It is said that some muggles are intolerant of those that are different from them, that it's to be a sin to be abnormal in the muggle community and a little disabled witch was about to unfortunately discover that the wizarding world was no different from that of the muggle community in certain views...
Sunlight was streaming through the windows of a coffee shop, allowing a mother and daughter to enjoy a bright and warm day in Hampstead, London. The frizzy haired pair were expecting to meet someone today.
Like any child waiting was never Hermione Granger's strong point. She impatiently wiggled her legs as she sat in her wheelchair and blew bubbles in her chocolate milk. Her mother gave her the look, making the child stop and sigh. The little girl chose instead to watch the other patrons in the shop go about their day, she had forgotten to bring her books from home. A horrible misery it was to be without books, the little girl thought to herself.
They were here to meet a professor for her school at Hogwarts, the headmaster Albus Dumbledore could not make it. Even though Hermione's parents were born muggless, the Grangers were no strangers to the wizarding world.
When her mother, Amarilis was a young girl, she had a best friend called Lily Potter, formerly known as Evans. Lily had a secret she kept from her friend, it ate at her to keep it from her bestie. One day, when they were nineteen. Lily had caved in and had sworn Amarilis in secrecy with what the wizarding world called an unbreakable vow, with the conditions only a future spouse or her children may know of the truth. It was then, Lily had revealed to her friend the truth, that she was a witch. Amarilis was amazed since their families did not have magic in them, regardless of being a witch she had still reminded a devoted friend of Lily's, they were still close friends to this day.
Hermione hoped she could learn more about the wizarding world and about magic. She loved learning and reading about things. She had often spent many hours in the Potter's small family library at Godric's Hollow.
She had come to the age where Hermione was going through the phase of suppressing magic, which would lead to outbursts of explosive magic, especially when she was emotional. A wand could easily fix that. She needed to start learning to control her magic.
Hogwarts was the ideal place to learn magic, a castle that harboured the stuff of fairytales. An ancient place of magic, ghosts and moving staircases. Hermione had been enthralled when she first heard the Potters stories about Hogwarts. Harry, their son, was all too happy when they found out Hermione was a witch, excited to go to school together. The bushy haired girl considered him a pest and troublemaker, she tried to stay away from him as much as possible, but he always stuck to her like a moth to a flame. Always intent on seeking out his favorite little witch, or so he called her at times.
Amarilis wanted make sure the school would be accommodating to Hermione's disability. Her mother knew how dangerous magical schools could be if the Potters' stories were anything to go by. The Potters had encouraged her mother to have a meeting with one of the staff.
Lily and her husband James knew how difficult it was for the disabled in the wizarding world, but they thought a meeting with Hermione present could change things and they would have a turn of heart, after all Albus Dumbledore and Minerva Mcgonagall were just as known for their kindness as well as their greatness and power.
Hermione sighed again, she hadn't even wheeled herself through the front doors of Hogwarts and she was already in a meeting with a professor.
Later today they were supposed to meet with the Potters and go to Diagon Alley to find Harry and her wands, how exciting today was for Hermione. They'd then be ready to take on a wizarding education and to have a job one day within the wizarding world that was hidden away from the muggle community. At first Hermione did not understand why the wizarding world needed to be hidden. Lily had told her that it was best this way as muggles didn't always see eye to eye in what was different.
This was no surprise to Hermione. She had experienced this first hand. The muggle children would often throw little pebbles at her and call her crippled. How some teachers simply admitted after keeping her in a corner that they did not know how to teach a person like Hermione. The muggles did indeed not like people who were strange to them. With these memories that happened to her because of her disability, Hermione had understood why the wizarding world had to live in secrecy.
CRASH! CRACK!
The sudden noise startled Hermione from her daydreams about the wizarding world . "I'm so sorry!" A barista said with a shocked expression, having spilt her coffee orders on a well dressed lady. Some of the stray coffee cups had tumbled to the ground and shattered into pieces. "I'm such a klutz."
