Title: Wanted
Author: bookworm835
Category(s): Humor/Adventure
Summary: The Ministry of Magic is after the Marauders! Wherewill they go? What's going to happen to them?? And why is the Ministry after them??? R&R!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Marauders or the MoM or anything else in this story... except for a few of the little, unimportantbackground characters that will come up later in chapter two...

James Potter "Prongs" - seventeen years old, black hair, brown eyes, 6'0", 135 lbs.

Sirius Black "Padfoot" - eighteen years old, black hair, blue eyes, 6'1", 140 lbs.

Remus Lupin "Moony" - seventeen years old, brown hair, yellow eyes, 5'9", 120 lbs.

Peter Pettigrew "Wormtail" - seventeen years old, blond hair, gray eyes, 5'7", 140 lbs.

All have recently graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please report any sightings of this quartet directly to the Ministry of Magic. All useful information given will be highly rewarded. Galleon amount to be discussed personally.

Cornelius Fudge

Junior Minister of Magic

Chapter One

"Can you believe the nerve of those people?" James asked brusquely, grabbing the poster from off of the wooden pole and ripping it down.

"Those people happen to be the Ministry of Magic," Remus informed him, raising his eyebrows as his own picture blinked confusedly as James began crumpling the parchment into a small yellow-white ball. The magical photos shouted their protests but James only crushed them harder. He chucked it onto the ground and began squishing it beneath his foot.

"Yeah, I agree with you, James," Sirius said, his brow knitted together furiously. "I mean, really! Blue eyes? My eyes are aquamarine, thank you very much," he said huffily in an offended voice.

"Well, next time I drop in at the office, I'll let them know," James said viciously. "For now, they're on the look-out for us. What are we supposed to do, what with the entire wizarding government on our tails? We didn't even do anything!"

"James!" Peter piped up, his voice squeaky with fright.

"Yes, truly, James," Remus said, crossing his arms across his narrow chest. "How can you say that with a clear conscience? We've -- or rather, mostly you three -- have broken the law. Illegal transformations and dealings with a werewolf monthly...." He sighed. "And now the entire wizarding community knows of my lycanthropy. Can you believe it? I thought it was bad when you found out."

"What, don't you trust us?" Sirius asked, this time his voice only mock-offended. He laughed airily.

"Yeah, don't you trust us?" mimicked Peter, though he sounded much more serious. "We've known for five years now. We could've told a long time ago!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Perhaps," he said with a shrug. Sirius opened his mouth to protest when James interupted their argument.

"Hey, guys, we've got bigger problems than finding out whether we're all trustworthy right now. I trust everyone here, and always will," he said, as Peter squirmed uncomfortably. "So, on to more important matters. First of all, does anyone have loyal parents?"

"I hate my mum!" Sirius shouted at once.

"Ooookay then," James said slowly. He nodded towards Peter. "What about your dear old mummy, Wormtail?"

Peter pouted. "She thinks I'm worthless! Thinks I'll do nothing worth remembering in my life. I'll prove her wrong! I'll do something so grand, everyone will remember my name!" Peter squealed passionately.

"Sure ya will, Petey," Sirius said doubtfully. He shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking down the abandoned street, flanked by his three infamous friends. They had had so many wonderful adventures at school, but now things were falling apart. He didn't believe that the Ministry had a reward on their heads just because they had performed some illegal magic. There must've been something worse that they had done. Or perhaps they had just been framed for something unbeknownst to themselves....

"So, where are we off to then, Padfoot?" Remus said briskly, brushing his hair behind his ear.

"Dunno," Sirius admitted. "Any suggestions, James?"

"My parents aren't all that fond of all of you," he said apologetically. "I mean -- we're just innocent little boys --"

Peter snorted suddenly.

James ignored him.

"-- but they don't appreciate our -- er -- cheerful jokes. They seem to think that we're actually trying to humiliate them for our own enjoyment, can you imagine? We were just trying to --" James paused, scratching his chin, searching for the right words -- "brighten their lives.... When we changed my dad's hair gel with dyed-blue toad guts, he seemed to think that we had done something terribly wrong!" He smirked. "Personally, I couldn't tell the difference between the gel and the guts -- they're both just sticky, blue, messy globs. And I thought it changed his hairstyle for the best. I was growing tired of that terrible comb over!" He stopped again, he and the other Marauders walked around aimlessly. "Well then, Moony, old friend, you're our last hope!"

"Not really," Remus said, laughing lightly. "My parents both work for the Ministry. They're close friends with that new junior minister, Fudge. My mother doesn't like him much because he told my father that he'd fire him if he didn't find a way to cure me soon. They've tried everything, really, and it's quite a pain. Literally." He grinned around sheepishly before continuing. "So my father will undoubtedly be glad to be rid of me. I don't think he's ever really liked me like a son, especially after the... incident in the woods. I'd be doing him a favor to disappear without any hint to where I might have gone."

"Well, what a perky group of positives we've got here," Sirius said, scowling himself. "Peter wants to rule the world --"

"Do not!" Peter whined.

"-- James thinks we're angels --"

"That's 'cause we are," James said matter-of-factly.

"-- and Remus' life is its own soap opera!"

"Sirius! Don't be so crude!" Remus growled.

Sirius shrugged it off casually. "I, for one, think we should head to this simply brilliant place just a few miles from here. It's packed with other wizards who are running from the Ministry."

"And what were you ever doing down there before?" Remus asked accusingly.

"Also, knowing you, Sir, we never know what 'brilliant' means exactly. What's it like?" said James brightly.

"Aww, you know, just a barrel full of laughs! C'mon, it'll be fun! What do we have to lose?" Sirius said, flashing a smile.

Peter smiled back. "I think he's right," he said meekly.

"Could be fun," Remus said through gritted teeth, struggling to be optimistic, forcing a grin.

"Well then, tally-ho, good fellows!" James said happily, causing the others to stare at him in alarm and confusement. Remus raised his eyebrow. "Lead the way, Sirius Black, and we shall follow you! Shall we mark a path in case we get lost?"

Remus' jaw dropped and Peter stuck his lower lip out.

Sirius, however, was unphased. "I don't think we'll get lost, mate," he said, changing directions abruptly. "It's just beyond the horizon over there...."

"'Kay then," James said, dropping the dramatic act.

"Uhhh...." Peter said blankly.

"What?" James asked him, as if it was a very foolish thing to question him.

"Oh, nothing," Peter said quickly, blinking and looking away from James' threatening stare.

"That's good," James snapped.

"No, that's stupid," Sirius said suddenly.

"Sirius!" said Remus angrily. "Be mature for once, will you?"

"Well, you be smart and I'll be mature," said Sirius quickly and irritably. "Why are we walking when we could just Apparate?"

"He's got a point," James said.

"Yeah, but we don't know where this place for outcasts is," Peter pointed out. "So... we can't Apparate when we don't know where we're Apparating!"

"Sure ya can," Sirius said happily. He stuffed his fist into his pocket and pulled his wand out. He raised it, grinned, then -- with a CRACK -- disappeared.

Like it? If I get enough reviews I'll continue. No flames please. Thanx! Hope you liked.