Violet Summer: Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter 21: The Marauders Map

 Saturday morning finally arrived, and the bustling anticipation for a trip to Hogsmeade filled the air. However, Harry was the odd one out, as he still lacked the guardian permission required to join his friends. After saying his goodbyes to Hermione and Ron, Harry started heading back to the Gryffindor tower when he was unexpectedly intercepted by Fred and George, mischievous as always.

"Harry!" called Fred cheerfully.

"Nice to see you," added George with a grin.

They playfully hooked their arms around Harry's from both sides and led him to a secluded corridor, acting as if they were up to something secretive. Though taken aback, Harry wasn't entirely surprised, considering it was Fred and George.

"What's going on, you two?" Harry inquired. "Aren't you both heading to Hogsmeade too?"

"We thought we'd bring some festive cheer your way," said Fred, his face beaming with excitement as he winked.

"We found you an early Christmas present," George chimed in.

Fred delved into his winter coat and pulled out a peculiar parchment, handing it over to Harry. As Harry inspected it, he realized it was blank, confirming his suspicion that it was one of the twins' typical pranks. He let out a sigh.

"What is this supposed to be?" he asked.

"The secret to your success," said George, patting the parchment as if it were a cherished pet. "We debated whether to give it to you, but your need seems greater than ours."

"And we don't have much use for it anymore anyway," added Fred, prompting Harry to look at them questioningly.

"Why would I need this?" Harry asked.

"Well, let us explain," George said, suddenly glancing at Fred. "Remember back when we were young and innocent, or at least more innocent than now? We snuck into Mr. Filch's office and found this."

"After setting off a Dungbomb, of course," Fred interjected with a mischievous grin. George shot him a distracted look.

"Speaking of setting off, do you still have those fireworks put aside?" George asked Fred, who nodded with a smile.

"Fireworks for what?" Harry inquired.

"Toni mentioned wanting to set a few off in the trophy room to mess with Filch," George revealed.

"And being entirely devoted to causing mischief and having a laugh, we reluctantly agreed to join in the fun," Fred chuckled. Harry didn't fully believe them.

"Toni, our friend Toni? You two are pulling my leg. She would never," Harry protested, looking at the parchment skeptically.

"We swear it's true," said George and Fred in unison.

"She made a deal with Peeves for some information about a professor," Fred explained, piquing Harry's interest.

George nodded. "Since Peeves likes our fireworks, we agreed to help, hoping he'd lay off us for a while too. Besides, we've been itching to cause a bit of trouble in that trophy room since our second year."

"But let's focus on the paper now, shall we?" Fred said, diverting Harry's attention back to the parchment in his hand. "This little beauty taught us more than the entire school."

"You two must be joking," Harry said, examining the parchment.

"Are we?" George asked playfully, taking out his wand and placing it in the middle of the paper. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

As George uttered the words, the parchment in Harry's hand began to change. Lines spread out like a spider's web before his eyes, revealing a detailed map of Hogwarts. The map displayed every student, professor, and poltergeist roaming the halls. His eyes widened in amazement as he realized what he was holding—the Marauder's Map.