"Fred, George, Where are you two?"
Molly Weasley sighed with frustration, where could those two have gone? She had only looked away for two seconds.
"Fred, George!" she yelled "If you two aren't by my side in five seconds I'm leaving and so will the train, and you will be stuck on this platform until the holidays!"
Two small red heads appeared through the barrier that separated Platform 93/4 from the Muggle world, both looking rather scared – whether at their mother wrath or the prospect of being stuck on a platform until the holidays, Molly wasn't sure.
The heads were followed quickly by two identical bodies and with a patter of feet they were at her side.
"You wouldn't leave – "
"Us here"
"Would you"
"Mum"
The last word was a pitiful moan in perfect unison.
Molly smiled at her children and replied "Of course not my darlings, I would never do that to you, but you'd better hurry on now or you really will miss the train."
Both boys pecked their mother on the cheek and ran onto the train, seconds before the whistle blew and the crimson Hogwarts Express puffed out of the station and onto Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As it moved off Molly cried out to her youngest sons "Boys, please be good!"
The full extent of their reply was lost on the wind but she was sure that they had said "We solemnly swear we will get up to no good."
Back on the platform Molly wiped a tear from her eye, she had already sent three of her boys off to Hogwarts, but no matter how many times she said goodbye it was always difficult. She was slightly more concerned about Fred and George's first year, they tended towards troublemaking at home whilst her three older boys were all perfect angels, as far as she knew.
On the train Fred and George had found a compartment as far away from "pompous" Percy as they could – he was two years older than the twins and thought himself far superior to the likes of his little brothers.
Once they had seated themselves - alongside a dark skinned boy with dreadlocks, who introduced himself as Lee Jordan – talk turned to the Sorting. The twins knew exactly what happened but thought the idea of putting on a smelly old talking hat was too boring.
"Lee" Fred said
"Yea" he replied
"Do you know what happens during the Sorting?" Fred asked oh-so-innocently.
"Yep, well I think I do, dad told me all you have to do is put on Godric Gryffindor's hat and it looks into your head and tells the whole school what house you're gonna be in."
Both Fred and George shook their heads
"Nope" Said George
"It's changed." Fred whispered
"You have to fight" George looked at his brother and nodded his head.
"Giant spiders!" They finished in triumphant unison.
Lee took one look at their grinning faces and dissolved into laughter "That is fantastic! You two rock! We should so tell the other first years about this – by the way do you want to see my pet Bird Spider?"
Thus a great friendship was forged, the three boys set about scaring the wits out of the other unsuspecting first years, first by telling the Sorting story and then opening the cardboard box containing Lee's rather large Bird spider. Their fun was cut short when the head boy, Richard Hunsell was informed of their antics by two very traumatised first years.
The rest of the journey was spent embarrassing Percy. Multiple dung bombs in a recently vacated toilet were the order of the day.
Off the train the first years were herded onto small rickety boats by Hagrid the Games keeper and they floated off to their new home – at lest until the holidays. Almost as soon as the last boat grounded the first years were met by the person who would help shape Fred and George's careers as pranksters; Peeves the Poltergeist. It was his self appointed duty to introduce the 'iccle firsties' to life at the castle – or life as he would have liked it to be.
They were pelted with paintballs and mud as they made a mad dash to the castle doors. All through the onslaught Peeves cackled and sang a ditty he had made up earlier that day
"I'm Peeves the poltergeist, that's me
Scourge of teacher and student beastie
With a smack and a thud
I'll cover you in mud
And remember Peeves the poltergeist I be!"
Panting hard, dragging their robes behind them the now very bedraggled students made it to the entrance hall. Waiting for them was Professor Minerva McGonagall, when she saw them her mouth puckered into a lemon. "Peeves" She muttered "He gets worse every year." And then she said something inaudible and all the children's clothing sparkled like new. Once the exited clamour had died down she recited the speech she had said every first of September for the last twenty years.
