Another chapter! Whoo-hooz! Happy President's Day! This chapter might be a little boring, but I think you'll like (or not like, depending on your opinion) about what happens with Ron and Hermione!
: ) Here are my replies to your reviews, I always manage to give something away because of your smart questions, sheesh. Hehe.
Meow- Yes, eventually you will find out what happened because they both can't remember. According to Rita Skeeter's next article, Harry can't keep anything to himself. lol.
Kat- the baby will be born, all babies are born unless for miscarriage or abortion, so the possibility of it being born is a definite yes. Something does happen to Cho, because she's the one having the baby, but I'm not going to say anything else.
Lord Tyrranis- Aww, your compliment really meant a lot! Thanks! You think Voldermort did this? Hmm…..one thing for sure is, the person who did this won't be revealed anytime soon. The person won't be revealed until the baby's birth.
Pendragon- Harry is going to suffer with the misunderstandings, sorry. : (
Raven*Beauty* xxx14xxx- I hope the rest of the story is as good as the beginning is for you! Your entries are always filled with anticipation, hehe. Thanks for your reviews!
Heather- Harry and Cho will get in a few fights before their child is born because of certain disagreements, sorry, but they will also have romantic times, too! Like when they went on that broom flight before McGonagall yelled at them? Remember that? lol.
Fairydust816- something bad happens to someone Harry cares about, so yeah, Ginny's on the list of possibility. The next chapter after this one will really make you think about her in a certain letter.
Fyre Pixie- Sorry if your computer is giving you trouble (hehe), thanks for your reivew.
: )
VenusDeOmnipotent- Thanks for your compliment! My story kinda scary? It gets even scarier towards the very end (and very, very, very, very sad) so just to warn you. Please do not leave a lot of meanie howlers because of the ending. lol.
ER- Your review made me laugh, Harry isn't going to die, and Cho doesn't tell her father, she doesn't have to, Cho's father works for L. A. W. and her mother for W. I. S. E. and they both have spies all over the place for Harry. Not fair? Well, that's the way Harry's in-laws work. lol.
PrincessPandora- Thanks!
ccc- Cho's dad should get Harry? He sent a howler; that really scared Harry. Hehe.
JJ- Yeah, my story does lack a little action, sorry 'bout that. And for the romantic action part, I'll have to keep that in mind, but you won't get anything above PG-13.
Cheryl- I can't just tell you who the "bad guy" is, lol, that'll come in the end of the story, as all stories reveal all in conclusion. All chapters are about the same length (can't make 'em longer, sorry), but thanks for your review!
Here is the next chapter! Fanfic wouldn't let anyone post up chapters for awhile, so I couldn't continue, but here is another chapter for you. : )Chapter 10-The Halloween Feast
"Minerva, take a look at this," Dumbledore said, showing her a parchment book.
Professor McGonagall stepped over and peered at it closely. Then, her eyes widened and she took a step back. "Is it accurate?"
"Indeed, never failed." Dumbledore answered.
"But that cannot be! It's late October, school only started two months ago."
Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Perhaps….they had met in the summertime?"
"Harry's relatives didn't even know about her, and according to Harry, he didn't go anywhere."
Dumbledore let looked carefully at the parchment book again. "Well then, there's only the truth left."
"But, if Harry isn't the fath---"
"He is the father, Minerva. It clearly states so. The question is, 'how could it be that Cho is three months along, if school only started for two months? Where did that month come from?'"
"But Cho is only two months along, so there's seven months left, isn't there?"
Dumbledore appeared to be doing some deep thinking. "We cannot speak of this until we find out how this happened."
The Hogwarts Parchment Book, which showed record of every witch or wizard in process of entering the world, or has already entered the world, gave a clear and true message:
Cho Chang and Harry Potter
Child, six months before birth
* * *
"Cho! Wait up!" Harry said, running toward her after Transfiguration on Halloween. Class was over for the day, and preparation for the big feast was in process. The house elfs were busy cooking. Later, it was rumored that Dumbledore hired a music band of skeletons to play and a dance party is planned for after the feast.
"Leave me alone, Harry!" Cho snapped and hurried off. Harry squeezed by the crowds of people and ran after Cho, disappointed that Cho still ran faster than he did. Cho flung the girls' bathroom door open and went in, leaving Harry to a stop in front of it.
Ron came puffing after Harry, running even slower.
"Harry," Ron said, through his breaths, "Leave her be, she'll be fine by this evening. Girls are like that. I would know, I live with two."
"Ron, your mother and your sister's different from Cho." Harry said, stepping away from the girls' bathroom and walking to the Gryffindor common room with Ron.
"C'mon, Hermione's getting ready for tonight's dance party. I bet she's fixing her hair like last year's Yule Ball. Let's go get ready, too." Ron said.
Harry stared. "Get ready? When have you been excited to dress up in robes?"
Ron turned pink. "I am not going to put on the ridiculous maroon robe mum got me last year. Besides, robes aren't required, and I'm going without."
An older Hufflepuff couple walked by.
"I'm going to wear my dark blue dress robe, Sarah." The boy was saying smiling at her.
