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Chapter 290: Obtaining the Map
Chapter 290: Obtaining the Map
In the evening, Felix walked down the corridor in the castle basement, carrying a candy box.
"Professor Hup——"
Felix glanced at Draco Malfoy and the two large boys behind him, nodding at them.
"Professor, I've mastered a new rune", Draco said excitedly. He extended his right hand, and the ouroboros ring on his index finger began to move, spitting out a light blue rune symbol.
He held the rune symbol, his face slightly flushed, and after about seven or eight seconds, the light blue symbol dissolved into a stream of flowing water.
"You're making rapid progress. I remember this is the sixth rune you've mastered?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Hmm", Felix thought for a moment and reminded him, "Spend more time on the runes we discussed at the previous meetings. They will be very useful."
Draco paused, "I understand, Professor."
Felix continued walking with the candy box, and Malfoy called out from behind, "Professor Hup, are you going to the Headmaster's office? I just checked, and the door is locked."
"Perhaps Severus is brewing a potion. Regardless, I should check it out", he said vaguely.
Draco watched Professor Hup's retreating back and muttered to himself, "I always feel like the Professor is acting a bit strange today?"
Crabbe and Goyle grinned foolishly, trying to please Draco. Draco was used to this and simply shrugged, leading the way toward the common room. "What do you think about Daphne's sister, Astoria?"
In the Potions Master's office, Felix tried several Unlocking Charms and opened the door.
He walked in without hesitation. The room wasn't small, with space for an office, Snape's private storage, and a bedroom at the back.
He passed through the dimly lit glass specimen wall and pushed open the bedroom door. The flowers inside were in full bloom.
"Severus, I'm keeping your reputation intact in front of your students. If they saw you being brought back by a Levitation Charm... tsk tsk!"
He opened the candy box—still the one Sirius Black had used—inside was an unconscious, palm-sized Severus Snape.
"Madam Rosmerta was curious about your sudden disappearance. Fortunately, I managed to cover for you."
With a flick of his wand, he restored Snape to his original size and used a Levitation Charm to place him on the bed, putting Snape's wand beside the pillow.
Snape rolled over, mumbling incoherently.
The next day.
After the fifth-year Ancient Runes class, Felix kept the Weasley Twins behind.
"The Marauder's Map?" The twins exchanged glances, communicating with various gestures.
Felix could tell they were considering it!
Fred hesitated, "Professor, this is—"
"—something we took from Mr. Filch", Felix nodded.
"Uh..." Fred's expression turned awkward, "You already know?"
"I know some of it. What I'm most concerned about is whether you still have it."
"We gave it to—" George said, but Fred quickly covered his mouth, frantically signaling with his eyes, then awkwardly told Felix, "We gave it to a friend. If you need it, we'll get it back for you. Don't worry, it won't be a problem."
George blinked, understanding. They had given the Marauder's Map to Harry, who had used it to break the rules and visit Hogsmeade Village. This was something they couldn't explain in detail.
Although they often broke school rules, revealing their own faults was best avoided.
"Do you know about Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?" Felix asked.
The twins widened their eyes, and Fred exclaimed, "You know about this too? Professor, could you be one of those four people?"
"Or perhaps a former user of the map?" George guessed.
Felix smiled, "I didn't have that kind of luck when I was in school, but I do know two of them. I'm here today on behalf of one of them to borrow the Marauder's Map for a while. Don't worry, I'll return it to you..."
Fred's eyes sparkled, and he rubbed his hands together, "Oh, Professor, can you introduce us to him?"
"Yeah, who is it? We owe them a lot!" George asked eagerly.
Felix looked at their eager faces, "I can only tell you that the person's code name is Padfoot. As for whether he wants to meet you", Felix paused, "it's definitely not possible right now. He can't show his face."
Felix watched the twins with great interest. Their expressions were like those of pilgrims, and it was clear that although they had never met, the twins already considered the map's creators as their predecessors and role models in mischief.
They ran off in a flash, "Professor, we're off to find the map!"
That afternoon, Felix received the Marauder's Map. It was the first time he saw the map in its entirety; before, he had only heard about it but never seen it.
It was a rather old piece of parchment, not very large, but actually folded in layers. When unfolded, it spread out like a tablecloth.
"This is the secret to our success", Fred said affectionately, patting the map with a nostalgic look on his face.
Felix smiled but didn't speak. He tapped the map with his wand and silently recited, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
This was the password he had obtained from Sirius Black. Sirius was currently confined to Grimmauld Place, but Felix had secretly connected the fireplace in his office to the Black family manor to make it easier to visit and read books during his free time. He would open the connection when needed and seal it afterward to avoid detection by the Ministry of Magic.
Lupin had also agreed to visit Sirius on the weekend. When he left, Sirius and the house-elf Kreacher were busily cleaning.
As Sirius put it, "At least we need to tidy up the living room and prepare two bedrooms for the guests."
With the password and the wand, dark ink lines began to appear on the blank parchment like a spider web. They intersected and extended, sketching out the buildings of Hogwarts Castle and the surrounding areas, including the greenhouses, Hagrid's hut, and the edge of the Forbidden Forest, with all the details included.
The most impressive part was the numerous, randomly moving ink dots on the map. Each dot was labeled with a tiny name.
Felix found his name at first glance. Next to his name were two other small dots, labeled Fred Weasley and George Weasley.
He scanned the map and saw Dumbledore in his study, Snape in the Potions classroom, Professor Sprout in the greenhouse, and he wanted to find the Room of Requirement but couldn't. It was probably shielded, which he had expected. However, he did notice Trelawney alone in her small attic, and from the movement of the ink dot, he guessed that the Divination class professor was dancing.
In the upper middle of the parchment, a line of curly script appeared: "The suppliers of mischief-makers' aids, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, proudly present the Marauder's Map."
Felix caressed the map, lost in thought for a long time before he came to his senses.
"It's a clever design. I need to examine it more closely..."
(End of Chapter)
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