Author's Note: This was written for a writing challenge on FICTION net. The requirements were: Write a fic in which Voldemort has 'won' and taken control of the Ministry. The Ministry has passed a new law decreeing that all Muggles, Mudbloods and Half-bloods are now classified as 'beasts' and can be kept as pets.
Other notes:
+ It is up to you whether the prophecy has been fulfilled or not - therefore it is possible that Harry is still alive
+ Originality is encouraged
Also, notation used in this play is as follows; SR-Stage right, SL-Stage left, US-Up stage, DS-Down stage, USL-Up stage left, USR-Up stage right, DSL-Down stage left, DSR-Down stage right.
Scene 1 – The Beast Port
The scene is dark, and there are moans and cries of hunger and pain from the blackness. Heavy footsteps are heard, as well as a switch flicking. Two hard, bluish lights sputter into existence. There are sharper, more acute cries as limp and crumples figures shrink and scurry away from the two pools of light. There is a wall of bars (like a cell) separating the two pools. One figure is left blinked in the SR pool of light. It is HERMIONE. Her hair is a mass of dirty curls and frizz, and she is in tatters of clothing. Other figures lurk outside of the lights, some scurrying across the SL pool. HERMIONE begins to feel around, clearly blinded. There are silhouettes of cell bars through the stage. Footsteps are heard offstage, and a GUARD enters, dragging JUSTIN FINCH-FLETCHLY by a rope around his neck.
GUARD: Get in there, filth. (The GUARD pushed JUSTIN into the SL cell. JUSTIN falls hard, and while he is down, the GUARD kicks him unnecessarily and spits on him. He exits, laughing wickedly.)
HERMIONE: Who's there? (She sounds very weak and frightened.)
JUSTIN: (Coughs and sputters as her moves towards Hermione's voice. He tries to cross center, but is stopped by the bars. Muffled and crackly) Hermione? (He clears his throat to say her name properly) Hermione?
HERMIONE: (Flinches, but looks towards his voice.) Who's there? Who are you?
JUSTIN: It's Justin…Finch-Fletchly, from Hufflepuff. From Hogwarts.
HERMIONE: Hogwarts…
JUSTIN: I was in you Herbology class. Hermione, oh god, Hermione, please remember me.
HERMIONE: (There is a silence in which she thinks about who she would know. It dawns on her. She squints towards him.) Justin?
JUSTIN: (Very excited) Yes! (She looks around, making her way slowly towards him.) Are you ok? Can you see?
HERMIONE: The lights. They keep us in the dark so much that the lights are blinding. (She finally reaches the bars separating them.)
JUSTIN: (Reaches through the bars to touch her.) Have they hurt you?
HERMIONE: Only in spirit.
JUSTIN: That's what they do here?
HERMIONE: That…and they house us until the Auction.
JUSTIN: Auction? Wait…why…(etc, until HERMIONE answers.)
HERMIONE: We're here because of the war, Justin. Voldemort, (He shudders) passed a law. They keep people in our blood in places like this.
JUSTIN: Are there Half-Bloods here too?
HERMIONE: And Half-Breeds.
JUSTIN: Is Harry here?
(HERMIONE pauses and then begins to cry softly. As her tears increase, JUSTIN realized that Harry is dead and reaches through the bars to put his arms awkwardly around her.)
Scene 2 – Auction Day
There is a diagonal line that cuts across the stage of tired looking people. HERMIONE and JUSTIN are side by side, far DSL, holding handing but trying very hard to conceal it. There is a group of richly dressed witches and wizards seated facing the prisoners. Guards are strategically places behind the prisoners and among the spectators. GUARD 2 is pacing slowly up and down the line of prisoners. We have caught him mid-speech
GUARD 2: …so you see, ladies and gentlemen, we have some of the most well tamed beasts available for your picking. All of you want the best. I assure you, we have the best. (There is an awkward pause, filled by a haughty cough, which spurs GUARD 2 on.) Well then, let's begin.
(Another GUARD roughly jerks HERMIONE out of line. JUSTIN suppresses a cry as the GUARD is unnecessarily cruel to her. Just as he is getting her to the center, there is a crashing sound off SR. HOODED MAN stumbles onstage.)
HOODED MAN: (mumbling) Sorry I'm late. (HE straightens his robes and takes a place towards the back.)
