A/n: This was written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 2 and the Months of the Year Competition. This is a non-canonical, next-generation story of a headcanon I've always had for Teddy. Prompts are at the bottom.

Enjoy xx

A Leap of Faith

[17 years ago]

Teddy Lupin bolted behind a column as three of his classmates rushed past. Peering around the corner to make sure no fellow first years were around, he snuck out of the courtyard and raced across the grounds to Hagrid's hut.

He had barely knocked on the half-giant's door when it swung open. Hagrid stuck his head out with a wry smile on his wrinkled face as he said, "I reckoned yeh'd be coming, Teddy," and ushered the boy inside.

"How?" Teddy asked as he settled down in one of the rickety chairs.

"Padma—er, Professor Patil was over fer tea last evening. Told me all about what she'd planned fer today's lesson. Said she had a feeling yeh wouldn' show up."

Teddy fiddled with the hem of his sweater as he watched Hagrid bustle about, muttering under his breath. He returned after a few minutes and placed a chipped plate of rock cakes in front of Teddy. The boy had to suppress a groan as he tried to politely decline. "Now, don' be shy," Hagrid said. "Eat up."

Teddy brought the cake to his mouth and nibbled at it, shuddering at the stale taste on his tongue.

Hagrid groaned as he eased himself down on the chair opposite Teddy. "So, d'yeh plan on skipping every DADA class that has anything even remotely teh do with werewolves, then?"

Teddy winced at the half-giant's bluntness, but didn't answer. Sure, they were only dealing with how to treat werewolf bites that year, but that was probably the worst part.

Hagrid heaved a sigh. "Teddy, yeh can't jus' miss every single class there is 'bout werewolves, now, can yeh? 'Specially since there's gonna be many more, in the years teh come."

"Will you tell on me?" Teddy questioned in a small voice.

Hagrid shrugged. "No. Yer professor probably knows where you are, I reckon." He leaned forward, his dark eyes kind. Teddy dropped his gaze.

The half-giant pushed himself to his feet after a time, muttering something about his creaky knees, and hobbled over to the far corner of the small hut. He grumbled as he rummaged around, returning with a tattered, leather-bound book in his hand moments later. He held it out, and Teddy stared at it curiously. "What's this?"

"Jus' take it."

Teddy did as he was told and flipped the book open. On the very first page, in narrow cursive, was a name he knew all too well. He looked up at Hagrid, mouth hanging open. The half-giant smiled, stroking his greying beard. "Belonged to yer dad, it did."

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?" he read aloud, and Hagrid nodded.

"Tha's got all yeh'll need teh know 'bout werewolves fer the time being."

"Why do you have this?" Teddy enquired as he ran a finger along his father's name.

Hagrid shrugged. "Yer old man left it behind by accident when he quit being a professor. Professor McGonagall found it and gave it teh me since I teach Care of Magical Creatures. An' now I'm giving it teh yeh."

Teddy hugged the book to his chest. Although he had already bought the text and had read the section about werewolves, he would treasure this one dearly. Sniffing, he smiled up at the man towering over him. "Thanks, Hagrid."

The corners of Hagrid's eyes crinkled as he grinned. "Now off yeh go! I won' have yeh missin' classes right under me nose!"

He reached over and tousled Teddy's hair, making Teddy laugh, his usually messy turquoise mane turning a dirty blond. Thanking Hagrid for the book again, he made his way back to the castle. There was no way he was going to attend Professor Patil's class just so she could chastise him in front of everybody and then force him to sit through an entire lesson about curing werewolf bites. He'd rather go up to the Astronomy Tower and flip through his dad's old textbook. Maybe he'd find some notes that would come in handy later.

After all, if he was going to have to learn about werewolves anyway, he would rather do it on his own, using his own methods.

[Present day]

"Mr Lupin, what do you have to say about the allegations against you with regards to Rosa Calahoun's death?"

Gritting his teeth, he ducked into the tenement building, ignoring the yelling reporters outside, and passed the Aurors stationed at the doors. Judith, his secretary—and one of the few people he trusted with his life—met him at the door to his flat, a worried expression on her face. Before she could ask him anything, he mumbled that he was fine, and they made their way inside.

Tossing his coat over the back of the sofa, he flopped down on it and picked up one of the several bundles of letters on the table. He spared each envelope nothing more than a passing glance as he flipped through them, his frustration mounting. They were mostly threatening letters from anonymous parties, letters of concern from friends and family, a few catalogues, and finally—the one he had been looking for—a pristine, ivory envelope with the Ministry's seal on it.

He shared a glance with Judith as she came to sit beside him, two steaming cups of tea in hand. Eyeing the elegant cursive on the front, he flipped it over and carefully broke the seal. The letter was written in the usual, formal way, and didn't contain anything that he didn't already know. It reaffirmed the date and location of his hearing and the time at which he had to report.

"March 31st? That's tomorrow!" Judith exclaimed as she read the letter over his shoulder.

