A/N: (PLEASE READ THIS FIRST): I have just read 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' by J.K Rowling. The story therein of 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune' and the "notes made by Dumbledore" (that describes the unfortunate enactment of this tale at Hogwarts), inspired this fic. This story will therefore be totally canon to 'the Bard', but EWE to the books of 'Harry Potter' – and also a bit AU since Snape is still alive. It takes place in the so called Eighth Year.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling and those to whom she has licensed her creations, including without limitation Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. I make no money from this and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Disclaimer 2:W.A.D.A. also belongs to JKR.
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Justin Finch-Flechley was so nervous that it felt like the feeling was oozing out of his ears. But, of course, he was a great actor so his distress never showed. He was sitting straight-faced and tall on a wooden chair in front of Headmistress McGonagall in her office calmly meeting her worried gaze. On the wall - a little bit to the left - the portrait of Dumbledore's predecessor, Headmaster Dippet, shook his head violently. The portrait of Dumbledore just looked very amused.
"You are aware, Mr Finch-Flechley, of the fact that there has not been a thespian society at Hogwarts for almost a century?"
"Yes, Professor," Justin put on his most charming smile, and no one could smile more charmingly than the so called Hufflepuff prince. "Therefore I think it is really time that we take up this tradition again."
"Madness!" exclaimed the portrait of Dippet.
McGonagall tightened her lips and looked though her papers on the desk. Justin knew that these papers were his personal student files, containing every grade, detention and note he had been given during his last seven years at Hogwarts. Even though there had been no real schooling last year, during the war, his performances during the last battle had been duly noted. He had come back to his eighth year with a dream and a plan for his future. After he had taken his NEWTs he would enrol to the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts, and become what it was his destiny to be: a theatre director. Maybe even one day, Merlin wiling, he would have his own company. The extra curricular activity he now was asking for would give his application to the WADA that extra boost. Hence the nerves.
"Would your… group invite other houses as well to participate?" asked the Headmistress and Justin knew that he got her; she was a sucker for inter house relations.
"Of course!" Justin felt a lump of joy running though his abdomen. "Any student, any house, or year..."
"I think it is best to limit yourself to seventh and eighth year," she smiled. "Judging from the last dramatic performance at this school, I would fell much safer if your participants were all of age for the premiere."
"Naturally, Professor," beamed Justin, reminding himself to find out what exactly had happened the last time, so he could avoid it happening again.
"If you write down your proposal and your material needs within a week, I can make the announcement on the first of February."
She made a note for herself on a piece of parchment. Justin jumped to his feet, restraining himself from doing a jig.
"Thank you, Professor," he said moving towards to door.
"By the way…" McGonagall looked up at him. "What work are you planning to perform?"
"I thought The Fountain of Fair Fortune ," said Justin. "It is my favourite of Beedle the Bard."
Professor Dippit's frame fell to the floor with a crash. Justin did not know that portraits could faint.
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"Don't bother me. I may be your babysitter – but I'm not changing any nappies" drawled Professor Snape, sat down at the desk, pulled up a copy Potions Weekly from his pocket and then said nothing more.
Justin blinked and looked at the dark man. He understood the necessity of so called adult supervision, but why it had to be Snape was beyond him. He and Hermione Granger, his director's assistant, had done some research over the week of the last student performance at Hogwarts. What surprised him was that that as well had been of The Fountain of Fair Fortune . It had ended up in the Great Hall nearly destroyed, the probation of one teacher, the injury of another and some psychological trauma to the student body.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Hermione shifting in her chair.
"There has been no Slytherins volunteering," sighed Justin. "If we get Malfoy on our side, I'm sure there will be at least one or two more from that house."
Hermione looked doubtful.
"It would make McGonagall happy," he coaxed.
Snape snorted something from his place. Hermione made a face but nodded.
"And he would make a wonderful Amata," noted Justin a little dreamingly. "He is the prettiest boy in school."
"Well, thank you," sneered Malfoy stepping in to the classroom. "I prefer dashing, though."
Justin blushed a little but asked Malfoy to sit down at the table. The blond looked at him with narrowed eyes. He noted Snape with a nod and sat down.
"What do you want?"
"I want to offer you a part in my production of The Fountain of Fair Fortune ," said Justin in a no-nonsense voice, knowing that his charming smile would be wasted on the Slytherin.
"I heard," Malfoy frowned. "As Amata… If it has not escaped your notice; Amata is a girl."
"I know," Justin exchanged a worried glance with Hermione. "But we have decided on an all male cast, just like in the 16th century when the story was written."
"Who would be the others in drag?" Malfoy was picking invisible lint of his sleeves.
