.

NO, I HAVE NOT WRITTEN HARRY POTTER AND I CLAIM ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHTS!

EVERY CHARACTER IN THIS FANFIC BELONGS MERELY TO JKRowling!

I DO NOT MAKE ANY MONEY OUT OF THIS!

Book 1 / Chapter 20 / Fox, Mirror of Erised and Granger

Long time no see!

I see...

Well, enjoy :)

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"Now, I told you what I know and if he disappeared? Who am I to blame? You don't expect me to feel bad when a bully's gone, right?" Harry threw his professor a dark look as he flicked his wand, making the bruises disappear again. "At least one of them," added the young Potter as he looked at the man in front of him who obviously got the message when his arms slagged a bit. With that, Harry turned around going back to his book but not really reading.

He checked if the professor was saying something but the man just stood there, thinking, then he swept his cloak around and left, closing the door behind him gently.

Harry let out a relieved sigh.

He almost peed into his pants.

But he was glad he stood up for himself.

He only hoped it paid off and he wouldn't find himself landed in a detention for the rest of the year.

…

As it was, all of the teachers who opted to stay during the holidays (or were forced to stay) went looking for Ronald Weasley who was somewhere inside the dungeons. After the futile attempt that lasted for three hours without anyone being successful, much to professor Snape's annoyance, they had to summon the headmaster back to the school immediately since the wards just wouldn't listen to the deputy.

Thus, Ronald Weasley has been found.

That idiot wandered off to the deepest and furthest corridor of the dungeon, or so the headmaster said once he was safe. He was slightly dehydrated and a bit freezing but otherwise, he was alright.

The boy was actually sleeping when the headmaster found him.

Harry heard the bully had been retrieved from the dungeon so he only waited for someone to come and point fingers. He thought he'd be blamed for that idiot's disappearance since even his head of house knew about his involvement but to his utmost surprise, no one came.

It was brushed off as an accident and the young Weasley had been warned not to wander again.

At least he can keep his mouth shut.

Harry had a few free days after that, mostly meditating, writing homework or reading the potions books he got from Malfoys. If it wasn't for Snape reappearing every other day to escort him to the Great Hall and eat with 'suitable company for once' as he called it, Harry might have spent the holiday completely alone.

Not that he would mind that, really.

Alright, maybe it had been nice, seeing someone else other than his reflection in the mirror each morning. The professor actually came and threw some healing balm at him the day after young Weasley had been found.

It helped tons.

But except a small 'thank you' he didn't communicate with the harsh Potions Master.

He was meditating one day again when he felt his body fully connecting to his inner animal. He took a deep breath, imagined in his mind the crimson red fox with black ear tips and tail he saw so often these days, and then with a big breath out, he felt himself change.

His body had shrunk.

His nose, as well as his ears, prolonged.

And suddenly, he felt he had a tail attached to his tailbone.

Harry slowly opened his eyes.

It was incredible.

He was a lot smaller now, barely reaching the height of his bed but he hoped he would grow at least a bit as he was still a child as a human.

Harry took his time, getting to know how to move and use everything to his advantage. He was still deaf even in his animagi form but he didn't really mind it. He decided he would take Draco's offer and talk to the doctor during the holidays, he would make up his mind then.

And so, Harry spent almost three hours getting into the feeling of being on all four for once. He also had to coordinate his tail, since it pushed many things to the ground without his notice.

After he felt just about comfortable, he changed back.

Then into a fox, and a human again.

He wanted to make sure he had the hang of it before he used it outside of his room.

Once he knew he could change without any sweat, he headed to the bathroom and changed in front of a mirror. His ears were completely black, whereas his tail and paws were just a very dark brown.

I guess that's my marking.

Thought Harry as he looked at his ears. He was just glad he had no lightning bolt on himself, everyone would know who he was upon seeing him if that had been the case.

It made sense really because his deafness was the most prominent feature even though many thought it was his scar, they were wrong and this just proved it.

Then he noticed his eyes and changed his mind.

The green was definitely his marking since it shone from the distance.

