Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything and everyone within the HP books. Britney belongs to B.S.
Author's Note: *announcer's voice* And here we are, ladies, gentlemen, and toast… the second part of Nori's Official HP Song-fics, starring: Hermione Granger as lead singer; Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Cho Chang, and Padma Patil, as Hermione's dancers; and the Nori of the Universe as their writer…
Snape's Halloween Treat :
Harry looked in amazement at the bright-red barn owl that just flew in through the window of his dormitory, squawking hoarsely at him. It cleared its throat, then twisted its head nervously.
"Take it, Harry," it said, unhooked a letter, and flew off rapidly. Harry sat down on his bed for a moment. He'd never seen a talking owl before. The piece of parchment the owl dropped off caught Harry's eye, and he picked it up, still frowning slightly.
Dear
Harry,
Congratulations!!!
I hear you and the rest have formed a singing group!!! I've always suggested to Dumbledore
that we needed some kind of entertainment within the school. In fact, your father, Sirius, and
myself nearly started one once… but that's off the subject. Harry, if this isn't too big of a
favor, could you sing a song dedicated to Snape for me? Yes, I know we've never been the best
of friends, more like enemies, but I'd like to anyway. I've got a friend of mine composing a
song, so if you could use it, it would be gratefully acknowledged. I will be enclosing it in this letter as
soon as she finishes, so keep on looking it here, you'll find it in about two
days or so. I hear the Halloween
feast is coming up- that would be a good time, would it not?
Your friend,
Remus Lupin
Ron's head appeared from the wall of his curtains. "What's up, Harry?" Harry gave a low chuckle.
"Lupin wrote," he said. Ron yawned and stretched, getting out of his bed.
"What'd he want?"
Harry was still holding the letter, reading it again. It had been the first letter he'd even gotten from Professor Lupin at school- and with such an odd request! "He wants us to sing a song for- for Snape."
Ron nearly levitated. "What? A song dedicated to Snape? Us, singing it? Lupin hates Snape!"
Harry, confused as well, slowly shook his head. "Reckon it'll be a hate song or something like that."
"Yeah," Ron said, taking the letter from Harry and reading it. "Reckon so."
* * * * *
"NO!" Draco Malfoy's face was bright red, his eyes popping out like ping-pong balls. "Professor Snape'll tell my dad!"
"Yes! We don't have any other choice!!!," Hermione countered, bringing her hands to her hips. "We are, after all, the Hogwarts Chorale Chrysanthemums!"
Draco choked. "The- excuse me, Grangr, but the WHATS???"
Hermione looked around at her dancers, all staring at her in disbelief. "That's what I named ourselves. The Hogwarts Chorale Chrysanthemums!!!"
Ron very tactfully came over to Hermione and put an arm around her. "Hermione, I believe there's a nice room for you at the Happy Home around the corner."
Hermione impatiently shrugged his grip off. "Yes- see, we are students here at Hogwarts, we are a singing group, and we- well, I like chrysanthemums."
Lavender looked hurt. "Lavender's also a flower."
Harry tried to reason with Hermione. "Look, Hermione, that name is not exactly MTV material."
He got one angry look, six blank stares, and two nods of recognition. "Harry, that's the very thing I wanted in the first place!!! We're not like everyone else- we're different! That's why I came up with that name."
Hermione then sighed. "All right, if you hate it so much, I'll try to change it. I thought it would be a good name."
Everyone shrugged. Harry coughed lightly and said, "So… we all agree to put on Lupin's song?"
As Draco opened his mouth to protest, there came a resonating, "Yes!!!" from the others. Hermione blew on her whistle, and the meeting was over.
Draco put his face in his hands and muttered, "Well, it's probably a better idea than the songs Potter made up."
* * * * *
The next day- the day before Halloween- Harry checked the letter from Lupin and saw, to his surprise, an added parcel marked: HOGWARTS SINGING GROUP.
"It's the song!!!" Harry exclaimed, then hurried away to show Hermione and the rest.
* * * * *
Live bats the size of cats flew from wall to wall. The students sat below, admiring the huge pumpkins, courtesy of Hagrid, glow with magical light and reflect orange shadows on the walls and enchanted ceiling- a clear, starry night.
