AN: I really can't say how much I love hearing from you all about this story! I'm so glad that you all are enjoying it so far! I hope you stick around for a bit longer ;)

As always- favorite, comment, question away! Things are going to start to happen from here on out, and I look forward to seeing what all of you think!

Chapter Five: The Hogwart's Express

Teddy Lupin threw up the morning of September 1.

It didn't help that he'd hardly slept at all the night before. Andromeda had made sure he was in bed by ten, and his trunk was packed and waiting in the parlor, and all of his school books were wrapped away, and he had a lunch made for the train- and still, he couldn't sleep. Absalon had taken to sleeping perched on his footboard, but even his gentle hooting couldn't calm him. He tossed and turned till well after two o'clock, and when Grams came to rouse him a little after seven, he stumbled into the bathroom and vomited.

Breakfast was a silent affair. Teddy found that he could barely speak, let alone eat, and Grams, who was wheezing again, very slightly, spent much of it looking misty eyed.

"This is going to be quite a quiet house without you in it, Teddy Bear," she said softly, and Teddy wanted to scream at her to keep him home. As excited as he had been to start, for all of the wonderful stories he had heard- he was, quite frankly, terrified. Hogwarts was where his parents had lived and taught and died. It was where his godfather had lived and died and had done so many extraordinary things. Incredible things happened to you at Hogwarts, and he was such an ordinary boy that he doubted very much that he would have nearly as good of a time as Harry or his father had.

It was just a little past eight when the Potters pulled into the yard. They were all going together, in Uncle Harry's very rarely used Ford, and as soon as it came to a full stop in front of their steps, the backdoors slapped open and Al and Jamie spilled out, clamoring for Teddy. He endured their hugs and questions and demands as patiently as he could, turning his hair every which color and offering up a weak imitation of Uncle Ron. Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny went into the kitchen to talk with Grams, and after several minutes they all came out together, Uncle Harry hauling Teddy's school trunk with him. He stopped to wink at Teddy. "All set, Ted?" He asked, and Teddy nodded, but didn't speak.

The Potters had charmed their four door sedan to be bigger on the inside than it was on the out, so it was a comfortable trip. Teddy sat in the back, with Lily on one side and Al on the other and Absalon in his cage at his feet. Grams sat up front – which was expanded to be as long as a couch- with Aunt Ginny and Harry and after awhile, Teddy relaxed. Uncle Harry was fun to drive with, because he wasn't terrible at it, and Aunt Ginny spent most of the time regaling Teddy with all of the perks of her new job: she was going to work at the Prophet, as a Quidditch correspondant, and she was very excited for it. "It's the next best thing to playing!" She told Teddy.

"Mummy's goin' t'take us t'games," Al told Teddy, very seriously, and Ginny smiled at him.

"Maybe," she said. "I only said maybe, Al."

"That means no," Jamie quipped, and all of the adults laughed.

All too soon, it seemed, they were pulling into King's Cross station, and Teddy found himself fighting back another bout of nausea as they piled out of the car. Harry fetched a trolley, and he hauled Teddy's trunk atop it, then placed Absalon's cage on the top. "Ready?" He asked Teddy, very seriously, and Teddy nodded.

The trip through King's Cross was a quick one; it was a little before ten o'clock in the morning and the station was busy. Trains screamed and chugged and everywhere, people were rushing, their heads buried in their newspapers or impatiently looking at their wristwatches. Teddy, pushing his trolley, was relieved to spot several others doing the same. Some waved at him, and though he didn't know them, he waved back.

At Platform 9 ¾ they had to wait for another family to go through. They had three children and one, a girl with springy blond girls, looked every bit as nervous as Teddy felt. Uncle Harry offered a quick greeting to the father, a tall blond man with a fierce scar on his neck, then said to Teddy, "That's Delbie Peachtree. He works in the Departmemt- his daughter, Janice, is starting this year."

"Wonderful," Teddy said drily. When Uncle Harry offered him a confused look, he turned away, his cheeks burning.

Grams went through the border first, with Al clinging to one hand and Jamie the other, then Aunt Ginny with Lily, and finally it was just Uncle Harry and Teddy left.