"Well… Thomas Benson from Ravenclaw seventh year will be playing Asha, the sick woman, and Seamus Finnegan from Gryffindor will be Altheda, the poor woman…"
There was another snort from Snape. If this noise was because something he read, or a comment on Justin's role casting was impossible to determine. Hermione frowned and leaned back on her chair. Malfoy smirked.
"You are aware that my father insisted of the burning every copy of The Fountain of Fair Fortune from the school library in my first year?" Malfoy was now looking a bit weary. "He did not want me to be corrupted by it."
"Because of the marriage between the witch and the Muggle knight?" asked Hermione.
"Yes," Malfoy gave a lopsided grin. "I doubt he would be very happy to know that I was asked to play said witch."
There was a moment of silence.
"Who would be playing the knight Luckless? Just by curiosity."
"Harry Potter…" Justin whispered hesitantly, setting himself up for disappointment.
There was another moment of silence, under witch Justin considered playing Amata himself; he was the fairest male in school next to Malfoy that was of age.
"I'll do it," sighed Malfoy. "But only because it would upset my father, no other reason."
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"All right," said Justin tapping his wand to the table to get the attention of the group. "Let's begin!"
He had gotten together a good ensemble, consisting of five Gryffindors (plus Ron Weasley, who did not want to join but followed Hermione around like a lost puppy), seven Ravenclaws, twelve Hufflepuffs (including himself) and three Slytherins. Malfoy had convinced his friends Theodore Nott and Blaise Zambini to join. Justin had put them both in charge of special effects, which were to say every part of the decor that needed magic to work, as for example the Fountain itself.
He felt quite safe with the two at this charge; being Slytherin they would be thorough and also a little afraid to screw things up, thus being more careful.
"We will first go over the mistakes that were done during the last performance…" he said with a sigh, this had been one of the Headmistress's conditions, "…so that we won't repeat them. Then we will go though all assignments again so everyone knows what they are doing. Hermione…"
His assistant stood up in his place, she had a red Muggle notebook in her hands. Justin sat down beside professor Snape, who looked lost in his thoughts or maybe just bored out of his mind.
"The first mistake," said Hermione with a smile that tried not to laugh. "Was that they used an Engorged Ashwinder to play the Worm, it laid some eggs on stage... It was this that ultimately burned down half the Great Hall."
There was a roar of laughter through the room, even Malfoy and Snape twitched the sides of their lips. Justin laughed too, even though it was he who had found out the fact from an old record in the Headmistress's office.
"Settle down!" Hermione called holding up her hands asking for silence. "We are not going to use any creature in this performance. We are going to do it the Muggle way."
"What is that?" asked Zambini suspiciously.
"We are making a worm doll," explained Justin from his seat. "It will be hollow, and there will be one person inside controlling its face."
The purebloods in the room looked quite shocked over this.
"The second mistake," continued Hermione, reading from her notebook (even if it was clear she knew it by heart). "Was that the students playing Luckless and Amata were on an 'off' in their on- and off-relationship. And then Luckless began to flirt with Asha during the performance. This resulted in a duel between the two girls… and a teacher was hurt trying to pull them apart."
"Malfoy and I are always off," said Potter with a snorting sound. "There's no way that is going to happen."
"I don't see myself challenging Benson to a duel over Potter," murmured Malfoy in response to this. "I'd just hex both their bollocks off and be done with it."
There was a quiet moment where both Potter and Benson shifted nervously in their seats to move away from the somewhat sulking blond. Justin cleared his throat.
"Right…" Hermione exchanged a look with Ron, who looked like he was going to laugh in his pants. "The last, and most devastating, mistake was that there no fire drills during the rehearsals. Professor Snape has taken it upon himself to be responsible for fire safety."
Snape looked over the room, his dark eyes daring any of them even to light a simple Lumos without his permission.
Justin had thought that the teachers were a little paranoid over this, but accepted it. He just hoped that Snape would not interrupt the rehearsals too much.
"So…" he rose from his seat, taking out a piece of parchment. "Let's go though this again… Potter will be playing Luckless, Benson: Asha, Finnegan: Altheda, Malfoy: Amata. The Worm will be built and played by Michael Corner's team, you know who you are. Nott and Zambini; special effects – consult with Professor Snape over the fire hazards. Wardrobe and makeup; Lavender Brown's team. The plant décor Luna Lovegood's team. And last but not least, the caters; Neville Longbottoms's team; they will be responsible for snacks for us, refreshments for the audience and for the party after the last performance." Justin made a pause and smiled. "Ron Weasley will be our practice audience, giving us an outside view."
"If he can tare himself away from the view of Granger's ass," murmured Malfoy to the room's amusement.
