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Harry had just settled into one of the old armchairs at Grimmauld Place after managing to escape Molly’s cleaning frenzy. It had been a few days since he’d survived the Ministry’s turmoil.
He was still frustrated about the whole trial mess. Public opinion was turning against him, when he should have been the first one to complain !
Fortunately, he was surrounded by friends and Sirius, far from the Dursleys and the Ministry’s madness. Hogwarts wouldn’t start again for another month, and for once, he was enjoying his summer holidays with the Weasleys and Hermione.
Suddenly, Harry felt a strong wave of magic. Bright strands of magic floated up, forming a golden, human-sized sphere in front of him.
Harry's blood ran cold, in an instant, his wand was drawn and the stunning spell was on the tip of his tongue, when-
The door swung open to reveal Ron and Hermione, the latter starting to speak before fully registering the scene.
« Hey Harry, do y- » Her eyes widened in shock as she focused on the ball of magic, which seemed to be stabilizing.
Harry barely had time to cast them a panicked glance before the magic dissolved, revealing two children, a girl and a boy.
The boy had large ruby eyes and messy brown hair like a bird’s nest. The girl had ebony curls cascading delicately over her shoulders and striking green eyes.
Two pairs of eyes, one emerald, one ruby, fixed on Harry. The young boy let out an awkward laugh.
« Mom, before you get mad, it’s not what you think. »
Mom ? Harry was more confused than ever.
The girl immediately smacked the boy on the back of the head and hissed furiously, « Idiot ! Why’d you say that ? Can’t you tell something’s wrong ? »
« What ? Why’d you hit me ? Better to admit it before he gets mad!» he muttered, rubbing his head.
« Look closer ! He looks younger ! I told you not to touch that object ! Now we’re lost in time because of you ! »
« What ? Me ? You’re just as guilty ! »
As the two children continued blaming each other, Harry exchanged a confused look with his friends, who were just as baffled.
Hermione finally snapped.
« Wait, stop ! » she ordered. The two kids fell silent and looked at them again.
« Who are you ? And what proof do we have that you’re not Death Eaters trying to mess with us ? »
The two children exchanged a look and seemed to hold a silent conversation. Then, the girl sighed in frustration while the boy gave her a smug look and stepped forward cheerfully.
« I’m Serpens Potter- »
The girl quickly cut him off, ignoring his annoyed glare.
« And I’m Delphini Potter » she said, shooting a warning look at her brother, who pouted. « His twin sister. We’re nine. And apparently, some incident sent us to the past. »
Serpens added, staring at Harry, « Oh, and about that Death Eater thing, you can probably feel through your magic that we’re your children. »
A stunned silence fell across the room, finally broken by Ron patting Harry on the back.
« Well mate, life’s never boring with you. At least this is better than someone trying to kill us. »
« Ron ! It’s not Harry’s fault ! »
« I know ! Still true though. »
While Ron and Hermione argued, Harry didn’t take his eyes off the children, his children, from the future. He cautiously reached out with his magic and, sure enough, felt a magical connection with them.
That thought warmed his heart. Not only was he going to survive -a realy good news- and he was going to have a family.
Although… now that he thought about it, why they call him mother ? Shouldn’t he be the father ?
He voiced the question aloud, prompting Hermione to pull a face that said, « That’s a good point. »
Ron answered casually. « Wizards can get pregnant just like witches. It just means you were the carrier. » He gave them a confused look. « It’s not like that with Muggles ? »
Both Hermione and Harry shook their heads, though Harry’s face was redder than usual.
A scream rang out. Everyone turned to its source, Serpens, looking around in alarm. He turned to his sister and asked the chilling question.
« Where’s Cepheus ? »
Delphini, now panicked, looked around too. « If we’re with Mom, then he must be… »
They both came to the same horrifying realization. Their father wasn’t known for being child-friendly at this point in time.
Harry stopped them. « Wait, who’s Cepheus ? »
They answered in unison. « Our little brother. He just turned four. »
Hermione thought aloud. « If you’re with Harry, your mother… then he must be with your father. Who is that ? »
The twins swallowed hard and exchanged nervous glances.
Harry studied them more closely. Serpens looked like him, but Delphini… reminded him of-
« No » he whispered in horror as the truth dawned. He looked at the children, hoping for a different explanation, because this was utterly impossible.
The two kids gave him sheepish smiles, recognizing his reaction from hearing echoes of the conflict of their time.
