Date Posted: 4th July 2010
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Hi,
These are the instructions on how to use what the Marauder's call the Box Route. The story for this chapter is just after this short section.
The Box Route is a secret way to travel the Marauders find out about. The Box Route will be featured later in this chapter.
The instructions are relatively simple.
You tap the correct 2 coordinates with your wand and you will find yourself magically transported there.
The first point tells the portal which floor of Hogwarts and the second one tells it which room.
All around Hogwarts castle there are "田's" hidden all over the place. The four square grid can range in size. It's basically just a square divided into four equal smaller squares (careful of the encoding of your brower if you can't see the symbol properly). They can be anywhere and are very cleverly hidden. For instance on the underside of a window sill, on the frame a portrait, on one of the many stone bricks of Hogwarts etc.
These "田" are all linked together and work the same way.
The Box is based on a number system.
The center of the cross in the square is 0. Zero means the ground floor of Hogwarts.
Starting from the top left hand corner of the square is one, you then count the corners in a clockwise direction. The number tells you which floor it will lead you to. eg. top left corner (1) = 1st floor, top right (2) = 2nd floor, bottom right (3)= 3rd floor, bottom left (4) = 4th floor.
Then the four points of the cross. You start from the arm of the cross that points up and continue counting in a clockwise direction. The one pointing up is the 5th floor (5), right (6) = 6th floor, down (7) = 7th floor and left (8) = is below ground floor ie the dungeons or kitchens.
After you tell it which floor you want to go to by tapping the correct point on the box, you have to tell it where on that floor.
The way numbers correspond to the box is the same.
8. Below Ground Floor
1. Potions Classroom
2. Head of Slytherin's Office
3. Slytherin Common Room
4. Hufflepuff Common Room
5. Kitchens
0. Ground Floor
1. Entrance Hall
2. Entrance Hall Antechamber
3. Great Hall
4. Staffroom
5. Caretaker's Office
1. First Floor
.1. Girl's Lavatory - Out of Order
2. History of Magic classroom
3. Gryffindor Head's Office
4. Herbology Greenhouses
2. Second Floor
1. Entrance to Headmaster's Office (prior to 1995)
2. Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor's Office
3. Third Floor
1. Charms Classroom
2. Trophy Room and Armour Gallery
3. Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom
4. Hospital Wing
4. Fourth Floor
1. Library
2. Storage Room
3. Bathroom
5. Fifth Floor
1. Prefects' bathroom
2. Muggle Studies Classroom
6. Sixth Floor
1. Boy's Lavatory
2. Study of Ancient Runes Classroom
7. Seventh Floor
1. Ravenclaw Head's Office
2. Room of Requirement
3. Arithmancy classroom
(This is a refined version of the list from Harry Potter Wikia - Hogwarts Castle )
Eg. You would use your wand and tap:
Arithmacy Classroom: Down (7), Bottom right corner (3)
Library: Bottom Left corner (4), Top Left corner (1)
Staffroom: Center (0), Bottom Left corner (4)
Kitchens: Left (8), Up (5)
You get it?
This Box can also take you to the official offices of the Founders. The Box is divided into four quarters. Depending on which square you tap you will get transported to which Founder's office. Starting from the top left square and going clockwise you have Gryffindor's Office, Hufflepuff's Office, Ravenclaws' Office and Slytherin's Office is the last at bottom left square. The order is easy to remember as it is just their name of the founders in alphabetical order. I will have an example of this in use possibly in the next chapter.
Note that this system is only for inside the castle. It does not lead to Hogwarts Grounds or the Towers. I also realise that if this was made in the time of the Founders the classrooms will have changed etc. I am not bothered to factor that into this Box Route. This Box route is based on the Marauder's Era layout so it doesn't include Slughorn's second office or the changed entrance to the Headmaster's Office.
Includes:
Major Classrooms of permanant Fixure (no temporary classrooms)
Rooms of the correct time (i.e. not Headmaster's 2nd Office Entrance or Slughorn's Second Office)
Rooms in the physical castle (i.e. not courtyards)
The offices of the Founders
Does NOT include:
Hogwart Grounds
Towers
Common Rooms that are in Towers (Gryffindor Tower, Ravenclaw Tower)
Access to inside Headmaster's Office, just the entrance to it, as the Headmaster's Office is in a tower (Headmaster's Tower)
If you want to access Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Tower, you can use the box to get to the Founder's Secret Lounge either through the Armour Gallery, Hufflpuff Basement or Slytherin Dungeons, all of which can be directly accessed through Box Route. You can also take the Box to the closest location and walk there.
This chapter will have an example of how it is used. Sorry if you don't understand. If you wish for clarification even after you see the example you are welcome to PM me with your questions.
Memorising the list and the coordinates for the use of the Box Route isn't necessary as I will tell you the points pressed and where it leads to so you don't have to jump back and forth between chapters in the future. However, if I don't tell you the coordinates or where it led to then it is probably because I don't want you to know where they went.
Story starts now!
Between the four the bleak grey walls of the Hospital Wing slept half a dozen students. None were seriously injured thanks to the finesse and teamwork of the upper years. Among the students was one Lily Evans. After her fainting episode she was now sleeping in one of the beds of the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey was temporarily in the Headmaster's office at one in the morning.
"Help me..." cried Lily weakly in her sleep.
"Wake up Lily," a concerned voice gently cooed.
That voice...Jasper? What's he doing here?
"Help me Jasper! The Death Eater is after me again," still trapped in her nightmare.
The owner of the voice softly shook Lily from her sleepy stupor.
"Wake up now Lily. It's just a nightmare. No-one's going to hurt you," assured the person.
Lily's eyes were still sleepily closed as she thrashed in her sleep.
"C'mon Lils, wake up and everything will be OK," the voice calmed Lily with comforting embrace.
She reciprocated the hug by locking him in even tighter. She rested her head on their right shoulder as she screwed her eyes shut the entire time in attempt to stop the tears from pouring out. It didn't help. The tears still cascaded from her eyes as she cried in fear for what happened and what could have happened at Hogsmeade.
The person sent a patronus to Alice and Euphie - they would be the first to want to know that Lily was awake.
"I was so scared. In my dream you didn't come when I called for you! I couldn't do anything and he-!" she stuttered and cried, unable to finish her words.
"Shhh," he hushed, rubbing her back in soothing circles, "It's only a dream. A bad nightmare, nothing else. He didn't succeed in the end. Everything's alright."
Lily continued sobbing on his shoulder for a while.
"Lily! You're awake!" simultaneously cried Euphie and Alice. As they crashed into her with strangling hugs.
"Guys, I need to breathe!"
"We were so worried about you! If James didn't save you, you could have died!"
"James?"
"What's with the perplexed look Lily? Wasn't the reason you were hugging James because he saved you?"
Lily turned around and saw the person she was hugging for the first time. Since she was crying with her eyes closed, she never saw who it was.
"Merlin's Beard! Potter! But-but I thought-! Your voice! It sounds like-! But-What?"
"Sorry Lily," James looked apologetically, "I knew you thought I was Jasper, but you were so upset I thought it would be better to let you cry a bit first. I didn't mean to deceive you."
Lily still looked just as shocked.
"Lily, are you alright?" asked Euphie and Alice worriedly.
"I'm fine," she said uncertainly, "What time is it?"
"It's one in the morning."
"One in the morning? Why are you guys here? It's way past curfew!"
"We kinda sneaked in," they said sheepishly.
"Alice! Euphie! How could you? You have any idea how much trouble you two can get in if you guys are caught? How did you get past Filch anyway? He's everywhere!"
"Well, when you're friends with the Marauders you have little regards for rules. Not to mention it makes sneaking around the castle late at night a lot easier too," they explained.
"Can we get back on topic can we?" asked Alice, trying to divert the attention from their blatant rule breaking, "How are you feeling Lils? You fainted right after James saved you from the Death Eater and he carried you all the way back to the Hospital Wing from Hogsmeade."
"No, I'm quiet all right now after-" she flushed red in embarrassment. She had just spent a good ten minutes consciously in Potter's arms crying and talking about the incident and being comforted by a boy. And not just any boy, Potter! For Merlin's sake, Potter? She thought it was Jasper. If it was Jasper, then - yea, that would have been fine, he's Jasper. Anything's fine with Jasper. But Potter? Not a snowball's chance in hell!
