Chapter 8
Cho gradually became aware of her surroundings. The world resolved itself into white walls gleaming with light, stiff cotton sheets, the weight of heavy wool blankets, and the pervasive smell of absolute cleanliness. Through sleep induced fog, it occurred to her that she was in the Hospital Wing. Why was she in the Hospital Wing? Suddenly the answer came to her and she immediately sat up straight. "Harry!"
Madame Pomfrey was instantly at her side, trying to make her lay back down. "Miss Chang," she said gravely, "you simply must lay down. You need rest."
"Harry!" Cho insisted, "Where is Harry?"
"Harry is here, don't worry." Madame Pomfrey brought a glass to Cho's lips. The effervescent vapor made it unmistakably a sleeping draught. "Drink this, it will help you rest"
Cho refused. "I want to see him. Is he okay?" She was losing the battle to stay upright, but she was determined to win the war.
"You're in no condition to see anyone right now." Madame Pomfrey said gently as she tucked in Cho's blankets. "Rest now and we'll talk about it later. Even if I were to agree, you don't have the strength to get out of bed, let alone walk over to see him."
It was obvious the nurse was avoiding her questions. "Just tell me whether or not he's okay."
Madame Pomfrey held the glass up to her again. "Drink first, then I'll tell you."
Cho resigned herself to sleep. Truth told, she felt as if she had been run over by a lorry. "Okay," she answered and swallowed down the potion. She could feel the warm tendrils of sleep massaging her consciousness before she had even swallowed the last drop. She fought then off as valiantly as she could. "Please tell me."
Madame Pomfrey stalled, hoping the Sleeping Draught would take effect before she had to fulfill her end of the bargain. Cho stubbornly remained awake. How was she going to answer the girl? "Harry is going to be just fine," she eventually answered. Madame Pomfrey hoped with all her heart that this was the truth. Finally content, Cho surrendered to sleep.
After two days, Madame Pomfrey decided the Cho was an even more difficult patient than Harry Potter, and declared her healthy. Harry remained unconscious, which the Nurse believed was the only reason the Hospital Wing remained intact. Professor Dumbledore advised her to simply give in, and against her better judgement she relented.
All of the mental preparations Cho had made evaporated as soon as she actually saw him. Harry looked impossibly pale and fragile, as he lay unconscious in his hospital bed. Madame Pomfrey had told her Harry would be okay, but Cho didn't understand how. She sat beside his bed and wept. Sirius Black arrived at some point and tried to comfort her, but she rebuffed his efforts. Later, Hermione came and made a similar attempt and was equally unsuccessful. In the end, Madame Pomfrey gave her a Sleeping Draught and she ended up spending and extra night in the Hospital Wing.
Cho returned to classes and settled into a routine. She went to class for eight hours, she went to the library for two hours, then she stayed with Harry for as long as Madame Pomfrey would allow her. When Madame Pomfrey sent her back to Ravenclaw Tower, she studied more until she just couldn't stand it. The only way she was able to sleep was through sheer exhaustion. She could not close her eyes for more than a few seconds without reliving some part of the experience in the forest.
Over and over, night and day, she relived the experience. After Professor Dumbledore and the Aurors had arrived, Cho, Harry, and Hermione had been transported back to Hogwarts. Ron had vanished and hadn't been seen since. Ginny Weasley had been taken somewhere else, St. Mungo's was a pretty safe assumption. Everyone but Harry had been questioned and re-questioned. Cho, who had been there longest, had been 'interviewed' and forced to relive the experience in pain-staking detail no less than four times. How many times did they need to hear the same story?
Lack of sleep, concern for Harry, and the trauma itself was taking its toll on her. Again she was haunted by the question: "Are you okay?" This time it didn't seem such a big deal. She was most decidedly not okay. She was 'not okay' in ways that she couldn't even allow herself to think about yet. She needed time. She needed her mother. She needed Harry. She didn't have any of these things and two of them were mutually exclusive. She was not going home for the holidays. She had sent a letter home explaining what had happened. A reply had come, but she was so certain of its contents, she hadn't even bothered to read it.
As the Holidays approached, a giddy air pervaded Hogwarts. Since the Ministry of Magic had officially denied Voldemort's return and had therefore decided that it would be unwise to officially report on his demise. Still, the world at large was slowly realizing that something had happened – something big. The world had changed even if no one really knew why. Death Eater attacks had all but ceased and the 'Daily Prophet' reported regularly on the progress of the Aurors as they systematically rounded up those involved. Sirius Black had surrendered, been given a trial and found innocent. All of his previous atrocities were now attributed to Peter Pettigrew. There was no official explanation for the death of Draco Malfoy or the disappearances of Ginny and Ron Weasley.
When the rest of the students departed, except for Harry and Hermione, Cho saw it as a relief. Harry was awake a few hours of each day now, and the lack of classes meant that she could be there for all of them. Even when he slept she remained with him, she watched helplessly as he struggled through his nightmares. Even with the draughts Madame Pomfrey gave him, he could not escape them.
Cho was sick with despair. She had been weak and Harry had paid the price. She was overwhelmed with guilt and shame. She wanted to run and hide. Harry needed her though. He was so glad to see her when he was awoke and always had the biggest smile for her. She could read him like a book now, and she could see love and happiness positively leaking out of him. She felt supremely unworthy of it.
Hermione's theory was that Harry had finally proved himself worthy of love in his own mind. Cho found it ironic that he had done so just as she had proven herself unworthy. Harry wanted her and needed her and Cho knew that she would never deny him anything. Her feelings were real though. She needed to work through this and she didn't know how.
