“Where’d you get that?” demanded Albus, once they were all in the dormitory that Fred and James shared.
James grinned, as he unfolded the Marauder’s Map. “Nicked it from Dad’s office.”
Rosie looked at him rather sternly, in a manner highly reminiscent of her mother. “James, you really shouldn’t have stolen it from Uncle Harry...”
James gave her a cocky look and raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to write him a letter telling him what a bad boy I’ve been or are you going to come along with us?”
Scorpius felt rather uncomfortable using something that had been stolen from Mr Potter’s office. Besides, what if it was dangerous? Who knew what sort of things the Head of the Auror Department had lying around his office? He looked to Rosie, but her expression was already softening. She lightly smacked her older cousin. “Of course I’ll come, Prat.”
James only grinned smugly in reply.
“Er... are you sure it’s safe?” asked Scorpius, trying his best not to look a coward.
“Have a look for yourself,” answered James, tossing the old piece of parchment to Scorpius. Fred gave James a look, but Scorpius didn’t notice.
Scorpius carefully examined the slightly tattered parchment. It certainly didn’t look dangerous. It didn’t look like something worth James having nicked either. “It’s just a ratty old piece of parchment,” Scorpius said after a few moments.
He’d barely finished speaking before the words began to appear on it:
Mr Prongs feels affronted that someone missing part of their right eyebrow would have the nerve to call this most dignified piece of parchment ‘ratty’.
Mr Moony agrees with Mr Prongs and would also advise young Mr Malfoy to comb his hair.
“Wh... how did it know? This looks like Dark magic!” Scorpius added nervously.
Mr Padfoot would advise anyone who is afraid of a bit of parchment to not partake of any sort of adventure.
Scorpius went red as James chuckled. Fred looked as though he was trying not to laugh as the writing continued.
Mr Wormtail would like to register his astonishment that a Malfoy managed to worm his way into Gryffindor Tower.”
“That’s enough,” said Albus crossly. Scorpius was surprised to see that he was looking at the parchment as he said it.
“Yeah, that’s over the line, there,” added Fred.
“What are you talking about?” demanded Scorpius, his cheeks still flushed from the parchment’s comments.
“I solemly swear that I am up to no good,” said Rosie, touching her wand tip to the parchment.
To Scorpius’s astonishment, an intricately detailed map of Hogwarts appeared. Upon looking closer, he could find the room they were in, within Gryffindor Tower. Even more shocking, there was a dot in that room, clearly labeled ‘Scorpius Malfoy.’
“It’s a map of Hogwarts,” Rosie explained, somewhat unnecessarily.
“But I’m on it!”
“My grandfather, the one I’m named after, and three of his friends made it when they were students here,” explained James proudly. “It shows the secret passageways, where everyone is, everything. It even gives certain passwords, but only the ones that haven’t changed in the past fifty years.”
“What are those passages that lead off the map?” asked Scorpius.
“Oh, those,” answered James. “They’re passageways to Hogsmeade, but they don’t work anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Well, there’s six in all,” Fred explained. “My dad told me that him and his twin brother used this one, before there was a cave-in and that the nasty caretaker, Flinch, or whatever his name was...”
“Filch,” supplied Rosie.
“Yeah, right nasty git anyway, from what Mum and Dad say,” continued Fred. “Anyway he knew about these four, so Seward probably knows too.”
Scorpius couldn’t help but make a face. Seward, the present caretaker was one of the most unpleasant people he’d ever laid eyes on.
“What about that one?”
“Oh, that one’s been sealed at the other end. You can get into the tunnel, but the trap door is locked on the other side and needs a password,” supplied James.
“Plus you have to get past the Whomping Willow first, and it’s being watched.”
Albus had been studying the map. “Where’s Uncle Neville’s office?”
“He’s your uncle too?” asked Scorpius in surprise.
It was Albus’s turn to redden. “No... he’s a good friend of Mum and Dad’s, but he’s like family.”
“So where’s his office then?” asked Rosie sensibly.
Scorpius couldn’t find it either.
“That’s odd,” said Fred. “We never noticed it being missing.”
Something that Professor Longbottom had said came back to Scorpius. “Did you say the map only gives fifty year old passwords?”
“Yeah.”
“Well... maybe that room doesn’t count as being fifty years old. Professor Longbottom told me they added a charm to the ceiling when he got it.”
