The Marauder's Map Saga

A few days after work on the Map was completed, the Marauders were sitting in the Great Hall, finishing their evening meal. It was the night of the full moon. Remus hurriedly finished the last of his food and got quickly to his feet. “See you later!” he said as he headed toward the entrance hall where he would meet Madam Pomfrey. James noticed Severus watching him closely through narrowed eyes as he left.

James finished his own meal and went into one of the empty classrooms on the first floor of the castle to wait for Sirius. He huddled under his invisibility cloak, looking at his watch. Where was he, anyway?

James pulled the Marauder’s Map from his pocket and activated it. He could see Madame Pomfrey and Remus crossing the lawn outside, headed toward the Whomping Willow. There — Remus was inside the tunnel, heading for the Shrieking Shack, and Madame Pomfrey was going back inside the castle. But where was Sirius?

He wasn’t in the Great Hall. He wasn’t in the entrance hall, nor in any of the classrooms near where James was hiding. James could see Peter, scurrying along the corridor on his way to his detention in the dungeon. But where — there! In one of the classrooms on the second floor, Sirius was apparently looking out the window with — Severus Snape!

As James watched, Severus left the room, traveling fast, heading down the nearest stairway. James imagined his jerky gait there wasn’t much that was more awkward than Snape running downstairs. James noted that Sirius was still at the window on the second floor, one of the windows that overlooked the area where the Whomping Willow stood. Had Sirius forgotten he was supposed to meet James?

Severus seemed to be heading straight out the castle doors. Madame Pomfrey had just exited the entrance hall on her way back to the hospital wing when James saw the dot that represented Severus go out the door and turn, making a beeline for the Whomping Willow. Uh oh! James realised what was happening. He quickly got to his feet and stashed the map back in his pocket as he hurried to follow Snape.

James pushed open the door of the castle and ran down the steps under his invisibility cloak. As he neared the Whomping Willow, he could see Severus holding a long stick, prodding the knot on the trunk. The tree immediately stopped thrashing. “Snape!” yelled James.

Severus turned, looking for the source of the voice. James realised he was invisible and removed the cloak. Severus sneered in James’ direction. “You can’t stop me!” he yelled. Turning, he bent and ducked awkwardly into the entrance to the tunnel.

“No! Severus!” yelled James. “It’s dangerous!” Severus didn’t stop.

As soon as Severus disappeared beneath its roots, the tree resumed its thrashing. Branches whipped around James as he hurried to the spot where the stick that Severus had dropped lay. He picked it up and quickly prodded the knot, making the movement cease again.

James dove into the tunnel and ran as fast as he could. He could hear Severus panting and grunting ahead of him, but since Severus wasn’t familiar with the tunnel, he couldn’t move as rapidly as James. Quickly, James closed the distance between them, finally reaching him just as Severus drew level with the hole in the wall.

“I’m going to find out what you are up to!” he yelled at James over his shoulder as he climbed through the hole into the house where Remus had already transformed. Looking over Snape’s shoulder, James could see Remus’ werewolf form snarling through the hole in the wall. The werewolf advanced toward him, teeth bared. Severus stopped, one foot on the floor in the house and one foot dangling through the hole into the tunnel. The werewolf’s teeth were within inches of Severus’ arm.

James pointed his wand at Severus and yelled, “Impedimenta!” Snape fell back, pinning James to the wall of the tunnel. James knew he could transform into a stag and remain safe, but that would leave Severus at the mercy of a hungry werewolf.

Severus was beginning to recover from the Impediment jinx, but he was apparently paralysed by fear and unable to make a move to save himself. James did the first thing that came to his mind.

“Petrificus Totalis! Mobilicorpus!” James performed two spells on Severus in quick succession. Severus was made unable to move by the first one, and the second one allowed James to move him quickly and easily back down the tunnel and away from harm. Severus’ body bobbed down the tunnel like an awkward puppet, but he remained awake and aware of what was happening.

James could hear Remus’ werewolf form snarling from the hole where the tunnel entered the house. The entrance to the passage was bewitched to keep a werewolf from entering the tunnel. James and Sirius had discovered the counter-charm, which allowed them to break Remus out at night, but he wasn’t about to let him out now.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, James maneuvered Severus’ immobile body between the willow’s roots and onto the school lawn. He climbed out behind him and hurried to get them both beyond the reach of the tree’s branches before it could start thrashing again.

He turned toward Severus. Though he was unable to move, the look in Severus’ eyes was deadly. James knew that he’d just saved Severus’ life. But he also knew that he would be the target of a retaliatory strike, if he removed the curse within hexing distance of his rival. James took Severus’ wand from his pocket. Severus let out a murderous rush of breath; James knew he’d been right about Severus’ frame of mind just then. “Don’t worry, I’ll give this back to you later,” said James softly, holding the wand in front of Severus’ face. Pocketing Severus’ wand, James turned and ran back to the castle door. As he reached the top step, the door opened and Sirius slid quickly outside.

“That was a stupid thing to do, Sirius!” James’ face was red and he was clutching his wand so tightly that his knuckles were white.

“That stupid git has always wanted to know what we’re doing. I thought it was time he found out.” Sirius laughed.

“He could have been bitten!” James pointed out. “I had to immobilize him to stop him from climbing into the house.”

Sirius caught sight of Severus, still hanging like a limp puppet several yards away. “Brilliant! Let’s see what he thinks about this!” Pointing his wand at Severus with a malicious grin, Sirius jerked the wand up and down, causing Severus’ hands to move. Severus’ thumbs planted themselves in his ears, and his fingers waggled back and forth.

James could see that the look of murderous fury in Severus’ eyes had gotten stronger. A few moments before he wouldn’t have believed that would be possible.

“Come on, Sirius, let’s go inside,” said James in an unnaturally calm voice.

Sirius reluctantly put his wand away and followed James back into the castle.