Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.
Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if need be.
Author's Note: Mutism is not an easy thing to live with. Most because of the Dursleys out there.
Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 13); MC4A
Individual Challenges: Magical MC; Rian-Russo Inversion; Neurodivergent; Small Fry; Tiny Terror; Hold the Mayo; Lunar Era; Old Shoes; Bucket Listing (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Green Ribbon
House: Slytherin
Assignment No.: Term 13 – Assignment 03
Subject (Task No.): n/a
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Insane Prompt Challenge [687](Denice Frohman); 365 [361](Youth); Herbology Club [4-3](Character Who Seeks Acceptance); Auction [7-2](Mute)
Other MC4A Challenges: Chim [Deke](n/a); Fire [Hard](Adventure Tales); Garden [Chore List](Writing/Typing)
Representation(s): Mute Harry Potter
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Most Human Bean; Rock of Ages; Abandoned Ship; Second Verse (Found Family; Nontraditional Spinning Plates; Unwanted Advice; Lovely Coconuts); Chorus (Wabi Sabi; Machismo; Peddling Pots; Mouth of Babes; Tomorrow's Shade; A Long Dog; Creature Feature); Demo 1 (Under the Bridge); Demo 2 (Sitting Hummingbird)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: T3 (Terse; Tether); SN (Rail; Spare); O3 (Ox); TY (Enfant)
Word Count: 793
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Silence
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Harry knew he was a freak. He knew because his family told him all the time. He had heard all about the doctors his aunt had taken him to in the early days. He knew there was no reason for why he couldn't speak. He could hear just fine, sometime more than fine even and he would hear things that no one else seemed to notice. His vocal cords were fine as well.
So, there was no reason that he couldn't speak if he wanted to. That must mean that he was refusing to talk, which was something that only a stupid freak would do. He had tried, and despite what any of the Dursleys claimed, Harry did actually try. It just didn't seem to matter how much he strained and struggled. His couldn't make any sound that required his vocal cords.
One of the paras at the primary school had taught Harry British Sign Language. She had suggested that the Dursleys learn as well, but that did not go over well with any of them. Aunt Petunia flat out refused to cater to Harry's willful and continuing refusal to speak. Most of the time, she wouldn't even read anything that Harry wrote down. The rest of the Dursleys followed her lead.
Hagrid hadn't acted like Harry being silent was any big deal. But then again, Hagrid had also been confident that the headmaster would 'fix him right up' once he got to Hogwarts. Either the reason that none of the doctors could ever find anything wrong was because it was caused by magic or the giant of a man was just that confident that this Albus Dumbledore could fix anything that went wrong. Harry was certain which was more logical.
The whole trip to get Harry's school supplies was a bit of a whirlwind. The crowds were thick and everyone seemed to want to talk to him or shake his hand. Hagrid had mentioned that he was famous but he had acted like Harry should know all about why. He had not mentioned it being that bad either.
When Hagrid had left at Kings Cross with the instructions to make his way back to Little Whinging by himself, Harry thought about doing so. The Dursleys were familiar and that made them safe in the sense that he knew what to expect from them. In the Muggle world, children wandering alone drew attention from bobbies who sent them back to their guardians. Harry had noticed earlier that children were often left alone in the wizarding world.
So Harry waited just long enough that the crowd had swallowed up Hagrid's rather impressive form. Then he had made his way carefully back to the Leaky Cauldron. Tom the barkeep did not look suspicious about his request to rent one of the rooms upstairs, not even when Harry told him that it would be for the entire month of August. He did suggest that Harry see about moving to the hostel in one of the many streets that split off from Diagon Alley. A lot of the more permanent residents of the wizarding space lived in Steward's Junction if they didn't own shops with flats above them.
Harry took the month to work out a plan. The goblins at the bank were very willing to read whatever notes he made to ask his questions, but even more surprising was how most of them knew British Sign Language (and apparently more sign languages besides that one). He learned that he could easily afford to live on his own, despite his youth. His age only determined that he had to stay firmly within the wizarding side of things.
By the time it came to catch the Hogwarts Express, Harry had been thoroughly settled into his new life. He had found acceptance from his neighbors who didn't seem like the crowd that had greeted Harry the first time he had gone through the Leaky Cauldron. He had even made friends with Tom's niece Hannah who was starting Hogwarts at the same time Harry was.
Hannah's mother Zillah had examined Harry as well and had found nothing physically or magically preventing Harry from speaking. However, she had also explained, in a very gentle but firm voice, that some people just couldn't speak or had times that would come and go when they couldn't. That did not mean that they were acting out or that they were stupid. It was just the way that they were and there was nothing wrong with that.
Maybe, on some day in the future, he might actually believe Zillah when she said that.
Until then, Harry was content to have found a home where he was accepted, even if he had to make it himself.