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The next day, as the cold, damp air of Azkaban nipped at their skin, Delphi asked James a question that caught him off guard. Their conversations usually circled around their immediate environment, their shared experiences and the occasional jab at each other's expense. Rarely did they delve into their personal lives. It was a silent agreement between them, an unspoken boundary. But this time, Delphi dared to cross that line.
"Have you got a girlfriend, Potter?" she asked out of the blue.
James, who was mindlessly tracing patterns on the damp stone wall, snapped his head towards her in surprise. "What?" he asked, unsure if he had heard her right.
"I asked," she said slowly, emphasizing each word, "if you have a girlfriend."
James was taken aback, not just by the question, but also by the earnest curiosity in her eyes. It was a simple question, yet it had the potential to shift the dynamics between them once again. But there was no point in hiding the truth. He shook his head.
"No," he replied, his voice steady. "No girlfriend."
Delphi nodded, her gaze softening a bit, "Why not? A good-looking bloke like you, I'd assume you'd have girls lining up."
James couldn't help but chuckle at her remark, a hint of blush creeping up his neck. "Well," he began, running a hand through his messy hair, "life's been a bit busy lately, you know, with...well, everything."
An understatement, he thought. Between his duties as an Auror, the recent loss of his mentor, and the complex situation with Delphi, his personal life had taken a backseat.
"But what about you, Riddle?" he retorted, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Any boyfriends I should be wary of?"
Delphi laughed at his comeback, a sound that felt strangely comforting to James. "In Azkaban? Unlikely," she replied, rolling her eyes.
Their conversation lingered in the air between them, adding another layer of complexity to their relationship. As they shared these personal details, they found themselves treading on new ground. There was something else that had been on James's mind. Something he had observed over the past few days that intrigued him, and it was about a certain toad.
"You know, Umbridge seems to be rather fond of you," he said, his gaze flickering to Delphi's face to gauge her reaction.
Delphi's eyebrows shot up at this. "Fond of me?" she repeated, a hint of incredulity in her voice. The thought of Dolores Umbridge being fond of anyone but herself seemed rather absurd. But before she could ponder over it, a mischievous glint sparked in her eyes, and she smirked at James.
"Is that jealousy I detect, Potter?" she said, her tone playful, yet curious.
James, who had been prepared for any sort of reaction, was caught off guard by this. His cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as he spluttered, "Wha-? No, I-"
Delphi chuckled at his flustered state, finding amusement in his response. She always found it fun to rile him up, but there was something else too, something that tugged at her heartstrings, a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on. But she quickly pushed it away, knowing that such emotions had no place in a place like Azkaban. Her laughter echoed around them, breaking the gloomy atmosphere that usually clung to the stone walls. James, despite his embarrassment, found himself grinning at her mirth.
"Alright, Riddle," he conceded, shaking his head in amusement. "You've got me there. But for the record, it was merely an observation, nothing more."
Delphi, still chuckling, nodded at his words. "Fair enough, Potter."
As their laughter faded, replaced by a comfortable silence, Delphi found herself saying something unexpected. "You know, Potter, in another world, I wouldn't mind dating you."
James stared at her, his mouth falling open in surprise. His cheeks started to redden, a blush creeping up his face that even the dim light couldn't hide. He tried to form a witty comeback, but words eluded him. For a few long moments, they stared at each other, the gravity of Delphi's words hanging in the air. Suddenly, realizing the implications of what she had just insinuated, Delphi quickly started to explain herself.
"I mean..." she began, her own cheeks now burning, "Not that I want to date you now or anything. It's just, you're not... terrible, is what I mean to say. In another world, where we weren't a Potter and a Riddle, where Azkaban wasn't between us... we might've been... friends? Maybe more than friends? But we're not in another world, are we? We're here, and this is our reality."
Her voice trailed off and she looked away, the playful glint in her eyes replaced by something more serious, more intense. James was silent for a moment, processing her words. Then, he found his voice again, his tone soft, "Yeah, Delphi, we're here."
The tension lingered, their banter taking a turn neither of them had expected. But there was a mutual understanding that formed in that moment, a new facet added to their dynamic. A world where a Potter and a Riddle might be more than enemies was a concept too foreign, too strange to entertain. So, they let it be. Unspoken words and unexplored possibilities floated around them, as they returned to their respective roles. But the moment had left its mark, a shift in the tides of their relationship, and it was something neither of them would forget.
That night, James laid in bed, his thoughts running wild, his heart racing. The room was dark and silent, the clock ticking rhythmically on the wall, the only thing breaking the silence. His mind, however, was anything but quiet. He thought about Delphi, her confession, her awkward explanation, and the unexpected feelings it stirred in him. Feelings he had been trying to deny for so long.
"Merlin," he muttered into the darkness, pressing his palms to his eyes as if that would block out his thoughts. But the image of Delphi, smiling, joking, and even crying, kept coming back to him. "I'm falling for Delphi Riddle." The words tasted strange, filled with a sweet terror that sent a shiver down his spine. He turned over, pulling his pillow over his head as if he could suffocate his emotions.
