Lady Apolla's Harry Chapter 7: Christmas, a harry potter fanfic

SCENE SIX

(A MINISTER of the Church of England appears DOWNSTAGE at a pulpit with his back to us. JAMES and LILY cross with TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY to join the rest of their somewhat extended family at the front of the congregation. UNCLE VERNON and AUNT PETUNIA are there with their son, young COUSIN DUDLEY. SIRIUS, REMUS, DUMBLEDORE, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL, and HAGRID sit with them. A large CHOIR SINGS. EVERYONE looks at TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY as they come in. THEY all have hymnals.)

#7 Christmas (Choir, James, Lily, Uncle Vernon, Cousin Dudley, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Sirius, Remus, Hagrid,Minister, Narrator, Carolers)

CHOIR, UNCLE VERNON, AUNT PETUNIA, COUSIN DUDLEY, DUMBLEDORE, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL, SIRIUS, REMUS, HAGRID, MINISTER

AHHHHH…

(Continues under)

JAMES

DID YOU EVER SEE THE FACES OF THE CHILDREN?

THEY GET SO EXCITED,

WAKING UP ON CHRISTMAS MORNING

HOURS BEFORE THE WINTER SUN'S IGNITED.

JAMES, LILY

THEY BELIEVE IN DREAMS AND ALL THEY MEAN,

INCLUDING HEAVEN'S GENEROSITY.

PEEPIN' ROUND THE DOOR

TO SEE WHAT PARCELS ARE IN STORE,

IN CURIOSITY.

AND HARRY DOESN'T KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS.

HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO JESUS WAS OR WHAT PRAYING IS.

JAMES, LILY, UNCLE VERNON, AUNT PETUNIA, SIRIUS, REMUS, HAGRID, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL, DUMBLEDORE, COUSIN DUDLEY

HOW CAN HE BE SAVED

FROM THE ETERNAL GRAVE?

CHOIR

AHHHHH…

(Continues under.)

(Each member of the family passes by the MINISTER and the CHOIR for the processional handshaking after church. THEY cross to a large family dining table with chairs for all – Christmas dinner at the DURSLEYS with a large goose – a generally splendid table. The POTTERS are joined at the table by REMUS and SIRIUS, UNCLE VERNON, AUNT PETUNIA, and COUSIN DUDLEY. There is a space for TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY by his mother. DUMBLEDORE and PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL stand with LILY and JAMES at the table.)

UNCLE ERNIE, COUSIN DUDLEY, AUNT PETUNIA, SIRIUS, AND REMUS

AHHHHH…

(Continues under.

LILY leads TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY to a spot on the floor. HE sits and begins to rock backwards and forwards. AUNT PETUNIA walks over to her nephew and places down a large unopened present.)

JAMES

SURROUNDED BY US ALL, HE SITS SO SILENTLY

AND UNAWARE OF ANYTHING.

PLAYING DUMB, HE CRIES, HE SMILES,

HE PICKS HIS NOSE, HE POKES HIS TOUNGUE AT EVERYTHING.

(COUSIN DUDLEY crosses to TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY, kneels down, and puts his hands on the box. TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY continues to rock. COUSIN DUDLEY unwraps the present and removes its contents. It's the latest broomstick, the Nimbus 2000. TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY doesn't seem to see it.)

UNCLE ERNIE, COUSIN DUDLEY, AUNT PETUNIA, SIRIUS, AND REMUS

AHHHHH…

(Continues under.)

DUMBLEDORE

(To the Potters)

I BELIEVE IN LOVE,

BUT HOW CAN MEN WHO'VE NEVER SEEN

LIGHT BEEN ENLIGHTENED.

DUMBLEDORE, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL

ONLY IF HE'S CURED

WITH HIS SPIRIT'S FUTURE LEVEL EVER HEIGHTEN.

(After a moment, COUSIN DUDLEY picks it up and begins sweeping the floor with it. JAMES is disappointed, not surprised.)

JAMES, LILY

AND HARRY DOESN'T KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS.

