Previously on 'The Redemption'... Cho and Tom are dancing at The Christmas Ball before being very rudely interrupted.

Chapter 17- Grindelwald

Cho's mind was whirring as the students panicked, whipping past her frozen form. The decorations crashed to the floor, joining the shards of window in a cacophony of noise. Jets of light burst in through the windows, the hexes and jinxes destroying the once beautiful hall. She distantly heard Tom telling her that they must go; his voice loud and urgent in her ear, but the only thing that registered in her mind was the name that Dumbledore was telling Headmaster Dippet as they ushered the students out of the hall.

Grindelwald.

Grindelwald was hosting an attack on Hogwarts but it wasn't possible. In the history books Cho had read, he had never even come close to Hogwarts. His budding army was situated in continental Europe and he had no purpose here. It didn't make sense, there was nothing to accomplish here – other than to bring fear and terror to students.

Dark wizards began to infiltrate the hall, their identities masked much like the Death Eaters of her time. Their mouths were exposed though, showing grimy yellowing teeth that were chipped and stretched into identical malevolent grins.

"We have to go! Now!" yelled Tom, his wand by his side as students continued to jostle past them. He aimed a jet of red light at a darkly robed wizard who was about to send a hex at a scared looking Slytherin girl, not bothering to watch as the man sunk to the floor unconscious. He tugged again at Cho's wrist, bringing her out of her stupor. Rather than run like Tom told her to, she pulled out the wand concealed in a secret pocket in the folds of her dress, brandishing it in front of her. If there was anything the Battle of Hogwarts during her time taught her was a rather large repertoire of offensive and defensive spells. As one of the older students, it was her duty to protect the younger ones from getting hurt.

"What do you think you're doing?" hissed Tom, his eyes ablaze "You are no match against Dark Wizards!"

Narrowing her eyes, Cho wrenched herself from his bruising grip "And neither are the other students. Go if you want Tom, but I'm staying here"

She ran off then, the sound of her heels reverberating off the stone floors lost in the chaos that surrounded them. Cursing, Tom took off after her, his wand at the ready.

Cho ran barefoot through the prickly bushes, glad that she had discarded her shoes a while back. The dark robed figure disappeared through the throng of trees that fringed the forbidden forest, a slight figure dangling over his broad shoulders. At first, it hadn't made sense why they were here but then she noticed something amidst the fighting. They weren't aiming to seriously maim anybody, only stunning them before taking the students away.

With a shiver, Cho had realised that Grindelwald was kidnapping students. Whether it was to send a message to the wizarding community or to train them to be useful in his power hungry army, Cho couldn't let that happen because it shouldn't have happened at all.

"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Cho, still running as the figure dodged her spell. He ducked beneath a particularly low swinging branch, his cloak snagging on the twigs. Cho took advantage of his slowing gait due to the extra weight on his shoulder, quickening her pace and barely noticing the ragged state of her new dress "Deprimo! Expelliarmus!"

The jet of blue light hit the man square in the back, knocking him over and sending his captive rolling onto the forest floor. Cho caught up to the man who although winded from her spell, was still very much conscious. Firmly gripping the smooth handle of her wood, she pointed it directly towards the man whose face resembled a grinning skull.

"Not bad for a little girlie like you" he said, his voice heavily accented. He unashamedly looked her up and down, the look in his eyes making her feel like retching "My master could use someone like you"

Cho glared at him, her wand never wavering from the direction of his chest "So you are recruiting for Grindelwald's army then? Why Hogwarts?"

His black eyes gleamed in the moonlight, a wicked grin on his scarred face "And clever as well as beautiful too" he complimented though Cho felt sickened further "I won't tell you anything though. Not unless you plan on joining us"

"I will never join such a despicable group of people!" spat Cho, uncharacteristically venomous as she glared heatedly at the offender "You kidnap children and train them to murder, do you see nothing wrong with that?"

He sneered, "We're doing the world a favour. Mudbloods and muggles don't belong in our world – it's an abomination"

"Well, I hope you enjoy Azkaban then" she said with disgust, her wand raised "Incarcerous!"

Ropes flew out of thin air, bounding the man tightly to a tree he was leaning against. Silencing him, Cho scooped up his disarmed wand and bent to check on the student he had captured.

