A.N.

Thing ONe: Okay, so we were really late starting on this chapter.

Thing TWo: We totally apologize. Think about it: when we posted chapter 7, Fred and Wesley hadn't even gotten together yet on Angel.

Thing ONe: For that matter, Fred hadn't died yet, either. So part of the delay was that Angel had three amazing episodes in a row, and we concentrated on writing about that for a while (see our fic "Dying in his Arms" for the result of that brain wave). Then there was schoolwork, and then Angel came back from hiatus.

Thing ONe: Don't look at us like that. Sure we're All-Things-Whedonesque-Obsessees, but the show was ending, for Fury's sake. So be grateful that you have any "School is Alive…" at all! We're still crying over the finale.

Thing TWo: Plus, we had to watch the movie to make sure everything was right. Notice the care we took in aligning Christian's dialogue to Satine's lyrics in 'Sparkling Diamonds'.

Thing ONe: So enjoy.

Thing TWo: This is the last chapter. And an epilogue. And a big thank you note to all of you. So please, enjoy.

Thing TWo's random wish: That I had Harry Potter #3 on DVD. That movie? Rocked. And that this wasn't the end of The School Is Alive. I'm gonna miss writing this.

Ginny Weasley was scared.

The play was starting in five minutes, her entire family was in the audience, and she was wearing a low cut top and push-up bra so she could play a whore. What would her father say? Worse, what would her mother do?

Someone tapped her on the shoulder. Ginny shrieked and jumped three feet in the air.

"Sorry." Draco said. "I just wanted to wish you good luck. But now, I must ask: Why the hell are you so jumpy?"

"My entire family is out there." Ginny said, still white from shock. "What will they think when they see this? I'm playing a whore, Draco. They'll kill me. And that part during the first dance when I show my bum to the entire audience- Oh my God!" She covered her mouth with her hands, muffling out the last few words. "They'll disown me!"

"It's not like there's all that much money to inherit anyways." Malfoy said, only half joking.

"Mum will kill me." Ginny said seriously. "She won't even wait till the end of the show; she will jump up on stage and kill me. And then Lauren will kill her for ruining the show. And then my brothers will kill her for killing mum, and then someone will kill them for killing Lauren, and it's all one big cycle of never-ending death!"

"Cheer up" Malfoy said. "Maybe you'll get lucky and all that will happen is that they find out about our relationship."

"God, I hope not." Ginny smiled at him, turned away, and then stopped suddenly. "Did you say 'relationship'?"

"I believe so, yes?" Malfoy answered. "Why?"

"This isn't a relationship, Draco. I don't love you, and I certainly don't want to be referred to you as being in one. Understood?"

Malfoy stared at her for a moment, and then recited "Relationship, noun, a connection or association. Like it or not, Weasley, we're associated. So unless you'd like to change the definition, then we have one."
Ginny was about to retort when Lauren came rushing by. "Ginny, Draco," she hissed. "What are you doing here? Neither of you are on stage till the first dance. Go!"

Just as Ginny had feared, the entire Wesley family was seated in the front row. Well, almost the entire Wesley family. Percy was away on Ministry business. Ron and Ginny were obviously in the play. But the rest of the family was there, all of whom were becoming annoyed by Molly's constant chatter while looking through the program.

"This is a very nice program, and look at that- Harry and Hermione's names are right on the front, isn't that nice? I suppose Ron isn't on there since he isn't one of the big major characters. Oh look though, here he is on the main cast list. I suppose Ginny will be in the list of dancers….ah, there she is. And here is the actor's information. Harry's is awfully short, it just says 'Harry Potter is a Seventh year and greatly enjoys playing Quidditch.' I suppose that's appropriate, short and sweet, although look at how long Hermione's is, it should be though, what with all the classes that girl takes. It says "Hermione Granger is a Seventh year-'"

"Mum!" Fred yelled, interrupting her. "We can read, you know." George, Bill, Charlie, and Arthur all nodded vigorously.

"Fine then!" Molly snapped. "When is the show starting?"

