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One last chapter before I leave for France! I will be gone for just under a week. =)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from this piece of writing.
7: Defense
Dear Mum,
Something awful has happened and I don't know what to do. Do you remember the Cantrall family? Mr. and Mrs. Cantrall were at that Ministry party a few years ago. They've got twins; Morgan and Moirai, they are first years here at school. I expect Dad told you about Morgan, he passed out during the fire (Dad told you about that too, didn't he? Please don't be mad with me, it was an accident!). I went to see him and Cassandra the other day and Moirai was there. Mum, now everything has gone horrible wrong and I just don't understand it. Moirai made a prediction about me, it went like this:
It will start with flames, and the dark creature's child shall arise from the ashes, and bring terrible retribution down upon those who accepted his father not. And it shall end as it began, in the flames of the child's wrath.
Chester says it is a load of rubbish and Madam Pomfrey has had Moirai sent to St. Mungo's, they think she is ill. But Morgan believes her, he says she knows things other people do not. He told me to stay away from him, even after I stopped Orion beating him up. I didn't know what to think, Mum, and now Morgan is telling the whole school about it and everybody is avoiding me like the dragon pox. They must think I'm evil, or that I'm going to start attacking people or something. Orion Lynch is having the time of his life, he follows me down corridors shouting for people to run for their lives.
I don't know what is going on, Mum, I don't understand any of it, I don't know how prophecies work, I never listen in Divination. Do you think Moirai is just crazy, or is she telling the truth? Is it possible for her to be wrong? Or do all prophecies end up being fulfilled one way or another?
I don't want to tell Dad about it, I don't want him to think it is his fault, besides he has had enough to worry about recently because of me.
I'm scared, Mum. Please tell me what to do, I don't want to be evil, I don't want to do anything bad.
Love
Teddy
Teddy
I'm sorry if this is a little short and scribbled, but I'm not due home for a few days yet and I'm supposed to be taking over watch from Ron and Jones in a minute, then that will be me hiding up a tree for six hours straight.
First of all, don't be silly. Go and tell Dad everything, that's what dads are there for, after all. He wasn't born yesterday, either, he is bound to notice something is wrong. Especially if you don't tell him, because if you don't, I will.
Secondly, Divination is not a form of mind control! I know you're not evil, love, and so do you. If you don't want to do something, well then you simply won't do it. You have absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Walk down those corridors and hold your head high, you are a good person. People love a bit of gossip, but they will get bored eventually. I'm no prophecy expert either, but I have never heard of a eleven year old Seer who made a decent prediction. As a matter of fact I have only heard of a handful of adults manage such a thing.
Go and have a chat with Dad, it'll make you feel better. And remember, you have absolutely nothing to be afraid of.
Lots of Love
Mum
Dear Mum,
I've had a row with Chester. He hasn't spoken to me all morning.
Everybody sat as far away from us as they could at dinner last night, only Chester and Victoire would sit near to me. Chester keeps giving the others dirty looks, he doesn't listen to me when I tell him to stop. Then when we went to the common room everybody went quiet when I walked in. They were all staring, Mum, but I thought of what you said so I decided to ignore them. I went to sit in a chair, and the second years next to me all got up and moved away. Chester lost his temper, he started shouting at everybody about how we thought they were stupid and everything. Everybody went upstairs to their dormitories and left us on our own. Now they must all be really afraid, what with Chester yelling at them. I told Chester this and told him he should keep his mouth shut, he got mad with me and said he was only trying to help. I told him he was an idiot and he told me to piss off. (I'm allowed to swear if it's part of the story, aren't I?) Now he won't talk to me anymore and it's just me and Victoire. I like having Victoire around, but she isn't in any of my classes. So I feel lonely most of the time.
I still haven't told Dad. The full moon is coming up, he doesn't need the worry.
Love,
Teddy
Teddy
Give Chester some time to calm down, then apologize to him for calling him an idiot. I know he has not gone about dealing with all this in the best possible way, but he is your best friend and he was only trying to stand up for you. He never has been the most sensible boy I've ever come across, but then again neither are you, sometimes. Take the good with the bad and stick by him. Maybe Victoire can help you explain what he did wrong, she is good at that sort of thing, isn't she?
Don't let anybody upset you, love. Dad wrote yesterday to ask me to visit Gringotts for your Hogsmeade trip when I get home, he hasn't the time to go himself and he claims to be down to his last knut. I'll send you a few extra galleons this time, that way you can buy yourself some extra sweets. Have a wonderful time and make sure you speak to Chester before you go.
And like I said, don't be silly, go and talk to Dad!
Lots of Love
Mum
Dear Mum,
Thanks for the pocket money, but I decided not to go to Hogsmeade. I don't feel like going, I'm sick of people staring at me. At least the castle is nearly empty because everybody else has gone, that way I don't have to put up with the whispering.
I haven't spoken to Chester for days, he is making lots of new friends and I don't like going to talk to him in front of them. He probably hates me just as much as they do by now, anyway.
I am going to save the money for the holidays, maybe we can go for ice cream or something, I'd like that.
It's full moon tonight. I still didn't tell Dad.
Love
Teddy
A small stack of parchment landed upon the desk in front of him, and Teddy Lupin was jolted from his thoughts. The boy looked down and recognized the letters that he had sent to his mother. On top there lay a note that he did not recognize:
I've sent your letters to Dad.
