It was ten seconds until the first of January and the Potter-Weasley clan were all huddled around the fireplace, counting down with the radio that sat on top of it. Some of the older members were a bit tipsy, while the others were immobile from eating a large amount of good food. They did not notice two certain dark haired boys sneaking into Harry Potter's office. The moment the cheering began, Fred and James quickly shut themselves into the office.
The Sneakoscope began spinning and blaring loudly, but James knew no one was going to check it. With the amount of wizards and witches here during family gatherings, the thing was always going off.
"Where's Peter?" Fred asked, looking through the curtains of the windowed door to make sure no one was coming their way. James's eyes scanned the room, trying to locate a certain old parchment.
"Probably with Lucy." James grumbled, kicking the little model of Tristan Hennessy out of the way. He has always hated the Irish Seeker for destroying England in the last World Cup.
"And Brennan?" James gave Fred a look and his cousin muttered "of course". Brennan Finnigan's greatest love was food. With Grandma Molly's cooking in the kitchen, it would be next to impossible to get him out of there.
"Looks like it's up to us." Fred said, but then the office door swung open, making the two cousins jump.
"Did you guys find it yet?" Peter asked, shutting the door after Brennan had slid in with two handfuls of eclairs. It was a miracle that the brown-haired boy was not incredibly obese.
"No, we just came in." James answered, opening the drawers to his father's desk. Then he said to Brennan, "finish those eclairs before you start looking. I don't want cream on it."
But Brennan didn't show any signs of hearing James, because he was too focused on the model of the Irish Seeker.
"Blimey, is that Tristan Hennessy?" Brennan asked in wonder, shoving the last eclair into his mouth. James sighed, stalked over to the action figure, picked Hennessy up by his right ankle (who began flailing and throwing around obscene gestures with his hands) and tossed him at Brennan.
"Take him. Dad hates him now anyways." James said as Hennessy landed in Brennan's outstretched hands. Tristan Hennessy gave James a dirty look, but he couldn't care less.
"How can you hate Hennessy? He's-" Brennan began to say, but was interrupted by Fred.
"Shut up and look for the map!"
"So, I think this is it?" Peter questioned at the same time. James, Fred, and Brennan all rushed over to Peter. James snatched the aging parchment paper out of his friend's hand and studied it.
Indeed, it was the Marauder's Map. The same map that his namesakes had created of Hogwart's grounds. It was the same map Harry Potter and his friends had used to not only avoid professors while they were out past curfew, but also to rid Hogwarts of the troubles Lord Voldemort's followers had caused.
"Now what?" Brennan whispered, staring in awe at the aging piece of parchment. Peter looked at James with a bit of skepticism in his eyes. Even though they had all told him what the Marauder's Map could do, Peter was the type who had to see in order to believe. Only Fred knew the answer to Brennan's question, since it was he that James confided in.
James pulled out his wand and pointed it at the map, whispering the words "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." In that moment, ink began to appear and the lay out of Hogwarts was open to them, as well as the footprints of the professors and the student who stayed behind for winter break.
"Whoa." Peter murmured, finally impressed. On the map, names that they recognized like Mason Thomas, Elysia Tully, Rachel Goldstein, Matisse Corner, and-,
"Ramos Zabini." Peter growled in distaste, "you would think the bastard would go home to his lovely mansion that he always brags about. Instead he's still there, lurking about as if he owns the place."
"How do you know he's doing that? All you see is Ramos's footprints." Brennan asked with a smirk, trying hard not to laugh. Peter's ears turned red and he crossed his arms, glaring at Brennan angrily. Fred gave Peter a friendly pat on the shoulder and James also tried not to laugh as he pointed his wand back on the paper and said "mischief managed."
They all hated Ramos Zabini and his blood prejudice ways, but for Peter, it was much deeper because of his infatuation with Lucy Weasley. It did not help that Lucy herself had a crush on Ramos Zabini.
"I just know he is. It's just the way Zabini is." Peter muttered. James cleared his throat and the other three boys turned their attention towards him.
