18 April 1998
"Start from the beginning, Teddy," said Ted. "I don't understand. What is this about a goblin and a sword?"
Teddy ran his fingers through his hair. He was forbidden to tell anyone about the future – and his grandfather didn't want to know, either – but he had to tell someone that he'd changed the timeline. He had to tell someone that Harry, Ron, and Hermione might not be able to break into Gringotts without a goblin's help, and that the war might continue indefinitely without the last Voldemort soul bit destroyed.
"Okay, umm," Teddy said awkwardly. "I can't tell you everything but there's something in Gringotts that they need to take and destroy. They need a goblin to help them but I don't know if they have one with them. They have the sword, I think, but now I don't know what they're going to do."
"You said that Snape asked you to take him to the Weasleys' cottage?"
"I think so? It might have been a dream. I can't remember." Teddy scratched the side of his head and slumped back against a giant pillow. "It was nice…the sea, the wind, and I was so close to them…but then I woke up."
"It may have been a dream," Ted said pensively. "I'm afraid I don't know how to help you, Teddy."
"I don't know how to help me, either! I can't go back to Snape – he'll put me in that prison again!"
"I have half a mind to show him what's good for him, for doing that to my grandson," Ted said menacingly. "No child deserves what he put you through."
"It's fine, Grandad, really. I shouldn't have said anything," Teddy replied bitterly. "It's all my fault and now we'll lose the war because I'm stupid."
"No, you're not. You're a good boy with a big, kind heart and you want to do what's best. This isn't your fault. No twelve year old is responsible for the fate of the world." Ted wrapped Teddy into a tight hug, which caused Puck to scamper out of Teddy's pocket.
"You've got a loyal friend here," Ted said, while patting Puck on the head affectionately. "He earned all those wood lice and more in the last month."
Puck squeaked at Ted, who chuckled, and pulled out a jar full of wood lice. "Your friends are kind, too," explained Ted. "They've been going to the edge of the forest to get wood lice and fairy eggs for Puck. Yasmin reminds me of 'Dromeda, when I first met her. Your Gran didn't want anything to do with me at first, but I won her over."
Ted smiled softly at Teddy, who marveled at how genuinely wonderful his grandfather was; he was determined, now more than ever, to save him, too.
"What am I going to do now, Grandad? Should I stay here?"
"I reckon so. Your classmates believe you're back in Romania…but you don't have to look like you anymore."
"Huh?"
"Edward Snape can be in Romania," Ted explained, "but Teddy Tonks can be at Hogwarts."
"Teddy Tonks?"
"I can pass you off as my nephew, unless you'd like to take a different surname?"
"Can I use Dad's mum's name? Howell? I don't want to be confused with you."
"Of course. You can be Teddy Howell," Ted said, smiling. "Your face will look similar, but with different hair and eye color I think we can manage to pass you off as someone else."
Teddy scrunched up his nose and changed his hair from its previous black, "Snape" appearance to a curly, Weasley ginger, having been one of his most practiced shades growing up, and morphed his eyes to a bright blue to match his grandfather's.
"How's this?" asked Teddy. "Do I look different enough?"
"You look like you've got ginger broccoli on your head," Ted chuckled, "but it's different enough from the Snape appearance. I'll introduce you as my distant cousin's Muggleborn son, but we'll tell Yasmin and Eneko the truth. They've been worried about you."
"What about my robes? I'm still a Hufflepuff and everyone knows Puck."
"I'd forgotten…the others will be curious," Ted said, frowning. "You'll have to be Edward Snape a little while longer."
Teddy scowled and morphed his hair and eyes back to the inky black he had grown to hate.
"We'll say you had to go back to Romania to see your dying – now dead – Gran." Ted rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "'Dromeda always said lies are usually better when they're half-truths."
"Gran said that?" Teddy said incredulously. "Gran Andromeda?"
Ted chortled. "Your Gran is a Slytherin through and through. She knows how to be coy…we'll tell the others that you wanted to stay with your mother's remaining family but Snape made you come back. If you morph your eyes to look a bit puffy and sad, they might believe you and make it easier for you to stay here."
Teddy looked at his grandfather in disbelief.
"Say what you will about your Gran, but the woman gets results when she wants them," Ted said, grinning. "If we can get the others to sympathize for your plight, they may be willing for you to stay here so you don't have to be anywhere near your 'father.'"
