Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Auction: Day 11, Auction 4: Jumanji AU

Summary: After a night prowling with Remus during the full moon, James, Sirius and Peter find a game called Jumanji

W/C: 489

In the jungle you must wait

The sun was starting to rise on the Forbidden Forest as the Marauders finished one of their nightly prowls with Remus. They made sure to get him back to the Shack before coming back to get dressed. It had been a fairly dull night, not many things to chase or fight with, except each other.

Sirius stretched his tired muscles, leaning backwards as he did, yawning loudly. "I can't tell you how happy I am that it's Saturday. I'm just going to get breakfast and sleep all day."

"That sounds like a most excellent plan," James agreed.

"Does anyone hear drums?" Peter asked, fastening the belt on his trousers.

James and Sirius stopped moving, straining to hear anything. "Stop moving, Padfoot. You're leaf crunching is too loud!"

"There!" Sirius agreed, slowly walking towards the sound, further into the forest.

It took them a few minutes to final trace where the dull sound of drums was coming from, plus a little digging as a wooden box could be seen poking out from the soil.

"Is it Dark magic?" James asked, finally prising it free of the dirt, the drums increasing in volume. "How is it drumming?"

Peter wiped away dirt from the front with the sleeve of his jumper. "Jumanji," he said, reading the name written across the wood.

"Open it," Sirius said like he was the devil on their shoulder. "Let's see what it does then."

"Are we sure? It's not right that it's drumming and there are no drums around."

"Peter might be right," James agreed, shoving it away from him.

"I need something to wake me up after a boring night," Sirius muttered, yanking the box towards him to open it. "Oh, hey! It's a board game! Look!"

It had a dome in the centre, black as midnight, and four swirling paths that led to it. The two flaps had the rules written out and four ivory pieces tucked in little slots. Peter picked up the elephant piece, staring at it in awe. "I've not played a game in years," he said.

"No time like the present. Four pieces, four Marauders!" Sirius knocked Peter's arm, the piece fell and immediately took itself to one of the paths. "Even better! It's magical!" Sirius cheered at the movement.

James picked the remaining pieces and placed them on their paths. "Send word to Remus to meet us here. We'll have a quick game then breakfast, so people don't question us being there so early."

Peter lifted the dice, holding them out to Sirius. "Who's going first?"

"It's alright, Wormtail, you go first while I send the message," Sirius said, not looking properly as he pushed Peter's hand back.

The dice slipped from Peter's hand, landing heavily on the board. The drumming intensified as a message appeared in the dome. James and Peter leant forward to read it: In the jungle you must wait, until the dice read five or eight…