New Beginnings
By Cedric Dursley
Chapter three
Cho's Choice
A/N See the first chapter for disclaimer
Cho Chang woke up in the late afternoon after the final battle in the Ravenclaw common room. Professor McGonagall gave all the fighters defending Hogwarts permission to remain at the school for a few days while the ministry began to rebuild itself. Cho decided to remain to help assist in healing the injured. The most severely injured were transferred to St. Mungo's, but there were still people with minor injuries waiting for Madam Pomfrey to heal them. Cho was fairly decent with healing spells and was asked to assist. After a quick breakfast, she went to the infirmary to see if any more help was needed.
"Madam Pomfrey, do you need any assistance today"?
"Not today Miss Chang. Why don't you go and check with Minister Shacklebolt and Professor McGonagall and see if they need help".
Cho walked to the Headmaster's office to check in but Harry, Ron and Hermione were there. So she waited a few moments until they were through and knocked on the door.
"Come in." Professor McGonagall called out. "Miss Chang may I help you"?
"Yes professor. Madam Pomfrey sent me here to see if you needed any help in clearing the school of debris".
"Hello Cho." Harry said. "I would like to thank you for all the help yesterday. We were just talking about having a memorial service later this afternoon before everybody leaves for the funerals the next few days. I have been asked to say a few words then. Will you be there? Cedric will be mentioned and I don't want to cause you any discomfort".
"No Harry. I just need a little more time to get over his murder. Did you get his killer by any chance?"
"As a matter of fact, Tom Riddle took care of that little problem himself. Cho, Ginny and I have decided to give our relationship a second try. I hope you understand. Our one date seemed forced and we were both still hurting over Cedric's death. I hope you understand".
"I am glad to hear that. If anyone deserves happiness it's you two. I think I will stay for the Service and then do a little traveling. I just need to get away for a few years and clear my head. And speaking of couples, was that Ron and Hermione snogging in the main hall a few minutes ago? I hope so".
"Yes. They finally got together during the final battle. I think it's about time. I hope one day, you will find someone who makes you feel important. If anyone deserves that, it's you".
"Thank you Harry. That makes me feel like there is hope in the world. We fought for our very freedom last night and I, for one, am glad we won".
Cho left to help set up for the memorial service on the quiddich pitch as that was the only place with little damage after the fight. While the volunteers cleared away the light debris, Cho helped arrange chairs, transforming some stray boulders into chairs when needed. As the afternoon waned, minster Shacklebolt arrived to deliver the first speech. At that time guests began arriving so Cho took her seat. She found she was sitting next to Theodore Nott. She was surprised to see any Slytherins there.
"Nott' you look terrible. What happened to you"?
"Miss Chang, please don't ask any questions right. I had to kill my father last night to save Minister Shacklebolt. Don't worry, I fought for the side of light not for that half blood murderer. You are safe sitting next to me".
As Cho was about to reply, Kingsley Shacklebolt approached the raised platform to begin the service.
After a sonorous spell, He began.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here to pay homage to all the fallen defenders of freedom. But before I begin, I have just learned that Severus Snape was found dead in the shrieking shack dead from a snake bite. He died a true hero, not like the coward you may think he was. He was a spy, serving Albus Dumbledore since before Riddle's first fall. Please give the same respect you would any other defender of Hogwarts. Now to continue.
This evening, we are here to remember those who fought Voldemort and lost their lives as a result of that fight. This list goes all the way to the first war we fought when we lost and it is a long one. We will end this service with a list of all those who died fighting Voldemort and his death eaters. Last night, this fight began when Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger returned to finish a mission Headmaster Dumbledore first began. At this time, I cannot divulge the details about this mission as there was only three people to know about it. All I can say is they were successful in this mission, as /Voldemort was defeated. However every victory comes with a price. And the price here was the death of around fifty people here. These deaths were not in vain as we defeated evil in it's most perverse form. I would like Harry Potter to come up and say a few words about how this was done. Harry, If you will".
Harry came up to the platform and began his speech.