"Thanks, Grandad," said Teddy, while hugging Ted again. "It's good to be back with you."
…
28 April 1998
"I don't want to," groaned Teddy. "I already read all of this!"
Ted looked at him sternly. "You read it all but you haven't practiced any of the spell work. You're going to be behind in your classes next term if you don't practice now."
Teddy swung his legs over the side of the hammock and sighed. He knew his grandfather was right; having missed classes for almost a month had slowed his progress. He turned to The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One and proceeded to cast the first charm he missed.
Ted was also right about convincing the others of his 'unhappy' life at Hogwarts. Teddy morphed his eyes to be puffy and swollen, and Puck had 'helped' by pinching his neck, which drew tears from Teddy's eyes. Most everyone sympathized for poor Edward Snape, unwanted, unloved son of Severus Snape, and let him stay in the Room of Requirement as long as he wished. A few of the oldest students still kept him at an arm's distance, but Teddy didn't mind.
He now spent nearly all his time with his grandfather, helping Ollivander make wands, or listening to Potterwatch. He had yet to hear his mother's voice, but he'd heard Remus speak twice more, and learned that their newborn son was called AJ, after his initials. Hearing Remus – or Romulus, as he was called on Potterwatch – gush about his newborn baby, AJ, had broken Teddy's heart a little, as he was unsure if he'd ever get to meet his parents.
Ted was ever kind and gentle with Teddy, and personally tutored him for all the lessons he'd missed, while Yasmin and Eneko came to see him in the evenings to discuss what had happened in their classes.
Once the older students, Ted, and Dirk Cresswell learned that the first years had no true Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, Teddy saw Dumbledore's Army in full swing, with the older students teaching the younger ones defensive magic.
True to what Ted had said in March, he too was practicing dueling with the oldest students. Every day, Ted, Dirk, and many others practiced dueling for at least two hours. Teddy could only watch, having barely mastered "Expelliarmus," and it was clear to him that Ted needed all the practice he could get if he was going to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts. Ted was slower than the rest, which terrified Teddy. Every time he tried to convince his grandfather to go home when the battle came, Ted refused. He said he had to do his part to secure the bright future Teddy and AJ deserved.
"Try Vermillious Trio again," asked Ted. "It's just sparks, but it can be a good distraction if you need it to be."
Teddy swished his wand and cast the incantation. Three ropes of multicolored sparks emerged from his wand in an arc, shining red, green, and gold.
"I wish I could fight, too."
"No, Teddy…we've talked about this many times." Ted almost chuckled. "You're so much like your mother – you want to fight for the right side, but you can't. You're nowhere experienced enough, and your parents wouldn't want you to die without a fighting chance."
"How do you know? All they care about is AJ, not me." Teddy sunk to the floor, pouting into his robe sleeve. "They don't even know I exist. It wouldn't matter if I died."
"Not yet," Ted said kindly. "I do hope that they'll meet you soon, and when they find out who you are, they won't want anything to happen to you. It matters to me if you live or die."
"What if they don't believe me?" whispered Teddy. "What if they don't think I'm their son?"
"Teddy. Even if you weren't a Metamorphmagus like your mother, you're a miniature version of your father. I could tell right away that you were familiar to me."
"I really want them to like me."
"They will, Teddy. I promise you, they will." Ted glanced up, seeing Yasmin and Eneko coming in through the doors. Teddy sniffled slightly; the closer they got to the second of May, the worse his anxiety became over the fate of his parents and grandfather. No amount of practicing spells or watching others duel made him feel any better over the future.
"Hello, Teddy," greeted Eneko. Teddy smiled at him; now that the Lupins' new son was called AJ and not Teddy, he felt free to have others call him by his preferred name. If there was no Teddy Lupin in this timeline anymore, he figured it didn't matter.
"We brought our notes for you." Yasmin sat down across from Teddy and took the parchment out of her rucksack. "Eneko should've brought the notes for Transfiguration."
Teddy read over the notes for the day's classes, wincing at the date at the top of Yasmin's notes: 28th April 1998.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing…my Gran's birthday is coming up…I miss her." Teddy rifled through the rest of the Charms notes, having already covered the Locking and Unlocking Charms with his grandfather, and moved to the Herbology notes.
