Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the math at the end! I figured that out on my own!
A/N: To those of you who read my "Growing Up Flower Twins" story, I have no idea when an update will come. I'm at home now, and I left my outline for the rest of the story at school, and am afraid to continue writing without it in fear I'll forget something. I hope this will tide you all over. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, just enjoy this story!
The Mystery of the Marauder's Map
Bill Weasley always loved being home for the holidays. He missed his family while he was away in Egypt. Oh, he loved going off on his adventures, unlocking the mysteries of ancient magic protection spells, but that didn't change the fact that no matter how much fun he was having, he was still lonely.
When he had arrived home on this particular holiday, he had nearly been knocked flat on his back by his overly energetic, eight-year-old sister Ginny. He hadn't minded though. Of all his family, Ginny held a special place in his heart. She had been born just before he started his sixth year at Hogwarts, so she was only a toddler when he graduated.
It was her adorable little smile that made him decide to take a year off before going to work for Gringotts. He had always hated the fact that he was so much older than the rest of his siblings. He felt like he had never really gotten to know them, because most of their childhood, he was away at school. And when he graduated from Hogwarts, he realized he would never really get to see them grow up. However, the winter before his graduation, little Ginny had crawled into his lap and said, "No go Bill."
That was when he decided that he would get to know his sister and brothers better, even if it was only for a year.
Because of that year spent with them, his holidays always meant that much more.
"Hey Gin-Gin! How's my favorite sister?" Bill said giving Ginny a tight squeeze.
Ginny giggled and said, "I'm your only sister, silly! And I'm fine. Guess what?"
Bill laughed as his little sister's eyes lit up in delight. "What?"
"I did magic! I didn't mean to, but Fred and George were making me real mad. As soon as they got back from Hogwarts, they locked themselves in their room and wouldn't let me in. And I wanted them to tell me about Hogwarts like you and Charlie and Percy always did. So I kept banging and banging on their door and finally I got so mad it just kind of blasted open. They were mad at first, but when they realized that I had done magic, they were proud. They said that the first time they showed magic they broke something, too."
Bill laughed as his sister talked faster and faster, nearly turning blue from trying to get everything out in one breath.
"So, did you find out why they had locked themselves in there?"
Ginny grinned looking guilty. "Well, it's not like I meantto spy, but when the door blew open like that, I couldn't help but notice what they had been looking at. But all it was was some old piece of parchment. Not sure what was so special about it, but they hid it under a pillow as soon as I walked in, so it had to be something they weren't supposed to have."
Bill thought for a moment and wondered. It couldn't possibly be . . . no. But just in case, he should probably go see what he could find out.
"You been practicing your flying still?"
Ginny looked guilty again and said, "You're not supposed to know about that. No one does."
"I am your all-powerful big brother. I know everything!" Bill said, drawing himself to his full height. Ginny giggled and Bill continued. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. And if you'll do me a favor and go keep Mum distracted for a while, I'll let you try out my new Cleansweep after everyone goes to sleep tonight."
Ginny's whole face lit up as she gave Bill a hug and ran into the kitchen to find her Mum.
Bill grinned and shook his head as he made his way to his twin brothers' room. Fred and George Weasley, what a pair. Bill loved them to pieces and thought they were possibly two of the most brilliant members of his family, though he knew his Mum would not think so. She felt brains should be used for more important things than playing pranks. Bill didn't really agree. More than anything though, Bill knew why his Mum didn't like them acting the way they did. It was too painful. They were so much like her brothers, and even though their prank-playing had nothing to do with their deaths, Molly Weasley would always be afraid of history repeating itself.
Bill stood outside his brothers' room for a moment composing himself. It was always hard for him to think about his uncles. He was only thirteen when they died, and the twins (Fred and George, that is) were barely half a year old. They had never even had a chance to know the men they were so like.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Bill knocked on the door. He could hear the twins scurrying around in there, probably hiding anything that could be incriminating, before cracking open the door.
"Bill!" they both said, opening the door fully to let their eldest brother in.
He grinned, ruffling both boys' hair before wandering around the room. He knew he should feel very special being allowed in their domain. Usually it was completely off limits, but being the eldest brother did hold its privileges.
He was pretty impressed by what he saw. In their short lives Fred and George had managed to obtain an impressive collection of merchandise from Zonko's.
"What's this?" Bill asked, holding up a box that said Perfect Pranks for Powerful Pranksters: Zonko's Mischief Kit on it. "I was just in Zonko's a couple weeks ago looking for Christmas gifts for you two, and I didn't see this there."
"Isn't it brilliant?" George said, taking it from his brother.
"It isn't due to be released until the new year. Our best mate, Lee's brother works for Zonko's and Lee asked him to get this for us when he found out about it," Fred said, grinning from ear to ear.
Bill nodded and made to move towards Fred's bed so he could sit down and examine the kit more closely, but Fred and George both jumped to stop him. He grinned at them and flung the covers back on the bed, revealing an old bit of parchment.
For a moment, Bill's heart stopped beating and his breath caught in his throat. It had been years since he had seen it, but there was no mistaking what it was. To the average person it would just be a bit of parchment and to those few who knew what it truly was it was a key to the mysteries of Hogwarts, but to him, it was so much more.
Just looking at it brought back so many memories of the people attached to it. It was meant to be his. Just two weeks before James got it confiscated, Sirius had told him he could have it.
Sirius. Bill could actually feel his blood boiling at the thought of his name. Oh, he had idolized Sirius Black when they were in Hogwarts together. Sirius and the others were seventh years when Bill started, but they didn't seem to mind the age difference. Sirius had taken him under his wing and taught him everything he knew. Bill helped him in his pranks and Sirius began calling him the little brother he wished he had instead of the one he was stuck with.