It was a boy, his features and slight frame suggesting that perhaps he was a 5th year student. He still wore his dress robes though his tie was missing and his clothes were streaked with mud from when he fell. Cho winced as she noticed the deep gash that ran across his cheek, chastising herself for being so careless when she had hexed one of Grindelwald's men. Cradling his head in her lap, Cho aimed her wand at the bloody gash and cried "Episkey!"

The skin began to knit together, morphing into a slightly puckered pink scar. Glad that her minor healing spell had worked, she murmured "Ennervate", watching the boy's bright green eyes flutter open before widening as he took in his surroundings. Scrambling to his feet, he looked wildly around the forest clearing before his eyes landed on his bound captor.

Clearing her throat, Cho spoke softly to the boy "What's your name?"

"Q-Quentin Brogley" he stammered, looking lost and confused "Where am i? What am I doing here?"

Cho wrapped her fingers around his wrist, tugging him out of the clearing and pointing towards an entrance at the back of the castle "The castle is under attack but the common rooms are still safe. Get there as quickly as you can and don't come out till the professors tell you to" instructed Cho, giving him a little push when he stared at her blankly. "Go!"

Quentin began running in the direction that she pointed in before pausing to look at the older student that had rescued him "Thank you". Cho smiled fondly at him for a moment before he took off, his dark dress robes blending in with the shadows of the night. Giving the captive a cursory look behind her, she stupefied him before heading back towards the castle herself. The Professors could find his body later to take to Azkaban, but for now she had more work to do.

As Tom saw the numerous stretchers being delivered to the Hospital Wing, he convinced himself he wasn't overly worried despite the fact he had not seen her since the attack first happened earlier in the evening. Cho was more than capable and her clear head and quick reflexes should allow her to remain unscathed. Tom himself had offered his help during the battle, rounding up a few of the dark wizards whose clumsy spell work and strategy almost amused him. For being a supposed dark and powerful wizard, Grindelwald was severely lacking in terms of recruitment. Most of the wizards and witches were mediocre at best, their spells inaccurate and weak. With the help of a few of the Prefects, the Professors were able to suppress the attack though a few managed to escape. As Tom repaired parts of the castle that had been compromised, he heard the Professors speaking to one another, their voices worried as they discussed the possibility of missing students. He also saw fleeting glimpses of Dumbledore, looking oddly strained with the absence of that infuriating smile on his face.

The clock struck midnight and it wasn't till now that he began to fret for her absence. An unbidden image came to mind - of Cho lying in a pool of her own blood, her eyes blank and unstaring. Swallowing back the nausea, Tom wondered where she was and hoped that she wasn't one of those captured. He wasn't sure what would happen if she was indeed kidnapped – would he go in search of her? Life would be a hell of a lot easier if she was wiped from his life like she never existed… His plans would still go forth without a hitch and he wouldn't have to find a way to accommodate her into his twisted and dark future. But did he want that anymore? And could he forget her that easily?

Abandoning his restorations on the parts of the hall that were destroyed, Tom left the chaotic scene in search of Cho. However, after checking more than half the castle as well as the numerous courtyards and towers, it proved to be more of a difficult task than he expected. Biting back the panic, Tom was about to alert Dippet of her disappearance when he saw a swirl of blue fabric round a corner just in front of him.

"Cho?"

"Tom?"

Without thinking, Tom closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her shivering frame. She looked exhausted, her dress torn and her hair coming out of it's neat up do. She was still beautiful though, her dark almond shaped eyes glinting in the semi darkness while she offered him a weary smile. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave, and he was surprised by the sheer force of it. Seeing her again was like breathing air after a long time of being without and suddenly, Tom was met with a scene with clarity. It was his same future but different at the same time. His path was still dark and twisted but there was light too – a source of light in the form of a smiling Asian girl who looked at him with such adoration and love that Tom felt breathless from the thought. Surely a feeling that overwhelmingly right couldn't be a weakness? Regardless, Tom Riddle had already made up his mind.

Momentarily tuning out his thoughts, he turned towards the girl in question.

"Are you alright?" asked Tom, pulling her away at arm's length to inspect for any injuries. She nodded mutely, rubbing her cold arms. Belatedly, Tom shrugged off his suit jacket, draping it over her narrow shoulders. Taking her small hand in his, and astonished that she didn't object to his boldness, he let the warmth from her fingertips seep through him.

He smiled, the tension fading from the set of his shoulders.

"I'm glad."