34 Awakening
I woke up sometime later; I was in the hospital wing. I could hear talking; opening my eyes, I saw a few beds down from me, Harry and Dumbledore talking.
"Ah, it seems like Mr Carter is waking up as well," Dumbledore told Harry.
"What happened to Eddie?" Harry asked.
"From reports, he played music up in the astronomy tower the night you had your contrition with Professor Quirrell; he was found passed out on the first landing down from the tip of the astronomy tower."
"I can hear you two", I groaned.
"How are you feeling, mister Carter," Dumbledore asked.
"Hungry," I said back. He chuckled.
"The centaurs said you put on a wonderful performance; they loved the music", Dumbledore teased.
"How long was I out?" I asked.
"3 days," Dumbledore said.
"Wow, shouldn't of kept going" I muttered.
"Music? Was that the music I heard?" Harry asked.
"I believe so, Harry; what Mister Carter did that night was a wonderful performance from the astronomy tower; the whole castle actually heard it," Dumbledore explained.
"Thank you, Eddie, that music helped me a lot, and Voldemort could stand it," Harry said.
"Everyone's a critic", I muttered, lying back and putting my arm over my eyes. The room was a bit bright. "Err, I feel hungover", I muttered.
At this point, madame Pomfrey came around with some water and potions for me and Harry. I drank them down and felt much.
Harry and Dumbledore continued to talk. I just tuned them out. I looked around the bedside table. There were some chocolates, Berti botts, every flavoured favoured beans, and my Walkman, but I didn't see them. "Professor?" I called out to Dumbledore, "Where is the violin?"
"Ah, I gave it to Professor Snape to look after," Dumbledore said.
I shook my head and started to get out of bed. "Mister Carter, you still weak; lay back down," Madame Pomfrey said.
"Tell Professor Snape it's a family heirloom. I do not want Maryann's violin damaged", I said to Dumbledore, lying back down. I put my headphones on and hit play on whatever cassette was in there. I fell back asleep.
When I awoke again, I felt better, like remarkably better. So I leapt out of bed and stretched. "Ah, I feel so much better," I said.
"Good", Madame Pomfrey said, "You're free to go, Mister Carter."
"Awesome." I grabbed my wand and the chocolates and headed to the dungeons and my dorm. I need a shower and a change of clothes. After I was showered and dressed, I headed to Snape's office.
*knock knock* I knocked on his door. After I started to knock, I couldn't stop banging out a beat and dancing. When I was getting into a groove, the door opened.
"Stop that racket!" Professor Snape snapped.
"Ah, sorry, sir", I winced. "I don't know what came over me."
Snape sighed. "Once again, Eddie, your problem is the ability to control yourself."
"Yup, probably, anyway. Can I have my violin," I said, getting to the point.
"Do you have any idea what that thing did to you?" Snape said.
"Yup, I have a pretty good idea what it did and how it did," I said.
"Oh then enlighten me Mister Carter" snape drawled.
"It's a magical focus, like a wand," I said. "I knew that the moment I touched it, not only that, I felt a shift in my magic." I smiled. "It was like there was a sleeping part of myself, and it had awakened. It's like I can feel the rhythm of magic now."
"Hmm, your theory is interesting", Snape said. "However, there is an enchantment placed on the violin."
"Yes, it wouldn't let me play it till I was ready, and when I was, it made me play it. But to be fair, I would've played it anyway." I smiled.
"What are you going to do with it?" Snape said.
"Put it back in my vault," I said. "I think my ancestor left it there to help awaken this gift, but I already know the violin will now sleep till the next one it senses with a gift." I smiled.
"Good", Snape said and handed me a violin case with runes on it and a key.
"Keep it locked up untill you place it back in your vault" snape said then slammed the door in my face. I just smiled and skipped away. I had a gig to prepare for, but food will be required. I got to the great hall and saw breakfast was still being served. I spotted my roommates and plonked down between them. "Morning," I said, pulling a plate over and loading up with food.
"Morning", Tim said, eating sausages and reading the paper.
"Eddie you up and out of the Hostipal wing" grant exclaimed.
"Yup, pass the bacon," I said with a smile.
"You okay? You were asleep for 4 days." He asked, "And all the talk about you know who in the dungeons with Harry?".
"I wasn't there. I was playing the violin on the astronomy tower", I said, "but according to Harry Voldemort, I hated my music." I smirked.
"So he attacked you?" Grant looked pale.
"No, again, I was in the astronomy tower." I shook my head at him. "No, the violin did something to me." I rubbed my finger on the rim of a goblet. A chime rang out of it, and the goblet floated an inch off the table. I tapped the goblet and dropped back to the table.
"I can feel my musical magic so much better, and once I make an instrument for myself, It will be even better." I smiled and felt the rush of excitement.
"Make an instrument, how? Why?" Tim asked.
"The violin is like a wand; I need to make something like it for myself," I said.
"I'm with Tim; how?" Grant said.
"Don't know, but it will be fun, right?" I smiled and hooked into the bacon and egg sandwich I made. "Mmmm, food", I murmured around a mouthful.
The next day was the second-to-last day of school, and the end-of-year feast was the next day. Will be on the train back to London, but tonight was the farewell feast. We were meant to wear our school robes, but I wasn't. I was dressed in a short, sleeved black shirt, emerald green tie hung loosely around my neck, and black trousers and shoes. Grant was in a black suit with an emerald green tie, And Tim was in a black tee with an emerald green headband. We sat nervously in an antechamber off the great hall; the last time we played in front of people was months ago, and there were about 30 students. But this was to be in front of the whole school and teachers, about 850 people. Dumbledore was awarding the house points for Harry's adventure. I stood up and looked at my bandmates. "Okay, we have one song", I said to them. "we've been practising it all term; this is our true debut. I know we will be great."
I heard the cheers of the houses. "Almost time."
"Now, for a treat, I am happy to welcome 3 bright first years. May I welcome Arcane Rhythms.". There was some clapping I pushed open the antechamber door and walked out on to the raised dias, I strode past the piano and grabed the mic. "Hello, Hogwarts, I'm Eddie; that's Grant on piano and Tim's on the drum. We are arcane rhythms. We're going to play a song for you". I started to play the opening to one of the greatest songs of all time, it's scratchy guitar opening, Tim and Grant came in heavy my head banging to the tune.
I sang in a bored tone. •Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana•
♫Load up on guns, bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over bored and self-assured
Oh, no, I know a dirty word♫
I smiled and thought about how I wanted my magic to work. The enchanted sky came under my command.
♫Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello♫
The sky shifted, clouds gathered, and flashes of multicoloured lightning danced behind the clouds.
♫With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido, yeah♫
I started rocking to the song, hair going wild as I banged my head.
♫I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group it's always been
And always will until the end♫
Shafts of light shine between the clouds to make spotlights of colour on our stage.
♫Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello♫
The Thunderbird wand felt something and cast a spell on its own; five orbs of dancing lights flew from my wand and danced on the tables. The colours constantly shifting.
♫With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido, yeah♫
Sweat dripped off my forehead, and my smile was wide and manic.
♫And I forget, just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind♫
♫Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello♫
For the closing move, I used my magic to extinguish the flames in the Great Hall, the only light coming from the myriad of colours in the enchanted night sky.
♫With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid, and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido♫
♫A denial, a denial
A denial, a denial
A denial, a denial
A denial, a denial
A denial♫
As the song ended, the lights in the Great Hall returned. And the stunned students broke from their collective stupor and cheered. I smiled and looked at Grant and Tim, their smiles as wild as mine. Some of the teachers looked disapproving, but Flitwick seemed ecstatic, and Dumbledore had a smile.
