Christmas morning dawned crisp and cold. A thin layer of snow blanketed the castle and surrounding grounds. It was completely unmarked as both students and professors enjoyed a lie in. None of them wanted to leave their warm beds for the bitter chill that surrounded the castle.

In the seventh-year dormitory, Teddy woke up gradually, savouring the last few moments of sleep. It was the first Christmas that he had chosen to spend in the castle as he usually preferred to go home and spend the holidays with his grandma. This year, however, he didn’t have that option. His grandma’s death in June meant that he would never be able to spend his Christmas with her again.

The Potters had invited him to stay with them but he couldn’t bring himself to share with them what had become such a special holiday between him and his grandma. Christmas had always been a time for the two of them; neither enjoyed grand celebrations, instead preferring to have a small tree with a few presents and a traditional but modest Christmas dinner. They would always spend Christmas Eve and Boxing Day with friends or family but the actual day was just for them.

Despite the small scale of their celebrations, Teddy had always loved Christmas. From when he was a little boy he would help his grandma with the cooking, usually making a mess, but always having fun. After lunch he would curl up in one of the armchairs by the fire and they would talk. They could talk for hours; once Teddy started school they so rarely got time alone without one of the Potters or the Weasleys being there and so their Christmas talks became even more special.

The conversation inevitably ended up on the topic of Teddy’s parents. He would ask to hear stories about them and his grandma seemed to have a never ending supply of tales about his mother and the antics of her childhood. She talked less about his father, though. She hadn’t known him very well or for very long and so the details about him were always a bit vague.

Another reason for the lack of stories about his father was that her tales rarely went beyond the outbreak of the second war. Much as he begged her for information, she was reluctant to talk about that dark period in her life and the lives of the entire wizarding world. Instead Teddy turned to Harry and the others who fought with him. They would tell him about the war – though often he sensed that their tales were an edited version of the truth – and his parents’ role in it. Time and time again he was told how proud he should be of them and that they died fighting a cause. The only person who never spoke to him like that was Harry.

Teddy hated being told how proud he should be of his parents. He was proud – of course he was – to be the son of two such brave fighters but at the same time he wished that they hadn’t been so brave. He wished they had just sat and watched the war pass them by without getting involved. He hated their bravery sometimes – he convinced himself that without it they would have lived to raise him.

Harry seemed to understand. He would accept that it was hard to be happy that one’s parents had died to protect the wizarding world. He told Teddy how he used to wish his own parents had left the rest of the wizarding world to look after itself and had protected themselves. But then they wouldn’t have been the people that they were and Harry wouldn’t have been the man he was. Teddy tried to have the same understanding but found it difficult to forgive his parents for leaving him like they had.

His parents had been kept alive for him by the stories from all those that knew them but the death of his grandma had sharpened the sense of loss as he felt that he lost a vital link to his parents. Much as he enjoyed Christmas, it had always been surrounded by a feeling of sadness and this year, as one of only a handful of students left in the castle, this feeling was heightened. Some of it was self-inflicted, but he knew that unless he could spend Christmas with his grandma then there was no point in spending it with anyone.

When he had awoken fully, Teddy looked to the pile of presents at the end of his bed. As he opened them he discovered the usual mix of sweets, books, Quidditch supplies and other practical items including his very own Weasley jumper made with a special colour changing wool that could sense his metamorphous changes and adapted its colour to suit what ever hair or eye colour he was modelling at the time.

After opening his presents he went down to the common room where he found Victoire waiting for him. There was just over a year and a half age difference between the two but his birthday being in March and hers in September meant that they were two school years apart. The relationship between a fifth and seventh-year had raised some eyebrows when it first emerged but as they had known each other since they were young and had grown up together, they did not find anything awkward about their age difference.

When she saw him, Victoire gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then he led her down to breakfast. Victoire usually chose to spend Christmas with her family but had decided at the last minute this year to stay at Hogwarts. She claimed it was because she didn’t want to deal with all the little Weasley children running around hyped up on chocolate frogs but Teddy suspected that she actually wanted to keep him company and he was grateful for it.

