Hi everyone, I have finally finished chapter 3 of this story and it focuses on Harry and Teddy. This one is much bigger than the previous 2, in fact, I think it's the same size as them both combined. Mainly because other than Andromeda, I think Harry would've been the biggest influence on Teddy's childhood.

After this chapter, I will not post another chapter for this story until I have completed by LOTR fic. I have found that writing two different stories in two different fandoms makes it harder to get into a flow, and so I've decided to finish of the final 5/6 chapters of my LOTR fic, to keep it easier for me, and then focus solely on this one. I think that will make it easier to have regular updates on both of the stories.

As for the next chapter, I am undecided between Andromeda, Charlie or Lyall. When I start writing this story again, they will all get a chapter, but let me know if you have a preference of which one to write first.

I decided to focus this chapter more on Teddy's early childhood than anything else, mainly because I firmly believe that Teddy would've been a key presence in Harry healing from the war, and I think their key moments together would've happened when Teddy was younger. Not to say when he was an adult he wouldn't have been close with Harry, because I believe they would've had a great bond even when he was older, but I think the early years, particularly with Harry being the one who was also raised an orphan, were the key moments.

Hope you enjoy chapter 3.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling.

Harry sat in complete silence, his hand locked with Ginny's as immense waves of guilt began flowing through him. He hardly moved his eyes from the open caskets before him. As the three members of the Order who had lost their lives in the battle, Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Tonks had decided that a joint funeral for Fred, Remus and Tonks was fitting.

The three of them looked young in death. Of course, they were young, especially Fred and Tonks, but even Remus, whose life had made him look older than his thirty eight years, looked younger and far more peaceful in death than he had in life.

Far too many people had lost their lives, and although Harry understood it was their choice to fight, it did not stop him from feeling that he was ultimately responsible for their deaths. If only he had stayed away from Hogwarts...

Every few minutes, his gaze moved away from the bodies, and towards a woman sat close by. Mrs. Tonks was holding a bundle in her arms, with a tuft of blue hair. He had seen her at the memorial last week, hosted by Kingsley the day after the battle, but had not found the courage to go and speak with the grieving woman, and he also had no idea how to greet Teddy. He knew he was only a baby and would not remember their first meeting, but Harry had no experience with babies, and with Remus gone, as well as Ted, he feared that Teddy would look to him as a father figure, and that was something that Harry was not ready for.

After the bodies were placed in their coffins, and the ceremony was over, he decided it was time to speak with Mrs. Tonks.

"I'll be with you soon, Ginny. I-I should go and…" he gestured towards Mrs. Tonks, who had yet to move from her seat, her eyes locked on the coffin before her, where her daughter's body was to now be forever sealed.

"It's okay, Harry. Go and see them," she said, understanding, and he took a large breath before heading over to the grieving woman.

"Mrs. Tonks?" he said, gently, afraid he would startle her. Her head shot up, but she recognised him immediately.

"Oh, Harry. Please, take a seat," she gestured to a spare seat on her left, and he hesitantly took it.

"I just wanted to…I want to say that…I'm so sorry." He wished he could disappear off the face of the planet. This poor woman had lost her husband and only child because of him and all he could say was 'I'm sorry.'

"Thank you, Harry," she replied, her eyes finally moving from the coffin's in front of them. "And I'm sorry too. I know you were friends with Fred Weasley, and I know what Remus meant to you as well. You certainly meant a lot to him."

"I only wish that I had…" Known him better was what he wanted to say, but the words would not come. The bundle in her arms moved slightly in his sleep, and Harry's attention wandered to him. "This must be Teddy."

Some light appeared back in Mrs. Tonks' eyes, and she looked at her grandson with a look of love Harry had never received from a family member since his parents.

"Indeed. Harry, meet your godson. Teddy, meet Uncle Harry." She tilted the baby in her arms slightly so he could get a real look at his godson's face. He stifled a chuckle. Remus had been wrong that day in Shell Cottage, and once again Tonks was right. Though he could see a few features of his mother, Teddy was Remus' double, aside from the small amounts of bright blue hair.

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Oh, erm. I…I don't…" Harry was flustered. He had never been around a baby before and had no idea how to hold them. Or how to do anything for them.

"It's okay, I'll show you how to support him."

Andromeda gently placed Teddy in Harry's arms, and he squirmed a little, opening his eyes. Harry braced himself for Teddy to begin crying, but to his surprise, Teddy just stared at him, and his hair turned to jet black to match the hair of the man who was holding him.

Guilt overwhelmed him once more. This tiny baby had slept through his parents' funeral, and he didn't even know it. The guilt he carried, must've shown on his face, for Andromeda placed her hand on his in a comforting gesture.

"No one blames you for anything, Harry. I can tell you think it's all your fault."

"Perhaps they should blame me," he replied, biting his cheek in an effort to fight back the tears.

"Don't be ridiculous, Harry. You're barely a man, hardly responsible for what has happened. Everyone knew what they were fighting for, my daughter included, and I know she would do it again if she could."

"You're right, but I still feel guilty."

"You know," Andromeda began, almost hesitantly, and she looked at her grandson, holding one of his tiny hands in her own. "Nymphadora told me how awful those muggles made your childhood. It must have been hard enough losing your parents so young, but then to deal with the abuse they gave you must have been horrific. The two of us have to make sure that he never feels like you did."

