Disclaimer: They're not mine, I just borrowed them because I thought they deserve to have some fun. Category: Humour Ratings: PG-13 Pairing: SS/JP, SS/LM, JP/LE, LM/LE Summary: To break down the hostilities towards Muggles, Dumbledore opens a competition: each of the four houses is to stage something Muggleish. Can the Slytherins succeed in staging "something Muggleish" and still make a point of what they are? Sex, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll By Ratwoman ratwoman02@yahoo.de "We've as good as won!" Sirius said, while putting another spoonful of mashed potatoes onto his plate. Two months ago Headmaster Dumbledore had opened a competition: To get over the hostilities and reservations towards Muggles, each of the four houses was to stage "something Muggleish" during the last two days of the term. Now, the time had come; Gryffindor had been the first house to stage the show they had prepared. They had decided to stage the Arthurian legend. James had been King Arthur, Lily Gwenwyfar, Sirius of course Lancelot, Remus was Merlin, and Peter was Mordred. It had been a huge success. Even the Slytherins had applauded, if only reluctantly. Afterwards the Hufflepuffs had played some scenes of Tolkiens The Hobbit. It had been nice, but not as exiting as King Arthur. This morning, it had been the Ravenclaws turn; they had chosen an immensely sophisticated play by Samuel Becket, called Not I. Most had been bored. Remus leaned back and listened to his friends' discussion. "Um, Padfoot, the Slytherins haven't been on stage yet." James replied. "Aw, they hate Muggles, I wouldn't be surprised if they refuse to stage anything." Sirius said. "And if, they won't be very eager, so, I think we've won." Lily smiled. "I wouldn't be so sure, they're very ambitious, they will even try to win at something they despise." "They are going to stage something, that much is certain." Peter threw in. "I overheard Snape and Malfoy talking about it." "What did they say?" Sirius and James asked in unison. "Malfoy told Snape not to get performance anxiety now." Peter looked thoughtfully. "And then Snape answered that he can't walk in those high-heels." "Huh?" "I must have misheard him." Peter said, shaking his head. "Most certainly." Sirius agreed, looking confused. Remus smiled. Whatever it was the Slytherins were about to stage, he was looking forward to it. Slytherins were quite creative, it certainly would be interesting. * At seven in the evening, the school assembled in the Great Hall, which had been transformed into a Theatre for these occasions. James sat down with his friends in one row. The Slytherins had been really secretive about what they were going to stage. There were rumours going from Satanic Rituals to a sit-in. Before the curtain lifted, Lucius Malfoy stepped onto the stage, wearing a long cloak covering him from the neck to the feet. "Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen," he said when the crowd had silenced down. "Unfortunately, we don't have enough actors for the musical we want to stage, so we need two volunteers. Don't worry, we arranged that you will sing playback." Lucius smiled his icy smile. James wondered. Not enough actors? In the whole Slytherin house? There definitively was something wrong. "James, Lily," Lucius' smile became even icier. "Would you please?" James was about to say no when Lily smiled and raised to her feet. "Certainly." she said. "Lily!" James hissed. "Scared?" she whispered. James sighed and followed her. Sometimes it worried him that she could play him like a flute. "Follow me." Lucius said and went off stage. James felt like he was walking open-eyed into a trap. A small nervous looking boy went by them onto the stage as they left. James heard him declaring from the other side of the curtain. Obviously he was the narrator. "Which musical are you going to stage?" Lily asked openly. "The Rocky Horror Show." Lucius replied. A huge grin spread on Lily's face. "And we are Brad and Janet, right?" "Yes," Lucius replied and drew his wand. "Don't worry," he said, "I'm just putting a spell on you that will make you see on your inner eye the lines you have to say." James was nervous, but didn't move as Lucius waved his wand and murmured a few words. Ok, he had not grown a second head or something like that. "Oh, and could you please put off the playback for me?" Lily said. "I'm a big Karaoke fan, you know?" "Ok," Lucius said.”Oh, before I forget..." Lucius waved his wand another time and James and Lily were dressed in Muggle clothes. "Now, get onto the stage!" "But..." James felt much more anxiety than before their own play. Then, he had at least known what it was about. "OUT!" Lucius ordered and gave them a shove. There was a wedding scene, the girl in the wedding dress was Throwing her bucket ab Lily, playing