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Chapter Text

April 2001

They meet at Andromeda Black's funeral. Theodore's mother was Andromeda's friend, the closest after the sisters, an "I would have run away for you if you had called me before Ted, if you had been the first."  friend. Andromeda left something for Theodore.

“When will Grandma wake up?” Theodore hears out of the corner of his ear. He turns to the little boy, Andromeda's grandson. He is sitting on a chair next to a tall girl in an oversized black dress. Something from Andromeda's own wardrobe, a dress from when she was a Black.

"Grandma won't wake up, Teddy," the girl smiles at him sadly. She leans towards him and awkwardly ruffles her hair. “Grandma is with mum and dad now.”

"That's good," the boy nods. “Grandma missed mum very much,” and returns to looking at the pictures in the book. He is not much more than three, it is unlikely that he’s been explained death.

Theodore had never known Remus Lupin closer than just a professor. But he had a family and loved ones. Perhaps this girl and the boy have lost their almost mother. Theodore knows this feeling very well.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Theodore tells her. “Theodore Nott. Perhaps I can help you in some way?”

“Euphemia. Euphemia Black," she introduces herself, and it's such an obviously false name that Theodore can't help but chuckle. “Did I say something funny?”

“Your name. It's very clearly not yours," says Theodore. The girl just shrugs. The dress slides slightly off her shoulder and Theodore's gaze involuntarily turns to the scar on her collarbone.

"Well," she smiles. Theodore doesn't think she really wants to smile, but she does. “You're right. My name is Harry," Theodore holds out his hand to her and they shake hands. A sleepy Teddy Lupin settles into Harry's arms and she pulls him towards her.

Harry allows himself to be sad. Nothing to do with the boy who lived.

May 2001

Many people assure Harry that they need to be an auror. Almost all of them are acquaintances, to be honest, and strangers. For three years, Harry had already memorized all their arguments. Mail is sent to the fireplace without even being viewed, those that go through the first level of verification.

There has been a high auror mortality rate lately. It turns out that adult men and women are much less prepared for a clash with neo-fascists than a short, disheveled seventeen-year-old with self-identification issues. It turns out that even if you don't use the unforgivables, even if those who die are the ones that kill children, murder is "inexcusable in any circumstances."

Before the war, Harry may have felt guilty for all the deaths that their inaction brought. After they killed Rudolphus Lestrange and received a rebuke guilt died out as unnecessary.

Harry threw his badge at Robarts, hitting the head of the aurors in the eye, and left, leaving the door open behind him. Left him get up and close it.

Hermione would have approved if she had been in the country at the time. Hermione generally approves of all their actions, their dear friend, who burned Dolokhov and Rowley's brains out in that cafe in London. Avada would have been more merciful.

The “golden kids” aren’t aligned with new power. It became abundantly clear even to the least attentive of them on the Death Eater trials.

And Harry can't afford to die. If they had died a couple of years ago, Hermione would have survived, she's strong. Ron would have survived the way he survived Fred's death. Yes, perhaps magical Britain might not have survived. Only magical Britain, Harry assesses the threat of Voldemort in the context of a global scale sensibly.

But Teddy is three.

And Teddy only has Harry lately. And they aren’t Remus or Tonks, who never knew what it’s like to have no parents and be abandoned as children. Teddy, if he had been even a little older in may of 'ninety-eight, would have known. But he'll never know. Not if Harry can help it.

They're taking Teddy to Grimmauld. Tonks’ house is filled with too many memories, it's empty and lonely without Andromeda, and it's already quite cozy in Grimmauld. Harry's renovated the house, repainted the walls, there is almost nothing there that reminds them of Sirius. Harry even managed to remove posters of naked girls from the walls of his room!

They found articles and clippings about wixen who change their gender at will, under Regulus' bed, in an envelope with a red ribbon and the signature "for Sirius." They cried for a long time that day. A lot of things started to make sense that day.

Harry sets up Sirius's room for Teddy and gets a small heart attack every time he runs down the spiral staircase.

June 2001

The first letter that Theodore writes to Euphemia Black is very short. Andromeda left him a box with letters between her and Theodore's own mother, Jolanda, there are several references to the Potters. Theodore asks if he should send her these letters.

He knows what it's like not to know your parents. It was not for nothing that he grabbed these letters as if they were a family grimoire.

"Euphemia Black" agrees, writes letters thanking him. When she finds statuette in the Black estate with the signature "J. Nott" on the stands, she sends it to Theodore. His mother married young, he hopes that just on paper becoming Jolanda Nott at fifteen, so there is no doubt about who sent the statuette.

"Euphemia Black" becomes "Harry" after three letters. Theodore has very few friends who have remained in the country, out of his already small circle, letters from them rarely come and, although he tries, he cannot tell them all his little joys. Letters to and from Blaise already resemble diaries.

Harry reads about his progress in unraveling curses on artifacts, about how he over-salted the soup today, his research to create new spells, about the ever-jamming door handle to his office.

Theo reads about her admission to the Muggle university, about Teddy's drawing of the Black tapestry with crayons, her progress in psychology and mathematics, which Harry surprisingly likes, about Hermione inviting her to the graduation from the Vienna University of Magical Law.

Theodore writes about how lonely he sometimes feels at the estate. About how scary it is and that he still can't wear anything with long sleeves. If he doesn't see his hands, stained with only a couple of scars, he panics. He writes how scared he was when Voldemort looked at him.

Harry writes that she constantly holds a spell that monitors Teddy's condition. If the spell goes down, Harry is up even in the middle of the night. She must always have star anise and bezoar in her pockets, otherwise she cannot move. She writes how scared she was when Voldemort looked at her.

Theodore really wants to go to Hermione's graduation with her.

July 2001

Harry is amazingly dressed. She's wearing a beige and gold top, either a ballero or a cropped jacket and dark emerald trousers. The earrings are gold, like all of Harry's jewelry. That's the only thing Hermione could get into her friend's head - silver is just ridiculous with her skincolor.

Hermione frowns. She knows her friend well, Harry’s not a fan of preening at events, and she could have come to the graduation in pajamas, even at the University of Vienna. It's not that Hermione is against it, it would be very cool, they were at Hogwarts graduation like that, but this... Unusual for Harry.

“What day is it today?” she asks. Harry smiles, his green eyes sparkling. He's looking for someone in the crowd.

"Right now they/them," Harry replies. "If it changes, I'll tell you," they smile.

“You... You have a plus one?” Hermione asks, and it's instantly obvious that they do. Harry is shinning in front of her eyes, as they once did in fourth year, when they were able to invite Parvati to the ball. No matter what anyone said about crushes, Hermione knew that Harry had a crush on Cedric and Parvati, and not at all on Cho.

"More like plus two," Harry confirms. "I didn't want to leave Teddy alone," they clarify. Hermione nods. And then Harry, noticing who they were looking for, starts waving their arms. Hermione rolls her eyes. They haven't changed at all.

The guy with Teddy Lupin bouncing impatiently in his arms is undoubtedly handsome. His clothes have the same colour scheme as Harry’s, and most likely he is the reason for such preening. He seems vaguely familiar to Hermione.

He is short, the same height as Hermione and almost a head shorter than Harry. Slightly curly hair and a sparkle in his eyes, the same sparkle that Hermione often saw in the mirror and in Harry's eyes when they were up to something crazy. He’s a researcher...

"Hermione, this is Theodore Nott," Harry introduces them. Oh, right, the calmest, quietest boy from Slytherin... "Theodore, this is Hermione Granger," Hermione smiles without any awkwardness. Harry wouldn't have brought him if he was anything like Malfoy.

“Nice to meet you,” Theodore nods in greeting and awkwardly looks at his hands occupied by a three-year-old boy. Hermione waves it away with a smile. They will become friends if Teddy is so happy to sit in his arms. "Harry was talking a lot about you.”

September 2001

A silver lynx flies through the window with the grace of a real animal. Theodore doesn't even have time to get up from the table - patronus flies up to him, butts itshead into his chin, and then speaks in a familiar voice.

"Theodore, this is Harry. Apparate to my university, I found a cursed artifact. Pretend that I called and that we have a book at the university that you have been looking for for a long time. Thank you," patronus rustles. Theodore gets up, puts a couple of things in pockets with increased space and apparates from the spot.

He is familiar with the university where Harry studies, he came to her several times at the beginning of the year, so it's not difficult to find her. Harry is talking to a group in the hallway, right next to the library. As soon as she sees Theodore, Harry rushes to hug him.

“Why didn't you call the ministry?” he asks Harry close to her ear as they hug. Harry is very warm, although her palms on his back are almost icy.

"I know you're a curse-breaker," Harry replies. "And I didn't want too much attention," they break the hug. Theodore squeezes her hand in his. “In the library.”

"Thanks, I'll go get the book then," he says, louder, for the audience. Harry smiles and waves at him as he walks towards the open library door.

“Is that your boyfriend, Herta?” some girl asks in a loud whisper. Harry rolls her eyes, Theodore knows it, even though he's not looking.

"My friend, Edward," she replies, changing his name so easily and quickly that Theodore is even surprised. “I wouldn’t date someone with the same name as my son's,” her friend, judging by the pose, rolls her eyes.

Theodore smiles at the librarian, because he would still like to get access to the cursed artifact without unnecessary spells, and methodically fills out the library card. It's a good thing his name is Theodore after all, and not Edward.

October 2001

Harry hates October, for many reasons, now even more than before. Everyone is waiting for him to make some kind of statement on the day of his parents' death, something about war and hope. And Harry hates October. And he hates making statements.

For God's sake, he even gave his votes in the Wizengamot to Hermione!

Hermione tears the Wizengamot a new one, and being a representative of Harry Potter and the "Golden Girl", nobody really can object to her. Britain, with Hermione at the helm and Ron as a Head auror, is Britain Harry potentially likes much more. At the very least, they definitely won't make him make statements.

He would have celebrated Halloween if Teddy wanted to. He does not want to, although he loves sweets, which he receives after lunch and dinner in slightly larger quantities than usual. Teddy doesn't like the idea of dressing up as a "monster" after he found out about werewolves. Harry's head is spinning from Halloween decorations. And he wants to scream.

When he was at Hogwarts, in his very first year, he didn't want to go to the feast all that much. He only found out that his parents died that day, died in a terrible way. And then Hermione almost died, the Chamber of secrets opened... These and the following years did not add to Harry's love for Halloween.

A patronus, a silver raven, flies through the window. Harry stares at the spirit for a long time - he doesn't remember if any of his people had a raven patronus. Then the spirit speaks in a familiar soft voice and Harry smiles.

"I was thinking about you," raven says in Theodore's voice. "I'll be glad if you come to the manor."

Harry looks back at Teddy nodding. It's time for him to go to bed, but the thought of leaving him alone freezes Harry's insides.

"Shall we go to Theodore's, dear?"  Harry asks, picking Teddy up in his arms. He immediately settles his head on his shoulder and his turquoise curls turn a red-brown color, the same as Theodore's. "I'll take that as a yes," Harry laughs. He fumbles in his pocket for a bottle of star anise and apparates. Theo gave him access to the estate

The Nott Estate, a ridiculous dark stone structure, is strewn with flowers. Fresh flowers, creepers and roses. Harry exhales unevenly.

"Hi," Theodore says. He holds out his hands and Harry passes Teddy to him. It's easy and the boy immediately grabs Theodore by the shirt. “I thought you might want something... other than everything," he finishes, unable to find right words.

Flowers are beautiful and the walls of the estate are not at all like the streets of London hung with candles and pumpkins and do not cause Harry to want to scream bloody murder.

They start dating in October. Harry hates October a little less because he loves Theodore.

November 2001

To simplify, nothing changes. They still write letters to each other, just every few days now, instead of every evening. Harry still goes to their teaching university, but now he also helps Theodore sometimes - their calculations come out much faster and easier.

They both have estates that need attention and it's quite difficult. Theodore is used to sleeping alone in a bed under which you can hide very quickly, Harry is used to sleeping in a room from which you can run to Teddy's room in less than ten seconds. They live like royalty on three estates: they each have their own bedroom and have a common one.

Harry now leaves Teddy with him when Theodore works from home. They used to take him to university by casting a distraction spell. Teddy is a quiet and calm boy, although now there are notes of chaos from both of his parents in him.

"I want to open a school for little wizards," Harry shares with him one evening after couples. They are sitting by the fireplace and it is very warm in the Nott estate. It's unusual, but very pleasant. “For everyone, like Hogwarts, but younger.”

“Will you need my help?” Theodore asks. Harry shakes their head and their overgrown hair hits Theodore in the face. Harry laughs.

