Chapter XVII: Cho's fate
"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagal said stiffly. "May I have a word with you?"
"But Harry-" Ginny began.
Professor McGonagal looked at Harry's flaccid form.
"I'll call Madam Pomfrey," Professor McGonagal promised.
Once Madam Pomfrey had Harry floating his way up the stairs to the hospital wing, Ginny followed Professor McGonagal to her office. Ginny sat down in the chair opposite McGonagal's desk.
"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagal began, circling Ginny, "Miss Chang claims that you tried to harm her and Harry Potter."
"I didn't," Ginny assured her.
"Why would Miss Chang accuse you like that?" Professor McGonagal asked.
"She works for You-Know-Who," Ginny explained.
"She said you'd say that," Professor McGonagal sighed in disappointment, sitting down in her desk chair.
"That's because it's true," Ginny told her.
"I want to believe you," Professor McGonagal said. "I really do, but how can I?"
Ginny lowered her eyes.
"Miss Chang feels that we should ask Potter once he's come to," Professor McGonagal informed. "I think that's a good idea. How about you?"
Ginny knew that if she said no, Professor McGonagal would suspect her of being afraid that the truth would get out. If she said yes, they'd ask Harry and he would side with Cho. They'd ask Harry either way. She might as well not make it worse for herself. Ginny took a deep breath and nodded.
"Until Madam Pomfrey says we can wake Potter," Professor McGonagal began, "I suggest you spend some time in your dormitory. You're dismissed."
Ginny left McGonagal's office and went up the stairs. Cho was at the top, smiling balefully at her.
"I've won," Cho said quietly.
Ginny gave Cho a rancorous look as she passed her to go to the Gryffindor common room.
***************
That night, Ginny snuck down to the Hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was asleep, but she had locked the door.
"Alohamora," Ginny casted on the lock.
Magically, it opened. Ginny tip-toed into the room. Harry was on the far bed. She walked, slowly, up to him. She knelt down beside him and gently touched the lightening scar on his forehead. The moonlight fell upon his sleeping face, making him look pale and near death. Despite that, Ginny knew that Harry was going to be alright. The problem at hand now was Cho's spell. Ginny knew that there was only one way that she could stop Cho. She had to break the spell.
Ginny took a deep breath. This was definitely not how she had pictured this moment. Over the five years since she'd known him, she had fantasized about her first kiss with Harry Potter. None of her particular reveries involved a hospital bed or a rush to save him from the evil Cho Chang. Ginny leaned down toward Harry slowly, a million things running through her head. If this really broke the spell, she may get the old Harry back. Not that there seemed to be much of a difference. Ginny kissed Harry's lips softly. She could feel this warm energy flow through him. Ginny pulled away and looked at him. Harry didn't even twitch.
I just kissed Harry Potter, Ginny thought, smiling uncontrollably. As she left the hospital wing, her heart was afloat. She almost danced her way to Gryffindor tower. She knew she could never tell anyone. They wouldn't believe her if she did. It suddenly saddened her to realize that Harry would never even know. Ginny supposed that it was for the best. After all, she wasn't sure how he would react if he knew she had kissed him.
****************
Ginny was called into Dumbledore's office early the next morning. She went gracefully, hoping hard that the kiss broke the spell like the Rune Tree said it would. In Dumbledore's office, he questioned her about the incident in the Forbidden Forest. Ginny told him every bit truthfully. She had nothing to hide. Of course, she didn't mention going to the hospital wing to break the spell. She hoped it wouldn't get brought up. And it wasn't.
"Well, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said, "that is quite a story."
Ginny looked at him expectantly.
"Thank you," He began. "You're dismissed."
"That's it!" Ginny exclaimed. "You're not going to tell me if you believe me or not."
"Normally, I'd have no reason to doubt you," Dumbledoretold her, "but now we have Miss Chang's testimony. I have no reason to doubt her, except for your testimony. The only one I could possibly believe in this situation is Mr. Potter. Unless, that is, if he comes up with a completely different story."
Dumbledore chuckled at the thought.
Ginny stood up and left the office, Dumbledore still laughing in spite of himself. Cho stood on the left side of the corridor. Professor McGonagal was beside her. She was about already to be questioned. Ginny paused in the corridor to look at the two.
"Wait out here, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagal told her.
