Chapter II


James Potter sighed heavily as he looked up at Juliana Moore, shaking his head.

"No way in hell is nine people ever going to raise enough money," he told her, as serious as can be.

"I have an idea," Sirius spoke up. James turned his head to look at him, open to anything in the time of crisis. "We not only auction students, but we auction Professors too… imagine making Professor Banks scrub your shoes," Sirius suggested.

"It's a long shot, but we can try; though Professor Banks might not be our first bet. Let's ask Professor Dumbledore first," Remus suggested, looking up from the essay he was doing. "We can't well hold the auction without his permission."

"That's true," James agreed, "we need someone utterly innocent to ask him… someone with no bad records what-so-ever…"

The Marauders and Juliana all looked simultaneously at Lily Evans, who was sitting doing her work on the hearth rug. James could almost hear the heavens sing hallelujah.

"This is great; Evans is the perfect fun-spoiling person for this job," James commented as the flames from the fire made Lily's radiant features practically glow. "Lily's an angel; she's never sinned in her entire life."

"I wouldn't go that far mate," Juliana replied, her thick Australian accent shining through. Juliana was English, but was raised in Australia until she received her Hogwarts letter. "You haven't heard the first worst thing Lily ever said about you."

"So she sins behind people's backs, that perfectly alright," James said, "we just have to convince her to help us out."

Juliana rolled her eyes, "obviously the Potter charm wouldn't help; but the best friend charm might do the trick, watch and learn boys." Juliana set off across the Common Room to Lily, who was dipping her quill in ink.

"What have you come here for? To tell me more about clumsy Potter's oh so brilliant, flawless plan?" Lily asked, avoiding Juliana's eyes.

"Can't you just give the plan a chance, Lily? For me?" Juliana asked, sitting down beside Lily.

"I'm not giving that horrible, son of a witch any chances; he had them and he threw them away. He's had more chances to gain my trust than a cat has had lives," came the agitated reply.

"I'm not asking you to marry him, Lily, or even trust him for that; I'm just asking you to trust the plan," Juliana begged.

"I don't understand myself anymore, Juliana, I've got to keep myself away from Potter," Lily replied, Juliana looked behind her and made a motion for the Marauders to leave. Remus, Peter and Sirius left, but James stood there watching Lily's confused face and the light from the fire flickering on it. Sirius walked back after his friend and pushed him towards the Boys dormitories while Juliana had a girl heart-to-heart with Lily.

"What do you mean?" Juliana asked, crossing her legs.

"I don't understand my feelings, James can be a complete berk at some times, and others he can be… well, James. It's almost as if he's human," Lily said, with a short laugh.

"Maybe, Lily, maybe it's because he is human, and as much as it looks like he's an arrogant berk he's just hiding behind his façade of pranks; much like you hide behind your façade of hatred towards him," Juliana replied. Lily looked up at her and laughed in her face, rather arrogantly herself.

"Potter doesn't have a façade, and neither do I." She replied, sternly. She stubbornly refused to believe Juliana was right and refused to allow her to make her admit her feelings, whatever they may be, for James.

"Whatever, Lily, just help us; help me," Juliana begged. "Now isn't the time for what's my line, got it?"

Lily nodded slowly, "what is it you want me to do?" she asked, eventually. "I'm not hurting, insulting, begging or blackmailing anyone, I refuse to do anything illegal and I definitely will not break any rules in the process of this little game."

"It's simply really; me and you head along to Professor Dumbledore's office and ask him if we can hold the auction…"


"Potter is so ugly they printed his face on airline sick bags," Lily Evans, Head Girl of Hogwarts, said as she walked towards Albus Dumbledore's office, accompanied by Juliana. "If I ever fall madly in love with Potter, slap me silly." Lily begged.

"Sure, you want me to start slapping now or after you admit you like the guy?" Juliana asked, casually.

Lily gave her friend a look, "for your information you will never have the liberty of slapping me silly over Potter."

"I wouldn't count on it," Juliana said. "Here comes the bride, all dressed in white-" Juliana was cut off in the middle of her terrible singing by Lily.

"Shut up, Julia, or I'll slap you ever silly," Lily warned.

"Imagine Potter in swimming trunks," Juliana said, watching her friend's reaction.

"In swimming trunks drowning in the deepest ocean there is," Lily added.

"That's sadistic, you're sadistic," Juliana laughed.

"No one's perfect," came the reply; Juliana observed her friends wide grin. The two reached Albus Dumbledore's office and both were about to complain about the password when the door opened and Dumbledore's voice greeted them.

"Good afternoon Ms Evans and Ms Moore, what is it you would like to ask?" Professor Dumbledore asked, surveying the two over his half moon glasses as they approached his desk.

"Professor, we were wondering if it would be possible for Hogwarts to host a charity event in order to raise the required money to save the Shrieking Shack," Lily asked, sounding a little too well practiced.

"Well, Ms Evans; that does sound somewhat of an excellent idea," Dumbledore smiled, he stood up and walked to one of the windows so he could view the Shack. "What kind of charity event did you have in mind?"

"Well," Juliana said, taking over. "It's where boys and girls auction themselves off for a week and the highest bidder gets to make them do whatever they want them to."

"A human auction," Professor Dumbledore said, as Juliana looked at a snow globe of Hogwarts. "Quite an amusing idea, I must say."

"It was James Potter's idea, sir," Juliana spoke up, as she picked the snow globe up and shook it lightly so the glittery snow fell down on the miniature Hogwarts inside. She looked closely and could see moving figures of students walking around in the snow, they looked very lifelike.

"Ah, I see you too have discovered the amazing abilities James Potter possesses," Albus said, looking at the snow globe. "That was one of his finest achievements to date, I do believe…"

"In all due respect sir, why do you have anything that belonged to James?" Lily asked, politely.

"It was a thank you gift he and Remus Lupin worked on together…" Albus said, as if this explained all. "Anyway, to the matter at hand, the idea is-" Albus never finished that sentence because at that point in time the snow globe slipped through Juliana's fingers, it fell the ground and smashed open. Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's Phoenix, looked up from its sleep as the globe hit the ground, almost in slow motion.

"So sorry," Juliana apologised as Professor Dumbledore fixed the globe with magic. "It just slipped," she said, "I truly am a butterfingers."

"There is no harm done, Ms Moore," Professor Dumbledore replied, waving his wand so the split liquid and snow disappeared from the floor. The small Hogwarts was now experiencing very little climate, but as Albus used magic to make more liquid and snow appear in it the little figures in the courtyard started to liven up as the snow fell again.

Lily turned back to the Professor as if to urge him to continue on.

"The idea is very good, Ms Evans," Professor Dumbledore told her. "And I think you might be able to raise some money from it, so you can of course hold the auctions… But there has to be damage control, and as Head Girl Ms Evans, you can be it," Professor Dumbledore finished.

"Sir, I'd rather not get involved with James's idea," Lily explained as Professor Dumbledore looked up.

"If you will not supervise Mr Potters auction Ms Evans, then I'm afraid I'll have to call off the entire thing," Dumbledore told her, picking up a quill and starting to write something. Lily found this rather rude as it seemed as if he was ignoring her.

"Fine then, no auction, come on Juliana…" Lily turned to go but saw Juliana's face, it looked rather sad. "Fine," she said again. "I'll be damage control; at least it gives me a decent reason not to bid on anyone."

"All that is left to do is wish you good luck, Ms Evans," Professor Dumbledore said, as Lily thanked him and she and Juliana left his office.

"That wasn't so hard was it?" Juliana asked as they walked the corridor.

"It better be worth it though," Lily said, angrily.