The Beginning
Summary: Have you ever wondered how Fred and George got the marauders map? Well here's the beginning of their era, when they were 'innocent'. One shot.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned, it all belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
"Ok George, ready to begin plan D.B.M.N?" A red headed first year eagerly asked his twin.
"Ready when you are Fred." George answered, holding up a bag filled to the brim with marble-shaped pellets.
The two boys crept around the school for what felt like hours, until they decided to go the fifth floor corridor, which was forbidden for some strange reason. Finally they found their target looking up at a painting of a crazy knight terrorising three women having a picnic by the river.
The knight was crazy and dangerous for three reasons, one, he was fighting an enemy that was no where in sight, two, it did not appear that he could even use his sword properly because he nearly chopped off one of the women's heads, and, finally, three, his visor fell down and accidentally let go of the sword, which fell into the river. When he went to get it, his armour dragged him down until he had the sense to take it off.
The twins sniggered slightly, causing their target to turn around. She looked at them and hissed, causing her matted grey and black fur stand on end. Even though the twins had only been at Hogwarts for a month, and they realised that the most precious thing to their caretaker, Filch, was his cat. Filch had given the twins detention for something they didn't do (it was some other Gryffindor first year called Lee Jordan), and now they wanted to get him back.
Mrs Norris started to move away, assumingly to get Filch, when George screamed.
"NOW!" the twins reached into the bag and started throwing dung bombs at the cat. When the bag was nearly empty, they ran back onto the staircase, straight into Argus Filch.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? First years out of bed and they're leaving the forbidden corridor. Professor McGona- WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY CAT!" Filch screeched at them when he saw his beloved cat coming out of the corridor with dung bombs mixed in her fur, and her stinking the entire staircase out wasn't un- noticeable.
"My office, now!" he ordered them, holding his nose and picking up Mrs Norris with his free hand.
This was the first time that the twins had been in Filch's office. It was certainly not the last though. As soon as they walked in the door they smell of fried fish hit them. This combined with dung bombs is completely revolting. They stared up at the ceiling, it had just one oil lantern lighting the room, and had chains and manacles attached to the walls, and if that wasn't scary enough, it looked as though they were polished every day. Filch noticed their wide eyes looking at them.
"Now, now, unfortunately I am forbidden to use those against you, but they day Dumbledore allows me to use them will be the best day of my life. Then I'm free to use them against you." Filch evilly grinned, showing his yellow teeth. Fred diverted his gaze to the walls, and saw hundreds of cabinets. One was marked 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous'. Fred nudged his brother and pointed at the drawer when Filchs back was turned, trying to find a quill and parchment in one of the drawers of his desk. The twins shared a look and George put his hands in his pockets and found what he needed. He nodded slightly, and went to stand on the other side of the room, as close to Filch as he dared. When he turned back round George threw his last dungbomb on the floor and the smell of rotten eggs filled the room. Filch got a mouthful of it and shouted at them.
"TWO MONTHS DETENTION SORTING THE LIBRARY BOOKS INTO ALPHABETICAL ORDER WILL TEACH YOU NOT TO USE THOSE AGAIN!"
Meanwhile, Fred went over to the drawer and looked inside, he picked up the first thing he saw and shut it again, stuffing the object into his robes.
After many, many more threats of disembowelment and detention, the twins managed to escape.
"So what did you get?" George asked as soon as they reached the common room.
Fred pulled out the item, to find it was only a bit of parchment. The disappointed showed across both of their faces.
"That's it?" George sighed, "Hang on, it could be one of those things where the message is hidden!"
He pulled out his wand and muttered "Reveal your secrets."
He looked up at Fred and explained, "I saw Snape do it once."
They looked at the parchment and saw curly, green words being written as though by an invisible hand.
Messr Padfoot would like to say congratulations in getting this out of Filch's office but would also like to say that neither of you will be able to work this anytime soon.
Messr Prongs also congratulates you, but would prefer it you did not use Professor Snapes choice of spell, especially when it is wrong.
Messr Moony will suggest that you look in the library for the correct spell and how to work this.
Messr Wormtail agrees with Messrs Padfoot and Prongs and believes that Messr Moony should keep his mouth shut and wishes Fred and George Weasley good day.
The twins looked at each other and tried to work out how a bit of parchment can know their names and offer them advice. They decided not to think about it and to go to bed and work it out tomorrow, as it was nearly midnight and both were freaked out.
For the next month the bit of parchment lay in the bottom of Fred's trunk. The two had tried all the spells they could think of and even visited the library to try and work it out. Every time they either got insulted or given advice or wished good day.
They were now into the second month of detention in the library, and for some reason Madam Pince had decided that they would start with the Zs and work their way up. They had done this work rather quickly and were now on the As.
George was carrying a load of books over to the A section, but the books were blocking his view of where he was going, and when Fred called out to him he dropped a few of them.
"You moron! Are you trying to scare me to death?"
"Actually I'm trying to get Madam Pince to." He teased his brother, bending down to pick up the books George had dropped. As he was picked up the last book he saw a bit of old parchment on the floor.
'Please don't let it be from a book; I would like to live to see my next birthday…' Fred thought to himself, but when he turned it over he saw very familiar writing.
"George! Look at this!" He said, getting excited. His brother looked at him and rolled his eyes, thinking how much Fred was acting like Ginny at Christmas.
"What?" He moaned as Fred stuck the parchment in his hand. He read it through several times until it sunk in. The parchment read:
Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs would like to say congratulations on finding this parchment and wish that you use this book wisely, and we hope it helps you like it did us. If you have found this we expect you to have found the old bit of parchment in Filch's office, in the drawer marked 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous'. If you do not have it, shame on you, go and get it now. If you do have it place your wand tip on the parchment and say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' and our greatest secrets shall be revealed. Use it wisely, and remember to wipe it after you use it by saying 'Mischief managed'. Now make sure it doesn't fall into the hands of those who will not do the Marauders Map justice.
"What book was it in?" George asked, curious by the first sentence.
"No idea, it was either Advanced Potions Making, Animagi: A Complete Guide through the Ages, or An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms. Don't know how any of those could have helped them but the Animagi one. But Animagi have close tabs put on them, I doubt four students could have become them." Fred explained.
"Great." George moaned, "come on, it's nearly closing time, shall we go and try the spell out?"
The twins raced to the common room and got five points docked for running in the corridors by Professor Flitwick. They finally found the parchment in the bottom of Fred's trunk. George placed his wand tip on it and said the 10 famous words 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'.
The watched the parchment change and words appeared on it, different from the usual ones, it said:
Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP
The twins watched the parchment unfold, and soon every part of the Hogwarts castle and grounds could be seen. The truly remarkable thing was that there were hundreds of tiny little ink dots moving on it, each with a name next to it. For example, the tiny dot named 'Albus Dumbledore' was pacing his office, and the dot called 'Peeves the poltergeist' was in the dungeons, probably wrecking the Potions storeroom.
The twins looked at each other and grinned.
"Well plan Dung Bomb Mrs Norris went better than expected." Fred grinned.
"Last chance, are you sure about this Fred?" George asked, looking from through the crowd for one person.
"Yeah, his needs are greater than ours." Fred replied, hiding behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch.
"Ok. Look! There he is!" George whispered after spotting a thirteen year old with glasses and messy black jet hair. Fred grinned and prepared himself as the person got closer.
"Psst – Harry!"
Authors Note: I have no idea what dung bombs look like, so I made up the marble-shaped appearance. If anyone does know what they look like, can you please tell me.
I know in the book it just says that the twins dropped a dungbomb in the corridor, but it never said what corridor and they could have left out the part about Mrs Norris. It just sounded more interesting to me if they dropped it on her than if they just dropped it in a lone corridor.