"The sooner we get this over with, the better." He tossed the letter on the table and took his head in his hands, a long-drawn sigh escaping his lips. After a moment, he heard the clink of teacups being placed on the table. He sighed again when he felt Judith's warm palm on his back as she rubbed slow circles up and down.

"It's going to be alright," she said in an attempt to placate him. "You've done nothing wrong."

He sat back, his usually short, dark hair growing out and falling over his forehead. From the reflection in her glasses, he could see that his irises had turned from light hazel to a deep, almost-black. "You and I both know that's not true," he said in a strangled voice, clenching his fists.

"Teddy," she replied, her voice quavering. "You did all you could to help! She was beyond saving!"

"No!" he exclaimed. "I could've saved her! If only I had—I could've—"

He doubled over and groaned, the image of a laughing witch flashing through his mind. He still remembered her soft, gentle voice, like melted butter on a warm summer day, the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the way she would always engulf him in a tight hug the moment she saw him—the memories only heightened his self-loathing further. How could he have let her down? How could he have failed her in the moment she needed him most? How could he?

Judith tried to comfort him, but that only served to anger him more. He couldn't hold it in any longer; all these overwhelming emotions bubbling to the surface, overcoming his rationale—he just wanted to curl up in a corner and waste away.

Unable to tolerate his secretary's reassurances any longer, he strode into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. He eyed the empty bedside table, feeling a lump form in his throat. He should've known that losing his father's book, after so many years of maintaining it so carefully, was a premonition to disaster.

"Edward Remus Lupin. That is your full name, correct?"

He looked up at Kingsley Shacklebolt, wondering if the Minister had deemed the hearing important enough to head the proceedings himself, as he answered, "Yes."

Murmurs broke out across the Wizengamot, several of them blatantly pointing at him as they muttered to their neighbours. He was sure he heard someone say something about him being a disgrace to the wizarding community, considering he was the only son of two of the heroes who saved their world.

Digging his nails into his palm, he bit his tongue and focused on keeping his appearance the same. The last thing he needed was for them to find him guilty simply because the tips of his hair turned orange. Although he had gained control of his Metamorphmagus abilities over the years, it always seemed to get away from him when he needed it the most.

Shacklebolt held a hand up to silence the rest. "You are the head of the Being Division under the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, correct?"

"Yes."

"In the past year, you have reinstated and reformed several of the previously existing regulations and services such as the Werewolf Code of Conduct and the Werewolf Registry, as well as the Werewolf Rescue Unit, previously the Werewolf Capture Unit, correct?"

"Yes."

"You have also instituted the Remus Lupin Werewolf Protection Program and the Remus Lupin Werewolf Medical and Research Centre, correct?"

"Yes."

The murmurs resumed, and Shacklebolt held up his hand to silence them yet again. He looked down at Teddy, his face stoic and unreadable. Shacklebolt then glanced at the files before him as he continued.

"Now, back to the case at hand. It says here in your testimony that Mrs Calahoun was gravely injured when you found her in her townhouse."

"Yes."

"And she had several bite marks all along her right arm as well as a long spike protruding from the centre of her chest?"

Teddy swallowed thickly. "Yes."

Shacklebolt finally raised his eyes to meet Teddy's. "It says here that Rosa Calahoun was the first werewolf you rescued and enrolled in the protection program, and that you lived with her for an extended period."

He nodded once. "Yes." The Wizengamot was finally giving Teddy their undue attention, and he wished a hole would open up beneath him and swallow him up. "Rosa, after she was stable enough to live on her own, was relocated and given a new identity, in order to protect her from her family and others from her hometown who attacked her after she was bitten."

Shacklebolt looked down at the file. "Her new identity was… Idrine Gonzales?"

"Yes." He waited for Shacklebolt to signal for him to continue. "She no longer had a family of her own and was forced to adapt to life as a new werewolf, with no idea on how to make it through the transformations safely. Being the first person to have been rescued by us, I took it upon myself to live with her in order to help her in whatever way she needed. This was also so I could figure out the various measures that needed to be put into place for future werewolves who came under our protection."

A soft buzz emanated from the members of the Wizengamot as they discussed this new piece of information. Shacklebolt waited until they quieted. "Would you say that your protection program is fool proof and ensures the safety of whoever is under it?"

Teddy's breath caught in his throat. "I would say that it is relatively safe, yes."

"Except Rosa Calahoun was attacked in her own home and is now dead," a bespectacled woman to the right of Shacklebolt said in a screechy voice. "How can you claim that you offer full protection if they're dying under your very nose?"

He swallowed, his breathing shallow. "None of the others have faced any problems at all. Besides, Rosa was an exception."

"And why is that?" she squawked.

"Rosa found a child who had been bitten in the forest beside the town she lived in. She volunteered to care for the boy until he was healthy enough for us to decide on what was to be done with him."

"And you left the child in her care?" Shacklebolt questioned.

Teddy nodded. "We make sure no two from the program reside in close proximity to the other, but since Rosa offered, we thought it would be a good experiment to see if having them live together would ease the process." He paused, the lump in his throat making it hard for him to breathe, let alone speak. "She was so much happier. I visited regularly to make sure the boy was settling in well. He was a quiet, well-mannered child and never showed any signs of aggressive behaviour."

