It was a rainy Sunday morning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Students lazily entered the Great Hall, which ceiling was a dull gray color filled with clouds. As they ate their breakfast of toast with marmalade and blueberry oatmeal, Professor Dumbledore made an announcement. "Witches and wizards, over the summer break, I have been working with Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, and together we have built a student lounge. It is where you can go for your breaks if you like. On certain nights, events will be held, such as the talent show for its grand opening. It will be held on Friday night at 7:00 and everyone is invited. If you, and maybe some friends, would like to join, sign up on the paper, which will be posted on the door of every classroom. Include your name or names, house, and talent, and auditions will be held on Wednesday. That is all." Dumbledore sat back down and everyone began to chatter loudly.
Hermione Granger yawned and entered the Great Hall. For once in her life, she had overslept. She looked extremely groggy and slumped onto her regular seat at the Gryffindor table between Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, her two best friends. They were all sixth years.
"Hermione did you hear?" Harry asked. He was still a little shocked that Hermione had overslept.
"Hear what?" she asked, stifling a yawn.
"About the student lounge, about the talent show," Ron told her, his mouth full of breadcrumbs and orange marmalade. "No," she said. "But I'm sure I'll find out."
Ginny walked up to the three of them. "Are any of you going to audition for the talent show?" she asked curiously. "Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and two girls in my year: Daisy Davis, Jessie Mynx, and I are going to sing and dance. We wanted to know if you'd join us Hermione."
Hermione laughed. "Me sing? Me dance? I'd publicly embarrass myself. My reputation would be ruined!"
"Come on Hermione," Ron persuaded. "Anyone can sing and dance. You can learn by reading books. And if you do mess up, everyone will realize you're not perfect."
Hermione bit her lower lip. "Ummm...no, I'm sorry Ginny. But five people are enough, don't you think?"
Ron rolled his eyes. Ginny left, looking a little disappointed. Harry had a gleam in his eye. "Hermione," he said slowly. "I'll give you a galleon if you audition to do something."
"What do I need a galleon for?" she asked.
"I'll do it!" Ron piped up.
"Come on," Harry begged. "We all know you can do it, Hermi."
Hermione sighed, knowing that he and Ron wouldn't quit until she agreed. "Fine," she replied reluctantly. "And you can keep your galleon. Just if - when I don't make it, don't laugh at me."
"Okay," they agreed.
"You have such low self-confidence," Ron told her. "You underestimate yourself."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't even know what I'm going to do yet. I have no real talents."
"You're a brain," Harry said. "You'll figure something out." "I suppose," Hermione sighed, thinking that she had no real talent except for memorizing facts from books, and she couldn't do that for her act.
~*~*~*~*~
It was ten minutes past two o'clock, and Hermione was in the Gryffindor common room, reading a thick book called The Legacy of the Chamber of Secrets by R.H. Dollet. It a recently written book, and it was interesting to read. She could easily visualize what she was reading, as the room was in total silence. The room was entirely empty, because everyone had gone to check out the new student lounge, including Harry and Ron.
Suddenly, five Gryffindor girls came into the room, carrying a Muggle CD player and a stack of CD'S. They put one in, and music began to play. Parvati went around telling them what dance steps they should have.
Hermione could no longer concentrate, so she went out the portrait hole and headed for the library. On her way there, she decided to stop by and see what the student lounge was like. She simply followed all the noise and the students. The student lounge was enormous; almost as large as the Great Hall. A stage was set up, front and center of the room, and innumerable squishy armchairs and tables were surrounding it. A bar was even off to the side, though no one was making drinks. The room was overcrowded with students of all houses and years. Hermione easily found Ron and Harry, though, because of Ron's flaming orange hair.
She pushed her way through the crowd to get to them, which was not an easy task. Everyone was standing around talking, and many people stopped Hermione to ask her what she was planning to do for her act. She simply said she hadn't decided, and kept going. Harry and Ron were settled into comfortable armchairs, talking with Seamus and Dean about the talent show, as was everyone else. Hermione took a seat next to Ron.
"So Hermione, what are you going to do?" Seamus asked her.
Hermione glanced at Harry and Ron. How many people had they told? "I'm still not sure," she admitted quite truthfully. "I have no real talents at all."
Dean and Seamus looked at her skeptically.
"Ventriloquism," Seamus suggested.
