Teddy Lupin

"Sorry I will never know him... but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."

- Remus Lupin regarding his own death and his son

Edward Remus "Teddy" Lupin (b. April, 1998)

Early life
"Teddy was raised by Andromeda. However, unlike Neville, who was also raised by his grandmother, Teddy had his godfather, Harry, and all his father's friends in the Order, to visit and stay with."

- J. K. Rowling regarding Teddy's childhood

Edward "Teddy" Lupin was born in April, 1998 to Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Some months before his birth, his father expressed regret to Harry Potter of marrying Tonks and fathering a child, fearing that his child would be a werewolf and face discrimination like he had. Remus wanted to join the trio in their mission to destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes until Harry chastised him for being a coward. Remus fled in anger and shame. When Teddy was born, Remus found the trio and immediately made Harry Teddy's godfather, completely forgiving him for his harsh words. He was named in honour of his maternal grandfather Edward Tonks.

On 2 May, 1998, his mother and father both fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, leaving him with his maternal grandmother Andromeda Tonks. Unfortunately both of Teddy's parents died in the battle, leaving him an orphan and was therefore raised by his grandmother. Teddy usually spent much of his time with the Potter and Weasley families, who were also distant relatives of his through his maternal grandmother's side of the family.

At only a few months old it was discovered Teddy had inherited his mothers metamorphic abilities and was able to change his appearance at will. This delighted his grandparents who were thrilled that Teddy had a connection to his mother. It also soon became apparent that Teddy hadn't become a werewolf like his father, something his family were also happy about.

Hogwarts years
Since he was born in April 1998, Teddy began his education in the magical arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on 1 September, 2009. He was Sorted into Hufflepuff.

During his first year he found being in the castle difficult due to the reminders of his parents. However, many of the staff tried to help him, including headmistress Professor McGonogall, who encouraged him to make friends. Teddy attempted to do this through showing off his metamorphic abilities but this had the reverse effect and a few students began to tease him about being 'strange.' leading to a rather lonely first year with only a few friends.

Fortunately for Teddy, he was joined at Hogwarts by Victoire in his second year and was able to share his Hogwarts experience with her. Whilst they had a friendly bond prior to this, it was furthered by their time together in those early years, despite Victoire being sorted into Ravenclaw. Their relationship continued to strengthen. In Teddy's fifth year students began to pick up on their friendship and the pair began to be teased about being boyfriend and girlfriend. This caused Teddy to realise that he had feelings for Victoire but he assumed she didn't like him like that. Victoire soon made her feelings for him clear when she kissed him at Christmas in 2013. From this point they begun dating in secret, Victoire not wanting her parents (especially her father) to find out. Teddy wasn't good at keeping the secret and it wasn't long before most of the family had figured out what was going on, all except Bill.

Their relationship was officially revealed in the aftermath of the 2014 Quidditch World Cup where Teddy, described by Rita Skeeter as a "lanky, half-werewolf", was caught by Rita Skeeter kissing Victoire. Bill saw the article and forbade pair from seeing each other romantically as he felt Victoire was too young. His attempts to keep them apart mostly failed, as show during the final of the Quidditch World Cup between Bulgaria and Brazil where Teddy and Victoire seemed to be, as reported by Rita Skeeter, "far more interested in what they were saying to each other than the match." This caused Bill to swap seats with his "now sulky" daughter. Later, Bill took his attention off his daughter, Victoire, allowing her and Teddy to "find their way back into adjacent seats".

After Hogwarts
On 1 September, 2017 Teddy came to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to see off Victoire; on that day, he had sandy hair, rather than turquoise blue. It was remarked that it would be nice if he was an official member of the Potter/Weasley family. Of the three Potter children, he seemed to be the closest with the youngest, Lily. She didn't laugh at his relationship with Victoire Weasley, unlike James. Lily very much hoped Victoire and Teddy would get married so that he would become a real part of their family.

Teddy Lupin did not become a werewolf like his father, despite claims by Rita Skeeter to the contrary. He was, however, a Metamorphmagus, like his mother.

Physical appearance
Being a Metamorphmagus, Ted was able to change his physical appearance at will.

Magical abilities and skills

 * Metamorphmagus: Ted was a Metamorphmagus, a rare skill he inherited from his mother. As a baby, he had black hair that turned into ginger hair, and later turquoise hair.

Family
Teddy's mother and father were murdered by Death Eaters Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov during the Battle of Hogwarts, leaving their son an orphan. Teddy was thus brought up by his maternal grandmother Andromeda Tonks and saw a lot of the Potter and Weasley families, visiting at least four times a week for dinner.

On his mother's side, Teddy is also related to the Black and Malfoy families; Narcissa Malfoy is his great-aunt, Lucius Malfoy is his great-uncle, making Draco Malfoy his first cousin once removed and Scorpius Malfoy his second cousin. His mother's murderer, the late Bellatrix Lestrange, was also his great-aunt. Bellatrix's husband, Rodolphus Lestrange is also his great-uncle. His grandmother and two great-aunts' cousins, Sirius Black and Regulus Black, are his first cousins twice removed.

