Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Phoenix Redemption ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Ever since the end of the second war, one thing that the corridors of Hogwarts did not lack was order during the school day. There were of course, the occasional things that seemed to shake things out of order, like when Fred Weasley tripped over his enormous feet and his books, parchment, and other various objects would scatter about the area where he fell, or when Balthazar King set fire to himself in Professor Snape's NEWT level potions class, and he would run though the corridors, hands over his head screaming until someone took pity and put him out with Aguamenti.

So, when Grant Wolfe was seen running down the crowded corridors, his bag flying wildly on his shoulder, it was the right of any Hogwarts student to worry about the mental state of the boy.

Grant paused momentarily as he turned a corner, out of breath, and leaned against a stone wall. He ignored the stares he was getting as he looked around, running again when he spotted his two best friends.

“Alexander! Mason!” He called out, breaking yet another unspoken rule of the Hogwarts Corridors. No one ever yelled. They laughed, they chatted, and yes at times they even sang (albeit mostly horribly but who cares as long as they are having fun?) when they were in the mood, but never, never did they yell.

A few of the students in front of him walking  towards the Great Hall turned to look at him, but not the two that he was shouting for, they were walking calmly, hands in their pockets, bags slung over their shoulders. They looked as if they hadn't had a care in the world.

Grant sighed, and jogged towards them to catch up, glad that those in front of him had the sense to part so he could meet up with them quicker. After all, it wasn't every day that a Hogwarts student ran down the corridors, and so, most reasoned, that it must be important.

“Oi, Mason!” Grant yelled as he approached his friends.

They came to a stop and Mason Braxton turned towards him with a grin. “Ah. Sup, Grant, so I hear you are planning on becoming a centaur.”

Alexander Black, his other best friend, threw an arm around Grant's shoulder. “If you wanted to create a commotion, Mate,” he said, “I would advice you to take a leaf out of Timmy's book. Then again, if you are trying to create another sport here I would suggest you go to Matthew.”

Grant pulled away and folded his arms in front off his chest, glaring at his friends. For all the running like a maniac to catch them before they headed to the Great Hall, he suddenly didn't want to tell them his extremely important news. News that he knew Alexander would find very interesting.

“Hilarious,” he stated and smoothed his robes that were mussed from all his running like a mad man.

“Anyways,” Mason chirped, “if you do plan on becoming a centaur, I would show this video to them.” He extended his magic phone towards Alexander and Grant.

“Ah! I just received the same one from Ulysses!” Alexander took his phone from his pocket, and watched over the small video again, “his work is phenomenal.”

Grant moaned and slapped his hand to his forehead. For all of the prestigiousness of Hogwarts, the students couldn't always act as high class and pristine as they were expected to.

“Oh my Godric, just forget about the running,” he snapped snatching both boys phones from them so they would stop watching the video that had by now traveled through most of the student body. Grant knew that he wouldn't be rid of this any time soon.

Alexander rolled his eyes, “what could possibly be so important? And I swear if this is about Piper, I am going to throw you into the Whomping Willow.”

Ignoring Alexander, Grant turned towards Mason, “have you checked the Gryffindor bulletin board?”

Both boys shook their heads, “of course not.  Anything important would be announced at lunch, what's the point?” Mason smirked at his friends, “are you telling us you ran all the way here scaring most of the inkle firsties to ask if we checked the bulletin? You do know that it'll be entirely your fault when they have nightmares and insist that they can't stay in the Tower with the insane sixth year that lives above them.”

“Well if they aren't used to it by now, and that' not-” Grabbing his phone from Grants hand, Alexander waved it in front of his friends face.

“'ello! I realize that this is a fairly new invention in the magical world but now a days we have a thing called magical technology, you may want to make yourself acquainted with it.” Alex wrapped an arm around his friends shoulder and said, “see? You press your friend's name, then write a small message, and then you press send. What happens then, and this is really amazing, a small burst of magic in your phone instantly sends the message to the person you want to send it to.”

Mason snicked, and ducked when Grant swiped to hit him over the head. “But seriously, what is it that you needed to tell us?”

Grant turned away from his friends and crossed his arms, “why should I tell you? Not as if you care.”

Alexander chuckled softly, “listen, Mate. You ran like a lunatic, scared the inkle firsties and now you won't even tell us why you made a fool of yourself?” Mason walked to Grant's other side and both boy's turned Grant towards the Great Hall, linking arms with the pouting boy.

