Teddy's studio apartment was littered with clothing. Trousers were strewn across the floor, shirts lay under the many cloaks and jackets on his bed, and only his socks seemed to have stayed in the drawers. Everything he tried on felt wrong. Whether it was too Muggle, too unprofessional, or too formal, nothing he had in his closet felt right for his first day at the Ministry of Magic. Each jacket was tossed aside for being too short in length. Adult wizards wore robes, not leather jackets, he had to keep reminding himself. His trousers were the only simple thing about his outfit. They were simple, black, and skinny-legged - but was he supposed to wear boots or shoes?
Harry usually wore boots, but they were short ones that were covered by his trousers most of the time. Teddy's godfather tended to lean towards a more Muggle style, but he never looked out of place in the Wizarding world, either. Teddy stared at his options. The shoes were too shiny and new for now; he would have to wear the boots. After all, unless he was out with his godfather, he wouldn't have to worry about being stopped in the street if he stayed in Wizarding London.
Teddy now looked at the shirts, searching for one that didn't require a tie, and spotted a dark teal shirt that had a band collar. He quickly buttoned it up and added a light grey vest before pulling on the long, dark brown coat that Harry had given him for his seventeenth birthday. Teddy glanced at himself in the mirror, deciding after a moment that he liked the overall look. He squinted slightly and focused on his favorite color, watching as his hair turned from mouse brown to turquoise. Then he picked up his wand and ID badge and placed them in a pocket.
His eyes lingered for a moment on the picture frame on his nightstand. He watched as a pink-haired woman and a worn-out looking man smiled up at him before kissing one another. He hoped his parents would have been happy with his career path. Harry had been less than thrilled at first to hear that his godson wanted to follow in his footsteps after Hogwarts. For most of his first year at WOMBAT (Wretchedly Obligatory Mastery of Basic Auror Training), Teddy had found most of his family trying to talk him out of the profession that he'd chosen. To his surprise, however, Harry had convinced them that it was the right - though very dangerous - path for him.
Stuffing a quick piece of toast into his mouth, Teddy threw a fistful of Floo Powder into his fireplace and watched the green flames dance into life. Then, with all of the confidence that he could muster, Teddy walked inside, cried "The Ministry of Magic!" and was engulfed by a strange tingling sensation, which was followed by the feeling of his feet slamming into the ground. Teddy opened his eyes to see the grand Atrium of the Ministry before him.
Even though he had been here multiple times throughout his life, Teddy still couldn't quite grasp how large the Atrium actually was. There was a small cough behind him, and Teddy stepped aside to allow another wizard to exit the fireplace. He circled around the fountain, which now stood as a memorial for everyone who died during the Ministry's fall in the Second Wizarding War, and joined the line of people waiting patiently for the lift.
As he shuffled into the lift with at least a dozen other people, Teddy watched as paper airplane-shaped memos flew in from above their heads. The gates closed and the lift pushed back, shooting upwards quickly. Teddy only had to wait seconds before the lift moved towards an entrance, and a cool, magically amplified voice said, "Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."
Teddy pushed his way out onto the floor. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was by far the biggest in the Ministry, and it showed in the floor plan. There were guidance signs all over the walls to help people navigate to different sub-departments. Teddy briefly saw Hermione at the other end of the hall; he waved to her before taking an immediate left and making his way past the Hit Wizards Department and the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. Then he opened a set of heavy oaken doors, revealing a small room that contained just one desk, with a waterfall on each side.
"Badge and wand, please," a raspy voice said at once, and Teddy looked down to see a small elderly lady holding out her hand.
Teddy presented both to her and watched as she pulled out a pair of glasses with multiple lenses, using them to examine both his wand and badge closely.
"Your wand is 10 ΒΌ inches, apple, with a unicorn tail hair, yes?" she asked.
Teddy nodded and waited as she continued to look at his wand. Her silence carried on until she spoke again.
"I'll need an audible confirmation, hon."
"Oh, sorry - yes, that's correct."
She nodded and set the wand aside, now staring at his badge. "This wand belongs to Edward Remus Lupin, aged 19. You are an Auror Level One, as well as a known Metamorphmagus. Your Patronus is a European wildcat. Do you confirm that's you?"
Teddy suddenly felt his tongue roll up before it relaxed just as suddenly, allowing him to confirm this statement, too. The old woman smiled up at him and handed back his wand and badge.
"It's all right, hon, it's just a lie detection spell; all very standard. You've been assigned to Auror Jebediah Morris of the Investigation Department. Just step through the waterfall to the left and then take your first right. His offices are right next to the stairs."
She waved him through and began the process anew with the person behind him. Teddy stared momentarily at the waterfall in front of him before taking a cautious step through. He felt the water beat against his head but emerged dry on the other side. He stared at a mirror directly across from him and saw that his hair was once again its natural mouse brown. Looking back at the waterfall, Teddy now recognized it as the Thief's Downfall, a spell-canceling security measure that Harry had told him about. Teddy quickly returned his hair back to its turquoise color and, following the old woman's directions, took the first right, revealing a large open area divided into small cubicles. He walked straight across the room until he reached a group of cubicles next to a set of stairs.
This area consisted of four cubicles set up in a square formation. Only one was currently occupied. The man inside it, who looked to be only a few years older than Teddy, was staring intently at a box on his desk. Teddy cleared his throat slightly and the man jumped to his feet.
"I'm sorry - is this your desk? They only told me today that I was being transferred from Forensics and Development. I'm Peter Dorneget." The man held out his hand, and Teddy shook it.
"Teddy Lupin. It's my first day," he said.
