31 July 2009
It was his godfather's birthday. Harry Potter was turning 29 today, and Teddy Lupin had convinced his Gran, Andromeda, and his aunt, Ginny, to allow him to surprise Harry in his office at the Aurors' offices for the special occasion. He would remain under the (mostly) watchful eye of his Uncle Ron as he carried out the surprise for his beloved godfather.
Although Teddy Lupin had grown up without his mother or father to see him, he felt loved all the same. He'd had a far different upbringing than his godfather, Harry. When Teddy heard of Harry's years as an orphan under the Dursleys' cupboard, he was shocked that Harry made it out of his childhood home with the ability to love and care for others. Teddy, meanwhile, had been raised under the loving, if not strict, influence of his Gran, and the joyful home of Harry and Ginny Potter. When Teddy had learned of Harry's miserable childhood, he decided to take it upon himself to celebrate Harry's birthdays to make up for all those he missed as a kid. When he'd told Gran of his plans, his Gran had to dab her eyes, as they were filled with tears. Evidently, it was the sort of thing his own mother, Dora, would've done.
For Harry's 29th birthday, Teddy had enlisted the help of his Uncle George to enchant 29 chocolate golden snitches. They would fly around Harry's office until he caught each one of them in order. Only when all the snitches were caught could Harry eat the chocolates. Teddy held the 29 snitches in his rucksack; they were buzzing happily in it until he would release them.
"Gran, can I go now? Harry's out having lunch now, Ginny just said!" Teddy called at Andromeda. His grandmother looked at the clock and back at Teddy.
"You may go, Teddy," Andromeda said carefully. "Drop the snitches off and check with Uncle Ron. I expect a message from him to let me know you're on your way home. Understood?"
"Yes, Gran," Teddy said happily. He hugged her tightly and rushed to the Floo. "See you soon, Gran!" Teddy took a handful of Floo powder and called into the fireplace, "Ronald Weasley's office!" Moments later, he was wiping off soot from his robes and his currently jet-black hair. He had chosen to match Harry's hair for the special occasion, and had morphed his eyes to Harry's brilliant green ones.
"Uncle Ron!" Teddy shouted, as he knocked over a chair on his way out of the Floo. "Where are you?"
"Blimey, Teddy, don't yell," Ron said, tiredly.
"Hugo still ill, huh?" Teddy asked repentantly, as he righted the chair that had been knocked over, but in the process, had sent piles of paperwork flying off the desk. Teddy smiled sheepishly at Ron.
"You're so much like your mother sometimes," Ron chuckled. "She was terribly clumsy." Ron cast a few spells, and the paperwork had righted itself. "And yes, Hugo's still not well, and Hermione had a caseload of old laws to work through," Ron explained. "Mum says Hugo should be better soon."
"Auntie Molly should've been a Healer," Teddy said. "Always knows what to do."
"Wouldn't have had the time with the seven of us," Ron grinned. "Now she's got all the grandkids keeping her busy." He smiled warmly at Teddy. "And you, of course," he added. "You're as much her grandkid as Rosie and Hugo are."
Teddy beamed at this. Though his father's parents had been long dead before his birth, Auntie Molly had welcomed Teddy into her family as if he were her own grandson. Auntie Molly had also been a big supporter of his own parents; if they'd never been together, he would've never been born. Auntie Molly was really quite the witch, Teddy thought.
"Anyway, Teddy," Ron said. "You ready for this?"
"Yeah! I've got the snitches here in my rucksack," Teddy replied. "Harry's out having lunch with Ginny, yeah?"
"Perfect," Ron said. "Let's go." Ron led Teddy out of his office and proceeded towards Harry's office. "I'll let you in," Ron directed. "You'll release the snitches, put the card on his desk, and then you'll come right back to my office. No dawdling, or your Gran will have my head."
"Okay, Uncle Ron," Teddy agreed. "I'll be right back, I promise!"
Ron closed the door to Harry's office, and Teddy looked around the space. He'd only been in Harry's office a handful of times. It was a cluttered space, filled with haphazard piles of parchment, pictures of Harry, his family, and friends on the walls, and curious objects on the shelves. One object, in particular, caught Teddy's eye.
It was a golden hourglass, filled with brilliant, almost diamond-like grains of sand. It was attached to a matching gold chain. Was it a Time-Turner? Teddy wondered. He knew that all the Ministry's Time-Turners had been destroyed almost fifteen years ago when Harry and his friends battled in the Department of Mysteries, so it seemed unlikely that this hourglass should be a Time-Turner. Teddy's curiosity was overwhelming him, so he set down his rucksack on the floor and proceeded to the shelf that held the golden hourglass.
Teddy grabbed the hourglass. It was fixed on an axis, allowing it to turn back and forth. He absentmindedly spun it back and forth, watching the grains of diamond-like sand fall from one end of the glass to the other. It was mesmerizing. He set the hourglass down on the desk, watching the grains of sand fall gently, and he remembered why he was in the office in the first place. He opened his rucksack to release the snitches.
