Inside the Hogwarts Express.

I'm currently inside a compartment with Fred, George and a boy called Lee Jordan. We chat for a bit, crack some jokes, when:

"Hey Sol, look what we-", started Fred.

"-found in Filch's office.", finished George.

"..."

Why the hell do you guys speak like this? Yes, you're twins we get it, you don't need to show off.

"Who's Filch?", I ask, feeling this was clearly more important.

"Filch is Hogwarts' caretaker.", answers Lee.

"That doesn't matter-", started George.

"-look what we have.", finished Fred.

They say and Fred brings out a parchment. I take it curiously, only to find out it's blank. I look at it with a blank expression.

Haaaah~

I inwardly sigh and look at the both of them with an expression that said are-you-fucking-serious.

They seemed to understand what I was asking and hastily began explaining.

"No, it's special, we promise."

"We got it from Filch's office in a drawer marked 'Confiscated And Highly Dangerous', right Lee?"

"That's right. To be honest, Filch seems to be a little nutty. He always prowls around the castle with his wretched cat. I reckon he hates us."

"Huh, why would they hate you?", I ask, feigning a slightly surprised expression. Though I know, why he hates them. The twins must've pranked him.

The twins start to look around, not meeting eyes. Then answered with a small voice, "We might've dropped a dungbomb on him, a small one really."

Wow~ I'm so surprised~

"Yeah, no wonder he hates you."

"Hey, that's not fair. He hates Lee too."

"He pranked him with us together."

"W-what? That's a li- yeah that's the truth.", Lee admitted.

We all laugh a bit at that. Then I ask, " So what's this?"

"We don't know that's why we gave it to you."

"Yeah, you were always the smartest of us, so we thought you could figure it out."

"Have you guys tried everything?", I confirm.

"We did. But when we forced it to reveal its secrets, nothing happened."

Ho? This is a bit interesting.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do.", I tell them and hold the paper in my hands.

I send my mana in the parchment, and-

Jesus, what the hell is this thing? Why is this rejecting me so much?

I send in my mana to inspect it, only to get hit with a huge headache. I concentrate even harder but the headache doesn't go away. At least, it doesn't increase. Was this its attempt to stop me? Don't stop now, try a bit harder.

Soon I see the lines of Ancient Language.

Marauder's Map

Created By: Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail

Charm Used: Homonculous Charm

Password: I solemnly swear I'm up to no good./ Mischief Managed.

This is a map? A map of what? Who are those oddly named people? No, they must be nicknames.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I open my eyes, clearly a bit puzzled but nonetheless start to say, "I found its secret."

"Ooh, ooh what is it?", all three ask in unison.

Clearly three peas in a pod.

"Watch. I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.", I say the phrase, and soon all 4 of us see, ink coming staining the parchment. They formed some sort of writing and an overhead art of a castle. On further observation, it read:

"Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP"

We open the parchment, the others excited at the thought of it being a map. What we see blows our minds. It was a full map of Hogwarts. It depicted the halls, the classrooms, and other places like common rooms. Some writings were moving around. They were names! To be precise, the names of the professors. Of course, I didn't know what the map showed. Only when the others told me what it showed was I surprised.

This is great! So, tracking maps existed in this world as well. What charm did they use on this? Og right, the Homonculous Charm. Gotta research this charm more.

"This is great, Sol, we can do-"

"-so much with this map."

"Filch can't even touch us now.", Lee added.

"Hey, come on now, I was the one who helped you out.", I interject.

"So, what do you want?", asked Fred.

"Just give it to me from time to time.", I ask.

"Is that all? Anytime!", agrees George.

"So how do you close this?", asked Lee.

"Here. Mischief Managed.", I say the catchphrase, and the map closes up, the writing slowly fading as it disappeared.

The twins take it from me, looking at me and Lee with a mischievous glint in their eyes and a wicked grin on their face. Lee reciprocates in kind.