"Hello everyone. I'm not used to speaking to large crowds, but here I go. Voldemort had another name and that was Tom Riddle. I first met him when I was eighteen months old when he killed my parents and tried to kill me. The spell he used backfired and hit him causing him to disappear for eleven years. Then, during my first year, he had possessed one of my professors, Quinenus Quirrell. When died because of my touch Professor Dumbledore told that it was my mother's sacrifice that hurt him. In my second year, Lucius Malfoy hid a diary in Ginny Weasley's cauldron . As she began writing in it, the diary began to possess her. As she was possessed, she began to do the will of Tom Riddle and killed the roosters that were here and open the Chamber of Secrets. All of you know about that, but there is something that do not know. The diary was a horcrux. Now, for those who don;t know what a horcrux is, it is an object hat houses a part of a person's soul. You know what happened during my third. forth and fifth years. During my sixth year, Professor Dumbledore gave me a series of lessons about Tom Riddle. It turned out that the champion of the pure blood movement was in fact, half blooded. His mother was a pure blood witch named Merope Gaunt and his father was a muggle named Tom Riddle. He changed the facts about his parents to hide this fact. Professor Dumbledore found out that Riddle made not one, but seven horcruxes. He had destroyed one, but it nearly cost him his life. In the end we traveled to a hidden cave to retrieve one but found out that that one was a fake. Regulus Black found out about the horcrux and stole it. During what would be my final year at Hogwarts I was searching for the remaining horcruxes. I found the locket that Regulus stole in the possession of Dolores Umbridge and stole it. My best friend Ron, destroyed it and then we down three. After we escaped from Malfoy Manor, I enlisted the help of a goblin named Griphook to steal another one from the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange. It turned out to be the cop of Helga Hufflepuff. There were then two more to find, or so we thought. We knew that one of them was an object of Rowena Ravenclaw, but we did not find it until we got back to Hogwarts. When we returned there, we found out that it was the Ravenclaw Diadem. We found it in a part of the room of requirement. We were followed there by Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. We had a brief battle that ended in Crabbe creating fiendfyre and destroying the diadem. That left one. I knew that Riddle's snake, Nagini, was also one. When the first part of the final battle died out, I looked for Riddle and found him at the Shrieking Shack with a dying Snape. After he left, Snape me the final key to defeating Riddle in his memories. It turned out that I was also a horcrux created accidentally when Riddle tried to kill me. The only way to defeat Riddle was for me to sacrifice myself and destroy the bit of soul in me. What happened next surprised even me. I found myself at an ethereal version of King's Crossing Station with Dumbledore waiting for me. He then told me that the piece of soul that was inside me an if I wished, I can return to life. I returned and was assisted by Narcissa Malfoy told Riddle that I was dead. When Neville Longbottom killed Nagini. I knew it was time to act. You all saw what that result was. I hope that explains where I was for most of this year. Now I would like to turn the stage over to Hermione Granger to read a list of those who died in the war against Riddle and his death eaters. Hermione, the stage is yours".
As Hermione walked up to the platform, Cho hoped she could keep her calm. She knew that Cedric's name will be called out. But she knew if harry can get through this, so could she.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I will read aloud a list of those who were killed in this war.
Edger Bones and his family, Dearborn Cardoc, Benjy Fenwick, Marlene Mckinnon, Dorcas Meadows, Gideon and Fabian Prewitt, James and Lily Potter, Regulus Black, Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Ted Tonks, Remus and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin, Fred Weasley, Broderick Bode, Emminaline Vance, Amelia Bones, Alastor Moody, Charity Burbage, Bathilda Baggshot, Rufus Scrimgeour, Colin Cheevey and a house elf Named Dobby. These names also include Frank and Alice Longbottom because they were tortured by four death eaters into insanity. These names will be included in a monument that will be erected at the Ministry of magic so these people will never be forgotten. I want to thank all of you for coming here to remember the fallen heroes and let us hope we never need to do this ever again".
Wen the service ended Cho noticed there was not a dry eye anywhere. She walked to Hogsmeade and apparated home to begin packing for her extended trip. She decided to wait a few weeks before she left.
And then, when the day arrived for her to leave, she took a cab to the airport and left England for a while.
A/N I will be starting collage in a couple of weeks so postings may be delayed, But I do intend to not only finish this story, but start a sequel where the children of my caricatures will be attending Hogwarts. About the list of the fallen heroes, if I left anyone out, please excuse me. I did the best job I could. Please read and review. All reviews are welcome, even flames.