Chapter Twenty-Six: Blackout (Candle)

Everything was white.

He felt as if he was in a cloud; the air swirled around him in misty wafts, tickling his skin with its feathery lightness. He felt heavy and, looking at his hands, he noticed little droplets of water glimmering on his skin, like dewdrops on the winter grass. Looking around, he realized that there was nothing else in his immediate vicinity—nothing but pale swirls of mist, which smelled like jasmine perfume.

"Hello?" he called out, but there was no response. "Hello?"

He could only hear the wind rushing through his ears, through his hair. And then, he heard a female voice, lilting and soft. "Teddy."

A woman emerged from the mist, her features getting clearer as she approached him. She was young and of medium height with pale skin and dark, twinkling eyes. Perhaps her most noticeable feature was her hair—short and tinted a bright, bubblegum pink. Teddy recognized her immediately from his memories of photographs and from the stories his grandmother had told him. But surely it couldn't be—it wasn't possible.

"Mum?" He stumbled over the word, suddenly unsure of how to address his mother.

The woman smiled and whispered, "Your father is coming."

"This is a dream, isn't it?" Teddy asked quickly. "You're not really here, are you?"

"That, my darling, is for you to decide."

"Am I dead?"

"No. You most certainly are not dead. You're merely drifting. Unconscious."

"So it is a dream?"

She said nothing but slowly turned and glanced over her shoulder. Another figure was materializing through the mist, this one taller, with wider shoulders. As he came closer, Teddy could make out the soft wrinkles on his face, the wisps of brown hair, and the dark, yet kind, eyes.

"Dad," he said softly.

His father smiled and wrapped an arm around his mother. They gazed at him with such pride in their eyes that Teddy felt himself begin to tear up. This was something he had always imagined, had always wanted. His parents, together, in front of him, smiling at him. For a second, he was so caught up in the beauty of the moment that he almost forgot that it was only a dream. It couldn't possibly be real. His parents were dead.

"I don't understand," he said to them, his voice barely a whisper.

"It would take us too long to explain, my darling," his mother said. "And we don't have much time."

"Look at you." His father's smile widened. "How time flies—it seems like only yesterday that you were a baby, in my arms. And now you're growing into a young man."

And you're not there anymore, Teddy thought, his throat constricting. His father's voice was just like he had imagined it—warm and loving, the kind of voice that was encouraging and supportive.

"We're proud of you, Teddy," his father continued. "You make us so proud every single day. You are so strong."

Teddy weakly shook his head. "I'm not," he choked out. "I've done something horrible, Mum, Dad. And I can't make it right."

His parents exchanged a brief look. His mother turned back to him. "Everyone makes mistakes, darling," she said. "Yes, you've done something that you wish you hadn't, and you've tried your best to reverse that mistake. But we can't change what has happened, no matter how hard we try."

"So what do I do now?"

"You stay true to your principles," his father told him. "You remember who you are and what you're fighting for. It's not over yet, Teddy. It won't be, not for a long while, now."

"What's not over? What am I fighting for?"

His father watched him sadly. "That's for you to find out, Teddy. We can't tell you anymore. Our time is up."

"Wait!" Teddy cried desperately, but his parents had already begun to retreat into the mist. "No! Please don't leave me! Not again!"

They looked at him with yearning expressions and eyes full of sadness. "I'm sorry," his mother said. "But we can't stay. We love you, Teddy. You know that."

"I love you too," Teddy choked out, tears spilling down his cheeks.. "Please don't leave me! Mum, Dad—please! Come back!"

They were slowly drifting away, leaving behind barely visible outlines in the fog. And yet he still heard his father's voice, clear as day, as if he had been standing right next to him. "And now it is time to wake up."

.oOo.

He woke with a start.

The first thing he noticed was that the curtains were open and light was streaming into his eyes. He tried to hold up a hand to shield his face, but moving his arm even a little bit was painful and almost impossible. He gave up within seconds.

As his eyes focused and he got used to the sunlight, he began to take notice of his surroundings. He was in a white bed, with white sheets, in a room with white walls. The hospital wing, he realized suddenly. But why?