Hermione could tell that the well dressed lady had magic in her, just like them. She was the professor they were waiting on. Lily had taught her to be able to sense the energies around her, a simple ability that all from their world were capable of. While muggle energy came off in a low soothing force. Wizarding energy was forceful pushing about the world and bending it to their will.
The professor gave the barista a tight smile and sarcastically said,"it's ok, I don't mind having hot coffee spilt all over me."
"Could I compensate you for free coffee?" She offered the witch, as she started to clean her mess. No doubt her accident would come out of her paycheck the barista thought gloomily.
"Alright," the professor agreed. She grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket, trying to wipe off the coffee. The witch looked around and her eyes zeroed in on Hermione and her mother and she offered them another tight smile, while making her way towards them.
"Mrs. Granger, I presume?''
"Yes, Professor Mcgonagall? Nice to finally meet you." Amarilis smiled. Professor Mcgonagall didn't bother to acknowledge Hermione, but the little girl was used to adults ignoring her sometimes. "Though I do wonder why you chose to meet here instead of at Diagon Alley where we wouldn't be overheard."
The Professor didn't think twice and quickly flicked her wand three times ensuring they had privacy and the coffee stains on her clothes had disappeared. None of the muggles had noticed a thing. Mcgonagall laid her wand at the table near her, not bothering to put it away now that they had some privacy enchantments around them. Hermione eyed Professor Mcgonagall's wand in longing and couldn't wait to buy her wand and learn skills that her school could teach her.
Amarilis went straight to the point and motioned towards her daughter. "I was wondering if your school had made the appropriate accommodations for my daughter. I'm sure you went over her profile. She was born with Cerebral Palsy and obviously needs a wheelchair to get around as she has no balance. Will things like a personal aid be provided?"
"Mrs. Granger, there is a reason why I asked to meet you here instead of at Diagon Alley." Amarilis raised her eyebrow and waited for the professor to continue. " I don't know if you know, but magic schools are dangerous"
"I figured as much, but muggle schools can be just as dangerous at times."
"Some children do end up hurt and even dying at times, rarely, but it happens. Imagine what would happen to a disabled child at one of the magic schools, they'd surely not make it even one night."
Amarilis saw red, only hesitating to do anything more because her daughter was beside her.
Mcgonagall being oblivious to Amarilis' change of demeanour droned on. "Our schools are not adept at teaching a child like your daughter. It's simply unheard of."
Hermione heard this before whether it had to do with violin lessons or wands she was no stranger to this sort of conversation. She didn't fit in the muggle community and now … Well it seemed like she didn't fit in the wizarding world either. She didn't quite understand the professor's words to be honest. Or maybe, she didn't want to understand the words just yet. She let her eyes trail over to Mcgonagall wand, again. She had always looked at the magical artifacts in wonder and now she felt as if magic itself was mocking her in a way she feared to understand.
"Not possible, the muggles have been accommodating children with special needs for years."
The professor regarded Hermione's mother and chose to speak in a condescending tone."The wizarding world still thrives in a less modern world. Centaurs and werewolves are not known to have jobs on the regular. Vampires are not allowed five miles within a wizarding town. We have house elves as servants. There are no famous books on disabled witches and wizards. There are no disabled witches or wizards that stroll freely in our towns."
Hermione's mother was stunned and couldn't say a thing, not because the professor was wrong, only because she had to admit the professor was right. She couldn't remember ever hearing about famous disabled witches and wizards from the Potters. Or seen a disabled witches and wizards in wheelchairs during their trips to Diagon Alley. Most she heard from Lily about the disabled in the wizarding world was that they either stayed at home or in some hospital ward. Amarilis was determined to not let that happen to her daughter, to not be part of the wizarding world. "You can change things. You know she is a witch.'' Her mother said softly, her voice cracking.
At a certain point Hermione had become numb to their voices. However, her mind was brought back to the conversation when she noticed her mother was hurting. Hermione could feel waves of sadness coming off her mother, though she hadn't said a single tear. Hermione glowered at the professor for hurting her mother. For finally making a little girl understand her words that she had spoken previously and making her understand the old words of her violin teacher. That they don't know how to teach a child like her, a disabled child— No, more like they didn't want to deal with the disabled child. Her head hurt from the anger she felt. A familiar bubbling sensation of her magic was reaching a boiling point. She tried to keep calm, but knowing her mother was sad due to this witch made her angry all over again.
