Summer Writing Series Challenge (July 19)
Challenge: [Musical Week] Action/Mystery/Suspense/Horror Scene
Title: Phantoms of War: Act I, Scene I
Word Count: 1,000
"Sold! Your number, sir? Thank you," The auctioneer said with a grateful, yet fake, smile. "Lot six-six-five, ladies and gentlemen: A vintage Firebolt racing broom ridden by none other than Harry Potter himself. This item was found in the trophy room of the school and is still in perfect flying order."
"Showing here," a nameless porter said as he wheeled the relic of a bygone age to the makeshift stage in the castle's Great Hall.
"May I start at two hundred Galleons? One hundred-fifty then?" The auctioneer asked as he looked to the audience, gauging their interest. "One hundred-fifty I am bid." There was a flurry of interested bidders at this point and a final bid was reached. "Sold, for three hundred Galleons to the lovely lady with brown hair, Thank you, Madam."
"A collector's piece indeed..." Hermione said quietly to herself as she accepted the Firebolt and turned in her money. "Every detail exactly as I remember..." She whispered. "I thought you'd still be playing when everyone else was dead..."
"Lot six-six-six, then: A chandelier in pieces. Most of you will recall the turn in the war where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named almost defeated The-Boy-Who-Lived..." The auctioneer said in an attempt to increase the interest in the new item. "We are told that this is the very chandelier which figures in with the famous turn in the war. Our workshops have restored it and fitted it with the new Ever-Burning Candles so that we may get a hint of what it may have looked like when it was re-assembled." He looked eagerly to the crowd, noticing many of the collectors were wringing their paddles with their hands. "Perhaps we may frighten away the remaining ghosts in the castle with a little illumination, gentlemen?"
At the wave of his wand, the chandelier rose to the middle of the room, right to the ceiling. Hermione's eyes went wide as memories started flooding her thoughts then, when one of the porters ignited the candles, the Great Hall was suddenly engulfed in a blinding white light the likes that had only been seen there once before.
Hermione Granger blinked away the bright sunlight that had struck her eyes as she watched her best friend, Harry Potter, catch the golden snitch once more. He made it seem so effortless and easy, almost as if he were born into the position of Quidditch seeker. She didn't know when she'd screamed his name or how she'd gotten from the top of the stands to the pitch, cheering hoarsely for him, but there he was, the boy she had fallen in love with holding the Quidditch Cup aloft in one hand and Ginny Weasley in his other.
She was devastated by the sight, but her need for him in her life overruled the urge to crawl into a corner and cry until she fell asleep. So Hermione did what she'd always done, cheered him on has his best friend should and hid her feelings.
The trio, plus Ginny, were sitting in the common room the next day, reading poetry from a muggle book that Hermione had brought with her from home. They thought it was great fun, and Harry had discreetly mentioned that he'd loved the stuff.
"Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye," Ginny read aloud from the book. "Remember me, once in a while - please promise me you'll try..."
"Is this really poetry?" Ron asked with a snort of derision. "I mean, where's the rhyming?"
Ginny looked furiously from the book to her brother, her face reddening the entire time. "Ron, let me read the blasted stuff, will you?" She growled at him.
"Then start making it rhyme!" Ron said indignantly. "I want to hear poetry that's supposed to be what it is, not flowery sing-song lyrics!"
Ginny threw the book on the floor and stood angrily. "You've done nothing but belittle what I've been doing since Harry and I started dating, Ron!" She seethed then turned towards Harry, her demeanor changing immediately. "I'll be back, Harry, I need to go to the loo..." She bent and kissed him lightly on his proffered cheek and left for the girl's dormitories.
"Speaking of which, I need something to eat," Ron said with a shrug directed at his sister. "Why do you only let her kiss you on the cheek, Harry?"
Harry looked up in surprise and smiled sheepishly. "We haven't been dating that long, now have we?" He said cheekily. "I'm still working up to it..."
Ron snorted again and left for the kitchens, leaving Harry and Hermione sitting in the common room. Hermione picked up her book and waved her wand over it, repairing the broken binding.
"I'm sorry she broke your book, Hermione," Harry said apologetically.
Hermione looked up at him and her heart began to beat faster when she caught the look in his eyes. "I-It's ok, Harry," she said self-consciously, "I am a witch and can fix it, after all..."
Harry smiled gently to his best friend and motioned to the book. "Why don't you finish what Ginny started?" He asked as his smile went to the dazzlingly wide one that Hermione loved so much.
"What she's started..." Hermione said blankly as Harry took the book out of her hands and opened it to the poem in question.
Harry laughed. "I've heard you read some of this aloud down by the lake..."
Hermione snapped out of her trance and smiled shyly before turning her attention to the book in her lap. Her cheeks turned a bit pink as she began to recite the poem. "Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye. Remember me once in a while - please promise me you'll try -" She finished the poem and somehow found Harry lying on the floor with his head in her lap, his eyes closed, and smiling contentedly. Her blush raged as she realized what was happening. Could it be? Can it be that Harry likes me too?
A/N: So begins another story ;) I've chosen the first scene of The Phantom of the Opera for the basis of this ficlet. In actuality, I've chosen the entire musical as the basis for the entire week and each fic will be a 'scene' or chapter for the larger story :) This was the 'mystery' portion and I hope you enjoyed the brief build up!