In memory of Remus Lupin and Harry Potter, two of the most inspiring characters of the series
“Not Slytherin, please, not Slytherin,” muttered the wild and brown haired boy as he sat on a stool with an old pointed hat on his head, covering his eyes, blocking from view the several others who were next in line, and the sea of blank, unknown faces that didn’t care.
A curt yet old, raspy voice whispered into his ear, clearly amused. “You boy, remind me of years ago, and I would say this. You have it in you. Slytherin is a great house, and you have it in your blood; Now then, shall it be there you go?”
“Never,” whispered the boy defiantly.
The hat twisted a little on his head, as if deciding, as if uneasy. It whispered, “Very well then, you go to,” he paused and shouted out to the crowd that the boy couldn’t see,
“GRYFFINDOR!!!”
There was wild cheering from the table right in front of him.
Young Teddy heaved a sigh of relief. As he walked past a pretty girl with silvery blonde hair, he winked and whispered, “Lets see where you go,” and went and sat on the Gryffindor table.
Moments later she was sitting next to him, beaming.
“I still don’t believe you made it to Hogwarts. I thought your mum wanted you to go to her old school,” he chuckled as he nibbled on a lamb chop.
“Yes, but Uncle Harry and Dad both told her it was better here, and closer,” said she, “and so Mama had to give in. She wasn’t exactly easy about it though. She’s attached to Beauxbatons.”
“She seemed happy at King’s Cross, I think,” said Teddy thoughtfully.
“Really? That’s very good. I was afraid she would still be worried.”
“She’s your mother,” Teddy rolled his eyes. “She’s bound to be worried, silly.” Victoire looked at Teddy thoughtfully. “You really understand these things well, Ted, you surprise me.”
He looked away, as if to hear what Professor McGonagal was saying. He looked down at his reflection in the gleaming silver plate, that had magically turned clean after his eating from it. Even as he stared blankly at it, he saw his iris changing from blue to gray.
The last time that had happened, his godfather, Harry, had been telling him about his parents, the entire past of whom he knew nothing. He looked up at Victoire again. She looked concerned.
He smiled, more to reassure himself than her, and as soon as everyone began to file out of the Great Hall, he skipped away without a word.
Ted had no idea where the house prefect was leading him and the others. He just followed, his mind blank.
That night found Ted sitting on the chair beside the common room fire, staring into the crackling logs, his thoughts surrounding the night he got his letter from Hogwarts.
He had been alone at home with his grandmother; her not being much company, being ill and asleep.
His godfather had come calling late in the evening, bringing a box of Honeydukes chocolates and toffees.
“How are you Teddy?”
“I’m fine, Harry. And thanks for the box,” he said grinning at the package.
“It’s been a while since I saw you, so I thought I’d bring a hello present,” he smiled. His eyes strayed to the mantelpiece, and he chuckled.
“The Hogwarts owl finally found you, I see.”
Teddy laughed. “They had to, after all. I’m no squib.”
Harry turned a little stern. “Don’t bother about James’ jokes, he still hasn’t turned eleven, he can’t say stuff like that. I’ll talk to him about it.”
Teddy glanced up at his godfathers forehead. He’d always meant to ask how he got a scar so oddly shaped, like a bolt of lightning. He finally plucked up courage that night.
“Tell me about your scar, how’d you get it? Did you fall off a broom?”
Harry sighed. “Actually I’ve come to talk about just that,” his gaze softened and he looked kindly at Teddy. ” and about your mum and dad, Ted.”
Teddy stiffened. “I know what happened to them, I don’t need to know anything. And I’ve gotten over it, Grandmother told me all she could.”
Harry peered at Teddy through his glasses, expressionless, lost in thought. Then he stirred, and said quietly,”I owe you an explanation, Ted, your father would’ve expected me to do my duty as your godfather. And that’s not the only reason. In a way, I’m the reason they don’t sit beside you right now.”
Teddy stared at Harry in shock. “How-?”
A single tear fell down onto the carpet in between the two. Harry looked up, his eyes moist behind their glasses.
