I'm looking in, way down
The lights are dim
and now I'm alone I'm looking out
I'm looking in, way down
The lights are dim

Into the Fire by Thirteen Senses

A warm weight rested on his knee, causing him to look up from his book and grin. Fawkes trilled happily, his beak leaning forward in greeting. Harry reached out and gave the bird a tentative pet, amazed to see the phoenix after so many years.

"Does he always harbor such a warm regard for you?"

He glanced up to see Dumbledore's eyes twinkling back.

"Fawkes and I have some interesting memories together. Saved my life at one point. I've missed him."

The headmaster frowned slightly, but didn't appear saddened. "I always wondered if Fawkes would be like other phoenixes, following..." He trailed off.

"Their masters into the next great adventure. He sang at your funeral. After that..." Harry shrugged, watching as the golden bird flew back to his perch.

He looked down at the book he had been devouring for most of the afternoon. His head was pounding. When he had first arrived in the office, he had been battered with nostalgia and tried to exchange very few words with his old mentor. However, Dumbledore was more than willing to accept that he would die one day and that many others would as well. Harry supposed he had learned a good deal of that from the days of Grindelwald.

Wishing to stretch his legs, perhaps shake off the headache, and walk down memory lane a bit, he stood up and set the book on the desk. In comfortable silence, he walked to one of the small tables piled in instruments. He chuckled at the sight of one and picked it up.

"When I was fifteen I threw a right fit in here." He looked at Dumbledore in amusement. "I can distinctly remember taking this and throwing it. Gave Fawkes a good scare, I reckon."

"I suppose I do have too many things..."

Harry laughed loudly, feeling pure joy to share a real conversation with the headmaster again. He set the instrument down. "Funny, you said the same thing then too."

"Everything you have said, especially showing me that memory, has told me you and I are close. Well, until my death that is."

He sank back into his chair, his eyes finding the bit of empty wall space where Albus Dumbledore's portrait hung in less than eighteen years' time. Pushing away the sadness, he made eye contact with the elder wizard.

"Let's just say in my biography there's a chapter titled: 'Dumbledore's Man Through and Through.'" Then, as if he were immersed in his own memory, Fawkes released a low note that left Harry feeling a peaceful sadness. "And the first time I said that to you, Fawkes sang the same exact note."

He looked to the phoenix. "Was this your way of practicing? You've got seventeen years or so until next time, my friend."

"Harry, I understand you are dealing with a rather difficult experience right now, but...there is something else. Am I correct in that assumption?"

"You are." He leaned back in the chair, breathing in the familiar scent of the office. "I'm dying, Sir."

Fawkes sang a depressing tune, flying straight to Harry and settling on his thigh comfortably. Harry absentmindedly ran his fingers down the stunning plume of red and gold.

"An illness with no cure?"

He nodded. "Funny how I can survive battles and crazy murderers, yet my demise is from something as simple as disease."

"Disease is far from simple. At least in my experience. Are you quite certain there are no means to cure your ailment?"

"Fawkes isn't crying all over me, now is he? No, I'm going to die. It's strange being so... unprepared. I started planning my death when I was twelve and I was scarily accepting of it. Now, at forty-two, I'm kicking and screaming, desperate for a way out."

"I find that as we age, we begin to discover how truly blessed we are."

"My wife, my children...when I was a teenager I never considered myself as having any family. Believe me, I had incredible friends and people who cared for me. But it's different. Very different."

"Death will be a grand adventure I am sure."

Harry snorted, his eyes gleaming. "I've died before. Rather pleasant feeling actually. Didn't last. You sent me straight back to the living world. Shame on you for that."

His headmaster chuckled, his beard twitching happily. "I will gladly take the blame for that matter, my friend. I would also love nothing more than to carry on our discussion of life and death, but I believe Mrs. Longbottom is preparing a marvelous supper as we speak."

He had never been to the Longbottom's home. Neville said it was destroyed the same night his parents had been tortured. Walking into the entrance with Dumbledore filled him with sadness and curiosity. Here he was, given the chance to interact with those who had died and he couldn't appreciate it at all. For years, Harry had dreamed of this kind of opportunity. But not when he was a year and some months away from spending his afterlife with them. Fate was cruel.

