Karaoke Night!

Karaoke Night!

'So what is it, again?' Ron asked, a quizzical look on his face, as he stared towards to front of the Great Hall.

'It's a karaoke machine, Ron,' Hermione explained, again. 'It plays music, and the words to the song show up on that screen, and you have to sing along.'

'But why is it here?'

Hermione sighed. 'Honestly, don't you ever listen? Professor Dumbledore thought it might be a fun way to take our minds off… everything.' She glanced at Harry. He'd been quieter than usual this year, with good reason, Hermione understood, but still, she'd like her friend back. Her thoughts were interrupted by Professor Dumbledore on stage.

'Now then, who'd like to go first? Go on, don't be shy!' He surveyed the room. Hopefully a fun evening was just what they needed to start smiling again. He'd never seen Hogwarts this depressed, even when Voldemort was rising the first time.

A voice spoke up from the Gryffindor table. 'I will, Professor!'

'Good on you, Miss Weasley!'

Harry, Ron and Hermione gaped as Ginny made her way up to the small stage set up. Her silky white dress robes swooshed as she climbed the stairs and took the Muggle microphone.

Professor Dumbledore had explained it all that morning. He'd adjusted the magics of Hogwarts to allow the Muggle equipment to work.

Ginny giggled to herself when she saw her friends shocked faces. It had felt so good to do something unexpected. And they had no idea she was actually quite familiar with Muggle music.

Ginny quickly flicked through the song list. She knew what she was looking for… something fun, upbeat, get them dancing.

The first few beats struck up as she swayed to the beat:

Everybody knows that yeah I'm kind of shy,
I'm not the kind of girl that who can ever approach a guy,
But I want to find a way to get you to notice me…

She'd always liked the American R'n'B music that came through the old Muggle radio her father had tinkered with and kept hidden in the shed. By the look on Ron and the twins' faces, it seemed she and Arthur were the only ones who knew about it.

Single, Sexy and Sweet,
making my own money,
looking for the right party,
and if your free,
Scoot your best thing at me,
if you like what you see,
Maybe I'll let you share my fantasy.

This was actually heaps of fun. She saw that the tables had been moved; there was now a huge dance floor. Fred and Angelina had, by now, cleared the middle of the floor, but there was a lot of people dancing on the edges. She watched Seamus swinging Lavender around, and Dean had managed to get Parvati up, as well.

All too soon, her song was over, and there was a whole crowd of people wanting a turn. Angelina, Katie and Alicia jumped up.

'And who might you all be?' Dumbledore smiled, eyes twinkling. His plan was working…

'Destiny's Baby,' Angelina answered confidently.

'Destiny's Child, doofus,' Katie said, choosing their song.

Katie, Can you handle this?
Alicia, Can you handle this?
Angelina, Can you handle this?
I don't think they can handle this

Ginny ran down to find Hermione.

'Come on! This is such a girl song! Come and dance with me!'

Before long, the girls had formed a rather large group and were dancing in the middle of the room, as the three Gryffindor chasers harmonised on stage.

You gotta do much better
If you gonna dance with me tonight
You gotta work your jelly
If you gonna dance with me tonight
Read my lips carefully
If you like what you see
Move, groove, prove
You can hang with me

'Oh, enough of this girlie music!' As soon as the girls from 'Destiny's Baby' were finished, Seamus took the mike. 'Let's get rocking!' he screamed.

As the intro to some Bon Jovi rang out, the girls began to edge closer to the stage…

It's my life!
And it's now or never,
I ain't gonna live forever…
Its… My…Life…

As the girls began to scream, even Professor McGonagall dared a smile. 'I must say, Albus,' she yelled over the music, 'this was an exceptional idea.'

The Headmaster, however, was attempting a difficult head-banging stunt, and with all the white hair flying, he didn't hear McGonagall's compliment.

As Seamus finished rocking out, the crowd was shocked to see Pansy Parkinson take to the stage.

