CHAPTER 35
BEGINNINGS OF THE MAP

It was the end of sixth year that the Marauder's map was finally finished. Remus enchanted it to show everyone that was on school grounds. Soon, he had bewitched it not only to show people, but their names and instructions on how to get into the secret passageways.

"Very cool, Moony," James commented, looking over Remus's shoulder as Remus scribbled away.
Sirius then put a lock charm on it. He was seen in the common room, putting the tip of his wand to his mouth, and whispering "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" and then placing the wand on the paper.

Peter then put a nice erasing charm to go with the lock charm, and he leaned over Sirius's wand, and said loudly, "Mischief managed."

It was finally that night that James put the last spell on it that everyone found very funny. It was an insulting hex that would mercilessly insult anyone that didn't know the password ("I solemnly swear that I am up to no good"). To do this hex and make it personal, he had to take a fingernail from each marauder, and then crush them together and smash it into the parchment.

"Now to write the opening," James said, handing Remus a quill, "Go ahead. Sirius's handwriting's sloppier than yours anymore."

Remus took down all of their ideas, and then quickly scribbled the following message. It disappeared seconds after he wrote it.

"Very nice," Sirius commented, "And now to try it out."

They tapped the parchment, and James said, "Beginus."

The parchment went blank.

"And here we go," Sirius tapped the paper, "I am a stupid git that thinks I can get this map to work."

And all of a sudden, the paper flew to life.

Messr. Moony would like to congratulate you, Sirius, on trying to get through our complicated spells. Sadly, you really are a stupid ugly git.

Messr. Prongs would like to second that, and also tell Sirius that he couldn't stay on a broomstick if his life depended on it.

Messr. Wormtail would also like to add his astonishment that Sirius could even create this map, due to the fact that he didn't pass first term Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Messr. Padfoot thinks that he gives himself too much credit. How could he forget the password that quickly? He was the one that made it up.

"Wicked," Peter said, leaning into read what the invisible hand had written.

"Now, we try it the real way," Remus said, taking out his own wand, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

And the words disappeared, and was replaced with the map that they had been drawing for the past few years.

"It works," James said enthusiastically, "It really works."

"Of course it works," Sirius said, "Since when have any of my plans turned hectic and full of chaos?"

***

It was later in the year that the teachers again bombarded them all with more homework than before. N.E.W.T.s were coming, and Professor Nanes was trying to explain to the class what exactly these tests entailed, but the boys weren't listening to a word she was saying, but staring into her eyes dreamily.

"You'd think that they could roll their tongues back into their heads long enough to listen to what she's saying," Lily scoffed to her friend as they walked up the stairs to Divination, "Especially James. Did you see the way he was looking at her?"

She hadn't realized that James was standing right behind her. James glared at her red hair, and Sirius gave out a snort.

"Oh, James," he said, making his voice sound like Nanes, "I want to kiss you."

"Geroff," James shoved him down a step, and continued to Transfiguration.

"You coming to visit, right?" Sirius said, "I don't think I can go the whole summer without some human interaction."

"I bet Elise would be happy to come over," Remus said, smiling slyly and coming up from behind them.

"What?" James asked.

"Oh, come on, Prongs," Sirius said, "Haven't you seen the way she looks at me? The way she looks at you?"

"A lot of girls look at us that way," James said quietly. He didn't mean for it to sound arrogant. He was just stating a fact.

"But . that bothers you somehow?" Remus said in awe, "Do you know what I'd give to have Elise look at me?"

"I don't care about them," James said, still watching the red hair disappear up the staircase.

"You're still not on about Evans, are you?" Sirius groaned.

"And what if I was?" James retorted, walking faster.

"She hates you," he said.

"No, she doesn't," Remus argued, "I think she likes you. But then again, we're talking about the girl who has a new boyfriend every term."

"I wonder why she breaks up with them all the time," Peter interjected from Remus. They hadn't even noticed him.

"Do you not remember six years' worth of fighting with her?" James said, "How every time that I come around her, she calls me arrogant and bullying?"

"Well, maybe she was just telling you the truth," Remus said, and Sirius barked with laughter.

James gave a glare to Remus, and his smile faded, "Now come on, James. You can have any girl you want! You're James Potter! Why would you want her so bad?"

"Because she's the one," James said, and Sirius groaned, "Not again," he said.

"Could you . possibly ask her for me?" James turned to Remus hopefully, "I mean, you know her, don't you? And you're going to her class, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," Remus said, "But ---"

"So just put on that adorable smile and ask her if she'll go out to Hogsmeade with me," James prodded, "Please, Moony."

"Don't grovel, Prongs," Remus warned.

"I love her," James said. It had slipped out. Sirius raised his eyebrows, and Peter laughed from behind his hands.

"Oh, really?" Remus chortled.

"Please," he pleaded, and Remus sighed.

"I'll ask her. But don't expect anything to come from it."

***

It was after lunch that James cornered Remus into a corner, and demanded to know what Lily had said. Remus had sighed, and said, "I'm warning you to not kill the messenger, all right? I do not agree with anything she says ."

"Just --- what did she say?" James demanded.

"Well, I think it went something like this: 'It will be over my dead body that I ever go anywhere with that overrated," he counted the descriptions on his fingers, "adolescent, bullying, egotistical, undersized, ugly git," he nodded his head, "Yeah, I think that was about it. Oh. And then she added after throwing her tea leaves at me, that if you ask her again, she'll hex you in your sleep."

"That's it, huh?" James said, "Well, she forgot the 'egotrip on a broomstick,' this time. That's an improvement."

"No, I believe that she said that as well," Remus said, "And a long line of swearwords. Followed by a long line of swearwords from each of her friends. And then a long line of swearwords from Professor Juniper for interrupting her class."

James's heart sunk, and he let Remus go to his next class. It was hopeless. Useless. He should give up now.

But then he saw the bouncing hair of red over Remus's shoulder, and he forgot all bad thoughts in one instant.

"Oi, Evans!"

Lily turned around, hearing her name. She spotted James, and groaned.

"James Potter, leave me alone," she said, and whipped back around.

James glared, pushed Remus out of the way, "You think you're too good for me?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Lily said mockingly, snapping her head back toward him, "It's you that's too good for me. You're too good for anyone!"

"At least I don't switch girlfriends more times than I do my clothes!" James shouted back lamely.

Remus gave him a look.

"At least I don't have more than one boyfriend at once!" Lily retorted.

"You couldn't get more than one if you tried!"

"At least I HAVE a date!"

"Who is it this time, Evans? Snivellus? (Lily glares green at him) Oh sorry, must be 'Wetpants' again?"

"That's enough, James," Remus tugged on James's sleeve, "Let's get going."

"You haven't changed one bit," Lily shouted over the sea of heads, "Now how about you get your little friends to come over here and hex me again?"

"At least I have friends!"

"James," Remus hissed, "You're not helping your case."

James gave one more glare to Lily, and then started off in the other direction, Remus leading him far away from the confrontation.

"You'd think you were a first year," Remus said, "Every time you get around that girl …"