This is a response to Dis Lexics Music is Magic challenge. There is a new chapter coming soon to my other fic inspired by their challenge Thats So Wrong. Its been a while on that story I know but I promise those who follow it will the wait was, hopefully, worth the final content of the chapter. With all that said, onto the rules and plot of the challenge!

Dumbledore once said that music is a type of magic and he was right. What if, in order to escape the Dursleys and the Magical Worlds abuse, Harry turned to music? With the help of a guitar found in the attic, Harry begins to break free of the bonds that hold him and forge his own path.

RULES!

Must start ether before Hogwarts or after one of the years when Harry becomes an outcast. Second, Fourth or fifth. Technically begins the Fourth but a lot of the inital flashbacks in the early chapters will show it begins in reality during Second Year.

Harry MUST oppose the prophecy by refusing to fight Voldemort. Unless Harry is forced to fight, he is a pacifist, he will not fight and the discovery of the guitar-his mothers guitar from her youth- drives home he really doesn't like being the hero or fighting.

Harry discovers Sound Magic. How this works is up to you. It could be manipulating emotions through music or amplifying vibrations to attack.

If before fourth year, Harry performs at the Ball. While I point to the fact the flashbacks will technically say the story begins around the time of CoS, expect to see him perform but not how you might expect

Sirius is freed and fully supports Harry. Not only is he free but through legal wrangling hes Harrys legal and magical guardian with Dumbledore up to his eyes in dragon shit for sending Sirius to Azkaban without a trial or proper evidence to say he was the person to betray the Potters & completely without any of his powers positions- the ICW removed him as Supreme Mugwump, he is not the Headmaster of Hogwarts and neither is he the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. The fact he is alive is purely by Harrys decision as the victim of Albus' actions albeit Dumbledore is little more than a squib after the ICW bound his core and his assets, ALL OF THEM, given to Harry as compensation so don't expect to see him in the story much.

FORBIDDEN!

Harry fighting in the war.

Doormat Harry.

Golden Trio staying together. Harrys decision to become a musician causes a rift between them. This does not mean that both Ron and Hermione have to abandon him.

If set during Fourth Year, the ritual in the graveyard cannot succeed. Harry no longer views Voldie as an enemy, he only wants to play his music, not fight. As such, the Blood of Enemy part doesn't work.

SUGGESTIONS!

Harry forms a band. Maybe

With his new outlook on life, he burys the hatchet with Malfoy and the Slytherins. This could be what causes the rift as Ron doesn't like it. Most likely going to happen but who knows? Except me of course ;-)

Harry leaves Britain. Its a possibility

Harry sighed tiredly to himself as he stared out the window of the cabin, his fingers idly picking at the cords of the guitar in his lap. Despite the many times he wished over the years to bring the instrument to Hogwarts with him for stress relief, he couldn't justify the possibility of anything damaging it or destroying it. Yet here he was alone in a cabin of the Hogwarts Express with it on his person. Call it a gut feeling but he had felt a dark shiver run down his spine when he received his letter with the new years required school materials. "Maybe... Maybe this year I let them see the real me I've been hiding" he said to himself.

His eyes drifted down to the guitar and smiled a tiny bit. It was beaten up and old but it had belonged to his mother when she was younger. It was purely by chance he found it in a locked case with a giant sticker reading 'PROPERTY OF LILY POTTER! TOUCH MY GUITAR AND RISK YOUR OWN LIFE!' on the top lid while cleaning out the attic as one of his summer chores two years ago. This accidental discovery, this finding of something tangible that he could hold onto of his mothers, had sparked something in him then he hadn't expected. Gone out the window was his desire to be an Auror like his dad. Gone was his desire to prove himself as a wizard heads and shoulders above everyone else. In place of those former desires rose a new one from the ashes inspired by his mothers first true love before magic, James Potter or he himself was ever a thought in her mind: he would become a musician. He was tired of fighting a battle constantly. He was tired of having to save people when it almost always cost him his life. A simpler, more peaceful existence was much more appealing to him.

"You almost look content Harry Potter."

Harry looked up at the voice reaching his ears and his smile grew a little more seeing just who it was. Perched in the doorway like a petite odd bird was Luna Celeste Lovegood. The third year Ravenclaw was someone he trusted implicity beyond even Hermoine or Ron. To call the girl enigmatic was an understatement. She didn't quite achieve normal but it was by his observations that the blonde haired, silvery blue eyed witch had never tried to be normal and seemed to revel in being abnormal even if got her mocked. "I almost feel it little moon spirit" he said with playful tease coloring his words. "Come, sit and enjoy the quiet with me. Merlin knows when we reach Hogsmeade it'll disappear faster than Rons food down his throat."

