Learning to Sing

*~*Wow, you look different up close… really different." ~Corey Matthews, Boy Meets World*~*

~Chapter Four~

The table in the Gryffindor common room looked positively cataclysmic. Books, bottles of ink, quills and piles upon piles of parchment were stacked and scattered across it, completely obscuring the table's wooden surface. Idle students who passed by glanced down at the rubble in astonishment that quickly faded as their attention drifted elsewhere. The feeble scratching of quills upon parchment could be heard over the quiet conversations that took place in scattered places across the room.

"That's it!" Ron cried out, throwing his quill down roughly and slamming his book shut. "I quit. I refuse to continue with this."

Sending him a reproving look from the other side of the table, Hermione stopped in mid-sentence and said, "Ron, if you don't do your work, you'll fail, and don't forget the detentions from Professor Snape."

Growling, Ron ran his hands through his flaming hair gruffly and remarked, "I don't want to hear that name for the rest of the night. He's the reason for all of this work."

"Not to mention the special assignments in Divination, our History of Magic homework, the reading we have to finish for Transfiguration and the report for Hagrid about phoenixes," Harry added, as he dropped his quill in an ink bottle and counted the assignments off on his fingers. "Don't worry, Ron. Professor Binns doesn't want that three-foot report till next Tuesday, and Professor Trelawney said that we didn't have to push ourselves too hard on the first night considering that our homework isn't due till the day after tomorrow."

A snide look on his face, Ron muttered, "You forgot one thing, Harry. My report for Muggle Studies about - oh, what do you call them - aeroplenes."

Harry and Hermione stifled laughs before Hermione corrected, "It's airplanes, and it's not that bad, Ron. You'll get through it."

"And I'm glad we finally convinced you to take that class," Harry sighed, massaging a crick in his neck. "I was seriously worried that you would go into the 'real world' with little or no Muggle knowledge." Ron only let out an exasperated breath of air before he turned back to his paper and continued working.

"Well," Harry muttered as they continued, "Since I'm finished with what I need to get done, I'm going down to the kitchens to see if the house elves have anything good for a midnight snack. I don't know about you, but I'm starved."

Scowling, Hermione hissed, "Don't do it, Harry. You'll get in so much trouble if you're caught out after curfew."

"I'm going to be wearing the Invisibility Cloak," Harry whispered in response as he stood up. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I'm a Prefect. I could deduct house points, Harry," Hermione warned in frustration. "I can't believe how much Fred and George have rubbed off on you. And ever since you learned where the kitchens were, you continually sneak down there. Ever since the twins left, you and Ron have been breaking rules."

But he ignored her, disappearing up the stairs. With only a short thought, she ran up them after him and burst into his dormitory, the door slamming loudly against the wall, where he was opening his trunk at the foot of his bed. Neville, who was sleeping calmly, let out a snort and rolled over.

"Shh, Hermione," Harry whispered, pulling his Cloak into view, its flowing, inky essence making her pause and stare in misty wonder for a short moment.

Harry, don't even think about it," Hermione warned in a harsh whisper, snapping out of her short reverie. "I will deduct points!" She clenched her hands at her sides and frowned, her mouth turned down.

Walking up to her, he slipped the cloak over his shoulders, his head only visible and said, "I need you to open the port-hole for me, Hermione. You know, so it doesn't look weird if all of a sudden the painting swings open by itself." Hermione only scowled at him, her eyes firm and steady. Pouting out his lip childishly, Harry asked in a little baby voice, "Please, Hermione…I'll do all your homework for a week."

Cracking a smile, she said, "Alright, fine! But I don't want you doing my homework."

Snorting, Harry muttered sarcastically, "Oh, thanks. Are you questioning my ability to give you full marks? Their eyes met and she rolled hers.

"You know I do," was her short, but humorous reply. With that, Harry, completely hidden by the Invisibility Cloak, followed Hermione down the stairs and to the door to the hallway. Glancing around as to appear inconspicuous, she pushed the painting open and stepped out, giving Harry enough time to exit.

"Thanks," he said in a whisper, his voice somewhere to her left. "And don't worry," he added, as she felt his hand on her shoulder, "with this disguise, I'm invisible." She laughed lightly, shaking her head.

"Just get back here soon or else I will take points away. You know I will, Harry," she whispered harshly in response. She heard him laugh as she disappeared back inside the Common Room.
* * *

As he made his way through the halls, Harry glanced about him, taking in the familiar sight of the castle at night. Wizards and witches of ages past were sleeping quietly in their paintings, except for one plump woman with a tight purple bustle about her bodice who was snoring obnoxiously, a jug of rum tucked under her arm. Harry accidentally let out an audible snicker that caused the woman to snort loudly and gaze about with one eye half open before slumping against the edge of the frame to continue sleeping.

Letting out a relieved and silent sigh, Harry continued on his way to the corridor with the painting of the fruit bowl. The castle around him was suspended in eerie silence, unnerving him. Shadows danced in odd shapes on the walls from the flickering torches, casting the hallway in iridescent orange light. But ahead of him, the shadows suddenly changed and it appeared as though someone was headed down the intersecting corridor in his direction. Pressing himself against the wall, Harry inched silently forward, hoping that whoever it was would just pass him by.

