Chapter 4: The Lottery
The next evening, Harry noticed an area roped off in the Great Hall. In the middle was a large cauldron with a green flame coming from the middle. It reminded him oddly of the Goblet of Fire from his 4th year.
After dinner had ended, Ms. Landor quieted down the gentle roar. "Now now. We will now do the lottery for plays." She walked to the cauldron, held out her wand and said a small incantation inaudible to the crowd. She stuck her hand in the cauldron and pulled out a small piece of paper.
"The first play will be—'Faust', by Christopher Marlowe." Hermione squealed with delight. Ms. Landor again reached in, and "The next play is 'Lysistrata' by Aristophanes." Hermione looked like she was going to explode with happiness. "The next, is 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller."
A few students whistled at the thought of a play about witches. Harry became excited. "And the last is—'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare." Hermione fell out of her chair. "Get up!" Harry helped her back up to the seat.
"Now, we will do lottery for parts in each." This process took a lot of time with 1000 students, but Harry soon recognized names. "Neville Longbottom, Claudius in Hamlet." Neville scratched his head. "Is he good?" he whispered to Hermione.
"Uh...you're the King of Denmark." She said with a half-smile. Neville straightened himself up and stuck his chest; he smiled proudly. "Draco Malfoy, Laertes in Hamlet." Draco sneered at the Slytherin table.
"Colin Creevy, Fortinbras in Hamlet." Colin giggled, he had obviously read the play.
"Next, I—"Ms. Landor stopped. "We must keep in mind that the cauldron draws the names, and sometimes, girls may get the parts of boys and vice versa..." she smiled oddly and read the name. "Luna Lovegood, Guildenstern in Hamlet." Harry saw that Luna seemed to have no reaction to this—she was reading the Quibbler.
"Seamus Finnigan, the Ghost in Hamlet." Seamus wiggled his fingers and made an "ooooooh" noise at Dean. "Dean Thomas, Polonius in Hamlet." Dean sighed; he knew Polonius.
"Vincent Crabbe, Voltimand." Crabbe smiled though it was obvious he hadn't read the play by the way he stuck his chest out.
"He doesn't have a big part.." Hermione whispered to Harry. "Ginerva Weasley, Gertrude in Hamlet."
Ginny seemed relieve to have gotten the part of a girl. "Cho Chang, Ophelia in Hamlet." Harry sighed. He hoped he wasn't in Hamlet.
"Ronald Weasley, Rosencrantz in Hamlet." Ron smiled, but Hermione giggled. "What's wrong with that?" he asked, a bit annoyed. "You have to work with Luna." She laughed. Ron looked sad.
"For some fun," Ms. Landor said pulling out the next lot. "We added teacher's names in." Harry glanced at the staff table and noticed the teachers all straighten up. Hagrid adjusted his coat, and scratched his beard.
"And because of that, Severus Snape and Remus Lupin will play the two clowns in Hamlet." The entire school erupted in laughter, except of course, from Remus and Snape. They eyed one another, and Remus turned away laughing.
"Harry Potter," Ms. Landor said. Harry gulped. "Hamlet, in Hamlet." Harry didn't know what to think. He looked at Hermione and she smiled brightly. "You have the lead Harry!" she said, shaking his arm. Ms. Landor went through more names that were for other plays for about an hour, and then moved back to Hamlet.
"Hermione Granger," Ms. Landor said. Hermione looked shaken and excited, Harry noticed. "Horatio, in Hamlet." Hermione looked happier than she did when she received her O.W.L. results the year before. "Harry! That's so wonderful!" she said. Harry took her word for it. -- When Harry arrived at the Great Hall the next morning for breakfast, he received a new schedule.
"Drama is 3rd hour for me," he said, staring to make sure he had no other classes. "And Potions is 7th."
"Yeah, same for me," Ron said. "Actually," Hermione said. "Everyone in Hamlet will have it 3rd hour. It makes us all aware at the same time, you know?"
