Harry Potter and The Jade Dragon

Chapter 26 ~ The Flight of the Swallow

The concert was going to begin in half an hour. People were running up and down, doing last-minute preparations. Pixie was in high spirits, having asked Ron to perform a Cheering Charm on her. She was carrying a pair of elevated boots, which Fatty had obtained because he was shorter than Chee Chong and felt that, as the King, he would look more dignified if he was taller than the Concubine.

"I'll polish your boots for you, Fatt," said Pixie, taking a jar and a small brush out.

"What on earth for?" said Fatty. "They can't be seen anyway; they'll be hidden by my robes."

Pixie just dimpled at him, and proceeded to apply the contents of the jar to the boots. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting by, watching as Shan helped Fatty and Chee Chong into their elaborate costumes. She had already applied their makeup on for them, and they looked extremely strange and painted-up. Shan herself was wearing her dance costume, and had removed her glasses and put on her makeup. She looked very pretty indeed, and Harry had been speechless for a few minutes, when he first saw her.

Parvati came rustling up, resplendent in her Kathak costume. She was clutching a set of tabla drums, the bells about her ankles jingling.

"Hermione, let's practise those Special Effects Charms again," she said, looking flustered. "I want the lights to match my costume ... orange, not yellow, and they have to come bursting out more brightly at the end."

Hermione got up and followed her to the stage, feeling around in her robes for her wand.

Dean came hurrying up.

"Where's Robert?" he said. "I need help putting up the supports for the Chinese palace."

"Actually, we don't need such an elaborate palace, Dean," said Fatty, adjusting his robes, "You've totally overdone it. Props in Chinese opera are usually very simple and few in number."

Dean just shrugged, and hurried off to look for Robert. Fatty looked impatiently at Pixie.

"Xiao-Yan, hurry up with those boots," he said. "I tell you, no one will be able to see them; you're wasting your time and shoe polish."

"Just a few more layers," said Pixie, with a mulish expression on her face. She had almost used up the entire jar of polish.

Shan gave Fatty and Chee Chong their Voice Potion, and they sounded extremely queer after drinking it, their voices having become exceedingly high-pitched.

"The reverse potion is in this flask," said Shan, placing it on a side table. "You can take it after your performance."

Fatty nodded, pulled his boots away from Pixie and put them on, and then disappeared off toward the stage with Chee Chong.

Shan came and sat next to Harry, who was watching Parvati and Hermione rehearse the Kathak dance. Parvati's tabla drums were busily playing themselves at one end of the stage. After a while Ron went over to Pixie to help her with something. Several Gryffindors went past, and giggled when they saw Shan and Harry together, but Shan didn't seem to notice them. She glanced around from time to time, and Harry knew that she was looking for Robert.

After a while, everyone got into position, and the lights dimmed. Seamus went up and did his hornpipe. He tripped once, but nobody seemed to mind. After that, Pixie mounted the stage, and began to play her er-hu.

Shan was twining her long dance ribbon around in her hands, and was beginning to look more and more agitated.

"Robert's not around," she whispered to Harry. "I'm afraid something's happened to him."

Harry glanced around. There was no sign of Robert.

"We can check the Marauder's Map," he whispered, seeing how anxious she looked.