I do not own, or take any credit for, the creation of Harry Potter or anything related to it. I do, however, own any new characters and the stories plot line.
Silent Auctions
Chapter I
Why is it that something that can seem a series of unfortunate events can turn out to be something quite unexpected?
Perhaps this story was made more out of pure luck than anything else. This story starts on one summer day in an all Wizarding village called Hogsmeade…
"Look at this Moony!" Sirius Black called, looking over at a sign on the fence of the old shack.
"What?" Remus Lupin replied, stepping over to his friend and reading the sign for himself. "That's terrible!" Remus concluded, his dirty blonde hair flying wildly in the wind.
"Tell me about it," Sirius said; his two other friends, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew both scrambling to see the sign now, thoroughly interested in their friends reactions.
"Due to lack of financial income this Shack shall be replaced with a Wizarding clothes shop; construction to start in January," James read, his jet black hair not as wild as Remus's in the wind, but still looking just as windswept.
"They can't do this," Sirius said, angrily. "We should go on strike or something…"
"Protest?" Remus finished.
"That's the word," Sirius said, meekly.
"Why would the Ministry listen to the words of four sixteen year olds with enough of a record to give even Evans a good nights sleep after reading it?" James asked, sounding almost truthful.
"That is one small problem that we can't overcome," Remus agreed, as the Marauders started to walk again.
"Damn our age, we're just not nearly legal enough!" Sirius growled. "Times like these I wish I never did escape from the house of horrors, formally known as Grim-Old Place."
"Grimmuald Place," James replied, correcting his friend on the name of the house he had run away from.
"You don't see me correcting you when you say Godric's Hollow," Sirius replied, testily.
"That's because the village really IS called Godric's Hollow, Padfoot," James smirked. The four carried on walking and talking whilst all secretly were dreading the destruction of the Shrieking Shack. The Shack was where Remus Lupin went to transform into his Werewolf state, and where his friends went to accompany him as Animagus. The four had just entered their seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; James, Sirius and Peter had just mastered how to turn into an animal at will. The four were the troublemakers at their school; the four were the well known Marauders…
"How does he sleep at night?" Lily Evans complained, pacing the Gryffindor Common Room, a piece of parchment in her hand.
"On a bed of nails, with any luck," her friend, Juliana, replied. Lily's long red hair swayed and tickled her shoulders as she walked. She held in her hands the latest love poem straight from the horse's mouth… well, James Potter's hand.
"My dearest Lily, your eyes as green as toads,
Have I ever told you, that I love you loads?
Your smile as sweet as cotton candy, your hair so brightly red,
Oh tell me why, fairest Lily, can I not get you out of my head?" Lily read, looking revolted. "That's Potter's idea of being romantic!"
Lily looked up to see Juliana laughing so hard on an armchair that she was afraid her sides might split.
"He can rhyme, it's a start!" Juliana protested, as Lily watched her, hands on hips, looking rather angry.
"Seriously, Juliana, I've never seen such… such bull in my life!" Lily said, throwing the poem into the fire where it burnt and turned to ash.
"There was no need for that, Lily, it's just a poem," Juliana said, watching the parchment edges blacken.
"He just doesn't understand the meaning of 'leave me alone, you berk!' does he?" Lily asked. "He has absolutely no idea of how to be romantic."
"Teach him then," Juliana replied, as Lily's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Or just piss him off more, either way is cool."
The Portrait door swung open and the Marauders strode in, Sirius and James leading them, both looking triumphant.
"Guess what?" Sirius asked.
"You followed the yellow brick road and got a brain?" Lily asked, hopefully.
"No such luck there Evans," James replied, sitting in a seat. "We've come up with a plan-"
"-to save humanity from your stupid brainless pranks? I could have thought of one for you; kill yourself." Lily said, dryly.
"Not amused, Evans," James replied, brushing off Lily's comment. "No, we've come up with a plan to save the Shrieking Shack."
"Since when did you care what happens to the shack- sorry, jumping ahead; since when did you care about anything?" Lily retorted.
"Since the day you walked into my life," James said, as the Marauders sniggered.
"Not amused, Potter," Lily mocked before turning her attention to the plan the boys had come up with. "What would this most probably highly dangerous, life risking, brainless, stupid plan be?"
