Whilst having heard of it before James had never actually seen it.
Some people *cough cough his dad Harry Potter* Would perhaps find it within themselves to argue this, But James believed strongly he had the right to have the map in his possession.
Not only would he use it for the destined mischief it had been created for but he also shared his names with not just one, no two creators of the Marauders map.
James Potter and Sirius Black were people he could only dream of being alike, sure he lacked knowledge on certain areas—Harry was not as educated about his father and his godfather as James had hoped him to be—But he had gathered bits and pieces to be able to fairly idolize the two men.
Midnight tea sessions and long detentions with Minerva McGonagall had allowed him to ask questions about her old two students and despite detention having to be in silence her eyes had lid up in a way that told James she was about to break that rule.
The headmaster clearly had cared a great deal about them as she told the stories of their pranks proudly, not excluding their amazing talents in the class transfiguration she used to give.
In these conversations the marauders map came up, she had it stored in her office she had lazily mentioned, a comment that did not go unheard by James Sirius.
Which was when the plan started.
“James, what the bloody hell are you doing?” It was his roommate Mitchell that spoke, his voice annoyed as he threw one of his pillows at the other boy his head, a pillow that was easily dodged.
“If you expect me to be up at 6 for quidditch practice keep it down, I’m trying to sleep.”
“Mhh, I agree. You’re being very disruptive.” August his voice was quiet, obviously even closer to sleep than his other roommate.
James scoffed at that as he continued to pull stuff out his trunk and tossing it around in the dorm room. “August you don’t even have quidditch. If you’re thinking of trying out I’d recommend against it, don’t want you to break a nail.”
This time it was August that chugged a pillow his way, throwing with all the dislike he felt for Harry his eldest son and actually hitting him against the back of his head.
James usually would not have tolerated that from him especially but he genuinely did not intend to wake up his two other friends besides Mitchell, Matthew and Clarke who were fast asleep already.
It took about five more minutes of rummaging around before he pulled out his invisibility cloak from the bottom—A gift from his father that he received a year ago.
“you know Mitch you could also join me.” James hummed softly, stuffing everything back inside the trunk before getting up from the floor.
“I might actually let you use the map then.”
When James did not receive an answer he walked over to his bed, peaking inside his curtains only to find his friend asleep, drooling on his pillow as he quietly snored—having a spiderman comic book sprawled out across his chest. At this James rolled his eyes and walked to the door of their dorm.
“Sweet dreams August, have fun being asleep when I come back.” James said teasingly.
“I swear to Dumbledore James if you do anything dumb I will end you.”
“Sure.”
“I swear Jame—”
James didn’t listen to the rest of the threats that undoubtedly would follow and slipped out the dormitory.
He wasn’t actually going to do anything but it was fun to allow the other boy to believe he would, disturbing his night of rest even more.
The common room was empty so only once he walked out the portrait hole did he slip the cloak around himself, hiding himself from sight—From filch mainly.
The man was about a 1000 years old according to James, but he preferred not getting caught by him despite that.
He was the worst person to receive detention from—A grumpy old man it was.
James already was not on his good side after he had given him a box of chocolate to ‘apologize’ one time after a specifically hard session in detention. Filch had immediately throw up after the first bite and when he had pointed fingers at James, the boy had merely shrugged and claimed he had no idea what he was talking about. Filch knew better but Minerva had said it probably was an accident, though James doubted she was that gullible.
Filch after that had sworn he would one day capture James midst act and get him locked in detention for the rest of the year and some bullshit about hanging him upside down from the ankles.
James quietly walked around the empty corridors, his red plaid pajama pants dragging slightly across the ground. This was too easy—not in a way that made him suspicious, it simply wasn’t quite as exhilarating as he had hoped it would be. Sort of like a quest to prove he was worthy of the map.
“You can see your shoes.”
The voice startled James enough to come to an abrupt stop.
He looked around but he couldn’t find anyone, except he knew there was someone because he had heard them quite literally speak to him. So he looked down, as if it would somehow still be of use and he covered his red converse properly with the fabric now.
“Portrait.” The voice chuckled. “Can’t give you detention kid so no need to hide now.”
James slipped the cloak off of his head, revealing his messy auburn curls and his croaked glasses that stood in front of his near black eyes and hid the freckles on his nose.
“Portrait.” He echoed.
“I always thought Harry looked like James and Lily but your truly are the two exactly combined.”
It was easier to locate the source now and his eyes fell on the dark painting. He pulled out his wand and muttered a quick lumos. The brown haired man blinked back at him, adjusting his green like eyes to the new light as if he was not just some paint on a canvas.
He smiled, crinkling the scars that were painted across his face. It took James a few second to realize who the man was, though he did not give him any credit related to the quest he found himself currently on.
“Oh, you’re Teddy his dad.” James approached him, tilting his head slightly. “Remus.”
“Teddy his dad I am. yes.. Is he alright? I don’t speak nearly as much to him as I would like.. ever since he graduated from Hogwarts it complicated things.”
“Oh yeah, he’s great!” James said fondly. Though technically he was not, James looked up to Teddy Lupin as if he was his big brother. “Helps uncle Ron and George with the joke shop.”
