So far, Edmund's favourite class would be transfiguration. His uncle had only briefly touched the subject during his homeschooling days so it was all quite new to him, he enjoyed the theory and just felt the urge to find out more. He sat next to Neville in nearly every class, which was nice, the Hufflepuff boy was a calming presence on him amidst the chaotic class.

Edmund had a habit of frowning whenever Draco talked lately, not because he doesn't like Draco, just his snotty remarks. Once he frowned the whole day so much he had gotten a headache. Of course, Ron would never let Draco's remarks slide and would reply with his sarcastic tone, and eventually Draco would start dragging Edmund's estranged, secret cousin Harry into it all. Annoying Edmund even further.

After a few more days at school and everyone had gotten familiar with one another, the group of first-year Hufflepuffs had decided to study together and maybe work out a sort of weekly study session. Suddenly, they were approached by Cedric Diggory who held a calendar in his hand. "Do you know of our calendar system?" He asked.

The students looked up at him, curious as to why the most adored boy of the grade would approach them. "We have a calendar for every year," He said and held it up. "Most of the time it is just for keeping track of birthdays, or events that we hold." He gave them a sneaky smile and winked, "Sometimes it is for our parties."

Edmund raised his eyebrows, in one of his mother's old memories, she had once been invited to a Hufflepuff party by a boy who fancied her back then. It was clear to say that she had partied for the whole night with Edmund's father. Cedric gave the calendar to the closest person to him, Edmund and waved before walking off with his friends. "Let's start with Neville." He suggested.

The calendar quickly made its way around the table and most of the birthdays weren't happening until the next month. Edmund pursed his lips as he wrote down his birthday. "Ed?" Susan called out after he had hung the calendar up on the pinboard.

"Yeah?" He turned around to look at her.

"Your birthday was on the second day of school?" She questioned.

He nodded and smiled at her, "I turned 12." He hummed and didn't notice Neville and Susan sharing a look, instead he was preoccupied with the older student who just walked into the common room. The students looked very confused.

"Theseus?" The older student called out as she looked over to the first-years studying.

Edmund blinked a few times and remembered that his second name was just called out, "Yeah, that's me." He answered.

"Professor Snape is asking for you."

The study table began to whisper amongst themselves and Edmund blushed, his neck felt warm. He looked over at his empty spot, littered with books. "Could you put my books in my trunk?" He asked Neville, "When you're going back to our room?" He looked around and frowned at the curious eyes, "I shouldn't Professor Snape wait." One of the older students snorted, as if he was saying that it was an understatement and obvious.

Edmund laughed weakly when Justin dramatically stood up and saluted him. Edmund shrugged off his robes, leaving him in his Hufflepuff sweater. He walked out of the Hufflepuff common room entrance and down into the dungeons.

He likes the short walk, but rather dislikes the humidity in the dungeons, it makes his hair go flat and just not the way he likes it. He knocked on the door of Professor Snape's office. His first potions class would be that week, on Friday. Two hours, just enough time for good potions, good, not great.

"Come in." The monotone voice of his uncle rang out.

Edmund smiled as he opened the door, looking at his uncle. His uncle likes it whenever he smiles, so he did it the most around him as it reminded his uncle of his late best friend. "You called for me, uncle?"

"Yes." Uncle Severus nodded and motioned for him to sit down.

"Did you have to call for a Theseus?" Edmund whined, playfully as he sat down in the chair in front of his uncle. "Everyone is going to tease me for it."

"Don't let them, then." Severus said, humorously. "Here." He put down wrapped boxes on the table, it came in different sizes and colours. "I wanted to wait until I had received everyone their gifts, so that I don't have to call you five times a week." The man's features softened up, "Happy Birthday, Theseus."

Thank you, uncle." Edmund smiled and reached out for a gift, "Can I?" The moment his uncle nodded he already had grabbed a present and was ripping apart the wrapping paper. "A new bag?" It was made out of leather, its strap had padding, so that it wouldn't hurt his shoulder. His uncle must have predicted that he'd struggle with carrying all the books around.