“Psh, fine,” Grant sighed in defeat. “But make it be known that it's only because I made a fool of myself, and nothing more.”

Alexander and Mason shared a smile behind their best friends back.

“So rumour has it that there is a certain turquoise haired boy transferring to Hogwarts.”

Alexander stopped mid-step. “You... I mean it can't be Teddy...” Alexander trailed off, Grant nodding his confirmation.

“No one knows why, but he is leaving the Salem Slates, Uncle Remus is coming back as well. But Salem Slates is looking for a replacement for Teddy, there isn't much time before the competition after all. Not exactly bad news for us though is it? We have an even better chance at beating them now, not that there was ever a chance that we wouldn't.”

Alexander made a awkward sound that came out as soft of a gaspy pained squeal, and suddenly he was pulling out his phone and was tearing down the corridors. Grant was disappointed that after his show no one paid mind and took small videos of Alexander running.

Teddy Remus Lupin was still in a state of shock. Thirty-five hours, twenty batches of cakes, cookies and various candies, ten stuffed animals, and a good one hundred songs later, Teddy was still in shock.

In the Lupin Manor, Teddy sat frozen on the couch in the families sitting room. His hand absentmindedly pulling red velvet truffles from a huge bowl to the left of him on the couch, a bottle of Dr. Pepper on the coffee table before him. When Tonks had asked her beloved son if he wanted her to stay home with him, Teddy insisted he was well enough to stay home alone, but now in the large empty manor, the wind howling, trees banging against the large windows, he was starting to regret his decision. Every slam of a tree branch, every creak made by the house moving, every scrape of the wooden floors by his puppy Lycan made him nearly jump out of his skin. Oh, how he wished that he was allowed to use magic out of school!

In all fairness he had tried to remain productive, packing away his school things into his trunk, but there was only so much that the poor thing held, and he lost interest quickly when he remembered that unlike Salem, he would be wearing a uniform most of the time.

His Wizard Tech phone rang, and Teddy pulled his hand from the truffles and forced himself to reach for it.

“Teddy-bear, how are you doing?” Remus asked his son. There were the sounds of numerous students chatting animatedly in the background, and Teddy deduced that his father was packing up the last of his things from his classroom in Salem.

“'ey, Daddy. I'm cool. Bored out of my mind, still jumping out of my skin at every sound the house makes, but I'm cool.” Teddy swallowed the food in his mouth, trying not to choke as his voice shook slightly with nerves.

The sound of fabric moving, and his father saying something came through the speaker before his father began speaking again. “Just thought I would call and check on you. Also called to give you the great news. Your Aunt Lily has finally convinced the Ministry to allow you to attend.”

Teddy sighed in blissful relief, a childish grin spread across his face. “They finally caved?!”

“Yep. There is still a few problems that need to be sorted out seeing as I will be the taking the Defense position there, but you will be starting class tomorrow morning. We will be leaving tonight.”

More than the constant bullying in Salem, his biggest fear was that his Aunt Lily wouldn't have been able to convince the Ministry to allow him attend Hogwarts so late in the semester. But now that he was, he could officially tell Alexander.


“...so, Dora will be home in a couple of hours. I have a couple more things to clear up here in Salem, but I will be him soon. Love you, Teddy-bear.”

Teddy laughed joyfully, “Love you too, Daddy. See you later.” Teddy placed his phone in his lap, and stared at it for a few moments, not quite sure how he was going to tell Alexander he was transferring to Hogwarts, that he was giving up on Salem.

Nodding his head determinedly, Teddy picked up his phone, ready to message him and ask if he would like to meet in Diagon Ally, so that he could tell him in person, when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, Teddy froze on the couch, his blood suddenly turned to ice.

It was a constant fear of his that the Salem quidditch team would show up at his door to hurt him, and this is what kept Teddy from answering the door, and staying huddled on the couch. His phone rang once again, Teddy grinned happily when he saw that it was Alexander calling.

“Ring, ring Teddy-bear, are you there? Because I am standing outside the Manor freezing my bloody balls off. I went to Salem, and since your car wasn't in the drive I figured you were staging a hideout. Anyway, if you are indeed home, could you pwetty pwease let me in?”

Not bothering to answer Alexander, Teddy stood up and walked to the Manor's foyer, and there Alexander stood behind the blurred glass of the wooden mahogany front door. Phone pressed to his left ear, and his right hand holding onto the wolf door knocker, ready to knock again. His face was etched with worry, something that was rare.

