Ever since Sirius Black escaped from prison, everyone had been busy, including Diana. Today, she wasn't home, and the house was empty.
As soon as Chris returned, he went straight to the study to continue working on his report. Judging by the look on his face, he was likely planning to stay up all night.
A "tree branch" wobbled over to Kyle's shoulder...
"Long time no see, Groot."
"And you, Tom... Wait, I swear you've gotten even fatter than a month ago."
The Kneazle, Tom, had wanted to come over and greet him, but upon hearing this, he huffed, turned away, and left, flicking his tail in the air as he went. Kyle didn't mind. After greeting the two animal members of the family, he went upstairs to his room, opened his suitcase, and emptied some of its contents onto the table.
This was one of the reasons he didn't want to stay at the Leaky Cauldron. Aurors had all sorts of abilities—like Mad-Eye Moody, who had a magical eye that could see through almost anything. Although Moody had long since retired, there was no telling if other Aurors had similar skills. To be cautious, Kyle had set his suitcase to "muggle mode" after they'd been discovered at the Leaky Cauldron. It had been so inconvenient.
Here, at least, he didn't have to worry about someone barging in and rummaging through his things.
Newt had dealt with similar situations when he was young. Though it happened in a different country, it was a reminder to stay vigilant. After all, Kyle's suitcase held a Dragon, and if that were discovered, he could end up in the same trouble as Sirius Black.
Kyle sat down at the table and began emptying the dragon blood he'd harvested in Romania into smaller bottles he'd bought at Diagon Alley. The larger bottles he'd used before had been cumbersome; these smaller ones would be more practical. He then sorted the other materials, herbs, and magical items like charms before returning them all to his suitcase.
With so much to organize—and with a Bowtruckle and a Niffler constantly getting underfoot—he didn't finish until late into the night. After a month away from home, lying down on his familiar bed felt like bliss, and a drowsy sleep soon overtook him.
The next morning, Chris, looking bleary-eyed and tousled, saw him off at King's Cross Station.
"Are you waiting for the Weasleys here?" Chris asked, rubbing his eyes as they stood in front of Platform 9¾. "I think we're here earlier than they are."
"Actually, Mr. Chris, they entered the platform five minutes ago," said a cheerful voice from behind them.
They both turned at once and found a strange witch standing there, smiling at them.
"You are...?" Chris frowned.
"Oh, I almost forgot." The witch shook her head, and her face began to age rapidly. Her maroon hair shifted to a very light blue.
"I should have known." Chris rubbed his forehead. "Long time no see, Tonks."
"Not really," Nymphadora Tonks replied with a smile. "We just saw each other last night—you just didn't recognize me."
Last night, the elderly witch drinking mead had actually been her.
"It's not easy to spot a Metamorphmagus in a crowd," Chris said with a grin, patting Kyle on the shoulder. "This is my son, Kyle. Kyle, meet Nymphadora Tonks, the youngest Auror in the Ministry."
Upon hearing Chris's words, Tonks's hair turned bubble-gum pink. Oddly, none of the passersby seemed to notice. "We already know each other," she said. "I kept an eye on little Kyle in the Hufflepuff common room back in my seventh year."
Kyle nodded. He had indeed met Tonks before, though not well. Although they were both in Hufflepuff, she had been an Auror trainee by her seventh year and was rarely at school. He had only encountered her briefly in the common room.
"I almost forgot you're only six years older than Kyle," Chris muttered, rubbing his head.
Noticing how tired he looked, Tonks asked, "How many reports did you write yesterday?"
"Eight," Chris sighed. "I started at noon yesterday and only finished half an hour ago."
"It was just a trip to Romania. Did you really need to write so many reports?"
"I don't know why, but ever since last year, the paperwork has just been piling up."
"We're swamped too," Tonks replied as her hair turned a dull gray. "I never thought being an Auror would involve so much paperwork... I spend more time in the office than I do on missions."
She continued to complain until a tall wizard approached, at which point she immediately quieted down and pretended nothing was wrong.
"Kingsley!" Chris greeted the wizard warmly.
It was the man who had been reading the newspaper in the Leaky Cauldron the previous day.
Kyle didn't join in on their conversation, and by the time Kingsley came over, the train was preparing to depart. He slipped through the wall to Platform 9¾.
The Hogwarts Express was still in its usual spot, billowing smoke, and the platform was packed with families seeing off their children.
Fred and George suddenly appeared on either side of Kyle.
"You're cutting it close—the train's about to leave," Fred said.
"We thought you'd be coming to Hogwarts in a flying car too," George joked, throwing an arm around Kyle's shoulder.
"We ran into some people outside and got held up a bit," Kyle explained. "Nymphadora Tonks—you know her?"
"Of course, the Metamorphmagus."
"A big deal a few years back. Quite famous."
"I thought she'd already be an Auror…" Fred mused. "Probably because of that Sirius Black business that she's here at King's Cross."
"Afraid he might blend in with the parents?"
"Only logical explanation."
"Do they think Black will come to Hogwarts?"
At that moment, a loud whistle sounded, and Fred and George dropped the topic. Together with Kyle, they hurried toward the train.
On the platform, a guard was shutting the train doors one by one. The three of them quickened their pace and managed to board just in time.
"You have to go see Percy," Fred said with a mischievous grin as they made their way down the aisle. "We made a little adjustment to his badge."
"He hasn't noticed yet, but now it reads 'Enormous Head' in giant letters."