James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper jp-1

by G. Norman Lippert

  “I might be, a little,” James admitted. “I mean, I never expected we’d be packing out the amphitheater. A lot more people are coming than I thought. Seems like everybody’s family is going to be here, doesn’t it?”

  “My mum’s coming,” Sabrina said, nodding. “And my Uncle Hastur. He went to Hogwarts himself about a hundred years ago and this will be his first time back.”

  Graham piped up, “Both my parents are coming even though I’m just a page boy. I only have one line, but they act like I’m the star of the whole show.”

  “I wish you were the star of the whole show,” James said, slumping onto his folded arms.

  “Does somebody have a spot of stage fright?” Rose asked brightly, settling into a seat opposite James.

  “He’s got it bad,” Noah said, nudging James with his elbow. “At this rate, he’ll be useless by the time the curtains go up. I might have to play both parts! Fortunately, I’m up to it.”

  “Treus and Donovan’s swordfight might be a bit of a challenge,” Graham suggested, squinting thoughtfully.

  In an effort to change the subject, James asked, “Where’s Petra this morning? Are her parents coming?”

  “I saw her in the common room this morning,” Noah answered. “Looked like she was working on her lines still. She was studying something pretty hard. I didn’t interrupt her. I assume her family is coming, but she hasn’t talked much about it.”

  “I asked her yesterday if her parents were coming,” Sabrina nodded. “She said she’d be seeing them both tonight. It’ll be cool to meet everybody’s families, don’t you think? The only other time we see them is on platform nine and three-quarters, and that’s always so rushed.”

  “Yeah,” Graham said, rolling his eyes. “Nothing I like more than getting my cheeks pinched by everybody else’s grandma.”

  “If only your cheeks weren’t so ruddy cute,” Noah said, reaching across the table. Graham batted him away, scowling.

  James found it difficult to concentrate on any of his classes. In fact, with so many parents and family members arriving throughout the day, few professors seemed to expect much from their classes at any rate. Regardless, James was glad of the distractions. He tried very hard to take notes during Divination despite the fact that Professor Trelawney seemed to frown on anything other than practical demonstrations.

  “Divination is an instinct, not a study, Mr. Potter,” she trilled, stopping next to his desk and tapping his parchment with one long, purple fingernail. “Your work is to hone the latent ability inside the gifted witch and wizard, not merely to repeat techniques and theories. Let go of your boundaries and allow yourself to truly see, my boy. What fate do you divine for yourself in the octocards?”

  James blinked up at Trelawney, then glanced down at the strew of octagonal cards on the table in front of him. “Oh, er, I see this one, which has a star on it,” he said, pulling a card out at random. “Stars represent pain, and, er… Christmas. It means that I’m going to be run down by a lorry next holiday, but that I won’t be killed, just really, really hurt,” he looked up at Trelawney again, judging her response. “I’ll probably die weeks later, in the hospital… er… right?”

  Trelawney’s face changed to a bemused smile and she ruffled his hair indulgently. “You are trying too hard, dear boy. You chose a star because that’s what you shall be this night.” Trelawney sighed mistily and drifted toward the front of the room. “Few people know it, but I was a rather gifted performer myself in my younger years. There are those today who still speak of my singing performance in the Hogsmeade Players production of The Amazing Ahazrial’s Show of Shows. Alas, I submitted instead to the burdensome calling of Seer and teacher, thus curtailing my own storied career on the stage. I am fully assured, however, that your performance tonight, Mr. Potter, will be a delight both sublime and breathtaking. I have already foreseen it.” She smiled back at James, her eyes magnified ridiculously in her enormous spectacles.

  James glanced aside at Ralph, whose face was as pale and worried as James felt. Considering Professor Trelawney’s track record with predictions, her assurances about tonight’s performance were anything but comforting.

  For the rest of the afternoon, James couldn’t help reciting his lines over and over in his head. He was terrified that he would step onto the stage and completely forget every word. It didn’t help that everyone seemed to think he should be enjoying the excitement. As he moved through the halls, even older students grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, wishing him good luck and telling him to ‘break a wand’.