"Devil's Snare," smiled Teddy. "That reminds me of when my godfather escaped from a trap in Devil's Snare." Eneko and Yasmin stared at him, and Teddy told them of the time that his godfather and his two friends were stuck in Devil's Snare, but one of his friends was bright enough to remember that the plant hated sunlight, which allowed them to go free.
"What's amazing is he was our age! He was in his first year of school," Teddy finished, beaming. "He's the best."
"Teddy, are you sure? Sometimes the stories you tell about your godfather are not believable," Eneko said, shaking his head slightly. "Yesterday you told us he fought a dragon and won."
"He's really cool, okay?" Teddy said defensively. "If he comes around I'll introduce you to him but he's far away."
Eneko and Yasmin shared a dubious glance, and Teddy shut the notes roughly. Even when he was truthful about his life, no one believed him.
"We should practice the Locking and Unlocking Charms," Teddy said tonelessly. He didn't care to practice the charms again, but it would give him something to do besides yearn for his old life and fear for the new one.
…
1 May 1998
"Teddy, are you all right?" asked Ted.
"No." Teddy trembled against a pillow, realizing it was the first of May. If timelines repeated, by this time tomorrow, his parents would be dead and he'd be orphaned – again.
"Are we getting close?" Ted's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Yes," mouthed Teddy. "Tonight."
"We don't know that for sure, do we?" Ted said quietly. He'd paled considerably, and sat down next to Teddy on the floor. "You've changed some things, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"Do you think a Calming Draught would help you?"
"No."
"All right." Ted stood up, wincing, and peered down at Teddy. "Whatever happens Teddy, it's not your fault. Do you hear me?"
"Okay," breathed Teddy. He hadn't stopped trembling, which earned him several sideways glances from the other students. Ted explained to the others that it would have been his Gran's birthday that day – it was, in fact, Andromeda Tonks's birthday – and as Teddy had recently "lost" his Gran, he was having a difficult day. Several kind students stopped by to see him, but all Teddy wondered was which ones would live to see another day.
Lavender Brown crossed his path; she had never been very nice to him, but she was one of the losses.
Colin Creevey walked by, giving him a reassuring smile. He wouldn't live much longer, either.
Teddy quaked, drawing his knees close to his chest, wondering which one of the many faces around him would be no more by morning.
The others around him joked, ate, and chatted as usual. Everything felt the same, but vastly different.
"Oi!" Seamus Finnegan's voice called out from the other side of the Room. "Listen here!"
"Turn it up!" shouted an older Ravenclaw boy.
"This is River coming to you with an important announcement from Diagon Alley!" Lee Jordan's voice echoed around them. "Harry Potter was spotted outside Gringotts today with his two friends, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, riding on a dragon!"
"The trio seem to have broken into and out of Gringotts bank – no word yet on how they achieved this daunting feat!" It was either Fred or George who spoke now. "There's no way of knowing where their new pet is taking them but last we saw, the dragon was due north!"
"Keep an eye out on the sky for a dragon and three riders bold enough to take it on!" Lee boomed. "Stay tuned for further information on Potterwatch!"
"He's alive!"
"They broke out of Gringotts?"
"A bloody dragon? Again?"
Several voices rung out around Teddy, many of which were triumphant and celebratory. Harry, Hermione, and Ron lived – and they'd managed to escape from Gringotts – but it meant that the battle was on its way.
Teddy whimpered in the corner and curled up into a ball, unsure of what to do. He couldn't tell everyone what was coming; he couldn't warn them of their impending deaths or injuries. He couldn't fight, and he couldn't go to…Snape! Teddy bolted out of the Room of Requirement, intent on finding Snape. The Headmaster was one of Teddy's least favorite people, but he was the only one who knew the whole story. Before anyone could stop him, he burst through the Room of Requirement doors and dashed for the Headmaster's office.
There were several gasps and murmurs around him as he ran through the corridors of the castle. He realized that most of his classmates hadn't seen him since the end of March, but he didn't care.
"TEDDY!" Yasmin shrieked from behind him.
Teddy whipped around and snapped, "What?"
"What are you doing?" she asked. Eneko stood next to her, wearing a similar expression of shock.
"I need to see Snape right now!"
"You're going to get locked up again!" Yasmin said loudly. "Don't go!"
