Summary: There's a Beauty Pageant, guess who's Hogwarts' candidate? Please read and review…thanks
Disclaimer: All together now - I don't own Harry Potter.
Author's Notes: I'm back with another Chapter... I want to hear from you guys and I'm pretty excited about this one!!! Thanks for those who reviewed... I wouldn't get to 100+ with out you guys... you're the best!!!
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CHAPTER 11
PRESSURE AND MORE EMBARASSMENT
"Settle down students." The seventh years flocked the living room of their cabin. Hermione and her friends, Harry and Ron, sat near the fireplace across Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode who are glaring daggers at them.
"Your special project for this competition is to create a detailed account of your experience here in Salem." The Headmistress said.
"You mean like a diary?" Lavender Brown asked.
"Yes, but this contains different information. I want all of you to interact with students from different schools. You will learn that each school has different specialties like Salem Institute for example. They specialize in muggle related activities and making muggle objects work in the magical world. You are also tasked to take pictures of your new friends. The person who submits their best work will be granted 50 points for their house." The students looked at each other excitedly.
Just then, they heard a loud crash outside the entrance to the living room. "Hermione, you did it!" Neville Longbottom said, exhausted from running.
"Mr. Longbottom, where have you been and what do you mean she did it?" Professor McGonagall asked the feeble Gryffindor.
"Sorry I'm late, I got lost." His classmates chuckled. "While I was finding my way, I saw a man posting the results of the exams. Hermione got 96 percent." Hermione's jaw dropped. She didn't expect her scores to be that high.
"Congratulations!" Harry gave Hermione a hug, Ron did too while all the other students except for the Slytherins gave their well wishes to their Head Girl.
"Where 'iz she? We 'ave to get 'er fitted fast!" Fleur Weasley entered the room, holding a box of donuts and mayonnaise with her.
"Are you sure you should be eating THAT?" Ron asked his pregnant sister-in-law who glared at him like a vulture targeting its prey.
"Are you calling me fat?" Ron's face blanched as Fleur sobbed only to be heard by Bill who's looking tired as hell.
"They're asking all the passers and all the school's delegates to go to the stadium near the woods in 30 minutes by the way." Neville awkwardly said in the middle of Fleur's cries.
"That's 15 minutes ago!" Harry said.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" The seventh years went out of the cabin and rushed towards the woods. There, students from almost 25 schools gathered.
"Miss Granger!" Hermione saw Amanda Spellman and her doll, waving at her.
"Hello Amanda, please just call me Hermione." Hermione said as she sits beside the American girl.
"Alright, I see you got top marks! Wow, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. We used to study your essays from Hogwarts for our Magical Analysis subject." Hermione was stunned. How did Amanda's school get a hold of her essays? "Professor McGonagall sends them out to various schools. You should write a book when you're done with school, it saved us a lot of library time." She said, making Hermione blush.
"May I ask all candidates to please come up the stage." Hermione and Amanda walked up to the stage.
"Tomorrow, all of you will be participating in a Charity event in a muggle Children's Hospital. The candidates will be drawing lots on their assignments for tomorrow. Please be informed that tomorrow's event as well as your preliminary grade is 25 of your overall grade." Salem's principal said. Just then, a top hat appeared in front of the stage.
"Contestants, please pick one and discuss it with your schoolmates." Each candidate picked one. Amanda and her classmates are going to be Nurse's assistants.
Hermione dipped her hand inside the hat and drew out a piece of paper which read, "Fairy tale hour - make your own story."
"What did you got?" Ron asked, Hermione gave him the piece of paper.
"This is awesome, but what are we going to tell them?" Zabini asked.
"And what the bloody hell is a ferret-tale?" Pansy Parkinson asked. Suddenly, a loud infectious laughter erupted from the students.
"Ask Malfoy, he'll know!" Seamus Finnegan said, laughing even more.
"Nice going Pansy!" Malfoy glared at the Slytherin.
"I can picture it now, 'The Tale of the Twitchy Little Ferret'!" Ron said.
"All those in favor of the 'Tale of the Twitchy Little Ferret' raise your right hand." Zabini said in the spirit of democracy. Everyone except Malfoy raised their hands.
That night, the seventh years planned their presentation for the story hour. "I don't want anything to do with it." Malfoy said indignantly.
"Come on Draco, you're our muse for this one, you can't not join!" Zabini said, while Crabbe and Goyle nodded behind him.
"I'll join your pathetic story hour when I see the day that Pansy learns to spell Slytherin right." Malfoy insisted.
"S-L-Y-T-H-E-R-I-N, honestly Draco you underestimate me." Pansy smirked at the blond Head Boy who turned his back on her. Pansy gave Zabini a thumbs up.
"So, how about it?" Zabini asked Malfoy.
"Fine but no human transfiguration or I'll kick your sorry arse." Draco said.
"Draco, it's a muggle hospital." The peculiar Slytherin replied.
The next day, the seventh years went to the Children's hospital with great anticipation. They set up their materials in the Visitor's lounge while Hermione, Malfoy , Ron, Harry and Zabini went to invite their audience in the ward.
"Hello! I'm Hermione and these are my classmates Harry, Ron, Blaise and Mal - I mean, Draco." Hermione said, feeling uneasy about calling Malfoy his first name. The children sat on their beds to take a closer look at their visitors.
"Lady, you talk funny." A boy of African-American descent said.
"That's because they're from England. My dad was born there and he talks the same way." A red haired, freckly faced girl said in a tone often used by Hermione when talking to Ron.
