Written for Writer's Month 2022. Prompt #7: Castle.
Happy reading!
He couldn't believe it. To hold the Map in his hands again, after all those years – and to get it from James's son, no less. It was simply astounding.
Harry had clearly worked out the way to make the Map show the layout of the castle and the people in it. To be honest, that was why they got the idea for making it in the first place. However, and Remus suspected Harry never knew that, the Map had other functions as well – many other possibilities to be useful.
He thought back to their Hogwarts days and the creation of the artefact he now held in his hands.
They were sneaking around after curfew, as they often did, going to the kitchens for a little midnight snack. Although James had his Invisibility cloak, as always, it was getting all the more difficult to go through the school corridors unnoticed – they were getting larger, and the Cloak couldn't cover them nearly well enough.
They were doing their best not to get caught, and they managed to do so – at least that time. However, the effort cost them much time, and it was quite stressful to always be looking around corners for fear of somebody seeing them.
- It's getting difficult to do this without getting caught, isn't it?
Of course, it was Sirius who complained first.
- Yeah, I agree – I don't think it was this difficult before.
James was quick to agree with that. As much as he loved the sense of adventure sneaking around brought him, he was getting tired of it being such a bother all the time.
- It would be nice if there were a way for us to know how to avoid the teachers patrolling the floors.
Peter chimed in next, munching on a treat they brought from the kitchens.
- Like what, Pete?
Remus agreed with his friends- it was getting tiring, all the hiding and sneaking – but he didn't really know how to make it better.
- Like a map, maybe?
James was the one to come up with the idea. He usually was – even though they all liked doing interesting things and going on adventures, James was the most creative one, the one who always had new ideas.
- You mean, like, a map which shows where people are? That would be brilliant!
And Sirius, the one who usually developed James's ideas. Although he didn't usually think of new things to do, he almost always turned James's initial ideas into something way bigger, better and/or more complicated.
- Is that even possible? I mean, it would be great, but how would it work?
Sirius turned to look at Peter.
- Of course it's possible - it must be! And we're going to make it.
And so it began – the months of research, experimenting and working on their biggest project yet. They spent hours in the library, poring over Charms texts, Ancient Runes guides, Magical Theory. It was a huge commitment – they didn't even pull almost any pranks during that time, which made the Hogwarts population apprehensive, making them think they were planning something huge.
The first thing they tackled was the drawing of the map itself. None of them were great artists – Peter might have been good at drawing, but he wasn't precise enough. Also, the size of the castle, along with its many floors, would have made drawing it all an inordinately long task – just thinking about drawing every broom closet in the castle was enough to produce a headache. Finally, there was the issue of the moving staircases – how would they put those in the map?
The answer came in the form of an old architectural practice of using Runes for making layout plans. The practice wasn't widely used anymore – many newer, easier spells existed for such purposes – however, it proved to be particularly suited to their needs in that it connected to the building itself, which made it capable of registering the changes in its structure. Thus, the problem of the moving staircases was solved.
However, the Runes didn't make the process an instantaneous one. They still had to go all over the castle, drawing the Runes over every wall of every room, corridor and staircase. It was extremely time-consuming – they spent months going around the castle, covering it in its entirety. They had to sneak into any off-limits areas – the staff room, teachers' quarters... Thankfully, the security measures were much weaker then than they were now – trying to do it all in this time would have been nigh impossible. At the long last, however, they were left with a detailed account of the whole of Hogwarts – or, at least, the parts they knew of.
The next problem was making the map recognise who were in the castle. They toyed with the idea of simply bonding everyone's magic to the map – it would have been a tedious job, but manageable. However, they quickly saw the flaw of such an approach – they would have to update the map every year to include the new students, or the map would become almost useless in a few years.
Once again, they turned to the library in hopes of finding a better solution. They researched the ways Ministry kept tabs on people, the various security measures used for registering people in certain places... Finally, they found out that the Ministry kept a self-updating register of all magical signatures present in the country, which was open to the public – after all, Hogwarts used it for tracking children which would be invited to attend. After much studying of various charms, they managed to connect the Map, and the Runes on the wall of the castle, to the register. Another spell ensured the data from the register was transcribed to the name of the individual, so the Map could show it. After some tweaking, they managed to add another spell to the structure, which made the Runes track the movement of people in the room, showing it with footsteps moving on the Map.
Finally, they were left with a map which showed the position of everyone in the castle. Or, so they thought. The wondered about its effectiveness on Squibs and Muggles – it was rare for them to be at the school, but sometimes they came as parents of the students in special situations – but they realised there was no problem with that. Squibs technically had magical signatures - which enabled them to see Dementors, for example – they only couldn't use magic themselves. Checking in Hogwarts: A History, they also found out that Muggles got an 'assigned' magical signature in case they wanted to visit the castle – it was necessary in order for them to enter the castle and see it for what it was, instead of the ruins Muggles usually saw in its place.
