Chapter 16

Jude sat in the Gryffindor common room, staring at the scar on his right hand. It was a bit small and curved on his palm; it looked nothing like the arrow head that had gone through. On the other side of his hand, he had the same shape. It was going to stay with him forever. The reminder that there was something big at play.

As he stared at his hands, he still couldn't figure out why he didn't have the burn scars from the fire that he shot and the fire that Lazarus shot. Was he immune to fire? If so, why did the fire that took his parents leave scars all over his back?

He was startled when he saw another hand smack his away from his vision. He brought his gaze up and stared at James who now stood before him. The brown eyed boy grinned, "Sorry for startling you, mate. I was trying to call you."

"S'fine," Jude shrugged, clenching his fist shut. "What is it?"

James sat next to him on the couch while Emma sat on the other side of him. Jude blinked confusedly when his friend pulled out a parchment, "What's that for?"

James smirked, holding the parchment up, "A sympathy gift. My dad was a bit saddened about what happened to me and wrote a whole letter on how my grandfather and his friends made this map on how to find people. It was useful to them for pranks and for him when he had to deal with Voldemo-oh Merlin, Emma, really?"

"Sorry."

"Anyways, he gave me this magical parchment. It's a map of the school and all of its occupants. It can show us hidden passageways on how to get out of school and how to get to Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade?"

James waved his hand dismissively, "Worry about that in our third year. Now," He held up the parchment, "This won't necessarily be for pranks. Emma said she'll only be a part of it if we use it for the greater good." He leaned towards his friend, whispering, "Between you and me, pranks are for the greater good."

Jude laughed as James continued, "We'll need a password or a phrase that only we know so no one else can see what this map contains."

Jude tapped his chin thoughtfully, "How about 'Rest assured that with a heart that's pure, we'll be victorious and not let our hate get the best of us'?"

"Good," James nodded, but his frown was apologetic. "It's a mouthful though. Anything else?"

Emma raised her hands causing James to roll his eyes, "How about 'Don't force people to follow; invite them on a journey'?"

"That's pretty good," Jude commented with a smile.

James sighed, nodding in agreement, "Alright, that'll be it. Now we need codenames."

"How do we come up with those?" Jude asked with a frown.

"With our patronus," James replied with a small flick of his wand. "Before you ask, a patronus is a defensive charm. It's mostly used against dementors or lethifolds because there is no other way to beat them."

"You can use it to send messages as well," Emma continued on for the other boy. "Most witches and wizards are unable to use this spell, but I'm sure we can do it. You just have to think of the happiest memory."

"The happier, the better, my dad always says," James stated with a firm nod.

Emma nodded with him, "A patronus takes form of an animal that represents the caster. It may change depending on if you fall in love with a certain person. It will change the form to represent them; male and female forms of the animal usually mean the people are soul mates."

"And if you're an animagus," James went on, "You're patronus may be the same form. My grandfather's patronus was a stag and when he became an animagus, his form was a stag as well. An animagus is the form of an animal a witch or wizard takes. We can learn it over the summer but it will be hard to try. It'll probably take a year or two."

Jude blinked at the information bombarded on him. He grinned, still overwhelmed, "Well, count me in."

James laughed triumphantly, patting his best friend on the back, "Good. So as soon as we know how to do the spell for the patronus and find a book on animagi, we can start this map up."

"What will we be called?" Emma asked, staring at the map inquisitively.

James put his hands on his hips, puffing his chest out with a grin, "We'll be called the New Marauders. Like the Marauders that came before us with Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail, we'll do this for the good of the people."

Jude coughed awkwardly, "Who are Prongs and the rest?"

James deflated a bit, twirling his wand, "Prongs was James Potter; my granddad. Padfoot was Sirius Black; my dad's godfather. I'm named after him as well. Moony was Remus Lupin. He's technically my uncle only because he was my granddad's best friend and he was a great man. Wormtail was Peter Pettigrew and we don't talk about him. He betrayed my grandparents and let Voldemort get to them…You good, Emma?"

Emma winced lightly, nodding quickly, "Yeah, all good."

"So," Jude blinked, "They were pranksters."

"They were great," James insisted. "They were brilliant and wicked."

"James Sirius Potter," Jude mused with a smile.

James grinned widely, nodding, "My mum named me. It's better than Albus Severus Potter, I'll tell you that."

Jude cringed, "Anything is better than that."

"What's your full name?"

Jude scratched his head, "I think it's Jude Godric Porter. That's what it said in the letters I got from Hogwarts."

James huffed, "You're lucky. That's a good name." He turned to the redhead beside him, "What about you, Emma? What's your full name?"

Emma bit her thumb nail; her eyes cast downward, "Emma Aileen Thorne."

Jude and James exchanged confused glances. James shrugged, "That's not so bad. What are you embarrassed for?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "My initials spell EAT."

Jude gazed at her widely while James snorted before bursting into obnoxious laughter. No one in the common room even glanced their way.