Summer Writing Series Challenge (July 22)
Challenge: [Musical Week] Comedy
Title: Phantoms of War: Act II, Scene I
Word Count: 1,277
"Harry, is that you?" A tall, gangly boy with a cat's mask asked as he walked up to three other students in the Great Hall.
"Ron?" Harry asked from behind his golden mask.
"It's rather difficult to tell who's who with the hoods over their hair, don't you think?" Hermione asked from behind the mask of a lamb.
"There you are, Harry!" A tall, slim girl with a swan mask said cheerfully as she pushed Hermione out of the way. "Out of the way, you sniveling little toad!" Cho Chang hissed as she sidled next to Harry. "I don't see why you let her hang on you like that, Harry dear," she said with a pompous air.
Hermione stared at the girl incredulously as her best friend tried in vain to remove her from his arm. "Cho, you do realize that he has a girlfriend, don't you?" Hermione's question fell on deaf ears, however, causing Hermione to suddenly want to wring the girl's neck. She stopped and shook her head when she found her hands rising to do just that. What just happened? She thought confusedly.
"Who's standing right here," Ginny growled, matching her tiger mask perfectly.
"Cho, we've been over since fifth year, why do you keep this up?" Harry asked exasperatedly as he finally wrenched his arm free.
"I've just gotten word that they're going to crown a king and queen for the ball, Harry, obviously it'll be you and I," she said confidently. "It's so obvious what everyone thinks about us..."
"Obvious to everyone but you," Ginny seethed as she pushed the woman away from her boyfriend. "Why don't you go play with the other ugly ducklings? I'm sure Pansy needs someone standing around to make her feel pretty..."
"I've never!" Cho said with dignity. She turned on her heel and pushed Hermione away again. "Didn't I tell you to stay out from under foot, toad?" She seethed and stomped to the front of the room where a stage had been set up.
A toad?! Hermione seethed, feeling the anger and hatred boil in her blood. We'll just see who the toad is, won't we? She growled to herself as an unseen, wicked smile spread across her lips.
"I'll see you two in a minute," Harry said as his best friend and girlfriend left for punch. "Hermione, are you ok?" He asked tenderly.
She turned around faster than he'd anticipated, wand at the ready then stopped herself from hexing him. "Oh, Harry, you frightened me," she said as she put her wand away. What's wrong with me?
"I should say so," he said, obviously confused. "Would you like to dance? Maybe we could talk while we're on the floor?"
"Sure, Harry," Hermione said quietly, tilting her head slightly.
They stepped out onto the dance floor and Harry caught her up into a graceful waltz, joining in with the rest of those who were enjoying the old-fashioned music.
"You've been acting strangely the past few weeks," Harry commented quietly as they turned this way and that in sync with the music and each other. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm fine," she whispered. "I've been studying hard for the N.E.W.T.s, that's all..."
"So have I," Harry said as he dipped her, "and I've been watching you daydream most of the time..."
Hermione shook her head and looked at the crowd. "I've been thinking a lot lately," she admitted as much to herself as to Harry.
"About what?" He asked with a slight smile. Hermione looked to his eyes and hers went wide when she saw an eerily familiar porcelain mask. She blinked and Harry's curious eyes were staring back at her through the slits in his golden one.
"Masquerades," she whispered, "paper faces on parade... you can hide your face so the world will never find you..."
Harry laughed and twirled her around, making her smile. "Don't look now, but there's another mask behind you," he said with a grin.
Hermione turned and the white porcelain mask was gazing back in turn. She gulped nervously and looked at another couple; both were wearing the same, disturbing mask. Her heart began to beat furiously as she let go of Harry to see that everyone was wearing the same, white masks.
"HERMIONE!" Harry had her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. "What's wrong?"
"Harry, I'm scared..." She said as her hands began to tremble uncontrollably. She looked to him with darkening eyes, feeling her world start to slip away.
"What is there to be afraid of, Hermione?" He asked gently but someone tugged at his arm and pulled him away from her.
"Harry, you're needed on stage, didn't you hear the announcement?"
"What?" Harry looked in confusion at his best friend. "What are you talking about, Ron?"
"Ah, here he is, the King of the Masquerade, Mr. Potter!" Dumbledore announced with a laugh.
Hermione watched as Harry slipped from her grasp to the safety of the crowd. Safety? She thought as she followed after him.
"The toad is in my way yet again!" Cho said in a huff as she pushed Hermione to the side. "I've got to get to the stage, be good and get out from under foot?"
Hermione glared daggers at the back of Cho's head as the Queen of the masquerade made her way on stage. That's the last time you call me toad... She pulled out her wand discretely and waited for the best opportunity to strike.
"And now a speech from our reigning royalty!" Dumbledore said loudly as Cho stepped up with her arm around Harry's. He looked rather uncomfortable and was having a difficult time extricating himself from the girl who latched onto him.
Hermione smiled wickedly as she incanted the spell that would put Cho in her place.
"I'd just like to thank every*CROAK*!" Cho stopped and smiled apologetically, reddening slightly as a few laughs struck her from the crowd. She cleared her throat and began again. "I'm sorry about that, but as I was saying, I'd like to *CROAK*!" More laughter filled the room as she covered her mouth. "What's happ*CROAK*!" She looked terrified and glanced at Harry, who was now stepping away from her. "Harr*CROAK*! *CROAK*!" The laughter increased as Cho grew smaller and smaller, taking on a decidedly green sheen before her dress fell away to reveal a horned toad encircled by a tiara.
Despite the seriousness of the moment, all the students in the Great Hall were nearly rolling on the floor in laughter as the once proud Ravenclaw seeker attempted to hop off stage, only to be caught by Professor Dumbledore.
"Though this was an... interesting... prank, I do not believe it was appropriate to transfigure Miss Chang into a horny toad," he said sternly. "You know who you are, as well as I do, I will see you privately after the Masquerade Ball has ended." He handed the transfigured Cho to Professor McGonagall, along with the young witch's robes and waved his hand to the center of the Great Hall.
"You may continue dancing while we reverse this... unfortunate prank." A large chandelier with multi-colored candles came into existence in the middle of the Great Hall and began to spin lazily, casting rainbow-like spots of light around the room.
Hermione, though she knew she was in trouble, smiled at the sight of the true toad and turned to walk away. She didn't get very far when she collided with the chest of Harry Potter, who was wearing a large, wide, toothy smile. "Shall we continue where we left off?" He asked with a heart-felt laugh and Hermione smiled in return, taking his hand in hers.
A/N: AKJennyMay might like what happened... hehe ;) This is taken from a combination of areas in The Phantom of the Opera. I combined the opera where Carlotta starts croaking like a frog with the Masquerade ball from the opening of Act II. This is my comedy, humiliating Cho Chang ;) *grin* The Grand Finale is set for tomorrow! Don't miss it! I know I went over again... I just needed the few hundred extra words to flesh out the scene. I'm really, really trying not to make a habit out of it! :) (HONEST!)