Can the Marauder's Map be deceived?

[Devika]

No: HPFGUIDX 54181

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Briony Coote" 
<briony_coote at h...> wrote:
> I have three questions about the Marauder's Map:
>  
> 1 - Why didn't Peter Pettigrew show on the Map during the years 
that the
> Weasley twins used it, or when Harry started using it?

My theory is that the Map only shows people who are relevant to 
the "mischief maker" using it.  IIRC, when Harry uses the Map, it 
usually shows Filch, Peeves, Dumbledore, and others who might make it 
difficult for Harry to sneak around the castle.  The map never seems 
to show all of the students in the school (at least, we aren't told 
that it does).  This is probably because Harry really doesn't need to 
know that there are students in Gryffindor Tower or in other common 
rooms, for example.  The Map only shows the people who are near to 
Harry or who might affect where he is trying to go.  When Fred and 
George used the Map, they probably did not need to know about Ron and 
where he was or about people in Gryffindor Tower.  Since Scabbers was 
probably in Gryffindor Tower when he wasn't with Ron, there would be 
no reason for him to show up on the Map.  


>  
> 2- In GoF, why did Barty Crouch Jnr show as "Barty Crouch" and not
> "Barty Crouch Jnr"?


We're never actually told that his name is Barty Crouch Jr.  We 
usually just say that to avoid confusion between him and his father.  
He could have had a different middle name, or he may just have not 
had the suffix attached to his name.  I don't think that Tom Riddle 
was Tom Riddle Jr., for example, even though he had the same first 
name as his father.

>  
> 3 - Why did Barty Crouch suddenly disappear off the map when he was
> right there in Snape's office, disguised as Moody?


Harry didn't see the Map again after Crouch!Moody picked it up.  
Crouch!Moody was the one who said that he wasn't on the Map anymore, 
IIRC.  Therefore, he could have been lying.  It probably was 
important that Harry know who Moody really was, so the name Bartemius 
Crouch may have been on the Map right next to Harry's own name.  
However, Harry never saw the Map, so he had no way of knowing this.

Now the question is: Where on earth is the Marauder's Map now??  
Harry never did get it back.  It has to be important in OoP, since 
now Dumbledore knows about it.  He seemed rather startled to hear 
about it too.  I wonder why that would be.

Hmm... I know we've discussed this before, but hey, we have a lot of 
new members, and everything else has been discussed multiple times.  
Let's bring it up again :)

--Devika