesses he discovered during duels. Julius occasionally observed from the sidelines, offering pointers on how to improve his spellwork.

"You're relying too much on offense, Sal," Julius said after one particularly close match. "A good duelist knows when to retreat. Let your opponent tire themselves out."

Sal nodded, scribbling down notes in his journal. "I'll remember that."

By the semifinals, Sal had earned a reputation as a formidable but strategic duelist. Whispers circulated about the Hogwarts first-year with uncanny reflexes and an eye for detail.

As he stepped onto the platform for his next match, Sal spotted familiar faces in the crowd—Tonks and Tulip, waving wildly from the stands. Sirius Black sat beside them, arms crossed but clearly intrigued.

Sal smiled to himself. Now the real fun begins.

The final match arrived with an electric atmosphere crackling through the arena. Sal stepped onto the platform, rolling his shoulders as he faced his opponent—a seventh-year duelist from Castelobruxo named Mateo, known for his skill in elemental magic.

Mateo twirled his wand with ease, summoning small sparks of lightning that danced at his fingertips. "I've heard about you, Cross. Let's see if you live up to the hype."

Sal smiled confidently. "Let's make this memorable."

The referee raised his wand. "Duelists ready? Begin!"

Mateo struck first, sending a whip of fire curling through the air. Sal responded quickly, conjuring a torrent of water that hissed as it met the flames. Steam filled the platform, creating a brief moment of obscurity.

Sal didn't wait—he used the cover to move silently, circling around Mateo. From the mist, he fired a Stupefy, but Mateo deflected it, scattering the steam with a gust of wind.

"Nice try," Mateo called out, sending shards of ice hurtling toward Sal.

Sal flicked his wand, transfiguring the ice into harmless flower petals mid-air. The crowd erupted in cheers at the display of finesse.

Tonks jumped to her feet. "Show-off!" she yelled, laughing.

After the match, Tonks and Tulip rushed down from the stands, nearly tackling Sal with excitement.

"That was incredible!" Tulip beamed. "I thought Mateo had you when he summoned the lightning, but you didn't even flinch."

"I've learned a thing or two," Sal said with a grin. "And I couldn't let you two down with that sign waving around."

Sirius strolled over, nodding approvingly. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. Not bad for a first-year."

Tonks elbowed Sal playfully. "I told you he was brilliant. Next time, though, let's try not to give us heart attacks."

Sal laughed. "I'll do my best. But I can't make any promises."

Sirius treated everyone to butterbeer to celebrate Sal's victory. The Three Broomsticks was alive with chatter and warmth as they gathered around a small table.

"So, Sal, what are you going to do with your winnings?" Tonks asked, nudging him playfully. Sal glanced at the gleaming trophy beside him and the pouch of galleons he'd received as a reward.

"I haven't really thought about it," Sal admitted, swirling his butterbeer. "Mom and I have some business at Gringotts we've been putting off since I started school. She's running for Minister of Magic."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Tell her she has my full support. We could use someone sensible for once."

Sal smiled. "Thanks, I'll let her know. We appreciate it."

Sirius leaned back in his chair, shifting his gaze to Tonks and Tulip. "Aren't you two taking your O.W.L.s this year?"

Tonks groaned dramatically. "Don't remind me. I'm supposed to choose subjects for my future career, but I have no clue what I want to do."

"I've decided to become an Auror," she added with confidence, sitting up straighter. "What about you, Sal? Any ideas on your O.W.L.s?"

Sal shrugged. "I'm in the same boat as Tulip. I don't know what career fits me yet. But Tulip's great at inventing pranks—maybe we could open a joke shop together. With my enchanting skills and her imagination, we'd make a good team."

Tulip's eyes sparkled. "That's actually not a bad idea, Sal!"

Tonks laughed. "Don't forget about me. I'll need a place to test new spells."

Sal grinned. "Wouldn't dream of leaving you out. I'll have to research which subjects will help, though. Transfiguration and Charms seem like a good start."

Sirius smirked over his butterbeer. "Are you sure you weren't meant for Ravenclaw?"

Sal chuckled. "Nope. Hufflepuff through and through."

The group spent the rest of the night laughing, planning their hypothetical shop, and trading stories about school.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore sat in his office, reviewing Sal's academic records with Professor McGonagall.

"Outstanding in all his subjects... even Severus's class?" Dumbledore asked, raising his eyebrows. "Severus never gives Outstanding."

McGonagall allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. "He'll never admit it, but Sal managed to impress him."

Dumbledore leaned back thoughtfully, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. "You do realize if we continue to give him fifth-year level work, he'll be taking his O.W.L.s alongside Miss Tonks and Miss Karasu."

"I do," McGonagall replied, "but he still needs to stay the full seven years."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he gazed out the window at the moonlit grounds. "When the time comes, I have a plan."

McGonagall arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Dumbledore's expression softened. "He will assist in teaching classes. It will allow him to continue learning while reinforcing his knowledge. Students often learn best by guiding others."

McGonagall pursed her lips thoughtfully. "He certainly has the temperament for it. But do you think he'll accept the role? Sal strikes me as someone who prefers action over lectures."

Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "Ah, but the classroom can be its own form of adventure. I suspect he'll find fulfillment in helping others grow. Of course, how the role evolves will depend on the subject and the professor's needs."

McGonagall's gaze lingered on the parchment in front of her. "I must admit, Albus, the boy is extraordinary. But have you considered what this pace might mean for him socially? Skipping ahead too quickly could isolate him."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "I have. Which is why his friendships with Miss Tonks and Miss Karasu are so vital. I believe they will keep him grounded."

McGonagall's stern expression softened. "Yes, I believe you're right. Those girls are fiercely loyal to him. It's quite endearing, really."

Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Indeed. It's often those bonds of friendship that shape the most remarkable young minds. Sal will need that strength as he continues to grow."

The fire crackled quietly as both professors sat in comfortable silence, the weight of responsibility mingling with the hope of what lay ahead for Sal and his friends.