"Hey, everyone, this isn't the place to argue."
Wes raised his voice sternly, trying to mediate.
More and more students were being drawn by the commotion and began gathering in the corridor, watching curiously. When Draco and a few of his Slytherin companions appeared, a sense of urgency rose in Harry's chest.
He didn't want Hermione and Ron to become targets of Draco's mockery, so he quickly pulled them away.
Even though Hermione and Ron were still upset and sulking, neither of them wanted to lose face in front of Draco or give him more to gloat about.
So, half-reluctantly, they let Harry lead them out of the hallway.
Seeing that the show was over, the other students gradually dispersed.
Wes watched them leave and muttered to himself,
"I need to find the right moment to expose Pettigrew's identity."
---
Wes sat at his desk, carefully inspecting the piece of parchment in his hand. At first glance, it looked utterly ordinary, but he could sense the faint magical aura it radiated.
The twin brothers stood nearby, beaming proudly at Wes. They were already plotting how they'd brag to other professors if even someone like Wes couldn't unravel the map's secrets.
"Well, Professor? Even someone like you might not be able to crack the mystery of this map," Fred said, flashing a confident grin.
"It took us a ton of effort just to activate it," George chimed in from the side.
Wes remained expressionless as he laid the parchment flat on the desk. He then extended a finger and gently touched it. The air seemed to shimmer faintly with magical energy under his fingertip. In a low voice, he spoke the incantation:
"Reveal the true form."
As the words left his lips, a faint glow began to radiate from the parchment's surface. Tiny letters gradually appeared, flickering in and out as though resisting him, reluctant to show themselves, as if engaged in a subtle tug-of-war with Wes.
Wes could feel a powerful magical resistance pushing back. Focusing intently, he summoned stronger magic in response.
The writing grew clearer and clearer—until a detailed map came into view. It was covered with tiny footprints, each labeled with the name of the person it represented.
Wes carefully examined the map and quickly found his own office. He saw his name and the twins' names on the map as well, their positions updating in real time with their movements.
This map displayed the precise locations of every person within Hogwarts. All of the castle's rooms, corridors, staircases, classrooms, the Great Hall—everything was rendered in exacting detail. It even showed hidden passageways and secret rooms that most people didn't know existed.
Flipping the map over, Wes discovered a line of signatures written in different handwriting:
Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs—four strange nicknames.
The twins stared wide-eyed. They had never expected Wes to decipher the map's magic so easily. They had assumed that even the most knowledgeable professors wouldn't be able to unlock its secrets.
"This map is incredibly well-crafted," Wes explained as he continued studying it. "But the creators weren't that powerful at the time. With enough magic, tools like this can be broken open quite easily."
"See, George? I told you Professor Elwin could handle it!" Fred said admiringly.
"Amazing… Those four upperclassmen must've been geniuses to make something like this. They're total legends," George said, his eyes fixed on the parchment, sparkling with awe.
The mischievous twins looked up to the "Marauders" — Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter — as their idols.
They hoped that one day they could also create magical items as astonishing as those made by their legendary seniors.
"Professor, your alchemy notes have been a big inspiration for us," Fred said with a voice full of eagerness and curiosity. He revealed the dream he held deep in his heart. "We want to make magical items of this level too, something as amazing as the Marauder's Map."
"But no matter how many methods we try, even staying up late to study, we always fail," George added, shoulders slumped and brows furrowed. There was frustration in his voice — every failure reminded them of the gap between them and their idols.
The four Marauders had managed to create the Marauder's Map from scratch, while the twins couldn't even replicate it despite imitating the original. It hit them hard.
However, it wasn't because the twins lacked talent compared to the Marauders. After all, the Potters and the Blacks both had centuries of magical heritage. James and Sirius had been exposed to alchemy since childhood and received guidance from their family elders. The twins, on the other hand, had mostly relied on their own trial and error.
Wes understood how they felt. He gently comforted them and then began explaining the magical theory behind the Marauder's Map. Using simple, accessible language, he broke down the magic and alchemical principles behind the map's creation, which greatly benefited the twins.
Time passed unnoticed. Even as curfew approached, the twins were reluctant to leave.
"You don't want to get caught by Filch, do you? Let's continue tomorrow. Oh, and mind if I borrow this map for a few days?"
"No problem, Professor. We already have every secret passage and hidden room on it memorized," the twins replied cheerfully.
Once the twins left, the office returned to quiet.
Wes stared at the name "Peter Pettigrew" labeled next to Ron's on the map, as if a thought had occurred to him.
—
The next morning, chaos suddenly erupted in Harry and Ron's dormitory, breaking the peaceful silence. The scene could only be described as pure mayhem.
Ron's eyes were wide open, face flushed red with fury. "When the bloody hell did that damn cat sneak in?!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the cramped dorm as he clumsily tried to chase Crookshanks out with a pillow.
But the ginger cat was incredibly agile, dodging every one of Ron's frantic attempts.
Scabbers, small and trembling, darted around the dorm in a panic. Its tiny claws made quick tapping noises against the wooden floor as it did everything it could to avoid being caught.
At the last possible moment, Scabbers seized a narrow opening and shot through the door like lightning.
Crookshanks didn't hesitate. It bolted after him at once, disappearing down the corridor.
"Why does that ugly cat never give up on Scabbers? It must be Hermione's doing!" Ron fumed, stumbling out of bed with messy hair and crooked pajamas.
His eyes blazed with anger, clearly ready to confront Hermione.
Harry, watching the scene unfold, simply shrugged helplessly. "When is this madness ever going to end?"
Although Crookshanks was clever, with keen senses and sharp hunting instincts, it still fell short when it came to outwitting someone as slippery as Peter Pettigrew.
Time and time again, Pettigrew managed to escape the cat's pursuit. And once again, he had slipped away.
Crookshanks stood still, sniffing the air cautiously, nose twitching as it tried to catch a trace of Pettigrew.
But the air gave nothing away.
Letting out a few unwilling meows, the cat flicked its tail in frustration and padded away.
Still, Peter Pettigrew wasn't the only one being sneaky.
Wes had used a Disillusionment Charm to silently follow behind Crookshanks. Thanks to the magic cloaking him, his figure flickered faintly, almost invisible.
°°°
Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!
Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction
I post 20 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.
If you do subscribe, please do so in the web patreon, not the ios app.