Brian Rogers (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
subplotkudzu) wrote2008-06-05 06:08 am
subplotkudzu) wrote2008-06-05 06:08 am
Entry tags:
...and the Monster of Amristar XIII
Chapter 13: Being Earnest
On the day of the play our heroes develop their plan: Juliet & Pollux (and Bess) will sneak into the infirmary and ‘borrow’ the reality cloak, getting it to the theater; Lachlan & Daisy will keep a close eye on the Plains to make sure they’re present; Castor & Jasmyn will perform their roles on stage, with Castor’s hope that he can tweak the play enough to upset Reg.
Things get thrown off early when Madam Hooch chases down Jasmyn after lunch. Honoria Glory, the 5th year Ravenclaw who had been cast as Miss Prism, would not be able to go on! Honoria had been cast in part because of her independently focusing eyes, which not only let her read two books simultaneously but also gave her just the right scattered look for the matronly tutor. Unfortunately Honoria had been reading her lines with one eye and her Arithmancy text with the other and missed that the stairs had moved, dropping her two flights to a broken leg. Yes, Madam Pomfrey had healed her, but it would utterly destroy the Dramaturgy to have someone with freshly broken leg perform. So, as under-study, Jasmyn was playing Miss Prism in 6 hours! Time to get the costumes refitted!
Despite Pollux dire premonitions of how they might fail the get the reality cloak it goes swimmingly: as the two first years slip in Madam Pomfrey is distracted by the sudden appearance of the Grey Lady and the Fat Friar, the latter volubly engaging her in a chat about the Pale Pegasus Plague of Prague in 1452 being worse than the Wyrm Worms of Wurm in 1372. And did Castor see the Friar give them a wink as they slipped out with the cloak, Madam Pomfrey none the wiser?
The Plains are the guests of honor at opening night, with seats right up front. Daisy keeps an eye on them from a distance while Lachlan secures a seat directly behind them. Other than the occasional twinges from the very pregnant Professor Plain and looks of concern from her husband everything is normal – the glowing mother to be, the doting husband, the first year Ravenclaw sneaking up on them in the shadows under the footlights. Just another night at Hogwarts.
The instant the lights drop Juliet lunges forward with the cloak, tossing it over Dr. Plain. Daisy has her wand ready and…nothing happens. The stunned Muggle sits dumbfounded under the cloth for a moment before pulling it off with a grin, saying “is this some wizard tradition?” Lachlan steps in, “Sorry sir, she was trying to throw that to me.”
“No harm done,” Plain replies and hands the Reality Cloak to him, unaware of what has just occurred and how he has just been absolved. Daisy is flabbergasted: she had been so sure! Lacking any other plan, she sat to watch her sister’s performance.
Backstage Professor Ogham and Madam Hooch lead the cast in starting the Dramaturgy ritual, connecting all of them and the audience in a field of ever growing magic that will crystallize into a potent effect when the thematic climax is reached. The play goes perfectly, with the audience laughing at all the right points and no one flubbing any lines. Jasmyn, in the glow of the foot-lights, is in her element while Castor’s deadpan delivery works surprisingly well.
It is in its final scene – Jack has just approached Miss Prism with the handbag that is the sole inheritance of his past life – when an explosion rocks the castle! A student runs into the theater yelling that Professors Kettleburn and Briar are dueling someone by the lake, and he thinks its Olaf Woden! The lights come back on in a flash and the crowd’s initial panic is halted by Dumbledore’s steady voice, magically enhanced via his wand. At his orders the prefects begin leading students back to their dorms while the teachers move to find out what’s happening.
Daisy is not at all shocked to see her sister, the Dee twins, Juliet and even steady Lachlan openly defying the order and racing towards the parapet where they might get a better view. She hands the 1st year Ravenclaws over to Hank Wilkerson, the boy’s prefect, so that she might chase after them and keep them out of trouble. Because that has always worked so well before.
The duel by the lake is furious, with Briar astride her broom and Kettleburn riding and directing the actions of the giant squid, both facing off against the enormous Death Eater. All of the first years realize that even if the distances weren’t too great for a reliable shot any magic that they could add to this would be irrelevant. Hexes and curses are flashing between the combatants, with Woden surprisingly adept at defending himself against multiple wizarding foes. It’s clear, however, that eventually the faculty will get close enough to engage in the battle and Woden will be outnumbered, so it’s strange that both Kettleburn and Briar launch all out attacks at the same moment, their spells colliding in mid air and arcing back up towards their should be ally in a massive flash of light.
When everyone’s vision clears Woden is gone, no doubt carried away by his seven-league boots, Kettleburn is floating in the lake and Briar has been knocked from her broom and is on course to join him before Flitwick snags her with a spell. Lachlan proves useful as well, applying his much practiced wingardium leviosa rescue Kettleburn. As the squid slips silently into the loch’s calm deep, the faculty of Hogwarts look over the carnage and wonder “what’s going on?”
The revived Kettleburn and Briar are glaring at one another, each obviously not trusting the other’s actions in the fight. Briar recovers her boom and informs the faculty that she’s going after Woden as an Auror, and to keep the students safe in the school. Kettleburn gets Dumbledore’s permission for he and Hagrid to take the dogs into the forest in the hunt for the rogue Death Eater. And Daisy drags the students inside before any-one can ask what they’re doing there and figure out what to do next.
They have little time to contemplate as Peaseblossom Parkerson runs into them on her way to the professors, yelling “Professor Plain is in labor!”