One by one, the snitches escaped the rucksack and went flying through the air in Harry's office. They were wreaking havoc in the office, knocking over parchments, picture frames, and some of the curious objects on the shelves. Teddy saw the hourglass at the edge of Harry's desk as it nearly fell over. Teddy rushed to grab it, in order to place the chain around his wrist to ensure it wouldn't break before he could return it to its safe spot.
However, as soon as the chain was placed around his wrist, the room exploded. Or did it? Whatever Teddy had known before, the entire room began spinning, and his vision went dark.
…..
31 July 1997
"Ron?" Teddy croaked. "Harry?" Teddy looked up to see soft white lights and glimmers of lime green robes. St. Mungo's? Had the birthday snitch extravaganza gone that poorly?
"Hello, young man," a kind voice greeted. "You've had quite the tumble."
"Huh?" Teddy gasped, looking up at the Healer through his tufts of sandy brown hair; his 'natural' shade he'd apparently inherited from his father. "St. Mungo's?"
"Indeed," the Healer replied. "I'm Healer Shafiq."
"Is my Gran here? Harry? Ron?" Teddy asked frantically. "Where's my family?"
"You aren't referring to Harry Potter, are you, young man?" Healer Shafiq asked sharply. "If you know his whereabouts, you should tell me immediately."
"Why?" Teddy asked. "He's just at the Auror office, I think."
"Is he now?" Shafiq asked, his interest sharply piqued. "I'll be right back."
What in Merlin's name is happening? Why do they want Harry? Where's Gran? Several minutes passed as Teddy looked at his surroundings. He was definitely at St. Mungo's, but he was alarmed that no one was there with him. Surely his Gran would have been there by now. Or Auntie Molly. Or Ginny. Had they been hurt somehow?
The door to his room burst open and a man with a lion-like mane came through. His hair was tawny with grey streaks, and his face was prematurely lined. He walked with a slight limp. Teddy had never seen the man before, but he wore a cloak that indicated he was the Minister for Magic. That's wrong, Teddy thought; the Minister for Magic is Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Who are you?" Teddy asked. "Where's Kingsley Shacklebolt?"
"How do you know Shacklebolt?" the man asked sharply.
"He's the Minister, isn't he?" Teddy asked, eyeing the stranger suspiciously.
"No, I am," the stranger replied, pointing to the Minister's badge on his cloak. "Rufus Scrimgeour." The name was familiar; hadn't that been his mother's boss for a while? But hadn't Fudge been the Minister before Shacklebolt?
"Err," Teddy stammered. "I guess I didn't know what you looked like, sir."
The so-called Minister eyed Teddy suspiciously. "Your Healer tells me you know where Harry Potter is?" he asked Teddy.
"He was at the Aurors' offices or maybe at lunch," Teddy replied. "It's his birthday."
"I'm well aware of that, young man," Scrimgeour replied. "He is not, however, at the Aurors' offices. He's currently elsewhere."
"Where is he?" Teddy asked. "Please, can I see him?"
"What does it matter to you?" Scrimgeour asked Teddy. "Have you any relation to him?"
"He's my godfather, sir," replied Teddy. Scrimgeour eyed the boy suspiciously.
"That's impossible," Scrimgeour said, with finality. "Harry Potter is seventeen years old. I've only just seen him to read him Albus Dumbledore's final will and testament. Harry Potter is not anyone's godfather."
"He's 17?" Teddy asked weakly. "That's…that's not right. He's 29. He turned 29 today. My godfather is 29 years old, not 17." Teddy began to panic; had that been a Time-Turner? Oh, Merlin, oh no, oh no, no, no. Scrimgeour must have seen the panic in the boy's face, as he cast silencing and privacy charms on the door.
"Who are you?" Scrimgeour asked.
"Teddy Lupin, sir," Teddy replied.
"Lupin, you say?" Scrimgeour asked. "As in the known werewolf Remus Lupin?" the Minister asked sharply.
"That's my dad," Teddy replied. "He's dead. So's my mum."
"Who is your mother?" Scrimgeour asked, brow furrowed.
"She was called Nymphadora Tonks, sir," Teddy replied. "But she died too." Scrimgeour paled at Teddy's words.
"When did they die, son?" Scrimgeour's voice was wobbly. He looked shellshocked at Teddy's admission.
"Shortly after I was born, sir," Teddy replied. "At the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998." Scrimgeour's jaw dropped.
"Impossible," Scrimgeour gasped. "You-you-you're from the future. What year are you from?"
"2009," Teddy answered. "What year is it now?" Teddy cringed as he awaited the answer.
"1997," the Minister breathed. "It's 1997."
"Oh," Teddy said lamely. "Bollocks."
