"If today is August 20, then three months ago would be May 20… That's not right. Isn't Dudley's birthday supposed to be June 23?"
"Oh… right. Twins are often born prematurely. So does that mean I've… at best shifted Dudley's birthday, and at worst changed a key turning point in his fate?"
"What kind of impact will that have? Will there be some kind of butterfly effect?"
Ashley's mind raced at full speed. This was the first real deviation from the original Harry Potter timeline she had encountered, and it unsettled her more than she expected.
A sharp wave of anxiety surged through her, and she instinctively gripped the bars of her crib.
What she didn't know was that a subtle, strange force traveled along her arm and into the crib.
Beneath the bed, unnoticed by both Petunia and Vernon, the metal frame began to warp ever so slightly.
"Calm yourself."
A cool yet gentle female voice suddenly echoed in Ashley's mind.
She froze.
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, instantly extinguishing the restless panic in her chest.
Her rationality returned.
In the world of Harry Potter, something like this might not be unusual. But for Ashley, this was the first time she had truly faced something… magical.
"Who are you?"
Her thoughts trembled with excitement as she asked cautiously.
To the outside world, she was just a baby babbling soft sounds, her bright eyes sparkling adorably. Vernon and Petunia exchanged smiles, their faces full of happiness.
They had no idea the crib had nearly come apart moments ago.
"You don't need to know who I am," the voice replied calmly. "You only need to understand this. If fate has allowed you to come here, then your existence is already justified."
"As long as what you do remains within what is reasonable, then it is part of the natural flow of fate. There is no interference, no collapse, because you are already Ashley Dursley."
Ashley fell into thought but still couldn't help asking,
"What counts as 'reasonable'?"
The voice paused for a moment before answering.
"What you can do, within common sense… ask your own heart."
The explanation was vague, almost frustratingly so, yet somehow Ashley understood.
For example, she had never seriously considered saving James and Lily to completely rewrite Harry's fate.
It wasn't that she didn't want to.
It was that, instinctively, she knew she couldn't.
And more importantly, she wasn't capable of it.
She was just a baby, not even one year old yet.
It was impossible.
That was reality.
On the other hand, her desire to care for the cousin who would one day arrive, the boy she already pitied, felt entirely natural.
Something she could do.
Something that didn't feel wrong.
In a way, fate allowed it.
With that realization, Ashley felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.
With her biggest concern settled, she asked the question she truly cared about.
"Do you know how I came here?"
The voice fell silent again.
So long that Ashley almost believed it wouldn't answer.
"It is not time yet."
Ashley smiled bitterly to herself.
She wasn't surprised at all.
Mysterious figures always spoke in riddles. That was how stories went, wasn't it?
She didn't press further.
Perhaps out of habit, or perhaps out of some faint sense of guilt, the voice added one last thing.
"My name is Beatrice."
And then, nothing.
Ashley didn't know that, outside, a small figure had briefly passed across the lawn by the door.
"Beatrice? Beatrice, are you still there?"
She called several times, but there was no response.
Only then did she accept that Beatrice had left.
A baby's energy faded quickly. Sleepiness crept over her again.
At least her mind was at peace now.
Still, a few questions lingered.
Beatrice… a name she had never heard before. Who was she? Why help her? Did she have anything to do with her arrival here?
When she hadn't given her name, Ashley had even wondered if she might be Mrs. Figg… but the temperament didn't quite match.
Then again, Harry hadn't arrived yet. Mrs. Figg wouldn't have been assigned by Dumbledore at this point.
With those drifting thoughts, Ashley fell into a sweet sleep.
…
In her dream, Vernon, Marge, and Petunia were all gathered around her, smiling.
They placed another baby beside her.
The baby was chubby and kept grabbing at her.
Annoyed, she smacked him.
He immediately quieted down.
…
When Ashley woke up, she was still in her crib.
It felt as though no time had passed at all.
Turning her head slightly, she saw a chubby baby in the crib next to hers, staring at her with bright, alert eyes.
He looked familiar.
Wait… wasn't this the same little troublemaker from her dream?
So it wasn't a dream after all.
Had they been at Marge's house yesterday?
Then this little lump of baby fat must be her twin brother.
Dudley.
The one who had "stolen nutrients" from her.
"What are you looking at, you little chubby menace? Try bullying me again and see what happens!"
Ashley glared fiercely, her threats coming out as soft baby babbling.
Dudley responded with even louder, more cheerful babbling, clearly delighted.
Anyone watching would think the twins were having a lively conversation.
Sure enough, Petunia, who seemed to be sewing something nearby, looked up at the scene and immediately broke into a radiant smile, her eyes overflowing with affection.
Ashley quickly realized how ridiculous she must look.
It seemed that shrinking in body came with a side effect. Her temperament was becoming more childish too.
She studied the baby across from her more carefully.
To be honest, chubby babies were genuinely adorable.
Nothing like the dull, spoiled, and aggressive boy Dudley would become in the future.
Right now, none of that had happened yet.
He wasn't a bully.
He was just a baby.
Perhaps because of her conversation with Beatrice, Ashley could no longer see everything as an outsider.
There was no bully named Dudley here.
Only a soft, round baby with a toothless grin.
And that baby was her twin brother.
Ashley made a quiet decision.
Then she gave Dudley a bright, dazzling smile.
Dudley immediately babbled even more enthusiastically, completely unaware of the "dangerous" intent hidden behind that innocent expression.