Chapter 5 - A Trip to Hogsmeade
They had arrived at Hogsmeade in no time at all. The two split up after Tala agreed to meet with him in half an hour at The Three Broomsticks. Tala first went into Honeydukes Sweetshop and bought a bunch of candy like Professor Dumbledore had instructed her to do. For her gratitude, Tala got some lemon drops for him and a small box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans for Professor Snape. She wasn't sure what her professor liked but decided that it was okay.
Tala was smacking on some bubble gum when she came out of Honeydukes with a bag of candy in hand. She then proceeded next door to Zonko's Joke Shop where she got some dungbombs, a couple of fake wands, a screaming yo-yo, and self-shuffling playing cards. The owner told her that screaming yo-yo made a loud shrill screaming sound when it was played with so he put a spell on it so that it barely made a sound, not knowing that Tala would not be able to hear it.
"Thank you, sir," said Tala.
"No problem, kid. Don't reckon your and your friends ears would like the screaming that much. You can always up the volume on the screaming by pressing the side of it two times each level of volume. Now you have a nice day and enjoy that backpack," replied Zonko.
"I sure will," answered Tala before she walked out.
Zonko had given her a free backpack to store all of her stuff in and she had thanked him profoundly. Tala was on her way back to The Three Broomsticks to meet with Professor Snape when she suddenly noticed a shop next to the post office. It was weird. She could have sworn it had not been there when she had passed by on her way to Zonko's.
It appeared to be a small, old shop. Maybe that was why she had not seen it before. Tala still had a few more minutes before she had to meet up with her professor so she decided she would take a look inside. She walked up to the door and went inside. Bookshelves filled to the brim with books covered the entire shop. A few other things were thrown around the room but it was quite obvious that the shop mostly sold books.
No one but her appeared to be in the shop and that sent a shiver of fear down her back.
"May I help you?" asked a voice from behind as a hand was placed on her shoulder.
Tala whirled around with her wand pointed at the person in front of her. It was a middle aged man with snow white hair and the eyes of the sea. He smiled apologetically and Tala lowered her wand.
"I'm sorry. I did not mean to frighten you," apologized the man.
"It is okay. You are not the first to do it," replied Tala.
"You're deaf, aren't you?" asked the man.
Tala nodded her head as the man chuckled.
"It's quite okay, young one. We can not help what we are. I am partially blind myself. I see everything blurry through my right eye. My name is Samuel but you may call me Sam. I am the owner of this quaint little shop," explained the man.
"I have never seen this shop before. I am Tala Hunter," said Tala as they shook hands.
"Hunter, you say? Ah, a perfect example of a well pureblooded family. Everyone of your family is kind with a heart of gold. You will make many changes in people's life," riddled Sam.
Tala stared at him curiously. The man talked in riddles that confused her but made her curious at the same time.
"You like to draw?" suddenly inquired Sam.
"Y-Yes, I do. I l-like to draw whenever I can," replied a startled Tala.
"May I have a look at your drawings?"
Tala unzipped her backpack and handed her sketchbook to the man. He flipped through it, the smile never leaving his face. When he was done, he handed the sketchbook with a look of thinking on his face.
"I may have just the book for you," softly spoke Sam.
He waltzed over to the counter where he reached down and brought out a book. It was an old book covered in dust until Sam blew the dust away. There was some writing on the front of the book. It said: To Life the Art Comes. Sam handed the book to her and she looked it over before gazing back at him oddly.
"True, it is an old book but it tells of a series of ancient spells that an artist used to make his creations come to life before his very eyes. He was able to use them to help him out of sticky situations with bullies, dark wizards and even with other creatures. The artist would summon a dragon to fight against another dragon. Naturally, the artist's dragon would win because it would not run out of energy and get badly injured such as the other dragon. He used these spells to do extraordinary things."
Tala smiled as she looked at the book. She had always dreamed of her drawings coming to life but had never thought she could ever be able to.
"How much?" asked Tala.
"Nothing, dear Tala. You may take the book free of charge if you do a favor for me," explained Sam.
"What?"
"That you promise never to use the spells within for dark doings. The artist loved the power to bring forth life from his drawings but knew that if found out the power within could be used against our world."
"You mean Lord Voldemort."
