Chapter 2- Night Wanderings and Predictions

The news of Cho's fainting traveled awhile and then after Madam Pomfrey said that there are no signs of major illness, ("probably a flu---with the fall air coming on") the gossip died down. Cho, being popular and very pretty (especially to Harry in his fourth year and the beginning of this year) received dozens of get well soon cards and flowers and candy.

After Cho awoke in the hospital room, she saw Madam Pomfrey occupying herself with organizing different herbs and enchantments. Her head was not dizzy anymore, even though she still felt very tired.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Cho called out.

"Hello Cho, you've slept for a long time." Madam Pomfrey smiled.

"What happe----" but Cho was stopped by Madam Pomfrey putting a large piece of chocolate in her mouth.

"Warms yourself out and helps relax you. To be honest, I don't know what happened. I ran some tests with my wand but you seem to be in no trouble. No broken limbs and not even the flu! I think you just over-worked yourself…honestly…all those Professors with their essays…don't they know it's not good for your health?" she continued fainter, as if muttering in frustration to herself.

"But Madam Pomfrey, are you sure?" Cho said getting up from bed. "I feel kind of funny lately. But if you say nothing is wrong, then I suppose I'll be getting back to class now."

Madam Pomfrey gave a chuckle. "Cho, class has been over for the day! Everyone is down at dinner, but I don't suggest you run down yet, you could catch a cold and you've just gotten better from a faint. I think it's best for you to rest here for the night."

The door opened and Maggie and Denise came in, followed by Ron and Harry.

"Madam Pomfrey! We ate our dinner as quick as we could, could we visit Cho for awhile?" Maggie asked.

Maggie and Denise have been Cho's closest friends at Hogwarts for the past years.

"Absolutely not! She's still resting and---"

"Oh, I feel much better now." Said Cho happily. "I think I can go to dinner too."

"Oh good! We won't miss dessert!" said Ron. He and Harry came up to visit Cho much to Harry's idea actually. Although Harry wasn't dating Cho anymore, he still cared about her and hoped nothing was wrong. He wanted to make sure his friend was okay. Ron came with him because Harry wanted to make sure he wasn't too suspicious---people would talk if Harry came alone to see Cho. Their breakup was only a few weeks ago. They met up with Maggie and Denise along the way to the hospital wing making Harry feel even more relieved; the bigger crowd the better.

"I got some notes for you to copy down, but you didn't miss much with the afternoon classes. Just one essay and we're doing Astronomy later with the fifth year Ravenclaws tonight so do you think you'll be well enough to go?" Denise said.

"Absolutely!" Cho said. "I rather look forward to constellation observation; it's more interesting than most of my classes."

"Yeah, Professor Trelawney volunteered to help with the planets' positions and what they mean." Said Denise.

"Oh no." Harry and Ron said at the same time. "Be careful Cho, who knows what she will predict?"

"Oh Harry, I've heard about the awful predictions she's come up with you, but she hasn't predicted anything for me yet. Actually, only a few subtle predictions, but I'm not worried. She probably won't even predict my future tonight!" Cho said brightly.

But Cho was very wrong.

At Astronomy that evening, where they used special observers to see the stars clearly, Professor Trelawney entered the class.

"Good evening students, I would've been here earlier but unstoppable forces prevented me from doing so. I apologize for the inconvenience." She said mysteriously.

"Oh brother." Cho heard someone say.

"I see you are looking at the position of planets! Very important that is, as tonight, there will be a particularly clear sky. My inner eye told me so today."

"Uh, Professor Trelawney? Can't you see the sky right now to know that it's clear?" said Roger Davies.

But Professor Trelawney seemed to not hear (or chose to ignore) this comment and walked over to Parvati Patil's side and said, "Dear, would you mind for me to forebode your comings?"

Parvati nodded and after Professor Trelawney took a look at Parvati's planet position she smiled and said, "You are a very fortunate girl Parvati. Mars is very bright tonight which, being the Greek God Ares, the strong and handsome one, you will look forward to days of beauty."

Professor Trelawney barely finished speaking when Parvati said, "Oh Professor! You're absolutely right! I just had Defense Against the Dark Arts and Professor LeBlanc taught us all about concealing pimples!"

Professor Trelawney smiled. "Certainly, I knew that, and many more beauty rays will come your way." She then walked over to Roger and his observer. Roger was laughing at some joke with his friends. But Professor Trelawney suddenly stopped by Cho.

