Author's Note: This chapter is contains scenes primarily lifted from the Deathly Hallows book.
"Hey, did you know Professor Dumbledore had a brother and sister?"
Teddie furrowed her brow at Mason, her breakfast spoon hovering in the air between her bowl and her mouth. "No," she answered. "I always assumed he was an only child. Why?"
Mason shrugged. "An Elphias Doge has written a three-page memorium to him," he said, nodding at the Daily Prophet. He had finished his breakfast a good ten minutes before and was now enjoying his time catching up on the outside world.
Teddie had asked him why he seemed to care, and while he couldn't give her a direct answer, he still found himself curious to know what was happening beyond the walls of Flint Manor.
"What kind of Memorium?" Marcus asked. He glanced at Teddie as she lowered her gaze to her cereal bowl.
A lot had happened since Dumbledore's funeral.
The world had fallen even more into chaos, Hogwarts had closed its doors for the summer and there was speculation that it wouldn't reopen in September, the Daily Prophet was releasing new articles every day, some containing new deaths within both the Muggle and Wizarding World, others concerning Teddie's identity as Faye Sutherland (a notion she had become numb to by now), and Severus Snape had been reported as MIA.
"Elphias Doge is just reciting how he met Dumbledore and became his friend at school, he mentions his brother Aberforth and sister, Ariana; also, that Dumbledore's father was imprisoned in Azkaban for attacking three Muggles…"
Teddie's head snapped up; her gaze locked on her brother. Had she just heard what she believed she had heard? Dumbledore's father had attacked three Muggles. "When did this happen?" she asked.
"A year before Dumbledore started Hogwarts," said Mason. His gaze swept across the memorium, drinking in the words he had previously red. "'For his part, Albus had arrived at Hogwarts under the burden of unwanted notoriety. Scarcely, a year previously, his father, Percival had been convicted of a savage and well-publicised attack upon three young Muggles.'"
Teddie looked down the table at Mo. "Did you know that?" she asked. It wasn't meant to sound like an accusation, and she winced as soon as the words left her mouth.
Mo smiled patiently; he knew Teddie didn't mean for it to sound as it had. "Yes, I did," he confirmed. "It is on record at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Of course, I wasn't born at the time, but the Head of Department at that time - a Eli Phinskey - would've documented the whole ordeal."
"Was he the one to arrest Dumbledore's father?" Theo asked.
"Probably," said Mo. "The Department wasn't very big back then; only a few Aurors. It was only until a few years ago that we branched out on Aurors."
"How big of a deal was it?" Teddie asked. "I mean, I remember when Morfin Gaunt attacked Tom Riddle Snr, there was a massive debate over it within the Ministry. Of course, a lot of people who hated Muggles didn't think he did anything wrong, but they still sent Bob Ogden to investigate."
"It is always a big deal when a witch or wizard attacks a Muggle," said Ursula. "Not that I agree with the sort that say this, but we are believed to be superior to them because we have magic."
"No one is superior to anyone," said Teddie, her grip tightening around her spoon.
"I know, dear," said Ursula, calmly.
Teddie sighed and went back to her breakfast. She felt horrible for snapping at Ursula, she had been doing it a lot lately, and not just with the adults, but with her friends, too. She wasn't sure why she was so edgy suddenly, but she couldn't stop the gut feeling that something bad was about to happen.
"'Some, indeed, were disposed to praise his father's action and assumed that Albus too was a Muggle-hater. They could not have been more mistaken: As anybody who knew Albus would attest, he never revealed the remotest anti-Muggle tendency, indeed, his determined support for Muggle rights gained him many enemies in subsequent years.'"
Mason shook his head as he finished reading the next paragraph. In his five years at four years of school he had never once considered Professor Dumbledore to be anything less than accepting of all blood statues; yes, there were people who questioned his sanity, but when it came to his students, all were welcome at Hogwarts.
"In a matter of months, however, Albus's own fame had begun to eclipse that of his father. By the end of his first year, he would never again be known as the son of a Muggle-hater, but as nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at school.''
"That doesn't surprise me," said Marcus, pouring himself a generous amount of orange juice. "Dumbledore was an exceptionally gifted man."
"Reminds me a little of you, Mason," said Theo.
Mason blushed under the praise. He knew he was capable of being a good wizard, but he had never considered himself being at Dumbledore's level. To hear that others did, however, was an inspiration.
"What does it say about his brother and sister?" Teddie asked.