"Son, in your time," Scrimgeour asked. "Do we win the war? Does You-Know-Who win?"
"No," Teddy replied firmly. "He doesn't. Harry killed him in 1998."
"Harry Potter is the Chosen One?"
"He hated that title, but I think so," Teddy said. "He killed Volde—"
"—don't say the name!" Scrimgeour hissed. Teddy looked startled; apparently, all the stories of the fear of Voldemort's name were true.
"Harry Potter is the one who defeats You-Know-Who," Scrimgeour repeated, in slight disbelief.
"Yes," Teddy said proudly. "My parents made him my godfather when I was born." Teddy sat back in the hospital bed, and then sat up suddenly, realizing the weight of the reality.
"Wait! My mum and dad – they're alive now! I can meet them!" Teddy stood up from the hospital bed, frantically looking for clothes. At last, at long, long last he had the opportunity to meet the parents he never got to know.
"No," Scrimgeour replied, shoving Teddy back onto the bed. "You can't."
"Why not?" Teddy groaned. "I never got to meet them, please, sir."
"Witches and wizards who meddle with time have unintended consequences. What if you erase your own birth?" Scrimgeour snapped. "Stay here. We need to find a solution for you."
"Send me back, then," Teddy said miserably. "If I can't meet my parents, I don't want to bother. Just send me home, please." His eyes filled with tears; he had been so, so close to seeing his parents for the first, and possibly only, time that he could remember. The opportunity had been snatched from him as it had when he was merely weeks old.
"You are not to tell anyone else where you are from," said Scrimgeour. "Your knowledge of the future will be a risk to your life and could destroy any chance of winning the war. Stay absolutely silent about your origins until we determine a solution. Do you understand me?" Scrimgeour looked grave and intimidating; it no longer surprised Teddy that this man had been an Auror.
Teddy nodded. "Will you come back for me, sir?" Teddy asked. "Where am I to go?"
"We'll see, son," Scrimgeour said grimly. "We'll see."
…..
1 August 1997
Teddy slept fitfully at St. Mungo's. His Healer had been told Teddy had suffered from mysterious "spell damage," and needed further recovery time for his mental faculties. He woke up from a poor night's sleep to find Rufus Scrimgeour waiting for him in his room.
"Wotcher, Minister," Teddy greeted. Scrimgeour's face scrunched up. "Your mother says that," the Minister replied.
"I know," Teddy smiled. "I like it."
"I've spoken with a few Unspeakables about your predicament," Scrimgeour said. "Unfortunately, there is no way for me to send you back to your time." Teddy's face fell.
"I'm stuck here?" Teddy asked. "What will happen to me? My parents? My Gran?" Teddy's head began hurting; he had no choice but to go on with life. But how? How would he do it?
"You're 11, yes?" Scrimgeour asked. Teddy nodded. "You should still have the Trace on you then," Scrimgeour said thoughtfully. "Have you a wand?"
"No, sir," Teddy replied. "I was going to use my dad's wand when I started at Hogwarts this fall."
"I'll contact the Headmaster to see what we can do for you," Scrimgeour replied. "If the rumors are true, you'll be expected there in a month."
"What rumors?" Teddy asked, frightened.
"The new Headmaster appears to wish to enforce attendance at Hogwarts for all magical children in Britain," Scrimgeour said bitterly. "With the Trace on you, you'll have no choice."
"I have to go to Hogwarts…now?!" Teddy asked. "Are you mental? They'll kill me! My dad's a werewolf!"
"Only you and I know this, Teddy," Scrimgeour said gently. "It shall remain so. I'll contact the Headmaster." Teddy thought for a moment. New Headmaster? As far as Teddy was aware, the Headmaster had been Dumbledore for the longest time, until…Snape? Teddy breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone always had different opinions of Snape, but he'd fought for the Light till the very end. He'd saved Harry. If Snape was Headmaster, Teddy might have a chance of surviving.
"I must be off, Teddy," Scrimgeour said. "I'll see to it that the Headmaster reaches out to you."
"Thank you, Minister," Teddy said. "For helping to save me, and Harry." Scrimgeour gave Teddy a quizzical look, but only Teddy knew the future: the Ministry would fall any day now, and Scrimgeour would die to keep Harry's location a secret, thus leading them to the hunt for Voldemort's soul. Even if Scrimgeour didn't know it, Teddy did – Scrimgeour was another man to help win the war.
…..
Teddy was twiddling his thumbs in his room. He was terribly bored and anxious. It had been hours since Scrimgeour had left, and his only company had been the occasional Healer to check on his vitals, or to bring him meals. He had been morphing his body to pass the time, simply to check that his abilities were still functional. Fortunately, they were. Teddy heard voices from the other side of the door to his room, and decided to morph to his 'natural' state of his mother's heart-shaped face, his father's sandy brown hair, and the hazel blend of their eye colors.
