A/N: okay this chapter I was gunna do like I said in number three, and I feel bad cause I should have never written that authors note cause now im doing it just like it should be done, completely through Cho's eyes, cause whenever im writing these ideas just pop out of nowhere and I just type them and they work out really good, so just ignore the authors note I wrote the other day cause it is stupid and makes no sence..ill probably delete it
I know some of you said that I should maybe put a chapter before this of what else happens since it is going so fast……sorry! i just have to do this one now cause it is all in my head and I don't wanna forget any parts!
Okay heres the chapter
Ch 13
The next few days Cho would hang out with Marietta but wasn't really talking to her, she just would stand by her so people wouldn't approach her and ask her questions about what happened at Hogsmeade, Marietta still was very mad at Harry and wanted to get back at him, but she wasn't telling Cho this. Their friendship was drifting apart more and more as the weeks went by.
Cho was eating dinner in the Great Hall and listening to Luna Lovegood talk about the newest issue of "The Quibbler" and the interview with Harry Potter that told the truth. Even though Umbridge had banned people from reading it everyone was, Cho had read it and in her heart she had forgiven Harry, she had figured out that was why he had to go meet Hermione in Three Broomsticks, but Cho didn't tell anyone that she had forgiven him, especially Marietta just the mention of Harry would set her off again. Cho also decided not to ask him out for a while if she ever was again, she still wasn't sure if he forgave her for that awful date, she wanted to apologize but she was too nervous too. That night she knew she would see him because there was another D.A. they were learning Patronuses and Cho was very excited.
"You coming with me to the D.A. meeting tonight right? It's the last one before Easter" said Cho trying to make conversation with Marietta.
"Oh I'm not feeling well," replied Marietta not looking at Cho as she spoke, "and I have so much work I have tonight! I don't think I can make it, sorry" the sorry sounded very false, so did everything Marietta said, Cho knew she was up to something but was too excited about D.A. tonight to care.
Marietta then left the Great Hall and Cho later headed to the Room Of Requirement with Luna Lovegood. When they got there everyone else was already seated so they took a seat and Harry told them they were going to work on Patronus'.
"Just think of a really happy thought and say EXPECTO PATRONUM very clearly" said Harry, and with that everyone got to work. Cho was working with Luna who wasn't able to get hers to take shape. Cho then decided to give hers a try, she decided to think of the time her and Harry were playing their first Quidditch match against each other and they were both going for the snitch, the thought of that brought a smile to her face, the two things she loved, Harry and Quidditch.
Cho concentrated really hard on the Quidditch match and exclaimed "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" and to her surprise a swan came out of her wand, she was so excited she produced a patronus on her first try, Harry then reminded everyone that producing a Patronus in the middle of a brightly lit classroom when they were not under any threat was very different to producing it when confronted by something like a dementor.
"Oh, don't be such a killjoy," said Cho brightly, watching her slivery swan-shaped Partonus soar around the room, "They're so pretty!"
"They're not supposed to be pretty, they're supposed to protect you," said Harry, "What we really need is a boggart or something; that's how I learned, I had to conjure a Partronus while the boggart was pretending to be a dementor –"
"But that would be really scary!" sad Lavender Brown, who was shooting puffs of silver vapor out of the end of her wand. "And I still – cant – do it!" she added angrily.
Neville Longbottom was also having trouble; Harry reminded him he had to think of something happy while performing it.
"I'm trying," said Neville miserably.
"Harry, I think I'm doing it!" yelled Seamus Finnigan, who had been brought along to the D.A. meeting today by one of his friends.
Hermione was watching her otter-shaped Patronus the same was Cho was her swan, "They are sort of nice, aren't they?" she said looking at it fondly.
Just then the door opened to the Room of Requirement and Cho saw a little house-elf walk in and his eyes were side with terror and he was shaking. He ran up to Harry and tugged at his robes.
"Hi, Dobby!" said Harry, "What are you – what's wrong?"
