47Posted 25th October 2015
It is the October Holidays and I promised you a fanfic... So here it is WEREWOLF LESSONS!
I would like to take a moment to say a massive thank you to my beta of this story yankeebornandbred. 3 times this chapter has been revised over so it is as good as it could possibly get. THANK YOU, YOU ARE AMAZING!
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, I only own Samson (please tell me you like him), Anita, Andrew, Professor Garrett and Mr Harrison
"Werewolves are classed as some of the most deadly beasts known in the modern world. Registered as a grade five by the Ministry of Magic, they have always been something to be feared. Monsters with no sense of humanity, they will kill without a second thought. Blood is all they crave, and they won't stop until they get it. Werewolves are monsters, indeed… yet they can be more than that."
"Fourteen years ago, a werewolf and a witch fell in love. The werewolf tried to deny his feelings and push the witch away, for after all he was, in his own words, 'too old, too poor and too dangerous.' Now, this witch was stubborn and refused to accept his rebuttals, so she fought to prove that he wasn't a monster, that he wasn't a bloodthirsty beast. She tried everything, eventually resorting to provoking him... which was pointless, as he remained as calm, kind, and unruffled as ever."
"Time passed and the feelings between them only grew stronger. The werewolf continued to try his hardest to protect the witch from himself, and wasn't until tragedy struck that he finally gave into his feelings. He realized that despite being a werewolf, he was her greatest protection. She proved to him that love is the greatest protection one could ever have. This is why werewolves are not monsters… because monsters are unable to love."
Teddy finished his story and chuckled at the open mouths of the Potter and Weasley children.
It was the last day of the Christmas holidays in his third year of Hogwarts, and like every year he had come home to celebrate the festivities.
Currently, he was seated on a bean bag chair whilst all the Potter and Weasley children were curled up beside the open fire, staring at him. Harry and Ginny looked on from the aging sofa, snuggled up and watching the children in amusement. Hermione hovered nearby, a small smile on her face as she listened to Teddy retell his parents' love story. Ron seated himself on the bit of her chair that was available – which happened to be the armrest – and pressed her hand.
"That can't be it, what happened next?"
Lily glared at Teddy with wide, still-babyish brown eyes.
"Yeah, what happened to them?"
Six-year-old Albus tugged on Teddy's sleeve, stretching the elastic fabric of his Mrs.-Weasley-made jumper.
"Did they live happily ever after?" squeaked Rose, hopefully.
The temperature in the room suddenly seemed to drop several degrees, and the adults frowned. Teddy swallowed, not quite sure what to say. He was saved by James, whose somewhat more mature mind prompted him to cut in quickly.
"Yeah, Rose, they're in a happier place now," he told his cousin, brightly. Teddy smiled at James appreciatively and nodded at him. Glancing to the side, he saw his godfather smiling at him, pride shining in his emerald eyes
"Why is your hair brown, Teddy?" Hugo tilted his head confusedly. Teddy blushed; he hated when his guard went down. Scrunching up his nose, he forced his hair to go its usual bright blue, making the children giggle with glee.
The night continued, full of laughter and joy. However, ten minutes before midnight, Harry touched Teddy's shoulder gently.
"Can I have a word with you?" he questioned, and when Teddy nodded, he led him into the hallway.
The sadness on Harry's face bewildered Teddy.
"Harry? What's wrong?" He was beyond confused. "What's the matter?"
Harry gave a watery chuckle.
"Nothing bad, don't worry. It's just that story you told the kids earlier… it's how I used to tell it to you when you were little."
Teddy snorted.
"Yeah, I reacted just like them."
Harry couldn't help but join in with the boy's laughter.
"Damn right, I remember the first time I told you. You wouldn't let me or Ginny sleep until you knew the answer."
Smiling at the memory, Teddy looked up to his more or less father figure.
"I miss them."
"I miss them, too."
Harry brought his Godson in for a hug that the boy accepted gratefully.
"The worst part is that I never got to know them. I have no memories of them."
Teddy stared very hard at the ground, not wanting to acknowledge the sympathetic look he knew Harry was giving him.
"No playing in the park, getting into mud fights with my dad. Damn, I wouldn't have even minded Mum scrubbing my face off afterwards. Or a memory of one of the full moons."
Teddy wasn't sure if the last bit was true, because he would actually hate to see his dad in pain, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Your parents were great people. Your dad was the nicest human ever to walk on this planet. Never forget that, Teddy. Yes, he was a werewolf, but as you said yourself before, he's not a monster. He would have hated you to see him after a full moon, but it would only show your love."
The black-haired man tilted Teddy's face up to his, and looked into the metamorphmagus' eyes, which, at the moment, were the jade green of his father' smiled bravely and hugged his godfather again. After a few moments they broke apart.
"That's not the only thing I brought you out here for."
Harry spoke with absolute seriousness, prompting Teddy to look up curiously.
Wiping his nose on his sleeve, Teddy inquired, "What else?"
Harry hesitated before saying, "You're in your third year now, Teddy. You do realise what lesson will be coming up on your curriculum soon, don't you?"
Teddy paled.
"Werewolves," he whispered, with a dark look.
Harry sighed.
"It's just one lesson, Teddy. Even though you are good at hiding your feelings most of the time, you're still Tonks' son and Sirius' cousin, which in other words means you have a terribly explosive temper," Harry joked.
Teddy tried his hardest to hide his smile, and made a hash of it.
"You've not dealt with the pressure in a crowded room. All I'm saying is that you should be prepared to hear some things that you won't like."
