"Madame Giry? May I speak with you?" asked Christine. Ballet class had not started yet, but Christine needed to talk with her teacher.

"Oui, child. We shall speak after class," smiled Madame. She clapped her hands. "Girls, to the bars. We must stretch and practice our basic steps. Now, one two three, one two three, that's it girls."

Christine plied with grace, but her face did not smile all during the class. Madame noticed this and frowned. "Christine, we must let our faces shine with smiles so that our dance may be illuminated and the audience be able to see the message." Her student was not normally so unhappy. She presumed that whatever Christine wanted to speak about must be important.

She presumed correctly.

After the class was complete, Christine walked over to Madame Giry to curtsey her thanks, and did not follow the others out of the room.

"Now, what is it you wish to speak to me about?" began Madame. Usually a meeting with one of her students like this ended in the student discontinuing her studies and returning back to whatever home they came from. But Christine had no home to return to. What could be on the girl's mind?

Instead of giving a straight answer Christine handed Madame a folded piece of paper. Puzzled, Madame opened it to find that it was a casting call for the opera.

"I would like to audition for the children's chorus in Hansel and Gretel," stated Christine. She was rather tall for her age, but was still the right height to be considered a child. "But if I am in the show I cannot continue my ballet lessons. At least not for some time."

So this was the reason for the private meeting. A new dream and opportunity. With any other student Madame would have been smiling, wishing them good luck on the journey, but this was Christine.

"I did not know you sang miss Daae."

Christine looked at her feet. "I have been taking lessons, Madame Giry." She chanced a glance at her teacher. "He suggested that I audition."

Christine. The girl who's dreams often ended in her screaming and shaking in her bed at night. If she were to fail who knew what kind of effect it would have on her confidence and further desires to study ballet. If she succeeded and was cast in the child chorus she was not guaranteed any money or a future in the opera.

"And who is your teacher? One of the members of the company?" Madame inquired.

The girl shook her head.

"So then who is your teacher? If he is not known to be reliable then I will not allow you to leave this class."

Christine looked into the eyes of her teacher. "My teacher is the Angel of Music."

An Angel of Music? In the Opera House? No. It couldn't be.

Madame looked at her prize student. "I would like you to sing for me, then we shall see."

Christine walked over to the studio piano, and played a B flat. Suddenly a sound burst from the child's mouth that none had ever heard before. The song being a minor melody lamenting a lost love. It was like an angel with a voice beyond the knowing of man pleading for good to return to the world.

Madame Giry was speechless. "That was..." what words could describe the sound produced by this child. "...good."

"Thank you," Christine smiled.

"You say that your teacher is the Angel of Music. When do you have your lessons? I have never seen you miss a class."

"That's just it. He teaches me in my sleep." Christine lowered to a whisper. "That's why I have nightmares. He gets very angry when I am not perfect."

"And you are taught well," said Madame. But what could she say about the opera?

"Oh," gasped Christine. "He said I was to give you this. That it would be important in your decision." The child handed her a folded piece of parchment, stamped with red wax. It was in the shape of a skull.

Madame, I find it best that the child Christine Daae does not audition for the opera Hansel and Gretel. I have asked her to request to audition as a lesson in respecting worldly authority, and yet working against it. If you say no, then she shall work even harder in her lessons to prove that she is up to the level of musicality as necessary for performance. You know me and my ways. Saying no will increase her chances of a wonderful career later.

Thank you,

Erik

So it was him. Erik. The boy she retrieved from the gypsies. What he wanted with Christine she did not know, but if saying now would improve Christine's work ethic than that would be best.

ps- Do not tell Christine. That would ruin everything.