Monty the Snake
The weather on Seaton Sluice Beach was dreadful, and Minerva found herself squinting as she fought with her hair in the wind. It appeared to be deserted, causing Minnie to stutter in her footsteps.
But a handful of yards down the beach, huddled atop a pile of rocks, was a small girl.
Her hair appeared to be just as wild as her mother's, and Minerva held back the contempt she felt. Bellatrix Lestrange was a monster, one that would (apparently) even abandon her own child.
As she neared the child, she could faintly hear her talking.
"But what does that mean? I've never been able to do this before."
A small pause, before the girl spoke again. "It's not just you, then? I can talk to others?"
Not wanting to scare the young witch, and yet ever so curious, Minerva cleared her throat.
Despite her intentions, Delphini still gasped, jerking back away from the noise and falling flat on her backside between two rocks. She hissed in pain as her left hip was cut open slightly, the sharpness of the rock slicing through her skin easily.
"Oh, Dear. I am terribly sorry," Minerva apologized, clasping her hands together. "Are you hurt?"
"Who are you?" Delphini demanded, a strong a fierce tone coming from the heaving chest of the girl.
There was a fire inside of her, Minnie could see. A strong, fierce little witch.
"My name is Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. Miss Minnie, if you'd prefer," she could tell that she was already developing a softness for her. "I am from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It appears that you have gained your powers."
"Powers?" Delphini cautiously asked. "Like....magic?"
Minnie nodded, "Aye, and strong magic at that. Who were you talking to just then?"
Not knowing that it wasn't common, Delphini held up the small snake that had curled itself arount her wrist. "This guy. I've named him Monty."
At the name, Minerva smiled. "That's a lovely name. You can understand him?"
Delphini visibly shrank back, slowly lowering the arm that held her pet. "...You can't?"
Minerva shook her head. "I cannot. That's rare, special magic. Would you be interested in learning more? We can go somewhere much drier, if you'd prefer."
Delphini looked as distrustful as her mother, surveying Minerva closely. The similarities between Delphini and what the world knew to be Tom Riddle was less obvious, but Minnie could see them. The shape of her nose, the curve of her cheeks, those were attributes shared with the Dark Lord Voldemort.
"You'll let me leave?" Delphini asked. "If I don't want to stay?"
"I promise," Minnie agreed, standing and holding a hand out to her.
If anyone noticed as they took a stroll on Seaton Sluice, they didn't say.
***
"Has she made her own horcruxes?" Regulus couldn't help but ask. "Has she split her soul?"
The thought was one of the most terrifying in Regulus's mind, knowing that her mind would deteriorate every time her soul was split.
"I don't know," Severus admitted. "I wasn't exactly their ally at the end of the war."
"Ah, yes," Remus spoke, "That little last minute turn you did."
Snape narrowed his eyes at the werewolf, "Precisely."
The room fell silent then, the weight of it all seeming to physically weigh on the occupants. There was something dark in the air, disasterous if not dealt with, and the stress from the war began to bleed easily back into them.
Regulus looked as though he had more to say to Snape, scrutinizing him in a way that made Severus throw his occlumency shields up even higher. But when Reg opened his mouth to speak, he was interrupted.
The wispy fog of a patronus formed between them, taking the shape of a familiar tabby cat.
"Mister Black, I am in need of your presence in my office. Bring along Mister Potter if he's around."
It was short, much shorter than was normal from the headmistress, and the back of Regulus's neck began to prickle in anticipation.
"Well, this has been a lovely reunion, Severus. But unfortunately we have other matters. Potter, if you'd accompany me?"
James still wore a dark look across his face as he stared down Severus. "And what are we to do with him?"
"Oh, I'm sure Remus and Sirius are capable of watching him for a few hours. Then you can take him into the Ministry. No need in wasting your day off."
James was torn, not wanting to leave. But before he could put much thought into it, Regulus wrapped his hand around James's forearm, pulling him into an apparition.
***
Regulus was marching back to the castle the moment their feet hit dirt, not bothering to wait on James to catch up.
"Reg, wait just a minute-"
"We don't really have a minute, Potter. The world hanging in the balance, and all."
But James reached for him, pulling him to a stop with a scuffle as they faced one another.
"I can feel the way you're reacting to this, Reg. Everything is going to be okay."
Regulus's eyes zeroed in on James's, bringing to Regulus's attention the bright and shining hope that seemed to always live within Potter. It was a trait Reg admired, sure, but it was not one they shared.