“Teddy,” he started dropping his hand from the knocker, “are you all right?”

Pulling the door open widely to allow his friend in, Teddy shook his head, and shrugged his right shoulder. “I don't know,” was his truthful answer.

Pressing the purple end button on his phone and dropping it into his pocket, Alexander stepped inside the chilly foyer, “What's happened?” He asked without pause.

Teddy merely shrugged his shoulders, and closed the door carefully, keeping his face towards it as he did so. When he had planned on messaging Alexander, he had hoped for at least an hour to figure out what he was going to tell the boy.   

“Teddy-bear? What happened?” Alexander asked again more firmly as he placed both hands on Teddy's shoulders the younger boy felt his cheeks flare red at the touch.

“I am transferring to Hogwarts.”

“I am well aware.”

Teddy turned and blinked at him a couple of times, “how?”

“Gryffindor bulletin of course! I wasn't completely positive that it was you, but it isn't as if we know many people from Salem Slates is it? Grant was pretty certain. I... are you alright? What did they do to you?”

“It's, they haven't done anything. I left before they could. I am having my doubts now, that maybe I should stay. But, I am just so frightened, Alex.”

Alexander that had kept his hands on Teddy's shoulders the entire time, pulled the boy into a hug. For a moment Teddy just stood there limply, but soon he had lifted his arms and wrapped them around Alexander's waist. Both stayed quiet for a while, and Teddy was enjoying the feeling of being pressed against the boy he spent a great deal of his time thinking about. Alexander's scent overwhelmed his senses at first, in a good way of course, just that intoxicating, but now he took it all in and felt himself calm down in the other boys arms.

“Y'know,” Alexander said suddenly as he let go of Teddy, “Daddy once told me that hugs were a great way to calm a person down, not because of the emotions, but just the pressure.”

“Becoming such a Daddy's boy, Alex,” Teddy teased his friend, grinning easily. His hair that had been black due to his depression was slowly turning back into the turquoise colour that it turned when he was happy.

Alexander blushed and in an immediate decision Teddy made it his mission to make the aristocratic featured boy do it more often. “It's cool, I favor myself a bit of a Daddy's boy as well, that's what Mom says anyway.”

Alexander nodded, “as wonderful as it is to see you grinning, and looking like your usual bright self, I want to know what happened Teddy.”

“It's no biggie,” Teddy assured him, and grabbed his best friends hand, pulling him towards the Manor's common room. “Truffle? They melt in your mouth, yeah I am that good.”

Alexander frowned at his friend, “stop changing the subject, Teddy. And yeah sure.”

“I got a few of them expelled.” Teddy said, motioning for Alexander to sit beside him on the couch. “Dad was watching us rehearse for the competition and the quidditch team came in and began mocking us, well mostly me. Daddy saw and I had told him what happened a few weeks ago. Not everything of course, mostly just about me getting pushed into the lockers, and the fountain, among other things. Let's just say we wound up in the Headmaster's office.”

“Interesting,” Alexander said, well aware that the story would take a turn for at least unpleasant soon. There had to be a reason Teddy is leaving the school after all.

Smiling softly, Teddy continued. “Headmistress Mamore as soon as she was made aware of what had happened she didn't hesitate to cancel Quidditch for the season and expel half the boys on the team from the school. Apparently it is not only because they threatened to use Unforgivable Curses on me, but it is also the fact that they were ganging up on me. Who knew?”

Alexander that had just popped a truffle into his mouth, choked. “I-I's sorry, what?!” He asked, coughing harshly. “Unforgivable curses, they threatened you with unforgivable curses?!”

Teddy looked towards the window away from Alexander, nodding ashamed.

“Ted, why didn't you tell me?” Alexander asked, his voice barely a whisper.

All Teddy could do was shrug, “I don't know. I didn't want to think about it, relive it. I figured that maybe if I just ignored it, make a big deal, that maybe it would disappear. Obviously I didn't completely believe that cause I told Daddy, Mom, Matthew, the Head. I told them all, and when I did the problem was solved, the boys had been expelled from Salem.”

“That isn't all that happened, you wouldn't be leaving Salem if that had been all.”