"Harry Potter, sir….." squeaked the little elf, trembling form head to toe, "Harry Potter, sir……Dobby has come to warn you….but the house-elves have been warned not to tell…."
The little elf then ran headfirst at the wall, Harry tried to seize him but the elf merely bounced off the stone, cushioned by the eight hats he was wearing, Cho was so surprised by this she and a few other girls let out squeaks of fear and sympathy.
"What's happened, Dobby?" Harry asked, grabbing the elf so he could no longer run into things.
"Harry Potter…….she…..she…" Dobby then hit himself hard on the nose with his free fist; Harry then grabbed that hand so he couldn't do anything to himself.
"Who's *she*, Dobby?"
The elf then mouthed something wordlessly to Harry.
"Umbridge?" asked Harry, horrified.
Dobby nodded and then tried to bang his head off Harry's knees but failed.
"What about her? Dobby – she hasn't found out about this – about us --- about the D.A.?"
Dobby had a look on his face that clearly meant yes.
"Is she coming?" Harry asked quietly.
Dobby then let out a how, and began beating his bare feet hard on the floor. "Yes, Harry Potter, yes!"
Cho's mind was buzzing, she couldn't believe she didn't see it earlier; it had to be Marietta who tipped off Umbridge, that was her way of getting back at Harry. Everyone in the D.A. was motionless, with terrified gazes, Harry looked at them.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" exclaimed Harry, " RUN!". Cho ran but she was still in a daze, she couldn't believe that this happened, Marietta not only put Harry in danger by telling, but she also put Cho in danger, and a lot of other people in the D.A. She had to find Marietta, she just had to, Cho was racing down the hallway when she saw Marietta! She was about to shout her name until she saw who she was with, Cho quickly jumped behind a statue and watched Marietta with her face covered walking with Umbridge! Now Cho knew for sure that Marietta had squealed, Umbridge walked up to a statue of a Gargoyle and said Fizzing Whizbee, the Gargoyle then sprang to life and jumped to the side revealing a stone staircase. Cho had heard kids talk about this; they said it lead up to Dumbledore's office. Cho knew if Marietta told that she would be in trouble anyway so she did something she thought she would never do. She walked up to the Gargoyle after a while to make sure Umbridge wasn't still there and said Fizzing Whizbee, to her surprise it still worked for her, she walked up the stairs but not all the way just enough that she could hear muffled voices. Cho made sure she was not very visible by hiding behind another small statue and tried as hard as she could to make sense of what she was hearing.
"Oh very well, you silly girl, *I'll* tell him" said a voice that sounded a lot like Umbridge from what Cho could tell, the voice then started again, "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, some times known as the Room or Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately at that point this hex came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror the girl became too distresses to tell me any more."
Cho couldn't believe what she was hearing! Marietta went and told Umbridge about them, also it seemed that because she was a traitor to the D.A. she was cursed in some way on her face. Cho was glad she got punished for doing that but was still worried on what will happen to all of them, so she listened again.
"Well now," said a voice Cho didn't recognize at all, "It is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge, you did exactly the right thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?" And then there was no answer it was extremely silent in there, then she heard the voice start again,"Haven't we got a counter jinx for this? So she can speak freely?"
Cho laughed at the thought of Marietta not being able to talk, "I have not yet been able to find one," said Umbridge to what Cho could tell, "But it doesn't matter if she won't speak, I can take up the story from here." Cho got nervous again, because she knew Umbridge would always get her way. "You will remember, Minister, that I sent you a report back in October that Potter had met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade—"
"And what is you evidence for that?" cut in a voice that Cho was sure was Professor McGonagall.
The Umbridge voice continued, "I have testimony from Wily Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time. He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but his hearing was quite unimpaired. He heard every word Potter said and hastened straight to the school to report to me—"
"Oh, so* that's* why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!" said the McGonagall voice, "What and interesting insight into out justice system!"
