The next morning at breakfast the owl-post came. James looked in the sky and there was a big package coming his way. It was the biggest one in the whole mail and it was so big and heavy that eight owls were holding it up and bringing it. It did not only caught the attention of the four friends, but also from a lot of fellow students and even some teachers were looking. The owls arrived at James, but didn't drop the big box thanks Merlin. They kept flying a little bit above the table, with took a great deal of strength. "Quick, untie it! Peter, Sirius, you two keep your hands on the box while James and I untie it." Remus said while spring up. James followed his friend and started untying the box from the legs of the owls. "Hurry up and quickly help us after that, this thing is crazy heavy!" Peter huffed. Remus and James were working on both their last owl. Once they were done, the owls immediately flew away. The four of them heaved the box over the table. Sirius and Remus looked around, but saw that everybody was looking at them. "Whatever!" Sirius said. "Come on, Remus. Over the table!" Remus head shot up. "Over the what now?" But Sirius grabbed him by his collar and dragged him with him over the table.
"Black, Lupin. What in heavens name are you doing?" It was McGonagall. Remus looked at his shoes, but Sirius looked at her, smiling. "Ah, my dear professor. We just got some mail. You see how big it is? We needed to support this and also get this to one side of the table, you see? It would be an hassle to walk with this box up high above everyone's head trying to reach the end of the table." McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "I will let you go for damaging school property now. But may I ask what the box contains?" Peter started coughing. James was thinking quickly, just like Remus and Sirius. "Well." James said. "You see professor, that is a surprise." McGonagall eyebrows shot up, towards the edge of her hat. "A surprise, you say?" James nodded. He was thinking quickly. Who's birthday was next? Sirius just had it. James and Remus weren't until March and Peter his birthday was in May. He looked around the table and spotted his answer. "Yes, but you can't tell her. You see professor, it is Lily her birthday at the end of this month. So we ordered some banners, strings, balloons and other special birthday stuff." McGonagall was now watching Peter intensely. He was having a harder time each minute that passed with holding up the box, which was weighing heavily, due to the cauldrons. "Don't you think…" McGonagall slowly started talking, with her eyes on the box. It almost seemed like she was trying to look through the cardboard to look to its content. "That it is a bit on the heavy side for just birthday stuff?" She kept staring at Peter, but he was smart enough to keep looking down. She moved her gaze now to James, who was smiling and tried to make the box look as light as possible. "No, it weighs almost nothing. I guess the Daily Prophet only had their weak owls left. And Peter, oh yes our poor Peter. He has an ache in his back. Slept somehow in a weird position apparently last night." McGonagall was silent. Finally, which seemed like forever, she said something. "Fine. Take it to your dorms. But Potter, I don't know what you have in that box, but I doubt it is stuff for festivities. Whatever you have their with you, it better not be something illegal or for a prank. If I catch you or anyone of you with something weird or extraordinary, you are mine. Got it?" The four of them nodded. "Of course professor. We couldn't agree more! If you do catch us with something that breaks a rule, we of course will undergo our punishment. But could we go now? I don't think Peter will hold it any longer." McGonagall nodded and walked back to her table. Remus let out a deep breath.
"Thanks Merlin that went okay. Let's get this out in the hallway. I will hex it so we don't have to carry it." They slowly moved out in the hall and tried to find a spot to put the box down. Peter was now sweating like crazy. "Quick guys, put it down. It starts to slip away from me." They quickly put the box down. "I will levitate the box to our dorm." Remus said while whipping out his wand. He pointed it at the box. "Wingardium Leviosa." The box rose in the air like it weighed almost nothing. They walked up the stairs, but didn't make it past the stairs between the second and third floor. They were almost at the top of the stairs when James felt something brush next to his head and a few meters in front of him the wall got hit by whatever it was that James just avoided. James grabbed his wand, turned on his heels and looked down the stairs. There they were, the group of second year Slytherins. Aubrey, Mulciber, Avery, Rosier and Snape. Mulciber had his wand pointed at James, Aubrey at Sirius, Avery at Peter, Rosier at Remus and Snape at the box. "Well, well. Won't you look at that. The four musketeers and a big box." Mulciber commented. "Do us a favor, boys. Why won't you open that box for us? We are curious what it contains. A box that big and heavy should be something good, especially when you are all involved." James saw that Sirius was looking at him out of the corners of his eyes. "And why in Merlins name would we do that?" James said coolly. "You might tricked McGonagall into letting you walk away without knowing what it is in that box, but we won't. when all of you acted so easy and relaxed, we knew something was up. So what is it? Your next big prank? Or maybe an inflatable girlfriend for Pettigrew over there?" The Slytherins roared with laughter.
