"What's that for?" Sirius asked the meek child who had recently been spending more time with them as a group. The boy was holding what appeared to be a model duck, made out of some sort of rubber material.
Peter tossed the duck over to the boy, "rubber duck" he answered disinterestedly. "Dad picked it up in a house clearance" he added, though he did not elaborate any further.
"Your dad clears houses?" Sirius asked in confusion. Admittedly, he'd never heard of such a job role before; mostly all of his family worked within the political factions of the Ministry.
Peter nodded in confirmation, "he's an estate agent. Finds properties for Wizards in Muggle areas" he added at the boy's blank look.
"Cool" Sirius offered genuinely, "so what does it do?" he asked, gesturing again to the rubber duck he continued to hold.
"Oh nothing" the boy answered somewhat uncomfortably, "dad says Muggles keep them in their bathrooms".
Sirius smiled at this, not knowing much about muggles or their practices. "Must be some kind of good luck charm" he mused, "mind if I show it to James?".
"Not at all" Peter enthused, attempting to hide how proud he was that Sirius had taken an interest in the object.
"I've got a brilliant beyond brilliant idea of what to do with it" Sirius whispered excitedly as he approached the three boys on the grounds. He'd been thinking about what use they could make of the rubber duck during his astronomy lesson last night, and he'd barely contained his excitement as they sat through breakfast that morning.
James grinned back at him, "spill it then" he encouraged.
"Well, you know we were practicing the confundus charm a couple weeks back?"
"You didn't!" Remus was scandalised, turning around, and pinning both James and Sirius with a glare. "That's a fourth-year spell, it's dangerous" he continued, "someone could've been hurt!".
"Relax" James laughed back, "we were only practicing it on each other".
"Oh well that's fine then" Remus replied sarcastically, "permanent brain damage doesn't matter as long as you only give it to each other".
Sirius smiled at Remus' easy sarcasm, and all four boys burst out laughing after a moment of silence.
"So, what's your plan?" Peter asked after the laughter had died down. Thus far, he had been desperate to be included in one of the groups pranks, and he was chuffed that his rubber duck had been the catalyst for the latest idea.
"Alright" Sirius adopted a serious tone, "I want to multiply it" he began. "I'm talking maybe fifty to a hundred of them. We're then going to cast confundus charms on all of them, spread them around the castle, and watch as the mayhem unfolds" he finished, glancing at the group to see what they thought.
"I think its brilliant" James responded almost instantly, Peter nodding enthusiastically too. All three turned to Remus who was shaking his head slowly.
"And how do you plan on maintaining plausible deniability?" he asked, ever the voice of reason. Sirius rarely thought of the deniability aspect of his planning, and he appreciated that whilst Remus rarely encouraged their pranking, he was always conscious of not getting them caught.
"Step one" Sirius began, giving Remus a lopsided grin, "distance. We're casting the multiplication spell and the confundus charms away from the castle". Sirius began walking back and forth in front of the group, as if he were giving a presentation. "Step two" he continued, "ambiguity. We refer to the ducks only as Charms Class. Want to ask what stage we're at? Ask, how far along are you with the charms essay. That way, we're not overheard mentioning the yellow demons" he laughed.
"- And when the teachers realise, we don't have a charms essay due at the moment?" Remus interrupted critically.
Sirius frowned at this, "have some optimism mate, we're getting ahead in class" he answered. "Step three, plausible explanations" he continued, with a pointed look at Remus. "McGonagall asks you why you're lurking around in the grounds? Peter's lost his school hat and we're helping him to look for it".
Remus opened his mouth to interject but before he could, Sirius continued "step four, avoidance". He took a breath here, "this is possibly the hardest one, but its about denial. Someone asks you about the ducks? What ducks?".
"This plan is ridiculous" Remus finally concluded, "and you're going to get caught".
"Have some faith mate" James laughed, "plus, I for one am willing to risk getting caught for this".
Sirius and James jumped into a small alcove in the corridor as they were making their way to the great hall for lunch just two days later. Professor McGonagall was not far behind, storming down the corridor, her expression one of exasperation. Rubber ducks enchanted and quacking inanely were absolutely everywhere, as if the very essence of chaos had been unleashed upon the castle.
The boys watched as their professor rounded the corner, nearly slipping on a group of ducks attempting to waddle up the stairs to no avail. "This is utterly ridiculous!" she muttered to herself, waving her wand over the group of ducks who promptly fell, lifeless and rubber again.
As the professor passed, the boys crept out of the alcove and giggled their way towards the hall. As they entered, they noticed Professor Flitwick levitating a table in an effort to shield himself from a barrage of ducks that seemed intent on trying to dive-bomb him. "Accio ducks!" he cried, drawing them closer only for the ducks to begin zigzagging in all directions, their quacks louder.
The boys took their seats, a sense of pride at the chaos caused and the laughter from students that rung throughout the hall. "We've got more to come" James whispered to Peter, who was giggling at the image of Professor Flitwick.
