Bounce
Juliette didn't have to stay in the hospital wing for very long but Madam Pomfrey refused to let Harry go for a few days. Juliette only had some broken bones so she was only kept there for the night and the day after. After that, Lee arrived to walk her to the common room so, as he put it, 'she wasn't loney'.
"Harry said that he saw something when he fell," said Juliette to Lee as they walked. "I'm concerned about him...mainly because he'd never lie to me."
"Are you sure?" Lee questioned,"Don't get me wrong, I don't think Harry would lie either but he did just loose the match."
"I'd be lying if I said i didn't think of that," Juliette frowned,"Does that make me a bad sister."
"Julie, you're the best sister anyone could have!" Lee exclaimed. "Really! You're amazing, smart and helpful—" Juliette blushed. "I really don't see how that makes you a bad sister because you had a second of doubt."
"Okay," Juliette mumbled,"I also think I might sneak him into Hogsmeade using the map."
Only Fred, George, and Lee knew about the marauder's map outside the group of four. Juliette let them use it during her first (techniqually second) year at the school.
"I don't know Julie...maybe there's a reason for you two not being allowed—"
"I wasn't 'allowed' because we angered my uncle!" Juliette snapped before feeling guilty. "Sorry...it's just...nothing."
"Tell me Juliette," Lee replied softly.
"Being at what's meant to be home is mentally draining," Juliette admitted. "I try my best to put myself in front of Harry when it comes to most things but he can be quite hotheaded and will get himself intro trouble I can't help with. Trying to protect him all the time is so difficult."
Lee could understand Juliette. She was only human, she shouldn't have to deal with the weight of two people's lives because her guardians weren't doing their duty. She shouldn't have to feel like Harry's life mattered more than her own.
"Do you want a hug?" Lee suggested.
"I would love a hug."
It was in that moment, with her arms around Lee Jordan's torso and her head on his shoulder, that she realised she and Lee might have been a little more than friends.
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Juliette liked to consider her brother a reasonably smart person but every now and again, he did some questionable things. This time, she really had to question the point of the invisibility cloak if he was going to leave footprints behind.
Juliette, Fred and George caught him just by the gates; they decided to interrupt his plans there and hopefully save him from getting caught.
"Clever, Harry!"
"But not clever enough."
Fred and George Weasley dragged Harry back towards the castle by his arms. Harry was shocked - Fred and George would be the last people to reinforce the rules, and usually encouraged mischief. As well as that, he caught sight of his sister with a grin.
"Let go of me!" Harry yelled, struggling against them. "I'm trying to get to Hogsmeade!"
"We know," George said, dragging Harry back to the entrance.
"But we've got a better way," Juliette added.
"Let me go!"
"Don't worry," George said, as they marched Harry through the entrance hall.
"We'll get you there." Fred chimed in, leading Harry to a stairway.
"We'll show you a quicker way."
"If you pipe down, that is."
"Now, Harry,"
"Come and join the big boys." the twins said simultaneously. They'd now made it into the stairway, and Harry shrugged his cloak off.
"What are you doing?" Harry hissed through gritted teeth, frowning.
Juliette, Fred and George looked quite pleased with themselves.
"Early Christmas present for you, brother." Juliette said.
Before Harry could process what was happening, Juliette had passed him something. He looked down into his hands, and there lay a piece of worn, blank parchment.
"What's this rubbish?" Harry said.
"What's this rubbish, he says!" Fred repeated, looking taken aback.
"This, Harry, is the secret to our success." Juliette answered,"I thought that I would borrow you it. We know it by heart but Skylar would never forgive me if I gave it away."
"And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?" Harry asked irritably, still frustrated at missing his chance to escape to Hogsmeade.
"A bit of old parchment!" Fred repeated again, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. "Explain, Julie."
"Well, when the girls and I met, Harry - young, carefree, and innocent—"
"Oh, yeah right." Harry snorted.
"Oi! Well, more innocent than we are now - we got into a spot of bother with Filch after he balmed us for what these two idiots did."
"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor," Fred added, "It upset him for some reason..."
"So he hauled Sky and I off to his office and started threatening us with the usual—"
"- detention -"Fred added.
"- disembowelment -" George added.
"- and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous'," Juliette finished.
Harry broke out into a grin, both amused and impressed, although not surprised.
"Well, what would you've done?" Fred asked rhetorically.
"I caused a diversion by shouting about how amazing Skylar was and Skylar whipped the drawer open, and grabbed this."
"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," Juliette said. "We don'T reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."
"And you know how to work it?" Harry asked
"Oh yes," Juliette said triumphantly. "Thanks to Raelynn of course, no idea how she knew."
"You're winding me up." Harry said.
He had no idea of what a piece of parchment would do to get him to Hogsmeade.
"Harry, I would never!" Juliette said, taking out her wand. She tapped the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Instantly, ink emerged in the middle of the page, spreading, overlapping and intersecting each other. Then, words began to form across the centre of the map.
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP
Harry unfolded the piece of parchment, and inside lay a map, showing every detail of the Hogwarts grounds. It was only as Harry began to scan the map that he realised what was so special about it - there were countless name labels scattered across the map, each accompanied by a decorative trail of footprints. A figure in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing in his study, another indicated that Mrs Norris was prowling along the second floor, and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bounding around the trophy room.
"So this map shows everyone?" Harry asked.
"Everyone," Fred replied. "Where they are—"
"—what they"re doing—" George said.
"—every minute—"
"—of every day!"
"Brilliant!" Harry said brightly.
He continued scanning the map, in disbelief, when he realised that it showed more than just people's whereabouts. There were numerous passages he'd never entered marked on the map, leading everywhere and anywhere. As he looked up, he noticed that Juliette was giving him a bright smile with a twinkle in her eye.
"They'll take you straight into Hogsmeade," said Fred, referring to the passages. "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four," he pointed them out.
"There's only a small group of us who know about them," said Juliette. "Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it"s caved in - completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. The entrance is in that one-eyed witch's state - through the old crone"s hump."
Harry knew the very statue his sister was referring to - it wasn't particularly pleasant, portraying Gunhilda of Gorsemoor. She had one eye, and a huge, abnormal protuberance on her back - the hump Fred was referring to.
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," George said. "We owe them so much."
"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," Fred added solemnly.
"And when you're done," George said, "Just give it a tap, and say—"
"Mischief managed," the three chorused, "Otherwise anyone can read it."
"So, young Harry," said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, "Mind you behave yourself."
"Don't worry, I'll look after him," Juliette grinned. "Come on Harry, let's haed to Hogsmeade."