Harry Potter: I started checking in from Diagon Alley

Blake was able to evade the search entirely because Eric hid him.

Lupin couldn't stop himself from thinking that way.

If that's really the case, then the consequences would be terrible.

At least it's definitely not safe inside Hogwarts anymore.

Lupin stared intently at Eric with a stern expression.

Chapter 65 The Marauder’s Map

Lupin struggled to process Eric's statement that he had seen Blake, suppressing his anger, and said in a low voice, "You should know that the whole school is searching for Blake."

Eric nodded slightly.

Lupin pressed on, "Where did you meet him?"

“I cannot say, Professor.”

Lupin almost laughed in exasperation: "You know he's on the Ministry of Magic's wanted list, right?"

"Yes, so what?"

"So what?!" Lupin's voice suddenly rose. "I don't know what he said to you, but do you really think I'm helpless against you? Eric, don't forget, Dumbledore is still the headmaster of this school!"

“If I walk out this door and tell Dumbledore about this, you and Black will both be finished!”

Eric suddenly spoke up: "Oh? Is that so? And how are you going to explain to Dumbledore that you knew Black was an Animagus who could sneak into Hogwarts in this way, yet you remained completely silent?"

Lupin's face turned pale instantly.

"Faced with someone who has just met Black and who possesses enough power to ruin your reputation, the best solution you can think of is to tell Dumbledore?" Eric sneered. "To be honest, you really disappoint me, Professor."

“Cowardly, conservative, indecisive…”

“Dumbledore gave you his trust, gave you a job, and helped you with your life, yet you dared not tell him that Black is an Animagus. How can I believe your ridiculous words just now? To be honest, that wasn’t even a threat.”

Eric had long realized that Lupin would never tell Dumbledore what had happened here, as he had said.

He's just bluffing.

It's not just because of his past relationship with Blake.

More importantly, for Lupin...

He simply couldn't uncover Blake's motive for being an Animagus.

This was originally a secret that belonged only to the four of them.

Sirius and Jaime initially tried to learn from the Animagus in order to help Lupin, who had transformed into a werewolf, stabilize himself.

It all started because of Lupin.

Even Peter only learned the Animagus after being strongly urged by them.

It was fortunate that Peter had some talent in Transfiguration and was used to being submissive in the small group of four, otherwise he might have exposed this matter long ago.

Lupin didn't have many friends, and that's precisely why he cherished them all the more.

Given Lupin's character, he would never betray a friend, nor would he allow himself to do so.

Telling Dumbledore that Black was an Animagus not only meant that he had let Dumbledore down, but also that he had betrayed three other people.

For Lupin, this was worse than death.

"Professor, you wouldn't dare, and you wouldn't tell anyone about this."

“Telling Dumbledore means that you betrayed him during your student days, and that you admit that it was because of you that the three of them learned the Animagus.”

“You won’t do that, Professor, because it would mean losing everything you cherish right now.”

"You're like a little kid with a deadly weapon, facing Black on one side and Dumbledore on the other, and you can't decide who to stab with that weapon."

"Little did they know that holding this weapon in their hands was tantamount to constantly harming everyone else, including themselves."

"You're too greedy, Professor. You want everything, you want the best of both worlds, but in the end you'll get nothing."

Eric spoke slowly, but every word struck Lupin's heart with precision, making Lupin's face grow even paler.

Lupin wanted to refute Eric, but found he couldn't find a way to counterattack.

Is Eric wrong?

exactly.

Over the years, if Lupin hadn't been so anxious about gains and losses, perhaps none of this would have happened at all.

If Lupin had stopped James and Sirius from learning Animagus from the beginning, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.

Even Lupin himself had to admit that he had always been quietly enjoying the thrill of adventures with his friends!

This initial stimulation eventually backfired after Eric intervened.

Seeing that Lupin remained silent for a long time, Eric chuckled, took something out of his pocket, and handed it to Lupin.

It was a piece of parchment that looked very old and worn, ordinary, with nothing unusual about it.

