A/N: Just a little one-shot that's been floating up there for a while. My take on how the Weasleys may have gotten the map.
Confiscated and Highly Dangerous
"DROPPING DUNGBOMBS! DROPPING DUNGBOMBS! WHAT IN HELL'S NAME GIVE'S YOU THE RIGHT BOY?" Argus Filch asked, well more shouted than asked George Weasley as he stood in front of him in the corridor. His twin Fred was there too, standing right beside him, listening to the onslaught of insults coming from the old caretaker.
That was when Peeves, the school's resident poltergeist decided to sing a song for the boys, infuriating Filch further.
"The parchment, the parchment,
Nick the parchment.
The parchment, the parchment,
It's in the third drawer."
Peeves floated off again after his little song, followed by the curses of Filch. Fred looked at his brother, sending him a questioning glance. George replied with a shrug of his shoulders. They knew that the ghost's song had been aimed at them, but the question was why.
"HEY! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? GET BACK HERE!" Filch roared at Fred as he tried - and failed - to escape without the old man noticing. Forgetting about George, Filch grabbed a hold of his ear and hauled him down the corridor and into his small office. He threw the twin onto a seat roughly.
"You know I'm pretty sure that that counts as corporal punishment. Didn't they ban that?" Fred asked while rubbing his sore ear. It was apparently the wrong thing to say as Filch started bellowing abuse at him, so much so that he didn't even realise when the other Weasley snuck into the room.
"CORPORAL PUNISHMENT! YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE SORT BOY! IN MY DAY, REAL PUNISHMENT WAS WHEN-"
Fred saw his brother snickering in the corner of the room, not at all phased. His eyes went on scanning the office until they fell on the drawers that were placed conveniently in front of him. There were five drawers in all, but his eyes were pulled to one in particular that was labelled with a sign saying Confiscated and Highly Dangerous!.
"-YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS HAD YOU SEEN THOSE TROLLS! WOULD HAVE PUT YOU AND THAT BLOODY GHOST-"
The drawer was slightly opened, increasing his curiosity. That was when he noticed that it was the third drawer….
"-AND WHAT'S MORE, YOU WOULDN'T-"
Fred glanced discreetly at his brother before coughing three times - a signal. Nodding, George prepared the distraction.
"AND THAT'S WHY LITTLE BRATS LIKE YOURSELF… WHAT IN HOGARTS NAME WAS THAT?" Filch yelled, moving striding out the office. Seizing the opportunity, Fred launched forward and pulled open the drawer, ruffling through it. He came across an innocent looking Frisbee, which he pocketed, before his hands landed on an old, blank piece of parchment. Thinking back to Peeve's song, he stuffed it under his robes, pocketed a couple more items and ran out to meet his brother.
It didn't take Fred long for him to find his brother, but before they examined the secret stash Fred had collected in the office, they decided to make for a safe, quiet place. They now sat opposite each other, parchment lying on the ground between them in one of the secret passageways on the way to Gryffindor Tower.
"I don't know mate, maybe he was just lying." George said, eyeing the paper wearily.
"I just don't get why Peeves would bother mentioning it to us if it didn't mean anything. It has to be more than blank. Why else would it be in the highly dangerous cabinet?"
"You're probably right. Well, let's test it then."
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
George grinned at his brother. "Oh come on. How many times have we seen dad at something like this?" Removing his wand from his robes, he pointed it at the parchment. "Ah, reveal!" George exclaimed, a little uncertainly. Fred looked at him as if he had two heads.
"You seriously think that will work?"
George shrugged. "Worth a go."
Nothing happened for a couple of seconds, disappointing the boys. They sat in silence until finally, a sentence appeared on the parchment in a lazy scrawl.
"Give us one good reason why."
Both brothers looked at each other simultaneously, identical grins gracing their faces.
"Ah, 'cause we asked you to?" Fred answered, chancing his luck.
The parchment replied with it's own question:
"Who are you?"
"We're George and Fred Weasely."
"And where did you come across this parchment?"
"We er, found it."
"Liars."
"Okay, okay I nicked it from Filch's office! Happy?"
"Ecstatic."
"So what exactly are you?" George asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"That, gentlemen, you're going to have to figure out for yourselves."
"Oh come on! You could at least give us a clue!"
"But I'm afraid that would be called cheating."
"So? Who's going to know?"
"I will." The parchment replied, though this time, the style of writing changed, as if someone else was writing the words. The twins exchanged a glance.
"So will I."
"As will I."
"Yeesh, how many of you are there?" Fred questioned, watching as the words disappeared, being replaced by new ones in the hand of the one that had begun conversing with them.
"Four."
"So are you going to show us what you are or not?" George asked, staring in wonder at the parchment.
"Maybe."
"Tell me, what do you spend your time doing at Hogwarts?"
The twins grinned at each other.
"Oh, you know, we're good little boys..."
"Yes we always do our homework..."
"Attend classes on time..."
"Never ever give the teachers any bother..."
"But you know there are those times when we..."
"Occasionally George."
"Yes when we occasionally step a little too close to the boundaries..."
"But you know, we'll eventually reign ourselves in."
"Trouble-makers?"
"Trouble makers? I think that's a little too harsh, don't you George? I would be more inclined to say..."
"Mischief Makers." They said together, eagerly awaiting a reply from the parchment.
"Well then how could we deny mischief makers? That would be slightly hypocritical. I mean we did take an oath."
"What kind of oath?"
"Never mind. Well young Mischief makers, we shall tell you. To use this parchment,"
"Simply swear before you do so,"
"With a touch of your wand,"
"That you are absolutely up to no good."
"That sounds pretty easy." George commented, beaming at this new discovery.
"And when you have finished your task,"
"Simply tap the parchment again and say,"
"Mischief Managed."
"Otherwise anyone can read it."
"Will we give it a try?" Fred asked as the writing faded again.
"I don't see why not."
The twins pointed at the parchment before chanting:
"I solemnly swear that I am up to know good."
They gasped in shock as writing once again flooded the page.
"Messrs. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers
Are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP"
Opening, Fred revealed to George that it was, in fact a map, showing every inch of the castle, not to mention every person inside of it. Stunned, they gazed at it.
"Fred. Why do I feel like we just hit the jackpot?"
"That's probably 'cause we have George."
A/N: Thank you for reading and please remember to review! Flames are welcomed too! I use them to melt my ice cold heart lol.