Hi! I hope that you get better, CrouchingCrookshanks. And, this chapter, will the new characters come? I guess it depends on your reviews!

"Cat," Dustin whispered, "I'm doing ok, right?"

"Sure, sure." Cat replied and her blue eyes glinted mischievously.

"Cat! The lights!" Draco called.

"Right, right!" Cat called and turned on the lights, she smoothed the house elf's coat and murmured, "There, there. Are you ready, Flopsy?" gently. The elf nodded its head and the play began.

MAURICE: (to no one in particular)
Will no one help me?

(Fade back to the bedroom of the castle where BELLE is still crying. There is a 'clink clink clink' at the door. She gets up and walks over to open the door. MRS. POTTS enters with CHIP and their entourage.)

BELLE: Who is it?

MRS. POTTS: (from outside the door)
Mrs. Potts, dear.
(Door opens.)
I thought you might like a spot of tea.

BELLE: (amazed at the fact that she is listening to a walking tea set)
But you...ah...but...I--
(BELLE bumps into the WARDROBE)

WARDROBE: Oof. Careful!

BELLE: (sits on bed)
This is impossible--

WARDROBE: (leans 'shoulder' on bed, popping other end and BELLE into the air)
I know it is, but here we are!

CHIP: (as sugar and cream are being poured into him)
Told ya she was pretty, mama, didn't I?

MRS. POTTS: All right, now, Chip. That'll do.
(CHIP hops over to BELLE, who is sitting on the floor)
Slowly, now. Don't spill!

BELLE: Thank you.
(She picks up CHIP, and is about to take a sip of tea.)

CHIP: (To BELLE)
Wanna see me do a trick?
(CHIP takes a big breath, then puffs out his cheeks and blows bubbles out the top of the cup.)

MRS. POTTS: (admonishingly)
Chip!

CHIP: (looking guilty)
Oops. Sooorry.

MRS. POTTS: (To BELLE)
That was a very brave thing you did, my dear.

WARDROBE: We all think so.

BELLE: But I've lost my father, my dreams, everything.

MRS. POTTS: Cheer up, child. It'll turn out all right in the end. You'll see.
(She looks up, startled.)
Oops! Look at me, jabbering on, when there's a supper to get on the table. Chip!

CHIP: (hopping away)
Bye!
(BELLE stands and the WARDROBE approaches her.)

WARDROBE: Well now, what shall we dress you in for dinner? Let's see what I've got in my drawers.
(The doors fly open and moths flutter out. She slams them shut.)
Oh! How embarrassing. Here we are.
(One door opens, the other serves as an arm. It pulls out a pink dress.)
Ah! There, you'll look ravishing in this one!
(Something to think about: We never hear of a King or Queen or parents, so what is a Prince living on his own doing with a wardrobe full of women's clothing? I think that he knew that a girl would have to come in order for the spell to be broken and had clothes made.)

BELLE: That's very kind of you, but I'm not going to dinner.

WARDROBE: Oh, but you must!
(COGSWORTH waddles in)

COGSWORTH: Ahem, ahem, ahem. Dinner...is served.
(Cut to BEAST pacing back and forth in front of fire,
with MRS. POTTS and LUMIERE looking on.)

BEAST: What's taking so long? I told her to come down. Why isn't she here yet?!?

MRS. POTTS: Oh, try to be patient, sir. The girl
has lost her father and her freedom all in one day.

LUMIERE: Uh, master. Have you thought that, perhaps,
this girl could be the one to break the spell?

BEAST: (angrily)
Of course I have. I'm not a fool.

LUMIERE: Good. You fall in love with her, she falls in love with you, and--Poof!--the spell is broken! We'll be human again by midnight!
(That sounds like a good title for a song-- "Human Again" - it's a broadway thing!)

MRS. POTTS: Oh, it's not that easy, Lumiere. These things take time.

LUMIERE: But the rose has already begun to wilt.

BEAST: It's no use. She's so beautiful, and I'm so...well, look at me!
(LUMIERE shrugs his shoulders and looks at MRS. POTTS.)

MRS. POTTS: Oh, you must help her to see past all that.

BEAST: I don't know how.

