The Wolf and the Raven

Ch 48 - Wormtail

Warning(?): sexually suggestive jokes

"Wha' ya thin' 'Gonagall meant 'bout a map?" James slurred as they climbed the stairs toward the common room.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here, mate, and say she was talking about a map," Sirius responded.

"But a map of what?"

"Hogwarts, probably," Remus answered.

Branwen frowned. "Is there a map of Hogwarts?"

"You know wha'," James yawned, "I'ma worry 'bout that in the morning."

Though the boys should have been researching for their essay on the history and use of "The Famous French Method for the Bite of a Mad Dog" (including analyses of its seventeen ingredients), they and Branwen found themselves in the library for a completely different reason.

The Cartography Section was far larger than any of them had imagined. Some of the books they found included Chupacabras, Kappas, and Pogrebins: Dark Creatures Around the World, Ley Lines and Stonehenge, and Where am I? A Guide for the Wayward Wizard.

"Ugh." Peter groaned and slammed his head on the table. "This is hopeless."

"It is unusual," Branwen frowned. "There's not even anything in Hogwarts: A History. It shows what the castle looks like to Muggles from the outside, but there's absolutely no floor-plan of the school itself."

Sirius threw up his arms. "Well, how can there be? The bloody stairs change all the time. If you drew out a map in the morning, it would useless by the afternoon."

"You're right!" James snapped his fingers. Any map of Hogwarts would have to change with the school. It would practically have to be sentient....it's something only the greatest witch and wizards of the age could accomplish."

The five of them grinned wickedly.

"I'll get a parchment!" Branwen jumped up and ran down the aisle.

From then on, everything waking moment was spent on their plan for a map of Hogwarts. Homework was finished in record times so that they could huddle in their alcove in the common room, parchment and books spread on every spare inch. Eventually they moved their operation to the boys' room where they could use the floor space and then safely pack their work into James' trunk. (This move had the added benefit of encouraging Sirius and Peter to keep their dirty underpants off the floor).

The first thing they decided was, the map must stay secret to everyone but themselves. This meant they would need charms and spells to deter any nosy individuals.

Peter suggested that they might use a parchment made of Demiguise hide, so that it would turn invisible. The suggestion was met with a barrage of objections: Branwen protested on the grounds that Demiguises were quiet, gentle beings who didn't deserve to be made into parchment; Remus pointed out that if the parchment itself disappeared, they wouldn't be able to find it for themselves; James added that it was all a moot point, since they had no idea where to get Demiguise parchment.

So it was decided that they would use the usual calf-hide parchment (the boys neglecting to tell Branwen where usual parchment came from).

Then there was the simple logistical problem of mapping a castle with seven-storeys and one hundred and forty two staircases (many of which wandered), as well as dozens of towers and a maze of dungeons. In their ambition, they decided that they would also include the grounds, the greenhouses, the Lake, the Forest, and even the Shack.