Sirius even came to visit him at Hogwarts after his uncles were killed. Bill clenched his fists as he realized that while Sirius had been consoling him, he had probably been laughing on the inside, because he had probably been in on the men's deaths.
But he wasn't the only one who visited. Lily had come, too.
Bill smiled as he thought of her. Lily Evans was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He remembered when he had first entered the Great Hall that night so many years ago; it was her smiling face that calmed his nerves. He didn't realize it then, but now he could freely admit that he had loved her. When she and James had gotten together it nearly broke him. He had always liked James, but he found himself thinking about ways to sabotage the older boy after they first announced their relationship. Eventually he got over it, but he never really stopped loving Lily.
How could he? How could he stop loving a girl who offered to hang out with a boy six years her junior when she discovered that he was only getting Charms help from he because he fancied her? How could he stop loving a girl who thought about everyone else before herself? How could he stop loving a girl who gave her own life to save that of her son's?
It had been the beginning of his sixth year. He and the other prefects had just finished cleaning up the Halloween decorations when Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall. She announced that Voldemort had been defeated and Bill had let out a cheer along with the rest. The person responsible for the deaths of his uncles was gone. The others all ran to crowd around Professor McGonagall, and Bill was going to join them when he felt an arm on his shoulder.
He turned to see Professor Dumbledore looking down at him with more sadness in his eyes than he had ever witnessed.
"What is it, Sir?" Bill asked.
"I'm sure it will be in all the papers tomorrow, and I thought you deserved to hear it first."
Bill felt his heart skip a beat. "Hear what?"
"Voldemort was defeated tonight when he went to attack the Potters," Dumbledore started.
Bill felt his heart get a little lighter. "She did it, didn't she? Lily defeated him. I always knew she was the most powerful Witch I had ever met."
But when Bill looked up at Dumbledore once more, he knew he was wrong. There were actual tears in the old man's eyes. "No, William, I'm afraid that she wasn't the one to defeat him. Not exactly, anyway. And it was not James either. It was young Harry. James died protecting his wife and son, and Lily died protecting Harry."
For a moment Bill felt everything stop. It was as if everyone in the Hall just disappeared and Bill was left alone with this realization. Voldemort was gone, but along with him was Lily.
Lily. Lily. Lily. No matter how many times he said her name, it never lost its magic. That's what she was. Pure, unadulterated magic. And now she was gone. Just . . . gone.
"But . . . how? How did he find them? I thought they were in hiding. The last time she wrote to me she apologized for not visiting because she was in hiding."
A look crossed Dumbledore's face that Bill had never seen before. It frightened him.
"I'm afraid that the answer to that question is a matter I cannot discuss with you, William."
Bill started to protest, but one more look at Dumbledore's expression told him not to. It was a few days later that Bill learned what it was that the Headmaster wanted to keep from him. He didn't want Bill to know that a person he respected more than just about anyone else in the world was the reason a person he loved more than anyone else was dead.
Bill shook himself out of his thoughts and stared at the parchment once more. He turned to his brothers with a smile and said, "Haven't I taught you better than to hide things under the covers. It's the first place people look."
Fred and George looked sheepish and grinned up at their brother.
"Have you figured out how to work it yet?"
"Work it?" Fred asked.
"It's just a bit of parchment," George finished.
Bill shook his head and said, "What? Do you think I was born yesterday? Why would you hide a bit of parchment. I happen to know that you took that from Filch's office, and I'm guessing you have no idea what it actually is."
"How did you . . . ?" Fred started, but Bill held up a hand to stop him.
"I am your older brother and I know all there is to know about everything. I also know that this piece of parchment is a very unique and useful map, and I know how to make it work."
Fred and George both looked at their brother in awe before saying together, "Well, are you going to tell us, then?"
Bill grinned and took out his wand. He tapped the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Before his eyes he saw Hogwarts castle appear before him on the page.
"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present The Marauder's Map," George read.
"Sweet Merlin! This is Hogwarts! And look there are loads of passages on here that are hidden," Fred said.
"And look at those dots. They're people. How did you know about this?" George asked, turning to Bill.
"I already told you. I am all-powerful," Bill said, moving to leave the room. "Oh, before I forget. To wipe the sheet clean just tap it and say 'Mischief Managed.'"
Bill was almost out the door when George's voice stopped him. "Bill? Who are these guys?"
Bill stopped and thought of the four boys who he had looked up to for his first year of Hogwarts. Now two were dead because of one of the others, that one was in Azkaban, and the fourth had seemingly dropped off the face of the planet.
"They were four very gifted wizards."
He was sure that they wanted to ask more, but Bill was not in the mood to answer. He may have been their big brother, but even big brother's were allowed to have their secrets.
A/N: Before anyone says anything about Bill's age, I KNOW that Jo said that Charlie's three years older than Percy and Bill is two years older than him, but . . . and I know it sounds horrible . . . I think Jo got that wrong. I have figured this out several times, and unfortunately do not have the books in front of me at the moment to give exact page numbers, but in book one it says that Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since Charlie was there, then in book three we learn that it's been 8 years since they'd won it, meaning Charlie graduated 8 years before book 3 (1993), which would be 1985, which if Bill is two years older than Charlie, which we can believe, he would have graduated in 1983, which would mean he started in 1976. James, Lily and the others were born circa 1959 (Because Jo said Snape was about 35 in book 4 (1994) ), meaning they would start Hogwarts in 1970, and start their 7th year in 1976, hence when Bill was in his first year, they were in their seventh. I know Jo makes the rules, but I believe information from the books outweigh what she says, authors can make mistakes. :) Either way, this is the time line I've been using and I'll continue to use until Jo actually says that she made a mistake in the books. Plus, isn't this a nice explanation of how Fred and George figured out how to use the map?