“The American Ministry, they decided that there wasn't enough proof to expel them. There wasn't enough evidence about the Unforgivable Curse threats, just my word and they need more than that. So they were allowed back into the school. Not Quidditch mind you, but still there. Daddy he is there, but it isn't as if he can protect me all the time, and I don't want him too. He has enough to deal with, with his Lycanthropy and all. Anyway Mom and Dad had a talk about it after seeing how miserable I was, they decided that maybe it was time we returned to Europe, returned to Hogwarts.”

“It's for the best Teddy-bear. If they are using Unforgivable Curses as threats, they are obviously unstable and there is no telling what they may do. You can't predict what they may do.” Alexander wrapped an arm around Teddy's shoulder's and brought him closer to his body. “They sound sort of like followers of that guy our parents fought in the war.”

Teddy nodded in agreement. “I am going to miss everyone so much though, they were... they were my family.” Teddy let his head fall onto Alexander's shoulder where the scent of the other boy could be easily inhaled. It was a combination of Oak and something that could only be described as Alexander.

Mason threw his arms into the air, “and poof! He was gone.”

Professor Adams clapped her hands, “beautiful story, Mason, Grant.” The Phoenix Redemption coach said, “however, I am afraid that you have now wasted more of our time.” She gave the boys a pointed look, “though I may as well be fair in saying that there isn't much we are able to do without Alexander. For the rest of the time practice 'Flying Lumos' and Alexander will hopefully decide to show up for practice tomorrow.”

“Oh, honestly! I need to stop listening to you,” Mason muttered to his friend. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and he followed Grant back to their seats in the back of the room.

“Please, you love causing trouble as much as I do and you know it! Besides it isn't like we can do much with both Alexander and Elliot missing. It figures that they would both miss out on the same day, that seems to be our luck. Where on earth had Elliot gone anyway, he is never here. I am shocked Adams keeps him on.” His voice had carried over the classroom, but none were able to give an answer, some offered a shrug in his direction, but that was the best he got.

“See? Our kick ass representation of what happened to Alexander was both educational as well as important. Maybe if Elliot had good friends such as us we would all know where he is, instead of wondering if maybe he suffered a terrible fate at the hands of Mrs. Norris.”

“Whatever, we need to practice.” Mason said rolling his eyes towards his friend.

Ulysses Wright rubbed Mason's back sympathetically, “I feel for you, Mate. Having to deal with him without Alexander.”

“Gee, thanks. I wish I could get in on the secret of how Alex controls him, he is like a hyperactive dragon.”

The sound of hands being clapped together caught the three boys attention, “pipe down now, boys. Just quickly run through the song a couple more times then you are free to do whatever you want.”

In a mere thirty-nine minutes the boys were free to go, which had to be a new record for the Phoenix Redemption's whose practices usually lasted an hour at least.

Grant took his phone from his pocket and pointed it towards Mason, “Think he will answer if I message him?”

Mason snorted and shook his head, “no. He is with the turquoise haired beauty. What could you possibly want anyway?”

“I just want to know if everything is ok. I am a bit worried about Teddy-bear. I mean Alex says barely
 anything about Teddy and those idiots bullying him, but I mean if his family is coming back to Europe, Hogwarts then something must definitely be wrong. What if he is like, really badly hurt?” Grant cocked his head to the side for a moment, “how weird would it be to just show up in America at the Lupin Manor?”

Before Mason could list the ways how that could be weird, a voice behind them called their attention. “Grant! Mason! Hey guys, wait for me!”

Turning Grant grinned happily, waving energetically towards the boy walking in their direction, “Ian!”

Ian Hathaway was not a Phoenix, but was in Gryffindor with Grant, Alexander and Mason. He was scrawny, and short in stature. His skin was pale and no matter the time of year, he always seemed to be ill with something. Wearily the boy rubbed at his sore red nose.

“Have any of you seen Alexander? Doctor Johnathan wanted to speak with him.”

“Any particular reason?” Mason asked, leaning against the cold stone wall that stood strongly behind him.

The small boy merely shrugged, “he just asked me to find Alexander. So where is he?”

“The States, serenading a certain turquoise haired beauty he has become quite attached to as of late.” Grant chuckled softly, “we think he may actually be transferring here.”

Ian's eyes sparkled in excitement, “a new friend! So do you think he will be in Gryffindor? Oh I hope, so! It would be so wicked if he were. I can't wait to meet him!”

“Yes,” Mason said, catching Grants eyes. “That would be very wicked.”

Teddy jumped when his phone went off for the third time that day. Alexander who was closer to the noisy object grabbed it and pass it to him. Staring at the screen, not quite knowing if he wanted to answer it or not. It was a frienemy from Salem, Jessica Stillbury.

