Second Year - Delinquent Duck
Peter Pettigrew
“This lot has been boring lately, “ Peter sighs, sitting on his bed looking at his friends. “Getting detention for talking to each other in class isn’t enough diligence for me anymore “
“He’s right, I’ve been so bored lately , it’s been snowing so much they don’t want newbies up in the air for quidditch” James complains. “I know! Quidditch is boring from the bench” Sirius groans. “ We need to do something “ James states, leaning forward intrigued. “Like what?” Sirius asks, just as intrigued
“Remember when we put all those balloons in the Snapes dorm” Peter suggests, a smile crossing his face.
“We are not pranking that idiot again” Remus cuts in. “Why not?” Sirius jokes, Turning his head to Remus.
“If he does anything ludicrous then maybe, but the less we spend in his dorm the better “ Remus grins.
“Deal” Sirius agrees, “we should do something people will find funny”
“I did read about this transfiguration spell” Remus suggests, sitting forward to the edge of his bed to grab his transfiguration book.
“That says fourth year transfiguration Remus” Peter states, furrowing his eyebrows wondering what his friend has planned.
“I’m aware Pete ” Remus adds, flickering through the page “here, ‘Ducklifors a transfiguration jinx that transforms an organism into a duck.’” Remus reads pointing at the page.
“A duck?” Questions James, adjusting his glasses. “What do we do with that?” Asks james.
Peter gasps, “ducks!” He blurts out “that would be class! We could make a bunch and release them in the great hall” he laughs.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Remus adds .
“Brilliant minds the both of you “ James smiles, “agreed. So should we do it tonight? We’ll trap them in the great hall and when the doors open in the morning, everyone will see ducks'' Sirius suggests
“Yes,” Remus agrees, grinning cheekily.
***
It’s later that day and Peter stands in the great hall with his friends, the boys all practiced their duck jinx till they all got it, which now leads them to all be holding ducks.
They collected ants from outside, to turn into ducks since they need a living organism to form.
‘Quack’ quakes Peter's duck, “hush you” Peter whispers to his duck, putting the duck on the table continuing to make more “you sit there” Peter points. Glancing back frequently to his first duck who stands and stares at him
“I’ve grown quite attached to my duck,” Peter states to Sirius, Sirius smiles lightly at his words. “Me too” Sirius agrees, “mines wicked ” Peter shoots his eyes to Sirius’s first duck that stands next to him, Sirius has bristled the duck's short hair into a Mohawk.
Peter snorts a laugh, Peter looks around for his other friends, James still holds his duck warmly under one arm as he makes more out of ants and Remus has left his duck on the table, turning around to point sternly every time it quacks.
“Does that seem like enough? “ questions James, his first duck still holding as he steps back to see all the ducks in frame. There has to be at least over fifty ducks in the room.
Sirius laughs , he sits up on the table and places his duck in his lap. “I think so James”
James turns to Sirius “Did you give your duck a mohawk?” James quints, adjusting his glass. “Sure did” Sirius grins, patting his duck lightly.
“Brilliant “ James smiles, “ Remus you okay? You look like my mother right now” James questions. Remus stands pointing at his duck who keeps running in circles.
“My duck is a delinquent “ Remus groans, Peter laughs.
“Mine is a sweetheart “ James coos at his duck, holding it up with two hands.
“Mine’s attached to me” Peter suggests, he sits on the bench to the table and the duck rubs its head against Peter's head.
“Mines rock and roll” Sirius’s duck quacks. The boys all look at eachother, and burst into a fit of laughter.
“This is bloody smashing, we should do this more often” James cheers placing his duck on the bench as he sits next to him, watching his feet for the other roaming ducks.
“Become parents to dozens of ducks?” Remus questions, James huffs a laugh “no, fun things like this”
“Yeah,” Peter agrees.
“We should go before we get caught, “ Remus says, looking back at his duck, “you be good” he squints, okay let’s go.
The boys say their goodbyes to their ducks, they leave the great hall and bring the invisibility cloak back over them. They shut the doors to the great hall as they anticipate the morning.
The four boys get back to their dorm, unable to rest their minds.
“Table manners with ducks waddling around is going to be rough “ Sirius complains. “You and your table manners” James squints at his friend.
“Remember that time you nearly had a heart attack when you were at my house for the first time” James mentions, Peter laughs lightly.
His mind goes back to the summer when Sirius had dinner for the first time.
~
Sirius sits down for dinner and looks around the table, a look of curiosity flickers over his face at the different kinds of food he’s never seen before.
“I made your food less spicy sirius, since y’know “ Monty laughs lightly pulling out a chair for Effie to sit in.
“I’ve never had spicy food” Sirius states , raising his brows.
monty starts laughing historically, earning a swat on the arm from his wife.
”I’m - im sorry” he chokes back a laugh.
“Really?” James laughs.
Sirius shakes his head, looking down at his plate with chicken and rice .