Seeing that, they reassured themselves that there was no way for a person to be in one of the covered parts of Hogwarts without registering it. That could have been enough – after all, it fulfilled the purpose they had in mind for the map – however, they decided to make it even more detailed. They added yet another spell – a combination of a spell and a Runic array, to be precise – making the map capable of registering the familiars of the people inside the castle. It wouldn't show stray animals or owls delivering mail from people outside, but it would show those who could, say, alert their owners to the fact that there were four students out of bed after hours. After all, they couldn't be too cautious.
The map was now complete - the magic was almost seeping from it, the layered spells that complex and strong. The only thing that was left was to make it safe from the curious eyes of others. They managed to enchant it to go blank and become visible again at certain phrases, which made it look like a spare piece of parchment when not in use. All in all, they were quite proud of their creation.
Once finished, the decided to sign it with their code-names – Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. And then, just for the fun of it, they decided to link the Map to themselves and their personalities, so it could spout off short comments to anyone who tried to open it without the needed password. In doing that, they imbued the Map with their very magic, making it bonded to them forever.
Remus now held the Map in his hands, after more than a decade had passed. The four friends were no more – two of them dead and one a traitorous criminal. It was horrible, and the memories of the happy days of their friendship were just a memory now. He was alone.
Once again, he opened the Map. He saw that Harry was back in his dormitory – really, the boy was so like his father, yet the circumstances made it extremely dangerous for him to be that way. He looked at the corridors of the school, now empty save for the occasional teacher patrolling and a few older-year couples hiding in alcoves and broom closets.
Really, the Map was made with the purpose of seeing where everyone was in the castle in mind; however, the process of its creation made her capable of other things as well. One of those was the fact that it could track its creators on a much grander scale – it saw now only their current whereabouts, but also their movements in the recent period. Wanting to see how Sirius got into the castle, he cast the proper charms on the Map so it would show him where the Marauders were.
What he expected to see was a log of his movements around the castle recently and the way Sirius took when he invaded the castle. However, he was astonished to see a third name on the map – that of Peter Pettigrew. The readings for him were very recent – he was at Hogwarts even after Sirius left. Remus stood frozen.
It was impossible. It made absolutely no sense. Yet it was impossible for the Map to lie – the charms were fool-proof, the magical signature register impossible to tamper with. He didn't know what to think.
If Peter was alive... That meant Sirius didn't kill him. And if that was true, then the whole story about Sirius betraying James and Lily, killing all those Muggles, being a follower of You-Know-Who, it was all missing a giant piece. Remus needed to find out more.
Another perk of the Map was that it acted as the anchor for all the Runes drawn around the castle. Now, the Runes were drawn with the purpose of connecting the place to the Map and making the tracking of people inside it possible; however, they could be used for other purposes as well. With that in mind, Remus made the Runes attach to the magical signatures of both Sirius and Peter in case they were in the castle, and drain them of energy momentarily. That way, once they were inside the scope of the map, they would lose consciousness, making it possible for Remus to catch them and demand explanations without the danger of them hurting anyone. At the same time, he tied the spell to an empty potion vial and put it in his pocket – it would vibrate once one of them entered the castle.
Life moved on in much of the same way. Remus tried finding out something more about the crime which robbed him of two of his friends, looking for answers to the confusing situation he was now in. However, reports from the crime scene yielded no additional information, and he couldn't find anything about Sirius's trial – not even a mention of it being held. Maybe there was no trial... No, he couldn't think that – it couldn't be, could it? It was impossible to consider the Ministry putting someone in Azkaban without a trial.
Weeks went by, and Remus was no closer to finding any answers. He considered telling Dumbledore something about his findings, but decided against it – if there was a possibility that Sirius hadn't got a trial all those years ago, that meant Dumbledore didn't consider him worthy of the benefit of the doubt then, and he might do the same now. Finally, after much time spent wondering, he felt the potions vial buzz in his pocket.
He opened the Map and checked it for Sirius and Peter. To his surprise, they were both on the grounds – Sirius was lying in the tunnel below the Whomping Willow, while Peter was... Peter was moving away from Hagrid's hut, along with Harry, Ron and Hermione.
How could Peter be moving? The spell Remus cast was supposed to get him unconscious – it couldn't fail. Unless... Unless he is in his Animagus form, carried by one of the students. Suddenly, everything became clear – after all, Harry did mention Ron having a pet rat... It was impossible, yet it fit – Peter was the pet of Harry's best friend.
Fortunately, the spell Remus cast ensured that both Peter and Sirius would remain unconscious until he took the spell off and revived them – therefore, they weren't a danger to anyone right now. Still, Remus hurried to meet Harry, Ron and Hermione. He followed the Map and found them near the entrance to the castle, looking at Hagrid's hut. They appeared to be very sombre, and Hermione was... Crying? Oh. They were there because of the execution of Hagrid's Hippogriff.
