There it was!  The lights faded in and out twice, and then dimmed a bit from its regular setting.  Enough light to walk by for people to get to their seats, but dark enough for them not to see the feet shuffling under the edge of the curtain as the children took their places.

Smirking as the enchanted sky in the Hall went from overcast to twilight, Covi shut the door she had been peeking out of as quietly as she could, and making sure the knob turned enough so that the bolt clicked securely into place.  Turning back she looked on at Robbie, who was sitting stoically on the piano bench with his hands on the cover over the keys, even though they were in the wing.  Covadonga guessed he felt safest there instead of milling around.  The piano was familiar; it was comforting to the older man.

Quietly she sat next to him, folding her hands on her lap, content in just being near him.  As Conductor Warbeck motioned to a stagehand, after snapping at some of the singers to “stand up straighter!” and “brush that hair back!”, the curtains were drawn back.  All were dressed in various silky robes, each signifying which house they were representing.

As Celestina raised her wand up like a baton, the audience settled, the lights brought up to focus on the stage and all the children took a deep breath.

And they began to sing.

“Well…I don’t actually have anything with me this evening.  Besides, my poetry readings are strictly private, and I’m very choosey about my audience.”

"Well, alright. I won't twist your arm." Marcus smiled and laughed the sort of laugh that is usually reserved for embarassment, or when pretending to enjoy your boss's jokes. Subdued, but enough to make him feel like he made an ass out of himself. "Perhaps next year we can get you to say a few words, or maybe even get you to perform some of your elusive poetry." Marcus found himself winking back, as if in a struggle for who can be the most playful.

An awkward sort of moment had soon loomed on the two, not knowing how to proceed a conversation when it had been bookended so haphazardly. Moira was brave enough to finally crack the silence with her curiosity. She had never actually been around for any sort of Remembering Day, and didn't quite know what to expect. Honestly, neither did Marcus, and he had been around for every single one of them. Every year was different.

Luckily, the choir started singing, giving a reprieve to the increasing need to say something. The beautiful sounding distraction gave Marcus just enough time to form a coherent sentence in his mind, before sounding like an idiot.

"Everyone's got a story, about where they were when the battle finally ended. It's times like these that I really feel sorry for the detractors." Marcus looked around at the room filling with more and more people. "They just don't get it. They were there, and they can't understand why we do this." Marcus' attention was on Moira, but facing the choir as they sang their songs. It was only polite.

Marcus looked at his watch, and figured that now was the best time to move about the crowd and make some face time with his other acquaintences. "I need to make an appearance with some others in the room, but perhaps you could take a seat and I could join you in a bit? If you're not here meeting anyone else, that is. I'd hate to take up all your time."

Thankfully, Fauna found Ava, or rather, Ava found her, and the choir was complete. According to Celestina all the important singers were there, so they were ready to begin. Fauna rolled her eyes at the director's dramatics just before the curtain opened and the lights blinded her.

She felt her stomach roil as the music began. Even with the lights shining in her eyes she could see the people gathered in the Great Hall, watching. Fauna tried to focus on the  music and nothing else. She glanced at Ava, happy the girl was there for reasons that didn’t include her singing voice, and then looked back at Celestina as she raised her wand.

The singers took a collective breath and began, “Twas a terrible time, a time full of fear…”

The choir started out a bit quiet, but grew more confident with each line. “The dark lord and his creatures, to victory came near.”

Fauna felt some of her nerves melting away as they sang, becoming wrapped up in the piano music and the voices around her. If someone missed a note or fumbled a word the other singers carried on and helped cover the mistake, and the song surged into the crowd and fell back again for the softer moments.

The song was an excellent choice, a folk tune, and it introduced the welcoming ceremony with heart and sincerity. Even Celestina looked happy, her face bright, a smile playing on her lips. Of course, her eyes narrowed at every out-of-tune note, but luckily for the choir, those mistakes were few and far between.


(The first lines are from Arianna, here)

Stomach clenched, Saffron was glad she wasn't in the front. Or back. Rather, Saffron's over-powdered, embarrassed face was right in the middle of things. Glancing at the other singing faces, Saffron tried to jump back into the song, though she was several words behind.

"Twas was a terrible time..." she stutter-sang and Celestina paused to give Saffron the glare that - over the practices, she'd finally learned - meant that Saffy should be quiet and just lip sync. By all means, that was fine with Saffron. This whole singing thing was not Saffron's cauldron of caterpillars at all.

