Chapter 26

Torn between doing what was right and doing what he wanted, Teddy found himself still standing before the Whomping Willow a few minutes later when Professor Snape shouted at him from behind.

"Mr. Moon, get inside the school right now!"

Teddy jumped and turned again to see the 'greasy bat' flying down the hill with his wand out and a fierce look on his very stern face.

"Professor Snape!"

Professor Snape came down on him and grabbed his shoulders. "Now, Moon! Or you'll find yourself starting school next term in detention until Christmas!" He shoved Teddy towards the school before rushing towards the tree.

Teddy stumbled but was able to catch his footing. "Yes, Professor," he said, though Professor Snape had already entered the passageway under the tree. He had forgotten that the Potion Master was involved.

Teddy bit his lip, still torn between heading to the castle and heading to the tree. "Oh, screw it," he mumbled to himself, making the decision. He headed towards the tree. The trick was getting to the special knot on the trunk of the tree. Luckily, he was a wizard and he had his wand on him…and he was at school and was allowed to use magic. With a Wingardium Leviosa charm, Teddy was able to guide a rock to hitting the knot. It took several tries, though, and he felt each second ticking away each time he missed.

Once he finally succeed in hitting the knot, Teddy didn't waste any time, he rushed to the secret passageway. He paused as soon as he slid inside. It was dark, musty even. A cool chill hit him as he instinctively brushed the dirt off his pants. He shivered as he began his walk down the tunnel. Despite knowing how to enter the passageway in his time, Teddy had never once step foot there. He didn't know why, but it had somehow felt…sacred to him. The tree stood like a shrine to his father and he didn't want to disturb it. Now how he wished he did. It would have prepared him for the rough, dark, and slippery long path to the Shack. He had to move slowly. His hand touching the dirt wall to help guide him through. He would move one foot slowly in front of him and pat around to make sure there was nothing there he might slip on. He didn't use to much light with his wand, not wanting to alert Professor Snape he was right behind him, in case he was somewhere ahead of him still. The low lighting gave him very little help in the roots and stones that were on the tunnels floor.

It had briefly disorientated him when he found himself moving slightly up hill, but he had only pause a moment before continuing his ascent. He paused again when he saw a dim light through a small opening. With his heart pounding in his chest and his hand tightening around his wand, Teddy entered the Shrieking Shack for the first time.

He froze at the entrance when he saw the room. The room was a wreck and he felt his heart thump hard in his chest at the realization that his father had done such wreckage. All the furniture was smashed, stains all over the floor of what Teddy knew to be dry blood from when his father attacked himself during those full moon nights. The wallpaper was almost completely peeled off the walls, the paper torn into shreds on all over the room, still there even years later. The windows were boarded, but he could clearly see the scratch marks from the werewolf's claws. "Oh, dad," he muttered quietly to himself, glad he did not inherit the werewolf gene.

A loud crash from above tore his attention away from the damaged room. He glanced around for the stairs, but only saw a door to his right, leading to a darken hallway. With no other choice, he entered the hall and was glad to see the staircase, crumbling and unstable, but still there. He carefully made his way up. The hall upstairs was dark, but he could see light coming from under one of the doors that was cracked opened. Mumbled voices came from within. Not knowing what was being said inside the room, but knowing the Golden Trio had thought that Remus was working with Sirius to kill Harry, Teddy rushed into the room, startling everyone.

Remus and Sirius were standing side-by-side in the middle of an empty bedroom with only a four-poster bed in which laid an injured Ron Weasley, who still held a squirming rat. Hermione stood beside the bed with her wand out and Young Harry had his back to the door, but had turned when Teddy entered. Crookshanks was purring on the bed by the redheads feet, seemingly eyeing the rat in Ron's hands. In Sirius' hand was a winkled clipping of a newspaper.

"Teddy," Remus breathed out in surprised. "I told you to get to the school. No, I ordered you to get inside," he corrected sternly. "What are you doing here?"

