Back in his office with Tonks, Sullivan checked his mailbox. There was a letter from Hurd, the goblin. The guy had caved and proactively dropped the price to 200 Galleons per square meter.
Sullivan thought for a moment and realized exactly what had happened. He patted Tonks's silvery hair with a grin. "You really are my lucky charm."
Because her magic was currently bound, Tonks couldn't change her appearance or hair color. She was stuck in this form for the foreseeable future.
"Why?" Tonks blinked her large, curious eyes. She had wanted to peek at the letter earlier but felt it would be rude to pry.
Sullivan explained his morning trip to buy the property and how Hurd had suddenly slashed the price.
Tonks frowned slightly. "Sullivan , if he's dropping the price that much in one go, there's definitely something wrong with that house. I don't think you should buy it."
"I've actually already figured out what the problem is. I can fix it when the time comes, don't worry," Sullivan assured her.
Tonks nodded, satisfied, then asked, "Why are you buying a building anyway? Don't you already have a house in London?"
"I'm planning to open a factory. A Magic Phone factory. I'll need a lot of wizard employees, and Hogsmeade is the most convenient place for that," Sullivan said.
Tonks's face lit up. "Really? That means everyone will be able to use Magic Phones! You have no idea—Captain Kingsley and the others have been eyeing mine with jealousy for ages."
Sullivan smiled, but internally he was thinking: Just you wait. Once I get the Magical Internet Server up and running, those guys are going to be glued to their screens watching witches post thirst traps and dance videos.
Speaking of racy content, Sullivan glanced at Tonks. She was wearing his spare wizard robes over her clothes, but underneath was still that vampire maid outfit. If she did a dance in that... well, it would be lethal.
He quickly pulled out his wand, pressed the tip to his temple, and extracted a few silvery strands of "distracting thoughts," flicking them away into the air. He cleared his throat. "Tomorrow, I'll go with you to Hogsmeade. Let's get you some proper clothes."
The mention of clothes reminded Tonks of her current state. She pulled open the collar of the oversized robe, peeked inside, and blushed a deep crimson. "O-Okay... but Sullivan , you seemed to really like this outfit."
Her voice dropped to a whisper at the end. Even at this close range, Sullivan barely caught it. "What was that?"
"N-Nothing! Where am I sleeping?" Tonks snapped her head up, lacking the courage to repeat herself.
"Right here. Oh, and Hogwarts has assigned me a personal House-elf. If you need anything, just call for her. Jingjing!"
As soon as Sullivan spoke, Jingjing popped into existence in the room.
Sullivan's office suite had two bedrooms, one on the left and one on the right. He usually slept in the right one, leaving the left one empty. It was perfect for Tonks.
---
The next day was Sunday. Sullivan took Tonks to Hogsmeade. Tonks knew the village well, so they headed straight for the Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions outlet.
Since Madam Malkin's production workshop was actually located in Hogsmeade, this shop served as a factory outlet. It had more styles and cheaper prices than the Diagon Alley branch.
Shopping for clothes was one of Tonks's favorite hobbies. Being a Metamorphmagus meant that every time she changed her look, she wanted an outfit to match.
Because of this, Tonks lived paycheck to paycheck. Most of her monthly wages went straight into her wardrobe. If her mother hadn't brought a small fortune with her when she left the Black family—and if wizarding wardrobes didn't have infinite expansion charms—she'd be in trouble.
Speaking of her mother... Andromeda Tonks was Sirius Black's cousin, which made Tonks Sirius's niece.
In the original stories, Tonks married Remus Lupin, who was Sirius's best friend. The family tree was a bit of a tangled mess.
Now, that mess was Sullivan's problem to deal with. And considering Sullivan's complicated relationship with Sirius, it was only getting messier.
However, Sullivan had conveniently forgotten these details for the moment. He was too busy enjoying the fashion show as Tonks tried on one beautiful robe after another.
Doing things you like with people you like doubles the happiness. Tonks felt exactly that way. Even though she couldn't use her magic, her smile was sweeter than it had ever been.
In the end, they bought four sets of witch robes—new arrivals from Madam Malkin's seasonal collection: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Sullivan's personal favorite was the Summer set. It used... significantly less fabric.
What Sullivan didn't know was that back in the changing room, Tonks had secretly stashed the vampire maid outfit into her bag. As for when or why she planned to wear it again, that remained a mystery.
After shopping, they stopped in front of the shop Sullivan wanted to buy.
As they looked at the empty storefront, Sullivan asked, "Would you be interested in being my Factory Manager?"
"Huh? Me? I can't do that. I don't know anything about alchemy," Tonks said, pointing at herself with a lack of confidence.
"You don't need to know alchemy. You just need to supervise the workers and make sure no trade secrets get leaked. It's definitely easier than being an Auror, and the pay is higher," Sullivan tempted her.
Tonks hesitated. She wasn't debating whether she wanted to be around Sullivan, but rather how to let him down gently. Finally, she said softly, "I'm sorry, Su. Being an Auror is my dream. I finally made it, and I don't want to give it up just yet."
Sullivan paused, then smiled and patted her head. "Why apologize for that? Everyone has the life they want to live. Of course I support you."
Just as they were talking, Hurd the Goblin, who had evidently been stalking the area for news, came running over. He was out of breath.
"Professor... Professor Sullivan ! Are you here to close the deal? I have the contract ready!"
Hurd was clearly desperate. And since he was desperate, Sullivan could afford to be calm.
"Mr. Hurd," Sullivan said slowly, "This is a friend of mine. She's an Auror with the Ministry of Magic."
Hurd visibly flinched at the word Auror.
Sullivan continued smoothly, "I brought my friend here today to take another look at the building. As for our deal... I think we'll have to postpone it until next Saturday. I need to wait for my friend's official assessment report."
