Chapter 7
September 1st was a long awaited reunion for Cho and Harry. On returning home, Cho had found herself grounded for the duration of the summer. 'What were you thinking?' had quickly made its way to the top of the list of questions Cho hated to hear. If she had it to do over again however, she wouldn't have done a single thing differently. This was the last time her mother would be able to exert such influence over her and that thought along with the prospect of seeing Harry again made the days bearable.
Onboard the Hogwarts Express Cho and Harry shared a private compartment with Hermione and Ron. An awkward silence hung in the air and conversations were clipped and disjointed. Whenever Cho or Harry made some overt gesture of affection, Ron cringed and suddenly became interested in the ceiling, forgetting whatever it was he was talking about. Neither Cho nor Harry really seemed to notice, but Hermione was decidedly uncomfortable with the whole situation.
An indeterminate time into the trip, the door to their compartment opened to reveal Draco Malfoy with Ginny Weasley attached to his arm. Ron blanched, turning several shades of pale. Everyone else seemed to snap into awareness as if they had been slumbering.
"Potter, Mudblood!" cried Draco, as if he were meeting old friends.
"Don't forget the Ravenclaw bitch," laughed Ginny.
"Tell me Potter, did you buy her with that broom, or just lease her?" asked Draco.
With Seeker reflexes, Harry had his wand out in an instant. Cho, with equally amazing speed, pulled his hand down. "It's not worth it Harry."
"Ask Ginny why she closes her eyes when she kisses you," said Hermione, "ask her whose face she really sees…" She instantly regretted even opening her mouth
Ginny expression turned black. "Granger, you are number two on my list. I would sleep lightly if I were you..." She turned and left, dragging Draco with her. Ron, who looked quite ill, got up quietly and left the compartment.
Harry sat with his head leaned back against the wall of the compartment. Cho knew that look. It was the scar again. Hermione looked guilty and ashamed. Cho reached over and took her hand for a second to let her know that it was okay. It had been an honest reaction, and one that Cho was inclined towards herself. That Weasley girl was dangerous, and the company of Malfoy made it worse. Her first priority was to comfort Harry though. She pulled him down and cradled his head in her lap.
"She's free to do whatever she wants now that she's fooled Professor Dumbledore. No one will believe us." Hermione sounded desperate.
"We'll find a way," said Cho, "We just have to be very careful until we do."
"If I'm number two, I suppose you're number one."
Cho nodded. "Last year she tried to make everything look like an accident, I wonder if she'll bother this year."
"You're probably pretty safe in Ravenclaw Tower," said Hermione.
"But Harry can't come there. What is safety without Harry? I am not going to cower in my common room and let Ginny Weasley or Tom Riddle or anyone else torture Harry. Sooner or later she's going to slip up and reveal herself."
On the surface, things at Hogwarts appeared perfectly placid. If one looked closer however, one could see that the dynamics were changing. Old friendships were broken and new ones were formed that followed no obvious rhyme or reason. Ancient rivalries were dropped without resolution and new, darker ones took their place. It seemed as if the school was dividing itself into opposing camps. Some were caught in the middle however, with loyalties to both sides.
Ron Weasley was one such person. Harry and Hermione had been his two best friends for five years, but now he was caught between his desire to remain their friend and the fact that his sister was most definitely on the opposing side. So far he had chosen to remain loyal to his family, but it was obvious he was not very happy about it. He made small overtures of reconciliation toward Harry and Hermione, which became more frequent as time passed.
Both Harry and Hermione missed their old friend, but in a word, they did not and could not trust him. As much as it hurt, they were forced to exclude him from anything but casual conversation. There was no getting around the fact that anything they said to him would most likely be repeated to Ginny. Cho could empathize with them, from her previous experience with Ellwyn.
In spite of everything, they tried to have as normal a school year as possible. Quidditch was going well and both Cho and Harry were elected as Team Captains. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were undefeated. The re-match of the two houses was scheduled again for April. Despite whatever else was going on at the school, this was THE match of the year, and everyone was looking forward to it with great anticipation, no one more so than the two Seekers.
On another level, Hogwarts was a special kind of torture. Cho and Harry were together, but they were almost never alone. They still made their midnight excursions for a bit of snogging, but they wanted more and there was just no place for it. There were holidays coming, but Cho was expected at home, and Harry was definitely not going to the Dursleys or the Weasleys. It was highly doubtful he would be allowed to go to Professor Lupin's. Cho was seriously considering whether or not to simply defy her mother one more time and remain in the castle.
Thoughts of the holidays led to thoughts of next year. What would next year be like when Harry would still be at Hogwarts, and she would not? The only time she would be able to see him would be on Hogsmeade Weekends. It was simply unthinkable. They would cross that bridge when they came to it.
In the weeks following Halloween, Harry began having nightmares again. For the most part they were vague, tortured affairs full of the green light of the killing curses, screams, and the corpses of friends and loved ones. Nights of tangled sheets and waking to find himself drenched in cold sweat, gasping for air with the deafening of his own heartbeat in his ears became the norm for Harry. The specifics of his dreams eluded him but the terror that was their core shadowed him well into the day.
As November reached its zenith one nightmare came that stood out from the generic horror of the others. Harry found himself moving slowly through the darkness of night. His perspective was from almost ground level, as if he was sliding across the ground itself. After a short time of weaving around rocks and branches light emerged. Gathered around a fire that gave no warmth were cloaked figures. Harry knew all of them: there was Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Peter Pettigrew, and finally Voldemort himself.
"You're wasting my time, girl!'' hissed Voldemort, "If you want to leave this clearing unscathed, you better say something worth hearing. I don't suffer fools lightly."
"One would never guess from the idiots who go around calling themselves Death Eaters. Why are you hiding in a forest while your enemies sleep in a castle?"
Malfoy and Pettigrew shifted uncomfortably. Voldemort lifted his wand and pointed it in Ginny's direction. "You dare insult me?! Typical foolish Gryffindor bravado. You're going to die slowly young Miss Ginny Weasley, very, very slowly."
Ginny appeared un-phased. "Look into my eyes," she said, "tell me what you see there." Voldemort paused but made no move to comply. Instead, Ginny walked up to him until her face was only inches from his. "Look, and you'll see a reflection of yourself. Tell me that you can't feel the connection."
Voldemort lowered his wand. "What is it you want, Miss Weasley?"
"I want Harry Potter," Ginny said flatly "You can neutralize him, but he lives and he belongs to me. I want that Ravenclaw whore of his to die a painful death."