"The world is hanging on by a thread. Best not to dwell."
Regulus squeezed James's arm in what James knew was supposed to be a loving gesture before beginning his march back to the castle. Reg's shoulder's were set, and he seem to tense the closer they grew to the entrance.
Sighing, James swiftly caught up with Regulus.
"You could try to look a little less intimidating, you know," James mumbled, watching the way the children aroun them reacted.
"It's much easier to be left alone if you're the mean and scary teacher, Potter."
James simply tsked, "But you aren't the mean and scary teacher, Reg. That's obviously reserved for Minnie."
***
Draco and Hermione, to the rest of Hogwarts, were not friends.
They were academic rivals at most.
Draco, despite the fact that he was raised by the ever so humble Regulus and Narcissa, strived to be the best. He wanted to know everything. It was trait he largely contributed to the size of the Malfoy Manor library.
But, just like Draco, Hermine yearned to know it all. It had been less than a year since she had discovered magic was real and in that year, she had devoured any book that she could get her hands on. Sleep was nowhere near as important to Hermione Granger as magic was.
Draco found himself paying more and more attention to the witch as their classes drew on, staying on his toes and trying to beat her to the answer.
It was that evening in the library that he realized it.
Hermione Granger made him feel smart. She made him be smart.
And without even realizing it, Draco Malfoy had accepted Hermione Granger as his best friend.
He was thinking of such as they poured over the Latin translation, working slower than either was used to. Hermione's wand had been pushed through her hair, holding her curls in a top bun.
Blowing an errant curl away from her face, Hermione looked up at Draco. "This is a book about the formation of alternate magical timelines. Apparently with any sort of time magick interferance, the understanding of our world goes a bit barmy."
Draco nodded, "That's what Harry and I believed as well. Is it...dangerous?"
Hermione looked contemplative, "I'm not sure. I think I'll know more once I translate the next two pages. But Draco, I don't understand. I was under the impression that time magic was extremely guarded by the Ministry. If a witch or wizard has meddled with time, don't you think we should, I don't know, tell someone?"
But Draco wasn't listening, allowing Hermione's voice to fade into nothing more than a hum in the back of his mind. Instead, he watched as his godfather marched by the library, James Potter in tow.
"...Draco? Malfoy!"
Draco startled, "Sorry, Granger. Got lost in thought there."
Hermione's eyes followed Draco's just before Regulus and James rounded the corner out of sight. "Why is this so important? What's going on?"
"What?" Draco began to fidget. "Oh, er, it's nothing."
Hermione blinked owlishly. "Nothing? Okay. I'm sure it's not that important, then. I'll just go tell Pince I found this so she can put it back-"
"No!" Draco snatched the book away before heaving a sigh. "Alright. What do you want to know?"
The small witch leaned forward, the curls falling slightly into her face as she held a look of curiosity. "Tell me everything."
Draco knew almost the entire story of the first war. While his mother and godfather absolutely left out the more gruesome details, they were always transparent with him.
They told him of the time magic that Regulus acted on, and how it had changed the fabric of reality itself. They had told him of his father's crimes, the Order, and of Regulus's dissapearance.
He knew, as he told the story to Hermione, that they had left out almost all of the bloodshed.
But it seemed that they had left out a little bit of romance, too.
"Malfoy, this is-" Hermione's eyes widened. "This is....this is bad! We've got to tell someone. Tell a teacher!"
In her flurried state, Hermione slammed the tome closed on the table, earning a stern look from Pince. Wincing, she began moving purposely, and quietly, to pack her things.
"We can't tell them, Hermione."
Hermione froze, noticing that Draco wasnt gathering his things. "And why not? What if this world ceases to exist? They have to know!"
"They already do. We need to tell Harry."
***
It wasn't often that Minerva called Regulus to her office in the middle of the day, and it was even less often that she asked for Potter to come along. Whatever she was going to tell them was important, and Regulus tried to pretend like his hands didn't shake as he opened the door to her office.
It was considerably brighter within the headmistress's office, and the headmistress herself seemed to be smiling from ear to ear. She just began to lift her cup to her mouth when she spotted them.
"Ah, Regulus. James. Thank you for coming so quickly."
She moved to stand, confusing Regulus even more.
"I have someone I'd like you to meet."
With a lazy wave of her hand, the wingback chair, that Regulus had assumed to be empty, turned.