"You know how to do it," Uncle Harry said gravely, but his eyes were sparkling. It lifted Teddy's spirits, just a little, and he offered his godfather a small grin before running towards the barrier as fast as he could without jostling Absalon too much. The brick wall loomed ominously closer, and for a minute, Teddy's heart leapt into his throat-

But then, he was through. He found himself facing a long concrete platform, swarming with children and teenagers and adults, all of them shouting and crying and rushing about. Above the crowds, the beautiful black and red steam engine of the Hogwarts Express stood proudly, chuffing smoke and whistling occasionally. Teddy, who had seen it several times before, nevertheless felt his mouth dry at the sight of it. This time, it was different, he thought hazily. This time, it was here for him.

Behind him, Uncle Harry stepped through the barrier, collected as always. He paused, and Teddy watched him survey the scene: the bustling crowd, the excited children, and the proud train. He wore a look on his face that Teddy saw him wear sometimes, when he was looking at the pictures of his and Ginny's wedding, or when he was with his friends, recounting days gone by. Then he shook himself and stepped up to Teddy, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Let's go," he said. "I see your grandmother over there..." he pointed, vaguely. "Crying, I suppose."

"She's been crying all morning," Teddy told him tiredly, and Harry smiled.

"Give her a break, Ted," he said. "It's going to be different for her, with that big old house, all to herself. The people you love take up a lot of space, sometimes, and we don't even realize it till they're gone."

Teddy bit his lip. "She'll be all right, won't she?"

"I expect so."

"You'll – you'll look in on her, won't you?"

Uncle Harry looked warmly at him. "Every week," he confirmed. "I promise."

They made their way over to where Aunt Ginny and Andromeda were standing with the children. Already, several people were looking their way, and Teddy felt the heat begin to rise to his cheeks. Uncle Harry, however, ignored them. He handed Absalon off to Teddy and steered the trolley towards the Hogwarts Express. "I'll just get this to a porter," he told his family, and Jamie pulled free of Gram's hand and went dashing after his father.

It seemed only a few seconds until Uncle Harry was back, carrying Jamie. Someone called his name, but he ignored them and instead reached out to muss Teddy's hair. Jamie copied his father, and Teddy laughed and ducked.

"It's about time," Aunt Ginny said, and Teddy asked:

"They won't lose my trunk?" He knew they wouldn't, but all the same, he thought he should ask, just in case. Aunt Ginny chuckled.

"Of course they won't," she said. "Magic, you see. Makes for keeping track of things especially easy."

Teddy smiled, but then the train whistle blew, long and clear, and the crowd on the platform shifted rather suddenly, so everyone was pressing towards the doors on the trains. Teddy felt his stomach drop.

"I guess it's time," Uncle Harry said, and he and Aunt Ginny stepped back to allow Teddy and Andromeda some room. Andromeda was crying again, and she wrapped Teddy in a hug that was so tight, he was sure he felt a rib crack.

When she finally released him, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him on the forehead. "I know you're much too old for shows of affection like this," she said seriously, in a watery voice, "But allow me this once, all right?"

"It's all right, Grams." Teddy hugged her back, just as fiercely, and kissed her cheek. His eyes were burning. "I'll miss you."

"You write, you hear me?" She held him at arm's length and sniffled. "It doesn't have to be every week – I expect you'll be much too busy having fun to do that, but I had better hear from you regularly, Teddy Lupin, or I will be put out with you. Don't you go forgetting me, you hear?"

"Never," Teddy promised, and Grams smiled again, softer.

"How much like your mother you are," she said quietly. "Teddy, you have been a joy to me. I hope you know that."

Teddy blinked against the tears in his eyes. There was a strange lump in his throat, so all he could do was nod, and then Aunt Ginny was there, Lily in her arms. She pulled him into a warm hug, and kissed the top of his head, and when she pulled away, Teddy was surprised to see that she was crying too.

"Aunt Ginny," he began, and she hushed him.

