The Quidditch Match

"I want to come!" Teddy whined.

"No! You're staying with your Gran."

"But I want to see Ginny play. She's amazing."

"After what happened at the fair, I'm not taking you to crowded places." Harry retorted, fastening his cloak. He studied his reflection once and did not bother trying to flatten his hair. That would only be an effort in futility. Besides, Ginny had said that she loved his hair the way it was. He would be glad to oblige.

"How do I look, Teddy?"

"Terrible! You look like a demon come from hell. You look like a monster from the darkest pits of –"

"Hey! Stop it!" Harry threw his arms up in surrender, laughing softly at his godson's curses. "Is that your new form of torture for me?"

"Harry, I've never been to a stadium for an actual Quidditch match! How many times will I get the chance? Please, please take me with you." Teddy pouted.

"The last time I took you out in a muggle fair, you ran off into the mob and then happened to change your appearance. Your grandmother wanted to feed us to the vultures. Ginny was almost on the verge of tears and –"

"– So were you. That was fun! It was just a joke. I came back in one piece and even accepted the punishment that Gran gave me. Did you know she grounded me for a week!" Teddy grinned, his green eyes lighting up.

The boy was now six years old and to no one's surprise quite witty, talented and sharp for his age. He usually spent most of his time at the Burrow since he wasn't really fond of his grandmother and her nagging ways. Of course, not that he hated her completely. She was his grandmother;. But she was old and not much fun. However, he loved spending time with his godfather who was like an older brother and a companion with whom he could share his problems without a second thought.

"Uh-huh, I don't think I would have opposed her on that. If you want to attend the match, there is a condition."

Teddy pouted but perked up at the last statement. His hair turned a bright Weasley red colour.

"Yeah! Deal!"

"You will not wander off into the crowds. You will have to stay right beside me and hold on to me. There will be quite a multitude of people and they might want to hurt you. So, you have to promise me not to go anywhere without asking my permission." Harry knelt before his godson as he said this.

"That's all? Then I promise Harry, I promise! I won't walk away. Now, can I come?" Teddy asked apprehensively.

Harry pondered over the request, then sighed in resignation.

"Well, where is that special cloak of Holyhead Harpies that Ginny got you in winter? You don't want to look underdressed do you?" he grinned.

The smile that lit up Teddy's face was incomparable. He almost began to jump up and down before he realized that he was wasting time and caught himself. Then he ran up the staircase and was back down in a jiffy, sporting a bright cloak with the words 'Holyhead Harpies' stitched on.

Ten minutes later, Harry and his six year old godson walked down a muddy village path that snaked down to a river bank. Small thorny shrubs lined their way and the chatter of the neighbourhood soon died down. The duo walked up to the river bank in an absolute and comfortable silence. Only the occasional flock of birds or an insect broke the quiet.

Soon they were trudging along the stream, the rapidly flowing water drowning out most of the other sounds. The scene was almost serene.

Teddy kept pestering Harry with questions, 'How big is the stadium?' 'How many aurors are going to come there?' 'Are there going to be any Veelas?' 'Can I ask them where they live?'

It was a long walk until finally they found it. It was small and Harry would have missed it if Teddy hadn't pointed it out to him. The object was a copper keychain of a dollar sign. Since Teddy was still too young to apparate, he was going to travel the same way he himself had attended the first Quidditch world cup of his life – by a portkey.

"Now hold on to me and the portkey tightly. Don't let go. Ready?" Harry warned.

"Yes Sir!" Teddy mock saluted.

They grabbed hold of the portkey together. Their feet lifted off the ground and soon they were spiralling upwards. Soon the circulatory motion was so rapid that Teddy began to feel sick. He couldn't see anything and he felt ecstatic and scared at the same time. But strangely the motion stopped as quickly and suddenly as it had started. Then just as rapidly, they dropped down together, like a comet hurtling downwards. In that split moment, Teddy's imagination went into overdrive and he pictured a scene where they were screaming as they fell into some thick rainforest below and just when they are about to hit the trees, Harry miraculously produces a broomstick and then they fly off together.