Remus was reluctant to interrupt them, but it was a very pressing matter.
- Hello, Harry. Hello, Ron, Hermione.
The three of them turned to look at him.
- Good afternoon, Professor. We...
Remus wouldn't let the girl finish her sentence.
- I know why you're here, you're not in trouble. It is a very sad occasion.
Hermione sniffled, and the two boys hugged her closer.
- Now, I'm sorry to bother you all now, but it is rather important. Ron, do you have a pet rat?
The trio looked at him in confusion. A moment later, Ron hesitantly answered him.
- I... I do. Why?
Remus felt as if the world was tilting.
- Would you mind if I took a look at him?
He could see the three of them get even more confused – he supposed it all seemed very strange. However, Ron put his hand in his pocket and took out a rat. An extremely familiar-looking rat. With shaking hands, Remus took him from Ron's hands and conjured a magically-strengthened cage in which he put it.
- Hey, what is...
- I'm sorry to tell you this, Ron, but this isn't a rat. This is an Animagus, and his appearance raises many questions – very important, security affecting questions. I'm sorry, but I need to take him away for now – you'll be notified once we know more.
Without letting the boy say anything, he turned on his heel and left. He went to the Whomping Willow next, took a stick and poked the knob on the tree to make it still. It brought back memories of his days at Hogwarts, but he pushed them down – now was not the time to think back at his younger days, but rather to uncover the truth about the mystery older than a decade. He stepped into the tunnel and followed it almost to the Shrieking Shack. Near the end of the tunnel he found a big, black dog – Sirius.
He pulled both of them into the Shack and warded it heavily so they couldn't escape. Next, he turned them to their human forms and bound them with magical ropes which prevented both movement and transforming back to animals. Finally, he lifted the spell and revived them.
- What? Where am I... Remus?
For a man who had spent a decade in Azkaban, Sirius acted well – he appeared alert and in control of his words and movements, which was more than most Azkaban prisoners could say.
- R-Remus?
Peter was stuttering and shaking, looking less coherent than Sirius. Taking a deep breath, Remus set to interrogate them, hoping to finally find out what really happened twelve years ago.
It was unbelievable. It made sense – things finally fit – but it was unbelievable. He didn't know how to react. Should he be happy only one of his school friends was dead, and not two? Should he be hurt that they thought him to be the traitor back then? Should he be angry at Peter for betraying them all, for causing James and Lily's deaths? Or should he be horrified at the fact that Sirius spent the last twelve years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. And he had believed in Sirius's guilt.
He didn't know what to do. Finally, he reapplied the spell on the Map which made the two of them lose consciousness once on Hogwarts grounds, and dragged them to the tunnel. Since the Map covered the tunnel, they both fainted the moment they entered it. Remus warded the entrance to the tunnel (just in case) and went for Dumbledore.
It took a lot of explaining – expectedly, Dumbledore was confused when Remus came and started talking about Peter being alive and Sirius being innocent. However, once he got the whole story – or at least all the major points of it – he contacted some of the trustworthy Aurors from the Ministry and set to solving the mess. Both Sirius and Peter were questioned under Veritaserum, and Sirius was cleared of all charges.
On top of his freedom, Sirius got the right to claim guardianship over Harry, which he did once he met the boy and checked if he wanted to come live with him instead of his Muggle relatives. Paperwork was filled, and soon enough Harry was set to come and live with his godfather – the way it was supposed to be right after James and Lily died.
To Remus's surprise, Sirius invited him to live with them – they had to rebuild the trust that was broken on both ends by believing the other capable of betrayal, but they would manage. They were more than old friends – now they were a family.
During the lengthy explanation of the way he found out the truth, Remus showed the Map to Dumbledore. The Headmaster was amazed at the artefact the four then-friends made, and asked to keep it for a while, which Remus happily agreed to. Now that Sirius had been cleared and reunited with Harry, Dumbledore looked at the map more closely.
The Runes which connected the Map to the castle were numerous and powerful. Also, they had been there for so long they practically became one with the castle. I wonder... Waving his wand in a complicated motion, Dumbledore tried to make the Map see if there was a curse connected to any part of the castle. To his great excitement, the Map did show a curse whose existence he wasn't sure of – one attached to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. And the magical signature attached to it belonged to a Tom Riddle.
The Map showed that the curse was fuelled by a Runic array carved into the doorframe of the classroom. Dumbledore went there and took a look – it took some obscure and powerful revealing charms, but he finally managed to see the Runes. A few days later a team of Cursebreakers came and dissolved the Curse, making it possible for a person to hold the DADA teaching position for more than a year once more.
With these great news Dumbledore went to visit the Black-Lupin-Potter family. After all, he had a DADA teacher to invite for another year.
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