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July 1st, 2018
"How long will you be gone for, Ted?"
"I don't know, Toire."
"Promise you won't forget me?"
"Never. Don't you go forgetting me either, mind."
"Never. Love you, Ted."
"Love you too, Toire."
July 1st, 2020
Teddy floo'd into the living room of Potter Manor in the early hours of the morning. He didn't except anyone to be there to welcome him as it was just after 5AM but he was gladly received by the 15 year old James Sirius Potter.
"Welcome back, Teddy! Are you staying home for good now or are you going back to America soon? I think you should say, it's not the same here without you." He gave his god brother a hug and Teddy hugged him back.
"I'm only home for a few days unfortunately, Messer." He chuckled sadly, ruffling James' hair. "Where are the other two squirts?"
"Albus is asleep and Lily went back upstairs about a minute ago. Grandma Molly is having a huge dinner party later for all the family because you are home. So when you come home for good we can have an even bigger party." James grinned.
Teddy didn't have time to reply though before Lily collided with him. "Whoa!" He laughed, spinning Lily around. "You are getting bigger and prettier every time I see you!"
With all the commotion, it wasn't long until the remaining three Potters came to greet Teddy.
"How was it, Teddy?" Harry asked. "There were only five people in the United Kingdom selected for the USA Auror Training Program."
"It was amazing. I only have a few more months of training left and then I have my exams and possibly then I will be offered a job." He grinned.
"Do you all want breakfast now?" Ginny asked, heading to the chorus. Her question was responded to with a chorus of 'Yes, please'.
"So how is the family?" Teddy asked as they all sat down around the table.
"Well, Lily, Hugo and Louis will be starting Hogwarts this year. No one else has graduated as the eldest three are starting their fifth year. Molly and Arthur are doing well." Harry shrugged slightly.
"How's Toire?" He asked with a smile. The smile quickly vanished though as he took in the expressions of the five people in front of him. "What's wrong? Is she okay?"
"Teddy… Victoire went missing in August 2018. She went over to France by herself to visit her Aunt Gabrielle. Gabby said that Victoire left on 1st August and since then nobody has seen or heard from her." Ginny told her, chewing her lip. "There are muggles and aurors looking for her."
Teddy stood up, toppling the chair in his abruptness. "No. She can't be missing. Why hasn't she been found?" He asked his godfather. "Are you still searching? What all have you done so far?"
"Teddy, sit back down. We called the search off after a year. We managed to trace her to the airport then she just disappeared. We have had the police look at all CCTV cameras inside the airport in Paris and London. She is gone and all we can do is hope she'll find her own way home now." Harry stood up too seeing as Teddy wasn't going to sit. "I'm so sorry, son. This should never have happened to her. I know you love her."
Teddy hugged Harry tightly as the tears threatened to overwhelm him. For the first time in almost 12 years, Teddy cried into Harry's shoulder. Not just a few tears but sobs which shook his whole body. Harry held him tightly, knowing it was something he'd need to overcome himself. The others left, giving the two men time to be alone.
"I want to help. I need to find her." Teddy managed when he had composed himself. "I'll stay here and start another search team and-"
Harry cut him off. "I'll start up the search again but you are going back to America. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity which you can't just surpass."
"Please, Harry." Teddy begged but then changed his argument. "For the week that I am here, let me lead the investigation. I can't just sit around."
Harry sighed and nodded. "I'll send out patronuses after lunch. You can get a head start. All the police reports are in my study."
No sooner had he finished speaking had Teddy rushed past and up the stairs to start work.
"So, what have you got?" Harry asked when he came to check up on his godson. Papers were pinned up on the notice board and spread across the desk and floor.
"She's at the end of Gabrielle's street waiting on a taxi at 10 o'clock that morning according to the security camera at the bank. She gets into an 'AlloCab' taxi at two minutes past ten." Teddy told him before looking at the CCTV cameras in the airport. "She gets out of the taxi at thirty-six minutes past ten and walks towards the entrance. The camera changes and there is a crowd of people heading inside. The police report says that she goes missing inside the airport but I can't see her going inside…" Teddy then turned on the TV screen where he had put the tape in to play. "She wore a blue jumper, white trousers and her hair is tied back. She doesn't go through with any crowd within the next ten minutes but look at the bottom right corner. The time she should be reaching the door is the same time this man drops his suitcase and runs to the roadside. There is also a woman who keys three numbers into the payphone. Do you think you'd be able to get a copy of that message for me?" Teddy asked.
Harry hesitated then nodded possibly. "I'll send for it now. Good work." He smiled a tight-lipped smile before heading out the room again. He took himself to the living room and used the fireplace to floo call the aurors in Paris. It took a few minutes but a head soon appeared in the fireplace and read out the phone conversation while Harry took notes.
"Did you get it?" Teddy asked when Harry returned, grinning when he saw the piece of paper in his godfather's hand.
"It was to the emergency services. Woman around the age of 20 hit by a taxi at low speeds. She is unconscious. The ambulance was dispatched. Woman seems to be alive." He breathed put a sigh of relief at the end. "The call ended when the ambulance arrived. It took 8 minutes to get there so she would have arrived at the nearest hospital within 8 minutes possibly."
"Teddy, you have done superbly on your first day but you are too close to this case. You can do research but my people will do the physical work, alright." Harry told him, putting a hand on Teddy's shoulder. "Maybe you should go rest. You are going to Molly's in a couple of hours."
Teddy sighed and nodded. "When your aurors respond, you'll tell me, right?" He checked before heading upstairs.
Usually visiting Molly and Arthur Weasley cheered Teddy up – not today, though. Everyone seemed to be continuing on with life. Maybe not as cheerfully as before but they weren't at a standstill. The next few days while Teddy was at home, the search brought them to a hospital in central Paris but getting records from a particular time and date was proving difficult. He spent his time waiting by playing with James, Albus and Lily but his heart wasn't in it.
The time finally came when Teddy had to return to the USA for to finish his Auror Training. He left Potter Manor begrudgingly and with fear for Victoire. Their last conversation playing loud in his head. He would never forget her, he just hoped she would stay true to her words as well.