But in reality, Teddy saw an expanse of green stretching in all directions below them. It was not too wide but like a tabletop had a smooth edge and it was definitely no rainforest. It was a moor like plain and it was getting closer by the second. He wondered why his loving godfather had chosen such a dangerous mode of transportation. Maybe it was Harry's idea of adventure, and if so, then it was stupid. However even as Teddy closed his eyes preparing to hit the ground with full force, he realized that they were slowing down rather abruptly. Then to the child's utter amazement they landed on the grassy ground with nothing more than a soft thud.

Teddy rolled around and sat up. He studied his surroundings while Harry who seemed to have landed on his feet only staggered slightly then regained his balance. They seemed to have landed in an open plain like a moor with poplar trees acting like a barrier to it. The sky was clear, perfect for a Quidditch match. He hoped the winds did not turn rough by the time the game commenced or he would have to worry about Ginny.

"Come on! We'll be late. We still have a lot of walking to do." Harry said, hauling the now blonde haired boy to his feet.

"How far is it?"

"Not much but making your way through the crowds takes some time" Harry said as he took Teddy's hand and they began walking. "and so does the search for your seats. The place is huge."

"How huge? As big as a village?" Teddy asked perking up with curiosity, his eyes lighting up.

Harry chuckled and said, "You ask way too many questions! Wait and see it for yourself. It won't be fun if I tell you everything, will it?"

Teddy seemed to accept the answer because he quietened up. Once again he took in his surroundings. They were coming to the edge of the moor and he realised that their road gently sloped downwards. The boy could now make out brightly coloured tents arranged without much organisation. Banners hung in the air that displayed words of encouragement for the two teams, those words kept changing. Children wearing supportive team colours ran between the tents, chasing each other.

As they began navigating between the tents, Teddy read a variety of Banners from 'Go Harpies!' to 'Witches Rule! Harpies Are Cool!' supporting Ginny's team, Holyhead Harpies. Some people began pointing at Harry and muttering excitedly as they passed them, which amused Teddy. The amount of attention his godfather always attracted made him simultaneously proud and uncomfortable. Proud because other people looked at Harry to be a hero and a role model and uncomfortable because they never really had any privacy in the wizarding world and to get it they had to go to muggle places.

That was how Harry and Ginny had taken him to that muggle fair six months ago. It was being held in the neighbouring town. Teddy had seen the advertisement displayed in a local shop and the pictures on the leaflet had fascinated him. He had begged his godparents to take him there and Harry had decided that since it was a muggle fair they weren't likely to attract any attention so it would be a nice outing. Hence on a bright Sunday morning the three of them had stepped into the fair.

Teddy had tried all kinds of thrill rides with a shrieking Harry and a laughing Ginny. Then they had gone to the stalls and that was when Teddy had had the ingenious idea for a joke. He had left their side when the young couple had been inspecting a camera of some sort. Then he had changed his hair colour and his nose and ears with a lot of concentration and tried on some jackets from nearby shops.

Teddy's godparents had searched for him for hours but he had simply disappeared. The trouble was they could not even ask other people because if anyone questioned them about the child's appearance, they were not sure what he looked like. He had kept his eyes on them and when they had left the fair he had followed them to his Gran's house. He had hidden in some bushes nearby and waited till he heard his Gran's outraged shriek and Harry's pleading tones. Then he had crept into the house through the open backdoor and made his grand entry.

Till this day Teddy could not forget the expressions on the three adults' faces, the hug that Ginny had given him or his Gran's scolding. It had touched him deeply and even made him feel slightly guilty for his behaviour.

Back to the present, Harry's hold on his wrist seemed to tighten as the mass of people around them thickened. The green and yellow colours of the Holyhead Harpies receded to give way to the blue and yellow of Puddlemere United. He could hear people singing songs supporting their teams and see some men hurriedly exchanging a few galleons. Once or twice he even saw Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products.