The Great Hall seemed completely deserted compared to its usual bustling activity and the four house tables had merged into one because of the small number of people remaining in the castle. A handful of teachers sat at one end and a dozen or so students were dotted along in various friendship groups. Teddy and Victoire chose seats at the far end away from the professors and younger students. A few minutes later the two other seventh-years who had chosen to stay over Christmas joined them. Ramona and Rhys were both in Ravenclaw and though they and Teddy shared few classes, they got on well together and, more importantly, were not judgemental of the couple’s relationship.

They were just settling into their meal, talking about not much in particular, when the post arrived. As there were only a few owls it was easy for Teddy to spot the proud Potter family Tawny among them. He had received a present from the whole family that morning but not the usual personal present he got from Harry. He suspected the owl was carrying either the present or a promise of one because never yet had Harry failed to give him one for either Christmas or his birthday. As the owl landed in front of him he saw a small scroll attached to its leg. He quickly untied it and the owl took off again out into the cold morning air. Unrolling the scroll, Teddy immediately recognised the untidy scrawl of his godfather.

Hi Teddy,

Sorry there was no present there from me this morning but I do have something to give you. However I need to see you in order to give it to you. I’ve arranged to come to the school after lunch and if possible I would like to spend some time with you. I have full permission from Professor Davies – here Teddy looked up to where the most recent headmaster of Hogwarts sat at the head of the table – so you don’t have to worry about sneaking around. I will have to say hello to all the staff when I arrive and they are sure to keep me talking for a while but if you come to the entrance hall at three pm then I will be waiting for you.

See you later and Merry Christmas,
Harry

P.S. We’ll be going outside so bring your cloak.

Teddy put the letter down, intrigued as to what present his godfather could have got him. He suspected that Harry just wanted to come and see him to check he was coping with his first Christmas without his grandma. Harry really did care about him, and even though he had his own family, he had never stopped loving Teddy like his own son.

The morning passed in a pleasant haze; Teddy and Victoire spent most of their time entwined in each other’s arms in front of the fire. They had a spectacular lunch and then went for a wander around the lake, holding hands and talking about the future. Both were aware that at the end of this year things would change between them – Teddy would be leaving school while Victoire still had another two years of her education to go. Their time together would become extremely limited. They didn’t talk about it often or too seriously, both keen just to live in the moment and enjoy the time they had together until the summer.

At around quarter to three they made there way back to the castle. Teddy stopped in the entrance hall and after a quick kiss, Victoire carried on up to the tower.

Harry arrived at exactly three o’clock, muttering about teachers keeping him talking for too long. He was wearing casual emerald green robes and had his thick winter cloak wrapped tightly around him. After a quick greeting he led the Teddy outside. Unable to hold in his curiosity, Teddy couldn’t resist asking,

“Where’re we going?�

“The forest,� came the short reply. This instantly made Teddy nervous. The forest was still forbidden and even more terrifying to the students than ever due to the myths that circulated about the confrontation between Harry and Voldemort that had happened there on the night of the final battle. He wondered briefly if Harry was taking him there to tell him the tale of what really happened that night – of what really happened to his parents. He had always wanted to know the truth about that night but Harry and his grandma had refused to give him more than the barest outline of what happened. Suddenly faced with the confrontation of being told, Teddy wasn’t so sure he wanted to know, especially today when his emotions were so close to the surface. He didn’t think he could handle the truth.

Once they reached the edge of the forest, Harry quickly surveyed the area to check there was no one about and then began talking.

“Ted, I’ve always tried to be honest with you about me and my history but there have always been some things that your grandma and I agreed you weren’t ready to hear. The war, especially the final year, was a terrible time for us all and I don’t think either of us wanted to pass our own pain on to you. But as you grew up, I knew there things that you would have to know – that you deserved to know. Once you became of age, your grandma gave me her consent to tell you what I thought you needed to know. When she died, I decided the time still wasn’t right. I thought that you needed time to grieve before I started unloading information onto you.�

Teddy didn’t know what to say. How could he tell Harry that he still wasn’t ready to hear it all and that he was still grieving? After years of begging to know the truth he was suddenly too scared to confront it. Unable to voice his fears, he let Harry continue.