"Should get going in a few minutes." Bill looked at his watch. "Actually, it should be starting…"

The dimming of the house lights interrupted him.

"…now" Bill finished.

Lauren came on stage and nervously looked around at the crowd. It was a full house. She could even see some people standing in the back. "Ladies and Gentlemen." She announced, her voice already magically magnified. "Welcome to the first production at Hogsmeade Globe Theater. The students have been working very hard on this, and it is our opening night, so please, cheer really loudly for them. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the show."

The curtains rose. The Death Eater in the rafters smiled. It was show time at last.

In the movie, it began with the camera going through the streets of Paris. Using magic they had accomplished so much (especially in terms of their extensive sets), but this beginning wasn't easily accomplished. So instead, they brought in a Muggle movie screen. The opening was projected onto it, and just as they entered Christian's apartment, the screen was brought up, revealing Harry, in all of his drunken, grieving glory.

A few girls in the audience gasped. Someone sitting near Sirius said "God, is he hot." Sirius smiled, 'That's my godson they're ogling over. James would be so proud'.

Harry narrated his piece, ran backstage while the lights came up, and came back on, looking slick and comparatively happy. More contented sighs from girls all around.

Sitting in the back of the audience, Lauren held her breath for the upcoming part. This was the first moment that everything could go to hell. Harry and all the Bohos on stage, talking a mile a minute in a scene that seemed so flawless on screen, but so confusing in a play.

But no one messed up. No one. It went so perfectly, Lauren wondered if she was dreaming. Pinch. Nope, not dreaming. She looked around her.

Everyone's head was turned towards the stage, watching with interest. People were laughing, smiling, and dropping their jaws when the set of the Moulin Rouge first appeared.

It was everything she had ever dreamed of concerning this play. If only Baz Luhrman would descend from the heavens to tell her that she was a truly great director, it would all be perfect.

"Where's Ginny?" Fred whispered to George.

"Dunno." George answered.

"She's gotta be up there somewhere." Bill said, looking at everyone.

"Well, there's one girl with red hair, but that can't be her." Charlie pointed out. They all studied the girl for a moment. Their jaws all dropped at the same time as Molly's eyes widened in horror.

"What," she asked in a strangled whisper, "Is my daughter wearing?"

Hermione breathed in deeply. In one minute, she would be descending from the ceiling on a trapeze into the middle of the audience. Well, not the middle. The aisle, but it was still in the audience.

Something caught her eye on the far side of the catwalk, the part above backstage. She looked over. There was nothing there. Hermione could've sworn she saw a person…

Her cue came, the music stopped. The lighting turned blue, and the magical confetti fell. This was it. Onto the trapeze, and into the stage. As she descended, she heard Ron say "It's her! The Sparkling Diamond."

The French

Are glad to die

For love

They delight

In fighting duels.

Harry's line came in the middle of this. "But someone else was to meet Satine that night.

But I prefer a man who leaves

"Zidler's investor.

And gives

Expensive

Jewels.

"The Duke"

The drums started up. The trapeze circled around the crowd, and Hermione hopped off. 'Here goes nothing…'

Dancing in front of the entire school and God knows how many others; Hermione knew she should feel nervous. But for some reason, it felt right.

In the audience, Sirius noticed the atmosphere changed. It went from girls cooing over Harry to a bunch of teenage boys, just minutes ago bored, suddenly very alert.

More dancing. This time, with Harry. Everyone laughed when Harry stuttered, and Hermione almost did too. Anything to keep her from thinking about what she was about to do. But then, the end of the song came. "Hang onto your hats!" She yelled.

Hermione got back onto the trapeze and was lifted higher and higher above the audience. They had practiced this many, many times. There were magical safety measures put up. There was no way she could get hurt.

And yet…she almost stopped breathing when she had to fall back from the ceiling onto the stage. All of a sudden, she was madly in love with Dean, who played Chocolat, when he caught her. If it weren't for the fact that she was supposed to be unconscious, she would've have kissed him out of gratitude.