Hurd's face turned an ugly shade of gray. In his eyes, the deal was as good as dead. He slumped his shoulders. "Very well, Professor Sullivan . As you wish."
Sullivan and Tonks pretended to inspect the perimeter, pointing at random corners and whispering seriously, before leaving under Hurd's despairing gaze.
---
Back at Hogwarts, Sullivan took Tonks to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore, and Snape were all waiting. It was time for a joint consultation.
Dumbledore explained the situation briefly, and the three of them performed a magical diagnostic scan on Tonks.
Finally, Snape spoke. "I believe a Blood Cleansing Potion might be effective. Headmaster, what do you think?"
Dumbledore nodded, then shook his head. "The potion alone won't be enough. It can clear the residual corrupted blood, but it cannot repair the damage the blood magic has already caused to her core."
Madam Pomfrey chimed in, "We could try a Regeneration Potion. If we guide its effects precisely with magic, we can repair the existing damage. But that will require your assistance, Headmaster."
"I am at your service, Madam," Dumbledore smiled.
Snape glanced at Sullivan. "Brewing the Blood Cleansing Potion will take approximately... thirty days. Some of the ingredients need to be harvested from Professor Sprout's greenhouse when they reach maturity."
Dumbledore raised his wand and cast a complex spell over Tonks. "This charm will protect you for the time being. It will prevent the corruption from spreading and stop any further damage."
"You should stay at Hogwarts during this time. I wrote to Kingsley last night, and he agrees that you should remain here for treatment."
"That's wonderful! Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Madam Pomfrey!" Tonks beamed, showing no sign of worry, only delight.
With Tonks's situation settled, Sullivan turned to business. "Headmaster, I'm planning to open a Magic Phone factory in Hogsmeade."
"But as you know, I'm a professor. I can't be in two places at once. You know everyone—could you help me find a suitable candidate for the Factory Manager position? I'm willing to offer 1% of the monthly profits as a salary."
Dumbledore held the Magic Phone in high regard. He was already getting used to assigning teaching tasks in the staff group chat.
What Dumbledore didn't know was that Sullivan had created a separate group chat called "Hogwarts Without the Headmaster." The staff used it exclusively to roast him.
Snape often complained that Dumbledore made him brew trivial dental potions, interfering with his research and teaching.
McGonagall complained that Dumbledore was completely hands-off and ignored the daily administration of the school.
Sprout grumbled about the outdated equipment in the greenhouses, which caused many rare seedlings to die.
Flitwick lamented that the students had too few opportunities for practical combat, leading to embarrassingly low combat power upon graduation.
Madam Pomfrey, however, would argue with Flitwick, pointing out that students dueled privately all the time, which was why her hospital beds were always full.
As the group admin, Sullivan just lurked, reading the chat logs and enjoying the drama.
Back to the present: Dumbledore was very supportive of the factory idea. He believed such a beneficial product should be spread throughout the wizarding world.
He furrowed his brow in thought. "Sullivan , I think I know someone who would be perfect. You actually know him, too. He just... has a small condition that flares up once a month."
A monthly condition? Dumbledore obviously wasn't talking about menstrual cramps. Sullivan had a guess.
"You don't mean Remus Lupin, do you?"
Seeing Sullivan hesitate, Dumbledore explained quickly, "Remus has had a difficult life since graduation. Because of his identity, he faces discrimination and struggles to find work."
"But he is absolutely reliable. You would only need to give him one or two days off each month to handle his affairs. I guarantee he won't cause any trouble."
Sullivan was hesitating, but not because Lupin was a werewolf. He was hesitating because of Tonks.
After spending the last two days with her, Sullivan felt very comfortable around her. He could tell she was interested, and he was open to getting closer.
But in the original timeline, Tonks married Lupin. Hiring Lupin... was he basically inviting a love rival into the mix?
After a moment, Sullivan smiled. Since the moment I arrived, this stopped being the original timeline. A man has to have confidence.
"I think that works," Sullivan said. "Please let Lupin know. Have him come to Hogsmeade as soon as possible. I'll need to interview him."
To Sullivan, the werewolf issue was negligible. First, Hogwarts had Snape. With enough money, he could brew gallons of Wolfsbane Potion.
Second, Sullivan had done experiments on werewolves back in America. He had invented a "Werewolf Collar." Once worn, it detected the transformation and automatically stunned the wearer.
Finally, and most importantly, Sullivan had a secret weapon he'd bought in Chinatown: a Ten Thousand Year Calendar.
It was common knowledge that the Chinese Lunar Calendar was based on the moon's cycles and could predict the full moon with absolute precision. The Western Gregorian calendar used in Europe often drifted slightly regarding lunar phases, meaning werewolves often had to guess the exact timing, which led to accidents.
With the almanac, even in Britain—allowing for time zone shifts—Sullivan could pinpoint the exact 14th, 15th, or 16th day of the lunar cycle. As long as Lupin prepared on those specific days, there would be no accidents.
Dumbledore was delighted. Lupin had been working for the Order of the Phoenix, infiltrating werewolf packs to track down the most dangerous among them and feed intel to the Ministry. He also tried to persuade peaceful werewolves to keep their humanity.
But it was a grim, dangerous life. Dumbledore had tried to find him better work, but old friends always refused upon hearing "werewolf."
Dumbledore saw great potential in the Magic Phone project, but he also knew it needed to be kept out of the hands of Dark Wizards. Placing Lupin as the manager killed two birds with one stone: it gave Lupin a livelihood and kept the project under the supervision of someone Dumbledore trusted implicitly.
"Excellent, Sullivan ! I will write to Remus immediately. I am sure he will be thrilled to have this job!" Dumbledore turned and bustled away, his robes swishing with energy.