Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

3: Death Eater Spells

Teddy went a week without getting into any more trouble, and it was one of the best weeks at Hogwarts he had ever had. The Maruaders' Map simply fascinated him and he would spend hours watching the dots representing different people moving about the castle. As Remus had instructed, he did not sneak out through any of the secret passages, though he did go to examine one or two, and he did not sneak around after hours. He could happily avoid those who would harass him and things were simply great up until one Thursday morning where he found himself bolting his breakfast in the Great Hall, for if he did not hurry up he would be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Teddy had always liked Defense Against the Dark Arts, he always scored good marks. Tonks said it was in his blood. The classes were always a little awkward however. How could they not be when his own father was the teacher? Teddy was glad that Remus seemed to forget they were related once in the classroom, there was no favoritism, in fact his father had once given him detention along with several other members of his house for charming a squadron of paper airplanes to attack the gang of Slytherins who sat in the back row.

Shoveling one last mouthful of porridge clumsily into his mouth Teddy jumped up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and ran out of the Great Hall, across the Entrance Hall and took the marble steps two at a time. By the time he had reached the Defense classroom his stomach was protesting horribly at the sudden shake up of his breakfast and he was very out of breath. He flung the door open and, ignoring the many eyes which had turned their attention to him, hurried to his seat. Remus did not seem to register the commotion as he drew out his wand.

"As I recall, your essays are due in this morning." He said, and there was a sudden rush to extract said essays from bags. Teddy rummaged through his bag, pushing aside textbooks and quills only to find his essay was nowhere to be found. He had left it in his dormitory.

"Bugger!" He cursed, coining one of his mother's most frequent exclamations.

When the class had placed their essays on their desks, Remus gave his wand a sharp flick and they all flew towards the front of the room, accumulating in a neat pile on his desk. Teddy cursed again as his father turned to look at him expectantly.

"Teddy?"

"Hm?"

"Your essay...?"

"I left it in my dormitory." Teddy explained, before gritting his teeth somewhat as he added, "I'm sorry, Professor." Even after being taught by his father for over a year, referring to him as "Professor" or "Sir" was always alien to him.

As usual Remus raised an eyebrow in an almost mocking way, but Teddy knew he found the situation equally as strange.

"I suggest you bring it to my office at break."

"I will." Teddy agreed, thankful that Remus turned away from him to address the class as a whole. As Remus began to talk to them about shielding spells, a voice from beside Teddy whispered in his ear.

"I hope you didn't forget the Charms essay too, I need to copy off you."

Chester Burton, fellow Gryffindor and one of Teddy's closest friends, elbowed the young metamorphmagus in the side to ensure he was listening.

"Ches, we got set that a week ago, why didn't you ask me then?!" Teddy whispered back.

"You kept saying you were busy!"

It was true, Teddy realized regretfully. He had spent much too much time up in his dormitory looking at the Marauders' Map.

"I'll give you it at break. After I've been to the office. Don't copy it completely though..."

"Yeah, yeah I know."

"'Cos last time you did that Flitwick went nuts."

"Oh c'mon Teddy, it doesn't..."

Somewhere in the room somebody cleared their throat very loudly.

The two boys looked up to find Remus leaning against his desk, fingers tapping on the wood impatiently as he stared at them both.

"When you're quite ready." He said, his eyebrow once again twitching upwards.

"Sorry Sir." Chester mumbled, and both boys hung their heads as if deeply ashamed.

For the rest of the lesson Teddy payed better attention, completing three sides of notes by the time the bell signaled that it was time to leave.

Once outside in the corridor Teddy began searching his bag for the Map, intending to find a quiet route down to the dungeons for Potions. But all of a sudden a voice from behind him made him call of the search abruptly.

"Hey, Wolf Cub!" A male voice shouted, and a number of howling noises drifted down the corridor after him. Teddy hastily shouldered his bag and began to walk briskly down the corridor, determined not to be drawn in to any arguments. But it was difficult to ignore whoever it was for he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, aren't you listening?! Turn around and stop being so rude!"

As he was forcefully turned to face whoever it was Teddy discovered that once again Orion Lynch and his fellow Slytherins had caught up with him.

"I don't have time for any of this," He told the other boy, trying best to sound as if he didn't care what they had to say. "I've got Potions to go to..."

"It'll only take a moment!" Orion told him with a twisted smile. "I just thought I should give you some friendly advice, that's all."

"Oh?" Teddy managed, forcing himself to stare defiantly into his nemesis' face.

"Yeah, you see I was just gonna say, when you finish Hogwarts, you better move away from your parents as soon as possible." Orion leant forward so he could whisper in Teddy's ear. "'Cos I heard once they get big enough, werewolves kill and eat their own children."

