Let me just disclaim this chapter as not being at all possible without the insanely amazing mind of J.K. Rowling! All of what I write wouldn't be possible without her amazing writing that started everything!

Chapter 2

Teddy, expecting the ride to be long and uneventful, stood to pull a book out of his trunk when he glanced out the window of his compartment into the hallway. He saw two boys, about his age, gaping at him. Suddenly becoming self-conscious of his now bright blue hair, showing that he was happy, he returned it to the sandy-blonde colour that had been his father's and heard a few slight gasps from outside.

One of the boys, a young man with distinctly blonde hair burst into the compartment. "How did you do that?!" the boy exclaimed. His friend, who had followed him in, nodded his head vigorously.

Shrugging, Teddy replied, "I've just always been able to do it. Gran told me that I get it from my mother."

"Seriously wicked!" the blonde boy exclaimed again. The other boy, who was fairly short and had red hair with tons of freckles, again nodded his agreement. Sitting down on the bench across from Teddy, the two boys settled in and Teddy realised that he wasn't going to get any quiet reading time on this train ride.

"I'm Martin, and this is Charlie. I met Charlie on the station when I nearly tripped over him, and he doesn't really talk that much," the blonde boy, Martin said. Charlie blushed at this description of him.

"I do talk… I just don't always have a lot to say," Charlie said quietly. The two then looked up at Teddy, expecting an introduction.

"Well, I'm Teddy and I haven't really made friends that much before. I mean, Harry and Ginny made me go to Muggle School before Hogwarts, but people are just kinda hard…"

Martin scrunched up his face. "Surely you must know somebody on the train? Like, I have my cousins but they're all older and think I'm annoying." Teddy shook his head and the two boys grinned. "Well, now you've got us!" Martin smiled and Charlie nodded.

"What house do you guys wanna be in? I wanna be a Gryffindor like my granddad and uncle and them. Everyone in the Prewett family goes to Gryffindor." Charlie had gained a lot of confidence in the course of the short conversation.

"I'm going to Gryffindor too!" Martin exclaimed. "Martin Dearborn, the brave and chivalrous! Has a ring to it, doesn't it?" Charlie and Martin then directed their attention to Teddy. It made Teddy almost uncomfortable when they did that. The two may have only just met, but they obviously shared one mind.

"Well… my mum was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Gryffindor, but my gran was in Slytherin. Harry and Ginny and their whole family went to Gryffindor, and I wouldn't mind being a Ravenclaw…" Teddy shrugged. "I guess I don't know where I want to go."

Teddy suddenly noticed a look of recognition cross Martin's face. "Harry and Ginny Potter?" He exclaimed. "That's so cool! What's it like, growing up with them?" Charlie's eyes lit up as well and the two waited intently to hear what Teddy had to say.

The boy in question felt his ears and hair turning bright red as the question made him blush intensely. "Well… they really like muggle movies, and we're just like any family really. Except when Harry or Ginny take me and James and Albus and Lily anywhere, there are always people asking for pictures or autographs or something. It's annoying."

Martin and Charlie gaped at Teddy's admission that the famous Harry Potter was just a normal guy. Teddy should have seen that coming. He knew that Harry and Ginny were famous, he just never viewed them as the figures other people seemed to expect them to be. They had raised him to be good and honest and brave.

"So they're just… normal?" Charlie asked, disappointed slightly. He was then promptly elbowed by Martin, who whispered, "Don't be so insensitive!"

Chuckling, Teddy replied. "Yeah, basically. It's always fun when he takes me out to the practice pitch we have. I'm gonna be a chaser one day! Just like Ginny!"

"That's so cool!" The other boys grinned, before dropping the topic. The attention span of 11-year-olds is truly that of a puppy dog.

"So who here collects chocolate frog cards? Because I NEED the Battle of Hogwarts cards! Like, it's a physical need." Charlie asked, pulling a small stack from the pocket of his muggle hoodie. Teddy and Martin both grinned, before pulling out stacks of their own from their trunk and pockets respectively.