Monty holds back a laugh, as he sits down in his own seaf “thats, Chicken biryani. If it’s too much I can get you something else, and the naan is right there” Monty suggests, pointing to the naan in front of Sirius “and a glass of milk is next to you”.
“Alright, let's eat” Effie cuts in, she says a quick prayer to herself. Sirius sits helplessly. “What's wrong?” James whispers before bringing food to his mouth.
Sirius' mouth falls open “you just- you just ate with your hands” Sirius implies shocked, Peter grabs a piece of naan, “so what?” Peter asks teasingly, knowing Sirius’s seriousness about table manners.
“You’re all-“ Sirius looks around the table “it’s just what we do Sirius, eat you food” James suggests.
“Okay” Sirius hesitates, bringing his hand to the food Peter hears him whisper “forgive me mother” , he scoops food with his hand and brings it to his mouth. His face instantly turns bright red, Peter and James look at each other before Sirius’s starts waving his hands around. Flagging for help.
“Hot! Hot!” He pleads, tears forming in his eyes, Effie and Monty immediately look at the boy who’s as red as a tomato.
“good Merlin, you were not kidding “ Monty laughs
“Drink the milk!” Peter suggests, sliding Sirius’s glass of milk towards him. Sirius gulps down the entire glass of milk, like his life depends on it. His face returns to his regular pale skin. He breathes heavily, his chest heaving up and down.
“This makes me feel like I don’t have the lowest spice tolerance in the room” Peter chuckles , the Potter family laughs and Sirius sits still.
”never thought I’d see the day Peter” Monty laughs again, keeping his gaze from Effie’s glare.
“Are you alright mate?” James questions, “I saw the light” Sirius’s mumbles, this gets a few laughs around him.
Effie glares at Monty, “I swear I made his plate less spicy, I even cooked his chicken separately.” Monty holds his hands up in surrender. Effie’s stern look loosens as she directs her eyes to Sirius , “Are you okay dear?” Effie gives Sirius a warm smile
“Grand” Sirius coughs, “I think we should get him another glass of milk Monty” Effie suggests.
“On it” Monty responds. “ Can my son make one Indian friend? good lord” Monty holds his hands together as he exits the room.
”heard that!” James yells. Patting Sirius’s back.
~
“You should’ve warned me, I looked like a fool” Sirius throws a pillow at James. “ you did that all on your own mate” James throws the pillow back, bringing his hands up in surrender.
Sirius glares. “I wish I got to see the look on your face as you turned bright red” Remus laughs, “ you cannot be in on this too Remus” Sirius whines.
“Yes I can” Remus furrows his brows, “and you need to loosen your table manners, it’s annoying how posh you are with your ‘cutlery’ “ Remus mocks. Sirius directs his pillow throwing at Remus. Remus tosses the pillow to the side of his bed.
“Remember when you punched Snape, square in the face “ Sirius changes the topic from his table manners. “Yes, “ Remus responds blankly “and I have no problem doing the same to you , black” Remus squints.
“You’d never punch my beautiful face” Sirius flutters his eyelashes, “yes I would “ Remus . “ this loony has no problem punching you” Remus huffs a laugh pointing to himself.
Sirius’s face drops “who called you loony?” He furrows his brows, a dent falling in between them. “No one, it doesn’t matter “ Remus shrugs looking away.
“Did Snape call you that again” Peter shoots Remus a glare. “Yeah “ Remus confesses, “when?” the three other boys ask in unison .
“On the train, when I was all delusional from sleep deprivation “ Remus laughs dryly.
“Oh fuck him, you’re not a loony” Sirius states, you can here the anger crack through his voice.
“You’re not loony, you’re moony” James says.
“Moony?” Questions Remus, a crease forming in between his brows. He pulls on a loose thread from his sock, wondering what James is on about.
“Moony” Sirius repeats , “I like that” his lips curl into a smile. “I like that too,” Peter adds.
“Moony” Remus repeats, “it’s better than loony” he smiles lightly.
“That’s the spirit moony!” James cheers, “alright, alright” Remus leaves at him to calm down, James does, and a smile remains across his face.
The rest of the night the boys spend anticipating the morning.
***
It’s the morning and the boys wake up bright and early, rushing down to the great hall. Kids are waiting around for the doors to open and when they do their mouths hang open at the view.
The four boys stand stunned.
Ducks waddle over tables pecking at the food freshly layered out, other ducks race down the table knocking things over , Ducks on the ground chase each other around. A duck walks up to Peter pecking at his shoes.
Peter picks up a duck and a first year Hufflepuff widens her eyes at him. “Do you want him?” he suggests the duck towards the girl . She grabs the duck from her and a smile curls onto her face.
“Where did they come from?” She asks, Peter shrugs knowingly. “I have no clue” he holds back a laugh. More kids show up, either laughing, shocked or disgusted by the ducks.
“No clue “ Peter repeats, looking back to his friends, James a Sirius chase ducks around and Remus sits and has breakfast , a duck standing right beside his plate.