  He saw his mum and sister fleetingly after dinner on his way to the amphitheater. They’d just arrived at the castle, having taken the train from London. Lily was wide-eyed, so enamored by the castle and the bustle of the students that she barely noticed her older brother. His mum, on the other hand, seemed almost impossibly proud of James.

  “Oh, you’ve just become such a man,” she said, brushing his shoulders and straightening his tie. “You’ll be simply wonderful, James. You aren’t nervous, are you?”

  “Between people telling me how great I’m going to be and asking me if I’m nervous,” James said, sighing, “I’m wondering why I ever signed up for this part to begin with.”

  Ginny clucked her tongue. “You signed up because you knew you could do it, and obviously, everyone agrees. Now just try to relax. You won’t do yourself any favors by worrying about it.”

  “Easy for you to say,” James grumped.

  “It is, actually,” Ginny agreed, smiling at her son. “Because unlike the rest of the people here, I know exactly what you are capable of, James. Relax, you’ll remember this night for the rest of your life. Try to enjoy the moment.”

  James nodded. “Did you bring the Omnioculars?”

  “Your Uncle Ron has them,” Ginny replied, rolling her eyes. “He insists on recording the play himself. I told him he could do it so long as he let Hermione help. They stopped over in Hogsmeade to meet up with George, Angelina, and Ted. They should be here in half an hour or so, and they’re bringing a little surprise for you.”

  James had forgotten how many of his own family and friends were going to be in attendance. He felt another pang of nervous fear but quelled it. Truthfully, now that the moment was nearly upon him, he felt a little better about the performance. One way or another, it would be over soon. After the production, Professor Curry had arranged for something called a ‘wrap party’ in the Great Hall, complete with punch and an array of sweets. All the cast and crew would be there along with their families. It was a great relief to know that in less than three hours, James would be there as well, eating cake and congratulating Petra, Noah, and the rest on their completed performance. Thinking that, James left his mum and sister, telling them he’d see them afterwards. Ginny smiled and nodded, shooing him on.

  The ushers outside the amphitheater’s main entry saw James coming. Hugo Paulson, resplendent in his red coat and pillbox cap, opened a door for him. “Curry was looking for you,” he said as James passed. “They want to get you into your beard right away. Gennifer insists she could charm you to grow a real one for the night, but Curry isn’t going for it. Looks like it’s glue and goat hair for you after all.”

  James nodded, hardly hearing Hugo. As he came into the amphitheater he stopped and looked down at the stage. It bustled with activity as the crew manhandled the castle backdrop into place and Professor Curry marched around, testing spotlights and calling for last-minute adjustments. On the stage, Petra glanced up and saw James. She smiled and waved him down. James smiled back, and for the first time he felt a thrill of delight untainted by fear at being part of such an elaborate production. He ran down the main aisle, taking the stairs two at a time.

  “There’s our Treus,” Curry acknowledged as James climbed onto the stage. “Your costume is in the dressing room. Get into it and then get down to make-up, Mr. Potter. Your beard awaits.”

  James looked around, but there was no sign of
Tabitha Corsica. She was probably backstage overseeing the costuming and make-up. He hoped he wouldn’t see her as he ducked behind the castle backdrop, heading for the makeshift changing rooms.

  The boys’ dressing room was crowded with bustling characters struggling into tight-fitting coats, leotards, and baggy pantaloons. Cameron Creevey stopped James as he passed.

  “Is this hat on right?” he asked, turning the strange headwear this way and that. “It’s a five-corner hat, right? But what corner goes in front? Does it matter?”

  “You’ll have to ask Gennifer, Cam. I don’t have the foggiest notion. Looks fine to me like it is.”

  “Gennifer’s busy in the girls’ changing room,” Cameron fretted. “I just don’t want to look like an idiot in front of everybody!”

  Noah called over from the three-way mirror, “Honestly, I think you have it upside down, Cameron. Try flipping it over.”

  James stopped Cameron as the boy scrambled to invert his hat. “He’s winding you up, Cam. Leave it alone.”

  “And you’ve got your cummerbund on all wrong,” Noah added. “You’re supposed to wear it over your bum like a diaper. See how Graham’s wearing his?”