Probably half of that train ride was spent trading the chocolate frog cards, their trading pausing only when they got goodies off the snack cart (including more chocolate frogs) and to change into their robes. Of course, they also had to pause when Martin's toad, Gregory, somehow got loose in the compartment. Charlie was trading tooth and nail to try and get the entire "Battle of Hogwarts" special edition cards from Teddy (who had them all, and duplicates of most), but Teddy was being a tough sale. Half the people on those cards had been over to the Potter's at one point or another just for catching up, and they reminded him of home.

"Seriously man, I'll give you a Remus Lupin card for that Fred Weasley card!" Charlie was yelling, when Teddy's eyes grew wide at the mention.

Gulping, Teddy took the card to examine it. The man in the picture looked exactly like the man in the picture that was framed on his bedside table, now residing in his trunk. "Yeah, sure…" Teddy said, looking at the card in awe. He knew that his father was a hero of the Battle of Hogwarts, but he never imagined the man being on a chocolate frog card. Handing over the card with the ginger man he considered an uncle, Teddy flipped the card from his father's likeness to a small summary of the man, the voices of his new friends fading as he read.

Remus John Lupin, aged 38 at death, was a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a former Gryffindor at said school, and a hero of the Battle of Hogwarts. The man was a Prefect at the school at the time, despite his lycanthropy and association with the troublemaking group, the Marauders. At the age of 37, he married Nymphadora Tonks, and together the pair had one son, Edward Remus Lupin. Lupin was a known member of the Order of the Phoenix, and took on the name of Romulus on Potterwatch during the second Wizarding War. His patronus was a wolf and he was involved in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, as well as the Battle of Hogwarts. Remus was the first werewolf to receive a post-mortem Order-of-Merlin, First Class.

Upon reading the card, Teddy wiped tears from his eyes and grabbed for a chocolate frog. Chocolate always helped to calm him down when he was upset. He knew his dad was amazing, but he had never aspired to be him. Charlie looked up from digging in his collection to put the Fred card where it belonged in his stacks as he noticed a slight sob escape Teddy.

"You alright, mate?" he asked, drawing the attention of Martin who was trying to drag Gregory out from under a seat.

Teddy shook his head and wiped away his tears. "I'm fine, really!" But his friends didn't believe him. Sighing, Teddy pulled the picture of his father out of his trunk and showed the two the likeness of his father in both the picture of him as a baby and on the chocolate frog card. Charlie's mouth dropped open.

"NO WAY! Lupin, that is wicked cool!" Martin shouted. "My uncle is a werewolf and he tells me all about the leaps society is making because of this guy, YOUR DAD'S influence!" Teddy realised that he was going to have to get used to his friend's outbursts as he smiled down at his father's likeness. Charlie was lost for words, a boy who obsessed over the history of the Battle of Hogwarts, which Teddy had recently discovered.

"Yeah, my dad is pretty cool," Teddy said with a smile as he packed away the framed picture, tucking the chocolate frog card into his pocket. 'I'll make you proud, dad,' he thought. 'I promise.'

After tucking away the picture and the card, Teddy locked eyes with Charlie and taunted him, stating, "Now, I don't know if I should tell you this, but I have an extra Neville Longbottom card…" Holding said card in his hand, Teddy was then tackled by Charlie and their intense trading session continued until they felt the train slow down.

Glancing out the window sometime around 7 PM, the boys caught their first glimpse of Hogsmeade. They quickly packed up their cards, Charlie obviously satisfied at the number of Battle of Hogwarts collection cards he had obtained from Teddy, and continued to stare out the window until they felt the train lurch to a stop. Teddy couldn't contain his excitement, his hair turning a bright ginger, making him look like a Weasley, or like Charlie for that matter.

Addressing said ginger, Teddy asked, "Hey Prewett? Are you related to the Weasleys? Just 'cause… your hair…" Insensitive, he knew, but then again nobody was as ginger as a Weasley.

Blushing a characteristic Weasley red, he replied, "Distantly, Molly Weasley is like a really distant cousin and she married a Weasley. I remember her coming to some event or another with a swarm of red-haired adults who she said were her kids."

"Charlie! We're practically related!" Teddy shouted. He knew he'd liked Charlie for a reason. "Ginny is a Weasley," he explained with a grin. Charlie grinned back and then they were tackled by Martin.