"When will I find out what Dumbledore decides?" Ginny asked.
"Once he's review all the testimonies," Professor McGonagal assured her.
"What about Harry?" Ginny queried.
"He is not yet ready to leave the hospital wing," Professor McGonagal explained. "The Headmaster will go up to see him once Miss Chang has been cross examined."
Ginny glanced at Cho's devious expression. Cho seemed quite confident that Ginny was going to be expelled. Of course, only Ginny knew that the spell was almost certainly broken. She would have the last laugh in this case. Cho headed into Dumbledore's office. Just to see Cho's expression, Ginny gave her a quite gratified smile. Cho stopped and looked suddenly perplexed. That made Ginny smile wider.
Cho's explanation of events seemed to take an awfully long while. Ginny, twiddling her thumbs, in the corridor with Professor McGonagal. Ginny looked at the stern professor.
"What will happen to the lier?" Ginny asked.
"She will, of course, be expelled," Professor McGonagal explained. "And if what you say about Cho is true, then she and her family will have to undergo an inquiry by the Ministry of Magic."
"Professor, I saw You-Know-Who," Ginny whispered.
"At Hogwarts?" Professor McGonagal asked, shocked.
"In the Forbidden Forest," Ginny told her. "He was talking to Cho."
Professor McGonagal looked to Ginny, apparently unsure how to respond.
Dumbledore's office door opened. Cho smiled triumphantly at Ginny. Ginny smiled plesantly back. Cho's smile faded.
"Well, now," said Dumbledore, "we best be heading to the hospital wing."
"Albus, what about the girls?" Professor McGonagal asked.
"We don't want them influencing Potter's testimony," Dumbledore told her. "They should go back to thier houses."
Cho bumped Ginny as she passed to go toward Ravenclaw. Ginny ignored her and went up to Gryffindor tower. Everyone was down at breakfast it seemed. Then common room was vacant as death. Ginny walked around the room, aimlessly.
"Ginny!" Amilia shouted as she came running down form the dormitories.
Ginny noticed too late that Amilia wasn't slowing down. She hugged Ginny, almost knocking her over.
"Hello, Amilia," Ginny greeted, struggling from her embrace.
"Oh, when you didn't come back to Gryffindor tower after your Divination final I was worried," Amilia explained, not letting go. "But then you weren't in bed when I went to sleep and you were gone when I woke up. Then I heard that Harry Potter was in the hospital wing. I went into a panic. I couldn't go down to breakfast."
"I'm glad you didn't," Ginny said, finally being able to pry herself from Amilia.
"Sorry about all that," Amilia said.
"It's all right," Ginny told her. "Well, maybe not all of it's right."
"What do you mean?" Amilia asked.
"I confronted Cho last night," Ginny explained. "We had a sort of duel. Only Harry got hurt."
"That's an odd sort of duel," Amilia commented.
"Anyway, Cho claims I attacked her and Harry," Ginny began. "Dumbledore just questioned Cho and I. Now, he's talking to Harry."
"But Harry'll do whatever Cho says, won't he?" Amilia queried.
"I think I broke the spell," Ginny said.
"How'd you do it?"
Ginny just blushed. She didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Amilia. She would probably go nuts.
"I don't know," Ginny lyed. "I just think that it might have broken."
"Now what?" Amilia asked. "We're just supposed to wait here in suspense?"
"Pretty much," Ginny told her. "Except, I wish I could get out to the Forbidden Forest before Cho does."
"Why?"
"Cho threw off her necklace," Ginny explained. "I have to get it."
Amilia raised her eyebrows.
"You can't sneak out," She informed. "Dumbledore might come up and tell you what happened. It won't look good if you left the dormitory when he told you to stay here."
"Cho can't get that neckalce back!" Ginny shouted. "It's imperative that I find it first. This is something that has to be done. I'll risk getting in trouble."
"You know, you never risked anything before this year," Amilia told her.
"Do you wanna come?" Ginny asked.
Amilia stared at Ginny for a moment.
"Why not?" She smiled. "You have been having all the fun this year."
Ginny and Amilia got the invisibility cloak and went off into the forest. The daylight made the forest not so forboding. Ginny led Amilia to the clearing where Cho always met Voldemort. Ginny took off the invisibility cloak and stuffed it in her robes.
