A Message From the Messrs.
Sixth year, Lily Evans sunk into a chair in the Gryffindor common room. It had been a long, trying day of classes, and she had a particularly difficult Transfiguration paper due the next day. She was now hoping for a little peace and quiet in which to work.
Lily sighed as she dug through her bag for her quill and parchment. As she leaned over, a glimpse of white on the table beside her caught her eye. Curious, she reached out and grabbed the parchment.
On closer inspection, she found that she recognized the paper in front of her. It was slightly discolored as if used frequently and was folded over itself in many places. It was also completely blank. Lily turned the parchment over and over in her hands and could not find a mark on it. There was no writing nor any drawings to indicate that it had been used, but Lily knew better.
This was the paper that she had seen many times in the hands of the school's most famous students; it's owners bent over examining it. Lily had often seen this parchment in the possession of the Marauders, and that alone was cause for worry. She had seen her friend, Remus, carrying it around with him. And she had seen all four of the troublemakers unfold it and tap it with their wands, unlocking whatever secrets it might hold.
No, Lily knew this was not a blank sheet of paper. It was a Marauder tool, and therefore dangerous and probably illegal.
Lily felt it was her duty as a Prefect to investigate further, and who knew when she would get another chance to examine their paper again. It was unlike them to leave it unattended. They were extremely protective of it, all the more reason to be suspicious. She dearly hoped this stroke of luck wasn't a prank designed for her.
Lily held the parchment gingerly, as if it might explode in her hand. Knowing the Marauders, she wasn't too sure that it wouldn't. With her other hand, she pulled her wand from her robes. Her homework could wait, she decided. This was much more important.
Slowly and carefully, she tapped the wand three times on the parchment. Three always seemed to be a good magical number, and Lily hoped that it would help open this mysterious paper. She cleared her throat and glanced around to ensure that she was alone in the common room.
Then she spoke. "I, Lily Evans, demand that you reveal your secrets, Revealio." Lily watched and for a moment it seemed that her words had had no effect. Then writing began to creep across the paper, like ink spilling from a bottle. Words formed, and Lily felt a feeling of elation at having broken the Marauder's code. She was only surprised it had been so simple.
Lily's happiness faded quickly upon reading the parchment's message, and she felt sure that she was holding a Marauder treasure.
Four separate handwritten messages played out across the front of the paper. The first, written in a fairly neat scrawl Lily felt sure she recognized, read:
"Mr. Moony would like to congratulate Miss Evans on discovering the secrets of this parchment and would advise her, for her own good, to leave well enough alone."
Lily could detect the subtle sarcasm under the words, and she doubted that the warning should be totally disregarded. She knew now that she had not discovered the true secrets of the paper, but she couldn't say she was really surprised. This was the Marauders after all.
The second message was written in surprisingly neat handwriting, not something she would expect from the famous pranksters of the school. It read:
"Mr. Padfoot wishes to inform Miss Evans that she is an insufferable know-it-all and a showoff in Potions."
Now that sounded like a Marauder; insulting and rude. She could probably guess which one too.
The third handwriting was all too familiar. She had, after all, received countless love notes written in it over the years. On the Marauder parchment it read:
"Mr. Prongs would like to compliment Miss Evans on her mastery of the Bat Bogey Hex and on her great legs, and would also like to request a date."
Lily rolled her eyes. Typical James Potter.
The fourth and final message was in sloppy cursive that looked to have been written by a shaky hand. After some deciphering she made it out to read:
"Mr. Wormtail agrees with Mr. Padfoot and would also like to question Miss Evans' intelligence for associating with the likes of slimy Severus Snape."
Lily frowned. Of course 'Mr. Wormtail' agreed with Mr. Padfoot. She wasn't sure Peter ever thought something different from his friends. And as for Snape, she hadn't spoken to him all year. They needed to update their insulting parchment.
Lily's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of angry voices in the hall followed by the slamming of the portrait door.
"Where is it, Wormtail?" came the voice of an irate Sirius Black. "What do you mean you don't know?"
"I mean I had it, but ... then I couldn't find it ... and ...," Peter blubbered.
The boys came into view and Lily could see Sirius roll his eyes dismissively. She had a good guess what they were looking for.
"Looking for this, boys?" she called, waving the insulting paper at them. The looks on their faces were priceless, and she wished for her Muggle camera. James and Sirius' jaws dropped in surprise and Remus' eyes widened when they saw their beloved parchment in the hands of the sixth year Gryffindor Prefect. All three boys turned towards their smaller companion.
"I'm sorry! I must have left it in the common room. I thought I had it, honest!"
Turning back to Lily, James stepped forward first. "Give it here, Evans."
Lily didn't even flinch.
Remus tried next. "Yeah, Lily, can we have that back?"
Lily just stared at him.
Sirius just muttered about never letting Peter touch the paper again.
Lily smiled smugly. "You're not getting it back that easily. I want to know what it really does. Other than just insult people in your handwriting."
The Marauders looked at each other, and Lily could see the silent smile go between them.
"Well, that's all it does," Sirius told her. "Pretty cool, isn't it?"
Lily could tell he was lying. The Marauders always had bigger plans than a few insults. "Well, if that's all it does then I could just toss it in the fire, couldn't I?"
All four boys jumped between Lily and the common room fire. She laughed softly. She had called that bluff.
James shook his head at her. "Okay, you got us. It's even cooler than that." He grinned cheekily. "I could show you what it really does."
His friends turned and gawked at him. Lily was wary. "Really?"
James' smile grew wider. "Sure. Come to Hogsmeade with me, and I'll show you just what it does."
Typical James Potter. "Suddenly I'm not so curious anymore. Here, take your toy," she said, handing the parchment to Remus.
Now he looked wary. And who could blame him? It was not like her to give back a possibly illegal magic object to the greatest troublemakers in the school. But Lily really did have to get working on this Transfiguration essay, and she had also decided that withholding a Marauder treasure from them would end badly for her. She was not in the mood to be pranked unceasingly until she left school, which is what would happen if she kept their toy.
James, on the other hand, looked disappointed that he had been turned down again. "He really should be used to it by now," Lily thought.
Sirius still looked stunned that James would trade their secrets for a date, and Peter simply looked relieved that his friend's wrath was directed at someone other than him.
James, persistent as ever, tried again. "Are you sure? Cause if you ever change you mind..." he trailed off expectantly.
"Thank you, Lily," Remus told her, completely ignoring James.
Lily simply nodded and gave him a look asking if she would regret this later. His response was merely to smile.
With that curious matter settled, Lily turned back to her homework, and the Marauders fled upstairs with their precious parchment.
Lily wondered if she would ever know what secrets that paper hid. But at the price of a date with James Potter ... maybe she was better off not knowing.