"Teddy!" Young Harry said. "Where have you been? One minute you were with us and the next you weren't!"

Teddy blinked. "I…I know. I'm sorry, Professor. It's just…" He turned his attention to Harry. "He's not trying kill you, Harry. I know he's not. He wouldn't. If he believes Black, then we should too. Professor Lupin would not side with a murderer out to kill students! He wouldn't."

"Thank you, Teddy, for your vote in confidence," Remus interrupted. "But it was much too dangerous for you to come here and I am not even going to ask how you knew what was going on up here."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I had to come. I…I couldn't wait inside the school." Teddy turned to Hermione, the only one in the room who knew the true relationship between Remus and him. His eyes pleaded with her. "You must know he wouldn't harm a student, Hermione. Not Harry or you or Ron or me."

Hermione eyes softened, but she shook her head. "Just because of…" She paused, her eyes flickering over to Remus before settling back on Teddy. "…because of that it doesn't mean…It still could be true. I'm sorry." She shrugged her shoulders apologetically.

Sirius shifted his feet. "I'm running out of patience, Remus," he grumbled. He gave the rat a heated glare.

Remus glanced at him and nodded before turning back to Teddy. "Why don't you go check on Professor Snape, Teddy? Then, go get your godfather, discreetly." He turned to Sirius, as if to reassure him. "I trust them. Harry Harrison is a trustworthy man. I am sure he will help us." Sirius nodded distractedly. Remus gave Teddy a look. "Teddy, do it."

Teddy nodded, despite knowing he wouldn't get Harry, for he was sure his godfather was going to ground him until he was seventeen for interrupting history a bit more then they wanted too. He walked over to Professor Snape and checked his pulse.

"What's on the newspaper clipping, Sirius?" Remus asked, getting them back on topic.

Teddy did his best to stop the bleeding Professor Snape's head, but he kept getting distracted by the story Sirius was telling them, about how he knew Peter Pettigrew was at Hogwarts.

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" Remus was saying, trying to convince Ron that his rat was Pettigrew. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was a finger."

Teddy managed stop the bleeding on the Potion professor's head with a dirty cloth that was lying discarded on the ground. He now sat there, listening to the conversation, hoping Remus would forget he was there.

"Look," Ron said. "Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right…"

"Twelve years, in fact," Remus interrupted. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We—we've been taking good care of him!" Ron said defensively.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" Remus questioned. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again."

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" Ron yelled.

Remus sighed and caught sight of Teddy. "Teddy, get your godfather," he said sternly at the same time Sirius said, "This cat isn't mad!"

Teddy sighed and got to his feet. "But, sir…"

Remus pointed to the door. "Go."

Teddy made his way to the door and left, but he didn't go back to Hogwarts. Instead, he stayed downstairs waiting for them. He didn't know how long he sat there, listening to the faint mumble of voices, sometimes those voices would yell, but he still couldn't pick up what they were saying.

After a while longer, the group headed down the steps. Pettigrew was bound and gagged. His left arm was chained to Remus' right and the other arm was chained to Ron's left arm. Professor Snape was floating behind them controlled by a wand in Sirius' hand. He was still unconscious. Ron was limping from his injured leg, but it looked like someone had tended to it the best they could and he was walking on his own.

The group paused when the saw Teddy at the bottom of the stairs. Remus gave him a look. "I told you to get your godfather. Why do I have a feeling you didn't, Teddy?" he asked as they made their way down the steps.

"I'm sorry, sir. I…I couldn't just leave. Not without making sure everyone was fine. I couldn't." Not to mention how worried he was for his father, unsure if he or Harry had messed anything up while they were here…and knowing Remus was going to turn into a werewolf and he didn't take his potion. Wasn't it right for his son to be worried about him?

Remus sighed, but nodded. "Let's get to the castle."

