1 Part 3: The Journey Of Nine Days

A week passed rather uneventfully and everything seemed to be the same at Hogwarts as it always had been, with a few notable exceptions including the increased difficulty in the care of magical creatures class, and the fact that Ron and Hermione seemed to constantly be getting into arguments over little insignificant things. Snape was even crueller in class and after the pimple incident Draco Malfoy was back to his old malicious self. Just as things seemed to be back to normal an announcement was made. The auditions for the school play were to commence in three days time. This offcourse had the school in an uproar of excitement.

"What is the play about anyway?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table over breakfast.

"I thought you knew!" Ron told Harry.

"Don't be silly Ron, I only knew about it because I had been studying the creative arts of wizards and witches over the holidays." Hermione informed Ron.

"Well The Journey of Nine Days is a play about a young wizard who falls in love with a muggle girl, but trolls who had a grudge against his family, kidnap her and he is forced to go on a journey that lasts 9 days to save her. That's where the name comes from obviously!" Ron said with smile as Harry listened to him with great interest.

"But there is more to it than that." Hermione said turning to face Harry. "The wizard reaches the mountain where the girl was being held captive and is forced to explain to her that he is a wizard. Instead of hating him, as he feared she would when she found out, the girl assures the wizard that she still loves him. Then she sacrifices herself to save him." Hermione said the last words in a soft, tender voice.

"It sounds so sad." Harry commented.

"Yeah most of the old wizard plays end tragically." Ron explained with a shrug. They got up and as they began walking up to the Gryffindor tower they over heard Malfoy talking to a couple of Slytherin girls with Crabbe and Goyle at his side.

"Father says if I don't get the lead he will have to send an owl complaining to the school." Malfoy Boasted.

"Malfoy I doubt you could act your way out of a paper bag!" Ron retorted unable to keep his opinion to himself.

Then they heard a voice from behind them. "On the contrary Mr Weasley, Mr Malfoy here is quite an accomplished actor." Snape informed Ron with a scowl. "Perhaps you could ask him for a few tips so that your next excuse for not doing your homework will be half way believable." Snape smiled cruelly while the other Slytherin's laughed and Ron turned bright red.

"Don't worry Ron." Hermione said trying to comfort Ron as they kept walking up to the tower to get their books

"He's probably a terrible actor and Snape just said that to get to you." Harry assured him.

"Oh I'm not worried, Malfoy could never get the lead in the play, and I know he's a terrible actor. He can't even manage to act human most of the time." Ron said forcing a smile but the embarrassment Snape's comments had caused him was still clear on Ron's face.

"Anyway off to divination Harry, do you think Professor Trelaway will be disappointed you haven't croaked it yet?" Ron asked Harry, obviously trying to change the subject.

Outside the Great Hall Ron and Hermione put their names up for an audition time as Harry watched silently.

"You know you should audition too Harry." Hermione urged him.

"But I haven't acted before." Harry explained

"That doesn't matter neither have Hermione and I." Ron told him.

"Actual I have, I was in a play at my old Muggle School once." Hermione added quietly.

"You never told me that!" Ron said slightly offended.

"Well it was probably very different than this sort of play, and it seems so long ago I just forgot about it I guess. Anyway Harry I'll put a time down for you." Hermione said as she grabbed the quill that was floating in the air next to the sheet, and wrote Harry's name next to the time after hers.

"You know if you get in Potter, it won't be due to talent. It will be because you're famous and your name will bring more people in to watch the production." Malfoy sneered as he walked up to the audition sheet with Crabbe and Goyle, as always, at his side.

"You know Malfoy." Ron said angrily, "If you get in it won't be due to talent. It will be because your father would keep complaining if you didn't." Ron said with a smile pleased to get the better of Malfoy.

"Hey Draco that's kind of like what you said to Potter!" Crabbe said as he and Goyle laughed.

"I know that you halfwit!" Malfoy said angrily. He wrote his name down on the list then began to walk away and purposefully bumped into Harry.

"You don't stand a chance Potter." He said quietly to Harry as he narrowed his eyes.

Once he had left Ron saw the angry look on Harry's face then said. "Some people will do anything for a bit of personal contact!" This offcourse had the three of them in stitches.

The next day passed extraordinarily quickly, much too quickly for Harry's comfort. He had butterflies in his stomach all day and now as he waited his turn to walk on stage and read out some lines they were almost unbearable. "What is wrong with you!" Harry thought to himself. "You have faced a lot of scarier things than this, trolls, fluffy and not too mention Voldemort! Why on earth are you so nervous? It doesn't make sense. It's is just a few short lines and in a couple of minutes it will all be over." Harry thought trying to reassure himself. Hermione walked on to the stage. He was next! He stood listening to Hermione read out her lines. "She's really good!" Harry noticed as she finished and walked off stage.

"Next!" A deep voice shouted. Harry walked on his knees shaking. He looked out from the stage and saw nothing but darkness in the audience and light that was far too bright shining in his eyes. His throat was dry as he tried to swallow.

"Hurry up Potter I haven't got all day to watch you stand there!"

"The voice." Harry thought. "It's Snape, he's the director!"

Harry read out the lines he was told, not wanting to be yelled at for a second time, then walked off stage. He found Ron and Hermione waiting for him. Harry felt that a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders now the audition was over and he happily walked off to the Gryffindor common room as the three of them wondered why on earth Snape was directing.

The next day was full of talk on the play and not much else and at dinner Dumbledore announced that a cast list would be put up in each common room for the students.

There was a huge crowd around Gryffindor's cast list and it was impossible to see, but the lucky few who could actually see the list shouted out the cast.

"That prat Draco Malfoy got Rivenal, the male lead." One of the elder students said disappointedly

"Hey Ron" Another student yelled out, "You got Jax!" Ron seemed very happy with this news but Harry had no idea who Jax was.

"Hermione, you got Flurinda! The female lead!" A voice shouted. Hermione went pale and looked stunned. The rest of the cast was read out and Harry was quite happy to find that his name was not among them.

"Bloody Snape!" Ron cursed. "If it wasn't for him you would have gotten in for sure."

Harry wasn't quite as certain about his acting abilities as Ron seemed to be, and he doubted he would have got in no matter who the director was.

"Don't worry Harry, you can work backstage so we'll still get to spend heaps of time with you!" Ron said cheerfully. This idea appealed to Harry a lot more than acting did and he smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Anyway who is Jax?" Harry asked Ron changing the subject slightly.

"He's Rivenal's best friend. I'm going to have a hell of a time pretending I actually like Malfoy!" Ron said half jokingly, obviously thrilled with the role.

"At least you don't have to pretend you're in love with him!" Hermione protested.

"That's not the worst part, you'll have to kiss him too!" Ron said as he and Harry laughed hysterically and Hermione covered her head with her hands in embarrassment and disgust.