The Infirmary: A Lesson Begins
Author's Notes: Hello, my gracious sweater monkeys. Back for more of my story, eh? Couldn't stay away from me, eh? No wait! Don't leave! Here's chapter 2 of my story.
I woke up in a hospital. Or wait...was this a hospital? No...it was an infirmary. There were curtained partitions all along this part of the room. Definitely not a hospital.
I sat up and looked at my arms. There was no trace of the cuts.
"But how did she get them?" I heard a woman ask. Probably the nurse on duty. Probably.
"I don't know." That was definitely Dumbledore.
"Well, who is she?"
"I do not know that either."
I got up off the bed, and walked towards the voices. I must not have been there long. All five adults from..upstairs?...downstairs??..were there. All of them were looking concerned. Except for the dark one. He looked tired.
I wanted to call out that I was fine. That I was going to be okay. But I couldn't. I just walked and stood next to the nurse. Everyone looked at me in surprise.
Yes, look at me. I live, I walk, but I can't talk.
Apparently no one told the nurse that.
"Well, well! Are you all better now?" she asked in a patronizing sort of way, looking me up and down.
I nodded.
She looked at me expectantly. For what? Oh...a sign of gratitude. I wanted to say "thank-you". Really, I did. But I couldn't. So what else could I do? Curtsy? Not on my life.
I clasped my hands together in front of me and bowed. A Japanese sign of gratitude....I think.
It worked anyway.
"Oh! Well...your welcome."
Good enough.
"Now that you're feeling better, I wonder if you could do something for me?" Dumbledore asked of me. I raised an eyebrow. He handed me a wand. I raised my eyebrow again. "Can you make it cast a light?"
WHAT?! Cast a light?? This wand? That was impossible...wasn't it? Well...not impossible for him, but for me. Why for me though?
I felt the brief traces of a memory float away. So...Dumbledore thought I was a wizard. A spell to make this thing light....
The faculty members were saying encouraging things like:
"Now really, Dumbledore!"
"This is ridiculous!"
"She must be a muggle!"
and, "She can't do it!"
What was that spell? Had my father taught it to me?...my mother? Think! It was..lemon. NO! Lemino...no....Lumos!
The wand cast a steady glow.
"I...I-er...didn't hear her say lumos," said the stern looking woman.
"She didn't," said Dumbledore matter-of-factly.
"How is that possible?" the dark wizard asked.
"I've heard of it being done," Dumbledore explained, gently taking the wand from me. "But I've never seen it before. I was actually hoping she would speak."
I gave a wry smile.
"She thinks this is a joke!" the dark wizard exclaimed.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes impatiently.
"I don't think she does," Dumbledore said. After a moment of intense thought, he finally said, "Let me get the sorting hat...wait here."
The wah-huh? Sorting hat?
I looked at the stern witch and shrugged my shoulders, palms up. What's happening? I appeared to ask...without actually speaking, of course. Why couldn't I speak?
"He's getting the sorting hat, dear," she explained gently.
Well, no kidding. Of course he was getting the sorting hat.
I repeated the gesture.
"It's the hat that will tell you what house you're going to be in," she continued. "I suppose that he wants you to attend school here."
Oh.
A few minutes later, Dumbledore returned with the hat, which gave a giant yawn.
I'm bored too, pal.
"Just put this on, and wait to see what he has to say," Dumbledore explained.
Hmm...all right.
I set the hat on my head, and it promptly fell over my eyes. I smiled. For the first time since I've known myself...again. I smiled. This was rather amusing in a way.
My smile seemed to settle down the adults. I could hear sighs of relief.
"Hmm...," started the hat. "I see you're a very strong person...but confused...Gryffindor?...perhaps Hufflepuff." The hat paused here...thinking. I started humming. No particular tune. I twiddled my thumbs. Gentle laughter from the world outside the hat. "I see a lot of bitterness in you still. Sarcasm. Wit, perhaps, but sarcasm nonetheless. It'll have to be...SLYTHERIN!"
Before I took off the hat, I said "thank you" in my mind.
"You're welcome," said the hat.
I wasn't too surprised.
"You're in Professor Snape's house," explained Dumbledore
I thought I was at Hogwarts.
I smiled at my own wit.
"Good, good," said Dumbledore. "At least you aren't opposed to the idea."
I kept smiling. No need for him to know.
"Severus," Dumbledore said, turning to...what was his name...Professor Snake? "Would you show this young lady the Slytherin dormitory?"
"Of course," he replied. I followed him out the door. Bowing (the Japanese way) to Professor Dumbledore before I left.
On the way downstairs (to the dungeon, of course), Professor Snape (I knew his name now) made me feel quite accepted and comfortable.
"I hope you don't think you're going to get any special treatment because you're disabled. I expect everyone will treat you just like anyone else."
What a dear.
I hope he's right, though.
I hope the Slytherin's are friendly.
I hope.