Harry swore to himself that his godson would never feel as he did as a child. Harry not only felt, but knew he was unwanted and unloved, and he would do his absolute best to ensure that Teddy never once felt like that.

"I would like to visit him, when I can."

"You are his godfather. You can visit anytime," she replied, and then for the first time her lips curled upwards slightly. "Within reason, of course."

"I want to be to him what I was Sirius had been able to be for me." Whilst he loved the short time he had with Sirius before he died, Harry still wished Sirius had been there when he was a child.

"When you were born, it was the happiest I'd ever seen him. He used to joke that he was happier than your parents were." Harry had momentarily forgotten that Sirius had once called Andromeda his favourite cousin, and it was clear that after the two had been disowned by their family, they had kept in touch. "Every time I saw him, he would tell me all about the new things you had done. When you laughed, and your first words…I hate thinking about the time didn't get to spend with you."

"That won't happen with Teddy," Harry assured her, and himself. "He will know me as well as he knows you."

Harry kept his promise, and made sure that he visited Teddy regularly. At first, he was hesitant to go to Andromeda's house too often, thinking that she needed the space, but it became obvious that she considered having him around a couple of times a week to help with Teddy a big help to her.

It took him a while to get used to what to do around a baby. He knew babies cried, but he didn't know just how often they did. It seemed that whenever Teddy was awake, his face would scrunch up and he would emit a wail that Harry thought was impossible for someone so small. In the beginning, if Teddy began to cry and Andromeda wasn't in the room, he was hopeless, but he soon began to appreciate the ability that his godson had inherited from his mother.

Still just a few weeks old, Teddy still had very little hair, but what small amounts of hair he did have would change colour depending on his mood, something that Harry found incredibly helpful if Andromeda was in the kitchen and Teddy was beginning to fuss. If he was content and happy, his hair was the same turquoise colour that he had sported in the picture Remus had shown Harry before the battle. If he was uncomfortable or needed a hug from his grandmother or godfather, his hair would turn red. Not a Weasley red, but a violent red that would quickly turn to a more gentle colour if he was being fussed by someone. If he was hungry his hair would turn pink, (something that Harry knew upset Andromeda every time it happened, so whenever he was around, he tried to make sure that Teddy was fed before his hair would turn pink) and it would be a green colour if he needed changing.) During his sleep, however, his hair would fade to what Harry assumed was his natural hair colour, the same sandy blonde as Remus'.

Harry found that being around Teddy helped to take his mind off his own struggles that occurred after the war. Seeing so much death had left its mark on Harry, and he was often worried that he was going mad, but the afternoons he spent with this innocent child whom after only three visits he loved with all his heart, and who would change his hair to black whenever Harry held him, made Harry feel like all would be okay.

He found himself just talking to Teddy when the two of them were alone. He knew, of course, that Teddy was unaware of what he was saying, but Harry liked to think his voice offered Teddy as much comfort as Teddy offered him. He would stare down at this child and say, in a voice that did not sound like his own, "I will make sure you don't feel alone and unloved as I did," or "I think you were a surprise to everyone, but what a wonderful surprise you are," or even, "When I go you must be good for your Gran, because she's feeling a little sad today."

Teddy was two months old when Harry took care of him by himself one afternoon. Narcissa and Draco Malfoy had shown up at the front door of Andromeda's house the previous week looking to reconcile, so Andromeda had suggested they arrange a day to go to The Three Broomsticks, but until she knew her sister was genuine, she did not want Teddy around her, so she asked Harry to look after him that afternoon, which Harry wholeheartedly agreed to.

Then he panicked. He had gotten used to helping look after Teddy whilst Andromeda was around, but he worried what would happen when he was left alone with a baby. Well, he wasn't quite alone. He had asked Ginny to come with him, and of course, she had been more than willing to as she too had fallen in love with Teddy, who was a weekly visitor to the Burrow. And Ginny was a natural with the baby. She could stop him crying, change his nappy with her eyes closed, and Harry had yet to see her break a sweat in doing so.

Though she assured Harry that she had no doubt he would be fine, Andromeda was still somewhat reluctant to leave Teddy, the person she loved most of all, but eventually, she gave her grandson a kiss on the forehead, and left. And as the afternoon went on, Harry did not know why he had himself so worried, for Teddy was perfect and there were no issues at all, though Harry was not impressed at how much Ginny laughed when Teddy's dinner ended up all over Harry's arm, and he was clearly being ganged up on as Ginny's laughter evoked a rather proud look in the baby.

After the first time went so well, he continued to babysit as Andromeda returned to work at St. Mungos. When she was at work, and whenever his Auror training allowed it, Harry would spend the day at Andromeda's house, watching over Teddy, who was learning new things each and every day. He began to babble, and was able to lift his head, though he had also developed the habit of screaming whenever someone left the room for two seconds. Other than that, he was a perfect child.

After five months of babysitting, Andromeda trusted Harry, and he trusted himself, enough to take care of Teddy by himself at night. Andromeda went to visit Ted's family in the countryside for a night, having not seen them since he died, and she had asked Harry, rather than Mrs. Weasley, to stay the night to take care of him. Her trust in him meant a lot, for he had hoped that he had proven he was capable of taking care of his godson, and for her to be willing to leave him in his care for the night signalled that he was doing something right.

