Disclaimer; I own nothing
Chapter 5 after 1 month
The cast had improved a lot in the month since they started, at least in Harry's opinion. Now they didn't sound like a caterwaul, more like a mash of sound that you could pick out good people from.
Harry continued to do homework under a silencing ward during practises and his plan was coming along nicely now. The letter would be delivered the day of the dress rehearsal signed in his typical fashion. (Before you say what letter it's meant to be mysterious!)
Harry continued to practise in the room of requirement every day trying to memorise blocking and dance moves which the Madame's had shown him since the director was changing it slightly. He knew that his double would be learning it also but he needed to practise as well.
The cast was moving onto dancing today and harry had purposefully not brought any homework so that he could enjoy the full scale of the embarrassment of the cast. Unfortunately it seemed this was not going to be.
"Gather round everyone" Called Madame Richeston called. "We are going to start with warm ups before moving onto the dancing for act 2 or Overture/Hannibal" there were simultaneous groans from the cast and snickers from the friends watching.
"Everyone in lines behind me" announced Madame Richeston. She began taking them trough some basic stretches and warm up activities which the watchers obviously found comical as snickers began to rise earning glares from the cast.
The cast stopped focusing on the stretches and just began glaring at the watchers.
Madame Richeston coughed and the music stopped "if our watchers find this so comical they wouldn't mind joining in would they?" she asked with a sly smile on her face. She aimed the question at the entire group but she was glaring at harry who was in the fetal position on the floor laughing.
"And what Mr. Potter do you find so funny" she asked mock sternly
"Everything" harry managed to gasp out.
Madame Richeston desperately tried not to smile as she strode over to him. "So you won't mind helping me at the front then?" she asked sweetly.
Harry laughed once more and slowly pulled himself up "of course not, as long as the cast take this seriously and my friends here" he gestured to the others still trying to reign in chuckles "also join in"
Madame simply nodded and pulled harry to the front. He transfigured his shoes into dress shoes and removed his shirt revealing a tight T-Shirt underneath.
"We shall begin with warm up sequence 3 followed by 1 then two" Madame Richeston whispered to harry as he passed her. He simply nodded and took a position about 2 feet to her right.
"Everyone is to copy me or harry" Madame said before starting the music again.
To the shock of everyone watching harry began the warm-up sequences without even looking to Madame Richeston to check to see if he was doing it right. In fact he was doing it in perfect time with the music as well!
Everyone looked in surprise and stopped moving which earned them a sharp rebuke from Madame Richeston and although they couldn't see it a sly smile from harry.
The cast began copying harry until Madame Richeston announced they were warmed up enough.
"Right, chorus over there I will be going through the ballet steps with you, harry go through the blocking with the main cast" Harry glared at Madame Richeston's retreating back before turning to the cast who were looking at him weirdly.
"What?" harry asked feeling self-conscious
"Why do you get to teach us and how do you know Madame Richeston?" Draco Malfoy asked rudely
"I get to teach you because I know what I'm doing and let's just say that Madame Richeston and I go way back and leave it at that" he walked forwards on the stage
"Cho come stand here" he pointed to a spot in the middle of the stage "when you are practising your scales you will be standing here on the stage. All stage hands and the like will be wandering around behind you o.k.?" he asked, Cho nodded as did the stage hands.
"Now Carlotta's assistants need to be stood here" he motioned to a space about 5 feet to Cho's left and placed the three of them in a line
"the rest of you who are not main characters and are in this scene will enter from the back singing o.k.?" he placed the rest of the cast into three lines then motioned for the principal characters to move off stage slightly.
"Right Carlotta will sing her scales then go towards her assistants" Cho did just that "then the four of you will move back as the others enter in their lines" they also did that. "Then the boys will complete a dance routine with your swords which I believe Madame Richeston has yet to decide on while the girls will be behind you." The boys mimed fighting with swords causing harry to shake his head and the others to laugh, then Cho you will walk back in front waving your fan a bit then walk back towards the side of the stage." She did that
"wait, no about here" he motioned to another point "you need to pretend to trip slightly, just very slightly but it helps a bit later" she did it again this time tripping slightly.
"Right, Ginny you would be over with the other ballet girls at this time, Cedric you will be at the back of these guys and will walk through just after Cho trips and sing your bit o.k.? Ron you haven't arrived yet and Draco you would be watching in the shadows somewhere up there" he gestures to the ceiling.
"Hannah you will be over here, he motioned to a point almost off stage doing some stretches on the bar. Dean, Seamus and Colin you will come on from that back corner so go stand over there" he looked around. And made sure everyone was in place
"O.k. from the beginning of the scene please"
Cho did her first bit then the rest entered perfectly.
Harry smiled at least they understood something.
The boy's mimed sword fighting whilst singing their part moving backwards slightly as harry made a motion with his hands. Harry smiled then motioned to Cho who got his drift and walked on waving her fan and smiling before walking off and tripping slightly.