"You know," she said, "I've always known this day would come. I guess I just didn't expect it to come so soon." She kissed him again and offered him Lily. He took her and hugged her as tightly as she would allow, and took a moment to stroke the back of her head, where her curls were the softest.

"I expect next time I'll see her she'll be walking," he said. The thought nearly choked him. "I'm going to miss her birthday."

"I'm sure we can arrange for you to take an afternoon off," Aunt Ginny said wryly. She took Lily back, after prompting her to kiss him, which she did with a giggle, and Teddy knelt down so he could hug both Al and Jamie at once, who were crying heartily.

"I'll be back," He told them, trying to sound consoling, but Jamie just shook his head and buried his face in the front of Teddy's jumper, and Al said, through his tears:

"Daddy can't have blue, Teddy."

"Is that all you'll miss me for, my hair?" Teddy demanded playfully, and Al shook his head, sniffling. "I'll write you both, all right?"

"Will you draw me a picture?" Jamie asked, hiccupping, and Teddy said that he would, even though he thought it an odd request. He had never drawn a picture for Jamie before in his life.

"I'll draw you Hogwarts," he promised, and Jamie prompted:

"And Abby."

"And Absalon, yes."

"And the ghosts!" Al shouted. "Teddy, the ghosts!"

"The ghosts too, Al."

Eventually, after many kisses and hugs and promises to draw more ridiculous things, Grams and Aunt Ginny managed to pry the boys away from Teddy, and Uncle Harry walked Teddy to the train. He looked, Teddy thought, as if he were about to cry.

"Are you going to cry too?" He asked, wrinkling his nose, and Uncle Harry blinked at him.

"I might," he said stoutly. "You'll understand one day, Teddy, just how much today means." He paused, then said in a thick voice: "I expect you're rather tired of hearing about the War, but there was once, not long ago, when I thought that we would never be able to have this- not just Hogwarts, but everything we do."

"I know," Teddy said softly.

"I can't begin to say how very grateful I am that I've been able to share this with you, Teddy," Harry said quietly. He stepped closer. "Not just today, but everything. I know you think sometimes that you don't belong, or that you're a burden, but you should know that you are neither of those things. I'm very, very happy that I've had you as long as I have. I'm very proud of you, you know."

"I haven't done anything to be proud of," Teddy told him dismally, and Harry shook his head, fiercely.

"You've done a million things, Teddy. And even if you don't see it, I do." He stepped forward and wrapped Teddy in a hug that was tighter somehow, and warmer, than all of the other ones he'd received today. He felt Harry kiss the top of his head. "I'll miss you, you know," Harry said into his hair. "More than you can know. It's never the same when you're not around."

"I know," Teddy said into Harry's chest, and Harry released him. There were tears standing in his godfather's eyes; he took off his glasses, very unashamedly, and wiped at them.

"I want you to know that I'll always be here for you," he said gravely. "You can write to me, or use a Floo, or whatever else you can manage. If you need me, really need me, I can be there in a heartbeat. You mean so much to me, Teddy." He didn't wait for Teddy to reply, but took out of the pocket of his jacket an envelope, and pressed it into Teddy's hand. "This is for you, but I want you to promise me you won't open it till after the train leaves the station. Can you do that?"

"I promise." The envelope was light; Teddy slipped it into the top of his rucksack. Uncle Harry smiled at him.

"I can't believe that we're here already," he said. "I'm very excited for you- and I know you're excited too, but sometimes…sometimes I think you could have stayed a little boy forever, and I would have been all right with that."

The train whistle blew, and Teddy jumped. Uncle Harry took him by the back of his neck and drew him in for one more hug, then kissed his forehead, rather hard.

"I apologize for all the kissing," he said, wryly, "But I'm sure you'll find it in your heart to forgive me, won't you?"

Teddy couldn't speak. There was a chunk the size of a Filibuster in his throat; he rushed forward and hugged his godfather, as tight as he could, blinking against a slew of tears.

"Thank you, Uncle Harry," he said, and it sounded stupid and weak, even to his own ears. Uncle Harry drew him gently back, and shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

"There's nothing to thank me for," he said. "It's been my pleasure, Teddy, all along."

