Whispers of the Devil

After Ezio purchased the Marauder's Map from the twins, he couldn't help but fall into deep contemplation regarding how the original Marauders had managed to create it.

He had already gained a basic grasp of runes and, with the help of Professor Flitwick in deciphering spells, he now possessed a certain ability to identify magical artifacts; had it been before, he would have found it difficult to determine whether an object had been enchanted.

But the Marauder's Map was different. It didn't seem like the creation of an orthodox wizard; there were no traces of runes on it, meaning it likely wasn't an alchemical item. Yet, if it were merely through simple magic, no spell could retain its full efficacy for over a decade. This wasn't a curse, and the reason curses could persist for so long was that they parasitized objects already imbued with magic.

The portraits at Hogwarts could retain their magical efficacy for centuries because alchemical materials were used in their creation, combined with the magic-rich environment of Hogwarts. Only such areas allowed magical items to be preserved. Alchemical creations had a high demand for ambient magical concentration; otherwise, the wizarding world wouldn't be able to hide itself so easily. The mere sight of those blown-away copies of the Daily Prophet would be enough for Muggles to learn the secrets of the magical world. Ordinary magical items would quickly lose their effect once they left a specific environment; once removed from a wizard or a magic-rich area, they would turn into ordinary objects that wouldn't reveal any clues.

But clearly, the material of this map was just ordinary parchment, and after more than a decade, it had already yellowed and aged.

Moreover, the magic upon it possessed powerful and precise capabilities like name detection and location tracking. Especially the former—in the wizarding world, names held power. Wizards like Dumbledore, who had cast spells on their own names, were such that even owls could not deliver letters directly to him; only those who had received his permission could send him mail in such a way. Yet, Dumbledore's name was clearly displayed on the Marauder's Map.

It went even further than Dumbledore; when Ezio inspected the map, he saw that Quirrell's name was overlapped by another: Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Voldemort.

Voldemort had undoubtedly cast spells on his own name. Back when he was rampaging over a decade ago, people would be sensed by him the moment they spoke his name, and the Death Eaters would then pay them a visit to give them a "lesson." This was likely the main reason he could cast such a massive shadow over England. People were naturally terrified of a madman who would bring disaster upon them just by having his name spoken; such a person was clearly not normal.

A few young wizards still studying at Hogwarts could not possibly have achieved such a feat. It was far too advanced for them, and judging by the abilities displayed by James and his group, they didn't possess such strength. They didn't even have the power to confront Voldemort head-on; their best record was merely escaping from the Death Eaters a few times, rather than surviving an encounter with Voldemort himself.

When they first met, James was killed by Voldemort with a single Killing Curse. If one were to use the excuse that he didn't have his wand in hand, then James was even less of a qualified wizard. Only bottom-tier trash would put their wand where they couldn't reach it; that was the most basic, fundamental common sense for any wizard.

The secrets within this map were far more numerous than Ezio had anticipated.

However, he didn't intend to practice magic today. Having given himself a day off, he had plenty of time to ponder this matter. He kept recalling all the memories related to Hogwarts—things he had encountered in his previous life—but eleven years had passed, and his memories were somewhat blurred.

"Marauder's... Map..." Ezio mulled over the words. He always felt he had once known information related to this, but it didn't seem to come from the original novels...

"Right, it was that game. The Sorting Hat also told me that a hundred years ago, a guy with overly free-thinking ideas came to Hogwarts."

"Is it you? That predecessor who treated the Forbidden Forest as his own hunting ground and could cast the Avada Lightning Chain?"

Ezio suddenly curled his lips into a smile. "If it's the Ancient Magic that existed in the game, then that makes sense. Based on the setting, Ancient Magic indeed possesses the ability to maintain magical efficacy for a long time. Compared to ordinary magic, its power is stronger, it exists for longer, and it can achieve effects that ordinary magic cannot."

"But those few shouldn't be users of Ancient Magic, otherwise Voldemort would be nothing but a little brother in front of them."

"It's the Map Chamber, right? I remember there was such a place, a Map Chamber that depicted the entire topography of Hogwarts. If that's the case, it seems somewhat possible that they could have created this thing."

As restless individuals who loved night-wandering and searching for secret locations all over Hogwarts Castle, the probability of them discovering something different in Hogwarts was much higher than others.

