The New Marauder

Thirty seven

                ~*~*~*~ Hogwarts ~*~*~*~
   
    Letting out a tired groan, I flip onto my back, stretching out my limbs. After the twins returned with enough food to hold a mini-feast—plus desserts—Ced and I buckled down to work on the map. Meanwhile, Fred and George spent most of the time making airplanes out of the unusable parchment, racing them around the room until they either got stuck in the wooden beams or burnt to a crisp in the fireplace. It was amusing to watch the lion above the fireplace try to swat at the planes as they passed by. But despite the distractions, we managed to get a lot done—consulting numerous books, practicing spells, and even causing a few explosions that set the table on fire. Thankfully, it seemed to repair itself each time. The dorm still smells like a bonfire, but in the end, we managed to complete it—well, mostly.....we think.
    Sitting up, I glance over at the four identical copies of the Marauder's Map that Ced and I not only copied but also enhanced. They still need a password to activate and another to wipe them clean, but we've added a few new features. Thanks to Cedric, we expanded the map to include the Hufflepuff common room, parts of the Forbidden Forest we've already explored, and even sections of Hogsmeade. There's also more space for future additions. One of the coolest features is a messaging system: if one of us writes a time and place to meet up, the other three maps will vibrate, alerting the others to the message then disappears once you have read it so there was no proof of said message left behind.
    The best feature we added? If someone blocks our path while we're sneaking around, the map will suggest an alternate route to get us where we need to go undetected. And if we're being chased, it'll show the quickest way to escape. It's like our own personal GPS, but with a lot more perks.
    But George had the best idea of all—he remembered how Dumbledore picked up on the map the first time we used it. So to hide it, to us, it looks like a map, but to others, it will look like a book or something else entirely. We haven't figured out how to do that part yet, but maybe lessons with McGonagall will help.
    The plan for today is to sneak out of Hogwarts, head to Zonko's, and test if the map works. Afterward, we might explore the dungeons and see if we can find the Slytherin common room—maybe set up a trap or two for anyone who comes out.
    "Oi, you lot better be awake!" Charlie's loud voice echoes down the small hall, making my heart race.
    My eyes dart to the mess on the table—piles of crumpled and burnt parchment stacked high on the floor, scraps of parchment and last night's leftovers scattered across the table, and the five maps along with our wands lying in the chaos. There's no time to clean up, especially since my wand is sitting next to the original map.
    "Hey, I know it's Saturday, but—what in the bloody hell happened here?" Charlie shouts, gaping at the mess. Gemma sneaks around him to take a look, her eyes locking onto mine with a stern stare.
    Panicking, I pull the covers over my head, hoping they won't realize I'm awake. "Uh-uh, nope, you don't," I hear Gemma say before feeling my covers yanked off and my ear being tugged until I'm standing on my feet. "Ori, what is all of this?"
    "What is what?" I ask meekly, glancing nervously at Charlie, who's storming past my bed, heading straight for Fred and George.
    The room fills with painful grunts and squeals as Charlie pulls each of them out of bed. Gemma seems about to intervene, but then her eyes land on the usually empty bed—Cedric's bed.
    "Ori, please tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing," Gemma demands, her eyes narrowing.
    Blushing furiously, I look down at my hands, which are fidgeting nervously. "W-what do you mean?"
    "Why is Cedric sleeping in your dorm?" she almost shouts, waking Cedric in the process.
    "It's only Cedric," I mumble, glancing over at the twins.
    "It's only—Ori, are you joking?" Gemma yells, throwing her hands up in exasperation before pacing back and forth, muttering to herself.
    "What Gemma's trying to say," Charlie cuts in with a scolding tone, "is that there are rules in place for a reason. I can overlook some being broken, but this is one we can't ignore."
    "No one saw us," Fred argues tiredly.
    "And Godric welcomed him into the tower, too," George adds.
    "Really?" Gemma asks, surprised, stopping in her tracks.
    "Yeah," I nod, agreeing with the twins. "And the Fat Lady didn't say anything when she let us in either."
    "And all of this?" Charlie gestures to the mess. "How did you get this much parchment?"
    "Kreacher?" I squeak out.
    "And Spikey," Fred adds, taking a seat on his bed.
    "Who are Kreacher and Spikey?" Gemma asks, looking between us and then at Charlie.
    "Kreacher is Ori's house-elf, and I'm guessing Spikey is another one," Charlie answers, picking up some of the scattered parchment before putting it back down.
    As Gemma deflates a bit, my hopes start to rise, thinking we might be off the hook. But then she takes a seat at the messy table, directly in front of the maps. My heart races again as I catch the fearful looks on the twins' faces, and the tension builds as Gemma starts to lift her head from her hands.
    "What is this?" she asks, sounding confused as she picks up the original map, catching Charlie's attention.
    "That's... um... a... uh," I stammer, struggling to come up with a believable lie, glancing at the others for help.
    "Homework." "Project." "Painting," they say in unison, causing me to groan.
    Immediately, Charlie and Gemma turn toward me, questions swimming in their eyes. "Okay, so... don't get mad... butit'samapofHogwarts," I squeak out, unable to lie to them.
    "What?" they ask simultaneously.
    Taking a deep breath, I look down at my feet, feeling the tips of my ears burn. "It's a map of Hogwarts," I mumble.
    "Really?" "Where did you get it?" they ask together again.
    Turning toward Fred, I silently plead for help, but he's silently telling me to shut it. Groaning, I step between the two and grab my wand. "Mischief managed," I whisper, tapping the map. Charlie lets out a disappointed noise as the red ink seeps into the parchment, while Gemma seems more shocked than anything. Once it's blank again, I glance between them, then hold up my wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," I say before tapping it a second time.
    "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map," Gemma reads off the words as they appear on the parchment. "It really is a map."
    Charlie whispers in awe, "Is that really Snape?" He points to the entrance hall, where Snape's footsteps are headed toward the dungeons.
    "Yep," I confirm with a nod.
    "Where did you four get this?" Gemma asks, eyeing me. "And don't say you found it lying about."
    "Um... don't be mad..."
    "Whenever you say that, it really makes me want to get mad," Gemma sighs, leaning back in the chair and rubbing her face.
    "To be fair, her Uncle Theo knows about it and helped get it," George points out.
    "So you really can't get mad, 'cause he's a professor. Plus, Dumbledore knows about it," Fred adds hotly.
    "And he's the headmaster," George chimes in just as hotly.
    Gemma ignores them and looks back at me expectantly. "We came across it after our detention with Filch. It took a while to figure out how to use it, but, uh, when I got hurt... Sirius came to see me in the Hospital Wing while I was sleeping. Apparently he saw it and left a clue on how to unlock it and lock it up. I think he might be Padfoot," I answer, unsure how she'll take the news.
    "Your father?" Charlie asks, taken aback.
    "Well, I wouldn't call him that," I shrug, feeling really uncomfortable.
    "But if you think about it, it's a family heirloom," Cedric adds, finally getting out of bed to join us at the table.
    "Yeah." "Exactly," the twins agree together, making me smile a bit.
    Gemma moves her gaze from me to Charlie, then to the stack of copies we made. "What are you thinking?" Charlie asks her carefully.
    "I think you four need to clean this up while I have a conversation with Charlie," she says, getting to her feet and taking the original map and the copies with her to the bathroom.
    Clearing his throat, Charlie straightens his back and waves his wand. A small pile of big black trash bags appears on the table. "You heard her. I want it clean before we get back... and no magic," he says before following Gemma.