Hi everyone. So this is my entry for Babygirl121896's epilepsy competition. I chose number 25 which turned out to be a free choice of characters so after quite a bit of brainstorming and indecisiveness i chose Hannah Abbot as it is entirely plausible for her to have epilepsy in canon events. Anyway this started out as a one-shot then it grew some limbs, then it sprouted wings, then it really surprised me and grew a tail so now it's quite long! Hope you like it x

When Hannah Abbot had been told she had epilepsy by the kind healer at 's she was five years old. Her mother and father had sat with her and held her hands as the healer had explained what epilepsy was and what to do when a fit occurred. That night when they got home Hannah's mother had sat her down, looked her straight in the eye and said,

"There is nothing to be afraid of Han, I will always be here to help you with this, it's all going to be alright."

Hannah couldn't say she was completely unafraid at first, she knew what happened in a fit and she didn't like it at all. The first fit after the diagnosis happened whilst Hannah was in the kitchen making cupcakes with her mother, the details were blurry in Hannah's mind but she remembered how calm her mother had been, how when the fit was over her mother had turned her onto her side and said comforting things softly in her ear until her breathing had gone back to normal, then she pulled Hannah in for a big hug and said,

"You're safe sweetie, you're fine, mummy's here, she'll help you,"

After that Hannah had never really been afraid, she was with her mother most of the time and her mother always stayed very calm and sorted the problem out quickly. It was when Hannah got her letter to Hogwarts, that the original fear reared its ugly head again, only this time it was worse, because at Hogwarts there would be no-one there to comfort her and no-one there who new everything there was to know about her epilepsy. Hannah began to have nightmares and she would wake in a cold sweat. Hannah was also scared of being ridiculed by the other children, what if they saw her have a fit and thought she was a freak? What if no-one would be her friend because they were scared of her? The fears swirled around Hannah's head until she could take it no longer.

"Mummy, I don't want to go to Hogwarts," Said Hannah quietly one evening in August.

Hannah's mother turned to look at her, she did not look at all surprised, she just smiled, opened up her arms and said.

"Come here sweetie,"

Hannah climbed onto her mothers lap despite the fact she was eleven years old and Mrs Abbott wrapped her arms around her little girl.

"Do you want to tell me what this is about?"

Hannah shook her blonde head and buried her face into her mother's jumper.

"Is it about your epilepsy?" Asked her mother softly

Hannah nodded.

"And what are you afraid of honey?"

"That no-one will want to know me because they'll think I'm freak and I'll be all alone and…..and…" Hannah was crying now and couldn't say anything more.

For a while Mrs Abbot said nothing, just rubbed small comforting circles on her daughters back and made soft shushing noises. Finally, when Hannah had calmed down enough, Mrs Abbot lifted up Hannah's chin so the two blondes were looking straight at each other.

"Hannah, no one will think you're a freak for having epilepsy, and if they do, they're really not the sort of people that are worth your notice," She said seriously "Anyway, you don't have to tell anyone you have epilepsy if you don't want to,"

"I don't?" Hannah asked.

"Well, professor Dumbledore already knows and I'm going to write to your head of house when I find out who they are but," Mrs Abbot shrugged "No one else has to know, I would recommend telling the girls in your dormitory so they know what to do if anything happens but it's your choice,"

"But what if I have a fit in the middle of class, what if….."

"Hannah you could 'what if' until your face turns blue but it's just going to make you more worried. The teachers will know you have epilepsy in case you have a fit in class and I will only be a letter away, I'll even go up to the school if you want to see me after a fit. Everything is going to be fine." Mrs Abbot finished.

Hannah nodded, she wanted to believe her mother but….she was so afraid. However she knew she had to go to Hogwarts, she couldn't let epilepsy stop her from going somewhere we had wanted to go for as long as she could remember.

OOO

Hannah knew she would never regret her decision to come to Hogwarts, she loved everything. She loved Hufflepuff with all the lovely people. She loved Professor Sprout, the head of house, who had come to see all her new Hufflepuffs on the first day and told them she was extremely pleased to have them all in her house and to come to her with any problems they might have. She loved all the girls in her dormitory who were all kind and funny, she even liked the boys who were in her year in Hufflepuff. Most of all, she really liked Susan Bones, who was walking next to her as they explored the ground together on their first Friday afternoon. Susan was funny, thoughtful and just a very nice person and the two girls and quickly become friends.

"Susan?" Hannah asked quietly

"Mmmm," Susan replied, staring out at the lake.

"Do you know….do you know what epilepsy is?"

Susan seemed to consider for a moment, before turning to face Hannah. "I think so, it's an illness where you have fits, isn't it?"

Hannah took a deep breathe, mentally preparing herself for what she was going to say next.

"Susan…I have epilepsy,"

Susan whirled round to face her, eyes wide.

"Do you?" She asked shocked.

Hannah spoke firmly to her feet so Susan couldn't see her pink cheeks.

"Yeah, and I thought I'd better tell you because we're sharing a dormitory and I might have a fit so…" Hannah trailed off.

"Hannah," Susan said sharply. "You're not embarrassed about having Epilepsy, are you?"

Hannah shook her head, still facing the ground, then without warning she felt arms come around her, encircling her in a hug.

"Hannah, I don't mind you having epilepsy you daft old thing!" Susan said.

"You don't?" Hannah asked incredulously

"No of course not! So tell me what to do if you have a fit then," Susan said as she linked arms with Hannah and began to walk her around the lake.

OOO

On November the 7th Hannah had her first fit. She was in her dormitory with the other girls and they were all sitting up and chattering away about lessons and home, when Hannah felt it come over her. The last thing she really remembered was Susan's yell.

"Sally-Anne, go and get Professor Sprout now!"

And feeling a small pair of hands turn her onto her side. The next thing Hannah saw was the kind face of Professor Sprout leaning next to her.

"Oh my dear, how do you feel?" She asked softly.

Hannah didn't answer. There was an ache inside her that had nothing to do with the fit. She wanted her mum. She wanted her mum's soft hug and her kind words that were whispered in her ear. She wanted the kiss on her forehead and her mother to say 'I love you sweetie'. A tear leaked out of Hannah's eye and fell onto the pillow below her.

"Oh Hannah," Said Professor Sprout and to Hannah's utter surprise a pair of arms that felt very similar to her mothers came around her and words very similar to the ones her mother whispered came to her ears.

"It's alright dear, you're safe, everything's going to be okay,"

OOO

To the relief of Hannah, she never had a public fit, the only other person to ever see her have a fit apart from the girls in her dormitory was Ernie. Throughout her first year Hannah and Susan had made better and better friends with Ernie until by second year, they were all very close. It had been just the three of them finishing off some homework in the common room in the third year. All the other boys and girls in their year and others had slowly drifted away until they were the only ones left when it had happened. To Hannah's surprise Ernie had not panicked or been scared, it was just like her first fit at Hogwarts, she was supported by her friends.