Chapter 6
- 100 Feet -
On the full moon Remus had considered asking his son to join him, so they could transform together. But for some reason he didn't. Maybe he was afraid. The boy reminded him so much of Carla who, like Teddy, was a Ravenclaw.
She was smart and kind. And although the boy had most likely seen more than most kids his age, he always seemed to have a positive energy about him. Remus, thanks to Professor Snape, had been taking a goblet of Wolfsbane potion everyday the week before the full moon. In the end he had gone into his office to transform, making sure to lock the door.
Now he felt guilty. Why hadn't he just asked? It wouldn't have been weird, maybe he was just scared the truth would come out somehow. And it would... one day, he knew it.
The day after his transformation he felt too unwell to teach, but he hated the thought that Snape would be temporarily teaching his class, and his son, until he returned. So, he came back the next day and had begun searching through the library for a book on red caps. That when he heard it. An excited voice, followed by shush from the librarian.
Teddy ran towards him. "Hey." He greeted the Professor, his tired green eyes looking up at his.
"Evening Teddy, how are you feeling?"
"Tired, a little soar, but what's new?" He shrugged as if it was no big deal. Lupin had never looked at his lycanthropy like that. He'd always seen it as a curse. How could this child not? Lupin reached up to put a book back on the shelf, wincing as he did so.
Full moons seemed to get more and more painful each year. Did Teddy's transformations hurt like his did? Or maybe had he escaped that part of the curse?
Teddy noticed his wince and helped him to put the book back. "How about you, Professor? Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine, thank you for asking."
"You sure? Maybe you should take another day off?" Remus smiled slightly at Teddy's parent-like tone. The boy looked just as tired, with large black circles under his eyes. His skin was pale, yet wasn't as sickly grey as his. "I'll be fine Teddy."
Teddy moved onto another subject, yet didn't look convinced. "It's good to have you back."
"Was Snape that bad?" Remus chuckled reaching for a book.
"He taught us about werewolves." The book nearly slipped from his hand but Teddy caught it.
"Did he now?" He sighed, knowing Snape's intentions. He didn't blame him. He had many chances to stand up for Snape when he was younger, yet he hadn't. He'd been too afraid of losing his friends if he did. "Do you think this has anything to do with us? With me?"
"Teddy," he bent down and placed his hand on Teddy's shoulder. "Professor Snape and I have never been close. Most likely, he's hoping a classmate with figure out my condition."
That didn't reassure Teddy and for some reason, the third year felt the need to hug the Professor, but he held back. That'd be weird, if he'd done it. "Why aren't you down watching the Quidditch match? I thought Harry was playing?" Remus changed the subject.
"He is, but I didn't feel up to it. Besides I've got this four page essay I need to finish."
"What for?"
"Professor Snape set it. He said I should do two extra pages on werewolf transformation, because I have 'experience'." Teddy sighed. Remus buried his anger. How dare Snape do that to Teddy. Point him out and treat him differently than his other students. "Don't worry. You can throw away the essay. I'll talk to Professor Snape."
"Thank you!" Teddy groaned in relief. "You're my hero!" He grinned, laughing.
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the library. "Ah, the game must be over." Remus said. But the noses outside weren't excited squeals or upset groans. Instead they were curious, scared and confused yells.
Teddy walked outside and stopped when he saw Dumbledore carrying an unconscious Harry to the Hospital Wing. "What happened?" He asked a Hufflepuff student.
"Dementors. They came into the castle grounds, Harry was attacked..." The rest of her sentence faded away as Teddy was no longer listening.
A few weeks had passed since the event of the first and possibly the last Quidditch game of the season. Gryffindor was out of the running and Dumbledore had cancelled the season until after the Christmas holidays.
Teddy walked through the long castle corridors, travelling up and down the moving stairs and occasionally chatting with the living portraits. He'd finished up all of his exams and was now lacking anything to do.