"From your uncle Remus." Uncle Severus said as he snorted, "He could always see the bookworm he once was in you. I suppose that Lupin forgets that he always studies alongside your mother, when she wasn't studying with me." Edmund snorted and ripped open the next gift that was pushed into his hands, "This one is from Draco's mother, Narcissa."

Edmund hummed, it was rather unusual that the woman gave him a birthday gift, as confused as he is, he supposes that he will write a thank you note, to the doting mother of Draco. He was given a book, "Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms." He read out loud.

"Rather interesting, I would recommend that you indulge yourself in it." His uncle hummed.

"I won't be taught this kind of subject until my third year, uncle." Edmund replied, a tad bit confused.

"Your other uncle and I have taught you things beyond your first year already," His uncle countered and Edmund shrugged, having to admit that the older man was right. Edmund muttered something about reading it soon and quickly, another present was put into his hands. "From our headmaster Dumbledore."

Now that really excited him, the headmaster had given him birthday presents ever since he first entered Hogwarts grounds with Snape at the knowledge of his parents. "A memory." Edmund gasped as he held up a vial filled with silver. "And a book," He hummed, "Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimensy." Edmund read and raised his eyebrows. He plucked a note off of the back and read it out loud again, "Strive for greatness. Prove me right." Edmund blushed, a compliment from the famed wizard is a great thing.

Uncle Severus was squinting at his book, "I see." The man said quietly, "Very advanced, good if you start from a very young age."

Edmund nodded and put the present inside of his bag but kept the bottled memory on the table, as soon as he placed the vial on the table. His uncle grabbed it and looked at Edmund. "Minerva requested that I give you her present right after you have seen the memory that Dumbledore had gifted you."

Edmund nodded and his uncle muttered a spell at it. Out of the memory a bright light shone. "I want to be a teacher here." It was the first thing that his mother said in the memory and Edmund looked at her, feeling tears already developing in his eyes. While most days he sees his father in the mirror, the smallest features of his mother sometimes appear, must it be a wrinkle from frowning or the smiling so much, he wouldn't really know. "Why would you want to be a teacher?" Dumbledore questioned.

"To teach," She smiled and he could see Uncle Severus frown sadly in the corner of his eyes. "To inspire, and instil a love of learning."

"What would you want to teach?" Dumbledore asked.

"Arithmancy, or Defense Against the Dark Arts. Like you, Professor." Edmund felt his lips quirk up a bit at the thought of his mother being his teacher. No hate for Professor Quirrel but the man was very peculiar, especially with the unbearable smell of garlic that hung around the classroom.

"How pleasant. You're an exceptional student." Dumbledore hummed, and you could see him squint. "Any other reason?"

"Well, professor. I like the thought of when I have kids, that I'll be their teacher." His mother laughed and Edmund felt a warmth wash over him. "To be honest, sir. They would be my favourite regardless of anyone's talents."

Edmund let a tear drop down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away as the projection ended. He slowly tore open the next gift, a necklace dropped out. 'For your loved ones, and your favourite memory. To keep them close to your heart." He slowly reached for the memory in his uncle's hand and pushed it in the golden necklace.

It fit perfectly, he then turned the letter around, 'Unbreakable charms are placed upon, but being careful is always recommended.' He read. He put it around his neck and put the cold metal against his warm chest.

"At last, mine." Severus said and handed over a rectangle one. His uncle had a habit of gifting him books all the time. He tore it open and gaped at it.

"The newest edition?" His eyes widened and he smiled brightly at his uncle when he nodded. "Merlin." He sighed out, "Thank you, uncle." The boy walked around the table and wrapped his arms around the man's waist.

His uncle quickly reciprocated and let go as fast as he held him. "I'll write you a letter, so no prefect will give you detention." The man quickly picked up a quill and wrote it down. "Here." He held it out.

"Thank you, Uncle Sev." He smiled.

"Go now, it's late and I'll see you tomorrow in class." Severus said,

"See you tomorrow." The boy said and walked out of the door and back to the basement with his fellow Badgers. Snape watched curiously as the boy walked away. Surprised at the gifts that he had received. He had known of his nephew's potential, but he didn't know that others would see it. He happened to be proven wrong by Narcissa, a distant but relatively close family member. He knows that Dumbledore had seen it, that was why the old man was happy to keep his doors open for the boy.