"He's awake," someone whispered, and Teddy slowly turned his head to see Madame Pomfrey peering at him from across the room. She approached him slowly, and began adjusting the wires attached to his hand. "How do you feel, Teddy?" she asked.

"Fine," Teddy said, although his body ached and he had a mild headache. He was also aware of a sharp, stinging pain in his forehead. "What…what happened?"

She looked up sharply. "You don't remember?"

"No."

Pursing her lips, the nurse told him to hold on for a second and slipped out of the room. When she returned, she was accompanied by Teddy's godfather. Harry looked as if he hadn't slept in a while—there were bags under his eyes and his black hair was more tousled and messy than usual. "Teddy," he said, rushing to his side. "Teddy, thank Merlin you're alright."

"What happened to me, Uncle Harry?" Teddy asked.

His godfather took his hand, holding it lightly to avoid disturbing the wires. "Teddy, I'm afraid we're not quite sure. Your friend, Alfie, found you yesterday evening under the oak tree. You were very badly hurt—you had several broken bones and had lost a lot of blood." He paused. "Madame Pomfrey says that many of your injuries look as if they were inflicted by another wizard, and I am quite inclined to agree."

His eyes flicked up to Teddy's forehead. "These scars, in particular make us think so. You have three cuts on your body, deep cuts. They were quite obviously caused by dark magic."

Dark magic.

Slowly, as if he was a jug being filled with water, he felt his memories come back to him. Ralph under the tree. The slap, the punch. The whispered spells. The blood, the pain, and the blackness that was followed by the dream. He remembered it with crystal clarity—every single moment. Including the threats.

"Are you quite sure you don't remember anything, Mr. Lupin?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

Looking up at the nurse and his godfather, Teddy wondered whether or not to tell them. But Ralph's threats against Ella and Alfie echoed in his ears. "No," he lied. "I don't."

"And you have no idea who might've done this to you?" Harry asked.

"No. I'm sorry." He couldn't meet Harry's eyes.

Harry turned to Madame Pomfrey and said, "May I please have a moment alone with Teddy?"

She nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Harry sat by Teddy's bedside in silence, before saying, "Listen, Ted, I don't know why someone would want to do this to you. But if you remember anything, if you have any idea—I will make them pay." The fierce, protective look on his face was quite endearing. "No one does this to my godson."

Teddy felt horrible about lying. He knew that his Uncle Harry could help—he was an Auror, after all, and a really good one at that, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't let Ella and Alfie get hurt. "I'm sorry, Uncle Harry. I don't know who did this. But…" he trailed off slightly. "I do remember something."

"What is it?"

"It's kind of unrelated, but when I was unconscious—how long did you say I was unconscious for?"

"I didn't, but you were out for over twelve hours."

Weird, Teddy thought. It certainly hadn't seemed that long to him. "When I was unconscious, I had a dream, of sorts. I…I saw my parents."

Harry looked a little taken aback, but motioned for Teddy to continue. "They came to me," he said. "I was in…in this weird place, it was all white and misty. And they came to me and they told me that they were proud of me, and it was like it was actually them, and they said they didn't have much time. And when I asked if it was a dream, my mum, she said that that was up to me." He looked up at Harry, eyes beseeching. "I just wanted to know—was it real?"

He wanted so much for it to be real, for if it was, it would mean that he had had some sort of interaction with his parents. He'd never had that before—they had died before he could speak, before his memory would function properly. He realized, with a start, that the dream was the first time that he'd even heard their voices.

Harry was quiet for a long time before he spoke up. "I don't know, Teddy. It very well could be. What you're asking about goes into a very mysterious, and little-known, area of magic that is still under research and investigation by the Ministry."

"I'd like to know anyway," Teddy said, a little stubbornly.

His godfather obliged. "I'll give you a basic rundown, but please don't get your hopes up, Teddy. It's very difficult to understand and there's little proof that it's even valid."

Teddy's hopes were already up, but he nodded anyway and promised that he'd maintain a level head.

"It's known in more academic circles as Somnial Magic. It's been under investigation for hundreds of years. Wizards—and Muggles too, for that matter—have always been fascinated by dreams. In recent years, the idea of the Dreamscape has come up."

"Dreamscape?"