However, Ezio didn't have much of an impression of where the entrance to the Map Chamber was. When he played that game, he always felt like he was being force-fed garbage. Around 1890, the number of Black people in England was very small, and their status was extremely low. It had been less than fifty years since the abolition of slavery, and given the British style, these people lived worse than pigs or dogs, mired in discrimination. Yet, that trash game was full of them everywhere, and it was also filled with LGBTQ+ content. Although Britain had its own national conditions, playing it was truly nauseating.

However, there was one thing he did remember: there was a statue at the exit of the Map Chamber, and that statue happened to be the Hogwarts motto: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus (literally, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon").

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Ezio spoke the password for the Marauder's Map, and black ink quickly appeared on it, weaving into a few sentences:

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

Proudly present—The Marauder's Map

"Ah, look who found us! Prongs is worried about this new user."

"Padfoot agrees with Prongs; this empty-headed guy is either a fool or a big fool."

"But we cannot rule out the possibility that he has mastered Occlumency. Moony reminds everyone to remain respectful."

"Wormtail agrees; he thinks everything said above makes a lot of sense."

"Similar effect to the Sorting Hat?" Ezio didn't pay attention to the text appearing on the surface, instead thinking about various possibilities. Magic also had traces to follow; it wasn't difficult to reverse-engineer the magic on it through its effects. "But to inject thoughts into this... I feel like you idiots shouldn't be capable of that. Then there is only one possibility: you referenced the production method of magical paintings and left a segment of your memories on it, or perhaps... soul fragments?"

"Padfoot feels insulted! An empty-headed fool actually dares to speak rudely!"

"Prongs warns this user here: if you do not apologize loudly at once, he will revoke the map's usage rights."

"Let's test it first." Ezio still ignored their words, drew his wand, and pointed it at the Marauder's Map: "Crucio." He said calmly.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Padfoot laughs loudly. Turns out he's a stinking Dark Wizard. Go eat shit, Dark Wizard. Only a brain as stupid as yours would try to use the Cruciatus Curse on a piece of parchment."

"I can rule out the least likely possibility of soul splitting; I shouldn't have expected you to have such ability." Ezio felt a bit regretful. If these guys had really split their souls and injected them into the Marauder's Map, he wouldn't mind pulling out the souls of Mr. Padfoot and Mr. Prongs and letting them experience what it feels like to have a loose tongue.

"I know your names: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

"And I want to remind you here, Mr. Prongs, your son is in my hands right now. If you don't apologize to me immediately, I will tie up your son, Harry Potter, put him in sexy women's clothing, and send him to Severus Snape's bedroom. I'll even spray him with expired Amortentia that makes people even crazier. Guess what will happen then?"

"How can there be such a vicious person like you in this world!!!"

Even if it was just text, one could see the fury of Mr. Prongs in the enlarged and bolded words filling the entire parchment. They were just a captured segment of memory, but with the help of magic, they possessed thoughts and ideas very close to the original persons, just like the magical paintings seen everywhere in the school.

"I am a Slytherin. Do you think I can't do such a thing?" Ezio said, unmoved. "By the way, Padfoot—that is, Sirius Black—you are Harry Potter's godfather. You wouldn't want to see your godson sent to Snape's bed by me, would you?"

"Godfather? Padfoot is surprised by this, but it makes sense. However, regarding your threat, he doesn't believe your lies."

"Snape is now the Potions professor at Hogwarts. Perhaps I can re-process this map so you can see the scene—how about a live broadcast? Harry has eyes exactly like his mother's, and just like his father, he has a tuft of hair on his head that can never be smoothed down. You definitely won't misidentify him."

"Moony hopes everyone stays calm, and he is willing to apologize on behalf of Prongs and Padfoot. We are very sorry!"

"There is no one more vicious than you in this world! Prongs is deeply disgusted by your evil deeds and threats, but he still has to say: I'm sorry, I was wrong."

"Padfoot, though somewhat reluctant, is also willing to apologize for his impulsiveness just now: I'm sorry."

"People always have to pay the price for their actions." Ezio looked at the text appearing on the map and curled the corners of his mouth slightly. "I am a magnanimous person, so I am willing to forgive your offense. However, I have a piece of information that might be very interesting to you, but in exchange, I need you to tell me how you made this map."

"You must be very curious, Mr. Prongs—that is, James Potter—about how you and your future wife died, right?"

