The Marauder's Map

First to enter was Professor McGonagall, who briskly walked up to her desk, pulled a sheath of parchments towards her, took out her quill, and started marking before James had time to comment.

"She looks pretty much the same, just a few more lines on her face."

Next came Professor Sinistra, the astronomy teacher, who walked right up to the portrait where they'd hidden the mirror, and suddenly dropped out of view. Harry caught his breath, but James gave him a reassuring look. "Her desk is below the portrait, we won't be able to see her."

Professor Sprout and Sybill Trelawney came next, the former sitting down at her desk on the left of their view and the latter in a chair by the fireplace; she obviously did not have a desk in the staff room. James was concentrating on the former, however. "She's grown a bit - she was only about twenty-five in my year."

After them came Madam Hooch, towering over Professor Flitwick, who came behind her. James chuckled to himself. "He hasn't grown. Still as short as ever." Closely on their heels were Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher, and two more, one male and one female, who Harry didn't know. He shot a questioning glance at James. "He teaches Muggle Studies, she teaches Ancient Runes," he answered, seemingly reading his mind.

There was a short pause whilst they found all their desks, and then came Snape, striding trough the doorway with his robes billowing behind him. James gaped at him, with a look of complete and utter disgust.

"He still managed to look exactly the same as ever. Same robes that are too big for him, same skin that makes him look like a vampire, same way of looking at you down that great big nose of his - I bet he hasn't washed his hair since he was in his fifth year, as well." He paused. "Potions lessons are going to be hell," he repeated again.

They did not have much time to contemplate this, however, as the door opened, and Hagrid, with some difficulty, squeezed in. From the looks of surprise the other teachers gave him, he did not usually attend the staff meetings. And their astonishment only increased as in trooped Madam Pince, the librarian, and Poppy Pomfrey, the school nurse, closely followed by the caretaker, Argus Filch, with what looked like a puzzled sneer on his face. They looked around for more seats, but these had all been taken by the teachers, with the exception of Dumbledore's and Lupin's. Professor McGonagall, glancing around, conjured up some hard, wooden-backed chairs by the fireplace, hastily putting a strengthening charm on the one that Hagrid was aiming for. She was frowning, but stayed silent.

The room was still for a moment, with the exception of Professor Binns walking in through the right-hand wall and Flitwick's desk, coming to rest in a non-existent chair by the fireplace, seemingly oblivious to the four extra people squeezed up by the fire. Finally, the silence was broken by the women who James had said was the Muggle Studies teacher.

"I don't want to be rude, but I assume Dumbledore asked you to attend?"

The question was aimed at the non-teaching staff members, but was answered by Hagrid. "Yup, said there was somethin' important he want'd to discuss with the whole staff."

The teachers were now throwing nervous glances at each other. Harry didn't think it was any big deal; surely Dumbledore had had meetings with the whole staff before now? He voiced his question to James, who replied with a thoughtful air.

"He never had meetings with the whole staff when I was there, but I heard it talked about a couple of time. I assume it's just such a rare occasion that if it happens, the teachers know that there's something really, really important that they need to talk about. Like me." He grinned.

Just then, however, Dumbledore strode in, followed by Remus Lupin, who sat down at his desk, whilst Dumbledore walked to the far end of the room (the far right of their field of vision) and sat down, surveying the staff with a practiced eye.

"You are wondering why I have requested that the whole staff attend this week's meeting. The answer is that this is something that concerns all of us, and that you all will need to understand in preparation for this upcoming term."

A few of the teachers were starting to look impatient, eager to hear what this news might be. Dumbledore, however, was not to be hurried.

"Cast your minds back to nineteen seventy-five, twenty years ago. Who were the most notable students in the fifth year, the same year as Severus?"

Some of the teachers were looking annoyed at Dumbledore's questioning of them as though they were students and he was giving them a problem to solve in class. Harry, however, understood. He whispered to James, "He wants the rest of the teachers to tell him what's happened, not the other way round. That way they can't not believe him. Clever." James merely nodded, still looking at Dumbledore.

Some of the teachers glanced at Professor Lupin, as if expecting him to answer; but he merely sat and watched, surveying the proceedings with a deliberately expressionless face.

It was McGonagall who answered. "Are you referring to Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew?"

Dumbledore just nodded. "What made them so notable?"

From the way he asked, it was obvious that he was asking what they had done at that time that made them noticeable, rather than merely memorable from later events.

"Well..." McGonagall paused, and glanced at Professor Lupin, who nodded. "They were such troublemakers - always managing to sneak around the school for their next prank, yet never being caught whilst doing so in their last few years, only when it was too late, and it had already been carried out. And yet always got excellent marks in class - Potter especially, in transfiguration. He was the only person I have ever taught who was not responsible enough to become a prefect, but had too good marks not to make him head boy."

She was speaking directly to Dumbledore, who nodded every so often, as an indication that she was going in the right track. At the end, he gave a final nod, and turned to the rest of the teachers, as an indication that Professor McGonagall should stop speaking. James didn't notice, however; his mouth had dropped open at the mention of his being head boy. Dumbledore, however, didn't give him time to dwell on this.

"Precisely." The headmaster paused. "Do any of you recognise this?" He held up a piece of aged parchment, which Harry recognised as what had once been the Marauder's Map.