"Down came the mists, the world grey and cold." Saffy mouthed as the rest of the choir sang. I really hate this. she thought miserably. Saffron, who was generally incapable of mouthing things in a way others could understand, stood there making fish faces and other strange grimaces.

Ava, Fauna and the other students were settled in their places ready to let their little [or large] lungs squeel out the tunes they had been ordered to sing. Celestina Warbeck was complaining about the deficient lighting not casting a 'magnificent glow' on those who are the centre of attention - meaning herself - and then turned her glowering beady eyes on the students themselves.

"Smooth your hair down girl." she barked at a third year standing a couple of rows in front of Ava and Fauna. Then the renowned Madame Warbeck did something that even Ava couldn't have fathomed. She licked the palm of her hand. But did it stop there? Oh no. Ava watched, horrified, as the singing instructor lunged forward with the saliva-smothered hand and planted it on the side of the theird year girl's head, in an attempt to plaster the girl's hair down herself.

Madame Warbeck hardly even flinched as the girl ran off into the wings in tears just as the curtains parted. Ava had to force her lower jaw back into its normal position as Warbeck tapped her batton lightly on her music stand and the melody started.

“Twas a terrible time, a time full of fear…”

All of the students sang in unison, their voices ringing through the hall and up into the high heavens of the imaginary twilight sky. All the doting parents stared teary-eyed back that their angelic children up on the stage, as though they were all naked little cherubs firing love darts from their bows. Ava couldn't help but grin when she saw one mother waving frantically every time her young son looked up. Her son, who was only a first year [Ava knew this as he was in the front row, and the students were all in rows according to their year, the youngest - and therefore most likely the smallest - students at the front, and the oldest at the back], grimaced every time he saw his pudding-y mother wave at him and wipe a tear from her cheek. His father look very amused at this display, but did the best he could to keep low in his seat and remain unnoticed.

When the choir began to sing, Marcus had turned so his back was not to them, and Moira took a step forward so they could continue talking.  She looked over to him, giving him a sad sort of smile.  There were still times she couldn’t understand how something so horrendous could have happened.  Trying to rationalize why someone might not understand the need for Remembering Day was truly something her mind was unable to comprehend.

"I need to make an appearance with some others in the room, but perhaps you could take a seat and I could join you in a bit? If you're not here meeting anyone else, that is. I'd hate to take up all your time."

The thought of him joining her again brought a slight smile to her lips.  She didn’t think much of it at that moment, telling herself she was simply glad for the company.  Being back at Hogwarts, very much a changed person was strange and a familiar face who did not know her from her school days was oddly comforting.

“I would like that,” she said softly, so not to distract anyone’s attention from the choir.  “And, I do believe it is I who should be worried about taking up all of your time.  I’m sure you have many more people much more important then me to meet with.”

"Perish the thought, Moira. I'd love to come back and spend some more time with you. I just have to go do the Minister thing." Marcus walked over to one of the tables in the redone Great Hall and pulled out the chair for her. "See you in a few?" Marcus said, winking. He already knew the answer.

Luckily Alex had already made his (discreet) entrance. Marcus saw as he spoke to a fellow department head, which Marcus liked to see the most. It was so easy to keep secrets and stay clear of those you worked with. Marcus liked to see a united Ministry of Magic. The rivalry between Analiza Snark and Covadonga Gertrudis was unfortunate, but at least he knew where each woman stood on the matter, which was a good thing as well as a bad thing.

Marcus approached Marcus and Gabrielle, listening as they exchanged pleasentries. "Gabrielle, how good to see you here tonight. Are you going to get up and say something?" Marcus abruptly and intentionally moved past Alex as if he wasn't there. They both were painfully aware of Marcus' penchant for the fairer sex, and Marcus lied to make a joke of it every now and again. Plus, Alex had done something similar earlier in the day. Revenge, but jokingly done. It was even like a game between the two.

"I think you'd be doing everyone here an injustice if you didn't say something. You're always so eloquent."

Gabrielle was rather glad that she hadn't caused a scene that could have ended up in an explosion of spells being let loose in the school. Then again, Alex and her were relatively close too. Of course, no romantic involvement, only fleeting glances so it seemed. Mentions of visiting him and then 'movie night' made her smile. Ah, yes - something that the two of them had not done in a long time indeed. Chili cheese fries and a movie fest that lasted nearly all night long were often spent during their early Ministry days.