The door to his room opened unceremoniously, and a tall, intimidating figure stepped through the threshold. The man had shoulder-length, greasy black hair, parted in the middle. He had sallow, pallid skin, and the darkest eyes Teddy had ever seen in another human being. His nose was hooked and long, and his lips were thin and curled. He wore all black, as if he were in mourning, and the robes billowed out from behind him, making him appear like a large, overgrown bat. The new stranger stepped forward, eyeing Teddy suspiciously.
"Hello, sir," Teddy began nervously. "Are you the Headmaster?"
"I am," the man spoke. His voice was deep, soft, and controlled. "Severus Snape."
"It's nice to meet you, Professor Snape," Teddy said. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Have you, now?" Snape asked, his lip curling into a sneer. Teddy now understood why his family had such mixed opinions of the man; though he had been a hero for the Light by the end of the war, his entire demeanor was intimidating and cold. Teddy shuddered to think that he had been the potions professor for almost everyone he'd grown up calling aunt or uncle.
"I have, sir," Teddy said politely. "I heard you're a brave man."
"Who, pray tell, did you hear this from?" Snape said coldly.
"Err," Teddy stammered. Scrimgeour had told him not to say anything about his origins; how could Teddy have been so foolish? He was supposed to have just met the Headmaster!
"Scrimgeour did," Teddy lied. "He told me you'd be coming to see me."
Snape scrutinized Teddy carefully before revealing softly, "The Minister is dead."
"WHAT?!" Teddy shouted. "What day is it? It can't have happened this fast! Is Harry okay? Did they make it out?" The questions came pouring out before Teddy could catch himself.
Snape rushed towards Teddy, grabbing him by the hospital gown. Teddy could see his yellowed, uneven teeth bared, as the Headmaster asked venomously, "Who are you? What do you know?"
Teddy began crying. Snape was terribly intimidating, and he felt terrified of what the man could do to him. The weight of reality came crashing down again; Teddy was alone, in a different time, in the middle of a war his parents had given their life to, with the Darkest wizard history had ever seen on the loose.
"Look me in the eye," Snape ordered, releasing the boy onto his bed. Terrified but determined, Teddy looked Snape in the eye.
"Legilimens!" Snape called, and Teddy felt his mind being invaded. Memories came rushing back at Teddy; his first time visiting his parents' graves, placing white lilies on their headstones on the anniversary of their deaths; celebrating his sixth birthday party with the newborn James Sirius Potter giggling at Teddy's changing hair colors; sobbing on his 11thbirthday, after reading the letters his parents had left behind for him to open on the condition that they would die before reaching the occasion; staring up at the full moon, wondering what werewolves' lives were like now; plotting Harry's birthday party, and giggling madly with George Weasley as they enchanted the snitches…just as quickly as the memories came flooding in, the invasion stopped.
"You're from the future," Snape said softly. "The war is over in your time, is it not?"
"Yes," Teddy said miserably. "I want to go home but Scrimgeour said it's impossible. I'm stuck here and he said I can't even see my parents or I'd prevent my own birth!"
Snape looked at Teddy thoughtfully. "I find it unlikely you will prevent your own birth," Snape revealed. "However, you may prevent the war from being won. That cannot happen. Harry Potter lives beyond the war?"
"He's my godfather," Teddy said. "It was his 29th birthday."
"I suppose you know of me through him?" Snape asked.
"He said you're one of the bravest men he ever knew," Teddy declared. "He named his second son after you." Snape looked momentarily taken aback by the revelation. "His second son is called Albus Severus Potter." Snape's lip curled. Was that a smile? A grimace? A scowl?
"If the war is not won, Harry and his children may never exist," Snape said silkily, as if Harry's son's name had been merely a comment on the weather. "I assume I do not live much longer, if Potter named his child after me?" Snape asked, a curious expression now reflected in his eyes.
"No, sir," Teddy said sadly. "You die too."
"Your parents," Snape said softly. "Nymphadora and the werewolf?"
"She hated that name, and my dad was Remus Lupin," Teddy said proudly. "I don't care that he was a werewolf!" Snape's lip curled; this was most definitely a sneer, Teddy thought.
"Be that as it may, your parentage does not benefit you at this time," Snape shared. "You are a half-blood, which affords you some protection, but no one can know your origins. The son of a werewolf, even at the best of times, is not a trait to be envied."
"My friends don't seem to care," Teddy said defiantly; his anger welled up and his hair turned a fiery red. "Nor does my family. They loved my dad." Teddy began calming himself and changed his hair back to a light, sandy brown.
"How touching," Snape dismissed. "Your father does not hold the same esteem in the Wizarding world today. You will need a new identity if you are to make it out alive to see the war ending, especially as it seems you've inherited your mother's, ah, unique talents."
