Chapter 2: It Gets Worse
12:01pm
Cho entered the Great Hall warily, making sure to note Michael's location at the Ravenclaw table and sit as far away from him as humanly possible. After missing potions she had spent the next hour, which was a free period for her, moping about while Marietta went off to her Arithmancy class. Then, she spent the break between the end of that period and her next class resolutely avoiding Michael. She just couldn't face him. She didn't want to have that talk with him, to find out how she wasn't good enough. She wasn't good enough to win the Quidditch Cup, or to be a prefect, or to actually keep a boyfriend for more than a few months.
After her History of Magic class was finished she had seriously contemplated not going to lunch at all. Then she remembered she was supposed to be being strong. How's that going? Her cynical voice had mocked. Marietta had also refused to come to lunch. Over the course of the year her pimples had faded and by now they were almost completely gone, but she still preferred to be on her own or with Cho. Old habits died h ard.
Cho ate her food quickly and resolutely, trying her best not to look up for fear of being noticed by Michael, or anyone else for that matter. She wondered who else knew what had happened, and what disturbingly distorted version of the story the Hogwarts rumour mill had managed to churn out.
"Cho?" a soft voice said as someone sat beside her. Damn. She had been discovered. Determined to face her fate with dignity she looked up to find Remy Borden's concerned face staring back at her.
"Remy? What are you doing here?" she asked without thinking.
"This is where I usually sit," he said cheerfully, apparently not thinking her question was weird. "Actually, I normally sit where you are." Cho smiled apologetically. She had been so preoccupied with avoiding Michael that she had given no thought to whose territory she would invade on her journey to the far reaches of Ravenclaw table.
"I'm sorry, I'll get up," she said, secretly glad for an excuse to leave the Hall. She was beginning to think that this whole being strong thing was not worth the trouble.
"Wait." he said, grabbing her hand as she started to get to her feet. "I wasn't saying you had to leave." He looked at her guiltily.
"It's okay, I'm finished anyway," she said and gestured to her plate, which, to her embarrassment, was still full of food. She blushed a bit then stood up quickly.
"Oh, okay." Remy said softly, releasing her hand. "Later then." Cho made to leave, then she remembered something.
"I almost forgot," she said, and took the stack of cards out from her pocket, handing them to Remy. "You left these in the common room." Remy's eyes lit up.
"Thanks, Cho!" he said as he took them from her. His demeanour was that of a child opening a Christmas gift. He stared at the cards for a second before shuffling them in various complicated ways, as if testing whether they had been harmed in his absence. Cho again marvelled at the speed and ease with which he manipulated them. Then he produced a small box from his pocket and deposited them into it. He noticed her watching him and his cheeks coloured.
"You're welcome, Remy," she said with a smile and turned to leave again.
"Miss Chang, Mr. Borden," the unmistakably squeaky voice of Professor Flitwick called to them. "Just the pair I was hoping to see. Might I have a quick word?" Cho and Remy glanced at each other, and she was sure her look of uncertainty mirrored his. Flitwick led them over to a corner of the hall before he spoke.
"I've been informed by my colleagues that neither of you showed up for your first period classes this morning," Cho gulped, she hadn't even thought of that. "I'm afraid that with the increased security measures this year, we are required to give detention to any students who skip class." Cho's heart sank; she had never had a detention before, what would her parents say?
"Now, Miss Chang, your friend Miss Edgecombe tells me that you had taken ill." Cho felt a glimmer of hope; Marietta had come through for her yet again. "Unfortunately you did not notify any instructor about your condition or make a visit to Madam Pomfrey." Cho's fleeting hopes were dashed in an instant. "As for you Mr. Borden, numerous students reported seeing you wandering the halls when you should have been in Defence Against the Dark Arts." For some reason Remy glanced at Cho upon hearing this, and his slight blush returned.
"You two will have to meet me in my office tonight for a detention. I have some business to take care of in the evening, so you are to be there for ten 'o'clock sharp." Upon seeing their crestfallen looks he added, "Don't worry; I won't keep you too late. I was once young myself you know but rules are rules. Now do enjoy the rest of your lunch." And with that he left them standing there. As Cho watched him go she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Michael chatting with Padma Patil and quickly looked away.
