George and Fred pulled Ted out of the Great Hall in a hurry, only letting go once they were well away from the crowd.
"What's going on with you two? So secretive... I haven't even finished my breakfast!" Ted protested, brushing crumbs off his robe.
George looked like he was carrying the weight of the world. "Ted, how can you think about food right now?!"
Fred nodded, clearly agitated. "Exactly!"
Ted blinked. "What is it? Did Voldemort return with a full squad of Death Eaters or something?"
George leaned in, whispering with a mischievous grin, "It's your Halloween stunt, Ted. You really stole the spotlight."
Fred crossed his arms. "Totally outshined us."
Ted shrugged. "Well, sorry about that. So? What's the plan then? If you're not going to tell me, I'm heading back to my eggs."
"Wait!" George grabbed his sleeve. "We were inspired by your magical candy idea. We've got a business plan!"
Fred added quickly, "And we need your help."
"You're thinking of selling enchanted sweets? Like candies that do weird things to people?"
Ted hadn't expected his silly Halloween idea to spark the twins' entrepreneurial dreams.
"Yeah! We want to develop our own line," George said, eyes gleaming.
Fred rubbed the back of his neck. "But we're a bit... limited on the magical side of things."
The two looked at Ted, eyes wide with hope.
"You want me to help enchant them?"
Two enthusiastic redheads nodded in unison.
Ted laughed. "Alright, I'll help. But I can only spare time here and there. This is your dream, your career. Here's what we'll do—read up on these books first."
He scribbled down a short reading list. "Start by making the base candies yourselves. Once you've got those down, we'll work on adding the effects."
With that, Ted turned to leave, hoping to catch what was left of breakfast.
But George stopped him again.
"Wait—there's more."
The twins exchanged a look. George reached into his sleeve and pulled out a folded piece of parchment.
Ted raised an eyebrow. "Is this an invitation or something? You two getting married and I'm the best man?"
George chuckled. "Nope. This... this is a map."
Fred added, "Not just any map. A map of Hogwarts."
Together they declared proudly, "A map that sees everything!"
They spread it out on a nearby bench. George tapped it with his wand and said clearly, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The parchment fluttered, then bloomed with lines of ink, revealing a detailed map of Hogwarts. Tiny labeled dots moved through the corridors.
Across the top, elegant script read: "The Marauders Four: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs—gentlemen dedicated to aiding magical mischief-makers. Behold, the Marauder's Map."
George swiped his wand across the parchment.
The map expanded, showing different floors. Ted spotted their names floating near their current spot.
Through a nearby wall, dozens of names were bunched together.
Ted gaped. Although he already about the existence of the Marauder's Map, seeing it in person is still quite shocking, add to that, the Marauder's Map has a touch screen feature!
George nudged him. "When we were first-years—back when we were innocent—"
Ted smirked. "Sorry, but I really can't picture you two as innocent."
George chuckled. "Fair. Anyway, we got caught dropping a dungbomb in the corridor and ended up in Filch's office. Found this in a drawer. The opening and closing spells were scribbled on a bit of parchment."
Fred said, "We think the Marauders left it behind for future troublemakers—like us!"
George continued, "We've tested every secret passage on here. Most still work. Some have collapsed, which is a shame."
Fred shrugged. "Still, this map has served us well. But we've memorized most of it by now. Since we're diving headfirst into transformation candy development, we want to pass it on. To you."
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[You received: Marauder's Map (Blue)]
Magical Oddities
Crafted from ancient magical parchment bound to Hogwarts itself, this enchanted map is embedded with multiple layers of high-level spells. It reveals secret corridors, hidden doors, and the real-time location of every person inside the castle—including the headmaster.
Activation Phrase: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.
Deactivation Phrase: Mischief managed.
Note: Bound to Hogwarts. Cannot be removed from school grounds.
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In the magical world, enchanted items are everywhere—most famously, wands that amplify a wizard's power.
There are countless others, but Ted had only seen a few firsthand.