"Can I still use my name?" Teddy asked, as Snape looked at him incredulously. "My first name, that is," Teddy clarified. "I'm called Teddy after my granddad, Edward. My full name is Edward Remus Lupin."
"You cannot go by your middle or surname, Edward," Snape instructed. "You may keep your first name, provided you are called Edward."
"I don't like Edward," Teddy protested.
"Not unlike your mother, I see," Snape noted absentmindedly. "If you choose to keep your name, it can only be Edward. Otherwise, you'll need a different name."
"Fine, ugh, I'll use Edward," Teddy said. "It's what my Gran calls me when she's cross."
"It will have to do," Snape said. "You'll need a new surname." Snape looked at the boy, deep in thought. "I'm unable to arrange a home for you with those you know. I do not currently have—good relations—with them."
"Is it because you killed Dumbledore even though he told you to do it?" Teddy asked bluntly.
"Yes," Snape replied tersely. "That. No one can know. As a result, I cannot place you with any families you may be familiar with."
"I already know how to be an orphan," Teddy said bitterly. "Even though I was raised by my Gran."
"How controlled are your morphing abilities?" Snape asked suddenly. "Other than the loss of temper or emotional distress?"
"I'm pretty good at it by now," Teddy said. "I can't do all the stuff my mum could do, but Gran told me it took mum years to learn all the noses, eye shapes, skin colors, and stuff."
"How long can you hold a morph?" Snape asked.
"Almost all day. If it's more complicated it takes more effort though."
"Are hair and eye color complicated for you to hold?"
"Not unless I'm trying to make it more than one hair color for a long time. I thought you of all people would know more about Metamorphmagi, Professor, as you taught my mum?" Teddy asked. Snape glared at Teddy; the younger wizard recognized his poor wording. "I didn't mean it like that, sir," Teddy added hastily.
"Morph your hair to look like mine," Snape ordered. Teddy complied; he grew his hair to his shoulders in the same inky-black of the Headmaster. Teddy wasn't able to make it look as greasy, but it was close enough that the Headmaster seemed appeased.
"Darken your eyes now," Snape ordered. Teddy did so and felt his eyes morphing to match the Headmaster's.
"We'll pass you off as my son, then," Snape decided.
"WHAT?!" Teddy asked, shocked. "You-your son?"
"You'd rather be an orphan?" Snape asked.
"I already am an orphan," Teddy said miserably.
"Without proper parents, your blood status will come into question," Snape explained. "If you are a Muggle-born student this year, you will not survive to live to tell the tale. You must have at least half-blood status to survive. I have had the displeasure of hiring the Carrow siblings to teach at the school this year. They are not known for their kindness. Your best chance of survival is to present as my half-blood son."
"But…who will my mum be?" Teddy asked. "I need one of those, don't I?"
"A Romanian potions master owes me a favor," Snape said mysteriously. "I can have the paperwork drawn up by tomorrow. You are not to tell anyone your true parentage. I shall need to teach you Occlumency if you are to survive."
"Umm, okay?"
"Being my son will provide a certain level of protection. Use it wisely and don't get yourself killed with your stupidity." Snape glared at Teddy.
"Okay, Dad," Teddy said, shuddering slightly at the notion that this hook-nosed, greasy Headmaster would now be referred to as his father. Snape's lip curled. "While at school, you may refer to me as Professor Snape or Headmaster. Otherwise, refer to me as 'Father.' It is to be expected from you."
"Okay, Father," Teddy replied. This was only slightly less uncomfortable than referring to Snape as 'Dad.' Hadn't this man also been a target of his father's unwilling bullying?
"I'll come by to collect you tomorrow," Snape said. "I expect your full cooperation, Edward."
"Yes Father," Teddy said resolutely. "I will see you tomorrow."
…..
2 August 1997
"Your father is here to collect you, Mr. Snape," Healer Shafiq announced to Teddy.
"Huh?" Teddy asked. "Who, me?" Oh, yes, me, thought Teddy. Now I'm Edward Snape.
"Yes, you," Shafiq said impatiently. "The spell damage, your father tells me, will not be permanent. Having a potions master as a father will be helpful for your recovery."
"Thank you, Healer," Teddy said quietly. "I can go now?"
"You may," Shafiq said. "Your father brought you clothes." Shafiq gestured to a neat pile of clothing on the chair next to the bed. "He has instructed for you to get dressed and meet him in the reception area."
"Okay," Teddy agreed. The Healer left the room and Teddy began dressing himself with Snape's offered clothing. None of it was to Teddy's liking. Plain, black trousers. Plain, black shoes. A plain, button-down white shirt. The whole ensemble was drab and dark. Teddy hated it, but had no other clothing options. He dressed himself reluctantly, and left the room, seeking out the corridor that led to reception area.
"Hello, Father," Teddy said sullenly. "We're going home now?"
