A/N: This is neither a particularly good chapter or a long one but I feel terrible about leaving it for such a long time! Hopefully when my winter holidays roll around, I'll have more time to update this (and several of my other stories too). As always, thank you for your reviews/follows/ favourites - you are fantastic. :)
Previously on 'The Redemption'... Cho stumbles upon Abraxas at St Mungo's and finds herself at breaking point with her mysterious headaches.
Chapter 25 - Recollections
She didn't go back to her dormitories or the hospital wing, instead sprinting to Dumbledore's office and banging on the portrait like a madwoman with all previous thoughts of Malfoy dissipating like smoke in air. Moments later, he opened the door, studying her with a quick glance before ushering her in. If he was surprised at her impromptu visit, he didn't show it although Cho did notice that he did look uncharacteristically grave for reasons unbeknownst to her.
She must have looked like quite a sight – tangled hair, tear streaked face and bloodshot eyes. But she didn't care because she needed answers; Answers to questions that came unbidden to her mind every now and then that she couldn't answer. There was something wrong with her mind, and if there was one person to help her realise what it was, it would be Dumbledore.
"Miss Chang, is everything alright?"
He summoned a large cushy armchair that gently nudged the back of her knees until she sank down onto it. "I'm sorry to be disturbing you Professor. It looks like you might have troubles of your own"
He smiled wanly, looking tired as he fiddled with his brightly coloured beard "Perceptive Miss Chang, but it is not for you to worry as I'm sure you have enough of those to last a lifetime"
She ducked her head, staring hard at the frayed edges of the Persian rug near her "There's something I need your help with Professor"
He rested his chin on his linked fingers, his blue eyes staring at her with an almost unnerving intensity "Does this problem have something to do with Mr Riddle?"
Cho blanched, wondering where he had gotten that idea from "What? No, no, of course not. This has nothing to do with Tom"
He looked shrewdly back at her before his eyes flickered towards her wrist where the bruise was beginning to ebb away "I did not mean to make assumptions Miss Chang, forgive me. What is your problem then?"
She mulled over the words in her mind, thinking of how to phrase her problem "I've been having issues with my memory ever since the incident on Christmas"
He quirked an eyebrow "The very same incident that you have little recollection of?"
She nodded, her brow furrowing as the steady thump of a headache began "Yes. And whenever I think of it or of things in my past, it doesn't feel quite right. It's like a rehearsed story rather than my own experiences – am I making sense Professor?"
He sighed, standing up gracefully and making his way towards a corner of his office "And you suspect that someone has altered your memories?"
She nodded, although she hadn't seriously considered that idea until Dumbledore had mentioned it. "Is there a way to regain these memories or to find out who did it?"
He nodded, though he still looked troubled "Are you sure that this is what you want?"
Cho frowned, thinking that Dumbledore was being ridiculous. Why wouldn't she want her memories back? Other than the sporadic pain she experienced, the unreliability of her mind was driving her past the point of frustration. She needed to know what was real and more than that, she wanted to know who was behind it.
Seeing the determination on her face, Dumbledore waved his wand, revealing a nook in the back corner of his office where a large stone bowl-like object sat. An eerie blue-white light emanated from it, diffusing the colour around the relative darkness of the office.
"With your permission, I can examine a part of your memory to confirm your fears. However, you must remember not to show me anything from the future that may change it" he warned before adding "Perhaps something banal or a part of your memory that you doubt in its legitimacy"
"How about Christmas day when I was found in the bathroom?" suggested Cho "That way, I cannot accidentally show you something that you were not supposed to see yet"
Dumbledore nodded, fishing in his robes for a small glass vial before handing it to her "When you're ready then"
In truth, Cho had no idea how to extract her own memories. She had seen it a few times but had never needed to complete the task herself. Feeling rather foolish in Dumbledore's presence, Cho concentrated hard on that Christmas morning while doing her best to ignore the head splitting pain that tried to stop her. She placed the tip of her wand near her temple, focusing on what she remembered – Christmas morning, presents, an icy fountain, a familiar ghost, pale hands and the cold spike of fear- before drawing it out and unraveling it. Opening her eyes, she swirled the luminous strand and prodded it into the vial, feeling her hands shake as she corked it and handed it to Dumbledore.
"Thank you" spoke Dumbledore quietly "Come by my office tomorrow night and I'll tell you what I can"
Cho nodded, thanking the Professor before weakly getting to her feet. She stumbled, catching herself on the side of the chair as Dumbledore watched her with careful eyes.
"Do you need an escort back to your dormitories?"
She shook her head, running a clammy hand through her hair "No thank you Professor. I'll see you tomorrow night"
He nodded, handing her a potion that looked familiar from her extended stay in the hospital wing "For your headaches" he explained, pressing it into her palm before holding the portrait door open for her "Please get some rest Miss Chang"
Cho thanked him once more, her fingers gripping the neck of the corked potion as a spasm of pain flickered again. Heading out into the drafty corridor, she turned as Dumbledore called out to her.
"Good luck for the quidditch match tomorrow! I'm not supposed to play favourites but I'll be wearing a set of magnificent blue robes"
Cho grinned weakly at his sudden but unconvincing bout of enthusiasm, hoping that the headaches would stay away long enough for her to find the snitch before Slytherin did.