The Boy Who Lived
Chapter 3: The Baby Named Teddy
"So are you going back to school to complete your seventh year?" Ginny asked the next morning when they were walking hand in hand down Diagonally. "What are you looking for anyway?"
Harry chuckled at the fact that she couldn't wait for him to answer one question before asking another. "No I don't think I'm going back to school, though it would be fun considering we would be in the same year." He gave her hand a squeeze at this. "And as for what I'm looking for, I thought it might be nice to bring Ted something."
"Well, first of all no one calls him Ted," Ginny said with a smile. "We're calling him Teddy for now. And exactly how do you propose you are going to move on with your education if you dropped out?"
"I'm going to take my N.E.W.T.s in a month or so with Hermione and Ron. We discussed it already with McGonagal," Harry told her. "She didn't think much about us going back for another year to school. Told us we could just tell them we were home schooled by your mom for a year."
Ginny looked a little disappointed. "Another year at Hogwarts without you," she murmured.
"I'll visit," Harry promised, suddenly regretting for the first time not taking the Headmaster job. "But I want to try and become an Auror."
"Still?" Ginny sounded surprised. "Well, I guess that shouldn't be shocking, but what is there left to defend? I'm surprised you didn't just take the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."
"I didn't get offered that one actually," Harry said, for the first time surprised himself. "McGonagal asked me to be Headmaster though...I guess she assumed I would have not accepted it."
"She wanted you to be Headmaster?" Ginny gaped at him. "No wonder you don't want to go back to school!"
Harry smiled. "Can we go in here?"
An hour later they arrived at Andromeda Tonks' house. Ginny was still holding Harry's hand as if afraid to let it go. "I feel so sorry for her," she told Harry as they walked towards the door. "At least she still has Teddy." Harry squeezed her hand in reassurance as they knocked on the door and were quickly permitted into the house.
"Harry Potter!" Andromeda said in surprise. "Well I'll be damned. I thought you might be coming here soon seeing as the last time I saw you you crashed into my garden. I heard what you did with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Severus Snape's corpses. That was a mighty fine gesture."
"Thank you," Harry said, looking amused and then sobered. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
Her face sobered immediately, but she did not betray her emotions otherwise. "So am I dear, so am I. I fear that I made my son in law feel less then welcome at times, but in the end we got along rather well. My poor Dora though... And Ted... They're probably all in a better place now."
"Probably," Harry agreed easily. He had yet to tell anyone how close he had been to choosing to get on that train at Kings Cross rather then turn around and go back to face Voldemort. Ginny's grip slackened momentarily out of surprise at his assent.
"We've come to visit Teddy," she told Andromeda. "How is he doing today?"
"The same as yesterday," the older woman shrugged. She pulled her shawl close and went back inside, leaving the door open for them to follow. Harry gave Ginny a questioning look.
"She's more upset then she let's on," Ginny murmured. "That's why I keep coming over here to help out in the mornings, but that can only last this summer. I only hope she can get back on her feet after that, but it must be so hard. I can't even imagine."
They walked through the door. Harry let go of Ginny's hand so that she could go first and they did not reattach themselves as they followed Andromeda into Teddy's bedroom. He was sleeping soundly still, but Harry couldn't imagine for how long. All in all he was beautiful. He had never seen a baby up close before: where would he have seen one? He wasn't exactly sure what to make of him, though he reached out one hand tentatively to touch the tiny hands. They seemed so unreal. So tiny. Did he really look like this when Voldemort hit him with the killing curse? It seemed slightly ridiculous to imagine a tiny Harry staring up at the Dark Lord and repelling his magic.
"I think the present might be too big for him," Harry said regretfully. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"He'll grow into it," Ginny said, sounding amused. "You really know nothing about babies do you?"
He shrugged helplessly, and presented the package to Andromeda who was standing in the corner, seemingly unaffected by Harry's naivety. "This is for Teddy, I hoped you could accept it for him."
She smiled, her lips thin, but took the package despite her obvious misgivings. She opened it methodically and revealed a large enchanted toy. The idea was that mirrors and other toy objects hung down so that a child could reach up and play with them -- a flying mobile of sorts.
"And I suggested this since Teddy seemed so fascinated by Ted's old ones," Ginny said breathlessly, holding out another packages, which was much smaller. Andromeda took this package with much more reverence and tore it open. There was a pair of plastic keys that Ginny and Harry had found in a very shady corner of Knockturn Alley, which now was devoted to oddities.
"I'm sure Teddy would thank you if he could speak," Andromeda said quietly. "I'll go make some tea. He should be up soon anyway."
When Andromeda left Harry relaxed. Ginny smiled at him. "You're afraid of her," she commented. "I should have warned you."
"Afraid?" Harry questioned. He turned back to the child now, examining him like he was something alien, which, Harry reminded himself, he sort of was. "I just don't know how to deal with her. And I can't help but to wonder when I was mourning Sirius how Dumbledore dealt with me."
"Well?" Ginny asked after a moments pause.
"He mainly let me talk," Harry smiled. "And throw things I suppose."
"Throw things?" Ginny giggled. Harry smiled at her amusement, knowing she couldn't picture the scene that had happened after Sirius' death. Oh well, it didn't matter. She sobered when she saw that he was lost in thought again. "Come on," She told him. "Do you want to bring Teddy for a walk?" As if on cue the child opened his eyes, a startling blue for now. His tuft of hair was a deep red that reminded Harry of the Weasley's, but it melted to a nice neutral brown as he blinked up at them.
"I never asked," he said, wondering if it were a good time to bring it up or not. "I know he inherited Tonks' gifts, but did he Remus' as well?"
"There's already been several full moons," Ginny said slowly. "And no he has not transformed. As for Remus' penchant for chocolate or books, however, that I cannot tell you yet if he's inherited."
Harry smiled, Ginny grinned back at him.
Hey again guys -- thanks again for all of the great reviews. I hope this chapter was still okay. Next chapter, N.E.W.T. exams!
Momo -- I appreciate your comments and am sorry that you don't agree with my story. Thanks for your comments though!
aliceandjasper -- You're right. I didn't intend to make it sound like the Weasley's aren't still in mourning, because that was not my intention, but I guess I did. I added like almost an entire chapter today because of your review haha. Thanks so much for pointing that out!
Anyway, I am continuing forward in writing this story in hopes that I can finish it by the end of the summer. Look for a new chapter tomorrow!
Thanks again for all of the reviews :).