Chapter 2

"It better be Ravenclaw!" The hat shouted and thunderous applause came from the blue and bronze Ravenclaw table.

Maryam thought it might have been the loudest of any of the sorted students, her apparent fame, would it give her an easier time? Most likely it would just mean more people would inevitably be disappointed in her.

She made her way to the table and was waved to sit next to an older girl.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw!" The girl had long wavy hair and a friendly smile, Maryam also noticed a badge with the letter P on it.

"My name is Penelope Clearwater, I am a prefect and will show you and the other first years to the dorms after the feast. If you have any questions feel free to ask"

After saying all this Penelope looked back towards the sorting, and Maryam did the same.

"Weasley Ron!" Ron walked up and he didn't sit very long before the hat yelled "Gryffindor"

Ron was going to join his brothers in Gryffindor. Maryam was not super happy about being split apart from Ron, he had been very friendly and open with her and not caring about her lack of speech, she hoped they still could be friends and that she could find some friends in her new house. She looked over to the Gryffindor table and caught Ron's eye, he waved and she waved back, that was a good sign.

When all first-years had been sorted the hat and stool were removed and the headmaster stood up, he was beaming and looked very pleased to have all the students there.

'Welcome!' he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!

Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He got a big applause and sat down. Maryam was not sure what to make of this, it sounded nonsensical but then again, she had run straight into a brick wall earlier that day just to get to the train.

Like magic the the tables were suddenly filled with food, well of course it was magic, it was a magic school for magic kids to learn magic. Maryam laughed silently to herself. She looked around at all the food and tried to figure out what to take. Seeing that everyone around her helped themselves she took some potatoes and roast beef. Conversations started around her, old friends speaking about the summer holidays and first-years introducing themselves, Maryam did her best to remember the names.

"It is strange, I know we are different but I thought Parvati and I would be in the same house."

Maryam looked at the speaker, she recognised her as one of the twins she had stood beside, but she had been too nervous to pay enough attention that they had been split up.

"Not all twins go to the same house." Said one of the older students

"Thank Merlin for that!" Said another older student "It is bad enough with the Weasley twins."

Maryam remembered the antics she had seen from them, she had found them amusing but maybe they would be too much in the long run.

"Aren't you going to eat anymore?" Maryam was taken out of her thoughts and looked up at Penelope. "The food here is great but feasts like this are one a few times a year.

Maryam looked around and saw how her housemates took seconds and even thirds.

She had always been told that she had to earn her food because she was a disappointment, she didn't get big portions of food. She had already eaten more than she usually did. It had been very good and she felt tempted to take more, it looked so good.

She smiled at the prefect and took a little of a few different foods and savoured the taste.

She also tried to listen in to the conversations around her, especially what her fellow first years were saying. She thought she ought to know her classmates.

She looked up at the staff table, and she saw Hagrid there, hard to miss she recognised Dumbledore of course, and she then saw how one of the teachers looked at her, his expression was hard to read, he wore dark robes and had long greasy hair and looked rather mean, suddenly her scar started to hurt and she put her hand on it and made a small hiss of pain.

"You alright there?" It was the twin who had been separated from her twin, she was pretty, Maryam guessed she was Indian.

Maryam nodded scratched her forehead and yawned.

"I don't think you are the only one tired, you are Maryam Potter right?"

Maryam nodded and gave a shy smile.

"My name is Padma Patil, nice to meet you." She stretched out a hand and Maryam took it.

"Hello! I am Sue Lie" Another of the first years said, she had her dark hair in a ponytail and looked Chinese.

"And I am Lisa Turpin" a girl with blond hair and light blue eyes said excitedly.

"Are we making introductions? I am Mandy, Mandy Brocklehurst." Mandy had long flowing dark hair and brown eyes.

Maryam smiled at them all in kind and shook the hands of those she could reach. Suddenly the food disappeared and was replaced by deserts. Already very full Maryam only took small samples.

After a while, the deserts disappeared and the headmaster rose and instantly the room grew quiet.

Maryam was too tired to pay close attention but when she heard that the third corridor was off limits for people who didn't want to suffer a most painful death she was listening very intently, he could not be serious, could he?

Then it was time to sing the school song everyone with a different tune, it was a bit hard to listen to but she was still jealous that she couldn't join in.