Then the train whistle blew again, and Uncle Harry helped him into his rucksack and handed him Absalon. "Good luck, Captain," he said, seriously. "Write me, you hear?"

"I will." Teddy put one foot on the step into the train, and he paused. "I love you, Uncle Harry," he said, and Uncle Harry stepped back from the train, nodding.

"I love you too. Be good!"

"I will."

"But not too good." He winked. "Have fun, Teddy."

Then he was stepping backwards, blending into the crowd, and Teddy was inside of the train, the door slamming magically shut in his face; underneath his feet, the floorboards were shaking and lurching, and overhead, the steam whistle was screaming. Students were pressing on him as they hurried by, in clusters or pairs, and he stood dumbly for a minute, watching the crowds slip away out the window and King's Cross disappear-

"Hey." Someone tapped his shoulder. Turning, he found himself confronted with a tall, hawkish looking boy in the robes of a Hufflepuff. He had a prefect's badge on his chest. "You need to find a compartment."

"Okay."

"And you know your hair's blue?"

Teddy felt a spike of irritation. "Well, obviously," he said, and turned and started down the corridor, lugging Absalon, hooting, behind him.

Each of the compartments that he passed were full, so he went on into the next car, and then the next. Near the end he finally found what he thought was an empty one, but as soon as he stepped inside, he realized that it was occupied by a single girl. She was very pale, and had dark blue eyes and long, straight black hair. Freckles scattered across her nose, and when he opened the compartment and stepped in, she looked at him with a look that could have burned him.

"Err," he said. "Sorry, I-" he faltered, then took a deep breath. "Everywhere else is full. Can I-"

"I'm waiting for my family," she said curtly. She had a soft, high lilt to her voice. It took Teddy a minute to place it as Irish.

"So you'll have to leave," she said. Teddy blinked. "There's quite a few of us and we won't have any room for stranglers."

"I'm not a strangler," Teddy retorted. She arched an eyebrow at him.

"You are if you haven't got a compartment," she said, and Teddy gave a frustrated sigh and left, making sure to close the door as hard as he could. Every compartment he passed was full of students all laughing and playing together; outside, the city of London tore by at a ferocious blur.

A trio of approaching girls stopped before him. They couldn't have been more than a few years older than him; still, just the sight of them watching him set his heart racing.

"You know your hair's blue," one of them said, and another, a red head with a stone glinting in her nose, added on:

"I love it."

"Thanks," Teddy muttered, and waited till they were gone before changing his hair back to his natural reddish-brown. He waited for the rest of his face to settle – he never knew for sure, sometimes, what exactly he looked like- then continued on. Absalon had moved on from hooting to squawking indignantly at all of the jostling, and Teddy's shoulder was beginning to ache. Finally, after he had passed through what felt like a dozen more cars, he found a compartment with no one in it. It was rather smaller than the other ones had been, and the door screeched terribly when he opened it, but there was no one in it, so Teddy gratefully placed Absalon's cage on one seat and collapsed on the other.

This was not how he had hoped for his first trip to Hogwarts would proceed. Alone, in a cramped rear compartment with no one but his owl was not what Teddy had had in mind. None of the other's stories went quite like this.

He found that he was fighting back tears, rather pathetically. He thought of his grandmother, on her way back to her lonely house in the Potter's Ford, and was immediately rewarded for the thought with an actual small sob. She was going to be awfully lonely, and he felt guilty leaving her. He wasn't sure at all that he was even going to like school; perhaps, he could go back home, and Uncle Harry could teach him what he needed to know-

With a start, Teddy remembered the envelope that Uncle Harry had passed him at the station. He sat up and dug around in his rucksack until he found it. On the front, Uncle Harry had scrawled in his familiar, square handwriting: Teddy Remus Lupin.

Teddy rolled his eyes and slit the top of it. Inside was a piece of paper folded over; when he pulled it out and unfolded it, two purple backed cards fell out and fluttered to the seat beside him. Teddy reached them, and froze.

They were his mum and dad's Chocolate Frog Cards.

