"Stage Fights" by Quidditch, Anyone?

Plot: Ladies and gentlemen, presenting Hogwart's very first Magical Musical!


A Different Side of Ron Weasley


Bill and Charlie were the oldest. Percy was perfect at practically everything. The twins were zealous and fun. Ginny was the baby girl. Ron was... er, well... he was just Ron. Nothing really remarkable on his surface, or even when you got to know him. Sure, he was loyal and kind hearted, but the trouble was he just wasn't really known for anything. He lacked some sort of niche in the Weasley family's list of outstanding aspects. Or so anyone might think before they saw him act and sing.


That's right: act. and. sing.


It was true that ill-tempered, easily embarrassed Ron was really something when it came to acting. So why didn't anyone at school know about this? Why wasn't Ron signing autographs and having super models hanging off his arm at all times? Well, think about it! Since when did Hogwarts have all these stupid school plays featuring Ron Weasley? He never really got a chance to show off.


That is, until the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher arrived.


·~··~··~·


It all started at the beginning of the gang's fifth year at Hogwarts. Looking forward to seeing some new teacher that was bound to be better than the past Death Eater, who shall remain nameless, they were let's say a bit more than disappointed to find out that the new teacher came from a different ring of evil- Hollywood. With his gleaming white teeth and sunglasses (during the pitifully rainy months in Britain, mind you), Professor DeMarlo was just an Americanized Lockheart who happened to have appeared as an extra in a muggle film or two. That alone can only make you wonder how much his ego would grow until it took up the entire castle.


Having spent less than a week at Hogwarts, Mister Tinseltown voiced that it was 'appalling that never before had there been so much as a drama club for the extraordinarily talented young students'. To shut him up, Dumbledore didn't object and let him start up a musical of his own. His only request was to have their first play be a rather tasteful one. Perhaps DeMarlo went a bit overboard, however, when he picked Oliver Twist. Now,did he really think the student body at Hogwarts was that good? Oh well... keep in mind, friends, he was an idiot.


·~··~··~·


Hermione hummed slightly to herself. She had just come from a refreshing afternoon pouring over books that hadn't been read in years. You mean, she stumbled upon a collection of classic volumes that were considered priceless? No, it's just that everyone at school had much better things to do then, umm, read, so most books were untouched.


Anyway, our heroine of literature popped into the Common Room to find Fred and George Weasley beside themselves with laughter. Well, actually, since they were twins they were always 'beside themselves', so I suppose Hermione had found them, in a sense, quadrified... or something.


"What's so funny?" she asked immediately. In a corner she spotted a Ron that was so red he was almost falling off a side of the color spectrum. He held a stack of stapled pieces of paper. Knowing it couldn't be schoolwork, or anything else that would dignify him as a good student, she was slightly intrigued.


"What's that? Why are they laughing?" Hermione asked as she jabbed her thumb at Ron's brothers. He said quite jerkily, "God, one question at a time! Can't anyone have some privacy and not be made fun of around here?"


Hermione surrendered her hands and backed away. "Sorry!" Fred motioned her over so he could explain through his eruption of lil' girl giggles.


"Ron---Ronniekins is--- is," he breathed. Soon after he doubled over and his other double doubled the explanation on the double.


"He got into the--- the---" George, too, couldn't get it out. Hermione grew increasingly frustrated and went back to Ron.


"Will you please just tell me? I'm going to find out anyway and I won't make fun of you," she pleaded.


"Find out? Find out what?" he said nervously.


"What?" she questioned back.


"Huh?"


"What does that mean?"


"I don't know what you're talking about!"


"I'll find out what?"


"About why?"


"When?"


"What???"


"THE PLAY!" chorused the twins.


Hermione shot them a gaping look of surprise while Ron went, if possibly, redder.


"Are you serious?" she giggled.


"Yes, yes, they're serious, all right? I'm such a wacko because I'm leading that bloody musical this year, okay? Is it really that funny?" Ron shouted irratibly.


Hermione swelled like a bushy-haired balloon. "I think that's great!" She grinned at him.


"What?" Forge shrieked, stunned.


Ron smiled sheepishly and could still feel his complexion hue rising.





Umptillions of thanks go out to that super-duper fanficfan out there, jaffacake, who gave me the idea to make the play Oliver Twist. The only thing is now I have to read it. I wonder if my old school's library still has that third-grade version I can skim through... well, anyway, don't be surprised if I miraculously leave out many, umm, 'details' about the play. Besides, you all came here for the R/H fluff and snogging possibilities, not a horribly rewritten classic, right? Right!


One more thing... I couldn't find 'quadrified' in my mini-dictionary, so I guess I coined it. I don't know why you would want to ever in your entire free lifetime on this earth use it, but feel free to do so anyways. It sounds neat-O, doesn't it?