With his Metamorphmagus abilities, Harry didn't really need to shave or have his hair trimmed for the charity event. The remaining requirement was a tuxedo and he had two of them for special occasions such as this. He was sitting on the soft cushions of the den's window seat looking out at the rain that had started to fall earlier that morning. It was coming down in soft sheets of drizzle from a rather gray, gloomy sky. Even with the tension building from the upcoming activities and the downtrodden, depressed scene outside his window, he wore a smile on his face. Taking Hermione's last words to heart, he contacted Rolanda Hooch, Hogwarts' flying instructor and Quidditch coach, and inquired about the possibility of becoming her assistant. He was rather surprised when she told him of her retirement and that she could hang in until after the playoffs. He'd flooed in immediately and started the paperwork that would place him with the Hogwarts' staff by the start of the upcoming term.
Thoughts raced through his head at an alarming speed. Madam Hooch had given him copies of her lesson plans and the Quidditch rosters for next years teams, barring any suspensions due to grades dropping below acceptable levels, misconduct, or graduation. He'd spent all afternoon becoming familiar with the different charts, tables, school bylaws and other paraphernalia associated with becoming a professor.
After the meeting with his old flying instructor, Harry had paid a visit to McGonagall for an informal meeting. They'd caught each other up on the comings and goings in their particular parts of the world and Harry found that they were still running through defense against the dark arts teachers on a yearly basis. This wasn't due to Voldemort's manipulation of that particular position like in the past but the superstition that grew because of those circumstances was the main drive in so many leaving after a year.
Minerva had offered the job to him on several occasions and this visit was no different. Harry politely declined, once again stating that he'd had enough of dark wizards and recent events to last him several lifetimes. What he was really interested in was helping students learn to fly and coaching Quidditch instead of being the center of attention of thousands of rabid fans.
The day finished up with a quick floo to Hermione at her office where he'd scolded her about overworking and to let her know that he had something important to tell her at Wednesday's get together. She'd promised that she'd get some sleep and wished him good luck at the auction. When she mentioned the auction, he'd gotten depressed once again that she'd not be there to bail him out of the predicament but she was still too busy to come.
Harry sighed and looked at the clock on the mantle. "Almost time." He said nervously. With a flick of his wand, his baggy sweat pants and T-shirt were exchanged for his tailored tux. The bow-tie was tied with another wave and he slipped into the pair of dress shoes he'd picked up earlier that day.
"Harry, you almost ready, mate?" Ron called from the sitting room.
"I'm on my way!" Harry shouted back and within a few moments the two best friends were rushing to the limousine the Department of Magical Games and Sports provided for them. Ginny was already sitting in the back, thankfully without Draco, wearing her black Auror robes and smiling appreciatively at the two men.
"You two look fabulous." She said with a laugh. "If only Hermione could see you in those!"
Harry grinned as he raised an eyebrow. "Well, she couldn't make it so look who's the fool?"
Ron laughed and straightened his jacket. "What are you doing here, Gin? I thought you'd be off snogging the ferret?"
"Watch it, Ron." Ginny's face darkened dangerously. "I've been assigned to keep people off of Harry tonight. Draco will be there, we thought it best to keep him out of such close proximity with you two."
"Good plan." Harry said with a grin. "I don't need bat bogeys attacking me like a certain friend of mine ..."
"It's not fun, Harry." Ron said with a frown. "If Ginny had chosen someone else I would be blissfully unaware of just what that feels like."
"Do you know what's happening tonight, Ginny? The arrival and such I mean. I reckon a limo is rather extreme for a charity event."
"You didn't receive instructions with your invitation?" She asked then frowned at the shake of his head. "They've turned it into a red carpet event. I'll be escorting you down the carpet and I shouldn't be too far from you through the night. After the winning bid is made, we have to interview the one who won to make sure they aren't trying to isolate you with the date or day trip."
"The Ministry does realize that I can take care of myself, don't they?" Harry grunted in frustration. "I reckon there are dark wizards out there ready to avenge Voldemort ..."
