Chapter 179: 3-1

"I feel like I've done something incredibly embarrassing."

Harry’s first words of the morning were entirely drained of energy. On a bed that should have been unfamiliar yet smelled so nostalgic, buried under the blankets, Harry groaned, rubbing his perpetually messy hair against the pillow.

"You did," I said.

"I can't show my face to anyone."

"Not even to me?"

"You're an exception, Maria. Obviously."

"Yeah, obviously."

I ran my fingers through his terribly unruly black hair. Brushing aside his fringe, I gently rubbed the lightning bolt on his forehead with the pad of my finger. It shouldn't hurt anymore, but—Harry caught my hand and laughed, looking tickled.

"...Are you alive?"

"I'm alive."

"Are you real?"

"I'm real. If you doubt it, I can tell you exactly how old you were when you finally stopped wetting the bed."

"Why do you even remember that...? Sigh, it really is you, Maria."

Pressing my hand against his cheek, Harry slowly relaxed. His head sank even deeper into our father's pillow. Playfully, I poked the soft cheek of his eleven-year-old self. His adorable, childlike face broke into a smile. Yep, I thought to myself, looking at him now, our Harry is quite the handsome little lad—though still no match for Maria.

"I'm jealous you two are getting along so well this early in the morning. Aren't you going to let your dear dad join the fun?"

The blankets were stripped away along with the cheerful voice. Four faces, backlit by the morning sun, peered down at us as we wrestled around.

"Good morning, Dad."

"Good morning! Good on you for greeting me properly, Maria. Now, what about Harry?"

"...Good morning."

"Hmm, a bit stiff. Are you in your rebellious phase already? What do you think as his older sister, Maria?"

"We were always in a rebellious phase. The thing we were rebelling against was just on a much grander scale."

A rebellion that dragged the whole world into it, to be exact.

Oh, dear Merlin... As James dramatically clutched his head, Harry, squirming back toward the pillow, muttered, "...I'm the older brother."

"Yes, yes, we know, just get up properly. Big brother."

"Oh, is Harry not a morning person?"

"He's exactly like James. Though I suppose it's better since he isn't kicking or punching."

"I had a really hard time with this," I said.

Both as Maria doing the waking up, and as Harry being woken up.

"Harry."

I pinned the fussy Harry down and dropped a kiss on his round forehead. Even half-asleep, he returned the affectionate gesture. We were used to it. This was the morning greeting of the Potter siblings, unchanged for over a decade. It had become completely standard with Ginny, too... eventually, Draco might end up joining the circle.

"Won't you give Papa one? Harry, Maria?"

"".....""

Sleepy green eyes, mixed with a hint of tears, looked up vaguely at our father. Dad, who had only intended it as a joke, visibly panicked under the gaze of Lily's eyes. Therefore—

"Whoa, hey—?!"

I grabbed Dad's arm and dragged him onto the bed. Pinning him between Harry and myself, we simultaneously planted kisses on his cheeks. We might be fake twins right now, but even right after waking up and without any prior planning, our telepathy was perfect. We were the children of the original Marauders, after all; this was child's play.

"Looks like you got owned, Papa James?"

"How about a kiss for Papa Sirius?"

"Oh—I, well, er..."

"Maria, I think you already know this, but I'm definitely a far better dad than Sirius. Don't get too attached to him. Don't let his face fool you."

Hearty laughter erupted at James entirely seriously roasting his best friend. Harry was laughing along with them. It seemed he was finally awake.

"Good morning, Maria."

"Good morning, Harry."

Several gentle pairs of eyes watched over us. Dad's arms wrapped around Harry and me, pulling us into a hug.

"Good morning, my beloved children."

No one said anything about last night. They were perceptive people. They surely suspected what kind of situation our future selves were in—what sort of tragic end they themselves would eventually meet—yet they deliberately avoided touching the core of the issue. They were waiting for us to speak. It was true 'adult' consideration.

"Right, breakfast anyway. Maria, you'll need to head back to the girls' dormitory to get changed. ...Lily is sulking, so take care of her, alright?"

The hazel eyes that had only existed in mirrors for us until now sent a crisp wink my way. I smiled back with those exact same eyes.

Today, in this place that should be an impossible dream for as long as Harry and Maria Potter lived, let's spend our time with our parents.

"By the way, how old was Harry when he stopped wetting the bed?"

"I said stop talking about that!"

It's not fair!! It's not fair... It's just not fair...

A jealous shriek saturated the morning Common Room. It was Lily. Mum had heard about the whole morning routine from Professor Lupin the moment we woke up, and she had been utterly sulking ever since.

"It's not fair that James gets all the attention! I want a good morning kiss, too!"

"I can't yield on this one, Lily. You see, I'm their father."

"Well, I'm their mother!"

Everyone was heaving massive sighs at the sight of this endearing lovers' quarrel. But judging by how no one tried to stop them, I figured this must be their everyday routine. Even Harry, who had been shrinking into himself yesterday, couldn't help but laugh at our parents' childish behavior.

"What's wrong, Lily? We could hear your temper tantrum all the way from the stairs."

"Oh, listen to this, Mary. Maria favors James over me, her own sister!"