Just before Halloween, Andromeda returned to work at St. Mungos, so Harry, now a more than competent babysitter, would look after Teddy whenever his Auror training allowed it. And it was around this time that Harry first babysat for Teddy during a night. Andromeda had gone to visit Ted's family for a night in the country to celebrate what would've been his 47th birthday.

He was working on renovating Grimmauld Place, but until it was ready, he did not want Teddy to step a foot in that dark house, so he was given permission by Andromeda to babysit Teddy at her house in her absence. He spent the night on the sofa, turning down Andromeda's offer of spending the night in Tonks' childhood room, so he was in the room next to Teddy's nursery. Harry knew Andromeda had barely touched her daughter's room, so it didn't feel right sleeping in it until Andromeda had made her peace. Instead he used a muggle baby monitor to listen to everything that was happening in Teddy's room, and unfortunately for Harry, he had to use it often.

Teddy was having a restless night, and Harry could not figure out why. He did not need changing or feeding, he made sure that Teddy was not too hot or cold, and yet the baby still wailed. Harry rocked him, pacing around the nursery to try to lull him to sleep and even began to hum a lullaby to him (he decided against singing, for he was certain that would've only made Teddy cry even more).

After a few hours of Teddy alternating between wailing loud enough to wake the dead, and short bursts of sleep, Harry figured out why he was so agitated. Teddy continuously tugged on his left ear, sometimes rubbing it on Harry's shoulder when he was holding him, and Harry realised the baby must have an ear infection, causing him distress. Knowing Teddy needed his sleep, but not knowing how to help him with his ailment, and not wanting to disturb Andromeda during her well earned night away, he sent a patronus to someone he knew would not mind him waking her up at 4am in the morning.

Molly Weasley appeared in the fireplace just moments later, a vial of potion in her hand and made a beeline for Harry and Teddy who were now curled up in the armchair. Teddy, now red faced and squealing, saw his Grandma Molly and reached his arms out as she approached. She took him in her own arms and began to bounce him, speaking gently to him.

"There, there sweetie. Are you feeling poorly?" She was answered by another cry, and she soothed him enough for potion to be taken. "Here, this will help. Yes it will."

Slowly, Teddy's sobs became small sniffles, and then eventually he became silent, and Molly handed Teddy back to his godfather.

"Thank you," Harry said, Teddy now curled on his chest, still awake but no longer in pain.

"No problem, dear. Now you get some rest."

Too tired to walk up the stairs and put Teddy to sleep in his nursery, he placed an arm around the baby on his chest, keeping him secure, and began to read 'Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump.'

The next thing Harry knew, it was morning, and he woke to someone shuffling around the living room. Reaching for his wand before he opened his eyes, the intruder spoke.

"It's only me, Harry," the voice of Andromeda Tonks spoke. "Forgive me for waking you, but I imagine he'll be getting hungry soon."

And it was then that Harry felt the weight on his chest, and looked down to see that his godson was still fast asleep.

"I hope you don't mind," Andromeda continued, handing Harry something, "but I took a picture. When I walked in and saw the two of you curled up asleep, I thought a picture was needed, and I thought you'd like it."

She was right, he loved the picture. Harry with his glasses askew on his face, one hand secured around Teddy's back, the other holding the Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Teddy, also deep in sleep, his hair his natural colour. It was a beautiful picture and one that Harry cherished.

After taking care of Teddy for the night, Harry doubled his efforts at renovating Grimmauld Place. It was not long before the hallways, kitchen, living room and two bedrooms were now decorated in a way in which he liked. Gone were the dark, evil rooms, and instead they were replaced with light rooms that would be filled with memories and happiness. One of the rooms was his own bedroom, and the other he turned into a nursery for Teddy, hoping that when he permanently moved in to Grimmauld Place, Andromeda would continue to let him babysit.

And after seeing Harry with Teddy, she had no hesitation in allowing Harry to babysit him every Wednesday night when Harry deemed Grimmauld Place liveable, and Teddy would continue to sleep at his godfather's on Wednesdays, even when it was his Hogwarts holidays. Baby Teddy found Kreacher very interesting, often squealing with joy when he saw the elf. Kreacher had helped with the renovation, and although it took Kreacher a while to let go of the old prejudices he held, and after Harry had warned Kreacher several times for muttering about wolf spawns under his breath, Kreacher too warmed up to the child, and became fond of him, though he would never admit that.

It took Harry four years to completely renovate Grimmauld Place. By this time, he and Ginny were married and they were expecting their first child. There was now only one room left for Harry to renovate, the room containing the family tapestry. Harry had been putting it off for as long as he could remember, but now the rest of the house was complete, he had no choice but to see to the family tree.

