Chapter
26
Musical Snape?!
Harry was a bit surprised when he woke up the next morning to find that he and Hermione were still sitting in the common room. He was even more surprised when he noticed that Ron and Lavender were only a few chairs away, but shrugged. He yawned and glanced at his watch, which read 8:30. " 'Mione," He whispered, nudging the still-sleeping girl. She muttered something inaudible and opened a bleary eye.
"Whazzat?" She asked.
"Time to get up for class."
Hermione lifted her head and stretched her arms up in the air. Then she immediately fell right back against Harry's chest and started snoring again. Harry rolled his eyes and lifted her. "Uh uh. You have to get up, 'Mione."
"Nooooooo." She whimpered. "Too cozy."
"Then I'll have to tickle you," Harry teased.
Hermione gasped. "You wouldn't DARE," she snapped. "Harry Potter--stop it!" She squealed when he started tickling her sides. She was soon laughing so hard that she fell on the floor. He laughed and helped her up and then went to wake Ron and Lavender, who were just as miserable first thing in the morning. Everyone shuffled upstairs to their dormitories to change and then met in the common room again with their schoolbags, and made their way down to the Great Hall. Jess and Erin were already there but paid them no mind as they were deep in conversation and giggling about something. Lavender raised an eyebrow as she took a seat and she dropped her napsack on the ground by her chair. Bacon, eggs and toast appeared on her plate moments later and she started eating, half-listening to the chatter around her.
"Don't let Snape get to you, Hermione." Harry encouraged, noticing her glum face.
"It's hard not to." She replied quietly, nibbling on her tea biscuit.
When breakfast ended, those who had to said their goodbyes and see you later's before heading off to classes. Harry had Charms first and Hermione had Arithmancy but they had Potions second period. "I'll see you in a bit," Harry told her with a smile.
"K." She waved and watched as he disapperaed into a crowd of students who had just left the Great Hall. She entered Professor Vector's classroom before anyone else, and helped him grade homework assignments while they waited for class to start. She had begun the Arithmancy course in her third year, and though she had been in course overload, she still enjoyed it and decided to keep it. All of her other courses she dropped, because she had been too stressed out about taking so many at once.
"Thank you, Miss Granger." Professor Vector told her with a smile once the rest of the class filed into the room, and urged her to go to her seat. Hermione usually sat in the front with Hannah Abbot--a Hufflepuff student, and the two girls smiled at each other.
By the time class ended, Hermione saw numbers everywhere--they had been solving equations all class period and her brain was fried. She met up with Harry on the way to the dungeons and he laughed when he saw how glazed over her eyes were. "Are you okay, Hermione?" He asked as they went downstairs. She nodded dumbly.
"Uh huh."
"If it's too much for you, why don't you drop the class?" Harry suggested.
Hermione shook her head. "Oh I couldn't," She told him. "It's my favorite class. It's--" What else it was Harry never heard, because they were soon in Snape's classroom and found that he was setting up the labs for that day. They had put their sleeping potion on hold and would be finishing it today, and Harry hoped that his and Neville's would turn out. Neville inspected his potions kit and said
"I have an extra toad skin if you need it, Harry. I thought it called for two."
"Well I think so." Harry replied.
Snape sent them straight to work as soon as everyone arrived, and Harry took a spoonful of powdered goat liver, grimacing at the horrid smell it produced. Neville went to put in a dash of asphodel leaf but accidentally knocked in a container of snake venom. As a result the potion exploded and the cauldron shot straight into the air, landing directly on Snape's head. Everyone gasped in horror as the smoke began to dissolve. Neville's face had turned white as a sheet, and he was very tempted to run. Hermione had her hand over her mouth and was watching as Snape slowly lifted the cauldron off of his head, dropping it to the ground. So far, no horrific transformation of his original form had occurred, but he had turned red as an apple.
"S-sir?" Seamus asked nervously. "Are you all right?"
Snape blinked and then turned to Harry and Neville.
"I'm very sorry, Professor," Neville sobbed. "It was an accident!"
"SING, POTTER!" Snape suddenly bellowed. "Sing or five points will be taken from Gryffindor!"
Harry's eyes bulged with shock and he turned to Ron and Hermione, whose mouths were hanging open and their eyes were just as wide.
"WHAT?" Harry asked.