The shadow was getting larger as the person got closer. And when Harry was at the corner that separated the two hallways, he felt his foot slip on the edge of the cloak and he stumbled against the wall accompanied with a light fumbling sound that caused the person to stop where they were. Sizing up against the wall, his back flat next to its stony surface, he clenched his teeth to ensure he made no sound. The two were stuck in silence for an awkward moment, but when neither moved, Harry decided to test his luck and peek around the corner. But as he did so, the edge of his cloak caught onto a small snag in the carpet and his hood slipped from his head.

A sudden screaming pierced his ears, a screaming so shrill it could have broken glass, and Harry quickly reached for her and smothered her mouth with his hands, his ears ringing. "Shh!" he said in annoyance. "Do you want to get us caught, Carlene?" The red head shook her head vigorously and pried his invisible fingers from atop her mouth.

"Is that an Invisibility Cloak?" Carlene asked, wide-eyed in disbelief.

Sighing in exasperation, Harry nodded and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her down the corridor into an open room that was immersed in darkness as he shut the door quietly. "In case Filch comes along," he explained, pulling out his wand and muttering, "Lumos." The light streamed from the tip of his wand, illuminating their faces.

"What are you doing out in the halls so late, Carl?" he asked sharply.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied, her voice cutting through the darkness of the room. She arched an eyebrow at him and shifted her hands, which were holding a small shoebox.

"Well, you're new to Hogwarts, and you don't know your way around," he said offhandedly, glancing suspiciously at the box.

Smiling slyly, she said, "That doesn't mean I can't figure it out. And besides, I have ways to find where I'm going."

Nodding in disbelief, Harry answered, "How is that?" She remained silent, staring at him in acute interest. "What's with you?" he asked to her strange expression.

"Nothing," she said far too quickly, looking down into her box, her cheeks going pink. Harry could not tell if the blush was from embarrassment or frustration.

Following her gaze, he asked, "Why do you have that box, and what's in it?"

Holding her fixed stare, she ran her hands over some of its contents, and muttered, "Oh, it's just some of my stuff that I brought from home. Stuff that I didn't want to leave behind for a year. My mom said that it was useless, and I knew that she would have thrown it away the moment I left, so I held onto it." Harry nodded, his expression asking for more information. In answer to his face, she continued, "Like, I have, oh you're going to laugh at me. Well, they're mostly pictures." Pulling one out into view, she held it up to the light as Harry leaned in to look.

There was a moment of silence as he blinked at it, then he looked up at her and said, "It's a fish." She nodded enthusiastically, her hair bouncing. "Why on earth do you have a picture of a fish?" he asked, his brow knitting in odd confusion.

"Well, it's not just any fish, that's my Hammy," she let out, a little frustrated. Pulling out another, this one an electric blue fish that was flitting about the edges of the frame, looking much like the first one. "And that's Sagar. They're my pets. I couldn't bring them with me, obviously, so I brought these pictures to remind me of them instead."

"Ah, well…" Harry started, "why do you really care about your fish? I mean, fish die."

Looking a little taken aback, Carlene argued, "So do people, Potter. And they're my babies, why wouldn't I care for them?" She stared fondly at the pictures with a look that seemed almost too motherly.

Rolling his eyes, Harry leaned in and snatched another picture out of the box. "Hey, give that here!" Carlene shouted, reaching for it in Harry's hand. But he danced it just out of her reach, sending her emotions somewhat beyond frustration. Reaching into her robes, she pulled out her wand and whispered, "Expelliarmus." And the picture flew out of his hand and landed several feet behind him. The next moment was pandemonium as both Harry and Carlene dove for the picture. Her box fell to the floor, the contents spilling everywhere; Harry landed atop one of the girl's legs, his Invisibility Cloak dislodging itself from his shoulders and sinking to the floor. There was a short struggle, to which eventually Harry came out triumphant, the picture clutched in his right hand. His wand had slipped from his fingers and rolled across the classroom, his spell expiring, throwing them into darkness.

"Lumos," Carlene said, her wand lighting at the tip. She looked over at Harry, her face pouted into childish anger.

"What is this?" Harry asked, turning the picture over in his hands, a perplexed look upon his face. "Who is this character?"

Carlene reached forward and snatched it out of his hands, curling up her legs and holding the picture protectively against her chest. "It's just a picture from a concert I attended several years ago. It was the best moment of my life." Her hair was frizzled, strands sticking out at odd ends.

"Well, who is it?" Harry inquired of the eccentric man he had seen in the picture. It was a man dressed in plaid pajama pants and a shirt that advertised some sort of tequila company. His hair was blonde, long, thick and fell into spiral curls down a little past his shoulders. He was groping the stand of a microphone, singing unheard notes into it.

Carlene looked down at the picture, hesitating before answering; "He's… um…my favorite musician. Sammy Hagar, the ex-lead singer of Van Halen, have you heard of him?" Harry shook his head. "Well, I went to this concert before I knew I was a witch, that's why he isn't moving, and I got to meet him and get his autograph." Pointing out the man's untidy scrawl on a wrinkled paper glued to the back, she showed it again to Harry. "That's why this picture means a lot to me. It was also before Van Halen kicked him out… So I've been following his solo career for the past couple of years. He's amazing." She said this last bit with a glazed look in her eyes, almost a look beyond adoration.

