Chapter Four; Choir Trouble
Angel loved all the sights, sounds, and smells as they walked through the theater. She also loved the fact that Tobey shared some of his popcorn with her. They all really ended up enjoying the movie and as soon as it was over they headed back to the car. Harry climbed back inside the driver's seat while Jessie climbed back inside the passenger's seat. Then Harry waited until everyone had slammed their doors shut and strapped themselves in before placing the keys into the ignition and starting the engine.
"Well that was a really good movie." Luna began while Harry put his foot on the brake and pulled the car into reverse and made sure that it was clear behind him before stepping on the gas pedal.
"Yep it was." He said as he started backing up.
"I really liked the car that he drove around it." Luna said with a grin.
"Yeah, it was a pretty funny movie." Neville agreed wrapping his arm around her and kissing the top of her head while she cuddled inside his chest.
"The only thing that wasn't funny was all of the staring and pointing at Tobey. I didn't find that amusing one little bit." Ginny said.
"Oh it's alright Ginny, I'm used to it." Tobey reassured her.
"Well I'm not. It just isn't right, God made everyone different and it's not right to make fun of them for it." She said as Harry finished backing out and turned on his headlights while he pulled out of the parking lot.
"Yeah well those are the kind of idiots that don't use the brains that He gave them." He said stopping at the end of the driveway before hitting his turn signal as well as his accelerator again as he turned to the right. Then he made sure to steady his grip on the steering wheel before digging the box of cigarettes out of his pocket.
….
The next morning everyone got ready to go to church. The pastor addressed everyone as usual before Harry went to the front of the room. "Before we get started this morning I have just a couple of announcements. First of all, I want to give a warm welcome to Jessie Cross who is back with us this morning." He said as everyone started to applaud. "And please continue to keep her in your prayers as well as my boss and his new beautiful baby girl Roberta that she will remain in perfect health.
And next of all later on this morning my dear friend Hermione Granger will be taking over for Luke as the choir director. Now this morning I'm going to do things a little bit differently, instead of starting with a hymn I'm going to start with a prayer. You see last night my brother Tobey went out with me and my friends to the movies. And as soon as we got there they started making fun of him just because he couldn't see.
Now he handled it much better than I would have been able to, and luckily my girlfriend stood up for him, but it is so mean and nasty to think that there are people out there who think they're better and stronger than everyone else just because there are people like Tobey with disabilities. Now the Bible tells us time and time again that we should love our neighbors and do onto others what you want done onto you. Jesus tells His disciples this.
Now it makes sense that non-Christians wouldn't understand this but even we as Christians make this same mistake. We tend to judge someone by the color of their skin, their religion, or sexuality without even realizing it. Now how can we call ourselves true followers of Christ when we judge others when He is meant to be the only judge? Ginny said it herself last night. Tobey has one of the greatest and biggest hearts that I've ever seen in a wizard and there's no doubt in my mind he will grow up to be a fine one.
Since he can't even see what a person looks like on the outside, all he knows how to do is judge them from their hearts. In that way I think that he really is close to godliness." He said smiling over at Tobey who smiled back at him. "Let us bow our heads and pray." He said as everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes. "Dear Lord, we come together before you this morning to thank you for another beautiful day in which you have made.
We thank you for Jessie being back with us and protecting her making her feel more secure to be in your presence once again. We also thank you for David's brand new beautiful baby girl and that you would bless him and his family so that they may one day come to know you and enter the kingdom of Heaven. We also thank you for Tobey and what a wonderful blessing he is to be a part of our church and that we might learn to follow his example by allowing you to be the proper judge of how we choose to live our lives.
Also bless our service this morning and Hermione as she's about to come up here and lead our choir into song of praises to you as well as everyone else here this morning. We also pray for those who or sick or for one reason or another their schedules couldn't allow them to be here this morning.
Help us to become stronger, wiser, kinder, and better witches and wizards to each other and all those around us whether they be may magical and muggle. We ask all this in your name as well as thanking you for your forgiveness for all of our sins and your many blessings, amen." Harry finished.
"Amen." Everyone else echoed before he waved his hand down at Eve.
"At this time I would like to ask all of the children to come with me into the Sunday school room. So Tobey, Eve, Teddy, Heather and everyone else follow me." He said as his brothers and sisters stood up and started following him down the hallway along with Angel and the other children. That's when suddenly Hermione stood up and directed her baton down at the other adults.
"Alright, if all of the usual choir members will come up here we will rehearsing Oh Happy Day. So go ahead and gather your hymn books together while the rest of you do your Bible usual studying." She said when suddenly Jessie leapt up to her feet and hurried over to her. "Yes Jessie?" she inquired.
"Well I'd like to join the choir if it's alright with you." She said but Hermione quickly shook her head.
"I'm sorry Jessie, but you have to be a member of this church to get in." she told her.
"You made that up! That's not part of the rules!" Ginny cried indignantly as she took her place next to Ron.
"Well that was when Luke was the choir director. But I'm in charge now and what I say goes." Hermione told her.
"C'mon Hermione! Stop acting like a bitch and let her in!" Ginny snapped as Ron quickly turned to her.
"You can't cuss in church! You'll go to Hell." he whispered.
"Well I don't care, Jessie has a really great voice and Hermione isn't being fair." Ginny said.
"It's alright Ginny." Jessie said breathing a deep and heavy sigh before she sadly shut her hymn book and set it back down next to the others before taking her seat again.
"Right, now does anyone else have any complaints?" Hermione questioned them as they all just simply stared at her. "Good, from the top then." She said tapping her baton against her stand and they started to sing in a barely audible whisper that is everyone except for Ron who was practically screaming it.
"Oh happy day!" he exclaimed as everyone else echoed him but Hermione simply just groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Ron," she began as he ignored her and continued to shout.
"Oh happy day!" he sang with a little bit of a squeaky tone inside his voice.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled louder.
"Oh happy day!" he squeaked nervously.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled as everyone else stopped singing.
"What!?" he exclaimed with disbelief.
"It isn't a happy day Ron." She began. "You're giving me a headache." She told him.
"Oh believe me I know the feeling." Ginny said narrowing her eyebrows and glaring at her.
"And I don't want any comments from the peanut gallery either!" Hermione yelled tapping her baton furiously against the stand. "Now Ron quiet it down the rest of you higher the volume!" she hollered. "And make sure you follow my baton!" she told them as the piano music started rapidly playing and everyone started singing over each other. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" Hermione shouted again while angrily tapping her baton again causing the music and singing to stop.
"That's it, Ron you're out of the choir and I'm taking your place." She told him as he and Ginny gaped their mouths wide open with complete and utter horror and astonishment.
"What!? Why!?" he cried.
"Because you stink that's why. I mean I'm sorry if you wanted me to lie to you like our old choir director used to, but I believe that honesty is the best policy." She told him.
"You can't do that I'm your boyfriend!" he yelled.
"I can do whatever I want mister, because I am the one who has the baton." She told him as Ginny stepped forward and snapped it in half.
"Now you have two." She told her before narrowing her eyebrows and glaring at her. "If you're kicking Ron out then I quit." She said before she started walking away from her.
"Fine then, we don't need you." Hermione said before everyone else started walking away from her. "Hey! Where are you all going!? Come back here right now or you'll never sing in this town again!" she screamed before everyone else disappeared.
By the way, I got the idea for this story based off of the Family Matters episode Choir Trouble.