Cheating Death
Written by Christina Elizabeth Lupin
A/N: This is the end for Cheating Death, really, though you all managed to surprise me in voting for a sequel (though it was no surprise that you all wanted it too). So I will be beginning a sequel hopefully soon. It might be a spin-off of what I write in this little epilogue. I have no idea, but it will be fun to write. Once again, thanks to every single person who reviewed this story. You were the inspiration and the fuel that made me update faster every time. The epilogue is dedicated to you all!
Cheating Death
Epilogue
Teddy Lupin joined his peers at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, his eyes roaming the Head table that faced out to all the students. He could clearly see his godfather seated at his usual place as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and he was chatting with Professor Flitwick. And, seated on Harry's other side, was his dad, Remus Lupin. Professor Binns finally accepted to give up his position as professor of History of Magic and gave it to Remus, who happily took it. Tonks Lupin was now reinstated as an Auror but she preferred to work with the new trainees that entered the academy.
The Hall began to quiet down as the front doors opened and Headmistress McGonagall led the first year students into the hall. Even when she was made Headmistress in the absence of the former Headmaster, Severus Snape, she still preferred to greet the new students. In other words, she didn't quite trust any other professor to do the job better than her.
Mr. Filch entered, carrying the Sorting hat along with a three-legged stool that he perched in front of the Head table, placing the hat on top of it. As the hat began to sing his song for the year, Teddy thought back to when he first had been Sorted. He was so nervous, especially when his godfather was sitting up at the Head table as well. He didn't want to disappoint his adoptive father by not being Sorted into Gryffindor. Teddy had known that the Marauders had all been Sorted into Gryffindor and their first heir had also been Sorted there too. So, it was only fitting that Teddy be Sorted into Gryffindor to continue the tradition, right?
When he heard his name being called, he felt his heart sink to his feet as he approached the stool. Harry gave him an encouraging nod before Teddy turned around and put the hat on his head. At first, the Sorting hat wanted to place him in Ravenclaw, just like it had tried to do with his father, but Teddy disagreed. He didn't think he would do well in the Raven House. The hat argued with the Metamorphmagus before reluctantly Sorting him into Gryffindor for having the guts to argue with the hat.
Teddy was shocked out of his stupor when one of his roommates, Gregory Michaels, nudged him in the ribs. When he glanced to the table, he blushed when he saw the food.
"Got lost on Memory Lane," he said to Gregory.
"Understandable," the other Gryffindor said, nodding. "Thinking back to your Sorting, yes?"
Teddy nodded. "Yeah. It wanted to put me in Ravenclaw and I argued with it."
"You don't seem the type to spend your free time in the library anyway," spoke up a Gryffindor girl who was also in his year. Teddy couldn't remember her name. "Even if your father happened to be Remus Lupin."
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"How does it feel, Remus, to be back again?" Professor Flitwick asked Remus as dinner commenced.
"It feels great, Filius," Remus answered with a smile. "And it's all thanks to the brat on the other side of me." Here he nudged Harry with his elbow.
"Hey! I am not a brat!" Harry argued.
The other professors chuckled. "Whatever you say, Harry," Headmistress McGonagall said candidly.
Harry just shook his head, a look of amusement on his face. His eyes traveled over to his godson and he watched as Teddy talked to Mr. Michaels and Miss Evanson. He was glad that the young Metamorphmagus made great friends in his year. The other Gryffindors were too prejudiced anyway.
"So, have you finally settled down with a young lady lately, Harry?" Horace Slughorn asked from further down the table.
Even Remus looked interested and stared at his cub along with the rest of the table. Harry let out a sigh and put his fork down, knowing that he would not get out of this conversation.
"I am currently seeing someone, yes," Harry said and had to hold up a hand to stop the questions being fired at him, "but you'll have to wait to meet her. I want to be sure that she'll be a keeper before I introduce her to the family." He winked and returned to his plate.
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"Welcome to History of Magic," Remus said to the third year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. "I am Professor Lupin and I will be replacing Professor Binns as the professor for this class. Hopefully I will be less boring than he was."
Chuckles floated around the room. "Of course you will be, Professor!" Briana Evanson said from the front row, seated next to Teddy. "No one could be more boring than him."
Remus smiled. "Why, thank you Briana. Now, we will begin this lesson with a small quiz." He walked down each aisle, passing out the papers so they faced against the desk. "Don't start just yet. The reason for why I am giving this out to see how far you are. I made this up based on what the curriculum should be for the third years. Hopefully Professor Binns didn't spend too much time obsessing over the goblin wars to ignore the other pieces of history." He overturned the large hourglass on his desk. "You may begin now."
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"Your dad was awesome!" Gregory exclaimed as they exited the classroom. "He's almost as good as Professor Potter!"
Briana rolled her eyes. "According to you, Greg, no one is better than Professor Potter." She winked to Teddy to show that she was having fun with their friend.
"He is an excellent Professor, Bri! Professor Potter doesn't give out too many boring lessons and we hardly read from a book! Besides, he's been there, you know, and done things."
