Chapter 138: Marauder's Map
The Weasley Twins sneaked into the Forbidden Forest, eager to get up close and personal with the Fire Dragon.
According to them, they were after a scale the beast might have dropped—or even dragon dung would do.
But Hagrid caught them red-handed and exploded in fury, sentencing them to clean the Pig Pen for half a month straight.
"Cleaning pig manure, scrubbing pens, bathing piglets…" Fred laughed, grinning widely. "That’s our job for the next two weeks."
"Percy was furious," George said, still spraying the floor with a hose while giving a nearby pig a quick rinse.
"Thought we’d disgraced the entire Weasley name."
Fred turned to Wade. "So, what’s up? Why’d you come looking for us?"
"Remember last term," Wade asked, "when you told me about the secret passage out of Hogwarts?"
"Of course!" Fred said. "You’re not telling me you only just started using it?"
"Yeah," Wade replied. "I took a trip out of school a few days ago. The passage’s longer than I expected."
"Was Hogsmeade fun?" Fred leaned on his shovel, resting his chin on the wooden handle, winking. "Didn’t get caught by Frum, did you?"
"Frum?"
"Honeydukes’ owner," George explained.
"Nope," Wade said. "But there’s one thing that’s been bugging me…" He looked at both of them. "You said you saw me come out of the Mirror Corridor, then we met in front of the Portrait of Paracelsus…"
"Uh… was that it?" Fred scratched his head. "I guess so."
"But when I came out of the Mirror Corridor," Wade continued, "I checked carefully. There was no other student around."
Then someone inside told him: You two must’ve just come out of the Gryffindor Common Room.
That someone, of course, was Zoe.
This castle had few secrets—especially not when House-elves and ever-watchful portraits were involved.
"Hmm…" George tilted his head. "So?"
"Well," Wade said, earnestly, "you must have some magical device that shows where people are. Something like a parchment, right?"
He held out his hands. "I’d love to borrow it for a bit—just to study the alchemy on it. I promise I won’t damage it! I’ll pay one Galleon per day. Fair?"
"One Galleon? That’s steep!" Fred said, shaking his head. "But no."
Wade blinked. "Two Galleons?"
"It’s not about the money," Fred said, solemnly. "The Marauder’s Map is a legacy—something precious passed down from the old generation to those who follow."
George nodded. "We owe them so much. How could we possibly sell something like this?"
"Fine," Fred said, grinning. "You can study it for free. But there are conditions."
"First, don’t let anyone see it—especially professors or Filch."
"And second," George added, "we must uphold the spirit of the original makers. We’ll help the next generation of pranksters, the ones trying to break the rules."
The twins burst into laughter.
Then Fred pulled out a square piece of parchment. It looked old and blank.
"We stole this from Filch’s office," George said. "He kept it locked in a drawer with a label that said Confiscated Items – Extreme Danger."
"He’s taught us more than the whole staff," George added.
"Remember the spell," Fred said, drawing his wand and tapping the parchment.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good!"
Fine ink lines spread like a spiderweb across the parchment. Green text began to appear:
[MagicPrank Crafters’ Support Supplier]
[Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs]
[Proudly Present]
[The Marauder’s Map]
In an instant, the entire map of Hogwarts materialized—every corridor, every room, every hidden nook.
Tiny black dots moved across the parchment, each labeled with minuscule letters.
The names were far smaller than they looked in the movies.
Places like the Great Hall or the Common Room—where crowds gathered—looked like clusters of ants, impossible to make out.
But the Weasley Twins didn’t care about the student clusters.
They only cared about where professors and Filch were patrolling at night.
"Once you’re done," George said, "just tap it and say Prank’s over. It’ll go blank again."
Wade studied the twins. Their smiles were goofy, almost innocent—like they had no idea how priceless what they’d just shown him really was.
He folded the parchment carefully, smiling. "So… can I invite you both to study it together? I remember you two are learning alchemy too."
The twins perked up instantly. "Of course! But be warned—the magic on this map is incredibly complex."
"We’ve been working on some prank candy lately," George said. "Just… a bit too potent."
Before he could finish, Hagrid’s voice boomed across the yard:
"Hey! I hope you’ve already finished cleaning the Pig Pen while chatting!"
The twins stuck out their tongues and hurried back to scrubbing.
"Hold on, Wade," Hagrid said, carrying a huge bucket of feed. He gently nudged a pig away from the feeding bowl with a finger, then poured in the food. "Don’t go copying these two and treating your life like a game."
Wade asked, "Is the Fire Dragon safe in the Forbidden Forest?"
"No trouble there," Hagrid said, his voice soft. "The creatures in the forest can’t harm Nobeta."
He looked at the dragon with fondness. "Thank Merlin Dumbledore let her stay. For Nobeta, the most dangerous thing in the world is people. Her old home was full of them…"
As he spoke, he lifted a few of the larger piglets, inspected them, and placed them into a nearby pen.
"So… she can’t harm the animals in the forest, right?" Wade asked.
"Dumbledore made a deal with the centaur tribe," Hagrid said. "Nobeta lives far away. She promised not to hunt near the school and never to attack any intelligent species. She’s such a good girl, isn’t she?"
Wade looked at the burns on Hagrid’s arms and couldn’t bring himself to nod in agreement.
Hagrid invited him, "Want to come back to my hut for tea? I just baked some rock cake."
"No thanks," Wade declined politely. "I’ve got an assignment to finish."
After saying goodbye to Hagrid and the twins, Wade returned to the Room of Requirement.
His first move? Unfolding the Marauder’s Map and scanning the Gryffindor Common Room.
As expected, one extra name stood out—
Wormtail – Peter Pettigrew.
One of the original Marauders.
Friend of James Potter and Remus Lupin.
The true betrayer.
(End of Chapter)
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