"I brought that up as well and the answer I got was the one you're about to get: CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Ginny smiled at the jump from her two brothers.
"Moody needs to calm down a bit." Ron said with a grin. "He's more paranoid now than when You-Kn ... err V-Voldemort was around."
"We're here, Sirs, Madam." The driver said indifferently from the front. Harry looked out the window and the color drained from his face at the number of people who were standing to either side of the long, velvet carpet and canopy he was expected to walk down. There were a few people halfway to the doors of the hall as the car pulled up and he looked to his feet self-consciously.
"Harry, don't worry, it's just a few hundred people." Ron said with a glint in his eye. "Just smile and wave as you walk up to the doors!"
A man in a bellman's uniform opened the door and Ron stepped out to the carpet to the cheering people. He stopped and signed an autograph of two for people wearing Chudley Cannon colors and continued towards the doors as he had just suggested. Harry gulped and went for the door but Ginny stopped him gently.
"Let me go first." She said with a grin. "Wouldn't want another squealing fan to jump out at you, now would we?" Harry grimaced at the thought but quickly returned her smile before she stepped out onto the velvet carpet. After a quick scan she ushered him out of the car.
"People are excited today at the arrival of Harry Potter, sports star and war veteran!" The announcer said over an enchanted microphone. The people lining the entryway were screaming his name and clapping as he walked by them. He waved shyly at a few people and smiled nervously as they made their way to the double doors of the building.
"I'm going to kill them all for this." Harry whispered through his faux smile.
"It's only one night, Harry." Ginny whispered back as she watched around him. "It'll be over before you know it."
The walk seemed to take forever but he eventually made it to the steps and quickly found himself in the large hall that was hosting the event. There were hundreds of people milling about, chatting jovially, and sharing drinks. A few reporters for the Daily Prophet were scurrying about as well as a special correspondent for The Quibbler. Ginny kept close for the first few minutes as Harry acclimated himself to his crowded surroundings, then slipped off to a reasonable distance as he walked around and shared one-word pleasantries with the other guests.
Oliver Wood found him hovering around the buffet table with a tall woman in tow. "Harry, you'll never guess who I ran into!"
One look at the exotically beautiful woman caused Harry's jaw to drop to his chest. "Cho?" He whispered disbelievingly.
"Hello, Harry." She said with a curt smile and false warmth. Harry picked up on the tone immediately and suddenly wished that Wood knew the history between the former Ravenclaw seeker turned pro and himself.
"I thought it would be fun to catch up on old times." Wood shouted over the din of the assembly. He completely failed to notice the arctic breeze flowing between his teammate and old schoolmate as he brought his drink to his lips.
"Harry! There you are!" Ron said with a grin. Before anyone could protest, he yanked his best friend off into a crowd of people that Harry recognized.
"Seamus! Neville! Dean! It's been a while!" Harry shouted with a smile. They all clasped hands and pulled each other into one-armed hugs as grins slid into place. "How's the wife, Seamus?"
"Smashing! We're expecting our first baby in a few months!" Seamus smiled happily at the announcement.
"Congratulations! How's Parvati handling the pregnancy?" Harry beamed in return.
"She's doing well, morning sickness is still an issue but it's slowing down. She's had the worst cravings ..."
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the First Annual Charity Bachelor's Auction!" Ludo Bagman announced from the stage. "All proceeds from tonight's event will be presented to Comic Relief. There are brochures and pamphlets located around the ballroom for your information and perusal!"
There was polite applause as the crowd gathered for the upcoming auction and Ginny appeared at Harry's side to escort him to the staging area.
"The auction will begin momentarily! If you wish to partake in the bidding process, please register with the kind people to the left of the stage." Bagman said with a smile and a wave of his hand to his right. There were several people with registration books and numbered paddles sitting at a long table where paddles were being passed out to those who signed in.
"You're going to have a bit of a wait, Mr. Potter." An attendant said with a polite smile. "Please have a seat at the end of the row."
"Why am I going to have to wait?"