"Not with teaching," they still laugh. Theodore rolls his eyes. They both know that no matter how brilliant Theodore is, he will not be able to explain normally what he has come up with. “With organization, maybe. School is difficult from an organizational point of view. I have no idea what is needed for it.”

“Money?” Theodore raises his eyebrows. Harry punches him in the shoulder. “Okay, okay, I get it, we have enough money. People?”

"People," Harry breathes out. The magical world is surprisingly stingy with normal teachers, and surprisingly generous with Harry Potter fans. Harry Potter does not like these admirers and they are very difficult to work with.

"I'll ask my people," Theodore breathes. Harry puts his head on his shoulder and looks at the fire. “They definitely have connections, maybe we can pick someone up.”

"Thank you," and although Theodore can't see, he knows Harry is smiling.

He doubts that it will be fast, or that his friends still have good connections, but both Theodore and Harry are well aware that this is not a business plan, but a conversation about a possible future. Theodore is in Harry's future.

December 2001

Christmas at the Weasleys is always chaotic. Dishes rattle, the claps of the apparates are heard, hymns are heard from the radio. Molly is hanging garlands, paper ones, regular ones, not those weird electri-somethings that Arthur brought into the house. And fir branches, of course, along with magical mistletoe.

Bill and Fleur laugh happily and kiss in the aisle, to the equally happy babble of baby Victoire. Molly's heart warms. The magical mistletoe catches only those who are really and sincerely in love. She gets stuck under it with Arthur every time and is very proud of this fact.

“Mom, Harry's here!” Ginny's voice comes from the yard. Molly sighs. Ginny doesn't seem sad, but the fact that they broke up with Harry is very depressing for Molly. What a beautiful couple they were...

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry is already opening his arms, but he stumbles and almost falls. Harry's companion manages to catch him literally by the collar, to Teddy's loud laughter. His hair is bright turquoise. Molly rolls her eyes.

"Mistletoe," Harry's companion says. He is a head shorter than Harry himself, with a shock of curly copper-brown hair, pale and thin. Harry smiles at him, gives him a quick kiss on the edge of his lips, and jumps out of the aisle to hug Molly.

"Harry, dear," Molly tries to hug him and not get flour on his obviously expensive robe. “I'm so glad to see you!”

"Me too, Mrs. Weasley.” Harry smiles. His companion stands slightly awkwardly at the entrance, but does not leave. Harry looks back at him. “You don't mind that I brought my love with me, do you?”

“No, honey, of course not!” Molly throws up her hands, the flour immediately takes off. Teddy laughs. “I'm always glad to see you and everyone you bring!” Here Teddy insistently begs to get off his hands and runs up to Molly.

“Grandma Molly, I drew you a present!” the drawing is very bright. Molly can make out a dozen red spots, a few dark ones and a couple of light ones. There are three figures with special detail on the side: a black-haired one with white strands, in a green robe; a copper-red one, clearly painted in several colors, in a gray robe and a small figure with turquoise hair between them.

“Thanks, Teddy!” Molly exclaims, hugging Teddy. He laughs. “Will you go play with the others? They're in the yard," Teddy looks back at Harry and, after his quick nod, starts nodding his head himself.

“I'm off!” he announces, running out into the yard. Molly perfectly hears Victoire’s  enthusiastic squeak - she loves new people and bright colors very much. Teddy combines these things.

"Mrs. Weasley, this is Theodore," Harry introduces his companion. Molly looks him up and down. “Theodore Nott.”

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Weasley," he holds out his hand to Molly, which she happily shakes before pulling the boy into a hug. Oh, Merlin, he’s too thin!

Theodore doesn't look like his father at all. Tiberius was tall but sturdy, and Theodore is thin. He's still tall, if Molly's calculations are correct, but compared to her kids, he looks average. Tiberius was... cruel, but Theodore, with blushing cheeks, is gentle.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Theodore asks. Harry nods enthusiastically. Molly barely holds back rolling her eyes: Harry is always eager to help

"Take the tarts," Molly tells them. Harry's eyes light up, and Molly already guesses that half of the tarts just won't make it to the communal table. “And just go to the table.”

Harry smiles, hugs her once more and slips out of the kitchen with Theodore by the hand, obviously not towards the table, but towards the stairs. Oh, his habit of eating sitting on the steps! Molly peeks into the doorway out of the corner of her eye. Harry looks older in the best sense of the word. And at the same time, they are so young...

“Do you like it here?” Harry asks quietly. Molly doesn't think they care much about what anyone might hear. Theodore nods.

"Very much," he replies after a few seconds of silence. "Father didn't celebrate Christmas," Harry just sighs wearily and pats his hand. Molly silently promises herself that it will be a delightful Christmas.

January 2002

Pansy returns to England with a purse of medicines that must be drunk by the hour, a dozen galleons in her pocket and an absolutely no understanding of what to do with this life next. Her treatment is quite successful, even if it will now last until the very end of her life.

Theodore meets her in the Ministry International department. He hasn't changed much in three years, except that he looks livelier and healthier, although he hasn't had any treatment. Pansy nods to herself. The absence of his father in his life helped.

The Nott Estate has also changed, almost beyond recognition. The first thing Pansy notes is that it is warm in it - for the first time in her memory. And the estate is literally strewn with flowers, although January is cold.

Theodore is a powerful wizard, Pansy understands. Much stronger than they all assumed, based on his behavior at school. The temperature layer on the entire estate is not like turning a table into a closet and back, it's much more difficult.

"My kjæreste* is not at the estate today," Theodore informs her, continuing to drag Pansy's suitcase up the porch steps. "But she'll like you," Pansy chuckles. With her character, it's a miracle if "Kjæreste*" doesn't try to scratch out her eyes after the second conversation.

Theodore's new lover is deeply, deeply weird. She is tall, a full head taller than Theodore, with long knobby fingers and short hair. Quiet. Pansy thinks her name is Harry, Theodore has written a lot about her. Pansy nods awkwardly at her when she arrives at the Nott estate, but they don't speak. Now.

But at least it isn’t Daphne, who was grimacing at her friendship with Theodore. This time, his love understands the concept of friendship, which means she can't be that bad. Pansy is even thinking about making friends with her. She doesn't have many friends after the war.

"Theodore," his beloved says in a warning tone. Pansy twitches, but Theodore doesn't. So, this one is forever - only the closest people are allowed to call Theodore by his full name. “It's suicidal”

"It's going to be all right," Theodore rolls his eyes. His beloved rolls her eyes in response and for a second becomes painfully alive, like a bleeding wound. “This is a chance to remove the family curse…”

“I’ll live,” she takes his hands in hers, wider, longer, seeker hands. She smiles as if this is some kind of joke, but Theodore, who has proven himself to be an excellent paranoid in his school years, does not back down.

“And if not?” Theodore asks, and Pansy notices that he is shaking. "I'm not going to count on luck!"  He pulls his hands away from his beloved's palms and rushes out of the room.

"Will you keep an eye on him?" she asks. Pansy turns to her. Her eyes are green, bright, a colour Pansy has never seen before. How does she know that Pansy will go with Theodore to a place that only possibly holds a counter-curse for the Notts, Pansy does not ask.

“Of course…” Pansy stammers a little. "Why don't you go with him?"

"Call me Harry," the girl simply replies, and Pansy can't help but notice that this boyish name is surprisingly suitable for the tall, slightly awkward and disheveled future Lady Nott. "I... I’ve had enough adventures for this life. I have studies, I can't leave the children... And Theodore won't be able to help but worry about me if I'm there.”

Pansy looks back at Theodore rushing in front of the windows. They’ll be lucky if he doesn’t break all the rose bushes, in this state he does not feel pain at all.

"Yes, Theodore won't be able to help it," she sighs. Theodore is nervous, explosive and dangerous, but he is too attached to his own people. He'll lay down his bones, but he won't let them go. "He'll die, but he won't be able to help but worry.”

"He won't die," Harry replies calmly. “As long as he's with me, he won't die.”

Pansy doesn't understand her very well.

January 2002

Pansy guesses that the name of the future Lady Nott is accompanied by the surname Potter quite quickly. Not that they were hiding much: Teddy Lupin, the godson of the boy who lived, spends Sunday hours with Theodore in the garden or laboratory; leaving, Harry is carried away in green flames to the Potter Manor... Harry's eyes are green, like Avada.

Pansy tried to give away her best friend’s bride (or groom?) to the Dark Lord.

The situation is objectively bad, and if Pansy had been a little less aristocratic, she would have expressed herself more strongly. She reasonably doubts that Theodore will choose Pansy out the two of them, not after the looks he gives Harry.

But she and Harry seem to be friends too. Pansy genuinely enjoys spending time with Harry. He is interesting, easy to climb and very slippery in bypassing topics that are not worth discussing. Pansy, as a Slytherin, is impressed by these qualities. Harry understands pure-blood politics, the history and origins of his own families, albeit with an aversion to the former.

The Potters don't bend their knees. Potters don't forgive insults. The Potters survive at all costs.

Sayings about families do not appear out of the blue and Pansy really does not want to become another confirmation to them. So she apologizes in one of their conversations, sincerely. Harry... Harry forgives her.

"Do you… really forgive me?" Pansy blurts out, not really understanding how this is even possible, and Harry laughs.

"I like to give second chances, Pansy," he smiles. "Dumbledore's apprentice, there's no escape," he's clearly joking and Pansy feels a little better. “There was a war, everyone was trying to survive.”

They keep talking. Harry's eyes shine and his lips break into a smile every time he looks at Theodore and Teddy, whom he is rocking on a swing. Pansy loves her friend very much, and over time she will love "his love" and this baby metamorphomage. They continue to talk about transfiguration and alchemy as if nothing had happened.

But a quiet, snake-like whisper follows Pansy all the way to the fireplace.

"But I never give third chances ."

February 2002

Theodore is walking in circles in his office. Harry is sitting on the windowsill, the psychology book she was reading is in her lap. The study is warmer than it had ever been at Nott Estate before Harry and Teddy moved here.

Harry, with all her penchant for death magic, brings only warmth to the world around her.

"He wasn't even a year old, Theodore," Harry folds her arms over his chest. "He doesn't remember Remus or Tonks. It's okay," she doesn't add, "I don't remember my own, and you don't remember your mother," but it's hanging in the air. Harry is the only person in the world who can say that to Theodore.

"I know," Theodore explodes. Harry raises his eyebrows, unimpressed. “I know…” He whispers nervously. “But... but...!”

But "Dad."

Teddy called him "dad", not "father", and Theodore is ready to jump to the ceiling.

“Are you worried that you're going to be a bad father?” Harry asks, just in case. She doesn't look worried, but that doesn't help Theodore. He has a lot of thoughts and a lot of emotions that are confusing and cannot come together in a normal sequence in his head.

"We are twenty-one," he begins to enumerate, under the gaze of green, slightly mocking eyes. Harry rolls his eyes. “I am the son of a man who should not have had children at all.”

"You're not your father," Harry shrugs. "And I'm not my parents, you know," Theodore looks back at Harry, who jumped off the windowsill. She pulls coloring books and markers out of the table with a magician's gesture. “I don't think that a person who has coloring pages in his desk will beat his child.”

Theodore nervously clasps his hands in the lock. His long fingers are turning white, but he doesn't feel pain - he's too nervous. He can barely feel Harry coming up and cupping his face in his hands, too.

"Let's go to therapy, Theodore," Harry exhales. "You're a wonderful man and already a wonderful father," Theo chuckles and Harry squeezes his cheeks with his fingers, quite painful, by the way. “Even if you don't see it.”

Theodore doesn't tell his psychologist about the war. This woman is normal, not a wix or even a squibb, no ties to the Notts at all. They talk about Theodore's childhood, with only slight mentions that his father "hoped that he would follow in his footsteps" and "was unhappy with what Theodore liked."

They don't get to the fact that his father raised his hand on him right away, even if that's the reason he's here.

Teddy is becoming a frequent topic of conversations. It's very easy to talk about him, even easier than about Harry - Teddy is just at the age when you want to be naughty, stories about him never end. And he's also at the age of asking "why?" and sometimes even Theodore doesn't know how to explain something to him.

"You are very brave, Theodore," the psychologist tells him in one of their sessions. “You came to me to be a better father. Not many people with a background like yours are capable of this.”

Theodore laughs.

"It's all Harry, my kjæreste*," he replies. “She's very brave.”

Chapter Text

March 2002

Harry Potter's birthday is known to everyone. It's almost a national holiday, which Harry himself finds almost insulting. But a very limited number of people remember when James and Lily Potter were born.

At the end of January this year, it was quiet in Godric's Hollow. Christmas has passed, Yule if you’re into old traditions, all the festival festivities have already subsided. Lily Evans was born on January thirtieth, very close to Imbolc, but Imbolc is a celebration of old families, not society. And even then, not of all old families.