"Yes, Edward," Snape replied curtly. "Follow me." Teddy followed Snape out of St. Mungo's. Snape offered his arm to Teddy, indicating Side-Along Apparition. Teddy didn't exactly like Apparating, but accepted the offer all the same. With a crack! Teddy found himself standing at the end of a dingy, rundown street.
"Where are we?" Teddy asked Snape.
"Spinner's End, Cokeworth."
"Is this where you live? I thought we were going to Hogwarts," Teddy groaned.
"Enough of the insolence," Snape scolded. "This is where I live outside the castle. I have placed my home under the Fidelius Charm, with myself as secret keeper. You and I are the only ones to know its location now."
"Why?" Teddy asked.
"Because, you dunderhead, I can't have you trolling the streets with what you know," Snape drawled. "If I'm to prepare a place for you, I need you out of my sight for the time being. You are to stay here until I return."
"You're leaving me here alone?" Teddy asked.
"Under the condition that if you leave the premises, I shall be notified of your departure," Snape said. "Do not betray my trust." Teddy swallowed hard as he looked into the man's eyes; if possible, he intimidated Teddy more than his own Gran.
"Yes, sir," Teddy replied timidly. "I won't leave." Snape led Teddy into the home on Spinner's End. It was a small, drafty house that was lined entirely with bookshelves on the first floor. The parlor was small and cramped. Beyond the parlor lay a simple kitchen and dining space. To Teddy's left was a narrow staircase leading upstairs. Teddy inhaled and something smelled…off.
"Do you have aconite here?" Teddy sniffed. "It's giving me a headache."
"You are a werewolf?" Snape looked at Teddy uneasily.
"No," Teddy replied. "I've got some, erm, wolfish tendencies though. My smelling and hearing are better than others'…and I prefer my meat rare. Really rare, if it's the full moon…" Teddy shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. While he himself wasn't a werewolf like his father had been, some of the tendencies had been passed along unknowingly.
"You must be allergic to aconite if it's giving you a headache," Snape explained. "Unless it is fatal to you?"
"Not fatal, no," Teddy said. "Just unpleasant, is all."
"I'll remove the aconite," Snape offered, not unkindly. "Anything else I should know?"
"I get grouchy around the full moon?" Teddy offered. "That's what Gran says, at least. I don't really notice."
Snape made a noncommittal noise in his throat, and gestured for Teddy to follow him up the stairs.
"This room-" Snape pointed to the one on the left "-is mine. You are not to enter unless you've been given permission. This room-" Snape now pointed to the one on the right "-is yours. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. You may eat anything you like from the kitchen. You may read any of the books downstairs, provided they can be removed. Any books that have sticking charms are not meant for you to read."
"Clothes?" Teddy asked. "I don't mean to be, err, ungrateful, but black isn't really my favorite color." Snape stared at Teddy, and he added sheepishly, "S'okay, never mind. I'll, uh, head upstairs now."
"I'll have lunch ready soon," Snape informed. "Be down in 30 minutes."
"Thank you, Father," Teddy replied. He went up the narrow, rickety stairs into the bedroom that would be his for the remainder of the summer. The bedroom was simple, shabby, but clean. A single bed in the corner had faded plaid covers. There was a small wooden desk in front of the grimy window, with a matching wooden chair in front of it. Teddy looked inside the wardrobe; it was practically empty, save for another pair of black trousers. He sat down on the bed, and inhaled deeply. The room had been cleaned recently, but a general mustiness pervaded the air.
Teddy put his hands on his face, feeling overwhelmed. He wanted to go home. He wanted to see his godfather. He wanted to see his Gran. He wanted to be anywhere but this dusty, depressing home in a time he didn't belong to. He fell into the covers, letting the tears fall out of his eyes. What was he to do now?
A soft knock at the door broke his attention. "Yeah?" Teddy asked, his voice breaking.
"Lunch is ready," Snape's controlled voice called. "Come."
Teddy stood up from the bed and glanced at the mirror. His eyes were red-rimmed and puffy with tears, and he attempted to morph the redness away. It didn't work perfectly, but he felt it was good enough for lunch with his 'father.'
"Here," Snape said, directing Teddy to one of the two seats at the small dining table. "Eat."
Teddy looked at the plate and was pleasantly surprised by the cheese toastie and tomato soup Snape had offered him. "Thank you, sir," Teddy acknowledged.
"I will be leaving soon," Snape announced. "I'm not certain when I will be back."
"Okay," Teddy said. "Will you be okay? Harry always said you probably had to do a lot of dangerous things."
Snape's lip curled. "Putting it lightly, yes."
"Any way I can help you?" Teddy asked. "I could tell you everything about what Harry, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione did during the war. I know for a fact that one of Voldemort's soul bits is at Hogwarts."
"Soul bits?" Snape asked sharply. "Enlighten me. Now."
"Err, they have a funny name," Teddy said. "Hork, Horcr, Crooks, Horkcrooks? Really Dark magic, Harry said."