"The Minister wants to save the savior of the wizarding world for last." The attendant replied in a rehearsed manner as Harry took his seat. He watched the young man leave then grunted and examined the thick curtain in front of him. There were several chairs lined side by side to his right and he spotted Wood, Ron, Neville, and Dean a bit further down the line.
"Harry, I'll be in the crowd watching for anything." Ginny said reassuringly. "I know you don't need the help, but if you do, signal me with this crystal." She handed him a small, transparent crystal on a chain and showed him how it worked. "If you need to get out, just let me know and we'll have a team escort you out of the building."
Harry nodded absently and pocketed the wizarding charm. "Are any of the others getting this treatment?"
Ludo Bagman's voice echoed over the assembly to laughter from a few well placed jokes and a commentary on the evening's charity.
"They are, but you, Ron, and Neville have personal guards." Ginny said evenly. "The others have been assigned as a group to a different squad."
"And without further ado, I give you your bachelors!"
"That's my cue." Ginny whispered into his ear and headed offstage.
The curtains rose and Harry sighed in relief as the lights rained brilliance on him and the others who were seated onstage. He could hear the applause but had to squint to see any of the crowd. There were a few flashes from cameras and Ludo introduced the first bachelor.
Harry watched as the first three were auctioned off rather quickly. There didn't seem to be much of a bidding atmosphere from the crowd and he was wondering just what he'd stumbled into. His mind was wandering as he heard Ron's name announced to the applause of the audience.
Ron stood and gave Harry a thumbs-up as he took center stage and took off his jacket. Ludo rattled off Ron's achievements with the Chudley Cannons, his involvement in the war and a few interesting facts centered on his developed gourmet palette and the date he'd take his winning bidder on.
"Let's start the bidding at ten ... We have ten do we have fifteen? fifteen, thank you, twenty, thank you, Madam ... twenty-five? thirty? Thank you, miss."
Somewhere from the crowd a familiar voice piped up. "Two-thousand!"
"Ah, two-thousand to the pretty blonde, do we have any other bids?" Bagman smiled as he looked around. Ron shot a terrified look at Harry. "Two-thousand going once ... twice ... The winning bid is two-thousand to number six nine."
A woman in a long dress escorted Ron to the right of the stage as Harry's best friend looked to him with wide, horror-filled eyes. The color had drained from his face and Harry distinctly saw Ron mouth 'Luna' before he disappeared behind another long curtain.
Harry had to suppress a grin. He knew that this was probably the only chance she'd have to spend any time with Ron and his best friend was contractually obligated to take her on a date. Here's hoping that he'll be pleasantly surprised! Harry thought to himself as Dean was presented to the crowd.
A few moments later, Dean Thomas was walking happily off the stage to meet Lavender Brown. She'd spent fifty on his old friend and something told Harry that it was a plan the on again, off again couple had concocted before they arrived.
Neville wasn't so lucky. The poor bloke had only two bids and the winning one was a mere five and to a much older lady at that. The winner was cackling about finally winning a man as she waddled excitedly to meet her prize. Neville looked worse than he did when he'd hopped to the Gryffindor common room with the Malfoy induced leg locker curse applied to him. There would definitely have to be a consolation get together with him after his date.
"And now we have sports captain and player, Oliver Wood!" The bidding went well for the confident young man. He'd reached one-hundred fifty before the bidding ended and he smiled at Harry after he pointed to the one and only Angelina Johnson.
There were two more bachelors before Harry and as the bidding went on, he grew more and more nervous. There weren't many women participating yet and Harry was surprised when the last of the two was won by a distinguished, older gentleman. Harry gulped and hoped that wouldn't happen to him and prayed that Cho would keep to herself.
"The one we've all been waiting for, sportsman and hero of the last war, Mr. Harry Potter!" Ludo said in his best game show host voice. The applause was deafening as Harry slowly and nervously stepped into the spotlight. It was warm with his jacket on and he decided it would be best to take it off.
"The quiet and mysterious Mr. Potter will wine and dine you at a luxurious five star restaurant this following Wednesday evening in addition to a day out on the town with the lucky winner of this bid. Shall we start at fifty? Fifty, thank you, seventy-five ... one-hundred! Three-hundred, thank you, Miss! Four-hundred to the pretty redhead ..."
