J.K. Rowling owns all characters you are familiar with, the others are mine.

Chapter 4

The next few days were a rush of classes and rehearsals and planning sessions. I finally decided that we should play in our normal clothes, just like we do at all our gigs and jams to put all of us at ease. We decided that our song list would consist of Sunday Mornings, Bright Eyes, Hope for Tomorrow, Songs for a Broken Heart, Name of Song, Don't Blame Me, Bring in the Fire, Candles and Violins, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Love at Midnight. All of these songs were original, and we had been working on them for years.

Anyway the 18 finally arrived and I was more nervous than I had been in my life. I mean, I had been preforming since I was 5 years old, but it felt like my first time. While we were driving over to the offices, we drove because we had to bring our own gear, I couldn't sit still. Sam was driving, I rode shot gun while Seth, David and Peter fought over the back seats. I kept fidgeting and changing the radio stations, not able to settle on one. Eventually Sam reached over and grabbed my hand saying, "Hannah, you'll be fine. Just stop thinking about it so much, you're a great singer. And pick a station!" he added the last part louder right after I had changed from him favorite band to some country station. "Ok!" I cried admitting my defeat and changing the station back to the one it was just on.

Then we arrived at the offices of Magical Music Producers, they were daunting for five high school kids, our parents didn't come because we represented ourselves. Although George, Fred, Lee, and Oliver came to help us move our stuff and set up, I guess they were our roadies. We filed up to the front desk with all our gear in tow. Sam and I went up to the receptionist to ask directions. Sam produced a copy of the letter we had received as he asked, "Can you help us? See, we have an audition here today and we aren't exactly sure where to go." The lady looked at us and reached out for the letter. Sam gave it to her and she read it over.

"You need to go up to the fifth floor, there will be another receptionist there. She will tell you again, but what you need to do is go to the audition room next to Ms. Shelby's office. Then one, and only one,"She said glaring at me, "of you should go and tell her that you are ready to audition. Have a nice day." With that she returned our letter and went back to her computer, but I was not finished with her. This was my band, my idea. Anyway we still didn't know where the elevators were and I need to ask her where the restrooms were.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, could you tell me where the elevator is?"

"They are over by the fountain, child." I could feel the resentment shooting out at me from her mouth like daggers. Some how I had offended this woman beyond repair by simply existing. Well, you can't please everyone. I told myself and led the band to the elevator. The ride up was strange. We were all nervous and so the amount of banter between the boys was down. They made feeble attempts to tease each other or make jokes, but no one could really find it in them to laugh. By the time we had reached the fifth floor we were all ready to start setting up, it would give us something to do to take our minds off of the situation.

As we came out the receptionist and the four or five people in the room looked up at us. Some smiled with a knowing nod and went back to there business. One guy gave us what I think he thought was a reassuring smile, but it just looked like a grimace. This receptionist was more receiving than the other one. I spoke this time. "Excuse, Ma'am, but we were told that we needed to set up in the audition room next to Ms. Shelby's office. But we don't really know where we are..." I trailed off and handed her the letter. She took it and read it slowly, maybe even a few times. Finally she said, "Oh, so you are Starlight and Cornfields! I heard your tape, I really liked it! Especially that one song, what was it? Oh, yes, Songs for a Broken Heart. That is a great song. Which one of you wrote that?" David shyly rose his hand and Peter punched him in the arm saying, "He dude, there's one good thing that came from that night!" We all laughed quietly as David said, "Shut up Peter, your just jealous!"

"You kids follow me, I'll show you where you need to go. Don't mind Stacy, that's the girl down stairs, she's in a foul mood today. Oh,, but you don't want to know about that. I bet you are tired from carrying all that equipment! Well here we are!" We had arrived at two glass doors that were ribbed so you couldn't see through them, and were (hopefully) sound proof. She opened a door and a beautiful rehearsal room came into view. It was dark wood walls with beautiful marble floors. There was a beautiful carpet in the middle of the room and the lady said, "You may set up here. I will go tell Ms. Shelby you are here."

"Thank you, the lady down stairs said that we would have to tell her ourselves. Thank you for all you have done. Just one question, where do we plug in?" I asked holding up a plug and a small smile on my face. With a laugh she pointed to a corner and said, "Over there, now get started!" and with that she left. I turned to the boys and said, "Well, you heard the lady, lets get to it!" And we began to set up. No one really touched Seth's drums he has moving them down to an art and any outside help only hindered him. Sam and I began hooking up amps and microphones. With in 20 minutes everything was connected and we were doing a sound check. The rooms acoustics were wonderful!

By the time Ms. Shelby arrived everyone, including me, had relaxed and we were laughing and joking like normal. Seth was sitting behind his drums, I was sitting on an amp, Sam was playing random notes on his guitar, Peter and David were half-heartedly arguing over whose guitar was a cooler color (or something along those lines). George and Fred were causing ruckus over in a corner and me and Oliver were discussing potions class. Suddenly into this din of a band preparing to preform came a soft but controlling voice. "Gentlemen and Lady, I hope you are ready to show us your best. We don't have much time left." I turned to see where the voice had come from and there was a very attractive lady. She was about 5'8" with long fire red hair and piercing green eyes. She was dressed in an impeccably tailored pinstriped women's suit. The skirt fell to her knee and she wore sensible black shoes on her feet. She was everything you would expect from a high ranking executive. Sam was the first to speak, "Yes Ma'am we are ready when you are."

"Well, then just let me pull up a chair and get my papers in order and then you can begin. Now I am assuming the blonde on the amp is Hannah?" I nodded and said, "Yes Ma'am that's me" With my best movie star smile. "As for the rest of you boys I will need some introductions. There sem to be quite a few more of you then in the band roster." With that each of the boys introduced themselves.

"I'm Sam, I play the Bass."

"I'm Seth, and I play drums." We all laughed from the redundancy of the statement as he was still sitting at his drums.

"I'm Oliver, and I am a roadie today and here for moral support."

"I'm Hannah, lead vocals."

"I'm Peter, I play guitar and back-up vocals."

"I'm David, I play lead guitar."

"I'm Fred, roadie and moral support Ma'am."

"I'm George, roadie and moral support."

"Well it is very nice to meet you all, but if the roadies, as you have so named yourselves, would come and sit beside me, we shall get started." With that me and my boys got ready to do our thing.

I was still kinda nervous so I turned and faced Sam. He made a face at me at David hit the first chord of our opening song Sunday Mornings. Soon though I was swept up in the music. I forgot about the audition, classes, even George. All I could think about was the beat and my boys. We were many working like a single unit. I know it sounds cliche and phony, but it is true. When we get in our groove we all get on the same level. We don't have to speak we just need eye contact. And I tell you, we were on that afternoon! By the time we were singing Don't Blame Me, I couldn't have told you why I was nervous in the car. After we finished I heard everyone clapping and even heard George give a cry. I laughed and we took a bow. I then went over and sat on George's lap as the rest of the band collapsed around the table in a post show chill session. "Well, that was quite impressive and exactly at 30 minutes, very good. I will give you ten minutes to clean up and change and then I will take you to meet the president of our department. See you in ten." and before we could say anything she left the room.