Voldemort burst into laughter. Not the macabre, maniacal laughter one might expect from one who planned to dominate the world by means of dark sorcery, but true hysterical, sidesplitting, ha-ha that-was-the-funniest-thing-I- ever-heard laughter. Voldemort laughed until he couldn't stand up straight. After a couple of minutes Pettigrew joined in, and a few minutes after that Draco Malfoy joined in as well. Only Ginny Weasley, her face burning scarlet and an angry fire in her eyes failed to see the humor.
Finally Voldemort composed himself enough to speak. "You want me to give you Harry Potter?" He asked, visibly suppressing another fit of laughter. "We already gave you young Master Malfoy. Is he not enough for you? Did Lucius produce a dud?" He burst into laughter again. Draco Malfoy suddenly became as humorless as Ginny.
"Malfoy is irrelevant. Take away the hair and the smug look on his face and there's nothing left but a spoiled prat with ambition but no will."
"I see," answered Voldemort, "and why should I grant you anything when you have yet to prove your loyalty to me and you do not even carry my mark."
"Because I carry the consciousness of your younger self alongside my own. With me on your side, you won't have to trust the imbeciles you have now to make the right decision. I will be able to make decisions as you yourself would make them. I can deliver Harry Potter to you."
"Alright, Miss Weasley. I accept. Deliver Harry Potter and you will be my lieutenant. Now go before I change my mind, and take the irrelevant Mr. Malfoy with you." He added with a chuckle.
Harry's view of the scene began to fade and with it his memory of the specifics. He awoke in a panic and ran immediately to Professor Dumbledore's office without even bothering to find his invisibility cloak. Normally he wouldn't have bothered the Professor with a nightmare, but it was no longer just his life at stake, but Cho's as well.
"Professor, " Harry demanded, "You have to do a recollection charm on me. I need to remember this dream."
Professor Dumbledore suggested that morning might be a more appropriate time for such an endeavor, but Harry insisted. Finally realizing he was going to get no sleep until he relented, the Professor performed the charm and listened to Harry's retelling of the dream.
"Alright, Harry. You did the right thing in coming to me and I apologize for trying to put you off. I will interview the parties involved tomorrow and consult with the other professors to see if we can increase the security around you and Miss Chang. You do realize of course, this will cut down on your privacy and there will be no more midnight excursions to the Astronomy Tower.
Harry blushed, but nodded his agreement. "I understand," he said, "safety is more important. I can't let anything happen to Cho just for the sake of some snogging. Do what you have to do, Professor."
Professor Dumbledore bid Harry good night and promised he would take care of things in the morning. Anxious, but somewhat reassured, Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower and his own bed to salvage what sleep he could.
The next day at breakfast Harry told Cho and Hermione about his nightmare, and Professor Dumbledore's reaction. On the one hand they felt relief that someone finally believed them, on the other there was the realization that the threat was real and serious. Cho had lost all interest in breakfast. Getting up from the table, she motioned for Harry to accompany her.
Cho led Harry by the hand through the meandering passages of Hogwarts Castle, wandering as if she weren't exactly sure where they were going. Harry followed along silently. At last Cho stopped and pulled him through a doorway into a small courtyard. A small marble fountain babbled in the center surrounded be low benches of a similar material. Despite the fact that it was nearing the end of November, a draft of warm air vented down, and if there were no flowers, at least the shrubbery was still green.
Harry looked around in awe. "I had no idea this was even here. What a wonderful spot."
"I've never been here before," Cho replied, "I was just looking for an out of the way spot. When we passed the doorway, I just seemed to know that this was the place."
A sly grin made its way across Harry's face. "Miss Chang, at this time of morning?"
"Very presumptuous of you, Mr. Potter," Cho answered coyly. Harry set down his books and took her in his arms. "If Professor Dumbledore is going to have us watched, we might not be able to kiss properly again until Christmas, or, even worse, summer."
A few minutes later, hair re-combed and robes smoothed, the couple emerged back into the main hallway and the bustle of students making their way to class. The only sign of their adventure was the broad smile plastered on their features when they looked at each other. No one else seemed able to distinguish this from their usual expression when they were in each other's company.
Cho went through Transfigurations trying not to think of what terrible things might happen next. This was one of those days she just wanted to run away with Harry and hide. It was impossible to keep her mind on her lessons; she was simply killing time until lunch. After Transfigurations, she had Herbology. She never made it there. Halfway to the greenhouse her world suddenly went black
Harry, equally distracted, watched intently as the sand in the hourglass of Madame Trewlawney's Divination class slowly emptied. Divination before lunch, he thought, should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Not that he liked Divination any better after lunch, of course. Mostly he just wanted to go to lunch and see Cho. About the time the sand had half emptied the top half of the glass, Professor Dumbledore came through the trapdoor.
"All students will go immediately to their House Common Rooms and remain there until further word is given. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, you will accompany me."
Harry's heart sank. Something had happened to Cho, he simply knew it. Something had happened that involved Ginny. This couldn't possibly be good. Ron had no idea what was going on either, but the somber look he shared with Harry said he was equally resigned to the fact that it was not good. Grimly they followed the old Professor to his office. He gestured for them to be seated.
"I have bad news, as I'm sure you can guess," said Professor Dumbledore. "Harry, this morning I questioned the parties involved in your dream. Ginny Weasley was decidedly uninformative. Draco Malfoy on the other hand seemed to be rather afraid for his life, and confessed a great deal. His concerns were apparently well founded because a short time later, Mr. Filch found his corpse stuffed into a broom closet. I'm afraid that there is little doubt this was the work of Miss Weasley."
Ron slumped into his chair. "He's dead?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "There was a note, Harry, addressed to you."
Harry took the note and read:
Dearest Harry,
If you want to see your precious Ravenclaw bitch alive one last time, you'd better come along quickly.
Love,
Ginny
"Miss Chang left her Transfiguration class, but never made it to Herbology. Miss Weasley is also missing. This was also found on Draco's corpse." Professor Dumbledore held up an empty ink vial. "It is definitely a port key, but apparently it is keyed only to you."
Harry reached for it without hesitating. Professor Dumbledore held it back. "You know this is a trap don't you? You will be walking right into their hands. I understand you have feelings for Miss Chang, but you cannot allow those feelings to impair your judgement. You, Harry, are an important symbol to the wizarding world. Your reckless death would have far-reaching and serious consequences"
"I don't care about any of that. If Cho is in danger, then I have to go."
