Marauder's Map

[lamppost42 at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 24327

 > AFAIK, JKR hasn't said anything about her plans for the Map in Book 
> Five. My guess is that the Map will be heading back to Filch's drawer 
> for good, given its penchant for creating unresolved narrative 
> discord - (SNIP!)

I must respectfully disagree, at least with your statement that the map 
will return to Filch's drawer. How "Raiders of the Lost Ark"! :) I 
suspect the map is headed for a much more glorious future than helping 
students sneak out and insulting teachers. Dumbledore seemed geniunely 
surprised when Crouch Jr. described Harry's map, suggesting that he was 
unaware of its existence (or specific powers). Did Lupin "forget" to 
mention it to Dumbledore in PoA? Possibly.

I suspect Filch's predecessor was the one who confiscated the map in 
the first place. Filch bears all the earmarks of a Dumbledore hiree 
(unfortunate circumstances e.g. being a squib, werewolf, or half-
giant). The "highly dangerous" drawer was probably inherited by Filch 
when the Dippet administration came to an end (or maybe they all 
snuffed it in the last Voldemort Reign of Terror). I wonder what other 
goodies are in that drawer.. not just dating from the Marauders' time, 
but maybe even as far back as Tom Riddle's school days...

I'm expecting great things from the Marauders' Map. Perhaps terrible, 
but great...

Yours in Wishful Thinking,
Mundungus42