Side by side, the pictures of his parents glanced at each other and gave what looked like a shout of joy. There was no noise, but his mother's hair flashed from lavender to red to bright bubblegum pink, and the corners of his father's blue eyes were crinkling as he smiled. They both seemed to notice that they had company at the same time, for they both faced forward, doing their best to look serious, but his mother's mouth kept twitching upwards, and his father wouldn't stop glancing sideways at her.

"It's all right," Teddy whispered to them, "It's just me." Absalon hooted, and he thought suddenly how stupid he must look, sitting alone in a drafty compartment talking to two cards who had no idea who it was that was even holding them. Very gently, he laid the cards down and turned to the paper they had fallen out of. It was a note, as Teddy had suspected, from Uncle Harry.

Teddy,

Remember all those days we spent when you were little, stuffing ourselves silly with Chocolate Frogs in hope of finding your parents' cards? Well, apparently all we had to do was ask Bill. He found these, and gave them to me to give to you. It was nearly a year ago, and I hope you'll forgive me for waiting so long, but I thought that you should get them really when you needed them most of all, and I think that that day is today.

I never really longed, as a student, to have my parents there to see me off on the Hogwarts Express. I longed for them many other times I was growing up, and now that I'm grown, I find I wish for them more than I ever did. I know you wish for yours, and I have wished, so many times, for them as well. Especially today. They would have loved to see you off, and I am, and have always been, and will always be, heartbroken that you don't have them today, Teddy. I know that these cards are a poor substitute for the real thing, but it was the only way I could think of that would come close to having them there with you. They loved you so much, you know- more perhaps than I love you, or your grandmother loves you, or more than even Jamie loves you, and you know how much that is!

Teddy, take care to remember them whenever you can- not just who they were or what they did or how they died, but how much you meant to them. You were their whole world, so much so that they went to great lengths to make sure that your world would be a happy one. I don't know how close we've come to the mark on that one, sometimes, but I think we're closer than we are farther, and I'll count that as a win.

Keep these cards close, Teddy. I know that they'll be able to provide some comfort to you, now that I won't be there to do it. Take care of yourself, Captain, and remember that no matter what, you are so loved.

Love, Uncle Harry

The letter blurred at the end, and Teddy allowed it to. He lay on his back on the seat and watched the sky flash by outside the window above his head, and laid his parents' cards close to head, and he let the tears come.

xxxx

Teddy was interrupted mid-morning by the trolley lady, but he wasn't feeling particularly in the mood for snacks. He had let Absalon out of his cage and he lay on his back on the seat and watched the owl flit irritably around the small compartment. Above his head, the green English countryside was rolling by at a smooth clip, all long fields and small villages and broad blue-grey lakes. He kept his parent's cards in his hands all morning; they spent it talking animatedly to each other, though he could not hear a word. He tried to imagine the things they were talking about: Quidditch, perhaps; or a friend or a story one of them had heard or something funny his mother had seen at work. Him, perhaps. Maybe they talked all morning of him, and not once did they realize who was looking on.

His throat burned at the thought. He was glad he had the cards, but in another way, he wished Harry hadn't given them to him. It wasn't the same thing as having them there at all. Beggars can't be choosers, he thought angrily, and was just about to stuff the cards back into his rucksack when the door to his compartment shuddered open. Teddy looked up in surprise at the boy that stood there. He was very tall, much taller than Teddy was, and very skinny. His wrists dangled sharply out of the cuffs of his blue jumper, and the messenger bag he had gripped in one freckled hand had a strap that'd been sewn back together. He had dark blue eyes and a shock of golden blond hair that stood up off his forehead. He was very pale and had more freckles than even a Weasley.

"Hello," he said, in a tight voice. "I- um, is it all right if I stay?"

Teddy blinked at him. "Have you been looking for a compartment this whole time?" he asked incredously, and the boy shook his head.

"No. I was with my older brother but he- he kicked me out. When his girlfriend arrived. You know." He offered a small grimace, and Teddy, who had absolutely no experience with older brothers, just younger sort-of ones, cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I'm all alone," he said. "So- you can stay, I suppose."