"They are not going to just let you walk in and take her out Harry." Ron finally spoke
Harry pointed his finger at Professor Dumbledore. "This is your fault, sir. If you had listened to Hermione, this could have been prevented. Give me the port key. I have to try and if Cho is dead, I will hold you personally responsible. If I die, I will haunt you Albus Dumbledore, in this world and the next."
"What would you have had me do, Harry?"
"This is not the time for sanctimony. Give me the bloody key!" Harry pulled his wand out and pointed it at the Headmaster.
Professor Dumbledore's eyes instantly lost their sparkle. "You are angry, Harry. Put your wand away before you do something you'll regret."
"The key, Professor. The only thing I will regret is not going to Cho."
"Very well." Professor Dumbledore put the vial on the table. Harry grabbed hold of it and was instantly somewhere else.
Harry found himself in the clearing he had seen in his dream. It appeared to be somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. In the distance he could spy a cottage there that hadn't been visible in the dream. The sound he heard though was what immediately seized his attention. It was the desperate and tortured scream of Cho. Harry ran towards the sound until he could see her twisting form on the ground near the tree line. Not bothering with stealth, Harry dashed into range and cast a "Finite Incantem" at Cho. Instantly her writhing subsided into a mere gasping for air.
"Harry!" shouted Ginny, "You got here much sooner than I expected. You never told me Cho could be so amusing."
"I'm here now. Let her go."
"Not just yet, Harry. The fun is only starting. I've been looking forward to this for so long, it would be a shame to rush it."
"Expelliarmus" Harry yelled. Ginny dodged the spell easily.
"Crucio!" Ginny cried in return. Harry was obviously not the target. The air once again was filled with the sound of Cho's pain.
Harry once again ended the spell. He went to Cho's side and touched his wand to her breast. "Fulcio" He felt the surge of strength leave his body and saw it enter Cho's. He had very little time he knew. "Cho, I love you. Concentrate on those words when she uses the Cruciatus. Hear my voice say those words to you." Cho could only nod in acknowledgement.
"Expelliarmus" The spell hit him full force, like a lorry. He flew through the air, away from his wand, and landed three of four meters from where he had previously stood. Weakened by the loss of strength he had given to Cho. Harry had the wind knocked out of him, and felt dazed.
"Crucio!" The voice of the caster was not Ginny, but Voldemort. Waves of pain hit Harry, like red-hot daggers marching through every cell of his body. Harry disassociated his mind from his body as he had been taught. His body writhed in pain but 'he' did not feel it. Perhaps a minute, perhaps a year later, the spell ended. Wormtail, Harry had no idea where he had come from, was manhandling him towards a wooden frame. Once there, he was bound, hands overhead. A few feet away he could see that Cho was in a similar position.
"Hello again, Harry," drawled Voldemort, "You and I have business to settle. I don't believe I'll be quite so sporting this time. You will die where you are and there will be no more complications of brother wand against brother wand."
"We had a deal!" screamed Ginny, "He lives, and she dies a painful death."
Voldemort cast a cruciatus on Ginny and this time it was her screams that filled the air. Moments later Voldemort released her from her agony. "You carry my reflection in your head, you should know that I do not buy loyalty from my servants. I take that which belongs to me. You will serve me because you are mine and that is your role."
Gasping, Ginny got to her feet. "Yes, My Lord."
"Potter is too much of a threat to keep alive. Perhaps I will let you decide the manner of his death, or perhaps whether it will be more fun to kill him and let her watch, or kill her and let him watch." Voldemort turned to face Harry. "Which would you prefer, Harry?"
"Petrificus Totalus" Voldemort froze as if a statue, Ginny was standing behind him, wand in hand. A sudden noise reminded her of Wormtail's presence. "Avada Kedavra" Peter Pettigrew fell to the ground.
"You're the bloody freaking Dark Lord. Surely someone must have told you Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Ginny placed the tip of her wand under Voldemort's chin. "Surprised are you? Wondering how it is you've been caught by a spell any second-year can cast? Because I'm you! I know your bloody secrets, and you were too stupid to realize there was no way I was going to 'serve' you or anyone else. Think about it: if the roles were reversed, what would you have done?"
Voldemort's eyes burned with anger, but he remained unable to answer.
"I suppose I really should torture you a bit, I really should have a good laugh at your expense, but I have other business to attend to. Irruptus!" Voldemort's head exploded into a rain of gore. Headless, his body fell to the ground.
Ginny bent down and tore a piece of Voldemort's robe away, then used it to wipe the blood and gray matter from her face and hands. "So, where were we? Oh yeah, the deal was Harry lives, and the bitch dies. Anyone one have any problems with that?"
"Why keep me alive Ginny? Do you think it will change anything?"
"You love me, Harry Potter, I know you do. You just can't see it because she has blinded you." Ginny gestured at Cho, and cast another cruciatus at her. Cho's body struggled against the bonds holding her in place. "I just have to make you see that. When she is gone, you'll see her for what she really is."
"I love her Ginny, do you think that if you kill her I will even be able to stand the sight of you?"
"I'm not going to kill her, you are… Imperio!"
Harry felt his will drain away. He had the feeling that he was a passenger in his own body. He could fight this though, he knew how to do this, he had done it before. Ginny loosened the bonds on his right hand and placed his wand it.
"Kill her, now!"
Harry struggled to maintain control of himself and pointed his wand at Cho "Finite Incantem, Fulcio" Harry had no idea whether or not the second spell would work from this distance, but it did. He felt another surge of strength drain from his body. His arm fell, no longer able to hold up its own weight. He wouldn't be able to that again any time soon. He hoped it would be enough.
Ginny whirled around in shock. Harry smiled at her. "I love Cho. Nothing is going to change that. Killing Cho will not make me love you; only a lunatic would think it would. Tom is making you do these things, the real Ginny wouldn't do this."
"You're so naïve, Harry. Tom and I are the same now; this is the closest thing there is to a real Ginny. What you think of as 'the real Ginny' is gone, you killed her when you took up with that tramp. I loved you and you ignored me, you could never see past your precious Cho."
"You weren't in love with me, Ginny. You were in love with the myth – 'The Boy Who Lived', the Scar. That isn't me Ginny. I am Harry Potter. I play Quidditch, I make up my Divination homework, I sneak out of the Dorms after curfew, and I love Cho Chang. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but look at yourself. You've been tossing around unforgivable curses and dark magic like they're chocolate frogs. I'm not worth you're soul, Ginny. I love Cho and you have to learn to deal with that."
