Speak Up - Female Deaf Harry Potter AU

The Forbidden Forest

"Look there," said Hagrid, "saw that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, looking terrified

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.
"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. " So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other."

Hari waved to get Hagrid's attention, then signed 'Malfoy will just bully Neville.'

 "Oh, in that case, you go with him then Hari," Hagrid said, "Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now -- that's it -- an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh -- so, be careful -- let's go."

At least Hari could shoot sparks. The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Neville, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Hari, and Fang took the right.
　　They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves. Once they were out of sight of Hagrid, Draco turned to Hari, "This is all your fault."

'It's actually your fault, if you hadn't tried to tell on us, you wouldn't be here.' she signed, annoyed

Draco ignored her after that. They walked for nearly an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Hari thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Hari could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak. She held out her arm to stop Malfoy.

Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer. It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Hari had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.

Hari had taken one step toward it when out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Hari, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.

Malfoy staggered away and Fang bolted. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Hari -- unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward Hari -- she couldn't move, frozen from fear.

Then a pain like she'd never felt before pierced her head; it was as though her scar were on fire. Half blinded, she staggered backward. Something jumped clean over Hari, charging at the figure. 

The pain in Hari's head was terrible, she could barely feel anything else. She fell to her knees. She felt hands stopping her from collapsing. It took a minute or two to pass. When she looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, he had brown hair and a palomino body. Malfoy was crouched beside her, stopping her from falling.

"Are you all right?" said the centaur, as Malfoy pulled an unsteady Hari to her feet.
'Yes -- thank you -- what was that?' Hari signed, and at the look of confusion on the centaur's face, Malfoy translated.

The centaur didn't answer. He looked carefully at Hari, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Hari's forehead.

"You are the Potter girl," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time -- especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way."

"My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Hari and Draco could clamber onto his back. Draco got on first
Two other centaurs came bursting through the trees, before Hari could get on as well, their flanks heaving and sweaty.　

"Firenze!" one thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you not realize who this is?" said Firenze, nodding at Hari. "This is the Potter girl. The quicker she leaves this forest, the better."　

"What have you been telling them?" he growled. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"

The other centaur pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best."

The first centaur kicked his back legs in anger. "For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed, "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."

And Firenze, after Malfoy pulled Hari on, plunged off into the trees, leaving the two behind them.
　
They rode through the trees for a while. Malfoy, who was sitting behind her, tapped her shoulder. She turned partly to look at him. 'Thanks' She signed.

'Why do you always find danger?' he signed, so Firenze couldn't hear.

'I don't try to, I hate it. It just finds me.' she signed back.

Suddenly Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her with Neville. Hari and Malfoy slid off Firenze's back, Malfoy had to stop Hari from crumpling as she hit the ground.

"Good luck, Hari Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving an unsteady Hari and shivering Malfoy behind him.

• • •

'Something was drinking the blood' Hari signed to Hermione, as they made their way up to the Gryffindor Common room. ' It made my scar hurt like crazy.'

"Maybe it was You Know Who." Hermione said

'Why?'

"The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."

Ron had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. . In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Hermione began to tell him what Hari had told her. Hari collapsed into a chair, exhausted and with a headache 

"Snape wants the stone for you know who" Ron said, "and Voldemort's waiting in the forest... and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich...."

''It's not Snape, I think it's Quirell' Hari stated again, but as always, was ignored