MRS. POTTS: Well, you can start by making yourself more
presentable. Straighten up, try to act like a gentleman.
(BEAST sits up, then straightens his face very formally)

LUMIERE: (adding in)
Ah yes, when she comes in, give her a dashing, debonair smile. Come, come. Show me the smile. (BEAST bears his ragged fangs in a scary, and yet funny grin.)

MRS. POTTS: But don't frighten the poor girl.

LUMIERE: Impress her with your rapier wit.

MRS. POTTS: But be gentle.

LUMIERE: Shower her with compliments.

MRS. POTTS: But be sincere

LUMIERE: And above all...

BOTH: You must control your temper!
(The door creaks open. BEAST wipes the silly face off, and looks to the door expectantly.)

LUMIERE: Here she is!
(COGSWORTH enters.)

COGSWORTH: Uh, good evening.
(BEAST goes from expectant to mad.)

BEAST: (growling)
Well, where is she?

COGSWORTH: (buying time)
Who? Oh! The girl. Yes, the, ah, girl. Well, actually, she's in the process of, ah, um, circumstances being what they are, ah... she's not coming.
(Cut to exterior of den with door slightly ajar)

BEAST: WHAT!!!!!!!
(Door bangs open and BEAST comes running out, with OBJECTS giving chase)

COGSWORTH: Your grace! Your eminence! Let's not be hasty!
(Cut to exterior of BELLE's room. BEAST runs up to it and bangs on the door.)

BEAST: (Yelling)
I thought I told you to come down to dinner!

BELLE: (From behind the door)
I'm not hungry.

BEAST: You'll come out or I'll...I'll break down the door!

LUMIERE: (interrupting)
Master, I could be wrong, but that may not be the best way to win the girl's affections.

COGSWORTH: (pleading)
Please! Attempt to be a gentleman.

BEAST: (growing angrier)
But she is being so...difficult!

MRS. POTTS: Gently, gently.

BEAST: (very dejected)
Will you come down to dinner?

BELLE: No!

(BEAST looks at the OBJECTS, with an expression that says "SEE?!".)

COGSWORTH: Suave. Genteel.

BEAST: (Trying to act formal, bowing at the door)
It would give me great pleasure if you would join me for dinner.

COGSWORTH: Ahem, ahem, we say 'please.'

BEAST: (once again dejected)
...please.

BELLE: (Mad at BEAST)
No, thank you.

BEAST: (furious)
You can't stay in there forever!

BELLE: (provokingly)
Yes I can!

BEAST: Fine! Then go ahead and STARVE!!!!
(To OBJECTS)
If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all!

(BEAST runs back down the hall, slamming a door
and causing a piece of the ceiling to fall on LUMIERE.)

MRS. POTTS: That didn't go very well at all, did it.

COGSWORTH: Lumiere, stand watch at the door and
inform me at once if there is the slightest change.

LUMIERE: (Taking guard position next to door)
You can count on me, mon capitan.

COGSWORTH: Well, I guess we better go downstairs and start cleaning up.
(Cut to interior of BEAST's lair. BEAST enters, knocking over and destroying things in his path.)

BEAST: I ask nicely, but she refuses. What a...what does she want me to do--beg?
(Picking up the MAGIC MIRROR)
Show me the girl.

(The MAGIC MIRROR shines, then glows green and
reveals BELLE in her bedroom, talking to the WARDROBE)

WARDROBE: (in mirror pleading)
Why the master's not so bad once you get to know him. Why don't you give him a chance?

BELLE: (still disturbed by the attack)
I don't want to get to know him.
I don't want to have anything to do with him!

BEAST: (setting down MAGIC MIRROR, speaking tenderly)
I'm just fooling myself. She'll never see me as anything...but a monster.
(Another petal falls off the rose.)
It's hopeless.

(BEAST puts his head in his hands as in a depressed state. Fade out/Fade in to exterior of BELLE's room. Door creaks open. BELLE silently emerges. We see her feet go by as three bright spots shine through a curtain at floor level. Behind it are LUMIERE and FEATHERDUSTER.)

FEATHERDUSTER: Oh, no!

LUMIERE: Oh, yes!

FEATHERDUSTER: Oh, no!