He stood in the room, eying up the name 'Sirius', and his immediate thought was to destroy the tree as he had managed with the portrait of Mrs. Black, but he could hear the giggle of a four-year-old boy from the living room, and decided he would do something different. Over the following weeks, he made the colour of the tree lighter to match the rest of the house, and he set about changing the names of the tree. Cedrella Black, Arthur's mother reappeared in her rightful place alongside her husband, Septimus, and therefore all the Weasley family were added to the tapestry, Harry included due to his marriage to Ginny. Harry also charmed the tapestry to include his own parents, finding it fitting that James should find his way onto the tree after being brothers in all but blood with Sirius. Of course, Harry immediately restored those portraits that had been removed from the tree, Sirius and Andromeda the two most prominent names.

Unsure on what to make of Bellatrix, the woman who murdered both Sirius and Tonks, Harry asked for her sister's opinion, and Andromeda insisted that Bellatrix's name should remain on the tree.

"Sirius left this house to you, Harry, the choice is yours. She killed two of the most important people in my life, and I never wish to look upon her face again, but if we start picking and choosing names that should be on a family tree, it makes us no better than them. And in any case, removing her name will never change the fact that she was my sister."

Recognising the knowledge in her words, Harry kept the portrait of Bellatrix up, though Harry was as pleased as Andromeda at the thought of her face being present in Sirius' house, but he decided that ultimately Andromeda was right, and her face remained on the portrait. And that left just one more thing to do.

Two weeks after he had started work on the Black family tapestry, it was completed, and he took a step back to admire his handiwork. Happy with what he saw, he shouted for his godson.

"Teddy, come here a minute, buddy. I want to show you something!"

"Coming, Uncle Harry!" the replying shout came from down the hallway, and his five-year-old godson came sprinting down the hallway, nearly knocking into the vase along the way.

"Erm, what have I said about running in the house?" Harry asked, trying to sound stern, for he did worry about Teddy's safety when he ran in the house, but in reality his godson's giddiness made him smile.

"Not to," he replied, looking down at his feet in shame. Harry lifted Teddy's chin up so he looked him in the eye.

"Promise me you won't run again. You could hurt yourself."

"I promise."

"Good, now come in," Harry said, and opened the door. Teddy, who had never been in this room before and his eyes widened, though he was also confused.

"What is this room, Uncle Harry?"

"This is the Black Family tree, and I have been working to improve it. But what I want to show you is over here."

And he ushered Teddy over to the final additions to the tree. Once he saw the names and portraits, Teddy grinned and began to jump around excitedly.

"That's me, Uncle Harry!" he shouted, pointing at the name 'Edward R. Lupin, b. 1998.' "That's me!"

"You're right, that is you. And look, who are these?" Harry said, pointing to the names above Teddy's. Remus J. Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin.

"Wow! That's mummy and daddy! And there's gran too. And Uncle Harry, that's you and Auntie Ginny."

"Right then, trouble maker," Ginny said, appearing from the door after a few minutes, no doubt hearing Teddy's excited chatter, "it's time for tea."

And with the mention of food, Teddy ran to the kitchen, forgetting his promise to Harry only moments before, but Harry did not have the heart to berate him once again. He shut the door behind him, glad that he had made the decision to update the tapestry, rather than destroy it.

When the morning came, and Andromeda came to Grimmauld Place to collect him, Teddy thought it made the perfect time to play a little game.

"Right then Teddy, come and say goodbye to Uncle Harry, we are going home," she said after she and Harry had had a small conversation, but she received no reply. "Teddy?" she tried again, and the silence was very uncharacteristic.

Harry saw a look of panic cross her face, as it was not often that Teddy was quiet, but luckily he had spotted something and nudged her in the direction of two small feet sticking out behind a curtain, trying to hide. Both Harry and Andromeda decided to play along with Teddy.

"Where is he?" Andromeda asked aloud, and Harry could her a small giggle coming from the direction of the feet. "Where has my Teddy gone?"

"I don't know, perhaps we should look for him," Harry replied, and the two pretended to look all over the living room before Andromeda sighed dramatically.

"Oh, well, I guess I will have to leave him then. Goodbye, Harry."

"Nooo!" a small voice shouted, and Teddy jumped from behind the curtain. "Grandma, I'm here!"

"Oh, there he is!" Harry said, and he watched as Teddy launched himself into his grandmother's arms.

Teddy was the first child Harry had really known, and while there were similarities between the two of them, he was so incredibly happy that Teddy's childhood had so differed from his own. He loved watching Teddy change every day (both literally and figuratively thanks to his ability) and doing things as a child that Harry was never given the chance to. It made Harry's heart warm to know he was a small part of offering Teddy a far better childhood than he was allowed.

"Teddy, come and meet Dominique," Harry said, approaching his godson who was hiding in the corner, covering his ears to stop the wailing noise coming from the baby in Fleur's arms. Dominique was not the first baby that Teddy had met, but he was still a baby himself when Victoire was born, so Dominique was the first baby he could interact with.

He took the hand of his godson and ushered him over to his new niece, who had stopped crying and had fallen asleep, snuggled contently in her mothers arms. Like her sister, she was a beautiful baby, but Teddy was not impressed.

"This is Victoire's little sister," Harry said and Teddy peered into the blankets, but screwed his face up.

"She's little."

"She's very little. You were once that small."

"No I wasn't!" Teddy answered back, clearly not believing it was possible for him to have been as small as Dominique.

They stayed for a while longer, before giving Bill and Fleur some peace. As loud as Dominique's crying was, one could always count upon Teddy to raise the decibel in the room just a note higher, and Harry thought the newest Weasley needed a little peace from the noise of a easily excitable toddler.

