Chapter 10: The Marauder's Map

I don't own Digimon or Harry Potter.

"I'm terribly sorry to hear about your broomstick. Are you sure there is no way of repairing it?" Professor Lupin asked Harry as they walked through the forest by the lake, Daisuke, Veemon and Herissmon following them. The Professor wore a thick winter coat and used a cane to help him walk. The man looked very ill.

Not far from them were Percival and Leon, keeping an eye on the group as usual.

"No," Harry answered softly. "Professor, why do the Dementors affect me so, I mean, more than everyone else? Am I just…"

"Listen," Lupin cut him off. "You are not weak, Harry. The Dementors are the foulest creatures to walk this earth. They feed on every good feeling and happy memory until a person is left with nothing but their worst experiences. The Dementors affect you most of all because there are true horrors in your past. Horror, your classmates can scarcely imagine. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm scared, Professor," Harry muttered. He then felt Herissmon nudge his leg, looked down, and pet his partner's head with a small smile.

Lupin chuckled. "I'd consider you a fool if you weren't."

"I need to know how to fight them. You could teach me. You made that one from the train go away," Harry said.

"There was only one that night." Lupin reminded him.

"But you made it go away."

"I don't pretend to be an expert, Harry. But as the Dementors seem to have developed an interest in you, perhaps I should teach you. But after the holidays. But for now, I need to rest."

Harry nodded, running his hand down Hedwig's back as the snowy white owl landed on a tree stump beside him, cooing gently at him. "Um, Professor, I hope you didn't mind my sister, Veemon, Leon, and Percival coming with us." He then said, looking back at the others.

"Not at all. I understand them wanting to keep an eye on you. Especially Herissmon, was it?" Professor Lupin said, looking down at Harry's Digimon partner, who smiled.

"Yep, yep. I'm here to make sure Harry is safe and sound." The rookie said.

"Well, you did a fine job on the train. I don't think the Dementor expected anything like you to attack it," Lupin said. "Speaking of the Dementors, I wonder why they do not try to attack you like they do Harry, Miss Ainsworth."

"Me, what do you mean?" Daisuke asked, raising an eyebrow as she and Harry shared a look of confusion.

"When Dumbledore hired me, he told me about how you and Harry both had what you called Digimon." Professor Lupin said, pointing to Veemon and Herissmon. "He also told me that you faced other Digimon that tried to kill you before you could properly use your magic. And not just when you were in their world, but I believe he mentioned an incident when you were seven."

Daisuke's eyes widened as she realised what he was talking about, and she nodded. "Yeah…Myotismon."

"So that's his name. Would that be the vampire the Boggart transformed into when you faced it?" Professor Lupin asked.

"Yeah. He kidnapped a bunch of kids my age when I was seven. And he nearly killed a lot of people when we fought him again later." Daisuke answered.

"It explains why you were so terrified of him when he appeared. So, I'm shocked that the Dementors haven't tried anything with you." Professor Lupin said.

Daisuke shrugged, unsure how to explain it, when Veemon perked up. "Oh, maybe it has something to do with the Crest of Miracles?" he suggested.

Professor Lupin looked confused as Daisuke nodded. "That might be it,"

"What is a Crest of Miracles?" the Professor asked curiously.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Daisuke answered. "To put it simply, the Crests are these special items that chose one of the Digidestined that held the trait they showed the strongest. Even we don't know all of what they can do. They have special powers, though."

"Perhaps that is it. Your Crest could be protecting you." Professor Lupin said.

Percival and Leon shared a look while the others were chatting. "Or it could be her powers," Percival muttered.

"We'll discuss it with Alexander later," Leon said, and Percival nodded.

"As it stands, when I begin teaching Harry how to battle the Dementors, would you like to join us?" Professor Lupin asked Daisuke. "I'm sure you'd like the opportunity to help your brother."

"I would love to, Professor Lupin," Daisuke smiled. Lupin nodded as Hedwig hooted, and she took off, flying away towards the horizon.

As the weeks passed, the school grounds were covered in thick blankets of snow as winter rolled around. Luckily, there would be one more visit to Hogsmeade village before Christmas.

"We can do some Christmas shopping," Hermione said excitedly on the day of the trip, the bushy-haired girl wrapping a thick scarf around her.

"Yeah. I bet mum and dad will enjoy some treats from Honeydukes." Ron agreed. "Harry, Daisuke, you both coming?"

"Yeah. We'll be down there soon." Daisuke called over from a table where she and Harry were working together on homework.

"Well, you'd better hurry before they sell all the sweats like they did last time," Ron said before he, Hermione, and the others who were going to Hogsmeade left the Gryffindor Common room empty except for Daisuke, Harry, and their Digimon.