"It's a theory, proposed by a renowned Somnial researcher—or Somniast, as they are known—named Albert Herschfelt. He states that each individual has his or her own Dreamscape. It's difficult to explain—your Aunt Hermione has a much better understanding of it than I do—but I suppose it can be described as a subconscious level that you can access while unconscious. He believes that each Dreamscape has four circles."

The theory already sounded awfully complicated thanks to all of the new terminology, and it was making Teddy's head hurt a little, but he was determined to hear his godfather out. He felt almost consumed by his desire to figure out whether his dream was indeed based in some kind of reality.

"The Inner Circle is the circle that we enter when we're asleep. So, it'd include the dreams that you usually have. The Secondary Circle is the next circle—in this circle, individuals have difficulty distinguishing between dreams and reality."

"So is that the circle that I was in, then?"

"It's possible." Harry nodded. "But I think you could've been in the Peripheral Circle."

"What's that?"

Harry sighed and clasped his hands together before continuing. "Not much is really known about this circle, or how one enters it. It's very similar to the Secondary Circle, in that dreams feel like reality, but there is some evidence that in this circle, dreams may have an element of reality in them."

Teddy didn't understand this at all. After all, he'd always thought that dreams were figments of imagination.

"Sometimes, people who have been in this circle report communication with spirits. Herschfelt didn't really understand this, until further research was conducted. It seems that spiritual communication is rare, except in times when the spirit has a strong need or desire to communicate with the individual. The dreamer is unable to consciously—or subconsciously, for that matter—summon the spirits."

"That makes absolutely no sense," he blurted, without really thinking. There was a lot of information being presented to him, and he couldn't quite concentrate on all of it—his head was beginning to hurt and he felt a little dizzy from the constant, dull ache in his arm.

Harry laughed. "I didn't expect it to. We'll talk about this later, when you're not on so much medication. Let's just say that it's possible that you did talk to your parents."

"So you think I was in the…Secondary Circle?" The names of the circles were blending together in Teddy's head.

"Peripheral Circle."

"Right, that. The one where you can talk to spirits." A sudden rush of pain shot through his arm and he grimaced, moving slightly

"From what you've said, I think it's possible."

A rush of joy filled Teddy. To think he'd actually spoken to his parents and seen them in front of him, even if it was only for a few minutes. It was something he thought that he'd never experience. And yet he had. He only wished that it could have lasted longer.

Something suddenly dawned on him. "Uncle Harry? You said there were four circles. What's the fourth?"

Harry's face darkened for a split second, and Teddy almost regretted asking. Yet he was still curious—what could it be, to provoke such a reaction in his godfather? "It's known as Limbo." His voice was controlled. "Very few have ever been there and lived to tell the tale. In fact, many have argued recently that it isn't within the Dreamscape at all."

Teddy felt as if his godfather knew more, but decided against pressing further. The topic clearly made him uncomfortable, and Teddy didn't like pushing people outside of their comfort zone unless he had to.

"Now, then," Harry said, suddenly a lot more cheery. "Do you think you're well enough to see some of your friends? A Mr. Hayes and Miss Anderson have been waiting outside all day—I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will agree that seeing them will do you some good."

Teddy immediately brightened at the prospect of seeing Ella and Alfie, although he did somber up slightly when he remembered the threats Ralph had made against them. Still, he told his godfather that he would love to see them, and after convincing Madame Pomfrey that it would indeed be beneficial, Harry brought in two very harrowed-looking figures. Ella's long, black hair was messy and her cheeks were sallow. Alfie's eyes were red. At seeing Teddy, both of them let out sighs of relief and ran towards him.

"Thank god you're okay, mate!" Alfie exclaimed, hugging Teddy as best as he could.

"We were so worried!" Ella said.

"Hey, guys." Teddy managed a smile.

"We wanted to stay with you all night!" Alfie said. "But we couldn't—Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let us. Your godfather was amazing, though. Mr. Potter called us out from breakfast and let us come see you between classes."

"You did that?" Teddy asked Harry, who simply smiled.

"Yes, Mr. Potter's been very accommodating," Ella said, turning to Harry. "Thank you, sir. It's been such an honour to meet you!"

"It's been lovely to meet you too," Harry said to them. "I'm glad Teddy has such supportive friends."

