Chapter 102 The Marauder's Map Controversy
"Empty your pockets, Potter," Snape suddenly said.
Harry didn't move, the words ringing in his ears through his friends' uproar.
"Professor, we..." Draco attempted to intervene.
"Silence, Mason! Silence, Granger!" Snape yelled angrily, a genuine look of frustration visible on his face.
"Severus, I don't believe shouting at these children is necessary." Professor Lupin approached, his tone gentle, "They haven't broken any school rules."
"Haven't broken any rules?" Snape's anger seemed to escalate. A sarcastic smile played on his lips. "That's because you don't know them well enough. I wonder how many of them have... Ah! I forgot you were just like them, or perhaps worse!"
"Severus..." Professor Lupin frowned.
"Enough, Lupin, do not question my educational methods. You claim they haven't broken any rules. I shall prove you wrong." Snape turned back to Harry, raising his voice once more. "Empty your pockets. Empty them all, or we'll go straight to the headmaster! Hand it over, Potter!"
In the Great Hall, all the students stared in disbelief.
Evan caught sight of Fred and George catching wind of the situation and hurrying over. They each held large eggs, silently plotting mischief.
From their expressions, it was evident they knew the map resided in Harry's pocket. If Snape uncovered it, the consequences would be beyond imagination.
Evan urgently signaled Fred and George, desperately urging them not to act rashly. Throwing large eggs in the Great Hall to divert Snape's attention was a dreadful idea.
Even if they succeeded, the aftermath of such audacity would lead to great misery.
Evan gently nudged Harry, quietly advising him to comply with Snape's demands.
Confronting the professors was clearly not an option. Once more, Evan pondered that there was no need to worry, as James Potter and his friends likely designed the map in such a way that their rival, Severus, couldn't use it.
Harry felt the weight of everyone's gaze upon him and fear gripped him.
Slowly, he emptied his pockets. Besides a few treats, only the map remained.
Upon seeing the map, Lupin displayed a strange and mysterious expression on his face.
Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione struggled to maintain their composure. They watched as Snape immediately seized the map.
In the ensuing moments, Hermione was so anxious that her cold hands clung to Evan's arm.
"What is this, a piece of blank parchment?" Snape turned the parchment over and examined it. "Potter, surely you don't need such an old piece of parchment. Why not dispose of it?"
He drew his wand and waved it gently. The wand tip emitted a small blue flame. With his left hand holding the map, he slowly brought it closer to the flame.
"No!" Harry exclaimed quickly.
"Hmm," Snape's long nose twitched disdainfully. "Why do you need this blank parchment, or is it something more? A letter... perhaps; written in invisible ink? Or is it a way to enter Hogwarts undetected by the Dementors?"
Harry blinked, and Snape's eyes gleamed.
"Let me see, let me see..." he muttered, drawing his wand and spreading the map out on the table. "Reveal your secret!" he commanded, touching the parchment with his wand.
Evan scrutinized the map closely, but nothing happened. He noticed Harry was too jittery, clenching his hands to keep them from trembling.
"Show yourself!" Snape struck the map with his wand.
The map remained blank. Harry and his friends breathed a sigh of relief and all regained their composure.
"Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to reveal the information you
are concealing," said Snape, striking the map with his wand.
As if an invisible hand were writing upon it, words appeared on the smooth surface of the
map.
"Mooney presents his respects to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose.
"Grande beyond the affairs of others."
Snape was frozen. Harry gazed, astonished, at the message. But the map didn't stop there. More writing was appearing beneath the first.
"Mr. Moony agrees with Mr. Prongs and would like to add that Professor Snape is a hideous imbecile."
It would have been quite comical if the situation hadn't been so serious. And there was still more...
"Mr. Padfoot would like to express his astonishment that a fool like that has become a professor."
Harry closed his eyes in horror. When he opened them, the map had spoken its final word.
"Mr. Wormtail wishes Professor Snape a good day, and advises him to wash his greasy hair."
No one knew what to say, the silence was so profound that you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone noticed that Snape's face was darker than ever. All were expecting him to rage.
"So it turns out, so it was, I should have thought about it..." Snape said softly, finally realizing the nature of this parchment.
Evan noticed his expression, looking at Harry, clearly lost in the past. His memories were definitely not pleasant, as his face only showed anger and disdain.
The atmosphere was gloomy, but quickly returned to the present.
In the next moment, Snape turned quickly and looked at Professor Lupin. His face was filled with fury.
He said with extreme disgust, "Lupin, what do you think this is?"
Snape pointed to the parchment, where the words of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs still glowed. A strange closed expression appeared on Lupin's face.
"This parchment is clearly imbued with Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you think Potter got something like this?"
Lupin looked up and, with barely a fleeting glance towards Harry, warned him not to interrupt.
"Filled with Dark Magic," he repeated calmly. "Do you truly think so, Severus? To me, it seems like just a piece of parchment that insults anyone who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous. I assume Harry got it from a joke shop..."
"Really?" Snape said. His jaw had hardened in anger. "You think a joke shop could supply him with something like this? Doesn't it seem more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?"