About fifteen minutes later, the four ran down the stairs towards the Entrance Hall. "I can't believe it took us that long to finish Professor Snape's potions homework. We're probably not going to be able to catch up to the others now." Harry said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Uncle Percival or Uncle Leon will be waiting to escort us themselves," Daisuke said with a smile.

Just as the four were about to leave the castle and head out onto the grounds, Fred and George Weasley appeared out of nowhere, grabbing both Daisuke and Harry by their arms. "Hey, what're you doing!?" Harry yelped.

"Nothing, Harry, nothing at all. We thought we'd give you and Daisuke some early festive cheer." George said as they dragged the duo into an empty classroom, their Digimon right behind them.

"What sort of festive cheer? You're not going to prank us, are you?" Daisuke asked with a glare.

The twins smirked and shook their heads. "Us prank you, Miss Ainsworth, certainly not. What with your parents, your cousin, and the Dragon Cloaks around? They'd have our heads." Fred said.

"And we prefer to keep our heads firmly attached." George chirped. "Now here." He handed Harry a folded-up piece of parchment.

"What's this rubbish?" he asked, shaking the parchment.

"What's this rubbish he says," Fred said.

"That rubbish, Harry, is the secret to our success," George said.

"Bit of a wrench giving it to you, but we felt you needed it more now," Fred said.

"Besides, we've used it so much that we know it all practically off by heart." George continued, whipping out his wand. "Shall I show them, Fred?"

"Go ahead, George."

George waved his wand around. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He tapped the wand against the parchment. Then, before Harry and Daisuke's eyes, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point George's wand had touched. They joined each other. They criss-crossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words that proclaimed.

Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

Are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing that Daisuke and Harry saw was the tiny ink dots shaped like footprints moving around it, each labelled with a name in minuscule writing.

"No way…." Daisuke whispered.

"Is that…" Harry began noticing a dot on one spot of the map.

"Dumbledore," Fred answered.

"In his office, pacing," George said.

"He's been doing quite a lot of that these days," Fred continued.

"How the heck did you guys get your hands on this?" Veemon asked.

"Well, you see, my friend, when Fred and I were young, naïve, innocent first-years," George said.

"Innocent?" Daisuke asked with a disbelieving smile. "You were not."

The twins grinned mischievously at her. "More innocent than we are now. We got into a spot of bother with Filch."

"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor, and it upset him for some reason,"

"So, he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual."

"Detention, disembowelment, the usual nonsense. But we couldn't help but notice a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

"So, you stole this from Filch's office?" Harry asked with a wide grin.

"Yep. We don't reckon he ever knew what it could do. But he suspected it was dangerous; otherwise, he'd never have taken it." Fred answered.

"This map has all the secret passages in and out of the castle. Filch knows about these four, so we wouldn't recommend using them." He said, pointing the ones out. "This one on the fourth floor caved in last winter. So that's a no-go. And this one here leads to the Shrieking Shack, but the Whomping Willow is planted over the entrance."

"But there is one passage right here," George tapped on the map with his finger. "Behind that one-eyed old crone's hump. All you have to do is tap the statue with your wand and utter the word Dissendium, and it'll open up."

"And when you're done using the map, simply say Mischief Managed. Otherwise, anyone could read it." the twins finished, tapping the parchment, and it went blank.

"Thanks," Harry said softly before looking at his sister. "Um, we're going to keep this, right?" he asked nervously.

Daisuke hummed and tapped her chin. "Hm, you want us to keep a map that can lead anyone anywhere in the castle, effectively allowing them to track down anyone or avoid anyone whenever they use it?" She asked with a serious frown, and Harry gulped, only for Daisuke to grin widely. "Why the hell not."

Harry and the others grinned. "Excellent. We'll see you both in Hogsmeade." The twins said, patting their backs before leaving the classroom.

"So shall we use it?" Veemon asked, jumping onto the desk beside Harry and Daisuke with Herissmon.

"Sure," Harry said, whipping out his wand and about to activate the map when Daisuke grabbed his hand.

"Some rules first," she said softly. "We do not use this map for hunting down anyone to bully or attack. We do not use this map to sneak out of the Common Room at night and avoid everyone on patrol. We especially do not let this map fall out of our hands while it's activated. If someone like Professor Snape found it, who knows what he might do with it."

"She's right. It's dangerous." Veemon agreed after a moment's thought.

"Yeah. We'll be careful, though, right Harry?" Herissmon asked his partner.

"Of course we will be," Harry answered honestly. "Now, I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he said, tapping the blank parchment. Like before, when Fred and George had shown them, the map reactivated, showing the entirety of Hogwarts Castle, including the secret passage to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade.