Relief blossomed across the boy's face. "Thanks." He stepped through the door, slid it shut behind him, and seated himself on the seat across from Teddy, gingerly avoiding the owl's cage. As an afterthought, Teddy remembered his manners and moved it to the floor. Absalon hooted his displeasure from the luggage rack above Teddy's head.

The boy glanced nervously at Absalon, then at Teddy. "Thanks," he said again, unnecessarily. He clutched his bag to him in a fierce grip. "I'm Ackerly. Ackerly Brewster."

"Teddy Lupin," Teddy answered immediately, then wished he hadn't. Ackerly squinted, just enough that Teddy knew he'd heard the name before, and Teddy rushed on, before he could say anything, "How old's your brother, then?"

"He's a fourth year. Ravenclaw. He's a real jerk." His lips tightened into a small smile. "Brothers are the worst."

Just last week, Jamie had ripped Teddy's Appleby Arrow's poster right down the middle. "Sometimes," he answered, mildly.

"Have you got brothers?" Ackerly asked, and Teddy shrugged.

"Two." The Potter boys, he told himself fiercely, were his brothers, as much as godbrothers could be. He wasn't even sure that Al didn't know that they weren't actually siblings. He was only three, after all. "Younger though. I'm the first to go to school."

"Lucky you. My two older brothers are here already, and my sister. It's a right pain, being the last."

Teddy wasn't sure what to say to that. "Being the oldest isn't so easy, either," he said. It was true. Being the head of a gaggle of sixteen children was a lot to bear, he thought dismally. "They always expect you to look after the littler ones, and to set a good example, and all of that." Just last week, Jamie had ripped his poster- but he'd gotten scolded for swearing when he saw it.

Ackerly was studying him again with that same look he'd had before. Then, almost too casually, he said, "Lovely bird. Did you get him from Eyelops?"

Teddy remembered the stupid article from the day of the picnic on the beach, and he felt his face go red. "If you've something else you really want to ask, just go ahead and ask it," he said loudly. "It's not as if it's something I've never been asked before."

Ackerly looked immediately chagrined. "Sorry," he said. "I just- I didn't want to jump to conclusions."

"Everybody else does." But Teddy felt the heat leaving the room as he spoke. Ackerly looked pointedly away, out the window, and Teddy, after a long moment, said, "My godfather got him for me. His name's Absalon."

"Funny name."

"It's French." My father is peace, Teddy told himself, and felt a small smile tug at his lips. "I didn't mean to snap," he added, quietly. "I expect you're not the last person I'll have to boil over at today."

Ackerly looked at him aslant, but he wasn't nearly as red as before. "I saw you in the Prophet," he said. "Well- loads of times, actually. That's not why I came in here, though. I didn't recognize you at all at first." He hesitated, then turned all the way around to face Teddy. "Do you live with him?"

Teddy shrugged. "Sometimes."

"My mother met him once, shopping in Diagon Alley," Ackerly said. "Years ago, when I was a baby. She said he was very polite but very young."

"He's only just turned twenty- nine," Teddy pointed out. "He isn't ancient or anything."

"He seems much older," Ackerly amended. "In the papers."

"You can't trust everything you read in the papers," Teddy said, but he was frowning. Ackerly was looking nervously at him again.

"I expect you get tired of asking how it is, being related to a hero and all," he said, and Teddy sighed.

"I'm not related at all-"

"You're his godson, aren't you?" Teddy nodded. "And you just said you live with him sometimes, and I'm going to guess that you're little brothers are actually his sons, which means you can't possibly be as far removed from him as you're pretending."

Teddy nearly laughed, but only nearly. "I suppose you're out for Ravenclaw, aren't you?"

Ackerly grinned slyly. "Perhaps." Then he leaned forward, his face earnest. "Honestly, though, Teddy, is he really that glamorous at home?"

Teddy didn't think Harry was glamorous in the slightest. Even in the papers, he always looked a little too solemn, a little too reserved to be really stunning. Teddy thought of him at home, reading them stories in the living room and drinking coffee in the kitchen in his pajama bottoms and hanging laundry in the garden. He pulled a face. "He isn't glamorous at all. Ever."

