The Witching Hour Auditions Closed

Song: “Small” by Chloe Moriondo

Halston was scared on a whole nother level. She stood in the front of the mirror in the girl's dorm, clutching her faucet like it was her lifeline. Her face was beet red and so were her fingers, from grabbing the damned faucet so hard. She wouldn't be surprised if her pulse was rivaling a rabbits or squirrels at the moment, it felt like it was going to explode any minute now—

She needed to take a deep breath. Sucking cool air through her lips slowly, Halston tried to calm her nerves, despite how badly shaken she was. The problem was that she wouldn't have been scared if it weren't for one, single thought that had kept running through her head ever since she'd heard about the band.

Will they like my singing? I'm sure they won't, but would they? I can sing, but maybe other people will hate? I shouldn't sing, I really shouldn't, they'll boo me off the stage—

Halston clapped her hands into her face, the corners of her eyes stinging. She hated crying, and there was no reason for her to do it, which is what she was now telling herself. She rubbed her face for a good moment before letting her arms fall back to her sides.

She gave herself a good luck. Halston had attempted to look pretty. Usually she dressed as decently as possible without having to draw attention to herself, which meant either her school uniform with her robes, or her plain winter sweaters with her jeans and sneakers. But today she had decided to wear a dress, something...pretty.

Halston hiccupped. Pretty...? Was that what I was going for, she thought. But actually, she didn't look that bad, in her opinion. She was wearing a red plaid dress with a loose waist that looked...exactly like what someone's grandma wood wear.

The dress looked like a table cloth, a recycled blanket, a picnic blanket, something like what those pioneers in America had worn. Halston felt like a bed, one that was wearing a—

Halston slammed her hands into the table. Shut up, shut up, okay? Tristella bought this for you, she said you looked cool in it, and she's way cooler than anyone you know, so she wouldn't lie...right? She gave herself another once-over, to confirm. No, it's all about self-confidence...which this sorry Gryffindor lacks.

The girl sighed quietly, grabbed her keyboard case, and left the bathroom, heading for the Rehearsal Room. It was time to stop stalling. She wasn't late—actually, she would be right on time when got there. But still, thoughts of her singing rang in her ears, like some voice, or perhaps ghost, was telling her to sing her lungs out.

When she reached the Rehearsal Room she was greeted by the sight of the boy who had put the poster up. Halston looked away and blushed, brushing back a lock of hair. “I'm here for the...auditions...,” she muttered, swallowing slowly. This was not going well, but at least she was already prepared to be declined. Just like she always was.

She entered the Rehearsal Room, gazing around. It wasn't that much to look at, and no one else was on stage, so she continued onto the stage, chewing her lips the entire way. She walked like she had a stick up somewhere, or  like a human version of a dog with it's tail between it's legs. Halston was still terrified.

But she was already up there, she reminded herself. There was no going back.

Halston unpacked her keyboard and set it up, focusing on that task and not any of the ideas that might be staring. Even if she wasn't, she had to be ready.

The young Gryffindor cleared her throat. It came out as a strangled cry instead, which made her blush horribly. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my—

“U-uh, hi,” she said into the microphone. It was meant to be soft-spoken but the mic squealed, hurting people's ears. Halston felt like hyperventilating. “O-okay, s-sorry. Um.”

She bit her lip. What song was she even going to play again—oh, right. “So, I'm going to play a song...by a girl named...” She fumbled for the name. “Chloe M-moriond-do.”

Halston eyes snapped to her keyboard. She was done talking, all the way till she finished playing her song. Playing, not singing, because she was definitely not going to sing.

She was hitting the first few notes when she remembered that she forgot to tell them the title of the song. Halston parted her lips, about to say it, but instead, as she played the song, different ways came out.

“...S-something about y-you escapes me,
I've l-lost my charm...”

Halston was redder than any tomato in existence.

“Something a-about me is see-though,
I can't d-do no more harm...”

She sucked in her breath. She couldn't believe she was doing this. She was going to stop. And she did, playing the most of the song without singing. Luckily her voice wasn't that high anyone so she doubted anyone had understood what she had been saying.

But then Halston couldn't help herself.

“A-and its not like I'm not f-familiar with dulling myself to tepid,
But I've never cared so m-much about avoiding overstepping.”

She cleared her throat, which actually worked this time, or at least enough.

“And when I think about you I f-forget about my hands,
And all I hear are dancing girls and snapping rubber bands,
And you d-don't know what that means.”

Halston whispers the last part.

“Because
Youuuu
Because youu u u. u u u u u.”

She plays the last few notes and then there's silence. But Halston doesn't even let the silence finish, because she grabs her keyboard, it's case, and races out the Rehearsal Room, tears falling down her face.

Audio.

