Chapter 4: The Results

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Hermione woke up very early the next morning and did her usual morning routine, but she was very careful not to wake her roommates. She crept down the stairs, through the common room, and out the portrait hole. Once she was out, she practically ran to the Great Hall where the cast list would be posted, only to find a horde of students already there. Hermione sighed and fought her way through the crowd until she reached the list. She read the list over and over again, not believing her eyes.

The Phantom of the Opera Cast

The Phantom – Draco Malfoy

Christine – Hermione Granger

Raoul – Harry Potter

Madame Giry – Professor McGonagall

André – Fred Weasely

Firmin – George Weasely

Buquet – Argus Filch

Carlotta – Pansy Parkinson

Piangi – Vincent Crabbe

Reyer – Professor Binns

Meg Giry – Ginny Weasely

Lefevre – Oliver Wood

Carlotta's Maid – Cho Chang

Carlotta's Wigmaker – Lee Jordan

Carlotta's Seamstress – Susan Bones

Passarino – Gregory Goyle

Auctioneer – Neville Longbottom

Porter – Seamus Finnigan

Nun/Nurse – Madame Pomfrey

Chauffer – Dean Thomas

Christine's Father – Remus Lupin

Young Phantom – Theodore Nott

Young Christine – Rose Zeller

Young Madame Giry – Katie Bell

Ballet Tarts – Parvati Patil and Padma Patil

Principal Male Dancer – Neville Longbottom

Fops – Peeves the Poltergeist, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Fat Friar, and Bloody

Baron

Extras – Hannah Abbot, Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Lavender Brown, Millicent Bulstrode, Michael Corner, Colin Creevey, Dennis Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Marcus Flint, Professor Flitwick, Angelina Johnson, Luna Lovegood, Morag MacDougal, Ernie MacMillan, Moaning Myrtle, Alicia Spinnet, Professor Sprout, Professor Trelawny, Professor Vector, Percy Weasley, Ronald Weasley, and Blaise Zambini.

Director – Albus Dumbledore

Music Director – Severus Snape

Props and Scenery – Rubeus Hagrid

Costumes – Madame Malkin

Rehearsals start this Tuesday at 7 o'clock sharp.

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a gasp. She checked the list numerous times, to make she was reading it correctly. After several times of rereading it, Hermione felt joy wash over her, she would play Christine and Harry would play Raoul. However, when she remembered that Draco would play The Phantom, a sickening feeling became lodged in her gut. It was that something that you only feel when someone you despise more than the worst and evilest man ever to live has just been handed a enormous and powerful role. Worst of all, Hermione had read the play and the book, seen the musical and the movie and she knew there were some heated passions between Christine and The Phantom. Hermione couldn't help it but to imagined Draco's fingers slithering across and caressing her body, his face in her hair, his breath blowing gently and softly while whispering wicked, wonderful, dark things in her ear, and….

Cut it out! What's wrong with YOU! her mind screamed out, breaking Hermione's focus on her thoughts about Draco immediately. After resisting the urge to go and bang her head against a wall or table like a house elf, Hermione cursed silently to herself for thinking such awful things.

This is Draco Malfoy, Hermione, she scolded herself, a pompous and arrogant snob, who thinks all should bow down to his "greatness and wealth" and has not an ounce of valor in him whatsoever. He is a cowardly devil, nothing more. He is no angel. Just a devil. Just a devil to be wary of.

She was about to exit the Great Hall when she bumped right into none other than Draco.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood!" he spat at her and Hermione shoved him aside.

"Why don't you, cretin!" she retorted and stormed off. Draco shook his head and headed inside the Great Hall to the mob of Hogwarts students were crowding all over the cast list. Just as soon he approached the mass, blending colors of green, red, blue, and yellow, Pansy burst out of the crowd and instantly fell into his arms.

"I didn't make it! I didn't get Christine!" she sobbed dramatically and Draco held his temper in check. He forgot how much he despised it when she did this. He thought her face and clingy attitude was enough, now she was trying to gain some sympathy from him. Perfect, just perfect.

