Growing up Pureblooded

The Mirror, The Cloak, and The Map

A week before they were set to leave for Hogwarts, the family bade farewell to Granny and came home to England. Sirius took the boys to Diagon Alley to purchase their school supplies and bought them two magnificent eagle owls. Aries named his owl 'Pollux', so Draco decided to name his 'Castor'. The night before Aries went off to school, Sirius came into his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Are you nervous?" he asked. "A bit," Aries admitted. "But mostly I'm excited." Sirius grinned. "You'll have a great time. With you and Draco there together I have no doubt it will be like the Marauders reborn. Just try not to burn down the castle your first year." "I have that planned for third year," Aries replied cheekily.

Sirius chuckled. "By the way, I've placed a couple of special items in your trunk. One of them is a mirror. I have its twin. If you want to talk to me, just say my name. It's a bit easier than waiting on owl post." "That's wicked!" Aries exclaimed. "James and I used them when we were in separate detentions," Sirius explained. "Thanks, Dad," Aries said. "The other surprise is even better," Sirius went on. "It's very special, so I've buried it under your clothes. You have to promise to take good care of it, not to lose it and never to let anyone but Draco know you have it."

"What is it?" Aries asked curiously. "An Invisibility Cloak," Sirius told him. Aries's eyes went wide. "Brilliant!" "It belonged to James," Sirius said. "It was the key to much of our success. Use it well, but make sure you keep it secret. Dumbledore gave it to Moony, and we don't want the old man to figure out that he passed it on to you." Aries nodded. "No need to make him suspicious."

"There's one more thing," Sirius said. "We lost it, but if you can find it, it will make your time at Hogwarts ever so much more fun. It's called the Marauder's Map." "A map?" Aries questioned. "It's a special map of Hogwarts that shows the layout of the whole school," Sirius explained. "Moreover, it shows the identity and current location of everyone in the castle. It cannot be fooled or tricked. It was confiscated by Filch in our last year. It's probably still in his office." "What does it look like?" Aries asked. "Just a spare bit of old parchment. Tap it with your wand and say the words, 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.' Then the map will appear. When you're done, tap your wand and say, 'Mischief managed.'It's very important not to forget that bit, otherwise anyone who finds it will be able to use it."

Aries smiled at his dad. "Do you have any other tips?" "Just keep yourself busy," Sirius replied, ruffling Aries's hair. "Try new spells and experiment a bit. Remember, you'll learn more magic by doing it than by reading about it in books." He roughly kissed the top of boy's head. "Now get to sleep. You want to be well rested for tomorrow." "Good night, Dad," Aries said. "Good night, Aries."