Disclaimer: The fine tapestry of plot and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am merely pulling threads at will and weaving my own design in counterpoint to hers.
Chapter 17
A Night at the Opera
There was a sound like that of an orchestra leader tapping his baton and suddenly the spotlights were focused on the far end of the room. What Harry had assumed to be the silhouette of an escarpment turned out to be a stage that looked like it had been hewn out of rock. Broad steps led down to the floor level. It appeared that the presentation of the costumes was about to begin. They joined Fred and George at a table that afforded them an unhindered view of the stage without being in the path of the spotlights.
Hermione came bursting out from the wings and whispered to Lupin who was standing nearby, “They’re about ready to start. Are you sure that you want to go first, Professor?”
“Absolutely, I can’t enjoy myself having to hold this cape shut. Are you going to follow?” he inquired of Tonks.
“I’ll go in the next group,” she demurred. “I want to get the full effect of your entrance from the floor.” Tonks went to sit with Ginny and was soon joined by Hermione.
Professor McGonagall, dressed in a classic interpretation of Lady Liberty, was going from table to table to recruit others to queue up behind Lupin. A rustic iron banister had been set up along one side of the stone steps to allow even those waiting in the wings a complete view of the stage.
The maestro tapped his baton once and then raised his arms to begin. Only there wasn’t any orchestra at all, just him and the music stand. From the back of the room, his colleague prepared to direct the lighting in much the same way. As the last of the conversations died down, the lighting maestro pointed his wand sharply toward the stage and plunged the room into darkness.
A slow ripple of music began as the announcer intoned, “Live from Hogwarts, we present the first ever Halloween Costume Ball! All those wishing to be presented in the first group please queue up stage left.”
With a grand musical flourish, the lights rose slowly on the stage. Little by little, the red cloaked figure of Lupin was revealed standing with his back to the audience.
“Just returned from his campaign to conquer Britannia, we present Commander Romulus of the Praetorian Guard!”
With a majestic swirl of red, Lupin unsheathed his flat sword and brandished it high in the air. “TO GRYFFINDOR!” was the battle cry as a large segment of the crowd erupted in cheering and applause. He was resplendent in full battle regalia, his leather armor studded with red and gold. The audience hushed as he swept his gaze slowly across the back of the room, a raptor surveying the horizon. Followed by the spotlight, he purposefully made his way down the broad stone steps and strode directly to the table where Harry and company were sitting. He stood before them solemnly for a number of heartbeats before sheathing his sword and taking the seat next to Tonks.
The applause eventually died down and Harry supposed other costumes must have been presented, but at their table Lupin was the star attraction.
“How did I do?” Lupin whispered to Tonks loudly enough that it was clear that the entire table was included. Everyone offered their compliments and handshakes, telling him that he was going to be a tough act to follow.
Tonks finally composed herself enough to utter, “Well, I must say, Remus, you did the uniform proud.”
“You went to a lot of trouble to find it and I was determined to wear it well,” he replied magnanimously.
At the insistence of Ginny and Hermione, he stood up so that they could examine his attire more closely. He demonstrated how the leather strips that made up the armored skirt were laced together horizontally to allow for ease of movement and to keep it from flying open in wind. “Still, there’s a dark fabric tunic underneath to provide for modesty,” he explained.
Lupin excused himself to get them some punch, but was immediately waylaid at the next table by a host of new admirers.
“I’d better get us some butterbeers,” offered Fred genially.
“”or we’ll die of thirst before Remus makes it through the gauntlet,” George finished.
Harry and Ron offered to help but the twins insisted that they would get this round.
“Wherever did you find the Roman gear?” Hermione asked Tonks, eager for more details before Lupin returned.
“It wasn’t easy,” she admitted. “I was practically in despair when that nice old wizard at Gladrags put me in contact with an old “ and I do mean old “ friend of his that used to run the Swansea Light Opera Company. The costume mistress was quite helpful as they hadn’t staged Julius Caesar in over a decade. It seemed a shame to leave the wonderful helmet behind, but the costume guidelines didn’t allow for it.”