Janet, caught it. That would mean she would get married next. Then James saw some Lines on his inner eye. That was his text, wasn’t it? He read aloud: “Listen Janet, I’ve got something to say. I really love the skillful way you beat the other girls to the bright bucket.” Lily was laughing girlishly. Then music started an James had to pretend to be singing, while a voice sang “The river was deep, but I swam it,…” Obviously in this song he was proposing to Lily, or rather Brad to Janet. If they thought he felt ashamed about that… he was anyway planning to ptopose to Lily soon. It felt good to “practise” it now, so to speak. After the boy who was the narrator entered the stage and told The audience – and James – that the young couple were having trouble with their car on the way home and went through the storm to a castle. "- but they being normal kids and on a night out - well - they were not going to let a storm spoil the events of their evening. On a night out... It was a night out they were to remember for a very - long - time." The boy went off stage and the curtain raised, revealing a second curtain at about the half of the stage, depicting the outlines of a castle. From somewhere James heard music playing and voices singing: "There's a light Over at the Frankenstein place There's a light Burning in the fireplace" James was barely listening to the lyrics, as he was too annoyed about the water dripping down from the ceiling, obviously pretending that it was raining. Did they have to make the show that realistic? Of course, it was just raining on him and Lily. When the music faded, Lily said to James' amazement: "Brad, let's go back, I'm cold and I'm frightened..." Then he understood, as he suddenly saw his answering lines written in the air before him: "Just a moment Janet, they might have a phone." They knocked at a door that was standing in the middle of the stage. From offstage, Rudolphos Lestrange entered; but he didn't look like the usual pretty Slytherin he was: he had a huge hunch on his back, grey, tangled hair and a greyish skin. Lestrange opened the door, looking rather hostile at them and said: "Hello?" James read out the text he suddenly saw in the air: "Hi! My name is Brad Majors, and this is my fiancée, Janet Weiss. I wonder if you could help us. You see, our car broke down a few miles up the road... do you have a phone we might use?" Lily perfectly played her role, clinging with a scared expression to James' arm as they were led "inside" and told that the master was having some kind of party this night. Bellatrix Black, Lestrange's girlfriend, came onto the stage, dressed in a rather short housemaid's uniform, making some odd joke about everybody being happy. Suddenly, Lestrange started singing: "It's astounding; Time is fleeting; Madness takes its toll. But listen closely Not for very much longer. I've got to keep control." Now his voice grew louder and shriller: "But I remember doing the time-warp Drinking those moments when The blackness would hit me And a void would be calling..." Here the second curtain lifted and about everyone from the Slytherin house from Fourth Year upwards was on stage, wearing nothing but black lacquer or leather fetish ...somethings. James gaped at them in shock; he also heard surprised gasped from the audience, while they were shouting: "Let's do the time-warp again. Let's do the time-warp again." The dance they were showing looked rather rude, especially the way they moved their hips forwards and backwards at the chorus. James looked at Lily. She pretended to look shocked, but actually she was hiding a grin behind the hands she had clasped before her face. "But it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insa-ane" Bellatrix’s sister Narcissa walked to the front of the stage for a short solo: "Well I was walking down the street just a-having a think When this snake of a guy gave me an evil wink. He shook me up, he took me by surprise He had a pickup truck, and the devil's eyes. He stared at me and I felt a change. Time meant nothing, never would again." Snake of a guy? Devil's eyes? James started to understand why they had chosen this particular musical. "Brad, do something!" Lily said in perfectly faked anxiety when the dance was finished. "Say, do any of your guys know how to Madison?" James had to be careful not to burst out laughing at his lines, but it got even better: "They're probably foreigners with ways different than our own. They may do some more...folk dancing." Merlin, this was kind of funny! Then, a door at the back of the stage opened and in came - Snape! He was wearing a long coat simiiilar to the one Malfoy had been wearing. "How do you do, I See you've met my Faithful handyman." he sang while lazily walking up to them. James did not listen to the next few lines, as he was