"Mister, you have pwetty eyes. My name is Jamie." A braided brown haired girl pulled Harry's pants. Harry knelt to the girl's level.
"Hello Jamie, I'm Harry. They said I got it from my mum." Harry said.
"Your mom must be rea'wy pwetty." The girl said.
"She was." Harry was surprised when the girl enveloped her in a tight hug.
Zabini was already in a conversation with a young boy while Ron is playing with the other kids, giving them piggy back rides.
"Lady, your boyfriend is bo'ed. My dad used to do that when my mom shops, he sits at the husband chair." A boy with blond hair and blue eyes pointed at Draco, making Hermione blush madly at the thought of her and Malfoy being an item.
"He's not my boyfriend." She told the boy.
"That's what my sister said when my mom caught him and Rolf making out." The boy answered back. Hermione ignored the biy's last statement when Ron arrived with a huge grin on his face.
"They're ready! Kids, come with me! We have a surprise for you." Ron said, the kids ran to him. Hermione and Harry smiled at how fatherly their friend has been acting. "He's showing signs of being a Weasley Dad!"Harry whispered, not to be over heard by Ron.
In the Visitor's lounge, the contestants are all busy attending to the children. The participants from Hogwarts has set up a small stage with a curtain that will be used for their presentation.
"Lady's and Gentlemen, Children of all ages, Welcome to Fairy Tale Hour!" The booming voice of Zacharias Smith said, making the children cheer.
"Our story for today is about respect and kindness to everyone. To play himself - I mean, the Prince, is Draco." Draco entered the stage wearing robes that could be mistaken as his father's. "The poor, pretty maid will be played by Hermione." Hermione appeared wearing peasant's clothing. "The wise wizard will be played by Harry." The audience cheered for Harry. "Vincent and Gregory will play the guards and lastly, Pansy and Pavarti will play the crazy witches. My dear audience, This is the 'Tale of the Twitchy Little Ferret'." The curtains opened revealing a large picture of a castle, almost the same as Hogwarts.
"Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away. There lived a young prince who has everything in the world. He has the authority to lead a kingdom, gold and all the beautiful ladies fawning over him." Draco crossed the stage, acting like the over bearing git that he is.
"He is considered as one of the most handsome Princes in the world but his character is the opposite of his looks." Hermione appeared, carrying a bucket.
"One day, the Prince and his guards saw a maid, cleaning the floor of the throne room." Draco kicked the bucket in Hermione's direction, soaking the poor girl's dress.
"The maid got angry and went to the wise wizard." Harry appeared, in a costume much like how Dumbledore was when he was alive.
"The wizard took pity at the maid and made a potion. This potion will transform the Prince in what animal he's most likely to be." Harry gave Hermione a vial and went out of the stage.
"The next day, the Prince is sitting on his throne." Draco sits on the throne lazily. Hermione walked up to him, carrying a glass of juice. "The maid decided that there is no better time to offer the Prince a drink than now so in order to fulfill her plan, she put a small drop of the potion inside the glass." Hermione offered the glass to Draco with a smirk in her face.
"The Prince drank the juice and just then, the Prince transformed into a ferret." Draco disappeared an a doll ferret appeared in his place.
"The maid laughed at the Prince's state and left."
"The kingdom was shaken pretty badly at the news of their Prince's disappearance. It even gave their nemesis a chance to break into the kingdom." Pansy and Pavarti appeared as the crazy witches that they are, destroying everything that passes by. Harry appeared and pointed a fake wand with a star at the end, at them but slipped when he stepped in the spilled water from the bucket.
"The maid saw how the kingdom needs the Prince, and looks for the ferret in the garden."
"My Lord, you have to stop them." Hermione told the ferret doll.
"Change me back." Draco answered from behind the props.
"My Lord, I can't. The potion will only wear off once you have exhibited respect and kindness towards other people." Hermione pleaded.
"Oh look, the maid is talking to a ferret." Pansy said.
"Let's rid the world of crazy non magical girls." Pavarti threw fake rocks at Hermione.
"The maid twitched in pain and the ferret saw how much pain the girl has been through, so he did the most unlikely thing. he jumped and took a rock straight to his chest."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Hermione yelled. Just then Harry appeared and chased the two girls off the stage.
"My Lord, please don't die." Hermione said. Some of the children in the audience are shedding tears from the scene.
"You did great young Prince." Harry said.
"Suddenly, a strong light engulfed the ferret and it transformed into the handsome Prince." Draco appeared once again, knocked out.
"The wizard put his hand on the Prince's forehead." Harry shot Zacharias a dirty look.
"The Prince awakened." Draco snapped up eager to get Harry's hands off his forehead.
"The Prince apologized to the maid and promised not to be an arrogant sod - I mean, a mean Prince again." Zacharias Smith said.
"WHY DIDN'T THEY KISS?" A kid said from the audience. Draco and Hermione blanched.
"YEAH, DOES THE MAID AND THE PRINCE LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER?" Another kid asked.
"Do you want them to live happily ever after?" Zabini asked the kids who answered a resounding 'YES'.
"KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS!" The crowd chanted, making Hermione blush out of embarassment. One kid, even went as far as to crying his eyes out.
"What do we do?" Hermione asked Malfoy who is as repulsed at the idea as her.
"KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS!"
"Hermione, do something." Ron said, as he tried to calm the crying kid.
"KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS!"
Hermione saw a man writing on a piece of paper and realized that they were being graded. So, being the competitive girl that she is, she mustered all the Gryffindor courage in her and gave Malfoy a once in a lifetime snog.
"Holy cow." A kid said.
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