A Trio of Serpents

71: Baby, You're a Firework

Summary: The baby's crying, but Teddy's fine; someone's screaming about tadpoles

It was a dark and stormy April night...

... when Remus bolted out of the cottage to St. Mungo's. The following morning, he zoomed back in announcing Teddy Lupin had been born.

Harry immediately went to the fireplace to tell Ron, tripping over a chair and nearly running Sirius over in his haste.

"How is he?" asked Ron before Harry could say anything.

"The baby's fine. Remus is ecstatic. The chair kicked my knee. Sirius is crying." Harry turned his head at the sound of someone hiccuping. "And now Remus is as well."

He rushed to alert his other friends and before long, everyone was clustered in the living room.

"To Teddy Remus Lupin," said Remus, raising a glass of butterbeer, "a great wizard in the making!"

"I'm not the youngest anymore!" bragged Kyra.

Remus raised an eyebrow, wondering when he adopted another child. Then he shrugged.

"Maybe, but I'm gonna be the favorite sibling," said Harry.

"Nuh-uh! It'll be me!" Jayson shot back.

Make that four children.

"Me!" said Ron.

"Us!" the twins chorused.

"You losers don't stand a chance with me," said Ginny, raising her chin.

Neither Hermione nor Sid tried to fight them on this because they had decided they'd be good role models for little Teddy despite having done a questionable job with their friends.

Sirius rolled his eyes at Remus. "Kids," he muttered.

"Takes one to know one," Remus retorted lightly, smirking as Sirius grumbled under his breath.

"That's it!" said Harry, raising his voice. "I'm getting Azure!"

Remus had never moved faster.

So much had changed, Harry thought, yet the dorm looked like it hadn't aged a day.

"To another year," said Ron.

"And a Voldemort-less one at that," added Harry.

"Mm." Sid was looking around the dorm with a flat expression.

Jayson nudged his arm. "Cheer up, mate. We'll be done before you know it."

"I guess." Sid began changing into his pajamas.

His lack of enthusiasm was evidently shared by many, though they all tried for their sake to not show it in the upcoming months. Several seventh-years had opted to be homeschooled for their final year, including the Patil twins, Blaise, Draco, and Susan Bones, and the number of incoming first-years was noticeably smaller than usual.

Even with the reduction in students present at Hogwarts, their awe and admiration for Harry made up for it. He couldn't even walk into the library without girls peeking around shelves and doe-eyed first- and second-years gazing at him. It reminded him of Krum's fan club, only worse.

He wasn't alone this time, though. Some girls — and boys — flirted with his friends, and several tried out for Quidditch just to be near Ron, who had been made captain. It drove Hermione mad, but in the common room, where hardly anyone bothered them, they shared moments Harry couldn't even begin to dream of — and wouldn't want to for the sake of his sanity.