Sirius Black
Professor Black was having an absolutely miserable afternoon.
Madam Pomfrey stood over him with the long-suffering expression of someone who had treated more injuries from student pranks than Dark curses in her entire tenture as Matron nurse of this magical school.
"Drink," she ordered.
Sirius pinched his nose and downed the thick, bubbling, violet potion.
Instantly his skin flashed bright yellow, then sky-blue, then settled into its normal color.
The slime still clinging to his body melted away, while the feathers still adorning him from head to tale simply vanished as if they were being atomically broken down and dispersed.
He exhaled in relief.
"See?" Pomfrey said briskly. "Not dying. Now sit still while I check for residual hexes."
Sirius grumbled something profoundly unheroic and slumped back onto the medical cot.
Then—
The Hospital Wing doors swung open.
Cassius Snape stepped inside, expression unreadable, a folded parchment in hand.
Sirius lifted a finger. "Before you say anything, just know I will have revenge. Terrifying revenge. Revenge that songs will be written abou—"
Cassius tossed the parchment straight at him practically slapping him in the face before it fell to his chest.
No doubt he'd have caught that if he wasnt distracted with declaring his intent for revenge... yeah otherwise i'd have caught that for sure.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
"…no way."
He held it reverently, fingers brushing the familiar worn edges.
"Moony, Prongs, Wormtail and Padfoot—" his voice cracked slightly, "—the map still exists?"
Cassius crossed his arms. "Barely. It's outdated."
Sirius snapped upright like someone had insulted his child.
"Outdated?!" he sputtered. "Young man, this map was the single greatest work of mischief, magic, and sheer bloody genius Hogwarts has ever seen."
Cassius raised an eyebrow.
Slowly.
Painfully.
"Yes. And it's also missing like an entire third of the castle."
Sirius froze. "…what?"
Cassius paced a few steps.
"For example, it doesn't show the Chamber of Secrets."
He held up a second finger. "It doesn't show the Room of Requirement."
A third finger. "It also left out several substructures in the castle foundations."
A forth finger. "You guys also failed to include the grounds, as well as the forbidden forest itself... pretty sloppy work if you ask me, just doing the job half assed like that."
Sirius's jaw dropped.
"How did—how did you even find out about those?!"
Cassius didn't answer the question. "The point, Sirius, is that the Marauders Map was created by four brilliant idiots who thought they already knew every secret Hogwarts had. They didn't. Barely scratched the surface if you ask me."
Sirius put a hand to his heart. "You wound me. Deeply."
Cassius ignored him.
"And," he continued, "there's another flaw. A serious one."
Sirius frowned. "What flaw?"
"It fails to detect someone hiding inside the castle walls."
Sirius stared.
Cassius went on, voice cool and precise. "When someone hides between the stones—behind bricks, in old passages, in the inner frame of the walls—their name blends with the magical script of the castle. You can't see them unless you know specifically where to look."
Sirius felt his blood turn cold.
"That… shouldn't be possible," he whispered. "The enchantment should highlight any living—"
"It doesn't." Cassius cut him off. "Even after marking out the seven secret passageways you guys never bothered to realize that one just disappaers as soon as they enter one?"
Sirius stayed silent.
Cassius's eyes narrowed.
There was a reason he was saying all of this.
And yes sure there was a part of him that just wanted to mock Sirius for his failed flawed creation.
But on the other side, Cassius needed an insurance plan.
Sirius was already free, but in his place it was Pettigrew who escaped from Azkaban, and beyond that he didnt escape alone, he let out a handful of high-class criminals.
Barty would have escaped on his own with time, slinking back into the arms of Voldemort and aiding his return to Britain.
But what about pettigrew and the others, would they all slink away to meet up with their master?
Disgraced and sullied as they were?
No the chances were much higher in favor of them trying to get the dark lords praise by completing a task that the dark lord would want to see done.
And what does the dark lord want most?
Why Harry Potter of course.
The dark magic ritual listed in Magik Most Eivil called for blood of the enemy forcibly taken.
Now it didnt specify how fresh the blood needed to be, but given Tom's liking for the theatrics, he's want Harry to be present for the ritual not just to witness his ressurection, but also to off the poor boy right after he'd gloated over his return to life.
The other target... well it would be like a three for one.
If they had gotten into contact with Voldemort first, then no doubt Cassius, and Severus Snape would top of the list for assassinations to be undertaken while the others were on the kidnap quest.
The only real issue was knowing when they would arrive, cassius might be strong now, perhaps strong enough to stand against average death eaters but against a sneak attack...
He'd stand no chance.
I mean what is he supposed to keep his magical perception up 24/7?
And even then the school itself is brimming with magic dimming his magical sight thanks to the oversaturation.
But if he could get Sirius to recognize the flaws in his creation and then steer him towards correcting them.
The end result would be a true map one that covered all of Hogwarts and could act as an early warning system for him to plan against the dark sides plots and continue to steer the narrative in his favor.
Sirius on the other hand currently just looked like a fish out of water.
His pride and joy, his baby had just be brutally ripped apart before his very eyes.
Incomplete.
Worthless.
Waste Of Time.
His pride, and memories of his days with James, and Remus causing a fire to ignite in his eyes.
With a simple 'Heh' he sprang from the bed bolting from the room, even under Pomfrey's repeated cries for him to return to his bed.
Cassius just watched, as the mad marauder no doubt was off to locate the other to modify their creation and bring about the Mauraders Map V2.