"Yo-Know-Who was here?" Amilia gasped, shivering all over.
Ginny picked up the wooden charm and showed it to Amilia. Amilia's eyes gleemed.
"Must we destroy it?" Amilia asked. "I mean, with this, I'll always have a date for the dances. I'll have hundreds of guys who want me. Can you imagine how wonder our lives would be?"
"That's not the life for me," Ginny said, heading toward the Rune Tree.
"Maybe not," Amilia began, "but with that Harry'll love you."
Ginny trembled as Amilia said the words.
"You can't say it isn't tempting," Amilia challanged.
Ginny looked at the charm. That charm could make her dreams come true. All her wonderful fantasies about her and Harry would actually happen. Yes, it was tempting.
"Amilia," Ginny stopped and looked ta her. "This charm was forged with dark magic. It is evil and it takes away one's life."
Amilia stared, stunned.
"You're right," She whispered.
Ginny went on until they reached the Rune Tree. Amilia stood in awe as Ginny gently pushed the charm into the hole in the tree's base. A brilliant light shined from that spot and the charm fused with the wood. The Rune Tree transformed into the tree-woman. She smiled at Ginny.
"I thank thee," the tree said. "Thou hadst done me a great justice. I shall never forget it."
The tree twisted back into a tree.
"Why didn't you tell me about that?" Amilia gasped.
"I did tell you," Ginny told her.
"You did not," Amilia snapped. "I would have remembered."
"Not if I had told you before the Charms final," Ginny explained.
Amilia gaped at her, "What else didn't you re-tell me?"
Ginny just laughed as they headed off toward the castle.
"I should be getting to class," Amilia told Ginny as they reached the Entrance Hall.
"alright," Ginny said, heading up the stairs. "Wish me luck."
"I do," Amilia assured her. "I sure hope you don't get expelled. Who would I tease next year?"
Ginny smiled, saying, "When this is over, I'm going to tell you everything."
"What do you mean?" Amilia asked.
"You'll see," Ginny told her.
Amilia walked down the corridor, looking bemused. While Ginny started on her way to Gryffindor tower, she had the strangest feeling that she should be somewhere. In an atempt to find where she should be, Ginny just began to wander through corridors. When she cam to a descision on which way to go, she just followed her instincts without thinking about where the hall led. As she rounded a courner, she glimpse someone standing at a door. Ginny looked around the hall. The door that girl was at was the hospital wing and that girl was Cho Chang. What was she doing? Ginny went up to her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ginny shot at her.
Cho jumped back and looked at Ginny.
"Oh, it's just you," Cho sneered, standing with her hands on her hips.
"What are you doing?" Ginny asked.
"Hoping that git doesn't foul up," Cho amswered.
Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Without me there, he won't know what I want him to say," Cho clearified. "He would never incriminate me, but he might tell enough truth that Dumbledore will believe you were right."
"What's going on so far?" Ginny asked.
"Harry's complaining about headacks and saying he can't remember very much," Cho rolled her eyes.
"I know that you're evil and everything," Ginny began, "but do you mind if I listen with you."
"By all means," Cho allowed. "It will be absolute bliss to see your horrified face when Harry causes your undoing. Besides, if I catch you, it'll just make me look better."
"Don't be too cocky," Ginny warned.
"You think because I don't have the necklace I can't controle him," Cho guessed. "I assure you, I don't need the necklace once the origional spell is casted. I just need to be around him."
Ginny nodded, smiling slightly. Cho glared at her.
"Should we?" Ginny asked.
Cho nodded and both girls pressed thier ears agaist the door.
"Try Harry," Dumbledore pleaded. "What do you remember?"
"Not much," Harry said weakly. "Ginny was there. Cho was too."
"And what were they doing?" Professor McGonagal questioned.
"Ginny stood...in front of the trees," Harry said slowly. "Cho was saying something. She asked what was wrong?"
"Was there something wrong?" Dumbledore queried.
"Yes," Harry began, "my scar hurt."
"Why?" Professor McGonagal blurted.
"Manerva, how would he know why?" Dumbledore corrected.
"Well, Cho had kissed just before," Harry explained. "I'm not sure why that would cause my scar to hurt."
"Go on," Dumbledore urged.