"Are you ok?" Remy asked Cho. She wondered what prompted the question but didn't care enough to stay and find out.
"Fine," she said vaguely and walked off.
9:33pm
Cho was happy. She was with Cedric. They were sitting out on the grounds beside the lake and his arm was wrapped around her. Her head was resting on his shoulder and he was whispering into her ear. His breath tickled her face as he spoke, it smelled sweet, like the candy they had just been sharing.
He took her chin in his hand and tilted her head towards him as he shifted his body so that he could face her. As their faces inched closer, his suddenly became Michael's and he pushed her away.
"You're not who I thought you were," He said and she stared at him in shock. That should have been her line. He then pulled something out of his pocket; it was a card with a picture of a lady wearing a crown and decorated with hearts. A queen, Cho suddenly realized. Remy smiled and the card he was holding exploded in a flash of red light.
xxx
For the second time that day Cho woke up to the fading memory of cards. This time, however, Luna Lovegood was standing beside her bed, staring down at her.
"Oh dear, did I wake you?" Luna asked. "I really didn't mean to."
"No," Cho shook her head, her voice groggy. "I think my dream woke me." Luna nodded knowingly.
"A Morphander must have kicked you out of it." Seeing the bewildered look on Cho's face she added, "Don't worry, it happens to me all the time. It probably wanted some privacy."
"Maybe," Cho said with a shrug. "So, what were you doing standing beside my bed?" she asked when Luna made no attempt to explain.
"Oh, yes. Well Professor Flitwick found me in the halls and reminded me that it was past my curfew. I was on quite a lovely walk and had lost track of the time you see. He asked me to remind you and Remy about your detention tonight. He also said that you should bring some schoolwork with you." Here she paused looking thoughtful. "It must be quite exciting to have a reason to leave the common room after curfew." She said sincerely.
"Not really." Cho shook her head.
"Oh." Luna looked a bit disappointed. "Well when I got back to Ravenclaw Tower I didn't see you in the common room so I thought you might be in the dorm. I found you up here quite sound asleep and was trying to decide whether to come back later, wait, or wake you up. But then the Morphander did that for me!" she finished happily.
Cho caught sight of her bedside clock, sighed and sat up. She had only meant to take a quick nap after class but she had somehow managed to sleep through supper as well. She still had enough time to do a bit of revision before the detention though. Then she thought of something.
"Say, Luna," she began. "Is Michael in the common room?"
"Michael Corner?" Luna asked. Cho nodded. "He was when I came in here." She said. "He and Padma were doing homework together. I thought about asking them if they had seen you, but I didn't want to interrupt." Cho's heart sank at the news, but she was very glad that Luna respected Ravenclaw customs more than some others. Speaking of which...
"What about Remy?" she asked, thinking maybe they could go to the detention together. She did not feel like walking through the castle alone, even if it wasn't quite dark yet.
"He was there, but he left when I reminded him about the detention."
"He already left?" she asked and Luna nodded. "But our detention's not until ten."
"Maybe he wanted to take the scenic route," she offered. Cho sighed.
"Maybe," she answered. "Anyway, thanks Luna."
"You know this is the longest conversation we've ever had?" Luna said, smiling. Cho was taken aback.
"I'm really sorry about that, Luna," she said sadly. "I guess I should have gotten a detention sooner," she added with a laugh. Luna looked confused.
"Why would you have done that?"
"Well, because..." Cho trailed off, suddenly feeling very silly.
"I'm only kidding," Luna said, smiling brightly, "I do have a sense of humour you know." Cho laughed again, relieved.
"Well, I should go," Luna said. "I'm quite busy preparing for my OWLs. I've been studying History of Magic all week. It's really a very entertaining subject." Cho recalled the book Luna had been reading the night before and grinned. Only Luna could find entertainment in such a dull subject. "Have fun in detention!" Luna said sincerely as she left the room.
"I will!" Cho called after her before realizing what she was saying.
9:57pm
Cho stood in front of Flitwick's office, slightly out of breath. The bag slung over her shoulder was filled with an assortment of books. She couldn't decide just what to bring, so she brought them all. She had almost been late because she was waiting for Michael to leave the common room. She had been hovering by the door for almost twenty minutes. At 9:50 he and Padma had given no sign that they would be leaving anytime soon so Cho had bitten the bullet and walked briskly through the room, her eyes fixed in front of her. She was sure she had seen Michael look up out of the corner of her eye, but was gone before he could speak.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. A few seconds later a squeaky voice on the other side called, "Come in." She entered the room to find Flitwick sitting at his desk. Two smaller desks were placed in front of his, each with a chair behind it.