"Human ears are so unreliable when it comes to identification." thought Lily. (A/N - Yup I agree! I heard Baby by Justin Beiber about five times on the radio and the thought of a boy singing it never even crossed my mind. In fact, the only reason I now know is 'cause I was talking to a friend and said, "Her song's quite catchy." and my friend was like, "It's a guy." I was so shocked and WTF-ing continuously. Human ears are so unreliable.)
"Lily, are you alright? You look kinda out of it," said Alice, waving her hand in front of Lily and bringing her out of her thoughts, "Is something wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm fine. Really," she added as reassurance upon seeing their faces, "But there is something I would like to talk about but..." Lily stared at James, sending the unspoken message.
"S'alright, I ought to be leaving. Get well soon. See you guys in the morning," said James as he prepared to take his leave.
"Oh, and James," said Lily uncertainly. He stopped and turned to face her, his attention drawn to the fact she called by his first name, albeit nervously, but it was already a huge improvment, "Thank you for saving me. It was really nice of you."
"Would have done it for anyone, but thanks accepted. Bye, Lily."
You could see the impish grin on his face. He was euphoric that Lily had decided to call him something other Potter, jerk, ponce, prick, prat, twat and a bill of other things from her colourful vocabulary. He personally thought it was improper of ladies to swear, but that could possibly be classified as sexism, and everyone knows not to display any such tendencies in front of Lily if you wanted to carry on the family name. Unless you were female or a close friend, she will insist that you say Magical world as opposed to Wizarding world. Apparently she classified it as unfair to all witches. Bit of an extremist don't you think?
James happily left the Hospital Wing extremely content that Lily had finally called him by his first name. Knowing him, he would have probably shouted it to the world and everyone in the castle at that very moment if it wasn't for the fact that it was well past one and bordering on two or that he would get into huge amounts of trouble for doing so.
James slunk down the silent corridors of the majestic castle, occasionally skipping a step or two from joy - in a manly manner of course. He had just reached the Grand Staircase which would take him back to Gryffindor Tower on the Seventh Floor when he heard Mrs. Norris heading straight for him.
"Meow~"
Oh shit, it's Mrs. Norris. (A/N - Sakura Lisel previously pointed out Filch should have a different cat because otherwise it would be really old. But changing it now would be too confusing so bare with me and pretend magucal cats live ages. Thanks!)
Everybody knows right behind Mrs. Norris was Filch. James looked around for an escape route. He couldn't back-track as that was where Mrs. Norris was coming from. He also couldn't just use his invisibility cloak. Whilst it may delude her sense of sight, she could still smell him. If Mrs. Norris just stood there scratching and sniffing at the cloak, it would definately attract Filch's attention. Even if he made himself intangible like a ghost she would still sense him. No, charms were not the solution, the only way out was the Grand Staircase, but the stupid moving thing was on the wrong flight right now. He couldn't wait for the correct flight to connect him to the 7th Floor. He didn't have time, any second now and Mrs. Norris would be behind him.
Without further thought he took it and ended up on the 5th Floor.
Great! How am I going to get back to the common room now? I can't use the Grand Staircase 'cause that's where Filch and that damnable cat are. Looks like my only option is the Box Route.
The Marauders didn't use the Box Route often. They usually prefered to roam the corridors of Hogwarts as opposed to jumping from place to place. It lacked the sense of adventure. Usually, the only time they ever used it was when they're were late to class or about to get caught.
James headed towards the nearest Box, the Prefects' Bathroom. The Prefect's Bathroom was right next to the statue of Boris the Bewildered. The statue of him wore a ring, and on the ring was the Box engraved into it (symbol "田" not words).
James cast a disillusionment and intangibility charm on himself before gingerly heading towards the statue and carefully tapped the correct coordinates to the Armour Gallery (3,2) before he was magically transported to the Trophy Room and Armour Gallery.
To Box Route, it is advisable to make yourself not only invisible, but intangible as well because, unlike the portrait passage in the Founder's Secret Lounge, you didn't end up behind a portrait or somewhere where normal people couldn't access, nope, you were out in the open where people could see you and walk right into you. It is because of this reason they cast an intangibility spell on themselves and the disillusionment charm to prevent people seeing them or walking right into them when they use the Box Route as they couldn't check if anyone was on the other side.
James exited from the other end of the portal, a small Box at the bottom of a display cabinet in the Trophy Room which was closely connected to the Armour Gallery. He walked up towards the King and respectfully bowed before whispering, I seek liberation.
