((Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters used in this story. I am not making any money off of this story.))
Albus Dumbledore stood before the massive crowd of students in the Great Hall, looking at them through his glasses, knowing that they would not expect what would be coming to them. He slowly stood from his seat, and heard Minerva to his side tapping her glass and telling everyone to quiet down. Knowing what a reaction he would get, he had not even let his most trusted of staff in on his secret plan.
"Excuse me, I have an announcement," he said as he cleared his throat, aged eyes looking around the room. "As most have noticed, we have suffered many losses this year. Many of us have felt emotions that we have not been able to express, students and staff alike. I have taken it upon myself to solve our communication problem. I have always found that that best way to express oneself is through music, and I feel it would be most beneficial if some of our staff and students would release to us through this way."
Gasps were heard all throughout the Great Hall, and sudden whispers broke out, "Students will be duly warned, that whatever is said in the songs is not to be teased, as this is a very personal and revealing moment to the singer. Now, as to how the singers will be chosen? Not everyone in this room will get to sing for us, but I have devised a spell that will choose the two people it believes needs to sing the most at that meal. When you are chosen, you will truly not know what you are singing till after you are done, there will be no one way to suppress oneself from singing. Anyone who sees fit not to show up to these meals will find that Mr. Filch can be quite accommodating to your needs. That is all."
He was quite unsure if everyone heard the second part of his speech, since the students were all bent low in whispers. Slowly he looked down the staff table and received nothing but unmasked glares. But, it was for their own good, and he knew that later they would realize this. What they of course did not know was that the spell was already in full vigor, looking for its first victim. The person whose heart most needed to be relieved.
Dumbledore would again rise and all eyes would be on him, as the staff and students both wondered if he could top his last announcement. Silence filled the room, not even a whisper could be heard. Were they all really that frightened of what he could say? But he didn't say anything at first, almost as if in a trance. His mouth would open and out of it, a cold tenebrous voice would emit, as blue eyes darted straight to Harry Potter.
"Spend your lazy, endless crazy
Days inside my head
You're so selfish
You're not the only
One who thinks he's dead
I'm paid to smile now I'm on trial
For what you think I said
But I never said
That everything would be ok
And I never said
That we would live to see another day "
No one had ever expected that this kind of bitterness could lye within their mentor and Headmaster. Especially not Harry, who now regretted the complaints and accusations he threw at the Headmaster, he had never known the damage of words.
"Motivate me, I wanna get myself out of this bed
Captivate me, I want good thoughts inside of my head
If I fall down would you come around
And pick me right up off the ground
If I fall down would you come around
And pick me right up off the ground
Un-realistic and narcissistic
You say I'm selfish and absurd
You try to change me
Try to save me
You say I'm gonna learn
I'm so blind
I'm out of time
You're so unkind sometimes
I never lied, I never lied, I never lied...
But I never said
That everything would be ok
And I never said
That we would live to see another day
'Cause everything it'll be ok,
You know we're gonna live to see another day,
Yeah...yeah...
Motivate me...yeah,
Motivate me...yeah"
The sound stopped and Albus fell to his seat looking around with wide eyes at the crowd inside the Great Halls. Maybe he had not thought this all the way through, maybe just maybe, people would get more hurt by this spell than relieved.
Suddenly he felt a pair of hands massaging his neck and shoulders. Turning his head, he was met with the gracious and caring smile of Minerva. Overcome with emotion, she ran her hand down the cheek of the old Headmaster. In a soft soprano voice, she slowly began to sing.
"Don't lose your way
With each passing day
You've come so far
Don't throw it away
Live believing
Dreams are for weaving
Wonders are waiting to start
Live your story
Faith hope and glory
Hold to the truth
In your heart
If we hold on together
I know our dreams
Will never die
Dreams see us through
To forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and I
Souls in the winds
Must learn how to mend
Seek out a star
Hold on to the end
Valley, mountain
There is a fountain
Washes our tears
All away
Words are swaying
Someone is praying
Please let us come
Home to stay
If we hold on together
I know our dreams
Will never die
Dreams see us through
To forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and I
When we are out there
In the dark
We'll dream about the sun
In the dark
We'll feel the light
Warm our hearts
Everyone
If we hold on together
I know our dreams
Will never die
Dreams see us through
To forever
As high
As souls can fly
The clouds roll by
For you and I"
Once again the hall was left in silence before a single clap started from the Gryffindor Table. Then two more were added as the Golden Trio stood to praise the Headmaster and the Professor. Soon, the entire Great Hall followed in suit, bar one.
Severus Snape sat in his corner of the table, watching the spectacle with unblinking eyes. His eyes glanced towards a certain bookish Gryffindor, fear within him rising that with Dumbledore's new plan, he may not be able to keep secret what was buried within him.
((AN: Dumbledore's Song: Motivate Me by Good Charlotte, Minerva's Song: If We Hold On Together by Diana Ross))
