Speak Up - Female Deaf Harry Potter AU

Quirell

Hari spent all of Christmas break working on non verbal spells, but had still managed nothing. At least her wand felt more connected to her now. She continued to practice. She'd also learned a lot about animagi, and decided she wanted to start becoming one, once her magic worked, as that should be her main priority. Ron had been rather annoyed that Hari spent most of her time working, but had eventually gotten over it, and hung out with Dean and Seamus, which was rather like third wheeling, because the two were so close.

Once the break had ended, the Gryffindor team had learned that Snape would be refereeing the next Quiddich match, the whole team had complained, but Hari had been secretly relieved. No one could try to hurt her again. 

Unfortunately Ron and Hermione still thought it was Snape who was doing eveything. 

The twins and Ron were just complaining about Snape refereeing, when Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.

Everyone fell over laughing except Hari, and Hermione leapt up and performed the counter curse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling. "What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Hari and Ron.

"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."

"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"

Neville shook his head.

"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.

Hari felt in the pocket of her robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog. She gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.

Hari signed 'The hat put you here, and you're 10 times the person he is.' 

Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.

"Thanks, Hari... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

As Neville walked away, Hari looked at the Famous Wizard card, it was Dumbledore. Then she saw something. She blinked in surprise and looked down at it again.

'I've found Flamel!' she signed quickly showing the card to Hermione. The two read over her shoulder.

'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.'

Hermione jumped to her feet, and sprinted up the stairs to Hari's and her dormitories. Hari and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.

"I never thought to look in here!" she said, excited. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light ?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages. At last she found what she was looking for.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron annoyed. Hermione ignored him.

"Nicolas Flamel," she read aloud, "is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"

Hari was surprised. The Philosopher's Stone! Really, that's what it was?! WOW!

This didn't have quite the effect on Ron that Hermione'd expected.

"The what?" said Ron.

"Oh, honestly, don't you read at all? Look -- read that, there."

She pushed the book toward Ron.

The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.

There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).

"See?" said Hermione, when Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Ron. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."

'Snape doesn't want it!' Hari signed, but she was ignored

• • •

Hari didn't know whether she was imagining it or not, but she seemed to keep running into Snape wherever she went. It was as if Snape was keeping an eye on her.


• • •

It was time for the match, right before it started Wood took Hari aside.

"Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much."

The entire match was unfair for the Gryffindors with Snape giving penalties to Hufflepuff for every little thing, at one point, George, tired of it, hit a bludger at him. That had been funny.

Hari simply circled above it all, watching for the snitch, knowing she would be safe this time. No one would be able to hurt her without Snape seeing.
 

Suddenly Hari saw it, She streaked towards the ground like a bullet, almost hitting Snape, whoops, and pulled out of the dive, the snitch in her hand.

The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.

Hari jumped off her broom, a foot from the ground. She couldn't believe it. She'd done it -- the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, she saw Snape land nearby, -- then Harry was once again ingulfed by a hug.

Hari decided that she wanted to go see Hagrid, and just started on her way when a hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Hari's victory faded from her mind as she watched -- what was going on?

Hari jumped back on her broom and took off. Gliding silently over the castle she saw the figure enter the forest at a run. She followed. The trees were so thick she couldn't see where they had gone. She flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until she realized this was pointless as she wouldn't be able to hear anything, and just hovered over the entrance to the forest. Finally she saw Professor Quirell hurry out of the forest at a run, it must have been him all along.



"Hari, where have you been ?" Hermione said when she got back.

"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right -- talk about showing Slytherin! I've waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."
Hari wasn't much in the mood to celebrate though, what had Quirell been doing. It was only when the twins physically picked her up out of the corner she was in, and carried her over to the group, that she gave up her thinking and celebrated her victory.