The Slytherin common room was nothing like Albus had imagined.
For most of his life, the word **Slytherin** had sounded dark and dangerous. Stories about the house were always whispered in cautious tones—ambition, cunning, dark wizards.
But the room itself was strangely beautiful.
The walls were made of greenish stone that shimmered faintly under the glow of silver lamps. Tall windows looked out into the depths of the Black Lake. Occasionally, shadows of giant fish drifted past the glass.
It felt like being inside an underwater castle.
Scorpius looked around with wide eyes.
"This is incredible."
Albus nodded slowly.
"It is."
Students began settling into chairs and couches around the large fireplace.
But Albus noticed something immediately.
People were staring.
Not at the room.
At him.
At Scorpius.
Two first-years sitting together at the edge of the room.
A Potter.
And a Malfoy.
The whispers started almost immediately.
"Did you hear?"
"Both of them?"
"That's unbelievable."
"Potter in Slytherin…"
"And Malfoy's son…"
The voices dropped lower.
"But they say he's not really Malfoy's son."
Another voice whispered the name like a curse.
"Lord Voldemort."
Scorpius stiffened slightly.
Albus clenched his jaw.
A tall Slytherin boy leaned against the wall nearby. He looked older—third year, maybe fourth.
"Well," he said lazily, "this should be interesting."
Another student laughed.
"The Dark Lord's heir and the Boy Who Lived's son sharing a dormitory."
"History repeating itself."
Scorpius kept staring at the floor.
Albus finally snapped.
"Just shut up."
The older boy smirked.
"Touchy."
He pushed himself away from the wall.
"Relax, Potter. We're just curious."
His eyes moved to Scorpius.
"Tell us something."
Scorpius looked up slowly.
"What?"
"Does he visit you?"
The room grew very quiet.
Scorpius's voice was calm, but his hands trembled slightly.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Oh come on," the boy said mockingly.
"Your real father."
He leaned closer.
"The Dark Lord."
Albus stood up so suddenly that his chair scraped loudly against the stone floor.
"I said shut up."
The boy studied him for a moment.
Then he laughed.
"Interesting."
He turned and walked away.
But the whispers remained.
Scorpius sat very still.
"I'm used to it," he said quietly.
Albus shook his head.
"You shouldn't have to be."
Scorpius gave a small shrug.
"That's the world we live in."
Albus didn't reply.
But something inside him hardened.
---
That night, the Slytherin dormitory was quiet.
Green light filtered faintly through the underwater windows.
Albus lay awake in his bed staring at the ceiling.
Across the room, Scorpius was also awake.
"You still up?" Scorpius whispered.
"Yes."
Silence again.
Then Scorpius asked something unexpected.
"Do you think they're right?"
Albus turned toward him.
"About what?"
"About me."
Albus frowned.
"You mean the rumors?"
Scorpius nodded slowly.
"My father was always… distant."
His voice sounded strange.
"Sometimes I wonder if there's a reason."
Albus sat up in bed.
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it?"
"Yes."
Scorpius sighed.
"People believe strange things."
Albus thought about that.
Then he said firmly,
"You're not the son of Lord Voldemort."
Scorpius looked at him.
"How do you know?"
Albus shrugged.
"Because if you were, you'd probably be more dramatic."
Scorpius laughed quietly.
The tension in the room softened.
"Fair point."
Albus leaned back on his pillow.
"Besides," he added, "if you were the Dark Lord's son, you probably wouldn't be worrying about homework."
Scorpius grinned.
"True."
For the first time that day, both boys relaxed.
But somewhere deep inside the castle, someone else was thinking about them.
Watching them.
Waiting.
In a quiet corridor near the dungeons, a young witch stood alone.
Her silver hair glowed faintly under the torchlight.
She watched the Slytherin entrance carefully.
Her expression was thoughtful.
Almost calculating.
"Interesting," she murmured softly.
Two boys.
One Potter.
One Malfoy.
Exactly as the future had predicted.
Her name was Delphi.
Delphi.
And she had plans for them.
Plans that would eventually drag them into the most dangerous magic Hogwarts had seen in decades.
Magic that could break the laws of time itself.
---