"I'm glad I have them too," Teddy said, grinning.

"I'll be just outside, then." Harry gestured to the door. "I'll let you have some time alone."

Alfie and Ella waited patiently until the Auror was gone before they turned to Teddy and whispered, "What happened?" simultaneously.

"I told Madame Pomfrey and Uncle Harry that I don't remember," Teddy admitted. "But I do." Slowly, he told them the full story of the events that had transpired with Ralph, not leaving out a single detail from when he left the Hufflepuff Common Room, to when he lost consciousness. He left out his dream, though, figuring he would tell them about it later. He wondered briefly if Ella knew anything about Somnial magic—perhaps she might've encountered it while reading one of her many books.

When he finished relating his tale, Alfie's jaw had dropped and Ella was holding a hand to her forehead in disbelief. "Teddy, you have to go to Professor McGonagall!" she exclaimed. "You have to—Ralph's dangerous!"

"Exactly," Teddy told her. "I don't know what he's capable of—he threatened you and Alfie!"

"But Professor McGonagall will be able to protect us!"

"And if she doesn't believe us? Or if he strikes before she's able to?" Teddy shook his head fiercely. "Ella, no. I can't risk it. Please. Don't say anything."

Ella turned to Alfie, looking for backup, but the brown-haired wizard shook his head too. "I'm sorry, Ella, but I think Teddy might be right. I…I didn't think Ralph had it in him to actually hurt someone. I'm scared of what he might do too."

Realising that she had no support, Ella sighed. "Fine. We won't go to McGonagall. Yet. But if he lays a hand on any one of us—"

"Then we go straight to her," Teddy promised.

There was a moment of silence between the three until Teddy spoke up again. "There's something I didn't tell you—when I was out, I had a…dream, of sorts." He described his time in what his godfather thought might have been the Peripheral Circle to them, along with a brief account of Somnial magic. He didn't remember all the details, and he was fairly certain that he mixed up certain aspects of the circles, but they seemed to understand him well enough.

"I've heard of Herschfelt," Ella said contemplatively. "This does sound interesting—I mean, wow, Teddy! You saw your parents."

"Yeah," Teddy said, quietly. "I did."

He suddenly remembered that the memorial was to be held in only a few days and he wondered if he'd still be able to light the first lantern—his injuries weren't really that bad, he thought. And he wanted to do it so badly. He'd just have to convince his godfather.

Convincing his godfather wasn't, in fact, the arduous task that Teddy had expected it to be. When Harry returned after Alfie and Ella had left to go back to their classes, Teddy asked him whether he'd still be able to do the memorial and made it very clear that he desperately wanted to. Harry had smiled and told him that he would ask Madame Pomfrey if Teddy would be up to it.

"He's sustained serious injuries," Madame Pomfrey told Harry as she bustled about Teddy's hospital bed, making sure that all of the wires were secure and the fluid bags were full of liquid.

"Please, Madame Pomfrey," Teddy begged. "I really, really want to do this."

The matron gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know, Mr. Lupin. But your health must come first."

It hadn't been easy, but Harry and Teddy had eventually managed to persuade Madame Pomfrey that the memorial was incredibly important to him. Teddy was elated that he'd be able to participate. It was funny, he thought. After hiding from his heritage for the entire year, he'd finally be able to recognize his parents. And there was no better way to do so.

It was a very simple task, Harry explained to Teddy. The entire school would be gathered outside, near the Memorial Statue in the clearing. A small platform would be set up, from where Professor McGonagall would give her welcome address. She would then call upon Teddy to light the first lantern.

"I'll be there," Harry said. "Right next to the stairs. I'll be with you every step of the way." He reached forward and squeezed Teddy's hand lightly.

"Thank you," Teddy murmured, squeezing his hand back.

.oOo.

Teddy was released from the infirmary on the first of May, a day before the memorial was to be held. The cuts on his face and body were mostly healed, and although his left arm was still in a cast, it only hurt when Ella accidentally knocked against it.