"That's not true... sister."

Harry and I cornered Lily, who was busy crying on the shoulder of Mary Macdonald as she came down into the Common Room. Just like we had recreated this morning, I took my mother's hand and pressed my lips to her smooth cheek. ...It was a little embarrassing, though.

""Good morning, Mum.""

As we whispered it together, those green eyes—identical to Harry's—widened instantly. Then, her goddess-like beauty broke into a brilliant smile.

"Good morning, my sweet children."

We were swept into a tight, squeezing hug. I giggled alongside Harry, squished together in our mother's arms. The sheer strength of it reminded me of Mum Weasley.

"...You lot work fast, don't you?"

"Hm?"

"It's a family affair, right? Lily will marry James, so does that mean Maria will marry Harry?"

At Mary's teasing joke, Harry and I looked at each other and did a spit-take. —Marrying my brother?!

Lily’s shoulders shook with laughter, while James and Sirius went along with the joke, shouting, "Brilliant idea!"

"Harry, this way we can be a real family in both name and reality."

"Maria... seriously, stop talking nonsense and go get ready."

Pushed by Lily toward the stairs to the girls' dormitory, I let my mother lead me away while glancing back. Harry was surrounded by Dad, our other dad, our former professor, and their best friend, looking completely relaxed. —Judging by that, he’ll be fine on his own.

"Maria."

Lily, who had been pulling my hand, stopped and opened the door to her bedroom. She flashed me a dazzling, intensely bright smile. She truly was a magnificent beauty. And waiting for me on the other side of the door were—a group of girls holding uniforms, brushes, scissors, and various frilly things, all wearing the exact same excellent smile as my mother.

"Let's get you properly dressed up, shall we?"

How many times had I heard the word "cute" in the mere hour since I woke up? —Mainly from this man who looked exactly like my brother.

"Maria is just too cute! My little princess must be a treasure hand-crafted by fairies! Ah, goblins, I mean, not House-Elves. Here, let me look at your face... Ah, so cute! Goodness me, I can't wait to see how you grow up!"

"..."

"Harry, make sure you protect your sister. If any nasty pests try to get close, you swat them away by any means necessary. Papa spent a long time swatting away a certain bug to get Mum—"

"James."

"It slipped out. Your Majesty."

"..."

While Queen Lily was busy strangling James the Jester, I escaped to my brother's side. Caught by Harry, who wore a look of utter sympathy, I let out a sigh from the very bottom of my heart.

Oh, Albus, my son whom I have yet to meet in this life... is this how you felt while your brother was pestering you? To think I'd regret not saving you from what Dad and Mum just saw as "cute sibling bonding" this deeply, this late in the game. —This is so, extremely, annoying! No wonder James was thoroughly loathed by his younger brother. Though Lily, of course, had soaked up her brother's affection and grown up quite resiliently.

"You really are weak against Mum, aren't you, Maria?"

Harry whispered, looking down at the skirt of the uniform Mum had worn during her first year. Realizing there was a slight tease in his voice, I pinched his soft, childlike cheek.

"I'm weak against both Mum and Dad."

I brushed my perfectly styled red hair over my shoulder and answered softly, just loud enough for Harry to hear.

Because the truth was—the being that my mother and father called 'Maria' was supposed to be a completely different, pure, and innocent child.

No, I was the one who wished for Maria and brought her into existence. So, it was nothing more than a fantasy, not even a true "what if." —But still.

I wanted to fulfill it. What Mum had wanted for her daughter, Maria. In Maria's place. As an atonement to the child who would never get to meet her father and mother.

...That didn't mean I felt the slightest bit of joy about my meticulously trimmed fringe, my polished nails, or the ribbon emphasizing the half-up twin-tails in my hair. I'm a grown adult, what on earth am I wearing...

We headed to the Great Hall in a large group. I walked on, clearing my mind to ignore the stares of the passing students, who looked at us like we were rare magical creatures. When we sat down in front of a luxurious breakfast—a masterpiece by the House-Elves—heads turned our way just like a replay of last night. The Gryffindor students, in particular, had their eyes sparkling with expectation, as if waiting for something amusing to happen.

"Now then, I trust you have all eaten and drunk your fill. For those of you whose first class is History of Magic... my condolences."

A murmur rippled across the four long tables where the students sat. It was rare for Dumbledore to stand from his seat during breakfast. The eyes that had been distracted by the food snapped back to the Potter siblings. Confirming this, Dumbledore gave a magnanimous nod.

"As many of you surely know, two new companions joined Hogwarts yesterday. You all have much sharper ears than I do. Therefore, before your curiosity gives birth to any new rumors, I thought I should formally introduce them. —Mr. Harry Potter, and Miss Maria Evans."

I stood up alongside Harry. Looking down at our anxious-looking parents, I gave a small smile.

We hadn't planned this. We didn't know what Dumbledore was going to say. But my heart, having lived both as Harry and as Maria, understood exactly what Dumbledore wanted. That was just how long 'I' had walked the path of life alongside that man.