With a start, he realized that he was grinning so continuously that his cheeks had started to hurt. The whole atmosphere was almost infectious with excitement… and then he saw it. For the first time, he actually grasped the concept of a stadium. It was so huge that it loomed over him like a giant about to stomp on him. Being a kid, Teddy had no idea exactly how big it was, but he was now quite sure that it could possibly house half their village.

Harry led him through a special entrance where he conversed with a few aurors. Teddy noticed that they weren't very comfortable with Harry as their newly appointed boss. Then his godfather dragged him inside and his mouth fell open.

The arena was just as magnificent from inside as from outside. There was complete chaos and a blend of the two team colours. People were madly waving their banners. Some were trying desperately to find their seats through all the commotion. Again he felt Harry's hand tighten on his forearm as they weaved their way towards their seats. It was then that Teddy remembered about the Weasleys, 'Where were they?'

He was quite sure they would come to support their sister's team. But he quickly eliminated the idea of looking for them since he was too short. He could barely see anything other than his black-haired godfather anymore. Then a loud squeal alerted him to his second favourite witch: Hermione Granger. He spotted her a moment later as Harry firmly tugged at his hand and brought him to view. She wore her special bright green robes over her jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Her bushy mane of hair was pinned back in a lousy attempt at a bun. She had even gone as far as draping Holyhead Harpies banner over her shoulders.

Hermione bent down and scooped him up in a suffocating hug (that was mainly because of the loose strands of bushy hair which began tickling Teddy's nose).

"Oh Teddy! I had no idea you were coming along too or I would have brought you a book. Your irresponsible godfather simply forgets to tell me such details." The witch said with a pointed look at Harry. Teddy giggled knowingly.

"Hey!" Harry protested. "I'm not irresponsible. This was decided at the last moment."

Hermione shook her head in disappointment as if she did not believe what her friend was saying. Then Ron Weasley came into view behind Hermione who wore similar green robes over his jeans and a yellow T-shirt that read 'THREE CHEERS FOR WEASLEY!' Teddy wondered if the couple had gone shopping together and bought matching robes. His Gran always told him that for a child he saw too much and said too much as well.

"The aurors gave you trouble?" Ron asked turning to Harry who shook his head.

"Okay boys! Come on let's grab our seats before it is too late." Hermione ushered them towards an empty box.

From the corner of his eyes, Teddy saw Harry give the witch a look like, 'Boys?!'

The view from their box was simply perfect. They could see the entire circular stadium packed with rows and rows of crazy Quidditch fans cheering loudly. Some people were bursting Filibuster's firecrackers and others were sending out colourful sparks from their wands. The air smelled of smoke and strong scented perfumes. Teddy knew he could keep admiring the view until he got a migraine.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were exchanging news as they waited for the other Weasleys to arrive. There was still over an hour for the game to commence. Teddy could see Ministry officials and aurors escorting people to their seats and trying to control the absolute confusion.

In the neighbouring box, some children were playing Exploding Snap and Teddy was tempted to join them. The boy was getting bored with standing and simply observing the chaos and it was not like he could take part in the adults' conversation. It wouldn't be too difficult for him to slip away and play with those kids either. He took a tentative step but hesitated. Something Harry had said after the muggle fair incident rang in his years. Harry hadn't said anything to him back in the living room of his Gran's place. They had quietly eaten and helped his Gran in cleaning up too, but before leaving Harry had pulled him aside, knelt before him and spoken to him in a quiet, broken voice.

"Teddy, when we could not find you back in the fair I … I briefly wondered if I will ever be able to face your parents when I meet them. I felt disappointed with myself for being so irresponsible. But I soon realized that this is not about me facing your parents or about me being your godfather. I understood that I had to find you to protect the hope that everything could be fine one day. You're not just my godson, not just my responsibility – you're someone I unintentionally rely on. You're a brother and a friend. I want you to remember that."

Then the young man had turned to leave but just as he had reached the door, he had looked back at his godson and with a huge grin he had said, "Happy Easter!"

Although he may have not understood the meaning of the word 'unintentionally', those words had felt genuine and that was what made him hesitate. He could not hurt Harry. Even as a child he had seen his godfather in misery before. He may have not completely grasped the emotions but whatever they were, they were bad and he did not want them to return. He made his decision and stepped back. The boy stood there for a moment then went and joined the adults.