"Come on, let's grab the Invisibility Cloak just to be safe, and then we'll go," Daisuke said with a grin, picking up Veemon in her arms and leaving the classroom. Harry and Herissmon shared a grin and followed them.

A short while later, after retrieving the Invisibility Cloak from Harry's trunk and heading through the secret passage shown on the map, the four slowly climbed out from under the floor in the cellar of Honeydukes sweetshop. "Wow…" the four whispered.

Harry quickly tucked the map into his jacket before they crept up the stairs out of the cellar. Daisuke pushed open the door, and once the coast was clear, she led the others into Honeydukes, where they saw several students buying bags of sweets.

"I'm surprised Madam Pomfrey hasn't been dealing with more tooth-related ailments since we all started going to Hogsmeade," Veemon muttered.

"Give it time. Someone will break a tooth trying to eat a rock-hard jawbreaker or something," Daisuke replied as the four left the shop.

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked, looking around for their friends.

"I think they both mentioned wanting to look at the Shrieking Shack today. Come on," Daisuke said, taking her brother's hand and leading the way.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the village, Ron and Hermione were both standing behind a wire fence, looking at the Shrieking Shack in the distance. "It's the most haunted building in Britain. Have I mentioned it?" Hermione asked.

"Twice already," Ron answered with a grin.

"Don't even think about trying to get closer, you two," Lancelot called from nearby, the Dragon Cloak having followed them when he spotted them wandering off from Hogsmeade. "It's off limits for a reason."

The two nodded before hearing more footsteps. They both turned, expecting it to be Harry or Daisuke who had finally caught up to them, but instead, it was Pansy Parkinson, along with Crabbe and Goyle.

"What're you two doing here? Looking for your dream home?" Pansy asked with a sneer.

"None of your business, Parkinson. Why don't you shove off and go back to trying to get Malfoy's attention?" Ron replied.

"Watch your tongue, Weasley. You'd best remember who your betters are,"

Hermione laughed and took a step forward. "I seriously hope you don't mean you,"

"How dare you talk to me, your filthy little Mudblood," Pansy growled, reaching for her wand as Ron jumped in front of Hermione. "Don't try to protect her, Weasley. She has this coming."

"I'm not protecting her from you. I'm protecting you from her," Ron replied. "Hermione's ten times the witch you'll ever be,"

This comment made Pansy growl furiously, but as she raised her wand, Lancelot drew his own, but before he could stop her from casting a spell, a snowball came flying out from behind some trees and hit Pansy in the face.

She staggered back in shock and turned around. "Who did that!?" she shouted. "I demand you show yourself!"

Another snowball was her answer, this one hitting her in the chest. She shrieked before dozens of snowballs began hitting her, Crabbe, and Goyle. The three Slytherins stumbled about before Crabbe slipped on the snow and landed on his butt.

Ron and Hermione burst into laughter while Lancelot smirked at the events unfolding.

"Don't just stand there, you dolts, do something!" Pansy barked at the other two while scrambling up the snowy hill as more snowballs pelted her back.

"Pansy! Wait, Wait!" Goyle shouted, he and Crabbe tripping over each other before managing to flee, following the girl out of the clearing.

"And don't come back!" Ron shouted, grinning widely before turning to Hermione. "How did you do that? That was amazing."

Hermione blinked in confusion. "I didn't have anything to do with that," she replied softly.

"Then who did?" Ron asked.

"That would be us," a voice chirped, and they both turned to see Daisuke, Harry, Veemon, and Herissmon jogging down the snowy hill over to them.

"How did ya like the one-sided snowball fight?" Harry asked his friends with a wide grin.

"That was you!?" Ron asked before he grinned. "Brilliant!"

"Indeed," Lancelot said, walking over to the group. "Now, I believe you've spent enough time here. We should return to Hogsmeade before the others send out search parties." With that, he led the group off back to Hogsmeade.

Once back in Hogsmeade, while Lancelot was off dealing with some other students who were causing trouble, Harry and Daisuke whispered to Ron and Hermione what Fred and George had given them before they left the castle.

"Those Weasels, they never told me about any Marauder's Map," Ron grumbled as the four stopped in the middle of Hogsmeade.

"Harry and Daisuke aren't going to keep it," Hermione said. "They're going to hand it over to Professor McGonagall. Aren't you?" she asked the two with a stern glare.

"Oh sure, along with the Invisibility Cloak?" Ron asked sarcastically.

Hermione scoffed, rolling her eyes before she looked ahead and smirked. "Oh, look who it is. Madam Rosmerta, Ron fancies her." She pointed at the owner of the Three Broomsticks, who was nailing something to the outside of her building.

"I do not!" Ron hissed with reddening cheeks.

"Then why are ya blushing?" Veemon asked with a wide grin.

