11 | Marauder's Map
The Hallowe'en Feast was a couple of days ago and the DADA professor Quirinus Quirrel found a troll in the dungeons and felt unconsciousness during the middle of the Feast. Eventually, Harry, Ron and Hermione defeated the troll. Marley wasn't really sure how but as first-year students, they did such a great job. After Snape understood of this he wanted to expell the students, but Dumbledore didn't allow it.
"Where are we going?" asked Marley, while Fred and George got the girl out from the Study Hall to show her something. They were heading probably for the Gryffindor common room. The boys tomorrow had a Quidditch match and they didn't seem scared at all. While Marley was. She wanted Gryffindor to win, because the match was against Slytherin.
The three children went upstairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady and said the password for the common room. It was almost empty because most of the students were studying at the Study Hall right now.
"Okay, wait here for a minute." said Fred to the girl, while both the boys went to the boys' dormitory. Marley sighed and wondered what was so important to interrupt the stupid Potions homework she had to do. The girl just sat on the couch and waited imatiently. There were two other children but they left the common room before Fred and George could arrive. And now she was sitting alone, the silence making her company.
Marley was thinking she was going to lose her mind because the boys were taking too long, but she heard fast footsteps and they appeared back, holding a piece of parchment. Marley furrowed her brows. "And that was the important thing? Are you fucking sick?"
"Just listen, Mar." said George, holding the parchment. "We stole if from Filch's office. First year. Yes, your favourite boys did it at only the age of eleven. And that's not everything. It turned out this is a map."
"A map?" repeated Marley like echo and approached the twins, looking at the piece of parchment. It was empty. How this could be a map if it was empty? Unless... "What should I say to unlock it?"
"You're so damn smart, Marley." grinned Fred and grabbed the parchment from his twin brother's hands. "It's easy. I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
Marley looked at the piece of parchment and saw how different shapes were appearing - a castle, letters. The girl recognized it was Hogwarts castle and when she opened it, it was showing lifetime what everyone were doing. She saw Angelina Johnson and Lee Jordan at the Study Hall, Harry Potter at the courtyard with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
And when she went back to first page, she narrowed her eyes and read. "Moony, Wormtail, Hoofy, Fluffy, Padfoot and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers are proud to present the Marauder's Map. Wait, Marauder's map? My mother is.. was a Marauder. Oh gosh..."
"Wait a minute," stopped her George, quite confused. "Your mother was Brielle Macmillan? Hoofy? Tell me you're kidding."
"I'm not." Marley shook her head. "Actually, I thought you know. I mean, my surname is Macmillan. But that's not important. Why did you decide to show me that?"
"You're our best friend and we trust you." said Fred with a smile on his face. "And believe me, we hardly trust someone that much to reveal so deep secret like that."
Marley was flattered. She had never felt that happy and couldn't stop the growing smile on her face. Since they arrived, all they were talking, was you. She heard the words of her best friend Angelina. Fred and George really like you, Marley. And she was right. The twins really quickly got attached to the girl and they were always with her. Marley was sometimes even wondering how they wouldn't chasing her to her home in the start of the holidays.
"That's.. woah, I don't know what to say. You're... guys, that's really nice." she trailed off, a goofy smile appearing on her face and George just patted her on the shoulder.
"We know, Mar."
"You ruined the moment." said Marley, now looking him with deadly eyes but a minute after the three of them burst into hard laughter. When they finally managed to stop laughing their faces were red and Fred was trying to say something, but he had put hands on his stomach laughing with voice.
"Okay, you shouldn't tell anyone." said finally Fred and sat on the red couch. His face was redder than his hair but Marley still couldn't take him really serious. "No and before you ask, you can't tell Angelina. She doesn't know about it. Just don't tell anyone."
Marley nodded. She was capable of keeping secrets. When it comes to secrets, Marley remembered how she went to her mother's room two months ago and found the secret letter from her father adressed to Brielle Macmillan. Marley was wondering if she had to share it with the twins, because they showed her the Marauder's Map. Brielle had been mentioning it to her stories sometimes. She knew her mother's nickname was Hoofy but she didn't expect the map was still here and in pretty good shape.
