Teddy Through Time

“Teddy?”

Teddy sat curled up beneath the ancient beech tree on the edge of the Great Lake, knees pulled to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them. He startled at the sound of his name, suddenly aware of how far his thoughts had wandered.
“Oh—hi, Harry! Didn’t know you had time to take strolls between Snape’s detentions,” he said with a grin, attempting to keep his tone light.
But it was clear—this time, Teddy wasn’t smiling with his eyes.

“What’re you doing out here?” asked Harry, lowering himself beside him. Ron and Hermione followed suit.
“I had a chat with Albus. Thought I’d stretch my legs,” Teddy replied.
“Any news about getting back home?” asked Hermione, who was finally getting the chance to speak with him properly.
“No,” said Teddy glumly. “It seems Albus doesn’t have any answers, even though I know he’s trying. He doesn’t show it, but I can tell he’s already tired of me—and all the mess I’ve brought along. And to be honest, I can’t really blame him. He’s got so much on his plate right now. The war, the students…”
“What has he told you so far?” Harry asked.
“That I’m not supposed to be here. And worse—I mustn’t interfere with anything happening around me. I’ve already done enough damage.” Teddy gave a smile that was both genuine and deeply sad. Still, every time he spoke to Harry—past or future—it lifted something in him he could never quite explain.

“Terrible things have happened to wizards who’ve meddled with time,” Hermione said gravely. “You said it yourself—any interference might cause you to stop existing altogether. It’s the Grandfather Paradox.”
“The Grandfather what?” Ron asked, baffled.
“The Grandfather Paradox,” Hermione repeated, rolling her eyes. “It’s a Muggle theory. Suppose you travelled back in time and killed your grandfather before he met your grandmother. You’d never be born. So how could you kill your grandfather in the first place, if you didn’t exist?”
Ron’s eyes widened, the realisation seemingly just hitting him. He glanced at Teddy as though finally understanding why he had to keep his identity hidden.
“My parents haven’t had me yet. Which means I can’t tell them who I am—it might disrupt your present, which is my past. Let me put it this way: say you’re destined to die tomorrow in a broom accident. If I warn you, you won’t fly—and you won’t meet your fate.”
“Dumbledore once told me we shape our own destiny,” said Harry. “I mean, in the case of the prophecy… Voldemort chose to make it come true.”
“Destiny and prophecy aren’t quite the same,” Teddy replied. “Destiny is written for us in this very moment. Prophecy is about choice. Voldemort chose to see you as a threat. That’s why he went after your parents—and you. But when I came back here, to a time where your fate is already set, any change might create utter chaos. Albus said it himself—you can’t outrun destiny. Whatever happens, it will find a way to right itself.”
“I don’t really get it,” Ron admitted.
“If you’re supposed to die tomorrow—”
“—Would you stop trying to kill me off?” Ron interrupted.
“—in a broom accident, and I warn you, you won’t fly. But you might still die—perhaps you’ll splinch yourself trying to Apparate. Or someone else might die in your place.”
“Doesn’t sound that terrible,” Ron said, shrugging.
“Suppose the person who dies instead of you was destined to invent a cure for Dragon Pox, saving hundreds of lives. That’s how paradoxes spiral.”
“That's rough ,buddy,” said Ron.
“It is. That’s why I can’t let my parents find out who I am. They might panic, get married earlier than they’re supposed to, have a different child altogether—or never have me at all,” Teddy explained.
“It must be so hard not to interfere when you know what’s going to happen,” said Hermione.
“You’ve no idea,” Teddy replied softly.

“But people say, 'The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done' - " Hermione began.
“—and there is no new thing under the sun.” Teddy finished for her.

“You’ve taken Ancient Runes!” Hermione beamed proudly.
“Thanks to you,” Teddy said with a grin.
“Were you in Gryffindor?” Ron asked, clearly trying to change the topic between him and Hermione. Harry suspected Ron was starting to get jealous.
“Hufflepuff,” Teddy replied.
“Well, at least you weren’t in Slytherin,” Ron muttered. He hadn’t seemed too fond of Teddy since Christmas.
“Good thing I wasn’t in Gryffindor, then,” Teddy retorted.

“There’s so much I want to ask you,” Hermione said earnestly.
“Shame I can’t answer, even if I wanted to. Honestly, Hermione, you’re the one person I’ve always found hardest to lie to,” Teddy confessed, making her blush and smile at the same time.
“At least you told me I survive facing Voldemort,” said Harry.
Teddy raised his eyebrows, puzzled.
“You called me a prat when you took the map. Said you were glad I made it out, in the future,” Harry reminded him.
Teddy’s eyes widened in horror.
“It’s fine that you called me a prat,” Harry said, trying to soften the moment.
“Like I care,” Teddy replied, the cheek in his tone catching Harry off guard. “No, that’s not it. I just hope I haven’t ruined anything. Besides, you’re mad about me anyway.”
Harry didn’t want to admit it—especially not in front of Ron, who frequently complained about how Teddy had stolen his spot in the Weasley family and how spoilt he was—but the truth was, he really had grown fond of Teddy since Christmas. He couldn’t explain it. It felt like discovering a long-lost brother.
Ron and Hermione laughed, and Ron seemed to make more of an effort to warm to Teddy after that.

