Misunderstood

Another school year gone, and Harry and Ginny were having a picnic with their family. They were on holiday to a lake for the kids to have fun and cool off. It wasn't only their children; James, Albus, and Lily. They also had their godson, Teddy with them. He had just finished his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. None of the Potter children were old enough to go, though they were more than ready. James was the closest, as he would start the following term.

Teddy had had a rough time the previous year. Kids were teasing him for what seemed like every little thing, as well as mocking him for being an orphan. He thought the former was just because they were jealous of his ability to change his appearance at will.

When he brought up the teasing to his godparents, he couldn't help but get emotional about it.

"Why do they have to do this to me? I know I don't have parents. I live without them every day. I don't need to be reminded of it. I feel so alone, like nobody loves me and no one understands what it's like," he told them.

"Well, Teddy, you came to the right place for this conversation. You already know a bit about what happened to me at Hogwarts, the least of which was teasing, especially during my fourth and fifth years. I haven't even told Ginny here about the extent of my misery at the Dursleys. She knows that I wasn't happy there, that Hogwarts was the first time I felt I had a real home, but she doesn't know specifics about what happened." He turned to his wife and said, "Sorry, love. I didn't want to worry you."

She looked at him with a stern face, but it soon turned to worry as he started his story.

"When I was at the Dursleys, I was practically a slave until I went to Hogwarts. I was treated worse than most house elves I've met, though don't tell Hermione that, or I might never hear the end of it. If I didn't do what they wanted when they wanted, and perfectly, I would have to go without basic needs for a time. There were days when I wouldn't get meals, times I had to use a bucket in my cupboard under the stairs for a bathroom, and other horrors like that. They never treated me as a human being, much less a family member. I made a promise to myself as soon as I could to never treat anyone the same way they treated me. Not even Voldemort deserved that. From what I know, even his childhood was better than mine.

"I was constantly running away from Dudley and his gang. In fact, one of my more memorable bits of magic was unwittingly Apparating to the roof of the school while they were chasing me. I got a week in my cupboard for that one.

"I was required to make most of the meals while I was younger. From the time I could see the top of the stove, I was forced to cook at least something. It's the reason I can cook as well as I can. If I messed it up too much, I wouldn't get to eat any of it and I'd be locked under the stairs again."

Ginny was having a hard time listening to the abuse her husband had gone through as a child. She saw tears glistening in his eyes, but she knew he was too proud to let them fall. She grasped his hand to give him some comfort, and he squeezed it lightly, letting her know it was appreciated.

"When I was about to turn 11, I got my first letter from Hogwarts. Yes, first. There were many others. My uncle was so infuriated by it that he tore it up. They gave me Dudley's second bedroom, trying to throw off the person who sent it, as it had been addressed to me in the cupboard under the stairs. It didn't work at all. The next day three more came, addressed to me in the smallest bedroom. This made Uncle Vernon even more upset. He burned those ones. The next morning I was determined to get one of those letters, so I set my alarm and went downstairs very early, but when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I stepped on something squishy. I looked down, and to my horror, it was my uncle's face."

At this, Teddy couldn't help but laugh. Harry had actually stepped on his uncle's face!

"I would have been amused by it too, if I hadn't had to go without breakfast that day," Harry said.

"Well, after about a week of more and more letters coming, and my uncle trying to board up every crack a letter could possibly get through, there was one day when everything just snapped. Letters were everywhere, and I tried to grab one, but my uncle grabbed me and told everyone to go pack. We left 10 minutes later and drove for a couple of days. We ended up on an island in the middle of a storm in a broken down shack. Of course, my birthday was the next day. I couldn't sleep on the cold floor, so I counted down the minutes until my birthday. At exactly midnight, as if on cue, the door started shaking, and after a few pounds, it fell to the floor. I was so scared when I saw the monstrous Hagrid standing there."

"What?" Teddy exclaimed. "Hagrid came to get you? Why?"

"Well," Harry said. "I was raised by muggles since the night my parents were killed. At that time, I didn't even know how my parents really died. I thought they died in a car crash. After a few minutes, Hagrid introduced himself and gave me my first birthday cake that I could remember. He explained to me that I was a wizard and I could go to Hogwarts and get away from the Dursleys. I just about jumped at the chance to get away from them for any amount of time. My uncle tried to threaten him with the shotgun he had purchased, but Hagrid just laughed and tied it in a knot!"

"Whoa! I knew Hagrid was strong, but I didn't think he'd be able to do that!" Teddy cried.

