The Marauder’s Map
“Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER’S MAP”
Harry Potter obtains the Marauder’s Map from Fred and George twins who told Harry that they just must had to give the marauder’s map to him.
The Marauder’s Map had covered most of the locations in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry of every ghosts, poltergeists like Peeves, and all wizards and witches.
Harry Potter and the Weasley twins didn’t know who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were but it turned out these were Remus Lupin(Moony, Peter Pettigrew(Wormtail), Sirius Black(Padfoot), and James Potter(Prongs), the so called ‘Marauders’.
The Marauder’s Map itself was another connection with Harry Potter and his beloved(except for Peter Pettigrew of course). As the Marauders were animagus, James Potter possessed the Invisibility Cloak, they were able to sneak around and explore at night and they’ve made the Marauder’s Map.
The Marauder’s Map was hidden with a Homunculus charm that would mock a person who wouldn’t know the proper password to use the Marauder’s Map.
The Marauder’s Map fell into the hands of Argus Filch but George and Fred Weasley were able to snatch it from Argus Filch’s office. George and Fred Weasley witnessed a part of the desk written “Confiscated and highly dangerous” and found the Marauder’s Map.
The Marauder’s Map was always true so Remus Lupin who didn’t know the truth of Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black confirms that Peter Pettigrew was alive by the Marauder’s Map(At Hagrid’s shack in the book, by Harry Potter’s words in the movie).
The password to the Marauder’s Map was “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good”. The password to conceal the Marauder’s Map was “Mischief managed”.
The Marauders
Four Gryffindor House students James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew formed the Marauders which was a group of friends that were into making trouble. Each were respectively also called Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail after their animagus forms and Remus being a werewolf. James Potter was nicknamed Prongs as his animagus form was a stag.
After the horns of the stag, he was called Prongs. Sirius Black took a form as a black hound. After this black hound, he was called Padfoot. Remus Lupin was nicknamed Moony as he transformed into a werewolf under the full moon. He nicknamed himself Moony after the moon.
Peter Pettigrew nicknamed himself wormtail as he took a rat animagus form and the tail of a rat resembled a worm. The Marauders were one of the most notorious mischief-makers in the history of Hogwarts.
They had an exceptional hatred against Slytherin House as well and later it is revealed that the Marauders had an exceptionally relationship with Severus Snape.
The Marauders were part of the anti-Lord-Voldemort organization the Order of the Pheonix. However, Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Order of the Pheonix and the Marauders as he feared the power and might of Lord Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew then faked his death and killed a dozen of muggles which he imputed all the crimes and his betrayal onto Sirius Black.
Animagi and Animagus
An Animagus was a wizard or witch that could perform the animagi which transformed him or her into an animal back and forth. Animagi was a type of transfiguration that turned a wizard or witch completely into an animal without any traits to detect it as a human.
By this point, known animagus are Professor Minerva McGonagall who could transform into a cat, Sirius Black who could transform to a black dog, Peter Pettigrew who could transform to a rat or also known as Scabbers, and James Potter who transformed into a stag, a male deer.
Animagi was an extremely high-level magic to master, and it took a long time to practice as well. Also, witches and wizards were mandatory to register to the Ministry of Magic Animagus Registry if they were an animagus.
Except for Professor Minerva McGonagall, none of the other known animagus registered themselves. Disclosure of unregistered animagi by an animagus directly led to a sentence to Azkaban.
Animagi or animagus held a high-potential threat as wizards and witches under an animagi form were never detected by detection spells except for exceptional occasions such as the Marauder’s Map.
Also, animagi were able to communicate with animals in their animal form. Sirius Black was an unregistered animagus so the dementors couldn’t detect him and the Ministry of Magic couldn’t also trace Sirius Black. Thus registration of animagus held such a strict regulation.
