The Story of Captain Chang, ancestor of Cho Chang

by JM Arrow

Little is known of the tearful and determined Cho Chang's ancestor who had settled in Scotland more than fifty years ago. As first born daughter to the Chang family, Cho was named as thus by written will and request of Betty Chang, legal guardian of Douglas Chang Jr who was the paternal grandfather of Cho. This is this Matilda Chang's story.

Cho Chang's Ancestor, Captain Chang

A breakdown of different scenarios involving Cho Chang's ancestor, Captain Chang who reigned the Chinese seas in the 18th century.

Captain Chang is a ruthless but fair pirate lord, leading the ship The Red Temptress. She is rude but dignified when making business deals and an extremely powerful wandless mage of wild magic. She is a descendant of Merlin, through a reckless and wayward lout of a grandfather. Throughout her career, Captain Chang has used her magic to conquer numerous cities by the sea and has also in the process, built a crew of mages that have been outcasts because of their powers. However her success was curtailed by a union of wizards who grew concerned for the safety of their countries that Captain Chang had conquered various port cities in. As a joint effort they had both Captain Chang and her entire crew on their boat frozen in time in a powerfully warded two way mirror, it's twin unknowingly residing close to the captain's chambers.

The mirror was kept under the guard of the Magical Quarters in the Forbidden City in China, should there be ever need to summon such an army of formidable magic again. With time, under modern progression, the mirror was forgotten and it's disappearance went unnoticed. It is rumoured that Captain Chang's relatives have it under their possession.

1937, Chinatown, Limehouse, East London

Douglas looked at the remains of his sister's tea shop at the end of the street. He thanked Merlin, his distant ancestor that his family weren't in the building at the time when Grindlewald's lackeys had struck. They had been picking off magic communities, one by one and Chinatown was an easy target because of their pragmatic attitudes towards both sides of the war.

He had spent the last of his savings on an experienced mage to protect his home. His family had not been very good with magic and he had fallen in love with and married a Muggle. He only wished that he had some strength but instead all he had was his ancestor's sympathy which had given him luck down to the small earnings he won in card games.

He doubted whether his luck would prove useful against those who could break it in a split second.

In a small attic he unpacked all the belongings he had carefully secured years before so that he could forget his beloved parents. They had gone before a time where it would break their heart to see their children living in fear. They had succumbed to disease not long after trying to settle in the cold and grimy streets of London. Douglas had to fend for himself as a young teen looking after his sister, selling the leftover silks and tea, but never the magical items his parents had left him which were very few. Outside his parents shack in the outskirts of Chinatown, no one else wanted to give a job to the boy with strange coloured skin and small eyes, dragging along a little girl with same features, until he had won at local street card games, repeatedly until he could finally scrimp a living. At least it wasn't opium. He changed his name to Douglas, for business purposes as no one could ever pronounce his birth name anyway. It had hurt, at first to hide his heritage but seeing his sister finally go to school and live properly made up for it.

He finally found what he was looking for, a large circular mirror, the frame old and made of tarnished brass, but the entire opposite in the looking glass. The mirror still shone as if it were newly polished and highlighted every wrinkle of worry gathering on Douglas' twenty-three year old face, which looked at least twice his age at this moment. He prayed that this would work. Magic in the blood should be enough. Stammering a chant that he could just about remember from dying lips he methodically sliced his palm open and dripped it over the top of the ornately carved frame. The blood seeped along the carvings, turning the mirror a sinister shade of red. Wincing in pain he propped it up in front of him and waited.

1755, the Red Temptress ship, South China Sea

Captain Chang looked at the molester she was about to punish. The youth, even though he was metres away, cowered underneath the woman's stare, her long silky silver hair contrasting with dusky gold skin and framing a finely structured face with the cruellest of smiles and deep brown eyes. He was barely eighteen and he had desecrated one of her girls against her will. Standing slightly behind the Captain was the girl he had made unwanted advances toward.

The leader of The Red Temptress looked down at the pathetic sight, his knees on deck with his arms tied behind his back and his legs shackled to the floor. She had deliberately made him wait. Those who disrespected her women deserved discomfort. It was, after all the least she could do in memory of her ancestor who had died at the hands of such men. The young man was well-built with so much employment potential yet had decided to ruin it all with his nether regions and uncurbed lust. She sighed. Such a waste.

'Look what we have here, crew,' she announced, her voice deep and hoarse, just slightly higher than the average man, 'a shrimp!'

The crew laughed.

'This shrimp', she pointed at the young man, 'thought he could desecrate the lovely-' Come on, think customer, she thought, '-Arabella.' The girl standing behind her gulped and nodded nervously. Actually, her name was Tina, but you didn't disagree with the Captain.

