"Our powers are alone are enough to stop the ravaging madman. This man must be stopped at all costs. Thank you!" Bartemius Crouch finished his speech as the room erupted in applauses. Crouch was the head of the Auror Department and some said that his power in the population surpassed the minister, Millicent Bagnold. A nose-still-intact Moody shouted out, "Yeah! Give those damn sons of bitches hell from us!" The room again erupted in applauses. This was a meeting for the Order of the Phoenix; the Death Eaters had attacked several Muggle villages this month, the Order was doing all that it can.
Bartemius was a man of great confidence and power. In his presence, most everybody seemed to cower. He wasn't extraordinarily tall or muscular, he was just respected. Nobody questioned Crouch.
James Potter looked at his fiancée, Lily Evans, and whispered, "Come on let's get outta there before Dumbledore makes his usual verbose speech."
Lily smiled but shook her head, while Dumbledore's speech maybe boring, it was rather informative.
Sirius glanced at his best friend, James. James caught his eyes and with a pop, both of them vanished from the room.
Will those two ever learn? Remus wondered, he saw what had happened. Peter was asleep. Remus sighed and leaned back on his chair, this was going to be long night.
Shacklebolt was the first one out of the room. He eyed Sirius and James carelessly playing chess, he often wondered how those two make it in life. James was a top-notch Auror while Sirius Black was an "Unemployed". Black could easily live off of his inheritances; he could be usually seen screwing around with James in the Auror department. Not that anybody cared, he was practically an Auror, Black's dueling was second to very few people. Shacklebolt was about only two or three years older than duo, but his strong beard already show signs of graying; he can't believe how Black and Potter can be so careless yet so strong.
Barty Crouch knew he was the most powerful (as in political status) wizard in the whole wizarding world of Great Britain, possibly the whole Western Europe. He had lost his first son and his mother during a fight between Voldermort. He still can't believe that Voldermort would sink so low as to attack those that cannot fight back.
In a way, he mused, we can never win this madness. No matter how hard we try, he will always take our loved ones away. To win we'll have to fight as dirty as him. Crouch can't even count the numerous times where an Auror might survive if he had used the killing curse. Of course, the curse was strictly forbidden; Crouch will make sure this would not be a problem.
Dumbledore could see that Crouch wielded an amazing potential and power. He knew Crouch would be the instant favorite if the current minister retired, which she said she would within six months. Dumbledore never doubt for one second that Crouch was not qualified. In fact other than himself, Crouch would be probably be the best choice of a minister. It was that Dumbledore was scared of the fact that to Crouch, this whole "war" was nothing more than a game. Crouch desperately want to win, he frequently complained about the unfairness of the "rules".
Remus was tired. He needed a job bad. Sure, Dumbledore offered him a job at Hogwart, but what was he supposed to do on a full moon. Since werewolves were considered "evil" he couldn't get a job being an Auror. Out of all here tonight, Remus respected, after Dumbledore of course, Crouch the most, His speech and hard as hell attitude was the perfect making for the Head of Auror.
James had heard of the power Crouch possessed. He never once doubted them. James knew Crouch would stop at nothing to get revenge on Voldermort.
Ambition, power, respect, and remorse were not a very good mix.
The Next Day…
"… now with the proper motives, it is now perfectly legal to search's house a suspect without a warning or a court order." Crouch finished.
James Potter was fast asleep in his seat, snoring slightly. Frank Longbottom eyed him with interest before charming James' chair to prick James' butt.
"AHHH…What the HELL?" James leaped off his chair to the amusement of those around him.
Crouch stopped short of the door as Alastor Moody spoke from the corner of the room, "Dismissed, everyone go home and enjoy your weekend. POTTER! You stay here!"
James grimaced and slumped back down in his seat.
"Stupid paranoid git!" James said, after he flooed home.
Lily was home already cooking a wonderful dinner; she looked at James with half annoyance and amusement.
"What did you do this time James? Did you try to scare Moody with that cloak of yours again? Or did you drop water balloons on the new recruits?" Lily asked.
James grinned out the time he scared the crap out of Moody with his invisibility cloak (Moody hadn't got his eye yet). Of course Moody cursed James so bad that James was out of active duty for nearly two months.
His smile disappeared as he remembered what Moody wanted him to do.
"Lily, hate to break it to you but Moody (that paranoid bastard!) Want me to spend the weekend tracking down the non-existent spy Auror that only Moody believes is there," James said.
Lily walked toward him poking him in the chest with mock outrage, "Fine… no sex!"
James look shocked, his glasses slid on his nose.
"You tactless ass, you promised a romantic getaway this weekend. Don't gimme that look! Yes, no sex, dammit." Lily shouted.
James sighed and sank onto the couch; it was going to be his bed for the weekend.
"PRONGS!" a voice shouted out.