"As you all know, the Marauders were the best inventors and pranksters Hogwarts has ever known. One of the Marauders," James said, running his finger lightly over the aging parchment. "Was my grandfather, James Potter, who was also known as 'Prongs'."
In that moment, James had never felt prouder for the grandfather he had never met, the same grandfather for whom he was named after. Even though James Sr.'s life was cut short, he managed leave behind a legacy. Now, as his grandson, James planned on continuing it.
"I want us to become the second generation of Marauders." He said, looking up at his friends. Fred was cracking his knuckles, occasionally glancing at Brennan and Peter to see what they thought. James had already told him of his plans and Fred gave him his full support.
"Sure, why not. Sounds like fun." Brennan said nonchalantly, licking what's left of the eclairs off his fingers. Peter shrugged and a Cheshire grin appeared on James's face.
"Excellent. We start first thing tomorrow morning!" James exclaimed, placing the Marauder's Map carefully into his sweater pocket.
"Wait, what are we doing tomorrow?" Peter asked. James shrugged before making his way to his father's office door. He was thinking how they all stole the map together can be their first act as the Marauders.
"We'll figure it out." James said, turning the doorknob in his hand. Just as he was thinking about utilizing Brennan's pyro magic on Teddy's ever changing hair, he was stopped.
"Hullo, Albus." James said nonchalantly, but internally, he was screaming. His younger brother stood there in the hall with his arms crossed, his brilliant green eyes flashing behind the round glasses. James tried to swallow down the dinner that was threatening to come up.
"James." Albus replied. James felt someone bump into his back, but he managed to keep his balance.
"Oh, sorry James." Brennan murmured, but then saw Albus in the hallway. "Oh, shit."
James, Brennan, Fred, and Peter knew that they were all royally screwed. Ever since Albus had been Sorted into Slytherin at the beginning of the school year, James and Albus have been on unsteady terms. James could not help it. The Slytherins have been nothing but trouble to his family and now there was one in the family. It was an affliction that James could not seem to forgive, no matter how many times Harry told him about the heroisms of Severus Snape and Narcissa Malfoy. The sins of the other members of the Serpent's House outweighed the good of a few.
"What are you doing in Dad's office?" Albus asked quietly, but James could see the explosion building up inside. James had to think of some excuse.
"I was just looking for the broomstick that he took from me. The boys and I were going to play some Quidditch. Wanna join?" James said so quickly, it was a miracle anyone understood what he said. His palms were sweating and the map in hidden in his sweater pocket seemed to become heavier.
"Broomsticks are in the shed. As they always are." Albus muttered smartly, but Peter was quick to cover for James.
"Mr. Potter confiscated James's broom, remember? He kept flying too high above the trees. So we thought that he would have put the broom in his office."
But Albus did not look convinced by Peter's explanation.
"Or you guys were looking for the Marauder's Map." Albus said, uncrossing his arms and glaring straight at James.
"And?" James growled angrily. There was no point hiding it now. "What are you going to do? Tattle to Mum and Dad like the little Slytherin you are?"
Albus looked like he had been punched in the gut and James was immediately sorry for what he said.
"Al-"
"Dad already gave you the Invisibility Cloak. Now you have the Marauder's Map? I don't ever get anything from him. NOTHING!"
"Well, I stole the map..."
"And at least we're not a bunch of big-headed narcissuses like you Gryffindors! You win the Quidditch Cup a couple years in a row and you think you're better than everyone else!" And with that, Albus stomped down the hall, where the rest of the family was.
"I didn't think Al knew such a big word like 'narcissus'." Brennan said in amazement. All the boys laughed except for James, who began walking down the opposite end of the hall from Albus towards his own room.
"Going to bed already?" Fred asked.
"Yeah." James replied.
"But it's only-," Peter said, looking down at his watch. "Twelve-fifteen."
"I'm tired."
James didn't think he could take anymore excitement, even if it was New Years. It was already starting off very badly.