“That could be it,” mused Rosie. “It makes sense anyway.”
“Doesn’t much matter,” added James. “We only need to use the map to make sure the coast is clear, we just won’t walk by that room.”
“It isn’t after hours, why do we need to make sure we’re not seen?” asked Scorpius.
“Because we’re not supposed to go into the kitchens and if we’re caught carrying food back with us... well, let’s just say we’ll be helping the house-elves scrub a lot of pots. Without magic,” Fred answered.
Rosie bit her lip. It was clear she didn’t relish the thought of her parents receiving an owl detailing her detention.
“Oh, come on, Rosie. Uncle Neville practically told Scorpius to do it,” pointed out Fred.
“It’s okay,” began Scorpius, “I don’t want us all to get in trouble on my account. Besides Professor Longbottom didn’t actually give me permission...”
Scorpius’s words were drowned out by a loud rumbling from his stomach. James snorted. “Look, if we get caught it’s not like we’re getting expelled and even if Uncle Neville didn’t quite tell you it was alright, it doesn’t matter: we have the map, we’re not going to get caught. So are you in or not?”
“I’m in,” answered Albus.
After a moment’s pause, Scorpius added, “Me too.”
“I suppose scrubbing pots wouldn’t be the end of the world,” agreed Rosie.
Fred inspected the map. “Alright, looks like Sinistra just passed by, Seward’s down in the dungeon, and Peeves is...”
“Who cares? He’s not between here and the kitchens, is he? Besides, we only have to be careful on the way back,” interrupted James, obviously eager to get going.
“Alright, remember it’s not after hours so we don’t have to sneak out. Just act natural,” reminded Fred.
With that, all five of them went down to the common room, through the portrait hole, towards the Entrance Hall. After climbing down the stairs, James led them down a staircase on their left and through a hallway with assorted paintings of food. Then James stopped dead in his tracks, causing Albus to crash into him.
“What’d you do that for?” demanded Albus angrily, while rubbing his forehead.
James shushed him and whispered, “There’s someone there and they’re looking at the painting.”
“So?” asked Albus.
“So, I don’t want to give away our secret to everyone,” snapped James.
Before James could say anything more, Rosie called out, “Alice, is that you?”
Alice answered, “Rosie? What are you doing down here?”
Scorpius noticed that James didn’t seem terribly pleased with Rosie or that it was Alice they’d found. Before he had time to wonder about this, Alice turned to him and said, “Danny told me about you helping save Dolores. That was really nice of you!”
Scorpius mumbled something about it not being a big deal. Fred interrupted with a warning, “Someone’s coming.”
“Quick, follow me,” replied Alice. She reached up and tickled a pear on the painting she was standing next to. Within moments, Scorpius found himself being pulled through a door, the handle of which had previously been the pear. He looked around to see what must have been a hundred house-elves. Scorpius had only seen pictures of house-elves before and was surprised at their high pitched voices, they certainly seemed happy to see him and the other students though.
“Would Sir like something to eat? Perhaps a bowl of trifle?” asked the nearest elf.
“Er... well I missed supper. Could I perhaps have a sandwich?” asked Scorpius.
Delighted house-elves had a small table heaped with plates of sandwiches in minutes and Scorpius found himself being urged to try the egg salad, corned beef and peanut butter. He quickly picked up a corned beef and started eating it. Meanwhile, James and Alice were having a less than cordial discussion.
“How did you know to tickle the pear?” James demanded.
“It’s not like it’s a huge secret,” snapped Alice. “Nearly everyone in Hufflepuff knows about it.”
“What?” yelped James, clearly horrified.
“Well the Fat Friar shows anyone who looks hungry to him.”
“Some stupid ghost is running around telling my grandfather’s secrets?”
“No you stupid prat! The Hufflepuff ghost shares a secret that he knew several centuries before your grandfather was even born!” retorted Alice angrily.
“Don’t call me stupid, you dumb Hufflepuff!”
Scorpius was shocked to see Alice slap James. James looked quite shocked too.
“Don’t you ever call me that again James Potter,” Alice threatened in a deadly cold voice. Scorpius noticed there were tears forming in her eyes.
“Alice I’m sure James didn’t...” began Fred.
