Thunder rolled across the sky outside the castle.
The tall windows of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry rattled as lightning flashed across the mountains.
Inside the corridor, the air felt heavy.
Oppressive.
Delphi stood calmly in front of Albus and Scorpius as if she had all the time in the world.
Which, in a way…
She did.
Albus tightened his grip around the Time-Turner hidden in his pocket.
"You manipulated us," he said quietly.
Delphi tilted her head.
"Manipulated?"
Her smile returned.
"No, Albus."
"I simply guided you."
Scorpius frowned.
"You let us change the past."
"Yes."
"And every time you did…"
She gestured toward the castle.
"This world shifted closer to the truth."
Albus stepped forward.
"What truth?"
For the first time, Delphi's expression changed.
The amusement disappeared.
Something darker replaced it.
Something ancient.
She looked out the window as lightning illuminated the night.
"My father once tried to reshape the wizarding world."
The word hit the boys immediately.
Father.
Scorpius felt a chill run down his spine.
"Your father?"
Delphi nodded slowly.
"History calls him a monster."
Her voice grew colder.
"But monsters are often misunderstood by history."
Albus whispered,
"You're talking about…"
She turned to face them.
"Yes."
Lord Voldemort.
The name seemed to echo through the corridor.
For a moment neither boy spoke.
Scorpius finally managed,
"That's impossible."
Delphi laughed softly.
"Is it?"
"After all… history is written by the victors."
She stepped closer.
"My father nearly conquered the wizarding world."
Her voice became almost reverent.
"He was powerful… brilliant… unstoppable."
Albus clenched his fists.
"He murdered people."
"He destroyed families."
"He terrorized the entire world."
Delphi's eyes flashed dangerously.
"And yet he was defeated by a child."
Her gaze locked onto Albus.
"A child named Harry Potter."
Silence fell.
The name felt heavy in the air.
Scorpius whispered,
"So you're trying to bring him back."
Delphi nodded slowly.
"Not exactly."
She raised a finger.
"You see… time is fragile."
"When certain events are changed…"
"Entire futures disappear."
Albus suddenly understood.
"You're trying to create a timeline where Voldemort wins."
Delphi smiled.
"Now you're thinking like a strategist."
She walked slowly around them.
"The wizarding world believes the Battle of Hogwarts ended everything."
"But what if…"
She looked up toward the storm outside.
"What if history took a slightly different path?"
---
Albus's mind raced.
"You're trying to erase my father's victory."
"Precisely."
Scorpius shook his head.
"That would destroy everything."
Delphi's voice dropped.
"Not destroy."
"Correct."
She pointed toward the portraits lining the hallway.
"In this timeline, the Malfoy family leads the Ministry."
She glanced at Scorpius.
"Your grandfather created stability."
"No chaos."
"No rebellion."
"Only order."
Scorpius looked horrified.
"That's not order."
"That's control."
Delphi shrugged.
"Sometimes control is necessary."
---
Suddenly the castle trembled.
The Time-Turner in Albus's pocket vibrated violently.
A deep crack echoed somewhere in the castle walls.
Delphi frowned slightly.
"That's unfortunate."
Scorpius looked confused.
"What is?"
"The timeline."
Another crack echoed through the corridor.
The torches flickered.
Reality itself seemed unstable.
Albus pulled out the Time-Turner.
The glass inside the device glowed wildly.
"What's happening?"
Delphi watched the device carefully.
"You've changed history too many times."
Her voice was calm but serious now.
"The timeline is starting to collapse."
Scorpius whispered,
"That's bad, right?"
Albus glared at him.
"Yes, Scorpius. That's extremely bad."
The castle trembled again.
Somewhere outside a tower collapsed with a loud crash.
Students screamed in distant hallways.
Delphi stepped back.
"Well."
"That accelerates my plans."
Albus raised his wand.
"You're not going anywhere."
But Delphi simply smiled.
"You still don't understand."
She pointed at the Time-Turner.
"That device no longer belongs to you."
The chain suddenly snapped.
The Time-Turner flew from Albus's hand and into Delphi's.
Her magic had pulled it away effortlessly.
Albus shouted,
"No!"
Delphi examined the device carefully.
"Beautiful piece of magic."
"Very rare."
She slipped it into her robe pocket.
"Thank you for retrieving it for me."
Scorpius stepped forward.
"You're insane."
Delphi shrugged.
"Visionaries are often called that."
She began walking away.
"But don't worry."
She paused at the end of the corridor.
"You boys have played your role perfectly."
Albus shouted after her,
"What role?!"
Delphi turned back slowly.
Her smile returned.
"The role of opening the door."
Lightning flashed behind her.
"For my father's return."
Then she disappeared down the corridor.
Leaving Albus and Scorpius standing in a castle that was literally beginning to collapse around them.
---
Scorpius looked at Albus.
"So…"
"On a scale from one to disaster…"
"How bad is this?"
Albus stared at the hallway where Delphi had vanished.
"Scorpius…"
"We just handed the Time-Turner to Voldemort's daughter."
The castle shook again.
"Which means history is about to become a lot worse."
---