Changing back, Harry smiled. He couldn't wait to tell Draco about it. Maybe the blond would like to learn too? And with that thought, Harry got back to his room and fished out a book about the wandless magic. It was coming to him with a huge difficulty. He was exhausted after each feat and he couldn't say it was getting any better. He was only barely able to levitate the feather.

But he wasn't giving up.

Not everything was going to be as easy as becoming an animagi and he accepted that fact.

That didn't mean it wasn't a bit frustrating.

…

The time when the other students were coming back from holidays was nearer and nearer. Harry kept studying Potions and the Wandless magic but sometimes he wandered through the castle with his sketchbook. And one of those days he just came across a door that wasn't there the week before. He looked around, checking if he was at the right place but everything was familiar except for the one door.

It was open, and no one said anything about not going there, so Harry did.

It was an unused classroom, empty but for a huge mirror.

Harry looked around, trying to see if there was anyone in there but the room wasn't overly lit, so he couldn't see the man who was hiding in the corner right on the left from him. And therefore, Harry did the only thing, he could.

He stepped inside the room fully, then made his way towards the mirror, not really stepping in front of it just yet. He read the heading, immediately realizing it should be read backwards.

"I show not your face but your heart's desire," whispered Harry, as he quickly forced his eyes shut.

Did he dare?

One step and he would be in front of it. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, then stepped in front of the Mirror of Erised. The sketchbook fell out of his grasp as he let out a trembling sigh.

There, in the mirror, was Lily Potter, along with her husband, Harry supposed.

He knew the beautiful redheaded woman to be his mother because he remembered the night she was murdered. But the man next to her was still unknown to Harry. He seemed familiar and Harry knew he held some resemblance towards the man when he smiled.

They were both standing behind him, at least that's what the mirror showed him, but he knew it wasn't real.

Suddenly, Draco appeared, making the mirror Harry smile as he threw an arm around his shoulders. Then others came, other people, who Harry didn't know showed up but each of them looked a bit like him.

Family… Or what could have been my family, right?

Harry didn't even register he was crying fully now, tears dripping on his clothes. He reached out his hand but it only connected to the cold mirror.

Broken, Harry shut his eyes and turned around, the pain was so real he could scream.

Why?

Why couldn't he have his parents back?

WHY?!

He fell to his knees, noticing the sketchbook he dropped earlier.

He could at least draw them, right?

Still sniffing, Harry dried his tears into the sleeve of his robe. It turned out to be futile as he just couldn't stop crying. He took another deep breath as he turned around once more, seating himself in front of the mirror, he started his work.

After he was done, he put it aside, drying his ever-flowing tears again. He smiled at the mirror, knowing the people inside weren't real, they were just reflections… Reflections of Harry's deepest desire.

The boy was so swept inside the image, he didn't even notice the man disillusion himself. Yes, he was still there, watching the young boy as he drew what was in the mirror.

He stepped closer, very quietly, only as far as he needed to peek at the sketch.

After that, he made his way outside the room, not looking back.

Harry didn't stay long after that since the sadness left him after some time, and all he could feel was a rage. He took the sketchbook and headed back to his room, spelling it almost bulletproof so it wouldn't get destroyed. It was the only picture he had of his family.

He did have a picture of his mother, yes, but knowing it was from a memory where she died, made it very hard to look at.

Now he had this.

Him, Draco, both of their parents and so many others, grandparents, great-grandparents… Harry drew everything he saw.

He was glad he did.

Making a copy, he folded it and put it under his pillow, then he took the original, sat on his bed and just stared.

Harry couldn't recall ever wishing for something so much as he wished for his parents to be alive again that evening. He fell asleep, tears still visible on his face, the painting safely tucked inside his drawer.

It wasn't such a bad holiday if he didn't count his getting beaten by the Weasley and further humiliated by Snape. That day he waited for Draco at the station. He couldn't have arrived soon enough.

"Harry!" Yelled Draco as he wildly waved his hand, knowing his friend didn't actually hear him.

