PotterInk (Writing Contest) REVAMPED

Round 3: Entries

Emma Frey

When Emma heard about the group of students planning a theft, she was mortified but not surprised. To steal someone else's belongings was wrong, and in Muggle America, it was under the penalty of theft. But when she heard who the theft was on and what for, she couldn't believe it.

She was following a group of fifth year Hufflepuffs when she heard one talking about the Map.

"The Marauder's Map is real, I'm telling you. That dark and gorgeous Slytherin told me about it!" One said. Another countered with: "You can't trust that guy!" Which Emma couldn't help but silently agree with.

But as she heard from more and more Hogwarts students of the Map's existence in Filch's office, she lost her doubt. Her will power, in accordance, grew. 

She had no need of the map. If it were to come in her hands, she knew just as well as everyone else how to awaken it. But what could a enchanted map help with her boring Herbology exam, or her clumsiness, or her darn tooth! Nothing was the answer, and that was exactly what Emma did about the problem. Nothing.

The afternoon the theft came around (as the group of boys planning it were far from bashful) she was in her dormitory, attempting to study. She'd been on the same paragraph for an hour, reading the words but not understanding the context. It was fifteen minutes to four.

The boys had chosen a good time and had to have known just when. At four, Filch headed to the main hall to prep for supper. He would be absent from his office and on the far other side of the school. Emma shook her head. Why was she even thinking about this? It was none of her concern. Just juveniles performing delinquency, criminals doing a crime.

She stopped reading (as if it were doing much help to her anyway) and checked again. 3:46. Those boys needed to be stopped from this, such imbeciles couldn't be trusted with the Map. Before she knew it, she was standing and walking, hurrying down the stairs.

Minutes later she was outside Filch's office staring at the door.

The best thing for her to do would be to go in, steal the map, and then report the boys planning on stealing it. It would be true and pure justice.

Her heart pounded in her ears, her lungs seemed completely deflated. "C'mon, Em." She breathed. "Go."

She pulled out her wand and felt it come to life in her hand. "Alohomora!" She whispered. The door clicked open, and her heartbeat skyrocketed. Emma ran inside before her brain tore her away from her mission. She ran to Filch's desk, where purple sticky notes sat nearly everywhere.

"Marauder's Map hidden in top drawer?" She questioned, and couldn't help but chuckle. Filch was rumored to not even know what the map was. When it was in its passive form, it was nothing but a plain piece of parchment. The old Squib only kept it because he knew the Hogwarts students wanted it.

But no, it wasn't written on any of the purple notes. Emma closed her eyes. "If I were a Marauder's Map, where would I hide?"

"And if you were a good thief you would not speak out loud when stealing, Ms. Frey." I jumped. My wand flew from my hand and landed in Professor Snape's. He wasn't smiling, but then again, never was.

"Professor, I can explain." I began, but Snape held up a hand. He gave me my wand and pointed towards a door across the way. It was a closet of some sort. I didn't question and ran towards it. Professor Snape came after me, shutting the door to the office with a flick of his wand and joining me in the large closet. When he entered, the professor held up another quieting signal, so I sat on one of the seats in the room.

The room was surprisingly large, with no windows and only the door we went through. Snape was watching through the keyhole, and not sitting in the other seat.