too surprised that Snape's hair looked rather fine, as if he had washed it recently. And his deep voice was really sexy. "Don't get strung out by the way I look. Don't judge a book by its cover." Snape was close to them now. Was he really wearing eye- liner? Now he turned to Lily/Janet and sung to her, wriggling his eyebrows: "I'm not much of a man by the light of day But by night I'm one hell of a lover." James felt blood rushing to his cheeks. Was that jealousy? Or rather...? Suddenly Snape threw off his coat. James shrieked back in shock. Seemed like the Slytherins wouldn't cease to surprise him: Snape was wearing black fish-net stockings with suspenders (hmm, why had James never noticed how long his legs were?) high-heeled shoes, a corset, and something black that was so short that James was not sure whether it still counted as underwear. Again, James heard gasps from the audience. "I'm just a sweet transvestite From Transsexual, Transylvania." * Remus was enjoying this show immensely. He was partly Muggle, so he was one of the few people here who knew the Rocky Horror Show. He just had never guessed that Snape would make a good Frank N Furter. But he was just perfect. All his movements were so sensual, and the outfit... Suddenly Remus felt hot. "That he's not ashamed!" Sirius whispered next to him. Remus glanced at him, but Sirius was staring with utter fascination at the stage. Remus smirked and returned his attention onto the musical. After Brad/James had said his lines about having trouble with their car and just wanting to use his phone, Snape, to James' most obvious horrors, wrapped his arms around both James' and Lily's waists, singing : "Well you got caught with a flat, well, how 'bout that? Well, babies, don't you panic." Remus giggled. The request not to panic never had been more adequate, judging from the look of terror on James' face. "By the light of the night it'll all seem alright. I'll get you a satanic mechanic." Remus grinned when Magenta/Bellatrix and Columbia/Narcissa snuggled up on Frank/Snape as he sang: "Why don't you stay for the night?" Magenta/Bellatrix hissed: "night" and licked along Snape's neck. "Or maybe a bite?" Columbia/Narcissa said: "Bite" and bit Snape's shoulder. "I can show you my favourite obsession..." They all appeared so wonderfully decadent! Remus let his gaze travel over the faces in the audience. Especially the ones who were not Muggle-born were watching with a kind of disbelieving fascination. He glanced at the teachers' row. Dumbledore was looking amused, but Professor McGonagall had clasped her hands before her mouth, staring wide-eyed at the stage. * James had just recovered from the shock of seeing Snape in stockings, when the back part of the stage was covered by a curtain again, while Riff-Raff/Lestrange and Magenta/Bellatrix were starting to get them out of their wet clothes. His consternation was not played when they left them in their underwear and then lifted the second curtain to lead them to the laboratory. "Well! How nice. And what charming underclothes you both have." said Frank/Snape as if every day people were walking around in underwear in his castle. "But here. Put these on." James was really relieved when Frank/Snape gave them bathrobes. "They'll make you feel less... vulnerable. It's not often we receive visitors here, let alone offer them" he paused. "...hospitality." Again, he saw his text in the air before him: "Hospitality!? All we wanted to do was to use your telephone, Goddammit, a reasonable request which you've chosen to ignore!" Taking a step forward, Frank/Snape said: "How forceful you are, Brad." Laying a hand on his chest, he added in an obscene voice: "Such a perfect specimen of manhood. So..." raising his eye-brows, "...dominant." James stared in shock at Snape. * Remus watched with amusement the laboratory scene. Of course, it was quite clear that the Slytherins did really have enough actors, but taking two "volunteers" from another house for the roles of Brad and Janet was a brilliant idea. It successfully demonstrated how out of place the two of them were. Especially James was great, despite, or because he was not acting. He really WAS confused and had no clue what would come next or what to make of Snape's flirtations. Snape played the mad scientist in a way that could also be interpreted as a Dark Wizard, someone like Salazar Slytherin. Looking with an empty face into the air, eyes glowing, voice trembling, he said : "..and that's how I discovered the secret, that elusive ingredient, that SPARK that is the breath of life..." His voice grew higher and shriller, ecstatic :"Yes, I have that knowledge! I hold the secret! to life itself!" Though, Salazar Slytherin probably had never looked so sexy in fishnet stockings ! Remus leaned forwards with interest when Rocky, covered