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"Potter is staring at me again," complained Malfoy to Justin in a loud whisper.
Justin was good enough of a listener to hear the tone of amusement in the voice under the annoyance. He had noted the tension between the two boys during the first read though of the script. Potter had hacked himself, red faced, though the lines where Luckless proposes to Amata. Malfoy had used a soft silky, and foremost teasing, voice reading his lines.
Justin was more surprised over that Malfoy had said that Potter was looking at him, and not everyone . Justin had his own problems keeping his eyes of him.
Malfoy was standing on a box, bare-chested, only wearing the long light blue skirt that was going to be part of his costume. Ana Miller, a seventh year Ravenclaw, was sitting by his feet. She was altering between fitting the hem of the skirt with her wand and taking deep breaths.
No one in the room was unaffected by the sight, but Malfoy only complained about Harry.
"See something you should be ashamed off, Potter?!" Malfoy called out.
Potter paled, blushed and turned back to the suit of armour that was being coaxed by Lavender to be worn as a costume.
"Wanker…" murmured Malfoy as he also turned away, scratching his bare chest.
Standing this close to Malfoy, Justin noticed the prominent red scar that crossed the blonde's otherwise smooth skin. It began at the right collarbone and ended at the left hip.
Malfoy caught him staring and smirked.
"I… I…" Justin cleared his throat. "I'll just go and tell Potter not to stare then…"
"You do that," sneered Malfoy, placing his left hand on his right shoulder, covering the most of the scar with his arm.
Justin hurried over to Potter
"Hiya, Harry," he said. "How is it going?"
"Fine! Lav has got a glove off it." He held up his right hand covered in a knight's iron glove.
"You know, Harry... Malfoy…"
"I know!" Potter exclaimed. "Total ponce! You could think he enjoyed dressing up as a girl."
"Hey!" said Seamus next to him wearing a long grey female robe.
"That is not the same," said Potter apologising. "Altheda is an old poor woman… Amata is… is…" He went quiet, looking back at Malfoy.
"Look mate…" Justin began.
"Fire drill!" shouted Professor Snape.
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The company of students stood outside the main doors. Snape glared at them. Justin felt himself go blushing red. He knew that he was going to get a lecture on leader skills from the professor.
"Disappointing, Mr Finch-Flechley. Very disappointing, indeed."
"Come on, sir" scolded Ron. "It was only a drill! I there had been a real fire…"
"If there would have been a real fire…" said Snape, "…half of you would not be alive right now. Would you tell me, Mr Weasley, why you did not found it fit to help your so called girlfriend out of the castle?"
"Hermione can take care of herself, sir."
"You did not notice her being trapped under the backdrop Mr Corner happened to knock over? What was that about Mr. Corner?"
Justin looked over to his crew as Snape scolded Corner. He was surprised to that see Potter had wrapped his long knight's mantel abound both himself and Malfoy. It did not make any sense until he saw the others shivering in the cool February evening air and he remembered that Malfoy was not wearing a shirt.
"Sir?" Justin boldly stepped forward, interrupting Snape's tirade. "Can we finish this inside? It is cold, and Malfoy does almost not have any clothes on."
Snape's black eyes darted to the blond who shivered in Potter's embrace.
"Very well," nodded Snape making a gesture to the doors.
"You can let go now, Potter," Malfoy smirked. "Thank you."
"Oh, sorry," Harry let go.
Malfoy chuckled a little as he gathered his skirts and hurried in to the warmth of the castle.
"So…" Justin shifted as he walked next to Harry. "You grabbed Malfoy quite quickly back there."
"It is called a fireman's grip," said Harry informingly.
"Oh, I see…"
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"We will have three performances," said Justin the two days later, the day before Valentines. "One for the school, one for families and one for the Ministry staff."
" Ministry staff ?" echoed from places in the room.
"It is the first play put up at Hogwarts for eighty seven years. They are bound to take interest."
"I get to wear my visor down, right?" Harry stuck his hand up. "I don't like to be stared on."
"That is fine, Harry," said Hermione ignoring the huffs and sneers from the four Slytherins in the room. "All the woodcuttings from the time showed the knight with his visor down."
"Oh bugger off you!" exclaimed Malfoy "Are you saying that Amata fell for a Muggle without even seeing his face?"
"He had a dazzling personality," harrumphed Hermione.
"I'm sorry," Malfoy shook his head. "But if you have to, have to , shag a Muggle, at least you have to make sure he looks decent." He looked about him and met Justin's eyes. "I feel that is in my character!"
"You are such a diva, Malfoy," laughed Zambini.
"We will settle this later," said Justin walking up to the makeshift stage that was growing slowly behind the High Table. "Let's just get trough the scenes." He clapped his hands. "Places. Crowd scene, please."
