I guess I'll put the disclaimer here this time- Harry, Cho, Draco blah blah blah belong to JK Rowling. However I take full responibilty for Gwynn the cute Welsh guy. Diz and Luisa are two of my friends and I think they would probably like to belong to themselves (of course that's only a guess).

A/N This chapter is where the action starts. There'll be lots of fight scenes from now on, and a lot of Cho kicking ass, inspired by Bridget Jone's Diary! So prepare yourself, and please please PLEASE r/r!


Chapter Five: Warning

"We've found little information from Weasley," Lestrange told the common room, displeased, "Only a few details about Potter's habits. He stood up very well to...force." Here Lestrange smiled a little in Cho's direction. "However, our master has formed a plan to overcome all of Dumbledore's precautions concerning the boy. And it rests on the shoulders of all those who go to Hogwarts School."

The holidays ended in two days, Harry realised. Ron still wasn't back. Dumbledore hadn't expected him back. Hermione and Ginny had been wrecks since he was taken, and George, Fred and Harry were being forced to take the 'strong masculine role'; one which clearly didn't suit their personalities at all. Harry was, frankly, getting tired of acting brave for his girlfriend when he felt like breaking down in tears himself. Even his friends couldn't help him- Dean Thomas was never very good when it came to comforting people, Neville was concentrating on getting through his OWLS, and Seamus Finnigan had gone home for the holidays, as had Cho. His thoughts wandered on...

When Cho got on the Hogwarts Express, two days later, she was accompanied by Seamus, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Such an unlikely group of friends had rarely been seen in Hogwarts, and they received plenty of odd looks. They had said goodbye to Diz, Luisa and Gwynn before leaving the comforting coldness of Voldemort's mansion. Draco's eagle owl flapped impatiently to get out of its cage. Draco ignored it. They sat in silence for most of the journey, contemplating the next term, which would be their last at Hogwarts. Cho felt an incredible sadness overcome her. It was a sorrow...sorrow for all the tainted memories. Quidditch...Cedric...Ginny...Harry...Peeves...Peeves? She mentally shook herself. She was being stupid now. Soon Hogwarts would be her master's, and the Muggle loving Dumbledore would be...well...dead, she supposed. She shivered.

"What's up Chang? Second thoughts?" Draco Malfoy crooned.

"Not at all," she said, straightening her back indignantly and glaring at him in defiance. Seamus watched her shrewdly from across the compartment.

The train reached Hogwarts, and they slid the doors open. As she stepped down, Cho looked up. She smiled. "See you next wekk then everyone," said Draco, and walked towards the castle. They followed him.


Harry had been told to be careful over the next few days. Dumbledore had placed guards at the entrance to Hogwarts, one of them being a large black dog which looked suspiciously like his Godfather. As had happened two years ago, teachers found excuses to walk beside him in the corridors. The DADA teacher, Professor Westwood (the first woman Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in the history of Hogwarts), suddenly swapped from jinxes to teaching counter curses. In Herbology the Year Fives moved on from greenhouse four to greenhouse eight, and very nearly didn't survive the lesson. Charms showed tiny Professor Flitwick giving them surprise tests on the stunning charms. Hagrid freaked the class out by introducing them to a fully grown Acromantula. This served, however, only to remind Harry more of Ron's absense. Finally, the end of the week came, and the class trooped up to Divination. Harry slumped down at a table with Dean and Seamus, and promptly tried to get to sleep. But just as he was dozing off..."Dear!" Seamus prodded him awake. He sat up with a start, "Whuh...What is it?"

"I was just telling the class that your birth date tells us all that your life will be short and tragic."

Seamus grinned and glanced across at Harry. Harry caught his eye and winked at Harry.