Soon enough it was all over and she and the other Ravenclaw first years were following the prefect Penelope to their common room, there were many stairs and some of them moved around, she got a feeling it would be a challenge to find her way around.

Finally, they got in front of a statue of a bronze eagle.

The statue asked. "I get wetter the more I dry what am I?"

"A towel?" Padma Patil asked.

"Correct" The Eagle swung around and there was the entrance.

"You need to answer a riddle to get in, if you don't get it you will have to wait for another one to guess it," Penelope explained.

This was going to be a problem, how would Maryam get in if she could not speak the answer?

When they got into the common room Maryam could do nothing but stare, it was grand, elegant windows looking out, a lot of blue and bronze and white stone walls, there were bookshelves and corners with fluffy chairs that looked great for reading or schoolwork.

She was led up a set of stairs to the girls' dormitories and was shown the first-year room, she saw her trunk and her owl Hedwig's cage at the foot end of one of the beds, she sat down on the bed and let Hedwig out and gave her some head scratches.

"Is that your owl? Beautiful!" Lisa Turpin exclaimed when she came in.

Maryam nodded at her and smiled.

"What's the name?" Lisa asked.

This was not a yes or no answer, well they would have to figure out sooner rather than later, Mariam held up a finger and then opened her trunk to find a paper and a quill, once in hand she scratched down 'Her name is Hedwig'

"That is a very pretty name" This time it was Padma who spoke. "But why did you write it down?"

Maryam just looked down at her knees.

"I have not heard you speak a single word," Sue said

Maryam shook her head.

"Maryam, can you speak?" Padma asked sounding a bit worried.

Maryam shook her head, still not looking at them.

"What? Do you have a cold or something?" Lisa asked

Once again Maryam shook her head, she knew that they would find out but it still didn't make it any easier, what would they think of her?

"Are you telling us, that you can't speak...at all?" Padma asked and Maryam saw her feet coming closer to her.

Maryam nodded and felt a hand touch her shoulder she looked up and saw that Padma was standing next to her. Looking not disgusted or angry, she looked... Maryam wasn't sure what the expression was.

"I am sorry to hear that," Padma said.

"How are you going to do magic?" Mandy asked, Maryam now noticed that all the first-year girls were here

Maryam shrugged.

"There is such thing as silent casting of spells, it is more advanced but I am sure Mary here can figure it out," Sue said

'Mary' she had called her by a nickname, that wasn't freak, girl or Potter.

"We can help you out!" Lisa exclaimed

"We are just first-years, we haven't had a single class yet," Mandy said in a serious tone.

"I still think we should try, we are all dormmates after all!" Lisa said and looked at Maryam.

Maryam started to write in her notebook and realized that the others had gone quiet and looked at her.

'I will try my best, If you want to help, thank you. Don't feel forced.'

"Don't be silly, we are Ravenclaws, solving problems and learning new skills is our calling," Lisa said and sat next to Maryam putting a hand on her other shoulder. "You will see, this will go great!"

Maryam did have some very weird dreams, she couldn't remember much when she woke up, something about a snake and a turban maybe. Even with the weird dreams she had slept very well, the four-poster bed was amazing and she could close it if she wanted more privacy. Her sleeping arrangements in her cupboard or the lumpy madras in her bedroom did not hold a candle to this.

She dressed and went with the other girls down to the common room, they had to wait a few minutes for the first-year boys before a prefect showed them the way to the great hall.

There were a lot of whisperings when she walked past students, she heard 'scar' many times more than she cared for.

Classes started out well. Charms were with Professor Flitwick, a very short man who stood on a pile of books to see the class, as he took attendance he made a happy squeak and almost fell off his books when he came to Maryam, who waved to show that she was present. As the first class was only theory she didn't have any issues, she wondered if she should stay after class to tell her head of house about her issue but didn't do it.

Transfiguration was taught by the stern Professor McGonagall who in no-nonsense terms explained how dangerous foolishness could be and warned that acting out in her class would come with a ban, the first class was also theory much to Maryam's relief.

After lunch it was double potions with the scary-looking Professor Snape, this class was also shared with the Hufflepuffs.

Snape had a well-prepared speech and even though he spoke barely higher than a whisper the class was hanging on his every word, when he took attendance he got a small snarl when he came to "Potter"

"What would I get if I added

powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?'