in linen, was turned alive. Who'd play Rocky? Rocky moved and tore off the linen, revealing - Lucius Malfoy. Rocky/Lucius stood up, shaking his long blonde hair. He was wearing nothing but very short golden knickers. He was playing a quite different Rocky than the one Remus had seen in Muggle theatres; when Frank/Snape was chasing him through the laboratory, Rocky/Lucius did not appear to be scared by his maker, rather that he was taunting him to catch him. Finally Frank/Snape got his creature, pushed him against a wall and pressed a whip under his chin, saying: "Well really. That's no way to behave on your first day out. But since you're such an exceptional beauty, I am prepared to forgive you." Oh yeah, Lucius really was an exceptional beauty. Milk white skin, well-defined muscles... no wonder that Frank/Snape doted so much on him. Remus grinned when Wilkes, a huge, rather ugly Slytherin, entered the stage as Eddie, riding on a motor-bike. "Did they steal my motor-bike?" Sirius hissed. "Um, no, I'm sure it's another one." Remus replied. Actually, he was not sure, but he better didn't tell Padfoot, or he'd run onto the stage and make a scene. Wilkes/Eddie threw a quite good Rock'n'Roll show, until Frank/Snape chased him off stage and came back with a bloody axe. "Don't be upset... It was a mercy killing..." Frank/Snape said more to the audience than to Rocky. "Of course, the Slytherins approve of that !" Sirius hissed. "Always keep fiction and reality apart." Remus answered, not taking his eyes off the stage. "he had a certain naive charm," Frank/Snape said, "but no muscle..." The Music of "I can make you a man" was played again, and snuggling up to Rocky/Lucius, Frank/Snape sang : "But a deltoid and a bicep. A hot groin" Even Remus coughed in surprise, when Snape's hand cupped Lucius groin, " and a tricep. Makes me, ..., shake, Makes me want to take Charles Atlas by the...ha-ha-hand." Remus grinned at the following "marriage scene" of Frank and Rocky. Magenta/Bellatrix and Riff-Raff/Lestrange opened a small curtain hiding a four-poster bed, but on the way there Snape twist his ankle in his high-heels and almost fell. Lucius reacted quickly, caught Snape and carried him over the threshold. The curtain fell. * James was standing confused on the stage after the curtain fell. Was the musical already over? He hoped so, mostly because the sight of Lucius being almost naked had made him hard, but then a few second and third year Slytherins came on stage, levitating two beds behind them and put them down in a position that the second curtain could hide them if needed. Lucius and Snape levitated the four-poster bed offstage, then James was told: "Lie down in that bed and pretend to be sleeping!" James did what he was told, seeing Lily lying down in the other bed. The curtain raised and James closed his eyes. He heard Lily and Snape talking; it sounded as if Snape, alias Frank, was trying to seduce Lily, er, Janet. James felt anger welling up but forced himself not to move. After all, this was only a play, not reality. Then suddenly Snape was over him, saying in a high voice(pretending to be Janet): "Oh, Brad darling, it's no good here. It'll destroy us." James said his lines: "Don't worry Janet, we'll be away from here in the morning.", but inwardly he cringed. What was he to do in a bed with Snape? Snape, alias Frank, alias Janet replied: "Oh, Brad you're so strong and protective." "YOU!" James called. Would this charade find an end now? In his normal voice, Frank/Snape answered: "I'm afraid so, Brad, but isn't it nice..." Actually, Snape looked amazingly sexy, as he was straddling his hips, looking down at him with an evil smile. Oh no, the erection James had had earlier regrew! "Why YOU! What have you done with Janet?" "Nothing." Frank/Snape replied: "Why? Do you think I should?" That was so much something Snape would say! "You tricked me, I wouldn't have...I've never never...never..." Never, indeed. "Oh Yes yes, I know...but it isn't all bad, is it? Not even half bad, I think you really quite enjoyed it." Snape purred. "Oh come on, Brad, admit it, you liked it, didn't you? There's no crime in giving yourself over to pleasure, Brad. Oh Brad, you've wasted so much time already..." James wasn't able to hold himself back any longer. He grabbed Snape at the back of his head and pulled him down, catching his lips in a wild kiss. He saw Snape's eyes widen in surprise as he pushed his tongue into his mouth to explore every cavice, while his hands moved down Snape's back to his almost bare buttocks. After a much too short time Snape withdrew, whispering: "Much as I feel flattered by your sudden enthusiasm, the show must go on." James looked up. The inner curtain had fallen, hiding the two beds. Lily's/Janet's bed was already being brought away, while Lily