"Tap dancing," Ron laughed.
"A skit," said Harry.
"Pantomime," Ron added.
"You could sing," Dean advised. Everyone nodded.
"I can't sing..." Hermione protested. "I'm terrible."
"I've heard you before," Harry told her. "In the library. You sounded great."
Hermione blushed. "I didn't know anyone could hear that..."
"Come on, sing us something," Ron pleaded.
"What song?" she finally asked.
"A Muggle one!" Seamus cried.
"Britney Spears," Harry joked.
Although Ron and Seamus had no idea who she was, they nodded excitedly.
Hermione hesitated. Finally, she cleared her throat and began to sing softly. "Never look back, we said. How was I to know, I'd miss you so..." She broke off quickly, once she realized everyone was looking and listening to her. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I told you I'm not very good."
Everyone clapped and cheered, and Hermione's face tinged pink. "Well, I've got to get to the library," she called out, and quickly hurried away.
~*~*~*~*~
It was the dreaded Wednesday. Hermione had been practicing her song for the past few days, alone of course, and had to admit, she sounded a lot better than Ginny and her group. She had picked a song, which she had heard off of a Muggle movie, and had to say, it was a lot like how she felt.
It was lunchtime, and she nervously made her way to the student lounge, where auditions were being held. Harry and Ron wanted to come, but no one was allowed to watch. She looked inside, saw that no one was auditioning yet, and went inside. Professor McGonagall looked at her curiously, and Hermione's heart pounded in her throat.
"Whenever you're ready, Hermione," she told her.
Hermione sat down on a stool on the stage, grabbed the microphone in her trembling hands, took a deep breath, and began to sing softly. She was so nervous, that she nearly forgot a verse, but she didn't. Luckily, she had no dance routine, or she would have tripped or something.
When she finished, McGonagall simply said, "Good job," and said she was free to leave. Hermione breathed out with relief, and ran to the Great Hall for something to eat. She refused to tell Harry and Ron what she had sung, or what happened. She was fairly sure she would not get chosen, and she didn't want to talk about it.
~*~*~*~*~
The next day, Hermione woke up quite normally. She had a nightmare where she was picked to be in the talent show, but when she got to the stage everyone booed. Then when she began to sing, frogs came out of her mouth and she fainted. She quickly forgot about it, realizing that that would not happen, as she was sure she hadn't even been picked.
So when she came down to breakfast, and Professor Dumbledore announced who would compete in the talent show, Hermione choked on her apple cinnamon muffin when she heard her name. She got the loudest applause and cheer from everyone. She just looked at her book and pretended not to notice.
~*~*~*~*~
Over the next few days, Hermione still refused to tell anyone what she was going to sing and she practiced alone in her dormitory when Lavender and Parvati weren't there. The dreaded Friday night finally arrived, a bit too quickly Hermione thought. She slipped into a long lavender skirt and put on a plain white blouse. She put her hair up and snuck on a bit of make-up, to make her look better, but not too noticeable.
She walked by herself to the student lounge, where everyone was already waiting. She went backstage and tried to remember her lines. She saw a couple acts; the usual. Two ventriloquists; one mime; four solo singers; people who played the flute, clarinet, trumpet, and tenor saxophone; a tap-dancing troupe; three skits; a ballet dancer; a pianist; two group singers... One girl did ribbon dancing. Finally, it was Hermione's turn. Ginny shoved her to the stage. Hermione took a look at the crowd. The whole school was there! She nearly fainted.
Everyone clapped and cheered, louder for Hermione than anyone else (though she didn't notice), as she walked onto the stage. Harry gave her a thumbs-up and Ron whistled louder than anyone. She took a seat on the stool, clumsily picked up the microphone in her shaking hands, and the music started. Her heart was pounding in her dry throat; her hands were trembling and shaking; her palms were clammy and sweaty; her stomach felt like she had thousands of butterflies trying to escape. She waited a short while and...
"Look at me, You may think you see who I really am, But you'll never know me Ev'ry day, It's as if I play a part Now I see, If I wear a mask I can fool the world, But I cannot fool my heart
Who is that girl I see Staring straight back at me? When will my reflection show Who I am inside?
I am now in a world where I have to hide my heart And what I believe in But somehow I will show the world What's inside my heart And be loved for who I am
Who is that girl I see Staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don't know? Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time? When will my reflection show Who I am inside?
