Ten Years. Harry realized this as he signed the date on Victoire's ninth birthday card. May 2, 2008. Ten years ago had been the Battle of Hogwarts. Voldemort and Snape had died, as well as Tonks and Lupin, Fred, Colin Creevey, and fifty others.
May 2nd was always an occasion of great celebration in the Wizarding World, marking the second and final downfall of Voldemort, but because of Voldemort, Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley, Ginny, Ron, George and the entire Weasley family had lost a son and brother. Harry remembered George's face, tearful and broken as he had tried to explain to his son, who was the boy with his father that looked just like him in an old photo that little Fred had found. He had watched and help raise Teddy, so much like both of his parents. Patient and intelligent like his father, with a wicked sense of humor so much like Tonks that reminded Harry of the marauders. He grinned wryly as he remembered Andromeda forbidding Teddy to change his hair blue for his birthday party, so he turned it turquoise, which he claimed was blue-green. Teddy had no idea what his parents were like but he didn't seem to need to know the way Harry had at the age, because he had grown up hearing stories about them freely and never had he lacked for a family with his grandmother, the Potters, the Weasleys, the Longbottoms and the Scamanders around.
But in the last few years, Harry's mourning for those who didn't survive the Battle of Hogwarts was overshadowed. The first anniversary of the Battle had been interrupted by Fleur's birthing Victoire, aptly named for her auspicious birthday. Then of course, in the years following, May 2nd had been her birthday filled with cake and a party for the adorable strawberry blonde haired angel.
Then they had all started getting married in the last few years and having their own children. James was so young and well, to put it bluntly, temperamental and difficult. And now there was Little Al to think about too. He and Ginny had quickly agreed that James would never survive ten minutes at a memorial event and so they had stayed home, gone to Victoire's birthday party and let the children play following Victoire and Teddy around like ducklings while the adults toasted and drank to memories too old for the little ones to understand.
Now Harry stood around the table, watching Fluer proudly present her daughter a glowing cake as her family began to sing. Harry's glance followed around everyone. Fred should be standing next to George singing boisterously to his niece, promising tricks for her birthday treat and Tonks and Lupin next to Teddy, swatting his hand away from the frosting like Andromeda was now doing. After the battle, Harry would have given almost anything to have them all back, alive and happy.
But he knew, Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin, and all of them had died so that Teddy, like himself, could live a normal life like how Snape and Dumbledore, James and Lily had sacrificed for him so he could have lived, so he could defeat Voldemort and make the world safe for others. Because of them, these children surrounding Victorie and the cake will grow up knowing their bravery and why they were named after them.
James Sirus Potter, the name of the two men who had loved and raised Harry for as long as they were alive as fathers and gave their lives for his. George and Angelina had Fred Colin Weasley, his middle name in acknowledgment of their fellow Gryffindor. Albus Severus and Rose Nymphadora, Ron and Hermione had given their frilly bonnet wearing daughter that little Dominique had tied on her, Tonks's hated first name and Al was named after the two men who had sacrificed so much for Harry at their own cost of their lives. Teddy too, was named for his father, dead in a battle after years of werewolf racism and his father, who he died for his muggleborn blood. And perhaps there would be more children named for them in the future, Ginny had suggested trying for a girl in the future, when James would sleep for more than three hours at a time, that they could perhaps name Lily.
But this little girl was named for what her dead family and the other victims had given their lives for, so she could have a happy birthday free of fear or pain in a safe world. Victory.
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday Dear Victoire
Happy Birthday to You