They visit Albus' safehouse for the day because he's taking this co-parenting thing seriously (and hasn't given up on taking at least one of the boys to mentor).
Albus is leading them through the front entrance and he has the Mirror of Erised standing there next to a coat rack like it's not some impossibly powerful artefact.
Harry glances as they pass by and sees nothing, thinking maybe he's not standing at the right angle.
Tom sees himself, fully grown with shadows at his feet and death in his eyes, the abyss dripping from his fingers, the world behind him rotting away under his power. Harry is peeking out from around this grown Tom Riddle's shoulder and smiles.
Gellert sees a couch, Harry sitting beside him. But Gellert's skin is pulsing an electrified gold and runes flare to life around him, bending space just to bring him more orange juice, calling down a star just to light the room as the sun sets.
Credence looks and he immediately looks away, body tense and eyes wide. The mirror is full of dust. A dark, roiling cloud that pries apart the walls around him, disintegrates the building and turns the four of his new little family in front of him to ash. Credence absorbs their dust, devours them into his mass, and they expand out, stretching across the mid-morning sky and consuming the horizon.
"So," Harry says with a smirk, looking back over his shoulder at the boys. "Lots of bowing and thrones I assume?"
"Yes," Tom says, thinking about that mirror Harry standing beside him. "Lots of bowing."
"Yes," Gellert echoes, and remembers the old couch from their living room. "Golden thrones, the usual."
Harry laughs and then pats Credence on the head. "And you? Was it nice?"
Credence blinks away the image of burning ash spreading to engulf the earth. "Yes. Nice." Credence smiles and it's terrifyingly genuine.
The Unspeakable crashes the get together during teatime with a folder in hand and the four tacticians spend a moment swapping glances until Harry just sighs.
"Come on, Credence, let's go explore the house while they talk about boring work things," Harry says, standing from the couch but taking a plate of treacle tart with him.
Credence, always happy to be in Harry's presence, trots after the man.
"There's magic involved, with the muggles targeting you all," the Unspeakable says after Harry and Credence are gone, relining back in the armchair he transfigured for himself because all of Albus' look ugly.
"What does that mean?" Tom demands, not looking up from the file he's reading on the organisation the Unspeakable is tracing.
"It means be careful," the Unspeakable warns. "They might not be witches and wizards but the muggles have gotten their hands on artifacts. I don't know which ones yet but they know you. Both of you boys in particular."
"Is it because of a parallel world like Harry?" Gellert wonders, pulling the file from Tom's hands. "Do they know our Dark Lord selves?"
"Then they'd know Harry too," Albus muses. "Unless it's another parallel world. I'm inclined to think it's only time travel." He pauses. "Although the focus being on the boys seems to imply I don't last long after they grow up."
"Maybe you retire," Gellert offers kindly, too kindly.
"Do you need assistance?" Tom asks the Unspeakable.
The Unspeakable scoffs. "You'd slow me down. Just focus on your research, you took that break and now you've both been distracted."
Gellert pouts. "There's so much paperwork to build a house, much less a whole town!"
Tom pinches the bridge of his nose. "The merchants keep complaining about absolute rubbish that is not my problem."
"Welcome to the real world, boys," Albus says with a laugh. "You'd think being called a Dark Lord would make things go faster but oh no, can't have anyone be efficient, Merlin forbid."
The Unspeakable puts a hand under their hood, somewhere around forehead level. "The Ministry just 'recommended' a new flow chart of how to get funding signed off and it now needs two more signatures and a committee. One of you need to take over just to fix this."
"Nothing is stopping you," Gellert points out. "In fact, I will help. I'll be your best minion."
"I'm not taking responsibility for any of it," the Unspeakable denies. "Albus, this is on you."
"I'm leaving room for the next generation to grow," Albus responds blandly, gesturing to the boys.
"No, no, no hold on-"
"-just kill the committee-"
"-not being a Dark Lord to deal with your problems-"
"-could make a new country-"
"-all the blackmail and-"
Meanwhile, as this meeting is going on, Harry and Credence are in the kitchen, matching aprons on (because Harry just really wanted Credence to wear a cute child-sized apron) and are making cake because why not?
"How are you doing with Parseltongue?" Harry asks, holding the bowl while Credence stirs.
"Um," is all Credence says for a long moment.
"Don't be upset if you're not fluent in a month, Tom and Gellert clearly have ridiculous expectations of people," Harry dismisses. "But do you like learning a new language?"
Credence nods. "I do. I think it's interesting and…now we have a secret code to only talk to each other with," he admits.
Harry smirks. "Pretty cool, huh? Us and snakes only. Of course, after you grow up and meet best friends and such you can teach them too." Harry pauses. "Do you grow?" he wonders.
Credence wavers. "Um…I'm working on it."
"It's okay to take your time," Harry muses. "How old are you?"
Credence looks around for a calendar and Harry casts a tempus spell to help.
"Oh," Credence says. "It's my eleventh birthday today."
A very familiar letter comes sailing through the window and lands on the table in front of them. A Hogwarts letter.
Harry is not ready.