Author's notes:
Standard disclaimer. It all belongs to JKR. Thank you for letting us play with your toys.
I will continue to use the occasional song lyric in the story and will give credit at the time when needed.
This is the seventh book in my Slytherin Harry series and covers Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts.
Book 1: Harry Potter and the Muggle's Daughter
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Blood Traitor's Daughter
Book 5: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Book 6: Harry Potter; Flesh, Blood and Bone
Book 7: Harry Potter and the Lady of the Lake
If you haven't read books 1-6 you won't know what's going on. But the bonus is you've got six completed books before you even get to this one!
Fair warning, this story will continue to be dark and have mature language and situations in it.
Harry Potter and the Lady of the Lake
Chapter XXXIII
Dream On
Harry sat backstage awaiting his turn to perform. May had come and both he and Isla had made it through to the final day of the competition. They'd be performing together this afternoon and he was more than excited for it. But he had one more solo performance to get through this morning first.
It had been three performances, covers of Johnny Be Goode, by Chuck Berry, Footloose by Kenny Logins and Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds since he'd done Runaway Train, the song he'd written for Kaa. He was going back to an original for this next performance and was far more nervous than with the covers he'd sung. Even if they weren't from a wizarding band, covers were proven winners. Originals were not and you just didn't know how they'd be received; especially if you were only going with vocals.
Daphne nudged him. "You're up, Harry." Harry took a deep breath and stood.
Isla held a hand out as he walked past and he slapped his against hers. "Thanks." He climbed the steps and took his place on the darkened stage where he waited a few moments after the spotlight had illuminated him before he took a breath and began.
If the gods had names, what would they be
And would you call it to Her face
If you were faced with Her in all Her glory
What would you ask if you had just one question?
And yeah, yeah, He is great
Yeah, yeah, He is good
And yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
What if the gods were among us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make His way home
If She had a face what would it look like
And would you want to see
if seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like the Styx
And in Death and the Underworld, and all the Fates?
And yeah, yeah, She is great
Yeah, yeah, She is good
And yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
What if the gods were among us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make His way home
Just tryin' to make His way home
Like back to Avalon all alone
And yeah, yeah, She is great
Yeah, yeah, She is good
And yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
What if He was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make Her way home
Just tryin' to make Her way home
Just tryin' to make Her way home
"Whhhooo," Ginny blew out a breath as Harry finished. As he had with every other performance he was getting a lot of cheers and she wouldn't dream of denying it had been powerful. It was just that most of the people surrounding her had no idea just how powerful it truly was that left her, Luna and Neville silent while everyone around them all screamed and cheered and talked excitedly.
"He doesn't hold back, does he?" Neville asked.
"It's why he's so good," Luna answered.
"Yeah," Ginny agreed quietly.
Three hours later, after lunch had been served, Luna asked, "What in the world are they doing?" Whatever trepidations she held about Harry's last song choice it hadn't done anything to damage his status as a front–runner in the competition. Little Celeste Braken continued to impress even if she hadn't performed an original song yet. It just didn't seem possible someone as small as she was could sing with the power she did. Her voice was easily a match for Harry. Andrew Young and Stephanie Fawcett also continued to impress, and like Harry were distinguishing themselves from Celeste by performing originals as well as covers. She may have been biased, but Luna felt Harry was ahead of them because he was also playing guitar in his performances. Andrew and Stephanie had only sung so far and she felt that should count for something. But if Harry were ahead of the other musicians in the competition, Harper Scott with his comedy hadn't missed on a single routine yet. His jokes and one-liners were staples on repeat for weeks after by the student body following a performance. But as entertaining as he was, Luna felt Harry deserved to win over the other boy. That left only Isla and while Luna hated to admit it, if she were honest, the girl was as deserving a champion as Harry.
She couldn't really say one was more talented than the other. Though she did suspect Isla had worked harder than Harry for her skill. That wasn't to say Harry didn't work at it, but she knew Harry often gave up one of his seven allotted hours of sleep to spend time on his music. Isla, she knew, spent between six and eight hours a day, seven days a week on her art. Of course Isla didn't have the disadvantage of an insane Dark Lord and his followers trying to kill her to deal with so there was that. Whatever, they were both insanely talented and whether it came down to Isla's ability to take the audience's breath away or Harry's ability to bring the audience into his performance she felt the competition was theirs to lose.
"Harry said they needed to get things set up," Neville said. The curtains had been pulled across the stage after the last performance and it had been close to ten minutes now they'd been waiting.
"Did he tell you what they're doing?" Ginny demanded. It wasn't a sore spot per say, but it was driving her nuts that Harry wouldn't tell her anything about what he'd planned for any of his performances.
