Chapter 3: Drama Education
When dinner came, Dumbledore rose and made an announcement: "Students! It is such a pleasure to announce to you that we are about to meet England's standards for drama education!"
The students stared at each other. Harry could see from his seat that Snape didn't look to thrilled. He rolled his eyes, and propped his elbow up on the staff table.
"To elaborate, a worker from the Ministry of Magic has joined us, and will aid us in this endeavor." He said. His hand stretched towards the large doors at the other end of the hall, and a tall, slender woman entered. She had long blonde hair and what looked like, yellow eyes.
"This is Ms. Landor. She will explain everything to you." Harry was so confused. "Well students, as Professor Dumbledore said, I am Ms. Landor, and I will be helping you put on a play." A hand shot in the air. "Yes?" she asked.
"Why exactly are we putting on a play?" Hermione asked. "The play is for Ministry's test purposes. The department that deals with education seems to believe it is necessary for you all to be well versed in the arts, and what better way to do this, than to immerse you in a play." She said airily.
"Ok—but, what play are we doing?" she asked. Hermione seemed extremely interested. "Well, since this is the England, there is quite a selection. Christopher Marlowe, Chaucer— "Shakespeare!" Hermione squealed.
"Yes... your Head of House will explain all." She said, smiling. "Yes.." Hermione smirked. "This will be so wonderful!" she said to Harry.
Ron looked oddly at Hermione. "Shakespeare? What, do you want to do 'Romeo and Juliet'?" he asked, taunting her. She smiled and shook her head. "There is a lot more than 'Romeo and Juliet'. There's—"
Ms. Landor cut her off again as she answered more questions. "I would like everyone to return their houses as soon as possible, and your Head of House shall explain the rest."
The students stood up and made their way back to their Common Rooms. Harry sighed and walked alongside Ginny and Ron; Hermione, who walked behind them, looked very happy. "Hermione," Ron asked. "What's up with you? Who cares about a stupid play?" he asked. "Oh Ron, plays are magnificent! Especially Shakespeare. I hope we get to do Julius Caesar!" she exclaimed. Ron rolled his eyes and continued to walk by her.
"What do you want to do?" Harry asked Ginny. "Um...I think I like Soren Vandlebuck's 'A Wizard in Time'," she said. "I haven't heard of that," Harry laughed. -- When they arrived back in the Common Room, Professor McGonagall was waiting for them. She, as usual didn't seem happy. She had a brown book in her left hand, and a quill in her right.
"Quiet everyone," she said as the students piled in. "Quiet. This play shouldn't last that long." She said with a bit of relief.
After the students had settled, she began. "As Ms. Landor said, this is solely for test purposes; the Ministry seems to think this is necessary, and thusly, we have to do it." She dropped the giant book on a table. "So then, let me explain to you all how important this is—"she cleared her throat.
"The production of this play means that you'll have an extra hour of schooling each day now," she stopped waiting for the groans—they were very loud. Ginny giggled at all the noise, and Seamus and Dean acted like they were dying. "Now now, it's not...that bad." Professor McGonagall said. Harry noticed how much she was trying to convince herself as much as she was everyone else.
"So...first thing's first.." she said, pulling a scroll from her robes. The scroll was long, but McGonagall scanned it quickly. "Though classes will be longer each day, the production of the play, as well as your conduct in it, will grant you a 'pass' on any one of your final exams...which I would hope would NOT be Transfiguration. Of course, Ms. Landor must sign for you, saying that you have done what is expected of you during the play.."
All of the students' faces lit up, but Harry noticed that Hermione seemed confused. "Wait a minute.." she put her hand up. "Yes Ms. Granger..?" McGonagall said.
"If we're passing the class already, is it possible to just, you know, use Drama as another credit towards graduation?" Hermione asked earnestly. Professor McGonagall's face twitched a bit, which Harry could tell was the beginning of a smile.
"Ms. Granger, isn't there any class you would like to use a waiver for?" she asked, knowing the answer. "Well, not really. I mean I—" "Ms. Granger, we'll discuss this later. Moving on.." Professor McGonagall took off her glasses.
"Tomorrow night, there will be a drawing for the parts within each play. It is completely random, and you cannot get out of the play." She added, staring at Neville Longbottom. "Also, the parts are SO random, that it is a great possibility that students from other houses will be working in the same play as you all." She said. Harry sighed—what if Draco got put into his play?
"So, here are the optional plays...these are random as well." "What?" Hermione yelled. "But, that's not—" "Ms. Granger, I didn't make the rules, so I cannot change them." Professor McGonagall said. She sounded tired of answering questions, so Hermione put her hand down. "The plays are..." McGonagall went down a very long list, and none of the plays interested Harry. He had heard of 'Antigone' and 'The Clouds', but he wasn't too excited.
"So, it will be chosen tomorrow. There will be four plays, and each student will be assigned to one. Good night everyone, see you tomorrow."
The students stayed up very late talking about the possible plays they would be performing in. "You know? 'That Oedipus Rex' play sounds awesome!" "Yeah, but what about 'The Seven Gates of Thebes'? That's a masterpiece!"
It sounded odd to Harry that the kids were interested in it, so he looked at the sheet that McGonagall left pinned up in the Common Room—none of the plays looked promising. He turned back and sat by the fireplace. Hermione was sitting across from him, she looked in deep thought.
"What play do you want?" Harry asked her. She didn't answer immediately. "Hermione?" he snapped his fingers. "Oh. What? What play? Oh, I would really like to do 'Electra'. That's a magnificent play. I want to go to the library and—"
"Hermione, you don't even know what play it is yet. There's a good chance it won't be that, you know?" he said realistically. "Yeah, I know. But nonetheless..."