As I see this scene, there's only one thought in my mind.

They're gonna up their game, aren't they?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The train slowly comes to a halt as we approach Hogwarts. We start to get off the train. The twins tell me that I don't need to worry about my luggage and that the house-elves would take care of it.

Hmm~ house elves? They can actually make elves their slave like this. That prideful and beautiful race? I'm a bit impressed. I thought this world would be a bit soft to actually deal with slavery.

Not thinking about this subject any longer, I get off the train to see students from different years running around in their black robes. We had to change into our robes on the train. I start wandering around, wondering where to go when I suddenly heard a deep voice with a heavy accent, "First years! First years over here! Come on, follow me! Any more first years? Watch where you're going."

I turn around to see someone who could only be described with one adjective: big! Not big as in tall. He had both length and width to him. He had black hair and long black hair. Both fuzzy in nature. I head towards him like the other first years. I walk forward and see him in his full length. The dude's 7 feet tall or even taller.

What an absolute unit! I'm in awe at the size of this lad!

The man ushers all the first years to a lake and then urges us to get on the boats, "Board the boats to arrive at the castle."

Hmm~ castle?

As I get on a boat, there were 2 girls and a boy with me. The boat starts moving on its own.

Must be magic.

As the boat moves closer to the school, all of us see a towering castle, penetrating the night sky.

Ohh~ so this is what they were talking about. The school is a castle. Yep, makes sense.

As we reach the docks on the other side of the lakes, the man leads us inside the castle. We see our luggage inside the hallway after the door. We come up to a set of stairs where we see a lady in emerald robes and a witch's hat waiting for us.

"I'll take them from here, Hagrid.", said the lady.

"All right then, Professor McGonagall. I'll leave with you.", said the man named Hagrid as he left.

"Come students. This way.", said Professor McGonagall as she began to lead us.

As we begin to climb the stairs, we suddenly hear:

Splash!

We turn around to find the source of the sound, only to find the girl I was in a boat with doused in...

...is that soup?

I look up to see a pale-blue translucent entity in a jesters' get up. It was a spirit! He was laughing maniacally, pointing at us. In his hands were, water balloons, what I presume is filled up with soup.

He then throws one at another girl before throwing one at me.

Does this spirit like bullying people something?

"Immobulus!", I cast and all the water balloons freeze in the air.

The spirit looks a bit displeased as he wound up his arm to throw another one hen Professor McGonagall shouts, "That's enough, Peeves!"

The spirit named Peeves just giggles and then fazes through a wall, though the balloon didn't and just fell to the floor, wetting it with soup.

What a waste.

I look back to see the two doused girls and flick my wand. In an instant, their robes and faces dry up as if they were doused in the first place.

"T-Thank you.", one of the girls smiles in gratitude.

"Sure.", I give a brief reply as Professor McGonagall had started walking and we begin to follow behind her.

"Good work, Mr. Balor.", she praises me.

Instead of happily taking the praise, I ask her, "Umm... Professor McGonagall, does Hogwarts invite their students by dousing them in soup on their first day?"

Professor McGonagall comes to a halt hearing my question, her expression saying that her brain didn't fully register what I had asked while we can hear some people laughing in the back.

Soon she composes herself and replies, "Oh heavens no, Mr. Balor! That was just Poltergeist Peeves harassing the first years again."

"Again? Does he do this every year?", I ask again.

"Oh yes, it really gives us a headache."

"Then why not stop him?"

"He's a ghost, Mr. Balor. Unless he lets go of his regret, he won't move on and we can't do anything to ghosts."

Hmm~ there's no spirit magic here. That's a shame. Wait, ghosts? Plural? How many more are there?

I stay silent as I fall into deep thought. Professor McGonagall leads us through a hallway after we go up some flights of stairs and opens a huge door.

As we enter into the room, I can only think:

I think the aesthetic sense of this room is a bit off.