Sirius came to visit quite often. If Ginny Weasley had done a single good thing, she had killed Peter Pettigrew. When the Aurors had recovered the corpse, The Ministry of Magic had been left with little choice but to pardon Sirius and clear his name. Sirius Black was now a free man and ready fulfill his role as Harry's godfather, even if Harry only had a year and a half left of legal childhood. Sirius had left explicit instructions for Cho to be given as much access as possible to Harry. They had talked several times, mostly about Harry. Sirius had never questioned the seriousness of their relationship. Potter men, he explained, seemed to find their soul mates at a young age.
On Christmas Eve, Cho sat with Harry, Hermione, and Sirius. Hermione was reading to them from Hogwarts: A History but no one was really paying attention, probably not even Hermione. A small stack of presents had accumulated on a table off to one side. Sirius had smuggled in a few Butter Beers and despite the fact that it was in the Hospital Wing, the atmosphere somehow managed to be cozy.
Unknown footsteps approached the corner that Madame Pomfrey had set Harry up in. The steps stopped just outside the privacy curtains. "Cho?"
Cho's almost choked. That was her mother's voice. She stood up, "Come in, Mother". Her mother stepped in looking every inch as Cho remembered her; She was dressed in impeccable, but smart business robes and her hair was perfect. Cho hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. She then introduced everyone saving Harry for last.
"So you are Harry Potter," Cho's mother said imperiously, "I've heard a great deal about you."
"I've heard a great deal about you as well," Harry said politely. Inwardly he was cringing. He had heard how much Cho's mother hated him, but still he wanted to make as good an impression as possible. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Would you like to sit down?"
"Yes, actually I would"
Cho gave her seat to her mother, and went for another chair. By the time she got back Hermione had suddenly decided she was tired and wanted to turn in for the night. Sirius offered to walk her back to Gryffindor Tower. Cho, Harry, and Mrs. Chang were alone. Harry tried to sit up, but this was a painful experience. Cho helped to ease him up, whispering soft words to him as he settled into the new position.
"You should probably lay back down," suggested Cho's mother.
"I'm fine, really," insisted Harry, "Now that I'm up here, I'd just as soon not move again for a while."
"I didn't expect you here, Mother." Cho was anxious to find out what her Mother's intentions were. If she thought she was going to harass Harry, or convince Cho to leave, then she was going to learn a few things about he daughter
"I sent you an owl," her mother answered matter-of-factly.
"I'm sorry, Mother, I never read it. I assumed you would just try to convince me to come home and leave Harry here. I couldn't do that, and I've just been though too much lately to handle an argument."
"I see," said Cho's mother. She paused, sighed and appeared to think for a few minutes. "Cho, you are my daughter. I have only wanted the best for you. In my attempts to ensure your future I chose a path that was my vision of what was best. I can accept that what is best for me, may not be best for you. I can't pretend that I understand the motivation to play a game as a profession, especially a game as dangerous as Quidditch. If this is the course you have chosen for yourself, if this is truly your talent, then I will not stand in your way. I know you were going to do it anyway, but now you have my blessing."
"Thank you, Mother" said Cho, "that means a lot to me." She gave her mother a buss on the cheek, then sat down in the chair she had placed next to Harry.
"When I was a girl, about your age, Cho, I had a great love. It wasn't your father, mind you, I met him much later. When my mother found out, she was furious. I was forbidden to see him ever again, for my own good I was told. I was raised much more traditionally than I have raised you. My mother's idea of enlightenment was that I would be well educated. As a dutiful daughter, I obeyed. Some part of me never forgave my mother for that. I went on to become a doctor, which did annoy my mother, and I met your father. When you were born, I swore that I was not going to turn into my mother in the way that I raised you. Somehow I did though.
"I still think about that boy sometimes. I have no idea what became of him and I don't especially want to know. I am happy with my life now, and I wouldn't trade it away. I still wonder though what would have happened if my mother had not intervened. Would all of this have happened anyway? Would I have been happy? His loss hurt me, was that pain necessary or is it possible I would have been exactly who I am without ever having felt it? Did my mother do the right thing? At the time I didn't think so and I still don't. The fact is however, that I was prepared to do to my daughter exactly what my mother did to me and for exactly the same reason – what I saw as your own good.
"I am not my mother, and you are not me, Cho. I have to stop trying to make you into me. I have listened to the words of Ellwyn Brigstock over the words of my own daughter. Actually, I haven't even listened to you at all. Whenever you have tried to speak, I have silenced you. I am sorry Cho, and I am asking for forgiveness."
"Of course, Mother." Cho wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry too. I never wanted to disappoint you. I have tried to be a good daughter."
"You have never disappointed me Cho. Even in defiance, you have excelled. Your father plays golf with Ludo Bagman occasionally, and says he won't leave him alone about representing you. Your father says not to trust Mr. Bagman any further than his shadow, by the way. You have been a good daughter, and I am proud of you."
"Thank you, mother. You know, I did want to be you until I found my own way. You were a good role model."
"I didn't come here just to talk though. I also came to listen. My daughter has a boyfriend, and I would like to hear about it. Tell me how you two met, and how you got together, and anything else fit for a mother's ears." She smiled. "I'll get the rest out of you later."
Cho and Harry told their story, from the Quidditch match up to the day in the forest. They left out a few things, like the night in the attic, and the details of what happened in the clearing. Cho's mother asked Harry details about his life and his past, and asked them both about plans for their future. They discussed their book and hopeful plans to play professionally. They wanted to be together, whatever they were going to do, they were going to do it together.
