Harry woke up. The final battle was still fresh in his mind, and he rubbed his eyes. He sat up and looked at the side table. It had nothing on it, but something seemed to draw him to it…

He knelt on the floor, and picked up the table. The thing that drew him did not follow the table, but it was the writing behind it that did. When he leaned closer, Harry was able to make out minuscule scribbles, carved into the wall?

To the Marauders of the next generation,

These words have been charmed to only appear once all of the original four Marauders, namely Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. They are also only visible to the descendants of said four. We have charmed this knife to write whatever we say.

So to the hopefully future pranksters, unless Prongs marries Lily and it gets her traits-

Okay, Padfoot here Titillando! as Prongs hexes Moony. To the hopeful pranksters, we give you our regards. The map christened the Marauders Map that we made should give you the password if you ask, but if you didn't think of that the password is "I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good". To wipe the map blank say "Mischief Managed". With both of these two the map with your wand as you say it. If a non-descendant tries to get the map to reveal itself without a password the map will insult them.

Hey Prongs! Paddy was actually being responsible! Shut up Moony. Wormtail would like to add to the wall that he hopes that you are not a descendent of Pad- Hey, Sirius, that hurt! Moony would like to put into account that the only way a child of the Marauders could be responsible is if they are child of either me or Wormtail. Agreed!

Well, we hope that if you are a child of mine you have gained my dashing good looks. Right Padfoot? Of course. Nice try James. I hope they get Lily's look- ow, What is in that pillow? Bricks? Feathers, dipshit. Language.

Okay, anyway, we hope that you continue our- PILLOW FIGHT!- legacy as pranksters of the- ow- next generation. SIGNING OFF!

MOONY

WORMTAIL

PADFOOT

PRONGS

Harry stared. They had left behind a legacy. He grinned. The Marauders would never die. He muttered a preservation charm to add to the failing one already there, but Harry was much more powerful than a fifth or sixth-year Remus Lupin. This spell would last much longer. Maybe he would make it tradition to restore the spell. At the moment Harry was the only one who would see it, but he imagined his children would be able to. He added one more thing. He conjured a knife, and added to the names. It became

MOONY/REMUS LUPIN

WORMTAIL/PETER PETTIGREW

PADFOOT/SIRIUS BLACK

PRONGS/JAMES POTTER

He figured that each marauder should be identified by name, they deserved recognition for the good they had caused. He also signed his name, PRONGS ll, HARRY JAMES POTTER. He could be the beginning of the next generations of Marauder blood. He put the same charm he sensed on the rest of the writing so only descendants of him could see his name, and he stood up, his knees popping, and walked away.

James Sirius stared at the carvings. Harry had told him all about them and he had looked at them all year before bed. No one else could see them. He got out the knife Harry had given him and knelt down. Above the message he carved PRADFOOT, JAMES SIRIUS POTTER. He then pulled out his wand and muttered the charm Harry had taught him the summer before, preserving his name for future Potters forever.

Harry frowned as he read the letter from Albus. He wouldn't be able to sign the wall…

But that was Harry's only regret about Albus being put in Slytherin. It made no difference, and after all, Harry himself had almost been Slytherin. He immediately started a congratulations letter.

And it began that every generation every male Gryffindor Potter and Lupin carved their name on the wall of the seventh year dorms, the day before graduation. Rumor had it Teddy Remus Lupin, son of Moony, had started his own in the Hufflepuff seventh year dorms. The work of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs is and will be preserved forever, and there's a lot of room on the walls of the dorm, seeing no one else can see it.

It became a token of achievement to be a Potter or Lupin, just to have your name on that wall, with a Marauder-like nickname.

And so it would be forever.