"Oi! I'm still here you know! Me in all my glory of having three sisters, but no relation to you awesome people!" He alerted them to his presence very overtly. The three boys grinned as they brushed off their school robes and walked into the corridor and out to the station at the direction of a school prefect, who told them to "leave their bags on the train and head on down the platform." As they walked along the platform, they heard a shout of a somewhat elderly, very large man.

"Firs' years, this way! All firs' years over here!" was the call of 11 ½ foot tall Professor Hagrid. Teddy grinned upon seeing him and started to rush toward him when he realised that his friends weren't following.

Turning around to see the shock and fear in their eyes, Teddy questioned, "Are you coming?" This seemed to snap them out of their fear as they grinned and ran toward Hagrid.

Martin leaned over Teddy's shoulder and asked quietly, "Do you know him too?" Teddy's face blushed slightly and he struggled to keep his hair a neutral sandy-blonde. He had never been good with attention, and being Harry Potter's godson had always seemed to bring on a lot of it. Charlie turned his head to face Teddy too, both obviously wondering if they should be afraid of the half-giant or not.

"Yeah, that's just Hagrid," he explained, defeated under their curious gazes as they walked toward the booming voice of the gamekeeper and Professor of Care of Magical Creatures. "He wouldn't hurt a fly, literally." Having also answered the obvious but unvoiced question, Martin and Charlie visibly relaxed as they approached Hagrid.

Being the man that he was, Hagrid bent down and gave Teddy a one-armed hug and smiled. "Teddy! How are Harry and the squirts?" he inquired, pausing in his summoning of the first years to address the young man. The other two looked on as Teddy exchanged pleasantries with a man who looked both huge and old as the castle was sure to.

"Everyone's good, Hagrid. This is Martin Dearborn and Charlie Prewett, by the way." Hagrid smiled down at the two boys, having obviously just noticed them.

"Well hello there!" he boomed cheerfully, earning a slight squeak from Charlie that sounded almost like "Hello" and a brave face from Martin, who smiled as way of saying hello.

"Say, Hagrid," Teddy asked. "Why are we going to opposite way as everyone else? I thought we were going to the castle."

Beaming largely, Hagrid drew himself to full height again, saying, "You'll see in a moment." Then continuing to lead his pack of first years with calls of "Firs' years! O'er here, firs' years!" Teddy, Charlie, and Martin slowly noticed that Hagrid was leading them to the side of a very large lake, in which there were lots of little boats. Hagrid then turned to address the group of nervous first years.

"All right then, four to a boat, no more and no less," he said cheerily, taking up one of the boats all by himself. Teddy, Charlie, and Martin all climbed into one boat, and were joined by an extremely short girl with pitch black hair.

"I'm Avery," She introduced nonchalantly. "Avery Lewis. Do any of you know what to expect? I'm so nervous!" The boys each introduced themselves before Martin answered her question.

"My dad told me that it's huge and that the ghosts are friendly and that I would love it!" Martin gushed about how wonderful it must be and Teddy grumbled to himself that he hadn't gotten a chance to start the copy of Hogwarts, a History that Hermione had gotten him for his birthday earlier that year in May.

"Wow," said Avery quietly as the boats all lurched into movement. Charlie pointed to Hagrid, who was holding a pink umbrella in one hand as though it were a wand.

Teddy laughed at the observation. "Harry says he was expelled as a third year and keeps his wand in there." While Teddy shrugged, he could tell that he had just put Martin and Charlie back on edge about the whole extremely-large man business.

Avery shuddered at the thought. "I would hate to be expelled and have to go home to boring old regular school. School with non-magical kids is so boring! It's so good that he gets to stay here though."

"Wait, you went to Muggle school?" Charlie asked, obviously home-schooled in the arts of being magic until his Hogwarts letter came. Avery blushed at this.

"Well, my parents aren't magic, so when the man, Professor Fenwick, came to tell us it was a bit of a shock." Avery blushed again. "I knew I was different after turning the teacher's hair purple." She grinned at the memory, then looked over at Teddy whose hair had turned purple. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT?" she exclaimed.