That time, he and Theodore just stood by the graves in the heavy wind and almost sobbed, certainly not from the wind hitting their eyes. They decided that mum and dad should be picked up from there. To give them eternal rest in the Potter house, like grandparents, great-aunts, great-uncles and all the ancestors.

At the end of March, the whole hollow is filled with flowers, but not with people. Ostara is also by no means universal. And no matter how disgusted Harry is, he takes the coffins away in secret. The less magical Britain knows about Harry Potter's actions, the more soundly it sleeps.

The only thing that remains is the monument. Harry doesn't like it either, he would take down all this madness and let all around burn in blue flames, but Theodore persuades him not to pay attention to it. It is unlikely that the "man who won" will be called the new Dark Lord or a madman, but the "boy who lies" is still very fresh in their memory.

Theodore presses the fact that Teddy still will study in this country, and that it would be better to be the son of a "man who won" than the son of a crazy Dark Lord, and Harry lets go for the most part.

All those companies that profit from the name "Harry Potter" and the tragedy of the eighty-first are destroyed without pity and forgiveness. It hadn't occurred to him before, but now Harry has a lot of free time, and many more interesting acquaintances from the university.

Harry may be studying to be a teacher, but this does not mean that he does not sit with lawyers on sociology or the basics of law. And the fact that the university is not magical does not mean that there are no wix in it " at the very least, Harry himself is there.

And he still has Hermione and Ron, ready to tear any offender into rags. And the realization that he didn't deserve all this.

April 2002

It is said that there is a witch living in the Forest of Dean, on Stinchcombe Hill. They say that if you listen closely, you can hear her singing a song in an incomprehensible language, and the spirits of the forest sing along with her in children's voices. It is said that a witch dances in flames in early May, jumps over a bonfire and throws offerings to the devil there.

Mrs. Olivia Lockwood believes these rumors. She heard the singing herself, she saw the fire. She does not go to the hill, even though her favorite daisies bloom there, which are so pleasant to brew in tea on autumn evenings. She closes the windows and doesn't listen to the singing.

And then Alice, her daughter, runs off to the hill to play.

And Olivia runs after her, not thinking about the witches or her own safety. Behind the hill there is a dense forest and a dozen ragged ravines, a five-year-old child does not belong there at all, whether it is a magical place or not.

The house on the hill does not look at all like a witch's, and in its owner only the eyes are magical - bright green, brighter than fresh grass. Her name is Herta, she is studying to be a teacher and she inherited this house from her distant uncle. The incomprehensible language turns out to be Hindi, which, as the embarrassed Herta admits, she started learning recently because her grandmother was from India.

The Indian roots are undoubtedly better than witchcraft in Olivia's head.

Herta is very nice and even invites Olivia to tea, even if she refuses. Alice runs around the yard after Herta's son, Edward, while the adults are talking and remains completely delighted with the acquaintance. That's why Olivia lets her go to Herta's with Edward to visit " after she makes sure that it won't be difficult for Herta.

Herta promises to call and notify when Alice will come and go. She points slightly awkwardly at the old phone and says she will buy a new one as soon as she can. Olivia smiles. The phone is almost fifty years old, judging by the design, but that's no reason to be embarrassed when you just inherited the house.

Olivia offers to help with the arrangement, Herta says she will call if she’ll need anything. She never calls.

“There's a castle there!” Alice says with a smile after a visit to the Potters. Olivia frowns, but doesn't interrupt. Yes, Herta has a very nice house, not a castle, but does the child need much? “And talking portraits!”

Olivia is almost sure that it was just a TV, but the child is not dissuaded.

Six years later, Alice receives a letter with emerald ink inscriptions.

Herta turns out to be a witch after all.

Alice Lockwood becomes Ravenclaw's best student in her freshman year.

May 1998

On the first of May in nineteen ninety-eight, Theodore sat in the half-empty Slytherin living room and stared at the ceiling. Blaze's mother literally dragged him to Italy, feeling the smell of war in the air. Draco, who had just returned to school yesterday, was missing with Crabbe and Goyle. Apart from them and Astoria and Daphne, Theodore didn't know anyone well enough.

It was hard to breathe from the tension. Theodore could have escaped, no one could have stopped him. His father was in Azkaban and the Dark Lord was not going to rescue his… subordinate. He had more important things to do. Harry Potter was returning to Hogwarts. Something was happening above, muffled sounds reached Theodore like a column of water.

He was shaking, Theodore knew that. He wanted to go upstairs, do something, hand his portkey home to some undergraduate and run on, maybe fight, maybe pull people out from under the line of fire, but not shoot himself. Perhaps to be bold enough to curse one of the Death Eaters. Perhaps bend enough to curse Harry Potter's people.

“What's going on there?” Astoria asked. Theodore squeezed her hand a little tighter. Otherwise Astoria would’ve started picking her nails to blood, turning a well-groomed manicure into a battlefield. She was such a child... he looked after her at Daphne's request and didn't notice how attached he got.

"I do not know,” he replied. Astoria looked at him with frightened brown eyes. Why didn't her parents pull her out from under fire? Why they allowed her to stay at Hogwarts in this terrible year and especially terrible hour?

Theodore reached into his pocket and took out a portkey. The sharp edges of the eight-pointed star bit into the palm, then tore the skin until it bled. Astoria gasped softly and tried to grab his hand, unclench his fingers. Theodore opened them himself.

The eight-pointed star had fallen apart into several pieces and was held together only by a thin chain.

“Let’s go” Theodore lifted Astoria off the couch. She wasn't the only one looking at everyone with scared look. She wasn't the only one desperately shaking and squinting at every rustle. “Which ones of your classmates do not have a portkey home?”

Understanding lit up in Astoria's eyes.

For many of the older years, leaving Hogwarts was more dangerous than not leaving. If the Dark Lord won while they escape, they will forever marked as cowards and traitors in the eyes of their Death Eater parents.

But Theodore was already a coward and a traitor, especially to his own father. He had nothing to lose. And the younger kids were afraid of death. If the Dark Lord wins, Theodore will be able to wriggle out, he will be able to lie, he will be able to do something. Astoria squeezed his hand one last time and ran to her classmates.

He hoped that Harry Potter would defeat Voldemort, while a whirlwind of teleportation circled him and all the children, desperately clutching at each other to the Nott estate.

May 2002

"We have to adopt Teddy," Theodore blurts out on may two, two thousand two, when he and Harry are talking about the future. His head is ringing, but he's sure of it. The world may collapse, but he will never let his people go, he will always try to do something to mitigate the fall or prevent it altogether.

Teddy was orphaned on the second of may.

"Look for an heir for the Notts elsewhere," Harry rolls his eyes. He laughs, but Theodore feels a little sick, and so does Harry. Anniversary syndrome. “Teddy inherits the Blacks. I don't understand what your problem is. We can have another child.”

They're not even married, for Mordred’s sake.

Don't think about that. That is for the future. For the far away future.

Theodore clutches his head. And he reminds Harry of the curse that killed his mother, his grandmother, and hundreds of women before her. Those who gave birth to a Nott’s heir do not survive. He says that he is looking for a solution, that he is trying to find a counter-spell, but cannot guarantee anything.

He expects Harry to get up and leave. Harry wants a big family, he wants a family life according to all the rules, and curses and death do not fit into these rules, Theodore is not actually sure why Harry is still here, in this ridiculous groat that replaced the Nott family nest.

Harry looks him up and down with a look that tells Theodore “you’re an idiot”.

"Even death won't take me away from you,” he says. And then he pulls out a ring with a dark, no, black stone from his pocket. “Marry me.”

Theodore short-circuites. Harry waits patiently, smiles and does not put the ring away.

“Yes,” Theodore breathes out. “Yes, Harry, of course!” Harry hands him a ring, cold, not even with a dark, but a black stone. The ring itself is gold, like all of Harry's jewelry. The stone is scratched, but this is the best ring of all.

"Did you think I wouldn't want to marry you?"  Harry raises an eyebrow when Theodore stares at the ring that fits perfectly on his right hand for the second minute with wide eyes. When he gets no answer, he sighs with love in his voice, "Dumbass.”

Theodore twirls the ring on his fingers. Today he is happier than he is worried, and all thoughts are pushed into the background.

Hermione is the first to know about the upcoming wedding. By chance, she notices a ring on Harry's finger and screams. Harry has to endure a series of hugs and high-pitched squeaks.

“I read about Norwegian weddings. You're going to need a crown," Hermione breathes. Theodore nods at her and shrugs guiltily. Harry rolls his eyes. Do they really think she hates jewelry that much? Hell, she has it as half of the treasury in the estate " her grandmother Euphemia’s inheritance!

“What kind of crown do we need?” She clarifies instead. She has tiaras created in the UK, and there are... well, not crowns, in the conventional sense, but whole sets of jewelry that her grandparents brought from India.

“Special,” Theodore clarifies. “Traditional, but I think any that has been passed down in the family for several generations will do. If anything, I have one," Harry nods and figures out in his head which crowns might fit. That set with emeralds... “In the Norwegian wedding crown, decorations often ring off jinxes…”

"Can you cast the same spells on other jewelry?" Harry asks. Just like that set, it rings like Sunday bells. Theodore frowns, but nods. “Then I have a crown. A set of jewelry, more precisely. Not a crown.”

“Really?” Hermione and Theodore ask in unison, and Harry is already rolling her eyes very deliberately. And then she conjures up the illusion of a set with emeralds and spins a couple of times. When she turns to Theodore, his eyes are shining.

Harry does not remove the illusion on principle.

"I'll read more about Norwegian weddings," Harry informs Hermione. Theodore has slightly fallen out of reality and Harry is in no hurry to bring him back. “But besides them, I want to bring the traditions of my family. And something new, if we don't like the traditions.”

“In Norwegian weddings you can only have one maid of honor or one best man,” Theodore inhales. Harry laughs to himself " he still looks knocked out of reality. "But you're both the bride and groom, so..." Harry nods.

"We take traditions into account, but we adapt to circumstances," she says contentedly. “Maid of honor and best man, for each of us. Hermione?” Harry doesn't even need to turn around completely, Hermione immediately understands.

"Of course, Harry. And Ron?”

“And Ron,” Harry confirms. “Theodore?”

“Blaze and Pansy," he says without much thought. Yes, he was close to Astoria, but that meant involving Daphne, and with her and Harry, things could get very complicated. And Draco... “We'll invite Draco or.?”  Harry shrugs.

“If you want to.”

"Then we need a guest list," Hermione begins. Harry is very grateful to her, because Hermione is good at setting tasks. Harry is good at doing them. “The schedule, the menu, the venue must be selected. Some music…”

"We'll choose everything," Theodore nods. “Can I invite you and other friends to help us?”

“Of course," Hermione smiles.

June 2002

The couple that came to the salon is so beautiful that Polly freezes in admiration for a second. They are both very tall, curly-haired. The guy is pale, his copper-red hair is slightly golden in the sun. The girl is dark-skinned, and her face, with such bright green eyes, is framed by two snow-white strands.

Polly has a good eye for beautiful people, don't judge!

“Hello, welcome to the wedding salon of Madame Roushvets,” flies away from her teeth. “I'm Polly,how may I help you?”

“Yes, miss, we want to choose a composition for the wedding, “ the guy smiles. “I assume that we will be here for a long time, so please call me Theodore. This is Harry," his bride, apparently, nods her head affably. She has glasses with exactly the same frame as Harry Potter’s.

"Among the special wishes we have are calendula and jasmine,” Harry begins to list. She has a pleasant voice, deep and quite melodious. “The wedding itself is in a floral theme, gold of color. We will arrange the opportunity to visit the venue, if necessary.”

Polly is almost ready to kiss her on both cheeks. It's rare of clients to think of poor workers!

“When are you planning the ceremony?” Polly asks, expecting to hear July or August at the most. The couple is young, very young, there is a possibility that they are in a hurry. Harry and Theodore look at each other.

"November," says Harry. Polly even stumbles a little. " Closer to the twentieth. That's why we're contacting you now. Will you be able to provide us with fresh flowers in November?

"Of course," Polly blurts out. "We will even provide you with temperature charms so that they will stay in the same condition for the whole wedding," Theodore and Harry look at each other again and smile.

"Thank you," says Theodore. " Also, we will not have a white dress and a black suit. I will be wearing a bunad, a Norwegian traditional outfit, and Harry will be wearing a sari. The wedding is in the traditions of the respective countries.”

