Miss Mischief ▶ George Weasley

Chapter Fifty

During the week before the Christmas break, Emerson kept herself completely immersed in her studies. Every morning and night she read countless of chapters of Potions and Transfiguration material. Eventually, she had memorized each possible use for moonstone in potion making and could nearly recite a timeline of magical wars.

The obsessive studying was beginning to cause Emerson physical pain; her head was always hurting and her back always ached from the amount of time she spent hunched over at her desk. But studying kept her mind off of her mother. When Emerson wasn't thinking about her mother, she was much more happy.

On the last weekend before the end of term, Emerson decided that it was time for a well needed break. So after breakfast, she changed into much warmer clothes and walked to the common room, where Fred and George were sitting on the couch.

She leaned down and have George a kiss on the head when she approached them, then jumped over the back of the couch and onto the cushion between her boyfriend and his brother.

"How does a trip to Hogsmeade sound today?" Emerson smiled at the too.

"Sounds delightful," Fred squinted at her. "Also, did you just jump over the back of the couch instead of walking around?"

"Yes I did," Emerson turned towards George. "Want to go to Hogsmeade today?"

"Of course I do, love," George glanced towards Fred. "Although Fred and I have to talk to you about something."

For a moment, Emerson's heart dropped. The tone in his voice made it sound like it was serious business. And Emerson didn't come downstairs to deal with seriousness.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad," George added quickly, seeing the look of worry that ghosted across Emerson's face.

"It's about the map," Fred said.

"Did you lose it?" Emerson gasped. "Did it get confiscated?"

"No, no," George shook his head. "We decided though that it might be time to pass the map onto someone else."

"Who?"

Fred and George leaned forward and spoke barely above a whisper. "Harry."

Emerson squinted at the answer. "Really? Why?"

"Ron was telling us last night about how bummed be is about not being allowed to go to Hogsmeade, so we decided we can help him find a way to get there himself," George explained. "It will be our good deed for the year."

Emerson nodded along. "Alright, I support this decision."

"Good."

Fred looked around the deserted common room, to ensure that it was in fact deserted. "I solemnly swear that I am up to good."

The three of them leaned over the map, looking at the various names and footprints that danced around. Then Emerson pointed to a set of footprints that had the name Harry Potter waving above them.

"He's on the second floor," Emerson stood up and pulled her jacket on. The twins followed in suit, and they quickly made their way down the first moving stair case away from Gryffindor tower.

The moved quickly down the stairs, hopping from case to case until they made it to the third floor corridor, where they saw Harry walked slowly towards them.

The three fifth years, darted behind the statue of the one-eyed witch as Harry focused his gaze on the snow falling outside. As he drew nearer and nearer, George peaked his head out from behind the statue.

"Hey! Harry!" He whispered, loud enough to attract Harry's attention.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and approached the three. "What are you all doing? Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?"

"We've come to give you something before we go," Fred winked and stepped out into the corridor, nodding towards the empty classroom next to them. "Let's go in here."

Harry followed them into the classroom, still looking cautious as Emerson closed the door and perched herself upon a desk. "We've got an early Christmas present for you, Harry," Emerson grinned at him.

Fred pulled the map out of his coat dramatically and gently laid it upon the desk that sat between them and Harry. Emerson and the twins smiled to themselves, but of course only they knew the secrets within the parchment. Harry on the other hand, just stared at it.

"What is it?"

"This is the secret to our success," George patted the parchment, and smirked.

"Bit of a wrench, giving it to you," Fred added. "Last night though we decided that your needs are greater than ours."

"We know it by heart," Emerson said. "So now we are giving it to you."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "And why exactly do I need a bit of old parchment?"

"A bit of old parchment!" Fred gasped and shook his head. Emerson looked between Fred and George, who looked mortally offended by the statement. Emerson rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"You see, Harry, when Fred and George were first years, y'know young and innocent — and I know what you're thinking Harry, of course they weren't actually innocent — they decided it would be glamorous to let of a dungbomb in the corridor which for some strange reason upset Filch. So he hauled these trouble makers to his office and threatened them with detention and disembowelment and the like. And of course they began snooping and came across a drawer that said Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

George and Fred both looked at Emerson, looking quite impressed. Emerson took a deep breath. "Did I miss anything?"

"No," George shook his head. "I think you got it all.

"Don't tell me that you went into the drawer?" A grin quickly replaced Harry's frown.

"Well, what would you have done?" Fred asked. "George dropped another dungbomb to distract Filch and I swooped in and grabbed," he gestured towards the parchment, "this."

"We won't think Filch ever figured out how to use it," George shrugged as he leaned against the table next to Emerson. "Of course he probably assumed what it was, otherwise he wouldn't have confiscated it."

"Do you know how to work it?" Harry asked.

"Oh course," Fred said enthusiastically. "This beauty has taught is more than all if the teachers in the school."

With that, George took out his wand and touched the the parchment gently. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Emerson watched, a smile on her face, as Harry's eyes widened in awe at the parchment. The emereld ink spread throughout the page until a text was formed at the very top.

Harry read it out loud.

"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
The Marauder's Map"

"We owe them so much," Emerson said.

Fred explained how the map worked and traced along the passages that entered right where Harry wanted to go: Hogsmeade.

"Now, don't forget to wipe it after you've used it—" George informed him firmly.

"— or else anyone can read it," Fred warned.

"All you is tap it again," Emerson pulled out her own wand and tapped the parchment. "And say Mischief Managed."

Harry watched again as the ink disappeared into the parchment.

"All yours now, Harry," George grinned.

"See you in Honeydukes," Emerson waved as she pulled George and Fred out if the classrooms. When they were back in the corridor, Emerson smiled. "Alright, our good deed is done for the year. Let's go get a sugar rush."