On the day of the play our heroes develop their plan: Juliet & Pollux (and Bess) will sneak into the infirmary and ‘borrow’ the reality cloak, getting it to the theater; Lachlan & Daisy will keep a close eye on the Plains to make sure they’re present; Castor & Jasmyn will perform their roles on stage, with Castor’s hope that he can tweak the play enough to upset Reg.
Things get thrown off early when Madam Hooch chases down Jasmyn after lunch. Honoria Glory, the 5th year Ravenclaw who had been cast as Miss Prism, would not be able to go on! Honoria had been cast in part because of her independently focusing eyes, which not only let her read two books simultaneously but also gave her just the right scattered look for the matronly tutor. Unfortunately Honoria had been reading her lines with one eye and her Arithmancy text with the other and missed that the stairs had moved, dropping her two flights to a broken leg. Yes, Madam Pomfrey had healed her, but it would utterly destroy the Dramaturgy to have someone with freshly broken leg perform. So, as under-study, Jasmyn was playing Miss Prism in 6 hours! Time to get the costumes refitted!
Despite Pollux dire premonitions of how they might fail the get the reality cloak it goes swimmingly: as the two first years slip in Madam Pomfrey is distracted by the sudden appearance of the Grey Lady and the Fat Friar, the latter volubly engaging her in a chat about the Pale Pegasus Plague of Prague in 1452 being worse than the Wyrm Worms of Wurm in 1372. And did Castor see the Friar give them a wink as they slipped out with the cloak, Madam Pomfrey none the wiser?
The Plains are the guests of honor at opening night, with seats right up front. Daisy keeps an eye on them from a distance while Lachlan secures a seat directly behind them. Other than the occasional twinges from the very pregnant Professor Plain and looks of concern from her husband everything is normal – the glowing mother to be, the doting husband, the first year Ravenclaw sneaking up on them in the shadows under the footlights. Just another night at Hogwarts.
The instant the lights drop Juliet lunges forward with the cloak, tossing it over Dr. Plain. Daisy has her wand ready and…nothing happens. The stunned Muggle sits dumbfounded under the cloth for a moment before pulling it off with a grin, saying “is this some wizard tradition?” Lachlan steps in, “Sorry sir, she was trying to throw that to me.”
“No harm done,” Plain replies and hands the Reality Cloak to him, unaware of what has just occurred and how he has just been absolved. Daisy is flabbergasted: she had been so sure! Lacking any other plan, she sat to watch her sister’s performance.
Backstage Professor Ogham and Madam Hooch lead the cast in starting the Dramaturgy ritual, connecting all of them and the audience in a field of ever growing magic that will crystallize into a potent effect when the thematic climax is reached. The play goes perfectly, with the audience laughing at all the right points and no one flubbing any lines. Jasmyn, in the glow of the foot-lights, is in her element while Castor’s deadpan delivery works surprisingly well.
It is in its final scene – Jack has just approached Miss Prism with the handbag that is the sole inheritance of his past life – when an explosion rocks the castle! A student runs into the theater yelling that Professors Kettleburn and Briar are dueling someone by the lake, and he thinks its Olaf Woden! The lights come back on in a flash and the crowd’s initial panic is halted by Dumbledore’s steady voice, magically enhanced via his wand. At his orders the prefects begin leading students back to their dorms while the teachers move to find out what’s happening.
Daisy is not at all shocked to see her sister, the Dee twins, Juliet and even steady Lachlan openly defying the order and racing towards the parapet where they might get a better view. She hands the 1st year Ravenclaws over to Hank Wilkerson, the boy’s prefect, so that she might chase after them and keep them out of trouble. Because that has always worked so well before.
The duel by the lake is furious, with Briar astride her broom and Kettleburn riding and directing the actions of the giant squid, both facing off against the enormous Death Eater. All of the first years realize that even if the distances weren’t too great for a reliable shot any magic that they could add to this would be irrelevant. Hexes and curses are flashing between the combatants, with Woden surprisingly adept at defending himself against multiple wizarding foes. It’s clear, however, that eventually the faculty will get close enough to engage in the battle and Woden will be outnumbered, so it’s strange that both Kettleburn and Briar launch all out attacks at the same moment, their spells colliding in mid air and arcing back up towards their should be ally in a massive flash of light.
When everyone’s vision clears Woden is gone, no doubt carried away by his seven-league boots, Kettleburn is floating in the lake and Briar has been knocked from her broom and is on course to join him before Flitwick snags her with a spell. Lachlan proves useful as well, applying his much practiced wingardium leviosa rescue Kettleburn. As the squid slips silently into the loch’s calm deep, the faculty of Hogwarts look over the carnage and wonder “what’s going on?”
The revived Kettleburn and Briar are glaring at one another, each obviously not trusting the other’s actions in the fight. Briar recovers her boom and informs the faculty that she’s going after Woden as an Auror, and to keep the students safe in the school. Kettleburn gets Dumbledore’s permission for he and Hagrid to take the dogs into the forest in the hunt for the rogue Death Eater. And Daisy drags the students inside before any-one can ask what they’re doing there and figure out what to do next.
They have little time to contemplate as Peaseblossom Parkerson runs into them on her way to the professors, yelling “Professor Plain is in labor!”
no subject
In play she used an accio to get it back.
Or was it something else?
no subject
no subject
Can I convince you that "recovering her boom" is 80's wizard slang for getting her mojo back before getting all kickass? (which might be called "getting her boom on?"
Maybe it would be best if I didn't try.