'Just a little favourite of mine,' she crooned into the mike, as a strangely familiar tune began.

Humidity is risin'
Barometer's gettin' low
According to all sources
The street's the place to go
'Cause tonight
For the first time
Just about half past eight (she changed the time according to her watch)
For the first time in history
It's gonna start raining men

Ron couldn't help himself. He cracked up laughing.

'Oh, shut up and get dancing, little brother. They're expecting it to start raining men, and who are we to deny them that?' Fred whacked the back of Ron's head as he passed, and Ron, seeing the way Hermione was dancing, agreed almost immediately.

In the meantime, Harry had cornered Ginny. 'Where on earth did you learn that? I didn't know you could sing!'

'Oh, Harry, there's a lot you don't know about me,' she winked, then pulled him onto the floor, where Fred and George had taken over the mike with a Savage Garden song.

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument,
I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands
I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you
I believe your parents did the best job they know how to.

Ginny and Harry danced over towards Ron and Hermione.

'So when are you boys going to sing?' Hermione giggled.

'Oh, around about half past never,' Ron stated.

'Don't be a spoilsport. I might sing something soon,' Harry said. 'Wanna do a duet?' He winked at Ginny. 'Then I can hide behind your voice.'

Ginny smiled at him. 'Yeah, why not. Let's go!'

She pulled Harry to the stage as he spluttered 'I didn't mean now!'But it was too late, and he was on stage, with Ron, Dean, Seamus, Fred and George smiling and waving, and Malfoy smirking in the back.

Ginny had chosen a song, and Harry stood, frozen with nerves. But thankfully, he actually recognised this song. It'd be fun to sing. She started.

'me no bubblelicious,'
'me smoke heavy tar,'
'me be grooving slowly, where you are.'
'notify your next of kin, cause you're never coming back,'
'I've been dropping beats since back in black…'

It was just lucky, he figured, that Robbie Williams was so cool, and that Kylie Minogue was a babe, other wise this could be completely embarrassing.

'Jump on board, take a ride, yeah, we'll be doing it all night!'

It was all over soon, and he jumped off the stage immediately. To his surprise, Ginny didn't.

'May I have another shot, Professor?' she asked softly.

The crowd went wild. They'd loved her.

'Certainly,' Professor Dumbledore agreed.

'Time to slow it down a bit, I think,' she told the over-excited crowd. 'Find yourselves your partners and hold them real tight,' she said, smiling down at Harry. Yeah, she could afford to embarrass him a bit. 'You, on the other hand,' her voice rang out loud and clear, 'stay right where I can see you.'

She smirked at the blush creeping over his face as she started to sing.

I keep on fallin' in and out love with you
Sometimes I love you
Sometimes you make me
Feel blue
Sometimes I feel good
At times I feel used
Lovin' you darlin'
Makes me so confused

I keep on fallin'
In and out
Of love with you
I never loved someone
The way that I love you

As she finished and stepped off the stage, Harry swept her up into a hug and a kiss.

'That was beautiful,' he whispered in her ear, then his mouth fell open in shock. He turned Ginny around so she could see what he was seeing.

On stage stood Draco Malfoy, behind him, Crabbe and Goyle at the backup mikes. Malfoy didn't say anything, just started singing.

Then I saw her face,
now I'm a believer,
Not a trace, of doubt in my mind,
I'm in love, ooh, I'm a believer,
I couldn't leave her if I tried.

Ginny giggled at the sight of Pansy staring, moon-eyed, up at the stage. She hated to admit Malfoy actually had a good voice.

'Come on, let's go dance.'

As Malfoy finished his crooning, Hermione decided it was high time she let her hair down a bit.

'This is by an Australian singer, Kate Ceberano. It's one of my mum's favourites. I hope you all like it…' She held the mike and moved easily around the stage, making eye contact with all of her friends as she sang.