Harry drifted to sleep. Madame Pomfrey had previously agreed that Cho could remain through the night, so she wasn't going to be forced to leave. Mrs. Chang seemed equally prepared to stay.
"Something is bothering you, Cho. Can you tell me what it is?"
Cho remained silent for several minutes before answering. "It's about Harry. All of this is my fault."
"I don't know how you can think that. Harry obviously doesn't feel that way.
Cho shook her head.
"Harry came to rescue you. You can not blame yourself for being kidnapped. You are important to Harry. That is why you were taken. Would you want Harry to feel guilty about loving you because that put you in danger?"
"Don't even say that, Mother. He would actually do that."
"Then why do you feel responsible? How is what you are doing any different?"
Cho told her mother about the choice that Harry was given. "I was so afraid of the Cruciatus curse that I wanted Harry to renounce me so that I wouldn't have to face the pain again. I wanted Harry to be weak, he couldn't do it though, he taunted her to keep her attention away from me. She beat him and he continued to taunt her. She cursed him and he continued to swear his love for me. I could have stopped her. All I had to do was call out, and she would have stopped, but I couldn't do it."
"But then you both would have died. You did what Harry wanted you to do. You were tortured, Cho. The Cruciatus is supposed to do effect you that way. You weren't weak, you were normal."
Cho shook her head. "It didn't effect Harry that way."
"Harry appears to be quite an extraordinary young man. Think about this though. It was your name on his lips, you said. You were what made him strong. He could not have taken such strength from you if it were not there. You have nothing to be ashamed of Cho. You lived through a terrible experience. Talk with Harry about this, he will tell you the same thing. Together you are greater than you are separately."
"I'll talk to him."
"You chose well, Cho. You should bring him to meet your father, he is anxious to meet him. Give me a bit of warning, please, but you are welcome any time – both of you."
In January, Harry was released from the hospital wing. He still looked somewhat fragile, but he was glad to be free of the Hospital and Madame Pomfrey. He was grounded though, not allowed to fly until further notice. Madame Pomfrey was quick to remind him he should be thanking the stars he could walk instead of crying about not being able to fly.
Life quickly settled back into the routine where they almost never got to see each other. Their time together was limited to mealtimes and evenings in the library. Cho was in the final push towards N.E.W.T.s.and Harry had mountains of schoolwork to catch up on himself. Cho was grateful for the work. It kept her mind off of other things.
The other things never strayed far from Harry's mind however. Ron was still missing and the empty seat next to Harry in each of his classes was a constant reminder. Harry was obsessed with idea of going to look for him. Professor Dumbledore refused to allow it. Sirius expressly ordered him not to go. Hermione threatened him with violence and Cho promised to have him physically restrained for even attempting it.
Frustrated about his friend, overwhelmed by schoolwork, and chafing from being grounded, Harry decided that the one thing he could actually do something about was not being able to fly. Sirius decided this was a constructive endeavor and promised him that when Madame Pomfrey cleared him for flight he would buy him a new broom.
Properly motivated, Harry worked diligently towards his own recovery. In little time at all he was looking and feeling as fit as ever. Madame Pomfrey cleared him for flight, Sirius delivered him a new Firebolt and Harry began to practice in earnest. The Ravenclaw/Gryffindor match, which had been in jeopardy of being cancelled, was once again the most anticipated event of the school year.
No one was happier about this than Harry and Cho. The prospect of a real Quidditch match was enough to bring both of them out of the introspective quagmire they were sinking into. Quidditch, Cho reminded both herself and Harry, was good for the soul.
On game day the stands were packed. It was Cho's last game at Hogwarts and she was determined to make it a memorable one. Her parents had even come to watch along side Sirius Black. Down below, in the team ready room, Cho made her mental preparations and last minute tweaks to her broom. As Captain, she was responsible for motivating her team. She made a short speech and walked out onto the pitch to face Harry.
Once in the air, Cho and Harry began their high-speed ballet. Cho slipped into a search pattern she had developed without telling Harry. It was unlikely that this game would decide the House Cup. Gryffindor still had to play against Slytherin, so even if Ravenclaw won, Gryffindor would be able to recover the needed points. She was playing against Harry though, and that made this the most important game of the season.
She wanted to win so badly she could taste it. In addition to new search patterns, she had done a lot of thinking about strategy. She had analyzed and reviewed every move of every game she had seen Harry play and she had found two weaknesses. They weren't big weaknesses, Harry was exceptionally good, but they were there. His first weakness was his greatest strength, and that was his flying ability. He relied too much on his ability to out- fly anyone and everyone. Secondly, he wore glasses, which meant he had to adjust for parallax and depth errors. That translated to time in flying terms. What she needed to do was create a situation that called for accuracy over speed.
She feinted, and Harry ignored it. That tactic wasn't really going to work any more. They simply knew each other too well. They both stuck to their search patterns. Cho's was more efficient, but Harry was luckier. Mid- Pitch, mid-altitude, Harry found the snitch. She headed in the direction she expected the Snitch to change its course to. Harry wasn't close enough to catch it that quickly, it didn't matter because a well-aimed Bludger hit him in the shoulder and sent him spiraling. Cho fought to keep her eyes locked on the Snitch, and accelerated towards it. She desperately wanted to see if Harry was okay, but to do so would mean losing the Snitch.