“I still don’t think you’re ready, and you can correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you need more time to heal before you’re ready to be told. What I’m trying to tell you is that when you are ready, you can come to me and I’ll tell you what I can. I can’t promise to tell you everything as there are some things that need to remain secret, but I can promise to tell you what you need to know to understand why your parents died.�

Teddy felt a huge wave of relief – Harry knew him better than he realised. He could see he wasn’t ready. But that didn’t explain why they were here. Surely Harry didn’t bring him into the forest to tell him that he wasn’t going to tell him anything. Sensing his confusion, Harry spoke again.

“I still have something to give you today. Something that I hope will help you.�

At this point they stopped in a clearing. At first it didn’t look any different to any other clearing in the forest but as he looked around Teddy felt a shiver run down his spine. The burnt tree stumps and the lack of the usual forest creatures told him that this was the location of something special.

“Seventeen and a half years ago I walked into this clearing prepared to meet Voldemort and my death. But when I came here I was not alone,� said Harry

“In the final year of the war I learnt about something called the Hallows. They were three objects designed to give immortality – one was an invisibility cloak that allowed the wearer to hide from death. Another was a wand that made the owner unbeatable in a duel, and the final one was the resurrection stone that allowed the owner to bring people back from the dead. They were believed to be non-existent – the product of legend – but I discovered that they did exist and I had each one in my possession at different times.�

“I know I promised not to talk to you about the war until you were ready but the Hallows weren’t part of the war – they were a private quest. I brought you here to talk about the resurrection stone. The myth wasn’t wholly accurate: the stone can’t revive people but it can allow you to see them again and to talk to them. As I walked into this clearing I held the stone and I was able to see my parents, your father and my own godfather. I was able to see them and talk to them and they gave me the strength to do what I knew I had to.�

Without realising, Teddy felt tears glisten in his eyes as he listened to Harry talk about meeting his parents.

“I told very few people about the stone’s existence or what it did for me and I told those that did know that I had lost the stone deep in the forest – but I always knew where it was. Some time after the battle I came back here and I found it on the floor of the forest. I left it where it was but protected it so no one else would ever find it. You might think it was selfish of me but the Hallows are dangerous things and it was better that they remained lost to the world. I know how easy it would be to become obsessed with the stone. It took all my willpower not to use it again when I came back here to hide it but I knew I had to live in the present. I don’t regret using it once though; it helped me. It gave me closure and made me accept my fate and that of my parents.� Harry paused here, and a wistful look crossed his face. After a moment, he seemed to shake himself out of his daydream and instantly became serious again.

“You and I both lost our parents when we were babies. When I was seventeen I was given the chance to meet mine and I will always carry that memory in my heart. As you grew up, I realised I wanted you to have the same chance. When your grandma died I knew the time was almost right. You needed time to grieve but then when you were ready I wanted to let you say goodbye and I wanted you to meet your parents. That’s why we’re here today. You can say no if you think it will be too hard or if you’re not ready but I wanted to give you the chance.�

Teddy looked at him and, unable to speak, just nodded at him. He felt numb as he watched Harry walk over to an old tree stump; he barely registered the complex wand movements as Harry removed the protective charms from the stone and as Harry walked back over to him, it all felt like a dream.

“Here,� said Harry placing the stone in his hands. “Just turn this over three times and think of who you would like to see. I won’t be able to see them and I’ll leave you alone. I’ll stay in calling distance though so I can come back when you’ve finished. The stone stops working as soon as it loses skin contact with you.� With that Harry left the clearing, leaving Teddy standing with the stone trying to build up the courage to turn it over in his hands. He longed to see his parents but part of him was scared that they wouldn’t like him or would be different to how he imagined them.

Eventually, taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and began to rotate the stone slowly in his hands. As he did so, he thought of his grandma and of his parents. After the stone had been turned for the third time he felt movement around him and opening his eyes, he saw three people surrounding him.

One of them he recognised instantly; his grandma looked younger than he remembered her but there was no mistaking her. She smiled at him and he ran and hugged her.

