I know I said I was going to put up two chapters at a time. And I did - unfortunately, the other is in my other fic. (Yes, if you're watching that one, it's been updated. The summary's better, too.) Please wait and I'll try to have the next one of this series up Monday.
The Bake Sale
Disclaimer: I am a writer. However, where these characters are concerned, I am not THE writer. Harry Potter and all his friends, enemies, sidekicks and situations belong to JK Rowling, she of the genius that everyone wishes was hiding in their mental cupboard under the stairs as well. And, if she wants THIS situation, it's hers as a gift. The rest of you must ask.
Chapter 10: The Price of Hooch in Hogsmeade
Breathless with anticipation, the teachers waited quietly for the spinning to stop. When the name finally appeared, Lupin glittered madly at them and announced, too loudly even for this crowd, "Madam Rolanda Xiomara Hooch!"
Madame Hooch glared at her colleagues, mounted a broom she had brought with her, and rose above the heads of the crowd, smiling sternly and performing a series of intricate loops and parries with non-existent bludgers. Lupin sparkled and chattered on at the podium below.
"Many of you will remember her from her note-worthy days with the Holyhead Harpies. A championship Beater for 10 years,Madam Hoochwas particularly famous because no bludger has ever touched her. She is also credited with the Bludgers Forward 'Xiomara' variation of the Hawkshead Attack." She executed a particularly tricky roll followed by a steep dive, to the loud applause of the crowd below.
"Madam Hooch has been Athletics Director for 9 years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is happily married to International Quidditch Referee Michael Hooch for 15 years." Waving jauntily, Madam Hooch tilted the broom toward the platform and topped out her speed for exactly 3 seconds. Flipping end for end to brake, she glided to a neat and tidy landing right beside Lupin's podium. The applause was thunderous.
"Madam Hooch is offering proficiency lessons to you or the student of your choice. She guarantees that the student will be able to fly and fly well by the time she's done - even if they have trouble convincing their broom to hover."
Lupin turned to her and sparkled some more. "You look like a mirrorball," she snapped.
He was too hyper to be bothered, what with the potion and the cheering charms. He glowed. "And you look like a hundred Galleons," he purred charmingly.
"I can't think why we didn't just have a bake sale," she muttered.
"15 Galleons," someone in the audience shouted.
"15 galleons to number 46," said Lupin.
"18."
"Number 53," said Lupin.
"22."
"Number 13, thank you Mr. Malfoy."
"25."
Two minutes later, Malfoy got into a heated discussion with the woman behind him about whether or not it was acceptable for her to poke him with her shopping bags. By the time he turned around...
"Sold to Number 53 for 99 galleons," exclaimed Lupin cheerily. He grinned at the frumpy old wizard in the top corner of the stands and waved happily at him.
Madam Hooch applauded with the rest, and smiled as best she could. Hawk-like and looking slightly dangerous, she grinned at her buyer, for she knew him from old stories as the Wizard Archaeologist, Algernon Longbottom. She waved at Neville sitting beside him, and Neville cringed and waved back with a timid hand. She grinned, took her broom, and exited to go reclaim her seat.
Back on stage, Lupin touched his wand to the podium and the names again began to whirl. "That was fun," he burbled enthusiastically. "Let's play it again, shall we?"
Everyone cheered.
Lupin juggled some more things off his podium and stopped only long enough to touch his wand to the podium. He flipped the objects into a single-handed twirl and tapped it a second time. Gradually, it slowed. The crowd leaned forward to watch, whispering excitedly. "And the next contestant is..."
Hope you like this one – she's hard to be sure of, of course, as even her name's in dispute – I threw this idea out to explain it. I like her a lot, you know.