"Then come with me!" Teddy began running again; to his surprise, two sets of footsteps were on his heels. He was wheezing and his sides were in stitches by the time he got to the gargoyle statue. Yasmin and Eneko were breathless, with beads of sweat running down their faces, and staring up at the statue warily.
"PROFESSOR SNAPE! IT'S TEDDY!" Teddy hollered. "I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!"
"Teddy is yelling at a statue," Eneko said to Yasmin. "Is he crazy?"
"SNAPE! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU! IT'S ABOUT HARRY!"
"His godfather?" Yasmin asked softly.
"SEVERUS SNAPE! YOU COME TALK TO ME NOW OR I TELL THE WHOLE SCHOOL YOUR SECRET!" Teddy screamed. "EVERYONE WILL KNOW ABOUT LI—"
The gargoyle statue moved aside and Teddy beckoned for Yasmin and Eneko to follow him. They gaped up at the moving staircase. He saw their apprehensive stares and grabbed Yasmin's arm to drag her up with him. She, in turn, took Eneko's, and the three of them rushed upstairs to talk to Snape.
"How dare you?" Snape was upon Teddy in an instant, grabbing him by the front of his robes and lifting him slightly off the ground. Snape's face was inches from Teddy's, his crooked yellow teeth and greasy, hooked nose taking up almost all of Teddy's view.
There was a small squeak behind Teddy and Snape stepped back, releasing him roughly to the ground.
"Do they know?" Snape asked, his soft voice as menacing as ever.
"No. Even my Grandad doesn't know everything," Teddy said defiantly. He shook his head, remembering why he'd come this way. "They're on their way! They did it – they got out of Gringotts!"
"I know, you dunderhead," Snape said, sneering. "Who do you think has had to clean up your disastrous attempts to save others? Who do you think had to send the goblin to Potter after you interfered with the timeline?"
"I…I didn't…"
"You didn't think," hissed Snape. "I will manage this alone, as I have for years. Now get out of my sight."
Teddy turned toward the door when he saw Yasmin and Eneko fall over in place. Teddy realized that Snape had stunned them; he was now casting "Obliviate" on each of them.
"What are you doing?" gasped Teddy. "I told you, they don't know anything!"
"It will remain that way and you will wait until they are awake to return to the Room of Requirement."
"You know where I've been?"
"Unlike you, I am not an idiot," Snape muttered disdainfully. "Foolish child."
Snape cast "Rennervate" on Teddy's friends. Yasmin and Eneko slowly stirred, confused, and Teddy was at their sides in an instant.
"What's going on?" Yasmin said, rubbing the side of her head, confused.
Eneko said something unintelligible, which led Teddy to assume it was either in Basque, Spanish, or French. Eneko's eyes widened upon seeing Snape, Yasmin, and Teddy and he stood, backing away from Snape.
"You are dismissed," Snape said, in a clipped tone. "Do not return here under any circumstances."
Teddy grabbed his friends and brought them back downstairs, at a loss for what to do now. Snape already knew about Harry escaping Gringotts, but didn't seem to care about the impending battle on Hogwarts's grounds.
"What's happening?" Yasmin said blankly. "Where were we?"
"I took you to Snape's office to ask a question," Teddy lied. "It doesn't matter. He obliviated you because he didn't want you to know but I'll tell you later. C'mon!"
Teddy led Eneko and Yasmin to the Room of Requirement, which was in its own state of uproar. There was a throng gathered around Ariana's portrait, which led to the Hog's Head, and Teddy saw a familiar, gangly figure with fiery red hair.
Teddy burst through the throng, laying his eyes on Harry, Ron, and Hermione for the first time in months. They were thin, worn, covered in cuts and bruises, and had dark circles under their eyes. Teddy's jaw dropped, aghast at how sickly they looked compared to how he'd last remembered them.
More people had come in through the portrait hole – Ginny, George and Fred Weasley, Lee Jordan, and many more who Teddy vaguely recognized but couldn't name. He goggled at the sight of the twins – two of them! – and snapped back to Harry, who'd begun speaking again.
"There's something we need to find," Harry said. "Something – something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?"
"I DO! I KNOW! I KNOW!" Teddy screeched. Everyone turned to face him, with many of their faces in astonished disbelief. Eneko covered his face with his hands, and Yasmin slapped her palm to her forehead.