'What do we do with scum who abuse our girls, eh?' called out the Captain to the mixed crowd of men and women she had employed over the years. She always silently thanked her mother and grandmother, both traders in their own right, who had taught her English. It was the easiest way to communicate with her staff, as a majority had often come from colonised ports of the British. It was good for threatening their former government officials, too.

The crew had just dined on the fine cuisine of the last wealthy village they had raided and were full of fire. A cry of suggestions not too pleasant were shouted back. The young man sobbed, his face clearly trying to drown out the voices.

'Perhaps crewmate Huang can tell us!' She called, 'over here, man!'

A skulking figure in leg and arm chains dressed as the rest of the crew in basic, but clean clothes hesitantly presented himself in front of the crowd. As Tina looked away, the captive couldn't take his eyes off the crew mates' face. A large vertical scar ran in the middle of his face. Where his nose used to be was an angry red triangle with two cylindrical shapes that were once nostrils.

'You have two choices' grinned Captain Chang as she looked at Tina's abuser in the eye, 'You can die, or you can work with Huang here. Either way you will not ever touch another person on this ship. Is that understood?'

'Please' begged the man 'I will do anything-'

'Hear that? He wants a job!' Captain Chang laughed alongside her crew. 'Get his pretty face ready for makeover.'

The young man protested to the point of screaming as a group of men began to turn his face upwards. Captain Chang revealed a small knife tucked away in her belt-one she kept especially for these moments.

'Captain' announced a voice behind her. A tall gentleman in fine livery only slightly less than hers stood behind her. Her second in command, Maleek.

'What is it?' irritated at the interruption she was still walking towards carrying out her punishment.

'The mirror glass near your quarters', he replied 'it asks for you.'

Captain Chang laughed 'Can't you see I'm too busy for jokes right now?'

'It is no joke my lady' Captain Chang stopped at the urgency of the man's voice. He leaned closer to her face. 'He has uttered Merlin's recital.'

Captain Chang stood wide eyed at hearing the name of her ancestor. She turned to face to Maleek. 'Ensure no one moves until I say so'

She marched toward her chambers. Outside was a large mirror. Its glass was no longer reflecting the wooden timbers of the ship. Instead a man in his twenties and dressed in strange grey coloured clothing and bearing equally strange glossy black short hair was kneeling before it. Captain Chang noted the surroundings before him. An elegant but poorly kept writing desk, cheaply made but plush furniture with thick material and a narrow end table with a strange looking device that had a large disc on a box with a horn like device at the top. Evidently a different world.

The man was still chanting, his eyes closed. His left hand was drenched in blood.

'Half spawn of Merlin and empress of the sea, come unto us and save us with your bravery..'

Technically what the man was saying wasn't completely right. Merlin was her ancestor from an unknown client of her grandmother. A man from a land she had never ventured nor had any interest to.

'Speak and make it quick, stranger.'

The man opened his eyes and slowly looked up in awe. He had struggled to moved the mirror from the attic to his living room which was the most presentable room in the house to receive his ancestor's army. He had almost given up.

'Captain Chang' He gawped

'I said to make it quick'

He gulped. 'Captain Chang. I ask of you to help our world which is under the tyranny-.'

'You ask for help and yet I do not know who you are.' She added more gentrification to her speech, which was saved for talking to government officials, teasing the nervous man. Inwardly she giggled. The poor idiot. 'What is your name?'

'Douglas Chang, my lady.' He was now standing. His face seemed familiar.

Captain Chang scoffed. 'Strange name. Give me your hand' She saw Douglas' confused expression. Someone with half-baked knowledge of magic. She tutted and spoke to him as if he were a toddler. 'Through the mirror. It's magic, you know.'

Douglas nervously stuck his unmarked hand through the mirror. Captain Chang felt soft palms that would never make it on her crew. Perfect. With her other hand she sliced across it with her blade. The man screamed. She licked the palm and spat out the blood which landed on a bowl of fruit on the table beside her. She waited in thought for a few moments.

'Well, I'll be' She thought. She turned her face slowly to Douglas

'And what may I do for you, great grandest of all nephews?'

Douglas Chang introducing his grand aunt to Dumbledore

'I have an army' volunteered Douglas.

'Well that's good, Douglas, but Grindlewald's supporters are many compared to the Brothers of Chinatown.' replied Dumbledore.

'I am no brother', piped up a loud voice. The entire room murmured as an athletic figure dressed in sea livery stepped forward.

Dumbledore caught his breath momentarily and turned to Douglas 'You opened the portal'

He turned his attention back to Captain Chang and bowed 'Forgive me, Captain Chang. Mage Empress of the Seas, the future world welcomes you. I am Dumbledore-'

'I know who you are', snapped Captain Chang, 'A schoolmaster who thinks he can fight a war with pictures that glow in the dark.'