Not a second later the knights all raised their swords and formed the magic portal. Silently of course, as to not attract attention. It would defeat the whole purpose of it being a secret lounge if it attracted attention.
He pushed open the two grand doors to the lounge to be greeted by the warmth of the fireplace as the portal closed behind him.
"Hey guys, long time no see," greeted.
"Hey dude, how s'it been?" asked the animated portrait of Godric Gryffindor.
"'Ric, that is not proper grammar. Say it again; properly this time."
"But R'ena, that's how people greet each other nowadays," whined Godric.
"I don't care. You are not some silly teenager. I will not accept such deplorable english."
"Now, now R'ena, it's not that bad," placated the portrait of Helga, always the peacemaker, "Let him have his fun. You know how childish he is."
"I second that," added Salazar playfully as he slid into Godric's portrait.
"Sal, you traitor," Godric dramatized.
"However," Sal continued, "You do have to start accepting all these new words and slang R'ena."
"Yes, the times are changing R'ena. Accept it," said Ric.
"Join the Dark Side," said Sal darkly.
"We have cookies," continued Ric, before he and Sal were holding onto their stomachs and laughing like a pack of insane hyenas on helium and crack.
"I see you have taken to the movie I left here last time," said James, genuinly pleased.
"Oh Merlin, not again!" exclaimed R'ena, "Those two have been cracking themselves up with that line since you showed them that Star Wars. They're obsessed with it!"
"C'mon Rena, it was a brilliant movie! If you can't beat them, join 'em. Or the Force will get you," Helga added on a second note, having a good chuckle herself. This made Sal and Ric laugh even harder at the look of displeasure on Rena's face. They now had to lean on each other as support or they would have been on the ground, their laughter affecting their balance.
"Not you too Bell! This is insane!" R'ena complained. Bell was Helga's nickname. Who wanted to be called Hel?
"Anyways James, watcha doing here this late?" asked Bell, ignoring R'ena's glare for her 'bad language'.
"Nothing much, I had to come here to dodge Filch. I'm on my way back to my common room."
"That loner and his cat again hey?" asked Sal.
"Yeah," James smiled towards Sal. Most people would be pretty shocked, he and the Marauders were the first time they met his portrait too, but Salazar Slytherin was not a bad guy. Over the years, James and the rest of the Marauders had become pretty good friends with the Founders and got to know them personally...well maybe portraitally?
Salazar didn't hate muggles the way Slytherins and purebloods portrayed him to. No, Sal didn't mind muggles or muggleborns, he's just worried about keeping the Wizarding World a secret from Muggles. This didn't mean he hated them or supported mass eradication of them - no way. Over the thousands of years, Salazar's beliefs had been misinterpreted and misunderstood. If playing a short game of Chinese Whispers could give you a whole different sentence, then imagine what a thousand years could do.
He himself was a bit ashamed of the attitude his house had against muggleborns. Although not all, and in fact most Slytherins weren't evil or bullys, the more prominent figures in his house were, creating the illusion that the entire house were prejudiced ponces.
"Remus left his book here last time, have you seen it?" asked James.
"Yeah, it's just there on the coffee table," directed Bell.
"Thanks." he said, grabbing hold of the book, "I really should get going now, it's really late," James said whilst heading towards the portrait of Godric Gryffindor, "but before I go, could I ask your help for something?"
"Sure," they all replied.
"I have this friend who I really care about, and she just got attacked. I want to give her something that will keep her safe, but I don't want it to track her or make her feel restricted; she wouldn't like that. So I thought I'd give her a nice necklace charmed to protect her from spells with the intention of harm. I don't want to buy it, it's not as trustworthy, so I have to make it myself."
"Sounds like something you could easily at your level," said Sal. James and the rest of the Marauders sans Peter were pretty powerful. The Founders would sometimes teach them things, especially wandless magic as wands weren't use often in their time.
"Well, maybe, but I want her to be really safe so it has to be perfect and really powerful. Not some simple spell that would leave any risk of her getting harmed. I was wondering if you guys knew anything more advanced that would definitely protect her."
"Well, I should have some in my personal library," informed Rowena, "you can come here and we can try to help you after you've read them."
"Thanks," smiled James gratefully.
"Are you planning on buying the necklace and charming it or making one of your own from scratch?" asked Helga.
"If you infuse your magic with the metal as you make it into a necklace, it will be much more powerful," said Salazar.