Seconds later Harry was closing in on both her and the snitch. The snitch was in an upward sweeping course, moving laterally back and forth across the pitch. Harry was trying to gain advantage by out climbing her. They were almost at the regulation ceiling altitude, so Cho wasn't especially worried about that. The big question was what would the Snitch do next? The answer came quickly enough when it plummeted straight downward. They both tipped their brooms downward and gave chase. The snitch out accelerated them though and they both had to break off the dive. Cho lost her eye lock on the snitch and went to regroup near the Ravenclaw goalposts
Harry was already in a search pattern. Cho breathed a sigh of relief that he had lost the snitch too. Cho eased herself into her own search, and found the Snitch in about ten seconds. It was making a small bouncy pattern a little beneath the Announcers booth, about as stationary as a Snitch ever was. Cho threw herself and her broom at it. Harry instantly noticed and was headed towards it as well. They reached the snitch at exactly the same time, and the turbulence from the passing threatened the strength of her grip. She didn't care.
She had the Snitch. She had beat Harry who was, arguably, one of the best Seekers to ever play the game. It hadn't been luck either, she had found his weakness and exploited it. She did a quick victory lap around the pitch, holding up her prize. Gryffindor would probably still win the Quidditch Cup, but she had beat Harry Potter.
She landed on the Pitch in the middle of her cheering and ecstatic teammates. Harry was there, waiting for her with a huge grin on his face. Her team was ready to carry her off on their shoulders but she made them wait. He put his arms around her and kissed her.
"Great game," he said to her.
"You too," she answered, "I love you."
"I love you too. You'd better go before your team explodes."
She smiled and nodded. "Tomorrow then, at breakfast." She gave him another kiss then turned and was swept into cheer of her team.
Gryffindor, as expected, steam-rolled over Slytherin and all but locked up the House Cup. The end of the Quidditch season marked the beginning of exam season. Cho began the wizarding ritual of passage known as the N.E.W.T.s. The few minutes of the day when she actually saw Harry, she was always exhausted or hastily preparing for her next. Harry, caught up in the stress of his own exams, tried to be understanding, but they were very trying days.
Just when it seemed they could take no more, the exams were over. The students breathed a collective sigh of relief and settled down to enjoy the last leisurely week of school. There were no classes and the only source of stress was anticipation of the final grades. It was a bittersweet time for Cho as she and Harry tried to make up for the short tempers of the weeks before.
As much as she wanted to just enjoy the time they had for what it was, Cho found it hard to keep from thinking of the future. As little time as they'd had during the school year, they would have even less next year. She was leaving Hogwarts, but Harry had eight long months The only time they would see each other was Hogsmeade Weekends and Holidays…it was depressing to think about.
"What are we going to do Harry?" Cho was visibly distressed
"We are going to follow our plan," Harry said as reassuringly as possible. He pulled her tight and gave her a kiss of the forehead for good measure. "You are going to play Quidditch and next year I'll join you. We'll finish our book. It'll all work out."
"What if we can't sign for the same team?"
"Then I'll become a Quidditch groupie. We'll be together. Whatever team you pick will have an opening sooner or later. Maybe they'll let me be the Quaffle Boy or something."
"Harry, you're too good to be a groupie or a Quaffle Boy."
"It will work out Cho. We'll make it work out. Whatever we have to do to be together."
"I'm not doing anything until after summer. We are going to spend the summer together."
"I think I have to go back to the Dursleys," Harry said with a grimace, "they'll never allow me to have visitors. Especially a beautiful, enchanting witch like you." Harry tried to put a good spin on it, but the thought obviously depressed him.
Cho sat up instantly, her cheeks flushed with anger. "You are not going back to those Muggles, Harry. If I have to personally hex Professor Dumbledore, you are not going back there. You've been through too much and you deserve better."
"It's just this one last time," Harry said, "Professor Dumbledore has always been quite insistent about it. Every time I get my hopes up, he just sends me back."
"That was before, things are different now: Sirius is free and Voldemort is dead. There's no reason for it. Send an owl to Sirius right now, or I'll do it myself. If you can't stay with Professor Lupin, then you'll come to my parents house."
Harry was still afraid to set himself for disappointment, but he sent Hedwig off anyway. Sirius arrived and listened to Harry and Cho's story. The three of them then went to see Professor Dumbledore. After some discussion, the Headmaster agreed. Harry could spend the summer at Professor Lupin's although he was encouraged to keep a low profile. Voldemort was dead, but he still had followers who might bear Harry a grudge.
Harry was ecstatic. He immediately sent an owl to the Dursleys saying 'So long and thanks for nothing.' He had come to accept summers at the Dursleys' as a fact of life. Now he would finally have a chance at a normal summer. He would be able to see his friends when he wanted, he would be able to do homework, he would be able to see Cho…
Sirius watched with amusement as Harry rattled off all of the things that he wanted to do that summer. He had that animated toy-monkey expression again. Cho stood by patiently and assured Harry that he could do each and everything on his list. Sirius interrupted briefly to let Harry know that he would be there to meet him at King's Cross. Harry barely missed a beat though. With a wink at Cho, Sirius turned and began the walk down to Hogsmeade, laughing to himself the entire way.
***
Author's Note:
I think Chapter 7 scared everyone away. Thanks to everyone who stuck around, I hope you weren't disappointed, or too squicked. Thanks also to my Beta's: Amy, Alex, and Bodie. Anything you don't like about this story is probably something they suggested I cut, but stubbornly refused.
As to the matter or whether or not Voldemort died too easily, I think that's a matter of opinion. Ginny and Voldemort were resonating on the same magical frequency. Voldemort really had no more protection against her than he had against himself. If he wasn't so egotistical, he probably would have figured that out. I don't want to give away anything, but let's just say that everything is not exactly the way it appears.
There are one or two chapters left to this story, mostly tying up loose ends. There will be a sequel, although I probably won't start writing it right away. I have a couple of other things spinning in my head that I would like to get done, and I need some time to work out plot wrinkles.