looked in open anger and jealousy at James and Snape. "I was just playing my role." James said. "That's not how it looked like!" Lily hissed. Snape stood up and stalked off. Lucius went to the curtain to the outer part of the stage, telling Lily: "It's our scene now." Lily strutted on stage with a highly raised head. James watched the Janet/Rocky scene through a gap in the curtain. Lily was singing: "I was feeling done in, couldn't win I'd only ever kissed before. I thought there's no use getting Into heavy petting It only leads to trouble And seat wetting." James grinned: that wasn't quite true. Then Janet/Lily turned to Rocky/Lucius and sung in a challenging way: "Now all I want to know is how to go. I've tasted blood and I want more. I'll put up no resistance I want to stay the distance I've got an itch to scratch I need assistance." To James horrors she leaned with her back against Lucius, rubbing her body against him while she was singing: "Toucha toucha toucha touch me I want to be dirty Thrill me, chill me, fulfil me Creature of the night." Did she have to overact like that just because he had felt tempted by Snape for a moment? "Then if anything grows, while you pose, I'll oil you up and rub you down." Lily turned around and moved her fingers over Lucius bare chest. The Slytherin was looking slightly puzzled at her eager performance. "And that's just one small fraction of the main attraction You need a friendly hand and I need action. Toucha toucha toucha touch me I want to be dirty Thrill me, chill me, fulfil me Creature of the night." When Lucius ran his hands down Lily's back, James was about to storm onto the stage, but Snape held him back. "That's just part of the show." Snape reminded him. "But..." Snape grinned. "Lily really goes. Guess she's angry because of your... performance." James angrily wanted to reply something, but then, Snape looked so seductive when he was grinning. James quickly took a few steps away. * Remus smirked when he noticed with what an enthusiasm James and Lily were taking part in the seduction-scenes. Well, no wonder, Severus and Lucius really looked like a wet dream come true in their costumes. Dr. Scott was played by Avery, but with his long white beard he looked much like Albus Dumbledore in a wheelchair. Remus cast a glance at the headmaster, but Dumbledore was still smiling in amusement. Remus thought, the Slytherins could hardly have chosen a better musical. The Transsexual Transylvanians seemed to incorporate everything that was rumoured about the Slytherins. "I knew he was in with a bad crowd, but it was worse than I imagined...Aliens!" Remus grinned. He had half-expected Scott/Avery to say Slytherins instead of Aliens, but they didn't go so far. Remus cast a glance at Sirius at a few lines from the song about Eddie: "From the day he was born all he wanted was Rock'n'Roll, porn, and a motorbike" That was something one could say as well about Sirius. Well, the rest was more descriptive of a typical Slytherin kid: "When Eddie said he didn't like his Teddy You knew he was a no-good kid. But when he threatened your life with a switch-blade knife" "What a guy!" Frank/Snape called out enthusiastically. "Makes you cry." Janet/Lily threw in. "Und I did." Dr. Scott. When Brad, Janet, Rocky and Columbia were brought off stage to prepare for the floor show Remus wondered how James and Lily would take it to have to wear suspenders. * "I won't wear that!" James called. "C'mon." Lily said. Dammit, even Lily was on their side. "I won't wear that!" James repeated stubbornly. Lily just shrugged and went into a dressing room with the black underwear, the fish-net stockings and the suspenders they had given her. James sighed and went into the other changing room. He hardly had a choice, it would look cowardly when he backed out. James had the feeling that he looked terribly ridiculous in that stuff when he came out again. Lily didn't look like his Lily at all, but kind of... sexy. James swallowed hard and followed Narcissa, Lucius and Lily onto the stage. At first Columbia/Narcissa was singing her solo, then Lucius, alias Rocky, stepped forward: "I'm just seven hours old, And truly beautiful to behold." Aw, no, James noticed that looking at Lucius made him hard again. Unfortunately, that little underwear was not hiding it. With a rude movement of his hips, Rocky/Lucius added: "And somebody should be told My libido hasn't been controlled." Oh yeah, James could imagine. "Now the only thing I've come to trust Is an orgasmic rush of lust. Rose tints my world and keeps me safe from my trouble and pain." Now the playback for James came to use. James tried to pretend to be singing while he wondered why he didn't have such a cool text as Lucius: "It's beyond me; help me Mommy! I'll be good; you'll see. Take this dream away. What's