Delphini spoke. « In his defense, he’s changed a lot. He’s not a saint, but he’s legal now. »
Ron frowned « Wait, Harry, who are they talking about ? »
Harry stared at the floor and muttered « Voldemort »
Ron and Hermione looked at him and the children with pure shock.
After the shock wore off, they quietly made their way to Ron and Harry’s room, hoping not to run into anyone and avoid explaining the presence of two kids or being talked out of their plan.
After all, they only had to sneak into Voldemort’s base, surrounded by ancient protections and crawling with Death Eaters. Simple, right ?
Lord Voldemort was calmly planning his next moves in the study at Malfoy Manor. He had recently regained his former appearance—not that he would show it to his enemies. His serpentine form inspired far more fear.
He was enjoying the quiet, finishing paperwork (who knew being a Dark Lord involved so much admin ?) until loud voices and footsteps broke his focus.
His wand buzzed softly beside him as he imagined casting a few Cruciatus curses on those causing the noise.
He was about to stand and unleash his wrath when he heard the faint creak of the door.
Whoever dared to enter uninvited must have a very good reason, he thought as he looked up, only to find himself staring at a miniature version of himself.
He tried to make sense of what he was seeing. It couldn’t be Polyjuice, no one could have gotten a hair from him at that age, and he didn’t sense any magical disguise.
Could it be ? He narrowed his eyes and searched with his magic for a Horcrux link. He found none—but another, more delicate bond connected his magic to the small being.
Isn’t possible
As he pondered this, the small boy approached him, unaware of the storm raging inside the Dark Lord’s mind.
Lord Voldemort was pulled from his thoughts as he felt a small fist latch onto him and a body climb into his lap.
A tiny voice hissed, « Daddy »
That single word short-circuited Voldemort’s brain.
Impossible.
But it explained everything, well, almost. It was impossible that he had a child, especially one so young. But the bond, the appearance, the Parseltongue, there was only one explanation.
An heir.
The boy hissed again, trying to get his attention. Voldemort stared at the face, eerily similar to a long-lost boy abandoned in a Muggle orphanage.
But this child was healthy, well-fed, his eyes damp with unshed tears.
Voldemort wasn’t good with emotions, let alone comforting others, something he’d never done. But something in this small being, whom he now knew was his descendant, made him try.
He gently cupped the child’s face and hissed, « What happened to you, little one ? »
« It was Serpens and Delphini, they fought and broke a strange hourglass and then disappeared. And then Aunt Bella saw me and screamed and chased me, it scared me. » the boy admitted, burying his face in his father's robes for comfort.
A hourglass ? Likely a time-travel accident then. The names Serpens and Delphini must be the others, likely also scattered in time, hopefully in the same era.
The child’s soft hissing and the pulsing magical link softened something in Voldemort’s chest, though he didn’t yet understand why.
As he ran a hand gently down the child’s back, whose name he still didn’t know, someone knocked hastily at the door.
The Dark Lord glanced at his future son before using his magic to open the door.
Bellatrix entered quickly, frantic. She bowed before speaking. « Master, an intruder has been detected a young boy. Lucius is searching for the breach in the wards and the Death Eaters are in pursuit and- »
A small sob interrupted her.
Startled, she looked up at her master, and froze at the sight of a young boy sitting on his lap, gripping his robes, casting teary eyes at her as if she had deeply hurt him.
She turned to her master, confused. Then a hiss, not from the Dark Lord, but from the small boy.
She turned her head so fast it was a wonder her neck didn’t snap.
Lord Voldemort finally spoke. « Bellatrix, that intruder you’re looking for is my son, from the future, brought here by magical accident. »
Her eyes widened like saucers. She had nearly cursed him when she saw him in the halls. What a terrible mistake she could have made !
« Call off the search. I don’t need one of my loyal followers accidentally harming my heir. »
Still shaken, Bellatrix could only nod and quickly left to inform the others.
« The future ? » asked the boy, confused. « So… this is the past ? » still in Parseltongue.
« Exactly, little one. You don’t exist here yet. »
The child looked puzzled but nodded anyway.
Voldemort turned him to face him. « What’s your name, little one ? »
« I’m Cepheus » he replied happily, playing with the hem of his jacket, the earlier fear gone.
Cepheus, a powerful name. Voldemort nodded thoughtfully. Cepheus was a star name. His mother was likely tied to the Black family.
The door opened again, this time to reveal Nagini returning from her hunt. The long snake slithered in slowly, unaware of the young human on her master’s lap.
A joyful cry rang out, catching the snake’s attention.
« Nagini ! »
The snake, as confused as Bellatrix earlier, flicked her tongue to taste the air around the unknown child.
