Previously on 'The Redemption'... Cho visits Hogwarts and encounters the Room of Requirement.
Chapter 4 – A New Beginning
Dumbledore smiled, lowering his glasses to regard the girl in front of him "Yes, that is me. And though I do try to remember the name of my students, I don't believe I have met your acquaintance Miss..?"
"Chang," she said hurriedly "Cho Chang"
Cho's mind was running at a million miles per hour, her thoughts a jumbled mess that was nearly incomprehensible. From the stray pieces of information she could gather, this was not the Hogwarts she knew and loved. The castle looked much the same but the minor differences began to make sense. The lady named Getrude not knowing her old Professors, the altered uniforms, the staircases moving in different sequences than what she was used to. It was all slowly coming together.
"Excuse me Professor," started Cho, her voice distinctly strained, "what's the date?"
"Well Miss Chang, it's September 2nd which reminds me; I must send an owl to my aunt Harriet" he mused to himself. "But to answer your question completely, it is September 2nd 1945"
Dumbledore suddenly looked very concerned as Cho seemed to be hyperventilating, struggling to inhale more air into her lungs. Her face was deathly pale, a sheen of sweat developing on her forehead as though she was running a fever. Acting quickly, Dumbledore guided her inside the teachers' lounge and sat her down in one of the armchairs. Cho faintly registered Getrude disappearing for a moment before reappearing and thrusting a small vial of pale green liquid into her hands. Taking the cue, she knocked back the soothing, slightly minty potion.
"Calming draught" explained Dumbledore, waiting patiently till Cho calmed down enough to speak.
When the dizziness in her head had subsided, and her gasping became more subdued, she turned towards Dumbledore "Could I talk to you in private? Please Professor?"
Dumbledore nodded, steering Cho out of the crowd of teachers who held suspicious and curious glances and led her up to a secret door that was disguised behind a picture of a serene mountainous landscape. The portrait swung open with a wordless swish of his wand.
"Ladies first?" he offered, his hand outstretched towards the doorway. Cho nodded her head in thanks, not yet trusting her voice to work.
The office was much smaller than the future Dumbledore's Headmaster office but still remained as cluttered as ever. Various gadgets and instruments were strewn over his mahogany desk which dominated the main area while a modestly sized book shelf lined the back wall. Cho also noticed a perch next to his desk, a pile of ashes smouldering slightly.
"Ah" began Dumbledore happily "I see that you have noticed my phoenix-"
"Fawkes" breathed Cho, interrupting Dumbledore who looked mildly surprised "His name is Fawkes" she said with more conviction.
"Miss Chang, perhaps now would be a good time for you to tell me what you need to?" he asked, his tone carefully neutral. He went to sit behind his desk while Cho occupied the one across from him. Dispelling the feeling of being questioned like a criminal, Cho nervously took a sip of water that had appeared on the table before beginning her story.
She told Dumbledore who she was and how she unknowingly time travelled, being careful to leave out anything that could change the future. While Cho wished that the whole ordeal in regards to You-Know-Who never happened, textbooks she had read in the past had stressed the point of not altering time because it was so fickle and unpredictable. All she wanted now was just to go straight home before she could do any serious damage.
Dumbledore, who had remained silent for most part of her narration, spoke up when she trailed into silence "Well what is it you want to do Miss Chang?"
"I want to go home" she replied automatically
He took off his glasses and began polishing the lens on his robes "I think you misunderstand me. What do you want? Do you want to return to your old life?"
Cho frowned "It's not about what I want."
"But if you could stay here without consequence, would you?" he asked, his eyes very blue as he stared at her.
"That would be selfish" murmured Cho, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. "And running away from my problems won't help them solve them"
To her surprise, Dumbledore chuckled "Has it occurred to you that perhaps the Room Of Requirement has directed you here to help you solve your problems?"
Cho blinked owlishly, realising that those thoughts had not at all occurred to her. But how could sending her back in time help her? If anything, it would just add a whole lot more trouble to her life which she didn't need or want. Making up her mind, she fixed Dumbledore with a steely yet determined look.
"That may be true, but I would like to go back home" she said resolutely.
Dumbledore nodded slowly, rising from his chair while a smile touched his lips "Then let us see what the Room of Requirement thinks of your request"
Cho dismissed his strange wording, knowing that Dumbledore often spoke in riddles and very vague phrases; instead following him out of his office. After trekking down several flights of stairs and narrow corridors, they reached the seemingly innocent looking blank stretch of wall.
"It's all yours" smiled Dumbledore, twisting his arms behind his back and rocking on his heels. Cho stepped forward, clenching her eyes shut and pacing back and forth.
"I need to get home back to my time" thought Cho as she walked. After the third time, she opened one of her eyes but found nothing other than the wall staring mockingly back at her. "I need to get home. Take me home" she thought again. But as she stopped in front of the wall, no door materialised for her to open.
"It seems" enunciated Dumbledore, that spark in his eye glowing brighter than ever "That the magic of castle does not wish for you to leave" He noticed the exasperation upon Cho's face and his smile widened "And since we have no other known methods of time travel up our sleeves, I suggest you stay here as a student. Welcome back to Hogwarts Miss Chang"