  James rolled his eyes and took advantage of the overall confusion to slip past Cameron. Sure enough, he found his costume hung on a hook next to his locker. His name had been pinned to the front on a piece of parchment. The curtain wasn’t scheduled to go up for nearly an hour, but James couldn’t help feeling that he needed to hurry. He was buttoning the last of the many buttons of his vest when a voice spoke directly behind him, startling him badly.

  “Hiya, James!” Zane chirped. “Can you give me a quick boost here?”

  James turned, exasperated and bemused. “Zane! You have to stop popping up like that!” Impatiently, James produced his wand and shot a quick Stinging Hex at the blonde boy, who yelped in pain and dropped the huge bouquet of flowers he’d been holding.

  “Yow!” Zane cried, clutching his bottom. “That really smarts! What was that for?”

  “Zane?” James said, reaching out to touch his friend. “It’s really you? I thought you were another mad Doppelganger message! What are you doing here?”

  “Well, I was trying to reach that vase on the shelf there,” Zane said, rolling his eyes. “But now I’m thinking I’ll just leave this good luck bouquet right there on the floor, what do you say?”

  “It really is you!” James said, struggling not to laugh. “I’m really sorry, mate! I thought you needed a magical boost like the other times. I really didn’t mean to Sting you in the… but how’d you get here?”

  Zane shrugged and grinned. “I got out of school day before yesterday. When I talked to your mum over the holidays, she asked if I’d like to ride along with them to see your big performance. How could I turn it down? My parents agreed and I rode the Floo Network over to your place in London first thing this morning. How ‘bout them apples?”

  “That’s excellent!” James exclaimed. “How long are you here for?”

  “Rest of the week, if it’s all right with old Merlin Magicpants. You two still on the outs?”

  James opened his mouth to explain, then shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s complicated. Ask me after the show, all right?”

  “You got it,” Zane nodded. “I better get back out front. Your mum is saving me a place, but it’s going to be standing room only, and some of those parents can get pretty cutthroat about seats. By the way, it’s probably best if you don’t get too close to the red flowers with the yellow tips. Those came from George, and he was grinning an awful lot about ‘em.”

  James nodded seriously, glancing down at the bouquet on the floor. “Understood, thanks.”

  Damien Damascus pressed toward the boys, a prop sheep under one arm.

  “James, come on!” he called. “Gennifer’s going to have twin hinkypunks if you aren’t wearing a goatee in five minutes. Hey, Zane, need a zap?”

  “Nope, I’m good for the night,” Zane said, patting his backside. “See you at the party, you guys!”

  James scrambled after Damien, struggling to button the last of his buttons and already hot in his tights and waistcoat. After a moment, he stopped, ran back, and grabbed the enormous prop sword and scabbard. Clanking, he trotted to make-up, his stage fright mostly forgotten in the rush of simply getting ready and his happiness at seeing his friend.

  Gennifer was holding James’ goatee in her hands as he ran up and plopped into a chair.

  “Honestly,” she said, swabbing the beard with a foul-smelling, yellowish glue, “for the amount of trouble Muggles have to go through to put on a show like this, I’m surprised they do it at all.”

  “Maybe that’s why they watch so much telly,” Victoire commented from a nearby chair. “My mum says Muggle children spend more time in front of the telly than they do asleep.”

  Damien was still standing nearby. He sniffed, “But not as much time as Victoire spends in front of the mirror every day, so that’s all right, then.”

  Victoire scoffed, ignoring the laughter that followed.

  Five minutes later, James stood offstage alongside Petra, who looked beautiful, if a bit overstuffed, in her huge pink dress and curls. James peered carefully around the edge of the curtain. The amphitheater was indeed almost full, with loads more people still filing in, seeking seats, and babbling enthusiastically. James scanned the crowd, finally finding his mum in the middle section, ten rows back. Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron sat on her right, apparently arguing over who was going to handle the Omnioculars. Ted Lupin sat next to Ron. He’d shortened his hair again, although it was still longer than it had been when he’d been in school last year. He looked much better than the last time James had seen him, although still slightly bedraggled. On Ginny’s left, Lily sat up straight in her good yellow dress. She spied James and grinned, waving excitedly. James smiled back at her and waved surreptitiously, trying not to attract anyone else’s attention. He placed a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, and she nodded, pretending to zip her lips. As James watched, Zane sidled past a group of annoyed parents, heading toward the empty seat between George and Lily. Satisfied, James turned back to Petra and the assembling actors. Nearby, Scorpius was dressed in a soldier’s outfit similar to James’. He didn’t seem to be enjoying it.