He'd expected that he'd go back to Hogwarts life as usual, but his attack had caused quite the uproar. He had been constantly visited in the hospital wing until it had become too much for Madame Pomfrey to deal with. She had promptly banned all students, with the exception of Alfie and Ella. Professor McGonagall visited him regularly to ask if he remembered anything about his attack, but he told her that he didn't. A part of him wondered if he was just being silly, but he couldn't risk Alfie and Ella getting hurt. His grandmother had written frequently to check up on his progress and had even surprised him by visiting and staying over night. She'd left earlier that morning, and, although he'd wished that she could stay for the memorial, he knew that she found it too painful.

Daisy Shipkins almost fainted with relief when she saw him at the first-year table that morning and he was constantly inundated with questions about whether he remembered anything about the attack. He remained perfectly adamant that he did not, only shooting a cursory glance in Ralph's direction when he was sure that no one was looking.

The seventh-year seemed to be quite confident that Teddy would not tell anyone about his actions. He didn't pay Teddy any mind when they passed each other in the Common Room and Teddy hoped that Ralph wouldn't bother him anymore. However, Ralph took Teddy aside on their way to lunch, under the pretense of helping him with homework.

"I swear I haven't told anyone," Teddy said quickly, before Ralph could ask. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

Ralph held up his hands in mock defeat. "Don't forget, Teddy. If you do, I will hurt your friends. Just like I hurt you."

"You won't have to," Teddy said simply. "Because I won't tell."

Ralph shrugged. "Up to you. Although I must say, Teddy, I will be telling everyone about your parents. You didn't hold up your side of the deal, after all."

"Fine," Teddy said. "You do what you have to. Just leave me alone."

Ralph didn't seem to want to drag the conversation on and left quickly after that. Teddy realized that he probably didn't want to be seen with him too much—after all, McGonagall was probably on the hunt for Teddy's attacker. Ella and Alfie had already told him that she had made an announcement in the Great Hall a few days back about a violent assault on a Hogwarts' student. She had assured the student body that they were investigating thoroughly, although Teddy wasn't quite sure how far she'd get without any leads. It seemed that no one had seen Ralph and Teddy leave the Common Room together—with the exception of Alfie, of course—and hence, there was absolutely nothing linking Ralph to the attack.

Ella still seemed uneasy about not telling McGonagall. "She can give us proper protection," she insisted.

"I don't want to drag this on any longer," Teddy told her. "If we go to McGonagall, Ralph will just keep coming. I just want it to stop."

"But how can you be sure that he'll leave you alone?"

Teddy paused before saying, "He has no reason not to."

"But—"

"I'd really prefer not to talk about it, Ella." He knew that he sounded a bit snarky, but he didn't want to dwell on Ralph any longer. What was done was done. He could only hope that, from now on, the seventh-year would just leave him and his friends alone.

Ella was silent for a moment before saying, "Alright."

Teddy was worried that Ella would be angry with him, but she didn't seem to be. When he and Alfie parted ways with her for the night, she gave him a big hug, taking care not to jostle his hurt arm. "Have a good night's sleep, Teddy," she said. "You'll need it."

And yet, when Teddy returned to his dormitory, he did not go to sleep immediately. After changing into his pajamas, he sat down at his writing-desk, quill in hand. Reaching into one of the drawers, he extracted a slim, white card. It had a picture of a lion on the front, holding a bunch of balloons.

Dear Victoire, he wrote inside.

Happy birthday! I hope you have the most amazing day, and I wish I could be there to celebrate it with you!

I'm sure you've heard about my accident by now, so please know that I am much better, now. I was released from the hospital wing this morning! My arm's still in a cast, though.

I can't wait for you to come to Hogwarts next year! We'll have an amazing time, I'm sure.

Happy birthday again!

Lots of love,

Teddy.

Fate had it that Victoire's birthday was on the same day as the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. He felt a little bad for her—every year, she never had her party on her birthday night, and although everyone tried to be happy for her, there was always an atmosphere of loss and mourning that hung in the air.

Teddy always wrote Victoire's birthday cards and letters the day before, for he could never muster up the enthusiasm or the happiness required to write them on the actual day. He tried to make sure that she never realized he was grieving inside, but he knew that she could see right through him.

He tucked the card into an envelope and sealed it carefully. Getting up from his desk, he placed the envelope on his bedside table. He'd take it up to the Owlery the next morning.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

.oOo.

