Night fell slowly over the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Torches burned along the edge of the massive hedge maze that had been grown for the final challenge of the Triwizard Tournament.
The air buzzed with excitement.
Hundreds of students gathered around the stands, whispering and cheering as the final task prepared to begin.
Albus, Scorpius, and Delphi stood hidden behind a cluster of trees near the edge of the maze.
From here they could clearly see the four champions waiting near the entrance.
Cedric Diggory stood tall and calm, his wand already in his hand.
Beside him were the other champions: Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum, and the youngest competitor — a nervous but determined sixteen-year-old boy.
A younger Harry Potter.
Albus stared at his father.
It felt surreal watching him like this.
Not the famous Auror.
Not the legend everyone spoke about.
Just a student.
Scorpius whispered beside him.
"This is extremely weird."
Albus nodded slowly.
"I know."
---
A loud magical horn echoed across the field.
The final task had begun.
The four champions stepped into the maze.
The massive hedge walls slowly shifted and closed behind them.
From the outside, nothing could be seen inside the twisting labyrinth.
Delphi turned toward the boys.
"Now."
Scorpius blinked.
"Now?"
"Yes."
She handed Albus a small enchanted device.
A compact magical Time-Turner.
"We jump forward five minutes."
Scorpius frowned.
"So we appear inside the maze?"
Delphi nodded.
"Right behind Cedric."
Albus held the device carefully.
His heart pounded.
"Ready?"
Scorpius groaned softly.
"No."
But he grabbed Albus's arm anyway.
Albus twisted the Time-Turner.
---
The world lurched again.
Wind roared in their ears.
The darkness of time swallowed them.
Then suddenly—
They were inside the maze.
Tall green hedge walls surrounded them.
The air smelled of damp leaves and magic.
Somewhere nearby, footsteps echoed.
Cedric Diggory was running through the maze.
They had arrived at exactly the right moment.
Delphi whispered sharply,
"Quick."
Cedric appeared at the end of the corridor.
He moved carefully, wand raised, scanning the maze for magical traps.
Albus stepped forward.
"Now."
He pointed his wand.
"Engorgio!"
A spell shot forward.
It struck Cedric's wand hand.
Suddenly Cedric's wand grew enormous, ridiculously oversized.
Cedric stumbled backward in shock.
The huge wand made it impossible to move properly.
He lost his balance and crashed into the hedge wall.
Scorpius gasped.
"Merlin…"
Cedric struggled to control the enormous wand.
His frustration was obvious.
Nearby champions would quickly overtake him now.
Delphi smiled.
"Perfect."
Albus quickly grabbed the Time-Turner again.
"We go back."
Before Cedric could recover, the three of them twisted the device.
---
The maze disappeared.
The world twisted again.
Light collapsed around them.
Time rushed forward like a roaring river.
Minutes became years.
Years became decades.
Then—Everything stopped.
---
They landed hard on stone.
Albus looked up.
They were back at Hogwarts.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The castle felt different.
Dark.
Silent.
Cold wind moved through the courtyard.
Scorpius slowly stood.
"Why is it so quiet?"
No students laughed in the distance.
No lights shone from the windows.
Even the banners were gone.
Albus walked toward the castle doors.
They creaked open slowly.
Inside, the corridors looked unfamiliar.
The walls were darker.
The decorations had changed.
Students passed them in silence.
Their robes were different.
Black.
With a strange silver crest.
Scorpius whispered,
"This isn't right."
A group of students walked past them.
One of them stopped.
He looked at Albus strangely.
"Potter?"
Albus froze.
The boy stared at him.
"You shouldn't be wandering alone."
Scorpius frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The student leaned closer.
"You know the rules."
"Professor Umbridge doesn't like disobedience."
Albus felt his stomach drop.
"Professor… who?"
The student looked confused.
"Headmistress Umbridge."
The name hit them like lightning.
Dolores Umbridge.
Scorpius turned slowly to Albus.
"That's… not possible."
But the student continued casually.
"She's been Headmistress ever since the Dark Lord defeated Potter."
Silence fell between the boys.
The Dark Lord.
Defeated Potter.
Scorpius whispered in horror.
"What did we do?"
Because somewhere in the past…
One small humiliation had changed the course of history.
Cedric Diggory had not died.
And somehow—that single change had allowed Lord Voldemort to win the war.
---