"I'll be in bunad for the second part of the ceremony," Harry clarifies. "All my dresses are in shades of red, and Theodore's is green," Polly thinks that she would never give these clients to Elizabeth. No way, she hasn't had clients for a very long time not with boring standard weddings!

"Okay, thanks for the clarification," she says. "I have several possible options…”

The venue is an old church or castle, and oh, Merlin, Polly has never seen anything like it. A huge building made of dark stone in the middle of an absolute nowhere. Nothing and hills for five miles in all directions.

If Harry hadn't been desi so clearly, Polly would have thought she was planning a Sidhe’s wedding. Theodore fit the description perfectly.

Polly is still a little shaken up by the fact that she is planning Harry Potter’s wedding. She expected his wedding to be handled by someone ministerial, Farley's salon, at the very least, they are very pro-ministerial. But for Harry Potter to apply to their salon himself!

However, this is... logical, if you think about it. Harry Potter's departure from the Aurors was scandalous, his "abuse of authority" and "conflict with superiors" were discussed in the newspapers for quite a long time. Polly didn't really know how she felt about it, and it didn't bother her much, to be honest.

Besides, Theodore Nott is the son of a known Death Eater. "The man who won marries a Death Eater’s son" is a great flashy headline. Harry and Theodore took quite a lot of vows from her precisely because they don't want to make a fuss, at least now.

Polly strews this place with flowers, imposes illusions and shows different options. Harry and Theodore are very picky, but they are polite, and Harry is not a hysterical bride who yells at her for every detail she doesn't like. Yes, Polly had such clients.

Besides, they are very, very in love. Believe her, it's noticeable when you're planning weddings. The Potter marriage is definitely not an arranged marriage. They don't argue about the color of the curtains, the flowers, the dishes and the order in which they are served - they really want everything to be good. Not perfect.

Harry shows Polly a sari, already selected, bright scarlet and with gold embroidery. Under the bright arch, which they agreed to wrap with jasmine flowers, Harry looks beautiful as the dawn. Theodore in green with scarlet embroidery stands next to them and Polly is sincerely happy for them.

She is invited to the wedding.

July 2002

Harry is graduating early. She completes her diploma, defends it and graduates. The idea of a school for little wizards is getting closer by the second and Harry is not losing any of them.

The entrepreneur from Harry is so-so, she is a much better teacher, but "Harry Potter" is a brand and the brand has already been promoted, thanks to Voldemort, so it's worth Harry to express this idea…

At first, of course, she reaches out to her classmates. Firstly the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, her lions and Theodore's snakes together are an explosive mix, especially with Seamus among them. At first the muggle-borns, who also went to elementary school, and then she starts to get purebloods.

The most ardent supporters of this junior school, a little unexpectedly for her, are the Hogwarts’ professors.

"If you can teach them how to write essays correctly, all the professors will be grateful to you for the rest of their lives," Professor Sinistra, the youngest of the teachers, apart from the late Snape, confides to her. "McGee will never say that, but we Hufflepuff aren't that proud," she laughs.

Harry remembers the stark difference between her essays and Theodore's. But Theodore was actually a nerd, with correct grammar and just the habit of floating his thoughts in a direction parallel to the task. But Harry's teeth ache just from the thought of someone having to read and evaluate it.

No, no, it is simply impossible to allow Theodore to formalized reports. Theodore is an excellent researcher when you give him a shovel and say nothing - after a while he will not only dig up the cemetery, but also clean the tombstones and fences. And if you tell him to dig, then first of all he will write down the genealogy of everyone who lies in this cemetery, and maybe dig up a couple of steps.

Banal arithmetic, spelling… Harry honestly copies the curricula of Muggle schools and crams the basics of Hogwarts subjects into them. Yes, she's not ashamed, why invent a wheel again? Harry can't teach everything at once, she still has to look for teachers.

When Harry turns his project, no longer an idea, but a project, towards the ministry, she has practically no opponents. "Harry Potter" is a very heavy artillery, and "Harry Potter’s money" is even heavier.

The ministry has no chance against the golden year.

They celebrate Harry's birthday in a small circle of friends and family. Harry lets go enough to leave Teddy in the care of the house elf Axie, who also nursed Theodore. She is a much more family member to Theodore than Tiberius Nott, who recently died in Azkaban, but even so, Theodore and Harry talk for a long time about house elves in principle.

Hermione would be proud of her.

They go to the bar, all the remaining members of the DA, all of Harry's surviving friends, and get drunk. Harry is twenty-two. He is officially older than his own parents. It's a terrible thought.

August 2002

August is very hot. It's hard to breathe, only the sea, cocktails and the cold rooms of the estate can save you. Blaze prefers not to move at all, to spend time under a canopy and watch in horror as Theodore rushes after his son on the beach.

No, Blaze is of course very happy for his friend, he has never seen Theodore so happy and healthy, but the fact that he can run in forty degrees of heat scares Blaze a little.

Almost Potters (Theodore just glows every time this surname is put next to his name, because Tiberius Nott is spinning in a coffin) are staying with Blaze for a little less than a week of their strange vacation or honeymoon. During this time, they manage to attend two conferences, three swims to God knows where and one magic show.

It would look like an ordinary honeymoon if the Potters were a couple instead of a set of three. Well, that, and if the Potters had gotten married before that, like all normal people do before their honeymoon. Teddy Lupin, although not Potter by name, is no different in spirit from the adventurers-Potters.

All three of them rate the magic show at "four maximum, and that's because Harry is soft." Elder Potters are moderately impressed by Magic Conferences (Madonna, they're not old, why does Blaze already think of them as the "elder Potters"), but the elder Potters impress the Italian guild of enchantments quite strongly.

Theodore had been practicing his curse-breaker skills since their fifth year, when he found out about the Greengrass curse and he made it! Harry, no matter how fragmentary their education at Hogwarts was, apparently they did not shirk at the university, and the Potter library was sorted out together with Granger.

They chat with the guild representatives for an hour and a half, alternately dealing with Teddy and picking up each other's phrases. Blaze and one of his colleagues from the potion guild are looking at this with wide eyes. Guild families are a delicate matter.

"How long have they been married?” Leticia raises an eyebrow as Harry scoops Teddy up in his arms and goes off to play with him, and Theodore continues their sentence in the middle without even stuttering.

"They aren’t married," Leticia clearly doesn't believe him, but God knows Blaze wouldn't have believed himself if he hadn't been appointed by Theodore as a beat man  half a month ago. Blaze begins to think about finding a time-turner and dragging Theodore to Harry Potter by the scruff of the neck. The war would have ended many times faster.

They carry Teddy almost everywhere, and if they don't, then he wears protection like tinsel on a Christmas tree. Blaze has been sitting with Teddy for two hours when Theodore decides that he and Harry urgently need to sail a catamaran five kilometers away from the shore. Blaze doesn't blame him - spending time with a future spouse without a child is an understandable desire.

"Harry and Dad are screaming into the void," Teddy explains to him. His hair changes color from Potter's black to bright turquoise, and then to the color of the sea. Blaze rolls his eyes, but nods. The boy is four, there is no need to explain anything.

The Potters return disheveled, with wet hair and sparkling eyes, but you can see from them that they really swam. No indecency.

"We were screaming into the void," Theodore informs him. His voice is slightly hoarse, but his lips are not kissed. Potters - weird as fuck!

September 2002

Theodore doesn't like the Wizengamot. At all. Old stumps, on average older than Voldemort, and often almost more conservative, except less radical. Hermione will break them all over her knee and Theodore will cheer her.

Fortunately, he's not here for long. Theodore just needs to get something that his father left him. Tiberius Nott has no other heirs, his father would rather strangle himself than allow the inheritance of the "ancient and noblest house" to go into the hands of someone who was not related to him. And the Notts have always been the only sons in the family, the curse did not allow otherwise.

The fact that he has to go through five stages of verification for this is very annoying for Theodore. Thank you for not chaining him to a chair and not pouring veritaserum down his throat, as in court. Theodore had never had a trial, a clean forearm saved him, but he saw all his friends in that chair. Almost all of them.

Need he say why he doesn't like this whole situation?

"Are you Theodore Tiberius Nott?" secretary reads in an emotionless voice. Theodore nods. "Do you know what Tiberius Cantacerus Nott left you?

"No, I do not," Theodore replies. He really has no idea what his father managed to smuggle into Azkaban and now wants it to be given to Theodore. "We haven't crossed paths in any way since the trial," secretary grimaces, but writes it down.

"Bring in the item," the secretary shouts. A junior employee, thin and ridiculous, hardly older than Theodore, jumps out into another room and brings a box. "The item has been tested for dark spells, don't worry.”

Theodore can barely contain himself from laughing. To think that father's spells could have been removed at the ministry is just homerically ridiculous. Theodore is not even sure of his own abilities to do that. But he just politely replies:

"Thank you," and opens the box. The silver medallion with the ornate letter "J" on the lid glitters invitingly. Theodore slams the box shut with a loud click. "Thank you," he repeats. “I'm sorry, I have to go.”

Theodore doesn't slam the door, doesn't stomp, doesn't even run, but a storm is raging under the mask. How dare he?! How dare he keep her locket, how dare he take it away from him! It was a birthday present from his mother and he told Theodore that he destroyed it! It was his treasure, his gift, and he dared!

Theodore stops abruptly. Yes, father is dead. Yes, he will never understand why Theodore is in so much pain, but if Theodore imagines that he is alive, then this will hurt him as much as that hurts Theodore.

Cantacerus Nott wrote the "Handbook for Purebloods", listing his family as one of the Sacred Twenty-eight and throwing out the Potters. Theodore Nott is going to do the opposite.

The room is almost empty - the meeting has not started yet, but Theodore does not care. He would have been missed anyway.

"Sirs, madams," he briefly greets those who have already appeared in the meeting room. They're all as white as snow. And Theodore, without warning, without prelude, says:

"I, Theodore Tiberius Nott, the only son of Tiberius Cantacerus Nott and Lord of the House of Nott, by my will I give House of Nott’s position among the Sacred Twenty eight," the word "sacred" comes out with a hiss. "To the House of Potter. I said so, so be it!”

Magic flashes, the document is woven from golden threads. Theodore nods to himself, and then, on the spur of the moment, bows mockingly in front of the blinking chairmen. Suck it, Tiberius.

October 2002

“I’m at a loss of words!” Hermione throws up her hands. Harry sits down on the arm of the chair and folds their arms over their chest. They’re looking forward to the show: so that Hermione doesn't have words?

Hermione curses Theodore for half an hour, never repeating herself.

“You don’t change balance in the Wizengamot without warning me!” Hermione snaps, when Theodore, who caught the pause in which she was taking a breath, tries to say something. “I barely managed to calm the unrest in the party!”

She's probably more worried that there's no way the Potter-Notts' wedding can stay private now. But Harry doesn't care much, they didn't plan to hide much, and Hermione, apparently seeing their reaction, reduces her moralizing to the Wizengamot.

“Isn't more voices good for us?”  Harry tilts their head. They know, of course, that it's not always like that, Hermione has been eating their brains out about politicsfor two years now. But sometimes it’s fun to be a pretty dumb girl.

"Please, never go into politics,” Hermione sighs. Harry and Theodore look at each other and start laughing. No politics, Theodore would rather start teaching than go into politics. "Your wedding will be the biggest political scandal without that," she sighs again.

The atmosphere immediately changes.

“Oh, don't remind me," Theodore rolls his eyes. "For the duration of our wedding, I suggest we tie Skitter up and lock her somewhere in the basement," Hermione nods. Harry bites their lip.

“Do you want me to get her to jail?”  Hermione asks. "It's easier to kill, honestly" flashes through Harry and Theodore's thoughts. "She's still got a lot of sins since the war, if you dig around..." Theodore squints at Harry, but they shake their head.

"There won't be Skitter, there will be someone else," Harry smiles. It's not a pleasant smile. "And we may not have materials on this someone," Hermione catches their eye and blinks very quickly several times. “So… Let's invite her to the wedding. Let her write what he wants.”

"Harry, she's going to write a lot of unpleasant things," Theodore tries to soften. Harry smiles sweetly. Hermione grunts and reaches into her pocket for the mirror Harry made for her. She'll call Ron, and then everyone else will catch up. Skitter has a lot of enemies.

“Oh, she won't want to,” Harry says. “She just won't want to.”

Harry will have a wonderful wedding and let the whole fucking magical Britain see that they are happy.

November 2002

When Draco apparates to the address on the invitation, he expects to see the Nott family home: a huge black, grotto-like building. Holding weddings in family homes is a tradition, one of those in which Potter might not see anything prejudicial.

But this place, hung with white and orange flowers, gold ornaments in the form of clover and roses, even if it was once part of the Notts' property, now it definitely does not look like it.