“Grandma! I’ve missed you so much – it’s been so hard without you.�

“I know, dear; I was sad to leave you and I’m sorry I never said goodbye but I reached a point where I just couldn’t hold on anymore. Now we can say goodbye properly but before that I think there are two people who are waiting to meet you.�

Teddy turned to the right and saw a man and a woman he that he recognised only from the photos he had seen. They stood back, looking a little shy at the thought of meeting their son. For a moment Teddy just stared at them, absorbing everything about them – his mother’s bubblegum pink hair, his father’s proud smile. Then without thinking about it he went over to them and hugged them. They hugged him back, each gripping so tightly Teddy thought they would never let go. He found tears streaming down his face and when he looked at his parents he saw they were crying too.

“Mum, Dad, I can’t believe I finally get to meet you.�

“Oh, Teddy,� cried his mother. “We love you so much! You’ve got to understand we never wanted to leave you, but sometimes you have to make choices and we knew that our choice had to be to fight in order to make the world a better place for you to live in.�

“There were others – you didn’t have to be there.� Teddy couldn’t keep the hurt out of his voice. Pleased as he was to see them he needed to know why they had left him. “If you’d have st-�

His father cut across him. “Son, you were our world – yes there were others but we needed to feel that we were out there doing something for you. We knew the risk but the risk that we would lose and leave you to a world ruled by Voldemort was far greater to us than the risk to ourselves. I know you’re angry but please understand.�

As Teddy looked at them he had never before felt such a mix of emotions. They were his parents – all his life he had wanted to know them, but they had left him. His grandma came to stand by his side.

“Teddy, we can’t be here forever – don’t make the one meeting you have with us end in sorrow – you can’t change the past but you can accept it and move on from it.�

Teddy turned to her and saw the tears shining in her eyes – she had been his mother; she had raised him, cared for him and held on to the last few years of her life for him. The pain he felt when he looked at her was in some ways stronger than when he looked at his parents. He had the chance to know her, to care for her and to love her before she left him. He had never known his parents – never spent enough time with them to truly love them. They were always just a picture at the back of his mind – a make believe game that he played as a child.

All his life he had thought of the questions he would ask if he met them, but suddenly faced with the reality of the situation they all seemed stupid and trivial. His parents were still crying silently, each obviously wondering if Teddy would forgive them. Eventually his mother couldn’t stand the silence any more.

“Ted, I’m sorry, I should have stayed – not a day goes by when I don’t look at you and think that I should have stayed but sometimes in the moment you don’t think with your head. Imagine you and Victoire-�

Teddy jumped a little at the mention of his girlfriend’s name, forgetting for a moment that from the afterlife his parents could obviously see him and know about his life.

“How would you feel,� his mother continued, “if you knew she was fighting and risking her life without you there beside her? That night I chose to follow my husband and perhaps it was the wrong decision but I could never have lived with myself if he died – knowing I did nothing to help him.� Teddy watched as his dad put a protective arm around her and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

“I think I can understand,� Teddy said softly to his parents. “It doesn’t make it easier to accept losing you but I can understand why you went.� He paused for a minute not sure if his next question was appropriate. “How did it happen?�

“It was quick,� his father answered, “and we were together. That’s all you need to know. There’s no point in saying who or how because that will only lead to more pain for you.�

Teddy was aware that time was moving on. It was already getting dark under the canopy of trees and he realised that soon he would have to say goodbye. He wasn’t ready yet though; he wasn’t sure if he ever would be.

“Do you still think of me?� he asked his mother.

“Everyday; I’ve been watching you ever since we arrived here. Sometimes, I think I know you better now than I would if I were alive. It can never make up for not being able to talk to you, or touch you but it helps me feel part of you.�

“You’ll always be part of me, mum,� he said and after a moment his hair changed from its usual respectable black to the same bubblegum pink as his mother’s.

“Son, we’re so proud of you - I wish I could tell you more often.� His father smiled at him sadly.

“All I’ve ever wanted is to make you proud,� replied Teddy. “Everyone had told me how amazing you were – I wanted to live to live up to that.�

“You’ve done more than live up to us son, you’ve surpassed us. I look at you and can’t believe you’re my son – my little baby Teddy.�

The tears were still flowing freely from all directions. The distant sound of a bell calling the students to dinner reminded Teddy that he had to go. The others knew it too; they all watched him expectantly, waiting for him to break the connection. He still wasn’t ready; he needed to say one last thing to each of them. He approached his grandma first.

