The Story of Teddy Lupin
Chapter 7: Making the Team
Monday morning Teddy was the first one in his dormitory up. He tried to wake Lee but he just grumbled a bit and rolled over. So Teddy made his way to the common room alone to check for the posting, but it wasn't up yet. He decided to go on and get ready hoping the list would be posted when he was done. Half hour later he tried to wake Lee again who told him to bugger off and went back to sleep. So again Teddy went by himself to the common room to check for the posting. And again it wasn't there. He decided to sit in one of the more comfortable arm chairs in the common room and wait. About an hour later Lee came stumbling in, "I just realized why you kept trying to wake me. has it been posted yet?"
"No."
"Oh. Why are you up and dressed then?"
"I hoped it would be posted by the time I got done getting ready. But it wasn't. so now I'm just waiting."
"Why? You could get a short kip before breakfast if you went back to bed now."
"Nah, too excited. And anxious."
"Okay, well I'm gonna go get ready then."
"I'll be here."
"Okay."
Lee went into the bathroom to get ready and Teddy got comfortable in his chair. While he was waiting he decided to write a letter to Harry. He dug some parchment and a self inking quill out of his school bag and started writing.
Harry,
Try outs were Saturday. Allison, the team captain, said she would post the team roster today sometime. So I woke up really early and came to check the bulletin board. But it's not there yet. So now I'm sitting in the common room waiting. May not be a good idea, I'm not sure I want Allison to see me waiting for her to post it. Especially if I didn't make the team. I really really hope I do. I tried to remember everything Ginny told me, and I managed to make 7 goals on Allison (she's the keeper) while the other chasers made an average of 4 or 5. That's good, right? I hope Lee makes the team too. He thinks he'll only make the reserves, and he's okay with it if he does. But I hope he makes the team. It'll be fun to be on the team together. Neil's try out was yesterday, not sure when his team's captain will make his final decision. But apparently there was a girl there trying out for a beater position. Neil said she was great. Lee and I think he has a crush on her. I guess we'll see. Well Lee's back now so I guess I'll finish this up. Thanks for listening, or reading I guess, Harry.
Teddy
P.S. Oh I almost forgot, thanks for sending my broom up for the try outs. I think it helped.
Teddy rolled the parchment up and sealed it before putting it in his bag. He looked up at Lee, who was fidgeting a bit. "Let's go eat breakfast now so we can come back before class and check the board okay?"
"Yeah sure."
"Oh and could we stop at the owlry so I can send Harry the letter I just wrote him?"
"Sure."
"You okay Lee?"
"Yeah. Just nervous."
"Me too."
They continued to the Owlry in silence. When they got there Teddy's owl, Moony, swooped down and landed on his outstretched arm and nuzzled against his cheek in greeting. Teddy petted him for a moment before giving him the letter. "Take this Harry please Moony."
The owl flew away.
"I thought you were going to wait and write Harry when you found out if you made the team?"
"Yeah, but I got more nervous while I was waiting for you to come back so I needed to do something to distract myself. I'll write him again when I find out."
Lee nodded and they made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. When they had been there for only 10 minutes Neil walked in. "I thought you guys might be here early."
"Yeah. Teddy was up at dawn waiting for Allison to post the roster. So we decided to eat now so we could have time to go back and check before class."
"Good idea." Neil sat down with them and started to eat breakfast too.
They ate in silence, all too nervous to really talk. When they still had about 30 minutes before their first class they made their way back to the Hufflepuff common room. Neil went with them since he had brought his school bag with him to breakfast and he wanted to see if they had made the team. But when they got there the roster was still not up. So they shuffled back out to go to class.
When they finally made it to lunch they were so anxious that they hadn't listened very much in any of their classes. So they agreed to eat lunch quickly and go check the bulletin board again. When they got there they saw a new bit of parchment hanging in the middle. Lee looked at Teddy, "you look. I'm too nervous."
Teddy swallowed, "I can't look either. Neil, look for us please. We can look for you when yours is posted if you want."
Neil shook his head at his best friends, "fine, I'll look. But you guys are big chickens you know."
"Yeah yeah, just tell us what it says."
"Don't be so impatient if you won't look for yourself Teddy."
Neil made his way to the board and looked up at the list. "It's the team roster."
"Well, did we make it?"
"Let me see. Chasers are Morgan Montgomery, Teddy Lupin –"
"Yes!"
"And Andrew Smith. I'm sorry Lee. You made the reserves though."