'Puddlemere United leading with a score of two hundred and thirty points! Looks like it isn't going too well with the Harpies today -'

The commentator's voice echoed through the stadium and blue and yellow colours erupted in cheers. The crowd seemed to be going wild but Teddy Lupin was still desperately trying to spot Ginny with George Weasley's wizard camera. He was standing on his toes and peering into the arena.

One thing he was right about was the weather. It had turned rough as the game proceeded and now an hour had gone by. The two teams had been introduced, their symbols had been displayed in the sky right above the centre of the open ground with magical sparks flying and the Holyhead Harpies had scored the first goal of the game. It had looked pretty promising at first but now the other team was slowly gaining ground.

Teddy knew that Puddlemere United (he still could not pronounce the name properly and it stumped him) was said to be the oldest team, he had prayed that Ginny's team could somehow overpower them. But now he felt crushed. In his box, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys were giving occasional shouts of encouragement for the green-yellow team.

'Looks like the Harpies chasers, Ginny and Madigan are aiming for a goal and... OH! Madigan Skies has been hit in the arm by a well-aimed bludger... The 'United beaters Archer and Julius have been keeping an eye out and...'

The commentator's voice trailed off but Teddy had heard enough. He trained his camera on the tiny figure diving below the beaters, her bright red hair and green-yellow uniform making her look attractive. His heart was beating wildly as he crossed his fingers. With a single leap, Ginny swerved away from the Keeper and threw the Quaffle through the central hoop.

Teddy had seen this trick plenty of times before in the games that Harry, Ron, George, Ginny and sometimes Charlie played in the backyard of the Burrow on Sundays. The trick was simple, the chaser had to divert the opposing team's keeper and lure him towards the other hoops and then leap forward and throw the Quaffle through middle hoop. The trick was old but the Puddlemere United's keeper hadn't anticipated it.

'That was well played and a goal for the Harpies, it brings them to two hundred and forty. The ladies are now leading the game by ten points.'

The stadium erupted with green and gold colours as the Holyhead Harpies' fans cheered with approval. Beside the little boy, Harry, Ron and George were holding a single big banner amongst them which George had made. It read: THREE CHEERS TO THE WEASLEY WITCH! Hermione was waving her own banner that she had draped over her shoulders earlier while Percy, Charlie, Bill and Fleur were doing a little victory dance. Teddy found himself shouting out words of encouragement till his voice was hoarse.

The stadium quietened again as the crowd watched in anticipation, holding their breath for the next move. But now the Harpies seemed to have got hold of the game again. They retaliated every move of the other team with a well planned step of theirs and the injured chaser Madigan even scored two goals with rapid succession. She received well-earned praise from the spectators. The beaters too seemed to have got the chance to hit back. The Lupin boy understood that till now the Harpies had been deliberately playing low because they were observing the other team's defences and laying out their own strategy.

Puddlemere United gave a tough fight till the end but the women's team had calculated every minute in details. So, the Holyhead Harpies won by only twenty points much to the dismay of their supporters but they still received a lot of praise.

Ginny was asked to say a few words for the press and their team supporters.

"To all my dear Harpies fans I would like express my gratitude for your continued support, praise and also the criticism. Today may not have gone too well but it was a good game. I sincerely hope that the Harpies will not disappoint you in future. But now I have an announcement to make," Ginny paused for effect and everyone seemed to be holding their breath. "I am planning to retire from the sport-" She had to break off as her fans drowned her out with loud 'No's and 'Don't go!'s.

The Ministry officials came to the rescue as they shepherded the crowd and restrained them. With effort, the stadium became silent again and Ginny resumed.

"With good reason, my friends, with good reason. I am now officially announcing my engagement to my fiancée and your hero Harry Potter! We will be tying the knot this year!"