“Goodbye, grandma; thank you for holding on for me. You did so much for me – I will never forget you. I’m so glad I got a chance to say one last goodbye.� His grandma hugged him tightly before stepping back and allowing his father to step forward.

“Dad, I’ve always wanted to make you proud. Even though you’ve not been around, I’ve always known that somewhere you were watching me and now that I’ve met you, I hope I’ve succeeded.� His dad took his hand and shook it before pulling him into a tight hug. Finally Teddy turned to his mum.

“Mum, I love you so much and I understand. You had to be with your husband and you wanted to protect your son. Even though it all went wrong, you should never regret that decision – it proves how important we were and still are to you.� His mother hugged and kissed him.

Finally he turned to them all, “I will treasure the memory of today forever. All my life, all I wanted was to meet you and now I have I can see you are the people you have always been described to me as. Now I get to say goodbye to you on my own terms.�

He held the stone in the tips of his fingers, still desperate not to let go. Looking at them again he whispered, “Will I ever see you again?�

“Of course, Teddy, but not for many years – never wish away life so that you can see us again. Have a family, grow old and then when you are ready, you will see us again.� His father smiled at him one last time.

“Goodbye, Teddy,� the three of them echoed together and with one last look the stone slipped from his fingers. “Goodbye,� he whispered - but they were already gone.

Bending down he picked up the stone and looked up hopefully, but the connection had already been broken; they weren’t coming back.

Suddenly realising the time and his poor godfather who had been stuck out here for ages, he called out into the darkness, “Harry!� Within a minute, Harry was back in the clearing. Seeing the tears that still marked his face, Harry pulled him into a hug.

“I hope I did that right thing bringing you here today.�

“You did; I thank you more than I can say.�

Teddy looked at Harry’s face and saw him staring somewhat wistfully at the stone in Teddy’s hand.

“You know – I can make my own way back to castle if you want, you can stay here for a bit.� The implications of his suggestion were clear but Harry shook his head firmly.

“No. I told you today that it is too easy to become obsessed. I have my own family now. I can wait to see my parents again. You should know I’m not going to leave the stone here – I don’t want you to be tempted again. It will be hard for a while, not being able to see them again but you have to live for the now. There’s no point dwelling on what you can’t have. Your parents are dead – nothing can change that, but at least now you have some sort of closure. You’ve been able to make peace with them.�

With that Harry took the stone from Teddy and pocketed it. Then together they left the clearing and the wood behind for the comfort and normality of the castle.

~~~

Late that night Teddy lay in his bed reflecting on the day. They had reached the castle just as dinner was finishing so he and Harry had gone down to the kitchens and eaten together. They talked about school and work and all sorts of other trivial things but nothing was said about what happened that afternoon. Teddy was glad; it had been such a personal experience and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to share it with anyone. Harry seemed to understand that.

Once they had eaten, Harry left to return to his own family. Teddy made his way back up to the common room and found Victoire dozing on one of the sofas waiting for him. He bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Hey, you.�

“Teddy! You’ve been gone for ages. What did Harry want?�

“Oh we just talked about my parents; he told me he’s ready to talk to me about everything as soon as I feel ready.�

“Are you ready?�

“Not yet, but after today I think I’m getting there.�

The rest of the evening was spent together engaging in typical boyfriend/girlfriend activities. Eventually after one last kiss, Victoire declared that she was tired and went to bed, leaving Teddy alone with his thoughts. Soon after, he went up to his own bed but now as he lay there sleep wouldn’t come.

He wondered if his parents could hear his thoughts; he should have asked them. There were so many things he should have asked them. He wished he could see them again but he knew that Harry was right – he had to live for today and then someday when he was ready he would see them again.

“Night, mum. Night, dad,� he whispered into the darkness as sleep finally overcame him.

Somewhere far away, his father stood with an arm around his wife’s waist. “Night, son,� they said quietly together and with that they faded into darkness.