"This is impossible!!! Don't try to lie to us, you evil Slytherin scum full of lies! Bastard!"

"I've decided to send Harry to Snape's room tonight and let you watch the live broadcast."

"Sorry, I got carried away. Padfoot has decided to shut his mouth and say nothing at all."

"Snape, that idiot, is still alive, so how could I possibly be dead? Prongs expresses his disbelief."

"You like Lily Evans, right? I can tell you in advance: she is your future wife."

"Is there anything better in the world than this?! Prongs suddenly believes a little of what you're saying, but he hopes even more that you're lying to him."

"So, do we have a deal?" Ezio is very good at dealing with people, especially when it comes to getting what he wants from them; Snape is like this, Dumbledore is like this, and the Marauders are no exception. "Perhaps you could mark the location of the entrance to the Map Chamber. I could find it myself, but it's more convenient to ask you."

"That place has been abandoned. We once found a room with a map of Hogwarts, and there were huge portraits inside. They guided us in creating this Marauder's Map, but after that, the room lost its original magic. Moony indicates that he can mark the location of the map for you, but please don't do anything bad because of excitement."

"It seems, Remus, that you really are the most normal one among you. Perhaps later, I can make Snape target you a little less and stop him from adding strange things to your Wolfsbane Potion."

"You know me? Moony expresses confusion."

"Of course, I know you are a werewolf."

"Since we have already given you what you wanted, Prongs hopes you will keep your word."

"Of course, of course." Ezio memorized the clearly marked entrance location. "But let's not be in a hurry; I need to verify the goods first."

Ezio put away the map and then headed toward the marked location.

The marked spot was in the lower levels of Hogwarts, the former dungeon area, not far from the Slytherin common room. However, those unused classrooms had long since been abandoned, and no one would wander there.

Waving his wand to clear away the debris, Ezio arrived at an abandoned area where even the torches were unlit. He quickly found the spot where the Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus statue should have been, but only the pedestal remained. The dragon statue that once lay upon it had been moved, though the brass plaque on the base still bore the inscription.

This confirmed to Ezio that they hadn't lied.

Directly opposite the statue was a sealed door. Behind it lay a downward spiral staircase leading to a spacious room supported by ancient stone pillars. There was a crack in the stone floor, no more than four fingers wide, through which one could see what appeared to be another space below.

"A trapdoor in the floor?"

Ezio leaned down to inspect it for a moment. This door had been destroyed for some unknown reason, and the magical mechanism had failed, but it wouldn't be difficult to open.

Perhaps the four of them had used some clever method back then, like human transfiguration, to shrink themselves, but Ezio hadn't mastered the techniques of human transfiguration yet, so he chose a more brutal approach.

Using magic to blast it open wasn't ideal; the stone slab, at least thirty centimeters thick, wouldn't break easily in a short time. However, he had a treasure in his hand that could cut through iron like mud.

The Broken Spear of Leonidas was drawn and then thrust into the stone floor. It possessed the power to destroy defenses; whether magical or physical, nothing could stop its piercing and cutting. Even though Hogwarts Castle was protected by magic, such protection could not stop it.

Spending half a minute, Ezio shredded the thick stone slab beneath his feet and carved out a hole large enough for him to enter. A ball of light from a Lumos spell flew from the tip of his wand, illuminating the darkness below.

Just as Moony had said, the passage below had collapsed, and only a few remains of the original spiral staircase were left. Jumping down directly through the hole, Ezio landed safely after a fall of over ten meters. After obtaining the Conqueror of the Sky milestone, he no longer needed to worry about falling from great heights, although wizards could also use the Aresto Momentum spell to avoid fall damage, it could be inconvenient at times.

The stone ruins below showed signs of having been dug out and moved, leaving enough space for someone to crouch through.

Ezio stepped lightly over the obstacles, and after lighting up the dark space behind the entrance, he crawled through the gap.

This was a huge, collapsed, and dilapidated room. Along the curved stairs on both sides, one could reach a circular open space of about thirty or forty square meters. Directly opposite the entrance, there was a small pedestal for placing some kind of item. If Ezio remembered correctly, a book could be placed here; the protagonist of Hogwarts Legacy had activated the trials of Ancient Magic here.

On the walls of the circular room were four huge portraits, but unlike those seen in the castle, these four portraits had lost their magical aura. The two on the left and right were particularly damaged, while the two in the middle barely retained some of their former appearance.