***
Cho gradually became aware of her surroundings. The world resolved itself into white walls gleaming with light, stiff cotton sheets, the weight of heavy wool blankets, and the pervasive smell of absolute cleanliness. Through sleep induced fog, it occurred to her that she was in the Hospital Wing. Why was she in the Hospital Wing? Suddenly the answer came to her and she immediately sat up straight. "Harry!"
Madame Pomfrey was instantly at her side, trying to make her lay back down. "Miss Chang," she said gravely, "you simply must lay down. You need rest."
"Harry!" Cho insisted, "Where is Harry?"
"Harry is here, don't worry." Madame Pomfrey brought a glass to Cho's lips. The effervescent vapor made it unmistakably a sleeping draught. "Drink this, it will help you rest"
Cho refused. "I want to see him. Is he okay?" She was losing the battle to stay upright, but she was determined to win the war.
"You're in no condition to see anyone right now." Madame Pomfrey said gently as she tucked in Cho's blankets. "Rest now and we'll talk about it later. Even if I were to agree, you don't have the strength to get out of bed, let alone walk over to see him."
It was obvious the nurse was avoiding her questions. "Just tell me whether or not he's okay."
Madame Pomfrey held the glass up to her again. "Drink first, then I'll tell you."
Cho resigned herself to sleep. Truth told, she felt as if she had been run over by a lorry. "Okay," she answered and swallowed down the potion. She could feel the warm tendrils of sleep massaging her consciousness before she had even swallowed the last drop. She fought then off as valiantly as she could. "Please tell me."
Madame Pomfrey stalled, hoping the Sleeping Draught would take effect before she had to fulfill her end of the bargain. Cho stubbornly remained awake. How was she going to answer the girl? "Harry is going to be just fine," she eventually answered. Madame Pomfrey hoped with all her heart that this was the truth. Finally content, Cho surrendered to sleep.
After two days, Madame Pomfrey decided the Cho was an even more difficult patient than Harry Potter, and declared her healthy. Harry remained unconscious, which the Nurse believed was the only reason the Hospital Wing remained intact. Professor Dumbledore advised her to simply give in, and against her better judgement she relented.
All of the mental preparations Cho had made evaporated as soon as she actually saw him. Harry looked impossibly pale and fragile, as he lay unconscious in his hospital bed. Madame Pomfrey had told her Harry would be okay, but Cho didn't understand how. She sat beside his bed and wept. Sirius Black arrived at some point and tried to comfort her, but she rebuffed his efforts. Later, Hermione came and made a similar attempt and was equally unsuccessful. In the end, Madame Pomfrey gave her a Sleeping Draught and she ended up spending and extra night in the Hospital Wing.
Cho returned to classes and settled into a routine. She went to class for eight hours, she went to the library for two hours, then she stayed with Harry for as long as Madame Pomfrey would allow her. When Madame Pomfrey sent her back to Ravenclaw Tower, she studied more until she just couldn't stand it. The only way she was able to sleep was through sheer exhaustion. She could not close her eyes for more than a few seconds without reliving some part of the experience in the forest.
Over and over, night and day, she relived the experience. After Professor Dumbledore and the Aurors had arrived, Cho, Harry, and Hermione had been transported back to Hogwarts. Ron had vanished and hadn't been seen since. Ginny Weasley had been taken somewhere else, St. Mungo's was a pretty safe assumption. Everyone but Harry had been questioned and re-questioned. Cho, who had been there longest, had been 'interviewed' and forced to relive the experience in pain-staking detail no less than four times. How many times did they need to hear the same story?
Lack of sleep, concern for Harry, and the trauma itself was taking its toll on her. Again she was haunted by the question: "Are you okay?" This time it didn't seem such a big deal. She was most decidedly not okay. She was 'not okay' in ways that she couldn't even allow herself to think about yet. She needed time. She needed her mother. She needed Harry. She didn't have any of these things and two of them were mutually exclusive. She was not going home for the holidays. She had sent a letter home explaining what had happened. A reply had come, but she was so certain of its contents, she hadn't even bothered to read it.
As the Holidays approached, a giddy air pervaded Hogwarts. Since the Ministry of Magic had officially denied Voldemort's return and had therefore decided that it would be unwise to officially report on his demise. Still, the world at large was slowly realizing that something had happened – something big. The world had changed even if no one really knew why. Death Eater attacks had all but ceased and the 'Daily Prophet' reported regularly on the progress of the Aurors as they systematically rounded up those involved. Sirius Black had surrendered, been given a trial and found innocent. All of his previous atrocities were now attributed to Peter Pettigrew. There was no official explanation for the death of Draco Malfoy or the disappearances of Ginny and Ron Weasley.
When the rest of the students departed, except for Harry and Hermione, Cho saw it as a relief. Harry was awake a few hours of each day now, and the lack of classes meant that she could be there for all of them. Even when he slept she remained with him, she watched helplessly as he struggled through his nightmares. Even with the draughts Madame Pomfrey gave him, he could not escape them.
Cho was sick with despair. She had been weak and Harry had paid the price. She was overwhelmed with guilt and shame. She wanted to run and hide. Harry needed her though. He was so glad to see her when he was awoke and always had the biggest smile for her. She could read him like a book now, and she could see love and happiness positively leaking out of him. She felt supremely unworthy of it.
Hermione's theory was that Harry had finally proved himself worthy of love in his own mind. Cho found it ironic that he had done so just as she had proven herself unworthy. Harry wanted her and needed her and Cho knew that she would never deny him anything. Her feelings were real though. She needed to work through this and she didn't know how.