When he's sure that he won't pass out, Virgil Lee opens the door to the Rehearsal Room, shaking from his head to toes, finding it almost empty if not for the boy he'd seen yesterday, putting that poster on the bulletin board. The boy is almost twenty centimeters taller than him, and he has dark straight hair and Asian traits, just like him.

Unsure of what to say, he makes his way towards the stage, adjusting the microphone so he can actually speak. The short Slytherin's body burns in anxiety, as his mind tells him that he won't be accepted and that everything is useless. Looking down at his feet, starting to regret everything in his life, Virgil mumbles, pressing his lips against the microphone so he's sure to be heard.

"M-My name is Virgil Lee... I'll," He coughs, voice trapped, not wanting to leave. Virgil runs his fingers through his hair, turning it into a mess, and closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, before continuing, eyes still closed so he doesn't have to stare at anyone. You're alone, he tells himself, there's no one there. "I'll be auditioning to the role of m-main vocalist and... Song-writer, if n-necessary, of course."

The last part is added in a hurry, as he doesn't want the other to think that he thinks he's better than him or something like that. Virgil feels his body fall at ease, which isn't usual, but he doesn't complain. Holding the microphone, he mumbles again, this time more certain and confident. "Uh, I'll be performing an acapella of a song called like rain, like music by Kim Hyun Sik..."

It's one of his favorite muggle songs to this day because his father used to sing it to him. He learned the lyrics at a very young age because he desperately wanted to sing along with Mihyung, and now, he's going to perform it. Counting to three in his head, he starts, voice melting like honey against the words he knew like he'd been the one to write them.

TRANS.
When the rain falls and the music flows,
I think of you,
The night when you left,
It was raining like this.

He feels as there's a burning desire in his heart, Virgil purs his heart out in the lyrics, feelings each and every line. The boy's voice is sweet and delicate, though powerful and dripping with emotion. He sings and moves, expressing himself deeply, even though he's sure the other doesn't understand the lyrics, he hopes to touch him with his voice alone.

The first two verses are easy to sing, due to the fact he's practiced them in front of the mirror more times than he can remember. However, Virgil's favorite part comes and he holds the microphone even tighter this time around, as his heart escapes through his mouth. At that moment, he doesn't care if the notes come out bad, or if the other might not like his voice because he wants a rock vocalist, nothing really matters.

At that moment, Virgi Lee feels invincible.

Again, I stand in the rain today,
And let the day pass by,
Oh~ like beautiful music,
Our love story,
Comes with pain like the flowing rain,
Oh~ and thus the sad rain falls,

When he's done, Virgil takes a step back, opening his eyes, going back to his embarrassed self. Biting his lower lips, he takes a deep breath and forces himself to give the other Slytherin in the room a hard look, a determined one, that is never seen on his face.

"Thank you!" And with that, he bows shortly and waits for the other to say something.

Regarding @Halston Wright's audition

To the creek of the door opening, Roman turns in that direction, genuinely speechless for the first time in a while. He thought he’d have to wait a little longer for someone to finally show up. A pretty girl with curly blond hair in a red dress walks in, and Roman finds himself still with no words as he watches the girl make her way towards the stage, bringing a case with what he can only assume is a keyboard with her.

She mumbles against the microphone, which squeaks and makes Roman cover his ears for a second. The pretty girl mentions an artist named Chloe Moriondo, that he’s never heard of in his entire life, so he only crosses his arms, paying attention to her very obviously nervous and anxious mannerism, to which he frowns, trying to read her a little better.

Roman listens to her as she sings parts of the song, then stops, focused on playing the piano. She knows how to play, he’ll give her that and it’s a solid song, but he wishes he could hear more of her voice. And that’s what he gets. The girl decides to go back to singing, and though she stutters a few words here and there, the Slytherin concludes she has a very soft and open voice. Emotional, really.

He nods to himself, trying to think of what he’ll tell her once she’s done. Despite not telling him her name, nor the position she’s auditioning for, he can only assume it’s for vocalist and pianist. When the girl stops playing, he waits for her to get off the stage, and come in his direction, so they can properly talk.

Roman claps a bit, in hopes of not looking sarcastic or anything — it’d be funny, though, but he’s trying to get people to join his band, not hate him. “Oi, that was good and–” Before he can finish, however, the girl grabs her stuff and leave in a hurry, leaving him speechless, once again. Alone in the empty rehearsal room, Roman screams, “OI! I was not done–” The door slams shut, “Talkin'...”

Regarding @Virgil Lee's audition.

The next person to walk in, a little while after that weird girl had left him puzzled and rather frustrated, is a short and skinny boy from Slytherin. Roman’s never seen him around, nor at the common room, and giving him a good look, he concludes the house of the snakes surely wouldn’t be his choice for him, if he was the Sorting Hat.