'Grand aunt -' began Douglas

'Not now, you useless boy!'

'The world will humbly provide whatever you feel may help you and your army to help us' said Dumbledore, unruffled at the pirate queens arrogance 'Lodgings, food, wands-'

'Wands!' Snorted Captain Chang 'What is it with this world and their wands?'

'Ah forgive me. You are of wandless magic.'

'We're of real magic!' scoffed Captain Chang ,'You think we could've kept our ships going by sticking cutlery in the air?' As she spoke, the air became damp and windy. A few sheets of paper lifted in the air and drifted slowly to the floor.

'No, but a wand keeps our magic where it should be' said a voice in measured tones. A ghost of a beautiful woman with long flowing hair and a brocaded dress, with a book in her hand stood parallel to Captain Chang. 'Under control.'

The two women stood for what seemed like eternity looking at each other. Dumbledore broke the silence by clumsily clearing his throat.

'Captain Chang, May I introduce you to Lady Helena Ravenclaw'

Captain Chang and Lady Helena Ravenclaw in the music room of Hogwarts.

Helena began to play a song that she had witnessed students playing on the piano.

'What is that device you're tinkering on?' asked a sudden voice which Helena turned to follow. Captain Chang approached her. 'I have seen them in paintings only.'

Helena cleared her suddenly dry throat. 'They play music. It's an unmaged invention'

Captain Chang chuckled. 'Unmaged, eh? On my ship we call them useless, like my nephew and his family.'

'Well that's rather unkind'

Captain Chang raised an eyebrow 'From what I hear the non enchanted didn't treat us any better. Especially here. The amount of people who looked like you who enlisted on my ship..'

Helena changed the subject, blocking out memories of some of her more unfortunate relatives.

'I hear you're related to Merlin.'

'Through my alleged grandfather' mused Captain Chang 'if you can all him that. He was with my grandmother for a few gold coins and a half an hour.'

'Ah' Helena didn't know what to say. She began to play another song. 'Had you been in Hogwarts, you would've been in Slytherin.'

'Would this be the famous houses I keep hearing about?' pondered the bemused Captain. 'And what house are you with, my lady?'

'I'm in Ravenclaw.'

'I see' But really she didn't. 'That's a nice song you're playing. Mind if I join in?'

Helena looked away shyly, hiding her red cheeks. Captain Chang added a few more notes to the tune, complementing it perfectly. The two women sat playing the piano together in harmony.

'How old are you?' asked Captain Chang to Helena

'You can't ask such things to a lady' Helena replied. 'I was born in the 10th century.' She paused. 'How old are you?'

'Not much younger.' lied Captain Chang. Helena was much older by at least seven centuries.

Helena looked at Captain Chang in the eyes. 'Before you go to battle, please can you accept a gift from me.'

'My lady?'

Helena kissed Captain Chang gently on the lips. A cold flow of energy transferred from one woman to the other.

'To remember me. And return'

Captain Chang felt a hazy flow of energy fog slowly in her veins, old like the roots of a tree but given with much love. She looked at her again.

'Always.' Captain Chang replied and smiled.

Captain Chang on the battlefield

Captain Chang stood in the middle of the battlefield staring at awe in the teleporting dark wizards. Her people of wandless magic couldn't teleport, their magic being too wild and uncontrolled for displacement. She thought for a moment on how these teleporters would be useful on her ship until one spotted her and aimed to strike. Grabbing a wand from a nearby fallen wizard, she decided to give it a go. She missed a couple of times until the enemy was in her face.

'Gah!' she spat, as she threw the wand on one side and cast a spell in time, her hands splayed at the wizard's face where the dark wizard exploded into burnt ash. She cast another spell and was surrounded by a shielding dome which gave her enough space to run forward in. It blazed through and killed everyone it passed, friend or foe. 'I have no time for this' she muttered as she threw the same energy as her shield at the teleporting enemies, hitting with more accuracy compared to her short trial with the wand. She cast another spell, this time communicative.

'Get out of my way!', she sneered. Half the battleground shifted away from her, save for the enemy lines who were oblivious to her telepathy.

Captain Chang dusted off the remaining ash off her new three piece suit and went straight back to battle.

Post battle

Captain Chang calmly faced the wall of dark wizards and witches with her two hundred strong army. Her crew were a mixture of misfits and had been naturally gifted and trained in wandless magic. She had only selected the best to join her ship-no squibs or wand holders-how would they be able to complete tasks on the rough seas with such dependency or lack of it? Now, more than ever she did not regret her process of selection.

Captain Chang took in the sight of the pointed little sticks trying to defeat her and her crew. Her eyes focused on all of them and her fingers flicked towards her palm. The wands flew out of their owner's hands. The dark wizards looked on nervously as their wands slowly began to point towards them, metres above their head.

