Speak Up - Female Deaf Harry Potter AU

Hippogriffs

Hari was really looking forwards to their first class with Hagrid, which was her next class the first day, right after lunch. Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. 

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang at his heels, looking impatient to start. Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it -- make sure yeh can see -- now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books --"

"How?" asked many of the class.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Hermione asked..... Whoops, Hari had forgotten to show her. Hermione took out her copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which she had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.

"Hasn' -- hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

Hari raised her hand, Draco didn't, he obviously didn't want people to make the connection.

"All right then, Hari." Hagrid said, "Show us."

Hari took out her book, which vibrated as though it was purring in her arms. She stroked its spine, and it fell open.

"See, Yeh've just got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, "so -- so yeh've got yer books an' -- an' - - now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on... " He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.

Then, trotting toward them were a dozen Hippogriffs. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

Everyone but Hari, who was entranced by the beautiful creatures, drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.
The hippogriffs' had gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

Hagrid patter the nearest Hippogriff. "Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move," he continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."

"Right -- who wants ter go first?"
Most of the class backed farther away in answer. The hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.

Hari slowly raised her hands, wanting a chance to touch the beautiful things, they looked so soft.

"Oooh, no, Hari, remember your tea leaves!" Pavarti said.

Hari climbed over the paddock fence.

"Right then," Hagrid said, "let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

Hagrid untied one of the chains, pulled the gray hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. 

"Easy now, Hari," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got to make eye contact, try not ter blink.... Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much...."

'I know what to do.' Hari signed, she'd read all bout them in her textbook.

She looked into the fierce orange eyes. She held eye contact, counting slowly to five, then made a long polite bow, hipogriffs wanted a full bow, not just a jerk of the head. She kept her body in a submissive position, waiting until the creature bowed back. Buckbeak bent its scaly front knees and sank into a graceful bow. She moved slowly forwards, running her hand slowly along the soft feathers on its head. Suddenly there were large hands on her waist, she panicked for a second before she realized it was Hagrid. He lifted her onto Buckbeak's back, and she wrapped her arms around the hippogriffs neck in order to not fall off.

Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Hari, and she was soaring upward. Buckbeak flew her once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; she leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling she was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. She just managed to hold on and push herself straight again.

"Good work, Hari!" roared Hagrid as everyone except the Slytherins clapped. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

Emboldened by Hari's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Hari watched.
Draco had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Draco, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.

"This is very easy," Draco said, and Hari edged closer "I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

It happened in a flash of steely talons; Hari saw it coming, and pushed Draco out of the way. She felt one of talons tear through her arm. 

Draco was staring at her in shock. Buckbeak seemed to have realized what he had done. He nuzzled his head in Hari's side. Hari looked down at her arm, there was a long deep gash in her right arm. She pulled it close to her, reaching up weakly to pat Buckbeak's neck, the creature had now wrapped himself around her, keeping her away from Hagrid who was trying to get to her. It was treating her like its own foal/chick. 

Hagrid eventually managed to get past Buckbeak to Hari, lifting her gently, and carrying her to the hospital wing, Ron and Hermione trailing along behind.