Harry Potter: I Cast

Our cart began to fill with other students, their excited chatter and the rustle of robes filling the train even more.

I barely noticed them, though - I was completely absorbed in my conversation with Bell, my hands moving through the familiar patterns of sign language, though I did have to take some time to remember the correct signs from time to time.

Just as I was about to sign something else, a magically amplified voice boomed through the train, making several first-years jump.

"Hogwarts Express is leaving the station! I repeat Hogwarts Express is leaving the station!"

I quickly translated for Bell, my fingers stumbling slightly in my excitement, though the train's movement made the announcement rather obvious. She immediately sprang up from her seat, practically launching herself at the window. I joined her, both of us sticking our heads out into the crisp September air.

The platform began to distance itself from us- parents waved, younger siblings running alongside the train as far as they could, owls hooting indignantly at the commotion. Bell spotted her parents first, her hands waving goodbye excitedly as she could.

I found my own parents moments later - Mum still dabbing at her eyes dramatically while Dad tried to maintain his dignified pose despite his obvious emotion.

Once Platform 9¾ had disappeared around the bend, Bell closed the window and we both settled back into our seats. The leather was smooth and flawless, reparo really was a miracle worker, i fact now that I thought of it, it was like the spell turned back time, to when things weren't broken or used, it was fun to think about.

I turned to Bell, taking a moment to actually remember the correct signs and began while mouthing out the words just in case I got it wrong. "So Bell what house do you want to get in?"

"House?" Her expression was puzzled.

"Yeah house, don't you know about them?"

She shook her head, and I realized I had quite a bit of explaining to do. How exactly does one sign 'Muggle-born'? After a moment's thought, I decided to spell it out.

I began to sign, "this is one word, m-u-g-g-l-e-b-o-r-n."

She signed back, asking what a muggleborn was, her fingers forming the letters carefully.

I quickly replied, my hands moving through the explanation: "M-u-g-g-l-e-b-o-r-n-s are wizards born to non wizards parents."

"Then yeah I'm a m-u-g-g-l-e-b-o-r-n."

"Cool, I'm a half-blood."

"Half-blood?"

"Yeah my mom is a witch but my dad is a m-u-g-g-l-e."

The countryside was beginning to roll past our window now, the outskirts of London giving way to green fields and scattered farmhouses. I continued signing, explaining about the houses while trying to capture the essence of each one in my gestures.

"As for the houses from what my mom told me Hogwarts is separated into four houses though they are more like dorms. The four houses are Ravenclaw for the curious smarts, Gryffindor for the stalwart heroics, Hufflepuff for the loyal, ardent and modest and then there's Slytherin which are for the cunning and the ones who have big aspirations. My mom went there but from what she told me the Slytherin house was really dreary so I hope not to get assigned there. So which do you think fits you the best?"

"Gryffindor sounds nice."

"Huh I didn't take you for a hero."

"Why not? Because I'm deaf?"

"No it's just you seem really introverted."

"Which one do you want to get into Felix?"

"Hmm, I don't actually know all of them sound good except for Slytherin besides I don't really care what house I get assigned to we are all in Hogwarts anyway."

She quickly signed again, her movements betraying her nervousness. "Do you get to choose the house, because I didn't take any test or anything."

I couldn't help but laugh at that, which made her blush despite not being able to hear it. "You get assigned to a house depending on what the sorting hat says."

"Sorting hat?"

"Yeah basically a magically enchanted hat that chooses the house for you, I heard it reads your mind and that's how it chooses."

Bell's eyes widened in alarm. "Read my mind?"

I shrugged, my signs becoming more casual. "I don't know how it works exactly."

Just then, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned to find a boy with pale blonde hair, with a set of deep green eyes with super pale skin, the dude basically looked like a ghost.

"You are?" I asked, switching to spoken English.

"What are you guys doing?"

I glanced between him and Bell, noticing how she was studying his lips intently.

"Signing."

"Signing?"

"Yes signing, you know sign language."

"Why are you doing that?"

I turned to Bell, my hands moving quickly. "Did you catch what he asked?"

She nodded, signing back, "I read his lips."

"Damn Bell that's impressive as heck."

Her cheeks colored slightly at the compliment, a shy smile playing at her lips.

"Hey don't ignore me!" The boy's voice took on an indignant tone.

I turned back to him, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. "Dude don't yell. Tinnitus is a very bad issue nowadays."

His puzzled expression only deepened, reminding me of Dad whenever Mum talked about wizard politics.

"Tinnitus, t-i-n-n-i-t-u-s, you know the disease that is like a continuing ringing in your ear kind of like a piiiii."

The boy continued to stare, clearly not appreciating my attempt at humor.

"Well excuse me, mister I don't know what tinnitus is."

The boy sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I was just asking why you were doing that with your hands."

"Well to keep our conversation a secret from peeping toms like you of course." I continued signing dramatically in his face, enjoying his bewilderment perhaps a bit too much.

Bell tapped my shoulder, her signs gently reproaching. "Stop teasing him already, just tell him."

I signed back while keeping my mouth shut, conscious of the boy's curious gaze: "Are you sure you want people to know."

She just shrugged, her expression serene. "I don't really care about it."

With her permission, I turned back to the increasingly confused boy. "We were signing cause she's deaf."

"Oh," he said, understanding dawning on his face. "That makes much more sense."

"Now that I answered your question can you please leave."

The boy's eyes flickered to Bell for a moment, then back to me. "Could you teach me."

"Damn dude you want me to teach you a language and you haven't even told me your name, how forward of you."

The boy fidgeted, his fingers twisting together nervously. "I'm Drake, Drake Macmillan."

Macmillan, why did that surname sound so familiar, I swear I could have heard about it before. Then it came to me.

"Macmillan as in one of the twenty eight sacred families Macmillan."

He nodded, his face flushing pink.

"Oh shit," I blurted. "Shit sorry for saying shit, shit sorry for. Dammit Felix stop saying shit."

My brain felt like it was doing somersaults as I tried to recover from my social blunder.

"I mean I'm sorry for disrespecting you earlier I didn't really mean it, it's just some friendly banter."

Drake's face grew even redder, and I wondered if I was just making things worse. Everyone knew you didn't mess about with Sacred Twenty-Eight families - they were wizard nobility, after all.

But before I could dig myself any deeper, Drake spoke up again.

"It's fine really, don't worry about it. Felix right."

I nodded, relief washing over me.

"Can I sit with you guys."

I wanted to immediately say yes, just to not get on his bad side, I wasn't an ass kisser but I wasn't also going to disrespect a sacred family at least not by myself, so I did what any good samaritan would do. I put it to democratic vote.

I turned to Bell and signed, "he wants to sit with us."

Bell's response was immediate. "Fine by me."

I turned back to Drake, gesturing to the empty seat in front of us. "It's a ok if you want to sit with us."

He settled into the booth across from us, and I couldn't help but marvel at the strange trio we made - a half-blood, a Muggle-born, and a pureblood from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families, all sharing a compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

Hogwarts was gonna be interesting probably not as much next year though, since from what I knew the Boy who lived would come to Hogwarts then.

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