Hermione agreed that she would alert Lupin when their turns were coming up so Tonks joined the next group in queue, followed closely by Ginny and Harry. They chatted amicably about how high the bar had been set and before they knew it, their turns had arrived.
Tonks boldly stepped backstage as Neville motioned her forward. Almost immediately the sound of metal crashing upon metal could be heard from the wings. The students in queue behind Harry started to giggle.
Ginny turned to Harry and confided, “I don’t think she was expecting Lupin to deliver such a strong opening and it’s made her a bit nervous. She’ll be fine once she gets into character.”
Another musical fanfare began and the cloth of the backdrop was aglow in vibrant sunset shades. Standing rakishly on a large trunk, the figure of Tonks was revealed in silhouette. She threw her shoulders back in defiance as the lights rose to reveal her as Peter Pan. Effortlessly she jumped to the ground and tossed a handful of glittery dust into the air. As the sparkling motes slowly settled to the ground, a tiny luminescent butterfly fluttered from within their midst to settle on the nearest tree branch. Tonks bounded down the steps and practically leapt into her chair.
From his vantage point on the stairs, Harry could see that Lupin had returned to their table and was toasting everyone with billowing mugs of punch. Hermione caught Harry’s eye and darted over with a bottle of butterbeer and some last minute whispered instructions. He nodded that he understood and patted his jacket pocket to assure her that he had the facial skin ready.
The maestro struck up a cheery tune that seemed vaguely familiar as Ginny skipped out of the wings wearing a jaunty white hat over her sprightly braids. Her suit took on a strange glow and then abruptly, Ginny’s head and feet were still there but there was no torso and legs in between. There was an appreciative murmur from the audience. As she danced from one part of the stage to another, the contours of her body seemed to waver slightly as her suit shifted into another mode.
For the first time, Harry heard the words to the chorus clearly and realized they were singing about a cosmic chameleon, no, karma chameleon, whatever that was “ and then suddenly, he understood! Ginny’s suit kept shifting to camouflage her according to her surroundings. As she skipped to the bottom of the stairs, a large image of the record album of the same name was superimposed on the backdrop.
As Ginny rejoined the others at the table, Harry could faintly hear Tonks exclaiming how that had been her favorite music album the year she started at Hogwarts.
The butterflies in his stomach had begun to do back-flips by the time Neville called Harry backstage. He ascended the last steps as a condemned man going to the gallows.
The backstage area was much larger that it had seemed from the queue, a phenomenon of wizard space that never ceased to amaze Harry. The school robes were being collected by Melanie from the Costume Office who was decked out as a glittering butterfly. Harry indicated to Neville that he was going to need a few extra minutes to complete his preparations.
“Take all the time you need,” Neville generously replied. “We’re not keeping to a strict timetable here. Any smalls breaks will just allow people extra time to mingle and get some refreshments.”
A long mirror had been fastened to the back wall to allow for final wardrobe adjustments and Harry used it to attach the facial skin. He nearly dropped his wand in his nervousness and was glad he had practiced the procedure in his room. Sliding his glasses back on, he surveyed the results in the mirror. It really did look like he was wearing the white contoured mask that left only a small portion of his face uncovered, yet he was still recognizable.
Neville removed a blood red rosebud from a small vase on the prop table and handed it to Harry. “Hermione had me bring this from Professor Sprout’s special hot house. The thorns have already been stripped.” He referred to a small card before continuing, “A few instructions about the lighting. You will be going out onto a dark stage; stand on the small glowing ‘x’. All the lights are being generated by the maestros’ wands so you will actually feel the molecules tingle on your skin, beginning at your ankles. The most dramatic effect is achieved if you wait until the lights have fully risen before you initiate any movements “ wait until you feel the tingle on your eyelids. Just cue me when you're ready to begin.”
Harry took a few deep breaths and delved deeply into his psyche. This was no different than producing a Patronus, he told himself, if was just fueled by a different set of emotions. As his mind flitted through the kaleidoscope of his past experiences, he searched for that singular moment that would allow him to feel his character’s pain. He discarded images of Sirius falling through the veil and Dumbledore’s body tumbling from the Astronomy Tower “ they made him feel too helpless. The anguished moment that he had brought Cedric Diggory’s dead body back through the Portkey came close, but those feelings were inextricably mixed with relief at having escaped his own death. It was the smallest of moments that he selected in the end: that of Ginny turning to him wistfully before leaving the common room earlier that evening.