"Good evening boys and girls. I am Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house. Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You are about to be Sorted into your houses they are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. You will eat at your house table, sleep in your house dormitories, earn house points for your successes and lose points for your misdemeanors. The order of tables in the hall is as follows: Gryffindor, front right, Ravenclaw front left, Hufflepuff back right and Slytherin back left. Please line up in single file and process through the doors behind me for the Sorting."
A gasp of dismay followed these last words; the rumour that Fred, George and Lee had started had spread through the whole form. Reluctantly they trooped through the wooden doors after the dour Professor.
Once all of the students were huddled on stage Professor McGonagall brought out a three-legged stool and placed atop it…. A hat. A dusty, old hat covered in patches. She then informed the students that they were to come forward when their names were called and place the hat upon their heads. It would then announce the house they were to be placed into. At this there was a palpable feeling of relief radiating from the new students, so there would be no spiders to fight after all!
Before the first name was called, a rip near the brim of the hat opened up and began to sing
"Four and twenty score
Years before
You were born
I was a hat that could be worn.
Upon the head of Gryffindor I sat
A wrinkled, torn up wizard's hat.
He and his friends wanted a school
Where everyone was equal and kindness ruled
All except one Slytherin
Who wanted to be select about those let in.
'Pure Bloods will rule' he said
knocking me off Gryffindor's head
Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were outraged at what they saw
And kicked young Salazar out the door.
At Hogwarts now, the most important rule
Is for kindness and equality in this school.
Do unto others as for you
All of your life this is true.
Now all you first years sit under my brim
What house will you be in, hummm?"
After the applause had died down the first name was called. Neither Fred or George cared where any of the students were placed until
"Jordan, Lee"
He stumbled out of line and placed the hat over his head. A tense moment passed before the hat decided on "GRYFFINDOR"
Finally it was Fred's turn, he placed the hat over his head and a warm darkness enveloped him. A little voice sounded in his ear "Another Weasley, I suppose I'd better check anyway. Humm brave, a leader, great prankster, well you're defiantly GRYFFINDOR!"
George was under the hat for less time than Fred was but what he heard in that time would stay with him for the rest of his life – "You will not survive without your brother."
During the first few weeks of term the boys discovered many things about their school and the people in it. They also discovered things about themselves, such as their affinity for Charms, Transfiguration and Potions. Professor Flitwick the Charms teacher likened them to Lily Potter, the most talented student he had ever had. Although unlike Lily the boys got far, far more detentions, mostly for uncompleted homework. Even Professor Snape the Potions teacher had to admit that these two, while only first years and the proverbial thorns in his side could brew a nice potion. Of course he never let this admission become public knowledge.
All students had respect for the teachers but very few had any for the cantankerous caretaker Argus Filch, not least Fred and George. Many a week they were dragged into the 'office of horrors' to be threatened with detention, disembowelment and torture. These speeches of course did not deter either student from causing havoc in the halls.
One of their detentions – for some 'serious' misdemeanor – found the twins cleaning graffiti from the tables in the library. This punishment lead them to discover their greatest possession.
The majority of the graffiti was very boring 'HD 4 JR' stuff but some caught their attention. Covering the underside of a table in the far back corner of the library were the inscriptions "Marauders rule", "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were here." There were two others, both slightly more cryptic "Map it out, I solemnly swear I am up to no good." And "Enjoy getting your mischief managed." Neither of these messages would be removed from the table.
Immediately after finishing their punishment the twins asked Charlie if he had ever heard of the 'Marauders' or 'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot,' or 'Prongs.' He hadn't, but after a number of owls to their parents they discovered that the 'Marauders' were a group of boys a few years younger than Arthur, but he could not or would not remember their names. He did recall though that they were almost always seen pouring over a large ratty piece of parchment, which had eventually been confiscated and probably destroyed by Filch.
This put a grand plan into Fred's head.
"George, feel like creating a distraction outside Filch's office?"
The plan was fantastic in its simplicity, Fred would break a rule within Filch's sight and get himself dragged into the office, once inside, George would drop a dung bomb outside and draw Filch's attention away from Fred, giving him time to find the parchment.