Peter head instantly became red. He tried to search for a good comeback, but he couldn't find one. He just stood there, looking ashamed and defeated. "Hey dung brains. How about you put your money where your mouth is?" Sirius called back the group. James looked at him and he was the complete opposite of Peter. Sirius stood there, strong and big. He radiant power and self-assured. "You really think we will just hand you our box? And I thought you guys couldn't even get more stupid than you already were. Guess I was wrong." James laughed at this insult. "They always seem to surprise us, don't they mate? Maybe we should thank them for that. We don't nearly give them enough credit for surprising us when we already have such low standards." James added.
The group of Slytherins roared in anger. "We should teach you lot a lesson." Avery said, while pointed his wand from Peter to James. James shrugged. "I doubt if we can actually learn something from you, but hey, just give it a shot." Avery shot a spell at James, but he blocked it easily. He definitely had an advance on the group being a bit higher then them. "Mates, what should I do? Continue to the tower or put the box down and help you? I don't have my wand right now if I keep levitating this thing." Remus said while holding the box behind them, quite low to the ground. James thought quickly. The Slytherins wanted the box. They would probably try to stun Remus if he walked away. And if Remus left, then they were left three against five. James didn't mind a duel, but somehow those odds were keeping him from attacking straight away. "Just try to levitate the box slowly around the corner if possible and then help us." He muttered from the corner of his mouth to Remus.
"Oy blokes, we will say it one more time. Levitate that box to us and let us have a peek inside." Sirius smirked arrogant. "Or else?" Avery squinted his eyes and moved his wand over to Sirius, pointing it towards his chest. "Well, big chance we will make you." Sirius looked at James. James looked at Remus, who now almost made sure the box was around the corner without the Slytherins noticing. It was sometimes so easy to distract them, just insult them. But he cheered to early. Before he knew it Snape shot an jinx from his wand towards the box and it. The box was now halfway around the corner. "Did you really think none of us would notice?" He said softly. "You all think you are so great. Invincible and untouchable. Well, that isn't true. There are more from us and we want to see that box." James shot one eyebrow up. "That sounds like a challenge Snivellus and we accept." Everybody raised there wands higher and now it was just waiting until someone fired the first spell.
James was looking at Snivellus in disgust and he was returning the favor with even a more disgusted look if that was even possible. Snape raised his wand but instead of pointing at James he shot a jinx towards the box. Remus quickly gave the box a kick, making the jinx miss not only the box, but also his leg by just a few centimeters. Sirius raised his wand and shot a hex towards Avery who still had his own wand pointed at Sirius. "Titillando!" And the hex hit Avery straight between his eyes. Avery started laughing uncontrollably. He lowered his wand and couldn't stop laughing. His friends were looking at him in surprise. "What in Merlin's beard …" Aubrey said. "You will pay for that! Petrificus Totalus!" Sirius blocked that jinx. "You'll have to do better than that!" He taunted his opponent. The Slytherin blokes were now done with acting nice. Everyone but Avery, who was now crying of laughter and clutching his stomach in pain, yelled spells. Shots of red, yellow and blue darted James his way. "Protego!" Remus yelled. James' hair in his neck raised when he felt the power of that spell raise. "That will only block these ones!" Remus yelled. He kicked the box another time, but it was too heavy and too far away to move. "Hex them!" He told his friends.
