So far the start of term since the break had been uneventful.
During that past few months the Marauders had searched the library tirelessly to try and find some spells, so they could complete the map.
And during their second week back, they had figured it out.
(Flashback)
It was currently 2 am and the Marauders were spread out on the library floor.
Books and messy papers surrounding them.
"It has to be here somewhere." Remus said as he looked through all of his messy written notes.
They all looked disheveled, Remus especially.
"Moony, maybe we should get some rest." James said with a yawn.
Peter hummed in agreement, he nearly was passed out on the floor.
"No!"
"The spell is here somewhere, I know it." The boy protested.
"Moony, are you sure?" Sirius asked, slightly irritated.
"Yes." Remus responded defensively.
"I think what Sirius is trying to say-" Lyla interrupted.
"Is that maybe the reason we haven't found the correct spell is because, maybe it doesn't exist yet."
"Yeah...no. That's not what I was trying to say."
Lyla and Remus both rolled their eyes.
Remus then sighed while thinking about what Lyla said.
Then it hit him like a lightning bolt.
"That's it!" Remus exclaimed.
"What is?" James asked.
"The spell. Lyla's right it doesn't exist."
"Meaning what exactly?" Sirius asked in a tired and agitated voice.
"We have to create a spell." Lyla responded while she ran her hands through her hair.
"Oh ok, so no biggie. It's like we do this all the fucking time." Sirius responded sarcastically.
(End of Flashback)
It had been almost 2 weeks since that night in the library, and they had finally came close the finishing the map.
The Marauders had stayed up every night till 3 am trying to figure out how to create the spell.
So every morning they would enter the Great Hall looking like ghosts.
They had bags under their eyes, their hair was disheveled, their eyes were blood shot, and all 5 of them were uncharacteristically quite.
The only times they weren't was when they got themselves their own pot of coffee.
But all those sleepless nights had finally payed off.
☽☽☽
The Marauders were in their dorm room, as per usual, and they were all hunched over the desk.
"Okay, are we sure this is going to work?" Peter asked hesitantly.
"Yup, we're sure Pete." James responded.
"Ok, just clarifying. Cause no offense, but that's what you said that last 7 times, and-"
"And it didn't work." Remus said.
"But it will this time!" Sirius said with a grin.
"Yeah, I have a good feeling about this."
"Prongs, you said that last time too." Lyla said.
James rolled his eyes before looking back down at the map.
"Ok boys-"
Lyla then glared at James.
"And girl, this is trial run one thousand and- I don't even know at this point, but let's get on with it."
James then turned to Sirius and asked,
"Pads, would you like to do the honors?"
"I shouldn't do it. It should be you."
"No, but I want it to be you."
"But, you're the one who brought us all together."
"So? I still want you to do it."
"Prongs, mate, just do it!"
"You do it!"
"No you do it!"
"No you!"
"No-"
"For fucks sake, how about Peter does it?" Remus said, annoyance visible on his expressions.
James and Sirius then looked at each other and shrugged.
"Yeah, that sounds good."
"Yeah, Pete should to it."
Lyla rolled her eyes while muttering,
"For the love of Godric."
"Alright Pete, do the honors."
Peter gulped and looked at them all nervously.
Lyla grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Peter visibly relaxed and he smiled gratefully at her.
Peter then got his wand and tapped the parchment.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
At first nothing happened and they all sighed sadly.
But then the ink started spreading.
Remus broke out into a grin as he read,
"Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Vixen, and Prongs. Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief- Makers are proud to present-"
"The Marauders Map." Lyla finished with a large smile on her face.
They then flipped it open and it revealed different names. Different names of students and professors, and their current locations.
"Holy shit." Sirius muttered with a smile.
"Holy shit!" He exclaimed.
James then broke out into laughter as he stared at the map.
"It works!"
Peter was laughing like a maniac as he ran around the room in happiness.
"Woo!" Sirius yelled as he too started laughing.
Soon Remus and Lyla were smiling and laughing along with their friends.
"Holy shit!" James yelled.
They all the biggest smiles on their faces as they laughed around the dorm, yelling in excitement.
James then picked up Lyla and spun her around in his arms.
She started laughing as she embraced James back.
"Woohoo!"
"Haha!"
This instantly became a memory that all the Marauders knew, could be used to produce the happiest and most powerful patronus the wizarding world has ever seen.
☽☽☽
It had been almost a week since the Marauders had finished the map and they've been carrying it around with them everywhere.
James especially.
"Prongsie, you practically sleep with it."
Were words that Sirius and Lyla had said to tease him over the past few days.
It was now sometime between 2 to 3 am and the Marauders had decided to test out the map by setting up a prank.
Lyla had spending the night in the boys' dorm, and she quietly tip toed out of Sirius' bed.
A few seconds passed before Sirius did the same.
"Okay, are we ready?" James asked in a whisper.
Before any of them could a respond a light came from another bed.
"Shit." Remus muttered.
"Hey Frank." Sirius said with a nervous smile and wave.
"Hi." The boy responded in an agitated voice.
"So uhh Frank we were just uhh-" Peter began to explain.
Frank just shook his head and sighed.
"Remind me again why I put up with this bullshit?"
"Cause you love us very deerly." James said with a smile.
Frank smiled before saying,
"Just leave."
Lyla saluted him and winked before exiting the door.
"Thanks mate." James said with a relieved sigh.
"I've been dealing with this for the past 5 years, what makes you think it's going to change now?"
Sirius shrugged and said,
"I don't know. Can never be to careful."
The four boys then left and left Frank there.
He soon crawled into bed and muttered,
"I swear, one day it's gonna be some unlucky man or woman who's going to have to deal with this."
Lyla, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had managed to sneak out of the Gryffindor Common Room, and they were now currently wandering the halls under James' invisibility cloak.
It was a struggle seeing as it was very difficult for all five of them to walk underneath it.
"I think I stepped on something." Sirius whispered.
"Yea, my fucking toe bitch." Lyla whispered furiously.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity they finally reached their destination.
"Ahh, finally." Sirius said as James removed the cloak.
They were in the 5th corridor, right by the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
"Okay Lyla open the map." James said.
She pulled it out from her pocket and muttered the words,
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The map revealed 5 dots with each of their names on it, and a dot with Filch's name on it, was located on the 3rd corridor.
"Coast is clear."
"Alright, let's do this." Sirius said with a grin.
Each Marauder pulled out their wand and started turning their own section into a different landscape.
Peter turned his into a snowy mountain.
Remus had a rainforest.
James and Sirius had decided to turn both of their sections into swaps.
Meanwhile Lyla turned hers into a desert.
They soon all started laughing at the different landscapes, but they immediately stopped when they heard a hiss.
They looked down to find Mrs. Norris.
"Fuck!" Lyla whisper shouted.
They all knew that Filch would be here any second, and there was nowhere to hide.
James, in a panic, turned into a stag.
Sirius, Lyla, and Peter soon followed and each turned into their animagus form.
They left Remus uncovered as he flipped them off and said,
"I hate you all."
Just as the heard Filch's steps he grabbed James' cloak and threw it around himself.
"What is it Mrs. Norris?" Filch asked.
"Students in the hall?"
Mrs. Norris meowed and nodded her head towards the animals.
Filch looked up and saw a stag, a black dog, a fox, a rat, and a weird large gap in between 2 of the animals.
He narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know how, but I'm sure Potter, Black, Lupin, Vance, and Pettigrew have something to do with this."
And Filch was so focused on the animals, he didn't even notice the prank those 5 students had set up.
But in the morning he sure would find out about it.