A Bet for the Future
In the end, Harry ended up getting kidnapped by Sirius, who seemed determined to make up for all the time he hadn't been able to spend with his godson over the past few months. Between the construction of the new Hogwarts and all the trouble with the Ministry, they had barely had a chance to talk since the incident involving Draco and Hermione.
The two of them were now sitting inside the Leaky Cauldron, which, as always, had its usual crowd of drunken wizards wandering about, the regulars occupying their favorite spots, and families heading toward Diagon Alley to do their back-to-school shopping, excited to see the new castle for themselves.
Some students who spotted Sirius sitting there couldn't help but come over to greet their Headmaster, as well as one of last year's twin Tournament Champions. As always, Harry's reputation reached people before he did. Quite a few girls tried to strike up conversations with him and exchange contact information, but Harry always responded with that politely fake smile of his, smoothly steering the conversation elsewhere before dismissing them without them even realizing it, until they eventually walked away.
"I already told you, that little skill of yours always reminds me of your mother. I loved watching James slowly turn into the perfect husband and father without even noticing... completely whipped," Sirius said with an amused grin as he remembered the past. "Or maybe James was just so hopelessly in love with your mother that he wanted to change for her," he added more softly, wearing a faint, somewhat bittersweet smile before quickly composing himself. "It's interesting how you somehow have both your mother Lily's personality and your mother Wanda's. Though, to be honest, I wish you'd inherited just a little more of James. I'm sure the chaos the two of you would create together would be even crazier," Sirius added, imagining it.
Harry didn't have much to say about that.
He simply smiled faintly, humoring him.
"But enough about that. So tell me... how are things with Fleur?" Sirius asked, changing the subject so abruptly that it caught Harry slightly off guard.
Or perhaps...
That had been exactly the point.
Harry kept his expression perfectly neutral before answering.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Sirius looked at him with a mischievous grin.
"Of course... you two haven't made any progress whatsoever, right?" he teased.
"Progress toward what? We already agreed on the rules. Until one of us falls for the other and actually admits it, maybe something could happen. But remember, I'm still only fifteen, while she's already an adult. I'd rather she didn't end up in prison because she fell for me," Harry replied with an amused, self-satisfied look. "Though I suppose she'd end up being Viktor's neighbor if that happened," he added.
"Viktor? You mean Viktor Krum?... Wait, don't try to change the subject," Sirius immediately said, realizing exactly what his godson was trying to do.
"Tsk." Harry picked up his Butterbeer, realizing Sirius was much harder to fool than most people.
"I think you're both just wasting your time. There's only, what... two and a half years between you? That's hardly anything. Just look at Dora and Remus. That old bachelor wolf keeps trying to run away, but do you really think my crazy niece is going to let him? I'm willing to bet they'll be married within a year," Sirius said with a laugh.
Harry couldn't help thinking about the age difference between Tonks and Lupin.
Looking at it that way...
There really weren't that many more years between him and Fleur.
But he immediately shook the thought away.
After all...
This was a battle of pride.
Watching him react like that, Sirius once again saw James in him.
"So you're really going to keep pretending you aren't dating? Until when? Until Wanda has her second or third grandchild?" Sirius asked with a grin.
"We're not dating," Harry repeated, trying his best to ignore his godfather.
But for a brief moment...
His eyes wandered thoughtfully.
"That's exactly what James used to say about Lily for years. Then they graduated, got married, and had a son almost immediately. I'm sure if they were still here, you'd have had more siblings by now," Sirius added.
"Billy and Tommy are more than enough for me," Harry replied calmly.
"Well then, how about a bet? If the two of you keep acting like idiots and refuse to admit you've actually been in love with each other for ages, then when you have your first child, you'll name them after me. And if it's the second one... after Dumbledore," Sirius said with downright evil amusement.
The moment Harry heard Dumbledore's name, his expression turned slightly irritated.
At the same time...
His competitive instinct simply couldn't let that slide.
"I'm sure I can make her admit it first. But what do I get if I beat you, old man?" Harry asked with an arrogant grin.
"Anything you want. Doesn't matter. I'm not going to lose anyway," Sirius replied, knowing exactly where to strike.
"Fine."
Harry accepted the rather ridiculous wager.
One that...
Perhaps someday...
One of the two of them would deeply regret.
The only question was...
Which one of them would it be?
That would certainly be interesting to find out.
After finishing their Butterbeers, the two of them left the Leaky Cauldron and began strolling leisurely through Diagon Alley.
A great deal had changed over the past few months.
The old shops were still there.
But many of them had new owners.
"Headmaster Black!" several shopkeepers greeted as Sirius walked past.
"Good morning, Headmaster!"
The students walking alongside their families also didn't forget to greet Sirius with respectful smiles.
"See you in September, Headmaster Black!"
Sirius returned every greeting with a smile as students came over to say hello, while some parents took the opportunity to thank him for the Hogwarts renovations.
Harry simply walked beside him, quietly taking it all in.
It still felt strange to think that the man the Ministry had once branded a murderer had now become one of the most beloved Headmasters Hogwarts had ever had.
Harry couldn't help feeling a little proud of his godfather.
Though, obviously...
He would never tell him that.
It would only go to his head.
Then his gaze wandered across Diagon Alley, now looking far more modern than before.
Not too far away, enchanted ravens, owls, and even hawks made entirely through alchemy could be seen carrying packages of every imaginable size.
Thanks to them, the old messenger owls no longer had to work.
Many had simply become pets.
Others had even been returned to the wild thanks to the enormous effort Newt Scamander had spent months carrying out.
After all, releasing animals that had been raised for generations among wizards was far more complicated than simply opening a cage.
A little farther ahead, a group of children had gathered around a shop window.
Two tiny golems, barely half a meter tall, were dueling with miniature swords while flames, ice arrows, and little magical shields appeared around them through alchemical illusions.
"Dad! I want that one!"
"Learn your first-year spells first."
The man had barely finished speaking before the boy puffed out his cheeks in a tiny pout.
Harry couldn't help smiling.
There was even a shop that made outfits and armor for them.
Besides that, there were also other metallic animals created through alchemy, used to help carry shopping bags for witches and wizards—a job that had once fallen to house-elves or servants, for those wealthy enough to have them.
It was obvious just how much the magical world had changed.
And to think...
It was all thanks to Harry's group, who had only been trying to find something fun to do to cure their boredom.
"I still can't get used to seeing the magical world change because of you lot," Sirius said proudly as he looked at all the changes Harry and the others kept bringing about. "Honestly, seeing everything you've accomplished... it makes me want to live long enough to watch all of you grow up, fulfill your dreams, and change not just England, but the entire magical world," Sirius said with a smile.
"And to make sure no one ever dares clip your wings, we adults will do everything we can," Sirius added, his smile turning dangerous for a brief moment.
For anyone who one day dared to become an enemy of his cubs.