Sirius came to visit quite often. If Ginny Weasley had done a single good thing, she had killed Peter Pettigrew. When the Aurors had recovered the corpse, The Ministry of Magic had been left with little choice but to pardon Sirius and clear his name. Sirius Black was now a free man and ready fulfill his role as Harry's godfather, even if Harry only had a year and a half left of legal childhood. Sirius had left explicit instructions for Cho to be given as much access as possible to Harry. They had talked several times, mostly about Harry. Sirius had never questioned the seriousness of their relationship. Potter men, he explained, seemed to find their soul mates at a young age.
On Christmas Eve, Cho sat with Harry, Hermione, and Sirius. Hermione was reading to them from Hogwarts: A History but no one was really paying attention, probably not even Hermione. A small stack of presents had accumulated on a table off to one side. Sirius had smuggled in a few Butter Beers and despite the fact that it was in the Hospital Wing, the atmosphere somehow managed to be cozy.
Unknown footsteps approached the corner that Madame Pomfrey had set Harry up in. The steps stopped just outside the privacy curtains. "Cho?"
Cho's almost choked. That was her mother's voice. She stood up, "Come in, Mother". Her mother stepped in looking every inch as Cho remembered her; She was dressed in impeccable, but smart business robes and her hair was perfect. Cho hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. She then introduced everyone saving Harry for last.
"So you are Harry Potter," Cho's mother said imperiously, "I've heard a great deal about you."
"I've heard a great deal about you as well," Harry said politely. Inwardly he was cringing. He had heard how much Cho's mother hated him, but still he wanted to make as good an impression as possible. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Would you like to sit down?"
"Yes, actually I would"
Cho gave her seat to her mother, and went for another chair. By the time she got back Hermione had suddenly decided she was tired and wanted to turn in for the night. Sirius offered to walk her back to Gryffindor Tower. Cho, Harry, and Mrs. Chang were alone. Harry tried to sit up, but this was a painful experience. Cho helped to ease him up, whispering soft words to him as he settled into the new position.
"You should probably lay back down," suggested Cho's mother.
"I'm fine, really," insisted Harry, "Now that I'm up here, I'd just as soon not move again for a while."
"I didn't expect you here, Mother." Cho was anxious to find out what her Mother's intentions were. If she thought she was going to harass Harry, or convince Cho to leave, then she was going to learn a few things about he daughter
"I sent you an owl," her mother answered matter-of-factly.
"I'm sorry, Mother, I never read it. I assumed you would just try to convince me to come home and leave Harry here. I couldn't do that, and I've just been though too much lately to handle an argument."
"I see," said Cho's mother. She paused, sighed and appeared to think for a few minutes. "Cho, you are my daughter. I have only wanted the best for you. In my attempts to ensure your future I chose a path that was my vision of what was best. I can accept that what is best for me, may not be best for you. I can't pretend that I understand the motivation to play a game as a profession, especially a game as dangerous as Quidditch. If this is the course you have chosen for yourself, if this is truly your talent, then I will not stand in your way. I know you were going to do it anyway, but now you have my blessing."
"Thank you, Mother" said Cho, "that means a lot to me." She gave her mother a buss on the cheek, then sat down in the chair she had placed next to Harry.
"When I was a girl, about your age, Cho, I had a great love. It wasn't your father, mind you, I met him much later. When my mother found out, she was furious. I was forbidden to see him ever again, for my own good I was told. I was raised much more traditionally than I have raised you. My mother's idea of enlightenment was that I would be well educated. As a dutiful daughter, I obeyed. Some part of me never forgave my mother for that. I went on to become a doctor, which did annoy my mother, and I met your father. When you were born, I swore that I was not going to turn into my mother in the way that I raised you. Somehow I did though.
"I still think about that boy sometimes. I have no idea what became of him and I don't especially want to know. I am happy with my life now, and I wouldn't trade it away. I still wonder though what would have happened if my mother had not intervened. Would all of this have happened anyway? Would I have been happy? His loss hurt me, was that pain necessary or is it possible I would have been exactly who I am without ever having felt it? Did my mother do the right thing? At the time I didn't think so and I still don't. The fact is however, that I was prepared to do to my daughter exactly what my mother did to me and for exactly the same reason – what I saw as your own good.
"I am not my mother, and you are not me, Cho. I have to stop trying to make you into me. I have listened to the words of Ellwyn Brigstock over the words of my own daughter. Actually, I haven't even listened to you at all. Whenever you have tried to speak, I have silenced you. I am sorry Cho, and I am asking for forgiveness."
"Of course, Mother." Cho wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry too. I never wanted to disappoint you. I have tried to be a good daughter."
"You have never disappointed me Cho. Even in defiance, you have excelled. Your father plays golf with Ludo Bagman occasionally, and says he won't leave him alone about representing you. Your father says not to trust Mr. Bagman any further than his shadow, by the way. You have been a good daughter, and I am proud of you."
"Thank you, mother. You know, I did want to be you until I found my own way. You were a good role model."
"I didn't come here just to talk though. I also came to listen. My daughter has a boyfriend, and I would like to hear about it. Tell me how you two met, and how you got together, and anything else fit for a mother's ears." She smiled. "I'll get the rest out of you later."
Cho and Harry told their story, from the Quidditch match up to the day in the forest. They left out a few things, like the night in the attic, and the details of what happened in the clearing. Cho's mother asked Harry details about his life and his past, and asked them both about plans for their future. They discussed their book and hopeful plans to play professionally. They wanted to be together, whatever they were going to do, they were going to do it together.