The plan worked perfectly. Once the coast was clear Fred broke into Filch's filing cabinet with a simple Muggle hair pin. Searching through the various files took time but even the many other confiscated items could not take Fred's mind off his goal. Finally after two very long minutes he found the parchment. Relocking the cabinet he streaked out of the office a mere ten seconds before Filch returned.
Regrouping down another hallway the twins inspected their spoils.
"Right" said George "So what does it do?"
"Dunno" Fred looked down at the parchment "What were the names of those boys again?"
"Uh" George scratched his head "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs."
As he said this an astonishing thing happened, the formerly blank parchment began filling with words
"Hello fellow troublemakers, for that is what I assume you are, you don't sound like Filch and you know our names. How can we be of service?"
Fred and George looked at each other then Fred addressed the parchment "Who are you?"
Different handwriting appeared upon the page
"I thought that would be obvious – we are Messer's Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs."
George suddenly remembered something their father had always told his children "Fred" he whispered "We shouldn't be talking to this thing, you know what dad always says 'don't trust anything if you cant see where it keeps its brain."
The parchment had apparently been listening to their conversation and yet another hand appeared on the page
"You appear smart boys, you must have gathered we are all Gryffindors here, you have nothing to fear from us, this parchment is not evil, mischievous yes but not evil, although it could theoretically be used for that, we take no responsibility though."
Fred was beginning to get frustrated "Well what do you do then!?"
"To discover that you must tap the parchment and say the password."
"Duh"
George butted in "What's the password then?"
"Tut, tut, tut" admonished the main writer "How do we know who you are, we don't give out our password willy nilly, if you want it you must either guess it or prove to us that your intentions are for mischief or escape and not malicious harm."
Just as the twins were about to answer they became aware of someone walking up behind them. They whipped around wands outstretched. It was Charlie.
He seemed about as surprised to see the boys as they were to see him, no-one used this corridor unless…
"Charlie" The twins cried
"Fred, George! What are you boys doing down this corridor?"
They quickly moved their wands and the parchment behind their backs. George's wand tip touched the centre of the parchment.
"We solemnly swear we are up to no good, Charlie. What are you doing down here?"
Charlie blushed and muttered something about inquisitive little children. Fred and George took this as their cue to leave, and ran laughing up the corridor calling out loudly between giggles "Charlie's got a giiiiirrrrrlllll friend!"
Gasping hysterically they made it back to their dorm room.
Collapsing in a heap on George's bed, Fred pulled out the parchment. To their great surprise it had changed. Instead of the writing that had been there before, the paper was now covered in inked lines and within these lines tiny dots moved about. The top of the parchment proclaimed "Messer's Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs purveyors of aid to magical mischief makers are proud to present THE MARAUDERS MAP."
Fred and George looked at the map, looked at each other and returned their eyed one again to the map.
It took them only moments to realise what the map showed
"This is Hogwarts" George breathed. "Look there's the Gryffindor common room – and see that 'Fred Weasley' and 'George Weasley' right where we are!"
"George" Fred said slowly "What is this extra corridor coming off the third floor? I've never seen it before."
They looked even closer at the map "Merlin" Fred cried this shows all the secret passages in the castle!"
"And look 1,2,3…7 leading out of it! Fred we've gotta go explore these!"
"Wait" Fred said "How did we get this to work? And how do we hide it the map again? We have to work that out before we go running all over the castle, what if we lose it?"
"We should go back to the library – remember the graffiti on the table, I'm positive that holds all the clues we need to work this map."
Once in the library the twins darted through the shelves to the back corner and 'their' desk. Diving underneath they easily found the messages from the Marauders.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good! That's what we said to Charlie!" George whispered excitedly "that must be the password for activating the map. Now all we have to do is find the one to deactivate it."
"Map it out?" the map stayed fully visible.
"Moony?" Nothing
"Wormtail" Still nothing.
"Padfoot? Prongs?" The map didn't even flicker.
Finally they found the correct words the ones that would change their schooling at Hogwarts forever.
"Mischief managed."