Teddy's cries echoed through the high-ceilinged hall of Black Mansion, bouncing off the polished wood and marble like a chorus of heartbreak. It was one of those rare but unshakable temper tantrums, and Harry knew the cause even before he reached the drawing room.
The moment he stepped in, he found Teddy on the carpet, his tiny fists balled, eyes wet, cheeks flushed a furious pink. Fawkes perched serenely on the back of a nearby armchair, head tilted in that calm, almost amused way phoenixes seemed to have.
"Teddy," Harry began cautiously, "what's wrong?"
The little boy sniffled, pointing an accusing finger at the bird. "I want Fawky."
Harry tried to keep a straight face. "You mean Fawkes. And you've had him almost every day this week."
"He mine," Teddy insisted, his two-year-old voice struggling to shape the words. "He stay!"
Neville, who had been leaning against the fireplace with his arms folded, smiled apologetically. "I think I've spoiled him. Fawkes has been giving him rides around the house—floating him with her tail, singing to him. I suppose that's a hard act to follow when you're two."
Fawkes, as though to prove the point, let out a soft, trilling note and fluttered down beside Teddy, brushing his fiery-gold tail across his little hands. Teddy giggled instantly, his tears forgotten for a moment as he wrapped his arms around it's neck.
Harry sighed and looked at Neville. "This is your fault, you know."
Neville grinned. "I'll take the blame. Though, if you're not careful, he'll try to petition me for phoenix visitation rights."
Harry's lips quirked, but his gaze shifted, thoughtful. "I honestly thought after your NEWTs, you'd be teaching at Hogwarts. Maybe Herbology assistant or something. But politics?"
Neville's smile softened into something more serious. "After the war, the old pureblood families still tried to hold onto the status quo. Laws, traditions, control—they wanted it all back the way it was. And I wasn't about to let the sacrifices we made be for nothing. So, I took up my title. Lord Longbottom. It's not the life I planned, but… it's where I can make the most difference right now."
Harry nodded slowly. "You're braver than me. I'd rather fight a basilisk than sit through a Ministry hearing."
Neville chuckled. "They're about the same level of danger."
From the corner of the room, Teddy piped up again. "Fawky no go." His grip on the phoenix tightened, and Fawkes, rather than resisting, nuzzled him gently.
Harry crouched down to Teddy's level. "Teddy, Fawkes belongs to Neville. He's Neville's partner. He can't stay here forever."
The boy's lower lip wobbled. "Please?"
Even Neville looked torn. He glanced at Fawkes, who gave a single, slow blink, then trilled softly—as if speaking directly to him. "He's… very fond of Teddy," Neville admitted. "Maybe I can bring Fawks for visits more often."
Teddy's eyes lit up. "Promise?"
"Promise," Neville said, holding out his hand. Teddy slapped his tiny palm against Neville's in solemn agreement.
Harry stood and gave Neville a meaningful look. "You'll be careful getting back, right? Some people in the magical world here are… less subtle than in Britain."
"I'll be fine," Neville assured him.
They walked together to the front door, Teddy trailing behind, still holding Fawkes' tail. At the threshold, the phoenix gave one last trill, a note so pure it seemed to wrap around the boy like a warm blanket. Then, with a flare of gold and crimson, Fawks vanished with Neville in a burst of flame.
Teddy stood in the doorway, staring at the empty space where they'd been. "Fawky come back," he said, as if willing it into truth.
Harry knelt and scooped him up, pressing a kiss to his messy hair. "He will, little man. He will."
Hestia was the first to arrive after Neville's departure. Her entrance was as gentle as always—no dramatic flash, no blinding light—just the quiet warmth of a hearthfire materializing in the foyer, and then she was stepping through the doorway, carrying the scent of fresh-baked bread with her.
Teddy, who had been moping on the sofa with a stuffed dragon clutched in his arms, perked up the moment he saw her. "Hes'tia!" he called, sliding off the cushions and running to her with tiny, pattering feet.
She knelt to catch him, her long skirts pooling on the floor, and gathered him up into her arms. "Hello, little one. You look troubled," she said softly, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead.
"I want Phoeny," Teddy announced with complete seriousness.
Hestia blinked, tilting her head. "A… Phoeny?"
Harry, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, couldn't help but smirk. "He means a phoenix. Neville was here for a few days—brought Fawkes with him. Now Teddy's set his heart on having one."
"Ohhh." Understanding dawned in Hestia's warm brown eyes. She looked back at the boy. "A phoenix is a rare friend to have, Teddy. Not easy to find, and even harder to earn their trust."
Teddy nodded solemnly. "You find one?"
Her lips curved in a gentle smile. "I will look for one," she promised, smoothing a hand over his hair. "No guarantees, but I will try."
Teddy's eyes went wide. "Promise?"
"Promise," she said, sealing it with a kiss on his cheek.
Harry raised an eyebrow as Hestia stood. "That was fast. You sure you want to make a deal with him? He'll hold you to it."
"I'm quite used to keeping my promises," Hestia replied with a twinkle in her eye.
Later that afternoon, another ripple of divine energy brushed against the mansion's wards. This one was sharper, like a bowstring drawn taut, and Harry didn't need magic to know who it was.
Artemis stepped into the hall, dressed in her usual silver-tinted hunting garb, moonlight seeming to cling to her even indoors. A faint scent of pine and frost drifted in with her.
Before Harry could greet her, Teddy had already barreled across the room. "Art'…Artimis!" he called, tripping over the goddess's name but not slowing in the slightest.
She caught him with the same ease she might have caught a fawn in the forest. "You seem happy to see me," she said, smiling faintly.
"I want Phoeny," Teddy announced without hesitation.
Artemis glanced over at Harry, one silver brow arched in silent question.
Harry shrugged. "Same thing he asked Hestia. He's on a quest to recruit the entire pantheon to his cause."
The huntress chuckled softly, crouching so she was eye-level with Teddy. "A phoenix, hm? You know, I've traveled the whole world, chased prey through forests and across mountains… but phoenixes are not something one hunts. They come to those they choose."
Teddy frowned, his little brow scrunching. "But you go everywhere."
"That's true," Artemis admitted, her tone warm. "And if I see a phoenix who might want a little boy as its friend, I will tell it about you."
Teddy brightened instantly. "Promise?"
"On the moon itself," she replied, tapping his nose lightly.
Harry sighed, though there was amusement in his voice. "Great. Now two goddesses are out searching for a mythical immortal bird because of him."
Hestia, who had lingered by the hearth, glanced over. "It's not the worst quest to have."
Athena and Aphrodite hadn't seen Artemis for a couple of days. It was unusual—normally, the four of them crossed paths often at the Black Mansion, either by chance or by choice. At first, Athena assumed her silver-clad sister was simply away on a long hunt, perhaps chasing something rare and dangerous enough to occupy even the goddess of the hunt's focus.
But when they crossed paths with Apollo on Olympus that morning, the truth slipped out.
"She's looking for a phoenix," Apollo said casually, polishing his bow. "Far corners of the earth, places I wouldn't bother visiting unless I had a death wish. You know her—once she starts a chase, she doesn't stop."
"Looking for a phoenix?" Aphrodite echoed, head tilting with a cascade of golden curls. "That's… oddly specific. And completely unlike her usual game."
Apollo grinned knowingly. "Ask Hestia. She'll tell you the whole story."
It didn't take long for them to find Hestia, who was tending to her hearth as usual, radiating calm warmth. She listened to their questions with that faint, patient smile of hers before answering.
"Teddy asked her for one," Hestia said simply.
Athena's eyes narrowed just slightly. "Our Teddy?"
"Yes," Hestia said, placing another log into the fire. "Harry's friend brought a phoenix to visit. Teddy… became attached. He asked me first, then Artemis. I promised I'd look for one. So did she."
Aphrodite's smile curled at the edges, touched with intrigue. "Mmm. I see what's going on."
Athena's gaze sharpened further. "You think she's trying to—"
"Of course," Aphrodite cut in smoothly. "By helping Teddy, she's placing herself closer to Harry. It's a clever move. Noble on the surface, but also personal. It makes her seem… indispensable."
Hestia looked between them, still tending her fire. "Or perhaps she's simply keeping a promise to a child."
"Perhaps," Athena said evenly, though her mind was already running through the implications. Artemis rarely went out of her way to fulfill the whims of mortals—unless those mortals meant something to her.
Aphrodite smirked. "Well… if she's going to win favor through the boy, it would be a shame if she were the only one to try." She turned to Athena, her tone almost teasing. "Shall we pay our dear Harry a visit?"
Athena adjusted the strap of her armor, her voice dry but tinged with curiosity. "It would be… unwise to let one person have an advantage in this little game."
And so, without another word, they stepped into the shimmer of divine travel, the air folding around them as they set their course for the Black Mansion.
Teddy's delighted squeal echoed through the Black Mansion the moment Aphrodite and Athena stepped through the door. He came running down the hallway in his tiny socks, almost tripping over himself before flinging his little arms around Aphrodite's legs.
"Auntie 'Dite!" Teddy beamed up at her with wide, excited eyes.
Aphrodite crouched to his level, her beauty dazzling even in the mundane lighting of the entryway, and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box. "For you, darling. I saw these and thought of you."
Inside was a brand-new set of tiny sneakers in a warm amber hue, enchanted so they would never scuff, and a matching set of neatly folded clothes—soft, comfortable, and perfectly sized for a two-year-old.
Teddy gasped. "New shoes! New shirt! Thank you!" He hugged her tightly before immediately darting to Athena, who was standing with her usual poised calmness.
Athena's lips curved in a faint smile as she handed him a slim package wrapped in brown parchment. "This is for you, Teddy. A collection of children's stories from different cultures. I thought you'd enjoy hearing about heroes, clever animals, and magical lands."
Teddy tore the paper with unrestrained excitement, revealing a thick, colorful book. "Story! Yay!" he clapped, flipping through the illustrations briefly before his little face lit up with another thought.
But instead of talking about the gifts, his words came rushing out in a single breath: "Auntie Ar'temis went to get me a phoenix!"
Aphrodite and Athena exchanged a glance.
"Oh?" Aphrodite leaned closer, still smiling but her eyes sharpening ever so slightly. "And why didn't you ask us to find you a phoenix, hmm?"
Teddy tilted his head, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Auntie Ar'temis goes everywhere. She sees all the animals. She'll find the bestest one." He nodded firmly, small hands gripping the picture book.
Athena's brow lifted just slightly, her expression unreadable. Aphrodite's smile remained, but there was a glint in her gaze.
Harry, who had been watching from the doorway with his arms crossed, only smirked faintly. He knew exactly what Teddy meant—Artemis's endless travels did give her an advantage in finding rare creatures. But for him, the unspoken truth was simpler: Teddy's happiness came first in everything. Whoever brought him the phoenix would win his heart forever.
Neither goddess said anything more to Teddy about it. Instead, they spent a little more time playing with him, reading a few pages from his new storybook, and watching him parade around in his new clothes.
But when they finally left the Black Mansion, their silent agreement was clear.
They were going to find a phoenix for Teddy—before Artemis returned.
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