Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Marauder's Map
Soon, it was time for dinner once again.
Weekday dinners, while not as lavish as the opening feast, still provided ample food to satisfy all the hungry young wizards.
After dinner, Lynn made his way to the trophy room on the fourth floor as promised.
To his surprise, Fred and George appeared to have been waiting there for some time. Seated on the floor, they seemed engaged in hushed discussion, with a Dungbomb placed between them. Upon spotting Lynn's arrival, they quickly stashed away the Dungbomb and jumped to their feet in greeting.
"There you are, Lynn! Come over here, we've got something brilliant to show you!" George exclaimed with a grin, gently shutting the trophy room door.
Fred theatrically retrieved a large, worn, square parchment from his robes, its aged appearance suggesting extensive prior use.
To the untrained eye, this parchment might seem like nothing more than an old scrap of rubbish. But Lynn, familiar with the originals, recognized it immediately as the legendary Marauder's Map.
"What have we here? I can feel magical energy radiating from it. This is no ordinary parchment," Lynn remarked knowingly.
"Sharp one, you are! This is the key to all our success!" George replied fondly, caressing the parchment like a cherished possession.
Fred chimed in, "Our secret weapon for navigating Hogwarts undetected. It reveals countless hidden passageways unknown even to Filch!"
Curious, Lynn motioned for them to demonstrate.
George brandished his wand, gave the parchment a light tap and intoned, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Instantly, ink lines began spreading like insect legs from the wand's point of contact, joining and crisscrossing until every inch was covered in a map. Then, green cursive writing materialized across the heading:
"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP"
The map depicted Hogwarts and its grounds in meticulous detail. But what truly set it apart were the myriad tiny moving dots, each bearing a tiny labeled name.
On this live, ever-updating map, Lynn observed Professor Snape stalking about the Potions storeroom, presumably restocking; Professor Green remained stationary in his DADA office, likely conducting alchemical experiments; Professor Dumbledore paced briefly in his study before abruptly vanishing, presumably via Fawkes' phoenix travel.
In addition to Hogwarts itself, Lynn also spotted the numerous secret tunnels leading off the map's edges, many towards Hogsmeade.
"There are seven secret passages to Hogsmeade in all, but Filch knows about only four of them," Fred indicated on the map. "These other three here are known only to us - or should I say, the three of us now. Just avoid this one behind the mirror on the fourth floor if you can. Looks mighty unstable and like to cave in any year."
"And this one here at the Whomping Willow's base - no one's used it for ages, reckon. But our personal favorite is this last one near that ugly one-eyed witch, leads straight into Honeydukes' cellar!" Fred expounded on the map's secrets.
Lynn nodded, making a mental note to eventually share the Shrieking Shack tunnel's existence with the twins. For now, he focused on absorbing the incredible magical artifact he'd just been granted access to.
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," George affectionately patted the map. "We owe those marvelous marauders a debt of gratitude."
"Truly noble men, committing themselves to aiding new generations of mischief," Fred intoned solemnly.
"Indeed," George agreed with relish. "But remember - always wipe it clean when you're done—"
"—unless you want it confiscated," Fred cautioned.
"Just give it a tap and say 'Mischief managed!' and it'll clear itself," George demonstrated, tapping his wand and erasing the map's contents once more.
Fred then turned to Lynn. "Feel free to borrow this anytime you need it, mate. We can even pull off some hijinks together. Speaking of which, we're planning a Zonko's run to Hogsmeade this Saturday through one of those passages. You game?"
While Hogwarts' third-years could visit Hogsmeade every weekend with permission, the second-year Weasleys relied on the Marauder's Map to sneak out undetected.
Lynn shook his head regretfully. "I appreciate the offer, but I actually have an appointment with Professor Green this Saturday at noon about alchemy lessons. Though if it's alright, I can share what I learn?"
His announcement clearly surprised them - they hadn't anticipated Lynn's connection with the intimidating new professor.
"Learning alchemy from a world-renowned French master? Blimey, Lynn, you really are something else!"
"You're a marvel, Lynn! Top class, that!"
Fred and George applauded enthusiastically.
"Well in that case, we'll make it Hogsmeade this Sunday instead. Don't forget to bring your new alchemy knowledge to share!" Fred suggested.
Lynn smiled and nodded. "It's a deal, then. Knowledge is power."
Though his phrasing initially confused them, they grasped his meaning and laughed heartily.
"Oh, and one last thing - I'll likely need to borrow those alchemy textbooks again soon. Mind asking that Ravenclaw if we can keep them a bit longer?" Lynn added.
The twins exchanged a glance before George replied, "No need, actually. After dinner yesterday, that sixth-year came and just gifted the books to us directly instead of loaning. Said he had no use for third-year rune stuff anymore."
The older Ravenclaw student had simply decided to pass on the now-unneeded texts to the keen young underclassmen rather than let them collect dust.
"Splendid! Then I'll study those thoroughly this week in preparation," Lynn said gratefully.
The three parted ways shortly after, already concocting new plans for weekend adventures.
(End of this chapter)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone