Ruth's POV
After the morning classes, and before lunch, I showed Josie the map.
"I found it in my Potions textbook."
"But you bought it new!"
"No, I bought it from the Used section. They're much cheaper, and sometimes they have helpful notes."
"But we're rich. We could've bought the store—and the publishing company, and the paper company, and the forest! Why get a used book?"
"I told you why. Do you wanna see the map or not?"
"Fine. Let's see." Josie grumbled. I pulled the map out. It was an old piece of paper. "Is there an instruction booklet or something?"
"Sort of. I tried it out a little." I said. I opened the folds of the paper, a small piece of paper fell out. It read:
You have found this map merely by chance, I assume.
I am hoping you use it for good. What you have found is the Marauder's Map. It is a map of Hogwarts school. To use it to its full potential, tap the closed map with your wand and say, "I solemnly swear I an up to no good. Everyone who is in the castle will show up on the map. Do enjoy the map. I no longer have a use for it.
p.s. when you are finished with the map, say "Mischief managed." Best of luck, keep the map safe.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Josie said tapping the map with her wand. Then, writing appeared on the map it read:
MARAUDERS MAP
PRESENTED BY MESSRS
MOONY, PADFOOT , WORMTAIL, AND PRONGS
"You're never up to any good." I pointed out.
"True." Josie said opening it and looking at all the foot prints of the students and teachers walking around.
"This should be useful." I said.
"Yeah we'll never get lost again." Josie laughed sinisterly.
"I was thinking of uses other than navigation."
"Is that so?"
Josie POV
We put away the map and walked to lunch.
"So we have Charms and them Herbology." I said looking at our schedule.
"Then the day is over and we can do whatever!" Ruth said.
"That's right!" I said smiling. We ate and talked for the rest of lunch and then we rushed of to Charms. "It's a short day!"
"Okay, welcome to Charms! My name is professor Flitwick and we will be learning a very simple charm today. I want you all to say 'Wingardeum Leviosa.'" he said. It sounded easy enough.
"Wingardeum Leviosa." I said swishing and flicking my wand. The feather flew into the air and I poked Blondie in the eye with it.
"Sorry." I lied.
"Sure." he said rubbing his eye. The rest of the lesson was easy and we even levitated a chair when Flitwick wasn't looking. That kind of freaked Neville out. I felt a little bad, but it's not like we hurt him.
After charms we went to Herbology. That was boring we just talked about plants.
Ruth's POV
After Herbology, we had an hour of free time before dinner.
"Should we play Wizards' Chess?" Josie asked.
"Sure. We should only use the map after hours."
"I agree. After curfew, we should cast the Muffliato spell then pull the map out."
"I hope you lose, stupid." Draco made a face at Josie as we set up the board.
"Get bent, Blondie." Josie retorted.
"Go die." Draco scoffed.
"You first." she smiled coolly.
"I hope you win, Ruth."
"Go away." I muttered.
"Fine." he growled, then walked away.
I did end up winning the first game, but not the second game. Josie won almost immediately. Dinner was turkey drumsticks with green beans and pumpkin juice.
"Mmm…turkey." I said filling my plate—again.
"I know right?" Josie said, taking the another drumstick.
"I'm getting used to how good the food is. You?"
"It doesn't take long for me." Josie smiled.
"Haven't you eaten enough? I mean, really, save some for the rest of us." Draco complained.
"Has the country of England been feeding you rice, Kool-Aid and black beans for the past three years?" I asked rudely?
"No, I guess not."
"Well then I think you should shut up." Josie kicked him from under the table.
"Ow!" Draco whispered.
"Oh be a man." Josie said rolling her eyes.
Josie POV
"Quit being mean." Draco retorted.
"Quit being a baby!" I snapped.
"Whatever." he mumbled.
That night, when everyone was asleep, I woke Ruth up. We took the map out of her Potions book.
"Muffliato." Ruth said.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." I whispered as I tapped the map with my wand. "We need to find Squirrel on this map."
"There he is. Nothing too suspicious." Ruth pointed out. "I'm tired. Can we go to bed now?."
"Okay, mischief managed." I said.
Ruth's POV
"Good night sis. I'll see you in the morning." I said hiding my potions book. I woke up around three. I went to the common rooms and sat on a couch near the fire. I fell asleep after casting several spells on the fire, turning it green and blue, and turning the flames into animals.
Ruth, you need to run. I heard her say. Josie, I won't leave you behind you're my sister. I sobbed. My sister was the only one who didn't think I was a freak. I could talk to snakes. Move from one place to another uncontrollably, and I could make things turn into other things. Frequently, when we were served rice, beans, and Kool-Aid, we would turn it into better things. This only lasted a few days. Eventually, the scientists and testers started to watch us eat. The scientists had separated us. They were going to give one of us some sort of dangerous medicine, the other would not get any medicine. I was going to break her out of the cell. We would both be free soon.
"Alohamora." I whispered. The lock popped open. Let's go.
"Not so fast!" the scientist shouted.
"You can't do this!" I started to cry.
"We're humans, not test subjects."
"I have the power to kill both of you children."
"Run Ruth. RUN!." she cried.
"I'm not going to leave you here. Who else will treat me like I'm normal-ish? Avada Kedavra!" I shouted. The lone scientist fell backwards and hit the floor.
"Let's go!" Josie yelled. So we left the dead scientist behind. Why did I do it? I killed her. She was dead. That scientist had a family. And a life. But maybe she deserved it. I needed a life. My sister needed a life. What was I supposed to do? Be poisoned? Lose my sister? Neither. But she was dead. And it was my fault.
I woke up, screaming, and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Nightmare?" Josie asked plainly. I nodded.
"The one from Phoenix?" she asked. I nodded again.
"You know I can't help but feel slightly guilty for killing her." I said looking a little sad.
"What do you mean you feel guilty for killing her?" Draco asked, he must have walked in when he heard me screaming.
"Where do you come from when you pop up randomly like this?" I asked, annoyed.
"I dunno." he shrugged.
"Whatever, I might as well tell you. At one of the places we were tested on, a scientist was going to kill us so I might have possibly done the killing curse on her." I admitted.
"You've done the killing curse? That's horribly dark magic." Draco said sounding shocked and impressed.
"Well it was that or die so I didn't really have a choice." I said.
"I have to go write a letter to my Dad, so uh, bye." Draco muttered slyly. "I'll see you later."
"I hope not." Josie smirked.
"Good one." I laughed, tears still streaming from my face.
Josie's POV
The nightmares just keep getting worse. And we don't know when they will happen. All we know is only one of us has them at a time the other one has good dreams. It's kind of scary, reliving our past and not knowing when it will happen, but you get used to it I suppose. The worst part is, neither of us want a nightmare, but neither of us want the other to wake up screaming, or sobbing.
"Come on we have to get to breakfast." I said getting up. Ruth followed and we went to eat. I stuffed my face with food knowing it might not last. You just never know. Then we had potions. We walked down to the dungeons and sat in our seats.
"Welcome to class today you will be making a simple wart remover. The instructions are on page five. Ruth and Josie, I'd like to have a word with you."
After the others had begun, we walked up to Snape's desk.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"I'm giving you a special assignment today, I will not be surprised if you do not succeed—"
"Hey!" Ruth frowned.
"Allow me to finish, Ruth?"
"Fine." she mumbled.
"I'd like you to try making Felix Felicis."
"What?" Ruth asked. "Liquid Luck?"
"No way! That's really hard!" I whispered with a certain tone of urgency.
"I'd like you to try anyway." Snape said.
"Okay…well we'll need a book won't we?" I asked.
"Okay here you go." Snape handed a book to us and told us what page to go to. We opened it and got to work. This time it was a little hard.
"Well now we know what everyone else feels like." I said as I stirred the potion.
"Yeah this is kinda hard." Ruth agreed. After a couple more minutes we finished and I bottled some up for grading.
"Here you go Snape." I said handing him the vial. He inspected it the vial.
"This is amazing. Absolutely perfect and in such a short amount of time, you two are truly amazing." he exclaimed rather dully.
"We get that a lot." Ruth said shrugging.
"Well enjoy your liquid luck." Snape said handing us the vial and a bottle for the rest.
"You made liquid luck and you get to keep it?" Harry asked.
"Yep want some?" I asked.
"What? No! I can't take that." he said.
"Sure you can, I still have this bottle!" I said holding up a huge liter sized bottle of liquid luck.
Harry took the small vial and appreciatively tucked it in his robe. Blondie shot me a dirty look.
"Hey, Blondie? You got a problem with me? I saw that look. I'm not blind!"
"Why are you always so mean to me?" Blondie complained.
"I dunno. You're whiny and cynical, and I don't like you."
"You're ugly." Blondie stuck his tongue out.
"You're stupid." I said angrily.
"Have you ever tried being nice?"
"Yes, but that failed miserably and almost got me killed, so I've decided it's really not the best way."
"You know I really don't care. After all, you two are nothing but filthy little mudbloods."
"Well then, I've got a big surprise for you." I grinned. "I'm a pureblood, so is my little sister."
"Younger by a few hours." she protested.
"Still younger."
"You're purebloods?" he looked astonished for some reason.
"Yeah and I'm pretty sure we have more money than you as well." Ruth said. He looked amazed.
The rest of the day went great and I found out that the next day we would start flying lessons….
"We should send a letter to Mum and Dad." Ruth thought out loud.
"I suppose so they'll probably wonder what house we got in and stuff." I said. We decided to each write a letter. Mine read:
Dear Mum,
So far Hogwarts has been great. We got sorted into Slytherin. I know everyone else in our family has been in Gryffindor but apparently we're very different. Which shouldn't come as a surprise knowing our past and all. Anyways, tomorrow we're starting flying lessons and that should be fun. Today in potions Ruth and I brewed liquid luck. We got to keep a whole liter of it but I gave some of it to my friend Harry Potter. Yes, the Harry Potter. I'm just sad that we don't get to see more of him because we're in different houses and all. I also have an enemy! Draco Malfoy. Gosh he is an idiot, I hate him. Anyway I think were Professor Snape's favorites because of our unusual skill. So far we've done great in all our classes and many of them seem easy. How do you like being back in the states? I'm having a great time,
Love Josie.
Ruth's POV
I wrote a letter, too. It went like this:
Dear Mum and Dad,
Being new at Hogwarts isn't easy. I got put in Slytherin, at first I was kind of mad because I didn't want to be in the same house as Draco Malfoy. Three words describing him: WHAT A TWIT. But I'm happy to be in the same house as my sister. We found this weird map thing. I won't say anything else, just in case…I dunno, I'm paranoid. Anyways, I hope you don't mind, but I sent you two a few Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, to remind you of the time when you two were at Hogwarts. Did I tell you that the price of books went up a little from last year? And you call me crazy for tracking the price of supplies, even before I went to Hogwarts. Anyways, they went up from a galleon and three Knuts to a Galleon and a Sickle. No big deal when it comes to cost, though. I got this awesome robe, too! When you first walk in the store, all the robes look the same, but I found this Japanese silk robe with a bamboo design on the pockets on the inside, the outside is black , except for the Slytherin crest. Sorry if you think I'm rambling.
Lotsa love (and some wizarding money),
Ruth
Snape gave Josie and I a few advanced study sheets. We had to learn about the Draught of Living Death, Antidotes for Poisons, and other stuff like that. I fill out my worksheet in cursive, in case Draco reads it. I want him to know for sure I'm better than him. Wow, I'm competitive.
What is the main ingredient in Floo Powder?
Fossilized Dragon Scales (ground into a coarse powder)
What is the most important ingredient in Polyjuice potion?
The hair of the person you wish to temporarily become.
What is the antidote to most poisons?
A bezoar.
Your study sheet is complete. You will turn it in to me tomorrow.
Josie's POV
I was working on my study sheet from Snape. God, I hate homework so much.
What is the main ingredient in Floo Powder?
Ground up fossilized dragon scales.
What is the most important ingredient in Polyjuice Potion?
Isn't this obvious? If you want to use the Polyjuice potion you need the person's hair to put in the potion. Otherwise, you have a useless potion that tastes DISGUSTING!!!
What is the antidote to most poisons?
A bezoar, which is a blob from the stomach of a sheep. (Major duh.)
Your study sheet is complete. You will turn it in to me tomorrow.
Maybe I will.
"Done." I said pushing away the worksheet.
"You're already done?" Blondie asked, astounded.
"Psht. Yeah it was easy." I said shrugging.
"Let me see what you had to do." he said grabbing the sheet. "This is sixth year stuff. How did you finish it so fast?"
"What are you talking about? It was easy." I said grabbing it back.
"Hey I wasn't done looking at it!" Draco whined.
"Deal with it." I said flicking him in the head.
"Oww! Quit being mean!" he whined.
"Quit being a baby." I said flicking him again.
"You two play nice." Ruth muttered as she cast a spell to clean the ink from her quill.
"Don't make me kill you in your sleep." I grumbled.
"That's not funny" she frowned. "Not after the scientist in Japan."
"Oh, sorry." I said.
"Hey! Tell me! I wanna know!" Blondie said eagerly.
"Shut it, Blondie." I stuck my tongue out at Blondie, then walked back to the dorms.
"I'll tell my father about this and he'll have you expelled!"
"So we'll go to Beauxbatons and have our parents use their influence at the Ministry to get your precious daddy fired." Ruth countered. Blondie mixed a laugh and a smirk to create some sort of better-than-you-but-you-knew-that look.