A Magical Nightmare Before Christmas

A Magical Nightmare Before Christmas

star of light

Part III

"`All the world´s a stage

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts...´" Ginny listened as Malfoy began his speech from As You Like It. He had a powerful, attention-grabbing voice, if she had to admit it. All thanks to me, that prat is actually looking good up there, Ginny thought to herself. He didn´t move around the stage, just sat on his stool, occasionally used a hand gesture to accent a point in the monologue. He had the facial expressions for comedy, the ability to feint gravity, and a stage presence like no other. Ginny also had to admit that Malfoy would be a decent Jack Skellington, as he was just as tall and lanky as the fictitious character was.

And then with a note of near solemnity, Malfoy finished,

"`...Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion;

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.´" Ginny looked to where McGonagall sat, two chairs down. She was scribbling furiously on her parchment, and when she looked over to Ginny, she gave the fourth-year a small appreciative smile.

Malfoy cleared his throat, and asked, "Can we get on with this, Professor? I have things to do, you know."

"Mr. Malfoy, you are the one who wanted to audition, so desist from speaking to me like that," she ordered harshly. Continuing in a more gracious tone, the teacher requested, "Please, sing."

"I, er... I need a tuning note," he said nonchalantly, covering his slight embarrassment. Ginny rolled her eyes, and took her pitch pipe out of her bag. Playing a B for a few second, Malfoy nodded slightly and cut her off with a hand gesture.

"`There are few who deny, at what I do I am the best!

For my talents are renowned far and wide,

When it comes to surprises in the moonlit night,

I excel without ever even trying...´" His voice was low, rich, a smooth tenor that did not sound a bit like his speaking voice. Ginny grinned, knowing that he owed her a lot, but that his dastardly ways would never let him admit to it. Just wait until McGonagall sees the dance, she thought to herself. She´ll know then that Malfoy didn´t do this on his own. "`...The fame and praise come year after year... Does nothing for these empty tears...´" Malfoy finished, dying out.

"Wonderful, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall was saying as she clapped a bit. "Please, all you have left is the dance." He began to do it, with more flair than Ginny had seen him do it earlier in the afternoon. It was better than she had imagined, far better than any of the other males. He finished with a flourish, paused a beat to check out McGonagall´s stunned, look, then grabbed his script off the stage in fro the stool. As he jumped off of the platform and prepared to leave, Professor McGonagall told him, "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Audition results will be posted tomorrow on my door at noon."

"Like I care," he muttered, sweeping his way out of the Great Hall. Ginny threw her pitch pipe in her bag, picked it up, and raced out after him. She looked around outside the hall, and saw him making his way to the top of the Grand Staircase, and turning down a corridor on his right. She ran up the numerous steps after him, and followed him down the hall, catching him near the entrance to the library.

"Malfoy!" she said, calling to him from the opposite end of the corridor.

"Little weasel, go back to your den," he sneered in return.

Ginny´s face filled with anger as she snapped, "All I wanted to do was tell you that you did well."

"And I don´t really want to hear it, Weasley."

"Fine, Malfoy. But you won´t see the end of me."

Feigning terror, he wailed mockingly, "Oh, the horror!" and stalked through the library doors. Exasperated, Ginny shouted in rage and spun around, stomping all the way to Gryffindor Tower.

***

Lunch was nearly silent on Ginny´s part. She heard everyone around her talking, but none of it seemed to reach her. Harry, Fred and George were going on about the last Chudley Cannons game. Hermione and Ron were fighting about how he hand´t done his homework, again, and why she wouldn´t let him just copy hers. But Ginny sat there silently, just eating a bite of toast every now and then.

"...you eat? Ginny?" Colin´s voice filled her head as he shook her left arm.

"Hmmmmm?" Ginny replied, turning to him in a slight daze.

"Why won´t you eat?" Colin asked again, a concerned expression crossing his face, unnoticed by Ginny.

"Colin... what time is it?" she inquired, ignoring his question. He looked at his watch diligently.