"Draco," Pansy calls out to him. She is dressed in a completely different way than he is used to: her dark green dress is not provocative or distracting, only a drapery with silver jewelry. Pansy looks fresh in it and there are no traces of jinxes on her anymore.

“Hello,” They don't hug, but Pansy squeezes his elbow lightly. Blaze, who jumped up from the side, does not suffer from her troubles - his hand slaps Draco on the shoulder and pulls him into a tight hug. Out of the corner of his eye, Draco notices Pansy rolling her eyes.

"Dragon, how many years have we not seen each other!” Blaze smiles with all his teeth (sharp), and it's Draco's turn to roll his eyes.

"Two years," he chuckles. “I counted.” Draco was under house arrest, as were his parents. Compared to Azkaban, this is generally a miracle, achieved only by the fact that Potter came in their defense. Pansy was credited with a year of house arrest in a clinic in Switzerland, again, only through the efforts of the Golden Trio. Blaze wrote letters to all of them, due to the impossibility of visits.

"So much has changed in two years," Pansy purrs thoughtfully, looking around the room. The people filling it are divided into very clear categories: journalists, in plain clothes and not so much; friends and acquaintances of the groom, in whose faces Draco recognizes several famous curse breakers from the Guild (did Theo pass the exam?); friends and acquaintances of another groom (or bride, what is Potter's calling themselves now?) and finally, the absolute majority are almost strangers.

Notts' wedding is almost bigger than the ministery’s Yule ball.

And all this company is in bright, colorful and no less motley costumes, despite all possible dress codes. Blaze, like Pansy, is in dark green; Weasley and Granger are in deep burgundy. They are men and women of honor, and apparently they are dressed color coordinated.

Draco looks down at his beige suit. A strange unpleasant feeling rises in his throat.

"Yes, a lot," he replies to Pansy. Even if she notes his hitch, she doesn't comment. "I never would have thought that Potter would marry one of ours," Pansy and Blaze laugh.

"Trust me, they're worth each other," Blaise smiles. " Our Theodore is also kind of the boy who survived,” the joke is bad and even Blaze winces. "They are similar. Harry has ambitions too, but she supports Theodore, grounds him, I would say.”

Draco's hearing clings to this short "Harry" and a lump forms in his throat again.

There is a ringing sound.

Pansy and Blaze quickly say goodbye to him and hurriedly join the procession. They go right after the bride and groom, but with a large margin. Draco figures out in his mind who they could put there and at some point it dawns on him that if he got married, his mother and father would be there.

Potter is wearing a scarlet sari with gold ornaments that ring when he walks. Theo is clearly wearing something traditional, the name of which Draco does not know, an emerald color with embroidery in the form of gold and scarlet flowers. Both have long, white wreaths around their necks.

Potter and Theodore walk to the church together, hand in hand. Draco had never seen Theo smile like that. Even under the cameras, which are undoubtedly aimed at them, the antisocial Theodore smiles and looks exclusively at Potter.

Potter periodically sends pseudo-affectionate smiles towards all the guests who are not too close to them, and a second his gaze returns to Theo, now affectionate for real. That's how mum looked at dad in court.

Cheerful, surprisingly cheerful music begins to play, not a wedding march, and the procession moves towards the building with laughter and shouts. Draco smiles. No matter what, it's still a happy event. And with the scandal that will definitely follow, Potter and his friends will somehow deal with that.

Harry and Theodore listen to the priest with smiles on their faces, and their hands are joined. Technically, he's just a ministerial employee, not a priest, but Ginny doesn't bother with such things. He takes vows and performs the wedding, which means he is a priest.

Harry takes off her wreath of white flowers, Theodore almost catches it on the buttons, but in the end he too takes it off safely. Both of them have hands literally black from the paintings on them, contrasting with the white flowers.

"The darker the henna, the stronger the bond between families," Ginny recalls. She helped paint Harry's hands, along with Luna and Hermione. If Harry and Theodore hadn't both been orphans, then his mom would have been with them.

It's a little sad that she's not the person Harry is marrying, but it's a sadness for the fantasy. Ginny would never have had a wedding like this, too much would have changed. And with all love and respect for mum, she would certainly make their wedding much more… magnificent than Ginny would like. And white turns Ginny into a pale moth.

Potters put wreaths around each other's necks and smile so brightly that it seems that the hall is getting brighter. It's Indian part of the ceremony, Ginny recalls. Like an exchange of rings - without it, marriage is not considered a marriage.

However, Potters also have rings: Teddy, in a green suit with red embroidery, very serious and proud of his mission, holds gold rings on a pillow. One ring has a massive matte black stone, the other is studded with small light stones that shine from the incoming light.

The priest nods curtly in his direction and Teddy, still very serious, carefully approaches the Potters. He hands them the rings on the pillow and Theodore ruffles his hair in an obviously familiar gesture. Teddy doesn't go back to his old place after that, Harry arranges him next to Ron and Hermione at his side.

Someone in the audience is definitely crying. Ginny is even willing to bet a couple of sickles that one of these someone's is her mom. Potters exchange rings without ceasing to smile.

The standard "You may kiss the bride" is not pronounced, but "This marriage is done" is pronounced with a missing gender hint. Clearly a pre-arranged phrase, Ginny chuckles to herself.

Potters kiss and the room explodes with screams.

Someone taps a glass with a spoon and loud laughter is heard. Theodore awkwardly climbs onto a chair, trying not to get tangled in the edges of his coat. A voice in Ron’s head, too reminiscent of Hermione's voice, says, "this is a sherwani, a traditional costume." What, Ron actually has a pretty good memory!

Harry, in her new outfit, in an emerald embroidered dress, jumps onto a chair with a loud laugh and reaches out to kiss her husband. Merlin, his best friend got married, a thought that is still very wild for Ron. It seemed that not so long ago he was sure that he would see his sister in brides, and now his best friend is a bride.

Mum wipes her tears with a handkerchief, glancing at dad every now and then. They smile, and during their toasts, even Ron almost burst into tears. Harry jumped over the table and rushed to hug them, to the accompaniment of sobs from the guests and the ringing of a huge crown on her head.

Norwegian and Indian traditions do slightly unsettle Ron, but if Harry likes him, then who is he to whine?

Theodore is a good person, and if you think about it, if Harry wants to marry a Slytherin so much, then Theodore is the best choice. He's not a Death Eater, he's not a purist, he gets along with Hermione... objectively, he's better than Malfoy. The thought, even fleeting, that Harry might have married Malfoy makes Ron sick.

The guests begin to stamp their feet and Potters climb under the table with the same laughter.

Merlin sees that Norwegian traditions are very strange, but the Potters are clearly having fun, so Ron joins the stompers.

"Theodore," Astoria taps his shoulder gently with her fingers. Most of the guests left, only the really close ones remained. The fact that she is in this category makes Astoria very happy, even though she will never say it out loud. It's not accepted. “Congratulations again.”

Theodore turns to her, and a smile is on his face. And not the kind he sometimes had in the Slytherin living room, detached and slightly like a grin, but real.

"Thanks," he nods. "Are you all right?” Astoria squints for a second. In fact, she is, only the curse has been pushing a little harder lately, but to occupy Theodore with his problems at his wedding... " I'm sorry that I didn't come to meet you earlier," Astoria shakes her head.

"Yes, it's fine," she says. The only thing that drove the journalists away from him was Potter standing behind him and playing with a wand with an overly affectionate expression on her face. If it wasn't for her, it's unlikely that the guests would have left without getting something unpleasant in their face. It is difficult to bring Theodore to rage, but if they did, he would not spare curses.

"Hello again, Miss Greengrass," comes a voice from the side. Astoria turns to Potter. She is taller than Astoria by a head and a half, but for some reason does not cause the awe that other people of the same height caused. She had rice and wheat grains stuck in her hair, from the time it was trown at the newlyweds.

"Harry," Theodore breathes. " Has something happened?”

"No," Potter shrugs. "Pansy and Draco apparated home, Blaze said he would leave a second gift and go too. Mine are also leaving.”

"Then I think I'll go too," Astoria exhales. "Thank you for the warm welcome, Lady Potter. It was a wonderful wedding," Potter smells of flowers, and even slightly of fire. She rolls her eyes.

"Just call me Harry, okay?" She asks. "You are my husband's friend, all his friends call me Harry. Even Draco, although it causes him almost physical pain,” they all snort. Astoria remembers Draco Malfoy, with whom she talked for a long time today. He looked like a lost kitten.

"Okay, Harry," she says back. "Then I'm Astoria, okay?" Harry shakes the outstretched hand with her, still covered in calluses and henna, and then pulls Astoria into a careful hug. She is warm, although her fingers are cool.

Astoria wants to ask if she's jealous. She wants to ask, "didn't Theodore tell you about Daphne?" She doesn't ask. Harry is too soft to conflict with her sister and Merlin, Astoria really does not want to choose a side in this confrontation.

Harry hugs him from behind, puts her head on his shoulder and sighs. Her jewelry, massive beads and gold buttons, are clearly felt. Theodore sighs.

"Shall we go unwrap the presents?”  Harry asks. Her hair tickles Theodore's cheek. "Or sleep? Teddy is already asleep," Theodore leans back against her slightly and closes his eyes.

"Sleep," he finally decides. They'll figure it all out tomorrow.

Chapter Text

December 2002

The newspapers are full of headlines about their wedding, and Theodore doubts that it will be over in a few months. Some of them are positive, congratulating the "young couple" and complimenting the beauty of the wedding. Some of them are negative, and there are much more of those. There are no indifferent.

Son of a Death Eater! The scandalous Potters! Bewitched!

It's a little unpleasant to listen to reproaches, and more often even threats, when you haven't done any of the things mentioned. The main version of the public, accustomed to the fact that Harry Potter is their hero, unable to do anything imperfect, is Amortentia. The second is Imperius.

Harry spits such venom at these people. He gets angry and explodes, blowing the dueling hall into crumbs. Theodore never gets near Harry in that state, only approaching after, with a cup of tea and some kind of sweet, most often with a piece of treacle tart.

Getting under the hot hand of the man who killed Voldemort, even if he were Theodore's spouse a hundred times, is an exceptionally stupid idea. Even if Harry is basically incapable of harming him.

The Potters came to Britain in the ninth century. The Potters have absorbed the traditions of the Peverells. The Potters have absorbed the Blacks. The Potters are a damn dangerous family. But they can't hurt each other. Theodore can raise his wand and shoot Avada at Harry and it will go right through him. Harry can direct a Crucio at him, but it will always be no stronger than a tickle.

This, by the way, dismisses the possibility of Theodore using Imperius on Harry, but it's kind of a family secret, so they can't really talk about it.

The problem is that Theodore's position also puts all other Death Eater children at risk. The public will undoubtedly remember them when they stop rinsing him specifically, and Theodore really doesn't want that. Unlike him, there is no Harry Potter looming behind them.

So Theodore becomes the face of everyone whose parents were on the side of "evil" and whom they "pushed into the arms of darkness." 

And despite all his dislike of publicity, despite his hatred of other people's eyes, the eyes of the crowd, Theodore writes an open letter to the Prophet. This is a very long letter, not only for his sake, not only for him, but also for everyone who is judged by what they have no control over. It's not just people like him, because Muggleborns didn't choose which parents to have either.

This is a very long letter, mostly clarifying the events of the war from a point of view that no one has looked at yet. From the point of view of the children of Death Eaters who had no choice. Theodore has never talked to so many people, but now fireplaces are being opened for him in all the estates. Because Theodore Potter can tell their stories and finally be heard.

They are even ready to drink veritaserum and confirm everything magically, as long as they are believed, as long as people do not shout "slippery snakes sucking up to the new government." 

The letter ends with a few personal paragraphs.

" We went through a war that broke out because of hatred and cruelty. My own father was a Death Eater, that's undeniable. He hated Muggles, Muggleborns, and half-bloods alike, and that hatred drove him to do terrible things. Things that I won't stop apologizing for.

But the war is over. Unfortunately, your hatred is not. And you treat us, the children of Death Eaters, the same way Voldemort treated Wizards with Muggle blood. You hate us for something over which we have absolutely no control. Read the notes: mine, in the courts - most of us never wanted to become what we eventually became. Please be better than Voldemort.

I'm not a Death Eater. I am human. I am a wizard . I am not at all the same as you, but at the same time we are the same. And Harry chose me for who I am, not for who everyone thought I was.

And if you're not ready to see the people behind the Death Eater masks, if you're not ready to see that the " Boy who lived"  is also a human being, if you're not ready to understand that now everyone has a choice and it's inhumane to take it away... Well. It's your choice. But don't be surprised when a second Voldemort is born among you.

