Off Script

POV Oliver

"Two minutes!" the stage manager called out to Oliver.

He nodded to her and looked back at Peter, who was waiting with him for his appearance. "Is it a good sign that I'm already getting used to this?" he asked worriedly.

"This is your fourth appearance in two days! I'd be worried if you weren't getting used to it by now," Peter replied dryly.

"30 seconds!" the woman called again.

"Good luck. And try not to insult your little girlfriend this time," Peter told him.

"I did not insult Emma!"

"Please welcome the young and talented Oliver Bennett!" he heard Letterman say before the audience applauded and the music started.

Oliver walked onto the stage and immediately saw the cameras, the audience, and of course the desk that apparently couldn't be missing from a late-night talk show. He gave the audience a quick wave, calmly walked over to Letterman and held out his hand before greeting him in front of the cameras.

A moment later, the music stopped and Letterman began with pretty much the standard questions.

"Congratulations. This must all be very exciting for a young actor, being part of a film this big. You must be thrilled?"

"Absolutely. It's been an incredible experience, and I'm just very grateful to be part of it. Everyone worked incredibly hard on this film, and I hope people enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it," Oliver replied almost automatically.

Letterman looked at him for a moment. "How many times have you practised that answer today?"

Oliver started laughing and told him the truth. "As an actor, you get used to memorising lines. And David, you're the fourth person in the last two days to ask me that exact question."

This time, the audience didn't need to be told when to laugh or applaud.

It came naturally.

Letterman was visibly surprised. "Yeah, you're right. My mistake. Then how about we move on to a few questions nobody's asked you yet?"

"That depends on my PR team. Rachel over there doesn't look particularly happy," he replied jokingly, pointing towards Warner's PR representative.

That only made David and the audience laugh again.

Letterman waited until things had quietened down a little. "Well, Rachel, if it helps, I promise to return him in roughly the same condition."

Another brief laugh went through the audience, but David had already turned his attention back to Oliver.

"J. K. Rowling apparently wanted you for the role before there was even a movie. Well, I can see why now. But did you know that?"

"It's rather difficult not to know. When Jo wants something, she usually gets it. Even if that means turning up at my home unannounced with Chris and convincing my grandmother."

Letterman raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wait. Your grandmother?"

He leaned slightly over his desk. "Because as far as I know, you grew up in a children's home. Who is this grandmother that even J. K. Rowling personally has to ask for permission?"

Oliver smiled. "Not by blood, no. But in every other way, she's my family. And since we're already talking about family…" He turned directly towards the camera.

"Shout-out to Beatrice and Helen! The other two family members I picked for myself!" he said with a broad grin.

Letterman glanced briefly at his cards. "Then let's stick to something that hopefully won't get me into trouble with Warner."

Oliver grinned. "No guarantees."

"Quidditch." Letterman put the card back down on the desk. "You spend quite a bit of this film sitting on a broom. What's that actually like? Is it as much fun as it looks?"

"Do you want the rehearsed answer Rachel gave me, or the truth?" Oliver grinned. "I'm warning you—the two are considerably different."

Letterman glanced briefly in Rachel's direction. "I'm afraid we've come too far to start listening to Rachel now."

"It's horrible," Oliver replied without hesitation. "My first Quidditch scene took twenty-nine takes." He paused briefly. "And David, have you ever sat on a broom?" Oliver's gaze dropped noticeably below Letterman's belt for just a moment before meeting his eyes again.

Letterman followed his gaze, looked back at Oliver and remained silent for a moment.

The audience understood faster.

As laughter spread through the studio, David slowly leaned back in his chair. "I see."

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"One last question. If you had to describe Harry Potter in a single sentence—who is he to you?"

"A boy who spent his entire life thinking there was nothing special about him because that was what he was told every single day." He paused briefly. "And then he finds out that the people who kept putting him down were simply wrong."

Oliver looked directly into the camera. "So don't let anyone convince you that you can't do something or that you're worthless. Everyone has something that makes them who they are. Sometimes you just have to find it first."

Letterman nodded appreciatively. "And with those wise words, we say goodbye to Oliver Bennett, who presumably needs to go to bed now—after apologising to Rachel for this interview."

The audience started laughing again.

"Oliver Bennett, ladies and gentlemen! Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone—in cinemas from today!"

Oliver laughed, stood up and shook Letterman's hand once more as the audience applauded.

***

Oliver had spent most of the drive back to the Waldorf-Astoria listening to Rachel explain why a PR team existed in the first place and why turning said PR team into a running gag on a nationally broadcast talk show was generally considered less than helpful.

Peter had proven spectacularly useless throughout the lecture. He had sat beside Oliver, stared out of the window and grinned every time Rachel became particularly detailed.

By the time they reached the hotel, her lecture was over, although her mood had not improved considerably.