"The wizarding world has trouble accepting muggleborn children, much less disabled muggleborn children. It's best she immersed herself in mortal studies. There are potions where her magic can be suppressed without outbursts. I wish magic could do more for your daughter. I'm sure you tried ways to heal your daughter, but you know when it comes to injuries of the brian and genetics magic can't help. I hope one day she can be cured, so that she can join the wizarding world." The professor said, getting up to take her leave, feeling like had explained enough for the girl's mother to understand.
Amarilis was about to make a scene with Mcgonagall, noticing her child was angry, she stopped from further arguing and she chose to ignore her own feelings and Mcgonagal's parting words. Instead she wrapped her arms around her child, only Hermione gently maneuvered out of her grasp.
Little Hermione glared at Mcgonagall and spoke to her for the first time forcing the professor to stop and finally set eyes on her. ''Your kind likes to think you're so different from the muggles, but you are all the same." Her voice usually squeaked when she talked, a side effect of her disability, except for once, Hermione did not care. Her naivete had just been robbed and she was angry. The glass cups and windows nearby shattered while she released her anger. Scaring and bewildering everyone around them."I'm glad I won't be a witch, so I wont end up being a ninny like you. I don't want to be in a society that doesn't want me. Least some muggles are open to change and willing to accept when they're wrong. I don't need to be cured. I'm glad I won't have to deal with your crummie school and homework." The little girl said acidly, Mcgonagall looked shocked at her outburst and nodded awkwardly. She quickly cast a simple memory alternating charms on the people in the caffe. Making the muggles think a tornado had hit the shop and walked out of the shop.
Hermione's mother hugged her, she still had half a mind to chase that woman and hex her, though that would accomplish nothing. Mrs. Granger gathered their things and then they left for home.
Hermione later held her mother as she cried for her daughter on their couch in the living room. "I'll fix this for you," her mother promised.
"You'll be a part of the wizarding world and you'll show them what a special witch you are." Hermione did not respond at first, only choosing to try and soothe her mother's distress by cuddling with her. "I'm already special." She reminded her mother softly."Being your daughter makes me special."
"Of course, mi pequeña muñequita de trapo." Her mom teased forgetting her tears. Hermione was nicknamed a little ragged doll in spanish, for her legs were just like a ragged doll's frail and delicate. It was a nickname inspired by lullaby from Amarilis' grandparents, it came from their mother country. They were immigrants from Mexico that had made their way to Britain, two generations ago.
The little girl waited patiently in her mother's lap for her to start singing their song as her mother often did when she called Hermione by her nickname. It was an old lullaby about an ugly, unwanted and forgotten doll, and she found friends within the other forgotten ones, they were the ones who truly loved her and wanted her happiness.
Hermione rested her head on her mother's chest and closed her umber eyes, listening to her heartbeat as she sang. She was just like the doll, forgotten by the muggle community and the wizarding world. With her eyes closed she missed the determined glint of her mother's brown eyes, an unbreakable, resolve of trying to make her daughter part of the wizarding world. For what good parent would accept their child being rejected by society?
Unbeknownst, to Mrs. Granger, Hermione had other ideas, when she had yelled at the professor she had told the truth. She didn't care to have her wand anymore. She had known at an even younger age that magic couldn't fix her. It wasn't that long ago she had dreams of some witch or wizard waving their wand and healing her from being in her body. Those dreams had slowly died off as she flourished and her mind matured, she grew comfortable with herself and started on her life long journey of accepting herself. She didn't care to be part of a society that wanted her to be fixed. She was neither accepted by the wizarding world or muggle community, and Hermione didn't care anymore because she knew herself and didn't need a magical world to feel like she belonged. Just like the ugly and forgotten doll she was still loved by those who were truly important and because of that she was special.
AN: Just trying out an originale storyline of mine using HP characters. Thanks to my Beta readers for the help.