Once she understood, she approached cautiously, not wanting to startle her master’s offspring. She looked betrayed.
« Master, you hid your newborn from me ? And where is your mate ? »
« I hid nothing, Nagini. This little one comes from the future, and I do not yet know who his bearer will be. » he replied as Nagini sulked and let Cepheus gently scratch her scales.
The boy giggled. « Yes, you do ! Mom said you met him at school. »
Voldemort raised a brow. Few he’d met at Hogwarts were still alive, or fertile.
« What’s your mother’s name, Cepheus ? » Voldemort hissed curiously.
Cepheus looked at him oddly and replied, confused, « Mom ? »
Of course, at this age, he probably only knows her by title. Voldemort tried again.
« What does she look like ? »
A smile lit up Cepheus’s face as he gently petted Nagini.
« Mom is the strongest ! And the most beautiful too ! » He paused and looked guilty. « With Dad too. He has the same messy hair as Serpens and the same green eyes as Delphini. »
Cepheus pouted, complaining he didn’t get his mom’s eyes. Voldemort was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Only one person had messy hair and emerald eyes.
Never.
Impossible.
When he could finally speak again, he asked quickly, « Cepheus, does your mother have a lightning bolt scar on her forehead ? »
Cepheus’s big eyes lit up and he smiled widely. « Yes ! »
Bloody hell.
A loud noise echoed through the hall of Malfoy Manor.
The Death Eaters, who had been summoned a few hours earlier to hunt down a child who turned out to be their master’s future son, immediately went on high alert.
Another explosion rang out, and suddenly they were overwhelmed by hundreds of tiny fireworks flying in every direction.
The smoke obscured everyone's vision, and no one saw the group of three teenagers and two children slipping through the corridors.
Once they were out of reach of the horde of Death Eaters, Ron looked around and wrinkled his nose.
« Seriously, how do they manage to make it this ugly ? I thought the albino peacocks were already the worst. » he muttered, staring at the manor’s ostentatious decor.
Hermione turned to the twins. « By any chance, have you been here before ? »
Serpens shook his head. « No, mum doesn’t really like coming here. Usually, when he wants to talk to his friend Malfoy, they meet either at our place or outside. »
Ron slowed his pace and looked at Harry—who seemed nauseous, like he had lost his mind.
«You’re friends with the ferret ? »
«What? No, never ! »
« Harry, we’ll talk about your future friendships later, we’re in a hurry ! » Hermione cut in.
They had just reached the wing that, according to Hermione, should house the Voldemorts.
They began carefully opening doors, but each one led only to empty drawing rooms.
They had just entered a library and paused to catch their breath.
« Are we going to keep running around like headless chickens ? » Ron asked.
Hermione retorted, offended, « Excuse me, but we don’t exactly have a plan, so unless you’ve got a better idea, yes. »
A soft rustling cut the conversation short, and all eyes turned toward the sound.
The Gryffindor trio gulped as they saw Nagini lazily slithering toward them, flicking her tongue to taste the air.
She looked curiously at the twins, who didn’t seem too disturbed by her appearance, and tilted her head.
« More of the master’s hatchlings. » she hissed softly as she drew closer. « The other one scratches nicely, scratch me too. » she demanded.
The twins eagerly scratched her, under Harry’s astonished gaze. He didn’t know how to react to a man-eating snake asking for pets like a common household pet.
Nagini sniffed the air again and turned her attention to Harry.
«You are the master’s mate, I smell your scent on the hatchlings. »
Harry tried not to grimace and said, « I’m looking for my other little one. Can you lead me to him ? »
The snake mimicked a human nod and slipped out of the twins’ grasp, heading toward the door.
Ron and Hermione looked at Harry uncertainly. He tried to sound reassuring, « She’s going to lead us to Cepheus. »
The two exchanged a worried glance but decided to trust Harry.
The small group let Nagini guide them through the corridors.
After a short walk, they arrived in front of a large wooden door. Nagini nudged it open with her head and slipped inside. The twins quickly followed, eager to reunite with their younger brother.
When Harry entered, he wasn’t sure what he expected—but it certainly wasn’t this.
An older version of Tom Riddle was sitting on a sofa as if it were the most natural thing in the world, with a miniature version of himself deeply focused on the children’s book in his chubby little hands.
« Cepheus ! » the twins cried.
The little boy looked up and smiled brightly, gracefully sliding off the Dark Lord’s lap as if it were the most normal thing ever.
