Finished Entry

After having a good friend proof-read the first draft and revising it today I finally send in my entry for the HPN Prequel Writing Contest in the fan fiction section. And here it is – still the same story but better phrased I hope:

Pre-game anticipation piled up meters high in the corridors. Jinxes and insults followed the contestants on every step. A jet of green light grazed black hair. The Slytherin Seeker managed to duck just in time. These were the moments that made Regulus think being in the team was highly overrated.

 

“Enough, Peter.” A familiar, haughty voice splattered the crowd. “Hurt the girl, and his replacement might actually – play – Quidditch.”

 

Regulus gritted his teeth. “Anything for attention, that’s my brother. – Girl? Let’s see who’s a girl in the upcoming match, Sirius!”

 

“Wait. Does the Slytherin squirt dare challenge me?”

 

“Fancy a little pre-game bet?”

 

“And that might be, Regu-lass?”

 

“It involves looking like one of the Muggle pin-ups that besmirch your bedroom walls. I’ll bet you cannot bring me a bikini from that Muggle Night Club in town. If you do, I’ll wear it for the game tomorrow. You fail – well, I guess you look great in a bikini too.”

 

“Ha! Where is the challenge in that?”

 

“Once outside Hogwarts, you are not allowed to use magic – we are speaking of a Muggle bikini after all.”

 

“I’ll get you a bikini flattering your pure blood, squirt. That you can bet on.”

 

***

 

“Snuffles? Are you there?”

 

“Merlin’s Muffins! Why did you give Wormtail my other mirror? He’ll ruin everything.”

 

“Prongs?”

 

“Why? There’s McGonagall, our probation after the little incident involving Moony and Snivellus, and now this excursion basically announced in front of the whole school – even your brother in bikini isn’t worth being expelled. – Yes, Wormtail? What’s up?”

 

“Are you in town yet, Prongs? Can you see the showgirls? Why couldn’t I come see girls, too?”

 

“I’ve already told you. There are no girls, it’s too late for girls. Now don’t call again unless McGonagall decides for a nightly stroll.”

 

“But –“

 

Sirius snatched the mirror to his face. “Wormtail!” he yelled quietly, “stop peeing in your pants. All the girls have gone home.”

 

The mirror vanished in Sirius’s cloak. And the boys turned to look down the road leading into the Muggle town. It lay sleepy. An old building stood like an outcast on its edge, the gently swinging sign gleaming like a pale ruby.

 

“That’s it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

James looked skeptical at the parked cars in front and hesitated.

 

“It closed hours ago, trust me. Now let’s get my brother’s bikini.”

 

They left their motorbike off the side of the road, and quietly crept up to the house.

 

***

 

“Look lively, Prongs. I found the perfect match!”

 

The window was back in position – open ten centimeter just as they found it. Now, the burglar barely managed to hold up his prize. And James too was sniggering so hard, he couldn’t ask how it went.

 

“Your brother will look marvelous in that,” James snorted.

 

Sirius held the top up to his chest. “You think it’s his size?”

 

Their laughter died with headlights approaching. Quickly they dissolved into the shadow.

 

“What’s going on?” James whispered as a car stopped in front of the club.

 

“Police,” was all Sirius could bark as an officer got out of the squad car. His flashlight danced through the darkness as he checked the cars abandoned at the club.

 

“Prongs? Snuffles? How is it going?”

 

Growling, Sirius drew his wand. The flashlight’s beam jerked over to follow a black dog. It cavorted, barked and begged for some attention before trotting down the street. Covered like that James reached the bike first – undetected.

 

***

 

Triumphantly, James and Sirius stopped dead behind Regulus at the Slytherin table, dangling two red strips of cloth in front of his face. Sirius waited until the noise level in the Great Hall had dropped significantly.

 

“I beg you a good morning and bring your new uniform as requested. Sorry, bro, you lost!”

 

“Indeed, it appears to be a bikini. But there were certain rules to this bet.” Regulus turned and smiled up at his brother. “Since you’ve never obeyed rules before, I took the precaution of asking Snape to provide me with some Verita Serum. I especially wish to ask how you managed to evade the Muggle Policeman I alerted once I saw your – rat – watching McGonagall’s chambers.”

 

“YOU CALLED THE POLICE?”

 

“Good one, Sirius.” James rolled his eyes. “I think we better kindly decline the offered drink.”

 

“You don’t admit to our defeat, do you?”

 

“Didn’t you hear what he just said – about Peter?”

 

The message dawned only slowly yet all the more horribly on Sirius. His brother had him nicely trapped.

 

***

 

It was a clear, crisp autumn day. The stands vibrated in silver and green, gold and red when the teams entered. Mafficking they greeted a freezing Sirius Black – in a tiny bikini. 

 

Tags: fanfiction, Harry Potter, Harry Potter Network, HPN, James Potter, prequel, Regulus Black, Sirius Blacke