All three of his boys were hiding out in a small nook, dressed in the clothes they had arrived in yesterday. Teddy leapt up first, his hair a shocking green.

"So what are we going to say?"

Harry watched Dumbledore smile and walk through the door ahead into what sounded like the dining room. Smiling at his sons, he shrugged. "See what happens."

It seemed they were last to arrive. It was a smaller crowd than last night, a few members Harry had never known weren't present this time. Mad-Eye, McGonagall, The Longbottoms, his parents, Remus, the Prewitt brothers, and a woman he believed was Dorcas Meadows. He glanced around for Molly and Arthur before remembering they weren't actually members, too busy with the boys; he had a feeling their occasional presence had to with Molly's brothers.

Everyone was suddenly silent. Alice Longbottom cleared her throat and gestured to the section of empty seats directly across from his parents, Remus and Sirius. "Please, sit down."

Harry smiled and did as he was told, his eyes zooming in on Teddy who had chosen to sit across from Sirius and not his father. No one spoke a word.

Suddenly Jamie, who was directly across from Remus, spoke to the marauder. "So, I've always wanted to know, do you ever get the urge to howl at the moon? Or is that one of those things that's only during transformations?"

Harry had never wanted to smack his son's head more. Around the table he could sense everyone's bewilderment and for some, outrage at the possibly insulting comment.

Remus spluttered. "You aren't serious?"

His son smirked. "Actually I'm James, though Sirius is my middle name."

Sirius Black burst into a loud laugh that earned him a glare from Minerva and an exasperated look from Lily. It took Harry and his son, Jamie, less than a second to succumb to the laughter as well and he found himself leaning against his son as he chuckled.

"I'm sorry, Moony, it's just-it's just that Jamie is so much like Sirius it's scary." He managed to say between laughs.

It took a moment, but he caught his breath and began muttering apologies to the general audience. Only his child could bring him a laugh when he so desperately needed it.

"I'm sorry, you all must have a thousand questions for me. I apologize for the outburst last night, this is just a bit overwhelming."

"My first question is what possessed you to name a child James Sirius?" Harry was happy to hear the question come from Remus.

"I needed a good laugh with the first born. Besides it fits his personality as you can see."

Jamie snorted. "Mum and Dad did good to make sure we all had high standards to live up to. Personally, I think I lucked out. Albus here has big shoes to fill."

He gazed at his younger son who was seated between Jamie and Ted. Al groaned. "Two headmasters! Two!" He looked to his grandfather who was grinning in amusement. "Do you have any idea how hard is to be named after the, and I quote, 'bravest men I ever knew'? It's a bloody nightmare."

"It is a dreadful name I believe."

The words were spoken by a chuckling Dumbledore who was watching the scene in awe. Harry found that this exact moment to be so picturesque. His boys meeting so many important people, to be able to laugh with them, see their personalities. He glanced at Teddy who was grinning, his brown eyes hidden beneath a fringe of green hair. He wondered how he felt seeing his father, hearing him, a man he knew only from photographs and old memories of others.

"Wait, two? Who's the other?" His father asked, brow furrowed.

Harry took a swig of water from the goblet in front of him. "Dumbledore's successor. Saved my life, bit of a git, but braver than most."

He knew he was getting odd looks, but by some grace, his mother spoke up, changing the subject.

"Ted right? Wasn't your hair blond yesterday?"

Ah, the million galleon question.

"I'm a metamorphamagus."

Harry silently prayed the conversation would switch directions again soon, knowing Ted hated to be pegged with questions about it. Sadly, Sirius decided to speak up...

"My little cousin's one of those. Cheeky girl that one. It's a rare gift."

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, I've only met a few in my life."

Sirius turned to Remus. "Maybe that's why he smells a bit different to you. Ever gotten a sniff of a morph before?"

Remus looked ready to hit Sirius across the face. Harry raised an eyebrow. So Teddy smelled different. He hadn't even thought to ask his godson if he smelled the difference in everyone. Alice spoke up before he got the chance to even look at Ted.