Harry tried to keep up with the paddles as they flew into the air. He watched as Cho Chang indicated a bid of seven-hundred then Ginny put in a bid for eight. Connie showed up with a bid of eight-fifty then another girl put in a bid of nine-hundred. His head began to spin as he tried to keep track of the bidding war that was taking place in the audience. He noticed the dirty looks that Cho gave the other women as she upped the bid again then watched as Ginny was surreptitiously dragged from the room by Draco. Harry went for the pendant in his pocket when Ludo clapped his hands.
"Wonderful! Mr. Potter has been won by number twelve for three-thousand!" The head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports beamed at Harry as he was escorted to the side of the stage as the others had been earlier.
He looked around anxiously to see who had put in the winning bid when his hand locked around the crystal Ginny gave him. Following her instructions, he spoke clearly into the wizarding device. "Ginny, are you ok?"
Her voice echoed back with a strange twang, as if she was currently standing in a tin can, and he raised it to his ear. "I'll be fine, Harry." She whispered into the crystal. "Tell me what happened when we drive you home ... I swapped with McMillan for the moment so you'll have to use code five two four to contact him."
"If Draco does anything to hurt you ..." Harry whispered back.
"Don't worry about it." She hissed in quick reply. "I've got to go, I'll see you later."
Harry looked up to see Cho Chang approaching the table with her paddle. She looked at him longingly for a moment then turned on her heel and left the ballroom. He subconsciously wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced around with a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Potter?" A young, blonde woman in a Ministry uniform said from the side. "If you'll follow me, your winner will join you shortly. The background interview is happening at the moment and I've been instructed to escort you to a waiting area."
Harry nodded and followed the Ministry representative to a curtained off room. A thousand images flew through his mind as they closed in on their destination. He wished Hermione was there and had bailed him out of the situation. Why was Cho bidding for him when he knew perfectly well that she understood his feelings towards her? Why did Ginny bid on him when she was so engrossed in the ferret? Who held the winning bid? He didn't see the numbers on their paddles and the distraction that Ginny and Draco caused didn't allow him to see who it was. Was a man the winner like the other bloke before him? He shuddered at the thought.
He rounded the edge of the curtain, lost in thought, and was pulled out of his reverie when his guide cleared her throat.
"Yes?" He looked up at the young woman quickly.
"Mr. Potter, if you'll have a seat, she'll be here momentarily." His guide turned and left him to the soft chair in front of him and he took a seat. As the minutes passed by, he became more and more nervous and found that he was sweating profusely. He hadn't noticed the pitcher of iced water on the table and poured himself a glass. He drained it quickly and started on another when a familiar voice floated to him from the curtain.
"Harry?"
He looked up to Ginny and her tear-stained cheeks. He was on his feet in an instant and pulled her into a comforting hug. "Are you ok?"
"Draco broke up with me." She said quietly as she hugged him back.
"What? Why on earth would the git do that?" Harry whispered harshly. "Doesn't he know just how good he has it?"
Ginny sputtered out a laugh and pulled out of the hug. "He got jealous when I bid on you." She admitted as her eyes fell to the floor. "I couldn't help having a little fun ..."
"That's no reason to leave you!" Harry growled angrily. He poured another glass of water and handed it to her. "Have a seat, Gin." He said as he pulled out the other chair. "I didn't know you had that many galleons ..."
Ginny looked up quickly. "What?"
"You won the bid, didn't you?" He asked guardedly. "I don't know how you could have with the ferret dragging you out like that ..."
"Don't call him that, Harry." She said in a low voice.
Harry caught the hint of anger to her voice and backed off with his hands in the air. "I apologize, but I call them as I see them ... I won't call him that in front of you again."
Ginny looked to her glass of water. "I didn't win the bid." She admitted. "Like I said, I was just having some fun."
"I won the bid."
Harry and Ginny both turned to the woman standing in the opening of the curtains. Harry slumped back with a sigh of relief and smiled at the saint who'd saved him from another date with Cho Chang.