For me, Teddy Lupin has always been more than a godson to Harry. Through him, Harry can see his own life being repeated, his dreadful years at the Dursleys. However, unlike him, Teddy has a loving wizard grandmother to look after him and a wonderful...
As Gran made me eat the chocolate cake, I voiced my worst suspicions. “If it doesn’t, Gran? Maybe, I’m no good a wizard!”
“Don’t be silly, Teddy. Of course, it will come. What with both your parents being the great wizards they were? And the Howler you set on fire once, don’t you remember?” She said, in her kind voice. “It’ll come! Now, eat your cake.”
So, I did.
Just as I was about to flip the cherry into my mouth and let my hair be as pink as the cream on it, Gran cried in delight.
It was a Hogwarts messenger owl, small and brown, hooting and flapping its wings impatiently against the window. Gran let it in at once.
As the owl staggered and landed on the table with a thud, apparently very dizzy, I noticed something wrong with his right wing. It looked broken. “Oh no, Gran! It’s hurt.” “What?” She stopped smiling at once. “Move, let me see it.”
At once, she started diagnosing. It was heaving slightly. I slowly removed the envelope from its claw. It felt very heavy in my hand.
“Poor thing. Got himself hurt pretty bad”, Gran sighed. The bird hooted in blunt response. At once, Gran started her healing charms and in a minute, its wing was as good as new. “That’s what took it so much time to bring the letter.”
Rejuvinated, the owl started flying around and dislodging things in the neat household, much to Gran’s dismay. However, she didn’t stop it. Like the owl and me, she was too happy to exclaim.
“What are you waiting for?” She cried, her voice shrill with excitement. “Open it!” With shaking fingers, I removed the Hogwarts seal.
HEADMISTRESS: MINERVA MCGONAGALL
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Chief of Transfiguration, Registered Animagus)
D
ear Mr. Edward Remus Teddy Lupin, New Tonks Cottage.
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
I couldn’t be happier. Gran came running and hugged me. It hit me then how much I would miss her at Hogwarts.
She whispered against my shoulder, “Your parents would be so proud of you, Teddy.”
I looked at the mantelpiece at once. Above it, gleamed the familiar picture of my Mom and Dad. They were smiling and waving at me. They did look happy.
While we had been busy with the letter, the Hogwarts messenger had left, not without sneaking a cherry or two from the cake. Gran opened the small drawer beside the fireplace and carefully kept the letter there. On sneaking a look, I saw another couple of letters. Mom’s and Gran’s, I figured. Beside it, was the half burnt Howler which she had sent me once (when I broke her grounding rules). The very first magic that I had done unknowingly.
“I saved our letters with great pains, Teddy. They burnt down everything. I don’t even have a single photograph of your Grandpa.” She looked sad. The way she always did when she remembered Grandpa. And Mom. By now, I knew what ‘they’ meant. The Death Eaters.
I hugged her back, not knowing what else to do when an elder is sad. Moreover, this was new for me. I had always known Gran as a strong, invincible human. She had never looked so vulnerable.
This must have occurred to her too, as she wiped back her tears at once and patted my back. “Stupid old woman, your Gran is. Crying when we should be celebrating! Come, let’s finish your cake.”
I never realized when my hair had become blonder than the sunbeam peeping in through the window and the cake, cherries or no cherries, tasted very sweet!
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