For the Hogwarts Assignment #6: Write about a person/group of people who are multi-talented in a specific area.
Extra prompts: Broadway!AU, Hermione Granger, A theatre stage, Excel
The auditionees kept arriving, leaving their names and their songs with an arrogant air that annoyed Hermione. From what she could remember from her own youth she knew they were excited and over-confident. All of them were used to excel in their field, but she would take out those who could never achieve greatness and leave only the best.
When the stage was ready, she called for the first girl. A scrawny thing, Annamaria Zabini reminded Hermione of the beauty that Blaise Zabini had been before he fell into the bottomless pit of addiction. Annamaria had nothing of her mother and got every good thing from her father.
Hermione nodded and the pianist began to play Annamaria's choice, a tacky version of Memory that didn't favour her beautiful appearance. Had Hermione been her, she would have gone with Cabaret. Annamaria had the sensuous attitude, yet she went for the sweet damsel look with her choice.
She raised her hand and the music stopped.
"Thank you, Miss Zabini," Hermione called out and the girl vacated the stage. "Please come forward, Mister Scamander."
As soon as the boy stepped onto the stage he had all eyes on himself. Hermione thought he had the same charisma that had won her friend and co-star Harry many awards, but Lorcan Scamander had something else she had seen only on the rarest occasions.
"Whenever you are ready," Hermione told the boy, prompting Annamaria to approach her.
Satisfied begun playing as Hermione gave Annamaria her notes on her performance. She would never let an auditionee go without letting them know how they could improve, but when Lorcan began to sing she forgot everything else.
The piece he chose had been edited and he sang Angelica's part. At first, Hermione thought it to be a mistake but upon seeing him on stage performing and not only singing Hermione was sure he would go far.
The boy had a spectacular voice, dominating techniques Hermione had worked hard to learn as if he were only breathing. He combined that with gestures and smiles, and the well-placed dance steps that took it a bit further. He acted the song and in his voice, the tale of Angelica meeting Hamilton came to life.
Lorcan Scamander nailed the song.
"How did you do it?"
"Yeah, you were great, Lorcan."
"You never said you would be here, Lorcan."
"I didn't even know you could sing like that!"
The auditionees circled Lorcan Scamander after the audition had finished. Hermione stayed behind, listening to the young kids who would soon take the stage where Hermione had performed herself years ago.
It was a wonderful feeling to see new performers who could make a story out of a song, even if the nostalgia that ran through her mind sometimes was acompanied by jealousy. Hermione would give anything to have her youth back.
"Alright, kids," she said and they turned to face her. Some were overconfident, and some where frozen with nerves. She smiled to all of them, mentally categorizing them to plan how to proceed with their education. "Natalia Longbottom, Gillian Flint, Lorcan Scamander and Ian Pucey. You are in."
She waited for their subdued cheers and smiles. Those who weren't called nodded to her and filed out of the room, leaving only the four she had named. Out of fifty-three auditionees, they were the best.
"Our company is new," she explained to the kids who tried hard to keep grins out of their faces. "But it's managed by some of the best performers you have ever seen."
"I heard Harry Potter is the stage director," half-asked Natalia. Her father had been another good friend of Hermione before retiring to take care of his grandmother. "But there are words of Draco Malfoy being the one funding the project."
"You are correct in both accounts," Hermione nodded. "But right now we don't have the time for that. Next week you will be meeting with Harry, after the rest of the auditions finish."
The kids nodded and she looked directly at Lorcan.
"It's the first time I see you around, Mister Scamander," she told him, noticing his nervousness. "While I've met Natalia before and both Ian and Gillian have participated in Off-off Broadway, I've never seen you around. You surprised me."
Natalia elbowed him with a smile. "He's my friend," she said. "But he was too shy to ever audition for anything."
Lorcan's eyes met with Hermione's. He was unlike the boy who had stepped on the stage to sing, act and dance to a song while dumbstrucking Hermione, who had had many of the best performers as co-stars. "I am shy?"
The kids laughed and it made Hermione smile. They had no ill will towards each other and she hoped it remained that way throughout their careers. Their theathre would be the launching stage for them, but she had no doubt they would make it far in little time. When they did, Hermione hoped they stayed out of the drama.
"Well, Lorcan, you were easily the best."
A flash of envy coursed through her voice, but Hermione managed to keep it under control. As a young woman, she had disliked whenever a natural came and stole the part she worked hard to get. Lorcan didn't seem to notice, though, and that was dangerous for him. She should have to speak to Harry about the boy to make sure the kid understood the world he was getting himself into.
"As I said, you will meet with Harry next week. Stay close and I'll call you. And remember, you are already members of this company and your behaviour will reflect not only what you are but what we are. Behave."
Hermione Granger handed them a small booklet with the company's rules and the theathre's rules, along with a list of songs for them to learn according to their range. Lorcan took them from her hands with care.
The booklet had his future written out for him, and when he noticed the songs his heart fluttered. This was the chance he had been waiting for.
His hands were shaking and he didn't notice Natalia or the other two leaving the place. She would surely be waiting for him outside and Lorcan silently thanked her for giving him space. This was his dream come true; a Broadway company, while new, had taken an interest in him!
"Lorcan," Hermione called him with a smile. "If you're going to be our triple threat you better keep out of the drama. It will come and it will surround you as soon as the critics see you perform. Please make sure this is what you want."
No words came out of his mouth, but his smile seemed to tell her enough because she put a hand on his shoulder. The weight made Lorcan's knees buckle and Hermione Granger –the woman who had been Mrs Loveett in Sweeney Todd and Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz– only smiled at him.
"I'm sure, Missus Granger," Lorcan vowed. "This is what I want to do. This is what I want to be."
"Then welcome, Mister Scamander."
He went out and saw Natalia waiting for him, but his mind was still replaying Hermione Granger's words and she would never have any idea how much that welcome meant to him.