Maryam thought for a moment and wrote in her notebook.

"You don't know? Tut tut, fame isn't everything then?"

"But Professor.." Padma spoke up before getting interrupted

"I was not asking you, Miss Patil." His glare made her swallow her response.

"Let's try another Potter, where would you look if I told you to

find me a bezoar?"

This one was easier and Maryam wrote down the answer.

"One last then, have you even opened the book? What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfs-

bane?"

Maryam wrote in her book again and ripped off the page.

"I will not tolerate sending notes around in my class." Snape snarled and waved his wand, the page flew into his hand.

He read it aloud.

"It will make a potion known as the Draft of the Living Dead.

In the stomach of a goat,

It is the same plant.

Your answers are correct but I require verbal answers. I will not have you used bewitched quills to answer for you."

Maryam quickly wrote down on a new page.

'I am very sorry professor, I can't speak.'

She held up the page and Snape summoned it to him, he read it and gave her a piercing stare, it almost felt like he was reading her mind.

"Is this true?" He asked and Maryam nodded.

"Very well, I will let this slip for now."

There was a quiet murmur from the Hufflepuffs, she heard "I wonder what she wrote?"

The rest of the class did go smoothly, Maryam together with Padma succeeded quite well in brewing a potion to cure boils, the shade was slightly off from the book but they did not get harsh words from the professor, something a few other pairs got.

Except for being unsure about her teacher, potions felt like a class she could excel in.

After the class, all the Ravenclaw first-years were walking towards the Ravenclaw tower. Michael Corner a boy with long dark hair asked Maryam.

"So, what did you write to Snape? He seemed a bit taken back." The other boys also looked interested in the answer.

Maryam sighed, they would know sooner rather than later, she looked at Padma and Padma nodded.

"I believe she wrote that she couldn't speak," she said.

"Hah good one, it looked like he believed it' Anthony Goldstein a sandy-haired boy said.

Maryam looked at her feet and heard Padma answer him.

"That was no joke, haven't you noticed that Maryam has not said a single word?"

"What? No, that can't be right" he answered and looked at Maryam looking suddenly very uncertain. "Oh... I am sorry, I didn't know."

Maryam looked up at him and shrugged.

"So why didn't you tell us?" Anthony began before he facepalmed. "Err I mean"

Maryam could not help letting out a soundless giggle at his stumbling. She wrote in her notebook and held it up.

'People are already looking at me, I don't want to be known as that mute girl too'

"Okay I won't tell anyone, but I think people will learn it at some point" Anthony answered.

Something she knew was true, but she hoped it would take a while so she could get more comfortable in Hogwarts first.

The next day during breakfast Professor Flitwick came over to the table where the first-year Ravenclaw were sitting and greeted them with a cheery good morning, he then looked toward Maryam.

"Miss Potter, could you come over to my classroom after your last class?"

Maryam nodded and he smiled at her

"Very good! Now eat up! Your mind needs nutrients to learn."

Maryam wondered what this was about, he asked, not demanding her and he was smiling, she hoped she wasn't in trouble but she would find out later.

During the day she had Herbalism in the greenhouses, this class was shared with the Slytherins, she once again was paired up with Padma and the repotting they did wasn't very hard.

Defence against the Dark Arts was a class many had been looking forward to but it ended up being very boring as Professor Qurill seemed very afraid of the subject and was stammering terribly during the class.

A class Maryam thought would be very interesting was History of Magic, it was even taught by a ghost. Maryam had always been a very good listener and was quite good with details but listening to Professor Binns drawl on and on made it difficult to stay awake, looked like a few were more or less sleeping. She was impressed by how good her notes from class were.

All the classes for the day were over and the meeting she had been dreading was here, she stood outside the charms classroom, she waited a minute before she knocked, she heard a "come in" and she opened the door and walked in.

The professor stood on the books at his desk and was writing on a paper.

"Ah, Miss Potter, good that you are here. You might wonder why I asked you here."

She nodded to him.

"I have seen you are a bit quiet and my observation seemed to have been confirmed by a college as well. Might I be right in guessing that you cannot speak?"

Maryam let out a breath she didn't know she had held, she had thought about telling the Professor but it looked like he already knew, he didn't look angry.. yet.

