The Map, the Twins, the Rat?

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 97923

Suzanne wrote:
> I have long wondered how Fred and George learned how to manipulate
the map
> with 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good'.
> 
> I recently had this thought: could it be possible that Scabbers
conspired to
> tell the twins how the map worked?
<snip>

An alternative idea is that the map recognised the twins' qualities
and told them itself.

The map truly does seem to have a "brain" of sorts, given the way it
recognised Snape's name and then insulted him.  The fact that all the
insults mention "Professor" Snape suggests that it wasn't merely
preprogrammed with insults to "Snivellus," which is a name the
manufacturers would have been more likely to use if they'd done that.

Perhaps the map recognised the mischief-making bent of the twins while
they were experimenting with it, and it showed them tiny Fred and
George figures with a speech bubble giving the magic words. That's an
action similar to it showing Harry how to open the witch's hump (which
is also a clue to the map's "brain," come to think of it).

I'm not saying it couldn't have been Scabbers; that's just not
something I could really see him doing.  JKR surprises me a lot,
though, so who knows?

Annemehr
who likes the idea of the map being delighted in its new owners, Gred
and Forge