"As I found out later, he's a half giant, so it would make sense that he could. Anyway, after learning about my past and the possibilities for my future, I left with Hagrid to buy my school things. I had no idea how I was going to buy any of it, as I had never had much money in my life. Hagrid took me to Gringotts, where I saw the most money I had ever seen in my life, and it was in my vault! When we were done buying the necessary things, Hagrid took me and bought me my first owl, Hedwig, as a birthday present. I couldn't believe my luck that day.

"Hagrid gave me my ticket for the Hogwarts Express and left me with the Dursleys for another month. Before I tell you about my first time there, why don't you tell me what you remember about your first time going to Hogwarts?" Harry questioned.

Teddy looked surprised at being asked for his opinion.

"Well, I remember that you guys and the Weasleys and Grandmum Tonks were all there. I remember being really embarrassed by all the kisses people were giving me."

"So you remember being loved?" Harry prompted.

"I guess so," Teddy answered.

"Well, now you know at least one of your worries is unnecessary. We all love you as if you were our own. My first time at Hogwarts surprised me. My uncle helped me get my stuff out of the car and walked me to platforms nine and ten. 'Well, boy, here's where your platform should be. I don't see it. Have a good term,' he smirked as he left. I remember being so scared that I'd miss the train and have to go back to the Dursleys again. I really didn't want to see their smug faces if that happened. That's when I heard Mum, Molly, Mrs. Weasley, Grandmum Weasley, whatever you feel like calling her. She was saying something about the station being packed with muggles, so I followed her and she told me how to get onto the platform. I was all alone on that huge platform. I knew nobody there, and I had to rely on strangers to help me. Luckily for me, those strangers were the Weasleys. Fred and George helped me with my trunk and then they realized who I was. I still dislike being gawked at like a zoo animal when I'm in the wizarding world.

"The twins went back down to their mum to tell everyone who they had just met. Now, I'm not sure if you knew this, Ginny, but I did hear you that day. Back then it was a little annoying to hear you say you wanted to get another look at me. Looking at it now that we're married I think it was kind of cute," Harry told Ginny, then he gave her a quick but passionate kiss while Teddy looked towards the other children who were playing with their toes in the sand.

"So there are a few of the things that happened to me while at the Dursleys. Does that make you feel any better about your situation, Teddy?"

"A little bit. I can see how much people love me compared to how you grew up, now," Teddy answered.

Ginny looked at him and put her hand on his cheek.

"Teddy, you know that you can always come to any of us with any concerns you have, right? No matter how silly you think it is." She took her hand away from his face and put it back into Harry's. "I used to turn to Hermione all the time for advice on how to get this bloke to finally notice me," she said as she jokingly nudged Harry with her shoulder. "It took him five years of having me right there for him to acknowledge me as more than just Ron's sister, and the fact that I could be his friend, and then he went right past friendship and snogged me in front of the entire common room! At least you won't have that problem." She winked at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Teddy asked defensively.

Harry replied, "Come on Teddy. We all see how you look at Victoire. We've seen it from the day she was born. You've always been so gentle with her."

Teddy thought about what his godfather said for a moment. "Well, she's my best friend. I've never had a friendship as good as hers, and I don't think I'd ever be able to with someone else. I've known her, like you said, since she was born, and I just feel like we have some sort of connection. Thank Merlin she's not actually my cousin," he smiled. "That would just be awkward."

Ginny and Harry giggled at his admission.

"I take back what I said earlier, about feeling like nobody understands what I'm going through," Teddy stated. "I've always felt like Vic is the only one who could see what I'm going through. Now I know that isn't the case. Thanks for that, Harry. But I just… I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling."

Ginny looked at him tenderly, the way she would look at one of her own children when they were troubled.

"Well, whenever you're able to put it into words, know that we're here. You can talk to either one of us and we'll listen the best that we can. You have our promise."

"Thanks, mu… Ginny." Teddy caught himself as he had so many times before. They weren't his parents, but they were as good as. He didn't think anyone could love him more than them at that moment.

He looked slightly down at Ginny, then bent and gave her a hug. It was the kind of hug that allowed you to say things you couldn't put into words, such as the depths of your love for the one you were holding. After a few moments, he pulled away and wiped the tears that were threatening to fall. Then he went and did the same with his godfather, though it was Harry who bent down to him.

"I love you, Teddy," Harry whispered into his ear.

"I love you, too, Harry," Teddy mumbled back as the tears spilled from his eyes. It wasn't the first time Harry had said it, but it was now that Harry had talked to Teddy that he understood just what that simple phrase meant.