At least this Slytherin introduces himself as Virgil Lee, and he’d be auditioning for the positions of main vocalist and song-writer, which surprises Roman a little. Being the main vocalist is something important, they’re the ones that often get the most attention, the ones in the center all the time, and that kid looks just as anxious and nervous as that other girl.

Well, whatever, Roman thinks, crossing his arms once again, eyes trailing after that short boy as he walks towards the microphone, having to adjust it so he can sing properly. In order to cause the burst of laughter that causes him, Roman coughs against his mouth. Virgil Lee says he'll be performing in acapella, which is another bold move. Most would use the instrumentals in order to hide some of their bad vocals, but not that kid.

That short first year starts to sing and Roman’s mouth almost drops to the floor. His voice is– rich. There’s no better word, really. It’s rich and emotional, melting around the words, while Virgil Lee, with his eyes closed, passionately sings all he feels. The lyrics, which Roman understands being part Korean, aren’t as emotional as that boy’s voice.

The performance feels too short as Roman finds himself wanting to listen more from that boy. Pretending he isn’t that impressed, he runs his fingers through his hair as Virgil bows and says “thank you”, looking all determined, which is actually sort of cute. Putting his hands on his hips, Roman begins, “Look ‘ere, I don’t go around givin’ compliments often, ya know, but that was– really good!”

Audio for Flight of the Bumblebee - Pick whichever three seconds you want lol
Audio for the Song - Couldn't find a piano version, so you might have to use your imagination
@Roman Kingston

Rafael had been thinking of one thing throughout his many classes.

And he was ashamed to say, it wasn’t about keeping his grades up. Multiple times throughout the day, he had found himself muting the teachers’ words in lieu of his own thoughts. His head, in particular, had been swimming with lyrics and song ideas, and of instruments and singing. Yes, he had had the Witching Hour on his mind since yesterday afternoon, when he had first seen the sign-up sheet. And perhaps he should have been feeling guilty about it, but he really didn’t. He had been too busy strategizing his audition.

Because, while he wasn’t generally a scared guy, certain situations could make him rather uncomfortable. Like talking to girls, or being the only kid in a room full of adults. Things like that really made his skin crawl. The idea of singing for a stranger was making his skin crawl right now. He knew he wouldn’t have been able to give up the idea of auditioning since 18 hours ago, when he had first plucked the band poster off the bulletin. Now, he was worrying more about surviving an audition, than actually making himself go. He supposed it was a good sign, that he was finally going through with all of this. He wasn’t just going to sit around in life and let opportunities pass him by.

Which is what found him at the door of the rehearsal room. He didn’t really feel nervous. Just squeamish – he didn’t want to be there any longer than he had to. At the moment, he was wearing his dormmate’s gray sweatshirt, with a black Adidas jacket, zipped all the way up so that the hood of the sweatshirt poked out the top. He noted that his hood was tucked over his head, tufts of wild hair escaping from the front. He wore jeans that were just the right size – not loose enough to fall off, and not tight enough to look gay – and on his feet were two red tennis shoes, the color of his house. You could tell he wasn’t trying to impress people with his looks. He was fine with who he was and all, and if someone had something to say about it, he had a few choice words for them.

He pushed the door to the Rehearsal Room, noting the bareness of it. There were a few instruments lying around, along with a guy – a Slytherin, if he knew his classmates’ faces any good - whose emotions he couldn’t read very well. Kingston, he thought the guy’s name was. Or, maybe that was his last name. He couldn’t focus on that right now. He studied the room carefully, taking in all the features before finally deciding to say something. “Hey, I’m ‘Bird,” he said rather loudly. “’M here for the audition.” He almost felt bad – whenever he got uncomfortable like this, he got all serious and impartial-looking. He hoped the guy wouldn’t look into it too much, or think him rude or anything. “Nice to meet you, man,” he added, just to clear the air a bit. He almost considered giving the guy’s hand a good shake, but stopped himself. It was such an American thing to do, and he didn’t want to weird anyone out by getting cooties all over them. Or whatever the hell their reason was for not shaking hands, Rafa didn’t care too much.

Before he could argue with himself anymore, his eyes caught the instrument he loved the most. Sitting in front of his very eyes, was a massive, shiny grand piano. It looked so inviting, that Rafa mumbled an absent ‘excuse me’, walking right past the guy and going to admire the grand instrument. “I play,” he told the guy - Kingston. “Mostly by ear, but I can read sheet music well, too.” He sat down at the bench, playing three seconds’ worth of ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ to get his point across to the other guy. But, as the moments ticked on, it became increasingly evident that he had still not auditioned. “Hrmm, I suppose I’ll play my song now, if that’s okay with you.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, however, and immediately started by testing the keys, looking for the specific key he sang in. It took him a moment, because he was trying to remember the lyrics to the song he had picked, simultaneously. They didn’t have Internet at Hogwarts, so he was doing his best, here. Finally, he found some keys that sounded good, pressing them with precision and confidence. In a few short moments, he played a little intro, before he allowed his voice to join the music.