Harry drifted to sleep. Madame Pomfrey had previously agreed that Cho could remain through the night, so she wasn't going to be forced to leave. Mrs. Chang seemed equally prepared to stay.
"Something is bothering you, Cho. Can you tell me what it is?"
Cho remained silent for several minutes before answering. "It's about Harry. All of this is my fault."
"I don't know how you can think that. Harry obviously doesn't feel that way.
Cho shook her head.
"Harry came to rescue you. You can not blame yourself for being kidnapped. You are important to Harry. That is why you were taken. Would you want Harry to feel guilty about loving you because that put you in danger?"
"Don't even say that, Mother. He would actually do that."
"Then why do you feel responsible? How is what you are doing any different?"
Cho told her mother about the choice that Harry was given. "I was so afraid of the Cruciatus curse that I wanted Harry to renounce me so that I wouldn't have to face the pain again. I wanted Harry to be weak, he couldn't do it though, he taunted her to keep her attention away from me. She beat him and he continued to taunt her. She cursed him and he continued to swear his love for me. I could have stopped her. All I had to do was call out, and she would have stopped, but I couldn't do it."
"But then you both would have died. You did what Harry wanted you to do. You were tortured, Cho. The Cruciatus is supposed to do effect you that way. You weren't weak, you were normal."
Cho shook her head. "It didn't effect Harry that way."
"Harry appears to be quite an extraordinary young man. Think about this though. It was your name on his lips, you said. You were what made him strong. He could not have taken such strength from you if it were not there. You have nothing to be ashamed of Cho. You lived through a terrible experience. Talk with Harry about this, he will tell you the same thing. Together you are greater than you are separately."
"I'll talk to him."
"You chose well, Cho. You should bring him to meet your father, he is anxious to meet him. Give me a bit of warning, please, but you are welcome any time – both of you."
In January, Harry was released from the hospital wing. He still looked somewhat fragile, but he was glad to be free of the Hospital and Madame Pomfrey. He was grounded though, not allowed to fly until further notice. Madame Pomfrey was quick to remind him he should be thanking the stars he could walk instead of crying about not being able to fly.
Life quickly settled back into the routine where they almost never got to see each other. Their time together was limited to mealtimes and evenings in the library. Cho was in the final push towards N.E.W.T.s.and Harry had mountains of schoolwork to catch up on himself. Cho was grateful for the work. It kept her mind off of other things.
The other things never strayed far from Harry's mind however. Ron was still missing and the empty seat next to Harry in each of his classes was a constant reminder. Harry was obsessed with idea of going to look for him. Professor Dumbledore refused to allow it. Sirius expressly ordered him not to go. Hermione threatened him with violence and Cho promised to have him physically restrained for even attempting it.
Frustrated about his friend, overwhelmed by schoolwork, and chafing from being grounded, Harry decided that the one thing he could actually do something about was not being able to fly. Sirius decided this was a constructive endeavor and promised him that when Madame Pomfrey cleared him for flight he would buy him a new broom.
Properly motivated, Harry worked diligently towards his own recovery. In little time at all he was looking and feeling as fit as ever. Madame Pomfrey cleared him for flight, Sirius delivered him a new Firebolt and Harry began to practice in earnest. The Ravenclaw/Gryffindor match, which had been in jeopardy of being cancelled, was once again the most anticipated event of the school year.
No one was happier about this than Harry and Cho. The prospect of a real Quidditch match was enough to bring both of them out of the introspective quagmire they were sinking into. Quidditch, Cho reminded both herself and Harry, was good for the soul.
On game day the stands were packed. It was Cho's last game at Hogwarts and she was determined to make it a memorable one. Her parents had even come to watch along side Sirius Black. Down below, in the team ready room, Cho made her mental preparations and last minute tweaks to her broom. As Captain, she was responsible for motivating her team. She made a short speech and walked out onto the pitch to face Harry.
Once in the air, Cho and Harry began their high-speed ballet. Cho slipped into a search pattern she had developed without telling Harry. It was unlikely that this game would decide the House Cup. Gryffindor still had to play against Slytherin, so even if Ravenclaw won, Gryffindor would be able to recover the needed points. She was playing against Harry though, and that made this the most important game of the season.
She wanted to win so badly she could taste it. In addition to new search patterns, she had done a lot of thinking about strategy. She had analyzed and reviewed every move of every game she had seen Harry play and she had found two weaknesses. They weren't big weaknesses, Harry was exceptionally good, but they were there. His first weakness was his greatest strength, and that was his flying ability. He relied too much on his ability to out- fly anyone and everyone. Secondly, he wore glasses, which meant he had to adjust for parallax and depth errors. That translated to time in flying terms. What she needed to do was create a situation that called for accuracy over speed.
She feinted, and Harry ignored it. That tactic wasn't really going to work any more. They simply knew each other too well. They both stuck to their search patterns. Cho's was more efficient, but Harry was luckier. Mid- Pitch, mid-altitude, Harry found the snitch. She headed in the direction she expected the Snitch to change its course to. Harry wasn't close enough to catch it that quickly, it didn't matter because a well-aimed Bludger hit him in the shoulder and sent him spiraling. Cho fought to keep her eyes locked on the Snitch, and accelerated towards it. She desperately wanted to see if Harry was okay, but to do so would mean losing the Snitch.