As an extra precaution, he temporarily entrusted Neville with his wand before walking out onto the dark stage and turning his back to the audience. He felt his heartbeat slowing as he recalled the tortured feeling of Ginny’s fascination with his costume, the cold fear he felt deep inside that someone would be evil enough to use her against him.
The first chords of the Phantom overture resonated through the hall as he felt the tingle reach his eyelids, then his forehead, and then the very ends of his hair. He focused on the memory of her parting look and added her whispering, “What’s wrong?” to start the process. The enormity of his reply to that simple query engulfed him and he let its power pour forth. He turned to face the audience with the hem of his cloak held high overhead and the music reverberating in his soul. With deliberate slowness, he let the cape fall and then reached into his pocket for the rose. His measured tread held threatening overtones as he walked towards the cavernous opening where he knew the audience was waiting.
So this was the moment of truth, Harry thought, as he searched the ocean of faces before him through eyes that were so much more than his own. He located Ginny’s upturned face and bringing the rose to his lips, he watched it as it left his fingertips. The spotlight caught its arc through the air and illuminated Ginny’s startled face as she caught it. It seemed only fitting as she had provided his inspiration. He let the smallest smile play along his lips before descending the steps.
The next thing he knew, he was sitting at the table surrounded by faces that were all speaking at once. He ran his hands through his unruly hair and was surprised to feel that they were trembling.
But before Harry’s heart rate had returned to a normal level, everyone’s attention was suddenly diverted to the main doors. The towering figure of Rubeus Hagrid was framed in the archway dressed in the trademark checkered flannels of Paul Bunyan, a huge ax hanging from his belt. He bent at the waist to whisper to Professor McGonagall. She motioned to the maestros that the next entrance was going to take place from the back of the room. Everyone readjusted their chairs as the headmistress’ wand cleared a path through the tables to the stage.
As the drum roll started, the diminutive figure of Professor Flitwick entered leading a sprightly mount. With a start, Harry realized that it was Buckbeak with his wings folded neatly at his sides. Astride his shimmering grey back was Luna Lovegood with her entire body wrapped in the extra long tresses of her wig. When they reached the edge of the stage, the hippogriff balked at ascending the broad stone steps. Instead, Flitwick led him around in a circle so that Luna could slide off gracefully to thunderous applause.
Luna walked over and whispered something to Hermione, at which point the two of them plus Ron took their places in the queue. Hagrid finished leading the skittish hippogriff back out through the main doors and the costume presentations continued.
Soon it was Ron’s and Hermione’s turn. Across a dimly lit stage, a ghostly rabbit came bounding down the steps, then dissolved like so much white smoke. As the lights came up, Hermione entered in search of something but seemed to lose her way. She was wearing a starched white pinafore and holding Lupin’s large gold pocket watch in her hand. As she turned towards the back of the stage, the lights rose on high-backed chair. She made to sit on the chair, but it shrunk magically to a fraction of its size. She jumped aside and it grew so tall that she was dwarfed next to it. Leaving the chair behind, she turned to the other side of the stage as the lights revealed Ron’s lanky frame stretched out on a low rock. He was wearing a striped coverall much like Ginny’s, but with a lashing tail and a hood. His facial skin continued the pattern of stripes on his face and added whiskers and a large toothy grin. The edges of his body shimmered slightly and the stripes began to slowly fade until there was nothing left but the smile. Hermione pantomimed a gasp as she looked to the spot where Ron had been. The lights went dark.
Lupin turned to Ginny and whispered something of which only the words “Luna” and “Patronus” were audible to Harry. Ginny nodded in reply as they were joined by Ron and Hermione who had just descended the steps. Luna returned from backstage through the queuing area and sat down next to Harry.
Up close, Harry would see that she was actually wearing a flesh-toned bodysuit and that the hair somehow magically adhered to her body so that it remained discreetly draped no matter how she moved. Every once in a while, he would catch glimpses through the strands that revealed the flash of sequined fig leaves.