"I'll be fine, Harry, I've dealt with prejudice against me my whole life," Teddy sighed, leaning his head back against the was suddenly tired of everything.
"All I'm saying is be careful. Neville told me that the lesson has been scheduled within the next few weeks."
Teddy raised an eyebrow, and at that moment Harry could have sworn that he was a blue haired version of Professor Lupin.
"But Professor Longbottom is the Herbology teacher."
"I have my ways of getting people to do the stuff I want," Harry smirked proudly.
Teddy snickered at this, because it wasn't as if Professor Longbottom wouldn't have helped him anyway.
"Yeah?" Ginny queried, popping her head around the corner. "Well, think again. Get your arses in here, we're about to start the countdown."
"Yes, dearest!" Harry squeaked, looking about as intimidated by his wife's stern glare as Teddy felt.
That night, Teddy stayed up in bed, contemplating everything he knew about werewolves. He had heard both the good and the bad sides of them and most of the time refused to believe the bad. After all, he was a half werewolf and didn't like to think of himself or his father as a bad person. The people who thought badly of werewolves were usually those who were somehow negatively connected to them, those whose relatives had been bitten and such like. Teddy didn't deny that these things happened, but he didn't like how narrow-minded people could be because of it.
Teddy's head started to ache as his thoughts overwhelmed him, so he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. He would have to wake up for the Hogwarts Express in a few hours, anyway...
The weeks passed in a blur of homework and activities. One day in Herbology, as he practiced his severing charm on a small bowtruckle, he couldn't help but overhear the conversation beside him between several Gryffindors.
"Defence Against the Dark Arts was so good today. I think I agree with the Professor on the elimination of werewolves," said a girl with bright red hair and bushy eyebrows, an evil smirk on her face.
Anita Parkins.
"Are you crazy? It's inhumane," protested a boy with chocolate-coloured eyes hidden behind large square glasses– Andrew Thompson, Teddy believed his name was – shooting Anita a look of disgust.
"I'm not sure if you noticed, but they aren't human," another boy said, bobbing his slick black hair up and down.
Teddy felt sick. He knew what this meant. First, the werewolf lessons had finally arrived. Second, his werewolf lesson was next period. Third, his Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was anti-werewolf, trying to turn people against them. This last point confused Teddy a great deal, though, because Professor Garrett had always been so kind to him. She had never given any indication that she hated werewolves.
"Will you two shut up?"
Teddy looked up when he heard that voice. It had a proper, distinct accent, Mancunian with an Irish lilt. He smiled at his best friend Samson Turner. He could always count on Sam to have his back. In this instance, even though the insult wasn't directed at him, it sure felt like it.
Anita turned round and glared at the Hufflepuff.
"You're telling me to shut up now, but when you have your werewolf lesson, you'll be joining me," she told Sam, shooting a look of disgust at Teddy, who glared right back.
"Screw you. This is the bloody twenty-first century. I'm not going to give in to that medieval crap of werewolf elimination that easily."
Sam leaned on Teddy's shoulder, a winning smirk on his face and a swift hand running through his blond curls.
"The sooner werewolves are wiped out the better," the black-haired boy hissed at them. Teddy couldn't help but laugh.
"As if Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt would ever allow for that to happen. Unlike you, he realises that not all werewolves are bad," he retorted, all thoughts of Herbology gone.
Snorting, Anita bit back, "You are delusional. Your mind has been so clouded by thoughts of your father that you don't see how things truly are."
Teddy's face lost all emotion as he stared at the girl who continued obliviously.
"There were more werewolves fighting against us in the First and Second Wizarding War than were with us," she finished.
"That's enough," a booming voice put in, causing everyone, including Teddy, to jump and look in shock at Professor Longbottom. They had never heard him shout before. "Miss Parkins, I'd appreciate if you kept your opinions to yourself as not everyone agrees with them. From the looks of the room, it is only Mr. Harrison who concurs."
Both of the teenagers blushed in embarrassment.
With one last glare, Professor Longbottom announced, "Class dismissed."
After picking up his wand off the floor and packing his bag, Teddy was stopped when Professor Longbottom called out, "Good luck, Mr. Lupin, with your next lesson. You're going to need it. Come to me or Headmistress McGonagall after the lesson if you wish to talk."
Teddy smiled at the blond professor and nodded.
"Will do, Professor."
Catching up with Sam, he slowly made his way to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
"You know I will always have your back, don't you? All of the other Hufflepuffs will as well." Sam nudged Teddy's shoulder playfully as they walked. "So cheer up," he laughed.
The metamorphmagus hadn't noticed he was acting any differently.
"How do you know I'm upset?" he questioned, looking at Sam quizzically.
Sam gave him a sweet, small smile and ruffled the boy's hair. "Because your hair doesn't look like it's been attacked by bubble gum ice cream."
Teddy laughed and turned his hair to dark purple.
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's new."
"What do you think? Does it make me look sexy?" Teddy joked, posing.
Barking out a laugh his freckled face creasing, Sam replied, "Irresistible."
The two boys laughed and Teddy's troubles were momentarily forgotten.
As the classroom neared, however, Teddy's heartbeat quickened. What if Professor Garrett managed to turn his house against werewolves? What if she managed to turn them against him? He felt sick. This lesson was going to be hell on earth.
"You'll be fine," Sam assured him.
"Yeah, it can't get any worse than this anyway," Teddy grumbled to himself.
Opening the doors of the Defence classroom, Teddy almost fainted. How wrong he was… it had gotten worse. Standing there, at the end of the classroom, was an object of his worse fears. The article of his nightmares. The most notorious werewolf hater in the flesh…
Dolores Umbridge.
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