"I do not have to learn to deal with that! Do you know what it's like to see you two together? Do you know how much it hurts? Why doesn't she have to learn to deal with not having you?"
"Because I love her."
"Would you stop saying that? It doesn't matter whether you love her or not, you two are finished. If you're so set on denying me happiness, then I will return the favor. One way or the other, you are going to lose her. I'll even let you choose. First choice: You declare your undying devotion and love to me, and I will give the Bitch a quick painless death with her last memory of you being your betrayal. Second Choice: You can refuse and watch while I leave the cruciatus on her until her mind snaps. You'll still have her body of course, but nobody will be home."
Harry marshaled his remaining strength and began to struggle with his bonds. "You're insane! You had better kill me because if I get lose I am going to rip you to sheds."
"Should I take that as a refusal? Just as well, I was going to torture her anyway."
Harry was desperate. He had to think of something. He was not going to watch either of those things happen. "Whatever made you think I could love you in the first place? A stupid git of a girl like you?"
Ginny turned to face Harry again. Harry spat at her, his spittle landed on her dress. Ginny backhanded him against the jaw.
Well, it wasn't much of a plan, he thought, but it was the best he could do at the time. " If there's even is a girl under all those damned freckles." Ginny whacked him again. "It really should have tipped you off when you had to go to Slytherin to find a boyfriend." She hit him in the gut this time. "I'd bet the only reason Draco went out with you was because he thought you were really a boy."
Harry spat insult after insult at Ginny, and she returned blow after blow. When pain overwhelmed his imagination, she still continued to beat on him. He was content; as long as she was beating on him, she wasn't hurting Cho. "I Love Cho" became his mantra. Over and over he repeated it. Consciousness failed him. Sometime later the darkness turned to dim light and a haze of pain. He resumed his mantra, and the pain intensified. It was still working.
In the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, Ron was still staring at the space where Harry had been only a few seconds before. Professor Dumbledore exhaled a sigh of regret.
"We need to get Hermione, she can take us to Harry." Ron was already up and moving towards the door.
"Wait," called Professor Dumbledore.
Ron stopped in his tracks. "We are going to find him, please don't try to stop us."
"I wouldn't presume," said the Professor, "I was going to give you this. It will allow you to summon help once you get wherever it is you are going." He handed Ron a small blue stone. "Simply hold it in your hand and concentrate."
Ron took the stone and ran towards Gryffindor Tower to find Hermione. She was in the Common Room waiting for him.
"We have to go to Harry," he said matter-of-factly.
"Where is he?" Hermione asked. "I've been worried sick. Ginny?"
Ron nodded grimly. "Harry used a port key to rescue Cho. We'll need to use the charm to find him."
Hermione nodded, and ran to her room to find the charm she and Ron had made without Harry's knowledge two years before. They had figured it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. They both knew that Harry would not hesitate for a second to leave them behind, and that was something they were determined would not happen. To prevent it, they had made this charm with a lock of Harry's hair, so that no matter where he went, they would be able to find him. She returned with the locket and found Ron holding Harry's Invisibility Cloak.
"How are we going to go?" Hermione asked.
"Harry's Firebolt would be best I think."
Hermione nodded. Flying was not her favorite pastime, but extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures. They went down to the broom shed and recovered Harry's broom. Ron piloted with Hermione holding the charm and giving directions. They found the clearing after about fifteen minutes of flying. They didn't get too close to the clearing for fear of being seen. Ron landed in the trees a short distance away.
Under the Invisibility Cloak, they approached the clearing. Ginny was beating on the impossibly battered figure of Harry Potter, Cho Chang was bound to a timber frame, and hanging limply, a body they both recognized as Peter Pettigrew lay still on the ground, and another body lay headless near Ginny's feet. Ginny was pounding and pounding on Harry, yelling at him to shut up. They were unable to determine if Harry was saying anything or not. It was hard to tell if he were even actually alive.
Hermione had her wand out. "I am going to kill her."
Ron grabbed the stone that Professor Dumbledore had given and concentrated on summoning as much help as possible.
Hermione stepped out from under the cloak. "Avada Ked…."
"Expelliarmus!"
Hermione's wand went one way and she went the other. She looked up from her new position as Ron stepped out from under the cloak as well. Ron had betrayed her. How could he have done that? He looked at her with sorrow in his eyes.
Ginny snapped out of her rage. "Brother, you came and you cared! " Ginny levitated Hermione to the frame holding Cho and performed a binding spell to keep her there. "You brought the Mudblood for me too. You're so kind."
"Let them go, Ginny," said Ron quietly, "Stop this madness."
"Oh Ron, not you too. I like this madness. I'll be patient with you because you saved my life, now help me wake up Harry, so he can watch Cho die." Ginny turned and started shaking Harry as if trying to wake someone who had simply dozed off for an afternoon nap.
There were tears in Ron's eyes as he raised his wand. He pointed it at the back of Ginny's head and closed his eyes. "Obliviate" The spell hit Ginny in mid stride and she fell under the impact. Ron went to her and picked her up. The blank face that stared back at him struck him in the chest like a Bludger at high speed. "Sit here, Ginny, don't move." Ron went to the timber frame where Cho and Hermione were bound and released them. Cho was barely able to keep herself from falling. Hermione cradled her and eased her to the ground.
"Get Harry," Cho whispered.
Ron went to do that, but wasn't sure it was a good idea. He had learned that moving someone badly injured was not a good idea unless it was an emergency. Ron pulled out the stone and concentrated on it. Where the hell was Professor Dumbledore? What should he do? Harry needed a real doctor, not whatever measly first aid he would be able to manage.
Cho was up and moving. She stood in front of Harry and put the tip of her wand to Harry's chest. "Fulcio" she said, then fell backwards. Ron barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
Harry heaved and coughed up blood. "IloveCho" he muttered, "IloveCho". Over and over he said the words.
At last the pops of Apparation were heard, Professor Dumbledore and several Aurors appeared and fanned out around the clearing. Ron silently took Harry's cloak and Broom and left without saying anything to anyone.
***
Author's Note:
Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed. I've been wavering back & forth on whether or not to do a sequel. At the moment, I am leaning in favor of doing one. I really have more material than can fit neatly into one story and it would be a shame to waste it.
Special thanks also to Amy, Alex, and Bernardo for providing insight, motivation, and correcting my spelling, grammar and punctuation. Thanks for putting up with the last minute changes.
The next chapter deals with reconciliation and healing…oh yeah, there's Quidditch too.