Teddy walked in front of Remus in the tunnel as the group headed out, single filed. Behind him, he could hear the murmur of voices, but didn't bother trying to eavesdrop. Teddy was in front of everyone, with the light. Remus was behind him with Pettigrew between him and Ron. Hermione was following behind Ron with Sirius, Young Harry, and Professor Snape taking up the rear.

"Teddy," Remus said softly from behind him.

"Yes, sir," Teddy said, almost tripping over Crookshanks. The cat gave a loud meow before rushing farther ahead. Teddy winced.

"I do appreciate your concern, but I had told you to go back to Hogwarts. This is the second time in a matter of weeks that you put yourself into a dangerous position."

Teddy was glad he wasn't facing his father, for he could feel his face heat up. "I'm sorry, sir."

"So you have said, countless of times. I am not looking for an apology, just understanding. Why didn't you head to the school the first time I told you too?"

"I really was worried, Professor." Teddy heard Remus sigh from behind him.

"Then why didn't you get your godfather?"

Teddy shrugged his shoulders. "It would have taken too long."

There was a pause behind him and Teddy bit his lower lip in worry. What if he disappointed his father one time too many? He didn't think he would be able to take it.

"I don't think you realize how worried I was when I saw you come through that door," his father finally said softly. "Anything could have happened tonight."

Teddy felt a warm glow in his heart at his father's confession. His father was worried about his safety…again. If Teddy had a right to worry about his father, then his father certainly had a right to worry about him.

Nothing else was said for the rest of the walk out of the tunnel.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, Remus stopped him from heading up with a quiet, "Wait."

"Sir?" Teddy questioned.

"Let the cat hit the knot first."

Teddy looked towards the exit, just in time to see Crookshanks' tail disappear outside. He heard the rough movements of the tree before silence.

"Go. It's safe now," Remus said from behind him.

Teddy crawled out of the trunk of the tree, followed by everyone else.

"One wrong move, Peter," his father said threateningly with his wand pointed at the short, watery eyed man still tied between him and Ron.

Teddy got his first real glance at the man who helped destroy his godfather's whole childhood. He was the least threatening looking man Teddy ever saw, but that was the reason everyone trusted him, the very reason no one saw him as a threat.

They made a slow, silent trek to the castle. Teddy was now at the rear of the group. It was dark now and he knew what that would mean. He glanced up at the cloudy sky, just as a cloud shifted and the group was shined on by the moonlight.

"Professor!" Teddy couldn't help but shout just as the group abruptly stopped ahead of him.

Teddy ran ahead as everyone else seemed to back away from Remus, but someone grabbed his arm before he could reach his father. "No, Teddy," he heard Sirius say.

"Oh, my," Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

Teddy could only stare in horror as his father's limbs began to shake, his body was rigid. Teddy struggled to get out of Sirius' hold, but the man only held onto him tighter. "No, dad," Teddy moaned, missing the startled look Sirius threw him. "Dad."

Sirius pushed him back. "Run," he whispered to all of them. "Run. Now."

Young Harry leapt forward to help Ron, who was still chained to Pettigrew and Remus, but Sirius caught him. "I'll take care of it. RUN!" he said, pushing Young Harry back.

There was a terrible snarling sound coming from Remus. Teddy could only watch as his father's body transformed in front of his eyes. His head and body lengthened, his shoulders became hunched over. There was hair sprouting on his face and hands. His hands were slowly curling into clawed paws. It looked to be a horrible and painful process, one he knew his father had to go through every month since he was a young child.

The werewolf reared as he snapped his jaws. Sirius quickly transformed into his dog form and lounged for the werewolf. Teddy closed his eyes to block out the sight of the two canines fighting, but he couldn't block out the noise, the snarls, growls, whimpers, or wild movement.

Hermione suddenly screamed and Teddy's eyes flew opened in time to see Peter Pettigrew send a spell at Ron, a bang and a light sent the Weasley boy to the ground and another one sent the cat flying. Teddy quickly pulled his wand up, but Young Harry got to it quicker.