There's a heart that must be fry to fly That burns with a need to know the reason why Why must we all conceal What we think How we feel? Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide?
I won't pretend that I'm someone else for all time When will my reflection show Who I am inside? When will my reflection show Who I am inside?
"That was Reflection by Christina Aguilera, sung by Hermione Granger, a sixth-year from Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall announced.
Hermione finished and clumsily curtsied, while she took a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, she received and even louder cheer than her entrance. She peered around the room quickly. She saw Harry and Ron clapping harder than anyone, and they weren't shouting themselves hoarse. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle sneak in applauses when they thought no one was looking. That made he r feel better to know her song had her fatal enemies cheering for her (even if they refused to admit it), and she beamed as she walked off the stage more confidently than when she first came on.
She walked down the steps off the stage and weaved through the crowded room. People shook her hand, congratulated her, and slapped her on the back as she tried to make her way through. In the far, far back, she found an empty armchair. Then she ordered a soda from the bar, from Professor Snape, who had been forced to be the bartender as making potions was somewhat similar.
She settled into her chair, apart from everyone else, and watched the rest of the talent show. A fourth-year Hufflepuff Muggle-born boy did Japanese karate. A short, flexible Ravenclaw sixth-year girl did cartwheels, round-offs, front flips, back flips, and other gymnastic things. The last act was Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, Daisy, and Jessie's.
Hermione clapped for them as they got ready. She had watched them once, and she knew they were pretty good. They walked onto the stage. Jessie Mynx peered out behind the curtain. She whimpered and fainted. All the girls and teachers ran to aid her. Madam Pomfrey just said she had a lot of stage fright. She couldn't perform.
"The show must go on!" Professor McGonagall called. The music began to play.
The four girls began to do their dance routine. Parvati went up to sing the lyrics and tripped on her high heel shoes. She knocked over the microphone stand, but caught the mike. She began to sing, and her voice was froggy. Daisy stumbled through the dance steps in her platform sandals. Only Ginny and Lavender were going perfectly. But they weren't enough.
Their act was a disaster and they had to stop early when Lavender fell flat on her face. She had lost her footing on the hem of her long, sparkly dress and fell face first on the stage. No one could help from laughing, until Lavender got up and they saw her face, which was bloody, tearstained, and stained with messy, smeared make-up. Everyone gasped at her and this terrible turn of fate for Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, Daisy, and Jessie.
Ginny ran off the stage and began to cry. Hermione and Ron ran after her. Hermione, who was closer, got to her first. They went out into the hall and Hermione consoled her. When they came back in, everyone cheered. Everyone clapped and patted Hermione on the back. She was confused.
"Guess what Hermione?" Harry shouted over all the noise.
"What?" she asked curiously, as Colin Creevy vigorously shook her hand, then snapped a picture of her. "What's going on?"
"You just won second place in the talent show!" Ron yelled.
"Why isn't anyone cheering for the person who won first place?" she wondered.
"Because Blaise Zabini of Slytherin of Slytherin won," Harry told her.
"And no one really likes ventriloquism!" Ron called out.
"You were much, much better!" Harry told her.
Hermione blushed and beamed. So she hadn't won first place; but at first she had doubted she would even be chosen to compete in the talent show. Second place wasn't bad at all.
Author's note: Sorry if this story sucks. But be nice, please don't flame me! This is only my first fanfic. Oh, and sorry about the ending, I never know how to conclude stories. And sorry if anyone is a ventriloquist, but I really don't like it. Please review, but only constructive criticism! It's the only way to get better. I might make a sequel to this, look out for it if you thought this story was okay.
Disclaimer: Hogwarts, Hermione Granger, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape, Harry Potter, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise Zabini, and all the other characters (besides Daisy Davis and Jessie Mynx, they belong to me), names, and places belong to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic Books, etc., etc.
The Britney Spears song was From the Bottom of My Broken Heart and it doesn't belong to me either.
Reflection is Christina Aguilera's song; the Muggle movie I mentioned was the Motion Picture Mulan, which was made by Disney.
And I borrowed the name Dollet from Final Fantasy VIII (it's a town), and all the Final Fantasy games are properties of Squaresoft.
Don't sue me; I'm only twelve years old and I only have about twenty dollars in my wallet.