Seconds later Harry was closing in on both her and the snitch. The snitch was in an upward sweeping course, moving laterally back and forth across the pitch. Harry was trying to gain advantage by out climbing her. They were almost at the regulation ceiling altitude, so Cho wasn't especially worried about that. The big question was what would the Snitch do next? The answer came quickly enough when it plummeted straight downward. They both tipped their brooms downward and gave chase. The snitch out accelerated them though and they both had to break off the dive. Cho lost her eye lock on the snitch and went to regroup near the Ravenclaw goalposts
Harry was already in a search pattern. Cho breathed a sigh of relief that he had lost the snitch too. Cho eased herself into her own search, and found the Snitch in about ten seconds. It was making a small bouncy pattern a little beneath the Announcers booth, about as stationary as a Snitch ever was. Cho threw herself and her broom at it. Harry instantly noticed and was headed towards it as well. They reached the snitch at exactly the same time, and the turbulence from the passing threatened the strength of her grip. She didn't care.
She had the Snitch. She had beat Harry who was, arguably, one of the best Seekers to ever play the game. It hadn't been luck either, she had found his weakness and exploited it. She did a quick victory lap around the pitch, holding up her prize. Gryffindor would probably still win the Quidditch Cup, but she had beat Harry Potter.
She landed on the Pitch in the middle of her cheering and ecstatic teammates. Harry was there, waiting for her with a huge grin on his face. Her team was ready to carry her off on their shoulders but she made them wait. He put his arms around her and kissed her.
"Great game," he said to her.
"You too," she answered, "I love you."
"I love you too. You'd better go before your team explodes."
She smiled and nodded. "Tomorrow then, at breakfast." She gave him another kiss then turned and was swept into cheer of her team.
Gryffindor, as expected, steam-rolled over Slytherin and all but locked up the House Cup. The end of the Quidditch season marked the beginning of exam season. Cho began the wizarding ritual of passage known as the N.E.W.T.s. The few minutes of the day when she actually saw Harry, she was always exhausted or hastily preparing for her next. Harry, caught up in the stress of his own exams, tried to be understanding, but they were very trying days.
Just when it seemed they could take no more, the exams were over. The students breathed a collective sigh of relief and settled down to enjoy the last leisurely week of school. There were no classes and the only source of stress was anticipation of the final grades. It was a bittersweet time for Cho as she and Harry tried to make up for the short tempers of the weeks before.
As much as she wanted to just enjoy the time they had for what it was, Cho found it hard to keep from thinking of the future. As little time as they'd had during the school year, they would have even less next year. She was leaving Hogwarts, but Harry had eight long months The only time they would see each other was Hogsmeade Weekends and Holidays…it was depressing to think about.
"What are we going to do Harry?" Cho was visibly distressed
"We are going to follow our plan," Harry said as reassuringly as possible. He pulled her tight and gave her a kiss of the forehead for good measure. "You are going to play Quidditch and next year I'll join you. We'll finish our book. It'll all work out."
"What if we can't sign for the same team?"
"Then I'll become a Quidditch groupie. We'll be together. Whatever team you pick will have an opening sooner or later. Maybe they'll let me be the Quaffle Boy or something."
"Harry, you're too good to be a groupie or a Quaffle Boy."
"It will work out Cho. We'll make it work out. Whatever we have to do to be together."
"I'm not doing anything until after summer. We are going to spend the summer together."
"I think I have to go back to the Dursleys," Harry said with a grimace, "they'll never allow me to have visitors. Especially a beautiful, enchanting witch like you." Harry tried to put a good spin on it, but the thought obviously depressed him.
Cho sat up instantly, her cheeks flushed with anger. "You are not going back to those Muggles, Harry. If I have to personally hex Professor Dumbledore, you are not going back there. You've been through too much and you deserve better."
"It's just this one last time," Harry said, "Professor Dumbledore has always been quite insistent about it. Every time I get my hopes up, he just sends me back."
"That was before, things are different now: Sirius is free and Voldemort is dead. There's no reason for it. Send an owl to Sirius right now, or I'll do it myself. If you can't stay with Professor Lupin, then you'll come to my parents house."
Harry was still afraid to set himself for disappointment, but he sent Hedwig off anyway. Sirius arrived and listened to Harry and Cho's story. The three of them then went to see Professor Dumbledore. After some discussion, the Headmaster agreed. Harry could spend the summer at Professor Lupin's although he was encouraged to keep a low profile. Voldemort was dead, but he still had followers who might bear Harry a grudge.
Harry was ecstatic. He immediately sent an owl to the Dursleys saying 'So long and thanks for nothing.' He had come to accept summers at the Dursleys' as a fact of life. Now he would finally have a chance at a normal summer. He would be able to see his friends when he wanted, he would be able to do homework, he would be able to see Cho…
Sirius watched with amusement as Harry rattled off all of the things that he wanted to do that summer. He had that animated toy-monkey expression again. Cho stood by patiently and assured Harry that he could do each and everything on his list. Sirius interrupted briefly to let Harry know that he would be there to meet him at King's Cross. Harry barely missed a beat though. With a wink at Cho, Sirius turned and began the walk down to Hogsmeade, laughing to himself the entire way.
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Author's Note:
I think Chapter 7 scared everyone away. Thanks to everyone who stuck around, I hope you weren't disappointed, or too squicked. Thanks also to my Beta's: Amy, Alex, and Bodie. Anything you don't like about this story is probably something they suggested I cut, but stubbornly refused.
As to the matter or whether or not Voldemort died too easily, I think that's a matter of opinion. Ginny and Voldemort were resonating on the same magical frequency. Voldemort really had no more protection against her than he had against himself. If he wasn't so egotistical, he probably would have figured that out. I don't want to give away anything, but let's just say that everything is not exactly the way it appears.
There are one or two chapters left to this story, mostly tying up loose ends. There will be a sequel, although I probably won't start writing it right away. I have a couple of other things spinning in my head that I would like to get done, and I need some time to work out plot wrinkles.
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