***
September 1st was a long awaited reunion for Cho and Harry. On returning home, Cho had found herself grounded for the duration of the summer. 'What were you thinking?' had quickly made its way to the top of the list of questions Cho hated to hear. If she had it to do over again however, she wouldn't have done a single thing differently. This was the last time her mother would be able to exert such influence over her and that thought along with the prospect of seeing Harry again made the days bearable.
Onboard the Hogwarts Express Cho and Harry shared a private compartment with Hermione and Ron. An awkward silence hung in the air and conversations were clipped and disjointed. Whenever Cho or Harry made some overt gesture of affection, Ron cringed and suddenly became interested in the ceiling, forgetting whatever it was he was talking about. Neither Cho nor Harry really seemed to notice, but Hermione was decidedly uncomfortable with the whole situation.
An indeterminate time into the trip, the door to their compartment opened to reveal Draco Malfoy with Ginny Weasley attached to his arm. Ron blanched, turning several shades of pale. Everyone else seemed to snap into awareness as if they had been slumbering.
"Potter, Mudblood!" cried Draco, as if he were meeting old friends.
"Don't forget the Ravenclaw bitch," laughed Ginny.
"Tell me Potter, did you buy her with that broom, or just lease her?" asked Draco.
With Seeker reflexes, Harry had his wand out in an instant. Cho, with equally amazing speed, pulled his hand down. "It's not worth it Harry."
"Ask Ginny why she closes her eyes when she kisses you," said Hermione, "ask her whose face she really sees…" She instantly regretted even opening her mouth
Ginny expression turned black. "Granger, you are number two on my list. I would sleep lightly if I were you..." She turned and left, dragging Draco with her. Ron, who looked quite ill, got up quietly and left the compartment.
Harry sat with his head leaned back against the wall of the compartment. Cho knew that look. It was the scar again. Hermione looked guilty and ashamed. Cho reached over and took her hand for a second to let her know that it was okay. It had been an honest reaction, and one that Cho was inclined towards herself. That Weasley girl was dangerous, and the company of Malfoy made it worse. Her first priority was to comfort Harry though. She pulled him down and cradled his head in her lap.
"She's free to do whatever she wants now that she's fooled Professor Dumbledore. No one will believe us." Hermione sounded desperate.
"We'll find a way," said Cho, "We just have to be very careful until we do."
"If I'm number two, I suppose you're number one."
Cho nodded. "Last year she tried to make everything look like an accident, I wonder if she'll bother this year."
"You're probably pretty safe in Ravenclaw Tower," said Hermione.
"But Harry can't come there. What is safety without Harry? I am not going to cower in my common room and let Ginny Weasley or Tom Riddle or anyone else torture Harry. Sooner or later she's going to slip up and reveal herself."
On the surface, things at Hogwarts appeared perfectly placid. If one looked closer however, one could see that the dynamics were changing. Old friendships were broken and new ones were formed that followed no obvious rhyme or reason. Ancient rivalries were dropped without resolution and new, darker ones took their place. It seemed as if the school was dividing itself into opposing camps. Some were caught in the middle however, with loyalties to both sides.
Ron Weasley was one such person. Harry and Hermione had been his two best friends for five years, but now he was caught between his desire to remain their friend and the fact that his sister was most definitely on the opposing side. So far he had chosen to remain loyal to his family, but it was obvious he was not very happy about it. He made small overtures of reconciliation toward Harry and Hermione, which became more frequent as time passed.
Both Harry and Hermione missed their old friend, but in a word, they did not and could not trust him. As much as it hurt, they were forced to exclude him from anything but casual conversation. There was no getting around the fact that anything they said to him would most likely be repeated to Ginny. Cho could empathize with them, from her previous experience with Ellwyn.
In spite of everything, they tried to have as normal a school year as possible. Quidditch was going well and both Cho and Harry were elected as Team Captains. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were undefeated. The re-match of the two houses was scheduled again for April. Despite whatever else was going on at the school, this was THE match of the year, and everyone was looking forward to it with great anticipation, no one more so than the two Seekers.
On another level, Hogwarts was a special kind of torture. Cho and Harry were together, but they were almost never alone. They still made their midnight excursions for a bit of snogging, but they wanted more and there was just no place for it. There were holidays coming, but Cho was expected at home, and Harry was definitely not going to the Dursleys or the Weasleys. It was highly doubtful he would be allowed to go to Professor Lupin's. Cho was seriously considering whether or not to simply defy her mother one more time and remain in the castle.
Thoughts of the holidays led to thoughts of next year. What would next year be like when Harry would still be at Hogwarts, and she would not? The only time she would be able to see him would be on Hogsmeade Weekends. It was simply unthinkable. They would cross that bridge when they came to it.
In the weeks following Halloween, Harry began having nightmares again. For the most part they were vague, tortured affairs full of the green light of the killing curses, screams, and the corpses of friends and loved ones. Nights of tangled sheets and waking to find himself drenched in cold sweat, gasping for air with the deafening of his own heartbeat in his ears became the norm for Harry. The specifics of his dreams eluded him but the terror that was their core shadowed him well into the day.
As November reached its zenith one nightmare came that stood out from the generic horror of the others. Harry found himself moving slowly through the darkness of night. His perspective was from almost ground level, as if he was sliding across the ground itself. After a short time of weaving around rocks and branches light emerged. Gathered around a fire that gave no warmth were cloaked figures. Harry knew all of them: there was Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Peter Pettigrew, and finally Voldemort himself.
"You're wasting my time, girl!'' hissed Voldemort, "If you want to leave this clearing unscathed, you better say something worth hearing. I don't suffer fools lightly."
"One would never guess from the idiots who go around calling themselves Death Eaters. Why are you hiding in a forest while your enemies sleep in a castle?"
Malfoy and Pettigrew shifted uncomfortably. Voldemort lifted his wand and pointed it in Ginny's direction. "You dare insult me?! Typical foolish Gryffindor bravado. You're going to die slowly young Miss Ginny Weasley, very, very slowly."
Ginny appeared un-phased. "Look into my eyes," she said, "tell me what you see there." Voldemort paused but made no move to comply. Instead, Ginny walked up to him until her face was only inches from his. "Look, and you'll see a reflection of yourself. Tell me that you can't feel the connection."
Voldemort lowered his wand. "What is it you want, Miss Weasley?"
"I want Harry Potter," Ginny said flatly "You can neutralize him, but he lives and he belongs to me. I want that Ravenclaw whore of his to die a painful death."