In a rough and deep voice, the Captain began to address them.

'Your wands no longer serve you. They will either kill you or torture you till you beg to be killed. That is your fate from now on, unless you join me. '

She looked at their reluctance.

'I am Merlin's heir. As your captain I can protect you if you choose to serve me. Thare -' she gestured towards her army, ready to kill '-are my crew. They chose right for themselves. You can either die here, or kowtow to me and join us.'

Among the clamours of verbal refusals were those that knelt.

'Cruciatis!' barked the Captain.

The wands created a field of the torture curse entombing those still standing and missing those who had knelt. The captain remained unaffected as she heard the screams of agony. One by one, they knelt. Some still stood. 'Avadacadabra', she whispered. The ones who knelt were killed instantly. With the cruciatis curse still torturing the remaining dark wizards, she turned to her crew.

'Take these stubborn bastards and teach them what it is to serve with The Red Temptress.'

At the other end of the field, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Helena. Her true love. She breathed her name and faltered slightly. Helena stared back grimly and slowly faded away.

Her eyes drew back to her new followers who were now being rounded up by her crew. The dark wizard captives glanced at her, their eyes pleading and some in total deadpan submission. She knew which ones she would keep.

1939, Chinatown, Limehouse, East London

The dust began to settle at Chinatown's Brotherhood quarters. A fighter plane flew overhead and dropped another bomb close by, causing more of the ceiling to fall. The wandless wizards from The Red Temptress had taken to the modern delights of the 20th century and had stayed, increasing the magic in the neighbourhood tenfold. However, they had no defence against the muggles and their inventions, unfamiliar to their mana energy. So, when they remained oblivious to a Muggle war, they were unprepared for the large explosives that destroyed their new home. Most of the wizards lay dead, their demise being mercifully quick.

A baby's muffled cries filled the air, within the destroyed room, screaming what seemed like forever. A burst of energy seeped through a pile of debris, pushing aside Douglas Chang's body still holding hands with his wife.

Two weeks later, Charing Cross Road, London

Newt looked wearingly through the old street in the muggle quarters. It had to be here somewhere. He stopped at a dark and curved corner of a building with dirty stain glass tiles above the door. The grime covered windows barely revealed moving shapes of people within the building. It was poorly lit.

He stepped inside. The pub was well furnished but bare, with a large fireplace at the far end of the room. A few bar tables were empty save for a businessman eating his pub meal slowly and an Asian lady wearing a long brown coat and matching conch hat and holding a baby. The lady looked up. She wore Hollywood style make up and had dark shoulder length curls.

'Newt' was all she said.

'Cap-'

Captain Chang lifted a hand to stop him 'Don't address me here.'

Newt nodded, taking in Captain Chang's disguise of a conventionally pretty woman. Although pleasant, it didn't suit the person he knew. The baby yawned and continued sleeping.

'This one was going to have a sister. Cho.', she said sadly. From far she looked like a doting mother and housewife instead of a pirate captain. She looked down and stroked her great grandnephews cheek then returned to look at Newt. 'Have you brought it?'

Newt nodded and placed a pot of floo powder on the table.

'I used to travel in a great ship,' mused Captain Chang. 'Now the dark has killed my crew.'

Newt blinked. Captain Chang had chosen to telepathically contact Newt, believing him to be the most unlikely person her enemies would follow if they were to try and find her. She had been convinced it was the dark wizards who had returned to wipe out her army. She would not believe for a second that useless muggles would be capable of creating such destruction as she thought them too weak.

'This will get you where you need to go,' he nodded at the pot, 'just for abit. It's been charmed to take you to places that will protect you.'

Silence.

'How is Helena?' she asked in a small voice

'She's waiting for you. If you come back to Hogwarts, Dumbledore can make sure both of you are safe.' He remembered his last conversation with Helena. She looked lost and didn't want anything to do with the other fellow ghosts who had tried to welcome her back from battle.

For a moment Newt saw a tear flow down Captain Chang's cheek, then it was gone.

'I can't put her more at risk. The dark will find her if I return to her. There's is nothing past the spirit world. Nothing that I could reach her with.'

'She loves you. She said she'd love you. Always.'

Captain Chang stood out of her seat and turned her back on Newt to hide away the pain on her face. She walked to the large fireplace and stood within it.

Holding the baby in one arm she struggled a little with the jar but finally succeeded, grabbing a handful of the green powder and threw it in the fireplace.

'Where will you go?' asked Newt

As she looked back at him, she was back in her usual form. She now had her nephew's suit on and her silver slicked back hair was gradually turning glossy black.

'North'

With a flash of green both Captain Chang and the baby were gone.

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