Harry walked through the corridors of Hogwarts, his shoes glistening in the torchlight and echoing against the walls of the near sleeping castle. He had just finished giving a lecture to a group of seventh year Defence Against the Dark Arts Students. The lecture had been on dueling strategies. Since the defeat of Voldemort Harry had truly started to apply himself to his magic now he didn't have a Dark Lord trying to kill him every summer. While some people might have found that motivation enough, for Harry it was just a distraction. As a result of learning to apply his magic properly, he was now considered one of the best duelers in the world. Indeed his name was often mentioned alongside the likes of Albus Dumbledore now a days, though he knew such comparisons were proposterous. Dumbledore was a master of many forms of magic, Harry just at dueling.
The reason he was now walking through the corridors is because he noticed a certain face missing from the lecture. Teddy Lupin had so far attended every lecture Harry had given. Teddy had done well enough in his class to get into NEWT Defence Against the Dark Arts. However unlike his parents, who were both exceptional at the subject, Teddy's interests laid more towards potions. He had desires to become a Healer and had confided to Harry that it was his dream to finally be able to offer a cure for werewolves.
Harry and Teddy had been extremly close. Though raised by Andromeda, whose house was empty after the deaths of her husband and daughter, he had seen 'Uncle Harry' often. Indeed Harry popped in virtually every day of the week. The only reason he hadn't taken Teddy in himself was to make sure Andromeda wasn't alone. She had confessed as the Hogwarts Express left for Teddy's first year that that decision had possibly saved her life.
Coming close to where he knew the Charms corridor was Harry felt a surge of magical energy. He immediaetly drew his wand, his reflexes oned by nearly seventeen years as an auror, before he realised it didn't have the feel of harmful magic. Indeed, the more he thought the more he realised the energy was similar to the Patronus Charm. Turning into a room Harry stood at the doorway as he watched the object of his search point his wand out and almost shout "Expecto Patronum". As the incantation finished a silvery shield came out of the wand before dissipating into mist.
"Not a bad effort Teddy." said Harry from the doorway annoucning himself as Teddy jumped a foot in the air, not realising Harry was there.
"Still not a patronus though is it Unlce Harry? And how many times, its Edward. I'm not a child anymore."
"True, you're not. But can you blame an old man for wanting to remind himself of his younger days?"
Teddy snorted. "Old? You're only thirty three."
Harry just smiled in acknowlegment, before asking Teddy what the problem was.
"I don't know. I jus can't get my patronus to a corporeal state. I know I need a happy memory but I've gone through every memory I can and I just can't seem to get it."
Harry just thought for a moment before realising what the problem likely was.
"By conventional standards you are right. But from experience it doesn't have to be a memory and it doesn't have to be happy."
"What do you mean it doesn't have to be happy or a memory?" said Teddy, a confused look on his face.
"The memory is not what powers the charm. The emotion is. And as for it not being happy, I think happy is not the only emotion that works. I don't even think its the best. I think the best is love."
"Love?" enquied Teddy, a slight frown on his face.
"Yes love. Not necessarily the romantic kind. Before Ginny and I started dating, Ron and Hermione were most often the people I thought of when casting the charm. The first time I managed it, it was my mother and father I thought of."
"I wish I had memories of mine."
"Its unfair you don't." agreed Harry. "But it doesn't need to be a memory. Memory helps, but it isn't necessary."
Teddy just nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. After about a minute a smile reached his face, he liften up his wand and in a soft voice incanted "Expecto Patronum."
As quick as a flash a silver wolf exited his wand. Teddy opened his eyes and saw the wolf running around the room. Taking a closer look, Harry noticed the wolf had scars in the same places that Remus did when he had transformed. Struggling to hold back emotion, Harry thought back to the first time had held Teddy a couple of days after the Battle of Hogwarts. With a quick and quiet incantation, a silver Stag joined the wolf. Both sniffed each other for a moment before running around the room together, making it almost look like they were playing tag.
Tears in his eyes Teddy released the spell, ran to Harry and gave him a hug.
Also with tears in his eyes, Harry just whispered into Teddy's ear.
"Prongs and Moony run again."