It was in greenhouse four later that day that the boys again enjoyed the fruits of their labour. Professor Sprout had thrown the door to the classroom open, ushering them in just as a flock of ducks followed. "Shoo! Shoo!" she called out, waving her arms at them in frustration. Rather than exit the classroom, the ducks only scattered themselves further out, trampling over a mandrake seedling in their confusion.
The classroom was swiftly abandoned and instead Professor Sprout took the class outside, in hopes of showing them some of the plants that grew in the grounds. They were studying a frostbloom herb which grew on the outskirts of the forest, where the trees were still sparse enough that the light could reach them.
"C'mon now lads, back in the water!" they heard Hagrid grunt from not too far away. He was attempting to encourage the ducks back towards the lake, though his efforts were more gentle than the other professors. Hagrid seemed to be holding his arms out and waving the ducks towards the water, but instead the ducks proceeded to perform synchronised somersaults in mid-air before crash-landing at the half-giants' feet.
It was not until dinner that evening that the odd few ducks were being rounded up. Classes in the afternoon had eventually been cancelled after it became apparent that the ducks required the effort of the entire faculty to remove.
"Ah the antics of youth" the headmaster smiled serenely as the last of the ducks were finally dealt with. He stood, surveying the students as he tapped his goblet twice, causing the chatter to die down. "I must say, today has been rather eventful. I dare say, the Great Hall has seen more feathered visitors than it typically does" he began. "While today's mischief-makers have certainly added a touch of whimsy to our routine, let us use today's events as a lesson" he continued, eyeing the two first years who were trying their hardest to contain their amusement. "A reminder that while laughter and levity have their place, they must always be tempered with consideration for others".
"Free the ducks!" Someone on the Hufflepuff table interrupted, causing a ruckus of laughter to echo through the hall.
The headmaster cleared his throat before he continued, "Now, let us put aside our quacking companions and return to our feast" he finished, waving a hand, and causing the tables to fill with food.
"Black, Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew" the stern voice interrupted the boys as they were packing up their supplies at the end of their transfiguration lesson. "You will stay".
"What d'you think she wants?" Peter whispered nervously, sitting back down at his desk when his question was not answered by any of the other three boys.
"Sit" she instructed sternly as the other boys remained standing. "It has come to my attention that you four are responsible for the recent…incident" she found the right word, "involving enchanted rubber ducks". She watched as Sirius leaned back in his chair, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a smirk. James looked away pointedly, Remus shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and Peter looked down at his desk in shame. If she needed any confirmation that she had caught the guilty party, they'd just served it to her on a silver platter.
"Professor, we can explain" James began, though his words trailed off as the Professor held up a hand to silence him.
"I have no doubt that you can, Mr Potter" she responded, her voice sharp. "But explanations will not undo the chaos that was caused yesterday, nor the time wasted by both professors and students at this school".
Sirius glanced over at Remus whose expression was difficult to read. He felt a sense of guilt for dragging Remus and Peter into it, the two not being as invested in it as he and James had been.
"As punishment for your reckless behaviour, you will all serve detention for the next three Saturday's".
"Professor, isn't that a bit harsh?" Sirius protested, though he was swiftly silenced by the professor's steely glare.
"Not harsh enough, Mr Black" she said firmly, "you will report to the Forbidden Forest on Saturday at seven o'clock sharp. I suggest you use the time to reflect on the consequences of your actions".
"Need I say I told you so?" Remus muttered as the four boys ambled back to their dormitory. When he was met with silence, he continued in his scolding, "I told you this was a bad idea from the start, but did you listen? No".
Sirius shifted uncomfortably as he walked beside the boy, a feeling of guilt in his stomach at Remus' obvious displeasure. "Look, Remus, we're sorry, alright?" he said, his tone earnest. "We didn't mean to get us all in trouble" he added.
Peter nodded vigorously behind them, "yeah, I've never had detention before" he admitted, his voice tinged with anxiety.
James, however, had not had his mood soured by the prospect of three Saturday detentions. He walked along with a wide grin on his face, "come on mate, lighten up" he said, clapping Remus on the back. "It was worth it just to see the look on McGonagall's face".
Remus rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to smack James on the head. "Easy for you to say" he muttered. "Spending three hours traipsing through the forest is just a normal Saturday for you".
Sirius winced at this slightly, his guilt deepening, "I promise, Remus, we'll make it up to you" he said sincerely. "And we won't do anything this big without thinking it through properly again".
Remus sighed, knowing that Sirius' promise was well-intentioned, "just try not to get us all killed, alright?" he said, mustering a weak smile. "And Peter, for Merlin's sake, stop looking so terrified. It's just detention" he added, turning to the boy who looked wide eyed and fidgety.
Peter nodded, forcing a smile, "right, yeah, just detention" he echoed, though his voice wavered slightly.
The following Saturday at half past six in the evening, the boys stood in their dormitory pulling on various layers of clothing in preparation for their detention. While it was the end of March, and the grounds were certainly beginning to warm up, the evening's remained quite cold. Wrapped up in scarves and jackets, the four boys ventured down to Hagrid's hut in time for their seven o'clock start time.