"Auction," Sirius said, simply.
Lily's facial expression didn't tweak, "auction?" she repeated.
"Yes, Evans, when an object is-" James began.
"I know what an auction is you dolt; what on earth do you expect to auction that'll raise enough money to save the Shack?" Lily asked.
"That's simple enough, Evans; ourselves," James said, proudly.
Lily snorted, "Do you plan to raise three thousand Galleons or one Knut?"
"What about three thousand Galleons and one Knut?" James asked, as Lily rolled her eyes at the boys less than amusing joke.
"You don't honestly expect that you four 'stud muffins' will raise three thousand Galleons?" Lily asked, as Juliana fell into giggles again.
"Three thousand Galleons and one Knut, remember, Evans. But, naturally, we don't expect ourselves to pay off all the money; that's why we need more people and other charity events too," James explained.
"And you've come to us for us to auction ourselves too?" Lily asked, bemused.
"That would have been the plan," Sirius chimed in.
"You seriously came here to try and convince us to… to sell ourselves?" Lily asked.
"For one whole week you'd be property of the highest bidder," James explained.
"Get out of here, Potter," Lily said, shaking her head. The boys jumped to their feet and walked off, but Lily caught sight of James looking in the fire where his poem was burning.
"That was mean to blow them off like that, Lily, they have a good idea," Juliana told her.
"Seemed like a pretty damn rubbish one from here," Lily retorted, sitting down on a seat and watching as the poem burnt.
"Fine," Juliana said, "but I'm going to tell them I'm going to be joining in on their pretty damn rubbish idea." The brunette pulled herself to her feet and strode off after the four boys.
Lily glanced down into the fire and grabbed the poker, drawing the poem out from it and waiting for the fire on it to die down before putting the remains on the hearth rug.
James Potter sat at the back of Potions, drawing up ideas with his three friends. So far there were five boys and four girls in the auction; not a very substantial number considering the size of the school.
"Right, Juliana Moore, Amy Green, Cassandra Bagnold and Alice Wilkes for girls," Sirius repeated. "Us for boys with Frank Longbottom."
Remus transcribed all this onto parchment and looked up as the Potions Professor, Evelyn Banks, strode over to them. She picked up the list in her bony hand and read it aloud.
"What is this then?" She asked. "An early Christmas list perhaps?" The class erupted in laughter for about five seconds before it died down and Professor Banks walked back to the front of the class.
"Today we shall be learning how to make a sleeping draught; not quite as strong the Draught of the Living Dead, but in the wrong uses, just as deadly," she said, smirking.
No one liked the sound of that and much like the red sea the class parted slightly from accident prone Peter Pettigrew.
Peter looked helpless, "come on guys, I'm not that bad."
"That would have been more convincing if that big hole in the Potions cupboard wasn't your fault, Wormtail," Sirius replied. Peter grudgingly agreed on that and looked over at the gaping hole in the cupboard. Professor Banks reached through it to get the ingredients rather than unlock the door.
"Right, the instructions are on the board, get on with it," Professor Banks snapped, she sat down in her chair and read Witch Weekly; a picture of the newest Minister was splashed across the front.
A while later all the students were happily milling about making potions, every now and then there was an explosion, signifying another student had successfully made a sleeping potion. James was working hard on his and he was just about to put the last ingredient in when a greasy haired seventh year, lovingly nicknamed Snivellus by the Marauders, walked past and knocked him, sending all the dragon scales into the potion. It was fine at first, then it started to bubble uncontrollably, it bubbled over the cauldron and James stood up, knocking it to the ground and sending it flying all over Lily Evans.
"Potter!" Lily screamed, as the potion continued to bubble on her, turning her robes deep blue. "You are so dead." She told him, seething with anger.
"She looks mad, Prongs, I'd run if I were you," Sirius smirked as Lily's bright red face turned another even brighter shade of scarlet.
"She'd never hurt me, she loves me," James said, as Lily approached him.
"Prongs, she'd rip your throat out given half the chance," Sirius replied.
"Point taken," James said, as Lily gave him one last angry look and turned on her heel. She was obviously very mad at the school's Head boy, and James could tell this grudge would last a little longer than just till lunch. "I'll pay for the robes, Evan," he shouted after her, but the bell had gone and so had Lily…