There was a quick rustle and the stage showed a painted stone wall, on the other side one could hint a painted forest. Seven men, the three 'women' and the knight were standing in front of a door in the wall, looking miserable, waiting to get in.
"Oh my poor back," said Benson in the suffering voice of Asha and leaned on his cane.
"What ails you?" asked Finnegan, wearing the half-finished patched dress of the poor witch Altheda.
He stepped forward with Malfoy who transfigured up a small stool from a stone. Malfoy then kneeled before Finnegan and looked quite forlorn up at him.
"I am sick," said Asha. "No healers seem to be able to heal me. I wish for the Fountain to give me a long and happy life. And you?"
"My wand and gold have been stolen by an evil sorcerer. I wish for the Fountain to give me my power and fortune back."
"And you?" asked Altheda.
"I was deserted by the man I loved," Malfoy dabbed his eyes with an imaginary handkerchief. "I think my heart will never mend. I wish for the Fountain to relive me of my grief and longing."
"We should help each other," said Asha. "If one of us is chosen, we all go!"
"But only one is allowed to bathe in the fountain…"
"Excuse me! Justin?"
"What is it Harry?" sighed Justin getting up from his chair.
"If I'm supposed to bathe in the Fountain…" Potter pulled up his visor, "…can I really be wearing the armour then?"
"Potter!" exclaimed Malfoy. "You are disturbing the scene, just strip down and sit your ass in the damn water!"
"You would like that, wouldn't you?" scowled Harry.
"I have no thoughts what so ever about your ass," the blond looked away.
"You can wash your hands," suggested Justin.
"The tale says bathe " Luna pointed out with a dreamy smile and waved her paintbrush around to make her point. "We should do it like it was meant to."
"Ravenclaws…" came sighs from around the room.
"Well," Justin scratched his neck, feeling a bit uncertain. "I'll think about it. It's not until the last scene anyway."
"Fire drill," called Snape, obviously bored out of his skull with the entire conversation.
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"Look," Malfoy grabbed hold of Justin's arm as they left the Great Hall after breakfast. "Look what I got!"
It was Valentine's day, there were no rehearsals tonight. Hufflepuff were going to have a private house party and Justin was on the party committee. The Hall had been flooding with hearts and love letters, even the ceiling was spelled to glow pink. Justin was eying though his own little stack of letters and cards in his hand when Malfoy ambushed him.
He took the parcel Malfoy held forward. He wondered slightly why the Slytherin was talking to him outside drama meetings.
It was a beautiful, hand size, woodcarving, it depicted Amata. It looked really old.
"Is it genuine?" asked Justin.
"Of course it is!" snorted Malfoy. "Any true admirer of mine would not give me tacky replicas. Do you think Lavender can fix my hair like that?"
"I don't see why not… She is brewing a hair-growing potion for the premiere.
"Good. Oi, Potter! You got enough tinsel there to start a fire!"
"Don't say fire, Malfoy" laughed Potter, dragging a big, pink, flower smelling, randomly singing and very pink post sack behind him. "Snape will have a fit."
"You need help burning that?"
"Sure, I need to sort it first, though." He looked desperately at the sack. "Some of it is un-burnable, and some of them could actually be from friends. There should be some candy not drenched in love potion in there as well."
"Look here what I got!" Malfoy grabbed the woodcarving from Justin and hurried over to Potter.
"Nice," Potter winked at Justin.
Justin looked quite stunned as Malfoy levitated the sack and left with Potter. They looked almost too friendly with each other. A lump of worry began to form in the pit of his stomach. If they are getting together, please, please, please, don't let them argue during the performances. Mistake Number Two was beginning to look far more probable. He was more worried now than before; he had invited the teachers from WADA to the third and last performance.
"Why did you bring him?!" asked Asha "Only one of us can bathe in the Fountain! It will be hard enough to decide witch one of us it should be, with out adding another!"
"My dress caught on his armour," said Amata. "He got dragged along."
"Ladies," said Luckless. "I am but a poor knight, I own no magic of any kind, and my jousting skills are pitiable. I have no chance of beating you to the Fountain. I will leave and let you go on with out me."
"Faint heart!" Amata grabbed his arm, flirtatiously stroking it. Draw your sword, Knight, and help us reach our goal!
"Good," Justin held up his hand. "Malfoy, try not to flirt with him so early, though. You are still heartbroken over your former lover, remember."
"But he has such a dazzling personality!" protested the blond mockingly.
Potter giggled echoingly from under his visor. Hermione grumbled.
"How are we coming with the magical herb garden?" asked Justin, changing the subject.
"Oh, just fine…" Luna smiled at him. "How are you?"
