Harry Potter, a seventh year student at the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was unhappy. Ever since the defeat of the terror, Lord Voldemort, everyone did not understand that Harry had changed. People just wanted to celebrate all day but no one had thought to think of him. Once again, he was treated as a weapon. And just like a weapon, he was cast aside after being used. Harry's innocence had disappeared when blood was shed by his hands. Even if it was the blood of a cold hearted murderer, it was still the blood of a fellow human.
Deep inside, he was frightened by the sheer monstrosity of the guilt that he had felt after killing someone in cold blood. He would often
No one understood how he felt, but they all wanted to be with him for the fame. But he had matured, after witnessing all the devastation of the war firsthand. He was no longer the childish and immature Harry. Playing with his food, he brooded till Hedwig came down and nipped his ear affectionately.
"Hey Hedwig. At least you are the one who understands me best. So what mail do I have today?" He smiled faintly.
He untied the letter from Hedwig's leg and turned to the back. There was a very interesting seal. It resembled a masked rose. The moment he touched it, the seal fell off and turned into a black rose. Curious, he took out the letter and read it.
Dearest Harry,
I hope this letter finds you well. You must be wondering, why am I sending you this letter? I write this letter, informing you of my intentions to officially court you with marriage in mind. I yearn your affections after realizing how much you have changed. I may have not treated you well initially but I now see you in a new light. I fear that you will reject me upon seeing my true appearance and so I want to go by the name of Phantom. I wear countless of masks everyday. I hope to be able to take them all off in front of you one day.
I would like to know you. I have noticed that you rather enjoy the rather unique crème bulee. I do not have a sweet tooth but I must admit that crème bulee is the only exception for me.
You may wonder, why the name Phantom? To put it simply, I love music. Music would have been my life if not for magic. It is a great way to relax, since music comes in all forms. I admit I could envision you singing with me one day, one song of true love. Would you be interested in accepting lessons from yours truly? I could teach you to sing like you have never sung before…
Perhaps in time, you would possibly return my affections.
I will be at the Room of Requirement after dinner, that is, if you would like to meet me.
Yours
Phantom.
P.S. I will be in the room where music reigns.
A blush found itself on Harry's cheeks. This Phantom sounded mature, like his crush. Would he be older? After a brief talk with himself, he decided to go for it. After all, there was no harm done and if he didn't like him, they could just be friends.
He was rather touched at someone professing their affections for him in not such a public manner. He absolutely detested the countless public displays of love declarations for him that he had to endure everyday from his schoolmates. At least this man would thoughtful. He smiled at the idea. Perhaps this would be something worth cherished.
Night soon came to Hogwarts and Harry had sat at an isolated spot where no one would sit and he silently finished his dinner before leaving. No one noticed a tall, dark figure leaving too.
After a long walk, Harry soon reached the Room of Requirement. He paced three times and a door appeared. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open and entered. Once the door closed, he turned and saw a man wearing half a white mask.
"You came." The man smiled.
"Indeed I did. You must be Phantom." Harry stated, but he was beginning to like this man.
"And you must be Harry."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"Ah where are my manners, would you like a drink?"
"Oh, how about a butterbeer?"
With a thought, a crate of butterbeer appeared and a plush sofa appeared too. They both sat in it. Taking a sip from the bottle, he studied the man. He seemed to be about 6 feet tall, and had amazing black hair. But he knew that he was definitely under a glamour charm.
"You wrote in the letter that music would have been your life if not for magic. What do you mean by that?"
Phantom smiled sadly. "You see, I had been accepted into the most prestigious academy for music in Britain but then the letter for Hogwarts came along and my mother fought with my father to let me go. But no one asked me what I wanted."
"What did you want?"
"Well, I would have loved to go to Hogwarts, but I didn't want to reject the academy, I wanted to ask them to hold my application back for 7 years after which I would attend. But my parents cancelled the scholarship. So I could only play for myself, and now hopefully for you."
Harry blushed a little. "What do you play?"
"I sing, but I love to play the piano. Classicals, jazz, pop music, I play it all. But my favourite genre is musicals, especially Phantom of the operaThus the reason for my identity."