James shot three quick spells towards Mulciber who was now darting to the right, hiding behind a statue. The first two missed just by a few centimeters, but the third one hit the statue. Pieces of stone exploded and some of it hit Mulciber in the face. Apparently he had a big cut above his eyebrow, because blood came gushing down and blurring his sight. "Damn it!" He yelled while holding his sleeve against the cut, trying not to regain his vision. Snape was slowly creeping forward trying to stay low and not catch any attention. James couldn't help to look at him and feel somehow a great disgust. Look at that slimy rat go. He wasn't a real man. A real man would stand up, fight and made sure that whatever he would do, he could also expect back. "Snivellus!" James yelled, pointing his wand at him. "Flipendo!" James casted. Severus was just about to either block the spell or avoid it, but Avery walked into him, trying to catch his breath while tears were streaming down his face. "Sev, help me. Hahahaha. I – I – I can't anymore. Hahahaha." He huffed while pressing his hands in his sides. Severus was blocked and too late with casting a shield charm. He was hit by the spell that James had send and he was knocked of his feet.
Even though the Slytherins had one person more, they were at this point no match for the four friends. They had the advantage of being higher. When they weren't able to block a spell they just jumped out of the way, in the air or ducked. And with Avery already out of the fight in the first few minutes made it an even fight. Sirius was fighting Rosier, Remus with Mulciber and Peter with Aubrey. James looked at the body of Snape who was now trying to get up, but was wrapped in his own robes. James pointed his wand at Severus and whispered: "Langclock." Severus was finally freed from his robes when he was hit with this spell. He was in shock, bringing his hand to his face. He opened his mouth, but wasn't able to say anything. He looked with a panicked look around. "What is it, Snivellus? Can't say a single word anymore. I stuck your tongue to the roof of your mouth. And we won't be learning non-verbal spells until the sixth year. Snape roared in anger. Pointing his wand at James, but nothing happened. He made some vague sounds, but nothing was even close to a spell.
Sirius at that point had casted ropes that caught Rosier around his legs and started to slowly intertwine around him, making their way up his body. Remus and Mulciber were dueling and things were heated. James was about to help his friend when Peter was hit with Petrificus Totalus, shot by Aubrey. His body tensed up, his arms stuck to his side and he fell down, only able to move his eyes around. James raised his wand, about to strike back and saw that Sirius did the same thing. But at point somebody yelled: "Protego!" And what James felt at that moment was so much pressure, so much power. This charm was way stronger than the one Remus had cast. The pressure made him take a few steps back, trying to push him to the ground, by James resisted with great difficulty. Sirius staggered a bit further, but also remained standing and Remus was blown to the ground with a bang.
James looked at the direction the spell came from and saw professor Flitwick standing there. He was small, but he gave off so much power. He looked at the victims of this duel. He flicked his want and Avery stopped laughing. He flicked his want again and the ropes disappeared from Rosier. He looked at Peter and shot something at him that made him move his limbs again. Snape walked up to him and pointed at his mouth, opening it and showing his tongue to Flitwick. Flitwick flicked his wand again and his tongue let loose. "Thank you, professor!" Snape said while breathing heavily and rubbing his chin.
He looked again at the students. Flitwick didn't say a word yet. He conjured something mystical and silvery with his wand, sending something off. Within a minute he was joined by Professor Slughorn and Professor McGonagall. "Filius, what is going on? Why did I need to leave in the middle of my lesson?" Slughorn asked, while adjusting his robes. "Because of them!" Flitwick pointed at the boys. "They were dueling each other in the corridors, skipping class and hexing each other." James tried to read McGonagall her face. She looked emotionless. "You four, my office. Bring that box with you." She strived off and they reluctantly followed her. James had this point no idea what he could do anymore. What would she think when she found three cauldrons, some vials and quills in their box. It was sure that she wouldn't know what they were up to exactly, but she knew that something was going on. Peter was walking besides James and whimpered. "Are you in pain?" James asked his friend in a whisper. Peter nodded. "I swallowed the leaf." James eyes grew. "We'll talk later about that." Looking at McGonagall's back. What if she would hear them. That leave in their mouth could be the puzzle piece that was missing to know exactly what they were up to. There was no other way than to just swallow it as well. James removed the leaf with his tongue from the corner of his cheek and swallowed it. It felt scratchy, soft and weird in his throat.