My mother used to tell me,
Girl, the time for you will come.
So, I'll sit back and I'll hold tight,
My time has now begun.
And I won't ever walk away,
I'll just be brave and stay.
Hold me till the end, and in your arms,
I'll rise up high.

George danced Katie over to where Ron was sitting. 'I think she's singing for you, Ronniekins. Shouldn't it be your turn next?'

'Shut up,' Ron replied automatically, but he wasn't really paying attention. His eyes were fixed on the stage. Maybe he should…

To everyone's shock, including his own, he climbed on to the stage when Hermione had finished, and took the microphone from her.

'My turn,' he whispered to her, and she blushed softly, and moved to the edge of the stage.

Man, it's a hot one.
Like seven inches from the midday sun.
I hear you whispering the words to melt everyone,
But you stay so cool…

'Oh, he's dreamy,' giggled Parvati, clutching at Lavender, who was also giggling.

'What's he got that I haven't?' asked Neville, rather affronted.

'Well, he's cool,' said Lavender, matter of factly.

'I can be cool,' and with that, Neville set about plotting his coolness.

And if you said this life ain't good enough,
I would give my world to lift you up,
I can change my life to better suit your mood,
Because you're so smooth.

As Ron finished, Hermione grabbed his hand, and they rushed off to the back of the room, where they immediately started pashing.

Neither of them noticed Hannah Abbott staring after them in jealousy, nor did they notice her gathering her friends to create a girl group. Of course, all girl groups need a manager controlling everything, so when they saw Professor Snape, they knew they'd found their Svengali-style manager.

'Oh, Professor! Will you manage our group, and get us movie contracts and merchandising like lunchboxes and badly made action figures?'

'Yes, I will, but I must insist on at least 70% of all the profits, and a ten year contract which is water tight and you can't get out of.'

'Deal!'

With that, the girls, getting a little over- involved, jumped on stage and began to sing a song - a girl group 'classic'.

If you wanna be my lover,
Gotta get with my friends,
Make it last forever,
Friendship never ends.
If you wannabe my lover,
You have got to give,
Taking is too easy,
But that's the way it is.

'A girl group! That's so 1990s,' Neville sneered, and set about creating the biggest boy band since, well, ever. He gathered Dean, Seamus, Ernie MacMillian and Justin Finch-Fletchley, and sorted them out.

'Right, we have the funny one, that's Seamus, we have the cool one, that's Dean, we have the cute, rich, take-home-to-mum one, that's Justin, we have the rebel one, that's Ernie - maybe we should call you E-Mac - and we have the shy one, that's me. Are we ready to make girls scream?'

And the boys took over the stage with a perfectly choreographed dance routine, and strangely matching robes, ripped in various places, with spiky hair and coloured sunglasses.

'Where exactly did the glasses come from? And that's 5 points off each for the ripped robes!' McGonagall was scandalised.

'Oh, loosen up, Minerva,' Professor Trelawney said, twirling past with Professor Flitwick. 'It's just a bit of fun, it doesn't have to make sense!'

There was a bit of confusion when little Dennis Creevey took to the stage in a massive fur coat and a ton of gold jewellery, but there was a lot of confusion when he started making strange hand gestures and pointing at various girls, saying 'foxy ladeee' and 'wanna get jiggy with me?'

Thankfully he started singing, well, rapping, and some of the confusion was cleared up.

Problem was, he started rapping Bob the Builder.

Can we fix it?
Yes we can!

Luckily, being in a room full of witches and wizards meant none of them were well versed in current Muggle toddler culture, and so they started dancing along with him.

The night was going along swimmingly (whatever the hell that means), and so Dumbledore decided it was time to give a bit back to the students. He needed four girls and three boys for this: himself, Professors Binns and Flitwick, and Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Trelawney and Sinistra would work well. He announced them as 'M (agic) Club 7, and the students collapsed in giggles as they watched the Professors bop to the beat.