"Good evening Miss Chang," The tiny man said cordially. "How are you?"
"I'm okay sir," she said. He gestured to the desks and she took a seat behind the furthest one, placing her bag on it.
"Have you seen Mr. Borden?" He asked after she had settled.
"He's on his way, I think," she said and he nodded.
"Well, I normally have my students practice charms during their detentions. But since exams are coming up soon I'll just let you decide what subject your time would be best served studying." Cho didn't think that sounded too bad. She shuddered at the thought of what detention with Professor Snape would have been like.
"Thank you, sir." He waved his hand dismissively.
"Not at all, Miss Chang." Just then there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he squeaked and Remy Borden walked into the office.
"Hello, Mr. Borden. Cutting it a bit close tonight aren't we?" Cho glanced at the clock that hung behind Flitwick. It was ten 'o'clock on the dot.
"Sorry sir," Remy mumbled.
"Nothing to worry about lad," Flitwick answered. "I was just telling Miss Chang that I would let you use this time to study for whatever subject you deem worthy. Do take a seat." He gestured to the desk beside Cho.
She smiled at Remy as he sat down and couldn't help wondering where he had gone before coming here. Then she took out her potions book and turned to the chapter she had been studying the night before. A few minutes later she glanced up at the clock.
10:05pm
This was why she hated classrooms where a clock was easily visible. She would be compelled to look up at it far too often.
10:08pm
Seriously? She could have sworn she hadn't glanced at the clock in at least ten minutes. She was having trouble focussing with Professor Flitwick sitting at his desk marking assignments of some sort. He would make a squeak of approval or mumble something disapproving every few minutes. Remy, on the other hand, was silent, engrossed in some book that didn't look like any textbook she recognized. She glanced to her left, out of the small window in the middle of the room. The sun was now setting and was about half submerged beneath the horizon. The sky surrounding it seemed to burn orange while further away it faded into purplish hues. She sighed heavily; it was going to be a long night.
10:10pm
She reached into her bag. Studying potions was not working. Maybe she would have better luck with another subject. She was rooting around for her Ancient Runes text when her hand brushed against something very hot. She pulled back in surprise. Then she reached back in, wondering what it could be. She retrieved a Golden Galleon from the bottom of her bag. It was still very warm, but not uncomfortable to hold. She stared at it, confused, then suddenly she remembered. It was from the DA. Their way of letting members know when there was a meeting. She had meant to remove it from her bag at some point but had completely forgotten.
She couldn't help but wonder why it was burning now. Was there an impromptu meeting? Had the DA been reinstated? Then for a moment she wondered if this was the real deal, a threat that the DA was summoning its members to help combat. She shook her head suddenly and tossed the coin back into her bag. Whatever it was, she was sure they had not actually meant to summon her. She was no longer welcome. She reached into the bag again, and this time she found the book she had been looking for easily. She got back to studying and was finally able to focus.
11:21pm
The door to Flitwick's office burst open violently and a haggard looking Professor McGonagall charged into the room.
"Filius!" she said without stopping to catch her breath. "Something has happened. You must fetch Severus! Tell him that De..." She trailed off, suddenly noticing the two students in the room. "Why are you two here at this hour?"
"Detention," Remy offered helpfully. His voice was even softer than usual and Cho wondered if he felt quite as intimidated at Professor McGonagall's panic as she did. Flitwick seemed to consider McGonagall for a bit before turning to the two of them.
"Gather your things and return to the common room immediately. Do not stop or take any unnecessary detours." He looked at Remy as he said the last bit.
"There's no time, Filius," McGonagall interjected. "They will be safer here. Come." Professor Flitwick nodded and the two stepped outside before McGonagall turned back to the two bewildered students. "I am going to put a seal on this door which can only be opened from the inside. You must not leave this room unless it is absolutely necessary and do not let anyone in under any circumstances." As she turned to leave, Cho called to her.
"What's happening professor?" she asked, voice quivering. Something was seriously wrong.