"Luna, the herb garden…"
"It's very pretty."
Justin left it at that, really hoping that his prop-group was not eating, or smoking, the prop. That would not look good on his record.
"This is where the worm comes in," said Justin to his actors. "Michael is still working on the spells for the steel frame. Hermione! Read the line!"
His assistant looked up from her own copy the Bard , she had told Justin proudly that it had been a present from Dumbledore himself, given to her though his last will and testament. Justin had feigned some awe over the book to indulge her, but it was written in runes, and he did not understand a letter of it. Hermione insisted on using the book as a reference for the play and occasionally got in to long explanations on why Justin's script was wrongly translated.
" Pay me the proof of your pain! " said Hermione with an overarticulate voice, sounding nothing at all like the foul, monstrous and bloated worm that was described in the text.
"Potter, hit the worm with your sword," called Justin.
"I don't have a sword yet," Potter showed his empty iron clad hands.
"Pretend, Potter," Malfoy rolled his heavily painted eyes (Lavender was having a little too much fun with the kohl decided Justin). "There is no worm either, honestly…"
"Oh," Potter gave a mock strike that looked a little to realistic for comfort.
"Err…" Justin scratched his neck nervously. "Could you look less experienced, Harry? Luckless breaks his sword on the worm, he does not behead it."
"Sure," came Harry's chipper voice from behind the visor. "I can do that."
Snape gave a snort from his seat behind Justin and for a moment he feared another fire drill. They were in luck this time, because the potions professor's interest was suddenly caught by Luna Lovegood who was trying to show her prop-team how to take care of something she called a 'Green Hobschak' (apparently some kind of strange plant with purple flowers).
Justin exhaled and tried to concentrate to finish the scene before the professor got bored again.
"Altheda, you throw stones at the worm. Asha and Amata throws spells. Malfoy! I said only yellow, red and blue firework! No green!"
"That is just dull," pouted Malfoy with red lips (what was Lavender doing with that cursed make up box?).
"I don't mind green fire works," mused Potter in a dreamy tone.
"Later," winked Malfoy to him with a smirk.
Justin did not want to know; he just did not want to know. At that point Benson suddenly chose to break down in tears. Falling to his knees, he whimpered and sniffed.
Panicking, Justin tried to remember if there was any member in Benson's family that had been killed by Avada Kadavra or hurt any other green spell. The other actors and some stagehands rushed forwards.
"We are never going to reach the Fountain," weeped Benson.
"What?" asked Finnegan, bending down.
"Was that the wrong line?" Benson looked confused.
"Fire drill!" called Snape.
"Impressive," said Justin looking over the worm.
"We had to use five different charms and four spells to do the steel frame," said Michael proudly. "The skin is old sheets, and we cushioned the inside so it looks squishy."
"How does it move? Do you know the script, by the way?"
"Yes; Jones is going to be inside, steering the head and being the voice. ' Pay me the proof of your pain! ' He is then going to spell the tongue to lick away Asha's tears. When the worm has drunken the tears, Jenny and I will spell it crawl to away leaving the path free.
"Good…"
The worm made a sudden grunting noise, moving slightly. Justin nearly got a heart attack, recognising to sound; he had heard it more often than he wanted to remember the last week. Michael looked at the worm worryingly.
"Harry?" he asked. "Are you still in there?"
"Hmm?" came from the innards of the worm.
"He wanted to look at the construction," Michael explained to Justin. "Seemed truly interested, wanted to show Malfoy too, he said…"
"Can I look at your notes for Astrology?" Justin grabbed hold of his fellow Hufflepuff, almost dragging the boy out of the room. "I'm really behind on my essay."
"You don't take Astrology…"
"There! You see how behind I am!" Justin shot a look over his shoulder to the rhythmly shaking worm. "And Transfigurations! I'm having so much trouble with those!"
"It must be hard directing the play and studying for NEWTs at the same time," said Michael sympathetically.
"You have no idea," huffed Justin, throwing a privacy spell over his shoulder at the door.
The first, second an third years laughed and applauded as the worm squirmed of the stage. The fourth and fifth years seemed more impressed at the lustrous herb- and fruit-garden Luna and her team had created on the stage, they applauded the worm nonetheless. The older students, sixth, seventh and eight years, were busy staring at the actors, who looked very much like their characters. Malfoy looked quite stunning in his long curling hair.
Justin noticed that the teachers, while enjoying the show, looked a little on edge. Except for Snape, who in some strange way looked almost pompous over his charges.
Justin bit his lower lip worryingly as Atama looped her arm in Luckless and began to walk. A sign was conjured out of the stage, preventing the party to move forwards.
" Pay me the fruits of your labours " read Asha. "What does that mean?"