Most of the second of May passed without event.

Teddy sat with Ella and Alfie outside by their tree, doing homework and watching as various people came and went. Unfamiliar faces had been arriving all day—clearly people who had come to Hogwarts for the memorial, either to attend, or to help set up. Teddy had seen a couple of wizards Levitating large, plastic bags that he assumed contained the lanterns.

He tried to focus on his work but found that he had difficulty doing so. His gaze kept gravitating towards those around him, and his thoughts were elsewhere. He thought about his parents, about how, maybe, if they had survived the battle, he wouldn't be lighting the first lantern. He thought about the dream he had had and once again asked himself what they meant when they said that things weren't really over. And he thought about the events that were to pass that night. It was a simple enough procedure, but he felt himself breaking out into a cold sweat whenever he thought about it, worrying that he would do something wrong and let his parents down.

Ella and Alfie had been incredibly supportive, assuring him that he would be absolutely fine. "You're doing a great thing, mate," Alfie said. "And we'll support you, no matter what happens. It'll all be fine. Nothing'll go wrong."

"Actually, theoretically, there are several things that could go—ouch!" Ella was cut off by Alfie's strategically-placed kick. "That hurt, Alfie."

"Well, you're not exactly being reassuring, Ella."

"Sorry," she grumbled, rubbing her shin.

Teddy laughed. "It's okay, Ella. I know you're just trying to look out for me." He was silent for a moment before he blurted, "I think my parents would have liked you. Both of you."

Alfie and Ella looked rather stunned, and there was a brief, awkward silence as they tried to think of something to say. Finally, Alfie spoke up. "I think we would have liked them. too."

"I'm sorry we never got to meet them," Ella murmured.

"Yeah," Teddy said. "Me too."

He glanced around the Hogwarts courtyard again, wondering if the landscape had changed much since his parents had been students. Had they, too, enjoyed the feel of the gentle, May breeze running through their hair? Had they liked to watch the Great Lake, searching for a glimpse of the giant squid? Did they even enjoy the outdoors, or did they prefer to be indoors, curled up near the fire with a good book?

It was at times like this that Teddy realized that he did not, truly, know his parents. Times like this made him ache for all the missed opportunities, the missed moments. He would never know what it was like to experience a normal childhood, to be a child untouched by war.

Ella had noticed the silence and tapped Teddy's shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. "They're proud of you."

Teddy looked at her and smiled. "I know."

.oOo.

At around five o'clock, Teddy had his final briefing with Uncle Harry and Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall showed Teddy her welcome address and gave him his cue.

"When I call upon you, you must come up the stairs to the platform," she said. They had decided that Teddy would attend the ceremony with the other students and would remain with the first-years until he was called upon by McGonagall. Then, he would assume his place on the stage.

Teddy nodded, swallowing nervously. "I've got it."

He returned to his dormitory to get dressed for the ceremony. He showered, changed into his best black robes, and brushed his hair to get rid of all the tangles. As a finishing touch, he morphed his hair from its usual, bright turquoise to a softer, bubblegum pink.

"Colour suits you," Alfie commented.

Teddy tilted his head to the side, scrutinizing his reflection in the mirror. "It was my mother's favourite colour," he murmured. His grandmother had told him that his mother's affection for the colour was not unlike his love for turquoise—she would go out with bubblegum locks whenever she was able to, and neither his grandmother nor his grandfather were able to stop her.

It seemed appropriate to commemorate her by wearing her favourite colour.

At around seven o'clock, it was beginning to get dark. The moonlight cast an eerie glow across the Hogwarts courtyards, otherwise illuminated by lanterns and candles. The students congregated in the Great Hall, and were organized into year groups. Teddy, Alfie and Ella huddled together and joined the rest of the first-years who were standing by their table. There had been a time, Professor McGonagall had noted to Teddy, that students would be grouped by Houses rather than by year. But in yet another effort to encourage friendship between the Houses to stop the rivalry that had caused the Wizarding Wars, they sat with their peers of the same age.