"It's genetic," he grinned, simply glad to make the pensive girl smile. She had seemed so jittery to him, even though he barely knew more than her name. He heard Martin and Charlie snickering at his hair, so he returned it to sandy-blonde. It was by far the best look for him, he thought.

Just as the 11-year-olds had fallen into an easy conversation (well as easy as explaining quidditch to a muggle-born can be) when the boats lurched to a stop on the shore. Hagrid again led the group of 40 or so first years up to the castle and into the entrance hall. The entrance hall was enormous, and when the students looked up they could see a moving maze of staircases going up seven or more stories. On the walls of the hall were pictures that looked like fallen warriors protecting the school, and he could tell by the look on Charlie's face that they were the fallen of the Battle of Hogwarts, standing sentry at the great school.

Teddy was shocked out of his dazedness as he suddenly heard the older kids through a large door that lie ahead of him, but blocking that door was a short man with thinning hair and a severe demeanour. "I see the first years are here again, Hagrid," said the man.

"Now, Mr. Filch I don't see why you're not in the Great Hall," Hagrid replied to the man, Mr. Filch, while gesturing with his head to the door behind the man. "Or are you here to terrorise the firs' years 'cause of Mrs. Norris?"

The first years all looked at each other confused until their explanation came as Filch said, "You would feel the same if you had a cat who you loved die. Like when Fang eventually leaves the living." Mr. Filch glared at the first years, causing many of them to cringe under his scrutiny. "They look like a rule abiding bunch, but nonetheless let's hope that Profes-"

Filch was cut off by the opening of the door behind him, as he looked around embarrassed to see one of the professors standing right behind him. "Professor Jones," the man squeaked as he and Hagrid slipped past the suddenly present woman into the Great Hall. "We'll leave them in your capable hands." Once the door closed behind her, Professor Jones' face broke out in a warm smile.

"Welcome, all of you, to Hogwarts," the willowy woman said, with her smile quelling the fear that was present in the faces of some of Teddy's classmates. "Now, I'm Professor Jones, as I'm sure you heard from our caretaker Mr Filch. I am the professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts here at Hogwarts, and am also the Deputy Headmistress, so if there is any rule-breaking you will likely be seeing me instead of our Headmaster. Now, take a moment to compose yourself and we will join your classmates in the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony."

The first years began to mill about, some of them worried about what house they'd be in, others worried what the Ceremony would be, and then there were the few muggle-borns, like Avery. Avery was fairly composed until Professor Jones mentioned the Sorting Ceremony.

Grabbing the arms of Charlie and Martin and pulling their heads down toward hers (as they were significantly taller than the average 11 year old, and Avery was slightly shorter), she whispered frantically in the ears of them, and Teddy who stood right by.

"Sorting Ceremony? What is that? Oh gosh, Professor Fenwick did mention houses, but I didn't know we'd have to do something to get into one!" Avery was frankly panicking and Charlie and Teddy looked frantically to Martin, the only one with sisters near enough his age to know what to do.

Martin tried his best to calm the girl down. "Look, Avery, it's gonna be ok. It's not a test you can study for and I assure you that you will be fine. Just… take a deep breath? Yeah, do that!" As he patted her back, Martin turned to face his friends and mouthed 'I think I'm doing this right.' Or it may have been 'I'm gonna kill you' for all the other two knew. Teddy and Charlie exchanged a look and both gave their other friend two thumbs up. Martin just scowled at them and continued trying to soothe Avery.

Just a moment after Avery seemed to have regained her composure, Professor Jones looked at her watch and commanded the kids' attention as she opened the doors to the Great Hall and the first years followed in awe.

Teddy could not keep the awe off his face (or his hair, as it tinted blue at the tips slightly) as he looked up at the enchanted ceiling that looked like the sky outside, clear blue with a radiant full moon. He looked at the long tables filled with people and the long table at the front where the teachers were seated. Martin and Charlie, walking beside Teddy, had similar emotions play across their face, but the three boys were nothing compared to Avery, who was absolutely beaming at everything she saw from the ceiling to the floating candles to the large, golden podium that rested toward the middle of the stage upon which the staff table sat.