LUMIERE: Oh, yes, yes, yes!

FEATHERDUSTER: I've been burnt by you before!

(LUMIERE and FEATHERDUSTER have emerged and LUMIERE takes her in his arms. Suddenly he looks up and sees BELLE walking down the hall. He drops FEATHERDUSTER.)

FEATHERDUSTER: Oof!

LUMIERE: Zut alors! She has emerged!
(Cut to kitchen, where we find COGSWORTH,MRS. POTTS,CHIP and the STOVE.)

MRS. POTTS: Come on, Chip. Into the cupboard with your brothers and sisters.
(helping him in)

CHIP: But I'm not sleepy.

MRS. POTTS: Yes you are.

CHIP: No, I'm...not.
(He falls asleep and MRS. POTTS shuts the cupboard door.
A banging of pots and pans comes from the STOVE.)

STOVE: I work and I slave all day, and for what? A culinary masterpiece gone to waste.

MRS. POTTS: Oh, stop your grousing. It's been a long night for all of us.

COGSWORTH: Well, if you ask me, she was just
being stubborn. After all, the master did say 'please.'

MRS. POTTS: But if the master doesn't learn to control that temper, he'll never break the--
(BELLE enters, and COGSWORTH cuts off MRS. POTTS before she can say 'spell.')

COGSWORTH: (interrupting)
Splendid to see you out and about, mademoiselle.
(LUMIERE comes running in.)
I am Cogsworth, head of the household.
(He leans over to kiss her hand, but LUMIERE butts in front of him.)
This is Lumiere.

LUMIERE: En chante, cherie.

COGSWORTH: (trying to talk around LUMIERE who is still kissing BELLE's hand)
If there's anything...stop that...that we can...please
(finally shoving him out of the way)
...to make your stay more comfortable.
(LUMIERE burns the hand of COGSWORTH) Ow!!!!

BELLE: I am a little hungry.

MRS. POTTS: (excited, to the other tea pots)
You are? Hear that? She's hungry. Stoke the fire, break out the silver, wake the china.

(The fire on the STOVE roars to life, and drawers
open to reveal silverware standing at attention.)

COGSWORTH: (secretively)
Remember what the master said.

MRS. POTTS: Oh, pish tosh. I'm not going to let the poor child go hungry.

COGSWORTH: (thinking he is giving in to the ultimate demand)
Oh, all right. Glass of water, crust of bread, and then--

LUMIERE: Cogsworth, I am surprised at you. She's not our prisoner. She's our guest. We must make her feel welcome here.
(to BELLE)
Right this way, mademoiselle.

COGSWORTH: Well keep it down. If the master finds out about this, it will be our necks!

LUMIERE: Of course, of course. But what is dinner without a little music?
(LUMIERE has started out the swinging door. He lets it close, and the door hits COGSWORTH and sends him across the room to land in a pan filled with -what looks like- pancake batter. He screams his line as he is in flight.)

COGSWORTH: MUSIC!?!

(Cut to dining room, where BELLE is seated at the end of a long
table. LUMIERE is on the table and a spotlight shines on him.)

**Start of Song: "Be Our Guest**

LUMIERE: Ma chere, mademoiselle. It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that I welcome you tonight. And now, we invite you to relax. Let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents...your dinner.

Be our guest, be our guest
Put our service to the test,
tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie
and we provide the rest!

(The CHAIR has wrapped a napkin around the neck of BELLE, who takes it off and places it on her lap. The CHAIR's arms put it's hands on it's 'waist' as if it were mad.

Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres
Why we only live to serve
Try the grey stuff, it's delicious
Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!
(LUMIERE offers BELLE a plate of hors d'oeuvres. She dips her finger in one, and tastes it.)

They can sing, they can dance
After all, miss, this is France!
And a dinner here is never second best!
Go on unfold your menu, take a glance and then you'll
Be our guest, be our guest, be our guest!

(A cabinet at the end of the table opens to reveal a large CHINA collection, which rolls out and begins to perform. LUMIERE hands BELLE a menu, which she begins to read.)

Beef ragout, cheese souffle,
Pie and pudding en flambe!
We'll prepare and serve with flair
A culinary cabaret!