"Dinner's ready."

Two house elves entered levitating plates of food. Harry had forgotten the Longbottoms had elves. The two serving him currently were still serving Augusta Longbottom in the future. Neville and Hannah never found a need for them, borrowing them only on special events, something he suspected Alice and Frank did as well.

Alice directed the plates along the table so they would fall in front of each guest. Harry smiled down at the steak and potatoes, a near match for the dinner he had had with Ginny and the kids mere days ago.

"Remus I told them to make one extra rare for you."

"Thank you, Alice, you're a dream."

She smiled, looking down the table at Harry and the boys. "Do any of you take your steak rare? I had them make an extra?"

"Teddy'll take his raw if you got it."

And Jamie strikes again. Harry was glad to see Teddy laughing in good humor, happy to see a lightly cooked steak land in front of him. He watched as his godson sliced it, revealing a near-raw center running with bloody juices.

Mad-Eye Moody's eye focused in on the steak and he grunted. "That'll kill you. Lupin liking it raw I understand..."

Harry had made the decision that it was up to Teddy to choose if he wanted to reveal himself to his father or not. He hoped he would though, knowing just how badly his godson wanted to know his father. Perhaps more so than Harry wanted to know the James Potter sitting across the table.

Teddy looked up at Moody and Harry instantly knew Tonks's humor was about to shine through her son. With steak juices dripping down his chin, he opened his lips in a manic grin, displaying long canine-like teeth.

Several occupants of the table jumped and there was the sound of silverware clattering onto the oak table. Harry couldn't help but smile, knowing Tonks would be cheering her son for giving her old mentor, Mad-Eye, a good surprise.

"How. Did. You. Do. That?" Sirius was looking in awe. Remus appeared suddenly uncomfortable.

Ted shrugged, eating happily. "I'm good with controlling my animagus form."

"Animagus, I knew it! What's your form?"

Albus answered, cringing. "A very, very large and creepy looking wolf."

"Not someone you wanna meet in a dark alley." Jamie added.

Minerva gave Ted a admiring look. "That sounds impressive."

Harry kept his eyes on Remus. There was an interesting battle occurring in the werewolf's eyes. He obviously smelled the difference in Teddy and now knowing he was a wolf animagus... Suddenly amber eyes met his and Harry didn't look away, wondering if Remus would be able to piece it all together.

"So, Mister Moony, you never answered my question. Do you, or do you not howl?"

Jamie spoke very directly, as if it were a life-or-death question.

"I'm afraid I don't. I'm sure I do when I'm transformed though."

"Teds always howls. Though, he's been doing that since before he was an animagus, right wolf-boy?"

Harry found Dumbledore at the end of the table; he was looking between Remus and Teddy and clearly felt Harry's eyes on him. Blue met green and Harry saw the dawn of understanding. He held up his goblet in a silent toast that no one else noticed. Everyone was enraptured with whatever came out of his sons' mouths it seemed.

"When's the full moon?" Jamie was asking Remus. "Let's throw you and Teddy into the forbidden forest and see who wins, Al and I will referee."

"It's a little insulting how lightly you feel about werewolves, boy." Mad-Eye growled.

Jamie shrugged, swallowing another bite of food. "They're just a little hairy once a month, long as they take their potions they're harmless."

The silence was deafening. Jamie looked up in confusion. Remus seemed pale. "Potions?"

Jamie looked at Ted. "You were the best at potions. When's all that werewolf stuff invented?"

Teddy sighed. "The first one? In...ten years or so."

"Bugger."

"Indeed."

Remus gripped the table. "There's going to be a potion?"

Harry felt the need to explain this one. He cleared his throat. "In the mid and late nineties it was pretty much illegal to be a werewolf. You had a rough go for a while. Then after the war ended, I started changing the auror department, while my best friend essentially began rewriting every wizarding law passed." He smiled, thinking of Hermione. "In our year, 2022, it's not a big deal to be a werewolf. About nine years ago, my time, a potion was invented that if taken immediately after a werewolf bite, the person won't be transformed. It doesn't cure lycanthropy but if the victim takes it within the hour of the bite, they have a sixty percent chance of never becoming a werewolf."