"Blatant corruption!" roared another voice Cho didn't recognize, "The Ministry did not cut deals with petty criminals in my day, no sir, they did not!"
"Thank you Fortescue, that will do," said a voice Cho was sure was Dumbledore.
"The purpose of Potter's meeting with these students," continued Umbridge's voice, "was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school-age –"
"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores," said Dumbledore's voice.
"Oho!" said one of the voices Cho didn't recognize, "Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on, the, Dumbledore, go on – Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potter's identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal or time, a dead man coming back to life, and a couple of invisible dementors?" Cho didn't know who was talking but she knew she hated him; he was so rude to Dumbledore, and to Harry.
"Oh, very good, Minister, very good!" Cho knew she had heard that voice before, it sounded like Percy Weasley, he used to be Head Boy at Hogwarts.
Then Dumbledore's voice started again, "Cornelius, I do not deny – and nor, I am sure, does Harry -- that he was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defense Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry decree banning all student societies was no put into effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules in the Hog's Head at all." Cho felt very grateful to the Headmaster, he had made a good point in that.
"That's all very fine, Headmaster," started Umbridge's voice again, "But we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are." Cho went rigid again, Umbridge was not going to let this go without a good fight.
"Well," started Dumbledore's voice again, "they certainly *would* be, it they *had* continued after the decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that these meetings continued?"
"Evidence?" started Umbridge's voice, "Have you not been listening Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"
"Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?" asked Dumbledore's voice, "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."
"Miss Edgecombe," started Umbridge at once, "tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod r shake you head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months? Just nod of shake your head, dear. Come on, now that won't activate the jinx further……." Cho knew it was the end there, Marietta and Umbridge were going to win, she closed her eyes and let the tears fall freely now, there was long silence and then Umbridge started again, "I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?" Cho was confused, from what she heard it seemed that Marietta was shaking her head, "What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" Now Cho knew Marietta was shaking her head, she was very relieved, but she didn't understand why she was….
"I would have thought her meaning was quiet clear," said Professor McGonagall's voice, "there have been no secret meetings for the past six months, Is that correct Miss Edgecombe?"
"But there was a meeting tonight!" said Umbridge's voice furiously, "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organized It, Potter—why are you shaking your head, girl?" Cho was completely confused, had Marietta lost her mind? Why was she shaking her head?
"Well usually when a person shakes their head," said McGonagall's voice, "They mean 'no'. So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign language as yet unknown to humans—"
There then was a lot of rustling and Dumbledore spoke in an angry voice, "I cannot allow you to manhandle m students, Dolores."
"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," said another voice Cho didn't recognize, "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now."
"No," said Umbridge's voice, "I mean, yes--- you're right, Shacklebolt—I—I—forgot myself."
"Dolores" said a voice, "the meeting tonight –the one we know definitely happened—"
"Yes," said Umbridge's voice, "yes….well Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed. It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind…..We needed evidence and the room provided…." Cho's mind raced, she wished she could see what was going on, "The moment I saw Potters name on the list, I knew what we were dealing with," then it hit Cho, Umbridge had the D.A. list they all signed at the beginning, now she knew everyone who was in it.
"Excellent, Excellent Dolores. And….by thunder….." said one of the voices, "See what they've named themselves? Dumbledore's Army."
Cho couldn't believe it, there was no way to get out of it now, how on earth would any of them explain this, "Well, the game is up," said Dumbledore's voice, "Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius--- or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"
Dumbledore was taking the blame? Cho's mind was racing with thoughts on what was going to happen to him, "Statement?" said the one voice, by the name of Cornelius, "What – I don't --?"
"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," said Dumbledore's voice, "Not Potter's Army, Dumbledore's Army"
"But—but—…….you?"
"That's right"
"You organized this?"
"I did"
"You recruited these students for—for your army?"
Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting, merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course." Cho couldn't believe Dumbledore was getting them out of trouble and taking the blame, and she also couldn't believe how good he was at doing it.