"Wait here. Both of you," Rachel instructed before disappearing towards reception.

After a few minutes, Oliver became restless and stood up. Peter followed him, and not long afterwards they ended up in the hotel bar. Oliver was just about to sit down when he noticed the piano in the corner.

He changed direction.

Peter noticed. "Olli—"

Oliver sat down on the stool, lifted the keyboard cover and placed his hands on the keys.

"Rachel is going to kill me," Peter muttered as he sat down at one of the tables.

But before Oliver could even begin to play, one of the staff noticed him.

The man frowned and walked straight towards him. "Hey, kid. You can't—"

Oliver struck the first notes.

The man stopped. One by one, the conversations around him faded until Oliver's playing was the only thing left to be heard in the crowded bar.

[Original Song]

You can skip the song if you prefer — no story content is hidden in the lyrics.

♬♪♩♫

Rachel told me, "Sit right there,"

Peter gave me that same stare.

I was good for half a minute,

Then I saw the keys and grinned.

Now there's someone coming fast,

Guess my welcome didn't last.

Sir, before you send me away,

Let me make my case this way.

Oliver looked directly at the staff member during the final two lines. By now, the man was standing only a few steps away from the piano.

Peter was sitting several tables away with one hand covering his face. Oliver could still see that he was grinning.

♬

I know I shouldn't be right here,

I know that much is pretty clear.

But since you've made it all this way,

You might as well just let me play.

♬

A few quiet laughs rippled through the bar at the last line.

♬

Before you throw me out the door,

Let me play just one song more.

You can blame me when it's done,

But we've only just begun.

Rachel's gonna lose her mind,

Peter's given up this time.

So before you show me out,

Give them something to talk about.

♬

This time, almost the entire bar laughed.

Peter slowly shook his head, raised his glass towards Oliver and leaned back. Clearly, his bodyguard was no longer planning to put up much resistance.

Oliver let his gaze wander through the room.

A woman at the other end of the bar had completely turned her chair towards the piano by now. The man beside her noticed Oliver looking and raised his glass in amusement.

♬

There's a lady by the wall,

Now she's listening after all.

Guy beside her raised his glass,

Guess I haven't lost the room.

♬

The woman looked at her companion in surprise and then back at Oliver. When she realised that he was actually singing about them, she began to laugh while the man demonstratively raised his glass once again.

♬

Peter's hiding by the bar,

Trying not to laugh too hard.

He should probably stop me now,

But he's given up somehow.

♬

Several guests now turned towards Peter, who only grinned wider and gave Oliver a thoroughly unhelpful look.

♬

Now the whole room's looking here,

Funny how the rules disappear.

That little speech you came to give

Can probably wait until I leave.

♬

Oliver looked back at the staff member. The man had folded his arms across his chest by now, but showed no sign of trying to remove him from the piano anymore.

♬

Before you throw me out the door,

Let me play just one song more.

You can blame me when it's done,

But we've only just begun.

Rachel's gonna lose her mind,

Peter's given up this time.

So before you show me out,

Give them something to talk about.

♬

By the second chorus, several guests were already moving along to the rhythm. One tapped his fingers against his glass, and somewhere farther back, the first quiet clapping began.

Oliver only noticed the movement near the entrance when Peter's grin suddenly disappeared.

Rachel was standing in the doorway. Oliver bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from bursting out laughing in the middle of the song.

Rachel said, "Just wait right here,"

Peter said, "Don't disappear."

♬

Rachel's gaze moved from Oliver to Peter. Peter immediately raised both hands as though he had absolutely nothing to do with any of this.

♬

Then I saw those waiting keys—

What did you expect from me?

If she walks in through that door,

Peter, this one's yours for sure.

♬

Oliver nodded towards Rachel as he sang. Peter stared at him in disbelief.

♬

You were meant to keep me still—

How's that working out for you?

♬

This time, even the staff member beside the piano started laughing.

Rachel, meanwhile, was still standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. Oliver decided he could deal with that once the song was over.

♬

Before you throw me out the door,

Let me play just one song more.

If you're smiling when it's done,

Then admit we had some fun.

Rachel's gonna lose her mind,

Peter's laughing this time.

And before you show me out,

Now you've got something to talk about.

♬

By the final chorus, the clapping had long since found the rhythm. Several guests were openly grinning at Oliver, and even Peter had finally stopped trying to hide his laughter.

♬

So go ahead and throw me out…

Just let the last note ring out.

♬♪♩♫

Oliver lifted his hands from the keys and let the final chord fade. For a brief moment, the room remained silent before the bar erupted into applause.

Oliver grinned and looked first at the staff member beside him before his gaze shifted towards Rachel. The expression on her face made his grin noticeably smaller.

Peter, meanwhile, only laughed harder.