"What happened on the evening you visited Mrs Calahoun, Mr Lupin?" a frail, elderly wizard on the other side of Shacklebolt wheezed.

"I arrived at Rosa's house at half past three, the time I always visit, and found the door ajar. I instantly knew something was wrong and ran inside—only to find her lying on the floor of the drawing room in a pool of her own blood. I—I tried to save her, but she had lost too much blood, and by the time the medics arrived…" he shook his head, the corners of his eyes burning.

"What of the boy?" Shacklebolt asked as he flipped through the file. "It says here that he was nowhere to be seen. Have you managed to locate him, yet?"

Teddy shook his head. "No. My team is doing all they can with the help of the Aurors to find him, but he seems to have disappeared without a trace."

The Wizengamot began discussing amongst themselves, and Shacklebolt leaned over to talk to the wheezing old wizard. After an inordinately long time, Shacklebolt held his hand up and turned to Teddy. Before he could speak, though, the bird-like woman beside him said, "How do we know that you aren't the one that murdered her? After all, according to your testimony, you're the only one that was with her before she died. And your inability to produce a suspect before us further adds to that fact."

Chaos ensued as the members of the council began a heated argument amongst themselves, leaving Teddy to his own, morbid thoughts. It's true, though, his mind told him. You not being able to save her is as good as you killing her.

Shacklebolt's booming voice echoed around the room, and everyone settled down. The silence that ensued was broken by a soft cough as the wheezing wizard said, "Let us have a show of hands. Those who find the defendant guilty?"

Several hands went up, including the bird woman's, who was stretching her arm so high in the air she was almost out of her seat. "Just over half a dozen," the old wizard wheezed. "And those who find the defendant innocent?"

More than half of the Wizengamot put their hands up, and Teddy suddenly felt overwhelmed by the display of trust. After all the reporters and letters accusing him of killing Rosa, he had been sure that they would find him guilty.

"Motion to dismiss all charges against the defendant, Minister," the wizard said to Shacklebolt, who nodded.

"I hereby declare Edward Lupin free of all charges."

It was the second of May, and in the annual memorial service, the Ministry had felicitated Teddy for his continued services towards werewolf care and protection—although he thought it was their way of apologising for the false allegations.

Nevertheless, he echoed the sentiments of those who thought he was undeserving of the award. Rosa, who had been the closest thing he had had to an actual mother besides his grandmother, who had spent the past two years supporting him in all his endeavours, was gone forevermore, and there was no one but himself to blame.

He excused himself and sat in a corner of the hall, tuning out all the noise and chatter as he turned to his own morose thoughts. After a time, someone came to sit beside him and said, "These bloomin' chairs are far too small for the likes of me."

Surprised by the familiar voice, he looked up to see a smiling Hagrid, whose warm eyes twinkled as he stroked his now white beard. "Long time no see, Teddy. How've yeh been doin'?"

He shrugged. "Fairly good, I suppose."

Hagrid chortled. "Congra's on that award, by the way."

"Thanks, I guess."

They lapsed into a somewhat comfortable silence, and Teddy idly brushed his thumb over the words carved into his trophy. After a long moment, Hagrid spoke. "I have something fer yeh."

The half-giant held something out, and Teddy turned to see what it was, his eyes widening at the sight of the familiar, tattered, leather-bound book. "How?" he gasped as he snatched the book from Hagrid and stared at it. "I thought I'd never see it again." He looked up at Hagrid, a lump forming in his throat. "Thank you."

"Nah. T'wasn't me that found it. T'was Harry. Said yeh'd forgotten it at his place or something."

He turned to find Harry amongst the crowd, and when his eyes locked with emerald ones, his godfather smiled. Teddy looked down at the book, a soft laugh escaping his lips. He had been right all along. Him losing the book has been a sign—a sign for him losing his way. And now, he had found it once again.

After thanking Hagrid again and saying goodbye, he strode over to Judith and gave her his trophy. "Let's head back to the office," he said, the determination clear in his voice, as they made their way out of the hall. "I want to put that plan into action right now."

Judith stared at him. "What? Right now?"

"Right now. And we're going to call it… the Rosa Calahoun International Werewolf Relief Program. It's time we took that leap of faith."

QLFC Prompts:

The Falmouth Falcon Team prompt: Care of Magical Creatures

Individual prompt for Captains: Write about someone utilising their skills or knowledge of the subject as part of their job.

Months of the Year Comp Prompts:

Month: September

Main prompt: Write about justice being, or not being, served. I've written about it being served, in both a literal and a metaphorical way.

Optional Prompts: 4

(emotion) frustration

(word) true

(colour) orange

(plot point) a character suspects another isn't telling the truth about something.

[The above is shown in the hearing when the woman suspects Teddy's lying and thinks he's the killer, and also alluded to with the accusing letters and the accusations of the reporters.]