Chapter Twenty Six: Flipped Coin

"It is all in your biography then, is it?" Riddle asked.

"Well, no," Dumbledore said. "The biography was rather wrong on many things, but it had some of the main parts right." He smiled.

"Like what?" Riddle asked.

"And why should I tell you?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"You're the one who brought it up!" Riddle said.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "And why do you think that is?"

Riddle didn't know.

Dumbledore laughed lightly and said, "For fun, Tom. Fun! Do you even know what that word means?"

"To win," Riddle said.

Dumbledore sighed.

"You are hopeless, Tom," he said. "I blame myself of course, but still."

"Why would you blame yourself?" Lily asked.

"Dear Lily," Dumbledore said, turning to her. "I was the one who went to get him. I brought him to Hogwarts, even though I knew he wasn't normal. I saw the danger signs long before anyone else, but I ignored them. Thinking everyone deserves a chance." He sighed.

"But you just said it," Remus said. "A chance. Everyone does deserve a chance, Dumbledore. What about Hagrid? What about me?"

"Yes," Tonks said, holding her husband's hand. "Without your belief in chances what would have become of Remus?" She smiled up at him with love in her eyes.

Riddle looked physically revolted by this and made to move away from them, but no one took any notice of him.

"There is enough blame in the world without you adding to it," Sirius said.

James and Lily smiled at him. Remus and Tonks nodded. All around Dumbledore people were showing signs of agreeing with Sirius.

Tears were falling silently from Dumbledore's eyes. He wiped them away and smiled.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said. "To gain forgiveness from those who lost the most means more to me than I could ever tell you."

Suddenly they heard a huge but short-lived laugh coming from behind them.

They turned and found it was Bellatrix.

"May we know what is so funny, Bella?" Dumbledore asked. "Or is it a secret?"

"You!" Bellatrix said. "You are so…weird!"

"Why thank you," Dumbledore said. "I think that is the nicest thing you have ever said to me."

He smiled at Bellatrix.

"DON'T DO THAT!" she cried, creeped out by Dumbledore's smile.

"And why ever not?" he asked.

Bellatrix didn't answer; she just continued to look freaked out.

"So, Bella," Sirius said in a patronizing way. "Are you going to tell us who killed you or continue to leave it up to discussion?"

Again Bella didn't answer. She looked embarrassed.

"I will tell you," one of the other Death Eaters said.

Bellatrix tried to hit the Death Eater, but he ducked.

"Molly Weasley," the Death Eater said, once he was well out of Bella's reach.

"Well, good for Molly!" Sirius said.

"Yeah, go Mum!" Fred said.

"So that's who you were talking about when you arrived," James said. "I was wondering. There are so many people you would consider a blood traitor it was hard to narrow it down."

"No kidding!" Sirius said. "I think the entire planet would be considered a blood traitor if it was up to Bella."

Everyone, who wasn't a Death Eater, laughed.

"So," Ted said, "were you just making fun of him or did you really want him to read it?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said.

Ted rolled his eyes, while everyone else smiled at Dumbledore and his weird ways.

"Yes to which question?" Ted tried again.

"Both," Dumbledore said. "Or was I not clear?"

"Not very clear, no," Ted said.

"About as clear as mud," Sirius said.

Dumbledore laughed but did not elaborate.

"Oh, James," Lily said, suddenly remembering something and turning to her husband. "Are you going to tell Riddle who showed up here that you wanted to tell him about?"

James just looked at his wife, totally non-pulsed.

Lily sighed and leaned over to whisper in her husband's ear.

"Oh, right!" James said and then turned to Riddle. "Guess what, Tom?"

Riddle glared at James's use of his hated name.

"So way back when, a Muggle came here and we figured out that Muggles killed by wizards come to the same afterlife as wizards!" James said in his most anti-authority voice. The one he once used to annoy teachers.

Riddle looked horrified, but no one could tell if it was what James had said or how he had said it.