His thoughts kept returning to Narcissa. If she knew of his heritage she wouldn't either try to bring shame upon it, or try to reinstate the glory that it once had. He imagines that Lucius got a hold of his boy and fed him thoughts about their dark lord. Shivering, he sat back down in his chair. Who knew that a simple gift could really make an uncle worried.

— — —

Edmund walked into the class, his hair was a mess from the usually brushed hair and he reached for the door handle when he heard hastened footsteps. He turned around and looked at Harry and Ron. "Overslept?" He asked, as he tried to get his breathing under control.

The two Gryffindors nodded and Edmund cringed, "We'll be in this together then." He muttered and opened the door. The two walked in first and Edmund closed it behind them, as quietly as he could. As fast as he could whilst being quiet, he walked over to the empty chair next to Hermione and gave an apologetic smile at the cat who was looking over the classroom.

"How did you know of Professor McGonagall?" Hermione whispered, puzzled by Edmund's interaction with the cat.

"My uncle." Edmund muttered as he buttoned the top buttons of his shirt. Hermione quietly clicked her tongue and reached over to his tie, tightening it. "Really? That's your main concern?" He asked, a bit teasingly.

Hermione cringed, "It was crooked." She said, weakly. Edmund just smiled, amused as he grabbed his book from his new bag. He looked over at the board and then the title of Hermione's page of the essay she was writing. He pursed his lips and quickly got to work, although his focus didn't last since Harry and Ron started talking, not caring about the quiet, working class.

"Can you imagine the look on McGonagall's face if we were late?" Ron laughed out loud. Edmund snorted when he saw Ron's laugh quickly fade when the cat leapt forwards and transformed into their teacher.

"-ank you, why won't you take Mr. Lupin's example and take a seat?" She suggested and the two boys looked back at an apologetic looking Edmund. He should've warned them. After managing to write down a page on the current essay subject, he lingered behind a bit as everyone moved to go to potions. He walked over to the front of the class to a smiling professor. "You're quite the image to see, walking alongside Harry, late."

"Apologies, I had quite a late night." Her eyes rested on the necklace that showed around his neck, "Thank you, for the present. I love it."

"It is no problem." McGonagall said, "We must protect the memories that we hold dear." She smiled again, "You look like your father, and Harry looks like your uncle. How do you younglings say it, 'a blast from the past' is what it was to see you two walk in together, late."

Edmund laughed softly, "Thank you, professor."

"Now move along, I believe that you have class with your uncle." She kicked him out of the class, politely.

Edmund hummed as he walked down the classes with the leather bag hung around his shoulder, it was nice having not to carry many books on such a busy day like his. He was also glad that he had the afternoon free. He walked into the potions class and quickly noticed that the benches were occupied by four people each. He smiled at Draco who stood by Edmund's assigned bench, his benchmates, Hermione, Ron and Harry were quite surprised to see him just stand there without saying anything snarky.

Ron looked quite displeased to see Malfoy hanging around their bench. "Draco." Edmund greeted the blond and looked down at the wrapped gift in his hands.

The blonde looked sheepishly as he handed it over to Edmund. "I forgot it at home, mother had to send it over to me." Draco rubbed the back of his neck, "Happy birthday, Edmund."

Edmund gave Draco a smile and gave him a quick hug, muttering a thank you before asking him if he should open it immediately. Draco gave him the green light and Edmund shredded apart the gift wrapping. His jaw dropped as he looked at the bewitched toy

The numbers were his parent's jerseys. A gryffindor chaser and a gryffindor beater were flying side by side. He smiled as he watched the beater, hit a bludger away. The bludger went around in a small circle only for the animation to repeat itself.

The chaser had a similar thing, where the player was throwing a quaffle in front of her, only for it to be thrown back in her hand. So it repeated. He looked up at Malfoy, "Thank you, Draco." he said quietly.

"My mother said something about your parents and that they were quidditch players, I was surprised to hear that they were Gryffindors."

Edmund smiled softly, "Do I look like a Slytherin to you?" He teased and he stood in front of the boy with everything Hufflepuff.

