3-7: Hogsmeade.
Winter came to Hogwarts, snow falling from the sky, Christmas was near and still no sign of Sirius Black. Hermione and Ron had just left to go to Hogsmeade. I snuck up beside Harry staring down at the students leaving the castle and to Hogsmeade through the window.
"Jealous Potter?" I said leaning on the window laughing as Harry jumped.
"Not at all.. I have a plan," He said smirking showing me his invisibility cloak in his hands. "Come be lonely with me one more time?" He said putting out his hand once more.
"Of course," I said placing my hand in his as he threw the invisibility cloak over us.
We walked out onto the field past the Weasley twins, well almost. They must've seen our footsteps. Fred put his arm around me and George out his arm around Harry dragging us into some stairway.
"Clever Harry," Fred laughed.
"But not clever enough," George laughed along finishing Fred's sentence.
"Besides, we've got a better way."
"Come on we're trying to get to Hogsmeade!" Harry exclaimed struggling to escape them.
"We know," They replied in unison completely unbothered.
"We'll show you a quicker way."
"If you pipe down."
"Let us go come on guys," I said. I didn't even bother resisting, the Weasley twins were smart and even if I did get away they would catch me right back.
"Now you two, come and join the big boys," They said in unison sitting us down on the staircase before pulling off the cloak.
"What are you doing!" Harry whisper-shouted as Fred handed him a neatly folded piece of parchment shushing him. "What's this rubbish?"
"What's this rubbish he says," Fred scoffed at George. "That there is the secret to our success."
"It pains me to give it to you believe me."
"But we decided, your needs a greater than ours. George, if you will," George pulled out his wand from the pocket and placed it on top of the empty parchment.
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," As soon as George finished writings and pictures started to appear on the empty parchment.
"Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauders map," I read out loud looking back up the twins confused.
"We owe them so much," George smirked. Harry examined the map for a little before opening it to reveal a map of Hogwarts. It was a special one, one where footsteps were shown on the map along with a person's name. Even Dumbledore was shown on there pacing around in his study.
"Does this map show-"
"Everyone"
"Where they are"
"What they're doing"
"Every minute"
"of everyday!"
The twins just added onto each other's sentences starting with Fred.
"That's brilliant! Where'd you get it?" Harry exclaimed excitedly with a huge smile on his face.
"Nicked it from Filch's office of course! First year." Fred said looking proud crossing his arms.
"Now listen, there's 7 secret passageways leading out the castle. We'd recommend this one-" George and Fred both pointed to a thin passageway not too far from where we were "The one eyed witch passageway. It'll lead you straight to honey duke cellar"
"You best hurry, Filch is coming this way" Fred pointed on the footsteps coming towards us labeled 'Argus Filch'.
"Oh and Harry don't forget. When you're done, just give it a little tap and say 'mischief managed,'" George pointed his wand on it back again only this time the writing and pictures disappeared. "..Otherwise anyone can read it."
"Thanks guys, now if you won't mind we'll start heading," I said pulling Harry buck up rushing to leave. One more second with the Weasley twins hearing them speak and move in unison is going to drive me absolutely nuts. It was creepy how alike they were.
The passageway Fred and George had showed us was some sort of an underground one. Harry and I walked down it until we reached the end with a ladder. There was a very loose tile over the ladder which was extremely easy to move. We got up the ladder into some pottery store and out into Hogsmeade looking for Hermione and Ron under the invisibility cloak.
It took us a while to find them, they were at the very end of Hogsmeade looking at the shrieking shack, the most haunted house in Britain, standing so awkwardly next to each other. They weren't alone though, in front of them was Draco and his two minions. We both looked at each other confused before walking up a little closer trying to hear their conversation.
"Boys, I think it's time to show Weasel-bee how to respect his superiors," I immediately cringed hearing Draco say that.
"Hope you don't mean yourself," Hermione said stepping in front of Ron who was just looking down at the ground. It's quite funny Hermione and I are always the ones protecting them now to think about it.
"How dare you talk to me? You filthy little mudblood," Draco spat making my blood boil. Suddenly, Harry gathered up a huge hall of snow in his hand and chucked it right at Draco. They all looked around frantically trying to find the culprit but of course they couldn't see Harry and I. A mischievous smile formed across Harry as he chucked another one running towards them.
"Don't stand there, do something!" Draco yelled at one of the boys. A smile formed across my face too as I pulled down his beanie and pulled on his scarf. He let out a shriek panicking and even falling. Harry and I messed around with them a bit until they all ran away screaming with a terrified look on their face as Hermione and Ron laughed. We looked at each other in the eye once again and walked towards the two to mess with them. I played with Hermione's hair and Harry played with ron's hat. Hermione of course caught on quick and continued laughing but Ron's face stiffed real quick.
"Evelyn!" She called out laughing as Harry took the cloak off of us.
"Bloody hell Harry, that was not funny!" Ron eventually started laughing with us too.
~***~
We walked in the snow passed all the stores of Hogsmeade. Wanted posters were everywhere of Sirius Black, he still hasn't been caught yet. The streets were busy and crowded with many people including both students and professors.
"Oh look who it is, Madam Rosmerta! Ron fancies her," Hermione pointed at a woman fixing a sign to a store. She was tall with blonde curly hair falling just below her shoulders. She really was pretty.
"Professor McGonagall!" I looked over to see the man who had called out for Professor McGonagall. I could recognize his annoying voice in a heartbeat, Cornelius Fudge, but what was he doing here?
"Rosmerta my dear, I hope your business is good?" He asks getting off of his wagon.
"It would be a LOT better if the ministry wasn't sending dementors into my store every other night!" She says waving a hammer in his face.
"We have a killer on the loose!"
"Oh Sirius Black in Hogsmeade? And what would bring it here?" I looked over at Harry who was now closely examining the two listening to their conversation.
"Harry Potter!" Madam Rosmerta exclaimed as Fudge and Profesor McGonagall shushed her pushing her inside her store. I turned back to look at Harry but he was already gone. Only sign left of him were footsteps going into the store the three had just entered.
"Harry!" Hermione called out following the trail of footsteps while Ron and I followed. We entered the store to be greeted by three skull figures hanging at the very front of the store.
"No underage wizards allowed today! Shut the damn door!" One of the figures shouted at us.
"Thickheads," Ron muttered before shutting the door behind the three figures complaining and whining.
It didn't take long for the door to swing open with no one opening it, maybe four or five minutes perhaps. Surely enough, a trail of footsteps came out from the store and through a group of choir pushing them to the side.
"Hermione, look," I nudged her pointing at the trail of footsteps aimlessly walking. We quickly got up following it which lead back to a rock in front of the shrieking shack, the place Harry and I messed around with Draco and his minions. There were soft whimpering sounds, like someone was crying. I looked at Hermione who gave me a nod before walking towards a rock the footsteps lead to getting closer to the soft whimpering. I knelt down in front of the rock reaching my hand out and took off the invisibility cloak off of Harry who looked at me with tears in his eyes.
"Harry what did you hear in there?" I asked softly, it hurt me seeing him hurt like this.
"He was their friend. And he betrayed them. HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!" His voice echoed though the open area. I was at the lost of words, I didn't know what I could say to make him feel better.
"I hope he finds me. Because when he does, I'm gonna be ready. When he does, I'm gonna kill him."