"Suits you. You seem so…mystical, so alluring… why don't you want me to know who you are?"
"I… may not have treated you properly for the past few years that I have known you, so I am afraid you may not want to know the real me. Not many people really know me."
Harry tentatively touched his cheek. "It's alright. The guy I love is so much like you. You remind me of him."
"Oh, you have someone you love?" Phantom stiffened visibly.
"He doesn't know I love him. Not to mention he treats me horribly. Maybe you could make me forget him. I already like you." He gave him a wry grin.
"How about a song?"
He got up and thought of a piano to appear. Soon enough, he sat at the sleek grand piano and started to play. He then sang loud enough for Harry to hear.
My gift is my song
And this
one's for you
And you can tell everybody
That this is your
song
It may be quite simple
But now that it's done
Hope you
don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How
wonderful life is now you're in the world
At this point, he paused and looked to Harry thoughtfully. Harry waved his hands, gesturing for him to continue.
Sat on the roof
And I kicked off the moss
Well
some of the verses well
They got me quite cross
But the sun's
been kind
While I wrote this song
It's for people like you
that
Keep it turned on
He stopped playing the piano but it played by itself. The room filled with music by other invisible instruments.
Wow, so this is what he meant by mixing magic with music. Harry thought.
Phantom took his hands and made him stand up. Looking in his eyes, he continued to sing.
So excuse me forgetting
But
these things I do
You see I've forgotten
If they're green or
they're blue
Anyway the thing is well I really mean
He gently cupped his cheeks and held him close.
Yours are the sweetest eyes
I've ever seen
He took his waist and swung a laughing Harry one full turn before putting him down.
And
you can tell everybody I hope you don't mind
This is your song
It may be quite
simple
But now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope
you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
now you're in the world
I hope you
don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is now
you're in the world
He leaned in for a kiss which Harry didn't resist. His lips left as quickly as it came.
A flushed Harry stepped back.
"Wow. Your voice is amazing. What song was that?"
"Your Song, Moulin Rouge. I find it quite befitting for this atmosphere. Many songs apply to reality, which makes me sing all the more."
"Teach me to sing."
Hope glimmered in the onyx eyes.
"Really?"
"Yes, and maybe one day, you will sing with me, with your mask off."
"One day."
"So, where do I begin?"
"Well, how about we start with a song from High School Musical? I heard it is famous everywhere."
He passed him a song sheet.
"Can I Have This Dance? Nice song."
"And maybe I can teach you to dance as well," Phantom teased.
"You can?" Harry nearly squealed in excitement, "My dancing skills are abysmal. It's almost as if I have two left feet."
"Last I saw, you have one only."
"…"
Phantom grinned and took a step back.
"The lyrics will be in the air."
Take
my hand, take a breath
Pull me close and take one step
Keep
your eyes locked on mine,
And let the music be your guide.
Harry held out his hand for Phantom to take. Phantom held him by the waist and stared into his twinkling emerald eyes. Harry could not explain this sensation. It was almost as if he had sung the song before!
Won't you promise me?
*Now won't you promise me, that you'll never forget*
We'll keep dancing
*To keep
dancing* Wherever we go next It's like catching
lightning the chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a
million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step
together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance
Can I have this dance
And you can't keep us apart
Take my
hand, I'll take the lead
And every turn will be safe with me
Don't
be afraid, afraid to fall
You know I'll catch you through it
all
*Even a
thousand miles, can't keep us apart* 'Cause my heart is
Phantom placed Harry's hand to his chest.
*'Cause my heart is*
Wherever
you are It's like catching lightning the chances of
finding someone like you Oh no mountains too high enough, oceans too
wide It's like catching
lightning the chances of finding someone like you Can I have this dance
It's one in a million, the chances of
feeling the way we do
And with every step together, we just keep
on getting better
So can I have this dance
Can I have this
dance
'Cause together or not, our dance won't stop
Let it rain,
let it pour
What we have is worth fighting for
You know I
believe, that we were meant to be
It's one in a
million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step
together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance
Can I have this dance
Can I have
this dance
They ended the waltz with Harry dipping. Sitting on the sofa to rest, they drank a little of their remaining butterbeer.
