Teddy Lupin: A marauder's son

Chapter 4: Leaving

"Teddy?"

Teddy's ears pricked up and he stopped packing his trunk when his name was called. Today he was leaving for Hogwarts. It was eight o'clock, he had two hours before the Hogwarts express left. He couldn't wait.

"Teddy!" Harry cried, bursting into the room, "I've been calling you for five minutes!"

"Oh! Sorry..." Teddy mumbled

"It's alright. Here, I have a leaving present for you. Follow me." And with that, Harry left and walked into his study, Teddy hot on his heels. Teddy stepped into the office. He'd never been in Harry's study before, it was dark and had a musty smell but there were books, everywhere. Teddy sat down in a large armchair and watched as Harry opened a drawer in his desk a pulled out a large, silvery cloak.

"If you are a true prankster" he whispered, handing the cloak to Teddy, "you will use it well."

Teddy didn't know what Harry meant but he pulled the cloak on anyway. It was huge. Teddy was tall for his age but he was sure there could have been at least three of him under there with plenty of room. He looked down to see how it suited him and gasped. He couldn't see himself he could see through himself!

Teddy's eyes widened, he knew what this was. This was Harry's fabled invisibility cloak! "Are you..." He stammered, "Serious?"

"No, I'm Harry," Harry grinned as Teddy groaned, "but you can have my cloak."

Teddy was ecstatic. This would be perfect for pranking! " Thanks Harry!" He cried, standing up to leave.

"Wait!" Harry said and beckoned Teddy towards him, "there's more," Teddy crept around the desk where Harry pulled him onto his knee, "and this is cooler." He whispered into Teddy's ear. Teddy watched as Harry unlocked the top drawer of his desk and removed a blank piece of parchment which he handed to Teddy. Teddy frowned, why had Harry given him a blank piece of parchment? He turned it over to see if there was anything on the back but it was also blank.

"Harry..." Teddy said, "this is blank..."

"Watch carefully," Harry muttered and pulled out his wand, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" he tapped the paper with his wand and the parchment unfolded as words appeared on the page:

Messes Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
Are proud to present
The marauders map

"Wait, Moony? Is that..." Teddy trailed off

"Your father," Harry finished, "And mine and Sirius and Peter Pettigrew." Harry spat Peter's name, "they were the greatest Hogwarts pranksters, the marauders."

"Wow," Teddy breathed and looked down at the map and there, in her office, was none other than Minerva McGonagall. " wait, that's "

"Teddy." Harry said, silencing him, "I'm going to tell you what your uncles Fred and George told me. This map shows everyone, where they are, what they're doing, every minute of every day."

"Brilliant!" Teddy cried,

"I know!" Harry replied

"Teddy?" Ginny's voice drifted up the stairs, "are you nearly packed, we need to go soon."

"Hurry ted," Harry muttered, nudging Teddy out of the room.

Teddy scurried back to his room and crammed everything he needed into his trunk. He picked up Moony the wolf, who was lying on the bed and held him close to his chest. He stood there a full minute before whispering "I love you." And he placed the wolf on a high shelf and left his room. He dragged his trunk down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, where he was attacked by a tearful Lily Luna. She was exactly like her mother, red hair, brown eyes and was the most stubborn two year old. Sometimes only Teddy could get her to do something. To see her in this state, crying into his shirt, broke Teddy's heart. "Don't worry Lils, I'll come back at Christmas," he lifted her into his arms, "I promise." He kissed her on the nose and put her back down. "I'm ready!" He called, walking into the hall and picking up his trunk.
The five potters plus Teddy left grimmauld place and stood on the curb. "Care to do the honours, Ted?" Harry said and Teddy grinned. He took his wand out of his pocket and stuck it out. In a flash a triple decker, purple bus appeared in front of them and a man climbed of the bus and took Teddy's trunk from him. Teddy followed him to the front of the bus and sat down.

"My name is Stan and I will be your conductor this morning" the man said cheerily, "where can I take ya?"

"King's cross please!" Teddy exclaimed.

"Ah, another Hogwarts student. King's cross then. Take 'er away Ern" Stan cried and knocked on the glass behind him and the bus shot off at an alarming speed.

In less than two minutes the potters were standing in between platforms 9 and 10. Harry knelt down beside Teddy and handed him his ticket, "just run straight at that wall, I'll be right behind you." He ruffled Teddy's hair as Teddy began to jog towards the wall. As the wall got closer Teddy took a deep breath and screwed his eyes shut, waiting for a collision, but none came. Teddy opened his eyes slowly and feasted his eyes on a magnificent sight. A scarlet train with steam billowing out the top was waiting patiently for the students to get on. Teddy stared around at all the students, found and old, as they said goodbye to their families and climbed on the train. Teddy started to push his trolley towards the train but was stopped by a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned around and looked into Harry's emerald green eyes before wrapping his arms around him in a tigfht embrace. He then turned and hugged Ginny, James Sirius and Albus Severus. He then ed Lily into his arms and kissed her forehead: "I'll write, every week," he put Lily down, "I promise." And them a whistle blew and Teddy hurried on the train. He put his trunk down and leant out of the nearest window, waving to the potters until they rounded a bend and Teddy could see them no more.

It was not long before Teddy found an empty compartment at the far end of the train and heaved his trunk inside. Teddy leant back in his seat and sighed. He, Teddy Lupin, was finally going to Hogwarts! Suddenly, something caught Teddy's eye, a small engraving on the wall. Teddy sent over to it and traced the writing with his finger. The engraving read:

R.J.L P.P
S.B J.P
May the flesh reflect the madness within.

Teddy frowned, who could they be? He thought for a minute before it clicked. "R.J.L" he said aloud, "Remus John Lupin, P.P Peter Pettigrew, S.B, Sirius Black and J.P James Potter!" He squeeled in delight. "I'm in the marauders compartment!" But before he could do anything else, there was a knock on the door and a familiar voice said: "Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."