Fear of a Name

Chapter Forty-Three: The Marauders Map

"Ivory, the forest is forbidden for a reason," Harry said finally. "In first year I was nearly killed by Quirrell in there because he was working for Voldemort, and last year Ron and I were nearly eaten by hundreds of giant talking spiders."
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"How in Merlin's name did you manage to just happen across an acromantula nest?"
"Well, we weren't — we didn't—"
I rolled my eyes.
"Don't tell me you went into the forest specifically to find them..."

"We might've a little bit done that," he admitted. "But that's beside the point. What made you think going into the forest was a good idea?! You could've died!"
I sighed.
"Well excuse me for not being able
to defend myself against whoever or whatever seems to have cursed me."
"How did he curse you anyway?" Ron said. "I mean, he wouldn't have had a wand when you met..."
"Who?"

There was another short silence, then Harry finally said, "Sirius Black."
"Sirius Black?!"
They all nodded.
"Did — did he get in here?" I said, pretty proud of my acting skills if I'm honest.
Silence.
"Did he get in here?" I said again, a little more urgently this time.
Still no reply.

I sighed and quickly flew into Harry's mind, searching for the information I already knew.
"Ivory, what're you—"
I just put my head in my hands and took a deep breath.
"Ivory—"
"I let him in," I muttered, my voice shaking slightly. "I let him in."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hogsmeade trip today!"
It had been quite a surprise to me that students were being allowed to go to Hogsmeade just a week after Sirius' last visit; after all, the security on the castle had been increased dramatically. Nevertheless, the notice had appeared in the common room on Wednesday, which had got most of the third years thoroughly excited.

Harry had made plans to sneak out with his invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map, which I'd told him multiple times not to trust. I knew it was a bad idea for him to be following directions from a map made by 'Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs'; mainly Wormtail, also known as Peter Pettigrew. Moony must've been Professor Lupin, since he was a werewolf, Padfoot was most likely Sirius, which meant Prongs was James Potter. I knew for a fact they'd all four been friends at Hogwarts.

Not wanting to be expelled, I'd decided I would stay in the castle. If I'm honest though, I wasn't entirely comfortable with doing that either, not after last time.

I'd been sitting in the entrance hall, feeling it was the safest place to be since there were multiple places to run to should my mother show up again, trying to master a particularly tricky spell I'd been studying — the spell to force an animagus to return to their human form. Of course, I didn't actually have an animagus to practice on, so I was just going by the physical properties of the spell I was casting — brightness, colour, that sort of thing. So far, it wasn't going very well.

"What're you doing here, Riddle?"
I looked up, and barely managed to suppressed my laughter at the image I was met with. Draco Malfoy was standing in front of me, his hair and robes both splattered with mud.
"Staying out of trouble," I said nonchalantly. "What happened to you?"
Malfoy just sneered at me and stalked off to the dungeons, dripping mud behind him.

About five minutes later, Snape came striding past, his cape billowing behind him. He seemed to be in a hurry, and I wondered if this was anything to do with Harry. It'd be just like him to cover Malfoy in mud, and if his invisibility cloak were to slip at all...

A few more minutes went by, and then my theory was all but confirmed as Snape came back past, a very sweaty Harry following behind him. I rolled my eyes.
To be honest, it was almost inevitable that Harry was going to get caught. I don't know what he expected.

After ten more minutes or so, Ron ran into the castle, through the entrance hall, and down to the dungeons, sounding completely out of breath. I guessed he'd run all the way from Hogsmeade to try and cover for Harry, and I was impressed with how far he'd go to get his friend out of trouble.

"Professor, I—"
Harry and Ron were back, this time accompanied by Lupin, who was holding an old-looking parchment, which I guessed was the Marauder's Map. I stood up and walked over to them.
"I don't want to hear explanations," Lupin said shortly. He glanced around the entrance hall and lowered his voice. "I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a map." he said, as Harry and Ron both looked amazed. "I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, astounded that you didn't hand it in. And I can't let you have it back, Harry."

There was a short Silence, then Harry said, "Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"
"Because..." Lupin hesitated, "because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They'd think it extremely entertaining."
"Did you know them?" said Harry, clearly impressed.
"We've met," he said shortly.

I sighed quietly, and all three of them turned to look at me.
"What's up, Ivory?" Harry asked, though I could tell he knew by the sheepish look on his face.
"I told you!" I said impatiently. "I told you not to trust that thing! And what do you do? You let it lead you out of the castle when there's a mass murderer trying to kill you at every opportunity!"
"And I've told you it's harmless, Ivory," Harry said.
"Not if it got into the hands of Sirius Black," I snapped.
"Black wouldn't know how to work it!"
"For all you know, he might," I said, glancing at the map. I could just about make out the words 'Mr Padfoot would like to register his astonishment—' "He might know very well how to use it."

Lupin gave me a quick look, then turned back to Harry, and said, "Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the Dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them — gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."
Harry looked away slightly, and I could tell he was ashamed.

"Ivory," Lupin said suddenly, "I'd like a word in my office, if you don't mind."
He turned and walked away, and I followed, just one question running through my mind.
What've I done wrong now?