"You heard me, Potter!" Snape snapped. "And if I like what I hear I MIGHT add a point to your house."
Neville nudged Harry's arm. "You'd better do what he says, Harry."
"Urm--what do you want me to sing, sir?" He asked, feeling very stupid. He'd never sung in front of anyone before and was especially embarassed to sing in front of one his least favorite Professors.
"Whatever, Potter, but sing and sing NOW!"
"Uh--" Harry cleared his throat. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star--how I wonder what you are--up above the world so high--like a diamond in the sky--twinkle, twinkle little star--how i wonder what you are." He finished the song and wasn't the least bit surprised to hear complete silence following it. Snape was rubbing his chin and giving him the once over.
"Not bad, Potter. Not bad at all. Take the point I promised you."
"Um--thank you, sir." Harry replied.
Ron sniggered and then Snape turned to him. "You too, Weasley. I want to hear you sing."
Ron gulped. "Me? But--"
"No butts!"
Hermione whispered something in Ron's ear and he nodded. "Silent night--holy night--all was calm--all was bright--round yon virgin mother and child--holy infant so tender and mild--sleep in heavenly peace--"
"That's enough. Take another point, Gryffindor. Yes, yes, very nice."
Neville looked at Harry and then glanced down at his half empty cauldron on the floor. "Uh oh." He whispered.
"What?" Harry whispered.
"N-nothing."
"Listen up," Snape began loudly, getting everyone's attention. "I would like to announce that I am going to put on a broadway musical this year for Hogwarts. ALL OF YOU," He began, eyeing everyone in the room including Malfoy, whose face was slowly turning blue from surpressed laughter, "Will audition."
Seamus and Dean were staring at each other following this statement when Snape continued, "I will post a flyer about it on the bulliten board and I will speak with Professor Dumbledore about the arrangements that need to be made." He paused. "And have I made it perfectly clear that EVERYONE will audition? Because if you don't show up, then that will cost your house a good five points. Get back to work!" With a swish of his cape he headed back over to his desk and sat down, starting to scribble something on a piece of parchment. Harry stared at Neville at this point.
"You don't think your potion--"
"Oh NO, Harry!" Neville whispered. "What have I done?" He asked. "I'm going to be expelled--"
"No you won't," Hermione insisted. "Not if no one tells Professor Dumbledore. And we won't. But this--if Snape is really serious about this show he wants to put on, then he's officially lost his marbles!"
Ron sniggered.
When Potions ended, everyone was in pandemonium talking about Snape's sudden interest in musical theatre. "Brilliant, Neville!" said Dean. "I'm not sure how long that potion'll last, but whoa this is cool."
Hermione grabbed Harry's arm. "This is so exciting! A musical! I'm most certainly going to audition!"
Harry shook his head. "What about Quidditch?"
Ron stopped. "Oh--I forgot about that. I wonder if he is really serious about holding auditions and if we do manage to put on a show--we wont have time for Quidditch practices, especially since the entire school will be involved."
"Damn." said Harry.
"Watch it," Hermione warned. "Oh come on, Harry. You can last for a few months without Quidditch."
"But do you really think singing is a good idea for me, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"It's healthier than Quidditch!" Hermione insisted.
"Go and ask Madame Pomfrey," Ron suggested. "I'm sure she'll tell you it's fine. Plus singing always boosts your spirits. BEAUTIFUL DREAMER WAKE UN TO THEE---" He started singing as he walked ahead of them. Harry shook his head and put an arm around Hermione.
"Beautiful dreamer awake unto me---" Hermione continued.
"THE SUN'LL COME OUT TOMORROW--" Ron started again. "TOMORROW--BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR--"
"RON!" Both Harry and Hermione snapped, and he turned to them with a wink.
At that point, Harry and Hermione said goodbye to Ron and headed off towards their next class. Harry found it hard to concentrate again through History of Magic, but that was because he kept thinking about what had happened to Snape in Potions. Neville's potion had gone awry as usual and now the Potions master had suddenly taken an extreme interest in musical theatre--was it possible? Harry wasn't sure, but he knew that if Snape DID post a flyer, he'd have to write to Sirius, who would find the whole idea absolutely priceless. 'That would be good,' Harry thought to himself as he copied down notes. 'We all need a bit of humor right now.'