Now the stadium was bathed in a stunned silence. Teddy looked up to see Harry's face redder than the Weasley's hair. Many people craned their necks to get a look of Harry's expression. Ginny too seemed to be scanning the crowds and her eyes finally landed on her boyfriend. Their eyes met briefly and Harry grinned from ear to ear making Teddy's heart leap with joy.

'Finally!' Teddy thought. 'Finally it was happening. His favourite two people were coming together. He could call them his official godparents now.'

Then came the wolf whistles and the applause and the screams of delight. The press seemed to be going wild now. But Ginny did not pay them much attention and nor did Harry. Together they rushed out of the box down towards the arena. No one stopped them, the mass seemed to be pushing them towards the running red head 'Harpy'. Teddy did not even register how they reached down so fast because everything happened in a frenzy. One moment they were struggling to get down, next moment they were running towards Ginny and the cameras were flashing rapidly. The press took a few couple pictures of Harry and Ginny.

Then she noticed Teddy and her happiness new no bounds. She scooped him up and showered him with kisses. The trouble was she forgot about the media. Harry realized this but it was too late. Some of them including Ginny's own team members began pointing at him and muttering.

"Is that Edward Lupin?" A reporter asked.

Teddy felt himself shiver as he became the centre of attraction in a matter of seconds. 'He wasn't the Boy-Who- Lived then why were they staring at him?' Teddy thought. 'Were my parents that famous?'

Harry came to the rescue. He waved the reporters away. "The match is over. Everyone disperse. You've got enough news for one day."

The reporters did not seem convinced but they decided not to argue with the Head of the Auror department. People began moving away. Families started making their way towards their respective tents and though the reporters lingered for a while the aurors soon began ushering them to the exits.

'The Wizarding World holds its breath as it awaits the star wedding of the year!'

Star chaser of the famous all-witches Quidditch team Holyhead Harpies, Ginny Weasley announces her engagement to one of the most famous youth icon, hero and wizard of all time Harry Potter, post the declaration of her retirement from the team at a young age. The Holyhead Harpies have also defeated the mighty Puddlemere United 2-1.

The announcement was made right after the match amidst a lot of cheers from fans. Rumours are that the wedding will be a quiet affair and only family and close friends will be invited. It might also take place outside the country. Some sources even report of a villa being booked in Cannes….

"Why do I feel that it's none other than Ginny herself who is spreading all these rumours?" Harry asked as he laid down the newspaper.

The day after Ginny stated that she was leaving the team had been busy. The Daily Prophet had made it its duty to make sure that no wizard or witch in England was left unaware of this news. Other magazines too seemed to be in a frenzy, so much so that by evening, rumours about the wedding were already circulating the community. A huge pile of letters sat untouched on Harry Potter's dining room and Teddy suspected there were equal amount, if not, more letters at the Burrow. The boy knew that Harry and Ginny both had a huge fan club but this was beyond crazy. Some people had sent chocolate and fresh flowers too. Some witches had sent anonymous letters in pink envelopes. Harry had kept them aside in a special pile.

"So, you didn't tell me all of this." Teddy stated matter- of- factly, nibbling on his boiled egg.

Harry laughed nervously and adjusted his glasses. "I'm sorry. But this announcement was a surprise to me too."

"Oh yeah! But I thought that I can know some things before strangers come to know about it." Teddy snapped sarcastically.

"Ah...well... I did propose her a few days ago but –" Harry began.

"- Didn't tell me the news." Teddy cut in.

Harry looked apologetic but Teddy paid him no attention. There was an awkward silence between them and Harry was wondering what he could do to break it when Teddy broke it himself.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm happy in fact. It's just I wish you could have told me." Teddy paused and Harry grinned. "So I can still visit you once in a while right?"

"Of course!" Harry exclaimed with delight.

"Can I get brothers and sisters?" Teddy asked tapping the table with his tiny fingers.

Harry went red but Teddy did not seem to get why. He only knew that people got married and then they could get kids. Now since Harry treated him like Teddy was his son, Harry's real kids were naturally going to be his siblings. . Then the two sat in a comfortable silence enjoying their breakfast as owls kept adding more to the pile of unread letters.