The next evening, Harry noticed an area roped off in the Great Hall. In the middle was a large cauldron with a green flame coming from the middle. It reminded him oddly of the Goblet of Fire from his 4th year.
After dinner had ended, Ms. Landor quieted down the gentle roar. "Now now. We will now do the lottery for plays." She walked to the cauldron, held out her wand and said a small incantation inaudible to the crowd. She stuck her hand in the cauldron and pulled out a small piece of paper.
"The first play will be—'Faust', by Christopher Marlowe." Hermione squealed with delight. Ms. Landor again reached in, and "The next play is 'Lysistrata' by Aristophanes." Hermione looked like she was going to explode with happiness. "The next, is 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller."
A few students whistled at the thought of a play about witches. Harry became excited. "And the last is—'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare." Hermione fell out of her chair. "Get up!" Harry helped her back up to the seat.
"Now, we will do lottery for parts in each." This process took a lot of time with 1000 students, but Harry soon recognized names. "Neville Longbottom, Claudius in Hamlet." Neville scratched his head. "Is he good?" he whispered to Hermione.
"Uh...you're the King of Denmark." She said with a half-smile. Neville straightened himself up and stuck his chest; he smiled proudly. "Draco Malfoy, Laertes in Hamlet." Draco sneered at the Slytherin table.
"Colin Creevy, Fortinbras in Hamlet." Colin giggled, he had obviously read the play.
"Next, I—"Ms. Landor stopped. "We must keep in mind that the cauldron draws the names, and sometimes, girls may get the parts of boys and vice versa..." she smiled oddly and read the name. "Luna Lovegood, Guildenstern in Hamlet." Harry saw that Luna seemed to have no reaction to this—she was reading the Quibbler.
"Seamus Finnigan, the Ghost in Hamlet." Seamus wiggled his fingers and made an "ooooooh" noise at Dean. "Dean Thomas, Polonius in Hamlet." Dean sighed; he knew Polonius.
"Vincent Crabbe, Voltimand." Crabbe smiled though it was obvious he hadn't read the play by the way he stuck his chest out.
"He doesn't have a big part.." Hermione whispered to Harry. "Ginerva Weasley, Gertrude in Hamlet."
Ginny seemed relieve to have gotten the part of a girl. "Cho Chang, Ophelia in Hamlet." Harry sighed. He hoped he wasn't in Hamlet.
"Ronald Weasley, Rosencrantz in Hamlet." Ron smiled, but Hermione giggled. "What's wrong with that?" he asked, a bit annoyed. "You have to work with Luna." She laughed. Ron looked sad.
"For some fun," Ms. Landor said pulling out the next lot. "We added teacher's names in." Harry glanced at the staff table and noticed the teachers all straighten up. Hagrid adjusted his coat, and scratched his beard.
"And because of that, Severus Snape and Remus Lupin will play the two clowns in Hamlet." The entire school erupted in laughter, except of course, from Remus and Snape. They eyed one another, and Remus turned away laughing.
"Harry Potter," Ms. Landor said. Harry gulped. "Hamlet, in Hamlet." Harry didn't know what to think. He looked at Hermione and she smiled brightly. "You have the lead Harry!" she said, shaking his arm. Ms. Landor went through more names that were for other plays for about an hour, and then moved back to Hamlet.
"Hermione Granger," Ms. Landor said. Hermione looked shaken and excited, Harry noticed. "Horatio, in Hamlet." Hermione looked happier than she did when she received her O.W.L. results the year before. "Harry! That's so wonderful!" she said. Harry took her word for it. -- When Harry arrived at the Great Hall the next morning for breakfast, he received a new schedule.
"Drama is 3rd hour for me," he said, staring to make sure he had no other classes. "And Potions is 7th."
"Yeah, same for me," Ron said. "Actually," Hermione said. "Everyone in Hamlet will have it 3rd hour. It makes us all aware at the same time, you know?"