"Oh, Willy, that's perfect! My dress will match!" She exclaimed. They walked off.
Ron and Harry looked at each other.
Harry began, "I think robes are---"
"Be quiet." Ron said, his face turning pinker. "I suppose I'll have to wear my maroon robe."
They found their dormitory filled with all the boys present. They were all getting out their robes from last year.
Neville coughed as he shook his robe out. It was covered with a thin layer of dust. "Haven't gotten this out since last year." He said meekly.
The rest laughed good humorly. In a minute or so, discussion switched topics from robes (Ron pretended his suddenly disappeared) to girls.
"Who are you going with?" Seamus asked Ron.
Ron shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't think it was a big deal, just a Halloween dance."
"What about you, Harry? Heard you were back with Ginny?" Dean wiggles his eyebrows. "Very risky for an engaged fellow!"
Harry frowned. "I am not back with Ginny."
"Then why was Cho upset about the kiss?" The rest of the boys were slowly being quiet, curious to hear Harry's explanation.
"It was a good-bye kiss. I didn't even know she was going to kiss me at all!" Harry defended himself.
Seamus put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Well, why don't you think of a way to apologize to Cho?"
"You sure you're not with Ginny?" Dean asked.
"No," came a small voice. "Because I know who is going to take her."
They all looked at Neville.
"You again?" Ron asked, not quite sure whether to sound worried or horrified.
"No," Neville shook his head. "Colin."
Harry was getting out his green robe when he heard this name. He dropped it and looked at Neville. "Are you sure?"
Neville nodded.
Ron closed one eye and then opened it and closed the other.
"Colin." He said, and then sat down and fished his maroon robe from his trunk.
Ten minutes later, Harry and Ron were standing in front of Ron's maroon robe.
"I can't believe I actually kept this rubbish." Ron said sourly. He held it in front of him with two fingers.
"It's not that bad," Harry said unconvincingly.
Ron turned to Harry who had finished dressing, "Of course, you have a brand new green robe so you can't talk."
Ron looked at his old-fashioned robe disgustingly. "I don't even want to put it on again. Once is enough. I hate being so poor."
Harry didn't know what to say to that.
While the boys straightened up their ties and talked about their dates, Ron tried to use his wand to change his robe's color into blue. Harry looked at his things in his trunk and wondered what to give Cho as a present and what to say to apologize. The thing is, he didn't even mean for Ginny to kiss him, never less knew it was coming. In the very deep part of his mind though, he found it to be warm and inviting. Cho's kisses were cool and light and sexy; Ginny's kisses were sweet and soft. It was a nice variety actually----wait, why was he even comparing kisses?
He had one bottle of butterbeer left from his trip to Hogsmeade and some wand sparkers. They lit up with little fireworks on one end. He put these things into his pocket and then, as several boys were leaving for the Great Hall already, went up to Ron to leave, too.
"Come on Ron," Harry said, taking a quick look into the mirror. His hair was as untidy as always and his green dress robe looked okay, except he had to wear his sneakers because he didn't have any other pairs of shoes.
Ron was looking frustrated as his maroon robe and finally, put it on. As they both went to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, they spotted Hermione with her hair sleek in a green dress. She didn't dress herself as fancy as the Yule Ball, but she still looked very pretty. Ron's cheeks turned pink and he looked down at his maroon outfit, which didn't suit him as well as last year because he grew. It came a few inches off the ground to his ankles.
"Hello, Harry! Hi, Ron!" Hermione greeted.
"Hi, Hermione," Harry said. "Has Cho come in yet?"
"Yes," Hermione answered and nodded to the Ravenclaw table. Cho was there, wearing a beautiful dark blue dress, almost black. She had her hair falling around her shoulders and a very impatient look on her face. It seems that a seventh year boy was at her side, pestering her and wouldn't leave. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying, but just looking at that boy made him mad. He couldn't believe that boy had the nerve to flirt with his fiancée!
He turned back to the Gryffindor table and found Ron and Hermione looking shyly at each other.
"You look nice," Ron complimented. He wasn't even looking at Hermione when he said this; his eyes were wandering up on the ceiling.
"You too, Ron, by the way, your hair is fluffed up, did you know?" Hermione said, and flattened Ron's hair down.
"So," Ron said, as subtle as a neon sign. "Who did you come with?"
"No one," Hermione answered very quietly.
"Ho-hum." Ron said with a sing-song voice. Harry could see right past that innocent look, Ron was as happy as Christmas knowing that Hermione didn't come with anyone!
"Do you, want to uh…." Ron said, stumbling over his words. "Uh, maybe, dancewimelaton?"
"Okay, Ron," Hermione answered almost right away.
They smiled at each other.
Harry was watching this whole little love scene going on and decided not to interrupt the two people with a crush on each other. Instead, he felt for his wand in his pocket and walked over to Cho and the boy she was talking to.
As he got closer to them, he could hear what the two were saying.
"But Cho, come on, it's just one dance." The boy was saying.
"I don't want to dance with you, I don't want to dance with anyone." Cho replied. She was very snappy and kind of tired.