"That's awful, Pansy," he answered sarcastically but Pansy didn't notice it, "Did you get a part at least?" He actually wasn't surprised that she didn't get Christine, her voice was sort of good, but it didn't match the way Christine should sound like.

"Yeah, I got Carlotta. It's not a major part, but it's better than being an extra. Come see what you got!" Pansy said brightly, yanking his arm and dragging him through the thickness of the kids, "I can't wait to see what you got!"

Didn't you check? thought Draco moodily and patiently waited until he and Pansy came to the cast list. Draco looked up for the word The Phantom and went over to the right and nearly let loose a howl of glee. He had triumphed over Potter and earned himself the biggest part in the play. Pride and arrogance fluttered throughout his body and his chest was ready to burst open with joy.

"Oh Draco, you got the Phantom! I'm so proud of you!" squealed Pansy and she jumped up on him and squeezed him tightly that Draco was almost tempted to shove her off. Ignoring what she was doing right now, Draco scanned down and turned his eyes to see who would play Christine. His heart skipped a beat when he read the words: Hermione Granger.

"Hermione is Christine! What was Dumbledore thinking when he handed that overgrown, hideous Mudblood that part! Christine is supposed to be beautiful, not revolting with a bush for hair!" Pansy exclaimed scathingly. Now Draco really wished she would just die, for a raging, fiery, hellish wave washed over him at the insults Pansy threw at Hermione and composed himself not to lash out at her in front of dozens of Hogwarts students.

"You, Pansy, shouldn't be talking. Granger unsurprisingly can sing better than you." he retorted to Pansy and spun on his heels and left the Great Hall, leaving her in utter surprise and confusion.


What the hell is wrong with me? Why did I just feel...so enraged by Pansy when she insulted Granger like that? I couldn't be…. No that's impossible! That Mudblood is nothing put annoying, overly bushy hair, know-it-all witch who is only prettier than Pansy and Millicent.

Draco was furiously walking through out the hallways of Hogwarts, trying his best to clear his mind of his actions. As he walked, he looked at his feet. He wasn't watching where he was going and he walked straight into somebody, knocking them to the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you're going you little," he stopped short. There on the ground in front of him was Hermione, who was currently gathering her books together.

"Granger," said Draco shortly. Hermione looked up.

"Malfoy," she replied, "what are you doing here?"

"That's none of your bloody business. What are you doing here?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't.

"Then why did you ask?"

Draco simply looked at her and sighed, "I…um…I…" He sighed again, "Oh I don't have time for this. Get out of my way, Mudblood" He strode past her brushing her shoulder slightly. Hermione watched him walk away from her, then turned and headed to the library. She buried herself in a corner and started to cry. She didn't know exactly why; usually Draco never got to her. She cried herself asleep. Unfortunately, it was again a restless sleep full of dreams and nightmares. She dreamed of Draco being her angel, but then turning into a monster, her devil. In the distance she heard voices and she awoke only to find that the voices she heard were just behind the bookshelf that was in front of her.

"So what did you think about the cast list, Harry?"

"Ron, do you have to keep asking me that? You know what my answer is." Hermione frowned. Why are they talking in secret? I know it would be ok for them to talk about this with me. It's not like there's some big huge secret or something like that. Hermione broke out of her train of thought when she heard Ron laugh.

"I know. I know. I can't help myself Harry. It's your dream come true!" Hermione was a little surprised. Performing in a musical is his dream? Hermione heard Harry sigh.

"If only she could see how much I love her." Hermione stifled a gasp. Who doesn't see how much he loves her?

"She will see, mate. When you're up on stage performing together, she will see."

"You're right. I can express my love for Hermione through Raoul. Come on, it's getting late. We should head back to our dormitory." Harry and Ron left, leaving Hermione in shock. Harry loves me! She panicked and lost her balance. As she fell backward, her head hit a table. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was a pair of black shoes running toward her.


