Speak Up - Female Deaf Harry Potter AU

Halloween

It was halloween morning. The great hall was beautifully decked with floating pumpkins, but Hari wasn't thinking about that. Today was the first day that they would have to actually preform spells, spells that needed to be said out loud in order to work.

Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Hari's partner was Seamus Finnigan, which was good. Seamus was one of the few who didn't treat her any differently. Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this.

She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Hari's broomstick (a nimbus two-thousand) had arrived, which had been about a week ago. Hermione had thought that Hari shouldn't be rewarded for breaking a rule, but it gave Hari one place she felt powerful, and like she belonged. There was only one place that Hari had ever found like that, and it was on a broom.

•  •  •

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" said Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too -- never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

It was very difficult for most of the class, for Hari it was impossible. Hari tried and tried, she even tried mouthing the words, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it -- Hari put it out with a textbook.

Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.

He appeared to be shouting at the feather, at least he could make noise Hari thought dryly, waving his long arms like a windmill.

Finally Hermione pushed him aside and waved her wand. Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

It was all Hari could do to get away from other people before bursting into tears, she made it to the nearest girls washroom, then sat in a corner by the sink, so she could see if people came in and just sobbed.

A few minutes later, Hermione also came in. She was crying as well. Hari stood up, offering her a hug. They stood there for a while, just feeling a little better in each other's arms. Hari took Hermione's hand and pulled her after her out of the bathroom, into the empty classroom next door. It was a lot nicer place to be sad than a bathroom, no matter how clean. 

They sat in the empty classroom, just appreciating each-others company. They had an on and off sign conversation. They missed their last class, and were just getting up to go to dinner when Hermione held her hand up and signed, 'do you smell something?'

Hari sniffed and a foul stench reached her nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean. Then they shrank back into the shadows at the back of the room as a gigantic troll lumbered into the room. Its skin was a dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge club. The door shut and the bolt slammed home.... They were trapped!

Hermione clung to Hari, her mouth open in a scream that Hari couldn't hear. Suddenly the door burst open and Ron rushed into the room. Ron started throwing pipes at the troll as it swung its massive club around, trying to hit one of them. Hari tried to drag Hermione to the door, but she wouldn't move, frozen.

Ron leapt onto the troll's back, apparently trying to wrestle with it. The troll started trying to slam it back into things, flailing around, it was a miracle nobody had been crushed. Hari had her wand in her hand, and as she raised it, hoping for anything, the torchlight eliminated a tapestry on the wall of two intertwined snakes. Hari felt something leave her mouth and the Trolls club rose into the air, then fell, hitting it on the head. It was knocked out by its own weapon. The whole room shook as it hit the ground.

"What was that?" Hermione asked Hari.

'What?' Hari signed confused

"You cast Wingardium Leviosa, but you didn't say anything, just hissed slightly, kind of like------"

----- Professor McGonagall burst into the room, followed closely by Professor Snape

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, if looks could kill, they would already all be in their graves. Hari looked at Ron, who was getting up off the troll. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Then Hermione stepped in front of Hari.

"Please, Professor McGonagall -- they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

"I went looking for the troll because I -- I" 

Hari pushed her gently to the side, then started to sign. 'That's not true, she's covering up for me being a coward. I was scared and devastated after not being able to create the slightest charm because I can't speak. I ran off, wanting to be alone. Hermione found me, and stayed with me. The troll found us, and Ron, who I assume was looking for me, helped us escape.'

"If he hadn't found us, we'd be dead now." Hermione added, signing for Hari's benefit. "Ron  distracted it, and Hari knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish us off when they arrived."

"Well -- in that case... " said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them. "Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. If you're not hurt at all; Granger, Weasley, you'd both better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses. Miss Potter come with me."

Hari followed Professor McGonagall into the next classroom over.

Professor McGonagall sat down on a chair and motioned for Hari to do the same.

"First of all, you are not a coward." Professor McGonagall told Hari.

Hari nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"You said you were unhappy because you could not speak and therefore perform a spell, and yet you seemed to have used Wingardium Leviosa to knock out the troll, completely silently. Non-verbal spells are NEWT level, Potter."

'According to Hermione,' Hari signed, 'I made a sort of hissing sound, when I did the spell.'

"I will keep that it mind," she paused then said, "Perhaps your accidental magic was triggered when needed, it is often that way for children, but at least this is proof you can do magic if necessary......" she trailed off.

Hari waited.

"We are working on a way for you to understand others and communicate more easily. Hopefully this will be finished soon. Until then just hang in there, you're going to be alright."

Hari nodded, now that her adrenaline had faded, she was very tired. She stifled a yawn.

"It's getting late, you should get up to bed."

'good night professor' Hari signed

Minerva McGonagall nodded to to the little girl, who so greatly resembled both her mother and father, as she left. She smiled a sad sort of smile, remembering all the evening conversations she had had with Lily when she was at Hogwarts, and how she had always said the same thing as she left. Not many students said goodnight to Minerva.