Soon after the end of the Christmas holidays was Hogwarts' most anticipated Quidditch match of the year: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. The Quidditch stands were decorated with green and silver and gold and scarlet, a light dusting of snow spread over everything.
At the very top of one of the gold-and-scarlet stands stood James and his roommates, screaming for their team and waving lion flags passionately. Remus had the Gryffindor colors streaked under his eyes like war paint, and Peter was leaning so far out of the stand that James was afraid he'd fall over; even Sirius, who usually didn't care much for Quidditch, had gone all-out for the match, wearing mittens he'd charmed to roar every time he opened his hands and yelling at the referee whenever he made a call that favored Slytherin. It wasn't about the game for him, James thought; he just didn't want Gryffindor losing to Slytherin in anything.
"And a nice save from Longbottom for Gryffindor!" called the game's commentator, Benjy Fenwick. The Gryffindor students erupted into cheers as the Gryffindor Keeper Frank Longbottom kicked the Quaffle upside-down away from the goalposts. The Chaser Alice Wren caught the ball and sped it across the pitch, dodging Bludgers and ducking out of the way of the Slytherins. She passed it to her fellow Chaser Marcus, who threw it through the Slytherin's middle hoop to score ten more points for Gryffindor. The Gryffindors yelled out cheers once again, Sirius's mittens roaring in James's ears.
"Marcus and Jasmine are both seventh years," James said to his friends once the noise had quieted back down. "That means there'll be two open spots next year for Chasers."
"And you're going to try out, I'm assuming," Remus said.
James nodded. "I've got a brand-new Comet 230 broom back at home; I would've brought it this year if the school let first years bring broomsticks." He sighed. "But I doubt they'd have let a first year on the team anyway. Next year, though…." He raised his eyebrows at Remus. "You should try out with me, Re. You're pretty good on a broom, the way you dodged all those stones in our last flying lesson. You did better than me, even."
But Remus shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so." He sounded strangely regretful about it, but James shrugged it off. The less competition he had to deal with, the better, he supposed.
"Oh, and here's the Golden Snitch!" yelled Fenwick. "King and Rosier are both going for it—what a dive—King right on its tail—and he's got it! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"
The Gryffindors' cheer at that was loud enough to cause an earthquake. "Yes!" James screamed, punching the air. "YES! GO GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor Seeker, Ramsey King, flew a triumphant loop around the snowy pitch, holding the captured Snitch in his raised fist. He was amazing—though he was only a fourth year, James was certain he'd be Quidditch Captain next year. And James would be on his team. He'd make sure of it.
That night, the Gryffindor common room was the loudest and craziest James had ever seen it. There was music blasting, lions roaring, and enchanted streamers floating all around. Gideon Prewett and the other prefects tried their best to get the Gryffindors to quiet down and stop making such a mess, but eventually they gave up and joined in the celebration, too.
James leaped onto Sirius's back, laughing as the other boy took him around the room in circles. Lily and her friend Mary were working on charming the flames in the fireplace into the shape of a lion, a feat even James had to admit was impressive for a couple of first years. Sirius hopped up onto one of the sofas, jumping up and down while James waved his arms like a rabid bird.
Remus, looking the happiest and most energetic he'd been since James met him, tumbled onto the sofa beside them, his light hair spread across the cushions and his stomach exposed underneath his sweater. James noticed a long, deep scar slicing across it.
And then Peter threw himself onto Remus, causing the other boy to go "oof". James finally climbed off Sirius's back and helped Remus wrestle Peter off of him, all three of them laughing.
"Oi, you boys," said a voice above them. James looked up to find Gavin Macmillan, one of the Gryffindor team's Beaters. He was still wearing his Quidditch robes, dirty with mud and snow and caked in sweat, just like the rest of his teammates were.
James stood up quickly, his heart pounding. The Quidditch players were the only Gryffindors he ever got nervous around, and today was definitely not an exception. "Is there something we can help you with?" he asked.
Gavin grinned. "You're the first years who snuck into Slughorn's office and let all the frogs loose, right?"
"Guilty," said James, grinning back.