When dinner came, Dumbledore rose and made an announcement: "Students! It is such a pleasure to announce to you that we are about to meet England's standards for drama education!"
The students stared at each other. Harry could see from his seat that Snape didn't look to thrilled. He rolled his eyes, and propped his elbow up on the staff table.
"To elaborate, a worker from the Ministry of Magic has joined us, and will aid us in this endeavor." He said. His hand stretched towards the large doors at the other end of the hall, and a tall, slender woman entered. She had long blonde hair and what looked like, yellow eyes.
"This is Ms. Landor. She will explain everything to you." Harry was so confused. "Well students, as Professor Dumbledore said, I am Ms. Landor, and I will be helping you put on a play." A hand shot in the air. "Yes?" she asked.
"Why exactly are we putting on a play?" Hermione asked. "The play is for Ministry's test purposes. The department that deals with education seems to believe it is necessary for you all to be well versed in the arts, and what better way to do this, than to immerse you in a play." She said airily.
"Ok—but, what play are we doing?" she asked. Hermione seemed extremely interested. "Well, since this is the England, there is quite a selection. Christopher Marlowe, Chaucer— "Shakespeare!" Hermione squealed.
"Yes... your Head of House will explain all." She said, smiling. "Yes.." Hermione smirked. "This will be so wonderful!" she said to Harry.
Ron looked oddly at Hermione. "Shakespeare? What, do you want to do 'Romeo and Juliet'?" he asked, taunting her. She smiled and shook her head. "There is a lot more than 'Romeo and Juliet'. There's—"
Ms. Landor cut her off again as she answered more questions. "I would like everyone to return their houses as soon as possible, and your Head of House shall explain the rest."
The students stood up and made their way back to their Common Rooms. Harry sighed and walked alongside Ginny and Ron; Hermione, who walked behind them, looked very happy. "Hermione," Ron asked. "What's up with you? Who cares about a stupid play?" he asked. "Oh Ron, plays are magnificent! Especially Shakespeare. I hope we get to do Julius Caesar!" she exclaimed. Ron rolled his eyes and continued to walk by her.
"What do you want to do?" Harry asked Ginny. "Um...I think I like Soren Vandlebuck's 'A Wizard in Time'," she said. "I haven't heard of that," Harry laughed. -- When they arrived back in the Common Room, Professor McGonagall was waiting for them. She, as usual didn't seem happy. She had a brown book in her left hand, and a quill in her right.
"Quiet everyone," she said as the students piled in. "Quiet. This play shouldn't last that long." She said with a bit of relief.
After the students had settled, she began. "As Ms. Landor said, this is solely for test purposes; the Ministry seems to think this is necessary, and thusly, we have to do it." She dropped the giant book on a table. "So then, let me explain to you all how important this is—"she cleared her throat.
"The production of this play means that you'll have an extra hour of schooling each day now," she stopped waiting for the groans—they were very loud. Ginny giggled at all the noise, and Seamus and Dean acted like they were dying. "Now now, it's not...that bad." Professor McGonagall said. Harry noticed how much she was trying to convince herself as much as she was everyone else.
"So...first thing's first.." she said, pulling a scroll from her robes. The scroll was long, but McGonagall scanned it quickly. "Though classes will be longer each day, the production of the play, as well as your conduct in it, will grant you a 'pass' on any one of your final exams...which I would hope would NOT be Transfiguration. Of course, Ms. Landor must sign for you, saying that you have done what is expected of you during the play.."
All of the students' faces lit up, but Harry noticed that Hermione seemed confused. "Wait a minute.." she put her hand up. "Yes Ms. Granger..?" McGonagall said.
"If we're passing the class already, is it possible to just, you know, use Drama as another credit towards graduation?" Hermione asked earnestly. Professor McGonagall's face twitched a bit, which Harry could tell was the beginning of a smile.
"Ms. Granger, isn't there any class you would like to use a waiver for?" she asked, knowing the answer. "Well, not really. I mean I—" "Ms. Granger, we'll discuss this later. Moving on.." Professor McGonagall took off her glasses.
"Tomorrow night, there will be a drawing for the parts within each play. It is completely random, and you cannot get out of the play." She added, staring at Neville Longbottom. "Also, the parts are SO random, that it is a great possibility that students from other houses will be working in the same play as you all." She said. Harry sighed—what if Draco got put into his play?
"So, here are the optional plays...these are random as well." "What?" Hermione yelled. "But, that's not—" "Ms. Granger, I didn't make the rules, so I cannot change them." Professor McGonagall said. She sounded tired of answering questions, so Hermione put her hand down. "The plays are..." McGonagall went down a very long list, and none of the plays interested Harry. He had heard of 'Antigone' and 'The Clouds', but he wasn't too excited.
"So, it will be chosen tomorrow. There will be four plays, and each student will be assigned to one. Good night everyone, see you tomorrow."
The students stayed up very late talking about the possible plays they would be performing in. "You know? 'That Oedipus Rex' play sounds awesome!" "Yeah, but what about 'The Seven Gates of Thebes'? That's a masterpiece!"
It sounded odd to Harry that the kids were interested in it, so he looked at the sheet that McGonagall left pinned up in the Common Room—none of the plays looked promising. He turned back and sat by the fireplace. Hermione was sitting across from him, she looked in deep thought.
"What play do you want?" Harry asked her. She didn't answer immediately. "Hermione?" he snapped his fingers. "Oh. What? What play? Oh, I would really like to do 'Electra'. That's a magnificent play. I want to go to the library and—"
"Hermione, you don't even know what play it is yet. There's a good chance it won't be that, you know?" he said realistically. "Yeah, I know. But nonetheless..."