For the set of backstage, they brought it all out front, so that they could set up the Elephant behind the curtain.

Hermione changed into her favorite dress. She loved it. Red as the blood she was coughing up and with a beautiful sweeping back, it was the one dress she felt truly majestic in. She loved all of her outfits, but this one took the cake.

Back in the real backstage, Ron quickly said to Harry, "Ready for the big sex scene?" Harry just smiled devilishly. This had actually been one of their favorite scenes to rehearse, since it was just about the only comedy the two of them ever got to do, and it was one of the funniest scenes in the movie.

The rest of the audience seemed to agree. Lauren grinned as she heard them roar with laughter as Hermione (in a very un-Hermione-like fashion) rolled around on the floor, while Harry looked extremely uncomfortable.

And then….

My gift is my song

The audience went very quiet. Harry had sung a total of three lines by now, and this was his first song. When the glitter rained down on them, they allowed themselves a quick "Ooooh," and were silent again. But once it came to the last line, the applause thundered through the theater.

'Spectacular, Spectacular' went well; they had rehearsed it so many times, it was almost second nature. Hermione's second song went well, and everyone, even the people backstage (though silently) cheered when they kissed after 'Elephant Love Medley'.

The entire cast had realized that one of the unsung benefits of magic was, besides amazing voice-overs, was the ability to change sets with the flick of a wand.

After Malfoy had said (more like screeched) his line "It's not that I'm a jealous man, I just don't. Like. Other. People. Touching. My. Things!" various people in the audience looked at each other. "Wasn't he investigated by the Ministry" someone near Lauren whispered. And then, five minutes later, when Harry and Hermione were snogging in the balcony, someone else remarked, "Wow, they have some good chemistry."

Lauren felt herself quiver with excitement as they neared the end of the first half.

If I should die

This very moment
I wouldn't feel

I've never known completeness

Like being

Wrapped in the warmth of you

Loving

Every breath of you

Why live life

From dream to dream

And dread the day…

As Hermione coughed her lungs up, Harry voice-overed, "How could I know that in those last fatal days that a force darker than jealousy, and stronger than love, had begun to take hold of Satine." And as she collapsed, the curtain closed, and the lights came up. Lauren let out the breath she had been holding. Halfway over. So far, so good.

Out in the main hall, people were milling about, talking animatedly about the play. Molly Weasley was one of them.

"I have a half a mind to go find that girl and ask what she was thinking, wearing that outfit."

"Mum…" all the boys said at once.

"Well, I won't say anything now." She amended. "But I will have a talk to her later."

Sirius was looking everywhere for Lauren in the hall, but she wasn't there. Quickly realizing that he was an idiot, he ran backstage. He heard her voice, and rounded the corner, and saw her in the middle of the crowd.

"All right everyone that was amazing!" She yelled. "The only complaint I have is that all of you need to remember to face the audience! They need to see you! Everyone, into costume and makeup, and back out on stage in fifteen minutes!"

Sirius quickly approached. "Fan-bloody-tastic." He said.

"Sirius!" She squealed. "It's great! It's all great!" Lauren hugged him tightly. "I'd love to chat, but I need to go check on everyone. Make sure everyone's got everything!" She bounded off, whistling a song from the play.

Fourteen minutes, and two different secret couples making out later, they were all getting in their places for 'Like a Virgin'. Hermione came up to Lauren just before she went on.

"I'm sure it's nothing, but I just wanted to tell you. I thought I saw someone up in the catwalk. You might want to check it out." Lauren nodded, and ran back out into the theatre.

When the curtain rose, it was time for Justin and Malfoy's scene. Hermione was glad that they were laughing. This would be there last chance. Everything after that moment was depressing as hell.

And, speaking of, Harry and Hermione were onstage for 'Come What May'. All the girls in the play loved this part. Not only do you find out that Satine has consumption right before, you had Christian singing his heart out, and the best line ever "Then I'll write a song, and we'll put it in the show and no matter how bad things get or whatever happens, whenever you hear it or when you sing it or whistle it or hum it, you'll know what it means, that we love one another. I won't get jealous."