Soon they arrived at McGonagall's office. James opened the door and let Peter and Sirius pass him. While following his friend he whispered: "Swallow the leaf." And he prayed his friend heard him. Remus was focusing on levitating the box into her office. He put it down next to the fireplace. McGonagall conjured some more chairs. "Sit." She ordered while looking at them. The four of them sat down. "What in Merlin's beard were you thinking?" She said slowly in a monotone tone. "Dueling fellow students in the corridors of the castle, skipping class and hexing people." She inhaled deeply. Her nostrils flared. "You boys, you four, you are just unbelievable. I cannot remember in the history of Hogwarts that somebody got in so much trouble already in only their first year and half. I am appalled by your behavior today." She shifted in her seat, leaning closer over her desk. "I gave the four of you the benefit of the doubt at lunch with your big, heavy box. God knows what is in there. And within 20 minutes you are dueling some Slytherin boys. Let me guess. I was all about the box?" the four of them were silent, not knowing what to say. "Mr. Pettigrew, answer me!" She demanded with a strong voice.
Peter whimpered and tried to make himself even smaller in the chair. "Why did you get into this fight?" Peter said something that nobody could hear. "Mr. Pettigrew I will only ask this once more. Speak up now please. Why did you get into a fight?" Peter scraped his throat. "We – we – uhm, they." He shifted uncomfortably from side to side, still looking at his lap. "They followed up apparently and demanded to see the box. And we passed and then they tried to hex us and we defended ourselves." McGonagall was not speaking. Her index finger was ticking slowly on the desk. "Is it a secret what there is in the box?" Peter shook his head. She picked up her wand, point it at the box and said clearly: "Revelio." The box opened up and the stuff came out. Her eyes shot to James. "Party stuff, Mr. Potter? Since when do you need a cauldron?" James took a deep breath. "It is true, professor. Those vials and quills are a present for Lily Evans and those cauldrons are for her friends. We overheard them the other day that they needed new ones after some of the potions we made were messed up." James saw how Remus and Sirius were looking at him. Luckily their facial expressions were blank and they didn't reveal any emotions.
"I see. Well Mr. Potter, I will be honest. That makes me the only person here in this room that is honest at this moment. I don't believe you. You boys are up to something. There are lot of potions that vials are a part of and I cannot really place the quills in this particular part, but whatever. I don't believe you and I will keep an eye on all four of you for the rest of the year. Whatever you four were planning on doing I highly suggest you stop it. And if you already started, make sure I don't find it and clean it up. Somehow with an delivery this big it is usually not something small. Neither of you would want to risk their place here at Hogwarts, right? Expulsion is one thing, but in the past students have been kicked out of Hogwarts. Of course we are talking about serious breaking of the rules and situations that were very dangerous, but I want you all to know that there is no endless punishment of just detention. You are now second years, still at least five years to go at Hogwarts. You will learn a lot more and become more confident with your abilities and skills. So if this is just the beginning, what you are all capable of while you are in your second year, I don't want to know what can happen in your fifth or seventh." She stopped talking and looked at the four friends. "Let this sink in. For what happened during lunch, I do not care what who started and who did what to whom. I deduct 20 points from Gryffindor, 20 points per person."
All four heads shot up in astonishment. "That is 80 in total!" Sirius said. "That is …" But he couldn't' finish is sentence. McGonagall put up her hand. "That is a fair amount of what you boys did. Dueling, missing class, hexing other students. Be happy it isn't 25 points each. You just lost your House only 80 points and you bought yourself four weekends of detention starting this weekend. Both days. I will let you know during this week who will go where for their detention. For now, go to your next class. You already missed this hour." The four them hastily stood up. "Mr. Lupin!" McGonagall called. Remus turned around and looked at his professor full of shame. "Don't forget your delivery." Remus nodded and levitated the box.