Voldemort burst into laughter. Not the macabre, maniacal laughter one might expect from one who planned to dominate the world by means of dark sorcery, but true hysterical, sidesplitting, ha-ha that-was-the-funniest-thing-I- ever-heard laughter. Voldemort laughed until he couldn't stand up straight. After a couple of minutes Pettigrew joined in, and a few minutes after that Draco Malfoy joined in as well. Only Ginny Weasley, her face burning scarlet and an angry fire in her eyes failed to see the humor.
Finally Voldemort composed himself enough to speak. "You want me to give you Harry Potter?" He asked, visibly suppressing another fit of laughter. "We already gave you young Master Malfoy. Is he not enough for you? Did Lucius produce a dud?" He burst into laughter again. Draco Malfoy suddenly became as humorless as Ginny.
"Malfoy is irrelevant. Take away the hair and the smug look on his face and there's nothing left but a spoiled prat with ambition but no will."
"I see," answered Voldemort, "and why should I grant you anything when you have yet to prove your loyalty to me and you do not even carry my mark."
"Because I carry the consciousness of your younger self alongside my own. With me on your side, you won't have to trust the imbeciles you have now to make the right decision. I will be able to make decisions as you yourself would make them. I can deliver Harry Potter to you."
"Alright, Miss Weasley. I accept. Deliver Harry Potter and you will be my lieutenant. Now go before I change my mind, and take the irrelevant Mr. Malfoy with you." He added with a chuckle.
Harry's view of the scene began to fade and with it his memory of the specifics. He awoke in a panic and ran immediately to Professor Dumbledore's office without even bothering to find his invisibility cloak. Normally he wouldn't have bothered the Professor with a nightmare, but it was no longer just his life at stake, but Cho's as well.
"Professor, " Harry demanded, "You have to do a recollection charm on me. I need to remember this dream."
Professor Dumbledore suggested that morning might be a more appropriate time for such an endeavor, but Harry insisted. Finally realizing he was going to get no sleep until he relented, the Professor performed the charm and listened to Harry's retelling of the dream.
"Alright, Harry. You did the right thing in coming to me and I apologize for trying to put you off. I will interview the parties involved tomorrow and consult with the other professors to see if we can increase the security around you and Miss Chang. You do realize of course, this will cut down on your privacy and there will be no more midnight excursions to the Astronomy Tower.
Harry blushed, but nodded his agreement. "I understand," he said, "safety is more important. I can't let anything happen to Cho just for the sake of some snogging. Do what you have to do, Professor."
Professor Dumbledore bid Harry good night and promised he would take care of things in the morning. Anxious, but somewhat reassured, Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower and his own bed to salvage what sleep he could.
The next day at breakfast Harry told Cho and Hermione about his nightmare, and Professor Dumbledore's reaction. On the one hand they felt relief that someone finally believed them, on the other there was the realization that the threat was real and serious. Cho had lost all interest in breakfast. Getting up from the table, she motioned for Harry to accompany her.
Cho led Harry by the hand through the meandering passages of Hogwarts Castle, wandering as if she weren't exactly sure where they were going. Harry followed along silently. At last Cho stopped and pulled him through a doorway into a small courtyard. A small marble fountain babbled in the center surrounded be low benches of a similar material. Despite the fact that it was nearing the end of November, a draft of warm air vented down, and if there were no flowers, at least the shrubbery was still green.
Harry looked around in awe. "I had no idea this was even here. What a wonderful spot."
"I've never been here before," Cho replied, "I was just looking for an out of the way spot. When we passed the doorway, I just seemed to know that this was the place."
A sly grin made its way across Harry's face. "Miss Chang, at this time of morning?"
"Very presumptuous of you, Mr. Potter," Cho answered coyly. Harry set down his books and took her in his arms. "If Professor Dumbledore is going to have us watched, we might not be able to kiss properly again until Christmas, or, even worse, summer."
A few minutes later, hair re-combed and robes smoothed, the couple emerged back into the main hallway and the bustle of students making their way to class. The only sign of their adventure was the broad smile plastered on their features when they looked at each other. No one else seemed able to distinguish this from their usual expression when they were in each other's company.
Cho went through Transfigurations trying not to think of what terrible things might happen next. This was one of those days she just wanted to run away with Harry and hide. It was impossible to keep her mind on her lessons; she was simply killing time until lunch. After Transfigurations, she had Herbology. She never made it there. Halfway to the greenhouse her world suddenly went black
Harry, equally distracted, watched intently as the sand in the hourglass of Madame Trewlawney's Divination class slowly emptied. Divination before lunch, he thought, should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Not that he liked Divination any better after lunch, of course. Mostly he just wanted to go to lunch and see Cho. About the time the sand had half emptied the top half of the glass, Professor Dumbledore came through the trapdoor.
"All students will go immediately to their House Common Rooms and remain there until further word is given. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, you will accompany me."
Harry's heart sank. Something had happened to Cho, he simply knew it. Something had happened that involved Ginny. This couldn't possibly be good. Ron had no idea what was going on either, but the somber look he shared with Harry said he was equally resigned to the fact that it was not good. Grimly they followed the old Professor to his office. He gestured for them to be seated.
"I have bad news, as I'm sure you can guess," said Professor Dumbledore. "Harry, this morning I questioned the parties involved in your dream. Ginny Weasley was decidedly uninformative. Draco Malfoy on the other hand seemed to be rather afraid for his life, and confessed a great deal. His concerns were apparently well founded because a short time later, Mr. Filch found his corpse stuffed into a broom closet. I'm afraid that there is little doubt this was the work of Miss Weasley."
Ron slumped into his chair. "He's dead?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "There was a note, Harry, addressed to you."
Harry took the note and read:
Dearest Harry,
If you want to see your precious Ravenclaw bitch alive one last time, you'd better come along quickly.
Love,
Ginny
"Miss Chang left her Transfiguration class, but never made it to Herbology. Miss Weasley is also missing. This was also found on Draco's corpse." Professor Dumbledore held up an empty ink vial. "It is definitely a port key, but apparently it is keyed only to you."
Harry reached for it without hesitating. Professor Dumbledore held it back. "You know this is a trap don't you? You will be walking right into their hands. I understand you have feelings for Miss Chang, but you cannot allow those feelings to impair your judgement. You, Harry, are an important symbol to the wizarding world. Your reckless death would have far-reaching and serious consequences"
"I don't care about any of that. If Cho is in danger, then I have to go."