"Shall I bring the chili this time, dearest?" she commented for a moment, pondering if calling him 'dearest' were really the best words she could have said. Her eyes soon gazed upward to the stage where the student choir began to sing. It was truly remarkable, Gabrielle thought proudly, to see students singing of the past, paying homage to the fallen. Her eyes glimmered for a moment as she looked back to Alex. "It's rather hard to believe it's been ten years and more importantly, hard to remember all the sufferings of the past. Yet, we've grown stronger. All of us."

She was planning to remark a little more until Marcus arrived and she paused to listen to him speak to the two of them, focusing soon enough on her rather than Alex. "Me? Speak? Marcus, you do me honor, but I'm afraid I don't have much on my plate to offer. Besides, I never really honestly expected to be in front of the crowds - even if I am able to speak."

A pause and she mockingly narrowed her eyes. "Now, if you make me go up there or in any part of these ceremonies, I will not be pleased. You know it too - besides, speeches aren't written in an hour. Not by me at least." If Marcus really wanted to play a game with this, then a game they would play.

Moira laughed slightly as she sat in the chair he had pulled out for her at the mention of the “Minister thing.”  Really the laugh was to try to cover the slight blush at the statement he had made before that, I'd love to come back and spend some more time with you.  She hated the fact that she was blushing, and was glad she’d have a few moments to process that reaction before he returned.

"See you in a few?"

“I shall be here,” she said with a smile.  “Go enjoy the ‘Minister thing.’”

She watched him for a moment as he walked away towards Alex, before turning her eyes back to the choir.  Her mind, however, was a million miles away.  She drifted from memories of her school days to more recent ones, not really paying attention to what was going on in the front of the room.

Meg had dressed herself in light blue dress robes. They were certainly not her favorite clothing to dress in, but it was appropriate for the current situation. A pair of black flats were on her feet. Her brunette hair was pulled back into a bun. She had applied a light blush on her face before appearing in the Great Hall for the Welcoming Ceremony. However, she was not going to be exactly in the stands the entire time. No, she was singing with the choir. Yes, she may not know everything about Remembering Day, but she clearly was trying to participate a bit in the events for the next few days. Mainly, she was participating in the mural painting.

Looking around a bit, Meg met the other choir students where they were supposed to meet. She waved to Fauna and Saffie as she noticed both of them. She was not about to talk to them, since she had to quickly join the rest of the group on the stage to begin their song. She watched as Celestina raised her wand, signaling them to begin singing.

Meg took a deep breath, and began to sing, along with everyone else. "Twas a terrible time, a time full of fear…" she sang. Her voice clearly was not the best there, but she attempted not to screw up the song. She tried to hold the syllables for just as long as everyone else, trying to keep her voice in harmony with everyone else's.

"The dark lord and his creatures, to victory came near," she continued with everyone else. "Down came the mists, the world grey and cold." Yes, the choir group seemed to be an interesting bunch as she looked out towards the people that were gathered in the Great Hall. "But, united they stood, side by side, young and old," she continued.

((ooc: I appologize for not responding soon enough. Feel free to powerplay Meg to keep the plot going if you need to, if I'm not on in this next up coming week))

The enemy fell, foes pushed back to the wood
But amongst the dead were the brave and the good

Their singing was light and high, like every younger choir should be.  Of course there were missteps; it seemed that the poor dears hadn’t had much practice, which Overseer Warbeck didn’t appear to put much stock in.  Judging by her harsh stares and the way she had heard her speak to the children during the few rehearsals she had participated in Celestina seemed to be under the impression that each and every student was classically trained.

Bleh… foul woman.

Only when the audience applauded (some politely, others… not so much) did Covadonga realize what a situation she had put herself, and her poor brother, into.  Now she was no longer nervous for Robbie…  How long had it been since she actually sang in front of a crowd like this?  Err… maybe a… umm… how old was she again?

Great Merlin’s Gorgeous Mulberry Bushes… this was going to be interesting.

Touching Roberto’s shoulder he stood up with her as the curtains closed.  Leading him away from the baby grand so that the stagehands could move it out for them she settled him back down on the bench when it reached its mark.  Taking a deep breath she shook her arms and shoulders, adjusted the straps of her dress and patted down the front, made sure the clip was in place on the left side of her head, and swept some of her blond locks back while making sure to keep a few tendrils left hanging over her shoulder like Callie advised.

Robbie lifted the cover off of the keys, the stage hand at the ropes nodded twice, she nodded once… and then the heavy curtains parted.