"Okay. I'm fine with that. The reserve team is fine. I'll still get to practice with the team so then next year maybe I'll make the real team. Especially since I think Andrew is a 7th year. So there will be an open position. This is good."
Teddy patted him on the back a couple times. "You sure you're okay with this?"
"Yeah. Perfectly fine. Happy even."
"Okay. Good. Let's go to class then."
When Lee and Teddy got to History of Magic Teddy got out another bit of parchment to write to Harry again. He knew he should be taking notes, but History of Magic was always so boring that most people tended to zone out anyways. At least if he was writing to Harry he looked like he was taking notes. This letter was much shorter than the first.
Harry,
I made the team! And Lee is on the reserves. He says he's happy with that though so that's good. I can't wait to start practice. And for our first match. Will you and Ginny come? It's fine if you can't, just thought I'd ask.
Teddy
Once classes were done for the day Teddy ran back up to the owlry to send his second letter. Moony wasn't there so he used a school owl to send this one. Which was probably for the best, Moony would not be happy about being sent all the way to Godric's Hollow twice. After that he made his way to the library to meet Neil and Lee to do homework.
That morning Harry was running late for work so he was still home when Teddy's first letter arrived. He went to the window, took the letter and got the owl a treat and some water. "Ginny! Teddy sent a letter."
"Do you think he's already found out about quidditch?"
"Let's read it before I leave for work then. Just in case."
Harry opened the letter and read it aloud to Ginny.
"He's nervous. He woke up early like that last year on the first day of school."
Harry looked at Ginny, "he did?"
"Yes. I was already up because I was nervous for him. So I handled it while you were still asleep."
"Oh well, good. Glad you were nervous too then." Harry grinned at her and Ginny shook her head, "glad my being nervous meant you got a little more sleep."
"I've got to run. I'm really late." He gave her a quick kiss, "I'll see you tonight."
"Have a good day."
"You too."
The second owl came while Harry was still at work and Ginny was picking the children up from the burrow. She had had to work later than she normally does so she asked her mum to pick James up from school and Al and Lily up from daycare. Of course Molly agreed, she always jumped at any chance she got to spend time with her grandchildren. So when Ginny got there to pick them up it took a while to actually get them into the fireplace so they could floo home. When they finally made it home Ginny found the owl perched on the windowsill. She took the letter and gave the owl a treat and some water. Once the owl was satisfied it left. Ginny looked at the letter then and recognized the handwriting as Teddy's. She was sure that if he was sending two letters in one day this one had to say whether he made the team or not. She desperately wanted to read it, but she knew she had to wait for Harry. So she started getting dinner ready and helped James with his homework, which he had not finished at the Burrow like he was supposed to. By the time Harry finally got home dinner was ready, James' homework was done and Ginny was anxious to read Teddy's letter.
"Harry. Teddy wrote again. I haven't opened it yet, been waiting for you."
"Well go on, open it."
Ginny opened the letter and read it to Harry.
"Yes! I knew he could do it. Takes after me after all."
"After you? What about me? I played quidditch too. Could've gone pro too if I'd wanted to."
"Yes dear you could have. But you were a seeker. I was a chaser. And that is what position Teddy plays. So he takes after me."
Al looked up at his parents expectantly, "mumma, daddy. Is it time to eat yet?"
Ginny looked up to see the children sitting at the table waiting for them to sit down. "Yes sweety, sorry."
As they started to eat dinner James looked to his mum, "so Teddy made the quidditch team?"
"Yes he did. And we're very proud of him, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"We're going to write to him after dinner. Do you want us to tell him anything for you?" She looked at each of the children.
Lily smiled, "I drew him picture at granmum's."
"Okay we'll put it with the letter."
"Say hi from Al."
"Okay."
"Tell him I said congrats about quidditch," James added.
"We will."
After the kids were in bed Harry and Ginny went into the office to write back to Teddy. The letter said:
Teddy,
Ginny and I are so proud of you. Congratulations on making the team, we know you'll be amazing. And of course we'll come to your first match. In fact, at least one of us will be at all of your matches. If neither of us is there feel free to assume we are being held against our will somewhere or in a coma. That is how much we both want to be at your games. And I'm sure Andromeda will want to come as well. You'll be lucky if the whole Weasley/Potter clan doesn't come, especially to that first game.
James says congrats. Al says hi. And Lily drew you a picture that we are putting in the envelope with this letter. Can't wait for your first match.
Love,
Harry and Ginny
They sent the letter in time for it to get there during breakfast the next day.
A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. I just wanted it to be about finding out if they made the team or not. What comes next didn't seem to fit in the same chapter.