She was the smallest child that Regulus Black had ever seen, sitting with her knees pulled to her chest. She was wrapped tightly in a quilt, her own steaming cup of tea held between her hands.
The similarities were striking. To Regulus, she looked like Bellatrix's identical twin.
But to James, she looked like Regulus.
And it did awfully funny things to his insides as they stared at one another.
Delphini seemed to shrink in on herself the longer the two men were silently staring, and James was the first to act.
Bending down on one knee, James stuck out his hand. "Well, hello there. I'm James Potter. What's your name?"
Also similar to Regulus, Delphini did not smile at James's charisma. Instead, she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I'm Delphini."
Despite her skittish nature, there seemed to be a defiant side within her. She reached out and shook James's hand, allowing Monty to wind his way down her wrist.
"Oh," James laughed, Who's your friend?"
"His name is Monty. He says you smell nice."
James blinked, staring at the little girl with her snake. Taken aback by both pieces of information, he sunk into a sitting position in front of her.
"Monty was my Dad's name," he smiled softly. "I think that's a good choice."
That seemed to win Delphini over, and she held her hand further out for James to see. The little snake flicked its tongue out and stared at James.
"And you can talk to him? You understand what he's saying?"
Delphini nodded. "Miss Minnie says that's rare. Not a lot of people can do it."
James nodded, "That's right. You must be something special, Phini."
Regulus sunk down into the matching chair next to her. "It's nice to finally meet you, Delphini. Did Miss Minnie tell you who I am?"
Delphini shook her head no. "But you look like me. A little."
Regulus felt the corners of his mouth quirk in a smile. "I should. We're family."
He had expected a warm regard, something close to what James had recieved. Maybe even a little bit of curious wonder.
But what he recieved instead was Delphini shrinking away from him, trying her best to dissapear into her chair as she squeezed her eyes closed. The grip on James's hand tightened, and he looked at her in alarm.
"Delphini?" James asked. "What's the matter?"
With her eyes still closed, she whispered, "He knows my Mum."
It hit Regulus like a ton of bricks, the breaking in his chest. The fear poured off the little witch in waves, and Monty the snake dissapeared around her neck.
"Just because I know your Mum doesn't mean I like her."
James squeezed her hand back as Regulus spoke.
"Your Mum and I are first cousins, so yes, that makes us family. But she's done some bad things in her life, Delphini. I know you know that. And if you don't want to ever see her again, you don't have to."
Regulus watched as Delphini's grey eyes popped open to stare back into his own. "Promise."
It was a statement. A demand of action that pulled at the very magical essence of Regulus's being.
"I swear it."
James watched the interaction between them before giving Delphini's hand a small shake. "Did Miss Minnie tell you about the lake here?"
Delphini shook her head. "What about it?"
"There's a giant squid that lives in the lake. When I went to school here, my mates and I trained him how to fetch a ball. Would you like to come see?"
Delphini brightened considerably, untucking her legs from the chair. "A squid? No way!"
James laughed, sweeping her and Monty up before shooting a meaningful look towards Regulus. "Come along then, Squirt! We'll make a marauder of you, yet. I'll even show you the secret passageway to get outside in secret."
Regulus added another thing to the list of things to be greatful to James Potter for.
Sighing deeply the moment that James and Delphini exited, he turned to Minerva.
"How did this happen? She wasn't even in the ledger of new students and she's a parselmouth?"
Minerva's lips formed into a thin line. "She was dumped in Sunderland at an orphanage. Apparently Bellatrix has been giving her some ancient form of magic dampening potion. Regulus, she doesn't even know what magic is. She doesn't understand the emptiness she's been feeling from missing her magic. And-"
Minerva paused, and Regulus's teeth clenched.
"She hasn't been very straightforward with me, not like she took to Mister Potter, at least," she laughed, before growing somber. "She was highly mistreated in Sunderland, Mister Black. She doesn't trust anyone, and we must keep her safe. Perhaps she could stay at Grimmauld Place? The wards there are linked to her lineage."
But Regulus was already shaking his head. "Bellatrix hasn't been excluded from the property yet. Sirius and I have to take care of that first. Wouldn't the castle be the safest option?"
"I'm afraid it will be too much for her. She cried when she saw a house-elf. Until she's more comfortable with the thought of magic, I think it would be best to find her accommodations elsewhere."
Minerva turned to the window, noticing two small specks racing towards the edge of the Black Lake. Noticing her attention shift, Regulus joined her.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Regulus couldn't help but laugh softly. "She'll stay at Potter Manor."