He paused, giving Remus and the rest of the Order a moment to absorb it all. "What James is talking about is the latest version of a potion that pacifies a werewolf. You still transform, but you are as harmless as you wish to be. There's no pain, and your mind is all your own. If I gave you the potion I would feel safe leaving my newborn child in the room with you transformed."

Albus, not one to be left out, jumped in. "Our Aunt Hermione passed laws that made it illegal to discriminate against any kind of magical creature and human. That goes for everything, blood status, lycanthropy, house elves, you name it. A program was then established to provide Wolfsbane, the potion that pacifies the wold, to anyone who needs it."

"Jamie is so flippant about it all," Teddy's voice was soft. "because it's not a big deal to our generation. It really isn't. Mind you, it's becoming more rare to find a werewolf simply because people are safe now when they transform, they have control."

"A lot changes in forty years." Harry murmured, looking down at his plate.

Remus had to be feeling a million thoughts and emotions. Ted...Harry wondered just what was going through the young Auror's head. He had a perfect chance to share his paternity right here. But it was too public, a table full of dead people.

The conversation started to scatter about the table, Order members speaking to each other and some shooting the boys random questions, favorite subject, Quidditch position and the like.

"Our mum played for the Harpies for about five years."

"I get a son that saves the world and a daughter-in-law that plays pro Quidditch." James chuckled. "Brilliant."

Harry felt his heart soar. To hear such a comment about Ginny and himself...from his own father. He wanted badly to pull James aside and have a real conversation with him, but...

"Mister Potter?"

He turned to see Alice and Frank looking at him carefully. Her arms were folded over her tummy in a protective manner. He felt his lips curling into a grin, knowing just who was growing within. "Thought of any names?"

Frank appeared taken aback. "Jasmine for a girl. Neville if it's a boy."

Harry smiled, nodding. "Neville's a nice name."

A wide grin spread across the future father's face and he immediately looked down at his wife's stomach, wonder in his features. They were so excited to be parents.

"Harry?"

He was pulled from watching the scene by his mother's gentle voice. Both of his parents, so young in age, were looking at him. "You said last night...it's just...who would have abused you?"

He sighed, knowing everyone was trying to listen in for his response. "It was a very tricky thing that saved me the night you two were killed. And it had a lot to do with your love for me. Let's just say Sirius and Remus...there was only one safe place for me and it wasn't the greatest home life. I lived with your sister, Petunia, and her husband and son."

Lily's mouth hung open. She didn't move or speak, she just stared at her own green eyes. Harry knew she was trying to figure out why he would be placed there.

His father stepped in. "Sorry, but why would she even take you in?"

"She and Vernon may be awful people, but I was still her nephew and it would keep me alive. For years I resented the awful way they treated me, but when I grew up I realized I probably would have been killed or worse if they hadn't taken me."

"But, why would you go there? Has everyone been killed and they really are the only ones left to care for you?"

The sadness and pain his mother's eyes was heartbreaking. Her feelings towards her sister and brother-in-law must be at their worst in this time. She looked devastated at the thought of her sister raising her son.

"I wish I could explain the details but I can't. I'm not bitter about my lack of childhood, I've made up for it. Merlin, I married a woman with six brothers!"

Lily's eyes softened. Her husband had a comforting arm draped around her and she sighed into him. "You were only a year old when we died?"

He nodded.

"So...you don't know us at all? Do you?"

Harry sighed. "Honestly? Aside from what other's have shown me and..." He trailed off, not wanting to mention that his only memory of them was their murders. "No, I don't know you."

"Come and stay with us."

Harry blinked in confusion. "Sorry...?"

"Come stay with James and I. We want to know you and since we don't get a chance in the future...Please, come and stay with us." She smiled at the boys. "All of you. I'm a little young to be a grandmother, but..."

He looked at his sons, who were nodding enthusiastically. Teddy was too, but with less excitement. He knew Remus would be around constantly, along with Sirius. It was too good an opportunity.