Snape blanched and sat upright, extremely still. "Do you mean Horcruxes, Edward?" Snape said in a low whisper.
"That's it!" Teddy exclaimed. "The Hor-things! Harry and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione hunted them during the war."
"Them?" Snape's eyes widened. "How many did he create, Edward?" Snape's voice was now tight and hoarse.
"D'you have parchment?" Teddy asked. "So I can remember them all." Snape summoned parchment, a quill, and a pot of ink to the table.
"Harry wouldn't tell me a lot about them, but he told me about his adventures. You helped," Teddy smiled. "With the locket."
Snape stared at Teddy, evidently unimpressed by the admission.
"The locket was first, but it was a fake. The one that almost killed Dumbledore," Teddy explained.
"It was a ring that killed Albus," Snape explained.
"No, no, I know," Teddy said. "But when Harry went with Dumbledore to the cave he drank a potion that made him crazy and then you had to kill him. The locket in the cave was a fake! Someone else figured out Voldemort's secret and took the locket."
"Who discovered it?" Snape asked quietly. The Headmaster was sitting absolutely still in his seat.
"One of my mum's cousins. He was Sirius Black's brother, I think, but I can't remember his name," Teddy said.
"Regulus?" Snape asked.
"Yeah?" Teddy said, furrowing his brow. "Yeah! His name's on Al's door at Grimmauld Place!" Snape blinked owlishly at Teddy.
"Oh, y'know, Albus Potter's room, they live at the old Black house 'cause Sirius was Harry's godfather and when Sirius died, Harry got it," Teddy explained rapidly. "I come 'round for dinner a lot."
"The locket is a fake," Snape repeated, steering the conversation back to the Horcruxes.
"Yeah, but Harry and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione got the real one from the toad lady at the Ministry, the one who hated werewolves like my dad," Teddy scrunched his nose in anger. "She had it around her neck but Harry and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione all broke into the Ministry and got the locket from the toad lady."
"Toad lady?" Snape asked.
"She was really bad to Harry," Teddy said. "He's got scars on his hand that say 'I must not tell lies' from her quill!"
"Umbridge," Snape said flatly. "Dolores Umbridge has the real locket?"
"Yeah, she had it before Harry and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione got it from her, but it took forever to kill it and you helped with the sword of Gryffindor!" Teddy exclaimed. "That's my favorite part of the story!"
"Edward," Snape said sternly. "I do not care for the 'story.' I need to know how many the Dark Lord has created and where they are, as best as you can remember."
"Okay," Teddy sighed. He would have preferred telling the tales of his godfather Harry's adventures in saving the Wizarding world, but Severus Snape was not amused.
"So, the locket," Teddy wrote. "The toad lady had it first but then Harry got it. They went camping and killed it in the Forest of Dean." He scrunched up his nose, deep in thought.
"There was the diary," Teddy said. "But that one already got killed when Harry put the basilisk fang in it in his second year." He scribbled on the parchment and put a star next to it, to indicate its destruction.
"The snake," Teddy said excitedly. "Uncle Neville killed it with the sword of Gryffindor!"
"Do you mean Nagini?" Snape asked, gazing intensely at the parchment on which Teddy was writing.
"I dunno what her name was, but she, err, umm," Teddy stammered, not knowing how to tell the man about his manner of death.
"Spit it out, Edward!" Snape ordered.
"She killed you," Teddy said quietly. "Voldemort got mad 'cause he thought you had control of the Elder Wand, but it was actually Mr. Malfoy who did, so he had the snake kill you."
"Lucius?" Snape asked, a genuinely surprised look on his face.
"Who's that?" Teddy asked. "My mum's cousin, Draco. That Malfoy."
"Draco disarmed Albus," Snape said softly. "Go on."
"Well, the snake was Voldemort's familiar but Uncle Neville killed it with the sword. It was the last one before Harry," Teddy explained.
"Harry found out he is a Horcrux?" Snape asked.
"You, err, showed him," Teddy said. "The Pensieve and your memories. Right before you died, sir. You loved Harry's mum."
Snape paled again, staring at Teddy with his intense, inky black eyes. Teddy felt as if he were being examined.
"You are not to repeat this information to anyone until I tell you otherwise," Snape said harshly. "Do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir," Teddy agreed. "I don't want us to lose the war."
"Continue with the Horcruxes. This is three," Snape observed. "The locket, the diary, Nagini. Am I to assume the ring was as well?"
"The one that cursed Dumbledore, yeah! It was the Resurrection Stone!" Teddy said excitedly. "Harry left it in the Forest though. I really wanted to see mum and dad with it but Harry said it was better not to or else I might go mental."
"Potter learned from Dumbledore's mistake," Snape said softly. "That makes four Horcruxes. There are more?"
"Hufflepuff's cup!" Teddy shared.