"I would love to make one, but I don't really know how. I don't want to give her an ugly blob of metal," said James uncertainly.
"Come here if you have time. I can help you infuse your magic with the metal, Bell can help with making the necklace and R'ena can help with the charms," said Sal. While being portraits, they didn't have magic, but they still had all the knowledge they could use to instruct James on his task.
"Oi! What about me? What can I do?" asked Godric, the only one who had yet to contribute to the necklace.
"Why you asking me? I'm not you," said Sal.
"Good point," he said, rubbing his chin with his hands in a thinking posture.
"God he's slow isn't he?" asked Sal.
"Who's slow?" asked Godric.
"See what I mean? A snail can travel faster than his thoughts!" exclaimed Sal.
All the occupants of the room laughed, including Ric - he had yet to figure out who they were laughing at...
"I know!" He suddenly jerked up, "I can ask my familiar, Fawkes, to donate some of his tears. We can incorporate that to the necklace and charm the necklace to use the tears to heal her whenever she has serious injuries."
"Thank you so much! That would be brilliant!" thanked James.
"Even your bird is contributing more than you. You really oughta be ashamed Ric," teased Sal.
"It's not my fault. What we're doing here isn't my forte. I'm better at outright brash offensive spells. Not such delicate arts," defended Godric.
"It's alright 'Ric. The phoenix tears help heaps already," said James with a huge smile, so happy he had such good friends who were willing to help him in his project to protect Lily.
"See? That's how you should all be treating me. Some friends you are," sulked 'Ric.
They all just laughed.
"See ya guys, and once again, thanks for helping me with the necklace," he waved with the hand with his book as the other was holding his wand.
"No problem. Come whenever you have the time. It's not like we have anything else to do or anywhere else to go," said Bell.
"I'll try to bring another movie or two...and a documentary," James added upon seeing R'ena's look of dread, "Thanks. Bye," said James before he cast a disillusionment charm on himself again and tapped the X at the corner of Godric Gryffindor's portrait.
"Revenio" whispered James, and he was whisked off behind a duplicate in Gryffindor Common room.
James looked through the portrait and checked that there was no one in the common room. There shouldn't be I suppose, it was a nearly three. At least classes were cancelled tomorrow due to the Hogsmeade incident.
Keeping the disillusionment charm on just in case, he crept up the stairs to the boys dormitory.
He gently opened the door to their dormitory and smiled at the sight.
Peter was squeaking something about cheddar cheese and Pads...foot, ahem, was yipping and making excited doggy noises whilst waving his limbs all over the place. Padfoot was probably chasing something - squirrels again? Maybe or rabbits?
He remembered, the first time he transformed he was running all over the place after smaller creatures or chasing his tail.
Maybe I should have taken pictures for blackmail. Force him not to compliment him self for a week? Or maybe profess his undying love for Snape. Perhaps Snape and Lucius.
A cruel smile grew on his face.
He last turned to Moony. How could he not have guessed?
Moony was moaning something about chocolate waterfalls and chocolate rain.
Maybe I should introduce him to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). (A/N - I like the old version better than the newer 2005 one. The old one is Willy Wonka and the new one and book is Charlie.)
He gently place Moony's book on Moony's bedside table before crashing into his bed and falling instantly into a deep, well deserved sleep.
So how did everyone like this chapter? I couldn't resist putting the Founders in there because I love them. I don't like perceiving Slytherins or Salazar as evil. In fact, Salazar is my favourite Founder then Ravenclaw and Slytherin is my favourite house. Any other Slytherin or Salazar fans out there?
I love fanfiction with Salazar or Slytherin!Harry. Especially ones where Harry is the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin. Or all the Founders are reincarnated or something. If it is necessary to make Slytherins or Salazar evil for plots sake, then I don't mind as long as it's good. I just LOVE good Salazar fics.
If anyone knows good fics PLEASE! tell me. I'll be forever grateful. Slytherin!Harry or reincanation of the Founders or basically any fic featuring the Founders PLEASE let me know!
Now that I've finished pining and broadcasting my love for Salazar and Slytherins, please let me know on what you think of this chapter.
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! (R&R - It actually took me a while to realise what it stood for. Kinda sad really. It proves all the times my dad calls me stupid about 6 times a day. Oh well.)
REVIEW!