Ted felt dazed, confused. He wondered, “What else is there?”
“Theodore Remus Lupin, I am going to tell you the story that binds us together, about your parents, what happened to them, everything, every bit of truth no one has told you yet. Please, just listen.”
“Your father, Remus, and my dad, James, and my Godfather, Sirius, who happens to be your grandmother’s brother, and a man called Peter Pettigrew were the best of friends in their time at Hogwarts.
At that time, the Dark wizard, Voldemort, was gathering followers, and gaining in power.
“They were thick as thieves, and I mean in every sense of the word.”
Ted gave him a questioning look.
“Oh, no, not really theiving around, no,” he said as he thrust his hand into his coat pocket.
Harry pulled out an incredibly old piece of folder parchment.
He resumed, “And they called themselves ‘The Marauders’.
They really fooled around, and were popular, yet notorious. I remember being told, though, that Remus was the more mature and less mischievous of them. I guess that’s why he was Prefect of Gryffindor House too. But they were all bright, and were the smartest wizards in their year. Not Peter, though, but they counted him a loyal friend, and they trusted him. They were inseparable, and had a bond much stronger than blood brothers. As Marauders, they had nicknames for each other. Remus was Moony, my dad was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, and Peter was Wormtail.
“Voldemort had all sorts of people and creatures under his control. The most vicious were the werewolves, and the most feared of them all was Fenrir Greyback.
“When Remus was quite young, he was bitten by Greyback, though why, he wasn’t sure. He told me that probably his father had angered Greyback over something, and he bit Remus in revenge.”
Ted looked pale. Harry reached forward and pulled out a chocolate from the box.
“I know this is hard, Teddy. Here, have a chocolate. Your dad used to recommend it whenever I got a shock, or whenever I ran into Dementors.”
Ted bit into the dark bar and soon regained his composure.
“Go on, Harry.”
Harry sighed deeply.
“So your father was a werewolf. But he was never bad, Ted, believe me. He was a brave, good man. After Sirius died, he was the only father figure I had. And being his best friend’s son, he chose me to be your Godfather, much like how my dad chose Sirius.
“The headmaster of Hogwarts at that time, and even when I was there was the greatest wizard that ever lived, Albus Dumbledore. He knew there would be an uproar if a werewolf was to study at the school. But he was kind, and he let Remus in. When you’ll go there in September, I’ll expect you’ll see a live tree on the castle grounds, called The Whomping Willow, which is actually planted on top of the old Shrieking Shack. This was where your father would be taken to transform on every full moon night, so he would harm no one, and so he passed his 7 years as a student there without incident; well, almost,” chuckled Harry.
“After a while, Dad and Sirius found out the truth about Remus. And since they were together all the time, they couldn’t bear to see their friend all alone, in such a state. Isolated, alone, a werewolf often is a danger to itself. Not as great a danger as to others, but still, it disturbed them.
By the time they were in their 5th year at Hogwarts, James and Sirius managed to successfully become Animagi. They helped Peter with it too.
James was a stag, Sirius became a huge dog; both large enough to control a werewolf should he go berserk. Peter was a rat, because only one so tiny could reach a particular knot at the roots of the Whomping Willow, prodding which, the tree would be stilled for a bit.
“They spent many nights, together. Often they would roam around, and even would wander through Hogsmeade. It was reckless, but they were careful.
“There was another person, a muggle-born girl, Lily Evans She befriended them too, in their sixth year. Lily was my mother. Together, all five of them, they were like a family. When I was born, five became six. As Sirius and Remus would tell me, I felt that together, they were like a wonderful family.”
A cloud passed over Harry’s usually cheerful eyes, and an expression that his friends hadn’t seen in years. His hand almost twitched towards his scar.
“A few months before I was born, Albus Dumbledore was interviewing a witch, Sybill Trelawney, for the post of Divination teacher at Hogwarts. A fit came over her, and she recited a prophecy.