Luna almost gagged at the mental image as she sat down opposite of Harry. "I didn't need a reminder of his horrible table manners. I was almost rid of the memories but you just made them come back with vengance" she said trying to suppress a shudder. How Harry put up with it was beyond her. Then again how Harry dealt with a lot of stuff was beyond her but it was just proof of Harrys strength of character and mental fortitude.

The borderline complaint from Luna, no one but him and probably professor Flitwick would recognize the comment as a complaint, made him snicker slightly. "Sorry Luna. I was thinking I might show a fraction of my true self this year. After that... Business last year I'm tired of downplaying a lot to soothe the egos of the neaderthalic unwashed masses" he said rolling his eyes. "Plus with the feeling I described to you in my last letter, it seems to be a really good idea. I have this really bad feeling gnawing at the back of my gut right now and I don't think its going to get any better when we step foot off the train."

Luna put a mock pout on her lips as she leaned forward. "I hope you don't count me among this 'neaderthallic unwashed masses' Mr. Potter" she said poking Harry on the chest. She knew he was playing with her to a degree. He didn't count her among the sheep and she knew it well but to use his own words against him to entice a reaction was too good a chance to pass up. Plus she couldn't help trying to get Harry to notice her a little. So what if she had a little crush on her friend?

"Now why would I insult a pretty girl who I hold in such high personal regard for her intelligence and social insight among other things?"Harry asked freeing one hand and poking Luna back. "Plus I happen to know you are extremely dilligent about your hygene. One of our very first conversations was you telling me in fine detail about your grooming products, general body care products and even your particular OCD level of adherence to how you cleanse yourself." The slight blush that rose on Lunas face made him snicker slightly as he brought the hand back to the neck of the guitar.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Harry and I didn't hear a no in those statements" Luna shot back crossing her arms across her chest.

Harry carefully put his mothers guitar in its case before he pulled out a tupperware container from his trunk. "How about butterscotch pudding then? Does that get me anywhere?" he asked pulling back the lid to expose the treat to Lunas eyes. The way her eyes lit up like a christmas tree made him laugh as she snatched it away from him and produced a spoon from seemingly nowhere before digging into it. "I'll take that as a yes."

Luna glared cutely at Harry even as she smiled a tiny bit around the spoonful of pudding between her lips. "You are forgiven for now but bribery shan't work next time Harry" she said after swallowing the mouthful. The laugh that had escaped Harry was something she wished she heard more often. As much as she heard him 'laugh' in school it was forced and far from the genuinely carefree sound that had just escaped him. It was like he put so much effort to maintain an image to avert eyes from what he truly was doing that he tired himself out more than he realized. "So if you're going to show a fraction of your true self.."

Harry nodded his head and leaned forward placing an ever so soft peck of a kiss on Lunas lips. "I can see it in your eyes that your feelings haven't changed and you have been more than patient as I asked you to be. Yes Luna, I will gladly take you on a date to Hogsmeade. I don't care who sees us or what they may say, it doesn't matter to me" he said quietly. "As long as you will allow me to do so that is."

Lunas eyes widened slightly at that before her smile grew to be bigger than the Cheshire cats. She took a microsecond to cover the pudding with its lid, you never waste good pudding!, before she pounced on Harrys lap and cuddled against his chest. For whoever saw she didn't care, she was happy and made happier by the pair of wiry but strong arms that circled around her. "Promise?" she asked looking up so blue eyes met emerald.

"I'd say cross my heart and hope to die but that is a bit of a lie. I'm rather fond of living" Harry said as his fingers toyed gently with Lunas hair. "Plus if I did die, well I'd be without your pleasant company and then I'd be a very very sad Harry Potter."

Luna giggled softly at the mock depressed look on Harrys face. It was utterly adorable on him and almost puppy like in her opinion. "Well I'd be a very very sad little moon spirit too if you were to die on me" she said as she nuzzled his cheek. "As long as you are willing to escort me that is as long you have the honor to do such an act." Her tone took a mock snooty tone as her eyes closed. To know Harry was caving, well maybe caving was a strong word but agreeing to the request she made of him last year was the highlight of her year. She could ace all her classes with O+ across the board and it would come nowhere near Harry agreeing, seemingly more than happily, to taking her out on a date.

"So until I do something entirely stupid and drive you off then?" Harry asked rhetorically and rolled his eyes though he did pull back a little so he could rest his forehead against Lunas. "I don't foresee anything in the immediate future to make me not want to escort you Luna or give some other fool a chance to take your affections. I might be dense in certain things but even I'm not dense enough to throw away what might be a long term relationship that could potentially be a lifelong romance if that is written in the cards of our fate. As long as you'll have me, I promise to do everything in my power to make you the happiest girl on the face of this planet. That is my word and my bond to you right here, right now."