McGonagall's eyes met Cho's but she didn't answer. Instead she closed the door. Moments later it gave a slight hum and Cho knew they had just been sealed in.
"What was that all about?" Remy asked a few moments after McGonagall and Flitwick left.
"I don't know," Cho replied.
"It...It sounded like Professor McGonagall was going to say Death Ea-"
"Don't say it!" Cho interrupted, panic rising in her chest. "Let's…just talk about something else."
"Okay..." Remy hesitantly agreed. "Like what?"
"I don't know," Cho sighed. It was hard to think of small talk when there was a large elephant in the room. Or rather, in the castle. Remy pulled out a familiar box from his pocket, withdrew the cards from it, and began playing with them. Cho watched him for a few moments.
"So what happened to you this morning?" he asked suddenly, eyes still on the cards.
"What do you mean?"
"Why did you skip class?"
"Oh that. I was... upset."
"Because of Michael?" he asked, still not looking in her direction.
"Pretty much," she admitted. Remy's hands stopped their constant motion.
"What did he do to you?"
"It's not important," Cho said quickly. "What about you, why were you 'wandering the halls' as Flitwick put it?" Remy resumed his shuffling but didn't respond immediately.
"I was looking for something," he said after a moment.
"Well, did you manage to find it?" She was curious about his vague answer.
"It showed up eventually," he said. She nodded and continued watching the movement of his hands. She couldn't be entirely sure but it seemed he had gotten better over the last few months. Suddenly it dawned on her; he must have been looking for his cards.
"Remy," Cho said.
"Yea?" he answered.
"Why do you tell people you want to be a magician?"
"Because that's what I want to do."
"But you're a wizard. Why would you pretend to do magic when you can actually do it?" His hands stopped moving again. He turned to look at her and she was slightly unnerved by his gaze. She couldn't tell if she had upset him. He considered her for a few seconds before speaking.
"Before we come to Hogwarts we do accidental magic all the time. We do things without a wand that it takes us years to learn to do with one." He leaned over and reached behind Cho's ear suddenly. She flinched but did not move. When he pulled back he held a large coin in his hand.
"Look mum, no wand," he said, gesturing to the wand which was sticking out of his pocket.
"How did you do that?" she asked. Concealment charms needed to be removed by an incantation. Incantations required wands. Wandless magic wasn't even taught at Hogwarts, and only the most powerful wizards could use it for anything but extremely simple spells.
"Sleight of hand, misdirection," he said. "That's the magic my parents taught me. My parents are magicians you know. Did I ever tell you that?"
Cho shook her head. She really didn't know anything about him.
"Magicians don't pretend to do magic. We can do things a wizard would never figure out because they're too caught up in what they consider to be magic." Cho was shocked. She had never heard him talk like this before. His voice was far from its usual soft tone. He laughed suddenly and looked away.
"I'm sorry. All that talking and I didn't even answer your question." He looked a bit embarrassed. "I guess the gist of it is that I want to be like my parents. They're pretty famous. Well, in the muggle world." Cho nodded, staring at him. She couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like to grow up as the child of magicians and then to discover one day that magic really did exist.
"How come you never told me all of this?" she asked him.
"How come you never asked?" he countered.
"Because all you ever do is show me card tricks!" she blurted before she could stop herself. He just shrugged.
"What else am I supposed to do? I know you only ever talked to me because you felt sorry for me." She wanted to tell him he was wrong, but they both knew he wasn't. "But you seemed impressed when I showed you what I could do. How else was I supposed to get a girl like you to stay friends with me?"
"A girl like me?" She repeated incredulously, shaking her head, "You say that like I'm something special, Remy. I'm a mess."
"No you're not," he said.
"Yes I am! I'm an emotional wreck. I'm almost finished seventh year and I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I'm probably the worst seeker Ravenclaw's ever seen. I only have one friend left and she would prefer to be in her room alone than with me." She would have continued for quite a while longer but Remy interrupted her.
"I'm your friend too," he corrected and Cho let out a sad laugh.
"Oh Remy, don't you understand? We were never really friends. All we ever do is make small talk before you show me some magic trick and I tell you how great it is. Friends talk to each other about how they feel, they spend time together and share their problems with each other."
"You mean like what we're doing now?" Cho laughed again. This time it was a laugh of realization.