"Things went blank for a moment," Harry told them. "When I was aware again, Cho told me that Ginny was trying to keep Cho and I apart. I started yelling. I'm not even sure what I said. Then Ginny shoved me-"
"So it was Miss Weasley?" McGonagal assumed.
"Cho casted a spell without her wand," Harry went on. "Then she had it and said something about the dark side."
"No, no, no!" Cho muttered.
"Cho said I was annoying and then she shot fire at me," Harry explained. "That is the last I can remember."
"You trader!" Cho screamed, backing away from the door. "How could he do this to me? I own him!"
The door to the hospital; wing opened. Dumbledore and McGonagal stood in the door way and stared accusingly at Cho. Struck with fear, Cho ran down the hall way.
"Miss Weasley," McGonagal blurted, "catch her."
Ginny immediatly obeyed. She tore down the hall after Cho. Cho ran very fast, but Ginny was getting closer anyway. Cho glanced back at Ginny which slowed her down a little.
"Leave me alone!" Cho cried.
Ginny didn't respond. She just kept persuing. Cho was still looking back at Ginny, not really paying attention where she was going. Without knowing it, she was heading for the main stair case.
"Cho, look out!" Ginny shouted.
It was too late. Cho went tumbling down the steps. Ginny got to the stairs just as Cho hit the floor, motionless. Feeling ill, Ginny stood and just stared down at the body. It wasn't long before Dumbldore and McGonagal caught up. Professor McGonagal hurried down the stairs ro check Cho's pulse.
"What happened, Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.
"She didn't see the stairs," Ginny whispered. "I yelled to her, but she didn't stop in time."
Dumbldore put his hand on Ginny's shoulder.
"She gone," McGonagal called up as she rose from the body.
"Oh dear," Dumbledore muttered. "I suppose I should contact the minister."
"It seems a shame," McGonagal said, coming up the stairs. "She didn't have to die."
"There are somethings worse then death," Ginny quoted, looking down at Cho.
"Azkaban is definately one of them," Dumbledore added.
"Are we jsut going to leave her there?" Ginny demanded.
"I'll get Filch to take care of it," McGonagal assured.
"Maybe you should return to your house," Dumbldore advised. "And this time, please stay there."
Ginny nodded as she headed off to Gryffindor tower.
"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagal said stiffly. "May I have a word with you?"
"But Harry-" Ginny began.
Professor McGonagal looked at Harry's flaccid form.
"I'll call Madam Pomfrey," Professor McGonagal promised.
Once Madam Pomfrey had Harry floating his way up the stairs to the hospital wing, Ginny followed Professor McGonagal to her office. Ginny sat down in the chair opposite McGonagal's desk.
"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagal began, circling Ginny, "Miss Chang claims that you tried to harm her and Harry Potter."
"I didn't," Ginny assured her.
"Why would Miss Chang accuse you like that?" Professor McGonagal asked.
"She works for You-Know-Who," Ginny explained.
"She said you'd say that," Professor McGonagal sighed in disappointment, sitting down in her desk chair.
"That's because it's true," Ginny told her.
"I want to believe you," Professor McGonagal said. "I really do, but how can I?"
Ginny lowered her eyes.
"Miss Chang feels that we should ask Potter once he's come to," Professor McGonagal informed. "I think that's a good idea. How about you?"
Ginny knew that if she said no, Professor McGonagal would suspect her of being afraid that the truth would get out. If she said yes, they'd ask Harry and he would side with Cho. They'd ask Harry either way. She might as well not make it worse for herself. Ginny took a deep breath and nodded.
"Until Madam Pomfrey says we can wake Potter," Professor McGonagal began, "I suggest you spend some time in your dormitory. You're dismissed."
Ginny left McGonagal's office and went up the stairs. Cho was at the top, smiling balefully at her.
"I've won," Cho said quietly.
Ginny gave Cho a rancorous look as she passed her to go to the Gryffindor common room.
***************
That night, Ginny snuck down to the Hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was asleep, but she had locked the door.
"Alohamora," Ginny casted on the lock.
Magically, it opened. Ginny tip-toed into the room. Harry was on the far bed. She walked, slowly, up to him. She knelt down beside him and gently touched the lightening scar on his forehead. The moonlight fell upon his sleeping face, making him look pale and near death. Despite that, Ginny knew that Harry was going to be alright. The problem at hand now was Cho's spell. Ginny knew that there was only one way that she could stop Cho. She had to break the spell.
