The Hogwarts Players Present

Act the First: Part 3

Bye-Bye, Hermione

As Dumbledore fumbles for his tissue box, melancholy music cues into:

FANTINE'S DEATH

Dim lights up on center stage, revealing

Hermione propped up on pillows in a bed, obviously ill. She's wearing a long-sleeved white nightgown that looks almost like a shroud. Harry sits in a chair to the right of the bed, looking at Hermione sadly. To Harry's right, there is a door (right, no walls, only a representative door).

Before

Hermione can even begin, there's snuffling from backstage:

RANDOM FIRST YEAR: Oooh, this is so sad...[bursts into tears]

RON: (disgusted) Nothing's even happened yet!

RANDOM FIRST YEAR: (sobbing) But it w-w-will!!

RON: (relenting, a little nicer) Well, be quiet, or we won't be able to hear!

RANDOM FIRST YEAR: (sniffling) Okay.

As her cue nears,

Hermione sits up straighter, and gazes dreamily out over the audience. She holds out her arms, as though she can see COSETTE, her daughter.

HERMIONE

Come to me,

Cosette, the light is fading.

Don't you see the evening star appearing?

Harry can't look at her anymore--he bows his head sadly, elbows on his knees, gazing at the floor. The First Year backstage is sniffling again, and this time Ron doesn't say anything.

Hermione is playing her part to the fullest (since she has to wait till the Finale to be onstage again...).

HERMIONE (hugging herself, as though holding Cosette)

Come to me, and rest against my shoulder.

How fast the minutes fly away and every minute colder!

Harry looks close to tears, before he remembers that he's supposed to be acting. He takes a deep breath to control himself, then looks at Hermione again.

HARRY

Oh, Fantine, our time is running out.

(he edges a bit closer to

Hermione)

But Fantine, I swear this on my life.

HERMIONE (seemingly not hearing, pointing out over the audience and smiling)

Look, M'sieur, where all the children play!

Harry looks pained, then gently pulls Hermione's arm down and eases her back on the pillows.

HARRY

Be at peace.

Be at peace evermore.

HERMIONE (popping back up, lucid again)

My Cosette...

HARRY (placing a hand on her arm)

Shall live within my care.

HERMIONE (turns toward Harry)

Good M'sieur, you come from God in heaven.

HARRY

And none will ever harm Cosette as long as I am living.

The

First Year backstage is now inconsolable. Ron is snuffling, and at least six other people are crying loudly as the song continues.

HERMIONE

Take my hand, the night grows ever colder.

HARRY (takes her hand)

Then I will keep you warm.

HERMIONE

Take my child, I give her to your keeping.

HARRY

Take shelter from the storm.

Harry pulls Hermione into a one-armed hug, still holding her hand. The crying from backstage is even more pronounced, and there's some muffled sniffling from the audience. The Slytherins out in the house, however, just snort derisively at their schoolmates.

HERMIONE

For God's sake, please stay till I am sleeping.

And tell Cosette I love her, and I'll see her when I wake.

Hermione, still smiling, closes her eyes and goes limp--she's died. Ron, amid wild crying from backstage, gives a choked kind of sob of his own. Dumbledore can be heard blowing his nose from the front row.

Harry leans Hermione back onto the pillows, then stands and arranges her hands on top of the blankets. That done, he wipes his eyes quickly with his sleeve.

As soon as Hermione's last note ends, Draco enters through the door. It's an entrance very reminiscent of bad horror movies--Draco, standing in the doorway, slowly pushes the door open with one arm, an evil sort of scowl on his face. He sneers at Harry's back, then begins:

DRACO

Valjean, at last, we see each other plain.

Harry stands up straight, but keeps his back to Draco, who sings the next bit with exaggerated, nasty sarcasm.

DRACO

"M'sieur le Mayor," you wear a different chain!

HARRY (whirling to face Draco)

Before you say another word, Javert,

Before you chain me up like a slave again, listen to me--

There's something I must do.

This woman leaves behind a suffering child.

He gestures at

Hermione, who is lying very still on the bed, but with one eye cracked open a little so that she can watch the action. Draco looks at her and sneers (his favorite expression, as we all know), unmoved, before flicking his eyes back to Harry.

HARRY

There is none but me who can intercede.

In mercy's name, three days are all I need.

DRACO (gesturing angrily, cutting Harry off)

You must think me mad!

I've hunted you across the years--

Men like you can never change!

A man such as you!

With that,

Draco whips his billy club out of his belt and starts toward Harry. But Harry picks up his vacated chair and waves it threateningly at Draco, much like a lion tamer. Angry and startled, Draco stops in midstep, sneering more violently than ever. Harry lowers the chair, and kneels at Hermione's bedside.

HARRY

And this I swear to you tonight...

DRACO (to Harry's back, standing with fists clenched)

There is no place for you to hide...

HARRY

Your child will live within my care...

DRACO

Wherever you may hide away...

Draco levels his billy club at Harry's back, singing the next bit as threateningly as he can. Harry takes no notice of him and sings to Hermione.

HARRY AND DRACO

I swear to you, I will be there!

As the song ends,

Draco again lunges at Harry, who tries to make it to the door. When Draco blocks the way, Harry whacks him with the chair, sending Draco sprawling on the ground with the chair on top of him. There's some scattered applause from the Gryffindor section of the audience. Harry barely conceals a satisfied sort of smirk. As Draco pulls himself to his knees, Harry, just for good measure, punches him right in the mouth (and it's no stage punch, either). Draco sprawls again, this time flat on his back, and Ron whoops from offstage. Hermione, although she's supposed to be dead, smirks almost imperceptibly.

Now the cheering from the Gryffindors is uproarious, and Dumbledore joins in. Even McGonagall starts to clap as

Draco lands with a thud on the stage. Only Snape and the Slytherins seem to have a problem with Harry's improvising.

Harry rubs his knuckles as he gives Hermione one last look, then runs out of the open door.

Towards the final beat of music, Draco pulls himself to his feet. His face is contorted with fury as he grabs his billy club and throws himself out the door, chasing Harry.

The lights fade on the scene as Draco exits. The bed and Hermione are pulled offstage, as the audience (with the exception of Snape and the Slytherins) explodes in applause.

*~End of Part 3~*