"Who's this?" said Harry. Ron and Hermione gazed at Teddy with the same look of confusion.
"I'm Teddy! I can help you, Harry! I know what you're looking for!" Teddy said excitedly.
"This is Snape's kid," Seamus said scornfully. "I wouldn't take him at his word."
"Snape has a kid?" Ron said, eyeing Teddy suspiciously. Even Hermione took a step back and Teddy stomped his foot angrily.
"The Map! The Marauders Map!" Teddy yelled. "Did you see Teddy Lupin or Edward Lupin on it? That's me!"
"You're Edward Lupin?" Harry said. "Are you related to—"
"—let's discuss this later," Ted Tonks interjected. "Harry, you need help finding something and I believe Teddy can help you."
"You're going to believe him?" Lavender said indignantly. "Kid Snape?"
"The Map doesn't lie!" Teddy was angry enough that his hair morphed to a fiery red, to everyone's surprise. He shook his head and decided to forget about his morphing for the moment. "Harry…you didn't see another Snape, did you?"
"What is he talking about?" one of the Weasley twins said. "How does kid Snape know about the Map?"
"What Map?" Seamus countered.
"Forget about the bloody Map!" Harry shouted. "I need to find this – thing – belonging to Ravenclaw. You – Teddy – you know what it is?"
"It's her diadem! It's here!" Teddy said brightly. "In the Room of Requirement!"
A pretty girl with long, sleek black hair cleared her throat behind Harry. "Harry? The diadem's lost…I don't know where Teddy – I'm Cho, by the way, Teddy – thinks he's got the idea, but the diadem's been lost for centuries."
"I promise – it's here! In the Room!" Teddy interrupted. "We've got to get out – Harry's got to ask the Room to look like the place where all the things are hidden. It's in here, I just know it!"
"Okay – what does it look like?" asked Ron. "How will we know?"
"I don't know," Teddy replied uneasily. "I never got a good look."
"Come with me to Ravenclaw Tower," Luna offered. "There's a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw in it and she's wearing the diadem."
Ron and Hermione were whispering to each other. They turned to Harry, and he nodded at them. Before any of them could turn to leave the Room of Requirement, even more people came streaming out of the portrait. Older students, one of whom was George's future wife, Angelina, came in with their wands drawn, clearly ready to fight. Teddy noticed that Harry clutched his forehead, wincing, something he'd never seen Harry do before. Harry still had one of the soul bits!
"He's on his way," Harry said quietly, to Ron and Hermione. Teddy swallowed hard – that could only mean that Voldemort, the most terrifying person Teddy had ever seen – was on his way to the castle.
"Someone should tell Professor McGonagall," Teddy said boldly. "What you said, Harry, that…we might be in danger."
"Seriously, who is this kid?" Seamus said impatiently. "I don't trust a word out of his mouth."
More people came in through the portrait hole – Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, both younger, thinner, and brighter – Kingsley Shacklebolt, also younger, but stately – Bill and Fleur Weasley, without any of the children Teddy had come to know in his childhood – and finally, a shabby, worn man whose face was prematurely lined. Teddy would've known the face anywhere, as he had memorized it from the few precious photographs he had of his father.
Remus Lupin had finally arrived at Hogwarts.
"Teddy," Ted whispered from behind him. "Let me talk to your father first - give me a few moments. The castle needs to be secured, all right?"
"Okay," Teddy breathed, staring at his father with admiration and awe.
Ted spoke directly to Harry first. "Harry, what do you need from us? To keep the castle safe while you look for the diadem?"
"Yes - I need time, as much as you can get me," Harry replied. "Teddy's idea – we need to tell the professors that You-Know-Who's coming for us."
"Who's Teddy?" A warm, hoarse voice asked. Remus was a few feet away from both Teddy, who wanted nothing more than to run into his father's arms.
"We'll get to that," Ted replied. "Neville, you and the older students get to your Heads of House and let them know what's happening. The younger students will need to get out, won't they?"
"Good thinking, Ted," Mr. Weasley said. "Get the younger students out."
"Luna, I'm going with you to—"
"Harry, wait a moment," Ted interrupted. "Let the other students get out first. Stay for a few more minutes – Teddy will help you."