Teddy held on tight as they side-along apparated to the Burrow, and once there, Teddy ran to Arthur and chattered to him with excitement.

"I saw Vicky's little sister," he announced.

"Did you really?" Arthur replied, and Teddy nodded thoroughly.

"Yep. Her name is Dom…Dom…" Teddy stuttered, not able to pronounce her name yet, so Arthur helped.

"Dominique?"

"Yes, that's her name!"

Teddy now ran back towards Harry and tugged on his sleeve, looking up at him with almost pleading eyes.

"Can I have a sister?"

Harry froze, looking towards Arthur only to see the smile had immediately vanished from his face. Becoming flustered, Harry looked down at his godson's smiling face, and knelt before him, taking his two small hands in his own. Teddy must've realised the situation was no longer playful, for the joy on his face had vanished too, and he looked serious instead.

Teddy knew his parents were dead, or at least Harry thought he knew. Andromeda had explained to him that they had to go away to a place called heaven, with Harry's parents too, and Teddy, though confused, had seemed to realise that his parents weren't coming back. Clearly Teddy was still too young to understand the concept of death, and he also didn't realise that brothers and sisters were children born to the same parents. At that moment, Ginny, who must've heard Teddy ask the question due to the sympathetic look upon her face, walked in the room, and it gave Harry an idea.

"Well, remember how we told you that Auntie Ginny is going to have a baby?"

"Yep. Baby James or baby Lily."

"Yes, James or Lily. Well, you are my godson, so when the baby is born, that means you will have a godbrother or a godsister."

Harry was not sure if such a thing even existed, but he decided if it did not, it would now, because Teddy beamed back at him.

"Really?"

"Yes, and it's the most important job in the whole world. You will be the baby's godbrother."

"I will be the best godbrother in the whole world," Teddy exclaimed, making a huge gesture with his arms as if to show the whole world. Harry hugged him, holding him close.

"I know you will."

And Harry was right. From the moment James was born, Teddy took to him like a duck takes to water. He proudly announced that James was his godbrother and every time he saw James, he would talk to him about anything that came to his mind. For a while, Teddy was disappointed that James didn't speak back, but Harry assured him that it was only because James was too little and that as soon as he could speak, he would love talking back to Teddy. He had also started to learn to control changing his hair colour and as James grew, he began to laugh when Teddy did so, trying to grab Teddy's hair with his tiny hands, making Teddy laugh in the process.

Though James was not officially Teddy's brother, Harry hoped that Teddy would consider James and any other children he and Ginny may have as close as siblings, and watching him interact with baby James, he had no doubt that he would.

Harry suddenly had a large amount of newfound respect for Andromeda Tonks, who was now raising a second metamorphmagus child. Harry felt that just looking after one for a few days a week at most was enough for a lifetime. His godson was currently somewhere in the crowd of people at Hogsmeade, and Harry was imagining the fifty-thousand different ways Andromeda would curse him when he returned to her home without her grandson.

It was the November 5th, and even wizards enjoyed Guy Fawkes night. Every year at Hogsmeade, there would be a remarkable fireworks display, and wizards flock from all over the country to see it. Harry, Ginny, and Teddy (five-month-old James was too young to see the display, so was staying the night at the Burrow) had all visited Hogsmeade a few hours before the celebration, to have a meal at the Three Broomsticks and to take Teddy to his favourite shop.

But they weren't the only ones, and Hogsmeade was already full of people. After they had left the Three Broomsticks and headed out into the crowded street, Harry shrank to his knees in front of Teddy and spoke sternly to him.

"Listen to me very carefully. It is very busy, and you must hold mine or Auntie Ginny's hands at all times. Do you understand?"

Teddy nodded and grabbed the hand that Harry offered him, happily jumping rather than walking. He could not stop talking about how excited he was to see the fireworks, and how he wasn't scared of them this year. Harry had taken him to the display the previous year, but the loud bangs had frightened him, and they returned home early. This year, however, Teddy had proudly announced that he was a 'big boy' and the loud noises didn't scare him anymore.

"Honeydukes!" Teddy shouted, and began to run, tugging at Harry's hand as he saw the sweet shop. Honeydukes was Teddy's favourite shop in the whole world (other than Uncle George's shop of course).

Ginny laughed as Harry was dragged to the shop, trying to calm Teddy down, assuring him that the sweets won't disappear if they walk to the shop.

"You two go and buy enough sweets to make your teeth rot," she said with a smile. "I will find you soon. Luna mentioned she saw some adorable baby clothes in Gladrags last week, I am going to go and buy some early Christmas gifts for James and Dominique."

Harry led Teddy into the shop, and the boy's eyes widened in awe as they always did when they came into the sweetshop. Harry felt he should have a share in the shop at this point, as Teddy would empty the shelves whenever he came. Acid pops, sugar quills, no melt ice cream, and Teddy's favourite, chocolate frogs.

As Harry went to pay, he let go of Teddy's hand for two seconds to hand the money to the worker and when he turned back around, he saw no sign of his godson.

