AN: Written for round one of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Season 7.
Captain of Appleby Arrows.
Prompt: Write about a character talking their way out of a situation.
I do not own Harry Potter.
Hogwarts, 2009
Minerva McGonagall liked to believe that she treated all of her students equally and fairly. After becoming headmistress she had made a conscious effort to ensure her Gryffindor pride id not interfere with how she ran the school.
The first few years after the war ended were harder than she expected. Many of the older students had been in the fighting, and recognized places around the castle as places where either their friends or themselves had been injured. She had expected her students to struggle, but the tension left in the wake of the battle took years to fade completely.
Eleven years later, the school was more or less back to normal. The older students had graduated, and the younger children who had been around had re-adjusted to life within the castle. Even the staff was slowly starting to realize that their students were safe.
Hogwarts was becoming a school again, not a prison. Minerva allowed herself to believe that the worst years of managing the after effects were behind them. Which was probably why she hadn't been prepared for the impact of this year's sorting ceremony.
Filius had gotten halfway through the group of first years when one of the names grabbed her attention
"Edward Lupin"
Minerva turned her attention firmly onto the young man who was walking up to the stool and felt her heart stop. She had met Edward, or Teddy as most people called him, when he was young, but had not seen the boy in several years. She was surprised by how many people he reminded her of.
The scrunch of his nose at his full name reminded her of his mother.
The shy, nervous walk in front of the crowd mirrored the demeanor his father had when he was sorted.
The lopsided smile was the same as his grandmother's, and of her cousin's.
Minerva was also aware that some of the older students recognized the name as the whispers started shooting around the room. She glanced at her staff and knew she wasn't the only one who saw it.
The last students who had brought back that many memories was in fact the boy's own godfather.
Minerva clapped as he was sorted into Hufflepuff, same as his mother, and wondered how the many ghosts lingering around the child would impact affect him.
Hogwarts, 2011 [6:00 PM]
Teddy Lupin was sitting in the welcome feast at Hogwarts for the third time in his life. He tried to keep his excitement under control as he waited for the charms he had set up to go off. Dinner was almost over when it finally happened.
Every dish and piece of cutlery turned into confetti and blew up into the air. Looking at the startled look on people's faces, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Mr. Lupin!" Teddy abruptly stopped laughing as the headmistress walked over to the Hufflepuff table. "Was this your doing?"
"Um…" He thought about lying but one look at the stern look on Professor McGonagall's face made him realize that was an awful idea. He looked down at the table and nodded meekly, "Yes Headmistress."
"Detention Mr. Lupin. Be in the trophy room at 8 o'clock."
"Yes Headmistress."
Professor McGonagall returned to the head table as the confetti slowly settled on the floor. Teddy's dorm mates all looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"Nice one Teddy!"
The chatter around the great hall picked up again, but Teddy wasn't feeling victorious. He just thought it would be something fun to do, to give people a reason to look at him and mutter behind his back for once. He hadn't wanted detention. Maybe he could try to convince the headmistress that since it was the first time he had ever done something like this that he didn't need detention.
Hogwarts [Trophy Room], 2009 [7:58 PM]
Teddy slowly walked into the trophy room expecting one of the other professors to be there. Instead he was greeted by the headmistress herself.
"Do not look so surprised Mr. Lupin, I assigned the detention, it is only just that I supervise it."
"Yes Ma'am."
"You may get started, your supplies is right here."
Teddy grabbed the bucket and cloth and began polishing the trophies. After several moments of cleaning in silence, Teddy summoned the courage to ask something he had always wanted to.
"Headmistress, may I ask a question?"
Minerva looked up from the book she had been reading, "I believe you just did."
Teddy grinned nervously, "Another one then Ma'am?"
"What is it Mr. Lupin?"
"Why do all the Professors stare at me? They've done it since I was sorted."
Minerva paused, she hadn't realized that he had picked up on the additional attention payed to him by the staff, although she supposed she should have expected it.
"You are of course aware both your parents, your grandmother and your godfather attended Hogwarts?"
"Yes Ma'am, but what does that have to do with-"
"You remind them of students and friends they have lost Mr. Lupin."
Teddy froze and turned fully to face the headmistress.
"There are many aspects of your personality that remind several of your professors of your parents, after all they were their professors too."
"That's why they stare? I never met my parents, how could I behave like them?"
Minerva sighed and set her book aside, devoting all her attention to the distressed thirteen year old in front of her.
"You are as hardworking and as loyal as your mother who was also a Hufflepuff, yet your aversion to attention is something your father also had. And your prank at the feast is certainly something he would have participated in."
Teddy was silent for a moment.
"I just wanted to give people a reason."
"Pardon?"
"To stare, and talk. I figured if I did something silly like the confetti, people would have a reason to pay attention to me all the time. A reason I knew about."
Minerva started at her student for a moment before speaking again, "I apologize if it has bothered you Mr. Lupin, I assure you it was not meant with any bad intentions."
"I know professor, and Harry said it was probably something like that, but if they're going to to it anyway I would rather give them reasons to."
"Would you Mr. Lupin."
Teddy grinned, "Perhaps not ones that land in me in detention Headmistress."
Minerva held back a smile, "I will speak to your professors and see to it that they understand you are your own person."
"Thank you Headmistress."
"I do hope you will speak to your head of house before resorting to pranks in the future Mr. Lupin, I understand the reasons of your actions but do hope it will not happen again."
"Of course Ma'am."
Minerva nodded and the two stood in silence for a moment.
"If you understand why I did it Headmistress, any chance I could return to my dorm early?"
Minerva raised an eyebrow, and started and Teddy for several moments.
"On one condition, you will find other ways to express that you are your own person that do not involve exploding all the school's dished."
Teddy looked up from the floor in shock that she was agreeing, "Of course Headmistress."
Minerva smiled slightly at the young boy, "Very well, but straight to your dorm Mr. Lupin."
Teddy grinned, "Yes Ma'am. Thank you Ma'am."
He took off towards the Hufflepuff dorms, almost skipping down the hall in joy. He had gotten his answers and he had a great story to tell after all, he had talked his way out of detention with the headmistress.
AN: Thanks for reading!