"They are not going to just let you walk in and take her out Harry." Ron finally spoke
Harry pointed his finger at Professor Dumbledore. "This is your fault, sir. If you had listened to Hermione, this could have been prevented. Give me the port key. I have to try and if Cho is dead, I will hold you personally responsible. If I die, I will haunt you Albus Dumbledore, in this world and the next."
"What would you have had me do, Harry?"
"This is not the time for sanctimony. Give me the bloody key!" Harry pulled his wand out and pointed it at the Headmaster.
Professor Dumbledore's eyes instantly lost their sparkle. "You are angry, Harry. Put your wand away before you do something you'll regret."
"The key, Professor. The only thing I will regret is not going to Cho."
"Very well." Professor Dumbledore put the vial on the table. Harry grabbed hold of it and was instantly somewhere else.
Harry found himself in the clearing he had seen in his dream. It appeared to be somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. In the distance he could spy a cottage there that hadn't been visible in the dream. The sound he heard though was what immediately seized his attention. It was the desperate and tortured scream of Cho. Harry ran towards the sound until he could see her twisting form on the ground near the tree line. Not bothering with stealth, Harry dashed into range and cast a "Finite Incantem" at Cho. Instantly her writhing subsided into a mere gasping for air.
"Harry!" shouted Ginny, "You got here much sooner than I expected. You never told me Cho could be so amusing."
"I'm here now. Let her go."
"Not just yet, Harry. The fun is only starting. I've been looking forward to this for so long, it would be a shame to rush it."
"Expelliarmus" Harry yelled. Ginny dodged the spell easily.
"Crucio!" Ginny cried in return. Harry was obviously not the target. The air once again was filled with the sound of Cho's pain.
Harry once again ended the spell. He went to Cho's side and touched his wand to her breast. "Fulcio" He felt the surge of strength leave his body and saw it enter Cho's. He had very little time he knew. "Cho, I love you. Concentrate on those words when she uses the Cruciatus. Hear my voice say those words to you." Cho could only nod in acknowledgement.
"Expelliarmus" The spell hit him full force, like a lorry. He flew through the air, away from his wand, and landed three of four meters from where he had previously stood. Weakened by the loss of strength he had given to Cho. Harry had the wind knocked out of him, and felt dazed.
"Crucio!" The voice of the caster was not Ginny, but Voldemort. Waves of pain hit Harry, like red-hot daggers marching through every cell of his body. Harry disassociated his mind from his body as he had been taught. His body writhed in pain but 'he' did not feel it. Perhaps a minute, perhaps a year later, the spell ended. Wormtail, Harry had no idea where he had come from, was manhandling him towards a wooden frame. Once there, he was bound, hands overhead. A few feet away he could see that Cho was in a similar position.
"Hello again, Harry," drawled Voldemort, "You and I have business to settle. I don't believe I'll be quite so sporting this time. You will die where you are and there will be no more complications of brother wand against brother wand."
"We had a deal!" screamed Ginny, "He lives, and she dies a painful death."
Voldemort cast a cruciatus on Ginny and this time it was her screams that filled the air. Moments later Voldemort released her from her agony. "You carry my reflection in your head, you should know that I do not buy loyalty from my servants. I take that which belongs to me. You will serve me because you are mine and that is your role."
Gasping, Ginny got to her feet. "Yes, My Lord."
"Potter is too much of a threat to keep alive. Perhaps I will let you decide the manner of his death, or perhaps whether it will be more fun to kill him and let her watch, or kill her and let him watch." Voldemort turned to face Harry. "Which would you prefer, Harry?"
"Petrificus Totalus" Voldemort froze as if a statue, Ginny was standing behind him, wand in hand. A sudden noise reminded her of Wormtail's presence. "Avada Kedavra" Peter Pettigrew fell to the ground.
"You're the bloody freaking Dark Lord. Surely someone must have told you Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Ginny placed the tip of her wand under Voldemort's chin. "Surprised are you? Wondering how it is you've been caught by a spell any second-year can cast? Because I'm you! I know your bloody secrets, and you were too stupid to realize there was no way I was going to 'serve' you or anyone else. Think about it: if the roles were reversed, what would you have done?"
Voldemort's eyes burned with anger, but he remained unable to answer.
"I suppose I really should torture you a bit, I really should have a good laugh at your expense, but I have other business to attend to. Irruptus!" Voldemort's head exploded into a rain of gore. Headless, his body fell to the ground.
Ginny bent down and tore a piece of Voldemort's robe away, then used it to wipe the blood and gray matter from her face and hands. "So, where were we? Oh yeah, the deal was Harry lives, and the bitch dies. Anyone one have any problems with that?"
"Why keep me alive Ginny? Do you think it will change anything?"
"You love me, Harry Potter, I know you do. You just can't see it because she has blinded you." Ginny gestured at Cho, and cast another cruciatus at her. Cho's body struggled against the bonds holding her in place. "I just have to make you see that. When she is gone, you'll see her for what she really is."
"I love her Ginny, do you think that if you kill her I will even be able to stand the sight of you?"
"I'm not going to kill her, you are… Imperio!"
Harry felt his will drain away. He had the feeling that he was a passenger in his own body. He could fight this though, he knew how to do this, he had done it before. Ginny loosened the bonds on his right hand and placed his wand it.
"Kill her, now!"
Harry struggled to maintain control of himself and pointed his wand at Cho "Finite Incantem, Fulcio" Harry had no idea whether or not the second spell would work from this distance, but it did. He felt another surge of strength drain from his body. His arm fell, no longer able to hold up its own weight. He wouldn't be able to that again any time soon. He hoped it would be enough.
Ginny whirled around in shock. Harry smiled at her. "I love Cho. Nothing is going to change that. Killing Cho will not make me love you; only a lunatic would think it would. Tom is making you do these things, the real Ginny wouldn't do this."
"You're so naïve, Harry. Tom and I are the same now; this is the closest thing there is to a real Ginny. What you think of as 'the real Ginny' is gone, you killed her when you took up with that tramp. I loved you and you ignored me, you could never see past your precious Cho."
"You weren't in love with me, Ginny. You were in love with the myth – 'The Boy Who Lived', the Scar. That isn't me Ginny. I am Harry Potter. I play Quidditch, I make up my Divination homework, I sneak out of the Dorms after curfew, and I love Cho Chang. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but look at yourself. You've been tossing around unforgivable curses and dark magic like they're chocolate frogs. I'm not worth you're soul, Ginny. I love Cho and you have to learn to deal with that."