Draco laughed but was cut short when his uncle marched in. Edmund quickly took the open seat between Hermione and Harry. He carefully wrapped it and put it in his bag, he wouldn't want anything to happen to it. His uncle's eyes slightly widened as he recognized the jersey numbers. "Put that toy away, Mr. Lupin." His uncle said sharply. Edmund murmured an apology before putting it in his bag, carefully.

His uncle paced through the class with quite a fast pace, "I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few." The teacher looked over at Draco and then at his nephew, who beamed at him. Snape faltered a bit and continued, "Who possesses the predisposition-"

Edmund noticed Harry not paying attention anymore and he continued to nudge him until he looked up. Edmund looked over at his uncle who had noticed it. "-feel confident enough to not pay. Attention!"

Harry made eye contact with the professor and Edmund was slightly taken aback with the tone that Snape has towards Harry. "Mr. Potter. Our new celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood."

Hermione and Edmund raise their hands. Harry shrugged and Edmund cringed again, Severus likes answers, not body language. "You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

"I don't know, sir."

"And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" He frowned again, at the question that Snape asked. The first one was for a potion that was way out of their year requirement.

Uncle Severus noticed the frown and stopped, "Five points from Gryffindor." He said and started the lesson. Edmund started to write down what he heard from the lecture that his uncle gave Harry.

Edmund just looked over at Harry and gave him a sympathetic smile. Harry, being the awkward boy that he is, just smiled back, awkwardly.

During the whole class, he wrote down everything that his uncle said and listened closely to him. When the bell rang, Edmund grabbed his bag and walked out after Neville, "I'm hungry." He stated and looked at his two Hufflepuff friends. "Want to go to the library after?" He asked.

Neville and Susan shared a look before shrugging, "Yeah sure. I need to get Professor Snape's homework done fast before I forget about it." Susan said. Edmund smiled and started plating his food. He was happily eating it until Susan started to wiggle her eyebrows at him, "So I've noticed something." She started. Edmund washed down his food with some water and raised an eyebrow at the Hufflepuff girl. "I noticed that Hermione is always straightening your tie, she even ties it again altogether."

"You know I don't know how to tie a tie." He defended himself, ignoring how his stomach fluttered, "Hermione is a bit of a perfectionist as well," He looked over Susan's shoulder and waved, smiling at the perfection he was talking about. "I don't know how she can get that annoyed with my clothes."

"It's true, her clothes always look pristine. I sometimes get confused when I remember that we got them from the same place." Neville added, "If you don't mind me asking, Ed. What did Professor Snape need from you?"

"Professor Snape is a family friend of my uncle." He answered, technically it is the truth, Professor Snape is both his uncle and a family friend. "Most people send their gifts over to him because it is easier to do so through the floo powder network in his office, rather than having an owl break it or soak it before it even arrives." He explained as he fidgeted with his new necklace. "They know that on my birthdays it is just me and my guardians."

"Guardians?" Susan questioned. Edmund nodded and didn't say anything about it, and his friends must've been afraid to ask as well.

"I'm excited for flying lessons." Edmund hummed, breaking the silence. "Have either of you flown before?" He asked, his eyes glanced over to the entrance and he saw students and teachers alike stream through the door. The two of them shook their heads and Edmund clicked his tongue, "Here I was hoping that I'd get a good flying partner." A shadow casted over his empty place and he slowly turned around.

The girl nodded and dropped the subject. "I'm excited for flying." Edmund hummed and drank from the goblet. Students were streaming in and out of the great hall. "Have you flown before, Neville?"

The boy shook his head, and he looked over at Susan, who shook her head as well. "Bummer." Edmund clicked his tongue. A shadow was cast over his empty plate and he turned around. "Hey Hermione," He greeted her with a smile, "Can you fly on a broom?" He asked.

Susan and Neville snorted and they quickly focused back on their food after Edmund glanced over at them. The shorter girl smiled back at him, "Do you have time? I promised that I'd teach you."

Edmund let out an amused breath, "You did." He heard Neville and Susan start talking again and he quickly excused himself before following her to an empty bench, not wanting to bother others when they were eating.