Ginny took a deep breath. This was definitely not how she had pictured this moment. Over the five years since she'd known him, she had fantasized about her first kiss with Harry Potter. None of her particular reveries involved a hospital bed or a rush to save him from the evil Cho Chang. Ginny leaned down toward Harry slowly, a million things running through her head. If this really broke the spell, she may get the old Harry back. Not that there seemed to be much of a difference. Ginny kissed Harry's lips softly. She could feel this warm energy flow through him. Ginny pulled away and looked at him. Harry didn't even twitch.
I just kissed Harry Potter, Ginny thought, smiling uncontrollably. As she left the hospital wing, her heart was afloat. She almost danced her way to Gryffindor tower. She knew she could never tell anyone. They wouldn't believe her if she did. It suddenly saddened her to realize that Harry would never even know. Ginny supposed that it was for the best. After all, she wasn't sure how he would react if he knew she had kissed him.
****************
Ginny was called into Dumbledore's office early the next morning. She went gracefully, hoping hard that the kiss broke the spell like the Rune Tree said it would. In Dumbledore's office, he questioned her about the incident in the Forbidden Forest. Ginny told him every bit truthfully. She had nothing to hide. Of course, she didn't mention going to the hospital wing to break the spell. She hoped it wouldn't get brought up. And it wasn't.
"Well, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said, "that is quite a story."
Ginny looked at him expectantly.
"Thank you," He began. "You're dismissed."
"That's it!" Ginny exclaimed. "You're not going to tell me if you believe me or not."
"Normally, I'd have no reason to doubt you," Dumbledoretold her, "but now we have Miss Chang's testimony. I have no reason to doubt her, except for your testimony. The only one I could possibly believe in this situation is Mr. Potter. Unless, that is, if he comes up with a completely different story."
Dumbledore chuckled at the thought.
Ginny stood up and left the office, Dumbledore still laughing in spite of himself. Cho stood on the left side of the corridor. Professor McGonagal was beside her. She was about already to be questioned. Ginny paused in the corridor to look at the two.
"Wait out here, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagal told her.
"When will I find out what Dumbledore decides?" Ginny asked.
"Once he's review all the testimonies," Professor McGonagal assured her.
"What about Harry?" Ginny queried.
"He is not yet ready to leave the hospital wing," Professor McGonagal explained. "The Headmaster will go up to see him once Miss Chang has been cross examined."
Ginny glanced at Cho's devious expression. Cho seemed quite confident that Ginny was going to be expelled. Of course, only Ginny knew that the spell was almost certainly broken. She would have the last laugh in this case. Cho headed into Dumbledore's office. Just to see Cho's expression, Ginny gave her a quite gratified smile. Cho stopped and looked suddenly perplexed. That made Ginny smile wider.
Cho's explanation of events seemed to take an awfully long while. Ginny, twiddling her thumbs, in the corridor with Professor McGonagal. Ginny looked at the stern professor.
"What will happen to the lier?" Ginny asked.
"She will, of course, be expelled," Professor McGonagal explained. "And if what you say about Cho is true, then she and her family will have to undergo an inquiry by the Ministry of Magic."
"Professor, I saw You-Know-Who," Ginny whispered.
"At Hogwarts?" Professor McGonagal asked, shocked.
"In the Forbidden Forest," Ginny told her. "He was talking to Cho."
Professor McGonagal looked to Ginny, apparently unsure how to respond.
Dumbledore's office door opened. Cho smiled triumphantly at Ginny. Ginny smiled plesantly back. Cho's smile faded.
"Well, now," said Dumbledore, "we best be heading to the hospital wing."
"Albus, what about the girls?" Professor McGonagal asked.
"We don't want them influencing Potter's testimony," Dumbledore told her. "They should go back to thier houses."
Cho bumped Ginny as she passed to go toward Ravenclaw. Ginny ignored her and went up to Gryffindor tower. Everyone was down at breakfast it seemed. Then common room was vacant as death. Ginny walked around the room, aimlessly.
"Ginny!" Amilia shouted as she came running down form the dormitories.
Ginny noticed too late that Amilia wasn't slowing down. She hugged Ginny, almost knocking her over.
"Hello, Amilia," Ginny greeted, struggling from her embrace.
