Chapter 13
That afternoon, the Hogwarts Cheerleaders were outside practicing. Several students were watching from the windows of the castle, trying to catch a glimpse of their routines. Hermione and Ginny were taking turns flying and switching off on tumbling. Harry and Ron were learning how to tumble from Ginny and Hermione, while Katie practiced back handsprings. Harry and Ron were in the middle of a half with Ginny while Hermione front spotted, when Draco and his cronies sunddenly appeared. "Well, well, well, what have we here? Practicing a little cheerleading?" he asked. Ron and Harry threw Ginny up into the air, as she did a toe-touch, landing on the ground in front of Malfoy, hands on hips. "Yep! Got a problem with that?" she asked, glaring at him. "Nope! Just curious. Later, gators!" he shouted, ga-fawing like an idiot. Hermione ran across, doing a front handspring and then a cartwheel. "Good God, Hermione! Where have you and Ginny learned all this awesome gymnastics and stuff?" Ron exclaimed. "Well, Bill told me that he and Charlie had had some private instructions back at home, and so they taught us all of it. It's really not that hard. Here, I'll show you." she said, going back to where she was. Hermione took a running start, and did a round-off back handspring, and then a toe-touch in mid-air. "If you practice, it's easy." she said. "Want us to show you a full cradel, little bro?" Bill asked, as he and Charlie came over. Ron and Harry nodded. Bill and Charlie brought Hermione up to a half, and then she nodded for them to bring her up to a full cradel postion, Bill's and Charlie's arms as high up as they could go. "One, two, down up!" Charlie shouted. Hermione flew up into the air doing a toe-touch, as Bill and Charlie caught her. "See? No problem!" Hermione said, as Bill and Charlie let her down. Professor McGonnagal suddenly came outside. "Well, I see your practices are going well." she said. Everyone nodded. "Well, keep up the good work. Oh, and I hope that all the acts have been chosen and turned in to you all, because the Talent Show's tonight." she said, going back up towards the castle.
Later on that day during lunch, everyone clapped when the cheerleaders came into the great hall, still wearing their practice uniforms: gold satin tanktops, ruby-red skirts/pants and black jazz shoes, the girls hair up in black hair ribbons. When they came into the Hall, "Championships Double Teamed" began to play. Hermione, Ginny and Katie did cartwheels down each aisle between the four tables, as everyone clapped. Ron Harry and Fred did back-handsprings down the aisles after them. Everyone was clapping like mad as everyone made their way down the aisles. When the squad got up in front of the teachers, they built a full cradel, throwing Ginny up into the air. The Hall exploded with applause, everyone taking a bow, and returning to their seats. "Very nice entrance, Hogwarts Cheerleaders, thank you." Dumbledore said, as the Hall once again broke into applause. Everyone kept coming up to the squad members to talk or shake hands, or even ask for pointers. (Music still continuing.) They were all thrilled that they were attracting so much attention. The guys even had pictures that they wanted Katie, Ginny and Hermione to autograph, which they were startled by. Fred and George were handing out enchanted pom-poms for every person that came up to them. Every time you touched one, it would wiggle and scream 'Go Hogwarts Cheerleaders!'. Fred and George were very proud of this. Ron and Harry had been getting lots of attention by girls, and every time they heard their name, they would blush.