One thing they taught students at Pine View was to not fear Voldemort's name and to be able to say it clearly so as not to show any fear whatsoever.
"Yes and no. It takes a powerful person to be able to summon the life within their drawings which is why only the artist has been able to do such magic. The spells need a special power to be able to be called. But I have a feeling you have that special power inside you."
All the sudden, Tala caught a look of the clock in the room and cursed under her breath as she stuffed the book into her backpack.
"I am so sorry, Sam. I need to leave now. My professor's going to kill me if I am late to meet with him," explained Tala.
"Quite all right, young one. Have a nice day now."
Tala ran out of the shop and towards The Three Broomsticks. She fixed her hair and brought her breath down to regular before entering the establishment. The Gryffindor girl found Professor Snape sitting at a table in the back. She walked over and sat down across from him, setting her backpack down on the ground beside her.
"Sorry I'm late, professor. I got caught up talking with someone," explained Tala.
"Excuses will not make up for it, Miss Hunter. You are lucky my friend has not arrived yet," spoke Professor Snape.
Tala narrowed her eyes in thought. Friend? Professor Snape had not mentioned meeting with a friend at The Three Broomsticks.
"You didn't mention a friend before, professor," bravely spoke up Tala.
"I did not know I needed to tell you everything. The headmaster knew I was meeting a friend here today which is why he asked me to bring you here and why I accepted. Here comes my friend now in fact."
Tala looked over her shoulder to see a blonde man making his way over to them. He was a dead ringer for an older Draco Malfoy. Tala glared at Professor Snape angrily. She stood up and picked up her backpack. The blonde man stopped next to their table and smiled at Professor Snape.
"Hello Severus. Who is your young friend here?" asked the blonde.
"Lucius, this is Tala Hunter. Miss Hunter, this is Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father," introduced Professor Snape.
Before Tala could stop herself, she spoke exactly what was on her mind.
"Oh? So he would be the father of the ego-headed blonde brat, huh? Well, if he's the father of a boy who disgraces every known pureblood I'll go sit somewhere else."
Which was what she did. She moved around the stunned Lucius and sat a few tables down so that Professor Snape could still see her. Professor Snape stared at her in disbelief. He could not believe she had just said that and all of it right to Lucius Malfoy. Lucius sat down in the chair Tala had been occupying and spoke.
"Care to explain what she was talking about, Severus?" asked Lucius through hooded eyes.
Tala ordered a butterbeer and took out her sketchbook while she waited. She stared over at the table where Lucius and Severus were sitting. She began to draw both of them talking and sitting at their table. Her butterbeer was brought to her around the time she was finishing Malfoy's cane which was leaning against the table.
"Every one of them? Are you sure?" questioned Lucius as he kept his anger in check.
"Quite. Miss Hunter is a Gryffindor therefore she does not lie to the headmaster. In fact, I have heard of your child insulting her about her voice," said Severus.
"She does have a strange voice now that you mention it," replied Lucius as he glanced over at her.
"That's because she can not hear it. Lucius, she is deaf," growled Severus.
Lucius gazed at his friend sharply.
"Deaf? No one in the Hunter family is deaf."
"She is. She was born deaf and has been going to Pine View for the last five years. Her professors had her transferred to Hogwarts this year so that she could be in a different environment. I think Draco and the others decided they did not want her around which is what brought on this mountain of tricks played on her."
Lucius was attempting to run all the thoughts through his head. Tala's father, Craig Hunter, was an old friend of his and Severus but he had never imagined one of his friend's children being deaf. Craig had never told him and he knew for a fact that his friend's eldest daughter could hear quite well.
"Came as a shock to me as well. Especially when her older sister blew up at me and Maflock for unknowingly yelling at her sister for not listening to us in class."
Tala finished her second butterbeer and was coloring Professor Snape's hair when a person sat down beside her. She looked up and gasped.
"Professor Dougum! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Tala, her hands going up in
sign language.
"I flooed to Hogwarts to see how you were doing and Albus told me I'd find you down here. How have you been?" asked the professor.
"I've been better, mam. I was sorted into Gryffindor and I met a boy who knows sign language. Oh, and I'm teaching Harry Potter how to sign," explained Tala.