Harry Potter, whom Remus and Nymphadora deeply trusted and always liked, was asked by the couple to become Teddy's godfather, to which Harry readily agreed. This paralleled Remus and Sirius' role in Harry's life.

Harry Potter
Harry Potter was Teddy's godfather and a close friend of his parents. In April 1998 Remus asked Harry to be Teddy's godfather, and Harry gladly accepted. After Remus and Tonks were murdered in the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry helped Teddy's maternal grandmother raise him and by 2017, Harry and Teddy were clearly very close. When Harry's children wanted Teddy to move in with the Potters, Harry mentioned that Teddy had been coming to their home for dinner four times a week, and that he practically lived with them already. The Potter kids were also thrilled at the idea that Teddy, who was seen snogging Victoire Weasley (the daughter of Bill and Fleur Weasley) might officially become a part of their family.

In 1998, as Harry was planning to break in to the Lestrange Vault, he wondered if he was becoming as reckless as a godfather to Teddy as Sirius Black had been to him. With helping Andromeda raise Teddy, Harry possibly became a father figure towards him, as Harry could understand how Teddy felt without parents.

It can be assumed due to his familial relationship with Teddy's parents that Harry filled the same role in Teddy's life that Remus, Albus Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Sirius had in his own; passing down knowledge of Teddy's deceased parents to him. Given how Harry had been starved of knowledge of who his parents were, he likely brought Teddy up on a parade of stories about the heroes his parents were.

Victoire Weasley
By 2014 presumably Teddy and Victoire were already in a relationship, as Rita Skeeter wrote of them snogging often. So much, in fact, they had their own section in Rita's article. The two of them sat together during the final match between Bulgaria and Brazil, but seemed more interested in talking than watching the match. On 1 September, 2017, Teddy came to see his girlfriend off for another year at King's Cross Station.

Lily Potter expressed her wish that Teddy and Victoire would marry someday, making Teddy an official part of the extended Weasley-Potter clan. However, following her last year at Hogwarts, Victoire ended her relationship with Teddy so that she could go off to France to pursue a career post-education.

Etymology

 * "Edward" is derived from the Old English words ead, meaning "blessed", and weard, meaning "guard", and has been the name of many members of the English nobility and royalty.
 * The name "Remus" comes from the brothers Romulus and Remus, the legendary brothers who fought in their adulthood, and of whom Romulus became the founder of Rome, who were raised by wolves. Interestingly, Romulus was the codename used by Ted's father on Potterwatch.
 * "Lupin" derives from the Latin lupus meaning "wolf".
 * The sum total of the etymology of his names could literally translate into "Blessed leader wolf", or "Guardian leader wolf", which fits due to his status as Head Boy, his wolfish ancestry, and his caring extended family that compensates somewhat for his status as an orphan.

Trivia

 * Teddy's origins are supposed to reflect Harry's, who lost both parents to Voldemort and his Death Eaters as well, but also had support from friends and other family (including a godfather) to help cope with this loss. Indeed, unlike Harry, Teddy grows up in a new and safe world, surrounded by loving family and friends and with a godfather who was able to take care of him more consistently, unlike Sirius, who spent most of Harry's life either in prison or on the run.
 * Both Teddy and Victoire Weasley have fathers who were attacked by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback.
 * J.K. Rowling stated that part of the reason she wrote the epilogue was to inform many eventual heartbroken readers that although Teddy never knew his parents, he was surrounded by friends and family that cared deeply for him and had a pleasant childhood.
 * Teddy shares many traits with Neville Longbottom: both of their parents were injured by Death Eaters (Teddy's parents died, while Neville's parents were driven insane), both of these incidents involved Bellatrix Lestrange, and both were raised by their grandmothers, Andromeda and Augusta, respectively.
 * Both Teddy and Victoire have mothers with unique traits; Fleur Delacour has Veela blood, and Nymphadora Tonks was a Metamorphmagus.
 * Teddy and Sirius Black are first cousins twice removed.
 * Victoire and Teddy are fourth cousins once removed, as both are distant descendants of Phineas Nigellus Black.
 * Teddy is the second cousin of Scorpius Malfoy.
 * Ted is named after Edward Tonks, his maternal grandfather.
 * Following Teddy's birth, Remus Lupin stated to the occupants of Shell Cottage that Teddy had changed his hair colour from black to ginger in the hour since he had been born. This suggests that Teddy's natural hair colour could in fact be black like that of his great aunt Bellatrix and first cousin twice removed, Sirius Black.
 * Teddy was sorted into Hufflepuff House, the same House as his mother, Nymphadora Tonks.
 * Teddy's last name, Lupin, is rather fitting for a young man who is somewhat wolf-like in his shapeshifting abilities due to wolves being extremely adaptable creatures, and in his role as Head Boy due to wolves also being prone to following strict social hierarchies and being symbols of leadership in many cultures such as German and Mongolian. One other wolfish trait of his is that he was brought up by a wide variety of family and friends, which is a common practise in wolf packs.