Dark Magic

The Marauder's Map

By the following morning, a white sheet of pure snow blanketed the Hogwarts grounds; countless Slytherin students helped themselves to an early morning snowball fight. I, however, found myself slightly distasteful to the idea, and decided to head straight down for breakfast. The hall was empty, say for a few students and the usual teachers. Snape, however, was nowhere to be seen. 

Harry entered the hall, knowing it would be ok for him to join my table due to the lack of other students. We ate, discussing tactics for the route we would take in order to sneak out of the school successfully. After finishing our waffles and pumpkin juice, we headed for the Clock Tower overlooking the courtyard. 

McGonagall addressed the students, reminding them to keep up a positive reputation as they were representing the school. We waited for everyone to disperse, and McGonagall to leave the courtyard, before covering ourselves with Harry's cloak and making our way down the stairs. Before we had a chance to make our way out of the courtyard, however, we were grabbed by a pair of arms and dragged into a broom cupboard in the school. 

Fighting to get free from the grasp of our captors, our invisibility cloak was removed, our eyes meeting those of Fred and George Weasley. They shared a mischievous grin, before diverting their attention back onto us.

"Really, you two!?" Fred exclaimed in false disbelief. George chuckled beside his sibling, "Did you really think it would be that easy!?"

I held my coat tightly to my chest out of embarrassment and agitation of Fred and George discovering our escapade.

"What are you doing?" Harry grunted angrily. Fred extended his hand, presenting us with a blank piece of parchment. Harry took it quickly into his grasp, "What's this rubbish?" He spat.

"That, right there, is the key to our success!"

"It's a wrench giving it to you both, really!" George chimed in with his older brother.

"But we've decided, your needs are greater than ours. George? If you will..." Fred glanced to his brother expectantly. The red-headed twin nodded, a smirk crossing his lips as he removed his wand from his pocket, pressing it into the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

My eyes widened as black ink appeared on the page, reading aloud the words inscribed into the parchment. "Messers Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present...The Marauder's Map." I took the parchment from my brother's hands, opening it and peeking inside as a map of Hogwarts appeared across the page.

"We owe them so much." Fred sighed in glee. Names appeared, floating across the page as footsteps followed in suit; both teachers and students alike, wandering the school corridors.

"Hang on! Is that Hogwarts?" Harry gasped in disbelief from beside me. "And that? No. Is that really-" Harry pointed to a place on the page, where sat the name of, "-Dumbledore." Fred confirmed.

"In his study."

"Pacing."

"He does that a lot." The boys finished for my brother.

I scoffed, a disbelieving grin appearing through my lips, "So that means, this map shows-" I began, Fred cutting my sentence short, "-Everyone."

"Everyone?" Harry repeated, still in awe.

"Everyone!" George confirmed.

"Where they are..."

"What they're doing..."

"Every minute,"

"-Of every day!" George concluded for his twin, finally.

"Brilliant! Where did you get it?" Harry questioned. Fred shrugged, "Nicked it from Filch's office, of course! First year." His voice was proud, George's however turned serious. "Now, listen. There are several secret passageways out of the castle. We'd recommend this one! The one-eyed witch passageway."

"It'll lead you straight to Honeyduke's cellar." George instructed carefully. I nodded, absorbing his words to make sure we didn't get caught, observing the map in my hands. 

"But you best hurry; Filch is heading this way." Fred warned. I nodded, as George concluded, "Oh! And don't forget, when you're both done, just give it a tap and say 'Mischief Managed', otherwise anyone can read it." The brother's spoke in unison, repeating their own instructions for our eyes.

We watched the words disappear, the twins running off into the courtyard quickly. They were right; Filch was heading our way. We threw the cloak over ourselves just before the Caretaker rounded the corner of our whereabouts. "That was close." Harry sighed, as he and Mrs Norris continued with their patrol. 

I nodded, humming in agreement as I spoke the words to reveal the map, once more. We followed Fred and George's advice, finding the entrance to the passageway to be through a statue of Gunhilda of Gorsemoor. I spoke the password "Dissendium", having read about it in Hogwarts; a History, the year prior. Watching as the hump on the Witch's statue opened to reveal a slide leading downwards, a tunnel greeting us both at the opposite end. 

It would be a further hour's walk for us to reach Hogsmeade, the other students having not long arrived in the snowy town themselves. Harry opened the cellar door to Honeyduke's sweet shop, crawling out first and helping lift me into the basement. "Thanks." I grunted, grabbing the cloak and putting it over us both, once more. "Don't mention it." He sighed, closing the entrance behind us both.

"Ready, Sis?" He smirked. 

I nodded, returning the favour. "Ready."