"Potter, eh? That's great to hear but I know there's more than that," hinted the professor.
"Malfoy and the other sixth year Slytherins have been giving me a hard time. I think they want me to go back Pine View. I don't know what to do. Durmstrang never got this bad."
"Because you told your sister who alerted your parents of the situation. Your mother then spoke with me and I agreed upon transferring you to Pine View. Don't let the Slytherin's pressure you into leaving. You spent all those years at Pine View training to go to a regular school like Hogwarts and we both know you can achieve your goals."
Tala grinned and laughed as she shook her head.
"You didn't come all this way just to give me advise, did you?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. I wanted to come see how my favorite student was doing and I did. I see you've kept up with your drawing."
"I have. You can look at my new ones."
Tala handed her sketchbook to Professor Dougum who took a look at each new drawing Tala had done. She stopped on a drawing of Draco.
"This is Lucius' son. I see quite a few Slytherins in here as well."
"There is something about them that makes me want to draw them."
"I know what you mean. Now I have to be off back to Pine View but I'll tell everyone you said hello."
"Good-bye, professor."
Tala waved farewell to her professor before she disappeared through the floo system. She glanced at her watch and realized dinner started in twenty minutes. She waved over a waitress and said something to her in a low voice.
"No problem, kid. You get on back to the school and I'll tell him."
The waitress walked over to where the two men were sitting as Tala rushed out the door and out of sight.
"One of you Professor Snape? Good. Your student wanted to tell you that dinner starts in twenty minutes and she just left for the school so that you could continue talking with your friend who needs to teach his son that some purebloods can be just as bad as muggles if not worse."
"Excuse me?" exclaimed Lucius.
"Her words, buddy."
Professor Snape gazed at the table Tala had been sitting at and found it empty. He cursed under his breath as he quickly stood up.
"Albus is going to kill me," growled Snape.
He rushed outside and looked around but saw Tala nowhere. He cursed his luck as he went back inside to get his stuff and apologize to Lucius for having to leave so early.
Along the path back to Hogwarts ran a large black wolf. It ran with all the speed it could muster up. The wolf jumped over a large log and went around some rose bushes to avoid getting scratched. The creature didn't slow down until it came close to the Hogwarts castle. As it neared the entrance, the wolf started to change.
Upon arriving at the door, the wolf had completely changed back into Tala with her
backpack still with her.
"Hope Professor Snape can run fast," mumbled Tala.
Tala had enough time to get into the Great Hall early where she found a few students and the professors. She walked up to the staff table and stopped in front of the Headmaster.
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," greeted Tala.
"Hello, Tala. Did you have a nice time at Hogsmeade?" asked Professor Dumbledore.
Tala shrugged as she unzipped her backpack and took out the bag of candy. She pulled out the lemon drops and handed them to him.
"These are for you. I had a feeling you were running out of them," said Tala.
"Thank you, Tala. But where is Professor Snape?"
As if just now remembering about him, Tala's eyes narrowed and her face showed a look none of the professor's had ever seen on a Gryffindor's face before. To tell the honest truth, it scared them.
"Last time I saw him he was talking to Malfoy's father in The Three Broomsticks. Now if you'll excuse me professor I have some chatting to do with my friends."
Tala turned and stormed away to the Gryffindor table. All of the professors watched her leave with expressions of shock and disbelief on their faces. Professor Dumbledore was the one to break their stares and the silence.
"That would be only a partial part of the famous Hunter temper," stated the Headmaster.
"Only partial? Albus, you have to be joking!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall.
"No, I'm not joking. I have seen many members of the Hunter family with a temper and I must say, Minerva, that the temper Tala just displayed was but a small demonstration," remarked Professor Dumbledore.
The professors sat back in their chairs with the same thought running through their heads; what would happen when Tala exploded?
Tala sat down at the Gryffindor table and was greeted warmly by her Gryffindor friends. She quickly began talking to Harry through sign language who could understand what she signed and had begun learning how to sign words as well.
"What is your favorite animal?"
Harry tried to think for a minute. He knew what his favorite animal was, Tala knew what his favorite animal was but he couldn't quite remember the sign for owl.
"Rat."
Tala laughed loudly at the sign and after calming herself down, showed him the sign for owl. Harry smiled nervously at her.