this? Let's see, I feel sexy! What's come over me? Wo! Here it comes again." Lily was walking challengingly forwards, moving her hips in a way she usually never did: "I feel released; bad times decease. My confidence has increased; reality is here." * Remus was surprised about Lily, she usually seemed to be rather ... decent, but now she looked like a real Vamp. James also looked cute in black fishnet-stockings and velvet underwear. His confusion at what was happening added a certain naive charme to his performance. Then the inner curtain lifted and all the Slytherins appeared on the stage again, singing: "We're a wild and an untamed thing. We're bees with a deadly sting. You get a hit and your mind goes ping. Your heart'll thump and your blood will sing. So let the party and the sounds rock on. We're gonna shake it 'till the life has gone. Rose tint my world, keep me safe from my trouble and pain." Remus grinned. Really, very adequate, that they'd chosen to perform the Rocky Horror Show. "Am I the only one who suddenly wants to be one of them?" Peter asked in a longing voice. Sirius looked undignified at Peter: "You must be joking!" he replied. Remus chuckled. Sirius wouldn't admit it even if it was written on his forehead. After they'd sung and danced for a while, Riff- Raff/Lestrange and Magenta/Bellatrix entered the stage. Other than in the Muggle theatres, they were not wearing futuristic clothes, but grey robes with violet belts. "Aren't that Auror uniforms?" Peter asked. Remus smiled and nodded his head, while Riff- Raff/Lestrange announced: "Frank N Furter, it's all over. Your mission is a failure; Your lifestyle's too extreme. I'm your new commander; You now are my prisoner. We return to Transylvania. Prepare the transit beam." They staged the killing scene very dramatically. Columbia/Narcissa threw herself before Frank/Snape and was shot with pink light (Lestrange obviously was hiding his wand in what looked like a laser pistol.) Frank, alias Snape, was chased by Riff-Raff/Lestrange across the stage before being shot, then Lucius as Rocky knelt down beside his dead creator, screaming in pain and rage, before he got shot. "You did the right thing. Society has to be protected." Dr Scott/Avery said. Well, they could hardly become any more obvious. Two Auror-like persons killed Frank and his friends, and an unsympathetic character like Dr. Scott approved of it. Remus was quite fascinated about the Slytherins creativity. * "And crawling on the planet's face Some insects, called the human race... Lost in time, and lost in space, And meaning." With those words spoken by the boy who played the narrator the curtain fell. James was relieved, but also a bit sad that it was over. He watched Snape slipping out of his high-heels with a pain-contorted face, asking Bellatrix: "How can you walk in those?" "With a lot of practice," she answered with a smile. Lucius Malfoy was standing at the curtain, looking nervous. "They're so quiet!" he said. Paling, the Slytherins noticed that there was no applause. Then suddenly, the house seemed to burst with loud clapping sounds. The applaud seemed to never want to die down when they re-entered the stage and bowed. * Breakfast, the next day. Dumbledore was to give out the points for the plays today. Sirius looked scowling at his plate, eating nothing. James smirked. "You don't seem to be so sure anymore that Gryffindor won the competition, Padfoot?" "Nah, Slytherin was just too cool." James swallowed. Had Sirius really just admitted that the Slytherins had been better than they? Then the end of the world must be nigh. "I wish Dumbledore was more of a prude." Sirius said. "Then we'd have a chance, but so..." James cast a glance at the Slytherin table. Snape was all his old self again, his hair a mess. Yet there was something sensual about his angular features... why had James never noticed before yesterday? James blushed and looked away as he remembered how eager he had been in the seduction scene. Dumbledore stood up and announced: "We're going to give out the points for the competition now. Ravenclaw, for their sophisticated performance of Samuel Becket's Not I: 20 points." Everyone politely clapped their hands. "Hufflepuff, for their amusing performance of scenes from the Hobbit: 30 points." Clap, clap. "Gryffindor, for their performance of the Arthurian Legend: 40 points." Sirius nodded his head. "Second place, as I told you." "And Slytherin, for their stunning performance of the Rocky Horror Show, 50 points." Everyone applauded, though a bit forced. The show had been amazing, but still no one really liked the Slytherins. "With that, this Year's House Cup goes to Slytherin!" James watched Snape and the other Slytherins cheering at their victory. He forced himself to smile. Gryffindor couldn't always win. *** The end