“Don’t tell me to calm down! My daughter is trying to talk and she can’t!”
“It has to be psychological, sir. Give her some time; she will be able to talk again.”
“When?”
“I’m afraid that’s up to her.”
Every once in a while I wake up screaming. I can hear my desperate pleas in my head, but my voice is silent, my mouth gaping open trying to make a sound. I have forgotten what my voice sounds like; it has been so long since anyone has heard it. It probably wouldn’t even sound the same now even if I could remember.
When I was 9 years old, I watched my mother get tortured and killed. She placed a silencing charm on me before tucking me away in the closet. She placed another silencing charm on the closet itself so that no one could hear me even if I banged my fists against the door.
I watched through a crack in the door as the Cruciatus Curse was used on my mother again and again. I was screaming and crying for her, but I was helpless and could only watch as they finally ended her misery with a flashing green light. I was found later by my father after he spent some considerable time crouched over my mother’s body, holding her in his arms and begging for her to wake up. When he found me, I had one of her dresses hugged to my chest and I was just staring blankly ahead.
I don’t know why I haven’t been able to talk since then. I’ve tried over and over, trying to say something as simple as “I love you” to my family but it’s as if my voice is locked away, stuck somewhere in my throat. The healers said there was no physical damage to my vocal chords and it could only be psychological. It has been so long since she’s died, and I feel as if I’ve moved on. At least, I think I have. I don’t think I’ll be able to fully move on until her killers are found. Anyway, I know I’ll find my voice someday. Right now it’s just a matter of when.
People are constantly surprised at how happy and friendly I am, despite my “disability”. I have tried my best to not let my inability to speak control how I live my life. When I lost my voice, I turned to dance as my way of expressing my feelings, no longer being able to sing. Singing was something I shared with my mother and became yet another thing I lost that night. I dance professionally on my breaks from Hogwarts and while at school I am the Gryffindor seeker. I am also irrevocably in love with my best friend and Quidditch captain, Oliver Wood.
Without my voice, I am still a great student, person and friend, and I work hard to make sure I stay that way. I refuse to let my mother’s killers take any more from me.
It is my final year at Hogwarts, and I plan on leaving with no regrets. This year, I will get an “O” on all my N.E.W.T.S. This year, Gryffindor will win the Quidditch Cup. This year, I will find the courage to confess to Oliver. This year…I will find my voice.
A/N: Hey all! This is just a bit of an introduction to the story, the first chapter is not far behind. I kinda just wanted to start putting some feelers out there ^-^
Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely wizarding world of Harry Potter nor anyone in it. I only own any characters/places not recognized as belonging to JK Rowling.
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