GUARD 2: Let's start the bidding at twenty-five galleons. (HERMIONE looks terrified as a FAT MAN in the front row begins the bidding. THE HOODED man bids simultaneously. To bid, each person raises a hand, like at typical auctions.) Thirty? (FAT MAN bids.) Thirty-five? (HOODED MAN bids. This continues up to sixty-five, just the HOODED and FAT MEN bidding.)
FAT MAN: (calmly) One hundred galleons.
HOODED MAN: (frantically) Two hundred.
FAT MAN: (stands) Four hundred.
HOODED MAN: Seven Hundred! (The FAT MAN sits down, beaten. The HOODED MAN stands awkwardly, apparently resisting the urge to rush towards HERMIONE.)
GUARD 2: Seven hundred galleons? Eight hundred? Do I hear eight hundred? What about seven-fifty? No? Well then…seven hundred to the man in black. (Another GUARD manhandles HERMIONE towards her new master. Both the HOODED MAN and JUSTIN cry out in objection to this rough treatment.)
GUARD: (to JUSTIN) Shut up, you. (To the HOODED MAN) Would you like shackles with her? They make storage very easy.
HOODED MAN: (clearly uncomfortable) No…they won't be necessary. (He takes HERMIONE gently by the forearm.) Come on. Let's go. (HERMIONE looks over her shoulder for JUSTIN. He is now front and center, and a calm bidding session begins, GUARD 2 auditing. She is immobile. HOODED MAN tugs gently on her arm.) Let's go.
HERMIONE: (His touch snaps her out of her trance.) Won't you bid?
HOODED MAN: (beat) Is he a friend?
HERMIONE: (A longer beat) Of sorts.
HOODED MAN: (Longest beat) No.
HERMIONE: But please, sir, if you just –
HOODED MAN: (His first sign of hostility.) No! (HERMIONE shrinks back, but not far enough from her. He leads her toward the door just as JUSTIN is handed, with shackles, to the HIGHEST BIDDER, who heads for the door. The HOODED MAN and HIGHEST BIDDER reach the door simultaneously. HERMIONE and JUSTIN look at each other sadly. JUSTIN mouths a silent, "goodbye," before HIGHEST BIDDED thrusts him roughly through the door. HERMIONE is suppressing tears as the HOODED MAN finally leads her out. The auction continues, and the next "pet" is brought center before the lights dim.)
Scene 3 – A Bedroom
There is a large, canopied, four-poster bed set SL, with the foot of the bed facing SR. The hangings, silvery velvet, are drawn. There is a crimson, silk, folding screen behind a wide table, both set USR. On the table, there are a few days worth of food. All of it is only partially eaten. A fairly large desk and chair are set at the foot of the bed. There is a large window in the back of the room. Its hangings, crimson velvet, are also drawn. The room is highly adorned. The wood is mahogany and all other ornaments are silver and crimson. HOUSE ELF 1 enters, trying to balance another platter filled with food in its small arms. It pushes it onto the small bit of empty space on the table. HOUSE ELF 1 begins to clear the other platters as SQUEENIE, another house elf, enters with a stack of letters. She slides them onto the desk. HOUSE ELF 1 exits under a pile of platters. SQUEENIE draws the curtains back on the bed. The lump beneath the covers groans. SQUEENIE speaks in a squeaky, high-pitched voice.
SQUEENIE: Master says to wake up now. (moves to open the window curtains.)
HERMIONE: Please Squeenie, call me Hermione.
SQUEENIE: Yes, Mistress. (She squeals in horror and rushes to the desk, which she thrusts herself under. She begins slamming her head on the bottom of the desk.)
HERMIONE: Squeenie! Squeenie, please stop. (The banging continues. She throws her covers off and rushes to the desk, pulling a squirming SQUEENIE out.) Why are you punishing yourself?
SQUEENIE: (stuttering) Master ordered Squeenie not to call you Mistress.
HERMIONE: (sets SQUEENIE down) What did he tell you to call me?
SQUEENIE: (still stuttering) Hermione.
HERMIONE: He knows my name?
SQUEENIE: (nods and moves back to the window curtains) Master has sent Hermione more letters.
HERMIONE: (rolls her eyes and crosses so that she is behind the screen) How many this morning?
SQUEENIE: (moves to make the bed) A lot. Will Hermione eat this morning?
HERMIONE: (emerges from the screen, dressed in casual clothing.) Maybe a little. (She begins to pick at the food.)
SQUEENIE: (finishing making the bed) May Squeenie go?