"Um…" Mason trailed the article, his gaze skimming over the black words printed on the parchment-coloured paper. "'Three years after we had started at Hogwarts, Albus' brother, Aberforth, arrived. They were not alike - Aberforth was never bookish and, unlike Albus, preferred to settle arguments by duelling rather than through reasoned discussion.'"
"Sounds like you, Ted," Marcus teased.
Teddie rolled her eyes, although she couldn't help the small quirk in her the corner of her lips.
"According to Doge, Professor Dumbledore and Aberforth weren't close as siblings," said Mason, reading the next line. "Apparently, being out-shined as a friend was hard for Doge, too, but he believed it must've felt worse being in the shadow of your big brother."
Theo glanced over at Teddie. "Do you feel out-shined by your little brother?" he asked.
Teddie shook her head. "Nope. Mason has always been the academic, even when we were kids," she winked at her brother. "He can shine brightly in that department."
"Hey, you did alright for yourself at Hogwarts," said Mason. "I mean, it takes a dedicated person to become Junior assistant in less than two months."
Teddie smiled lightly. Mid-way through her fifth year of Hogwarts she had become Junior Charms Assistant to Professor Flitwick and had started to take on struggling students, helping them prefect the charms they were having difficulty with and also tutoring them when it came to homework and classwork, a lot of students had said, before the inevitably death of the Headmaster, that they had only succeeded in their exams because of her help.
The idea that people had passed their exams because of her, did make Teddie proud of her achievements at Hogwarts.
"'When Albus and I left Hogwarts, we intended to take the then-traditional tour of the world together, visiting and observing foreign wizards, before pursuing our separate careers. However, tragedy intervened. On the eve of our trip, Albus' mother, Kendra, died, leaving Albus the head, and sole breadwinner, of the family.'"
"Does it say how -?"
Mason shook his head. "And, less than a year later, his sister Ariana died, too," he said, solemnly.
"That poor family," said Theo.
Teddie looked to Theo. The despair in his eyes was evident, and she couldn't only guess it was from hearing that Dumbledore's mother had died. Was there a chance she had died like his had done? Probably not, given her husband was in prison, but she had still died during a crucial part of her children's lives.
Theo smiled as Teddie took his hand and squeezed it.
Mason furrowed his brow. "That doesn't make sense," he murmured. He had started to read ahead, becoming increasingly confused by the second.
"What?" Marcus asked.
"Professor Dumbledore felt guilty for the death of his sister," said Mason. "Doge says that he was guiltless, but why would Dumbledore feel like he was to blame in the first place? I mean, it's not like he killed her."
Teddie opened her mouth, caught herself at the last second, and then snapped it shut again. She couldn't believe what she was about to say and was thankful that she hadn't. Professor Dumbledore had been like a grandfather to her when she was at school, and she didn't want to tarnish his image because of some article printed in the Daily Prophet.
Neither of them knew Elphias Doge, and while he claimed to be close to Dumbledore, they didn't know whether he was or not. He could've just been an old acquaintance looking for his fifteen minutes of fame, although the fact that he knew so much about Dumbledore did give the sense that he knew the man on a deeper level than most people.
"'To add to his misery, the loss of Ariana had led, not to a renewed closeness between Albus and Aberforth, but to an estrangement' - that's so sad," said Mason. He looked up at Teddie and was thankful that, despite their parents' death, it hadn't driven a wedge between them.
He knew that many people believed it would have, especially since it was Teddie's biological parents that had killed her adoptive ones; but Mason knew better than to blame his sister, and the fact that he had caught her grieving - despite her fervently denying it - was enough to tell him that her loss was just as valid as his own.
Teddie met Mason's gaze and smiled. "Don't worry, kiddo," she said, softly. "Nothing will come between us. They will try, but they'll only succeed if we let them."
"Let them come," said Mason. "We'll beat them like we always do. Together."
Teddie nodded and looked to Theo. "Together," she echoed.
"Together," Theo repeated.
Teddie then looked over at Marcus. He nodded. "Together," he confirmed.
"How does the Memorium end, Mason?" Ursula asked. She couldn't help the feeling of hope that the group of four had instilled in her heart, their united front, and desire to remain close was what she had been fighting for since Harry Potter had confirmed Voldemort's return two years ago.
Mason looked back at the article. "Whether or not you believe Doge knew Dumbledore, he seems pretty sincere and saddened by his loss," he said. "Listen to this - 'I shall miss his friendship more than I can say, but my loss is as nothing compared to the Wizarding World's. That he was the most inspiring and best loved of all Hogwarts headmasters cannot be in question. He died as he lived: working always for the greater good and, to his last hour, as willing to stretch out a hand to a small boy with dragon pox as he was on the day that I met him."