"This is incredible!" Harry panted.
"Thus the reason why I like it."
Harry slowly leaned his head against Phantom's shoulder. He closed his eyes and before long, he fell asleep. Before Phantom knew, he had already started to transfer Harry's head onto a cushion which had appeared on his lap. He stroked his hair slowly, and Harry seemed to like that action, for he leaned into the cushion more, as though enjoying it.
If only you knew who I was Harry, would you still lean into my touch?
When Harry woke up the next morning, he realized he was lying on Phantom's lap, who by the looks of it was sleeping too. He thought about the events of last night and realized that he might be attracted to him.
Who wouldn't? He is the dream of every girl and guy. Should I accept him?
After some thought, Harry decided to give him a chance. Maybe he could go to the Valentines Ball with him if all was well. Phantom was twitching at this point. When Phantom awoke, he saw emerald green eyes staring at him. Without thinking he bent down to kiss those ruby lips. Suddenly he realized what he was doing and immediately pulled back.
"Sorry," he apologized.
Harry was blushing again but he retorted, "What are you sorry for? How could you not kiss such a delectable young man like me?"
A smile returned onto the masked man's face.
Phantom soon became the thought of Harry's every waking moment and even in every dream. He yearned to know the man behind his mask. Classes had him humming songs to help him concentrate in his work. He was found constantly tapping his fingers when trying to think. People never knew why he disappeared constantly in the night. No one knew why.
It was soon 1st of October. Harry could not bring himself to go to the Halloween Feast. Instead, he headed to the Room of Requirement earlier than the usual time. Perhaps he could find some peace and compose himself before Phantom arrived.
Pacing back and forth three times in front of the massive wall, a door appeared and Harry gently pushed it open, recognizing Phantom's voice.
Strange, usually he would wait for me before starting to sing. He sounds so sad today…
He quietly stood at the doorway and watched Phantom sit by the windowsill holding a flower that seemed so familiar. It was white, just like…
No
one would listen
No one but her
Heard as the outcast hears.
Shamed into solitude
Shunned by the multitude
I
learned to listen
In my dark, my heart heard music.
I
longed to teach the world
Rise up and reach the world
No one
would listen
I alone could hear the music
Then at last, a
voice in the gloom
Seemed to cry "I hear you;
I hear
your fears,
Your torment and your tears."
She saw my
loneliness
Shared in my emptiness
No one would listen
No
one but her
Heard as the outcast hears
No one would
listen
No one but her
Heard as the outcast hears...
He could feel the emotions that came out of Phantom's voice.
"Lily," Phantom whispered. Harry froze. Phantom knew his mother? Could it be…
Harry cleared his throat.
Phantom turned around, surprise clearly flickering in his eyes.
"You are early," Phantom stated.
"Yeah, I didn't feel up to eating dinner at the Great Hall tonight."
To his surprise, Phantom walked up to him and swept him into a hug.
"I'm sorry for your parents. Your moth-parents were the best people I ever knew." He whispered into Harry's ear. Harry leaned into the embrace and enjoyed the warmth for awhile before pulling back.
"Thank you. I really needed that hug. I heard you singing, did you know my mother?"
Phantom sighed. "Yes, she was my only best friend who understood music almost as well as I did. Because of my mistake in my fifth year, I lost her, my sister. Music has never been the same again, not until I found you." The masked man attempted a smile which faltered a little at the sight of Harry's somber eyes. They looked too much like Lily's glare. But the big difference was that this one was softer, much more loving.
Harry was feeling slightly sympathetic. He knew that there was a sad story behind that mask but he never knew it had something to do with his family, specifically, his mother. Would Phantom still want him?
"I'm sorry, I must have caused you undue hurt. I'll go!" Harry spun on his heels and walked to open the door. However, he was stopped by a firm grip on his arm.
"Stay. You have brought me nothing but happiness that I thought I would never have. Stay with me, please?"
The tense atmosphere was broken by Harry's smile.