A/N: Here's a challenge for you: try and find my references to the films. Enjoy!

Everyone stared at Scorpy as he walked into the common room. Devon Finnegan, one of the Gryffindor prefects, was practically screaming to keep everyone's attention on him as he lectured on school rules. The whispering just continued to grow louder and louder until Devon looked directly at James and shouted, "Potter, get your brother's friend out of here before he starts a riot!"

Al watched as his brother flushed in anger. His face almost matched his hair. "He's a Gryffindor and he has as much right to be here as any of us. And if the rest of us are talking over you, Finnegan, maybe you should try to be more interesting!" James shouted back.

Al's eyes widened in surprise. He had never known his brother to be so fair-minded. Not to him, anyway. Scorpy was trying to shrink away behind Al and Rose.

"I'm warning you, Potter," Devon said threateningly.

James stepped right up to Devon. Al noticed they were the same height even though Devon was a fifth year and James was only a third year. "Go on with your lecture, Finnegan," James told him sternly.

Devon stepped away from James and looked back at the rest of the Gryffindors, who were now focused on him and James instead of Scorpy. He continued his lecture on the rules. Al was so busy looking gobsmacked at his brother that he barely knew when Devon was finished.

"James, wait!" he called as he ran after his brother.

James spun around and looked solemnly at Al. "You need to take care of your friend," he said sternly. "It's going to take a while for everyone to get used to the idea of him being here."

Al sighed. "Why did you take up for him?" he asked. "You didn't act like you liked him on the train."

"Because persecuting someone because they're a pure-blood is just as stupid as persecuting someone because they're Muggle-born," James answered. "Now get up to your dormitory before I hex you to the next century."

"That was a lousy put down, by the way," Al told his brother as he ran up the stairs.

When Al opened the door to the dormitory, he saw a rather chubby brown-haired boy holding his hand out to Scorpy. "I'm Matthew Lewis," he said. "What's your name?"

Scorpy enthusiastically took Matthew's hand, but he wasn't allowed to answer.

"He's a Malfoy," a boy in the corner said venomously.

Al recognized the boy as Alfie Thomas's little brother, Corwin. He was much larger than Scorpy and he was moving toward him menacingly.

"You probably recognize the name from wanted posters in Diagon Alley," Corwin told Matthew.

"No one in my family is wanted," Scorpy protested.

"No, they're already locked up in Azkaban, aren't they?" Corwin asked mockingly.

Scorpy's fingers balled into a fist and Corwin moved toward him threateningly. Al quickly grabbed Scorpy's arm before he could swing and the fifth boy in the room, whom Al did not recognize, shoved Corwin back. Matthew got out of the way so fast, he fell right on his bottom.

"You're going to get us in trouble on our first night," the fifth boy told Corwin through his thick Belfast accent.

"Stay away from me, Malfoy!" Corwin sneered before returning to his bed.

"Gladly," Scorpy retorted. He stretched a hand out to Matthew, who took it and stood up. "I'm Scorpious Malfoy, in case you're interested."

"But please, call him Scorpy," Al added.

"This is Al," Scorpy said.

Al shook Matthew's hand then turned to the fifth boy. "And who might you be?" he asked.

"Fletcher Murray," he answered, shaking Al's hand.

"I'm guessing you're from Ireland," Scorpy said, eyeing the gigantic Irish flag Fletcher had hung next to his bed.

"That I am," Fletcher said proudly. "Where are you lot from?"

"London," Al and Scorpy answered together.

"I'm from Manchester," Matthew informed them.

They all looked at Corwin who was ignoring them and haughtily pulling back the covers on his bed.

"Corwin lives in Sheffield," Al said quietly. He looked at Scorpy. "Don't worry, he'll come around soon enough. He's not usually as hot-tempered as his brother."

A gentle knock at the door signaled the entrance of Professor Longbottom. "You boys had better get ready for bed," he told them. "Potter, can I see you out here for a moment?"

"He's Harry Potter's son?" Matthew whispered to Scorpy as Al followed Professor Longbottom out the door.

"You couldn't tell by looking at him?" Scorpy asked.

Al laughed at their conversation as Professor Longbottom closed the door behind them. Al knew Neville quite well, but he had never looked so serious as he did at that moment.

"I've just had an urgent owl from your dad," Neville told him.

The muscles in Al's neck started to twitch. He knew exactly what Neville was going to say.

"Did you really think he wasn't going to ask for it back?" Neville continued.

"I don't know what you mean," Al lied.

Neville wasn't convinced. "You left him a note, Al. That's pretty much a confession of guilt."

"Professsor," Al began slowly, "I haven't got anything that belongs to Dad. You can look through my things, if you want."

"Passed it to James, have you?" Neville asked.

"Why would I pass anything to James? He wouldn't give it back," Al answered.

"Rosie, then?"

"Rose wouldn't hide anything for me," Al said, "not that I have anything to hide."

Neville rubbed his forehead in frustration. He leaned over and whispered to Al, "Don't get into trouble with it."

Al smiled brightly as he watched Neville walk away. He spied a small, flesh-colored object withdrawing under the door as he walked back into the dormitory.

"You should be careful with the Extendable Ears," he warned. "Most of the teachers here were students when they were invented. They know about them all too well."

"But what was the professor talking about?" Matthew asked.

"It's a secret," Al answered conspiratorially, "passed down from generations of Potter men."

"If it's such a big secret, how come Professor Longbottom knows about it?" Corwin asked grumpily.

"Go on and show it to us," Fletcher requested.

"I can't," Al answered.

"Why ever not?" Scorpy asked, quite disappointed.

"Rose's got it."

"Thought you said she wouldn't hide anything for you," Scorpy said.

"Oh, she wouldn't," Al answered, "but she doesn't know she's got it."

Matthew's eyes were widening. "Got what?" he asked excitedly.

"The Marauder's Map," Al answered, smiling.

The other four boys in the room looked quite disappointed. "The what?" Matthew asked.

Corwin sneered. "You've gone to an awful lot of trouble to nick and hide an old map."

"It shows you where everyone is in every nook and cranny of the castle," Al explained defensively. "My grandfather and his mates conjured it some way. They used it for sneaking out at night. I heard my dad and Uncle Ron talking about it once."

"Bed!" shouted a voice from beyond the door.

"I reckon we should do as he says," Matthew said nervously, heading for his bed.

As they changed into their pyjamas, Scorpy whispered, "Hey, Al, you don't think Rose would've tossed the map, do you?"

"Nah," Al answered. "Rose keeps all spare bits of parchment she comes across."

"I thought you said it was a map," Scorpy said, clearly confused.

"Yeah, but right now, it just looks like a spare bit of parchment," Al answered.

"I'm not quite following you," Scorpy said.

"Don't worry," Al said happily. "It'll all make sense when I get it back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's gonna be a big day then," Scorpy said as he pulled the covers up under his arms.

"A very big day indeed," Al said as the lights went out.