Harry Potter & the Price of Mercy

by: NecessaryEvil

Chapter Five: Trains and Grieving Relatives

Disclaimer: Not mine, but if it were then Cedric Diggory would have disappeared after that very unfortunate Quidditch match in book 3 in which he beat Harry to the Snitch and he would most assuredly never have gotten to Cho first.

A/N: Thanks to my to my reviewers.

EmmeralCho: Probably some of 'em.

Now on with the show.

Harry and Cho arrived at Platform 9 ¾ early enough that no one was really there yet. The train soon arrived and Cho and Harry found a compartment near the back. They sat opposite each other and began talking about their training and how much easier it was going to make classes. Soon Hermione and Ron joined them and they switched to talking about other aspects of their summer as Harry and Cho wanted to keep their whereabouts for most of the previous two months a secret.

They were half way through the train ride when the door to the compartment slammed open and someone came hurtling into Cho in a giant mass.

"Cho Chang, you don't write, you don't call, a Patil could start to think that you didn't like me anymore,"

Padma Patil stood up and surveyed the scene she had just plunged into and was about to speak when Cho interrupted with, "I asked Hermione to relay my greetings to you,"

Everyone looked at Hermione and she blushed, "I got sort of distracted," she admitted. This drew a small gasp from everyone who knew Hermione very well and a snort from Padma Patil, who then murmured something like, "Another airhead Gryffindor," before turning back to Cho.

"We've got a compartment up near the front, come join us Cho," seeing Cho hesitating she quickly added, "Your new friends are welcome too of course," Cho grinned at this and looked at Harry and Ron, who looked nervous but nodded that they'd come too. As they all left the compartment Hermione started too follow, thought about it and then walked further towards the back of the train. Harry considered going after her, but decided that she could use some alone time.

~~~

Cho's friends were holed up in a compartment about in the center of the train, a fairly large compartment at that. There were about 3 Ravenclaw boys that Harry didn't recognize, 4 Ravenclaw girls that he thought he might have seen in the hall, and two of the girls that had come up and asked him to the ball the year before, he wasn't sure what house they were in because the were still in their Muggle clothing.

A few of the younger girls in the compartment blushed and ran out when they saw Harry, Harry thought this odd and told Ron as much, but his friend looked at Harry incredulously, "Have you seen yourself in a mirror lately, or better yet have you noticed that you're looking up a lot less when you're talking to me, you've grown Harry and apparently its the kind of growth that these girls like,"

Harry blushed almost as red as Ron's hair and it didn't help when Cho whispered in his ear, "He's got it right Potter," but even so he couldn't help a slight grin at it.

Harry, Ron, Cho, Padma, and another Ravenclaw fifth year named Himiko Sayouri sat down in one of the sets of seats the compartment offered and Harry immediately asked what he had been wondering since entering the compartment, "Why's this compartment so big?"

Sayouri answered matter of factly, "This was the dining car when this was a Muggle train,"

Ron's mouth dropped, "This was a muggle train,"

Sayouri grinned, "One in every bunch isn't there. I take it you think that Muggles couldn't make a train good enough to be charmed?"

"No, I know some of the amazing things Muggles use instead of Magic, my dad is obsessed with things like that, I just thought that Hogwarts would put more effort than adding a few charms to get their students to school every year,"

Sayouri looked a little taken aback, "You're a Hufflepuff aren't you,"

Ron looked ready to retch, " A Huf...A Hufflepuff," Ron sputtered out.

"Uh oh now you've done it, " Harry laughed out.

"You think I'M a Hufflepuff. I'm offended, I'm shocked, I'm....,"

"A git," Harry finished for him seeing both Cho and Sayouri's faces turning somber.

"Right, I'm a...hey," then Ron saw their companions, thought for a moment, then said, "Sorry, I didn't think. Cedric...I didn't really know him.... I'm sorry,"

Ron got up, "I'll be going before I become more of a git,"

"No wait," Sayouri grabbed his arm and Cho grabbed Harry who had begun to get up to go with Ron, "Stay, both of you,"

Harry knowing that Cho didn't like to have to repeat herself sat down, Ron on the other hand paused for a moment, took a good look at Sayouri, blushed and sat down next to her.

~~~

Later in the train ride the compartment door slid open a annoyed looking girl walked through, closely followed by a crowd and then walked out the other side. Cho looked to Padma and said, "That was the sympathy squad. What're they doing following her?"

"After you disappeared word got around about a transfer student who recently lost her half-brother, guess that's her,"

"She looks familiar," Harry put in, "But then again, with my luck that means she'll be against me by the end of the year, Malfoy looked familiar too,"

~~~

When Ron figured out that the sweets trolley somehow skipped right over the compartment they were in he sent Harry off in search of it. Harry hadn't gotten far when he bumped into the same girl that had walked through the car earlier, it seemed he hadn't noticed her dashing down the hall, "Sorry," he muttered.

She seemed to look at his scar non-plussed and then looked into his eyes and said, "You're Harry Potter, right,"

Harry nodded looking into her hazel eyes, surprised that she had recognized him seemingly by his eyes and not, as most did, by his scar.

She grinned sadly, "I'm Cecily. I'd like to thank you for bringing my brother's spirit peace,"

Harry managed a very good, "Huh,"

"Oh, my brother, well my half brother, Cedric, you did know Cedric, right? Am I making a fool of myself again,"

"No," Harry said, "I knew him. I'm sorry I couldn't save him,"

"All things have their reasons Harry. Cedric knew it and he doesn't blame you,"

"Uhh, thanks," Harry managed.

"Were you looking for the sweets wagon?"

"Yeah,"

"It's down that way," she pointed back the way she had come, "If you see anyone looking for me tell them that I headed back that way will you?"

"Yeah,"

"Thanks, bye," and with that Cecily Diggory ran up to the wall, pushed at a plank with her wand and stepped into the hole that appeared, before it closed up taking her with it.

A/N: Cecily is a bit odd isn't she. Did you notice how cruely I compared her to Malfoy. Hmm, could I be hinting at something....of course not, she's related to Cedric, she can't be mean.