His good mood faltered when he saw students getting ready to leave for Hogsmeade. God, he wished he could go. But he had no parental figure to sign his form. He'd sent the Matron from his orphanage a letter, asking is she would sign.
He hadn't gotten a reply, so he guessed it was a no. And now he had no form!
Suddenly, and idea floated into his mind. He could get in so much trouble...
"You're not a Gryffindor!" The knight, who'd taken the the Fat Lady's position as the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, jeered.
"I know, and I don't want to go inside. I just want to see Harry, can you bring him out here?"
"Stand back you shaggy haired fiend!"
"Who you calling shaggy haired?" He self-consciously raised a hand, trying to brush his light brown hair with his fingers. Suddenly the painting opens from the inside and Harry walks out. "What's going on out here? Oh! Teddy, how can I help you?"
"Is Hermione in there?"
"No, she and Ron left to join the students heading to Hogsmeade." Harry looked just as disappointed as he felt. Harry, like Teddy, was staying at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays and because they lacked the form, they'd most likely spend it in the Great Hall playing wizard chess.
"Good, because she wouldn't like my idea." Teddy said and Harry looked up nervously.
"What idea?"
"I need to borrow your invisibility cloak, and if you want you can come."
"Come where?"
"To Hogsmeade." Teddy grinned. "That's right, I'm going. So, what do you think? You coming?" Harry thought for only a split second before saying yes. He ran back into the common room and soon came out with his cloak. They threw it over themselves and began to follow the Hogsmeade field group.
A thick layer of snow had fallen during the night. Students would hadn't already left for the holidays, were throwing snowballs, building snowmen and sipping on hot chocolates that'd been provided in the Great Hall.
Fred and George were busy building a tall snowmen that they planned to enchant to run after passing students, when they saw foot prints appearing in the snow. Grinning mischievously, they ran in their direction and dragged them backwards. Teddy and Harry grumbled under the cloak. "Guys, let go!" Harry said.
"Clever you two."
"But not clever enough."
"We trying to get to Hogsmeade!" Teddy whispered.
"We know."
"We'll get you there."
"We'll show you a quicker way, if you pipe down."
"Let us go!" They pulled them behind a wall, making sure no one was watching. Teddy tugged off the cloak. "What are you doing?" He asked but stopped when something was placed in his hand. A long sheet of folded parchment.
"What's this rubbish?" Harry asked, peering over Teddy's shoulder.
"'What's this rubbish?' he says." Fred scoffed. "This is the secret to our success."
"This?" Teddy glanced down at the parchment then back up at the twins. "The secret to your success... is a piece of parchment?"
Fred scoffed. "George, is you will."
George took out his wand and spoke very clearly. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He tapped the tip of his wand to the parchment and suddenly, ink began to appear on the paper. Teddy's eyes widened before reading it out loud. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map."
"We owe them so much." George sighed as if remembering all the prank they'd pulled off because of that map.
Teddy opened it and his eyes widened further than he thought possible. "This is Hogwarts! And that... No. Is that...?"
"Dumbledore." George pointed to the footprints pacing in Dumbledore's study. "In his study. Pacing. Does that a lot."
"So this map shows everyone?"
"Everyone." They said at once.
"Where they are."
"What's they're doing."
"Every minute."
"Of every day."
"Where'd you get it?" Harry asked. Teddy continued to watched the little footprints. He saw Remus Lupins footprints, walking about his office. Would he be upset at him? That he was planning on sneaking out of the castle?
Wait.. why did he care? He's just his teacher, not his father.
"We knicked it from Filch's office on our first year. There are seven secret passageways out of the castle. We recommend this one. The One-Eyed Watch passageway. Leads you straight to Honeyduke's cellar."
"Great! Thanks guys." Teddy said smiling brightly.
"Just don't forget," George warned. "When you're done, just give it a tap and say, 'Mischief managed'." They tapped the parchment again as they spoke and the ink disappeared. "Otherwise anyone can read it."
"Let's go." Harry pulled the cloak over their heads.
"Have fun!" The twins said at once as they disappeared.