Chapter 1

An Idea

The sun shone bright outside the apartments on Grimaldie place. Music could be heard coming out of one of the slightly cramped, run down apartments. It seemed like just a normal place. Sitting on the curb outside were three teenagers. Two boys, one with unkept black hair and round glasses the other tall with a head full of red hair and a face full of freckles, and a girl with curly light brown hair that fell to her mid-back. The boy with the glasses ran his fingers through his messy black hair revealing a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. They remained silent soaking in the last days of the summer sun. Suddenly from behind them there was a loud crack. The all spun around their wands at the ready.

"Bloody hell mum" Ron said lowering his wand sheepishly, "You scared us!"

"What ARE you three doing out here?" Molly Weasley barked her hands on her large hips. "Get back inside! You should know better with all that has been going on. You're only children, and…"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back inside fallowed by an angry, scolding Mrs. Weasley, who was still talking.

"…And where's Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley said, "GINNY!" she yelled up the stairs.

"God Mum!" Ginny said coming out of the kitchen her long red hair streaked with blue and pink, "I'm right here!"

"Ginny Weasley what HAVE you done to your hair?!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and shrugged, "I got board."

"Board?! Ginny go and wash that stuff out right now!"

"Can't." Ginny said simply, "It's permanent."

"Permanent! You look like a bloody street urchin!"

"Well maybe," Ginny's eyes flashed with anger "if you'd let us out of the house I wouldn't get board and do something 'stupid'!" She did air quotes and then stood with her hands on her hips."

As Mrs. Weasley and Ginny continued to fight, Ron nudged Harry and Hermione.

"Let's go upstairs," he said, "I don't want to witness both Mum AND Ginny when they get angry. They're scary."

When they got upstairs Harry plopped down on the bed.

"This is so ridiculous! We can't even go outside anymore! It's like everyone thinks that Snape is going to pop out from behind a tree and kill us all!"

"I know it's hard to believe Harry, but that's probably what they do think. Ever since Dumbledore died, everything has changed. It's affected everyone. I mean look at Ginny. She's rebelling against everything she knows." Hermione said quietly.

Harry shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I can't believe that they are making us go back to school! After all that has happened, and all that has to be done."

"I know Harry" Hermione said, "It's not something that we can avoid."

"But it might be something we can improve upon." Ron said quietly from where he was standing by the wide window.

"What do you mean?" Harry said his brow furrowed.

"I don't know, but maybe we can come up with something that will keep our minds off of all this… stuff." He threw his hands up in frustration. Harry nodded in agreement.

"I've got it!" Hermione said jumping to her feet. Harry and Ron looked at her with wide eyes. "A musical! We should do a musical!"

Ron and Harry looked at each other and then started to crack up.

"You're kidding, right," Ron said trying to stop laughing.

"No," she said sternly with her hands on her hips "musicals are great. My mum and dad used to take me to them all the time when I was little."

"Okay," Harry said trying to control his laughter, "It might be a good idea. But if we do something like that lets make sure that we do one that's not too, well, cheesy."

"Is that possible?" Ron snorted.

"Shut up Ronald. I have one that's not cheesy at all!" Hermione went to her bag and pulled out a book, "RENT!"

"What's that?" Ron inquired.

"I think I heard about that one", Harry said nodding and standing up. "It was a big hit in the states, right?"

"Yeah" Hermione said passionately, "It's really a amazing show. It deals with HIV, poverty, loss, love, and so much more!"

"Sounds kinda cool." Ron said

Just then Ginny came in.

"Hey, guys. What's going on?"

"Ginny" Hermione said, "we hade an idea."

As Harry, Ron and Hermione told Ginny about their idea her face lit up.

"We have to do that! If there's one thing Hogwarts needs is a opportunity to express themselves."

"So" Harry said, "it's decided. Hogwarts is going to do a musical."

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