With all   respect  where it is due ,

Theodore Tiberius Potter "

Technically, it's not a fucking letter, it's a whole ass book, but Theodore pays little attention to things like titles.

Harry also writes an open letter, but his letter is much shorter.

"My husband doesn't owe you jackshit." is the first line.

"P.S. I can overcome the fucking imperius." says the second one.

"Harry James Potter" is listed as the third and last.

Magical Britain is still in a storm for about a month and a half, during which Hermione and Astoria manage to change the foolishly adopted wartime law on dark marks and unforgivables. Harry, Theodore and Teddy go to see the fjords of Norway and send them postcards.

And send the rest to Morgana.

They also send postcards to Draco, just in case. Judging by his letters, he hates postcards, Ron and Hermione who visit him often, and the fact that people feel sorry for him now because of Theodore's book. Astoria writes that he hisses at people, but not at her, Hermione and Ron, although they fight with the latter more often than they talk.

January 2003

"Concept," Harry begins one morning on the porch of a cabin in the middle of nowhere and snow. They are at the Nott summer house, in one of the many spatial pockets in Norway. This sturdy and very well-heated house is a “summer house” in name only. "Your friends are in love with mine." 

“Who and with which ones specifically?” Theodore tilts his head. The concept, Harry knows, is not completely new, Theodore has survived almost seven years of Draco's endless nagging about her. And not even to Theodore, but rather into space. Pansy was whining about Draco at the same time. Only Blaise, Merlin and Morgana bless him, didn't bother his friend's head with his romantic adventures.

"That's a good question," Harry sighs. “In Draco's last letter, he spent a paragraph and a half talking about Hermione's eyes, and then two about Ron sleeping on his couch and not wanting to move into the guest room. Astoria is no better.”

Oh, Astoria is even worse, because unlike Draco, who is a friend of the Potters, but with a stretch, she is Theodore's friend. Almost a younger sister, and younger sisters can and should whine to their older brothers about their love lives. It’s not her fault Theodore and Harry read letters together so often.

“At least Draco isn't writing about you," Theodore snorts. Steam escapes from his mouth - it's cold outside. The sun is not yellow, but rather lemony because of the haze. Harry rolls her eyes. The advantages of self reflection are that now you know that your attempts to pull the enemy's metaphorical pigtails were a crush. Things could have been different.

“Dad! Dad! Help me with the snowman!” There's a voice from the side and Teddy runs out to the porch. His hair is bright red, as are his cheeks from the cold, clearly on purpose. Teddy preferred to have his hair the same color as Harry's or Theodore's, often like Tonks's and much less often like Remus'.

Andromeda had almost no photos of Remus, and when they moved to Grimmauld Place and Harry dug up photos of the Marauders, the three-year-old kid decided that "dad's hair is boring, mom's better." The scars, however, got him hooked, and Harry got a few weeks, during which Teddy, who made scars on his face like Remus's, would point at her forehead and laugh "We're the same!”.

Teddy liked Harry's scar too, but Harry still forbids repeating it.

“The hat, Theodore!” Harry manages to shout. Theodore is already running down the steps, pulling on his hat and pulling Teddy's other hat out of his pocket. Teddy laughs and slips out of his hands, but this is a familiar game that sooner or later ends with Teddy pulling on the hat himself. And then they'll be lying in the snow.

Harry chuckles to herself. And this man considered himself a bad father!

"Hey, wait for me!" She shouts after the two red heads and runs off the porch.

February 2003

They're going back to Grimmauld Place for a while. At least that's what Theodore thinks. Harry, as always, stumbles on his way out of the green flame, Teddy jumps out of the fireplace and Theodore has to hold him by the collar - Teddy's awkwardness comes from both Harry and his own mother.

They agreed that Teddy would spend a week with Bill and Fleur, with Victoire and little Roxanne, whose family is visiting Bill. Theodore supports this decision because it's good for both Harry's paranoia and Teddy's socialization. And what's there to hide, it's absolutely necessary for all parents to spend time together from time to time.

And then it turns out that Harry chose violence that morning and they walk out of the fireplace at the Ministry.

"Then I want to know who owns my godfather's motorcycle," Harry says. Theodore looks up at him. The ministry employee is almost shaking. They only talk to him for about twenty minutes, but Harry manages to show him what real horror is.

"Mr. Potter, the Ministry…”

"Where's my godfather's motorcycle?"  Harry asks again. Harry's anger control is already much better, but Theodore sees that Harry is about to start grabbing people by the throat. And he has enough strength to pull it off.

"Mr. Potter, the Ministry can't know where the convicts' belongings are unless they've been detained with them..." Harry's face contorts into a grimace.

"A magical cast is taken from all convicts," Harry says icily. Theodore shudders, and the ministry employee turns blue. “You’ll be able to trace the artifacts belonging to Sirius Black from this cast. Inform the necessary authorities, we will wait.”

And they wait.

Theodore is pretty sure that Harry knows exactly where the motorcycle is.

The whole Ministry is on the alert, archive files are flying in different directions, Theodore even catches a couple of papers. Sirius Black's file is not in the archives. There are no cases of many convicts in the archives, and Harry is smiling in a very bastard way. He looks at Theodore and he mirrors that smile.

Hermione and Astoria will eat the ministry alive when they find out. Judging by the sour faces, the Ministry is also aware of this. They know that the Potters will tell their friends everything. Draco Malfoy’s file in the archive is so wrong that it can be burned and nothing will change.

Ministry pays them reparations for a lost motorcycle, for the conviction of a man without trial, for insulting a noble family... Magical Britain is slowly but inevitably coming to the fact that the rabid, vicious dog of the two Potters is Harry.

The motorcycle is in a separate room at the Potter Estate and Harry is going to upgrade it.

M arch 2003

Harry reassembles the motorcycle, digging into the mechanics magazines and running to Arthur many times for tips. But on their own. In Harry's memories, Sirius never rides a motorcycle, the motorcycle was left with Hagrid when Sirius got into Azkaban.

Now the motorcycle has a new owner, a new engine, and new spells to protect it. And a wheelchair with twice as many spells as the driver's side. The wheelchair can also be removed, which is exactly what Harry does on their first motorcycle ride

All of this happens at night, for two reasons: it's less likely that ordinary people will notice them, and Teddy is asleep. Harry can leave him alone at the manor, especially when he's asleep. Both Potter Manor and Nott Manor have protective spells that can withstand a nuclear strike.

“Are you sure it's safe?” Theodore raises an eyebrow. Harry rolls their eyes.

"You enchanted it yourself," they begin to list. "I've had my license since last month, so we won't run into a tree," Theodore snorts. When they were testing autorun spells, they had to start over once, precisely because the motorcycle flew into a tree, breaking away from the spell.

They never made such mistakes again.

"Okay, I believe you," Theodore finally exhales. "Put on your helmet," he throws Harry a helmet, which they catch with ease. Theodore has thrown various objects at Harry many times, but Harry's hunter's hands and reactions have never failed him.

The helmet is bright green, with a black lightning on the side. Teddy painted it green, but Theodore painted the lightning. Theodore's helmet was still black, Teddy's hands just didn't have time to reach it. However, Harry was going to fix this oversight.

Harry swings their leg over the seat and gets comfortable. A motorcycle is much better than a broom, the seat on the broom is magical, spells will fall off and just a stick, but a motorcycle... Harry doesn't have to fly, this bike can be quite ordinary, ground transportation.

Theodore sits down behind them. He did not learn to drive a motorcycle himself, he does not like to fly, even on a broom, which Harry finds somewhat funny. Theodore doesn't care about Quidditch, but he's married the best seeker in Hogwarts history.

Theodore's hands rest on Harry's waist. Well, not exactly at the waist - Theodore's hands are narrow, with very long fingers, so he interlaces his fingers somewhere on Harry's stomach. Well, it doesn't immediately intertwine, of course.

"Hands off, Theodore," Harry says. "It's not safe," they clarify, when Theodore's hands are finally entwined in the lock. Theodore snorts, the sound muffled by his helmet, but Harry knows his husband.

"Holding good?" finally, they ask again. Theodore taps his fingers on the zipper on Harry's jacket.

"Of course," and they begin to accelerate.

“Higher!” Teddy shouts, his voice almost completely blown away by the wind. Harry laughs and gets up a little more. Even higher, and they will fly above the clouds, get wet, and return home all soaked. House elf Axie will be mad.

But Harry soars higher, to Teddy's ringing laughter, and feels absolutely happy.

April 2003

Teddy's birthday is celebrated much more lavishly than Harry and Theodore's birthdays. At least in the family circle it is more magnificent, it is very problematic to overtake the universal madness that comes on the thirty-first of July in magical Britain.

Only the closest people are invited to Teddy's birthday, not half of the country. Although, of course, they try to invite themselves, but Harry breaks the cameras, feathers and fingers of particularly persistent journalists a couple of times and the hysteria subsides.

Theodore is just glad that no one needs to be disentangled from the particularly tricky Potter family curses. The Potters are witty, every curse is a work of art, an invaluable experience for the curse breaker, but Theodore prefers to see these curses in books, not in people.

Teddy's cake is chocolate, the balloons are colorful, and the gifts are all the ones he wanted. The weather at Potter Manor is perfect, and they don't care what storm is raging outside the window. The grass is green, not too cold, not too hot. Good.

Teddy generously presents each guest with balloons. This leaves him virtually without ballons himself - Teddy has a lot of cousins. Teddy even gets lost against the background of red heads, although his hair does not go out of turquoise that day.

Little Roxanne, who is barely two years old, is almost the same size as these balloons, but it doesn't bother her at all. Kids run around the clearing with ballons under the alarmed cries of uncles and aunts.

The Malfoys arrive later than everyone else.

Narcissa Malfoy is wearing a soft blue dress, discreet and comfortable even in appearance. Draco, in a dark turtleneck and almost jeans, still fits into the Potter celebration more than she does. But at least Narcissa's face doesn't express disgust too clearly.

"Theodore," she nods. Theodore nods in response. They are similar, him and Narcissa, in the turn of the head, in the ability to conduct a conversation, in small details that betray a purebred upbringing of the highest grade. Draco, slightly spoiled by his parents, behaves a little differently.

He and Narcissa look alike with the pale skin of their forearms with a couple of age-whitened scars, but without the ugly ink blob that the mark turned into after Voldemort's death.

"Lady Narcissa," Harry smiles almost affably. Narcissa met Andromeda and Teddy after the war, when the former was still alive. Neither Harry nor Theodore understood if she really wanted to meet her nephew and establish a relationship with her sister, or if she was just trying to seem more "pro-Muggle."

Theodore and Harry are sure that it's both.

"Hello, Lady Potter," Narcissa nods back at Harry. Despite years of quite friendly communication, Narcissa is in no hurry to call Harry by his first name. Draco, though he pretends to grimace, addresses them both by their first names. "We've brought gifts for Edward.”

"Thank you, Lady Malfoy," Harry smiles. - Let me walk you out?  Narcissa nods and slowly moves towards the birthday boy, arm in arm with Harry. Draco stays.

"Hi, Theodore," Draco breathes. “Give Teddy my congratulations,” he gives Theodore a gift, separate, obviously not from the Malfoys, but from Draco himself. Theodore nods at him.

"And what caused... this?" Theodore shakes his head at the retreating ladies. Draco sighs.

"Astoria," and although the sigh is tired, it also seems happy. Theodore snorts to himself. Well done, sister, managed to mingle with this stubborn sheep. "She convinced my mother that we needed to connect with the Potters.

"As if you didn't need to connect before," Theodore chuckles, and his friend punches him lightly in the shoulder. "Okay, okay.”

"Astoria wants you to be godfather," Draco rolls his eyes. "That's why Mom's building bridges with Potter again... Astoria and I are only engaged, and she is already making plans for children…”

"You don't like it?"  Theodore raises his eyebrows. Draco sighs again. Obviously, he likes it, it's just that he’s not used to it. They survived the war and the political instability that followed, of course, they are not used to long-term plans, if they are not political.

Before Draco can reply, Narcissa and Harry return. Theodore catches Narcissa Malfoy's eye on Harry and instantly understands. It's not about godparents. It's about Astoria’s curse and the future of the Malfoy family.

May 2003

"Answer me one question, Theodore," Harry rolls over onto the other side of the bed, with a firmer mattress, and nuzzles Theodore's chest with his chin. Their legs are intertwined. Theodore tilts his head towards him. “Why is contraception so unpopular among wixen?”

This, of course, is brought on by the post-war birth rate boom. Harry attends all his friends' weddings.: Ron and Hermione, Dean and Seamus, Neville and Hannah... The list is long, especially for a graduate of the late nineties, which are meager, and besides, thinned out by the war.

