I stroked my hair with the brush repeatedly until it was sleek and shiny. Satisfied, I tossed it over my shoulder and took off my white robe. I slipped on my fiery golden orange silk dress, the one with the floaty tulle sleeves. Then I layered the feathery pastel blue kimono with the thin sash over the dress. I put some Japanese makeup on, and some red sandals. Grandma had insisted I do it traditionally, witch or not. I looked at the red characters near the hem of my dress, above the border of dragons. In English, it meant Love and Luck Always. Mother insisted Grandma sew it in before I wore it, so it would be a reminder of their love for me and their support of the marriage. I sighed, feeling uneasy about the whole thing. I knew not even my husband to be's name! He was from Korea and I didn't speak that at all. I choked back tears. I couldn't ruin my makeup. Grandma would have a fit. She had arranged the marriage, after all. After this afternoon, I was Cho Chang no more. No longer Japanese. Grandma forbade me to do magic, too! "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Cho!" I ordered myself sharply. I took several short breaths. "Breathe, Ms. Chang," said a voice not belonging to my relatives or me. I turned around, confused. I saw a tall man with long silver hair.

"Professor Dumbledore?" I muttered. "Just Dumbledore, if you please, Ms. Chang. You have graduated. And, I have heard that you won't be Ms. Chang much longer. Congratulations!" At this, I burst into tears. "Arranged marriage?" he asked. I nodded, my head buried in my robe sleeve. When he said this, I understood the truth of the words. I could never marry my true love. My boyfriend for three years at Hogwarts after Cedric died… Thinking of this, again tears fell. If only he was here!

Dumbledore walked over to me. Without thinking, I flung myself into his arms, crying out of self- pity. He looked down at me composedly, tears in my makeup leaving damp streaks on my face. "I must be going," he said, and left without another word. Feeling awkward, I plodded over to the mirror, washed my face, and redid my makeup hurriedly. Just then, Grandma Chang stepped in. "I see you are doing your face?" she said, and for a horrified second, I thought she knew what had just happened. She showed no sign of knowing, though, and combed my hair again. She pulled it up in a tight bun, and placed a red comb with a dragon on it at the front of the bun. After she had gone, I pulled some stray hairs down from the bun and wound them around my finger. "Ready!" I called to my mother, out in the garden, where the wedding would take place. "But not really…"