JAMES, LILY, DUMBLEDORE, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL

HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO JESUS WAS OR WHAT PRAYING IS.

ALL

HOW CAN HE BE SAVED

FROM THE ETERNAL GRAVE?

(The CHORUS finally files out. UNCLE VERNON plays the French horn to amuse the family. COUSIN DUDLEY puts the broom back in the box and brings it over to his chair at the table. COUSIN DUDLEY sits down. Suddenly, TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY rises and turns to face UNCLE VERNON. HE seems to respond to the sound of the music. JAMES stands in amazement. HE crosses to TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY who is staring into space. JAMES grabs his son by the shoulders.)

JAMES

HARRY CAN YOU HEAR ME?

(Desperately)

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

(There is no response from TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY. JAMES gives up. HE guides TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY to his place at the table where LILY feeds him.)

ALL

HOW CAN HE BE SAVED?

(The table dims as TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY starts to glow. The NARRATOR enters from STAGE RIGHT. No one at the table sees him. They just go on eating.)

NARRATOR

SEE ME, FEEL ME,

TOUCH ME, HEAL ME.

(The NARRATOR has a similar glow to TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY'S. HE walks around the table. He touches TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY, who gets to his feet. The NARRATOR leads him a few steps away from the table.)

SEE ME, FEEL ME,

TOUCH ME, HEAL ME.

(The NARRATOR exits backwards DOWNSTAGE LEFT as JAMES, noticing that TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY has moved on his own, crosses once again to him and takes his shoulders.)

JAMES

HARRY CAN YOU HEAR ME?

(Getting aggravated)

HARRY CAN YOU HEAR ME?

(Desperately trying to reach him, roughly shaking his son on each "can you")

CAN YOU?

(LILY stands and crosses to her husband and TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY.)

JAMES, LILY

CAN YOU…

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

(LILY pulls JAMES away from their son.)

ALL

HOW CAN HE BE SAVED?

JAMES, LILY, UNCLE VERNON, AUNT PETUNIA, SIRIUS, REMUS, COUSIN DUDLEY, DUMBLEDORE, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL

AHHHHH…

(Dinner is over. DUMBLEDORE and PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL extend their best wishes, say goodnight and leave.

UNCLE VERNON eagerly pours himself a pint of beer. CAROLERS appear at the door. THEY are the members of the CHORUS.)

JAMES, LILY, UNCLE VERNON, AUNT PETUNIA, SIRIUS, REMUS, COUSIN DUDLEY, DUMBLEDORE, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL, CAROLERS

AHHHHH…

(The table floats off. UNCLE VERNON and AUNT PETUNIA dance. LITTLE CHILDREN run in and skip around TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY. JAMES offers LILY his hand. SHE hesitates and then accepts. The POTTERS forget their troubles and dance with exuberance.

COUSIN DUDLEY skips around the LITTLE CHILDREN, going in the opposite direction they go. HE grins.)

CAROLERS

DID YOU EVER SEE THE FACES OF THE CHILDREN?

THEY GET SO EXCITED,

WAKING UP ON CHRISTMAS MORNING

HOURS BEFORE THE WINTER SUN'S IGNITED.

THEY BELIEVE IN DREAMS AND ALL THE MEAN,

INCLUDING HEAVEN'S GENEROSITY.

PEEPING 'ROUND THE DOOR

TO SEE WHAT PARCELS ARE IN STORE,

IN CURIOSITY.

(EVERYONE stops dancing and surrounds the LITTLE CHILDREN and TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY. The LITTLE CHILDREN form a circle of clasped hands around him.)

ALL

AND HARRY DOESN'T KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS.

HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO JESUS WAS OR WHAT PRAYING IS.

HOW CAN HE BE SAVED

FROM THE ETERNAL GRAVE?

(COUSIN DUDLEY lifts TEN-YEAR-OLD HARRY over his shoulder. EVERYONE exits except for UNCLE VERNON.)

END OF SCENE SIX