Snape, who had been listening to their conversation with narrowed eyes, suddenly gave a start. "That parchment! That is Potter's - the younger Potter - I have seen him with it. And..." He paused. Harry could tell he was remembering that incident in the second year, when it has insulted him. "It had belonged to Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew!" He shot a glance of loathing at Professor Lupin.

Dumbledore, however, gave a confirmatory nod. "Did you ever find out what it was?"

Snape looked exceptionally angry. He paused, as if to think of an answer that would not imply that he had not been able to discover what it was. "How should I know what the blasted thing does? Ask Lupin, he will tell you!"

Dumbledore nodded, and turned his head to Professor Lupin. "Could you give a quick explanation, Remus?"

Lupin nodded. "It is a map. It showed a plan of the whole of Hogwarts, enchanted to resemble the real one, including the location of everyone in it." He deliberately refrained from giving any more detail.

Professor Flitwick looked intrigued. "How did you manage to show the location of everyone, when that would constantly change? You would need a permanent source of magic to keep it working."

Dumbledore nodded at him. "Go on."

Flitwick looked a little uncomfortable, but continued. "The only way you could do that would have been to keep your wand on it the entire time - except if you tried to discharge your animanavitas into it, and that would leave you dead." He was speaking more to Remus than Dumbledore now.

Professor McGonagall looked at Lupin sharply. "Except if you each contributed a fourth..." He nodded. McGonagall let out a slow breath.

But Flitwick was frowning now. "Even so, so much magical energy trapped inside a piece of parchment would not be controllable! It would need a mind to control it."

Remus answered with one word. "Exactly."

Flitwick looked horrified. "You put your minds into a piece of parchment? A conscious being, trapped forever in paper? It would go mad within a week! What charm did you use?"

"I used repono totalus," he replied.

The shorter man looked at Remus in surprise. "But repono totalus would not provide a consciousness to control it, it would merely store a copy of your mind in the parchment."

Lupin nodded. "You are correct. But when used on parchment, is apparently has the side effect of allowing some of your personality through."

Flitwick nodded. "I see." But then he suddenly looked, horrified, at the piece of parchment in Dumbledore's hand. "So that means... that means that an exact copy of all four of your minds is in that parchment - along with the animanavitas equivalent to one person's life energy..." He faded out, staring at the parchment, transfixed.

McGonagall spoke up. She too was staring at the parchment, as though mesmerised by it. "If that contains a mind, a new person could be created from that life energy, from that mind."

There was a long pause, and then Professor Sprout voiced what they were all thinking, except Dumbledore and Remus. "James."

Dumbledore nodded. They had reached the desired conclusion, with hardly any prodding needed. "Precisely."

Snape, who had been staring at the parchment, suddenly snapped his head around at this to face Dumbledore. "You plan to resurrect James?" He queried, his voice a mixture of shock, horror, and disbelief.

"No, Severus," Dumbledore started, and Snape began to relax. "That has already been done."

Snape alleared to have been stuck dumb. When he spoke, it was in a whisper, but it was a whisper charged with horror. "What?"

The other teachers were likewise staring, with expressions of shock, disbelief, and wonderment on their faces, awaiting Dumbledore's answer. It was short and to the point.

"Harry discovered this last night. He has brought back a fifteen year old James."

A number of the staff gave violent exclamations at this, and everyone started talking at once.

"James..."

"He couldn't possibly..."

"Where is..."

"Enough!" Dumbledore roared, and immediately the talking died down, though there were still mutters.

"He is currently in London with Harry, buying his school supplies. I will introduce him tonight as Harry's twin brother, who was sent over to America to keep him safe from Voldemort, and is now returning. I need not tell you what would happen if the Ministry found out what has really happened, and it is therefore imperative that you tell no-one, especially not any of the students, the truth."

"And now, I fear we must close this meeting here; school is starting tomorrow, and you no-doubt have classes to prepare. I will see you at this evenings feast."

Some of the teachers exchanged glances at this; it was not usual for Dumbledore to dismiss them so abruptly. But the look on his face bore no argument, so they began to file out, one by one. It was clear that most of them were still processing this turn of events, with dazed looks all round. The exception was Snape, who walked up to the Headmaster with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Headmaster, you cannot expect me to teach him. You cannot."

Dumbledore glanced up at him, a slightly angry look flittering across his face.

"I do expect you to teach him, Severus. Moreover, I expect you to treat him like any other student."

"But..."

Dumbledore interrupted. "Do I make myself clear?" His voice was calm, but his eyes, spoke of dangerous territories.

Snape closed his eyes, and opened them again. "Yes, Headmaster."

"Then why don't you retire to your quarters, Severus," Dumbledore said, his voice instantly cheerful again. "I wouldn't want you to have to stay up late tonight preparing for the lessons tomorrow."

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape repeated, his voice angry and sullen, and swept out of the staff room.

Dumbledore nodded to himself. He glanced at the portrait above Professor Sinistra's desk behind which James had concealed the mirror, and nodded, smiling to himself. He looked up again.

"Can you two meet me back in my office at six, I need to make arrangements for your Sorting."

And with that, he gathered up the former Marauder's map, and strode calmly out of the room.

Harry and James looked at each other, shrugged, and began to gather up their stuff, ready to venture back down into Diagon Alley.