James shot out of his seat and noticed the grinning face of his best friend, Sirius, in the fireplace. James rubbed his eyes, he was tired.
"What Padfoot?"
"You doing anything this weekend cause I am not. I am going to very bored with Wormtail visiting his mom and all. Moony might stop by and—"
James sighed yet again, a brilliant idea forming in his head. "Hey Padfoot, I got an idea. Why don't you and Moony come over tomorrow, say ten a.m., and help me with this lame case of Moody's." James said.
"Sure thing Prongs, I will get Moony… Lily, that smells wonderful, me, being single, living off of Chinese take out—"
Lily rolled her eyes and put a piece of chicken in Sirius' mouth. Sirius gave a grin and with 'pop' he vanished.
James sighed for the third time since he came home, the couch looked very lumpy.
"Prongs, you sure this is the right place? Cause it looks all weird and stuff from the visitor's perspective." Sirius said in the old public telephone box.
James sighed impatiently, "Yes, Padfoot, this is the right place."
James, Sirius, and Remus had taken the time to disguise themselves so snooping wouldn't be a problem in the Ministry.
"State your name and business."
"Err… James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin… err… inspection of the Ministry," James answered.
"Thank You."
Three buttons fell out.
"Give it here," Sirius Black said, tapping the buttons with his wand.
James Potter became Pames Jotter; Sirius Black became Birius Slack; Remus Lupin became Lemus Rupin.
Remus raised his eyebrows his voice dripping with sarcasm, "How original Padfoot! Switching the first letter of our last and first name, I am sure no one would notice. Slack as a last name however, does suit you well."
Sirius scowled and pushed James and Remus into the ministry.
"Aren't we suppose to get our wands checked or something," Remus asked.
James and Sirius both grinned and Sirius said, "Screw that! Come on, to the lift!"
"This department is currently out of bound to all but departments heads. An inter-ministry meeting is taking place between the minister and heads of departments. Please return in an hour."
"An hour! This is outrageous! We can't wait for an hour!" Remus exclaimed.
"Come on you guys, let us sneak in anyways," Sirius said.
James looked guilty.
"Prongs, don't tell me you—", James nodded as Sirius spoke, "forgot the cloak." Sirius finished lamely.
"You dumbass!"
"No matter, we can wait if we have to," Remus said calmly.
Both Sirius and James shot him an incredulous look before nodding.
Ten Minutes Later
"I am bored," Sirius said.
"I know," James replied.
"I am booooooorrred!"
"I knooooooow!"
Remus sighed; this was not going to be good, sure enough—
"Hey we haven't pulled a prank for like two months, now is the perfect time!" Sirius said excitedly.
"That's because we are grown, responsible, mature adults, Padfoot," Remus said.
"No, no, Moony, Padfoot has a point. Come brother Padfoot, let us cause mayhem like the old times," James said.
"Like the old times!" Sirius echoed. Both of them got up and walked toward the lift. Remus followed quickly, he did not want anybody to get hurt.
All three of them sat on a bench outside Mr. Crouch's office, looking gloomy. James and Sirius had conjured up balloons filled with ink, water, or color-changing potion throughout the entire Ministry, setting them to drop on random intervals at people. Remus tried to alleviate the problem by turning the color-changing potion into water, all he did was changed half of them into love potions. The marauders had gotten what they wished for: mayhem. The whole Ministry was locked down for thirty minutes before Alastor Moody caught James and Sirius howling with laughter and a grinning Remus (Their disguise had worn off).
"This was your fault Padfoot! I might lose my job you stupid git!" James shouted.
"My fault? You are the one agreeing with me!" Sirius shouted back.
"Shut up and listen," Remus said.
Voices were coming out of Crouch's office.
"Dad, I can do this. I am sure of it. Please dad, let me be an Auror, I am up for it."
"No, a thousand times no, how can I trust you when half of your 'friends' became convicted death eaters?"
"They are Slytherins, dad. I am Ravenclaw. Plus, you are the one always telling one should not be bias of people's friends."
"All right, I will think about it. Anything else, I am a busy I've to go?"
"Yea, my friend, Rokewood, wants to apply for a job in the Department of Mysteries. They told him he should have experience as an Auror first, here is his résumé."
The door opened, a handsome man walked out, "Thanks dad. See you later."
He was followed by a man who looked like that he hasn't slept for days.
Mr. Crouch waved his son goodbye. He looked at James absentmindedly, "Off you go Parker," he waved his hand and disappeared with a crack.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Sirius asked James.
"Hell yea."
Both of them pushed the door, it was locked.
Sirius shrugged and opened the door with his knife.
"Hey look a Pensive!"
"Let's take a look!"
Remus stood helplessly as his friends stick their face in the basin.
AN: How do you like it? Please Review.