Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: Okay, here's another chapter! Yay for me not being able to study for my Immunology midterm, don't you all agree? Okay, already disclaimed, but none of it's mine. Characters, excepting Claresse, all belong to JK Rowling. The song lyrics are to Fires At Midnight, by Blackmore's Night (great group!). And finally thanks to my wonderous roomie Nightfaery, who has also now become my beta! Round of applause please… especially since, Nani, I think you're the only one reading this. Okay, On with the show!

The giggling resounding in the Gryffindor common room (and really all the other common rooms as well) really did nothing to calm the nerves of Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Tonight was the first dance in the final rounds of the Battle of the Bands at Hogwarts.

Hermione was to open tonight, with a song she favored from a muggle radiostation. It really seemed to her to be a homecoming song and she was excite to sing it, almost as much as she was afraid of what everyone else would think of her. She currently sat in her wine colored formal robes between her two best friends. The three of them suffering no small amount of fright over the coming performance and thus staring blankly into the fire.

"Hey! Are you three coming? This whole thing will be much more difficult without three of our main players!" Seamus was currently waving his hands wildly in front of the three frightened faces, with Dean standing close behind.

"Wha-- Oh, yes, we're coming." Hermione was the first to fall out of her stupor and as she stood she brought the other two with her and the full band of five, The Golden Lions, headed to the great hall. They were to get set up before people started arriving, as they were also the first band to perform.

When they arrived in the Great Hall, Ron seemed to forget his upset over the performance and focus on an entirely new subject. "Ginny!!! What're you doing over there! The least you can do is stay with your own band if you're going to turn your back on your brother, your boyfriend, and your own house!"

To, what should have been, her eternal shame, Ginny had been caught conversing with the Slytherin band. In actuality, as three of her band members were Slytherin, it made very much sense she would be talking to them. She rolled her eyes and began to walk towards the band that had just entered. "Acutally, dear brother," an endearment that sounded very much like referring to Malfoy spitefully as "ferret", she continued the list he had already begun "I'm also betraying my best friend," she nodded towards Hermione, who looked very amused with where this could progress, "And," she stated dramatically, "I'm wearing Green Robes!" Ginny gasped dramatically for effect and kissed Harry on the cheek. Ignoring the amused glances from the Slytherins as they noted that that was the fastest they had ever really seen Ron go beyond maroon.

"Are you guys ready to play tonight?" Ginny entered casual conversation with her boyfriend and best friend, as they had been termed previously. She was also looking out of the corner of her eye, wondering how long it would take for steam to come out his ears once he realized that there was a rather dramatic slit and somewhat low neck on the dress robes she had borrowed from Blaise.

Less than 3 seconds flat.

"What are you wearing! What would mum say if she could see you in that! You're hardly covered! Here, take this." He began removing his own outer robe to drape over her.

She side stepped the offered robe easily, resulting in Ron draping it interestingly over Harry, as she replied "But then that would leave you hardly covered." She batted her eyelashes innocently, but quickly became tired of the act and her "required" role. "I don't need it, Ron. I'm fine."

Before more protest could be made on Ron's part, Dumbledore cleared his throat and asked the bands, who were currently the only students in the Great Hall, if they were ready and could please take their places to begin the night. Each student returned to their own platform, with their own group and prepared for the night to truly start.

Before the concert began, Dumbledore took the opportunity to remind the bands of the rules of competition, and remind the attending students that bands would not be eliminated until the end of the school year, but preliminary votes would be cast at the end of each dance, in order to determine current ranking for the final three bands. "Now that that's all been covered, Enjoy!" Dumbledore then clapped his hands and the lights were suddenly dimmed, with focused lights on performing bands and tables spread throughout the hall. There was a single large dance floor between the three stages.

Hermione's voice carried clearly through the Sonorous charms cast on singers before performance. Her voice was clear and haunting as she was joined by Ron on the keyboard, Harry on guitar, Dean on base, and Seamus on the drums.

I stood out here once before
With my head held in my hands
For all that I had known of this place
I could never understand…
On the hills the fires burned at midnight
Superstition plagued the air
Sparks fly as the fires burn at midnight
The stars are out and magic is here…

On the hills the fires burned at midnight
Superstition plagued the air
Sparks fly as the fires burn at midnight
Stars are out and magic is here
Stars are out and magic is here
Stars are out and magic is here
Stars are out and magic is here

Hermione blinked and breathed deeply as she moved out of the trance she had gone into as she sang. She couldn't even remember how things had sounded, but the applause from the audience and the thumbs up she was getting from her own band and from Ginny across the hall were very reassuring.

Hermione cast a thumbs up back at Ginny. Hermione was only a temporary lead singer, trading off with Harry and maybe with Ron, depending on the songs. Ginny didn't play an instrument and had been chosen for her band because of her voice. The Ladies of Avalon were the next to perform.