How to become an animagus
Animagi was one of the most difficult transfiguration magic in the wizardry world. Although there were a handful of unregistered animagi, by this point, only about seven wizard and witches including Professor Minerva McGonagall were registered as an animagi. Thus it was a very rare magic skill and considered a talent to be an animagus.
To become an animagus and perform animagi, it required talent but it also required an exhaustive process. First, a wizard and witch had to keep a mandrake leaf intact in their mouth for an entire month more specifically from one full moon until another.
Next, under the full moon, the mandrake leaf kept in the wizards or witch’s mouth, a hair of the witch or wizard, silver teaspoon of dew that never saw sunlight or intact by human feet for seven days, and chrysalis of a death’s-head hawk moth were all mixed and needed to be kept in a quiet and dark place.
After that, a wizard or witch had to chant “Amato Animo Animato Animagus” at every sun set and sundown until there is a lightning storm. Once a lightning storm occurs, the wizard or witch needed to cast the chant again and drink the completed animagus potion.
If there were anything done wrong or the wizard or witch lacked talent, the transfiguration result could be horrible with permanent damage or mutations.
Due to the high risk and complexity, animagus was a rare skill among the wizardry world. The form of the animagus is known to reflect the Patronus, the ultimate animal guardian form of the patronus charm.
Why did the Marauders become animagus
Werewolves were only hostile to humans and the marauders figured out that training animagi and becoming an animagus could comfort and help Remus Lupin during his full-moon werewolf transformations.
Also, becoming an animagus meant that the marauders could do more mischief and break rules more easily as they would be undetected. This is why when the marauders made the Marauder’s Map, they’ve casted a spell to detect animagus in their animal form.
The secret of the Shrieking Shack and the Whomping Willow’s secrets
The Whomping Willow held a secret path to the Shrieking Shack. Madam Pomfrey who knew of Remus Lupin’s condition as a werewolf would take him under the secret passage of the Whomping Willow when it was close to a full moon.
Poking one of the knot of the Whomping Willow simply paralyzed it. The Shrieking Shack was full of screeches by Remus Lupin when he became a werewolf. This gave the Shrieking Shack its nickname.
Peter Pettigrew – Betrayal of the Marauders and reason of hiding as Scabbers
Courage is a value-neutral term which people may perceive only as positive. After the truth of Peter Pettigrew was revealed many questioned why Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat did take a lot of time to sort Peter Pettigrew.
However, Peter Pettigrew had to ‘courage’ to betray his old friends and the ‘courage’ to do whatever it would cost to protect himself.
Peter Pettigrew was also part of the Order of the Pheonix along with his Marauder’s friends(It isn’t known if Remus Lupin was part though at this point).
Sirius Black who was the legal guardian of Harry Potter was appointed Secret-Keeper of the Potter family and he was the only one who knew their location. Lord Voldemort and his death eaters were after him after the Potter family after a ‘prophecy’.
However, Sirius Black thought this was too obvious and secretly switched roles with Peter Pettigrew without noticing anyone else within the Order of the Pheonix too to prevent exposure. However, Peter Pettigrew betrayed his old friends in fear of the power of Lord Voldemort.
Sirius Black in fury tracked Peter Pettigrew to avenge his friends. Peter Pettigrew however faked his death by cutting off a finger and killing a dozen muggles and impute the crimes including his own death on Sirius Black.
Peter Pettigrew transformed into a rat and hid his true identity and faked his death for over 12 years. Peter Pettigrew became the rat for the Weasley family which he was originally Percy Weasley’s rat and handed over to Ron Weasley.
Peter Pettigrew feared that the death-eaters who were the servants of Lord Voldemort would be after him. Also he needed to remain dead so he could conceal his crimes so he acted as a rat for over 10 years. He once again escapes after his secrets were revealed.
At the beginning of the Prisoner of Azkaban, Scabbers or Peter Pettigrew was really stressed and acted nervous because of the breakout of Sirus Black. Scabbers lost a lot of his hair and acted nervous as Peter Pettigrew lost so much of his hair due to the stress.