"All right, thank you."

Dinner carried on, the conversation unusually light and cheerful. Lily wouldn't stop smiling at them, her eyes darting from each man and always ending with her husband, obviously attempting to weed out each similarity they shared.

He soon found himself standing beside his sons in the entrance hall while Remus, Sirius and his parents smiled at them. They were all going to Godric's Hollow. And Harry suddenly felt undeniable terror.

Teddy stared up at the aging white ceiling. He was, once again, in a new room with his two brothers asleep across the space in their own cots. The cottage held four bedrooms. Lily and James had placed them in the guest room across the hall from Harry's nursery, Harry was supposed to be sleeping with his sons, but Ted had heard him slip out well over an hour ago. They were also next door to the room Remus and Sirius were asleep in.

He was a single wall away from his father. And he had just eaten a dinner alongside his father. They had exchanged words, and...

It was as if the large void in his chest was stretching even further apart in distance.

"Hey, Teds, what's that?"

He looked up to see his godfather standing above him, a grin on his face. He gestured at the book in Teddy's lap, repeating his question. "What cha reading?"

"Book on werewolves. I was wondering if there were other..."

Harry frowned and sat down on the couch beside him. "As far as I know, you're the only one. I've managed to find two other children with werewolf fathers, but the only symptom they share with you is the behavior during the full moon."

"So why me? Why do I have such...wolfish tendencies?"

His godfather barked with laughter. "I hardly call them wolfish tendencies, pup. Let's list them all, shall we? Anxious and excitable during the full moon. Prefers meat nearly raw. Excellent senses, particularly hearing and smelling. And a particular gift for transfiguration, though I hardly see how that relates to werewolf genetics."

"Harry, I'm only good when I do wolf-like characteristics. Fangs, claws, fur..."

"Indeed. You'll have the full form down before you graduate next year."

"Why? I wasn't surprised or anything when I realized my form was a wolf, I mean, my patronus is one and Dad, well..."

Harry carefully removed the book from Ted's lap and tossed it onto the coffee table. "Let's compare you to Bill, shall we? He likes rare meat and has a stronger sense of smell."

"But his hearing and vision aren't like mine. He's cranky on the full moon, not full of energy. He also isn't skilled at turning furry at will."

"Maybe he would if he tried." Harry shrugged.

Teddy glared at him. "Not helpful. I just...want some answers."

"I wish I had them for you, pup, I do. But these are questions you may never have answers to."

The teenager groaned, tugging at his currently black hair. "Gran says I didn't show any of these attributes when I was a baby, just that I giggled or cried all through the full moon. I've thought about it and I think I started growing into it all around four or five. Does that sound right?"

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "You could smell dinner before Ginny had even cooked it. You also stopped sleeping through the night on full moons. Too much energy. Then the sun would rise and you would be dead tired, of course."

Teddy didn't say anything. As grateful as he was for his family, there were certain conversations that made him long for his father.

"Would my Dad...would he have been upset about this?"

Harry's frown deepened. "About your...?"

"Me being like a werewolf."

"First of all, I repeat, you are not like a werewolf, Teddy Remus. And second, I think he would require reassurance, yes."

"Reassurance?"

"Your father's greatest fear was that his lycanthropy would be passed on to you. He feared his child would be an outcast of society with no future."

"That's absurd!"

"You don't know how werewolves were treated back then. If Remus heard you so frustrated over these...abilities...he would jump to the conclusion that you resented your heritage."

"I don't-"

His godfather raised a hand to silence him. "But it frustrates you. He would blame himself for upsetting you because of what he was once a month."

Teddy didn't speak for a long minute. He finally looked back up at Harry. "It was really hard for him, wasn't it?"

"More so than I think any of us can understand."

He rolled over, letting out a deep sigh. Could he tell his father who he was? Would he understand, want to know his future son? The questions darted about within his mind until he fell asleep, listening to his brothers' deep breathing.

A/N: Reviewers get to spend as much time as they want with the fabulous Teddy Lupin (: