Harry Potter: Who Is Teddy Lupin?

Highlights

Teddy Lupin, the son of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, played a minor role in the Harry Potter franchise.
Teddy is not a werewolf like his father, as he was never bitten by one. This was a relief for Lupin.
After the war, Teddy was raised by Tonks’ mother, Andromeda, but had a close relationship with his godfather, Harry. He was sorted into Hufflepuff and became Head Boy at Hogwarts.

For some Harry Potter fans, the name Teddy Lupin may be instantly recognizable. However, others may have forgotten all about the character. Teddy was introduced in the final installment of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. While the Deathly Hallows films largely gloss over Teddy, the books offer more information.

It goes without saying that a lot happened in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The final chapter of the beloved franchise witnessed Harry’s miraculous defeat of the Dark Lord and the conclusion of the Second Wizarding War. Because of all this action, some fans may have forgotten about Teddy Lupin’s existence. While the character only has a minor role in the franchise, Teddy is linked to two other central figures in the Harry Potter franchise. Who exactly is Teddy Lupin, and what happens to him?

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Who Is Teddy Lupin?

Teddy Lupin is the son of the late Remus Lupin and the late Nymphadora Tonks, both of whom were tragically killed during the Battle of Hogwarts. As Harry Potter fans will know, Remus Lupin was close friends with James Potter and was one of the members of the Marauders. Lupin is a hugely significant character and has been part of the series since Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he was the Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts during Harry’s third year at Hogwarts. Although Tonks was introduced later in the series, she is equally memorable. In Order of the Phoenix, Tonks made her debut as a powerful Auror.

The couple’s first meeting occurred both off the screen and off the page. It’s likely that the Order of the Phoenix brought the pair together, as Lupin and Tonks were both members of the organization. It is implied that the couple fell in love over the course of Half-Blood Prince and married in secret. In the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Tonks brings attention to the pair’s marriage when she refers to Lupin as “my husband, the joker.”

Due to the events of the Second Wizarding War, Tonks’ relationship with Lupin was heavily overshadowed. Deathly Hallows: Part 1 pokes fun at the pair’s overshadowed romance. Just before the Battle of the Seven Potters, Tonks attempts to make an announcement to the room. However, before she can finish her sentence, she is cut off by Mad-Eye Moody barging into the room and declaring:

There’s time for a cozy catch-up later. We’ve got to get the hell out of here!

Before Mad-Eye Moody’s interruption, it’s implied that Tonks was planning to announce that she and Lupin are expecting a baby. Mad-Eye Moody, though, makes it apparent that there are more important things happening.

Lupin and Tonks’ child, Teddy, was born during the events of the Second Wizarding War. While little is known about Teddy in the movies, the books offer more detail about Lupin and Tonks’ child. In the Deathly Hallows book, Lupin announces the birth of his son to his loved ones:

He straightened up, looked around the room, making sure of who was there, then cried aloud, ‘It’s a boy! We’ve named him Ted, after Dora’s father!’

Lupin then asks Harry to be Teddy’s godfather, telling him that there would be no one better. Harry quickly accepts and later considers the prospect, remarking that:

He seemed set on course to become just as reckless a godfather to Teddy Lupin as Sirius Black had been to him.

The group then toasts to Teddy, and Lupin describes his son as a “great wizard in the making!” After Fleur enquires about Teddy’s appearance, Lupin tells her that the baby’s hair has already started to spontaneously change color, just like Tonks’ does. However, just like Harry’s parents, Tonks and Lupin would be torn from Teddy far too soon.

Is Teddy a Werewolf?

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As revealed in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin was a werewolf and had been since he was a child. This meant that every full moon, Lupin would unwillingly transform into a werewolf. Lupin had no control over this transformation and resented this part of himself, so much so that it initially discouraged him from marrying Tonks. Fans have often wondered whether Lupin’s son, Teddy, is also a werewolf.

Many fans assume that being a werewolf is a hereditary trait. However, in the Harry Potter universe, an individual can only be transformed if they are bitten by another werewolf. Being bitten by a werewolf would then infect the individual with lycanthropy, an incurable condition which would force the individual to transform into a werewolf at every full moon. For example, Remus Lupin became a werewolf when he was a child after being bitten by Fenrir Greyback.

Unlike his father, Teddy was never bitten by a werewolf. Because of this, Lupin’s son never suffered from lycanthropy. Knowing this would have been a huge relief for Lupin, who resented his condition.

What Happened to Teddy After the War?

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Sadly, Teddy lost both of his parents when he was just an infant. Because of this tragedy, fans have often wondered what happened to Teddy after the Second Wizarding War and have frequently questioned who raised the young boy. While Teddy was absent from the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 film, Remus does reference his son when Harry uses the Resurrection Stone to briefly reunite with his loved ones who have passed away. Remus Lupin stands alongside James, Lily, and Sirius. When Harry mentions Teddy, Lupin cuts him off, telling Harry that:

Others will tell him what his mother and father died for. One day, he’ll understand.

Teddy was also mentioned in the book’s ‘Nineteen Years Later’ epilogue, which provided readers with some clarity. In this passage, Harry and Ginny’s eldest son, James Potter, spots Teddy at Platform 9¾. By this time, Teddy is nineteen and has graduated from Hogwarts, but James gives his parents a humorous update about Lupin’s son’s activities:

‘Teddy’s back there,’ he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. ‘Just seen him! And guess what he’s doing? Snogging Victoire!’

Victoire Weasley is the eldest child of Bill and Fleur Weasley, making her James’ cousin. In response to her brother’s announcement, Lily, Harry and Ginny’s daughter, expresses her excitement about the prospect of Teddy and Victoire getting married.

Based on Lily’s excitement, it’s clear that Teddy is still an active part of Harry’s life. In response to Lily’s eagerness, Harry humorously reminds his daughter that Teddy frequently comes over for dinner, and might as well move in with them. This exchange emphasizes the fact that Teddy is evidently well-loved in the Potter family. Despite the sadness of losing both of his parents at such a young age, it’s clear that Teddy went on to find happiness.

In later interviews, J.K. Rowling provided further information about Teddy’s fate. The author revealed that Teddy was raised by Tonks’ mother, Andromeda. However, based on the epilogue in Deathly Hallows, it’s clear that Teddy’s godfather, Harry, had a large presence in his life – mirroring Harry’s relationship with his own godfather, Sirius Black.

In a tweet posted by Rowling in 2015, the author revealed that Teddy had been sorted into Hufflepuff and had even become Head Boy during his time at Hogwarts. Teddy’s Hogwarts House highlights the fact that he inherited his parents’ kindness and unwavering loyalty. Despite the tragedy of Lupin and Tonks’ deaths, it’s clear that their memories live on within their beloved son, Teddy.