As Mason finished reading a silence descended over the table. No one was sure what to say, or whether what they did have to say could follow such a heartfelt conclusion.
"He was loved," said Ursula, finally. "Very much."
"Yes, he was," Mo agreed. "And he will be missed." He met Teddie's gaze. "He believed in what he was fighting for, and he raised students to be prepared."
Teddie lowered her gaze. Dumbledore had his faults, she would agree to that, but she would also agree that if there was one thing that Dumbledore held in higher esteem than anything else; it was the welfare and protection of the children within his care. Hogwarts had been more than a home to him, it had been a place where he could take children and teach them to be better people.
A lot of people, especially in the last two years, had been expecting Dumbledore to raise soldiers. That was why the Ministry had tried to interfere with Hogwarts in fifth year, why Umbridge had been appointed as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor; she wasn't just there to make sure that the school was abiding by the rules of the Ministry, or to silence her, Harry, and Dumbledore for speaking the truth about Voldemort.
Umbridge had been added to the school's faculty to make sure that Dumbledore was not raising an army - of course, Harry and Teddie were, but Dumbledore had no affiliation with the DA, despite it being registered under his name.
However, there was one thing that Teddie couldn't shake. While she hadn't heard the entire memorium, only the parts that Mason deemed necessary to read aloud, she realised that she didn't really know the headmaster as well as she had thought. She had assumed a lot about him, but everything she did know had only ever been about his professional life; was it strange to be angry at the fact that he knew everything about her personal life, and she had known nothing about his?
"Are you okay, Ted?" Marcus asked.
Snapping back, Teddie blinked and looked up. Everyone around the table was staring at her. "Sorry, zoned out there for a second," she said. "What were you saying?"
"Mason said there was another article about Dumbledore in the Prophet," said Theo. "He wanted to know if we wanted him to read it aloud. We don't mind, but when you didn't answer…"
"Oh, sorry," Teddie apologised. "My mind run away."
"Where did it go?" Mason asked.
"Nowhere. What's the second article about?"
Mason stared at his sister for a sharp minute, and then turned his attention back to the paper. "The title reads: DUMBLEDORE - THE TRUTH AT LAST. It's written by… oh…"
Teddie raised a curious eyebrow.
"It's written by Rita Skeeter," Mason answered.
Teddie grit her teeth. "What's that witch got to say now?" she asked. "She does enough damage to the reputation of the living, what disrespect does she have to say about the dead?"
"'Coming next week, the shocking story of the flawed genius considered by many to be the greatest wizard of his generation. Stripping away the popular image of serene, silver-bearded wisdom, Rita Skeeter reveals the disturbed childhood, the lawless youth, the lifelong feuds, and the guilty secrets that Dumbledore carried to his grave. WHY was the man tipped to be Minister for Magic content to remain a mere headmaster? WHAT was the real purpose of the secret organisation known as the Order of the Phoenix? HOW did Dumbledore really meet his head? The answers to these and many more questions are explored in the explosive new biography, THE LIFE AND LIES OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, by Rita Skeeter, exclusively interviewed by Betty Braithwaite."
"That's it?" Theo asked.
"There's more on page thirteen," said Mason. He turned quickly to the thirteenth page and skimmed the article. It covered three pages, but he managed to pinpoint a few paragraphs that would be interesting to read aloud. Then, upon reaching the end, he hesitated. "Um, actually, I don't think we should…"
Teddie narrowed her eyes. "What does it say, Mason?" she asked. There would be only one reason Mason would be refusing to continue his reading aloud, and that would be a topic from Rita on Dumbledore that was sure to upset her.
"It's nothing," said Mason. "It just promoting her new book. Braithwaite asked questions and Rita answered them. It's just a small transcript of it all."
"Uh-uh, there's something in there that you don't want me to know about," said Teddie. "What is it?"
Mason swallowed and glanced at Marcus. The older boy reached over, took the article in question, and skimmed it himself. His eyes widened and he hastened to fold the paper and hide it inside his robes. "Mason's right," he said. "We don't need to worry about what Skeeter has said."
Teddie shifted her gaze onto Marcus. "It's bad, isn't it?" she asked.
"Why would you think that?"
"Because otherwise you would tell me," said Teddie. "What are you afraid of?"
"Nothing."
From the corner of her eye, Teddie saw Mo lean over and whisper something in Ursula's ear, he then rose from his seat at the head of the table and left the room.