It was a beautiful song, perfect for the tone of the movie. The entire audience was amazed.

Lavender was waiting to come on from the wings. She loved playing a bitch, it was the role she was born for. But she still felt horrible for the part she had to play in all of it. Still, when she said "This ending's silly. Why would the courtesan go for the penniless writer? Oops, I mean sitar player!" she said it with proud cockiness.

And then, once the song ended, and Hermione walked down those steps, she hated herself. Not only was her character denying what she felt for Christian, in a way, she was denying what she felt for Harry, as she had done over and over for years.

"That bitch." A woman near Lauren whispered. She smiled. It was good that this was evoking that emotion. The negative comments were quickly changed to sniffles as Harry delivered the heartbreaking line "I don't want you to sleep with him."

"This is so stupid." Snape muttered. McGonagall shushed him quickly.

Comforting Harry was something that Hermione was so used to, that it wasn't all that hard of a scene to perform. But she still got choked up seeing how sad Harry looked. And of course, there was the scene that she had to do right after.

Lauren had never sat in the audience and actually watched Roxanne. During rehearsals, she was off to the side so she could more easily interact with the actors. During the final few days before the show, she would start out in the audience, but by 'Your Song', she had moved up to the wings, ready to critique.

It was amazing to watch. Everything about the scene was breathtaking. From Lavender's mesmerizing dancing, to Harry's pained vocals, to Hermione's screams of terror, and all of the dancers moving in exact formation. And the interlude with Malfoy chasing Hermione around the table, every movement choreographed to be as terrifying as possible.

When Morag made the move to slit Lavender's throat and she fell, the applause thundered. "Damn," Lauren whispered. "Am I good or what?"

More heartbreaking scenes. Satine and Christian, right after the Duke's attempted rape. Malfoy playing a murderous creep just a little too well. Hermione doing the Go-for-Broke, Make-'Em-Cry, "Christian loves me!" scene. Justin proving that he can sing. Harry breaking everyone's collective hearts while Hermione decided that Baz Luhrman and Craig Pearce were evil, evil men for doing this.

Harry and Ron loved the next scene, if only for the fact that it was the only one they were able to get through without laughing. Ron spent weeks trying to memorize that one speech though, and screamed when Hermione tried to quiz him on it, claiming that he was still scarred by her rigorous O.W.L. training.

He nailed it though. "Christian, you may see me only as a drunken, vice-ridden gnome whose friends are just pimps and girls from the brothels. But I know about art and love, if only because I long for it with every fiber of my being. She loves you. I know it. I know she loves you."

Maybe what put him right was that he was used to trying to make Harry feel better and getting yelled at. Sort of the course of life.

Before the audience had time to get over that emotional hurdle, the music rose into a crescendo that blended with 'Hindi Sad Diamonds'

Out of all the sets, this was the favorite of the entire cast. No one knew, why. It might have been because they all ended up acting on it. Maybe it was the opulent colors. The intricate dance that seemed to be framed by it.

The dance scene went well. It took the crowd a second to realize that Hermione hadn't messed up, that it was Satine being affected by the consumption. Lauren had hated directing this one. It was complicated and needed the above shots that only a movie could provide. But with some creative staging, it looked good. The part she loved most was how the audience was made to feel like they were the actual play's audience.

There was one scene right after that had seemed so complicated; it took them a month to come up with the simplest answer. It was Ron and Morag, walking backstage, and Morag falling down the stairs, with Ron oblivious to it all. They had backstage sets for the next scene, but none of which matched what they needed. And then it came to them. Raise the curtain and show their backstage. As long as all the necessary actors were cleared out it would work. And it did. Lauren made a mental note to get down on her knees and thank Colin Creevey for coming up with the idea.

The next part was what were considered to be the most powerful (exempting the death scene, and Roxanne). It had so many elements. Christian stealing the Argentinean's costume. Toulouse learning the truth of Satine's intentions. Christian, making her say that she doesn't love him. Christian, calling Satine his whore and walking away.

