Disclaimer: I don't own them, they belong to the great JK Rowling. I just
take them out and make them do things, then put them right back where I found
them. Please don't sue me, I'm a poor college student.
The Play's the Thing: Prologue
Hermione bounced in her seat, looking around the Great Hall, which had been
hastily made over into an auditorium for the casting announcements and
rehearsal immediately following. "I do hope I've been picked," she said.
"It's extra credit if you're taking Muggle Studies, you know."
"Like you need it," Ron scoffed. "What'll that make, then? Three hundred
fifty percent?"
"Two hundred seven, Ron; you're not funny in the least." But she stopped
bouncing and looked around. "Fewer people auditioned than I thought... I
wonder if we'll be able to fill all the parts?"
Harry shrugged. "Othello's not got a lot of characters in it, remember? I
think we'll be fine."
At that moment, Professor Dumbledore walked onto the simple stage. "Well,
here we all are. I'm pleased to see such a nice turnout for the Hogwarts
annual school play. As you all know, the play this year is Othello, by the
great Muggle playwright William Shakespeare."
From the direction of a know of Slytherins came a very familiar drawling
voice. "Great Muggle *anything* is news to me." A brief wave of snickers
followed this remark.
Once they'd died down, Dumbledore continued speaking as though he hadn't been
interrupted. "And to announce the casting, I will introduce your director
this year-"
"Last year it was Flitwick," Hermione hissed in an undertone, "and I heard he
was really good."
"As long as it's not Snape, I'm happy," Harry whispered back.
"-Gilderoy Lockhart."
There was total silence for a moment, then Ron burst out, "WHAT?!"
Lockhart, who'd walked out onto the stage, grinned amiably. "Well, it's a
sort of welcome, isn't it?" he asked. He looked the same as he had three
years back, but at the same time quite different. His hair no longer
glistened when the light struck it right, but rather was allowed to fall
perfectly naturally around his face. Also, instead of the blindingly bright
coloured robes they'd gotten used to, he was wearing Muggle jeans and a green
sweatshirt. All in all, he looked like someone who'd lost his memory and was
trying out various looks to see what fit right. "So the play this year is...
what is it again?"
"Oh God..." Ron moaned under his breath. "I thought we were rid of that git
permanently."
Hermione frowned. "I bet he's not got his memory back yet. Dumbledore's
probably giving him a job here hoping it'll help him remember."
"Othello," Dumbledore supplied in response to Lockhart's question.
"Right. Well then. I have the scriptbooks here... somewhere... ah, here
they are." Lockhart watched raptly as a wooden box with far, far too many
legs lumbered onstage. "There we are." He rapped smartly on the box's lid.
"Open up."
Obediently, it did, managing at the same time to display a row of very sharp
teeth as well as stacks of slim blue books. Lockhart picked one up. "So
here's how we're going to do this. The scripts have already been highlighted
and names written inside. I'll call off names and you can come up and get
your scripts. Those of you who are not chosen to play a part or otherwise
assist will leave. All right?"
"He was doing fine until he asked whether it was all right," Hermione
muttered. "Now people will go out of their way to make problems."
"Ssh!" Harry hissed.
"We'll start, of course, with the title role, which goes to..." Lockhart
flipped open the scriptbook he held. "Dean Thomas."
"Good choice," Hermione noted approvingly.
"Will you stop?" Ron demanded in a strangled whisper.
"Next, we have.. ah, Desdemona. Ginny Weasley."
There was a shrill, joyful squeal from somewhere in the rear, and Ginny
bounded onto the stage to claim her script. Hermione frowned, but didn't say
anything.
"And... our villain, Iago. Draco Malfoy."
Ron barely managed to keep from bellowing another "WHAT?!", instead turning
it into helpless choking.
Hermione just nodded. "I was afraid of that."
"They cast Malfoy!" Ron half-moaned.
"He's perfect for the part, Ron," Hermione said reluctantly.
"Shut up. That only makes it worse."
"Next, Cassio. ...Harry Potter."
Harry blinked and stood up to go get his scriptbook and stand with the
others. Of them, only Ginny and Malfoy had immediately opened theirs and
begun to read.
Lockhart retrieved the next two scriptbooks out of the case. "Roderigo, Ron
Weasley." Malfoy broke into stifled snickering, somehow without looking up
from his script. "Emilia, Hermione Granger." The snickering, stifled or no,
immediately stopped, replaced by a look of such horror that Harry was
hard-pressed not to start laughing himself.
"And just to speed things up..." Lockhart retrieved the last six
scriptbooks, and the box snapped shut, barely missing his hand. "Bianca,
Pansy Parkinson." Hermione threw shocked looks Harry's direction.
"Brabantio, Seamus Finnegan. The remaining bit parts go to... Neville
Longbottom, Colin Creevey, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle."
There were a few scattered mutters as those not cast filed out of the Great
Hall. "That's that then," Lockhart said cheerfully, turning to face the
small crowd of students-turned-actors. "Shall we get started?"
Further Disclaimer: Add that the Luggage was created by and belongs to Terry
Pratchett. I just gave it to Gilderoy for a lark and will give it right back,
I swear. "Othello" was written by William Shakespeare, and is in my opinion
one of his best plays.