After they had made it all the way up to the front of the Great Hall (which Teddy figured was named "great" because of the sheer size of it), Professor Jones placed a stool with a beat up, tattered, old hat upon it in front of the podium. Teddy and his friends, as well as the other first years, looked around the hall to see everyone sitting on bated breath, staring with anticipation at that hat.

Suddenly the first years realised why, as they jumped at the voice that was coming from that tattered, old hat… singing! Teddy was so taken aback by a singing hat that he missed half of what the hat was singing about. What he did hear was all about the different houses and how apparently they wore the hat and it told them where they would spend the next 7 years of their life.

Once the hat's song had ended, the entire hall burst out in roaring applause. And once the roaring applause had ended, Professor Jones unrolled a long scroll and cleared her throat. "When I call your name, you will come up here, sit on the stool, and place the hat on your head. The rest will be self-explanatory." She smiled at them again.

"Argola, Linsey," she announced, and a small, timid looking girl walked up to the stage. Professor Jones set the hat on the girl's head and after a minute of apparent decision, the hat shouted out to the Hall "HUFFLEPUFF!" and a table in the middle and to the left broke out in large cheers. The professor took the hat from Linsey's head as the girl skipped over to the table that had cheered and sat down where a seat had been proffered.

And so on went the Sorting, which Teddy lost track of until he heard the call of "Dearborn, Martin." Martin held his head high and walked up to the stage, having the hat settle on his head. After nearly two minutes of deliberation, the hat decidedly yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" and the table to the far right broke out in loud, raucous cheering. Running off to the table so quickly that he forgot to take the hat off his head, he returned the hat to the professor, who was laughing along with many others in the hall.

Teddy again spaced the Sorting until he heard another name he recognised. "Lewis, Avery." Squeezing his upper arm, more for her own comfort than his, Avery took a seat on the stool and the hat deliberated for some time. It was nearly five minutes before the hat decided that Avery belonged in "RAVENCLAW!" Another one of the middle tables, this time the one closer to the right, cheered as the girl carefully handed the hat to Professor Jones and took her place at the Ravenclaw table, sending glances at her new friends still waiting and at the Gryffindor table.

Far too soon after (at least, in Teddy's opinion), he heard his own name called. "Lupin, Edward," called Professor Jones. Teddy could see more than a few raised eyebrows as his name was called and he realised that he was being noticed. He walked up to the stage and sat almost timidly on the stool. The hat was lowered onto his head and his hair, now hidden by the large mass of fabric, turned a sickly shade of green.

Then, Teddy heard a voice in his head. "Hmm, what have we here, a mind that would do very well in Ravenclaw… but alas, you are too headstrong for Ravenclaw… Perhaps in Hufflepuff, you do seem to have a soft spot in you for loyalty… Teddy gulped at the voice in his head, evidently the Sorting Hat, sifting through aspects of his mind and personality. To keep his sanity, he chanted silently to himself, "make my father proud." oh but that is roaring well above all the rest. Your true courage shining through right there. While you have the heart of a Hufflepuff and the mind of a Ravenclaw, there is only one place where you belong. Right like your father, in "GRYFFINDOR!"

It took Teddy a second to realise that the last word was shouted out loud and his hair reverted to a plain brown in relief. Professor Jones smiled and pulled the hat off his head as a loud uproar came from the Gryffindor table where he took a seat next to Martin and the two of them waited for the Sorting to end.

The two were joined by Joey Nigellus and Christine Opitz before they heard another name they cared about. "Prewett, Charlie." Walked up onto the stage with a confident swagger. The hat had barely touched his head before it shouted "GRYFFINDOR" to the whooping shouts of the upperclassmen around them and the two boys themselves.

Martin and Teddy made room between them, where Charlie sat down and the three grinned madly at one another as a few final people were sorted. After Wilkes, Peter was sorted into Slytherin, Professor Jones rolled up the scroll, and picked up the stool with the Sorting Hat and placed both in a room adjoining the Great Hall. Once she took her seat, the man seated at the centre of the staff table stood and made his way to the podium.

