Potter Weasley I
Harry watched in astonishment as his living portrait emerged from the house, looking healthier. The disheveled teenager with black hair and light green eyes grabbed the newspaper, yawned, and began flipping through it. When he reached the sports section, he shouted, "I won the bet, James!" with a slight smile before entering and closing the door.
Hermione patted Harry on the shoulder with a smile, "He's identical to you and has a brother named James. It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots," she said as Harry struggled to comprehend.
Draco teased, "Looks like your son inherited your foolish face, Potter," but immediately regretted it when wands were raised. Luckily, the first ray of light cleanly pierced through him before disappearing.
"It seems this spell doesn't allow hostile interaction among us," pondered Hufflepuff prefect McMillan.
But Harry was too absorbed in his thoughts to pay attention to the brewing argument. Was his adult version inside with his wife and children? Just the thought sent shivers down his spine. He couldn't even spare a thought for Voldemort; if there was so much peace, they must have defeated him. All that occupied his mind was, who? Whom did he marry? For the past three months, thoughts of Ginny had consumed him. Did he finally earn his friend's blessing and overcome other romantic adversaries, or did he resign and fall in love with someone else? Who could that be? Cho, the girl with perpetually teary eyes he liked before? Someone yet unknown, perhaps? Harry didn't feel ready to find out, while everyone behind him grew impatient.
"Shall we go in or what?" said Zacharias, sounding weary.
"If we can't even touch the door, how would we enter?" frowned Neville, trying to think of a solution.
"Oh, don't worry," George shouted, "We can go through everything," completing Fred's sentence. Both were playfully maneuvering through trash cans, startling the students behind them.
Harry was sweating, maybe they were wrong—could it be possible? He tried to convince himself when the voice from inside shouted, "James Sirius! Give it back!" Okay, no doubts.
Harry was moved to think that his son was named after his godfather, and he hoped that wherever he was, he could smile thinking that he would still be remembered.. Harry smiled faintly, gathering enough strength to finally enter, with everyone trailing behind him.
The house from the inside seemed much more spacious, clearly a result of a spell. Inside were two boys, around 15 and 17, in a small dispute—the younger one looked upset while the older couldn't stop laughing. Then the sound of a door, and their father appeared.
"James, what now?" sighed the adult Harry.
"It was just a little joke," the older boy excused.
"Whatever," said the adult Harry with a sigh, "stop shouting, your mother and sister are still asleep. By the way, don't forget we're going to the Weasleys' Christmas lunch." He crossed the room and reached another door. "Do you want breakfast now?" he asked while pulling out a pan.
Ron started to suspect, but then Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry and said, "You'll always be welcome in our home, dear."
"No, thanks, Dad," the older one said, sitting on the couch and turning on the TV, surprising most present who didn't know what a TV was.
"What about you, Albus?" said the adult Harry.
Young Harry instinctively looked at his professor, who smiled slightly.
"Make me an omelette, please," said the green-eyed one.
All the past visitors stood still, watching Harry's culinary skills, trying to guess who his wife would be. Cho was biting her nails with particular intrigue and hope, and then the third child appeared, and everything fell apart.
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, coming down the stairs and hugging her father. It was like watching a moving picture of Ginny.
Fred and George ruffled Harry's hair, saying, "Welcome to the family, brother-in-law!" Molly hugged him tighter, tears of joy streaming down her face. Ron was trying to deal with strange emotions—jealousy as a brother made him rage, but if he had to choose a brother-in-law, it would be him. Hermione congratulated Ginny, and so did Luna in her own way. Draco just smiled with amusement and mischief.
Ginny felt dizzy; she didn't know what to think. She was happy, of course, but this was so abrupt. She was still in a relationship with someone else, right?
Then Dean Thomas spoke, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't know this would happen," stepping back as Seamus comforted him.
But no one was more of a mess than Harry. He was happy, wanted to shout it, but he hadn't processed it yet. He didn't know how to act; it seemed he had even forgotten how to think.
While the adult Harry served breakfast to his two younger children, his wife appeared. In the doorway, the shapely silhouette of a redhead appeared.
Young Harry almost drooled watching her cross the room to his current version. She warmly kissed her adult self, and the young Ginny had her face as red as her hair.
An owl burst into the room, carrying a letter. The adult Harry gracefully took it. Ron stood behind him and began to read, "Directed to... the Minister of Defense! Harry, you're the Minister of Defense! That's one of the most important positions in the government, the leader of the Aurors and in charge of the entire nation's security." Another round of applause and congratulations for Harry.
"What is it?" asked the adult Ginny.
"Nothing important," replied Harry, pushing the letter aside.
"By the way," suddenly said James Sirius with a huge smile, "I have some great news to share. Remember how I said I would be a professional Quidditch player when I graduate, just like Mum was before becoming a journalist? Well, since this is my last year at Hogwarts, some scouts said they liked my performances in the previous Quidditch Cup, and they're closely following me. It's almost certain that I'll have a professional contract as soon as I graduate. Isn't that great? Get ready, Mum, I'll break your records!"
"That's my little sister and nephew!" shouted the Weasley twins in unison, cheering. Ginny, who hadn't even recovered from the previous amazement, now tried to process all this while everyone congratulated her.
"But you'll be playing in the men's league, and Mum played in the women's league. You can't break her records," Albus interrupted.
"Al, don't spoil the moment," scolded his brother.
"Congratulations!" said the adult Harry. "I'll be right back," he continued while going to the basement to get something, followed by Harry and his two best friends. The rest stayed to listen to the conversation that their children continued. "Kreacher? How many times do I have to tell you not to work on holidays? You're part of the family, not a slave." Hermione smiled pleased. "Now get ready; you're coming to the party at the Burrow too." The elf nodded, somewhat embarrassed.
The young Harry felt strange seeing his adult self treating Sirius's elf so well.
Albus came down too, "Hey, did anyone see my blue ring?" he said. "Yes, young Albus Severus," Kreacher replied. "I found it lying around, so I polished it and placed it on the shelf in your room, bottom left." Albus thanked him and went to get it.
"Severus!?" now he really didn't understand anything. It was a carnival of emotions. First, continuous happiness knowing he would marry Ginny and become successful. Then melancholy remembering his deceased godfather, who was the closest thing he remembers to a father. Now, just confusion as his son would be named "Severus." What was the future Harry thinking when he chose that name?
"Well, your life is great and all that. Can we move on or whatever? I want to go home," said Marietta when the adult Harry and the three from the future who accompanied him returned from the basement. Harry kept staring at Snape with a strange air while trying to imagine what the hell would happen in the future for him to name his son like that. But when Snape returned his gaze, he turned to look at his future family.
For Harry, this was so strange; in his childhood, he never had a happy life at "home," so seeing how his future children did filled his soul with happiness. Instinctively, he slowly turned to look at Ginny, who was equally absorbed in watching her future family, and a tender smile escaped him.