She predicted the fall of Voldemort at the hands of a child, born on the last day of July, 1979, whose parents had eluded Voldemort four times. I won’t elaborate much, but basically only two boys were born on that day. Me, and a friend of mine, Neville Longbottom. Neville is also the Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts. I think you'll like him as a teacher.
"For some strange reason, Voldemort assumed that the prophecy referred to me, for he found out through one of his followers, who was eavesdropping. They were called the Death Eaters.
Voldemort killed my Mum and Dad. But the one who betrayed us was none other than Peter. He disclosed to Voldemort where we were hiding. And thereafter, he deftly managed to shift the blame on Sirius, who had to rot for 12 years in Azkaban, for allegedly killing Peter and several muggles with one single curse. It was actually Peter that did it. But in the explosion that followed, he disappeared using his Animagus form, because no one knew that the 3 had been Animagi; they hadn’t registered with the Ministry.
Albus Dumbledore had set up an Order, called the Order of the Phoenix, to counter and thwart Voldemort. My parents, Sirius, and Remus were all a part of it. So were Neville’s parents, and several other brave witches and wizards. Over the years of Voldemort’s rise, and his return, nearly all were murdered.”
“Wait, rise is fine, but return? Where had he gone? Abroad?” asked Ted, suddenly curious and interested.
Harry looked at Ted, and smiled ruefully. His eye didn’t smile. Ted saw pain for the first time in his godfather’s eyes.
“When he knew where we Potters lived, he came for us. He killed my father, and murdered my mother, and she died pleading to save me. And then when Voldemort tried to kill me, and his body was destroyed. Since he had indulged in a certain evil magic to remain alive, as if immortal, he didn’t die, but his form was destroyed. Dumbledore later told me it was because my mother died to save me, due to an ancient magic, she gave me a kind of protection against Voldemort. He couldn’t even touch me. The effect of his killing curse on me left me with this scar.
People believed that he died, and I was considered by some as a dark wizard, by others, a messiah.
“Years later, I found out about how Sirius seemed to have betrayed my parents. Remus thought so too. And then Sirius broke out of Azkaban, and Remus and I, along with Ron and Hermione, confronted him. Peter had been living all these years disguised as a rat, but the moment Sirius and Remus saw Ron’s pet rat, they recognized Peter, and I finally learnt the truth.
“Five years after that, the armies of the rest of us who were resisting Voldemort, and his army of death eaters, giants and Dementors, fought at Hogwarts. Your father and your mother too were there. It’s there that they were killed by Death Eaters. They killed several among us, I lost so many who I knew.
“Your mother, Nymphadora Tonks, preferred being called Dora, or just Tonks. That’s how I called her. She was an auror, and trained under Mad-Eye Moody himself, the most legendary auror in. wizarding history. She joined the Order when Voldemort returned, which was two years after Sirius managed to break out of prison. The headquarters were at your grandmother’s and Sirius’s ancestral house in London. Like you, Ted, she too was a wonderfully adept Metamorphmagus. It is from her you inherited it. See, your eye just changed its color. Have a look,”said Harry, looking surprised.
Ted glanced at a mirror. His usually blue eye had turned black. Too shocked to speak or react, he turned to face Harry again.
“You are the son of heroes, Ted. Your father was a very brave man. Your mother too, was one of the bravest women I knew. Despite being a werewolf, he was good. And he was never hated.
He taught me Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts in my third year. If you ask anyone that he taught, they will tell you without hesitating, that he was the best Professor to teach DA at Hogwarts in decades. As a teacher, I think only Dumbledore was accorded as much respect as he received.
“When you were born, I was on the run, in hiding, and had managed to escape from Voldemort to Shell Cottage, under Bill and Fleur’s care. Victoire’s parents to you,” he added, at Ted’s expression, clearly trying to remember who they were.
“Interestingly, Bill too was bitten by Greyback, but not on a full moon, so he was never a werewolf.
Anyway. It was a stormy evening, and Remus came calling, looking the happiest I had ever seen him. He was beaming, he was so happy about having you. It was then that he asked me if I would be godfather to you. I was worried, that I would not make a good one, I had thought, what if I die too? But fate is cruel, and I lived to kill Voldemort, but Remus and Dora died defending Hogwarts, died fighting for the greater good.”