At the same moment, within the cold, stone walls of Azkaban, Delphi sat on her cot, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her heart was pounding against her ribs, the echo of James' voice in her mind louder than the distant wailing of the Dementors. His laugh, his blush, his soft-spoken words were all imprinted in her mind, and they filled her with a sensation she had never felt before.
She replayed their conversation over and over again, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words, the look in his eyes. "He's just an Auror, a Potter," she muttered to herself, but the denial felt hollow even to her own ears. Deep down, she knew the truth and it scared her more than any Dark magic ever could. "I... I might be falling for James Potter."
The cold night was filled with turmoil as both James and Delphi battled their feelings, two souls lost in the labyrinth of forbidden love. The world outside remained oblivious to their inner war, but for them, it was a pivotal moment, a shift in the trajectory of their lives. The love they had been so adamantly avoiding was slowly creeping up on them, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.
The morning sun shone brightly in the azure sky, illuminating Azkaban with an almost mocking cheerfulness. James, his heart pounding in his chest, walked down the familiar stone corridor towards Delphi's cell. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside him. He had made a decision.
"Good morning, Delphi," James greeted, standing by the bars. His voice echoed in the silence, bouncing off the cold, stone walls. He studied her face for a moment, searching for a sign of the turmoil he himself was feeling.
Delphi looked up at him, her eyes wide in surprise. "Potter," she said, her tone guarded. "What's got you so cheerful?"
James took another breath, his heart pounding louder in his ears. He looked into her eyes, seeing the same bewilderment he had been feeling. He let out a small sigh before he finally spoke. "Delphi, I think we should be friends."
Delphi blinked, taken aback by his sudden proposal. "Friends?" she repeated, her brow furrowing in confusion.
James nodded, managing a small smile. "Yeah, friends," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I mean, we spend so much time together anyway. And I… I enjoy our chats."
Delphi watched him, her eyes searching his face. She was silent for a moment, her mind spinning. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Friends," she agreed, her voice barely a whisper. "I think I'd like that, Potter."
James exhaled, a weight lifting off his chest. He smiled at her, feeling a strange sense of relief. Friends, he thought, that's a start. That would be enough. For now.
There was a pause that stretched between them, turning the air heavy. James's heart pounded in his chest like a drum, his mind scrambling to fill the awkward silence. Delphi, too, was lost in her thoughts, her stomach doing flips. An unfamiliar warmth flooded her at the thought of being friends with James. Desperate to break the silence, they both blurted out the first thing that came to their minds, the words tumbling over each other in a jumbled mess.
"Did you know nifflers have a penchant for shiny things?" James blurted out at the same time Delphi said, "Have you ever tried using your wand as a drumstick?"
There was a beat of silence as they both registered what the other had said. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, almost simultaneously, they burst into laughter. James's loud, hearty laugh echoed off the cold stone walls, blending with Delphi's soft, musical one. The tension that had hung heavy in the air just moments before was shattered, replaced by a warmth that neither of them could quite explain.
Between bouts of laughter, James managed to reply, "No, I haven't tried using my wand as a drumstick, but now I'm tempted to." Delphi, still giggling, shot back, "And no, I didn't know nifflers had a thing for shiny stuff."
They laughed some more, the sound bouncing off the stone walls and filling the space between them with a new, lighter energy. In that moment, they were not the son of Harry Potter and the daughter of Lord Voldemort. They were just James and Delphi, two friends sharing a laugh in the midst of an otherwise grim reality.
When James returned home that day, there was a noticeable lightness in his step, an unusual mirth in his eyes. It was as if he had stumbled upon a secret source of happiness. He was friends with Delphi Riddle, daughter of Voldemort himself, and in some strange, unexplainable way, that brought him joy.
As he entered the living room, a broad grin etched on his face, he found his parents waiting for him. "Why so cheerful, son?" Harry asked, his glasses glinting in the low light.
James almost jumped, taken aback by their sudden appearance. He had hoped to sneak up to his room unnoticed, to mull over his newfound friendship in peace.
"It's nothing," he tried to brush it off, shrugging nonchalantly. But his mother, Ginny, was not easily deceived. She had a knack for spotting the slightest changes in her children, and she was not about to let James off so easily.
"You can't hide anything from me, James Sirius Potter," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, an amused smile tugging at her lips. A sense of dread welled up in James, did she know? Could she have possibly guessed the truth?
Then, just as James was gearing up to defend himself, Ginny's smile widened. "You've found a girl, haven't you?" she teased, her tone light and playful.
Relief washed over James. This was a much better explanation, and not a total lie. He decided to roll with it. "Well, we're just friends," he responded, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a smile.
"And who is this friend?" Harry joined in; his interest piqued. It was rare to see their son talk about his personal life, especially about girls.
A smirk appeared on James's face as he said, "A good guy doesn't kiss and tell, Dad." With that, he left his parents chuckling in the living room, the secrets of his day safely intact. Little did they know their son's new 'friend' was not just any ordinary girl, but the daughter of their most formidable adversary.