Neville held his hands up. "Nooo." He was saved from further interrogation by the torches dimming in the hall. An excited rush of whispers preceded an expectant hush. Harry and Isla were the last two performers and it was a poorly kept secret the two were planning to perform together.
"Ladies and Gentleman," Scarlett announced, "we present for you, The Struggle." The curtain went up to reveal the stage had been divided in half by a wall down the middle. Isla was on the right and her side had been set up as a ballet studio complete with mirror-wall, barre and a phonograph playing classical music. She was dressed for practice with tights that were ripped a black leotard and flighty skirt and was en pointe on her right leg while her left was held straight up in a split.
Meanwhile on the other side of the wall, Harry was pacing back and forth in front of a piano with his guitar set in a stand beside it. He stopped his pacing and played about five or ten seconds on the piano before making an obvious mistake. At the same moment, Isla bobbled. She caught herself while Harry repeated his short few notes before the same mistake was made. Again Isla bobbled, this time falling all the way out of en point and stumbling a number of steps before catching herself. She sighed heavily before sitting down on the floor and bringing her leg up to massage at her ankle. Harry slammed his hands down on the keys a half dozen times in anger before beginning to pace; back and forth he went for near thirty seconds before he stopped at the piano again with his hands hovering over it. Breathing heavily a number of times he blew a long breath out and played four or five new chords before stilling in contemplation. A moment later he repeated them. Isla meanwhile climbed to her feet and went and shut off the phonograph. Walking away from it she moved to the barre. Bracing her hands on it as she looked in the mirror.
Harry started to sing.
Every time I look in the mirror.
All these lines on my face getting clearer
Isla rolled her head from side to side. Pushing away from the barre her body twisted sinuously.
The past is gone
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isla continued to move in time with Harry's playing but the separate spaces made clear the intent of their connection was unknown to either of them; just two artists, with the struggle behind the performance, on display.
Isn't that the way
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
Yeah I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You got to lose to know how to win
Harry hit a wrong note just as Isla slipped, cried out and fell to the floor. A gasp went up from the audience but it quickly became evident this was part of the performance when Isla slammed her fist to the floor in time with Harry crashing his hands down on the keys. He slammed his hands down as hard as he could another three times before stalking away from the piano angrily. Isla climbed to her feet again and took a deep breath that she blew out before exploding into action, spinning, dancing and jumping; the only sound in the hall that of her feet hitting the stage as she landed. After a minute, Harry stalked to his guitar and started to play. Isla's pace suddenly slacked to match his
Half my life's in books written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
You know it's true
All the things come back to you
Sing with me sing for the year
Sing for the laughter sing for the tear
Sing with me if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Isla stopped dancing, leaning over with her hands on her knees panting and then shaking her legs out while Harry played and sang on.
Yeah, sing with me sing for the year
Sing for the laughter sing for the tear
Sing with me if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
As Harry went into the next verse Isla rejoined him, going into a dizzying series of fouette´ turns so precise it was difficult to even fathom.
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until your dream comes true
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until your dream comes through
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, ah
Isla left her spin behind, moving into gravity defying leaps and jumps.
Sing with me sing for the year
Sing for the laughter sing for the tear
Sing with me if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Isla continued her frantic pace, building bigger and bigger till it just didn't seem possible she could move faster or jump any higher and then she was moving en point in a spinning circle around the floor. Keeping time with Harry's building crescendo.
Sing with me sing for the year
Sing for the laughter sing for the tear
Sing with me if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Sing with me sing for the year
Sing for the laughter sing for the tear
Sing with me if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
The two stopped together with Harry hanging his head breathing heavily and Isla performing something not exactly from the school of ballet called a death drop where she collapsed to her back like the Death Curse itself had struck her and lay motionless on the floor with her breath coming in great gulps.
Some five or so seconds of silence held the audience before Ginny was on her feet screaming her approval. Luna and the rest of the students followed her.
It was near a half minute with Harry and Isla both motionless before he walked around the wall separating him from Isla. She was sitting up as he reached her and took his offered hand. Pulling her up they embraced tightly to the roaring approval of the audience. Breaking apart Harry took her hand and raised it while stepping back just a half pace behind her and motioning with his free hand to her. "ISLA WOOD!" he bellowed.
The audience when nuts.
She blushed even while bowing and then drew Harry slightly in front of her. "HARRY POTTER!" She shouted. He bowed to the thunderous approval and then they bowed together before quickly leaving the stage.
"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!" Scarlett cried coming on the stage after them. "Let's get all of our finalists out here one more time." She waved the group of students back up on the stage for one last bow. "COME ON HOGWARTS! It grew so loud even Peeves was covering his ears. The competitors took a series of bows before Scarlett spoke again. "I'm told our judges will only be a moment or so in determining the winner of the first ever Hogwarts Talent competition and… yes, here comes the envelope now. Thank you, Roisin," Scarlett said accepting it from her.