The people in the paintings had not disappeared, but they no longer moved. After losing their magic, these magical paintings that once spoke had become dead objects, just like Muggle portraits.

"I have found the Map Chamber you marked. Now, tell me the detailed process of how you created the Marauder's Map here. I am a man who keeps his promises. After you deliver what I need, I will tell you what you want to know."

"Moony believes that this gentleman will keep his promise. When we came to this chamber, one portrait had not yet completely lost its magic. His name was Percival Rackham, a former professor at Hogwarts. He was surprised by our arrival because we were not the 'Keepers' he spoke of, but the previous generation of Keepers had already completed the unfinished mission they left behind. Hogwarts no longer had any potential risks, and this Map Chamber had lost its original purpose."

"However, this chamber still retained one last piece of magic: the miraculous power that served as the map. This magic was connected to Hogwarts, and everything in Hogwarts could be reflected on it. As a final gift, he gave this magic to us, allowing us to imprint it onto a piece of parchment. Furthermore, we could add markings to the map, such as noting the secret passages and secret rooms we found during our time at Hogwarts."

"The reason the Marauder's Map has its current power is all because of this miraculous magic, which we couldn't fully understand. But this magic also had limitations; once it left Hogwarts, it became ineffective. So, before we left Hogwarts, we left the Marauder's Map behind. Outside, this map was just a piece of ordinary parchment."

"We left a memory in the map, hoping to see more students in the future who were as passionate about adventure as we were, and to be able to provide them with help."

"That's how it is. We don't know the principles behind this map. If that's what you wanted to know, then I'm sorry."

"Ancient Magic is something that only certain extremely special wizards can know, and only they can see the traces of Ancient Magic. I can understand that."

Ezio did not doubt the words of Moony, that is, Remus Lupin. Compared to James, Sirius, and Peter, his words were the most trustworthy.

"If there is a chance, I will get you some Wolfsbane Potion. Just a few years ago, a wizard developed a magical potion that allows werewolves to safely pass the full moon. It hasn't been fully perfected yet and still has side effects, but the effect of the potion has been confirmed. I have read Potions journals, and it has already been published."

"I probably didn't have a very good life in the future. Moony thanks you for your kindness. How he wished he could have had this potion when he was in school."

"Then I won't keep you in suspense. What I want to tell you is this: in the future, you joined Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix to fight against Voldemort, and the James Potter family was hunted by Voldemort for certain reasons."

"Wow! I must have been super cool back then! Prongs put his hands on his hips, feeling he was super powerful."

"Then you died, and your wife died too. And the reason they died was—" Ezio curled his lips with a bit of dark humor, "The entire wizarding world is spreading it, and they all accept this result: that Sirius Black is a despicable traitor. He betrayed his best friend and told Voldemort the hiding place of the James Potter family, ultimately leading to their deaths."

"YOU! ARE! FULL! OF! SHIT!!! Padfoot is going to tear your mouth apart! You dirty, despicable Slytherin bastard! I could never betray my friends!"

Huge letters filled the entire parchment.

"I don't believe Padfoot would be that kind of guy either. Prongs does not accept such base slander; he and Padfoot are best friends."

"Suit yourselves. Sirius Black has been locked in Azkaban for ten years. He didn't say a word of rebuttal during his trial and accepted the matter. Do you want me to hand the map to someone else so you can confirm it again? There isn't a wizard in England who doesn't know about this—that Sirius is a despicable traitor."

Ezio certainly knew the truth, but he didn't say it. After all, these two had foul mouths toward him. Although it was just a memory and they only possessed mimetic thoughts extended from those memories, it didn't matter.

"You lying little Slytherin brat, do you think we would believe these things you're saying?! We have unanimously decided to close all functions of the Marauder's Map to you. Don't even think about using this map again!"

"That is not for you to decide."

Ezio drew his wand and pointed the tip at the parchment: "Legilimency."

A few strands of silver thread were pulled out by him. Wizards have specific magic for dealing with memories, which is also one of the magics used to reshape portraits.

"If I didn't want to keep Dumbledore in the dark, do you think I'd need to ask you lot?"

Ezio curled his lip. A Pensieve was the perfect tool for extracting memories, but while it wasn't exactly a one-of-a-kind artifact, buying one was a bit of a hassle; stock was low, and it took time to track one down.