(Plates of food go dancing by, with COGSWORTH in the pudding. LUMIERE
sets his torch to it, and it explodes, turning COGSWORTH's face black with soot.)

You're alone and you're scared,
But the banquet's all prepared!
No one's gloomy or complaining,
While the flatware's entertaining!
(The FLATWARE enters a 'Busby Berlkley-esque' swimming scene.)

We tell jokes, I do tricks
With my fellow candlesticks

(LUMIERE, standing on a plate, is elevated and
begins to juggle his candles. MUGS enter the shot.)

MUGS: And it's all in perfect taste
That you can bet!!!

(The MUGS begin a gymnastics routine, hopping over
one another and passing a beverage from one to the next)

ALL: Come on and lift your glass,
You've won your own free pass
To be our guest, be our guest, be our guest!

LUMIERE: If you're stressed, it's fine dining we suggest!

ALL: Be our guest, be our guest, be our guest!

(ALL leave except COGSWORTH, who looks scared, then
begins to inch away. LUMIERE enters and holds him there.)

LUMIERE: Life is so unnerving,
For a servant who's not serving!
He's not whole without a soul to wait upon

COGSWORTH: Get off!

LUMIERE: Ah, those good old days when we were useful
Suddenly, those good old days are gone.

(LUMIERE sings as if he were reminiscing. Snow begins to fall. COGSWORTH
looks up and sees the salt and pepper shakers doing their thing.)

LUMIERE: Ten years we've been rusting
Needing so much more than dusting
Needing exercise, a chance to use our skills!

(LUMIERE dusts the salt of the head of COGSWORTH,
who tries to escape. He trips and falls into the gelatin mold.)

Most days just lay around the castle,
Flabby fat and lazy
You walked in, and oops-a-daisie!

(LUMIERE jumps on a spoon in the gelatin, which catapults COGSWORTH out of the mold. Cut to kitchen, where MRS. POTTS is surrounded by soap bubbles.)

MRS. POTTS: It's a guest, it's a guest!
Sakes alive, well I'll be blessed!
Wine's been poured and thank the Lord
I've had the napkins freshly pressed!
(MRS. POTTS continues to dance around the kitchen)

With dessert, she'll want tea,
And my dear, that's fine with me!
While the cups do their soft shoeing,
I'll be bubbling, I'll be brewing!

I'll get warm, piping hot
Heaven's sake, is that a spot?
Clean it up, we want the company impressed!
We've got a lot to do--
Is it one lump or two?
For you our guest!

(MRS. POTTS is cleaned off by a napkin. She hops onto the tea
cart and rolls into the dining room, where she offers tea to BELLE.)

ALL: She's our guest!

MRS. POTTS: She's our guest!

ALL: She's our guest!
Be our guest! Be our guest!
Our command is your request!
It's ten years since we had anybody here
And we're obsessed!

With your meal, with your ease,
Yes indeed, we aim to please
While the candlelight's still glowing
Let us help you, we'll keep going--

(The CHINA and CANDLESTICKS perform an elaborately
choreographed dance sequence, ending in a close up of LUMIERE.)

ALL (especially. LUMIERE):
Course, by course
One by one
'Til you shout "Enough, I'm done!"
Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest
Tonight you'll prop your feet up,
But for let's eat up
Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Please Be our guest!!

**End of Song**

(A fantastic ending comes of the song, with SILVERWARE flying through the air, PLATES and FEATHERDUSTERS dancing, and COGSWORTH the focus of attention, until LUMIERE comes sliding in and sends him flying out of camera range.)

BELLE: Bravo! That was wonderful!

COGSWORTH: Thank you, thank you, mademoiselle. Yes, good show, wasn't it everyone. (Looking at his own face)
Oh, my goodness, will you look at the time. Now, it's off to bed, off to bed!
(LUMIERE comes up next to COGSWORTH.)

BELLE: Oh, I couldn't possibly go to bed now. It's my first time in an enchanted castle.

COGSWORTH: Enchanted? Who said anything about the castle being enchanted?
(He tries to cover it up, just as a fork runs past. To LUMIERE)
It was you, wasn't it!

BELLE: I, um, figured it out for myself.