Luckless held up a copper coin and laid it down before the sign. The coin rolled away, but the sign still stood. The four travellers began to walk but they were not getting anywhere. How much the struggled forwards, they were still in the same place.
Hermione had been quite proud over this spell; she said it reminded her of a 'track machine', what ever that was.
The students laughed as the actors struggled on. Luckless got a few whistles and catcalls as he lifted up 'the tired' Amata in his arms, carrying her while she held her arms tightly around his neck.
"That is not in the script," hissed Hermione quietly in Justin's ear.
Altheda began to quicken her pace, lifting her skirts as she did. She was wearing Gryffindor socks. There was a roar of laughter going though the Hall. Justin cast an evil glance at Lavender.
"It was Seamus' idea!" she protested in a whisper.
Justin rolled his eyes; at least Malfoy was not spackled with make up any more.
" Courage, friends, and do not yield! " called Altheda whipping her forehead with a handkerchief.
Then she threw the sweat soaked cloth on the sign, with a splashing sound. Again there was laughter. Justin could have lived without the sound effects, be he had given in to the onslaught of what was Seamus Finnegan's Irish charm. He sighed.
The sign disappeared and the group cheered as the floor stopped moving under their feet. Amata did not let go of Luckless though and let herself be carried of stage.
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"Okay," said Justin sitting on the stage, next to Hermione, facing his crew in the audience seats. "There are some things that I like to go though after yesterdays performance."
"I thought it was pretty!" said Luna.
"It was…" sighed Justin. "But we are performing for family and outside friends this evening and I want us to look good. The minister himself will be here tomorrow for the last show."
"Kingsley is coming?" asked Harry, looking away from the staring contest he had with Malfoy. "Here?"
"This is the first drama group at Hogwarts for almost a century," Hermione pointed out. "It is a big deal."
"Yes," Justin looked down at his notes. "So… Let's see… Amata?"
"Hmm?" Malfoy was twirling his long hair round his fingers.
"You are flirting with Luckless far too early. Try to act heartbroken a little longer."
"But…"
"And Harry will tone down his dazzling personality."
There was some snickering among the Slytherin and Gryffindors. The Ravenclaws sighed and most of the Hufflepuffs looked like question marks. Harry blinked a wide smile at Malfoy, who twitched his nose.
"Next, Luna, the Hobschaks…"
"They are lovely, are they not?"
"Yes, but they made Benson cough after Asha was cured of her ailments, it was not a convincing recovery."
"I thought I brought it off quite well," said Benson.
"Yes, pretending to choke on the potion was good and all, but it is not on the script. Make them smell less, could you?"
"Can I replace them with Low Weed? They are very cute this time of year."
"Fine," Justin had no idea what Low Weed was, and obviously did no one else.
Snape gave an amused snort for himself in the back of the room.
"Harry, you can take of more than your gloves and shoes when you bathe. It did not look that good when the armour filled up with water and you had trouble getting up again."
"Yeah!" laughed Malfoy with Zambini and Nott. "You looked like a Fountain yourself when you stood up."
"I don't feel comfortable stripping in front of the school," blushed Harry. "Hrm… Mrs Weasley is going to be here tonight and the officials tomorrow…"
"Mom does not mind!" piped Rop from behind his Qudditch magazine.
"Oh, I'm so relived…" muttered Harry sourly.
"Think about it," said Justin with a smile. "Neville? How are you coming with the refreshments?"
After the actors had passed the moving ground they reached a stream. This had really been a challenge for Zambini and Nott, since they could not create running water in the middle of the Hall with out breaking pipes. Instead they managed to reflect light blue beams to bounce between two mirrors so that it looked very much like water. When the spell came on there was a spontaneous applause from the audience of parents, friends and those students that had wished to see the performance again.
Justin was quite pleased with the performance so far. The worm hade worked excellent. Malfoy had not flirted, as much as before, with Potter. The walking spell had also been appreciated. It seemed the adult audience was more impressed with the display of the show than the show itself. Justin guessed it was because the play was basically a story for children. The first and second years that had retuned for the second show seemed delighted though.
"Pay me the treasure of your past," read Asha from the stone beside the stream.
"I will try to float across on my shield," said Luckless laying his shield on the 'water' but it sank though the floor (landing in the kitchens bellow – the house elves had been warned to stay clear).
The women all tried to jump over the streem but failed. Altheda fell into the light and her feet were soaked in a water spell, she wringed the water out of her Gryffindor socks. There was an amused laughter going round the audience.
"What shall we do?" asked Asha, supporting herself tiredly on her cane. "What do the words mean?"
"I know!" exclaimed Amata. "I will throw my memories of my lover in the stream; those are my treasures of the past."