The dancers parted and made way for Cedric who sung his bit
Harry then yelled "stop, right that was perfect guys, now we need Justin to stand here" Harry placed Justin where the maestro's stand would be. "O.k. continue"
Justin said his lines and then harry motioned to the back corner and Colin lead Dean and Seamus in, they said there lines harry paused them momentarily to position everyone around them slightly differently and to tell Hannah to look up when Colin said her name before allowing them to continue.
When Colin introduced dean and Seamus harry stopped them there.
"O.k. guys you need to politely clap, not enthusiastically and not sarcastically whilst Dean you need to be a bit overzealous while Seamus the opposite.
They continued as he had instructed them
As they introduced Ron harry motioned him in and Ron slouched in.
"no, no, no, you need to stride in; you are the Vicomte de Chagny you are rich powerful and women fawn over you get into character Ron" harry said he motioned him back and they did it again this time Ron walking properly.
"This is where our ballet girls and Christine and Meg will enter over here, he motioned to the opposite side of the stage from where Ron had entered and allowed Ginny and Hermione to say their lines.
When Ron said his lines harry paused again.
"O.k. here Cho you need to begin walking towards Ron, act like he is pray which you need to trap or entice." there were a few titters and harry smiled. "You will then put out your hand expecting Ron to kiss it as was the custom then" harry explained. They continued with them doing as harry said
"O.k., here where Cho is talking to her assistants you need to be fawning over her" harry explained
They did that and harry called one final halt. "This is as far as we can go without the ballet girls so we will run through that again, this time without me reminding you to see if you can remember it"
They ran through it a few times until they had it perfect. Then harry told them to all get a drink whilst he helped Madame Richeston who seemed to be having a few problems.
"Ballet is a girl's dance" the boys were moaning
"It is? is it" harry asked with his eyebrows risen
"Yeah" the boy answered
"So if I was to say I danced ballet would you say I was a girl?" harry asked
"No, your-the-boy-who-lived, you can't be girly!" he argued.
Harry smiled at Madame Richeston and motioned towards the music player with his wand. He took a position by the bar before beginning the routine. This particular routine was not from the phantom of the opera but from about 30 minutes into the ballet version of Swan Lake. The second he'd started the music Madame Richeston had seen what he was going to do and had transfigured her clothes taking the place of the main female in this ballet piece.
Harry began to walk towards Madame Richeston a look of awe on his face as she danced on Pointe moving her arms gently, (I don't know proper ballet terms but I know this dance from when my ballet company put on the performance so I'll just describe it ok?) he walked to face her and touched her making her look up, he jumped round the front of her and slid on his knee behind her completing a circuit as she moved slightly to the right he completed another circuit this time staying standing with his hand on Madame Richeston's back he repeated this three times more before Madame Richeston moved forwards away from him, into a series of arabesques whilst he ran around the stage gracefully to end up behind her grasping her arms above her head whilst she had her left leg out in another arabesque.
She spun out of his arms and gracefully walked around him with him chasing behind her. He grabbed her hand and she turned to face him grabbing his other hand in front of them so their hands were crossed in front of them. He dragged her back into the middle of the stage and let go of her, silently holding out his hand in a silent ask for a dance. She raised her arms into 4th position and he bowed low to her.
Knowing hat this particular ballet went on for a while they stopped there. And harry looked up smiling to the awe struck chorus members. He stood and glared to the boy who had been arguing before.
"Ballet is not girly" he stated firmly before turning to Madame Richeston
"Where did you get up to?" he asked
"The first set of leaps before we had problems" she said. Harry smiled and rubbed his hands together.
"I love challenges" he said
Harry and Madame Richeston began by teaching everyone the style of leap needed for this step. Once everyone had them perfect they began placing people in their staring positions
"Now for the real thing you will have manacles to connect you to two other people but we are going to get the basics right first please." Harry explained.
"Right three jumps in this order please" you first Madame Richeston pointed to a group near harry before making her way around the room anti-clockwise. "Move when I point and listen to the music to see if you can work out when you start by the music not me"
They began and to everyone's shock they got the first bit perfect.
"O.k. now Ginny you have a slight solo part here" Madame Richeston showed her the steps whilst harry sorted out what everyone else was doing
They continued for around half an hour till everyone had the steps down.
"O.K let's combine these two" Madame Richeston called.
* (I can't be bothered to write it twice, let's just say it went well)*
It was at least an hour later by the time Madame Richeston dismissed the cast. By then most of them were sweating and harry had got very fed up of the looks everyone were giving him.
The second the last person was outside of the doo harry turned on madam Richeston
"You do realise I am trying to keep my alternate identity hidden and I don't take kindly to you calling me out and making me help you. You do realise that I am going to be interrogated so bad tonight." Harry moaned
"That was the idea. And you aren't trying to keep your identity secret or you wouldn't have arranged that thing with the director" Madame Richeston pointed out.
Harry simply growled and stalked out of the door and to the room of requirement where he knew Ginny would be waiting for him for her lesson.
And that's that folks see you tomorrow review please, I want to know what you think!