"That wasn't much of a reaction," Sirius said, annoyed. "I was hoping for at least a hiss."

Riddle was even more maddened at this, but realized from Sirius's comment it was his reactions they were after.

"What, now we don't even get an angry look!" Sirius said. "That is just no fun." He sighed.

"You shouldn't have told him we were just after his reactions, mate," James said, patting his friend consolingly on the shoulder.

"That was a good try, though," Fred said, smiling.

"Thanks," Sirius said. "But it wasn't one of my best."

"Were you just trying to mess with Voldy over here," Fred said, "or is that actually what happens?"

Voldy did not at all like being called Voldy, but he was FINALLY figuring out he had no power here.

"We thought it was what happened at the time," James said. "But when Dumbledore here died, he explained to us how it actually worked."

Fred turned to Dumbledore expectantly.

"What?" Dumbledore said.

"Explain," Fred said.

Dumbledore sighed.

"The Muggle in question, Frank Bryce, is as far as we know the only Muggle ever killed to make a Horcrux."

Fred still looked confused.

Dumbledore raised his arms in exasperation and walked off.

"Fine then!" Fred yelled at Dumbledore's retreating back. "I didn't want to get it anyway."

They could hear Dumbledore laugh as he moved away into the crowd of students.

"So what now?" Lily asked, once she could no longer see Dumbledore in the crowd.

"That voice you used on Voldy," Fred said, "I swear I have heard it somewhere."

"Oh, yeah," James said, smiling. "Did you by any chance find one of those stones I hid around the castle that insults anyone who finds it?"

"You did that?" Fred asked, looking impressed.

"Wait a minute," Snape said, "you" —he pointed at Remus— "said the piece of paper Potter had did that?"

"I got the idea from those stones," Remus said. "That was a lot of lying to come up with on the spot."

James and Sirius laughed. Even Lily smiled.

"Did you try and get my son in detention a lot, Severus?" Lily asked.

Snape changed his tune right away.

"No," he said.

Remus, Fred and many of the students laughed.

"Alright, fine," Snape said, after receiving a look from Lily. "I tried to get James's son in detention all the time, but I saved your son's life."

James burst out laughing so hard he almost fell over.

"I love your logic!" Sirius said. James was still laughing too hard to speak.

"That piece of paper you were talking about," Fred said, "if it was Harry's than it must have been the Marauder's Map."

"Oh, yeah," James said. "You gave it to Harry, didn't you?" He smiled.

"Yep," Fred said, "George and I stole it from Filch in our first year."

"And guess where Filch got it?" Sirius said.

"Directly from the manufacturers," Remus said, holding back laughter.

"I knew it!" Snape said. "So why did you try and convince me it wasn't?"

"Two reasons," Remus said, turning to Snape. "One I didn't want Harry to get in trouble for something James would have wanted him to do, and two if you got the map Dumbledore would have seen it and known what it was. Oh and I wanted it and knew it would be easier to get it off Harry than you."

"So three reasons then?" Sirius said, grinning.

"But even after you took it Potter still seemed to be using it," Snape said.

"Yeah, well, when you got me fired," Remus said, "I decided James would have wanted me to give it back to Harry." He grinned. "Call it my little revenge."

"Excellent!" James said. "High five!"

James and Remus slapped hands while Tonks and Lily rolled their eyes.

"Let me get this straight," Fred said. "The Map that taught me and George more than any teacher in Hogwarts was made by you guys?"

"Messers Moony," Remus said.

"Burn mark," Sirius said, "Padfoot."

"And Prongs," James said.

"Purveyors of Aids," Remus said.

"To Magical Mischief-Makers," Sirius said.

"Are proud to present," James said.

"THE MARAUDER'S MAP," they all said together.

Fred looked very impressed. Lily looked bored again. And Snape glared at them all.

"Nice improvisation with the burn mark," James said.

"Thanks," Sirius said grinning. "But to be honest I can't take all of the credit. I got the idea from my mother."