“You know, I may have grown up in the wizarding world, and this technology stuff is still quite new to me, but isn't is customary for one to answer ones phone when a person calls them?”

“Teddy,” Teddy answered, rolling his eyes at Alexander.

“Ah great, you answered! Reggie wasn't sure that you would. Listen, Ted. I just wanted you to know that I feel really guilty about how we all left off, all of us do. We were just in shock, and what I said, it was because it was what had come into my mind and I lack a brain to mouth filter I admit it. Anyways, the reason I am calling. We know that you are probably going back to Europe tonight, but we were hoping that maybe you could clear some time before you go to have dinner with us, a goodbye dinner of sorts? We.. we want to see you before you leave.”

“I.. thanks, I guess.”

Jessica's irritating laugh rang through the earpiece, “We know how hard this must be for you, and just wanted to show you our support, we understand why you have to leave.”

“Yeah.”

“So, Illusions at eight.”

“Thank you again I really appreciate this. You guys already did so much, and there is not much more you could have done. Teddy smiled at the memory of some of his friends making him an offer to basically be his body guards.

“Kay, see you then, Teddy-bear.” Throwing his phone gently onto the coffee table, Teddy was shocked to fell that his cheeks were wet.

“Are you okay?”

Wiping his tears off his cheeks, Teddy nodded his head. “ Just gonna miss them. Slates were the only thing that kept me going, that got me through most of the day. They, we created a family, we weren't just friends. And while I have a feeling some are still upset, they want me to go out to dinner with them. Well, Jessica does at least. I don't really know how many are willing to show up.”
“If they are really your friends, they will show their support.”

“I just wish I didn't have to go. The boys all went after the team, and offered to be like my body guards, and the girls always offered me a shoulder to cry on. They are like a family and me, coward that I am, am just running back to Europe.”

Never did he tell anyone how he was feeling, how guilty he felt when he saw all their faces when he told them he was leaving. Teddy couldn't even bare to think what his parents and younger brother's were giving up. His dad and mom had left Europe in hopes of starting a new away from where the war had taken so many from them that they had loved. Now he was forcing them back there just because he was too cowardly to face his fears.

“What is going on in that muli-coloured head of yours?” Alexander asked, grabbing another truffle. “God, these are so good!”

The front door opened, and Teddy's purple and pink haired mother could be heard placing packages on the floor. “Teddy, sweetheart?  Are you hungry, I brought you lunch from Jeffery's Deli,”  Tonks called.  She walked through the foyer into the kitchen right behind the common room. “The Ministry let me out early today, thank goodness, did your father call? Sweetie, why is there chocolate and bowls all over the counter!” the sound of Tonks throwing the bags onto the Island in the kitchen, and walking to the common room could be heard. “Just how much stuff did you bake?” Tonks stopped short when she saw Alexander trying to hold back his laughter.

“Er, not positive actually. But I didn't make a full blown meal so you shouldn't worry. If I make a full blown meal, there is reason to worry.”

Alexander smiled softly, “Hello, Auntie.”  Alexander walked to her and hugged her, “do you know that I love you?”

Tonks hugged Alexander back tightly, “the answer is no.” Kissing the top of Alexander's head, she pulled away and motion towards the kitchen, “C'mon time for some lunch.”

Teddy reluctantly got off the sofa and followed his mother and Alexander into the kitchen. Suddenly he felt very tired.

A few hours after lunch with Alexander, Teddy got a phone call. Alex who was putting on his coat to leave. “Just call or message me if you need anything,” he was telling Teddy. “Message me tom when you get to Hogwarts, seriously. Don't worry about anything, Mate. You know me, Mason, Grant. They're the best, I promise.”

Teddy's phone rang, and Alex motioned towards it. “Go ahead, I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Alex pulled him into a quick hug and left, walking quickly to the apparition point, and with one last wave he disappeared with a loud crack.

Jessica's voice rang shrilly through the phones earpiece, to let him know that her and a few of the Slater's were outside waiting for him. Grabbing his gold and Navy scarf and throwing on his plaid jacket, he raced out of the door, phone and keys bouncing happily in his pocket as he went.

AN: So hey guys! How was it, was it terrible? Good? Great? Drop me a line and let me know!
A) Yes!
B) No!
Have a great week!
Chandlure
22 March, 2011
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