"Did it ever occur to you, Greg, that the only reason Professor Potter knows how to perform the Patronus Charm was because Professor Lupin taught him?" Teddy said, grinning wickedly.
Both Teddy and Briana laughed at the look on Gregory's face as they walked toward the Transfiguration classroom. Transfiguration was now taught by a witch named Caitlin Quentin, who was almost as strict as Headmistress McGonagall (according to what Harry told his godson, anyway).
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During lunch, Remus continued to pester Harry about his girlfriend. Harry seemed to be ignoring the older man, but you could tell that he was fighting a smile.
"Do I even know her?" the werewolf asked, throwing his hands in the air.
Harry swallowed and nodded, stopping Remus in his tracks. "You do know her a little," he responded.
"Oh."
Harry snickered. "Don't worry, Remus. You'll know who she is when I reveal her to you and the others."
"I can only hope that she makes you happy," the older man said, "or she will know just how dangerous werewolves truly are."
The Boy-Who-Lived saw the look on Remus' face and knew that he would follow through with his threat. Gulping slightly, Harry returned to his meal, glancing over at the Transfiguration professor as he did so.
"So, have you graded the quizzes yet, Remus?" Filius Flitwick said to his former pupil, having to glance around the younger professor to talk to Remus.
"Some, and the damage doesn't seem to be irreversible."
"Thank goodness," Minerva responded from the middle of the table. "Hopefully those grades will be up to par, unlike some." She leveled a playful glare to Harry, who nearly choked on his pumpkin juice. "And I hope there are those who take their own notes too."
"Hey," Harry protested weakly after he swallowed the juice. "It wasn't our fault that Professor Binns had the kind of voice that would put any student into a stupor."
"Then thank Merlin he finally gave up the job," the Astronomy professor said.
"If only we could get Sybil to quit as well…" Minerva said, glancing over at the permanently empty seat where the Divination professor should be seated.
"Hear, hear," Remus said with the other professors.
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"… and that's all for today," Harry said as the bell rang. "Continue to practice the wand movements for next lesson."
He returned to his desk and shuffled the papers that littered it. Teddy approached the desk nervously. He hadn't talked to his godfather since he left Godric's Hollow with his father and he hoped that he wasn't too upset with him.
"What's up, Teddy?" Harry asked, glancing up from the several sheets of parchment on his desk.
"I-I just wanted to talk, since there are no other classes today." He sat down on one of the desks near the teacher's desk.
"Okay. Why don't we take this into my office so that we are given a little more privacy?"
The two made their way up the staircase up to Harry's office and they took their seats on two armchairs that were seated around the fireplace.
"Is it true that you are seeing someone?" Teddy asked, facing his godfather.
Harry chuckled, thinking how much Teddy reminded him of his parents. "Yes, Ted, I am seeing someone. And she is not one of the women that Ron and Hermione have set me up with. I actually met her a few years ago and we had become friends. It was only recently that we agreed to go out."
Teddy couldn't help but feel happy for Harry. He was worried about his godfather being alone in Godric's Hollow without any company.
"When can I see her?"
Harry smirked. "You already know her, Ted, but I will only introduce her when we are sure that we want to be together in the eyes of wizarding world."
Teddy pouted, making his godfather laugh.
"Don't worry, kiddo. I'm sure you'll like her."
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"Teddy, could you stay after for a second?"
Teddy did as his father said, wondering what the werewolf would want to talk to him about. He waved to his two friends and walked up toward the front desk. He frowned when he saw his father looked nervous.
"What is it, Dad?" he asked almost as nervously.
"Take a seat, son," Remus said, gesturing to the conjured chair that appeared in front of the desk.
Unfortunately, that didn't seem to make Teddy less nervous. "Dad, what's wrong? Is it Mum? Is something wrong with her?"
The werewolf chuckled. "No, nothing's wrong with her… yet." He smiled at the look his son gave him. "We just found out that you're going to be having a sibling within the next seven months, son."
Fin
A/N: haha! I bet you think I am evil for doing that. Fortunately for you, it will be continued in the sequel. I will post a note on this story when I have posted the sequel so you don't have to go searching for it.
I had a lot of fun writing this story and I thank PadyandMoony for posting the challenge in the first place. It was only after reading Friends and Fathers that I decided to try my own hand in the challenge. I do have another story being written and here is a little preview of it.
My Child
Harry pushed aside the Order's letter and picked up the last one, his name written in an elegant hand. He slit the envelope open and pulled out a thick sheet of parchment and began to read.
My Dearest Harry,
If you are reading this, then what I have feared has come to pass. I can only hope that you are living with a loving family instead of my sad excuse for a sister. If you are living with said sister, then you know how harsh she is. She wasn't any better when she was young either, my son. I can only hope that you are removed from her care as soon as humanly possible.
There are a few things I want to discuss with you. I am very sure that Dumbledore is either ignorant or has knowledge of what I will be telling you. I swear that man should have been in Slytherin for his cunning and manipulative ways.
First of all, I want to inform you that your father was never James Potter.
A/N: And there is the preview for My Child, which will be up hopefully before Monday. Thanks for enjoying Cheating Death and look out for its sequel, which is unnamed for now.