"Shut up," Ron muttered, bobbing the Digimon on the head before they saw a horse-drawn sled come to a stop outside the pub. The group watched as Cornelius Fudge stood up in the sled.

"Professor McGonagall!" he called, waving to the witch walking toward him with Hagrid.

"Cornelius!" she greeted.

"Allow me, Minister," Hagrid said, grabbing the sled's door before he accidentally ripped it off.

"Oh, Hagrid," Fudge sighed.

"Sorry about that," the half-giant muttered before tossing the broken door aside. The Minister climbed out of the sled and stepped over horse droppings before smiling at Madam Rosmerta.

"Rosmerta, my dear, I hope business is well," Fudge said pleasantly.

"It would be if you didn't have Dementors entering my pub every other night," the woman said fiercely, waving the hammer in her hand menacingly at Fudge, making the man stumble back into the droppings.

"Well…I…but we have a killer on the loose," he reminded her.

"Oh, Sirius Black in Hogsmeade, and what would bring him here?" She asked, looking at Fudge and Professor McGonagall.

"Harry Potter," Fudge whispered.

"Harry Potter!?" Rosmerta blurted out.

"Shush!" Fudge and Professor McGonagall hissed before quickly ushering the woman back into the Three Broomsticks. Daisuke, Ron, and Hermione shared a look, but when they turned to Harry, they saw he was gone, hidden under his Invisibility Cloak and rushing into the Three Broomsticks alone.

"Harry!" Daisuke shouted, running after him, but when she pushed open the pub door, three shrunken heads dropped in front of her.

"I say no underage wizards allowed in today."

"Shut the damn door!"

"How rude," Daisuke huffed, slamming the door shut before peering through the small window, and she saw Fudge, Rosmerta, and Professor McGonagall walking up some stairs.

Meanwhile, Harry tried to keep his breathing under control. The last thing he wanted was to be caught because he was breathing too loudly. He pushed open the door to the room he saw Fudge, Professor McGonagall, and Rosmerta walk through moments before and hurried in, hiding in a corner of the room as Rosmerta walked over to the open door and shut it.

"Now, tell me what this is all about," she told Fudge and Professor McGonagall.

"Well, years ago, when Harry Potter's parents realised they were marked for death, they went into hiding. Few knew who they were. One who did was Sirius Black, and he told You-Know-Who." Professor McGonagall said.

"Not only did Black lead You-Know-Who to the Potters that night, but he also killed one of their friends, Peter Pettigrew," Fudge said.

"Peter Pettigrew?" Rosmerta asked.

"Yes, you remember him?" Professor McGonagall asked. "The little lump of a boy who was always following Sirius Black?"

"I remember him. He never let Sirius or James out of his sight. What happened to him?"

"Peter Pettigrew tried to warn the Potters and might have managed to had he not run into an old friend, Sirius Black."

"Black was vicious," Fudge said, opening up a bottle and pouring a drink for himself and Professor McGonagall. "He didn't kill Pettigrew. He destroyed him. A finger, that's all that was left of him, a finger. Imagine the look on his mother's face when she was presented with that and the Order of Merlin First Class awarded to Pettigrew for his bravery."

"I don't believe it," Rosmerta said.

"Now Black is free from Azkaban and wants to finish the job," Fudge said. "The guards at Azkaban told me that Black kept muttering to himself: 'He's at Hogwarts' weeks before he escaped. Who else could he be talking about but young Harry?"

"And it gets worse," Professor McGonagall said, sitting down once Fudge handed her a drink.

"How?" Rosmerta asked.

"This: Sirius Black was and remains to this day, Harry Potter's Godfather," she answered.

Harry's eyes widened, and his heart froze in his chest. He covered his mouth to prevent himself from saying anything as he rushed to the door and threw it open, not caring if anyone saw it. He ran down the stairs and through the pub.

He threw open the door and ran out into the snow. Daisuke, Ron, Hermione and the Digimon noticed his footprints in the snow as he knocked over several Christmas carollers and kept running, all while under the Invisibility Cloak.

"Where's he going?" Herissmon asked, running off after his partner, and the others followed him. Soon, they followed his footsteps to a small clearing in the forest nearby and could hear him sobbing quietly.

"Harry?" Daisuke asked softly, walking over to where Harry sat, still under his Invisibility Cloak. "Harry, it's Daisuke. I'm going to take off the cloak now," she told him, slowly pulling the cloak off Harry, and he looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

"He was their friend…a…and he betrayed them..." he whispered before looking up angrily. "He was their friend!" he shouted. "I hope he finds me because when he does, I'm going to be ready. When he finds me, I'm going to kill him!" he swore.

Daisuke pulled him into a hug, holding him tightly as Harry began sobbing again into her shoulder and clutched her tightly as the others looked on sadly.

The end of the chapter

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