Harry looked up again at Ted, whose eyes were now swimming in tears. He got up and hugged the little boy, and Teddy broke down, sobbing.
Harry held him long, and whispered gently, “Be proud of them, Ted. Few can claim to have had such loving parents. Or such brave parents. Your mother too loved you dearly. Even before the battle, they were worried about you, for they had left you here.
Remus’s last words were about you, Ted. He said, ‘I hope he will understand, that we died trying to make the world safer for him.’
They loved you dearly Ted.”
Ted pulled out the old parchment Harry had given him. He held up his wand in the firelight. He was rather proud of his wand. He still remembered how Ollivander, the wand maker had expressed surprise and happiness when it chose him.
“Consider yourself lucky, Mister Lupin,” he had said, with a twinkle in his eye, “I haven’t sold a single phoenix feather wand in years, for some strange reason, none ever chose anyone. I’m guessing this is significant.”
As he had walked out of his shop, Harry had shown him his wand, also a phoenix wand. He was delighted to see this.
Ted smiled ruefully at the memory. Hours later, Harry had given him the parchment and told him its use.
“This is a map of Hogwarts. Not just any map, because it shows you all the secret passageways in the castle. Not only that, it also shows you the people that are moving around, and where. Let me show you.”
He had proceeded to show Ted the spell that opened the parchment, and to his amazement, he saw with angled letters in red ink written the words,
Messer’s Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, are proud to present The Maruaders’ Map
Incredulous, he looked up at Harry. He grinned. “Yeah. They made this map. And I give it to you, because you’re the first of the Marauders’ kin to go to Hogwarts after me. It’s yours, Ted.”
He had spent hours that night looking at the map, devouring and scanning every bit of the castle.
Tonight, he had the urge to explore. And he spoke the words that Harry, and before him Fred, George and the Marauders had used.
“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”
There was no one for several corridors and stairs around. Ted crept out of the common room. The castle was open to him. Then he stopped.
Victoire would like this too, he thought. But tonight, he was alone. He went ahead.
Ted walked through the entire castle, went to several empty classrooms. He went to the library and spent all night in a corner reading books on the history of Hogwarts and of his Godfather, hoping to see the names of his father and mother somewhere.
Finally, he found a book, newer-looking than several other volumes lying in the dust on the long endless shelves.
The Battle Of Hogwarts, it was titled, in blazing golden letters on the front. In little green letters was written the name Dennis Creevy.
He flipped to the first few pages.
In loving memory of my elder brother who died fighting, Colin Creevy
Somewhere towards the end, Teddy came across a page which mentioned the defeat of Voldemort. He flipped a few pages back, turning them slowly, his heart racing.
“….. and as mostly everyone was defending the castle from within and on the grounds, a few of the brave commanders of the Battle decided to man each of the 5 towers of the castle.
Brothers Fred and George Weasley, along with Kingsley Shacklebolt, headed to the North Tower………
……. while ex-Professor of DA, Remus Lupin, and his auror wife, Dora Tonks took charge of the lone standing Astronomy tower, from where they are said to have bravely warded of a battalion of 5 Death Eaters, including Avery and Nott, along with a host of Snatchers, several hundred Acromantula, nearly fifty Dementors and one Giantess……”
Tears swam in Ted’s eyes as he read the account. He remembered his Godfathers words, the hero of the battle himself; “Be proud, Ted.”
Ted lightly kept the book into its place and walked out of the library, slowly and solemnly. He proceeded to the Astronomy tower, and climbed up to the top. The moon shone brightly down, lighting up the entire tower. Ted spent nearly all night, surveying the scene, imagining the battle his parents had fought, fought for him.
As dawn approached and turned the horizon a band of blazing crimson, Ted walked back to the Gryffindor common room, his head held high, and spent the last couple of hours before the day began, sleeping peacefully, content with his night’s wandering and discovery.