"Yea, I guess so," she admitted. Remy stared down at the cards he had just placed on the desk in front of him.
"It was you," he said softly.
"What?" Cho asked, not entirely sure she had actually heard him speak.
"This morning," he said. "It was you I was looking for."
"Me? Why?"
"You just looked so upset when you left the common room. I couldn't stand to see you like that. I hated the thought of you being upset and alone somewhere with no one to talk to. Even when I ran into Marietta and she said she would find you. I still kept looking in case she didn't."
"Remy...," she began.
"It seems stupid now," he continued. "But I guess I just wanted to see you and make sure you were okay. You might not think we've been friends but you've helped me more than you think. When you talked to me that day, you made me feel like I wasn't a complete arse for playing with muggle cards. I always looked forward to showing you whenever I learned a new trick or perfected an old one. I could tell you enjoyed them too. It made me feel like there was some purpose to what I was doing because there was someone that actually cared. What more could a magician ask for really? I guess I just wanted to return the favour."
"Wow Remy. I had no idea… that it meant so much to you." She suddenly felt extremely sad that she had never made an effort to get to know him better. She had just seen him as an odd little fifth year. Her eyes began to water. "See what I mean?" she said as she quickly wiped them. "Emotional wreck."
He reached over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, you're talking to the bloke who knocked himself out with nothing but a thin rectangle of cardboard," he said and she giggled.
"Yea, how did you manage that one Mr. Borden?" she asked. "And how in Merlin's name did you make that card glow?"
Remy smiled a mischievous grin similar to the one he had worn the night before. "A magician never reveals his secret." It was one of those things he often said to her. Cho was about to attempt to convince him to renounce that motto when a loud bang came from the door.
"Help!" someone yelled from outside as they pounded on the door frantically. Remy and Cho stared at each other. There was no mistaking the voice of Stephen Cornfoot.
"Is anyone in there? Let us in, please! They're coming!" Stephen yelled again.
"We need to hide!" called another voice. Cho's eyes went wide. It was Kevin. She wondered if Remy recognized their voices. The pounding continued.
"If someone's in there you have to let us in! They're in the castle!" Kevin yelled.
"They saw us; they saw us trying to get away!" Stephen shouted. Cho looked at the door and could see Stephen's panicked face framed in the small circular window. Their eyes met and she shrank back but he gave no sign he had seen her. Cho assumed that McGonagall's spell hid her and Remy from sight as well.
"Please!" Kevin begged, "They're here, they got in somehow." He paused. "Death... Death Eaters are in Hogwarts!"
Remy gasped. "No."
"That's impos..." Cho began, but she trailed off. It was true. It had to be, that was why McGonagall sealed them in. Death Eaters had gotten into Hogwarts. She knew they couldn't leave Stephen and Kevin out there but McGonagall's words echoed in her head. Do not let anyone in. She sat there, torn. Maybe they would give up soon. Find somewhere else to hide.
"Forget it, no one's in here! We have to find somewhere else," she heard Kevin say to his friend.
What would Cedric do? Or Harry? Her normally cynical voice asked. As soon as the thought crossed her mind she knew what had to be done. Apparently Remy felt the same.
"Do you know any sealing or protective charms?" he asked, getting to his feet. Cho nodded. They were her favourite part of Flitwick's class.
"Okay," Remy said. "Get ready." Cho drew her wand. Remy rushed over to the door, pulled it opened and said, "Get in!" The two Ravenclaw boys outside stared at him in shock for a second, before squeezing past him into the room. Remy slammed the door shut and stepped back as Cho began casting every protective charm she knew on it. Stephen and Kevin exchanged looks of relief.
"Thank you," Stephen said, looking at Remy, while Kevin nodded in agreement. Remy didn't answer but walked back to his seat behind the desk. Stephen's eyes followed him as if waiting for a response. Cho finished the last of her charms.
"What happened?" She asked, breaking the silence. The two boys sat on Flitwick's desk and looked at each other before speaking.
"We were about to head back to the common room when we saw them. They were strolling through the halls like they didn't have a care in the world," Stephen said. Cho glanced at Remy. He was just staring at them, listening intently to their story. Cho tried her best not to think about what it truly meant.