Lunas eyes opened as she leaned in and placed a light kiss on Harrys lips. It was slightly sloppy and it showed but she knew in time they would get better. "And you have my same promise to you. I will do everything to ensure I make you as happy as you make me. That is my word and my bond" she whispered softly against his lips once the kiss broke.

"As long as you don't change who you are, you always will" Harry said tugging gently at some long strands of hair so they became tucked behind Lunas ear. "I know I said you were pretty a minute ir so ago but right now I have to say you are absolutely beautiful Luna. Being so bright and happy is becoming of you. Enhances those enchanting pixie-esque features that you possess." His lips pulled into an amused but sincere smile as her blue eyes lit up with mischief.

Unnocticed by either teen a soft silver glow encompassed the room, a subtle red and gold one following after. Their oaths to do everything to make each other happy were accepted by magic with the silver glow. What they would learn later on was that Harry was more corect than he knew as the red and gold glow signified the beginning stage of a love bond. Yet these would come out at far later dates as the room was plunged into darkness shadowing the two teens from sight as Luna snuggled into Harry, her face contently buried in his throat.

As the Express slowed Harry gently shook Luna awake. Just when she fell asleep on him he wasn't sure but he hadn't the heart to wake the angelic blonde using him as a pillow til it was absolutely necessary. Like it was right now. "Come on, wake up Luna we're at the station. The trains going to be stopping any second and you aren't in your robes" he said trying to stir the girl from whatever sweet dream she was in.

"I've been awake the last fifteen Harry" Luna said not moving her position at all. "I was enjoying the warmth you give off. Did you know you're quite warm? Almost like my body pillow but slightly better." Blue eyes opened looking up with amusement. "Plus you have no room to talk either, you aren't in your robes either" she said poking him lightly.

"Well considering my... Well actually what do we call ourselves? We basically agreed to date so I guess that makes us boyfriend and girlfriend..right?" Harry asked trying to work out his own question as it escaped his lips.

Luna giggled softly and leaned up so she was straddling Harrys lap as she stretched. "Well I am a girl and I am your friend" she said teasing him for a moment. "But yes, we did essentially agree to date so that makes me your very beautiful & intelligent girlfriend and you Mr. Potter are my very talented & surprising boyfriend."

Harry nodded and was more than happy to accept that logic. "Well I had a very angelic sleeping girlfriend on me using my chest as a pillow. Do you think I was going to wake you up before I absolutely had to?" he asked rolling his shoulders to release the kinks.

"You could've" Luna said looking over to her trunk. "But it was sweet of you not to."

"Only if I was a complete and utter putz" Harry said playfully shoving Luna onto the seat beside him. How he managed the entire train ride without Ron or Hermoine finding him was suspicious to him but he was glad for it at the same time. He was damn near certain Luna wouldn't have approached him and they had their talk if those two had been around. Merlin help them if they did intrude on his peace and quiet during the journey to the school & either one dared to try touching his mothers guitar without permission. It was a short matter of pulling his robe over his shirt and jeans before he grabbed the guitar case. "I'll wait for you outside and we can grab a carriage up together."

"My hero" Luna said with a teasing swooning tone. The laughter that escaped Harry made her smile slightly as he walked out and closed the door. Her own smile grew a little at the warm fluttering in her chest as she pulled her robe on. "Hes mine." The words filled her with a giddiness as she opened the door and latched onto one of Harrys arms as she hugged it betweeen both of her own. "Lets go oh so handsome boyfriend of mine" she said fluttering her eyes prettily up at him.

Harry rolled his emerald orbs amused by Lunas choice of words and almost possessive action. "You're going to make this so very interesting aren't you dear?" he asked adjusting the strap on the case so the flat back was flush with his back and not bumping into Luna. As they walked he noticed and ignored the many stares & whispers of people around them. Too many were mocking of Luna and that took a lot to ignore but her tight squeeze was enough to ward off his wanting to chew the responsible parties a new asshole for taking shots at her with him right their.

"Water under the whale Harry" Luna said quietly feeling her boyfriend tense at the whispers.

"They don't know you like I do Luna. They have no right to say what they do about you" Harry said keeping his eyes forward though when they got into a carriage, the first two to do so for that carriage, he did look over to her nestled into his side.

"Decidedly not but what was it you said to me the first time you found me upset in that abandoned classroom my first year? 'The opinions of those who don't know you are little more than wasted breath'. Just let it go" Luna said as she rested her head on Harrys shoulder, her eyes aimed up at his face.

A soft clearing of someones throat interrupted the moment irking Harry slightly as one eye darted away to see who was disturbing him and Luna. Seated across from them were two Slytherin girls he vaguely recalled from Potions class, Daphne something and Tracey something.