"Teddy?" But there was no answer, and it was at that moment he began to panic. He looked around, certain Teddy could not have gotten far, but he was nowhere to be seen. He ran out back onto the street but it was no use.

"Teddy?" he shouted again, this time more frantic.

"Harry!" a voice shouted, and he turned to see his wife walking towards him with a huge smile, a bag of shopping in her hands, and the other holding James, who was on her hip. He rushed towards her, and the smile she had on her face dropped as she saw he was alone.

"Where is Teddy?" When Harry began to stammer at her, she repeated her question, only with more anger evident in her voice. "Harry Potter, where is Teddy?"

"I let go of his hand for two seconds to pay and—"

"You lost him!" Ginny shrieked, and James began to cry, as if he could sense his parents were becoming tense.

"Look, we need to remain calm."

"Remain calm!" Ginny was quickly becoming the opposite of calm and was now panicking more than Harry. "Harry, look at how many people are here. Who knows what could happen to him?"

"Which is why we need to remain calm and search for him."

"Harry, you do realise that we are searching for a child who may not look like Teddy. He could look like anyone. It makes our task a little harder."

No, Harry had not considered that. In fact, with Teddy sporting his natural hair colour today, he had momentarily forgotten his godson was a metamorphmagus. Now he truly began to panic, but he didn't let his wife see to prevent her from worrying even more.

"Teddy knows to not morph outside the house if he can help it."

"Around muggles. Harry we're in Hogsmeade, he knows no muggles come here."

"I know, I know. Look, every second we waste here could be spent trying to find him. I will walk back up that way to the Three Broomsticks, you head to the Hog's Head. If we can't find him, we'll check in every shop."

So that was how Harry Potter found himself searching all over Hogsmeade for a child that could literally look like anything. He kept his eye out for bright coloured hair, or something odd like a child with cat's ears, but he saw nothing. Until—

"There he is! Uncle Harry!"

Relief flooded through him as he turned and saw Teddy, who looked exactly as he had done when they had arrived in Hogsmeade, and was safe with another adult…and that adult was none other than Draco Malfoy.

Terrified, he headed over to where the two were stood, before he remembered that Draco was no threat to Teddy. Andromeda and Narcissa had reconciled after the war, and Teddy was somewhat familiar with Draco, who didn't exactly look comfortable with the five-year-old tugging on his arm, but wasn't horrified by it either.

"Oh, Teddy," he said, wrapping the boy in a hug as he reached them. And then he remembered that Teddy had ran away from him. "You, young man are in a lot of trouble. Never do that to me again."

Relief overcame the anger he felt, and then he remembered Draco stood there. He picked Teddy up, groaning slightly as he was getting far to heavy to carry now.

"Potter."

"Malfoy."

Then Harry did something he had never done before and offered his hand, and in turn Draco did something he had never done before and shook it.

"Thank you."

"No problem," he said, and then ruffled Teddy's hair. "See you later, kid."

"Bye bye, Draco," Teddy said, waving as Draco walked off. It was odd to see his old school rival so familiar with his godson, but Teddy was unbothered by his presence and so that was fine with Harry. His heart rate now normal, Harry hugged Teddy closer, not releasing him at all as he went to find his wife, feeding Teddy with some of the Honeydukes sweets and the three of them had a wonderful time enjoying the fireworks display.

"Uncle Harry? What's a half-breed? Why did that man call my daddy a half-breed?"

It was the first thing Teddy had said since their disastrous outing to Diagon Alley where some less than pleasant people had expressed their vile opinions about Teddy's existence. The people in question had said that Teddy's existence was an abomination because the boy's father was a 'filthy half-breed that shouldn't have been allowed to breed.'

Since they returned, Teddy had sat quietly, overwhelmed by the whole situation, watching as Harry packed his bag, getting him ready to return to his grandmothers.

Harry sighed, knowing that he would now have to have a conversation with six-year-old Teddy that he didn't want to have for a long time. He and Andromeda had spoken about who of the two of them would be best suited to one day tell Teddy about Remus' lycanthropy, and they decided Harry, for he knew Remus better and understood the condition better than Andromeda did, but they had agreed to not tell him until he was ready. Unfortunately that conversation now needed to be fast tracked.

He knelt in front of Teddy, who was still looking rather sullen.

"Was daddy a bad person? He called him evil."

"No, no, absolutely not," Harry said, noticing that with every passing moment he failed to reassure Teddy, his godson was becoming more upset. "That man said something nasty and he was wrong. So do not listen to him, do you understand me?" Teddy nodded at him, but kept his eyes downwards. "Your daddy was not a bad person, he was a wonderful person who fought for good people, against bad people who wanted to hurt me and many others.

"But, there was something different about your daddy that you need to know." Harry took a deep breath, wondering how he was going to explain lycanthropy to a six-year-old. "When he was small, even smaller than you, a bad man hurt your daddy and made him really poorly."

"Like when I was poorly at Uncle George's birthday?" Teddy asked, referring to the time he had caught a virus and had been sick for days.

"Even more poorly." Teddy's eyes bulged, not believing it was possible to be more poorly than he had.

"Teddy, do you know what werewolves are?" Harry asked, and he had to stifle a laugh, even with the seriousness of the conversation as Teddy tilted his head back and let out a howling noise. "Yes, well, the bad man who hurt your daddy was a werewolf, and that meant that he made your daddy one too."