X
The child turned around and looked up. His father stood looking down at him, arms crossed across his chest, an eyebrow raised.
And at the sight of him, Teddy felt as though his composure was about to crumble.
Remus reached to pick up the letters, stuffing them unceremoniously into the pocket of his robes.
"Come on," he murmured, reaching to take hold of his son by the arm and pull him to his feet.
As he found himself being led towards the exit of the school library by a firm hand upon his shoulder, Teddy swallowed the lump in his throat and asked:
"Where are we going?"
"Hogsmeade." came the simple response as they stepped out from the jungle of bookcases and headed past the librarian's desk to the door.
Teddy planted his feet firmly upon the floor, bringing the two of them to a firm halt.
"No, Dad, I'm not going..."
"And why not?"
At this question, Teddy wanted to scream. He didn't want to think about it, go over it, he wanted to try and think of something else...
"Because!" he cried, throwing his hands up in frustration, face contorted miserably.
"Because you'd rather sit around staring aimlessly at bookcases and reading a bunch of dull Defense textbooks?" Remus inquired dryly, and Teddy's hands balled into fists.
"I like reading those books!" he protested somewhat half-heartedly, though if he were honest he could not seem to concentrate to read much at all.
"Of course you don't, Theodore." his father reasoned, sounding infuriatingly certain as he resumed walking, half dragging the boy along behind him. "They're old and boring and they don't have enough pictures in them..."
"You don't believe that! You like reading them!"
The professor chuckled under his breath as they began to make their way down the corridor towards the marble staircase.
"Well of course, but that's irrelevant. After all, I am a boring old man, I'm allowed to be boring, the name rather gives it away..."
"Dad...please..."
"You, on the other hand, are much too young for such tedious pursuits. Now come on, there is something important I want to show you."
By the time they had walked down to the village and were making their way along the main street, talk had turned to mundane things, such as whether or not they would brave the crowds in the Three Broomsticks, and which sweets they going to buy in Honeydukes. They had argued the whole way along the road to the shop in question, and Teddy was just about to reinforce his firm belief that acid pops, even if one ignored the fact that they could burn a hole through your tongue, were utterly vile, when Remus came to an abrupt halt and said:
"Stop."
Teddy stopped walking and looked up at his father questioningly, and the werewolf gestured back to the street behind them.
"Do you see what you've just done?" he said as Teddy looked down the street that was crowded with Hogwarts students.
"What have I just done?" the boy asked, looking back at the professor, expression clueless.
"You've walked though this village," Remus told him, "and passed twenty three other students without giving them a single glance or thought."
Teddy looked back down the street again, squinting somewhat disbelievingly at the crowd of black robes.
"Were they staring at me?" he asked worriedly, but Remus simply shrugged.
"What does it matter whether or not they were staring at you? You didn't even notice if they were."
Teddy opened his mouth to protest, only for Remus to turn back to the direction in which they were walking. He seemed to be gazing off into the distance, lost for a moment, and Teddy turned to see what he was looking at. The child's gaze came to rest upon the Shrieking Shack, the rickety, ramshackle building a gloomy crown upon a hilltop.
"When you feel tempted to despair, Teddy, you must find yourself a solid defense." Remus told him as he stared up at the infamous structure grimly. He gestured up the hill as he said: "That's what the Shrieking Shack is, Ted, it's my defense. I gained a good, solid education because of that building. I can look after myself, defend myself, have the world throw me into the gutter and survive. I don't care what people might think of what I am, because I know myself far better than they do. I worked hard at school and passed with good grades, and I knew as soon as I stepped out into the world that I was perfectly capable, that I had a sound head upon my shoulders and I could work hard. I told myself I could achieve more than most if somebody gave me the chance. Nobody gave me a chance, Teddy, not for a long time. But it didn't matter, I didn't despair, because I believed that I could do it, and that was what was important." The werewolf turned to fix his son with a questioning look as he asked: "So then, Theodore, what is your defense?"
Teddy shuffled his feet and gave a small shrug.
"I dunno..." he mumbled, frowning deeply.
"Those people this "prophecy" mentions, those who accept me not, do you hate them?"
"Well...I guess..."
"Really? You really hate them? If you could make them all vanish forever, that would make you happy?"
"No..."
"Why not?"
"I...they don't deserve it."
"Why not?"
"They're ignorant. They're just ignorant, I...I don't hate them. I feel sorry for them."
"Well then, Teddy, that is your defense. How can you bring terrible retribution down upon people who you feel sorry for? You can't. You're not bitter, you're not angry, therefore this so called prophecy cannot apply to you. Now people may think otherwise, you set fire to the common room and your father is a dark creature, so you may forgive their assumptions. But you know that they are wrong. Remember that, Teddy, and everything will turn out well for you."
"You think the prophecy is real, then?" Teddy asked, studying Remus' face carefully, but the werewolf merely shrugged.
"Real or not real, it doesn't apply to you. Just hold your head high and be sure of yourself. Now come along, they'll be selling out of licorice wands..."
As he followed his father into the sweet shop, Teddy did not notice the staring of those inside. He was much too busy musing upon Remus' answer to his question.
Remus hadn't said the prophecy was definitely fake.
And if it was real, but didn't apply to Teddy, the boy mused, it could apply to somebody else...