(COGSWORTH and LUMIERE have been fighting. They both look at her, then stop. COGSWORTH dusts himself off, and LUMIERE fixes his wax nose.)
I'd like to look around, if that's all right.

LUMIERE: (excited)
Oh! Would you like a tour?

COGSWORTH: Wait a second, wait a second. I'm not sure that's such a good idea. (Confidentially, to LUMIERE)
We can't let her go poking around in certain places, if you know what I mean.

BELLE: (Poking COGSWORTH in the belly -like the Pillsbury doughboy-)
Perhaps you could take me. I'm sure you know everything there is to know about the castle.

COGSWORTH: (flattered)
Well, actually, ah yes, I do!
(Fade to COGSWORTH, LUMIERE, and BELLE walking
down a hall with FOOTSTOOL. COGSWORTH is lecturing.)

COGSWORTH: As you can see, the pseudo facade was stripped away to reveal a minimalist rococo design. Note the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings. This is yet another example of the neo-classic baroque period, and as I always say, if it's not baroque, don't fix it! Ha ha ha. Now then, where was I?
(He turns to find the heads of the SUITS OF ARMOR have turned to follow BELLE.)
As you were!
(They all snap back to face forward.)
Now, if I may draw your attention to the flying buttresses above the--mademoiselle?

(COGSWORTH turns back to the group and is one girl short. He sees her beginning to climb the grand staircase. He and LUMIERE run up to her and jump in front of her, blocking her progress upstairs.)

BELLE: What's up there?

COGSWORTH: Where? Up there? Nothing. Absolutely nothing
of interest at all in the West Wing. Dusty, dull, very boring.

(LUMIERE has been shaking his head, but
COGSWORTH nudges him and he nods in agreement.)

BELLE: Oh, so that's the West Wing.

LUMIERE: (To COGSWORTH)
Nice going!

BELLE: I wonder what he's hiding up there.

LUMIERE: Hiding? The master is hiding nothing!

BELLE: Then it wouldn't be forbidden.
(She steps over them, but they dash up and block her again.)

COGSWORTH: Perhaps mademoiselle would like to see something else.
We have exquisite tapestries dating all the way back to...

BELLE: (again stepping over them)
Maybe later.

LUMIERE: (with COGSWORTH, again dashing and blocking)
The gardens, or the library perhaps?

BELLE: (Now, with incredible interest)
You have a library?

COGSWORTH: (Thrilled that he has found something to interest her)
Oh yes! Indeed!

LUMIERE: With books!

COGSWORTH: Gads of books!

LUMIERE: Mountains of books!

COGSWORTH: Forests of books!

LUMIERE: Cascades...

COGSWORTH: ...of books!

LUMIERE: Swamps of books!

COGSWORTH: More books than you'll ever be able to read in a lifetime! Books on every subject ever studied, by every author who ever set pen to paper...

(LUMIERE and COGSWORTH begin marching off, and BELLE begins to follow, but her curiosity overtakes her, and she turns back to the West Wing. Her excitement begins to dwindle, though, when she enters the hallway leading to BEAST's lair. As she walks down the hall, she stops to look in a mirror that has been shattered into several pieces, each one reflecting her concerned look. She reaches the end of the hall and finds a closed door with gargoyle handles. She takes a deep breath, then reaches out and opens the door. Cut to interior of lair, where BELLE begins to explore. She is truly shocked by everything she sees. She wanders around, looking, and knocks over a table, but she catches it before it crashes to the floor. She then turns her head and sees a shredded picture on the wall. We can only see part of a portrait. It is the same portrait that was shredded in the opening. BELLE reaches out and lifts the shreds of the picture to reveal the prince. We never see this, however, for then she turns her head and sees the rose under the bell jar. She walks over to it, her eyes transfixed. She reaches out, then lifts off the jar, leaving the rose unprotected. She reaches up, brushes back the strand of hair that has been
repeatedly falling on her forehead, then reaches out to touch the rose. As she nears it, a shadow falls over her. BEAST has been on the balcony, and sees her. He jumps back into the room, then slams the jar back on the rose. He then turns his attention to BELLE.)

Wow, so hard to write all this! Please review!