Meeting the Dragon
Impromptu Concert
A/N: The songs contained in this chapter have each been credited to the artist who sings them - I do not own them nor do I make any profit from their use.
Chapter 7 - My Impromptu Concert
“Hear the music
flowing with the wind
as if from some enchanted spring
of beautiful and pure sound”
I finished lunch early and went back to the dorm. I deposited all my books except Defense Against Dark Arts, and grabbed my guitar. Once again, Skylar stubbornly refused to be left. The Skrewt however, just peacefully slept on my pillow.
I went back downstairs and went past the Great Hall to a staircase leading up to a balcony. To my right I could see through the windows to the Great Hall, and to my left was part of the lake.
I sat on a bench and took a deep breath of the fresh air as a breeze gently ruffled my hair. I closed my eyes, and waited for a song to come, and began randomly strumming my guitar. Then, with a song in mind, I tuned my guitar and once again began playing, just letting the music flow out of me. Skylar settled on my shoulder, as relaxed about the music as I was.
“When the fire burns out here
it’s brighter than the city lights
warmer than a heart of gold
gray wolves howl just to break the silence
the sun comes up just to break the cold
last night I woke
with the stars looking back at me
swallowing the sky
I felt no anger, I felt no shame
I felt no reason to cry”
What I didn’t know was that my voice was carrying through the windows, and people were beginning to quiet down and listen. Two people in particular were listening, and looked through the windows to see me on the balcony.
“If I’m not here in the morning
I’ll cry a river of tears
I’ll learn to live in a new town
but my heart is staying here
When it’s quiet out here
a hundred miles away
you can hear the train on the line
the whistle blows just to break the silence
I wave just to break the time
I close my eyes
I think of runnin’ water
I think of runnin’ away
but the fire is burnt to ashes
and it’s darker than before
but I can see as clear as day”
Some people had deserted the tables and had come up to the balcony. I didn’t notice them, and continued to sing.
“If I’m not here in the morning
I’ll cry a river of tears
I’ll learn to live in a new town
but my heart is staying here
I’ll learn to live in a new town
but my heart is staying here...”
(Nullarbor Song, by Kasey Chambers, modified by me to fit the story)
I was quite startled by the applause that followed, and nearly dropped my guitar. Skylar was jolted awake by the sudden noise and movement, and shot off angrily into the sky, trailing a string of what I imagined were quite a few dirty words in hawk language.
I spun around, and saw none other than Harry, Ron, Neville, and some of my other house mates. In the back, I saw Draco and some of his Slytherin buddies. I knew I was blushing, and looked down at the windows to see more people looking back up at me, including a few of the professors.
“I - I didn’t know I was being so loud...”
Harry grinned, and said
“How come you never said you could sing so well?”
Before I could give him an answer, a girl who had been introduced to me as Ron’s sister Ginny approached and sat beside me.
“Do you know any other songs?”
I dumbly nodded.
“Yeah, I’ve written lots of ‘em.”
Someone from the group called out
“Can you sing another for us?”
I nodded again, and tuned my guitar once more. Unused to playing for an audience, I tried hard not to let my voice shake when I started singing again.
“Well a wise man once said to me
if your heart don’t break you wont be free
I’m as free as a bird
flying out over
flying out over the sea
I call out to the wind
no one comes to let me in
I hear the thunder
the weight on my shoulders
the weight upon my shoulders crushing me
Shine down on this mountain
rain down on my face
call out to the river
to wash me out
to wash me out of this place
Well I wish that I was a sailor man
with the wheel of a ship held in my hand
but I don’t like the water
I’m more like the anchor
I wish I was the anchor in me
sometimes I wish I was a sin
so the ones I love wouldn’t let me in
I wouldn’t have to try to find the answers
to give ‘em all the answers they need
Shine down on this mountain
rain down on my face
call out to the river
to wash me out
to wash me out of this place
well a wise man once said to me
if you’re heart don’t break you wont be free
well I’m as free as a bird
flying out over
flying out over the sea”
(These Mountains, by Kasey Chambers,)
Amid much applause and urging, I tuned my guitar for one last song.
“Black eyes, I don’t need ‘em
blue tears, gimme freedom
Positively never goin’ back
I won’t live where things are so out of whack
no more rollin’ with the punches
no more usin’ or abusin’
I’d rather die standing
than live on my knees
begging please - no more
Black eyes - I don’t need ‘em
blue tears - gimme freedom
black eyes - all behind me
blue tears’ll never find me now
Definitely found my self-esteem
finally - I’m forever free to dream
no more cryin’ in the corner
no excuses - no more bruises
I’d rather die standing
than live on my knees
begging please - no more
Black eyes - I don’t need ‘em
blue tears - gimme freedom
black eyes - all behind me
blue tears’ll never find me now
I’d rather die standing
than live on my knees, begging please...
Black eyes - I don’t need ‘em
blue tears - gimme freedom
black eyes - all behind me
blue tears’ll never find me now
it’s all behind me, they’ll never find me now
find your self-esteem and be forever free to dream”
(Black Eyes, Blue Tears, By Shania Twain,)