Deep in the recesses of Britain, the newly risen dark wizard meticulously examined the stolen documents. Each parchment was filled with detailed records and theories about one of the most powerful artifacts in the wizarding world - the Elder Wand.
The documents suggested that ownership of the Elder Wand could not merely be claimed, it had to be won. Won in battle, in struggle, in defiance of the current owner's will. "Damnation!" the dark wizard spat out, his frustration echoing through the damp, dilapidated halls. The last known wielder of the Elder Wand, Albus Dumbledore, was long dead, buried with the wand according to legend. It was near impossible to win a wand from a man six feet under.
The wizard sighed, leaning back in the rickety chair, his thoughts racing. He was not just any common dark wizard. He was the prodigy of Gellert Grindelwald, the man who nearly took control of the entire wizarding world in his time. In the years following Grindelwald's fall, the dark wizard had honed his skills, honed his knowledge. He had far surpassed the capabilities of his mentor and even the likes of Voldemort, who he considered an embarrassment to the dark arts.
Squinting his eyes, he pored over the documents once more, his mind sharp and analytical. The dark wizard had learned one thing from his life in the shadows: "last recorded" did not necessarily mean "last possessed". Just because there was no subsequent recorded holder of the Elder Wand did not mean there wasn't one.
The world of magic was full of secrets, full of hidden stories. His mentor had taught him that. Dumbledore was a shrewd wizard, always a few steps ahead. Perhaps, he had passed on the Elder Wand to a worthy successor, perhaps there was a new master of the Elder Wand out there, waiting to be challenged.
His fingers traced over the inked words on the parchment, his heart thumping with a mix of anticipation and excitement. He would find the current master of the Elder Wand, he would challenge him, and he would win. The dark wizard was determined to finish what Grindelwald had started, and the Elder Wand was the key to fulfilling his master's legacy.
The stone walls of Azkaban echoed with the unusual sound of laughter. It was a new day, and James and Delphi had embarked on a new conversation, trading stories about their interests and hobbies.
James had a confident grin on his face, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia. "When I was at Hogwarts, I was the best Seeker. I swear, no one could match me."
Delphi smirked, rolling her eyes in a playful manner. "Oh really, the best? Does the name Harry Potter ring a bell?"
James laughed, shaking his head. "Well, he's an exception. He's in a league of his own."
With a knowing smile, Delphi decided to share her own story. "I never had the chance to play Quidditch, but I did find comfort in books. Reading was my refuge, my solace."
Her voice wavered, memories of her past flashing before her eyes. "Growing up with Euphemia was... challenging, to say the least. She was a cruel, heartless witch."
A moment of silence filled the room, then Delphi spoke again. "I would often lose myself in stories, imagining a heroic knight coming to rescue me from my misery."
She paused, a bitter chuckle escaping her lips. "How ironic, isn't it? That the girl who once dreamed of being saved by a knight in shining armor would grow up to become the villain of her own story."
James stared at her; surprise etched on his face. He wasn't expecting such candor from Delphi, such raw vulnerability. Yet, in that moment, he felt a deeper connection with her, an understanding that they were both just human, caught in the complex tapestry of fate.
"Well, life has a funny way of messing up our childhood dreams, doesn't it?" James mused, a faint smile on his lips. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, they both shared a common understanding of the bitter realities of life. This realization brought them a step closer, forming an unseen bond between them.
The crackling fire in the grate of the Potters' living room cast long, dancing shadows on the walls. Gathered in the warmth of their family home were four of the most renowned wizards and witches of their time - Harry Potter, his wife Ginny, Hermione Granger and her husband Ron Weasley. They sat in thoughtful silence, their minds filled with the events of the past few weeks that had once again thrust them into the heart of danger.
Harry broke the silence first, "This intruder, whoever he is, is not an amateur." He stared into the flames, his green eyes flashing with determination.
Ginny, her brows furrowed, leaned forward, "And you think Delphi is behind this, Harry?" Her voice held a hint of skepticism.
Harry nodded, his face grim, "Who else has such an intimate knowledge of dark magic? Who else could possibly gain from the chaos that's starting to brew?"
Ron chipped in, his voice thick with worry, "But she's locked up in Azkaban, Harry. She has no way to orchestrate anything."
Hermione, ever the voice of reason, interjected, "That's true, but we can't ignore the fact that Delphi is exceptionally cunning and dangerous. We cannot underestimate her."
Harry nodded in agreement. "That's why I plan to question her tomorrow. If she knows anything, I intend to find out."
The room fell silent again, each of them lost in their own thoughts, grappling with the haunting memories of their past battles. As they sat there, they shared a collective feeling of foreboding, a quiet dread for the coming storm. Yet, they also held a resolve that had been hardened by years of facing adversities - they would face whatever came their way, just as they always had.
A/N: Uh oh, Harry is convinced the culprit is Delphi. What do you think Delphi's reaction will be? As always please feel free to leave a review, i do not censor anyone's opinion!