In the evening, Felix, carrying a box of candies, walked through the underground corridors of the castle.
Felix looked at Draco Malfoy and the two hefty boys behind him, nodding in their direction.
"Professor, I've just mastered a new magical inscription," Draco exclaimed with excitement. He extended his right hand, and the serpent-shaped ring on his index finger began to move, releasing a light blue magical inscription from the snake's mouth.
Holding the magical inscription, his face slightly reddened. After seven or eight seconds, the light blue symbol transformed into a gushing stream.
"Your progress is impressive. This is your sixth magical inscription, if I recall correctly?" Felix inquired. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
"Well," Felix reminded, "you should dedicate more effort to the magical inscriptions we discussed during our previous gatherings. They will prove quite useful."
Draco hesitated for a moment, "I understand, Professor."
Felix continued down the corridor, still carrying the candy box. Malfoy called after him, "Professor Harp, are you planning to visit the Headmaster's office? I checked earlier, and the door is locked."
"Perhaps Severus is brewing a potion? In any case, I'd better go and see." Felix muttered vaguely.
Draco watched Professor Harp's retreating figure and mused to himself, "I can't help but feel that the Professor is acting strangely today."
Crabbe and Goyle grinned in agreement, and Draco, accustomed to such situations, shrugged and led the way to the common room. "What do you think about Daphne's sister, Astoria?"
Professor Harp's office: Felix tried several unlocking spells and managed to open the door.
He walked in unceremoniously. The room was not small, with both office space and Severus's private storage room, as well as an inner bedroom.
Passing through the dimly lit glass specimen wall, he pushed open the door to the bedroom, where the flowers were in full bloom.
"Severus, I'm covering for you in front of your students. If they were to see you brought back by the Levicorpus curse... tsk, tsk!"
He opened the candy box— the same one Sirius had used. Inside, there was an unconscious, palm-sized person— Severus Snape.
"Madam Rosmerta was curious about how a full-grown man like you suddenly disappeared, but luckily, I managed to deflect her questions."
With a wave of his wand, Felix restored Severus to his original state and then levitated him onto the bed, placing Severus's wand on the pillow.
Severus rolled over and muttered drunkenly in his sleep.
After Ancient Runes class for fifth-year students, Felix detained the Weasley twins.
"Is it the Marauder's Map?" The twins exchanged glances, communicating with various small gestures.
Felix could tell there was something more to this!
Fred hesitated, "Professor, this is something we—"
"—got from Mr. Filch," Felix nodded.
"Um..." Fred looked somewhat embarrassed, "You knew about that?"
"I knew a bit. What concerns me most is whether it is still in your possession?"
"We gave it to—" George started to say, but Fred quickly covered his mouth, making frantic eye signals. Then he awkwardly said to Felix, "We gave it to a friend. If you need it, we'll get it back for you. Rest assured, it won't cause any trouble."
George winked, understanding that they had given the Marauder's Map to Harry, and this matter couldn't be discussed in detail.
Although they often broke school rules, they still tried to avoid revealing too much.
"Do you know Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?" Felix asked.
The twins widened their eyes, and Fred exclaimed in surprise, "You know about them too? Professor, are you one of these four people?"
"Or perhaps a former user of the map?" George speculated.
Felix smiled and said, "Back when I was in school, I didn't have this opportunity, but I know two of them. I'm here today on behalf of one of them, who has requested temporary use of the Marauder's Map. Rest assured, it will be returned to you."
Fred's eyes sparkled as he eagerly asked, "Oh, Professor, could you introduce him to us?"
"Yeah, which one is it? We owe them a lot of favors!" George inquired eagerly.
"I can only tell you that the person goes by the code name 'Prongs.' As for whether he's willing to meet you," Felix looked at their eager faces, "it's not possible at the moment. He can't show himself."
He watched the twins with great interest. Their expressions were like devoted followers, and although they hadn't met him in person, they already considered the map's creator as a prankster elder and a role model.
They hurried off, saying, "Professor, we'll be on our way to find the map!"
At noon that day, Felix obtained the Marauder's Map. It was the first time he had seen the complete map; he had only heard of it before.
It was quite an old parchment, not looking particularly large, but it was actually layered. When unfolded, it resembled a tablecloth.
"This is our secret success," Fred said with a lot of emotion, patting it and reminiscing about their youthful days.
Felix smiled and remained silent. He tapped his wand on the map while silently reciting, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
This was the password he had received from Sirius. Now, as Sirius could only stay at Grimmauld Place, Felix had discreetly connected his office's fireplace to the Black family house. It could be opened as needed and sealed when not in use to avoid detection by the Ministry of Magic.
Lupin had also promised to visit Sirius on weekends. As he left, Sirius and the house-elf Kreacher were busy cleaning the place with enthusiasm.
In Sirius's words, "At the very least, we should tidy up the living room and prepare two guest bedrooms."
The password, coupled with the wand, made dark ink lines appear on the blank parchment, resembling a spider's web. These lines intersected and extended, with just a few strokes outlining the buildings within Hogwarts Castle and some surrounding areas, including the greenhouse, Hagrid's hut, the Forbidden Forest's edge, and all the intricate details.
What was most astonishing were the numerous and chaotic ink dots on the map, each with tiny letters next to them indicating names.
Felix found his name right away, and beside it were two other dots with "Fred Weasley" and "George Weasley" written above them.
As he scrolled through, he saw Dumbledore in his office, Snape in the Potions classroom, Professor Sprout in the greenhouse. He also wanted to check the location of the Room of Requirement but didn't find it; it was likely concealed, which he expected and wasn't surprised about. However, he did see Trelawney alone in her attic quarters, and from the ink dot's movement, he guessed that the Divination professor was performing some kind of dance.
Above the center of the parchment, a row of elegant script in a curly font began to appear: "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs proudly present the Marauder's Map."
Felix studied the map, lost in thought for a while. "A cleverly structured piece. I need to examine it more closely..."
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