"What did I sign?" asked an embarrassed Harry.
"Are you sure I should tell you?" inquired Tala.
Harry hesitated a moment before nodding his head.
"You said through sign language that your favorite animal is a rat."
The Gryffindors around them, having heard the conversation, laughed as Harry turned a crimson red. Soon Tala grew tired and quietly excused herself from her friends. She was crossing through the entrance hall when she ran into Draco and Blaise.
Just who I wanted to see, sarcastically thought Tala.
"Hunter? Thought you transferred out," sneered Blaise.
"Maybe Pine View won't take her back," suggested Draco.
The two Slytherins laughed coldly as Tala watched them silently.
"Real funny, Malfoy. By the way, I met your father. Are you sure you are not adopted?"
Draco's eyes narrowed and his hands balled up into fists. She had struck a nerve and she knew it too. She stood defiantly in front of him, not backing down to either one.
"How'd you meet my father, Hunter? He wouldn't associate with crippled purebloods," snarled Draco.
"You think so? I met him at Hogsmeade. Professor Snape introduced us. Did you know my father was a Slytherin here and was friends with your father? Professor Snape too."
Both Slytherins stared at her as if she was crazy. Neither Slytherin knew that very interesting fact about Tala's father. Suddenly, the aforementioned appeared out of the blue.
"What's going on here?" demanded Professor Snape.
"Nothing, professor. Just having a little chat," replied Tala.
With that said, Tala turned and left up the stairs, leaving the four Slytherins alone in the entrance hall.
"You two go eat dinner. Mr. Malfoy, inform the sixth year Slytherins that they are to meet in the Potions classroom after dinner. Tell Mrs. Bletchley and Pucey to come as well," ordered Professor Snape.
"Yes, sir."
Both boys quickly left for fear of inducing the wrath of their Head of House. They still didn't know about what had happened in the Charms classroom but now they wished it had not happened.
"I need to go speak with Miss Hunter," stated Lucius.
"Password is Phoenix tears."
"Thank you, Severus."
Lucius Malfoy walked up the long flights of stairs towards the seventh floor. He finally came to the portrait of the fat lady who glared at him.
"You are a Slytherin. Turn around and leave before I alert the Headmaster," warned the fat lady.
"Phoenix tears."
The fat lady began to protest but was cut off by her portrait slamming against the wall. Lucius stepped inside and walked into the Gryffindor Common Room. His eyes landed on Tala who was sitting on the couch and staring at her arm that had a long deep cut running down the back of her hand past her wrist. She glanced up at him and then back down.
"Just so you know, Draco didn't do this. I was watching the Slytherins play the Hufflepuff's and one of the Beaters hit a bludger near the crowd. The bludger broke a part of the fence and sent it flying at me. I dodged too late. It scarred my arm. Hagrid saw and rushed me off to the infirmary," murmured Tala before looking back up at him.
He stared at her closely before speaking.
"You intrigue me, Miss Hunter. Had Severus not told me I would have never guessed you were deaf. Your father never mentioned that to me or him. Why is that?"
Tala smiled before looking away as she rolled her sleeve down to hide the scar.
"My father believes that people should find out about me themselves. Of course, all you have to do is watch me. I look at each person that talks so I can read their lips and understand what they say. What freaks people out like your son is the way I speak sign language while speaking."
Tala gazed back at the blonde wizard with eyes of no emotion. He had never seen such
emotionless eyes.
"Now I see why you were sorted into Gryffindor. You're a brave child, Tala. Tell me something. Do you fear He who must not be named?" questioned Lucius.
Tala stood up and stared straight at him. It felt as though she was looking right through him and that sent a shiver down his back.
"I do not fear Lord Voldemort,"Lucius flinched,"for he has done nothing that will convince me that he truly is a Dark Lord. Pine View students are taught to fear everyday things and not just a snake like man who kills for his own sick pleasure."
Lucius kept his eyes on Tala as she moved around the couch and towards the stairs to the dorms. She stopped on the bottom step and turned to look at him.
"Good night, Mr. Malfoy. It was nice meeting you. Give my regards to Mrs. Malfoy," said Tala.
"I will. Good night, Miss Hunter."
End of Chapter 5