Of all these couples, only two don't have children in a year: Dean and Seamus, because it's physically difficult, and Ron and Hermione, because Hermione is building a career. And most likely because he knows what condoms are.

"Magical contraception is absolutely useless for those who are not married for a very political reason," Theodore exhales. “Emotions ruin spells fast.”

"I'm aware of that," Harry chuckles. Under the spell of inaudibility, it is impossible to swear normally on emotions. "But potions?" Rituals?” they both know perfectly well that if there is a fertility ritual, then there will be a reverse one. And there is a fertility ritual.

"In marriages of convenience, it's about doing your duty as soon as possible and seeing each other only at balls," Theodore mutters into Harry's hair. "But in general, life is considered an integral part of magic. It is traditionally very well protected.

“That is, if you get pregnant, then give birth. What a dumb thing,” Harry nuzzles Theodore's collarbone and mumbles. “Let me guess, is death also an integral part of magic? That's why medicine is suffering. A bunch of incurable magical diseases without magic are treated just nice.”

"It is," Theodore breathes, twining his arms around Harry's back. As always, his palms are warm. “The fact that we are lagging behind in medicine and... protection from ordinary people, of course, is bad... But it's still a little embarrassing to talk about," Harry looks up at him. Even in the semi-darkness of the room, it is noticeable that Theodore's blushing. “How do you even talk about it so calmly?”

“Hermione was the one to give me The Talk," Harry snorts. "Nothing will embarrass me in this life anymore," he puts his head on one side and listens to Theodore's heartbeat. They spend a few minutes in silence.

"We're not having children until we're completely sure that the curse is gone," Harry finally says.

"Even if I'm never sure?" Theodore breathes into the top of his head. Harry bites him lightly on the collarbone. Follish boy.

"Even if never."

June 2003

Charlotte Nott-Potter appears in her family unexpectedly.

Theodore has been interning for three weeks at the Norwegian Curse Breaking Center, an institution that is much more medical than its name suggests. However, it's objectively easier to curse people than objects, especially if you want the impact "right now".

Theodore calls Harry early in the morning, her time is three, his time is barely two. Harry is up immediately, and the curtains heroically sacrifice themselves to a habitually launched protective-cutting spell. Only after taking a breath Harry takes a mirror, which she made a couple of months ago.

"Harry," Theodore blurts out to her through a connected mirror. "This... This is Charlotte. Her mother…" he shakes, and the image in the mirror is blurry, but Harry is able to make out the bundle in Theodore's arms and the hospital walls behind it. "Her mother is dead, I am... I couldn't save her, the curse was too much..."

"It’s fine, Theodore," Harry says as confidently as she can, because Theodore needs to calm down, needs an anchor to cling to. “My love, it's okay, Charlotte really needs you right now, I understand…”

Theodore nods, which looks like he's having a seizure, but his arms are rocking the girl quite confidently. He has experience, Teddy always wanted to be in his arms, and he still wants to, even though they wean him off.

"Aren't you furious?" asks Pansy, who has intercepted the mirror. Her hands are shaking a little too, but in comparison, it's like she's driving on a rough road, whereas Theodore was shaking as if in turbulence. Pansy is there on her own business, of course, to remove her own curses caught during the war, but she never refuses to look after a friend.

Besides, Theodore may be her best bet - there is already no one better in the UK at unraveling curses on people.

"Why would I be furious?" Harry asks in response. Theodore, a bleeding heart, could easily adopt a girl on the spot. He wanted a big family, even though he was very good at projecting that desire onto Harry, who... Oh, Pansy didn't mean it that way. "Oh, I know my husband, Pansy.”

"Oh, thank Merlin," Pansy exhales. "I'm sorry, I just know you're short-tempered, you might have misunderstood," Harry shakes his head. She can brawl, she can scream, but Theodore, trembling over every move and nervous before any choice, does not deserve this.

Besides, Harry really knows her husband. He wouldn't.

"Hand the mirror back to Theodore, please," Harry asks. "I want to talk to him for a while," Pansy nods, and soon a familiar copper-red crown appears on the surface of the mirror.

"Hello again, Harry," the mirror is clearly suspended in the air, the angle is very wrong and Harry can hardly see Theodore's face. Instead, she can clearly see a little girl, pale and still slightly red. Oh, no, not red.

"She has the same hair as you," Harry breathes, "Have you adopted her yet?" That ritual we found recently?” the ritual of blood adoption was found in the Potters’ library, where else could it be found, if not among them. Potters, dragging everything that was badly lying into the house, dragged people without much heartache.

"Yes," Theodore smiles. “It wasn't difficult. Are you sure you're not mad at me?”  Harry purses his lips. That he adopted this girl? Of course not, they talked too much about children and possible adoption for that to be possible.

"A little," she finally replies. "The fact that you didn't tell me you were going to adopt her, not the adoption itself. I'm your wife, and this is my child," Theodore smiles a little guiltily.

"I'm sorry. At the moment, this ritual seemed the best way out of the situation," Harry closes her eyes. Theodore, removing the curse from a woman giving birth, couldn't help but draw parallels between her situation and his own.

"Her mother called her Charlotte, didn't she?"  Harry asks. Theodore nods, which is more clear from the fact that the mirror is twitching, rather than from the visible part of his face. “Charlotte Nott. And the second name??

"Charlotte Nott-Potter," Theodore says firmly. "I adopted her first, but that doesn't mean you won't be in her life. You said it yourself. I wanted to give her the name Jasmine. In honor of James," Harry can't see his eyes, but he knows what they're like. Blue-green, staring straight at him, as if Theodore was both sure of something and really wanted to convince her of something.

"Charlotte Jasmine Nott-Potter," Harry says tentatively. She's not sure if there's a break in her voice. The name is long, but at home it can be shortened to "Charlie" or "Lottie", as they abbreviate Teddy’s name. “ Okay, I like it.”

Harry cautiously opens the door to Teddy's bedroom. He has sensitive hearing, Remus’ legacy, and Harry tries very hard not to wake him up. In sleep Teddy's hair returns to its natural dark color and most of all he looks not even like Andromeda, but rather like Regulus from his childhood photos.

Harry sits down on the floor by his bed, on the soft carpet that appeared in the Knott estate only with Harry. She gently strokes Teddy's head.

"You're going to have a sister," Harry says softly. Teddy continues to sleep. "Parents usually get at least a few months' warning," Harry laughs, very softly, to not wake Teddy. "But when were the Potters usual?"

Theodore is coming back to England as soon as possible. This means that he arrives a week later, with bags under his eyes and a slightly twitching eye. It is highly discouraged to travel with portkeys or apparate with children under one year old.

"The plane was terrible," he gasps as Harry takes the girl from his arms. “Charlotte slept through the whole flight, but you should have seen how they looked at us!”  He holds up his hands. Harry laughs. People passing by look back at them, but Harry doesn't care.

"Shall we go?" he asks. "I rented a car from the Ministry," Theodore and Harry exchange knowing glances. "Harry Potter" is a brand that is not a sin to use. Harry died for this country twice, after all!

Theodore puts his suitcases in the back seats and gets behind the wheel. Harry settles into the front passenger seat and finally gets to take a closer look at Charlotte without haste. She's very small, much smaller than Teddy when Harry first saw him.

She has red hair, which is much brighter in person than Theodore's copper curls. And even now, when she only has fluff on top of her head, it's clear that Charlotte is curly, more like Harry with his uncontrollable mop than with Theodore's perfect curls. Pale, like all redheads, but without freckles...

Charlotte opens her eyes and Harry smiles. The baby blue is either already gone, or it never existed - Charlie's eyes are hazel.

"I've got all the paperwork sorted out," Theodore is clearly continuing his thought, which Harry hasn’t listened to. “So now, just adopt according to the laws of Magical Britain and that's it…”

"She has the same eyes as dad," Harry replies incongruously. "My dad."

July 2003

There are exactly three things that change in the Potter-Notts' lives with Charlie’s arrival. First, they now put Teddy to bed in the same room where they sleep themselves, because the boy is delighted with his new sister and tries to spend as much time with her as possible.

Secondly, Theodore takes more work at home. He still visits Mungo when someone with the curse of his realm gets there, but he works more at home with subjects. No matter how much Harry likes to mess with children, Theodore's conscience does not allow him to push everything onto them.

And the third thing is that there are more children's things in the house. Otherwise, life changes minimally.

"You knew that the Potters have a tradition," Harry begins, and Theodore already knows that this is one of those traditions that in decent circles are mentioned only with a wand at their throat. Well, decent circles can be different too!

"Surprise me," he says anyway.

"When the Potters have a child, they give their spouses a special gift," Harry begins from a little distance. Special gifts in honor of the heirs are not Potter exclusive, but Harry wouldn't talk about it if it was something ordinary. “Do you want the head of your worst enemy? Or the heart?”

"I have no enemies," Theodore replies. "I had, but I hope to never see my father's face again in my life," Harry nods.

"Nice." Because I have a present," and before Theodore even has time to raise his eyebrows, Harry adds, "And it's not someone's head, don't worry," Theodore purses his lips. Harry might as well bring someone's head in - they're absolutely thrilled with Charlie and Theodore right now.

But Harry, thank Merlin, takes a jewelry box out of their pocket and hands it to Theodore. Inside there is a pendant in the form of a snitch, gold and quite voluminous.

"Open it," Harry says, nodding his head. Theodore pushes the wings on both sides with his fingernail and the snitch opens into three parts - two rounded and one flat, with drawings on all three. Harry, Teddy and Charlie.

Harry is wearing the red sari he was wearing at the wedding, Teddy is wearing his blue sweater with the letter T on his chest, and Charlie is wearing a green dress, she is about five years old in the drawing, despite her real age. It was clearly painted by Harry, the style is recognizable.

"The drawings can be fixed, and a couple of frames can be added," Harry clarifies.” I enchanted it for indestructibility and all that…”  Theodore jumps up to Harry and circles them around the living room, although it's quite difficult - Harry is taller and heavier than Theodore, in any form.

"I love you," he concludes, as he sets Harry down on the floor and tries to catch his breath. Harry laughs.

"I love you too," they smile and kiss Theodore on the corner of his lips.

August 2003

"To be honest, I don't mind Teddy calling me mum," Harry exhales. He's looking at the drawing Teddy made for them yesterday. Teddy is learning to write, and above the four stick figures with colored spots instead of hair, "Daddy," "me," "Charlie," and "Harry" are very clearly written.

"Tell him that," Theodore says. Teddy's drawing, glued to the kitchen cabinet, is slightly askew. Harry intercepts the magic back before it brings down the cupboard. This has happened before. "Seriously, Harry, just tell. He's a smart boy, he'll understand. You said yourself that we're not trying to replace Remus and Tonks.”

"We're not," Harry confirms. "But Teddy knew Remus worse than Tonks, that fucking irresponsible werewolf who spent our entire childhood in the war!"  Theodore holds his hand and Harry exhales shakily. They both have bad days, days when Harry is angry at his parents who couldn't live for him, at Sirius, who put revenge above his godson, Remus, who was just silent throughout Harry's childhood, like a broken telephone receiver.

It's just that now there's anger for Teddy, whose parents chose to fight. Tonks spent at least a month with her son while she was recovering, and Remus only stopped by for a couple of days! And although Harry understands why they did that, all of them, he would never have allowed himself to do that.

The mind is not always able to overcome emotions on such bad days.

"You can be a second father," Theodore suggests. “Or do you like your female version more?” he asks. Harry rolls his eyes. He is observant enough to know that Theodore is aware that he really prefers feminine or non-binary.

"Boy," Harry literally spits out. "He's been following me my whole fucking life." I'm twenty-three, and they still call me boy," Theodore is clearly thinking something along the lines of "in the context of the length of wizards' lives, we really are 'boys,'" but wisely doesn't voice it.

Harry thinks that in just a couple of years of living together, Theodore has learned surprisingly well when not to get under fire and when to fight with his spouse without harm. Try to drag each other around the floor of the training hall a couple of times by mutual consent, to strengthen the marriage - a real cement.

"Are you going to teach like Herta Potter?" Theodore finally asks, while Harry is breathing on the count and trying to put the magic back inside without breaking anything. It turns out well, the experience affects. In Harry's first apartment, all the dishes were plastic.

"No, like Harry Potter," says Harry. “This is a brand, it will be easier to go to school with it than without it. So Harry Potter will be teaching.”

"But in a skirt," Theodore concludes intelligently. Harry smiles slyly. Of course, in the skirt, the Prophet will howl again, as always, when the hero does not match the image invented twenty years ago. But Merlin and Morgane, they are constantly howling about something, "Harry Potter" is just the loudest siren.