"Welcome students!" the man ("Headmaster Fenwick" exclaimed Martin) said jovially. "Welcome to another magic-filled year at Hogwarts where we hope to fill your brains at least a little more full than when you got here!" Professor Fenwick smiled at the student body. "A note to first years, and a reminder to returning students, that the Dark Forest is strictly off limits, as is the rest of the school after curfew. Now that we have that out of the way, dig in!"

With those final words, Professor Fenwick sat down and the platters in the middle of the table magically filled with food. Teddy heard a gasp of "incredible!" from behind him and suddenly felt bad that they weren't with Avery. 'Well,' he thought. 'We'll just have to hang out with her at breakfast tomorrow.' And then, he, Charlie, and Martin chowed down on their first meal at Hogwarts, starved from their rather inadequate lunch that had consisted of chocolate frogs and a few cauldron cakes.

After the amount of food that they ate, including an insane and probably right unhealthy amount of desert, it was a surprise to the three of them when Professor Fenwick expected them to be somewhat awake enough for "Prefects to show students to their dormitories and everyone have a good night."

A Prefect, Maurice Chang, led the group of twelve first years and a huddle of older years up an utterly confusing series of stairwells and through endless corridors up to what must have been the seventh floor and to a stop in front of a portrait of a Fat Lady. To the Fat Lady, Maurice delivered the password of "gillyweed" and the portrait swung forward to reveal the Gryffindor common room.

The five male first years and seven females were far too knackered to take any notice of the cosy room, Teddy only barely glanced at the comfy couches and warm fireplace before he felt so knackered he could fall asleep on his feet.

And then, Maurice felt it would be a good idea to talk to them, addressing the first years briefly and directly. "Boy's dormitory is the stairwell to the left, girls to the right. Boys, please do not try to go to the girls' rooms, don't say I didn't warn you if you do. Your dormitories will be the first door to your left or right, respective to which stairwell you ascend. Your trunks and things have already been deposited there." He smiled tiredly. "Breakfast ends at 9, when classes start. Do try not to be late. You'll get your timetables at breakfast. Remember, since tomorrow is Wednesday, classes will be in session. Get going and good night."

With those instructions loosely in mind, the boys made their way up the left-hand stairwell to the first door on their left. Outside that door was a plaque that read "First Year Dormitory" and inside were five four-poster beds, each with a trunk at the bottom. Martin, Teddy, and Charlie were all placed in a row, while Joey Nigellus and Adam Westinburgh were next to each other against the opposite wall. Not bothering to change, all five boys found their beds and collapsed in exhaustion.

Well, that is, all except for Teddy. He took the time to go to his trunk and pull out his picture, the one of him and his parents, with his dad's chocolate frog card shoved into the frame. Setting it on his bedside table, Teddy smiled. Gryffindor, he thought as he drifted off into sleep.

A/N: Hello again! Don't always expect fast updates from me and also note that this is my usual chapter length. And they tend to grow longer, so it takes me longer to actually write everything. I actually wrote half this chapter then started completely from scratch with it and I'm rather content with how it's going.

Reviews! You are really wonderful for reviewing and literally made me want to write this faster (hence the really fast update) and here it's all done! Let me just address the individuals who went out of their way (actually it's a button and less than 50 words) to give me a wonderful review and make me feel awesome! Like, what did you think of the sorting? TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME! Woo, calm down there, Jacks… haha

Jadely31: they're 11, so no worries about a relationship budding other than friendships! Teddy would have done really well in Hufflepuff I think. He's got the best of everyone who raised him.

Barricade Butterfly: I did the math on this one! So Teddy was 19 in the epilogue and James was 12, a 7 year age difference. Albus is one year younger than James. Therefore, when Teddy was 11 (subtract 8 from age), James was 4, therefore Albus was 3 and Lily was 1 since she was two years under Albus. Thanks also for the note about getting into Teddy's head, tried to do that a bit better for you this chapter, since that chapter was half my normal length.

Alright, who knows when I'll update again? Hopefully soon, but sometimes I get discouraged… Leave a review, enjoy this almost 5,000 word chapter and I hope we'll be sharing a story together again soon. Until next time, my pretties!