Scarlett opened the envelope and read through it quickly. Crumpling it behind her back she addressed the student body, staff and guests again. "First, on behalf of the headmaster and all the staff, I am bid thank you, the students of Hogwarts and all our guests for your enthusiastic support of all our performers throughout the year. She held her hands up and clapped, turning to the side to urge the students on stage to join her. Harry, Isla, Celeste, Andrew, Harper and Stephanie raised their hands, clapping and cheering for the audience. "Second," Scarlett went on, "the staff would like to thank the prefects and heads for all their work in staging this competition. Come on you lot, up you get." The prefects and heads climbed the stairs from back stage, crowding onto the platform for a round of applause. "Third, and I promise, we're nearly there, staff extends their thanks to all of our amazing competitors. Give it up Hogwarts!" The crowd roared their approval, causing dust to rain down from the beams above. Scarlett let them go for a minute before holding her hands up. "Yes, yes, wonderful job by all of you, but we all know there can only be one winner so lets give it up for our third place participant. He made us laugh. He made us cry we laughed so hard, lets all give it up for the Jester of Hogwarts, Harper Scott!"
The boy in question stepped forward to thunderous applause and Roisin and Cillian, the head girl and boy respectively presented him with a bronze medallion that would be his to keep and plaque that would soon find its home in a new cabinet within the school's trophy hall.
"And now," Scarlett went on when the applause had died down. "Our top two finishers… While he was making girls swoon with a voice that could only be touched of heaven itself, she was taking our breath away from her first gravity defying leap. They staked claims as front-runners with their first performances way back in October and each new performance only further cemented what pretty much everyone already knew. It was their competition to lose. And then, today happened. They joined forces in a performance that made an already difficult task near impossible." She turned and motioned. "Let's get one more round of applause for Harry Potter and Isla Wood!"
Blushing profusely, Isla glanced at a grinning Harry. He offered his hand to her and they stepped forward together to the cheering crowd. Harry raised their joined hands while motioning to Isla with his free hand. She curtsied to the crowd before encouraging them to cheer for Harry. Scarlett stepped in behind them, looping an arm over their shoulders. "Before I announce the winner would either of you like to say something?"
Harry motioned, deferring to Isla. "I'd just like to thank all of you and the staff for giving me the chance to perform. I'd also like to thank Harry for being willing to go out on a limb with me and show that ballet can be far more than just tutus and classical music. I couldn't have asked for a better partner in helping me bring my vision to reality." She stepped to him hugging him tightly. Harry returned her hug to the cheers of the students and staff. She gave him a kiss on either cheek as she released him.
"And you, Harry?" Scarlett asked.
"I think Isla about covered it but I'd like to just add, if she doesn't win, then the judges are all blind." Isla blushed again while the crowd cheered loudly.
"Well, they could be blind, but they certainly wouldn't be deaf," Scarlett said.
"I know who would get my vote," Harry countered.
"And he's modest too, ladies," Scarlett cried.
"The hell he is," Neville shouted, drawing a laugh from the crowd.
"Amen to that," Daphne and Hermione said loudly, getting another laugh.
"Oh come on, Posh," Harry said. "You're just mad I didn't sing a song about you."
"I thought that was the first one back in November," she countered.
"Nope, but I've got one right now if people want to hear it." He winked at her.
"How about it, Hogwarts?" Scarlett cried. "Do we want one more?" The crowd yelled wildly for a minute before she held her hands up for silence.
Daphne crossed her arms and glared at him. "I dare you."
Harry laughed. "Sorry everyone, but erm, this is the furthest into the year I've made it without spending quality time with Matron Pomfrey, I'd like to keep the streak alive." He gave the matron a wave. "Though I do miss your company, Ma'am."
She smiled. "Well if you keep delaying the announcement of the winner I'm certain someone in here will see to it you visit me all too soon."
"Zippin' it now, Ma'am," he said drawing his fingers across his lips.
"Thank Merlin," Ron shouted.
Daphne drew her wand and pointed it at Harry. "Keep it zipped," she warned. Harry subsided.
"All right everyone," Scarlett said. "Let's give it up for the winner of the first annual Hogwarts talent competition… ISLA WOOD!"
The crowd erupted while Harry grabbed the girl of the moment, lifting her clean off the floor in a giant hug.
Author's notes:
So, this time we've got a modified version of, One of Us, by Joan Osborne, and then the classic by Aerosmith, Dream On. And I think I'm finally done ensuing credit is give to the proper people for borrowing their work.
Also, don't tell me you really thought I would have Harry win, did you? I think it's the fact he doesn't win at everything that makes him interesting.
And next week's torture: Chapter 34, Damned if you do, Damned if you Don't