"My daddy was a werewolf?" Teddy said, and Harry panicked. Everyone had made sure that Teddy heard wonderful stories of Remus and Tonks and the last thing he wanted was for Teddy to fear what his father had been.

"Yes, he was. But more importantly he was a good man. Unfortunately, some people were really mean to werewolves and that was why those people said those mean things about you and your daddy, but they weren't true. And even though they were mean to him, he still fought to protect you, because he loved you."

Teddy nodded, but Harry was unsure he really understood the conversation that had just happened. Teddy ran from the room, but came back moments later with his overnight bag and pulled out the stuffed wolf George had bought him for his first Christmas.

"If my daddy was a werewolf then werewolves are amazing. Moony is my most favourite toy ever," he said, gesturing to the wolf toy he ever went anywhere without. Harry knew that one day they would have to have the conversation again, but when Teddy was older, and he understood, but until that moment, he wouldn't dare ruin the fun the little boy was having playing with his favourite toy.

Years had passed, and Harry found himself feeling old as he stood at Platform 9 ¾ for the first time since his sixth year had ended. Eleven years had passed since he had defeated Voldemort, and it was now time for his godson to have his Hogwarts experience.

"Do you have it?" Harry whispered as he hugged Teddy, wishing him luck for his first year at Hogwarts.

"In my suitcase."

The 'it' Harry was referring to was the Marauder's Map, which Harry had presented to Teddy the previous night.

"Try to keep it a secret," Harry had said, handing the map to Teddy as his eyes lit up in wonder. "McGonagall will have my head if she finds out it has been passed onto another one of the Marauder's sons. I think between them our dads and Sirius gave her a lifetime at trouble when they were at school."

It was of course, only natural that Harry should pass the map on to Teddy. After all, at the end of his third year, it had been Remus who gave the map back to Harry, and as the son of one of the creator's, Teddy had as much right to the map as Harry himself did, though he only hoped Teddy wouldn't become too much of a troublemaker in possession of the map. A metamorphmagus in possession of a map that can tell the reader where all the teachers in the school are was sure to mean trouble.

Everyone waved as the Hogwarts Express left Platform 9 ¾, and Harry went over to a teary Andromeda, trying to cheer her up.

"I still think Gryffindor," he joked politely, and her sniffles turned into a laugh.

"Harry Potter, I am always right. He will be a Hufflepuff, you will see."

She was, of course, right. And Harry was one of several people who received a letter the following evening from an excited Teddy letting them know about his first night.

Uncle Harry,

I got sorted into Hufflepuff! Just like mum! Gran was right, she said she would be proud no matter where I was sorted but when I asked her what house she thought I'd be sorted into, she was certain it would be Hufflepuff.

Hogwarts is as amazing as you described. All the teachers seem friendly (Hagrid told me to say hi). The moving stairways are confusing, but I found my way to the common room easily enough. And the common room is amazing too, it doesn't feel like a dungeon at all. And some of the portraits remembered my mum from when she was here, and grandad Ted.

There aren't as many students this year. McGonagall said that was because people did not want babies to be born in the height of the war, but I've already made a few friends.

I used the map for the first time last night, and it was amazing to see the whole school on a piece of parchment. But then something else happened, and it was like it was talking to me. Writing just appeared from nowhere when I was reading it.

'Mr. Prongs would like to welcome Mr. Lupin to Hogwarts and he would like to congratulate Mr. Moony on finally dropping his 'I'm not good for anybody' self-pity act and having a family. Mr. Wormtail would also like to congratulate Mr. Moony and would like to add that he always knew Mr. Moony would eventually have a happy life. Mr. Padfoot agrees with Mr. Prongs and Mr. Wormtail, but would also like to know what unlucky woman has been charmed by the most grumpy person to have ever lived. Mr. Moony would like his friends to stop teasing and would like to wish Mr. Lupin luck in his years at school and hopes he becomes as good pranksters as we were.'

Then I kind of had a conversation with them. It was quite fun, but a little weird. I mean, I have never spoken to my dad before, and yet here I was, able to communicate with him. Did you ever feel like your dad was talking to you through the map? Maybe it's odd, because my dad was fifteen when the map was made, but it's kind of comforting, communicating with him when I've never been able to.

I know I will love my time here, and I promise to write to you to let you know how I am getting along.

Say hi to Auntie Ginny, James, Albus and Lily for me.

Love from Teddy.

Teddy,

I am so happy to hear that your first night has gone so well, and congratulations on being sorted into Hufflepuff. Helga's house has gained another fantastic young wizard, and I know this is just the start of you being a credit to yourself and your house. I am also very happy to hear that you have already made friends, and I know you will make more as your time at Hogwarts progresses because of the wonderful person you are.

The Hufflepuff common room was one I have never seen, so you will have to describe it to me. Or even better, take a photo, I would love to see what it looks like. The stairs can be confusing, but if you are friendly to the ghosts and the portraits, they will be willing to help you. But do watch out for Peeves, he is the only one that will try to make things difficult. Though, if you mention the spell Waddiwasi in front of him, he may cower. Remind me when you are home at Christmas to tell you the story of when your dad used the spell.