"Wait – can Eneko and Yasmin stay with me?" asked Teddy, before they went off with the other students. "I want them to know who I am." Yasmin and Eneko gaped at him but stayed rooted to the spot, watching as the Room of Requirement emptied, leaving only members of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Okay, can someone tell us who this Teddy is?" said Ron. "You're related to Lupin?"
"What?" said Remus, startled. "Another Lupin?"
"Teddy, do you want me to explain?" said Ted gently. "I don't know all the details, but I know enough."
"No…I want to do it," Teddy said. He scrunched his nose and let his features relax, which morphed his hair into the same sandy brown as Remus's, and glanced up at his father, who stared at him curiously.
"He's – Remus, you don't have a brother, do you?" said Arthur, staring at Teddy.
"No," said Remus hoarsely.
"I'm Teddy Lupin," Teddy said nervously. "I was born on the seventh of April, 1998. My godfather is Harry Potter. In 2009, I had an accident with a Time Turner and I came here, last August. My full name is Edward Remus Lupin. My dad is Remus Lupin and my mum is Nymphadora Tonks. I'm a Metamorphmagus like my mum and my dad was a werewolf."
"Was?" Remus whispered.
"Was," Teddy said sadly. "I never got to know you…or mum."
"How do we know he's telling the truth?" Kingsley's smooth, baritone voice asked. "I heard something about Snape having a child?"
"The Marauders Map," Harry said suddenly. "You're the Edward Lupin we saw on the Map."
"The Map doesn't lie…but how can he be…Time Turners were destroyed two years ago," gasped Remus. "It can't be."
Hermione murmured something into Ron's ear. He nodded, with his jaw clenched, and turned to Harry.
"We need to get out of here," said Harry. "We've got to find the ho—" He coughed and stopped speaking.
"I can prove I'm from the future!" Teddy said loudly. "Harry, you broke out of Gringotts to get Hufflepuff's cup! It was in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. You destroyed Slytherin's locket! You're looking for the diadem because it's a soul bit – I know all of this! You told me!"
Harry's eyes flew open, as did Hermione and Ron's. Teddy continued, "The diary was first! Then the ring that killed Dumbledore – then the locket, which was a fake, but you got the real one from the toad lady! I know the others!"
Hermione, Ron, and Harry all muttered among themselves. All of them had clenched jaws and they whispered rapidly, until Harry turned to look at Teddy.
"How were they destroyed, Teddy? Can you answer that?"
Teddy nodded enthusiastically. "A basilisk fang for the diary when you were a second year. Dumbledore had the Gryffindor sword for the ring, which was the Resurrection Stone. You have the Cloak. Volde—"
"Don't say the name!" shrieked Mrs. Weasley. "There's a Taboo!"
"Oh, right, I'm sorry," Teddy said sheepishly. "Err…right, You-Know-Who has the Elder Wand. You got the sword for the locket. In my time you destroyed it in the Forest of Dean. You have the Cup now – you went to the Chamber of Secrets and got a fang to destroy it. One of Draco Malfoy's friends died in the Room of Requirement when he set it on Fiendfyre but it was okay because it destroyed the tiara. The last is the big snake – the one that almost killed Grandad Weasley."
Mr. Weasley's jaw fell open upon being called "Grandad Weasley," and Teddy smiled at him.
Harry gulped hard. He, Hermione, and Ron whispered among themselves again. Before they could say another word, another breathless figure emerged from Ariana's portrait.
Percy Weasley came in, looking through his lopsided, horn-rimmed glasses, and said, "Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I – I –"
Percy sputtered into silence. Evidently he had not expected to run into most of his family. There was a long moment of astonishment, broken by Fleur turning to Remus and saying, in a wildly transparent attempt to break the tension, " So – 'ow eez leetle AJ?"
"Wait – not yet!" Teddy said loudly. His next sentence was cut off when yet another panting figure came from the portrait. Teddy's jaw dropped again upon seeing his mother, Nymphadora, jump into the Room of Requirement.
"Dora!" Remus shouted. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with AJ!"
"NO! NO!" Teddy screamed. "Not again! Please, please, not again!"
The doors to the Room of Requirement swung open and Ernie Macmillan appeared, with a huge group of Hufflepuffs behind him.
"We're evacuating the castle!" Ernie yelled. "All underage students are leaving now!" The Order of the Phoenix and the others moved out of the way while a small stampede of Hufflepuffs went through Ariana's portrait to leave Hogwarts. A few of the older Weasleys – Bill, Charlie, and Fleur - took on the task of helping the students evacuate, guiding them out of the castle and to the Hog's Head.
