Marauder's Map

George stared up and down at Luke in astonishment, his mouth unconsciously forming an "O."

He had been genuinely startled when he watched Luke's figure gradually emerge from thin air.

The Disillusionment Charm was something many adult Wizards could not even use. He and Fred had both been very interested in it, but it was obscure and difficult to master. When poorly cast, it had little effect, and a single mistake could leave one's body discolored in irregular patches—a side effect that, for some people, was no less serious than being splinched during Apparition.

Its value for money was absolutely nowhere near as good as saving up for an Invisibility Cloak.

It was precisely because they had practiced this spell that they knew Luke, who could use it so skillfully, was either exceptionally gifted, highly experienced, or perhaps both.

If Luke had known what he was thinking, he would probably have replied inwardly.

Cheat code, nice!

"What's so special about this map?"

Luke dispelled the Disillusionment Charm, then stared curiously at the map in Fred's hand as he began asking questions.

In truth, he had known about this map long ago, but he could not let that show now.

"Oh! This is a magical map!" Fred flashed a dazzling smile. "It's the treasure of the two of us—a map that can show the names of everyone in the castle."

As he spoke, Fred handed the Marauder's Map to Luke.

Luke was somewhat surprised by the gesture, but he still accepted the map.

The map was packed with names. Apart from the three of them standing in the hall, their names nearly overlapping, the only other name still moving was Filch's.

Filch was still far away from the three of them, so there was no need to worry about getting caught.

There were many branching lines on the map, several of which even extended beyond the school grounds. These must have been Hogwarts's secret passages.

Luke also wanted to try deciphering the map, but the spells on it were both unfathomably profound and a complete mess. The only trace he could make out was the core Person-Tracking Charm. Yet that spell was ancient and obscure; even when Luke had found it in the spellbooks left behind by his family, he had not managed to learn it.

George shot Fred a puzzled look and could not help poking his brother's shoulder with a finger, clearly confused as to why he had handed the map to Luke.

This was a toy they had only gotten in their first year, and they still had not had enough fun with it.

Fred merely winked at his brother, signaling him to stay calm. They should first see how Luke reacted.

After looking for a while, Luke finally found that name in a corner of the Gryffindor dormitory.

"Peter Pettigrew."

The name was now almost overlapping with "Ron Weasley," but if one looked carefully enough, it was still visible.

Luke could not help sighing inwardly.

You could call the Twins careless, but they were actually quite perceptive in how they dealt with people. They only looked carefree on the surface.

But if you called them attentive, their own brother had been sleeping in the same bed as another name, and they had still noticed nothing...

Luke looked up and handed the map back.

"A very good little tool, but it clearly isn't simple. The spells on it are ancient. I can only make out traces of the Person-Tracking Charm. Whoever made this map was at least exceptionally knowledgeable in spellwork."

Fred reached out and took back the map. After checking Filch's location, he smiled and asked, "What are you planning to do sneaking out tonight?"

"Going to the kitchen for food? Or are you planning to look for the treasure Slytherin left behind at the school?!"

George's interest was instantly piqued, and he looked at Luke expectantly.

Everyone knew that Hogwarts had been founded by the Four Founders, including Slytherin. Legends about the Four Founders' treasures had circulated among students for many years.

Rumors like "the giant squid in the Black Lake is actually Gryffindor transformed" were endless. There was all sorts of nonsense.

"Believe me, if Slytherin really left behind a treasure, then even I would not dare take it lightly."

Luke shrugged. "Some people think Salazar Slytherin was actually a Muggle wizard, but that is far from the whole story. He despised almost all weak people. Even if I carry his bloodline, I would not be able to take his treasure without sufficient strength."

This was not a joke. He knew the location of the Chamber of Secrets and its layout, not only from the films, but also from historical records his family had preserved.

Of course, claiming that Slytherin did not discriminate against Muggle wizards and half-blood wizards was also nonsense. According to the records, the treasure in the Chamber of Secrets could only be opened by a pure-blooded Gaunt.

Luke had no idea whether Tom had been furious enough to twist his nose out of shape when he saw those treasures.

"Tonight, I'm planning to take a look in the Forbidden Forest first. I'm personally very interested in Magical Creatures." Luke looked at the Twins before him. "Could I borrow your map? I'll return it when I get back tonight."

"Borrow?" ×2

George and Fred exchanged a glance, then George saw his brother giving him a signal. Their unspoken understanding made him instantly grasp Fred's intention.

Though he was reluctant, you had to give up something to gain something!

"I'm afraid not, Luke. You have to understand, this thing is very precious. We only found this treasure after great difficulty in the Restricted Section. Do you know how much effort it took us? How many hardships we overcame? How many trials we endured? How could we casually lend out something so valuable?"

George spoke with a regretful expression.

Luke restrained the urge to twitch at the corner of his mouth. Sensing George's genuine emotion, Luke might actually have believed him if he had not seen the films and known they had stolen the thing from Filch.

So he looked at Fred, who was about to open his mouth and scold his brother, tilted his head, and asked, "What do you need? This thing doesn't mean that much to me. You should be able to figure that out, so make a reasonable offer."

Neither of the two before him was stingy, but neither were they so familiar with strangers either—especially not with someone from Slytherin House like Luke. If they had not needed something from him, there would have been no reason to approach someone who was only slightly less unfamiliar than a stranger.

And they had even deliberately shown him the Marauder's Map. They were obviously dangling bait to catch a fish.

Still, the bait was somewhat interesting, so Luke was willing to bite.

Fred's mouth twitched. He was used to fooling Ron and Ginny at home, so he rarely encountered someone their own age who could see through their little scheme at a glance.

Fortunately, he quickly composed himself.

"Let's make a deal."