"My dear, I felt a force as I passed you. Something is very strong about you. Would you like me to predict your forecast?" Professor Trelawney looked at Cho's planets. In wizards and witches, when you look through a special observer, every planet's position is different for everyone. In this way, you could predict your near future…like a horoscope.

"Oh dear!" Professor Trelawney said as she looked at Cho's planets. Cho felt strange…Professor Trelawney never predicted anything unusual with her before.

"My dear, what is your name?" Professor Trelawney asked.

"My name is Cho Chang." Cho answered.

"Ah…Potter's old flame."

So that's why Professor Trelawney has such an unusual prediction! 'Everything connected to Harry's supposedly a bad omen.' Cho realized.

"My dear, Cho, your forecast signals something rather…..strange. I don't want to tell you this, but I think I've just witnessed a prediction of birth."

Cho stared. By this time, everyone else has grown quiet.

"What do you mean?" Cho asked.

"Is someone in your family having children?"

"No."

"Well, they will soon. Just wait and see." Professor Trelawney said mysteriously.

Cho felt kind of funny. "Professor, my parents are far beyond the age of having kids. I mean, I'm nearly seventeen."

Several students snickered.

"On the other hand, Jupiter is nearly invisible in your observer. This symbolizes that your ordinary life will take a drastic change, as Jupiter is nearly always visible."

Cho felt that she has had enough of this foolish prediction. "Thank you Professor. I'm sure, I'll look forward to the change, my life is getting quite dull, you know, after my break up with Harry." Cho said the break up part with emphasis, so that perhaps Professor Trelawney would not predict such unusual things like she does with Harry and people relating to Harry.

Nearby, Parvati gasped. "Cho! Your breakup! The drastic change!"

Cho rolled her eyes. "I don't believe so."

Maggie came over to Cho, "Don't believe Professor Trelawney." She said in a low voice. "She predicted that I'll be a godmother!"

**

Harry Potter had a tough night sleeping. He and Ron were sneaking into Hogsmeade for some butterbeer and sweets when a very bad tempered Hermione caught them on their way to the secret passage.

"I'm very ashamed to see you setting such an example for the other Gryffindors!" she puffed out.

Harry and Ron didn't know what she was talking about until they heard a whimper and saw Neville trying to hide himself behind an armchair.

"Oh Harry! Ron! I just wanted to know how you two got to Hogsmeade that's all! You've been doing it all this time, and I've always wondered…."

"Oh Neville!" Ron sighed and then cast a full body bind on him and he and Harry carried him back to bed.

"Ron, I am not pleased with the way you sneak out in the middle of the night, on a Wednesday weeknight too!"

"Hermione, can't you relax? Don't you have some extra reading to do?"

"If you get in trouble, I am not helping you out! The time with the troll was different, so was the polyjuice potion, going back in time….." Hermione named all the times she and Harry and Ron went off with adventures. "But that is it! I am NOT helping you out!"

She glared at Harry and Ron.

"You've been talking for half an hour." Ron said.

With a huff, Hermione marched away.

But after Harry and Ron went to Hogsmeade and got some butterbeer, they came back to find Snape on patrol duty in the couriers.

"POTTER! WEASLEY!" he barked.

Oh no.

Harry and Ron tried some quick spells to make the butterbeer and chocolate frogs disappear but had no success, instead they stuffed the bottles and sweets in their shirts and faced Snape.

"What is THAT?" Snape said immediately pointing to the lump in their shirts.

"Oh, we ate a lot for dinner you know." Ron said as subtle as a neon sign.

But in about five minutes, Snape had found the food and taken twenty points from Gryffindor. Harry and Ron said that they stole the foods from the kitchens, and yes, the butterbeer as well.

Snape looked at them suspiciously and said, "Go back to your dormitory, now!"

And then ran off. Just to face Hermione waiting for them inside.

"I've been worried SICK." She said, a heavy book in her lap. She went on about breaking the school rules and what on earth would a professor think if they caught Harry and Ron (at that point, Harry and Ron exchanged nervous looks) and then, as if they caused her to stay up at such hour, said very loudly, "Well I HOPE I can get some sleep now. Thanks to you Ron."

"Meeee?" Ron replied.

"Yes you." She said and marched away.

So Harry and Ron went to bed without any butterbeer or chocolate frogs and Neville's snoring kept Harry awake for the rest of the night (as did Hermione's criticizing).

What Harry didn't know was, in the Ravenclaw dormitory, Cho couldn't fall asleep as well, with Professor Trelawney's predictions in her head.