HERMIONE: Of course. (SQUEENIE starts to bow, but quickly stops herself and, terrified by her almost mistake, dashes out of the room. HERMIONE watches her go.) That is one jittery house elf. (Her voice darkens) If "Master" is the reason for that I'll… (Upon remembering "Master," she looks to the stacks of letters. Slowly, she approaches the desk and unfolds the first letter and reads.)
VOICE of HOODED MAN: Dear Miss Granger, I beg you to eat. My house elves tell me that you barely touch your food. Do not worry. I am kind to them, and upon offering clothing, having been refused many times. I hope you still find you accommodations suitable. The books you requested are in the drawer of your desk. If you should need anything else, please send a letter to me. Your words please my greatly. No letter of yours is a burden. W.
(HERMIONE looks through the rest of the letters, and upon seeing they are all the same, sits down at the desk to respond. As she writes..)
VOICE of HERMIONE: W, I will repeat my previous request – will you please reveal your identity to me? You are my benefactor, and my only contact, and yet you maintain your anonymity. Why? I am lonely, W, and desire intellectual contact other than this. If you will not me meet and reveal yourself, may I have a newspaper? I am aware that the Daily Prophet is no longer in circulation, but surely there is some sort of substitute. (HERMIONE'S VOICE continues about House elves, but begins to fade as the lights fade to black. After a few moments, the lights on the stage come up as dark blue. The curtains on the window are drawn and HERMIONE is asleep at the desk, an open book beneath her head. The "door" area of the stage becomes lit as SQUEENIE enters.)
SQUEENIE: Is Hermione awake?
HERMIONE: (stirring but clearly not awake yet) Yes, what can I do for you Squeenie?
SQUEENIE: Master told Squeenie to give paper to Hermione.
HERMIONE: (suddenly very awake) A newspaper? (She hurries from the desk to SQUEENIE, who holds the paper up. HERMIONE takes it, as if in a daze, and the proceeds to read it ravenously.)
Scene 4 – A Few Weeks Later
The scene is set as before, except this time the desk is piled with newspapers instead of letters. HERMIONE sits on the bed, her nose buried in a book. That morning's newspaper is flung carelessly on the floor. SQUEENIE enters.
SQUEENIE: Squeenie has the night paper, Hermione.
HERMIONE: Thank you Squeenie. You can leave it on the desk.
SQUEENIE: (following HERMIONE'S instructions) Hermione does not want to read it?
HERMIONE: (back to her book) No Squeenie, I don't. Each day there is a proclamation of Voldemort's superior greatness and it makes me sick. And the articles in here about the "pets." (She groans) They make me feel guilty. I'm lucky…I'm not beaten, starved, raped, ridiculed, caged, or killed like some of the others.
SQUEENIE: Hermione speaks of things Squeenie does not understand . May Squeenie go?
HERMIONE: How many times have I told you that you don't need to ask permission to leave, but you may go. (SQUEENIE is almost at the door) Squeenie wait. (HERMIONE gets off the bed and approaches the house elf) Did W send anything else up to me.
SQUEENIE: (thinks) No.
HERMIONE: No letters?
SQUEENIE: (getting nervous) Why does Hermione ask about letters?
HERMIONE: Are you giving him my letters?
SQUEENIE: Yes, and Master – (SQUEENIE claps her hands over her own mouth.)
HERMIONE: What does Master do with my letters. (SQUEENIE shakes her head "No," and after a pause, HERMIONE gently pries the house elf's hands away. The next words come out very fast.)
SQUEENIE: Master drops Hermione's letters into a basked by the fireplace but does not read them. (She squeals in fright since she was not supposed to tell HERMIONE this and dashes to the desk, grabbing a book. She starts smashing her head into the book.)
HERMIONE: (snatches the book away) Do you know why her doesn't read or respond to my letters?
SQUEENIE: (again very fast) Master says that Hermione is too smart and will figure out Master's identity if he keeps writing to her. (She squeals again and grabs the chair, ready to drop it on her foot.)
HERMIONE: (intervenes again) So I do know him. (SQUEENIE nods timidly, seeming paralyzed with fear.) Where is he?
SQUEENIE: (as fast a possible, as if she can't make herself stop speaking) Master is in his study end of the hallway at the top of the stars. Password to the small elf door is "Infimissimus sanguis." (She squeals very, very loudly this time and dives behind the bed. Banging and whimpering are heard, but HERMIONE is already making her way purposefully to the door.)