"What is going on here?" Nymphadora said, her eyes darting all throughout the Room of Requirement. "Dad! You're alive!" She ran into her father's arms, and all of Teddy's being longed to join his mother and grandfather, but he found himself unable to move.
Remus was gazing at Teddy curiously. His eyes darted as well, from Teddy's pained expression to Ted and Nymphadora's embrace. She turned away from Ted and faced Remus.
"I have to fight, Remus," Nymphadora said fiercely, as a group of Ravenclaw students now appeared in the Room of Requirement. "I can't stay at home – I have to fight for AJ."
"NO!" Teddy shrieked. "I can't lose you again!" He threw caution to the wind and threw himself at his parents, who backed away from him slightly.
"What in Merlin's—"
"Dora," Ted said, walking up to them. "This is your son from another time. He had an accident with a Time Turner and this time's different than the one he grew up in. He's called Teddy – you named him after me, as I died before he was born in his time."
"That's impossible," Nymphadora said emphatically. "Time Turners don't work for years. I don't know who this is, but he's fooled you, Dad."
Teddy burst into tears. His mother didn't believe him; his father had as bewildered an expression as many of the others in the Room. All his fears that no one would remember or believe him came crashing down on him.
"I didn't believe it at first, either," Ted said. He turned to Harry, who stood with Ron and Hermione, watching the strange family reunion unfold. "Harry, even I don't know what Teddy was talking about with these objects you're looking for. Does it all make sense to you?"
"Yes. You called them soul bits?" Harry said, his voice cracking slightly. "You knew about the Hallows?"
"You told me before I started school," Teddy said, sniffling. "I was supposed to start school before I came here and you wanted me to know the story from you instead of someone else. You went around destroying Vol—You-Know-Who's soul bits."
"He drew out the home that he grew up in – the home my wife and I raised our daughter in," Ted added. "Dora, he's got a bowtruckle called Puck because his Gran loved A Midsummer Night's Dream. He's a Metamorphmagus and he's a Hufflepuff. Remus, he's not a werewolf but he inherited some of your symptoms. He gets headaches and chills at the full moon. When he's sleeping and relaxed he's your spitting image. This boy is your son. There's no other explanation."
A throng of Gryffindors now came through the Room of Requirement. Remus and Nymphadora stood speechless in the wake of Ted's announcement, as did everyone else.
"You're a Metamorphmagus?" Nymphadora finally said, in a strained voice.
Teddy scrunched his nose and eyes. He morphed his hair into the turquoise quiff he liked most, went through a few of the noses he could do at his age, and changed parts of his skin to show his mother. He returned to the dark grey, twinkling eyes that reminded him of his mother, but kept the turquoise hair.
"What did we call you?" said Nymphadora. "Our son is called Alastor John."
"You called me Edward Remus, after Dad and Grandad." Remus sputtered upon hearing himself called 'Dad.' "But you called me Teddy first and that's what Gran called me too."
"You grew up in your Gran's home?" Remus croaked. "Because—"
"—you died," Teddy whispered. "You and mum…you died here."
Nymphadora gulped hard and stared at Remus.
"Please don't die again," Teddy added tearfully. "I only just met you. Please, mum and dad, please don't fight."
"Teddy…we're doing this for you…for our son at home," Remus said, cracking his voice. "We have to."
"No! No, you don't! Why did you leave me?" Teddy cried. "All I wanted was my mum and dad! Why did you let me go?"
Teddy sobbed into his hands, feeling his hair morph to a limp brown. "All I ever wanted – you're all I ever wanted! Why did you die? Why couldn't you have stayed with me?"
"Teddy, I…" began Remus, now both pained and confused. "…I'm sorry, but I didn't…"
"You did! You're here again! You're going to die and leave me!" wept Teddy. "I'm going to be an orphan again! You're going to make AJ an orphan!"
Remus was pale and Nymphadora was quietly crying. Ted cleared his throat and said, "Nymphadora, go home. I'm going to fight in your place."
"No! Dad – you can't!"
"Grandad! No! You're not fast enough!"
"Tonks," said Harry, walking up to her. "Go home. Your Dad can take your place."
