MYTHTERY: Teddy Lupin was raised by Harry and Ginny after Lupin’s and Tonks’s deaths

MYTHtery

Harry and Ginny raised Teddy Lupin after Lupin’s and Tonks’s deaths in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Evidence

Since Lupin and Tonks made Harry Teddy’s godfather before they passed, there is a theory that Harry and Ginny took Teddy in after they died and raised him. While Teddy and Harry were close, we know he didn’t take him in. In the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we see a quick snapshot of Teddy’s relationship with the Potters:

‘He [Teddy] already comes round for dinner about four times a week,’ said Harry. ‘Why don’t we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?’
‘Yeah!’ said James enthusiastically. ‘I don’t mind sharing with Al – Teddy could have my room!’” (DH 757)

It’s clear that Teddy was over at the Potters’ house a lot, but he didn’t live or grow up with Harry’s children. After some research, we discovered this interview the author gave on Bloomsbury.com shortly after the final book was published, where she described what happened to Teddy Lupin after his parents’ deaths.

Tineke: Did Teddy grow up living with his grandmother?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, Teddy was raised by Andromeda. However, unlike Neville, who was also raised by his grandmother, Teddy had his godfather, Harry, and all his father’s friends in the Order, to visit and stay with.”

It makes sense that Teddy lived with Andromeda – after all, she had just lost all her family and must have cherished the last remaining family member she had left. Plus, she had experience raising a child, whereas 18-year-old Harry would have been dealing with the psychological and physical ramifications of going on the run and fighting a war to defeat Voldemort. There must have been a lot he had to sort out in his life before he was ready for a child, so it would have made more sense for Teddy to go and stay with Andromeda.

– Myth Managed

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