"A little after noon... why?" Colin got no reply, as Ginny jumped up, grabbed her bag, and ran out of the Great Hall. All conversation diminished as the group, astonished, watched her go.

"Gee, Colin, what´d you say?" Fred asked jokingly. Look quite upset, Colin didn´t answer. "Just a joke..." Fred muttered.

"She left because I told her it was five after noon..." Colin said confoundedly. The group sat there as they wondered why Ginny had left.

Hermione snapper her fingers and provided the answer: "Audition results for the Muggle Studies musical... McGonagall´s posted them already!" Ron, Fred and George left quickly, closely followed by Hermione and Harry. They ran up to McGonagall´s room on the Second Floor, West Wing. There was a crowd gathered there, predominantly Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, possibly a few Hufflepuffs, and not a single Slytherin among the lot. Ron, Hermione and Harry pushed through the throng until they found Ginny, slumped against the wall near McGonagall´s door. Her eyes were closed, and there was a grim look upon her face.

"Gin, what´s wrong? Did you not get the part you wanted?" Ron asked worriedly, his scarlet eyebrows knitting together over concerned blue eyes. Upon not receiving an answer, he touched her on the arm and said, "Gin?"

"Oh, Ron, its not that I didn´t get the part I want, but you wouldn`t believe..." Ginny opened her eyes, and looked at him apprehensively.

"So you´re Sally?" Hermione asked excitedly. Ginny looked at her, and gave her a small grin and a vague nod.

"Well then, Ginny, congratulations!" Harry told her, clapping her lightly on the arm in a joyous sort of way, pushing his glasses up his nose. Surprisingly enough, Ginny didn´t feel her stomach drop for once.

"What´s wrong then, if you got the role you wanted?" Ron asked.

"Oh, Ron, don´t get me wrong. I´m... ecstatic about getting Sally," Ginny told him. "It´s just.. Ron, I´m bloody playing opposite Draco Malfoy!" she blurted out, looking at Ron´s face for the tell-tale Weasley signs of anger. Instantaneous purple-tipped ears, suddenly blazing eyes, abruptly scarlet cheeks, impulsively grinding jaw... yeah, he was very angry. And it was just Draco Malfoy´s luck that he would choose that exact moment to show up. The Slytherin had Pansy Parkinson on one arm, Blaise Zabini on the other, and they were flanked by Crabbe and Goyle for protection.

Ron began moving towards him, but Hermione and Harry held him back as Ginny cried, "Ron, don´t do anything to Malfoy!"

"Why not?" he growled, shaking off his friends and turning to her. "Why are you protecting the bloody bastard?"

"I...I´m not," Ginny insisted. She looked around his head, looking anywhere but into his piercing blue eyes. "It´s just that he had no control over this," Ginny explained, "and anyway... Snape´s right down the hall." She pointed to the professor, who was moving towards the melee with a mission to break it up and get the students back to their classes.

Ron grunted and nodded, agreeing, "I guess you have a point."

"Let´s go before you actually get half a mind to try something," Harry suggested. Ron nodded again, and let Hermione lead him away. Ginny still didn´t move from her spot against the wall. To her, Harry asked, "You coming, Gin?"

She shook her head. "No, leads have to see McGonagall at half past, and its nearly so by now," Ginny replied softly. "So go ahead, Harry. Make sure my brothers don´t do anything too crazy, alright?"

"Sure," he replied with a smile. Ginny returned one to convey her thanks. Watching him walk away, she groaned and thought, if only I´d been nasty and let Malfoy make himself look like a bloody fool...

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Cast List

Leads

Jack Skellington:......... Draco Malfoy

Sally:....................... Ginny Weasley

Evil Scientist:............. Seamus Finnigan

Mayor:.................... Justin Finch-Fletchy

Lock:..................... Vincent Crabbe

Shock:.................... Gregory Goyle

Barrel:.................... Blaise Zabini

Oogie Boogie:.......... Neville Longbottom

Chorus

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