The rustle of leaves beneath their feet and the occasional hoot of an owl were the only sounds that broke the silence of the forest as the group ventured in. Trudging along a narrow path, Remus glanced up at the trees around them. "Aren't you worried about any of the creatures out here, Hagrid?" he asked the man who trudged just a few steps ahead.
Hagrid chucked at this, "Nah, Remus, nothin' to worry about. 'Sides, we've got me crossbow here, just in case" he added, tapping the weapon that he had slung over his right shoulder.
Sirius smirked, nudging James with his elbow. "Wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of that thing, would you" he whispered, earning a snort of laughter from his friend.
Peter, however, trailing slightly behind James and Sirius, looked pale and uneasy as his eyes darted from side to side. "I-I've never been in the forest before" he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's a bit scary, isn't it?".
James dropped back to walk beside the boy, clapping a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. "Don't worry mate, we're with Hagrid" he said, flashing a confident grin. "Nothing's going to mess with a half-giant with a crossbow" he added.
Just as James finished speaking, however, a low growl echoed through the trees, causing the group to stop in their tracks. Hagrid squinted into the trees, his hand instinctively reaching for the crossbow on his shoulder.
"What was that?" Sirius whispered, not directing his questions to anyone in particular. Before anyone could respond, a pair of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, followed by the menacing figure of a large wolf. Remus gasped, his heart pounding in his chest as he stared into its eyes.
"Hold steady, now" Hagrid ordered, his voice calm but firm. "Wolves ain't nothin' to be afraid of, long as ya don't threaten 'em." The wolf, however, remained undeterred, its snarl growing louder as it advanced towards the group. James reach for his wand, his hand trembling slightly as he did.
Remus, however, placed himself in front of James, staring into the wolfs eyes and refusing to break contact. He advanced forwards a step, silence encompassing the group as wolf and boy stood staring at one another. To the group's astonishment, the wolf began backing away, disappearing into the darkness as quickly as it had come.
"What just happened?" Peter whispered, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Must've scared it off" Remus responded in an unconvincing tone. "Shall we keep moving Hagrid?" he asked, distracting the group from the memory of the wolf as Hagrid began leading them on.
It was April by the time the boys had their Saturday's free again, the Great Duck War having gradually faded into the memories of the students. Talk had swiftly turned to the topic of chocolate, with Easter fast approaching, and the students sharing excited anticipation about the treats they were likely to receive.
"What egg are you hoping for?" James asked Remus as the pair sat at breakfast one morning, Sirius and Peter engaged in a quick game of cards.
Sirius glanced up at this, "what are you on about?" he asked, "you know Remus only eats hardboiled".
All three boys laughed at this, leaving Sirius slightly bewildered. "Oh, you weren't joking?" James asked, at the look of confusion on his friends' face. "Easter eggs mate" he explained, "you know? The chocolate one's you get at Easter?" he continued to little avail.
"An egg covered in chocolate?" Sirius asked in disgust, "and you like those things?".
"No" Remus gasped out through laughter, "its chocolate in the shape of an egg" he continued, "there aren't actually any eggs involved".
"Right" Sirius acknowledged, still slightly lost over the concept.
"Don't tell me you've never had one" James said incredulously, unable to fathom the thought that someone hadn't tried an Easter egg before.
Sirius shook his head with a small smile at his friend, who promptly dropped the subject. He did, however, quickly extract a blank piece of parchment from his bag, which he quickly started penning a letter onto.
"Who are you writing to?" Peter asked James as the boy scribbled frantically onto the page.
"Mum" James answered without looking up, finishing the letter in the space of a minute, and promptly shoving it back into his bag to take up to the owlery.
"This one's for you" James shoved one of his packages towards Sirius, barely registering the boy's surprise as he tore into his own packet.
Sirius, on the other hand, carefully peeled back the brown parcel tape, intrigued at what he might find beneath it. He rarely got mail from home, and this one did not contain the Black family crest, which could only mean that it wasn't from one of them. He found himself attempting to swallow a lump that had formed in his throat as he saw what the package contained. Inside, sat a milk chocolate egg with white chocolate cursive writing that bore his name, Sirius. He carefully lifted it from the parcel packaging, a small note falling to the ground as he did. He turned quickly, plucking the note from the ground and turning it over.
Happy Easter Sirius! The note began.
I hope this little treat finds you well. I wasn't sure if you celebrated the season or not, but if you're anything like my James, I'm sure you'll enjoy the chocolate regardless. May it bring you sweetness and happiness, just as you do to those around you.
Wishing you all the best,
Euphemia Potter.
Sirius felt his eyes water slightly at the gesture and looked up at the ceiling briefly to encourage the tears to go away. He swallowed before meeting James' eyes, "thanks mate" he managed. Anything else and he would have found his emotions too difficult to contain.
"Don't sweat it" James replied quietly, so that only his friend could hear. "She likes you, you know" he added with a small smile for the boy.