Bring Your Parents to School Day

By: Adeline Potter

I posted this on figment for a contest, and seem to be losing. So, I thought y'all would enjoy reading it. There's no Addie, but it's a sweet story. Hope to read your awesome reviews! ~A

Teddy Lupin sat quite alone on the London school bus, nervously fidgeting with two neatly printed pieces of paper. Today had been haunting young Teddy since the day he heard about it. He had asked his godfather Harry to accompany him, but Aura duties kept him away. And he didn't want to bring his Grandma and Grandpa, he wanted a parent figure. He wanted his mummy and daddy to go to school with him.

But Tonks and Remus Lupin had died almost exactly eight years previous to this day; Teddy had been kept by his mum's parents. His godfather Harry saw him as often as he could, but he had his own three kids. Teddy understood that his parents had been brave warriors against Voldemort, and he never regretted not having his parents around like the other kids. And because of this love, Teddy, with his godfather's help, wrote a report on his parents, careful not to reveal his magical background.

Suddenly, Teddy's heart fluttered. The bus doors had swung open, revealing a calm elementary school. Teddy took a deep breath, gathered his lunch sack, and got off the bus. He walked through the crisp, April day and pulled open the double oak doors to the school. He wiped his feet and walked leisurely down the tiled hallway to Mrs. Radcliffe's classroom. He peeked in the door and felt like a hundred pounds had landed in his heart. Teddy saw Katherine Banks sitting on her dad's lap, showing off some of her art work. He gazed sadly at Henry Jones as he played airplane with his dad and tickled his mum. Teddy didn't want to face his happy classmates and their parents, but a fire suddenly erupted in Teddy's stomach. His parents had been brave warriors, they wouldn't want Teddy feeling sad he never got to meet his parents. They'd want him to tell them about how extraordinary his parents were.

With that thought, Teddy pulled his back pack up a little higher squared his shoulders, and went into his waiting classroom.

"Okay class! I'm so glad to see you all brought your parents! I'm sure everyone's excited to tell me about their parents, so, Annabeth, would you like to go first?" Mrs. Radcliffe turned to a curly haired blonde in the third row.

Annabeth nodded and grabbed her parents' hands and took center stage in front of the classroom. "My Mummy works for the Prime Minister with my Daddy. They get to help the Prime Minister with trips and speeches. My mummy's name is Adrian Gardner and my daddy's name is Jacob Gardner. Every day, we eat dinner together and watch a movie. I love my mummy and daddy very much."

Teddy clapped with the rest of the class and smiled as Mr. and Mrs. Gardner hugged their daughter. Next to go was Hunter Amos. His parents moved from Italy to London two months before Hunter was born. They owned one of the best pasta restaurants in London and Hunter was going to inherit the business.

The day went on and Teddy still hadn't been called. He was beginning to worry as the butterflies in his stomach became in impatient with the wait. Teddy desperately wanted to read his report to his class. He'd even found a picture of his parents; it was the day Teddy was born. Teddy's grandma had given it to him and said, "Teddy Lupin, your parents were the greatest in the world. They saved us all, don't ever forget it. You might not have your parents with you physically, but they are always alive in your heart."

Teddy had taken those words to heart. He would never forget them and he had added them to his report. Teddy looked over his report again, checking for anything he could have missed the last time he read it three minutes ago. Teddy was so engrossed in proofreading, he hadn't heard his named called.

"Teddy? Are you ready?" Mrs. Radcliffe asked.

"Yes ma'am." Teddy stood from his desk and made his way to the front of the class. Many of the kids looked confused and some of the parents looked sad. But Teddy couldn't think about that now, he had parents to make proud.

"Eight years ago, my parents died in a war. They had been trying to rid the world of evil, and they died for it. But to me, that doesn't matter. I'm Theodore Remus Lupin, the son of Nymphadora and Remus Lupin. I know that they wouldn't want me to pity myself on not having parents, so instead, I wrote this. It's about my parents from the people that knew them the best.

"My mum was a brilliant woman. She was smart and funny and had always wanted kids. She wasn't the stealthiest woman; she often knocked vases over and tripped. But she was of good heart, and had a great spirit. She met my daddy when they were preparing for the war.

"My dad was said to be a gentleman, and quiet. He only spoke when needed and when he did, it was always something to puzzle you or give you some sort of new insight. He cared deeply for the people around him, especially my mum. My godfather told me, that my parents were only inches apart when they died. He said they wouldn't have had it any other way. They wanted a better world for their son, even if they died trying."

Teddy took a breath and looked out at the audience. He gasped inaudibly as he saw Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and his grandma. They had all come to hear him give a speech about his parents. He smiled and continued on.

"My godfather's wife, Ginny, told me once, "Your mum always made me laugh! She was always fun to be with and she was...she was great. You remind me a lot of her, you have her smile." My godfather Harry told me, with the help of Uncle Ron, "Your dad taught us so much! We never knew he could teach and make it so magical. Teddy, your dad was awesome. You're gonna be a great man when you grow up." All of these things made me light up inside, as if my parents were speaking to me through them. But, my grandma told me the best, most wonderful line. "Teddy Lupin, your parents were the greatest in the world. They saved us all, don't ever forget it. You might not have your parents with you physically, but they are always alive in your heart." I have these words memorized because they mean the world to me. I may never know my parents like everyone else in this world, but I have the people they cared about most. And that's all I need to know they loved me."

Teddy took a deep breath and waited. Applause broke out throughout the room. People wiped their eyes and men stood from their chairs. Harry came forward and hugged his godson. Teddy had done so well! And somewhere up in heaven, Teddy knew his mum and dad were looking down at him with smiles on their faces. Teddy had done his parents well, and would remember today wherever he went in life.