"As their names suggest, they are the siblings of Mr. James Potter and Miss Lily Evans. As you can see, they possess the magical qualifications required to attend Hogwarts. However... they could not arrive in time for the start of September..."

The old man's voice dropped quietly. At his grave tone, everyone held their breath. And then.

"Why, you ask? Because... I forgot to send them their Hogwarts acceptance letters!"

BAM! —I could have sworn I saw the illusion of a lightning bolt strike behind Dumbledore. You've got to be kidding me. Professor McGonagall’s jaw dropped wide open. Professor Sprout spectacularly spat out her pumpkin juice. Slughorn smirked, sensing something amiss, and Professor Flitwick tumbled right off his chair.

The atmosphere instantly shattered into pure comedy, yet Harry and I hurriedly sat back down together. How embarrassing. It was so embarrassing that we had stood up with knowing looks just because we were called. Even the fact that our parents' eyes had shifted from concern to sheer pity was unbearable. This was entirely that old man's fault.

Meanwhile, the wizard who had single-handedly trampled the mood of the entire Great Hall was tapping his head with the Elder Wand, muttering falsely, "Dear me... age must be catching up with me..." You just couldn't hate the man.

"Now, listen well. All the blame lies with me. If there are to be any Howlers of reprimand, I shall be the one to receive them."

—Suddenly, I realized. While everyone, including us, was focused on Dumbledore, those dark, stagnant eyes were piercing straight through Harry and me without wavering for even a second.

...Ah, I see. Of course we could never fool you. Because you are the one who knows both Harry and 'Maria.'

"Please, for just a short while—I ask that you accept them into this Hogwarts with your broad and generous hearts."

With the old man's dignified closing words, breakfast was dismissed. Everyone hurried down the corridors for their first class. Naturally, Harry and I parted ways with our parents, who had their own timetables, and strode through the Hogwarts of the past, just the two of us.

"Was that really alright, Dumbledore pulling a stunt like that?"

"It's fine, isn't it? He said it himself. —'For just a short while'."

A short while—because this was all a fleeting dream until we disappeared entirely. Eventually, things would return to normal. Hogwarts would regain its peaceful routine, with no record or memory of ever welcoming anomalies from the future.

It all depended entirely on Harry's choice, though.

"Besides, it's Dumbledore. Even if someone actually showed up to reprimand him for his mismanagement, he's already perfectly prepared to dodge them smoothly. —You haven't forgotten about the Dumbledore's Army incident, have you?"

"...Right, yeah."

Harry gave a heavy nod that didn't quite suit his young face. The fact that a secret organization we had formed with good intentions ultimately ended up cornering the old man was still fresh in our memories. We walked for a bit and stopped right before the courtyard. We were called out by a boy whose voice hadn't even dropped yet.

"Hey, you two—Potter! Evans!"

I turned around. Then I looked around in confusion. Harry whispered a warning to me, "—He means you by Evans."

"Do you guys have any special classes? If not, your first period is Herbology with Professor Sprout. You've got Flying class in the afternoon, so be ready for that."

It was a Gryffindor boy, impeccably dressed in his uniform. Somehow, he reminded me of Hermione in her first year, overenthusiastic and spinning her wheels. It seemed there was always one kid like this in every era.

"Thanks for letting us know. Shall we go, Harry?"

"Do we actually need to go to this?"

"Of course we do. You and I are first-years, after all."

"...Maria, aren't you a little too used to this?"

To playing the part of a kid, he meant. At the implicit question, I scoffed proudly. Of course I was used to it. This was my third time being a first-year at Hogwarts, after all.

"You two are really close. You're like siblings. Childhood friends, maybe?"

At the boy's surprisingly accurate observation, we giggled together.

"You could say that. Harry is like a little brother to me."

"And Maria is my little sister."

"Does that have something to do with the fact that your older brother and sister are dating?"

"Well, who knows?" We said in unison.

While playfully teasing the kind, innocent boy on our way to the greenhouses, we passed by a few Ravenclaw students.

"—So, does the Princess of Gryffindor know about this...?"

I turned around on instinct. Naturally. With a completely natural expression. In other words, it was a pure reflex.

"...Maria."

"...Ah."

"Hm? You guys—Oh, I see. That's your sister's nickname, but did you know about it? Since you're her little sister... I suppose that makes you the Little Princess?"

—My face felt like it was going to burst into flames.

That nickname used to be so agonizingly embarrassing I couldn't bear it, yet somehow, it had been hardwired into me that it belonged to Maria.

It was Fred's fault. It was George's fault. It was Professor McGonagall's fault for teaching it to those two. It was Draco's fault, too. And above all else—it was Dad's fault!

"Must be nice being beautiful sisters. Do your best to become a Head Girl like your sister, Little Princess! And Mr. Potter, make sure you absolutely do not imitate your brother."

Laughing heartily, the tall blue robes walked away.

"..."

"Um... Evans?"

Even though I didn't want to make eye contact with anyone, Harry—who was a whole fist shorter than me—peered into my face, his mother's eyes sparkling brilliantly. His hand held onto mine tightly.

"Come on, if we don't hurry, we'll be late. —Right, Little Princess?"

...So this was his payback for this morning, huh, brother.