Scene 5 – In W's Chambers
The room is warmly lit and adorned with emerald and gold. There is a large window, and the gold curtains are drawn. A emerald wing-backed chair is facing US. W is sitting in it. There is a fireplace SR. There is a small door in the US wall, which, in a moment, HERMIONE crawls through.
HERMIONE: (head still down as she crawls through the door) I hope you forgive my intrusion, but it gets awfully lonely in that room with only Squeenie to talk to and… (as she looks up into W's face, she recognizes him. She never stops speaking, but looks as though she's seen a ghost. Her speech slows progressively) …you weren't answering my letters. You're W?
HOODED MAN: Yes.
HERMIONE: But…why…how…how could you?
HOODED MAN: It was to keep you safe.
HERMIONE: As a pet!
HOODED MAN: You are safe, nonetheless.
HERMIONE: (Beat) What happened to you?
HOODED MAN: (Longer beat) The war.
HERMIONE: I thought you and Harry were dead.
HOODED MAN: You thought wrong. (The HOOD MAN rises from his chair and turns his back to HERMIONE, finally facing the audience. He pushes his hood back while speaking.) I am very much alive. (It is RON WEASLEY.)
HERMIONE: Well, I could see that, Ron. (There is a very awkward silence, in which HERMIONE studies him. He is standing erect and still, almost militarily.) You've changed. (He itches his head awkwardly and fidgets childishly.) Well, maybe not that much.
RON: But I have changed Hermione. I am a highly regarded Pureblood. I must act as such. I have three "pets" besides you in my name. I have house elves, Hermione, and –
HERMIONE: Where are the others?
RON: The floor below yours.
HERMIONE: Why do you keep us?
RON: (finally turns back to her) To protect you!
HERMIONE: From what?
RON: From the world! Surely you've seen the articles in the papers…the comics that ridicule your new station and –
HERMIONE: Then really do something about it! You can't just keep housing people. I'm sure there are other people who feel the way you do. Just…talk to some other people…organize…make this a crusade, instead of just a personal cause. Ron, I know that if –
RON: No, Hermione.
HERMIONE: Let's strategize a bit. I'm sure I can come up with something.
RON: (very softly) I can't let you do that.
HERMIONE: But –
RON: You will go back to your room.
HERMIONE: Ron, I –
RON: Each of you will be provided for and will get anything you ask for.
HERMIONE: Anything?
RON: Within reason.
HERMIONE: I want the freedom to fight this.
RON: I can't give you that.
HERMIONE: Yes you can, Ron!
RON: Go back to your rooms Hermione.
HERMIONE: (thinks) I want you to offer me clothing, Ron.
RON: (surprised) What?
HERMIONE: You heard me. I want you to offer me clothing.
RON: That's ridiculous.
HERMIONE: No it's not. My station is not above that of your house elves. I'm fed, and sheltered. Yes, I have a few more privileges, but not many. I'm not allowed to leave or pursue my thoughts. If you will not fight this with me, or give me permission to fight this, then offer me clothing. (RON does not move, but it is apparent that he is refusing. She understands.) Oh, I see Ron. To offer me clothing would be to offer me freedom, and you cannot give that to me. You are lowering yourself to the standard of society, and that is a low one. Don't you remember that I am your friend? Your equal?
RON: But I have kept you safe.
HERMIONE: And you think that makes you better than the rest? (No answer) It doesn't Ron. Though you are not beating, raping, or starving me physically, you are beating my ethics, raping my intellect, and starving me of freedom. In reality, you are no better than the rest of them. (RON remains immobile as HERMIONE stares at him, disgusted)
Scene 6 – Later that night
The scene is the same as Scene 4. HERMIONE is asleep at her desk, newspapers strewn everywhere. RON enters the room quietly. His wand is already drawn.
RON: (walking over to HERMIONE) You shouldn't speak to house elves so much Hermione. They reveal secrets at a command. Squeenie told me of your runaway plans. I'm afraid I can't let you leave…it's not safe out there. And I just want to keep you safe. (He leans over her slowly and places a kiss on her hair. The tenderness is there in his kiss, his look, and his lingering touch on her head.) This is for your own good. (He lifts his wand and points it at her.) Avada Kedavra. (He exits slowly, never looking back over his shoulder. The lights fade around HERMIONE, the light lingering on her for a moment longer, before abruptly blacking out.)
FINIT