"All the other carriages have left or have much less..favorable company. Mind if we join you two?" Daphne asked brushing strands of her blonde hair behind one ear. Truthfully there were other carriages with company she could tolerate but she felt that putting into motion her pan, or part of it at least , was worth doing now and that included making inroads with the future Lord Potter. Tracey complained when she explained the plan on the Express but let up on it after some promises she would never repeat out loud to anyone else.

"Its fine. Harry is just slightly cranky from a sour pumpkin pasty he was sold on the train. Sit before you catch your death in the chill" Luna said swatting Harrys arm like she was telling him to behave.

"A sour pumpkin pasty? That just sounds wrong" Tracey said sliding in beside Daphne and closed the carriage door. As soon as the door clicked shut the carriage began to move. Idly she wondered what sort of magic made them move on their own but she was torn from her thoughts with a subtle nudge from Daphne to focus on the task at hand

"Contradictory to what it should be, I know. The only problem I can surmise is that the pumpkin used was starting to sour when it was either hit with the preserving charm or used to make the pasty itself" Harry said going along with the white lie. He would have a word with Luna later since she knew be hated to lie in any way, shape or form; it was slightly hypocritical though since he presented himself as someone he wasn't but that was for a completely separate reason he could justify as being for good reason. "So what precisely makes my little pixie and I 'favorable' conpany compared to the other carriages?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow ever so slightly as her fellow blonde, a younger Ravenclaw she noted to herself, seemed to cuddle more into the raven haired Gryffindor. This was entirely unexpected from all her observations of the Potter boy. He had always seemed to put so much emphasis on those in his own House, particularly his friend Granger and a miniscule amount on the little sister of his friend Weasley, and to see him cozied up with a younger girl the same year as the sole female Weasley child from a separate House- she would need to do a little more digging it seemed. "Just the usual riff raff that sticks together unfortunately. Malfoy being his git self giving every other Slytherin a worse name than the House already has. Need I say more?" she asked. "

"Not at all. Malfoy not only gives Slytherins a bad name but wizards a bad image too."

The rest of tbe trip to the castle was spent in partial silence as Daphne and Tracey conversed quietly about something Harry couldn't quite hear. He didn't try too hard to be frank as he nuzzled hjs nose into Lunas hair and closed his eyes trying to figure out what scent it was that her shampoo was. It was sweet so he guessed there had to be a fruity component to it but the almost lingering savory scent the lingered almost reminded him of the slightly longer lasting afteraste of dark chocolate. Whatever it was, he liked it and the fact the responsible person was practically buried in his side wirh her head resting on him made him more content.

"Mind if we ask a question of you two? You don't have to and its none of our business but we can't help being curious."

Luna turned her head to gauge their distance from the castle and scowled before turning back to the Slytherin girls. "Give us an Oath on your magic neither of you will not spread around whatever you ask to anyone, especially the blonde ferret Malfoy, and we'll consider it" she said with a look that said she was not playing around. She could tell that her fellow blonde had a plan she was trying to put into action but what it was and what it involved she did not know.

Harry raised an eyebrow and was seconds away from asking Luna why she would require an Oath when he saw the look cross her eyes. She didn't trust the two girls. Now it made sense to him. If any of her friends asked she wouldn't ask them for an Oath but these two were complete strangers to her and thusly did not trust them. "You heard her" he said shrugging.

Daphne and Tracey shared a glance that was not entirely certain. Oaths were not something to play around with and the fact of the matter they would have to make one to get the information they sought was not something they were comfortable with. "Are Oaths really neccesary? The question is harmless and fairly innocent" Tracey said trying to prod for leniency.

"Harmless and fairly innocent in wording but the implications are an entirely different ballpark. I may not be a Slytherin but the Sorting Hat did want me there and if it wasn't for Malfoy I would have been amongst you the last three years. Silver tongues and honeyed words, that is the text book modus operandi of a traditional Slytherin & I mean according to the values associated with the house. Not the filth like Malfoy or Voldemort who inspire the stigma all Slytherins are blood supremacist SOBs" Harry said bluntly. "I'm not stupid nor am I dull. I can read between the lines just as well as you can so don't push your luck. No Oath, no question."

Luna looked up to Harry blinking. "You never told Mr. Floppy Brim wanted to put you in Slytherin Harry" she said with a pout.

"I didn't think about it beyond being put in Gryffindor. The road not taken is the road forgotten little moon spirit"Harry said squeezing Luna gently.

Daphne and Tracey shared another look before nodding subtly. It seemed there was far more to Harry Potter than met the eyes and they would have to do a lot of digging if Daphne hoped to succeed in her plan.