Speaking of your dad, I am glad to see that you have already used the map, and I have no doubt that you will learn to use it quickly. Though I must offer advice to be cautious. I did find it wonderful that I could communicate with my dad, but please do not become to obsessed with it. I do not wish to dishearten you, but it is not real, and regular communication with the Marauders via the map may only upset you further, something I do not wish to happen.

I look forward to hearing more of the start of your Hogwarts journey. I hope you enjoy your first week of classes, and I still think transfiguration will be your favourites. Remember to behave in your classes, especially Herbology or else Professor Longbottom will let me know (and say hi back to Hagrid for me).

Hope to hear from you again soon,

Uncle Harry, Auntie Ginny, James, Albus and Lily.

"I understand. More than most people I understand," Harry said, his voice almost pleading as his fifteen-year-old godson became more and more irate. He wanted to calm him down before he said something he regretted.

"No! You don't! Your parents went into hiding. Voldemort found you, they tried everything they could to fight him off and protect you, but they stayed with you until the end! Mine left! What kind of selfish parents leave their newborn?!"

He almost fell to the floor, tears in his eyes and his outburst began to calm.

"They didn't have to go," he said, sobbing in between his words. "They could've stayed at home with me but they left. Would the two of them staying with me really have made a difference to the outcome of the war. They could still be here."

Teddy stormed off, and Harry felt defeated. He remembered a time where he felt anger at his parents for leaving him, especially as it meant he had to live with the Dursleys, but despite being in his position once, Harry felt helpless as his godson felt a similar anger towards his parents. But he gave Teddy some space, knowing he would come around.

He wasn't sure what had started the outburst, and if Teddy did not want to share, he would not ask, but he assumed something had been said to him, and it made him angry, only his anger was directed at the wrong people.

He still felt guilt all these years later at the fact that Remus and Tonks hadn't lived to see their son grow, but he knew that they would sacrifice themselves again in a heartbeat to know he would've grown up happy and healthy, and Teddy understood that, even if at times he forgot it.

He barely spoke to Harry and Ginny as he left to return to Andromeda's house, and Harry explained to the woman about her grandson's outburst. She didn't seem surprised, and had told him that Teddy's attitude towards his parents had been the same for a few weeks now. She explained how Teddy had snapped at her when she had told him it would've been his mother's fortieth birthday the previous day.

Early the next morning, however, Teddy appeared in their front room, coming from the fireplace with a rather sullen look upon his face. Before Harry could go to him, he spoke up, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.

"I'm sorry for shouting. I-I didn't mean it, any of what I said. I know why they went, and I'm proud of them, I always have been. I'm just selfish and wish that they didn't."

"It's okay…" he was about to say he had no need to apologise, but Teddy spoke up before he could.

"No it's not. Did you hear the awful things I said?" Harry knew that Teddy would regret his words, and here was the proof. The poor teen was as much of a mess as he was yesterday, only for a different reason.

"I called them selfish for fighting for what was right…for fighting in a battle they died in."

"You didn't mean it."

"I did when I said it. Why else would I have said it? It's just…I have nothing. Everyone has told me things but I have absolutely nothing. I don't remember anything about them, not even the smallest of flashes."

Harry had seen his first birthday when his parents had died, and the older he got, the more memories of his short time with his parents he would be told of. But Teddy had been just two weeks old, and those two weeks were spent in hiding.

"It's almost odd really. I miss two people who I never knew." Teddy was now sobbing, and Harry's heart broke at his words.

"It's not odd at all," he replied softly and opened his arms. His now fifteen-year-old godson nearly jumped into his arms as he had done as a child, and Harry just held him as he cried.

The boy in his arms still had his whole life ahead of him, but Harry could not help but think back over the last fifteen years, and the pleasure it had been to watch him grow. This child who was the one ray of light at the end of a dark war, whom he loved as he did his own children, and Harry knew that Remus and Tonks would be proud of the young man their son was becoming, just as proud as he was.

There was Harry's chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. It was hard to write but also enjoyable because I love imagining their relationship.

I hope the huge time jump between 6-year-old Teddy and then Hogwarts was not too big, but as explained in the intro, I wanted this chapter to focus mostly on the early years.

As for The Diagon Alley incident, I do not believe prejudice would've so easily left the wizarding world so there would be many who would despise Teddy's existence, and it is also something I will cover in more detail in Ginny's chapter. It would be a better fit to extend it with her chapter, but the conversation that followed was more natural to be with Harry (and it felt more natural that Harry has that conversation with Teddy than Andromeda).

In regards to the map, I like the idea of the Marauders just talking to Teddy, and he obviously feels like he's communicating with his dad, but kind of like with Harry and the Mirror, he needs to know it's not real, and Harry had to warn him of that, even if it was harsh.

And then the final part may seem a little over the top, but I feel that even years later with grief sometimes comes anger, and I imagine being orphaned so young would often lead to a small period of time where there is anger towards the parents for leaving them so young, but obviously he regrets his words and doesn't mean them, he's just frustrated they aren't there, a feeling Harry knows better than anyone.

Thanks again for reading, I hope to complete my LOTR fic soon so it shouldn't be too long before I continue this story. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy reading and please feel free to suggest who you would like to see in the next chapter.