The weekend brought no Ron, and no Hogsmeade visit, as all the trips to the village had been cancelled. Instead Harry, Hermione and Ginny sat in the common room and moped. Cho, on the other hand, was enjoying her knowledge and power. She was good at acting, and now she was acting for her life. She studied at her lessons as normal. She did her homework to its usual standard, and she didn't give Seamus or Draco meaningful glances when she passed them in the corridors. Then she slipped up. Harry and Ginny were kissing each other goodbye when she passed them on her way to Charms. She pretended not to notice, yet felt her whole face redden. Almost as if she had eyes in the back of her head, she sensed their eyes following her. Then Ginny giggled- a high pitched, flirtatious, mocking giggle. Cho stopped. She turned. Harry was staring at her, his mouth slightly open. Ginny was smirking at her, one eyebrow raised in a 'so-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it' expression. Cho knew exactly what she was going to do about it. Walking firmly up to them, she smiled sweetly and slapped Harry hard. Swinging her arm back she slapped him again across the other cheek. He staggered back, amazed at the strength of the stroke. She had never been so strong before. Ginny merely stared at her, all the pride draining out of her face. Cho looked down at her, raised one eyebrow in a 'so-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it' expression, turned on her heel and walked proudly away. Students who had been watching swiftly got out of her way in an awed silence. Then one Slytherin started clapping.

When she got to her Charms class she finally realised what she had done. She had showed Harry that she was stronger- much stronger- than she ever had been before. Damn! she thought, mentally not only kicking herself but stabbing, electricuting and throwing herself under the Knight Bus. Damn damn damn. She looked up, vaguely seeing Professor Flitwick talking about something. She would have to make up for it by acting perfectly for the rest of the time she was staying. Not long now...not long...

When Draco heard about Cho's slip up, he was torn between laughter and anxiety. Only one more day and the plan would be put into action. Let her have her fun with him. He'd be wishing she was still slapping him by the time Voldemort had finished with him.

Cho woke up the next morning, a mixture of excitement and panic weighing on her. Going down to the Great Hall she looked around her, taking in every last detail of the castle she had lived in for the past six years. Entering she briefly glanced round for her other friends. Draco was looking slightly sick, but determined. He caught her eye, and half-smiled at her. So, he had heard about her antics from the day before. Over the other side of the room Seamus was staring at Harry hungrily. She raised her eyes to the ceiling. If anyone saw that look then they would know immediately who one spy was. She coughed loudly as she walked past the Gryffindor table, startling Seamus out of his trance. She gave him a pointed glance, then sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Halfway through a piece of toast, she heard Harry's voice behind her. "Thank you for yesterday," he said.

"Pleasure" she replied, tensing.

"Cho...I know you've never had that much strength in youbefore. You were always a weakling. What happened to you over the holidays eh?" The whole Hall was silent staring at them now. Think Cho...quickly...think think... THINK!

"Yeah, I was only a weakling with you because I was stupid enough to go to putty whenever I saw you. Now, however, I've seen the light. You'll be pleased to hear, Harry, that I've been keeping myself busy over the holidays, what with practising my Quidditch. Next time we play I swear I'll knock you off your broom. Then, when you're on the ground, I'll remove all the bones in your arm. Sound pleasant?"

"Hehe, no Cho," Harry persisted above the laughing of the Slytherin table, "You could never hurt someone like that when I knew you before."

"Neither could you, when I first knew you," she whispered viciously through gritted teeth, "But you underestimate me, Harry. You always have," Then to the whole school she laughed and said, "I can even prove I've never been so weak I couldn't slap someone- Malfoy will testify, won't you Draco?"

Over in the Slytherin table Malfoy started at his name, then, realising what Cho was asking him to do he called, "Had a black eye for months after that Quidditch match. Watch out Potter- she's finally grown some sense and she's after you- are you scared?"

The students laughed, but Harry didn't. Neither did Dumbledore. There was far too much threat in Cho's and Draco's words to be overlooked. He would call them to his office during lessons. Meanwhile Harry returned to the Gryffindor table, scowling over his shoulder at Cho and Malfoy. "Well, I'm done," said Seamus, getting up, "Don't let them bother you Harry." And with that he left the Great Hall, and strolled to Potions.

Draco rose and prowled out of the Hall, followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle. It would be the last time they ever entered the Great Hall again.

Cho looked at her watch and saw Draco leaving out of the corner of her eye. She rose, smiled at her Ravenclaw friends, and headed in completely the wrong direction for Transfiguration. The plan had begun.


So what do you think? Please tell me! I've really appreciated the feedback I've got so far- even thought it hasn't been much!

Scherzade- I have two endings at the moment; one of them's sad and the other's happy. I'm debating whether it should get more tragic or not!