Back during the summer, when he was browsing wizarding auction boards, he saw some low-tier trinkets, but nothing like this.
If this map weren't tied to Hogwarts, it'd be ranked at least Epic—maybe even Legendary.
The tracking enchantment is incredibly refined, powerful enough to detect even Professor Dumbledore.
Ted had a feeling the map was somehow connected to the magical structure of the castle itself—as if it was a living part of it.
One day, he thought, he'd have to ask Sirius Black about it.
After all, Sirius surely knew the full story.
...
Today, Ted got his hands on the Marauder's Map—and to say he was excited would be an understatement.
Meanwhile, his friends were keeping busy in their own ways.
During a joint Charms class with Gryffindor and Slytherin, Ron surprised everyone by correctly answering one of Professor Flitwick's questions. It was his first time doing so, and it earned Gryffindor five points!
Jerry and Neville exchanged wide-eyed looks: Was this really the same Ron they knew?
Even Malfoy looked stunned. "That poor red-headed git actually knew the answer?" he muttered.
As class ended, Malfoy couldn't resist shouting something about "some people getting extra points just for getting lucky."
Ron's ears went red with anger. If Professor Flitwick hadn't already left, Jerry and Neville probably would've hexed Malfoy on the spot.
"Don't listen to him," Jerry said, clapping Ron on the shoulder.
Neville nodded. "Seriously, we've all noticed how much effort you've been putting in."
"You earned those points," Jerry added.
Ron had, in fact, been studying hard. After the disastrous start to the term, he'd finally found his footing.
Let's just hope he doesn't stumble onto a book about slugs in potion-making...
Even though the issue of the Chamber of Secrets had quieted down for now, no one had truly forgotten it.
In fact, all six of them—Ted, Hermione, Ron, Jerry, Neville, and Harley—were still thinking about it.
Ted found himself repeating what he had once told Hermione, now sharing it with the rest of the group.
Harley gave him a pointed look. "So, you've known this for a while and you're only telling us now?"
Jerry raised an eyebrow. "Exactly. What gives, Ted?"
Ted held up both hands in surrender. "Alright, alright—I get it! Look, how about I make it up to you with food? My treat?"
He led his friends to the kitchens.
The house-elves, already fond of him, gathered around in delight as Ted stepped in.
He rolled up his sleeves and whipped up a table full of magical delicacies as a way to say sorry.
Ted had learned many magical recipes over time.
After spending afternoons with the house-elves, he'd picked up all sorts of culinary tricks.
These days, the elves even considered him something of a mentor.
The Halloween feast? That had been just a warm-up.
Ted, grinning, proudly presented a dish to his friends. "Try this one—absolutely delicious!"
Jerry eyed the glossy red chicken suspiciously. "It looks... spicy."
Ted shook his head. "Nah, it's not spicy. It just looks colorful."
Jerry raised a skeptical eyebrow but popped a piece into his mouth.
"Mmm—" his eyes widened, "This is amazing!" His voice was slightly muffled by the food.
Encouraged, Harley picked up a piece as well. "Wow, that's so good!"
Not wanting to be left behind, Neville and Ron each grabbed a bite.
A few seconds later, Jerry reached for the iced mint lemonade and chugged it. Harley did the same, gasping for air between sips.
Still, Ted managed to keep a straight face, pretending nothing was wrong.
"Ha! Ted, you liar!" Harley laughed.
Hermione couldn't help but giggle. She had been tricked with the same dish before.
Despite the heat, the dish was addictive—spicy, yes, but the kind of spicy that made you want another bite.
Later that night, they'd probably all come to understand the full power of chili.
As they were leaving the kitchen, a house-elf named Kaka tugged gently on Ted's sleeve.
"Mr. Ted," the elf whispered, "we found something about what you asked us to look into. We spoke to Myrtle. She says she was expelled from her bathroom by magic—she can't go back..."
Expelled? A ghost repelling spell?!
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Word count: 1438
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