'M club - ain't no party like an M club party!
Gonna show you how,
M club - ain't no party like an M club party
Gonna take you now!'

Hermione and Ginny were in fits of laughter.

'Come on, it's nearly over,' Harry said, having a bit of trouble controlling himself.

'Oh, I hope so,' Ginny managed to get out. 'I'm having trouble breathing!'

Next in line was Hagrid. 'Oh, God, no! I can't laugh anymore,' Ginny was holding her sides.

But Hagrid just smiled at them all and said 'Here's an old favourite of mine.'

I won't dance, don't ask me,
I won't dance, don't ask me,
I won't dance, madam, with you.
My heart won't let my feet do
things that they should do.

'Wow,' said Ginny, shocked. 'Where'd Hagrid learn to sing?'

'Who cares? Let's dance,' said Harry.

The party was slowly coming to an end. But before Lee Jordan could take the stage, a tall figure materialised next to it.

'Aaaaaah! You-Know-Who!' Parvati screamed, fainting into Dean's arms.

'For fourteen long years, I have wandered the forests, lost, alone, helpless. Now, I just wanna sing!' Voldemort's voice trailed into a whine at the end as Dumbledore looked at Harry.

'Oh, let him sing before we vanquish him into nothing. What harm can it do?'

But Harry was about to find out how much harm it could do, as Voldemort took to the stage in leopard print pants and a bikini top, long blonde hair trailing.

Cause now I'm stronger, than yesterday,
Now it's nothing but my way,
My loneliness ain't killing me no more,
I am stronger!

'Aaah! No!' Parvati screamed again. "Britney Spears!'

As one, all the wands in the Hall were pointed at the Voldemort/Britney hybrid, and hundreds of voices rang out: 'STUPEFY!'

Voldemort/Britney lay on the stage, and as Hagrid dragged it off, Fred Weasley was heard to say, 'At least now that explains the weird python act at the MTV awards.'

Slightly shaken, Lee Jordan jumped on stage, his dreadlock covered with a printed headscarf, and cried 'Let's give it up for Hagrid! The way he disposed of that disgusting creature!'

'Yeah,' agreed Hagrid. 'I think that cured me of the monster fixation.'

Lee conjured a seat on to the stage, sat down, and started singing into the mike.

I met this girl on Monday,
took her for a drink on Tuesday,
We were making love by Wednesday,
And on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,
We chilled on Sunday.

Then Dumbledore announced 'Last song, ladies and gentlemen, before bed. Are there any requests?'

'Ginny!'

'Yeah! Come on, We Want Ginny!'

'Back by popular demand, I see,' Dumbledore laughed as Ginny climbed the stairs.

'Yeah, it seems like it,' she busied herself looking through the songs so that nobody would see either the blush or the smile.

She found what she wanted, stood up, and said into the mike: 'Thanks, I've had a great evening, I hope you all have too! Before I start, let's have a round of applause for Professor Dumbledore for putting on such a cool night!'

The applause was tumultuous. Professor Dumbledore discreetly wiped a tear from his eye.

'And now,' Ginny continued, 'Let's party!'

Let's get loud!
Let's get loud!
Turn the music up,
let's do it!
Come on people,
Let's get loud!

If you wanna live your life,
live it all the way and
don't you waste it!

'That was actually a lot of fun,' Ron said on the way back to the dorms. 'And who'd have thought you were so good, Ginny?'

'Well, Ron, I did, actually,' Ginny laughed at her brother. 'And why didn't you tell us you could sing?'

Ron was rescued by Harry. 'Oh, leave him alone. It's not his fault he's so shy and quiet.'

'Yeah, whatever.' Ron disappeared rather quickly into the portrait door, followed closely by Hermione.

'Well, Miss Weasley, seeing as I didn't get to slow dance with you earlier, how about an encore?'

'Certainly, Mr. Potter.' And they stood in the hall and swayed to a beat only they could hear, ignoring their classmates around them.