“So, Teddy,” Hermione asked, clearly curious but also trying to respect his limits, “how come you became an Auror if you studied Ancient Runes? It’s not exactly a popular subject for Aurors.”
“Actually, it came in handy during training. Along with… other things I’d rather not mention. Up until my sixth year, I thought I’d follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and become a Healer,” Teddy said.
“And what changed your mind?” Hermione asked, wearing the same look she had when absorbing everything McGonagall explained in class.
“I’m not really sure,” Teddy admitted. “I always wanted to be like my grandfather—we even share the same name. But when I got my O.W.L results, something shifted. I realised, despite everything, it wasn’t what I was meant to do. I kept studying Healing subjects in sixth year—Gran encouraged me to—but it was you, Hermione, who convinced me to follow my heart.”
“Me? Really?” Hermione looked flustered and delighted. “What did I say that changed your mind?”
“I… I…” Teddy began.
“—Can’t tell us,” Harry and Ron chorused together.

This time, Teddy’s smile was undeniably genuine.
There was something strange about that smile, Harry suddenly realised. Something too familiar, too simple, too warm... Where had he seen it before?
He tried to reach for the memory, but it slipped through his grasp like water through his fingers. All he could feel was a vague sense of sitting on a wooden floor in front of a roaring fire, cradling hot chocolate during a storm, in a place he’d never actually been. It wasn’t a real memory—he was certain of that. But why did it feel so vivid? Why did Teddy feel so strange?
Teddy, for his part, seemed to notice Harry’s expression and his smile vanished. A flicker of fear passed across his face.

“So, what are your plans, for now?” Hermione asked, welcoming the change of subject.
“I was thinking of finding a flat of my own, actually,” Teddy said. “I do hope mine’s still available. It’s not that I don’t like staying with your folks, Ron—it’s just that I’m starting to think I might be stuck here, and I need to get my life moving somehow. I can’t keep waiting for things to fix themselves.”
“Thought about going back to the Auror Office?” Harry asked.
“I’ve no papers to show the Ministry—truth is, I don’t officially exist here,” said Teddy. “And, well, that’s because I really don’t.”
“So what will you do?” Ron asked.
“I’ll probably keep working at the shop with Fred and George. Maybe help Albus out where I can—he won’t give me anything too important. I fetch potion supplies, stock the school stores, help Hagrid with his creatures now and then. That sort of thing.”

“Must be hard, being away from your family,” Hermione said softly.
“Actually, I’m not. I still see them. They just… don’t know who I am,” Teddy replied.
“I was wondering, Teddy,” said Ron, “could you be one of our kids? Not mine, obviously, you’re not ginger. And I don’t know anyone named Teddy like your granddad. But maybe Harry’s… or Hermione’s?”
“No, but you do know my parents—and that’s all I can say.”
“I thought… maybe you were Sirius’s son,” Harry said, blushing slightly.

“I’m sorry, Harry. I really am. I know how much you miss him… how much you blame yourself. But Sirius never had children. He was sent to Azkaban so young, and after he escaped, well—he didn’t exactly have time for dates between Order missions and hiding. I may not be his son. I may not carry on the Black family name. But you should know—he may be gone, but the legend he left behind isn’t.”
He paused, letting the words settle before continuing.
“I lost a lot too, believe me. The war spared no one. Some of us carry deeper scars than others. But if there’s one way to bring Sirius back, even just for a moment—it’s not through guilt. It’s by carrying on. He died so you could fight. So you wouldn’t give up. And if he were here now, he wouldn’t want you dragging the weight of the world on your shoulders. He’d want to see you living. Fighting. Just like him. You once told me that the only way to remember someone is to make sure they didn’t die in vain. And just because he died—doesn’t mean he’s not still alive.”
“That’s… that’s…” Harry struggled to find the words.

Ron sat there, staring blankly at the still lake, while Hermione glanced back and forth between Teddy and Harry, tears brimming in her eyes.
Teddy grabbed a fistful of Harry’s shirt and pulled him into a hug.
“Thanks,” Teddy said.
“I didn’t do anything,” Harry replied, still half-squashed in Teddy’s embrace."
“You did, actually,” Teddy told him, letting go. “You just reminded me of something you’d already said.”
“Teddy, do you always hug this much?” Hermione asked him.
“Just admit you want one too,” Teddy said, wrapping her in a tight hug.

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