September 2003

A school for the youngest wixen is a controversial and scandalous project, but everything Harry Potter is doing now is causing controversy and scandals. Marriage, political positions, and even the choice of clothes!

It would be foolish to think that Harry Potter would match everything they say about him - he had already begun to shrink in his fourth year, and by the time Dumbledore's Army was formed, everything should have become clear. But for those who were not in this army, Harry Potter was still the cover boy.

Justin Flint-Fletchy has been to DA. Yes, he had never been in the "commandors," as they were aptly dubbed in 'ninety-eight, but he was. His parents were protesting against the anti-government circles, but Justin wasn't going against the Crown, was he? Unlike many other Muggleborns, he had somewhere to run to in the ordinary world, and he had connections.

Harry Potter's school was also registered in the ordinary world, a pound in Potter's piggy bank. Explaining Hogwarts to the authorities of non-magical Britain was still a task that the hero apparently managed to do.

Justin was one of the first people Potter turned to. He was Muggle-born, rich, and he knew exactly how the Muggle education system worked. The school could be a very, very profitable investment, and the Flint-Fletch family would be an excellent sponsor.

Except Potter was a vindictive bastard, and he hadn't forgotten his sophomore year or his fourth year. By the time they reached an agreement the conditions still remained moderately favorable. Justin was afraid to even think about how Potter dealt with those he harbored a real grudge against, not a school grudge.

Seriously, dealing with the other Potter, who used to be Nott, was easier, despite the green tie and pureblood upbringing!

However, it wasn't for nothing that the hat finally chose the former between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, and not only because of Muggle blood. Justin was stubborn. Potter was also stubborn, pushy, and a bastard.

It inspired respect.

Adrian Flint-Fletchy, Justin's younger brother, went to Potter's School when he turned six. The boy was delighted with the classrooms, the subjects, and the teachers, especially "Mr. Potter, so cool!" Well, Harry Potter has always been a great teacher.

Parvati thought before that Potters’ marriage was originally a purely political project. Marriage to Nott, the Death Eater's son, was on theme for Harry Potter, who diligently smoothed out conflicts and changed the system of magical Britain - it was something sacrificial that their hero would do to reduce the gap between the light and dark parties.

After the wedding, she wasn't sure anymore. Yes, perhaps the interweaving of traditions from different countries was also an idea for unification, but this was much less likely. For those who are not loved, the traditions of the family are not sacrificed, not by those as pure-blooded as Nott.

Parvati later worked with Nott, he removed the curse from their old country house, and she must say, being Potter suited him better. Although gold, objectively, was not exactly his metal.

And now at least Nott didn't look like he was going to drop dead on the spot, as, based on Parvati's vague memories, he looked at school. And Harry exploded a lot less, and smiled more.

Yes, Parvati could be sure that it was not a political marriage. Lucky.

The school was a charity, but a good charity, so Parvati was one of the first to fit into the project. She had a lot of cousins who needed something like this to assimilate into Britain. And the Potters were the main bridge between India and Britain until a few decades ago.

The Potters knew about these plans of hers, of course, Parvati was from Ravenclaw, not Slytherin. And they supported her, which was the most important thing, so that Parvati could continue doing what she was doing. The main thing was not to use her parents' plans. She knew Potter better than they did, and Potter wouldn't like their plans. He wouldn't like it at all.

Raja, her cousin, started studying at the school the year it opened. And, as Parvati initially had no doubt, he was absolutely delighted with "Professor Potter."

October 2003

It takes Harry a moment to realize that she's using the Elder Wand as a pointer. It took a long time. Because objectively, this wand is no different from the pointers that lie under the board. The handle is even more convenient.

Harry doesn't really care much about the Deathly Hallows. Yes, she dropped the Stone in the forest, but when she wanted to make a ring, she found it in her desk. Yes, sometimes she forgot the Elder Wand here and there, but it always appeared on her bedside table and jumped into her hand when Harry jumped up from nightmares.

The invisibility cloak was the last thing she needed, but sometimes she and Teddy played hide-and-seek and the cloak materialized on her shoulders. The Deathly Hallows were hers, though Harry hadn't thought much about it.

"Can you summon the cloak to yourself?"  Theodore asks her one evening. "Teddy decided to use it as a blanket," Harry smiles. Yes, Teddy had learned to climb furniture, with the help of elemental magic, of course, and now he could safely fall asleep on a closet or bookshelf in the classrooms. It was difficult to find him at such moments without the added invisibility cloak, let alone with it...

"Okay, you can check his favorite places for now," Harry replies and concentrates. Theodore will undoubtedly have time to check several places before the cloak deigns to appear. The cloak could appear in Harry's hands when she really needed it, then it was instinctive. But if the cloak wasn’t technically necessary, difficulties begin.

“Hallows to the Master!” Harry exhales softly and with a practiced movement snatches the wand that appeared out of thin air. The cloak is soft, so Harry just lets it fly in. A wand can poke out an eye with such flights.

"This… is your pointer," Theodore says in a slightly muffled voice. Harry looks from wand to him several times and shrugs. Well, yes, her pointer. "I'm going to take a little breath," Theodore exhales and leans his forehead against the wall.

It's somewhere here that Harry realizes that she is holding an invisibility cloak, which Teddy decided to use as a blanket, and an elder wand, which has changed shape to fit her hand and looks much more like a school pointer than the wand that Voldemort had.

She also realizes that Theodore was dragged to her through the corridors of the Potter Manor. Because there's a resurrection stone in the ring on his finger.

The Potter Estate will not know peace for the next few hours. Because Teddy wasn't sleeping, and he saw Theodore being dragged through the halls perfectly well. And this, of course, seems like fun to Teddy.

So Harry goes to one part of the estate, Theodore with Teddy in his arms to another, and then Harry calls the hallows to herself. Theodore's face is a little paler than usual, but it's from shaking, not from fear. He's not very good at flying. Teddy is beaming.

Of course, Harry does not stop using the elder wand as a pointer in his lessons.

November 2003

The last trial of those involved in the activities of the Death Eaters is coming to an end. To be honest, this is a completely stupid case, which does not even have a full-fledged judicial staff, like the first-line did.

Tracy Davis arrives at court alone. She has nothing to do with Death Eaters, she's a fucking half-blood, but the wheel of ships has been rolling for a very, very long time, no amount of money in the world could stop it now. Her charges include aiding and abetting the brewing of liquid imperius.

For anyone who knows Tracy, these accusations are a zilch- she didn't know how to make potions, and she didn't learn how. She has troll on her potion OWLs.

The flight from America is long and tedious, but unfortunately necessary. She needs to close this charge in order to continue working under MACUSA law and move on with her life normally. Tracy is a lawyer herself, she understands all the pitfalls perfectly.

The process is a farce and absolutely everyone understands it. Everything is completed in twenty-three minutes.

She has never interacted with Theodore Nott closely enough, but of all her Slytherin classmates, he is the only one sitting on a bench in the hall. Theodore Nott, with clean forearms and a straight back, who had changed a lot during the time Tracy was in America. He looks healthier, a little brighter.

"Congratulations, Davis," he says. "You're the last one," he smiles, but it's a tired smile, of course, and Tracey gives him the same smile.

"Longer than the Nuremberg trials," she jokes awkwardly. She doesn't know how to communicate with this person. The only thing that connects them is that they both once had green patches on their school uniforms, nothing more.

"If you want, we can launch a lawsuit against whoever slandered you," Nott quietly suggests. His voice is cold, but thank Merlin, not at Tracy. She looks around just in case - there are no journalists. Of course, why would they, when everything is already clear to everyone.

"Why would you do that?" She finally exhales. "We're not friends, we haven't even talked much," Nott purses his lips and nods.

“Yes, we’re not friends. But that's slander, Davis," he breathes. "The only reason you had to come here at all. If you hadn't been mentioned at the closed meeting, you wouldn't have had anything to do with the courts. I have a Death Eater connection, but I have never been accused.

Nott probably knows that he wasn't slandered just because of his strong last name, out of fear of revenge.

“Did one of ours mention me?” Tracy asks. She'll survive anything but that. But a setup from the Slytherin house, from a brick-to-brick wall... Nott smiles, and for some reason, this smile reminds Tracy of the evil smile that froze on Potter's face during the last duel.

"No," he says, and doesn't even raise an eyebrow at Tracey's ragged sigh. "All of us testified under veritaserum and under the supervision of a mentalist from the Department of Mysteries.”

“Very... tough," Tracy breathes. Nott laughs.

"Believe me, it had the opposite to the desirable effect," he replies. "Those who acted under duress have been acquitted, Davis. Are you going to launch a lawsuit?” Tracy thinks for a few seconds.

"No," she breathes. All she wants is to go back to her shitty apartment in New York and gorge on a bad pizza and Coke. She's never been into it, but Britain inspires the desires of the most stereotypical Americans in her. "I want to go home and forget about Britain," Nott nods.

"Then congratulations, Davis, you really are the last one," he smiles, and then, quite unexpectedly, hugs her. Tracy doesn't even have time to realize that it's a hug.

Only in America she learns that Theodore Potter was present at all the Death Eater trials he could attend.

December 2003

The Christmas concert is going great. The British love Christmas, whether they are wixen or Muggles. Harry treats Christmas warmly, but he doesn't jump to the ceiling with enthusiasm, like some people. A family evening and an exchange of gifts with the Weasley family is quite enough.

His younger classes play the Nutcracker, the magic version differs minimally from the normal version after all. Harry allows his older students to create magical effects, and they do an excellent job.

Everyone is modestly silent about the rehearsals and the burnt curtains, but Harry is not a fool. In the hall, he initially puts things that are easy to replace or fix, only then replacing things with more "presentable" ones. People tend to break things, that's okay.

“The Little Match Girl”, which was offered by some parents for older children, is rejected right away. The number of children's fairy tales that are completely unsuitable for children to read is amazing. Theodore says it's a cult of suffering that came to them from religion. Harry just refuses to do this fairy tale.

They litterally could do any worse only by offering “The Beggar Boy at Christ's Christmas Tree”!

His eldest students are playing "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and their parents, under the heavy gaze of a man who reacts badly to any mention of the death of their children, are embarrassed and apologize.

The Christmas concert is going great.

January 2004 and beyond.

Theodore and Harry will continue to live as they have lived. Over time, the public will cool down to the "Boy Who Survived" and finally begin to notice that Mr. Potter's students are being taught by famous professors in Europe after school, and T. Potter's scientific work will be highly appreciated in the society of curse breakers and healers.

At the end, the Potters will have four children.

Edward Lupin-Black will remain Lupin-Black, despite the adoption. Hufflepuff will be his house, and the Potters will send him a large box of yellow and gold things on September 2.

When Teddy comes of age, he will inherit everything that belonged to the Blacks, especially noting Sirius Black's motorcycle. Teddy won't get away from the Potters, he won't split up the property, and the family won't be involved in scandals for a long time.

Charlotte will receive a middle name in honor of James, eventually becoming Charlotte Jasmine Nott-Potter. Her parents and brother will continue to adore her, even though she will be the cause of several gray strands for Theodore. Because of her character, everyone will be sure that she will get into Gryffindor, and only Harry will be right when he says that she will be a Slytherin like her father.

Charlotte will play for Slytherin as a chaser from the third to the sixth years, and in the seventh she will focus on preparing for admission to the School of design, also doing an internship as an assistant professor in the summer.

In 2006, the Potters will adopt another girl, this time without any tragedies like Charlie's. Iolanthe Lillian Potter-Nott will be named after both of her grandmothers, but according to the Potter tradition, with a slight change in the names.

Iolanthe of all her new relatives will look like the Blacks, black-haired and pale. Despite this, her character will be desperately similar to Harry's, and she will always move like Theodore. In early childhood, she would become interested in figure skating, and the Potters would invest quite a lot of resources in their daughter's dream.

Iolanthe will sit under a hat for a record twelve minutes, but eventually she too will become a Slytherin.

The first and only child the Potters would have "naturally" would be born in two thousand and nine and would almost kill both of her parents. By pulling Harry over the edge, and then Theodore through the magical marriage vows, the girl will put the doctors in a very difficult position.

The Potters will get out of the situation on their own. Death will release its "little Mistress" and her husband, who bargained for their daughter's life, leaving only a few white strands in the hair of both Potters as a reminder of going over the edge.

Little Dorothea will be completely white-haired. The fact that Death touched her is not even discussed, although the Potter family will joke that they stole the colors from the Malfoys, because their daughter, who was born three years before, is dark-haired like Astoria.

In the photos, little Dorothea will always be in the very center, as the "heart" of her family. She will never feel that she is superfluous. None of the Potters will feel like that.