He ran toward his siblings. « Delphini ! Serpens ! »
He stopped in his tracks when he saw the three other visitors, and a wide smile lit up his face when he spotted Harry.
He ran straight toward him. « Mummy ! » he shouted, leaping into his arms.
Harry, still getting used to the idea of having children in the future, was a bit confused, but held the boy as best he could.
Nagini, beaming with joy, slithered over to Voldemort.
« I found your mate and two more little ones ! Your nest is complete now ! » she announced proudly.
Suddenly, Harry remembered Voldemort’s presence—but his arms were full of a small boy—their future son—and he couldn’t reach for his wand.
« It’s true, Nagini. Thank you for guiding them. » Voldemort praised the snake, who preened proudly.
Voldemort rose gracefully and took a few steps forward, keeping a respectful distance from Harry, as though not wanting to scare a skittish animal.
Harry watched the dark wizard approach slowly, with an expression he had never seen on him before. His eyes didn’t show anger, as usual, but rather… desire ?
He let out a nervous laugh. « I suppose you’re not going to just let us go and pretend none of this happened ? » he asked without much hope.
A smug smile spread across Voldemort’s face, and Harry was suddenly reminded of the sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle whose memory had helped him realize his sexuality early on. He mentally slapped himself—Voldemort equals danger, not childhood crush !
Voldemort’s smile widened, his eyes seeming to pierce straight into Harry’s soul.
« No, Harry, you’re quite right, I won’t let you leave. »
I’m going to die, Harry thought. He had always imagined dying in battle, not in a drawing room of Malfoy Manor while holding a four-year-old child.
Then he heard laughter Voldemort’s. « I’m not going to kill you, Harry. » the dark wizard assured him.
Harry raised an eyebrow. « Pardon me for doubting you, but you’ve been trying to do just that for years. What changed your mind all of a sudden ? »
Voldemort’s gaze drifted toward the children, then back to Harry, scrutinizing him. « Let’s say I received some information that gave me… perspective. And besides, you know what they say, darling, only fools never change their minds. »
Harry’s brain stopped functioning. The word darling echoed in his empty mind like a bell. Then his face turned beet red.
His brain tried to send him messages, No, Harry, you cannot flirt with a murderous psychopath. But the voice was weak and far away.
The little boy decided to climb down from his mother’s arms, oblivious to the internal turmoil, and walked toward his siblings with a smile.
« Come on, Cepheus, time to go home. » said Delphini.
The three of them hugged, and golden sparks appeared, once again drawing everyone’s attention.
That phrase snapped Harry out of his daze. « Wait- what do you mean ? You knew what was happening from the start ? »
Serpens snickered, and Delphini gave a smug smile almost identical to Voldemort’s. « Oops, did I forget to mention we performed a ritual that brought us here for a limited time ? My bad. »
« See you later, Mum ! » Serpens called out before the golden light enveloped the three of them, and they vanished.
Their departure left a heavy silence in the room. Then Voldemort turned back to Harry, the smug smile still on his lips.
« So... parents, huh ?»
Ron was right, Harry lamented. His life was a comedy sketch.
The following months flew by. Voldemort proposed a truce. At first, Dumbledore was suspicious, but the magical contract was airtight—it promised an end to the massacres in exchange for amnesty and the opportunity for Death Eaters to reintegrate into society.
Some time later, a certain Tom Riddle began making waves at the Ministry and effortlessly climbed the ranks until he was eligible to run for Minister of Magic.
Shortly after his election, the newspapers announced his engagement to Harry Potter, whom he had apparently been courting since joining the Ministry. Harry eventually accepted the proposal after seeing that the new Minister was serious about his projects for equality and the inclusion of Muggle-borns and magical beings.
A few years later, the birth of their twins, Serpens and Delphini Potter-Riddle, was announced. Then, five years later, little Cepheus followed.
It was in the middle of a sunny May afternoon when Harry walked into his children's room—only to find them scattered on the floor, right in the center of a complex runic ritual -chalk-drawn and clearly marked with Delphini’s signature style- still visibly shaken from the journey they had just taken.
They all gave him innocent smiles, but were nonetheless seriously scolded for carrying out such a dangerous journey and warned about the risks of that kind of magic.
Then, as he watched them leave the room, Harry smiled softly at the ritual circle. Without that ritual, he didn’t know what his life would look like now.
A few hours later, his husband came home from work, and they exchanged a tender kiss, watched by their children, who reacted with exaggerated disgust and ran away, laughing uncontrollably, to escape their mother’s tickling spells.
Harry wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.