"Well, naturally, you don't think so." Ackerly leaned back, but he seemed abated somewhat. "Is he nice, at least? He's done a lot of really wild things, you know."

"Of course I know," Teddy scoffed. "And yeah, he's all right."

"All right?"

Teddy shrugged one shoulder. "I mean – he's really just very ordinary. He doesn't go around blasting dark wizards out of the corners of the basement or talking about all of his adventures all the time or anything. He hardly ever talks about work, actually." He frowned. "To me, anyways."

Ackerly nodded sagely. Then he unclasped his messenger bag and removed a brown paper bag from it. "Fair enough," he said, unrolling the top of the bag. "Treacle tart? I stole them from my brother."

Teddy grinned and held out his hand. Ackerly dropped one in and went on: "His name's Rodrick, and he thinks he's all set to be a Prefect, except his grades are perfectly terrible and he's a sot, anyways. My oldest brother Brantham is in his last year here, and Mum says she's absolutely sure they might have gotten a better deal out of it if they'd just flushed their gold down the loo rather than send him to school." Teddy grinned a little, and Ackerly grinned back. "My sister Lola's the only good one of us, I expect. She's a year ahead of us, and incredibly smart. It's almost embarrassing."

"What houses are they all in?" Teddy asked, and Ackerly said through a mouthful of tart:

"Ravenclaw, the lot of them. Both our parents were too. I expect that's where I'll end up." He swallowed and coughed. "What about you?"

Teddy set about licking the sugar from his fingertips. "I dunno," he said honestly. "My mum was in Hufflepuff, and my Dad was in Gryffindor, but the rest of my family was always in Slytherin. And well, Harry and Ginny and all of them were all Gryffindors, so I don't really know."

"Your godfather was the best Seeker Gryffindor'd ever seen, my uncle said," Ackerly informed him. "He was in his last year when your godfather was in his first."

Teddy shrugged, his mouth full. Ackerly offered him the bag again and went on: "Does he still play, at all?"

"Whenever he can," Teddy answered. "He and Aunt Ginny try to, all the time. I'm not nearly as good as either of them, though."

"I bet he could have played professionally," Ackerly said, and Teddy sniffed.

"He could still play professionally, if he wanted," he corrected him. "He hasn't lost any of his touch at all."

"Will you be wanting to play?"

Teddy frowned. He fancied himself a rather accomplished flier, as far as those his age were concerned, but the game of Quidditch troubled him to no end. He was too much like his mother that way, he supposed: very little coordination and heaps of energy, Harry had wryly told him once. He was too much like his mother, he thought sometimes, and not nearly like his father enough.

"I don't know," he told Ackerly honestly. "I'm not nearly as good as Uncle Harry was when he was my age, and I've been playing for years."

Ackerly nodded sagely, swallowing. "I suppose it might help your chances though, having come from their teaching."

"I suppose." Above his head, Absalon hooted loudly, angrily. The door to the compartment was screeching open again, the old trolley witch calling through to them: "Dreadful noise, this one makes – anything from the trolley?"

It was nearly one o'clock and Teddy wasn't feeling quite as ill as he had been that morning. He looked to Ackerly, who was rustling through his pockets for loose change, and decided to get something for himself. Grams had stuffed away a little money for him, for this very reason. He made his purchase and waited while Ackerly made his. In the corridor behind the trolley a line was forming of students, some robed and some not, all jostling each other and laughing to get to the trolley. None of them offered Teddy anything other than curious but polite expressions. Teddy slid the door shut all the same as soon as he was able, and the witch moved on, the line of students following her. Several children glanced into the compartment as they passed, but Teddy just turned his head and bit down hard on the squirming chocolate frog in his fingers.

"I reckon they've spotted you," Ackerly said, and Teddy shrugged.

"Let them." He held out the card he'd clenched in his other hand. "I've got Francis Elemere. Who've you got?"

Ackerly grinned at him. "The Boy Who Lived. Care to trade?"

Teddy laughed.