Hagrid, in his capacity as a Professor, led the first years out of the Great Hall and towards the Forbidden Forest. Although they talked animatedly amongst themselves for most of the way, a hush fell upon them as they caught their first glance of the monument. The quiet continued as they took their places below the platform that had been set up to the right of the marble figure, and only the gentle rush of water could be heard. Gradually, they were joined by other students as different professors led the year groups to the monument.

There was a special bench to the side of the platform that was obviously reserved for guests. Teddy saw some of his godfather's friends there—people who had lost friends and family in the war too. His Grandma Molly was there and she caught Teddy's eye and smiled, sadly. His Uncle George was there, too, but he looked preoccupied, glancing around the clearing.

When his godfather arrived, a murmur went through the student body—particularly the first years.

"That's Harry Potter!"

"Harry Potter. He defeated Voldemort!"

"Do you think I could get his autograph if I asked nicely?"

Harry glanced in Teddy's direction and smiled, his eyes sad, yet twinkling at the same time. He walked over to the platform and stood right by the stairs that led up to the elevated surface.

A few moments later, Professor McGonagall arrived. The headmistress was in emerald green robes and moved regally across the clearing, up the stairs and on to the platform. She removed her wand from the shimmering folds of her clothing and pointed it at her throat, performing a Sonorous Charm.

"Thank you all for being here this evening," she said, her voice possessing a soft, yet grim quality. "We gather tonight to honour those who lost their lives in the Battle of Hogwarts, the final battle of the Second Wizarding War."

Teddy felt his throat begin to constrict, but Alfie squeezed his hand. "It's okay, mate," he whispered.

"Many of you knew those who fought," Professor McGonagall continued. "They were members of the Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts professors and students alike. They were our family, our friends, our colleagues. They gave up their lives to protect us."

He could feel tears beginning to prick his eyes—he hadn't quite realized that the memorial would have such an emotional impact on him. Ella seemed to realize that he was about to cry, so she carefully extracted a tissue from inside her jacket. "Here," she said, holding it out to him. "You'll be fine."

He took the tissue and pressed it to his eyes, trying to stop the tears from leaking out. Professor McGonagall continued speaking, and her messages of love, loss and sacrifice sent pangs through Teddy's heart. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, but somehow, it felt different tonight.

"As many of you know," Professor McGonagall said. "Each year, Mr. Harry Potter lights the first ceremonial lantern of remembrance. Tonight, however, he and I have decided that it is time to break tradition.

"Mr. Potter was not the only one affected by the war. Thanks to the battle, one of our own students will never know his parents." Professor McGonagall looked down into the crowd and Teddy thought that she made eye contact with him, though he couldn't be sure. Ella and Alfie took one of Teddy's hands each and squeezed them.

"I now ask Mr. Teddy Lupin, son of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks—both Order members who died here twelve years ago—to join me on stage to light the first lantern."

There was a sharp intake of breath from many of the first-years as they whipped around to stare at Teddy, looks of surprise on their face. He could hear them whispering to one another.

"Teddy?"

"Did you know he was an orphan?"

"Did you know that his parents died here?"

Some students shushed them—Teddy noted that they didn't seem to look as surprised as others. Archie Quintin looked as if he had been expecting it all along and simply told Matthew Rivers, who was staring at Teddy open-mouthed, to quit looking like a fish.

"Go on, Teddy," Ella whispered.

"Good luck," Alfie said.

"Thanks guys." Teddy smiled at them. As he disentangled himself and moved to the front, he glanced back at Ella and Alfie's smiling faces and reminded himself how lucky he was to have friends like them.

His Uncle Harry squeezed his hand as he ascended the stairs and Professor McGonagall smiled at him as she handed him the lantern. Smiling back, Teddy received the lantern, and, pointing his wand at the wick of the candle, he whispered, "Incendio."

The candle sprang to life, flames dancing in the gentle breeze. The light was dim, but it still illuminated the clearing. Teddy caught sight of Ralph's disbelieving face and smiled. He was over what had happened—he had made his parents proud.

He held the lantern up and let it go.

It floated off into the night sky to join the stars.

A/N: Sorry this is slightly late guys! I hope you enjoyed it! It would mean a lot to me if you'd leave your thoughts- this was a very poignant scene for me to write x

(also don't forget i'm now on tumblr at sincerelynymph)