"I do not have to learn to deal with that! Do you know what it's like to see you two together? Do you know how much it hurts? Why doesn't she have to learn to deal with not having you?"
"Because I love her."
"Would you stop saying that? It doesn't matter whether you love her or not, you two are finished. If you're so set on denying me happiness, then I will return the favor. One way or the other, you are going to lose her. I'll even let you choose. First choice: You declare your undying devotion and love to me, and I will give the Bitch a quick painless death with her last memory of you being your betrayal. Second Choice: You can refuse and watch while I leave the cruciatus on her until her mind snaps. You'll still have her body of course, but nobody will be home."
Harry marshaled his remaining strength and began to struggle with his bonds. "You're insane! You had better kill me because if I get lose I am going to rip you to sheds."
"Should I take that as a refusal? Just as well, I was going to torture her anyway."
Harry was desperate. He had to think of something. He was not going to watch either of those things happen. "Whatever made you think I could love you in the first place? A stupid git of a girl like you?"
Ginny turned to face Harry again. Harry spat at her, his spittle landed on her dress. Ginny backhanded him against the jaw.
Well, it wasn't much of a plan, he thought, but it was the best he could do at the time. " If there's even is a girl under all those damned freckles." Ginny whacked him again. "It really should have tipped you off when you had to go to Slytherin to find a boyfriend." She hit him in the gut this time. "I'd bet the only reason Draco went out with you was because he thought you were really a boy."
Harry spat insult after insult at Ginny, and she returned blow after blow. When pain overwhelmed his imagination, she still continued to beat on him. He was content; as long as she was beating on him, she wasn't hurting Cho. "I Love Cho" became his mantra. Over and over he repeated it. Consciousness failed him. Sometime later the darkness turned to dim light and a haze of pain. He resumed his mantra, and the pain intensified. It was still working.
In the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, Ron was still staring at the space where Harry had been only a few seconds before. Professor Dumbledore exhaled a sigh of regret.
"We need to get Hermione, she can take us to Harry." Ron was already up and moving towards the door.
"Wait," called Professor Dumbledore.
Ron stopped in his tracks. "We are going to find him, please don't try to stop us."
"I wouldn't presume," said the Professor, "I was going to give you this. It will allow you to summon help once you get wherever it is you are going." He handed Ron a small blue stone. "Simply hold it in your hand and concentrate."
Ron took the stone and ran towards Gryffindor Tower to find Hermione. She was in the Common Room waiting for him.
"We have to go to Harry," he said matter-of-factly.
"Where is he?" Hermione asked. "I've been worried sick. Ginny?"
Ron nodded grimly. "Harry used a port key to rescue Cho. We'll need to use the charm to find him."
Hermione nodded, and ran to her room to find the charm she and Ron had made without Harry's knowledge two years before. They had figured it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. They both knew that Harry would not hesitate for a second to leave them behind, and that was something they were determined would not happen. To prevent it, they had made this charm with a lock of Harry's hair, so that no matter where he went, they would be able to find him. She returned with the locket and found Ron holding Harry's Invisibility Cloak.
"How are we going to go?" Hermione asked.
"Harry's Firebolt would be best I think."
Hermione nodded. Flying was not her favorite pastime, but extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures. They went down to the broom shed and recovered Harry's broom. Ron piloted with Hermione holding the charm and giving directions. They found the clearing after about fifteen minutes of flying. They didn't get too close to the clearing for fear of being seen. Ron landed in the trees a short distance away.
Under the Invisibility Cloak, they approached the clearing. Ginny was beating on the impossibly battered figure of Harry Potter, Cho Chang was bound to a timber frame, and hanging limply, a body they both recognized as Peter Pettigrew lay still on the ground, and another body lay headless near Ginny's feet. Ginny was pounding and pounding on Harry, yelling at him to shut up. They were unable to determine if Harry was saying anything or not. It was hard to tell if he were even actually alive.
Hermione had her wand out. "I am going to kill her."
Ron grabbed the stone that Professor Dumbledore had given and concentrated on summoning as much help as possible.
Hermione stepped out from under the cloak. "Avada Ked…."
"Expelliarmus!"
Hermione's wand went one way and she went the other. She looked up from her new position as Ron stepped out from under the cloak as well. Ron had betrayed her. How could he have done that? He looked at her with sorrow in his eyes.
Ginny snapped out of her rage. "Brother, you came and you cared! " Ginny levitated Hermione to the frame holding Cho and performed a binding spell to keep her there. "You brought the Mudblood for me too. You're so kind."
"Let them go, Ginny," said Ron quietly, "Stop this madness."
"Oh Ron, not you too. I like this madness. I'll be patient with you because you saved my life, now help me wake up Harry, so he can watch Cho die." Ginny turned and started shaking Harry as if trying to wake someone who had simply dozed off for an afternoon nap.
There were tears in Ron's eyes as he raised his wand. He pointed it at the back of Ginny's head and closed his eyes. "Obliviate" The spell hit Ginny in mid stride and she fell under the impact. Ron went to her and picked her up. The blank face that stared back at him struck him in the chest like a Bludger at high speed. "Sit here, Ginny, don't move." Ron went to the timber frame where Cho and Hermione were bound and released them. Cho was barely able to keep herself from falling. Hermione cradled her and eased her to the ground.
"Get Harry," Cho whispered.
Ron went to do that, but wasn't sure it was a good idea. He had learned that moving someone badly injured was not a good idea unless it was an emergency. Ron pulled out the stone and concentrated on it. Where the hell was Professor Dumbledore? What should he do? Harry needed a real doctor, not whatever measly first aid he would be able to manage.
Cho was up and moving. She stood in front of Harry and put the tip of her wand to Harry's chest. "Fulcio" she said, then fell backwards. Ron barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
Harry heaved and coughed up blood. "IloveCho" he muttered, "IloveCho". Over and over he said the words.
At last the pops of Apparation were heard, Professor Dumbledore and several Aurors appeared and fanned out around the clearing. Ron silently took Harry's cloak and Broom and left without saying anything to anyone.
***
Author's Note:
Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed. I've been wavering back & forth on whether or not to do a sequel. At the moment, I am leaning in favor of doing one. I really have more material than can fit neatly into one story and it would be a shame to waste it.
Special thanks also to Amy, Alex, and Bernardo for providing insight, motivation, and correcting my spelling, grammar and punctuation. Thanks for putting up with the last minute changes.
The next chapter deals with reconciliation and healing…oh yeah, there's Quidditch too.
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