All of it leading up to the one, beautiful moment (and then death, but forget that for a second).

Lauren was trying her hardest not to start crying as Harry walked mournfully past her (or giggle when Ron said "I've forgotten my line"), when she caught something out of the corner of her eye. What Hermione had said came floating back to her now. There might be someone up there.

As Hermione started singing, Lauren walked swiftly to the back of the theater to the stairs. It was Harry's turn as she ran up to the catwalk, singing softly, but powerful enough to hear. When she had reached the top, it was the world's most romantic duet going on down there, and she was missing. Whatever first year had decided to sneak up there would not only be expelled, they'd get their ass kicked.

Ron had fallen out of the ceiling when she came upon the person. They were wearing a cloak. 'That's odd,' she thought. Whoever it was, they were definitely not a student. She tapped the person no the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but you are not supposed to be up here, so if you would just-" She broke off when the man turned around. Hooded mask, sleeves rolled up, and a tattoo of a skull on the left forearm. "Oh shit."

The Death Eater seemed to be having the same reaction. "No! You can't stop me, useless teacher. I'm going to kill them all, and then the Dark Lord will honor me above all others for killing the entirety of Hogwarts! You'll ruin everything!"

Lauren had blanked out during his little speech. She could dimly hear the 'chaos' going on just beneath her. But at his last words, she snapped back to attention.

"Me? Ruin everything?" Lauren could feel her temper rising. "This is my play, you bastard, and no one will ruin it! No one!" Harry and Hermione were getting to the end of the 'Come What May' reprise. The scene that they had rehearsed for months. Not only was this Death Eater going to attack during it, he was causing her to miss all of her hard work.

Before he even had a chance, Lauren had kicked him three times in the stomach, punched him in the jaw, and broken his arm. Between every blow, she yelled "You! Are! Not! Ruining! This! I worked too hard!" And just as she delivered a last crushing blow that knocked him unconscious, she said very lethally "Never come between an Auror and her play. It always ends bad." Below her, she heard the crowd cheer (she'd like to think it was for her, but she knew it was for Justin hitting Malfoy).

"Nice work." Someone behind her said. She turned around. Snape was standing there, grinning. "I thought they might try to pull something tonight."

"Thanks for the warning." Lauren spat.

"I knew you could handle yourself. Besides, it's less work for me." Snape shrugged.

"I hate you." Lauren said. "If you'd excuse me, I have a death scene to watch."

"I'll take care of this." Snape told her. "That play's too damn sappy anyway."

Back down on the stage, the curtain had risen for the backstage set. The flowers fell around them. Harry kissed Hermione very softly. The noise started to go away. Hermione fell backwards, her breathing labored. Ginny, Parvati, and Lavender all looked at each other. It was the death scene. "Don't cry." Parvati whispered. The cast all carefully circled around the couple, leaving a space for the audience to see through.

After months of avoidance, Harry and Hermione had practiced it to where they were desensitized enough not to think of the real life applications of the scene, but in the emotional place they needed to be. Harry concentrated on not dropping Hermione, and Hermione concentrated on making wheezing noises and coughing.

"You've got to go on, Christian." She whispered.

"I can't go on without you."

"You've got so much to give. Tell our story Christian. Promise me; promise me, yes, that way, I'll always be with you."

One final kiss, and then she was dead. There wasn't a dry eye in the audience. To keep herself from crying just like Harry was up on stage, Lauren concentrated on the next part. They had all loved the way the camera rose above the cast, into the rafters, a peek of the audience, and out into the courtyard. Something else that was great in a movie, impossible on stage. So, like with the opening, they lowered the screen and did the footage, but with their actors inserted, complete with Malfoy walking dejectedly away. Harry started his voiceover when the camera pushed back into his room; the screen disappeared, showing him there.

"Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. And then, one not-so-very-special day, I went to my typewriter, I sat down, and I wrote our story. A story about a time, a story about a place, a story about the people. But above all things, a story about love. A love that will live forever. The end."

The curtains closed. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return"