He didn't dissipate the memories of the four men; instead, he bottled them in glass vials. Once the memories were extracted, the men no longer possessed the power of thought, leaving behind only the raw memories themselves. All their previous thoughts and actions had been mere impulses extended from those memories, sustained by magic.

With the memories of its four creators gone, the Marauder's Map was no longer locked. Anyone could use it, even without reciting the password.

"A bit of a pity, that."

Ezio looked around. The underground Map Chamber was completely ruined and had lost most of its value. Besides, he wasn't a user of Ancient Magic, so there wasn't much for him to gain here.

However, the ruins of Ancient Magic were a treasure in their own right. If one only looked at the surface, there was indeed nothing of value to be found.

Orbs of light flew from the tip of his wand one after another, illuminating the path that connected to the Map Chamber—a route originally designed as a trial for the Keepers of Ancient Magic.

Ezio mounted his broomstick and carefully searched for any remaining treasures left in the ruins. Perhaps to the person who had cleared this chamber, the leftovers were nothing but trash, but in certain circumstances, one man's trash was another man's treasure.

Soon, Ezio made a discovery.

They were several suits of armor crafted using Ancient Magic, but due to the ravages of battle, they had lost their ability to move, and the magic within them had dissipated. Yet, time had not erased the traces of magic left behind. The magic might have faded, but the runes etched into them remained. On the inside of the armor, those fine, vein-like textures were the very runes the wizard who crafted them had inscribed.

"Let me see what kind of wisdom the wizards of hundreds of years ago left behind. The current magical world has lost far too much history. These idiot wizards, who don't even know how precious knowledge is as a wealth—they all truly deserve to die!"

It was a joke to suggest that magical progress relied on archaeology, but it was an undeniable fact that much precious knowledge had been lost simply because no one bothered to cherish or store it. In the Muggle world, this might be understandable, as Muggles lacked the ability; they didn't live for centuries, nor could they leave behind portraits that could store knowledge and recount the past for hundreds of years. But in a magical world capable of preserving all this, such negligence was a behavior Ezio detested to his core.

If wizards had passed down this knowledge generation after generation, the current magical world could truly be called a magical civilization. Instead, they had voluntarily abandoned the embrace of advancement and progress, choosing to linger and rot in their own narrow, isolated corners.

Ezio had no intention of changing the magical world; such things were meaningless to him. What did it matter if the world became a better place? He only cared about how quickly he could become stronger.

He would only pour his energy into things that were beneficial and advantageous to him. He didn't expect to find some overwhelming power in these antique suits of armor; he only hoped his gains would justify the half-hour he had spent here.

As for the memories of those four, Ezio certainly wouldn't waste them. The dead were of no great help to him, but the living were a different story—especially a wizard like Snape, who possessed abilities Ezio desperately needed.

Snape's value was ten thousand times higher than that of James Potter and Sirius Black, those living dead men, combined. And as for how to make him willingly offer up his value, Harry was the indispensable link.

Compared to his previous investment in Harry, Ezio was certain of one thing: in the future, his investment would yield a tenfold or hundredfold return. Otherwise, he wouldn't have nagged Harry so much on the train; he was practically acting as his nanny. Ezio wasn't some great philanthropist; the only reason was that Harry's value was immense.

Professor Severus Snape! You, too, want Harry to understand what a vile, Gryffindor bastard his father, James Potter, was, don't you!

You wouldn't want this kind-hearted child, who has the same eyes as Lily, to be influenced by his damn father, would you?

You don't want to see the shadow of James in Harry, do you?

Then we can surely reach a consensus, and we shall remain a community of shared interests.

I will reveal the truth to Harry, letting him know exactly what his foolish father did back then. When Harry learns that it was his father and his godfather who used the most idiotic methods to cause the deaths of himself and his mother, how will Harry view them?

My dear friend, Severus! You—you will accomplish the very thing you desire most in your heart, yet would never dare to speak aloud.

Do you want to hear Harry call you 'father'?

For that, what price are you willing to pay?

The fake follower count has reached 1000, so the promised two extra chapters are coming. However, the third round requires over a thousand real followers to have a chance. Currently, the number of real followers with recharge records is about 700 to 800, roughly 0.7 times the fake count.

Thank you all for your support; it would be even better if we could go a step further. The writer here bows in gratitude to everyone. If we can make it into the third round of recommendations, there will be two more extra chapters.