The evening sun cast a pale, bleak glow over the castle as it slowly descended beyond the forest's edge. David had only taken a few steps onto the stone floor of the castle after emerging from the cave when he suddenly felt two arms drape over his shoulders—one on each side.
"David, where have you been? Professor McGonagall has been looking for you," Fred Weasley said with a mischievous grin.
"We were both questioned by her several times," George added with a dramatic sigh.
"But don't worry," Fred continued proudly, "we didn't spill a single secret."
"Yeah, but honestly, were those things in the forest your doing?" George asked, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "You're really not a good friend, you know. Not calling us for something this big?"
"That has nothing to do with me," David hurriedly denied, knowing this was a situation he could not afford to take credit for.
Fred and George exchanged skeptical looks.
"Nothing to do with you? Then why is McGonagall so desperate to find you?" Fred questioned, clearly not convinced.
"Hermione didn't tell you?" David asked, slightly puzzled. Had the professors decided to keep things under wraps?
"Tell us what?" George's curiosity was piqued. "David, talking halfway is the worst crime in the world."
David sighed. "What exactly did the professors say to you?"
"They told us to stay in the dormitory and not leave," Fred answered. "Percy was assigned to keep an eye on us."
"But Percy being Percy, he couldn't watch us all the time," George added smugly. "We slipped out easily."
"Of course, we didn't come out because we were curious about what happened," Fred said, nudging George.
"Yes, not curiosity at all," George agreed with a smirk. "We just happened to hear McGonagall was looking for you and thought we should warn you so you could prepare yourself."
Fred and George patted David on the shoulders. "See? We're good friends. So, tell us what really happened."
David frowned. "How did you even find me?"
"That's not the point, is it?" Fred waved his hand dismissively. He reached into his bag and pulled out a large, very old piece of parchment. "We used this."
David looked at the parchment. It appeared to be nothing more than a worn, blank piece of paper.
"Don't be fooled by appearances," George said proudly. "This is our greatest treasure, the secret of our success!"
"Thanks to this, we can navigate the castle like fish in water," Fred added. "We've avoided Filch countless times because of it."
"What is it?" David asked, now intrigued.
Fred spread the parchment out, and George tapped it with his wand, declaring, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Instantly, lines began to appear, spreading across the parchment like ink soaking through fabric, forming the intricate layout of Hogwarts. Then, in elegant green letters, the words emerged:
Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs proudly present the Marauder's Map.
The detailed map revealed every room, corridor, and hidden passage in the castle. But most fascinating of all, tiny dots moved across it, each labeled with a name.
David shifted slightly, and sure enough, the dot labeled David Scamander moved accordingly.
His heart raced. This is no ordinary map…
"Where did you get this?" David asked in awe.
Fred and George exchanged a mischievous look.
"Well," Fred began, "it was way back in our carefree first year…"
"We were still young and innocent," George continued dramatically. "And, well, we had a slight disagreement with Filch."
"A very minor disagreement," Fred added.
"But Filch—"
David sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You stole it from Filch, didn't you?"
Fred gasped theatrically. "David, your insight is astonishing!"
"But we didn't steal it," George corrected. "This map was created by Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs to aid future mischief-makers. We simply rescued it from gathering dust."
David chuckled. "Can I borrow it? Just for a couple of days?"
Fred blinked in surprise before handing the parchment to him. "No need to borrow it. You've been on the map plenty of times sneaking around at night—sometimes with Hermione."
George grinned. "Don't worry. Our lips are sealed tighter than that statue over there."
David accepted the map, tucking it safely away. "How do I erase it?"
"Like this." George tapped the parchment with his wand again and muttered, "Mischief managed."
The lines and dots vanished instantly, leaving behind a blank sheet.
David nodded. "Thanks. Now, I should probably go see McGonagall before she loses her patience. Want to come?"
Fred and George quickly shook their heads. "Nope, we're not that reckless."
"See you in the common room later, then."
As the twins turned to leave, they suddenly realized something was off. They had come to question David, yet somehow, they had handed over their treasured map without getting any answers.
With a synchronized pivot, they rushed back and grabbed David's shoulders.
"Wait! You still haven't told us what happened in the forest!"
David sighed and relented. "The Acromantulas have gone mad. They're attacking everything in sight. The professors are fighting them off in the forest. I was helping them figure out what's causing it. For your own safety, stay inside the castle."
Fred and George's eyes widened. "Eight-eyed giant spiders?" they echoed.
David saw the excitement on their faces and quickly warned, "Don't even think about going there! They're mad. If you set foot in the forest, you might not make it back."
Fred raised an eyebrow. "David, please. We're not that reckless."
"Sure," David muttered skeptically before heading toward McGonagall's office.
The castle corridors were eerily empty, with students confined to their dormitories. When he reached the office, he knocked three times.
The door flew open, and Professor McGonagall, looking both worried and exasperated, exclaimed, "Mr. Scamander! Where have you been?"
"I had a theory and needed to check something in the forest," David admitted.
McGonagall pursed her lips. "Why didn't you tell me? I was worried!"
"I'm sorry, Professor. I wasn't thinking."
Before McGonagall could respond, a heavy stomping approached. With a crash, the door burst open.
"David! Is he back?!"
Hagrid's enormous form filled the doorway, his face pale with concern.
When he saw David, relief washed over him. Without hesitation, he wrapped David in a crushing hug.
"I thought—I thought—" Hagrid choked up.
"I'm fine, Hagrid! Really!" David gasped.
Hagrid finally released him—only to give him a hearty pat on the back that nearly knocked him over.
Just then, Snape and Professor Flitwick entered, their expressions grim.
"I hope you have a very good explanation," Snape said icily.
David took a deep breath. "The Acromantulas aren't just attacking at random. Someone is manipulating them. But they still retain their instincts."
"And how do you propose we deal with them?" Snape asked.
David hesitated, then said, "They're terrified of basilisks."
The room fell silent. Everyone stared at him in shock.
"Basilisks?" they echoed in unison.
David nodded grimly. "Yes. And I think I know what we need to do next."