"Oh, when you didn't come back to Gryffindor tower after your Divination final I was worried," Amilia explained, not letting go. "But then you weren't in bed when I went to sleep and you were gone when I woke up. Then I heard that Harry Potter was in the hospital wing. I went into a panic. I couldn't go down to breakfast."
"I'm glad you didn't," Ginny said, finally being able to pry herself from Amilia.
"Sorry about all that," Amilia said.
"It's all right," Ginny told her. "Well, maybe not all of it's right."
"What do you mean?" Amilia asked.
"I confronted Cho last night," Ginny explained. "We had a sort of duel. Only Harry got hurt."
"That's an odd sort of duel," Amilia commented.
"Anyway, Cho claims I attacked her and Harry," Ginny began. "Dumbledore just questioned Cho and I. Now, he's talking to Harry."
"But Harry'll do whatever Cho says, won't he?" Amilia queried.
"I think I broke the spell," Ginny said.
"How'd you do it?"
Ginny just blushed. She didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Amilia. She would probably go nuts.
"I don't know," Ginny lyed. "I just think that it might have broken."
"Now what?" Amilia asked. "We're just supposed to wait here in suspense?"
"Pretty much," Ginny told her. "Except, I wish I could get out to the Forbidden Forest before Cho does."
"Why?"
"Cho threw off her necklace," Ginny explained. "I have to get it."
Amilia raised her eyebrows.
"You can't sneak out," She informed. "Dumbledore might come up and tell you what happened. It won't look good if you left the dormitory when he told you to stay here."
"Cho can't get that neckalce back!" Ginny shouted. "It's imperative that I find it first. This is something that has to be done. I'll risk getting in trouble."
"You know, you never risked anything before this year," Amilia told her.
"Do you wanna come?" Ginny asked.
Amilia stared at Ginny for a moment.
"Why not?" She smiled. "You have been having all the fun this year."
Ginny and Amilia got the invisibility cloak and went off into the forest. The daylight made the forest not so forboding. Ginny led Amilia to the clearing where Cho always met Voldemort. Ginny took off the invisibility cloak and stuffed it in her robes.
"Yo-Know-Who was here?" Amilia gasped, shivering all over.
Ginny picked up the wooden charm and showed it to Amilia. Amilia's eyes gleemed.
"Must we destroy it?" Amilia asked. "I mean, with this, I'll always have a date for the dances. I'll have hundreds of guys who want me. Can you imagine how wonder our lives would be?"
"That's not the life for me," Ginny said, heading toward the Rune Tree.
"Maybe not," Amilia began, "but with that Harry'll love you."
Ginny trembled as Amilia said the words.
"You can't say it isn't tempting," Amilia challanged.
Ginny looked at the charm. That charm could make her dreams come true. All her wonderful fantasies about her and Harry would actually happen. Yes, it was tempting.
"Amilia," Ginny stopped and looked ta her. "This charm was forged with dark magic. It is evil and it takes away one's life."
Amilia stared, stunned.
"You're right," She whispered.
Ginny went on until they reached the Rune Tree. Amilia stood in awe as Ginny gently pushed the charm into the hole in the tree's base. A brilliant light shined from that spot and the charm fused with the wood. The Rune Tree transformed into the tree-woman. She smiled at Ginny.
"I thank thee," the tree said. "Thou hadst done me a great justice. I shall never forget it."
The tree twisted back into a tree.
"Why didn't you tell me about that?" Amilia gasped.
"I did tell you," Ginny told her.
"You did not," Amilia snapped. "I would have remembered."
"Not if I had told you before the Charms final," Ginny explained.
Amilia gaped at her, "What else didn't you re-tell me?"
Ginny just laughed as they headed off toward the castle.
"I should be getting to class," Amilia told Ginny as they reached the Entrance Hall.
"alright," Ginny said, heading up the stairs. "Wish me luck."
"I do," Amilia assured her. "I sure hope you don't get expelled. Who would I tease next year?"
Ginny smiled, saying, "When this is over, I'm going to tell you everything."
"What do you mean?" Amilia asked.
"You'll see," Ginny told her.