"B-but…Remus." She glanced up at Remus, who was chalk-white and trembling. "I want to help."
Harry sighed heavily and peered at Teddy over his round glasses. "I know what it's like to want what he wants…if I'd been given the chance to have my parents back…I'd have taken it. Go home, Tonks."
Just as the last of the Gryffindors left the Room of Requirement, another achingly familiar person came through the portrait hole, followed by every Weasley who had gone to help the students evacuate the castle.
Andromeda Tonks, Teddy's beloved Gran, had arrived.
"Mum!" Nymphadora yelled. "What are you doing here? Who's watching AJ?"
"Your younger son is in good hands," Andromeda said calmly, turning her eyes towards Teddy now. "You must be Teddy. Come here, love."
Teddy ran into his grandmother's arms for the first time in almost ten months. Though she was younger and a little thinner than he remembered her, her scent, warmth, and love were all the same.
"I missed you so much, Gran," Teddy said, crying on her robes. She soothed him, not unlike when he was a little boy, and he felt at home and at peace for the briefest moment.
"You knew?" Nymphadora demanded. "You knew we had a time traveling son?"
"I've left a letter for you and Remus at home," Andromeda said evenly. "Both of you, go home with your son. I'm taking your place, Nymphadora, and Ted will take Remus's."
"No! No, Gran, you can't! I have to save all of you!" Teddy wailed.
"Mum…what are you saying?" Nymphadora stared at her mother, horrorstruck. "You're not trained!"
"I will hold my own, as will your father. I've known for some time that I might have to bury my daughter and son-in-law and I refuse to do so. You and Remus will go home with your older son and wait until the battle is over."
Remus turned to Harry, who cleared his throat and wiped something from his eyes.
"Remus and Tonks – go home. I'd have given anything to have my mum and dad…just go." Harry shook his head and turned to Ron and Hermione, who swept out of the Room of Requirement, beckoning the rest of the Weasleys to come with them. It left the Tonkses, Lupins, and Harry in the Room, with Luna waiting for Harry to see the diadem. Eneko and Yasmin were waiting next to Luna, having decided to stay behind while the rest of the castle was evacuated.
"Teddy, before you go," Harry said, "you're absolutely sure that it's the diadem and Nagini the snake? That's it?"
"Yes…but you need to see Professor Snape," Teddy said carefully. Harry blinked several times, startled. "Trust me, Harry. You need to see him. He…he's got important information for you."
"Do you know what it is?"
Teddy nodded. "I can't tell you. Only he can. I'm sorry."
"We're going to need the Room now, Teddy," Harry said quietly. Teddy turned to his family – the four of them, whole, healthy, and alive for the first time in his life. Not one of them had a dry eye.
"We meant what we said, Teddy," Ted said firmly. "Your Gran and I are fighting for our daughter and son-in-law. You deserve to have your parents."
"But…what if you don't make it?" Teddy said tearfully. "I just got you back!"
"We'll try our best, love," Andromeda said. "It's so good to finally see you. I wish I could've known you longer."
"Mum – please, you don't have to—" Nymphadora started crying, and Andromeda hugged her tightly.
"You're a mother to two now, Nymphadora. I can't bury you, sweetheart. Go home with your family."
Mother and daughter embraced tightly. Teddy joined them, as did Ted and Remus. For first – and possibly only time in his life – Teddy felt the arms of his parents and grandparents around him.
"Are – are these your friends, Teddy?" Nymphadora said weakly, looking at Yasmin and Eneko.
"That's Yasmin – she's a Slytherin like Gran," Teddy introduced. "That's Eneko, next to Luna, and he's a Ravenclaw like Grandad."
"Take them with you," Ted said. "They can Floo to their parents from our home, or you can Apparate them where they need to go. Yasmin's father is my friend and coworker, Omar. They can both go to St. Mungo's, as Eneko's mother is a patient there."
"I'll take them," said Remus, nodding at Eneko and Yasmin. "Dora, you'll take Teddy home?"
"Yes, I'll…I'll take our son home," Nymphadora said softly, taking Teddy into her arms. Teddy breathed deeply, attempting to memorize his mother's scent at once.
With another tearful goodbye to Andromeda and Ted, the newly reunited Lupin family, Yasmin, and Eneko left the castle and the Battle of Hogwarts behind.