She nodded an affirmative to his question.

"This is something that you should have come to me with but no matter, we are both here now. As you may know by now magic requires precise wording and wand movements to work."

Maryam nodded, she knew where this was going, she was going to be sent home, she would not cry she would show a brave face.

"This is of course not completely correct as nonverbal casting and wandless magic are very possible alas a bit more tricky."

Flitwick looked at her, made a switch and flick with his wand and said "Wingardium Leviosa"

The chair he was pointing at started to float, and then he let it down. He did the swish and flick motion but didn't say anything and the chair started to float again.

Maryam looked at this intently, did this mean that he thought she could learn?

"It is much harder to do nonverbal spells, that is something that is taught in the upper years. For you, however, I think we will need to focus on it already. This is why I want you to come here on Tuesday afternoons to have extra classes with me, how does that sound?"

Extra classes? Would she get extra help? Was she worth the extra effort, she remembered how much her aunt and uncle had grumbled when the school wanted to give her extra help and to learn sign language, something they themselves had refused to learn.

She took up her notebook and started writing.

'I am very thankful but I don't want to be a burden.'

"Nonsense! I am your head of house, it is my job to see my eagles ascend to great heights. I have to admit that I was a little surprised to see you in my house, both your parents were Gryffindors."

Did he know her parents? Well he looked old enough to have been their teacher as well, she wrote the question in her notebook.

"Of course I did, both were great students, your mom was especially good at charms but more importantly she had a great heart. Your father was a good student but, I hope you haven't inherent his disregard of rules. I am happy to have you as one of my eagles, I think you will soar with the best of them but you will have a harder time, Charms and Transfiguration will be tricky, DADA is mostly theoretical first year and your other classes should not be a problem.

This was all a lot to take in, she would have to ask him more about her parents but first, she needed to think of her lessons.

She wrote another question.

'Do you really think I can do it sir?'

"Absolutely, as long as you are ready to do your best. We are going to start with a simple but very useful charm. Lumos the light charm."

Professor Flitwick did show the wand movement and exact pronunciation for the spell and told her to say it determinedly in her head.

She tried several times but it didn't work, she thought she saw a small sparkle at some point.

"Your extra studies here will not only be charms, I might not be the expert in transfiguration as Profesor McGonagall but I am still more than proficient to help you with the basis."

Maryam gave him a smile to show that she was grateful.

"One more thing, I want you to go to the hospital wing and meet with Madam Pomfrey, she might figure out why you can't speak. I can't promise that she can fix it but better try than not right?"

Maryam nodded, she hoped that magic could cure her from being mute, she wanted to talk, to sing, she loved music and had tried to learn to play instruments so she could add something of herself that others could hear.

Her aunt and uncle had not been impressed by her wishes and had made her tell her teacher that she wasn't interested in music.

Flitwick let her go but told her to keep trying when she had time.

When she got back to Ravenclaw Tower she was jumped by Padma and Lisa.

"What did the professor want?" Lisa asked looking rather excited.

"You were gone for quite a while," Padma added.

Maryam took her trusty notebook and wrote. 'He offered me extra lessons, to help me to nonverbal magic'

"That is amazing" Lisa exclaimed "How did it go?"

Maryam shrugged, she took up her wand and with all her mind concentrated on the word 'Lumos' and did the wand moments but nothing happened.

Lisa's cheer fell but Padma put a hand on Maryam's shoulder "Keep working on it, it takes time to learn spells even if you do it verbally"

"Right! Right!" Lisa added in.

Maryam smiled at her friends.. she called them friends, and she hoped they saw her the same way. It would be nice to have friends.

The week did pass rather alright, so far it looked like only her Ravenclaw year mates knew about her limitation and the teachers. McGonagall had asked Maryam to stay after class and spoke with her for a few minutes telling her that her door was open if she needed some extra help with transfiguration and that she really should use the help Flitwick was offering.

Her visit to the hospital wing did not yield much, Madam Pomfrey didn't find what could have caused Maryam to be mute, she could see that something was missing. Maryam was very nervous during the time as school nurses and doctors for that matter scared her.

Maryam had prepared herself that a cure magical or otherwise wasn't likely so she was only a little disappointed when she left.

