Speak Up - Female Deaf Harry Potter AU

Potter Stinks

The next few days were miserable. There were few non-Gryffindors who weren't wearing POTTER STINKS badges. She could have coped with the rest of the school's behavior if she could just have had Ron back as a friend, but she wasn't going to try and persuade Ron to talk to her if Ron didn't want to. Nevertheless, it was lonely with dislike pouring in on her from all sides.

She understood why the Hufflepuffs didn't like her. Hufflepuffs rarely got any glory, and she was stealing it. She had never expected anything other than vicious insults from the Slytherins, and why would the Ravenclaws start being nice to her. The strangest part though, was almost all of the Gryffindor's liking her.

And Cedric, well Cedric looked the part of a champion so much more than she did. Exceptionally handsome, with his straight nose, short blond hair , and gray eyes, well liked, and of course the fact that he wasn't deaf. 

• • •

Double Potions was always a horrible experience, but these days it was nothing short of torture. Being shut in a dungeon for an hour and a half with the Slytherins, all of whom (except for Draco, though he obviously couldn't show it) seemed determined to punish Hari as much as possible for daring to become school champion, was about the most unpleasant thing Hari could imagine. 　

Hari sat there in class, cutting her billywig stings, lifting her cutting board to the edge of her cauldron as everyone flashed their Potter Stinks badges at her. Just as she was pushing the stings into the cauldron with her knife, Ron turned around, and pressed a button on his chest. POTTER STINKS flashed across the classroom at her from her best friend's chest.

Hari jumped in surprise, bursting into tears. She knew Ron didn't believe her... but she had still never expected this. As she jumped, she accidentally slit her palm open with the knife. Her blood spilled into the cauldron, and it bubbled, a sickly pink, before exploding, drenching the entire class.

"Class Dismissed!" said Severus, looking around at them all, covered in the potion. "Pack up and leave. Except you you Potter!" He glared at her. Oh no...

Holding her hand clamped shut to try to stop the bleeding, Hari anxiously waited the two minutes it took for everyone to leave. 

She made her was slowly to Severus's desk, her hand behind her back. 

"Give me your hand." He said, his expression softening. She slowly held out her hand, still clamped into a fist, dripping with red.

"I'm not angry with you..." He said, taking in her expression. "I get how you feel." He took out his wand, healing the cut on her hand. "I know you didn't want to be a part of this tournament, and I get that how everyone is acting is getting to you. I think you should-" he stopped, dropping her hand and looking behind her, resuming his usual glare. "Come in." He called towards the door.

It was Colin Creevey; he edged into the room, he beamed at Hari.

"Yes?" said Severus curtly.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Hari Potter upstairs." Severus glared at Colin, whose smile faded from his eager face.

"Potter has another hour of detention to complete, as she blew up the classroom." said Severus coldly. "She will come upstairs when this class is finished."

Colin went pink. "Sir - sir, Mr. Bagman wants her," he said nervously. "All the champions have got to go. . ."

"Very well, very well," The annoyed potions master snapped. "Potter, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to finish."

"Please, sir - she's got to take her things with her," squeaked Cohn. "All the champions..."

"Very well!" said Severus. "Potter - take your bag and get out of my sight!"

"It's amazing, isn't it, Hari?" said Colin, starting to speak the moment Hari had closed the dungeon door behind them. "Isn't it, though? You being champion?"

#)No...(# They set off toward the steps into the entrance hall. #)What do they want, Colin?(#

"Photos, for The Daily Prophet, I think!"

#) Wonderful.. (# she said sarcastically. 

• • •

"Good luck!" said Colin when they had reached the right room. Hari knocked on the door and entered.

It was a fairly small classroom. There was a long table with six chairs beside the blackboard. Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch Hari had never seen before, who was wearing magenta robes.

Krum was standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Cedric and Fleur were in conversation. 

A paunchy man, holding a large black camera was watching Fleur.

Bagman suddenly spotted Hari, got up quickly, and bounded towards her.

"Ah, here she is! Champion number four! In you come, Hari, in you come.. . nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment -"

#) Wand weighing? (#  Hari asked nervously.

"We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman. "The expert's upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there's going to be a little photo shoot. This is Rita Skeeter," he added, gesturing toward the witch in magenta robes. "She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet. .. ."

"Maybe not that small, Ludo," said Rita Skeeter, her eyes on Hari. Her hair was set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson.

"I wonder if I could have a little word with Hari before we start?" she said to Bagman, but still gazing fixedly at Hari. "The youngest champion, you know. . . to add a bit of colour?"

"Certainly!" cried Bagman. "That is - if Hari has no objection?"

#) No, I don't- (# Hari tried to retreat behind Cedric, but Rita Skeeter's scarlet-taloned fingers wrapped around her upper arm in a surprisingly strong grip, and then she was steering Hari out of the room. Hari flashed pleading eyes at Cedric, who quickly strode over, and put an arm around Hari's shoulders.

"Sorry Mrs Skeeter, but I don't think Hari wants to go with you."

"It's just an interview," She said, looking up at Cedric who towered over her. "I don't want to be in here with all the noise,"

"Hari," he looked at her, "Do you want to go with her?" 

Hari shook her head. 

"I guess that settles it then." Cedric said, pulling Hari closer to his side.

"But I just-"

 "Please let go of Hari, Mrs Skeeter!"

Rita Skeeter frowned, but let go, moving away.

"You alright Hari?" Cedric asked.

#) Yes, thank you. (#

Cedric lead Hari back over to where Fleur was standing. 

"Thank goodness," Fleur said, "zat woman is nasty."