"The one at Hogwarts?" Snape asked.
"Nope, that's Ravenclaw's," Teddy answered. "The crown thing, like a tiara? It makes the wearer wise?"
"The lost diadem of Ravenclaw?" Snape asked incredulously. "Really?"
"Yeah, the die-dem!" Teddy repeated. "It was in the Room that changes. Harry and his friends used to do magic there when the toad lady was teaching."
"The Room of Requirement," Snape clarified. "The diadem is hidden there?"
"That's why the Battle of Hogwarts happened," Teddy said sadly. "It was one of the last left and by then Voldemort knew Harry was going after them. Harry figured it was at Hogwarts and that's where the Battle happened. My mum and dad died there. So did you, sir," Teddy said, voice breaking slightly. "If there's any way I can see them, sir, please, please let me."
"No, Edward," Snape insisted. "This cannot be permitted. You cannot write to them or communicate with them, either. I assume that once they found out you were conceived, they must have gone into hiding. If you reveal yourself to them, you may be the reason they die before you can be born."
Teddy's chin quivered, but he nodded sadly at the Headmaster. He could never forgive himself if he was the sole reason his parents died. He couldn't do that to them – or to himself.
"The diadem is in the Room of Requirement," Snape repeated, motioning for Teddy to write it on the parchment. "This is five."
"Hufflepuff's cup is next," Teddy said, wiping tears from his eyes. "That's my favorite story. Harry and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione rode a dragon out of Gringotts! Can you believe it?"
"Potter, Weasley, and Granger break rules without thinking," Snape said flatly. "Bloody, impertinent Gryffindors," he added, as if it were an explanation.
"The cup is at Gringotts?" Snape asked.
"In one of the vaults, belonging to the one who killed my mum," Teddy said angrily. "Bellatrix Lestrange," he spat the name. "My Gran's own sister killed my mum!" Teddy's hair grew to an angry red and his eyes filled with tears again. "She's the reason my mum isn't here anymore."
"Currently, Edward, your mother lives," Snape said coolly. "There is no need for your childish outbursts. Morph your hair back." Teddy noticed the red locks and scrunched his nose to bring it back to match Snape's black.
"The cup is in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault, yes?" Snape asked.
"Yes," Teddy said, fiddling with a few stray threads on his shirt hem. "Harry and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione broke into Gringotts to get it."
"Is that all of them?" Snape asked.
Teddy looked at the parchment before him. "Locket, diary, snake, cup, die-dem, Harry, ring. Seven," Teddy summarized. "Plus Voldemort. Harry killed him in the end."
"But we won?" Snape was at the edge of his seat. "Harry succeeded and we won?"
"Yeah," Teddy said, sighing happily. "We won."
"You are not to repeat this information to anyone," Snape said quietly. The man was silent for a moment, and then called out "Dobby!"
Teddy's eyes lit up when the house elf appeared in the worn kitchen. Teddy had heard his Uncle Harry praise Dobby for years, as Dobby had saved their lives in the war, by losing his own life to save them.
"Headmaster calls for Dobby?" the house-elf was clad in a comical combination of a knitted hat, knit, mismatched socks, and a colorful pillowcase.
"Dobby, this is my son, Edward," Snape said. "You will keep an eye on him and prevent him from leaving this home. You are not to repeat anything he tells you to anyone."
"Aren't you a free elf, Dobby?" Teddy said. "Why are you going to take orders?"
"What a kind little mister! Dobby is pleased to meet Mr. Edward Snape!" Dobby said enthusiastically.
Snape glared at Teddy, who blushed pink, while Dobby bounced with glee from foot to foot.
"You are as tactful as your mother is, and that is not a compliment," Snape glowered. "Dobby is employed by Hogwarts and promised his fidelity to the school and its Headmaster."
"It's so nice to meet you, Dobby," Teddy said cheerily. "I'm so glad you're here!"
"Dobby, keep an eye on the boy," Snape said. "I shall return later."
"Bye!" Teddy said, excited to be left alone with Dobby. He hadn't expected the first friendly face to be a house elf's, but he wasn't going to complain about it.
Snape gathered robes together and left the house, leaving Teddy and Dobby together.
"I'm your new friend, Dobby," Teddy said, sticking his hand out to shake Dobby's little one.
"What a good little mister, so good to Dobby! Where did young mister Edward learn his manners?"
"I can't tell you, I think," Teddy said ruefully. "But I hear you know Harry Potter?"
Dobby's eyes lit up. "Harry Potter is the greatest wizard! He will vanquish the Dark Lord! He is friend to elves! He is always kind and brave for Dobby!"
"Can you tell me everything you know about Harry Potter?" Teddy asked, grinning.
Dobby was all too happy to oblige Teddy's request, and it wasn't until nightfall that Teddy fell asleep, having finally been exhausted by Dobby's constant praise of Harry Potter.