A heartless laugh escaped Teddy's throat as he turned sharply around and marched off down the corridor.

"Or did you know that already?!" Orion called after him. "Did he do that to your big brother or something and that's why you're an only child?! Animals like that should be locked up, or put on a lead or something!"

All promises to his father forgotten Teddy thrust his hand into his pocket and drew his wand. In one quick movement he spun round and shouted the first spell that came into his head:

"Sectumsempra!"

The spell caught Orion's arm and Teddy watched, suddenly horrified, the other boy screamed in pain, as deep bloody cuts were slashed into his skin.

Teddy had always known that Sectumsempra was an appalling spell. His mother had once told him about it being used by Death Eaters. Of course he had never planned to ever use it, but when he felt angry he often went as far to wish it upon people. To his own disgust his anger had come so suddenly that he had managed to wish it verbally today.

And it was even worse than he had imagined.

What if Orion died?!

A crowd began to form in the corridor, several girls screamed and many older students demanded that somebody should go get a teacher. Teddy simply stared, eyes wide, heart pounding in his ears. He wished just then that he could die.

"Professor!" A sixth year Ravenclaw boy with curly blonde hair at the edge of the gathered crowd had turned to a figure who had stopped abruptly at the end of the corridor, staring at the scene before him. "Professor Lupin, come quick, I think he's dead or something!"

The crowd parted as Remus strode quickly up the corridor and, upon seeing Orion lying bleeding profusely all over the stone floor, dropped to his knees to examine the damage. Teddy watched in terror as his father's eyes widened and he looked up, straight at Teddy, who was still clutching his wand, all colour drained from his face.

"You didn't...?!" Remus whispered as silence fell over the assembled children.

Through the tears that were starting to blur his vision Teddy saw a look of pure despair and hurt cross his father's face before he looked back down at Orion and pulled the whimpering boy up into his arms.

"Run ahead to the hospital wing." He instructed the Ravenclaw boy hurriedly. "Tell Madam Pomfrey what has happened. Quickly!! Everybody else, get to your lessons!"

Teddy watched the boy sprint off as Remus slowly heaved himself to his feet and set off at a surprisingly brisk pace down the corridor with Orion's limp figure cradled in his arms.

Once Remus had disappeared from view the rest of the students turned to look at Teddy instead.

"What d'you think you're staring at?!" A voice from just behind Teddy snapped. "Bugger off, all of you! Don't tell me you'd keep your tempers at that! C'mon Teddy, mate."

Teddy allowed Chester to steer him away up the corridor. He had no idea where they were going, everything seemed to be a blur.

"Merlin, Teddy what were you thinking?! You totally did him in!"

"D...Dad's...Dad's gonna kill me." Teddy managed to stutter as he found himself led down a staircase.

"Yeah, I bet. He looked pretty upset! What the hell was it you did anyway? I never saw that before..."

"It's...it's...oh Merlin, Ches! The Death Eaters used to use it, y'know when...when...! Ches, I used a...!!"

As Teddy dissolved into tears Chester pushed him down onto a stone bench and sat down beside him.

"Death Eaters? You serious?! Wow...I mean...what made you do that?!"

"I dunno! I dunno, I just...I...! Ches, I didn't mean it, I swear!"

"I know, mate." Chester assured him, patting him on the arm awkwardly. "Don't worry, it doesn't make you Voldemort Junior or anything...!"

"Shut up!" Teddy snapped suddenly. "Don't talk about...about him when I just...! Ches, what if Orion dies or something?!"

"He won't die, they'll patch him up good as new, you'll see."

"You think?"

"Sure. He'll be fine."

A set of hurried footsteps were heard heading towards them and they found a tall, gangly Hufflepuff walking towards them.

"You're Teddy, right?" He asked as he came to a halt in front of them both.

"Come to poke your nose in?!" Chester asked rudely, folding his arms across his chest. "Just get lost, yeah? He's upset as it is!"

However the boy paid him no attention.

"Professor Lupin says you have to go to his office." He informed Teddy. As the boy simply buried his face in his hands and began to cry harder, he added, "right now."

"Okay, okay! He's going!" Chester said, getting to his feet, pulling Teddy after him. "C'mon Teddy, he'll be even more mad if you don't go straight away." And with that he dragged Teddy back up the stairs towards the Defence Professor's office.

When Teddy entered the office he found Remus sitting in a worn armchair by the fire, his face pale as the light of the flames reflected off his skin, highlighting the numerous scars on his face and the streaks of silver in his hair. Teddy approached cautiously, holding his breath.

"Sit down." Remus told him quietly, without so much as a glance at him. Teddy was sure it was because he simply couldn't bear to. "Your mother will be here any minute now."