"Let me guess, you're using the map for your pranks right?" questioned Marley with a smirk. George just smiled devilishly.
"You're so fucking smart, really."
***
The Quidditch match was perfect. Gryffindor beat Slytherin and Marley was so happy for her friends. During the game she was really nervous and worried. Marley was sitting with Katie Bell from her year and Lee Jordan. Lee was usually really calm about the games, but Marley was circle from nerves.
The twins decided they should celebrate the victory over Slytherin. A nasty boy from Slytherin was in the team as a Seeker and he was trying to catch the Golden Snitch at the same time as Harry. Marley even covered her eyes and told Lee to tell her when it was safe to watch. Eventually it wasn't necessary because when she heard the cheers of the black boy and Katie Bell, she realized Harry had caught the Snitch.
During dinner, Fred and George proposed to do a little prank. Everyone denied, including Marley. She didn't want troubles with the caretaker Argus Filch. He was a really evil wizard, but really democtatic. He hated all children equally.
"Why don't you join, Mar?" George's had asked with a incomprehensible to Marley tone. "Are you scared?"
She hated most of all to tell her she is a coward. The ginger twins had provoked Marley one more minute, when her face had become angry and red, so she almost spilled her juice, while she had started talking angrily to them. "You know what, Weasley? Count me in. You'll see who is a coward."
George had just smirked and they did the prank. The prank was pretty simple - they waited Argus to leave his office and put some fireworks on his desk and hid. When he went back there, the students went behind his door and activated the fireworks. Marley heard a loud Pop! and when Argus left furious, his whole face was black, his grey hair was straightened up and fried. Smoke was escaping his scalp. He somehow managed to catch the three pranksters anf now they were grounded to clean the trophies at the Trophy Room.
They used the Marauder's Map for the prank, and even Marley was angry she was grounded to clean some stupid trophies, the adrenaline and pleasure of making this prank and seeing Filch french fried was precious. She was thankful to Fred and George for provoking her to join in this prank. She was now extremely happy.
The Trophy Room was on the third floor of Hogwarts Castle. Awards, trophies, cups, plates, shields, statues, and medals were kept in crystal glass displays in this room. This room also contained a list of Head Boys and Head Girls. Filch wanted to trophies to shine from brightness and maybe they had spent two hours of their evening here and they weren't still ready.
It was passing nine o'clock in the evening. By that time, Marley was usually in bed but she was now cleaning with a rag the Quidditch medals and trophies. It wasn't an easy job and her wrist hurt. Her arm had been weakened from being stretched all the time and her muscles were tight.
She was rubbing the medals of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They were from the era of her mother mostly - between 1970 and 1978. Fred and George were close to her, but minding their own business and they weren't talking. Filch was looking at them and his grey cat Mrs. Norris was walking freely in the Room.
Marley took another medal. The name was of M.G. McGonagall. He had received it in 1971 for unknown position. It wasn't written and when Marley finished it, she took the next one. It was for a Chaser. James Potter.
Marley dropped the gold badge on the floor and she grunted. At the same time, Filch, Fred and George looked at her in astonishment. She only muttered one 'sorry' and saw in Fred's eyes that he was wordlessly asking her if she was okay. She just nodded and hoped that was а comprehensive and sufficient response.
She looked again at the badge and wondered if James Potter could actually be her father, but she remembered it was impossible. He was the father of Harry Potter. Maybe there was another James in her mother's life. But the only James she knew from her mother's stories was James Potter. Your father's name was James. We were in one house and we played Quidditch together. He was a good man. James died too young, killed by the Dark Lord. And she still thought it was impossible. But he used to play Quidditch, the Potter guy too. Another coincidence. The girl remembered about the letter she found at her mother's bedroom. She couldn't be sure. The only way was to ask her mother.
When it passed ten o'clock, Filch just snorted annoyed at shouted at the children to go to their common room and don't dare to make another prank again. They just nodded and left the Trophy Room really tired but Marley knew it was a lie about the prank.