Dumbledore stood up, smiling, and the high-spirited talking and laughing below died out. "Happy Halloween to all!!!" he pronounced, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. "I am proud to say that some of our fellow Hogwarts students have formed our very own, very talented, very ready singing group. We will have the privilege of viewing these gifted youngsters in a song before we commence to eating. Enjoy!"
Dumbledore resumed his seat, and the teachers' table rose up magically until it was hanging about ten feet above the other House tables. The professors were sitting in midair, their chairs tilted slightly as to view the stage that was opening up from behind the spot where their table had once rested.
The stage, a dark blue and scattered with silver sparkles, was empty except for a lone figure, silhouetted in the bright, magical light and wearing a dark blue trench-coat with big, silver stars sewn into the button-holes.
A magically altered voice resounded throughout the Hall.
"The song we will sing is a very special song. It is dedicated to a certain Professor at this school. We will reveal the identity of the Professor after our song. Thank you."
Before the students and the teachers could puzzle out who the singers were talking about, a soft blue light filled the light, immediately giving the aura of romance in the air. People settled back into their seats to enjoy the song.
The pop music started out, and ten figures on the stage began to be visible as human beings in (boys) baggy blue pants and silver tops and (girls) blue skirts with silvery tank tops.
Hermione, lead singer, was dressed in a blue jean/ silver starred outfit.
Everyone's head began to bob with the slow music. Some of the students below took girl/boy-friend's arms and led them out to dance in the middle of the room.
You're
sitting there alone now in your room,
And thinkin'
'bout the times that you've been through, (oh my god)
I'm
seein' an image up in my head,
Blockin'
out the figure of you dead.
I
really want to know what you've been through,
Even
though I am not that shrewd.
If
only you were there tonight,
I
know that I could make it ri-ight.
Since it sounded very sappy, McGonagall was sniffing already, and Professor Trelawney was dabbing at her eyes, murmuring, "I predicted- I predicted…"
I
don't know how to live within your mind,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
'Cause
I'm the only one within your head,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
Always
and forever you hate me,
That's
the way life had to be.
I
don't know how to live within your mind,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
For a while, the music continued on it's own, and the majority of the people in the Hall were trying to keep from sobbing. No one had any idea who the song was dedicated to, but it was so sad!
I know
you've been so sad since I've been gone,
You'd
better face it and be done, (oh my god).
'Cause
livin' in a nightmare of your mind,
It's
not the way I should be kind.
I
don't wanna give a damn for you,
But forgive
me if I do-o.
If
only I was there tonight,
I know
that I could make it ri-ight…
During the chorus, all faces were turned to the singers, tears streamin' down their faces, feeling the pain of the one singing.
I
don't know how to live within your mind,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
'Cause
I'm the only one within your head,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
Always
and forever you hate me,
That's
the way life had to be.
I
don't know how to live within your mind,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
You'd
do anything,
You'd
give up your life,
You'd
stay forever,
In place
of a knife.
Just
call out my name-
I'll
try to be there,
Just
to show you how much you'd care.
"Wahhh!!!!" cried every person in the audience, bawling like babies. It was so heartbreaking!
I
don't know how to live within your mind,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
'Cause
I'm the only one within your head,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
Always
and forever you hate me,
That's
the way life had to be.
I
don't know how to live within your mind,
I
was born to drive you crazy.
I
was born to drive you crazy…
With a final chord, the song ended. There wasn't a dry eye in the place; even the portraits who were listening were crying. After a moment filled with the mopping up of eyes, a thunderstorm of applause started with a roar, getting louder with every moment passing. All the pupils and professors rose to their feet, tears still streaming down their faces and their voices almost choked up: they could still cheer as loudly as they wanted to, and they did.
* * * * *
After about five minutes of steady whistles, clapping and standing ovations, Hermione, grinning so hard her face was almost split in half, finally put her hand up to silence their fans. Harry and the rest of the dancers came up next to Hermione and gave a big group bow, which caused the cheers to become louder.
Hermione and her dancers, beaming, faded away into the blue mist swirling up, waving like maniacs.
A trench-coated figure stepped up.
"Thank you for listening- and now, for the dedication of this song…"
The Hall became silent, waiting on the edge of their seats for the news.
"From Remus Lupin to Severus Snape."