"Draco!" Replied the young boy as he finally noticed his excited friend among the crowd. They hugged fiercely neither one actually wanting to let go of the other. Both of them had a lot to say but they waited until after they got to their room so they could communicate in sign language.

Draco talked about his holidays as if it was nothing special but still, made Harry promise to come with him the next time. Harry, on the other hand, shared his experience with learning the wandless magic. His friends bewildered look only changed to longing as he kept on talking.

Soon enough Draco was learning alongside him.

The classes resumed and continued as usual. The only difference was that Weasley kept his mouth shut and never so much as looked wrongly in their direction. Snape mostly ignored him in class. Harry didn't even bother to raise his hand anymore. Life was becoming easier.

Well, at least he thought so.

One day he was in the library working on his transfiguration assignment when a bushy-haired girl appeared in front of him. There was no one around thankfully because that wretched girl started talking to him… in sign language.

Well, talking… she was so stiff and barely managed to say hello, not to mention she spelled her name wrong. Anyway, what was she doing?

"You can drop that confused look, I've been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes." Said the girl as she put a textbook on the table. The table was the only thing separating them and Harry couldn't help but notice that it was a muggle textbook she pulled out. A book about sign language filled with pictures and explanations.

"Who told you?" Growled Harry his eyes reduced to tiny slits. He was angry but he was sure as hell it couldn't have been Draco. Presumably one of the teachers had to. The only one that came to mind was the dark-haired bat who hated him so. Harry simply didn't get it. They were on peaceful terms since the holidays, why would the professor start things?

Maturity is overestimated as it seems.

"No one. I figured it out myself." She smiled. It was genuine if overly self-confident.

Oh… Guess I jumped into conclusion too soon.

"What do you want to keep quiet about it then?" Asked the Slytherin suspicion creeping inside his heart. Everyone always wanted something from him.

"Nothing!" She exclaimed. "I wouldn't tell anybody. I could tell you are keeping it a secret." She rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"For Merlin's sake then what prompted you to talk to me in the first place?" Harry wasn't really patient. He wanted to make his assignment and head back to the dormitory. Gavrilla was sleeping on his bed again, too bad she couldn't sleep for him also. As the exams neared, teachers loaded students with more and more work. With all that wandless magic training he was putting himself through he was dead on his feet.

"I-I wanted to thank you for saving me from the troll." She muttered. "And I wanted to ask you for a favour."

Harry tensed when she mentioned the troll as the memory of his dying mother came to the forefront of his mind, again. Hermione Granger. She was always right there with him on the top of the class. "What favour?"

"Ehm… my little sister went deaf a few months ago due to sickness. She is learning sign language at the school she attends. I was supposed to go with her to learn to communicate via sign language but then I got accepted to Hogwarts. I've been trying to learn myself but… it's horrible, isn't it? Well, I was hoping you could help me." She was taking him in with those puppy eyes of hers.

Why couldn't Dudley be like her?

Harry let out a sigh. Hermione's sister was a lucky fella if her family's trying to learn sign language. He should help her, right?

And he would.

"Fine, I'll help. The first step, learn the alphabet properly. Standing in front of a mirror helps too. And drop the 'I' character when referring to yourself that's old. Just point to yourself." After he showed her how to spell Hermione properly he looked at the textbook she was using. "It's actually really good. Learn the basic vocabulary and I'll practice with you in a week. Don't tell anyone about it, clear?"

"Clear."

She was smiling as if he's just given her a horse, he didn't get it.

"Well… get lost." He said when she still sat there looking at him.

"I-uhm… just wanted to ask… how do you know what I'm saying? And how can you pronounce words so well if you can't hear?" She sure didn't know how to shut up and leave.

"I'm reading lips and I practise my pronunciation a lot. Now leave, please. I have to finish my assignment."

"I could help you with that." She exclaimed before he even thought about looking at his Transfiguration text. She really couldn't take a hint.

"Hermione." He growled.

"Okay, same time next week?"

When he nodded she finally disappeared. Merlin, what did I put myself into? He guessed it wouldn't be so bad but he decided against telling Draco. The boy was fairly jealous when it came to Harry.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Till next time!

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See you!