She touched her temple with her wand and drew out a string (that was actually a combination of a Lumos and a short whip spell). She then touched the 'water' with the string and let them blend together. The 'stream' disappeared and the group cheered.
"Oh I fell much better!" Amata smiled and gave Luckless a sauntering glance.
"Look there is the Fountain!" pointed Asha.
Then she fell to her knees in a fit of sickness.
"Asha!" exclaimed Amata running forwards, dropping gracefully to her knees. "What shall we do?"
"I may not have my magic," said Altheda. "But I know about herbs. I will make a potion."
She hurried off to collect the plants around her. Luckless gave her his water bottle and she mixed everything together by shaking it. Slowly they made Asha drink the liquid (she did not cough or splurt this time).
"I'm cured!" Asha exclaimed. "I don't fell my sickness anymore! I don't need the fountain!"
"Neither do I," said Atheda, who had began to collect more plants and herbs in her skirt (showing off her red and gold socks once again). "I will earn my magic and fortune back by making potions."
"I threw all my bad memories of my lover in the water," Amata smiled at Luckless seductionly. "You go on knight! You can bathe in the fountain. Here let me help you."
Amata smiled wickedly as she helped loosen the armour.
"That is not in the script," hissed Hermione to Justin as Luckless sat down in the fountain wearing only his pants, t-shirt and helmet.
Justin only noticed the hurry in witch the knight sat down in the cold water.
Justin had just seen off his parents by the floo and was walking back though the corridors. His mother, who was a Muggle-born, had not known the story about the Fountain, but she had enjoyed the play. His father had hugged him to his chest like the big mushy Hufflepuff he was, and exclaimed that he was very proud of him. Justin hummed for himself as he turned the corner and stopped dead on by the sight of Harry Potter holding George Weasley tenderly in his arms, he was kissing his cheek.
Nonononono, he thought in panic and he would probably get an O in Divination, cause he just knew what would happen next. There was a gasping noise behind him.
Harry looked up from George and swore.
"Draco…"
There was a desperate sobbing and then the sound of running feet. Justin felt his knees go weak, but before he could do anything Potter had grabbed hold of him.
"Justin! Look after George!"
Then the dark-haired boy ran away leaving Justin staring at a shocked and teary eyed Weasley.
The next thing he knew was himself holding said Weasley in his arms, the shoulder of his robes soaked with tears.
"I miss him," cried George.
"I know you do…" said Justin patting his back, not knowing what or who he was talking about. "What happened?"
"He died!" sobbed George, his knees weakening taking Justin with him to sit on the cold stone floor. "Fred loved that story."
Oh, thought Justin, of course, Fred. He bit his lip, hugged the man and closed his eyes. He really, really, hoped that Potter could make Malfoy understand.
"Look," he sighed. "I have a bottle of firewhiskey left from Valentines in my room. Would you like to come and share some?"
"Yeah…" sniffed George rubbing his nose against his sleeve. "Where did Harry go?"
"Actors conference," said Justin, helping both of them to their feet. "Big day tomorrow, the Minister is coming you know."
"I heard. Shouldn't you be there?"
"Naw, they'll manage without me."
Justin took the redheads arm and led him towards Hufflepuff house with the Feeling of Doom in the pit of his stomach.
Some firewhiskey had become the whole bottle and Justin's head was killing him. He had in a gracious fit given the last Hangover potion in Hufflepuff house to George. Three cups of coffee and a plate of bacon had helped with the nausea, but the headache was still there. Justin eyed Snape for the seventh time and wondered if he could ask for a head ache potion, without explaining why he needed it.
Everyone was gathering for the pre-show pep-talk. They where waiting for Potter and Malfoy. From what Justin had heard from Hermione he concluded that Potter had slept outside the Dungeon door to the Slytherin all night. Justin's hopes for a calm and successful performance were slowly evaporating. Surely, the people from WADA could not blame him? Oh my god, he would have to mediate between the Boy Who Lived and a former Death Eater in a lover's quarrel, while having a hangover.
Thomas Benson was also missing, witch was strange, because Ravenclaws were never late.
The prop-crew was watering the plants. Luna was petting the leaves of a fern and whispering soothing words to it. To 'take away its stage fright' she said. Justin had to admit that the fern looked quite calm, not that he'd even seen an agitated fern.
Snape snorted at something, it sounded like a laugh. Justin turned around to look at the boy who just entered the room. Thomas Benson had red rashes all over his face and covered in salve.
"I got an allergic reaction to the Low Weed you made me drink yesterday," said Benson and scratched his arm. "Madame Pomfrey said I should go to bed and rest. I'm sorry…"
"Do… Don't be," stammered Justin. "Don't worry about it." He swallowed the terror in his chest. "Just rest, get well."
