A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 281: Maps and Magic

Half an hour later...

Sirius Black sat on the sofa with a grim expression. He had just received some terrible news: Peter Pettigrew had escaped or, more accurately, was hiding in a place unknown, feigning death to avoid detection.

Disheartened, he thought to himself, had all his efforts been in vain for all this time?

Felix picked another book from the shelf. To his astonishment, it contained details about an ancient magic spell. The portrait of Headmaster Phineas Black hadn't lied to him – the collection here was truly exceptional, even if some of it had been moved from the restricted section at Hogwarts.

It seemed that the old man had worked to benefit his family during his tenure as headmaster.

But alas, how unpredictable life was. The Black family had fallen to such depths...

"Have you ever tried a Marauder's Map?" Sirius suddenly asked.

"A Marauder's Map? What's that?" Felix looked up from the book.

Sirius mumbled, "It's a moving map that shows the locations and secret passages of Hogwarts. It looks like a folded parchment and was something we created when we were students – me, James, Remus, and... Peter Pettigrew."

"The Marauder's Map can track the movements of everyone within Hogwarts, even Dumbledore."

Felix blinked; he now understood what Lupon wanted from Felch. With certainty, he said, "This map must have been confiscated by Filch."

"It was intentional," Sirius smirked. "We were about to graduate and desperately wanted someone to carry on our noble legacy of mischief. So, we created a suitable opportunity, caught Filch's attention, and let him take the map."

Felix nodded knowingly; there was indeed an interesting backstory.

"Why didn't Remus tell you?" wondered Sirius.

Felix spoke softly, "The map is lost. Pettigrew admitted it himself."

"That treacherous git!" Sirius exclaimed in frustration, slamming the wall and then sighing, "Even if we had the map, it might not work. Pettigrew can conceal his own name."

"Conceal? Did you use Tracking Charms?"

"More than that. Tracking spells, footprint reveals, Name-Tag Charms, Micro Illusion Hexes, Disillusionment Charms, Anti-Jinxes, Protective Spells. Later, we even integrated Transfiguration, Divination, and Alchemy... Too many things."

Felix looked at Sirius in astonishment. He himself only knew a portion of those spells.

Sirius explained, "Initially, James brought a magic map-making book from home. With its help, we created the basic Marauder's Map, though, back then, the names weren't animated. Later, we scoured the library, finding spells to lock onto tracks, continually adding them. In the end, even we lost track of how many spells were on the map."josei

He opened his palms. "You know, when we saw Dumbledore's name appear on the map, we felt invincible. No one could escape the Marauder's Map, because you could evade one spell's detection, but not the second, third, fourth..."

Felix couldn't help but applaud silently. Without Sirius revealing this, who would know? Through Sirius, he saw the shadows of the other three creators.

This remarkable magical creation emerged in the hands of four students who hadn't even graduated.

Their subsequent fates were equally poignant. War disrupted their normal lives, and if not for Sirius mentioning it, the existence of the Marauder's Map might have quietly faded into history.

"How did you four divide the work?" Felix couldn't resist seeking more information. If he could replicate it, it would rival any known magical item.

Sirius gave him a peculiar look. "James was skilled in Transfiguration, I excelled in curses, especially nonverbal casting. Many spells were added by me. Remus knew everything; he brought together the scattered elements. As for Peter Pettigrew..."

He frowned, fighting disgust. "He was more meticulous, finding flaws and fixing them."

Sirius finished, then thoughtfully paused, staring at Felix. Slowly, he said, "Perhaps he might not be able to shield himself from the Marauder's Map."

"Why?"

"I remember—there's a spell, known only to James and me. During our seventh-year Halloween break, while we were both at home, James found an intriguing magic from the old manor."

He looked at Felix, a glint in his eyes. "It's a curse, or rather a binding magic. No, that's not accurate," he furrowed his brow, "it's more like a contract."

"A magical contract?"

"Exactly," Sirius affirmed, glancing at the study door. He spoke in a hushed tone, "It's from an ancient book, authored by someone who was involved in the House Elf Wars. Back then, wizards invented a spell specifically designed to bind house elves."

Felix raised an eyebrow, speaking in a manner of exploring magic, "How does that relate to the Marauder's Map? Wait... I think I get it. Is it about the connection between masters and servants?"

Sirius was impressed by his insight. "You're right. House elves and their masters share a close bond, a bond that runs deep in their bloodline, passed down through generations. Very few people know about this now. That's why house elves never betray their masters."

Not necessarily...

Felix thought, magically enslaving beings was always beneath true magic. There's no eternal, unbreakable magic. The Imperius Curse was an example. Even one of the Unforgivable Curses, the Cruciatus Curse, had its side effects cracked. In his mind, the Cruciatus Curse was no longer effective. Pain? He had countless ways to shield himself from it. What made the Cruciatus Curse truly terrifying was that it transcended the physical and delved into the deepest recesses of one's mind.

When he safeguarded his memories layer by layer, the effect of the Cruciatus Curse on him became severely limited. It could even serve as a disguise...

Sirius continued, "Think about it, wherever you are, your house elf can be summoned by you. Well, except for Azkaban; I tried that once, probably too far away..."

"Maybe the Ministry has documented this and taken precautions," Felix speculated.

"Anyway, James and I attempted to incorporate a part of this magic—the house elf senses the master's location when summoned due to the contract—into the map. We devised a clever trick," Sirius grinned, "when you enter Hogwarts, you essentially enter into a temporary, blank contract. It's not binding, and you can even refuse!"

Felix smiled, "Provided the person discovers this contract. But I assume you never intended to make it effective; it's more like a waiting game..."

"That's right!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly, emitting an odd cry, "Completely harmless, but your location is unmistakably exposed."

"The most ingenious part is that Peter Pettigrew doesn't know this. Just a few days after returning from the Halloween break, we decided to leave the map at Hogwarts—using Filch's involvement to find the next owner. His office would only attract the most adventurous students. We even set some restrictions for that."

Sirius delved into joyful memories, squinting his eyes and murmuring softly.

After a while, he said with a touch of melancholy, "Too bad we lost the map."

Felix pondered, "If I help you recreate a Marauder's Map, could you do it? Lupon is also at the school; he might be of assistance."

"I know he's here," Sirius said, thinking for a while. "Recreating it would be difficult. There are many things I don't remember..."

"We can attempt it together. I'm quite intrigued."

"We?" Sirius stared at Felix, baffled.

Felix didn't answer, checking the time. "There are still two hours until ten o'clock. We have plenty of time."

He said cheerfully, "I'm planning to take you to Hogwarts. Of course, we need to get in touch with Headmaster Dumbledore first. Hmm, we might also face questions from the Ministry. I'll claim I didn't capture you and that you escaped. I wonder if anyone will believe that..."

Sirius stared at Felix in disbelief, feeling thoroughly mocked.

"Excuse me, where is the portrait of Phineas Black? I didn't see it among the portraits on the wall."

"...Second bedroom on the right of the second-floor landing."

Felix walked away, and a few minutes later, he returned. "It's all arranged. Dumbledore wants us to proceed discreetly." He lightly touched the ring on his left hand with his wand, taking out a candy box imprinted with the words 'Honeydukes'.

"What's this?"

"A Christmas present from a little wizard. I haven't finished eating it, it's a bit overwhelming... but I think it could be used to conceal someone."

"Did you apply the Disillusionment Charm?"

"Oh, no," Felix questioned, "who would apply a Disillusionment Charm inside a candy box?" He looked at the bewildered Sirius and continued, "I just happened to think of an appropriate spell—"

He pointed his wand at Sirius. The tip of the wand burst into intense blue light.

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