Amilia walked down the corridor, looking bemused. While Ginny started on her way to Gryffindor tower, she had the strangest feeling that she should be somewhere. In an atempt to find where she should be, Ginny just began to wander through corridors. When she cam to a descision on which way to go, she just followed her instincts without thinking about where the hall led. As she rounded a courner, she glimpse someone standing at a door. Ginny looked around the hall. The door that girl was at was the hospital wing and that girl was Cho Chang. What was she doing? Ginny went up to her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ginny shot at her.
Cho jumped back and looked at Ginny.
"Oh, it's just you," Cho sneered, standing with her hands on her hips.
"What are you doing?" Ginny asked.
"Hoping that git doesn't foul up," Cho amswered.
Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Without me there, he won't know what I want him to say," Cho clearified. "He would never incriminate me, but he might tell enough truth that Dumbledore will believe you were right."
"What's going on so far?" Ginny asked.
"Harry's complaining about headacks and saying he can't remember very much," Cho rolled her eyes.
"I know that you're evil and everything," Ginny began, "but do you mind if I listen with you."
"By all means," Cho allowed. "It will be absolute bliss to see your horrified face when Harry causes your undoing. Besides, if I catch you, it'll just make me look better."
"Don't be too cocky," Ginny warned.
"You think because I don't have the necklace I can't controle him," Cho guessed. "I assure you, I don't need the necklace once the origional spell is casted. I just need to be around him."
Ginny nodded, smiling slightly. Cho glared at her.
"Should we?" Ginny asked.
Cho nodded and both girls pressed thier ears agaist the door.
"Try Harry," Dumbledore pleaded. "What do you remember?"
"Not much," Harry said weakly. "Ginny was there. Cho was too."
"And what were they doing?" Professor McGonagal questioned.
"Ginny stood...in front of the trees," Harry said slowly. "Cho was saying something. She asked what was wrong?"
"Was there something wrong?" Dumbledore queried.
"Yes," Harry began, "my scar hurt."
"Why?" Professor McGonagal blurted.
"Manerva, how would he know why?" Dumbledore corrected.
"Well, Cho had kissed just before," Harry explained. "I'm not sure why that would cause my scar to hurt."
"Go on," Dumbledore urged.
"Things went blank for a moment," Harry told them. "When I was aware again, Cho told me that Ginny was trying to keep Cho and I apart. I started yelling. I'm not even sure what I said. Then Ginny shoved me-"
"So it was Miss Weasley?" McGonagal assumed.
"Cho casted a spell without her wand," Harry went on. "Then she had it and said something about the dark side."
"No, no, no!" Cho muttered.
"Cho said I was annoying and then she shot fire at me," Harry explained. "That is the last I can remember."
"You trader!" Cho screamed, backing away from the door. "How could he do this to me? I own him!"
The door to the hospital; wing opened. Dumbledore and McGonagal stood in the door way and stared accusingly at Cho. Struck with fear, Cho ran down the hall way.
"Miss Weasley," McGonagal blurted, "catch her."
Ginny immediatly obeyed. She tore down the hall after Cho. Cho ran very fast, but Ginny was getting closer anyway. Cho glanced back at Ginny which slowed her down a little.
"Leave me alone!" Cho cried.
Ginny didn't respond. She just kept persuing. Cho was still looking back at Ginny, not really paying attention where she was going. Without knowing it, she was heading for the main stair case.
"Cho, look out!" Ginny shouted.
It was too late. Cho went tumbling down the steps. Ginny got to the stairs just as Cho hit the floor, motionless. Feeling ill, Ginny stood and just stared down at the body. It wasn't long before Dumbldore and McGonagal caught up. Professor McGonagal hurried down the stairs ro check Cho's pulse.
"What happened, Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.
"She didn't see the stairs," Ginny whispered. "I yelled to her, but she didn't stop in time."
Dumbldore put his hand on Ginny's shoulder.
"She gone," McGonagal called up as she rose from the body.
"Oh dear," Dumbledore muttered. "I suppose I should contact the minister."
"It seems a shame," McGonagal said, coming up the stairs. "She didn't have to die."
"There are somethings worse then death," Ginny quoted, looking down at Cho.
"Azkaban is definately one of them," Dumbledore added.
"Are we jsut going to leave her there?" Ginny demanded.
"I'll get Filch to take care of it," McGonagal assured.
"Maybe you should return to your house," Dumbldore advised. "And this time, please stay there."
Ginny nodded as she headed off to Gryffindor tower.