"Harry's kissing other girls and you can't even dance with me, just once?"
Cho didn't say anything. "Leave me alone, please."
Harry arrived and turned to the boy. It was someone he recognized from the Quiddich game.
"Would you leave Cho alone? I need to talk to her," Harry said. The boy was surprised to see Harry and then looked around.
"Where's the Weasley girl?" he asked.
Harry didn't like the way he said that. "Ginny's at the Gryffindor table." He answered simply.
Harry turned to Cho. "Cho, would you listen to me?"
"No."
Cho turned her back toward Harry and went on chatting with a group of her friends. Harry felt very foolish coming over to the Ravenclaw table and then having Cho ignore him. He walked back to the Gryffindor table.
Dumbledore came up and asked for quiet. Then, he began, "Welcome to another Hogwarts Halloween feast! Yes, yes the rumors are correct, we are having a band of skeletons after the feast and there will be a dance. I see most of you are dressed in robes and gowns already."
Two redheads were sitting beside Katie. Harry wondered if they were going to fight over whom was going to dance with her first.
Ron was very happy, even wearing his maroon robe, and Harry saw Ginny sit by Colin. He was glad she had someone to go with. Out of the entire school, he was the only one engaged and he didn't have a date. He looked at Cho again, she was listening to Dumbledore and not even looking toward the Gryffindor table.
"And at last, you have finished hearing this old man's words! Let the feast begin!" Dumbledore said and immediately, the tables were filled with food and drink.
Harry's appetite dropped some because of his disappointment that Cho wouldn't talk to him. He didn't blame her. If Cho had been kissing a guy……but Harry didn't try to kiss Ginny. He was just standing there talking to her, when she kissed him.
How was he to know that'll happen?
Cho, on the other hand, had a good appetite and tried a little bit of everything. The house-elfs had really outdone themselves again with roast hams, beef, scalloped potatoes, pasta, shredded chicken salad, quiche, and many other delicious dishes. Harry took some pasta and meatballs first and after a few minutes, realized that he had no one to talk to. Hermione and Ron were smiling at each other and Neville was talking to a third year Gryffindor girl. Dean was talking Alicia and Seamus sat all the way on the other side of the table with a pretty blonde. Ginny was of course, with Colin, who tried to get Harry's attention but Harry decided not to respond. Harry sat quietly and wished that life wasn't so complicated.
Here he was, without a date, his fiancée furious at him, and had to hold the responsibility to being a father before the year ended. The Dursleys had kicked him out officially, and he had no idea where to go for the summer. Perhaps the Weasleys would take him in. Sirius still hasn't replied to Harry yet, and Harry was feeling a little nervous. Maybe Sirius was in secret hiding and it was too dangerous to send an owl. The Changs scared him, Mr. Chang the most, and Harry had to endure potions with Snape sneering at him. ("Another Potter to look forward to teaching, and just when I started thinking you would be graduating in two years.")
After awhile, Hermione and Ron turned to Harry and asked, "Why so quiet?"
"Well, I didn't want to interrupt your conversation," Harry said dryly.
"We were just talking about Snape's next class. Were you paying attention?" Hermione asked.
Harry looked at her.
"I see not," she continued. "Anyway, he said that we would be making love potions next time. I have no idea why."
Harry nearly choked on a meatball. "Love potions? Snape?"
"Said that it would be interesting to learn and affection potions are required anyway." Hermione answered.
"I hope he doesn't use me for a test. I don't want to be attracted to anyone else with Cho being so angry at me." Harry said sadly.
"Cheer up," Ron said encouragingly. "I bet she'll forgive you soon."
Harry looked at Cho again and hoped that Ron was indeed correct.
* * *
Harry had never been too smooth to win girls, but he decided that he better try all he could to win Cho's heart. Cho was sitting beside one of the tables watching other couples dance to a slow song, too tired to dance and really didn't want to. Maggie sat with her for awhile, talking, but afterwards left to dance with her date. Every now and then someone would stop by Cho's table and chat with her, but everyone seemed to have dates and turned their attention to their beau.
Harry was right behind Cho. Cho was drumming her fingers on the table with a bored expression. He cleared his throat. Cho didn't even hear it above the music.
'I wonder if I should just leave.' Cho thought. 'This dance isn't fun sitting by myself, and I'm tired, anyway.'
Cho played with her nails for a few moments.
'I wish I were about five years older. I'm too young to be a mother; much too young, I haven't graduated yet. How can I manage? Where am I going to take care of the baby? The school?'
She didn't want to, but she felt wetness near her eye brim again.
'Even surrounded by people, I've never felt so alone.'
She felt a light hand on her shoulder.
"I don't want to dance." She said automatically. She sighed without looking up and continued to sip her pumpkin juice.
"I know you probably don't want to." Answered the voice.
Harry.
A/N: The next chapter will reveal something about Sirius and more about who the 'bad guy' is, and also one of Harry's admirers and old friends show up. Guess whom? Hint- the friend isn't exactly human. I know this chapter is a little boring, but the next few will be more interesting, I promise.