Peter smiled. He had brown skin and black hair and was wearing a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and a striking, lime green tie.
"Ah, you're a probie! I myself have just been promoted to Level Three, but this is the first time I've been in Investigation. I've been in Forensics since I started at the Office."
Peter sat back down and gestured for Teddy to take the desk next to his before returning his attention to the box on his desk. Teddy was about to ask what it was when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Looks like you and I are still partners in crime, Lupin."
Teddy turned abruptly in his chair, smiling widely as a dark-haired, pale-skinned woman wearing a beanie grinned back at him.
"Whistler! No way - we got the same assignment?"
Teddy hadn't seen Whistler Shacklebolt in over a month. They had been in the same year at WOMBAT, although she was two years older than he was. They had become fast friends after they'd been partnered in Advanced Dueling during their second week. Whistler sat down on the desk across from Teddy and nodded over at Peter, raising her eyebrows. Teddy cleared his throat, prompting Peter to divert his attention from the mysterious box and introduce himself to Whistler.
"Shacklebolt? Really?" he said. "You're not by any chance related to the Minister, are you?"
Whistler nodded, her smile only faltering slightly.
"He's my dad. Adoptive, obviously."
Now there was only one empty desk. Teddy wondered what Morris would be like. Out of all the cubicles, his was the only desk with any personal effects on it. Papers were strewn all over, and "Wanted" posters were pegged over every inch of the wall, dark faces staring back at whoever they made eye contact with. Teddy gritted his teeth and looked away.
More people were in the office now. Some looked as if they had spent the night on the streets and were only stopping in the office before going to bed for the day, while others clutched their coffee cups and did their best to wake up. There were several people whom Teddy recognized from his and Whistler's class at WOMBAT. Like Teddy, they were glancing around the office, unsure of what the day would bring; Teddy smiled at the few he made eye contact with. The bustle of the early work day was already surprising him. While he knew that not every day was going to involve battling Dark wizards in a duel or even working in the field, his extensive training had made him feel as if he should expect it. But from his impressions this morning, the daily life of an Auror seemed to involve a lot of time sitting at a desk, performing various tasks. Teddy wasn't sure what to think.
Suddenly, everyone in the office seemed to stop what they were doing. Even Peter looked up from his mysterious box. Teddy glanced at the first landing of the stairs, trying to figure out what everyone was looking at, and spotted his godfather - who also happened to be Head of the Auror Department - standing with his hands on the rails and looking down at the entire office.
"Morning, everyone," he said. "I know this is going to be a busy week, what with September 1st and getting our kids off to Hogwarts safely, but I know we can make things work with a little shuffling around. If you want to accompany a child or a friend to the platform, please put your name on the list at the end of the corridor, and we'll make accommodations for you until after eleven o'clock. Now, as you know, WOMBAT recently graduated five bright new Aurors, and today is their first official day of work. We've got Atlas Denbright, who's joined the Tactical and Strategic Department; Indus Tremlett and Celia Stockdale in Forensics and Research; and then Whistler Shacklebolt and Edward Lupin in the Investigation and Tracking Department. To you five, I say welcome and congratulations. It's rare that we get so many new Aurors in one year, so well done and good luck. Everyone, please find a moment to introduce themselves to the new recruits in your department so that they can start to get to know everyone. Have a good day."
Harry finished speaking and walked back up the stairs toward his office. Teddy caught his godfather's eyes; Harry smiled and gave him a small wave before retreating into his office and closing the door. Teddy wasn't surprised that Harry hadn't said anything outright, as it wasn't common knowledge that the Head Auror was his godfather.
He hadn't realized that so few people from his class had passed the final exams, either. Two years ago, WOMBAT had accepted seventy new students into their program. By Teddy's second year, only thirty remained, and now, out of the fifteen of them who had opted to take the final exams, only five of them had passed.
Teddy didn't have much time to dwell on that, however. Almost as soon as Harry shut his door, the noise and commotion started up again. More people stopped by his and Whistler's desks, introducing themselves quickly before continuing with their day. Every time someone came up, Teddy wondered if they were Auror Morris, but each time, he was disappointed.
Then a man with salt and pepper hair came striding into their section of cubicles. He was wearing almost all black, minus the lining of his cloak, which was blood red. He didn't look at any of them; instead, he picked up a few sheets of papers from his desk and walked back out. Teddy, Whistler, and Peter stared at one another, unsure of what they were supposed to do. The man's face appeared around the corner.
"Come on," he said gruffly. "We've got a body in Diagon Alley." He shook his head before disappearing around the corner.
Whistler jumped off of her desk and followed him, while Peter grabbed a bag from a drawer in his desk before he and Teddy set off, too. They caught up to Whistler and the man who must be Morris by the waterfalls. Morris passed through, and Teddy saw him set a paper cup in front of the old woman before continuing to the lifts.
"Enjoy the morning tea, Gladys," he said over his shoulder as he held the door open for the rest of them. Once they were all in the lift, it closed, and Morris pressed the button for Level One before turning around to face the three of them.
"Right, my name is Jedediah Morris, I'm your superior, I'm here to train the two of you," he said to Teddy and Whistler. "And Dorneget, I had you transferred here from Forensics because you're the best at what you do, and I heard you were interested in being in the field more. Do your jobs, follow my rules, and we won't have any problems."
Morris turned back to the front of the lift just as the doors were opening to the Atrium. He led them to one of the fireplaces, said "Gringotts," and then stepped into the fire. Peter went next, followed by Whistler, and then finally Teddy, who stepped into the fire only to land seconds later on the marble floors of Gringotts Bank.