"Ta," Benson gave him a lopsided and tired smile and left.
Justin rubbed his aching head and exchanged a look with Snape.
"I'm not his bloody understudy!" sneered the teacher and pulled up a newspaper. "You just have to do it yourself."
He was just about to answer when Potter grumpily kicked open the door and sat down with his arms crossed. Justin did not even need to ask, Potter answered anyway.
"He won't come out," he pouted. "I waited until someone forced me to leave."
"You were shouting profanities at my house in the middle of the night," sneered Snape. "And you were clotting up the hallway."
"I can't play two parts," Justin chewed his thumb.
"Professor!" whined Potter. "Can't you do something?"
"Fire drill!" called Snape with a smirk.
Malfoy had been convinced that the show must go on. He came up from the dungeons just in time for the first scene. Justin had dressed as Asha and was relived to see the blond step on to the stage. As they started the play, there was hope searing in Justin. It quickly disappeared.
"Why did you bring him?!" said Justin, noting that Luckless had followed without being caught in Atama's dress "Only one of us can bathe in the Fountain! It will be hard enough to decide witch one of us it should be, with out adding another!"
"He just followed me!" sneered Amata looking at Luckless disdainfully. "Men!"
"Forgive me," pleaded Luckless. "Forgive me. I did not mean to…
"Faithless heart!" Amata turned away.
Justin sighed, why was this happening to him? He cleared his throat and said Malfoy's line:
" Draw your sword, Knight, and help us reach our goal!
Luckless sighed also, realising that he had missed his own line.
"Ladies, I am but a poor knight, I own no magic of any kind, and my jousting skills are pitiable. I have no chance of beating you to the Fountain. I will leave and let you go on with out me."
The wrong order of the lines was confusing, but hopefully they where saved by the worm entering the stage. (Malfoy shot green fireworks, some of it hitting Potter – even if he was nowhere near the worm.)
As it would happen, the tongue mechanism was out of order, so instead of getting his tears licked off his face, Justin found himself being snogged by the giant worm. The audience thought it looked very funny and applauded as the worm left. The response cheered Justin somewhat.
By the moving floor Amata began to hit Luckless when he was trying to help her.
"Don't touch me!" she almost screamed. "I don't need your help!"
Again, Altheda's socks made a success, as did the splashing sound as the sweaty handkerchief as it hit the sign.
At the 'stream' Amata did not help to pull Luckless out of the 'water'. She just stood idly by muttering about deceitful men, not saying her lines at all.
"Amata," pressed Justin after a while of failed mock jumping over the 'stream'. "Why don't you put your memories in the water?"
"My memories?" Amata glared at Luckless. "You mean when he almost killed me? When he hexed me? When he was kissing some else?!"
"Please…" Luckless pleaded taking hold of her arm. "It was a mistake…"
"Don't you talk to me about mistakes!" roared Malfoy.
"I said I was sorry!" Potter yanked off his helmet, making the audience gasp in recognition. "What more do you want? Do you want me to say I love only you?! He was sad, it was one kiss, not even that!"
"What did you say…?" whispered Malfoy staring at Potter.
"I love you, you bloody twit," he spat.
Before anyone could say something more, Malfoy had jumped Potter who fell backwards into the Fountain that had just appeared on stage. Water splashed over the brim and soaked the two kissing men.
Justin and Seamus looked at each other.
"Err…" Seamus blinked. "I… I can maybe make a potion for you using the plants here that could cure you of your aliments."
"Oh… that would be good…" Justin looked over to Malfoy trying to loosen the armour from Potter. "I don't think that I need to use the fountain anymore…"
There was a laugh from the audience.
"I'm quite good at potions," said Seamus grabbing fistfuls of Low Weed and trusting them on Justin. "I think I'll be a potion maker, and skip the fountain as well."
There was a cracking sound as Malfoy and Potter Apparated away, leaving a big puddle of water behind.
"A very interesting interpretation, Mr Finch-Flechley" said the principal of WADA.
"Yes" nodded the Minister of Magic, chewing on the refreshments. "I have never heard the story told that Luckless was Amata's cheating lover."
"Quite surprising, I agree," nodded the principal taking another pastry. "Do you think Mr Malfoy would consider a career as an actor? He is quite a natural."
"Potter was good too," Shaklebolt pointed out.
"Indeed, minister. Very natural. You give good direction, Mr Finch-Flechley."
"I had a good crew," blushed Justin feeling quite happy and wondering (as he had not burned down the Great Hall) if he could be allowed do one more production before graduation. He had heard of this Muggle play called Macbeth…