They were just lyrics he remembered hearing from his sister’s room – she had always been blasting music. It was funny, because before he started singing, he probably wouldn’t be able to recall the lyrics to save his life. But now, with the music playing and his voice floating through the open air, he knew every single word to the song – he could feel the song. That was the way it was with music. It made no sense until it did. You could find comfort in it, no matter what situation you were in or what life was like. Here he was, singing for a random stranger, not giving the situation another thought. Life was strange.



His song finished, and the room grew quiet. Rafa found himself being jerked back to reality – he finally felt the creeping feeling of discomfort coming back to him. His fingers twitched, his index finger tapping the ‘C’ a few times. The noise gave him little comfort. He bit his lip, his face more passive than ever. “That’s all I got, man,” he told the Slytherin guy. There was nothing else to say about the matter.

“That’s all I got.”

RP'ing as Approved dNPC Iris Fields| Song is Defying Gravity from the Musical Wicked | @Roman Kingston

Iris saw the signs and she finally decided to audition. She breathed slowly letting all of her anticipation flow out of her. She shook herself out just a bit and cleared her throat. The Thunderbird clenched and un-clenched her fingers getting out her anxiety.

She took slow and deliberate steps into the hall. Stifling a gasp as she heard the voices. She stood in the back and listened to the two people with great musical talent. She wished she knew how to play an instrument. It would sound better. She scrunched her music accidentally and tried to smooth it out again.

The final contestant exited the stage and Iris knew it was time. The third-year brushed away the nerves and walked on stage. She cleared her throat and spoke.

"I am Iris. One of the Ilvermorney exchange people. I hope you don't mind if I audition. My piece is also without music and it is Defying Gravity from Wicked."

She took several deep breaths and began to sing her song. The words were close to her heart and the music was fast and full of emotion. Maybe no-one would know it, but it was one of the songs her muggle-born friend loved.

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same,
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game

Her voice barely touched the high notes, accentuating their clear sound. A bit of her voice quivered.

Too late for second guessing,
Too late to go back to sleep,
It's time to trust my instincts,
Close my eyes, and leap!

Iris' voice grew to a crescendo and she dropped her music. Not missing a beat, she continued, fully caught up in the music.

It's time to try defying gravity,
I think I'll try defying gravity,
And you can't pull me down...

The rest of the song dripped from her very soul. The last bit was slightly shaky, but that was because it was on the edge of her vocal range. She took a few deep breaths surprising herself with her calm. It was probably the first time she had sung in front of somebody, besides her siblings.

"I can't believe I actually did that," Iris breathed. She bowed and spoke a quick thank you.

Here's the Drum Solo- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldEFq8gOhJU

Here's the song(note: Did not put down all of it, as the final verse is a pick and choose and I don't want to upset somebody)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruNdU6bGE5E

The Witching Hour, honestly to Saoirse it sounded awesome. It made the redhead feel excited and thrilled, as soon as class was over she darted out of the room getting pumped as ever. She rushed towards the Rehearsel Room before sliding at the doorway and pushing in. Hope she wasn't too loud to draw too much attention to her entrance, Saoirse entered the backstage taking long, deep breaths. She waited for the other's too finish their audition, hoping and praying that nobody else was auditioning for drums it didn't seem like it but everybody else would be too hard to beat.

Saoirse stepped out on stage, "hi my name is...Saoirse Dwight." She spoke, taking a deep breath, "I'm here to well as you know addition for the role of Drummer." She took another deep breath and sat down, picking up the drumsticks but took a second to hesitate. "I have...another song for actual singing," she spoke up before beginning playing.

She had forgotten how much she had loved playing the drums when she was younger, I mean the drum she had here wasn't as entertaining as a Bodhran but close enough. Saoirse continued to beat down on the drums before coming to a halt, she had been so caught up in her thoughts she had forgotten what she that she even needed to continue functioning. "If you don't mind, I'll sing my song now."



Saoirse took another deep breath, smiling. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this, it was like a bright, beautiful breath of fresh air. Her hands were shaking and her legs felt as though they would collapse, but it was far too late to collapse now. She could do it when she got back to her room, for now she had other more important things to do.





Saoirse just felt like collapsing, her determination was wearing out. The only thing she could think about was how close she was to being done with the song, two more choruses. She tried to keep her legs as straight she could and hold on to the drum-set.



Saoirse stumbled back onto the drumseat, gasping for air. No clue where it had all gone she looked up at the nearly empty room, it made her feel dumb. Like she was singing to herself, like a really shy or really crazy person would. Performing nearly knocked the wind out of her, she was too weak to stand up for a minute or two as she awaited the response to her actual breathtaking performance.