Author's note: Now that the first rehearsal's started, I'll be writing in my
version of play script for lines both onstage and off. Enjoy, and please review. I love reviews.
take them out and make them do things, then put them right back where I found
them. Please don't sue me, I'm a poor college student.
The Play's the Thing: Prologue
Hermione bounced in her seat, looking around the Great Hall, which had been
hastily made over into an auditorium for the casting announcements and
rehearsal immediately following. "I do hope I've been picked," she said.
"It's extra credit if you're taking Muggle Studies, you know."
"Like you need it," Ron scoffed. "What'll that make, then? Three hundred
fifty percent?"
"Two hundred seven, Ron; you're not funny in the least." But she stopped
bouncing and looked around. "Fewer people auditioned than I thought... I
wonder if we'll be able to fill all the parts?"
Harry shrugged. "Othello's not got a lot of characters in it, remember? I
think we'll be fine."
At that moment, Professor Dumbledore walked onto the simple stage. "Well,
here we all are. I'm pleased to see such a nice turnout for the Hogwarts
annual school play. As you all know, the play this year is Othello, by the
great Muggle playwright William Shakespeare."
From the direction of a know of Slytherins came a very familiar drawling
voice. "Great Muggle *anything* is news to me." A brief wave of snickers
followed this remark.
Once they'd died down, Dumbledore continued speaking as though he hadn't been
interrupted. "And to announce the casting, I will introduce your director
this year-"
"Last year it was Flitwick," Hermione hissed in an undertone, "and I heard he
was really good."
"As long as it's not Snape, I'm happy," Harry whispered back.
"-Gilderoy Lockhart."
There was total silence for a moment, then Ron burst out, "WHAT?!"
Lockhart, who'd walked out onto the stage, grinned amiably. "Well, it's a
sort of welcome, isn't it?" he asked. He looked the same as he had three
years back, but at the same time quite different. His hair no longer
glistened when the light struck it right, but rather was allowed to fall
perfectly naturally around his face. Also, instead of the blindingly bright
coloured robes they'd gotten used to, he was wearing Muggle jeans and a green
sweatshirt. All in all, he looked like someone who'd lost his memory and was
trying out various looks to see what fit right. "So the play this year is...
what is it again?"
"Oh God..." Ron moaned under his breath. "I thought we were rid of that git
permanently."
Hermione frowned. "I bet he's not got his memory back yet. Dumbledore's
probably giving him a job here hoping it'll help him remember."
"Othello," Dumbledore supplied in response to Lockhart's question.
"Right. Well then. I have the scriptbooks here... somewhere... ah, here
they are." Lockhart watched raptly as a wooden box with far, far too many
legs lumbered onstage. "There we are." He rapped smartly on the box's lid.
"Open up."
Obediently, it did, managing at the same time to display a row of very sharp
teeth as well as stacks of slim blue books. Lockhart picked one up. "So
here's how we're going to do this. The scripts have already been highlighted
and names written inside. I'll call off names and you can come up and get
your scripts. Those of you who are not chosen to play a part or otherwise
assist will leave. All right?"
"He was doing fine until he asked whether it was all right," Hermione
muttered. "Now people will go out of their way to make problems."
"Ssh!" Harry hissed.
"We'll start, of course, with the title role, which goes to..." Lockhart
flipped open the scriptbook he held. "Dean Thomas."
"Good choice," Hermione noted approvingly.
"Will you stop?" Ron demanded in a strangled whisper.
"Next, we have.. ah, Desdemona. Ginny Weasley."
There was a shrill, joyful squeal from somewhere in the rear, and Ginny
bounded onto the stage to claim her script. Hermione frowned, but didn't say
anything.
"And... our villain, Iago. Draco Malfoy."
Ron barely managed to keep from bellowing another "WHAT?!", instead turning
it into helpless choking.
Hermione just nodded. "I was afraid of that."
"They cast Malfoy!" Ron half-moaned.
"He's perfect for the part, Ron," Hermione said reluctantly.
"Shut up. That only makes it worse."
"Next, Cassio. ...Harry Potter."
Harry blinked and stood up to go get his scriptbook and stand with the
others. Of them, only Ginny and Malfoy had immediately opened theirs and
begun to read.
Lockhart retrieved the next two scriptbooks out of the case. "Roderigo, Ron
Weasley." Malfoy broke into stifled snickering, somehow without looking up
from his script. "Emilia, Hermione Granger." The snickering, stifled or no,
immediately stopped, replaced by a look of such horror that Harry was
hard-pressed not to start laughing himself.
"And just to speed things up..." Lockhart retrieved the last six
scriptbooks, and the box snapped shut, barely missing his hand. "Bianca,
Pansy Parkinson." Hermione threw shocked looks Harry's direction.
"Brabantio, Seamus Finnegan. The remaining bit parts go to... Neville
Longbottom, Colin Creevey, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle."
There were a few scattered mutters as those not cast filed out of the Great
Hall. "That's that then," Lockhart said cheerfully, turning to face the
small crowd of students-turned-actors. "Shall we get started?"
Further Disclaimer: Add that the Luggage was created by and belongs to Terry
Pratchett. I just gave it to Gilderoy for a lark and will give it right back,
I swear. "Othello" was written by William Shakespeare, and is in my opinion
one of his best plays.
Author's note: Now that the first rehearsal's started, I'll be writing in my
version of play script for lines both onstage and off. Enjoy, and please review. I love reviews.