Remus nodded, this being no new information to him but being grateful to hear about his son either way.
“So, why are you out of bed?” he asked with raised eyebrows, his voice wasn’t strict so James felt space to let his suppressed smile slip across his lips.
“I’m on a quest.”
“You’re on a.. quest?”
“Yeah! Wait—fuck, wow, hi. I entirely forgot, bollocks that’s crazy.”
Remus rightfully frowned at that. “I have no idea what you’re talking about pro--.. Ehm. James.”
“I’m looking for the map!” Harry never spoke much more of Remus than when he had been the teacher of the dark arts at Hogwarts, not having been able to spend much more time with the man—the man who Minerva had confirmed to be close friends with James, Sirius and Peter.
“Which you helped make, obviously knew that and absolutely did not forget.”
“The map.. The marauders map? Of course you are..”
“Hey, if anyone should have it I believe strongly it ought to be me!”
The corners of Remus his lips twitched as he shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure if that is what is safest for Hogwarts.”
“ehh.. I won’t create too much mayhem.. Moony was it? Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.”
James spoke the last two names with a certain amount of pride as if it was himself he was talking about, being cocky enough to only ever talk in a positive manner about himself to others.
“The one and only.. How do you.. I don’t think I ever told your father the origins of the nicknames? Then again Sirius might have. He loved talking about your grandfather.”
James shook his head, tipping back and forth on his toes as he could hardly contain his excitement to be talking to one of the marauders right now. One of the people he looked up to—fangirling was an embarrassing term but it wasn’t that off from how he felt right now.
“Headmaster McGonagall told me all about it!” He said, flashing his teeth in a broad grin.
“You should call her Minnie, She’ll like that.” Remus said softly as he looked the boy in front of him in the eyes.
“Don’t create too much havoc, alright? Promise?”
James nearly dropped the cloak as he extracted one hand from underneath placing it over his heart.
“Cross my heart and hope to die! You have my worth and my promise, Remus.”
“How big of a lie was that?”
“Massive, truly..”
Remus snorted at the immediate confession. He couldn’t even fake his annoyance about it and he merely shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting any less. You would have made them proud, James Sirius.”
“I try my best.” He pulled the cloak up over the back of his head, only keeping his face out from under it and he shot Remus a quick wink. “Thanks, Moony.”
With that he turned the light from his wand off and disappeared in the darkness of the corridor again.
Minerva her office was not that far from here, he knew the password so it was truly a laugh how easy it was to get in—He climbed the stairs and once he reached the door he took a deep breath and pushed it open.
It was dark inside and neither was any light coming from the crack of door behind which the women her sleeping quarters were located.
James cast a quick silencing spell over the office, allowing him to freely rummage around without having to fear alarming the headmistress of the break in in her office that was currently taking place.
There were many drawers and places to storage things in but when he dropped the invisibility cloak to the ground he raised his wand, feeling clever for thinking of it—as easy as the spell was.
“Accio Marauders Map.” To his disappointment the summoning spell did not summon the map to his hand but when he tried again he heard something knocking against the bottom drawer of Minerva—Minnie her desk.
He grinned and approached it, kneeling down to the ground and when he tried to pull it open it was proven to be locked, which also didn’t allow the spell to fully function making it impossible for the map to fly out.
“Alohomora.” He tapped the tip of his wand against the lock and the drawer shot open instantly and with that the map flew out, taking place in his free hand.
Well parchment. It was not exactly a map yet.
James let himself fall backwards, sitting down on the hard floor as he stared at the thing he had dreams about, had heard uncountable stories about—the thing he fantasized about making history with, making his legacy matching the ones of his namesakes.
He laughed out loud, kicking his feet in the air as he pushed his glasses further up his nose.
James raised his arm, placing his wand against the empty parchment.
“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”
Instead of immediately taking its usual illustration on first words specifically for James got written out across it. He moved his fingers aside to properly look at the new words that were taking shape under neath his fingertips.
‘Hello, James Sirius.
We have been expecting you!’
The words faded again and got replaced quickly after.
‘Messrs
MOONY, WORMTAIL,
PADFOOT & PRONGS
are proud to present
THE MARAUDERS MAP’
When James folded it open the entirety of Hogwarts was revealed to him, the people inside of it and their location. He could see filch was near the library and which students were out of bed passed bedtime.
He quickly grabbed a quill from Minnie her desk and a piece of parchment, scribbling something down in a messy hand writing—he dropped it inside the drawer before closing it and locking it again.
“Mischief managed.” He said before he got up and ran to pick up his invisibility cloak.
He grinned and nearly stumbled out the office after having lifted the silencing spell.
James didn’t sleep at all that night, having inspected every inch and everyone on the map instead.
When Minerva woke up and made her way to her desk she leaned down to get something from her drawer which she unlocked with a key she had hidden underneath her biscuit jar.
She pulled it open and instead of getting what she was looking for she frowned at the new piece of parchment that had taken place in the inside of it and she picked it up.
Adjusting her spectacles to read it.
Hi, Minnie!
Sorry for the inconvenience it is nothing personal..
Its in good hands now though, don’t even worry!!! ;)
Kisses,
Your favorite student
-J.P
All Minerva could do with that was smile, because in good hands it was.