“Stop it, Fred! I know exactly what he meant!” answered Alice, shrilly. She ignored the house-elf tugging on her sleeve who was trying to offer her tea to calm her nerves.
“Yeah, give it a rest Fred. If Miss Longbottom can’t deal with the fact that she’s just a Hufflepuff, then why should I be sorry? I don’t think I’ll be wasting my time helping her with Transfiguration anymore either,” replied James in a cruel voice.
“Stop it!” cried out Rosie. She turned to Alice and added, “You know he didn’t mean it, none of us think that...”
Alice wasn’t listening to Rosie either, but was still focusing her gaze on James. “I hate you, you stupid show-off Gryffindor! I should have done this long ago!”
Before anyone else could say anything, she raised her wand and aimed it at James shouting, “Asinusonorous!”
Scorpius looked from Alice to James, who didn’t appear any the worse for wear. In fact, he seemed smugger than ever. James looked as though he was about to point this out to Alice, but when he opened his mouth, rather than speaking, he brayed like a donkey.
Scorpius couldn’t help but laugh, especially upon seeing the look on James’s face. Rosie, Albus and Fred were laughing too.
A look of fierce pride had taken over Alice’s features. “Serves you right, you stuck up...”
“Heehaw!” interrupted James.
This only made the others laugh harder. James apparently, was not accustomed to being laughed at. Scorpius felt some pity for him, even though James had been quite rude.
“How long will it last?” he asked.
Alice shrugged, smiling.
Fred’s jaw dropped. “You aren’t going to make him go to class like that?”
“Heehaw heehaw!” added James, who seemed to be agreeing that this would be too cruel.
Alice gave them both a look. “As much as he deserves it, no. I’ll see that it wears off by midnight, but,” here she turned to James and gave him a penetrating stare before continuing, “next time you can go like that for a week, for all I care.”
Scorpius rather thought based on the angry look Alice was receiving from James, that any lesson had been lost.
“Maybe we should head back to our dormitories,” suggested Rosie.
Fred took out the map. “Coast’s clear. Let’s go!”
They all hurried out of the kitchens, James still looking as though he would dearly love to wring Alice Longbottom’s neck.
Alice waved good bye to the others and happily set off for the Hufflepuff entrance. Rosie was busy admonishing James. “For goodness sake James! Stop trying to talk, it’ll wear off on its own and you sound ridiculous.”
James it seemed, lacked the capacity to be completely quiet and stomped a foot in protest. This only made Rosie giggle harder, which in turn made James’s face go redder.
Fred clapped him on the back consolingly. “You know James, Alice may not be great shakes at Transfiguration, but come to think of it, isn’t she top of her class in Charms?”
Scorpius and Albus exchanged grins as James snorted.
From his office, Neville studied his own copy of the Maurauder’s Map. Glad to see that Scorpius was fitting in, and that they all managed to get some food without getting caught, Neville returned to grading second year assignments on Mandrakes.
Neville had always hated that rule about not getting food from the kitchens and didn’t feel the least bit guilty over having sent his students there. He’d been quite pleased when Fred and George had shown him how. None of them had known at the time how useful that information would be to Dumbledore’s Army years later, once the school was occupied by Death Eaters, of course they had eventually needed to get food from Hogsmeade instead. It was a shame that he hadn’t had a copy of the Marauder’s Map back then.
He briefly paused to wonder what had transpired between his daughter and James; the map didn’t reveal all secrets. He had the feeling though that Alice was feeling good about herself, based upon how her dot had seemed to approach the Hufflepuff common room far more boldly than usual. Good; it was about time that she realized that he truly was proud of her, no matter what house she’d ended up in. He rather hoped James hadn’t been shown up too much. His dot seemed to be lacking its usual swager.
Harry had given the map to Neville as a gift once he found out about the Head of Gryffindor appointment. After discussing the matter, George, Ron, Harry and Neville proceeded to make two more copies of the map. One was given as a gift to Teddy Lupin, Harry had pointed out that Teddy had as much right to it as anyone, being Moony’s son. The third copy wasn’t quite as accurate as the others. Harry, Ron and Fred had agreed to leave certain things off the map, such as the tunnel to Hogsmeade via the statue of Gunhilda of Gorsemoor, deciding to let their children discover some secrets for themselves. Harry had dutifully hidden the altered copy in a desk drawer and had written to Neville upon noting its disappearance.