"I panicked as soon as I recognized their masks. They were talking about completing their mission, said they had to get to the astronomy tower," he continued. "We hid behind a suit of armour but we must have made noise. One of them turned in our direction. He came walking over while the others went ahead."
"I freaked out and I ran and he followed," Kevin said, gesturing to Stephen. "We had to find somewhere to hide. This room was the first one we came to."
"How did you get away?" Remy asked.
"What?" Stephen said.
"How did you get away if the Death Eater was coming towards you? Wouldn't he have seen you? Hexed you? Why didn't he?" Remy clarified.
"I don't know, do I!" Stephen yelled. "I don't know what goes on in their heads!"
"I cast a silencing charm," Kevin said quickly. "He was coming towards us but I don't think he saw us. He must have heard something when we first hid. We ran around the corner, away from him, but not before I cast the charm." Remy nodded. Cho thought he was taking it surprisingly well. She was using most of her willpower to prevent herself from running around the room or screaming like a baby Mandrake. The four of them sat there in silence for a few moments until it became too much for her. She began to cry softly. Remy was the first to notice.
"It's okay," he said softly as he reached over and rubbed her back awkwardly. "We're safe in here." She looked up at him bewildered.
"Safe? None of us is safe! If they got into Hogwarts then..." She trailed off and began sobbing in earnest. Remy moved his chair closer to her and put an arm around her shoulder, squeezing hers. She leaned into him, sobbing all the while.
"It'll be ok, you'll see," he said.
"Oy!" Stephen called from his position at the front of the office. "What's she crying about? She wasn't almost killed by Death Eaters was she? No wait, that was us." Cho felt Remy tense up as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"Shut it Cornfoot. This isn't the time," Remy warned.
"No, he's right," Cho said suddenly, and straightened up. "We have to be strong." Right, because you're so good at that, her cynical voice mocked. She wiped her face, looking right at Stephen.
"See? Your girlfriend knows who to listen to," Stephen said, staring back at her. Kevin shot him a warning look. Remy, on the other hand ignored him and looked at Cho.
"You ok?" he asked. She nodded. Now that she was upright again he removed his arm from around her shoulders and rested his hands on his knees. Cho secretly wished he hadn't. He drummed his fingers restlessly for a few seconds before reaching for his cards again. He noticed her watching him as he began to shuffle them. "Nervous habit," he said to her with a shrug. She smiled.
"What are those?" Kevin asked suddenly, eyeing the cards. Remy looked up and stared at him for a few seconds before speaking.
"You don't recognize the card deck you gave me for my birthday?" Remy asked. What? Cho mentally questioned.
Kevin stared at Remy as if sizing him up. Then he smiled. "Of course I do." Wait, what? Cho thought again as Remy smiled back.
It all happened in a flash. Remy drew his wand and yelled "Stupefy!" At the same time, Stephen drew his and yelled "Expelliarmus!" The red bolt of light from Remy's wand hit Kevin and sent him flying backwards across Flitwick's desk right before Remy's wand flew from his hand and into Stephen's. Stephen kept his wand pointed at Remy, while he trained Remy's wand on Cho. He needn't have bothered however, as Cho was frozen where she sat. Her wand dangled from her slack hand.
"When did you figure it out?" Stephen asked after he had summoned Cho's wand.
"You're story about running into Death Eaters was pretty weak, but within the realm of possibility," Remy said, voice dripping with contempt. "But there was no possible way Kevin wouldn't recognize the muggle playing cards that you two have been tormenting me about since I started at Hogwarts. And he certainly didn't give them to me."
Stephen laughed. It was a disturbingly fierce laugh, as if he had just heard the best joke a man could hope to hear.
"How fitting," he said simply.
"So who are you?" Remy asked. Cho didn't understand, her brain seemed to be moving in slow motion.
"I am but a humble servant of the Dark Lord. But you can just call me Sir," he sneered. "Incarcerus!" He bellowed suddenly and thick ropes shot from the end of his wand and bound Remy to the chair he was sitting in. He then did the same to Cho before reviving his unconscious accomplice.
"What happened?" Kevin asked.
"I reckon we've been discovered," Stephen replied, grinning evilly. "Now we get to have some real fun."
Cho finally understood. They were trapped in this classroom, not with Kevin and Stephen, but with a pair of Death Eaters.
