Chapter Three: Scene 1: Rehearsals
The audience was nervously talking, until the lights dimmed. The curtain came up, and the scene was set.
Cho Chang as Carlotta sang in front of the backdrop. "Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye. Remember me, once in a while.. Please promise me you'll try. When you find that, once again, you long to take your heart..." She trailed off as the background crashed down, seperating her and the cast.
"He's here: The Phantom of the Opera," the chorus girls, including Ginny and Hermione, sang, taunting their cruel diva.
"Morons!" Seamus yelled, running to her side. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
Millicent Bulstrode, one of the lead chorus girls, said, not really concerned for her, "Signora! Are you alright? Buquet..! Where is Buquet!"
"Is no one concered for our prima donna?" Seamus hissed.
Millicent, ignoring him, grumbled, "Get that man down here! Chief of the flies," she turned to Andre and Firmin - Ronald and Blaise. "He's responsible for this."
They raised the background high enough for the stagehand, Buquet - Colin - to be seen, gripping the rope.
"What is the meaning of this?" Millicent spat. "What's going on?"
Colin looked frightened. "Madame, don't blame me! It's not my fault! I was not at my post. Please madame, there's no one there, and if there is...well, then, it must be a ghost."
Hermione looked up. "He's there, the Phantom of the Opera..."
Ron, seeming a little nervous, grumbled, "Good heavens! Will you show a little courtesy?"
Blaise grumbled towards the chorus girls. "Mademoiselles, please!"
Ron smiled sweetly to Cho. "These things do happen."
Cho Chang looked utterly angered, as if she could kill Ron. She was known for being a drama queen. "Si, these things do happen! Until you stop these things from happening, this thing does not happen! Ubaldo! Andiamo!"
Seamus went to retrieve her clothes from the side of the stage. He then passed them, spitting, "Amateurs!" The couple stalked off, leaving a confused looking group left.
"La Carlotta will be back, I am sure," Blaise says, keeping his cool.
"You think so, messieurs? I have a message, sir, from the Opera Ghost," Lavendar said, handing them an envelope.
The chorus girls cried and looked extremely scared.
Ron grumbles. "God in Heaven, you're all obsessed!"
Lavendar read over the note. "He welcomes you to his opera house and commands you to leave Box Five empty, for his use. He also reminds you that his salary is due."
Blaise looked towards Ron. "His salary?"
Lavendar continued. "Leferve paid him twenty thousand francs a month."
The ballet girls reacted oddly to this, Ginny taking hold of Hermione's hand for support.
Blaise glared at Lavendar. "Madame, I had hoped to make that announcement myself."
Lavendar looked unnerved, still focusing on Ron. "Will the Vicomte be at the performance tonight, monsieur?"
Ron nodded. "In our box."
"Madame, who is the understudy for this role?" Blaise asked.
Reyer - Dennis Creevy - hissed, "There is no understudy, Monsieur! The production is new."
Ron looked nervously at Blaise. "We'll have to cancel and refund the tickets!"
This earned many cries.
"It was a full house, Andre!"
Hermione, stepping up and sounding kind of nervous, said, "Well... Christine Daae could sing it, sir."
Ron looked up. "The chorus girl?"
Hermione nodded. "She's been taking many, many lessons."
"From...whom?" Blaise questioned.
Hermione looked over at Ginny, who shrugged, slightly embarrased. "I...don't know his name, sir."
"Let her sing for you, sir! She has been very well taught," Lavendar said.
Dennis Creevey seemed to think after a while, then said, "From the beginning of the aria then, mademosielle."
Ginny nodded, then began singing. "Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've sid goodbye. Remember me, once in a while, please promise me you'll try..."
Ron looked towards Blaise nervously. "Firmin, this is doing nothing for my nerves. Blaise looked back with a reassuring smile.
When Ginny heard this, she tried her absolute hardest to be perfect. "When you find, that once again you long, to take your heart back and be free, if you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me..."
The scene then changed, showing Ginny in her blue-and-white dress for the show. "We never said our love was evergreen, or as unchanging as the sea, but if you can still remember...stop and think of me.
Think of all the things we've shared and seen, don't think about the things which might have been. Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me, trying too hard to out you from my mind. Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do, there will never be a day when I won't think of you..."
Applause is heard, and Rauol - Harry - in the Manager's box, sings to himself, "Can it be, Can it be Christine? - Bravo! - Long ago, it seems so long ago, how young and innocent we were! She may not remember me, but I rememeber her!"
Ginny continued singing. "We never said, our love was evergreen, or as unchanging as the sea, but please promise me that sometimes you will think.. o-o-o-o... o-o-o-o-o...of me!"
She finished off strongly, bowing sheepishly.