The maestro announced that there would be a small intermission while the last of the contestants prepared for the final round of presentations. Harry took the opportunity to wander around the room as he made his way to the refreshments. Not everyone had chosen to go through the presentation process, so there were very few school robes left to be seen.
In the distance, Harry could see Tonks laughing and capering from one group to the next just like Peter Pan. Lupin had really captured her alter ego when he selected the costume. Too bad she didn’t have Captain Hook as a foil, Harry thought; but then decided there was really only one teacher that could have inhabited a role of such notorious villainy “ and the least said about him the better!
He passed Kingsley Shacklebolt dressed like a genie and waved hello. Shacklebolt smiled and nodded curtly, but it was clear that he was on guard duty much as Moody had been. The Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis, had found a good angle for their photography mania and were posing as tourists in bright Hawaiian shirts, baggy shorts and sandals. Dennis had even gone as far as to wear a child’s inner tube around the middle, complete with inflatable animal head and tail.
At the refreshment table, Harry encountered Professor Slughorn who had been promoted to Head of Slytherin House this year. He was in the persona of a sultan with richly embroidered fabrics encasing his portly physique and multiple rings on his fingers.
“Harry, my boy,” Slughord greeted him warmly, “I have not seen you all year! You must come by and visit. You shouldn’t let Lupin monopolize all of your time.”
“Nice to see you, too, Professor,” Harry stammered in reply.
“Can I interest you in something to quench your thirst?” he offered as he indicated the large array on the table.
Harry looking skeptically at the various offerings. In a large cauldron, a sinister-looking brew was billowing white smoke over the sides. Another bowl held a turquoise blue concoction that actually had candied fish swimming through it. In the center of the table, a small fountain was pouring forth a cranberry hued liquid that might have been appealing had it not been for the small spiders and sugared eyeballs that were mixed in.
“Are any of these potions that we prepared in your class, Professor?” Harry asked pointedly.
Slughorn laughed heartily and assured Harry that they were simple preparations of fruit juices and carbonated beverages. Harry settled on the spiced apple cider studded with cinnamon sticks as the safest alternative.
“Where’s your adventurous spirit?” Slughorn intoned. “Everything has been duly tested by house-elves.”
“I wouldn’t let Hermione overhear you saying that, Horace,” Lupin countered as he leaned over and helped himself to the billowing brew. Then turning to Harry, he added more softly, “That was quite a performance you gave up there. Neville just returned your wand, by the way. It’s not a good idea to be without it during these uncertain times.”
Harry thanked him as he pocketed the wand, then added, “Speaking of performances, that wasn’t really Godric Gryffindor’s sword that you brandished, was it?”
“Just a stage prop, although a very nicely fashioned one,” replied Lupin. “The genuine article is still in its locked case. Now if you’ll excuse me, I do have to make a few official circuits of the room. Wouldn’t want the headmistress to think I was shirking my duties by enjoying myself too much tonight.”
Harry turned his attention back to the refreshment table to see if anything else struck his fancy. He immediately ruled out the finger sandwiches as just too realistic with their little foil rings bearing candied jewels. Nor did the platter of writhing gummy snakes hold much appeal. The fanged bowl with the large wooden stake through the middle of it had to be garlic dip for the potato crisps, he noted. He selected a chocolate cupcake that was decorated with horns and a red pitchfork.
“The devil’s food cake is very good,” said a familiar voice at his elbow. He hadn’t seen Ginny walk up, but in that chameleon suit, it didn’t surprise him. Clearly, the twins had found some ingenious way to incorporate a Disillusionment Charm into the fabric.
“How many people have you been spying on tonight?” Harry replied as he turned toward her.
“Not many,” she returned with a small shrug, “but it’s early yet!”
He laughed as he swallowed the last of the cupcake. As she leaned over for a handful of crisps, he noticed that she had woven the stem of the rose through her hatband. Such a simple detail and, suddenly, it was as if the room was devoid of oxygen.
Harry Potter and the Hero's Lament by L A Moody
Chapter Notes: The presentation of costumes begins on the stage; Harry encounters Ginny at the refreshment table.