  “Nervous?” Petra asked quietly.

  “Yeah,” James nodded, “but excited, too. You?”

  Petra turned to look out at the dark stage behind the curtain. She shook her head slowly. “Not any more. It’ll all be over tonight, no matter what.”

  Jason Smith trotted out of the backstage darkness, his wand lit. “Anybody seen Corsica?” he whispered harshly, looking from face to face.

  James shook his head. “She’s not out front? She’s supposed to be managing the ushers.”

  “None of you?” Jason asked, dismissing James. “Bloody hell.”

  As he stalked away again, muttering under his breath, Henrietta Littleby shrugged. “I saw her an hour ago, but that was before any of us were supposed to be here. I guess that doesn’t count, does it?”

  “Where was she?” James asked, turning to Henrietta.

  “She was in the second-floor girls’ bathroom,” Henrietta replied. “I didn’t hang around in there when I saw her. She gives me the heebies, she does.”

  James frowned, thinking.

  Henrietta, whose reputation as a gossip was well-known, went on, “Strange thing was she wasn’t really using the bathroom. At least not the way one normally uses it. She was just standing there looking at herself in one of the mirrors, talking. The first thing I thought was that she was practicing her lines, but then I remembered she doesn’t have any lines, does she? She’s the assistant director.” Henrietta giggled.

  “She was talking to herself?” James asked curiously. “What was she saying?”

  Henrietta blinked at him. “How should I know? I didn’t hang about long enough to notice. But it sounded kind of foreign now that I think a
bout it. How weird is that? Pretty weird, if you ask me.”

  “Yeah,” James nodded thoughtfully. “Weird.”

  Standing nearby, Scorpius narrowed his eyes.

  “Places, everyone!” Curry suddenly rasped, approaching the gaggle of costumed students and making shooing motions. “Behind the curtain! Come now, it’s almost time!”

  James followed Petra as she ducked behind the curtain, moving to her opening mark. James found the little taped ‘X’ on the floor, marking his position for the beginning of act one. His heart was pounding, but he was no longer nervous. Somehow, he’d left his stage fright backstage. Now that he was standing up front, waiting for the curtain to rise, he simply felt excitement. It thrummed in his arms and legs like magic, and in that moment, he thought he understood why even Muggles went to all the trouble to put on productions like this. One could come to love this feeling if they weren’t careful. He gulped and looked aside. Petra saw him and smiled a crooked smile, nodding once. Across the stage, Noah and the rest of the actors shuffled nervously into place, lost in semi-darkness behind the huge, thick curtain. Through it, James could still hear the babble of hundreds of voices. Then, finally, there was the clack of Professor Curry’s heels crossing the stage on the other side of the curtain. A spotlight clicked on, framing her; James could see her shadow on the backside of the curtains, caged in the center of a perfect circle of light. The crowd fell silent and a round of polite applause wafted into the air. It sounded eerily close. Curry held up her hands and nodded.

  “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen,” she said loudly and clearly, not using her wand to amplify her voice, “and thank you as well for being here tonight. I know that many of you have come from quite far away, and on behalf of the students who’ve worked so hard to prepare tonight’s production, many thanks indeed. My name is Tina Grenadine Curry, and as many of you know, I am Hogwarts’ Professor of Muggle Studies. I believe tonight’s presentation will be particularly interesting, not only because this is such a classic tale of the wizarding world, but because, as a term-long exercise for my Muggle Studies class, this production shall be presented in an entirely nonmagical fashion. As such, prepare to be amazed, amused, and delighted, my friends, by the extremely creative and unconventional methods we’ve implemented to portray this beloved story. And now, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, may I present your sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and family, as they depict for you this Hogwarts Muggle Studies rendition of… The Triumvirate!”