"Expelliarmus!" Young Harry yelled. Remus' wand flew out of Pettigrew's hand and Teddy quickly lost track to where it ended up. "Stay where you are!" Young Harry shouted, but it was much too late. Pettigrew turned into a rat and scampered off.

Teddy could only watch the rat disappear through the grass, knowing he couldn't go after him. He glanced away towards the forest when he heard a distant howl. Hermione, he knew. The time traveling Hermione. He glanced over at the canines to see Remus take off towards the forest.

"Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Young Harry yelled, but Teddy wasn't paying attention.

"Dad," he whispered to himself before running after the werewolf.

"Teddy!" Hermione yelled after him.

"Where are you going!?" Young Harry yelled.

Teddy crash through the underbrush of the forest, not really knowing what he was doing, just knowing he had to find his dad, to make sure he was okay.

"Dad!" he yelled as he raced on. If he had been thinking, he wouldn't have chased after the werewolf, but all he cared for as the fact that his father was now out there, alone.

The forest was dark and the air had a chill to it. Teddy paused and glanced around, but could not hear a single sound. The shadows of the trees loomed over him. His heart started pounding in his chest and his palms got sweaty. He bit his lower lip in worry as he gazed around him, finally realizing he was lost in the Forbidden Forest with a wild werewolf on the loose. "Stupid," he mumbled to himself. "Stupid Lupin." What did he expect would happen? Remus wasn't exactly in the right mind at the moment. He would kill him in his current state. "Uncle Harry is going to kill me if my own father doesn't first." He groaned. "Oh, what was I thinking?"

A twig snapped somewhere behind him. It was followed by a faint growl. Teddy froze in his place, finding it hard to move and even harder to look behind him. This was bad.

Harry rushed out of the castle the moment he realized Teddy must have been with his younger self, Hermione, and Ron. It was dark. The sun had fallen some time ago, telling Harry that Remus would have surely transformed into a werewolf by now and was loose somewhere in the forest. Professor Snape would have already been down at the lake, collecting the unconscious Hermione, his young self, and Sirius Black…and maybe Teddy if he had followed them down there. That boy. Harry had noticed that when it came to his father, Teddy could be downright rash at times. Certainly a trait he must have picked up from his mother.

He ran down the hill just as Severus Snape was coming up with four stretchers. A moaning Ron on one, a barely conscious Hermione on another, and an unconscious Young Harry and Sirius Black on the other. Harry froze when he saw Sirius Black in the flesh for the first time in years. His heart ached at the sight. How he missed that man?

"Severus!" he called out. He glanced around, but didn't see the one he was looking for. "Where is Teddy?" he asked.

"I sent that foolish boy back to Hogwarts before any of this happened," Severus sneered. "Don't tell me he didn't go?" At Harry's sigh, Severus sneered again. "Gryffindors," he muttered.

Harry shook his head in dismay. Had the situation been less severe, he would have been amused at Severus' grumble, but he had no time for that, not when Teddy was missing. He quickly headed towards Hermione's floating stretcher. "Miss. Granger?"

Hermione moaned and her eyes fluttered open. "Pr'ffeser," she murmured incoherently. She was sweating and her face was extremely pale from her encounter with the dementors. Her body shook from the chill.

Harry held her face so she would focus on him. "Where is Teddy? Teddy, Hermione, where is he?" he asked urgently.

"Proffes…Lupin, sir. Forrest," she answered quietly.

Harry eyes widen and he glanced up, meeting Severus' horrified eyes. "He went after Remus."

Severus' eyes narrowed in anger, an anger Harry knew hid his worry. "Foolish child. What was that boy thinking? Lupin is a werewolf, for Merlin's sake! He's going to get himself killed, if he isn't already."

"Take them to the Infirmary, Professor Snape. I'll go after Teddy," Harry turned and ran into the forest, ignoring Severus yelling after him for his foolish idea. His heart was pounding his chest with worry. He couldn't let Remus kill his own son! He couldn't let him kill Teddy!

It's my birthday so I just HAD to update! Please Review!