"For first years, you're pretty good at creeping around without getting caught." Well, the Invisibility Cloak sure helps, James thought, but he didn't say it. The less people that knew about his cloak, the better.
"I think I might have a mission for you," Gavin said. "Usually at these parties, we have some people go down into the kitchens and bring up some food, but our last guys graduated last year. You think you could take their place? It's really easy; the elves that work down there will just give you the food you want, no questions asked. And the prefects don't ever make a fuss about it."
"I'm in," James said immediately. He could earn some brownie points from the Quidditch team before he even tried out for it.
"Me too," Sirius added; Peter nodded enthusiastically.
"Fine," Remus sighed, though James could see a spark of mischief blooming in his eyes.
"Brilliant." Gavin pulled out a flattened bag and threw it onto the couch beside them. "It's enchanted to hold as much food as you need. Get whatever you want, but make sure there's some treacle tart in there. It's Ramsey's favorite."
"How do we get into the kitchens?" Remus asked, picking up the bag.
"Do you know how to get down into the basement where Hufflepuff's common room is?" All four boys nodded. "There's a painting there of a bowl of fruit. Tickle the pear, and you're in."
"Tickle the pear?" Sirius repeated. "This school is so weird."
"We won't let you down," James promised Gavin.
"Thanks, you lot," Gavin said, giving James a little punch on the shoulder before vanishing back into the crowd.
James rubbed his hands together. "All right, Operation Kitchen Raid is a go. Can you fetch my cloak, Sirius?"
As soon as Sirius was back, the four boys left the common room and wrapped the cloak around themselves, squeezing tightly together so they all could fit. They'd only all been under the cloak a few times before; usually it was just James and Sirius sneaking out to cause mischief, with either Remus or Peter occasionally tagging along, but rarely did all four of them go together.
"Okay," James whispered. "To the basements."
They almost toppled over the railings several times, and each of the boys had his feet stepped on at least twice. "Maybe we shouldn't all have come," muttered Remus in the back.
"Oh, rubbish," said Sirius. "It's an adventure, Re—ow, Peter, watch it!"
"Sorry!"
They crept through a side door from the castle's entrance hall and down the stairs into a brightly-lit basement that couldn't have looked more Hufflepuff if it tried. There were pictures of food and farmland everywhere—eventually James located one of a bowl of fruit, and reached a hand out from under the cloak to tickle the pear.
The pear jumped at his touch, giggling softly. And then it began to shift position, its bottom pushing out through the painting until it became a green doorknob.
"That's so cool," breathed Peter.
"I don't think we need this anymore," Sirius said, pulling the cloak off the four of them and stashing it away. "Lead on, James Potter."
James twisted the pear-doorknob, and the whole painting swung open to reveal a large hole through which the boys could climb. They did, and dropped down into the giant kitchen on the other side, gaping around.
It looked just like the Great Hall above them, with five long tables for the Houses and professors and a ceiling that stretched high over their heads. But instead of floating candles and starry skies, there were pots and pans and a roaring fire. And instead of students, there were hundreds of house-elves bustling about, cooking and cleaning and tending to the fire.
As soon as the first elves noticed the Gryffindor boys, they ran over with delighted gasps; a few rushed into side rooms and emerged carrying platters of fruits and sweets. "Students!" squeaked the first elf to reach them. "Do you want something, sirs?"
James wasn't sure he'd ever been called a sir before. Then again, he didn't have much experience around house-elves.
Peter grabbed a piece of cake off of one of the platters and stuffed it in his mouth. "Delicious," he mumbled. The house-elves all squealed with pleasure.
"We'll take all the cakes you've got," said James. "And anything else you want to throw in would be great, too. Some real food, maybe?"
"And treacle tart," Remus added.
"And treacle tart."
"Of course, sirs," said one of the elves. "We'll get it ready for you right away!" And the elves jumped back to work, cooking chickens and preparing treacle tarts.
"You know, I don't even feel like this is stealing," Remus muttered in James's ear. "It's like they want us to take their food."
"We're definitely coming back here," said Sirius.
James nodded. "Agreed."