"If it's nothing," Teddie said, shifting her gaze back to Marcus, "then tell me."
"Honestly, Ted, it's not worth the hassle," said Marcus. He glanced at his mother. "Do you want help cleaning up?"
Ursula shook her head. "No, dear, you're alright," she said, waving her wand. The breakfast plates disappeared. "Your father has a work meeting, and I have things to do. Why don't you find something to do in the meantime?"
"Sounds like a great idea," said Mason. He jumped from his seat and made a beeline for the door.
Marcus followed him, briskly.
Teddie gritted her teeth and glanced at Theo. "I want to know what that article says," she said.
"Same," Theo agreed.
"Think we can take them?"
"When they're expecting us?" Theo asked. He shook his head.
Teddie sighed. "Then we wait," she said. "Let them think we've given up, and then take the article when they're attention is diverted?"
Theo smirked. "I see your deviousness hasn't disappeared," he teased.
"Not a chance," Teddie laughed. She stood from her seat. "Come on. Let's find something to do."
"What you thinking?"
Teddie shrugged. "I think we'll come up with something," she said, leading the way out of the dining room.
~X~
Later that evening, Teddie lay awake in bed, staring at the canopy of her four-poster bed. Her mind was much to wired to sleep and kept flashing back to the article that she had managed to get hold of - despite Mason and Marcus trying their hardest to keep it from her - earlier that afternoon.
She couldn't deny that Marcus and Mason's wishes for her not to read it, had been correct, and some part of her, deep down inside, wished that she hadn't. What Rita had written about Dumbledore couldn't have been correct, surely?
"Well, of course, Dumbledore is a biographer's dream. Such a long, full life. I'm sure my book will be the first of very, very many."
"Not everyone thought he was so wonderful, you know - he trod on an awful lot of important toes. But old Dodgy Doge can get off his high hippogriff, because I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for, one who has never spoken in public before and who was close to Dumbledore during the most turbulent and disturbing phase of his youth."
"I can promise that anybody who still thinks Dumbledore was white as his beard is in for a rude awakening! Let's just say that nobody hearing him rage against You-Know-Who would have dreamed that he dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth!"
"And for a wizard who spent his later years pleading for tolerance, he wasn't exactly broad-minded when he was younger! Yes, Albus Dumbledore had an extremely murky past, not to mention that very fishy family, which he worked so hard to keep hushed up."
"Oh, Aberforth is just the tip of the dung heap. No, no, I'm talking about much worse than a brother with a fondness for fiddling about with goats, worse even than the Muggle-maiming father - Dumbledore couldn't keep either of them quiet anyway, they were both charged by the Wizengamot. No, it's the mother and the sister that intrigued me, and a little digging uncovered a positive nest of nastiness."
"Oh, now, I'm glad you mentioned Grindelwald, I'm afraid those who go dewy-eyed over Dumbledore's spectacular victory must brace themselves for a bombshell - or a dung bomb. Very dirty business indeed. All I'll say is, don't be so sure that there really was a spectacular duel of legend."
"Oh, yes, I devote an entire chapter to the whole Potter-Green-Dumbledore relationship. It's been called unhealthy, even sinister. There is no question that Dumbledore took an unnatural interest in the two children from the word go. Whether that was really in their interest - well, we'll see. It's certainly an open secret that both Potter and Green have troubled adolescence."
"Well, I don't want to say too much, but eyewitnesses inside Hogwarts castle saw Green running away from the scene minutes before, and Potter moments after Dumbledore fell, jumped, or was pushed. Potter later gave evidence against Severus Snape, a man against whom he has a notorious grudge, evidence that Green has argued against. Is everything as it seems? That is for the Wizarding community to decide."
Teddie hadn't been surprised when her name had been dropped, it was no secret that towards the end she had any form of relationship with Dumbledore, especially when he had started to ask her to private teaching sessions alongside Harry. But the things that stuck out to her the most were the lies that Skeeter had clearly created about Dumbledore being into the Dark Arts during his youth.
For someone who was very, very against the Dark Arts, Teddie refused to believe that Dumbledore could ever have considered delving down that path when he was younger. Also, what speculations were surrounding Grindelwald and Dumbledore's relationship beyond the fact that Dumbledore had stopped him long before Voldemort became an issue?
Rolling over, Teddie huffed out a sigh and pulled her blanket over her head. Her mind was still spiralling with the information, but if there was one thing she was sure of it was that Rita Skeeter was wrong about Dumbledore.