On Friday she got a visit at breakfast by Hedwig who had a note for her. It was written in a rather messy writing but she could still read it, an invitation after her classes to have tea with Hagrid. She thought it would be nice, when she walked out of the great hall she happened to leave at the same time as Ron Weasley so she tapped his shoulder.

"Heiya Maryam" He greeted "How are you doing?"

She answered with a thumbs up, she handed him her note from Hagrid and when he read it she pointed between herself and Ron.

"You want me to come with you?" He asked and looked slightly puzzled.

Maryam nodded and smiled at him he gave her a grin back.

"Why not? Could be fun, and you and I haven't really seen each other since the sorting. Charlie has told me about Hagrid, they are both obsessed with dragons."

They soon split to go to their representative classes. Maryam had been a little unsure about asking Ron, he was super friendly during the train ride but she wasn't sure if he would still want to hang out now when they belonged to different houses.

After the day's classes, Maryam and Ron met up and made their way towards Hagrid's hut.

"It was nice of you to invite me along"

Maryam wrote in her notebook and held it up.

'As you said, we haven't seen each other'

"Well, we don't really have classes together do we?" Ron said and Maryam shook her head. She wrote down a second sentence on the page.

'Also, you speak enough for both of us'

"Oi!" Ron exclaimed "What is that supposed to mean?"

Maryam stuck out her tongue to him and he grinned in response.

When they got to the door they knocked and heard Hagrid. "Back Fang, back!"

Hagrid let them in and offered them tea, his big dog Fang almost fell asleep in Maryam's lap after she started scratching his ears.

She couldn't say she was fond of dogs as her 'aunt' Marge had a specifically vicious dog named Ripper that had chased her many times and bit her more than once.

Fang however seemed nice even if he was much bigger.

"Another Weasley?" Hagrid huffed when Ron introduced himself. "I

spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the Forest."

Hagrid and Ron discussed how the first week of classes had gone. Content with listening Maryam still let her eyes wander around the room, the hut was rather large so Hagrid could fit but it was just a room, kitchen and bedroom in one, she saw a daily prophet on the table, she picked it up a bit curious what wizarding news was and read the front line.

There had been a robbery attempt at Gringotts, the only reason it failed had been because set vault was empty and it had happened on her birthday. She remembered that Ron had told her.

She held up the paper towards Hagrid who was in the middle of asking Ron questions about Charlie's work with dragons.

"Oh yeh, scary business that" Hagrid grumbled.

Maryam pointed at the date of the robbery and thought she saw a nervous look at Hagrid's face.

"I know when yeh birthday is" Hagrid said still looking a bit flustered.

"Oh, when?" Ron asked and Maryam pointed to the date on the paper. "Oh, strange coincidence," Ron said.

The stay at Hagrid's wasn't much longer after that before he ushered them away.

"Is it just me or did that article get him spooked?" Ron asked as they were walking back to the castle. "People are of course freaked out, you must be mad and powerful to steal from Gringotts."

Maryam wondered if she should tell or not but she thought there was little harm in it.

'When Hagrid took me to Gringotts, he took out a small secret package. He also said that the only safer place the Gringotts was Hogwarts'

"You think it was whatever he took out that was the target" Ron asked

Maryam shrugged. It was a little suspicious, but Maryam would not lose any sleep over it.

Maryam and Ron walked into the great hall and split to go to their respective tables.

"Where did you disappear too?" Lisa asked when she sat down at the table.

"It probably had something to do with the letter at breakfast," Sue said.

Maryam nodded.

"I didn't know you had friends in Gryffindor," Lisa said after a short pause.

Maryam tried to think of a way to mime it but ended up writing. 'We sat together on the train, he is very friendly.'

"I heard that he can be a bit loud" Padma said "My sister is also a Gryffindor."

Maryam shrugged, she was quiet so Ron could be loud enough for both of them.

AN.

New year new chapter, chapter 3 will be out before 2024 ends.

Thank you for your review. I might not always succeed in being so concise.

I have many "scenes" but I am still plotting as I am writing trying to get to know the characters I write.

To answer a quick plothole. Why don't the teachers know Mary was mute when Hagrid learned it? Hagrid thinking the world of the Headmaster might think he already knew or it might have slipped his mind as the Gringrotts incident.

Happy New Year folks, hope you enjoyed the chapter.