The boy untied his tie and looked at her, expectantly. "Padma, Susan and I were talking this morning." She hummed as she untied her tie as well, keeping it around her neck. "Susan mentioned something."

"All good things I hope." Edmund smiled as he followed Hermione's slowed down movement to tie her tie. She let out a soft giggle.

"That you have another name." Hermione continued and quickly adjusted his hands as he was doing it wrong.

Edmund blushed and nodded, "Theseus." He muttered.

"Like the hero?"

"Like the hero." Edmund confirmed.

"It's a nice name." Hermione hummed, "I don't think that I've heard the story of Theseus before, I did hear of Perseus, or Troy."

"It would've been a nice name if I was something even close to being a hero." Edmund muttered, "But mom named me that, I'll never complain about it."

"You shouldn't be ashamed of your name."

"I just want to live up to my namesake." Edmund shrugged, "I'm no hero."

Hermione smiled at him, "Theseus." She muttered, her mouth opened again as if she wanted to say something, instead she dropped the tie in her hands and reached over to his, "You need to go through that first loop." She said and showed it to him, "I don't even know where you got this second one from."

Edmund laughed softly, "I don't know how I did it either," He smiled, "Say, Hermione." He started, "When is your birthday?" He asked, "We have this tradition in our house with some calendar, I know it sounds stupid and all but-"

"It's nice that your house does something like that." She smiled, and tightened his tie before untying it again all over, "My birthday is this month, on the 19th." She answered his question.

"That'll be soon," He muttered as he looked down in concentration as he attempted to tie his tie again.

"Fairly decent." Hermione complimented, "You need to be mindful of proportions and if you did it evenly."

"Thank you for this, Hermione." He smiled, "I think you'd get tired of doing this every morning." Edmund said and Hermione blushed before giving him a small smile. "I'll find some way to repay you!" The two waved goodbye and she left the great hall with her friend, Padma. Edmund thought that it was peculiar that one of the twins was sorted into Ravenclaw while the other was sorted into Gryffindor.

He quickly took his tie off and his robes. He quickly stuffed it in his bag, ignoring the disapproving look that Uncle Severus gave him as he walked past. He turned to look at his friends, just to see them ready for him with books under their arms. "Library?" The three smiled at each other and took their time going up to the library.

—

"Surprise!" A chorus of voices exclaimed as he had walked into the library, confetti exploded from three different wands. Edmund looked around in surprise and noticed all of the faces of the new friends he had made over the course of the week. Many from Hufflepuff were attending and quite a lot of Gryffindors, the blue stood between the sea of red and yellow.

Speaking about twins, Fred and George walked out with a cake. "Congratulations on your late birthday party!" They said and stopped in front of him, "Make a wish."

Edmund narrowed his eyes at the twins, the pranksters. He knows them well, too well. They always hang out together in the summer, despite Snape's protests that they're a bad influence. Which they might be, just a little.

"There are no candles." Edmund said quietly.

The twins looked at each other, "Right you are."

"Quite a smart one, aren't you?" the other said. Edmund closed his eyes and braced himself, he had the right intuition because before he knew it, cake was smeared in his face.

"Thank you, you guys." He said and wiped a hand over his eyes, taking away all of the icing. "Did Madam Price approve of this?" He asked.

"Professor McGonagall, did, actually." Fred grinned. The caked boy accepted the wipes that Susan handed him. "We had to ask nicely."

"She was quite supportive of it." Hermione said. "Why is that?"

Edmund just gave them a weak smile and shrugged. "I don't like to make a big deal out of my birthday." he said and cleared his whole face with the tissue that Hermione handed over to him.

"No choice now," Fred said.

"You have all of us in one place!" George continued and whooped as he threw a package at him. "From the Weasley's!"

He opened the package and held up a sneakoscope. "Thank you!" He said and threw his arms around the boys. "Favourite Weasley's!"

Ron wanted to complain but kept his mouth shut, realising that he doesn't really know Edmund all that well. He realised that his brothers spent a lot more time with Lupin rather than their little brother. They even went ahead to the paper store, where they talked to the pretty girl at the counter. They never took Ron to see the pretty girl at the counter.