Eric tapped it lightly with his wand and said, "I solemnly swear that I have not done anything good."

Instantly, as if stained with ink, a detailed map of Hogwarts appeared on the parchment.

The map outlines every corner of Hogwarts with lines and marks many known secret passages leading to the outside world.

Around the map, there is a line of small print: Moonface, Wormtail, Bigfoot, and Fork proudly present you with the Marauder's Map.

Lupin's eyes widened in disbelief; he hadn't expected Eric to have gotten his hands on the map.

This is the Marauder's Map!

These are magical items created by Lupin, James, and the other three during their student days.

"How did it end up in your hands?" Lu Ping asked hastily, not caring about anything else.

Eric chuckled. "How did you get here?"

Of course, I borrowed it from the Weasley twins.

Eric had a good relationship with the twins, and recently, hearing that they were short of funds for their nighttime outings, he gave them several dozen Galleons in exchange for the right to use this map for a period of time.

It also includes a promise to cause trouble for Filch, the castle keeper.

The twins handed over the reins to Eric yesterday in the auditorium.

They've already memorized all the details of the Marauder's Map, so having it in their hands won't help them much.

The Marauder's Map was "discovered" by the twins in Filch's room when they were in first grade.

According to Fred's explanation, they believed that, in the spirit of simple exploration and enterprise, any unclaimed item found in Filch's room should belong to the first person who discovered it.

So they "discovered" the Marauder's Map from Filch.

If Eric hadn't spoken up, they would have given it to Harry, who couldn't go to Hogsmeade.

The Marauder's Map records many secret passages, including the one Eric used that led to Honeyduke.

Eric's promise to return it to them after a period of time was exactly what they wanted.

George even considered trying to launch a business of renting out Marauder's Maps.

Finally, Eric suggested Filch, forcing them to abandon the idea.

Don't ask why Eric is so wealthy.

He has no money, but Sirius does!

As the sole heir of the Black family, Sirius Black is a true millionaire, with wealth beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

He was wanted by the authorities, and he certainly wouldn't dare go to the Black family's vault in Gringotts, but he also had no need to.

Besides Gringotts, the Black family has many other private vaults across the country, containing even more wealth than Gringotts.

How could the prestigious Black family not have some savings?

Sirius was even thinking of giving Harry a Firebolt as a gift recently; what's a few dozen Galleons?

Although Eric didn't know why night tours needed financial support, he didn't ask, and George and Fred naturally wouldn't say either—one dared to give, and the other dared to accept.

Conversely, they wouldn't ask Eric why he knew the Marauder's Map was with them.

Night tours are, of course, just an excuse for them.

The two of them have been busy tinkering with homemade prank products lately, and their business has just started, but they've already run into a cash shortage.

With those few dozen Galleons, Eric practically became their second father.

This is more than all the pocket money they've saved up over several years.

Indeed, true friendship is revealed in times of need.

The two brothers exclaimed in surprise, saying that they had always thought Eric, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, was a good student, but they never expected him to be so progressive in his thinking. They realized they could definitely have more exchanges with him in the future.

Then they went back to tinkering with their prank products.

Of course, the most important reason why Eric dared to deliberately mention the Marauder's Map to the twins while Sirius was still in the castle was that the Marauder's Map was not a panacea.

The House of Requirement will not appear on the Marauder's Map!

Although many people have discovered the Room of Requirement, Lupin and his group are clearly not among them.

So as long as Sirius obediently listens to Eric and hides in the Room of Requirement, the Marauder's Map won't be able to find him.

Conversely, if he runs around recklessly, then he has only himself to blame.

Eric couldn't save him either.

Chapter 66 Three People Inside

Ignoring Lupin's question, Eric gently tapped the Marauder's Map in front of Lupin with his wand.

In addition to the Hogwarts map, countless tiny black dots also appear on the Marauder's Map.

They were all wizards.

Everyone within the Hogwarts area is displayed as a small dot on the Marauder's Map, along with their name.