For a long moment, no one moved.
The corridor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was silent except for the distant sounds of the battle slowly fading outside.
The war was ending.
Again.
On the cold stone floor lay the body of Lord Voldemort.
Defeated.
History had corrected itself.
Harry lowered his wand slowly.
But his eyes were not on Voldemort.
They were on the two boys standing across the corridor.
Albus and Scorpius.
Harry stepped forward cautiously.
"You two."
His voice was calm, but sharp with suspicion.
"I've never seen you before."
Scorpius whispered under his breath,
"Well… technically that's correct."
Albus swallowed.
This was the moment he had been avoiding.
Standing face-to-face with his father.
Not as a child.
But as a stranger inside history.
---
Harry studied them carefully.
Something about the dark-haired boy seemed… familiar.
The same messy hair.
The same green eyes.
He frowned slightly.
"Who are you?"
Albus opened his mouth.
But the words refused to come out.
Scorpius quietly nudged him.
"Probably a good time to talk."
Albus took a deep breath.
"My name is Albus."
Harry nodded slowly.
"Albus."
Then his eyes narrowed.
"Albus… what?"
For a moment the corridor felt unbearably quiet.
Finally Albus said it.
"Albus Potter."
Harry froze.
The name hit him like a spell.
Silence stretched across the corridor.
Scorpius whispered softly,
"Yeah… that part usually surprises people."
Harry stared at the boy in disbelief.
"That's not possible."
Albus nodded.
"I know."
"But we're not from this time."
---
Harry's mind raced.
Time travel.
It wasn't impossible.
The Ministry had experimented with Time-Turners before.
But something about this situation felt different.
More dangerous.
Harry looked at Scorpius.
"And you?"
Scorpius straightened slightly.
"Scorpius Malfoy."
Harry blinked again.
"Malfoy?"
Scorpius shrugged awkwardly.
"Yes."
"But one of the friendly ones."
Despite everything…
Harry almost smiled.
---
Then Harry's expression turned serious again.
"You said you're from the future."
Albus nodded.
"Yes."
"And you came back here during the battle."
"Yes."
Harry gestured toward the shattered Time-Turner on the floor.
"And that?"
Scorpius answered quietly.
"That was the reason."
Harry looked toward Delphi, who still sat on the floor staring at the broken device in shock.
Delphi.
"She used the Time-Turner to change history," Albus explained.
"She wanted to make sure Voldemort won."
Harry looked down at Delphi.
Understanding slowly filled his eyes.
"You were trying to change the battle."
Delphi didn't respond.
Her entire plan had just been destroyed.
Years of preparation.
Gone.
---
Harry turned back to Albus.
"You said your name is Albus Potter."
"Yes."
Harry studied him carefully again.
And now that he looked closely…
He saw it.
The resemblance.
Not just the eyes.
The expression.
The way he held his wand.
It felt like looking into a strange reflection of the future.
Harry spoke softly.
"Are you… really my son?"
Albus nodded.
"Yes."
Harry was quiet for a long moment.
The war had just ended.
He had defeated the darkest wizard in history.
And now he was standing in a broken corridor…
Talking to his future child.
Scorpius broke the silence.
"I know this is a lot to process."
Harry gave a small laugh.
"That's one way to describe it."
---
Footsteps echoed in the corridor.
Several fighters entered.
Among them were Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
They immediately saw Voldemort's body.
Ron blinked.
"Well."
"That's good news."
Hermione looked around the corridor.
Her sharp eyes quickly noticed the shattered Time-Turner.
Her expression darkened.
"Oh no."
Harry nodded.
"Time travel."
Hermione sighed.
"I was afraid of that."
She looked at Albus and Scorpius carefully.
"And these two?"
Harry answered quietly.
"They're from the future."
Ron stared at them.
"Of course they are."
---
Albus suddenly realized something important.
If they stayed here too long…
They might damage the timeline again.
He turned to Scorpius.
"I think our job is done."
Scorpius nodded.
"History looks stable again."
But there was one thing left.
Albus looked at his father.
There were a thousand things he wanted to say.
Questions.
Feelings.
Years of confusion.
But there was only time for one sentence.
He stepped closer.
"Dad…"
Harry's eyes widened slightly.
Albus continued quietly.
"I know we don't always understand each other."
"But… you're the bravest person I've ever known."
Harry didn't speak.
For a moment he simply looked at the boy standing in front of him.
Then he placed a hand gently on Albus's shoulder.
"I hope…"
Harry said softly.
"…that someday we'll understand each other better."
Albus smiled slightly.
"I think we will."
---
The timeline shimmered around them.
History was pulling them back to where they belonged.
The battle faded.
The corridor dissolved into light.
And Albus and Scorpius vanished from the past.
Leaving the heroes of Hogwarts standing in the moment that would become legend.
---