"Then you have been plotting against me!"
"That's right" said Dumbledore's voice almost laughing.
"NO!" shouted a voice Cho had not heard in there yet, Harry's. "No – Professor Dumbledore!"
"Be quiet, Harry, or I am afraid you will have to leave my office," said Dumbledore's voice.
"Yes, shut up, Potter!" barked the voice known as Cornelius, "Well, well, well – I came here tonight expecting to expel Potter and instead—"
"Instead you get to arrest me, It's kind of like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?" said Dumbledore's voice, Cho was in shock, they were going to arrest Dumbledore, what was going to happen to Hogwarts.
"Weasley! Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said in his confession, have you got it?" said Cornelius' voice.
"Yes, sir, I think so, sir!" said Percy Weasley's voice.
The bit about how he's been trying to build up an army against the Ministry, how he's been working to destabilize me?"
"Yes, sir, I've got it, yes!"
"Very well, then, Duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition!" Cho was lost for words; she couldn't believe this was happening to Dumbledore. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged and then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"
"Ah," said Dumbledore's voice, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."
"Snag? I see no snag, Dumbledore!"
"Well," said Dumbledore's voice, "I'm afraid I do."
"Oh really?"
"Well—it's just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to ---what it the phrase? 'come quietly'. I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban I could break out, of course – but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing." Cho couldn't believe how wise Dumbledore was, at times he always seemed a bit, weird, but now she saw how smart he really was. "Don't be silly Dawlish, I'm sure you are an excellent Auror, I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your N.E.W.T.s, but if you attempt to –er—'bring me in' by force, I will have to hurt you."
"So," said Cornelius' voice, "you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?"
"Merlin's beard no" said Dumbledore's voice, "Not unless you are foolish enough to force me to."
"He will no be single-handed" said Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Oh yes he will, Minerva! Hogwarts needs you!" said Dumbledore's voice sharply.
"Enough of this rubbish!" said Cornelius' voice, "Dawlish! Shackelbolt! Take him!"
Cho heard a large bang that sounded like a gun shot, then Cho heard a lot of yelling and screeching, she then heard a final crash and listened to hear any voices.
"Are you all right?" said Professor Dumbledore's voice; Cho was relieved to know he was still okay.
"Yes!" said Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious," said Dumbledore's voice, "He was remarkably quick on the uptake, modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory like that while everyone was looking the other way –thank him for me, wont you m Minerva?"
Cho had heard enough, she now knew that Marietta didn't stick up for them at the end, at least on her own free will, her memory was altered so she didn't remember. That meant Cho had to still be friends with her and couldn't be mad at her, she sighed and decided she had heard enough, she headed back to the Ravenclaw Common Room with her mind buzzing with everything she had heard. Was that really the end of Dumbledore?
Cho sat by the fire in the common room for about a half hour until Marietta returned, Cho stood up, she had rehearsed what she was going to say so she didn't accidentally blurt anything out.
"Marietta! Where have you been??" asked a shocked Cho
"I—I—I c-c-cant remember!" sobbed Marietta, "And look at m-my face!" Marietta removed her scarf revealing large purple boils across her face that spelled out the word SNEAK. Cho had to bite her tongue to keep from smiling but deep down she felt that Marietta deserved it.
A/N: whew that chapter took me all week to write….so sorry it took so long but you see I was goofing off with my cousin and jumped off a swing a little to high and lost my balance and landed on my wrist and sprained it….but my parents would get sooo mad at me if they found out so I have been walking around with a sprained wrist and no little ace bandage thingy and it hurts a lot…espessially during trumpet lessons…haha I almost dropped it…..okay im rambling again so I have nothing else to say haha I hope you enjoyed this chapter after all the work I put in it
JkReviewer: thank you soo much you don't know how much your review helped me….it reminded me that it is through chos eyes so I did keep it that way
Okay everyone R/R!! =D