The four of them smiled, their faces lit by the flickering glow of the candlelight. The parchment lay before them, now fully formed with its intricate lines and shifting patterns. It was alive. But james knew it needed something more—something that would tie their hearts to it forever.
Days later…
James, grinning from ear to ear, glanced around at his friends as they gathered again a few days later, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Alright, lads. It's time to make it ours—truly ours."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
James gestured to the parchment. "We need to make sure this map only responds to us. That means infusing it with something special—our essence." He paused, then added with a smirk, "So, what better way than our blood?"
Peter squeaked nervously. "Blood? Isn't that a little... extreme?"
"We've already made it this far, My boy. A bit of blood won't hurt," James said, winking at him.
Remus, ever the cautious one, raised a hand. "Are we sure this is a good idea? Infusing something with our blood could... well, it could bind us to it in ways we might not understand."
James gave him a reassuring smile. "Trust me, Moony. It's the only way to make sure it's truly ours—and besides, we'll only do it once. And with just a hint of blood."
Remus exchanged a glance with Sirius, who was already rolling up his sleeve. "Alright," Remus said, sighing, "but if anything goes wrong….."
Peter, despite his nervousness, followed suit, carefully rolling up his sleeve as well. James nodded at Sirius, who gave him an ready smile.
"Alright, then! One drop of blood each, and we're officially bound to this thing," James said, sounding both excited and serious. "On three. One... two... three!"
Each of them pricked their finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the parchment. The moment the blood touched the map, the parchment seemed to shudder and pulse. Lines of magic spiraled across the surface as the map hummed with newfound energy.
James stood back, grinning wildly. "It's done! Now—time for the charm. Scribimus Revalatio!"
The map glowed even brighter for a moment before settling into a calm, steady pulse.
Remus stared at the parchment, still not fully convinced. "Okay, now that it's done, what now?
Peter interrupted, "do you think it's safe to use names? I mean, we can't just use our real names, can we?"
Sirius snorted. "Not unless you want Snape, or worse, the Ministry, snooping around. Best to keep things... discreet."
James slapped his hands together, a look of mock seriousness crossing his face. "Right. We need to hide our identities. How about this—I shall be Prongs, naturally." He flashed a grin, holding up his hand to 'salute' himself.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Prongs? Because you've got that antler thing going for you?"
James grinned back. "Exactly. Now, Peter—"
"I'm Wormtail," Peter said, nearly jumping out of his seat. "I—I mean, it does fit," he stammered, clearly trying to sound more confident than he felt.
"Right," Remus said with a wink. "Moony, then. Not quite as flashy as Prongs, but—"
James interrupted, laughing. "Not quite as flashy? You're a werewolf, mate. That's plenty flashy already."
Sirius smirked. "And I guess that makes me Padfoot," he said, giving a dramatic bow. "No complaints here. It fits."
The four of them paused, smiling at each other. Their bond was real now, more than ever before.
James suddenly stopped, his eyes widening. "Wait... We need a group name. Something that represents who we are—our adventures, our spirit."
He glanced around the room, as though searching for the perfect inspiration. His eyes locked onto a nearby stack of newspapers, and as if by magic, his gaze fell upon one particular headline.
......…
THE DAILY PROPHET
MINISTRY OF MAGIC OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
VOL. 5, ISSUE 123
DATE: APRIL 17, 1975
WIZARDING WORLD CONDEMNS MARAUDING BANDITS
A group of rogue wizards, known for their brazen raids on wizarding villages and towns, has been wreaking havoc across the British countryside. The Ministry is currently investigating the activities of these Marauders, who are feared to be wreaking havoc across the wizarding world.
......…
James' eyes lit up. "Marauders! That's it! Marauders! We're never up to anything good, always on some adventure, causing a bit of mischief here and there!"
Peter blinked. "Marauders? You mean like... those bandits?"
James grinned. "Exactly! And it's perfect. We're always sneaking around and causing chaos, but we're not exactly evil. Just a bunch of adventurers."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I like it. It's got that rebellious ring to it. Marauders it is!"
James beamed. "Right! This map will be the Marauder's Map—our legacy!"
The four of them laughed, the sound of their amusement echoing through the room, but as they did, something strange happened.
The parchment shifted.
A series of words began to materialize in fine, flowing ink. It started with a faint scratching sound, like a quill against paper, and then—the words appeared.
"Marauder's Map welcomes the owners of this map..."
The Marauders froze, staring at the words in disbelief.
"Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs."
They all blinked. "What...?" Remus whispered, his voice barely audible. "How—how did it know our names?"
James, mouth agape, couldn't believe what he was seeing. "It's alive! The map... it knows us."
Sirius leaned over, scanning the words as if trying to make sense of them. "But how? We just decided on the names."
Peter was practically shaking with excitement. "This is mad! It's actually... alive!"
James' mind was racing. "It's like it's reacting to our bond. The map—the Marauder's Map—isn't just showing locations. It's showing our identity. And it's ours now. No one else can have this."
Remus looked at the map with a deep sense of awe. "It's more than just a map now…"
Sirius grinned, slapping James on the back. "Well, Prongs, looks like we've really done it this time."
James laughed, his voice filled with pride. "Yeah... I think we just made history."
Peter added, "The Marauders are officially born."
They all gathered around the map, the parchment glowing softly as their names—their true names—appeared, solidifying their place in the magical world.
But there was still that sense of wonder, that giddy feeling that maybe—just maybe—this was only the beginning of something much bigger. The Marauders weren't just students anymore. They were legends in the making. But right now they were smiling and looking at the legacy they didn't know would change many hands, with sheer amazement.