"Carlene, do you have a thing for him?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Of course not!" she cried defensively, the heat rising in her cheeks. "I just admire his music. He deserves such adulation." Nodding his head skeptically, Harry couldn't help but think that the man in the picture was anything but attractive. "It's the hair!" she shouted suddenly as though she knew what he was thinking. "His hair kicks ass."

Laughing, Harry glanced at his watch, his eyes going wide in shock. "Oh no, it's nearly one o'clock! We've been in here for nearly twenty minutes. Hermione's going to kill me." With that, he scrambled to his feet and searched for his wand. After he found it, he helped gather Carlene's precious junk and put it neatly back into the box.

As Harry was headed for the door, Carlene asked, "Harry, why did you come out into the halls so late?" She was biting her lip in confusion and nervousness.

"Well, I was headed to the kitchens for a midnight snack, but it looks like I'll have to forget those plans," he answered, slipping the Cloak over his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I was sending a letter to P- my mom," she finished, kicking herself in frustration. "That's why I was carrying the box. It had some stuff that I wanted to send… to her." She paused, biting her bottom lip, silence ebbing up around them. "Here," she muttered digging into a pocket of her robes, "I have a bag of Animal Crackers that I forgot to eat." Pulling it out, she tossed it to him. "They're really good. I love Animal Crackers, especially trying to guess what animal they are. I always get confused with the odd shapes."

Tucking them in a pocket, Harry said, "Thank you. Well, I'll see you tomorrow in class." With that, he put his hood over his head, disappearing from sight and easing the door open. Carlene made it safely back to her Common Room, placing her box of sacred items in her trunk and falling to sleep atop the covers on her bed.
* * *

"Harry?" Hermione asked groggily when the door to the Gryffindor Common Room eased open almost silently. Hermione was seated in a deep chair, her eyes half open, nearly asleep. She had already changed into a light blue cotton sleeping gown that fell to her ankles, sleeveless at the shoulders. Removing the Invisibility Cloak, Harry walked to her as her head drooped lackadaisically onto her shoulder. Her arms were hanging uselessly over the arms of the chair; her long fingers dirtied with dried ink. Trying to blink her eyes awake, she sounded almost like a drunk when she muttered, "Five points from Gryffin-" But she passed into slumber before she even finished her sentence, her breathing steady and deep.

Smiling in compassion for his friend, Harry bent down and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of the girl's face. She looked so peaceful, but already worn from just one day at school. Light purple bags from sleepiness hung under her eyes, and her frizzled hair was limp and slack over her shoulders. Holding out his arms, his Cloak tucked under one, he reached out and carefully brought her into his hold. Smoothly and carefully, he carried her up the stairs and into her dorm. Easing the door open with his foot, he moved as quietly as he could and set her down gently onto the bed. His emerald eyes shimmering in tenderness, he pulled the covers over her and whispered, "Goodnight, Hermione." With that, he tiptoed to the doorway and left the room silently.

As he came into his dormitory, he quietly put away his Invisibility Cloak and changed from his school robes into pajamas. Going to his bed, he looked down at his pillow and saw a letter sitting atop his covers. Picking it up, he went to the window and read the front of the envelope, his name written in hasty scrawl. Opening it quietly, he read:

"Dearest Harry,
I hope you are doing well. I decided to write you when Dumbledore informed me that your school was back in session. Buckbeak and I are getting along well. What I was really wondering was if you, Ron, and Hermione might like to visit me your next Hogsmeade weekend? I have some interesting news to tell you. News that is too interesting to disclose in this letter for fear it fall into the wrong hands. I hope you are keeping your marks high. When do you start Quidditch? Reply to tell me if you are going to visit. Take care, Harry.
Sincerely,
Padfoot"

Turning the letter over in his hands, a smile etched upon his face, Harry turned to see Ron snuggled warmly in his bed, his pillow embraced in his arms. Laughing silently, he immediately decided to write Sirius back the next day. With that, Harry sank into his bed for a short night of sleep.
* * *

A/N: I know, I lied. I was going to extend this to the next day, but I found it better to end this chapter here, leaving with a good, content feeling. Hopefully not too many readers will be upset with this, and I hope that they aren't angry that I didn't add what I said I was going to. I will go into the next day in chapter five, involving Hagrid, Sprout, Trelawney, etc. Next chapter, we will get a better look at Carlene, and I hope you're not too upset with the little glimpse of her I have given you here. I'll try to write chapter five as quickly and thoroughly as possible. I realize that this fic is moving slow, but it will pick up the pace soon. Probably next chapter actually. Believe me, there is a plot to this story no matter how hidden it may seem now.

PS: I really want to know what you all think of Carlene in this chapter. Is she a little more believable? Please review to give me an idea of what the reader is thinking. And thanks to Phoe and Ciara who did a wonderful job Beta-ing this chapter. You girls are the best. Thanks bunches! ~Khali~