Read Author's Notes at the End.
Read and Review
Nothing is My Own
**********************************************************************
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Beginning
Cho jumped from her bed flinging the covers onto the floor. The sticky sweat coated her skin and she brushed back her dark hair from her eyes.
"HARRY!" she screamed searching for something that made sense, but nothing did. Her bedroom looked completely right, not a thing out of place. The sun shining brightly though the window cast a warm glow on the floor. It was an eerie out of place glow. Resembling the glow in Draco Malfoy's eyes as he unleashed the killing curse.
She ran quickly to the window and threw it open, surprised by the warmness of the air.
"It's warm outside," she muttered to herself confused. "How long have been asleep?"
She wasn't sure what was happening, the images of the corridor, the Dementors and Malfoy casting the killing curse ran though her mind. She looked around the room wondering how she had gotten back to her parents place. She distinctly remember her father telling her to leave, he definitely wouldn't approve of her risking herself to save Harry.
"Cho dear, are you up yet?" she heard the familiar voice of her mother call.
"MUM!" Cho shrilled running to the door.
"Mum, what's going on? Why am I here?" she pleaded.
"Cho dear, are you feeling alright?" her mother asked concerned placing the back of her hand on Cho's forehead.
Cho shook her mothers hand off her forehead, "I'm fine, where is Harry?"
"Harry? Harry Potter? I suppose he's at his house, where else would he be" her mother replied confused.
"So he got away, he's okay?" Cho said on the verge of tears.
"For heavens sakes child, what are you rambling about."
Cho couldn't believe her mother was acting like nothing had happened, "the attack on Hogwarts, remember? Me and dad got into a fight over Harry and I went back to Hogwarts. Then the Death Eaters attacked and Malfoy tried to kill Harry."
"Darling, you and your father haven't had fight, and it wouldn't make sense to go to Hogwarts right now, since it's closed for the holidays, you must have had a bad dream, " her mother said softly.
Cho placed her hand on her head, "I don't understand, how could this be?"
"Cho, you better hurry up and get ready, if you still plan on going to Diagon Alley today."
"Diagon Alley?" Cho said looking up again, "you mean, the term hasn't started yet?"
"Darling, you starting to scare me. Hurry up, I don't want you going to out on an empty stomach." Mrs. Chang implored.
Cho almost said what she was thinking, but changed her mind, "I guess I'm just a little rattled by my dream. I'll be downstairs in a few minuets."
"Okay, dear," her mother kissed her forehead before leaving the room.
Cho smiled trying to remain composed as her mother left. She couldn't believe what was going though her mind. Had it all been a dream? It couldn't have been a dream.
She let her finger find the small silver pendant of the phoenix hanging from her neck as a tear trickled down her cheek. It was so real, she looked down a noticed a small cut just below her collar bone where the curse had hit her in her dream.
"Odd," she muttered rubbing it with the tips of her fingers.
She closed her eyes thinking about the words that she had heard before she awoke, "open your eyes and let this dream end."
"Thank-you Cedric," she whispered thinking about the soft words he had recited before she awoke. Even if everything else had been a dream, that part hadn't.
She felt stronger, like things finally made sense. The small pendant danced in her small fingers, but it wasn't a dazed feeling like before, she felt empowered. She slowly walked back to her bed.
"Oh Harry, if only it hadn't been a dream," she said softly thinking about how real it had felt with their lips had touched. Dream or not her heart told her she loved him. A feeling a deep dread sunk down into the pits of her stomach, knowing she would probably run into him today. He would look at her and turn away with anger in his eyes. She would have to be strong and trust her heart.
Her hair felt tangled and her mouth was dry and sticky. She leaned over to her nightstand and picked up her hairbrush and began to run it though her hair. The anxiety building in her stomach was intensifying with ever stroke she made.
She rose back to her feet and walked over to her vanity just before she sat her hairbrush down something caught her eye and she gasped. It was the color green, the small color of the eyes that haunted her mind.
The small silver pendant had changed; it no longer was silver, but green. A solid green jade stone in the shape of a small bird now hung around her neck. She smiled suddenly realizing it wasn't a dream at all, it was a vision. She had a destiny to fulfill, and a love to grow.
"Follow your path child, seize your future," the soft voice of Lynn Chang echoed in her mind. She reached her closet and pulled out her best robes and perfectly prepared herself. Today was a second chance, and she knew exactly what she was going to do.
The Trial by Existence: Robert Frost
Even the bravest that are slain
Shall not dissemble their surprise
On waking to find valor reign,
Even as on earth, in paradise;
And where they sought without the sword
Wide fields of asphodel fore'er,
To find that the utmost reward
Of daring should be still to dare.
The light of heaven falls whole and white
And is not shattered into dyes,
The light forever is morning light;
The hills are verdured pasture-wise;
The angle hosts with freshness go,
And seek with laughter what to brave;--
And binding all is the hushed snow
Of the far-distant breaking wave.
And from a cliff-top is proclaimed
The gathering of the souls for birth,
The trial by existence named,
The obscuration upon earth.
And the slant spirits trooping by
In streams and cross- and counter-streams
Can but give ear to that sweet cry
For its suggestion of what dreams!
And the more loitering are turned
To view once more the sacrifice
Of those who for some good discerned
Will gladly give up paradise.
And a white shimmering concourse rolls
Toward the throne to witness there
The speeding of devoted souls
Which God makes his especial care.
And none are taken but who will,
Having first heard the life read out
That opens earthward, good and ill,
Beyond the shadow of a doubt;
And very beautifully God limns,
And tenderly, life's little dream,
But naught extenuates or dims,
Setting the thing that is supreme.
Nor is there wanting in the press
Some spirit to stand simply forth,
Heroic in it nakedness,
Against the uttermost of earth.
The tale of earth's unhonored things
Sounds nobler there than 'neath the sun;
And the mind whirls and the heart sings,
And a shout greets the daring one.
But always God speaks at the end:
'One thought in agony of strife
The bravest would have by for friend,
The memory that he chose the life;
But the pure fate to which you go
Admits no memory of choice,
Or the woe were not earthly woe
To which you give the assenting voice.'
And so the choice must be again,
But the last choice is still the same;
And the awe passes wonder then,
And a hush falls for all acclaim.
And God has taken a flower of gold
And broken it, and used therefrom
The mystic link to bind and hold
Spirit to matter till death come.
'Tis of the essence of life here,
Though we choose greatly, still to lack
The lasting memory at all clear,
That life has for us on the wrack
Nothing but what we somehow chose;
Thus are we wholly stipped of pride
In the pain that has but one close,
Bearing it crushed and mystified.
AN: Thanks for all the support on this story, you who have reviewed have been amazing…..I regret this is the end of this particular story. I think it was Slate07 that once said that this story wasn't very realistic or canon, and that is absolutely the truth.
I must admit it has always been one of my biggest problems with this fic, and half way though it. I finally found my direction, and knew how this would end.
If you enjoyed my writing you might check out my other published story:
Harry Potter and the Perils of the Unknown (it is much more canon)
Thanks again, and God Bless…………..