Ah, peace at last. Free from Pansy and the other Slytherins. Now I know way Granger hangs around this library so often. Draco flipped through Qualities and Characteristics of the Undead and slipped it back on the shelf. He was about to leave that section of the library where he heard two familiar voices, two voices he grown to loathe on his first day at Hogwarts.

Draco flipped through and slipped it back on the shelf. He was about to leave that section of the library where he heard two familiar voices, two voices he grown to loathe on his first day at Hogwarts.

"I can't believe Draco got the Phantom…doesn't seem right…." Ron's voice drawled out and Draco silently and smoothly ducked behind a bookcase, straining his ears to listen more of their conversation.

"Yeah, I know…I got Raoul….so it's okay…." answered Harry simply. They walked closer to the bookshelf Draco was hiding behind and their conversation became clear as crystal.

"So what did you think about the cast list, Harry?"

"Ron, do you have to keep asking me that? You know what my answer is."

"I know. I know. I can't help myself Harry. It's your dream come true!"

What the hell! What does Weasel mean! 'Dream come true'?

"If only she could see how much I love her." Draco inched closer to make sure he heard correctly, not wanting to miss what would be said next. This should be interesting. It appears I hit the jackpot.

"She will see, mate. When you're up on stage performing together, she will see."

"You're right. I can express my love for Hermione through Raoul. Come on, it's getting late. We should head back to our dormitory." He heard the scuffling a feet departing the library, leaving him frozen where he was.

Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Oh shit, Harry fancies Hermione! Something roared inside him again, like a flaming, enraged monster erupted at the thought of Harry and Hermione together and before Draco could keep this alien feeling under control, he heard and bang that came a few bookcases in front of him. Dashing to where the noise was located, he stopped cold at unconscious figure of Hermione Granger slumped to ground.

"Stupid girl. Probably banged her head on something," he muttered, ignoring the throbbing feeling in his chest and through out his body, and was about to turn around to leave. But he didn't. He couldn't explain exactly what made him to it, but Draco turned right around, picked Hermione up and carried her to the hospital wing.


Hermione slowly opened her eyes. Everything seemed blurry at first, but that didn't matter. She could only see one color: white. White, white, white, and more white. There was so much of it that it almost blinded her. After a few minutes her vision cleared. She lifted her head up and looked around; she saws many beds which all happened to be empty at the moment. I'm in the hospital wing! she thought, but why? She was vaguely aware of something warm around her right hand, but she was distracted by a woman in a white dress bustling toward her. Madame Pomfrey her mind told her.

"Oh thank goodness you're awake!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed, "you've been out cold for three days now. Now, are you feeling dizzy or like you can't think straight?"

Hermione looked at her blankly, "Um, I did have a little trouble remembering things when I woke up but I think that's about it."

"That's good, my dear. I have a potion that should fix you right up!" Madame Pomfrey hurried into a back room and came back with a small blue bottle.

"Drink this, dear; it will make you feel better." Hermione downed the bottle in one gulp. Mmm, tastes like watermelon!

"Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said, "how did I get here? The last thing I remember was that I was in the library…"

"Mr. Malfoy brought you up. In fact, he has refused to leave your side since he brought you here." The potion Madame Pomfrey gave her worked quickly. Before she had even looked at what was making her hand so warm, she has already analyzed that it was Draco holding it. He had his head on her bed; he was sleeping. Hermione just stared at him in disbelief. This….this….this….monster brought me here? What in the world, why would a selfish brat like him do such a thing? It was at that moment that Draco awoke. He took one look at Hermione. She could read his eyes; they were soft with worry and, what was that, love? It couldn't be, it just can't be. Draco then seemed to notice that he was holding her hand and practically threw it back at her, his face contorting with disgust. Hermione watched his face change. One minute it was loving, then it was disgusted, and now it was angry. He cast one last angry look at her before fleeing the hospital wing. Hermione just stared after him thinking, What the hell just happened?


We hoped you enjoyed this chapter and sorry to all those Ron fans out there, but we aren't very fond of him. To be frank, we like Harry better and thought in the books, Harry and Hermione would be together, but we were proven wrong.