That night, everyone was busy getting ready for the Talent Show. The enchanted curtain on the stage had been set-up, and everyone was preparing. After everyone was in the Hall, Hagrid led the cheerleading squad back around to the Entrance Hall for their big entrance, as the Hamster Dance began to play. 'HOGWARTS ANNUAL TALENT SHOW' appeared above the enchanted curtain. An enchanted witch floated down to one side, and an enchated wizard down to the other. The students were filing into the hall, as everyone got settled into their seats. "Children, please be seated. The Talent Show is to begin in just moment." Professor McGonnagal said, going and sitting down in her seat next to Professor McGonnagal. Lights on the curtain appeared, and the regular lights dimmed. The stage lights were on, and another light was focused on the front doors. Then, 'Championships Double Teamed' beagan to play as the sqaud entered! The girls did front handsprings down the aisles, Fred, George, and Bill doing back handsprings behind them. Harry and Ron were carrying a large banner between a table, and Charlie stood behind them walking on the table, holding a gold wand. They were all in their ironed, clean uniforms, looking stunning. The girls had french braided their hair, and had put in gold hair ribbons and were wearing gold glitter in their hair and on their face. Once they were all up on the stage, Professor Flitwick floted their banner up underneath the Hogwarts banner. Bill and Charlie hoisted Ginny into a full cradel, while Katie and Hermione did back handsprings. Ginny flew up into the air! The hall exploded with applause, as they all did their finishing pose. They all began to strectch, beacuse you can't perform without strectching, or else you might pull a muscle. Everyone was practicing basic cheer moves, as well, just to get them down. All the boys on the squad went behind the curtain, but Ginny, Hermione and Katie went over to a microphone. They looked up at their banner, which said 'Hosted by the Hogwarts Cheerleading Captains: Katie Bell, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley'. "Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the first annual Hogwarts Talent Show! Tonight we will have a mix-up of acts from each house, including the cheersquad. So sit back and relax. Our first act is Hannah Abbot, who will be playing a song on her recorder. Take it away, Hannah!" Hermione said. Hannah went first, and then Ernie Macmillian, and then Justin Flinch-fletchy for Hufflepuff, then a Ravenclaw girl went next, and then came the cheersquad's act. After their "Blue" song act, the Hall exploded with applause. The squad went off, but the girls went back over to the microphone. Then, the two Ravenclaw acts and the three Slytherin acts went. Afterwards, while the curtains were still closed, the squad spread out around the stage so that they could applaud all the acts. Bill, Charlie, Ginny, and George were on one side of the stage, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Katie, and Fred were on the other side. The music began to play. As each act came out and bowed, everyone clapped. At the very end, after everyone had come out to bow and then gone out into the audience, the sqaud got ready. Ginny was in a half cradel, and Ginny and Hermione were ready. They did their beginning routine, the Hall clapping along with their every move. After they were done, the squad joined hands at the front of the stage, all bowing at once, then singles, then all at once again. Then, the curtains closed, as the music faded. Each couple on the squad began to make-out, knowing that they should all be proud of each-other. Then Dumbledore came over the loudspeaker. "Attention students. We have one last special treat. Boys, come on out please." he said. The boys left the stage, going out into the front row and sitting down. "Now. Our three cheerleaders," The girls changed into black leather pants and hot pink sequin, sleeveless tops and black jazz shoes, putting pink and black hair ribbons into their hair. "Our three cheerleaders have put together a dance for us to watch, so here we go." he said, going and sitting back down. The girls came out and got in place. Their dance was very enthusiastic, and the song was called "Drama Queen" by Lindsay Lohan, an American singer. After their dance was over, Ron came up and was gonna song for Hermione, with help from Harry, Ginny, and Katie, called "All for Love" by Stevie Brock, another American Singer. After he sang, Hermione sang a song for Ron called "What are you Waiting For" again by Lindsay Lohan.
The next morning, around 11:00, Hermione had told the boys that her stomach had been bothering her, so they told her to go to Madame Pomfrey, but she said no, so Hermione went for a walk instead. She got to the place where she had punched malfoy in third year, and then crouched to the ground, clutching her stomach. Ron and Harry were walking in the hallway near where Hermione was, saw her, and ran towards her. She was clutching her stomach in pain, crying. "Hermione, what's happened?" Ron asked. "It's my stomach! It hurts so much!" she said, groaning and falling all the way down to the ground. "Hermione, what can we do to help?" Harry asked, sitting behind her. "The nearest place is Hagrid's hut! Harry, run down there and tell him I'm bringing Hermione down! Go!" Ron exclaimed, as Harry took off running down the path towards Hagrid's hut. "Alright, Hermione, up you go." Ron said, trying to pull her up. "Ah! Oh Ron, I can't move, it hurts so badly. You'll have to carry me." Hermione said. Ron picked Hermione up, and carried her off towards Hagrid's. Hermione was still crying, clutching her stomach very frequently.