Harry Potter 03 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

called, Severus?’ said Lupin mildly.
    ‘I certainly did,’ said Snape, his face contorted with fury as he strode back to his desk. ‘I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this.’
    Snape pointed at the parchment, on which the words of Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were still shining. An odd, closed expression appeared on Lupin’s face.
    ‘Well?’ said Snape.
    Lupin continued to stare at the map. Harry had the impression that Lupin was doing some very quick thinking.
    ‘Well?’ said Snape again. ‘This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?’
    Lupin looked up and, by the merest half glance in Harry’s direction, warned him not to interrupt.
    ‘Full of Dark Magic?’ he repeated mildly. ‘Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who tries to read it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke-shop –’
    ‘Indeed?’ said Snape. His jaw had gone rigid with anger. ‘You think a joke-shop could supply him with such a thing? You don’t think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers ?’
    Harry didn’t understand what Snape was talking about. Nor, apparently, did Lupin.
    ‘You mean, from Mr Wormtail or one of these people?’ he said. ‘Harry, do you know any of these men?’
    ‘No,’ said Harry quickly.
    ‘You see, Severus?’ said Lupin, turning back to Snape. ‘It looks like a Zonko product to me –’
    Right on cue, Ron came bursting into the office. He was completely out of breath, and stopped just short of Snape’s desk, clutching the stitch in his chest and trying to speak.
    ‘I – gave – Harry – that – stuff,’ he choked. ‘Bought – it – in Zonko’s – ages – ago …’
    ‘Well!’ said Lupin, clapping his hands together and looking around cheerfully. ‘That seems to clear that up! Severus, I’ll take this back, shall I?’ He folded the map and tucked it inside his robes. ‘Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay. Excuse us, Severus.’
    Harry didn’t dare look at Snape as they left his office. He, Ron and Lupin walked all the way back into the Entrance Hall before speaking. Then Harry turned to Lupin.
    ‘Professor, I –’
    ‘I don’t want to hear explanations,’ said Lupin shortly. He glanced around the empty Entrance Hall and lowered his voice. ‘I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it’s a map,’ he said, as Harry and Ron looked amazed. ‘I don’t want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, astounded that you didn’t hand it in. Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And I can’t let you have it back, Harry.’
    Harry had expected that, and was too keen for explanations to protest.
    ‘Why did Snape think I’d got it from the manufacturers?’
    ‘Because …’ Lupin hesitated, ‘because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They’d think it extremely entertaining.’
    ‘Do you know them?’ said Harry, impressed.
    ‘We’ve met,’ he said shortly. He was looking at Harry more seriously than ever before.
    ‘Don’t expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the Dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them – gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks.’
    He walked away, leaving Harry feeling worse by far than he had at any point in Snape’s office. Slowly, he and Ron mounted the marble staircase. As Harry passed the one-eyed witch, he remembered the Invisibility Cloak – it was still down there, but he didn’t dare go and get it.
    ‘It’s my fault,’ said Ron abruptly. ‘I persuaded you to go. Lupin’s right, it was stupid, we shouldn’t’ve done it –’
    He broke off; they had reached the corridor where the security trolls were pacing, and Hermione was walking towards them. One look at her face convinced Harry that she had heard what had happened. His heart plummeted – had she told Professor McGonagall?
    ‘Come to have a good gloat?’ said Ron savagely, as she stopped in front of