AUTHOR'S NOTE I'm trying to finish posting this before book six comes out, so look for it to be done soon!

DISCLAIMER Not mine. Someone else's.

…

No one mentioned Cho the next day in lieu of classes being cancelled indefinitely. They didn't dare send the students home, for fear of attack outside the castle. Ghosts, staff members, and Mrs. Norris patrolled every entrance the castle had.

Either Dumbledore forgot about it (which Harry thought was unlikely) or he trusted Harry enough to be responsible (which was also a stretch), but no one came for Harry's invisibility cloak. It was the only way he could think of to get into the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey barely noticed as the door to the hospital wing caught just a little when she left to see Professor Madison, who was filling in as Potions Mistress. Harry decided to leave the cloak on at first until he was sure Cho wouldn't be upset by his presence.

It was a good thing, too. Madam Pomfrey returned with Professor Madison and Professor Dumbledore behind her. Professor Madison carried a vial of bright red liquid. "Hello my dear," Professor Dumbledore said gently. "I have something here for you."

But Cho pulled her blankets up to her neck and shook her head. "No."

Madam Pomfrey and Professor Madison shared a worried look. "Miss Chang, please," Madam Pomfrey tried. Cho whimpered again and shook her head.

Dumbledore held up a hand. "The potion please, Amy." Professor Madison handed her the vial. Dumbledore sat down net to Cho's bed. "Now why won't you take the potion?" he asked, looking Cho in the eye.

She flinched under his gaze. "There's no point," she finally whispered.

Amy Madison looked alarmed. "No point?" she repeated.

Miserably, Cho shook her head. "No. Why should I try to get better?"

The professors looked shocked. Even Dumbledore was taken aback. Harry felt tears pricking his eyes. Cho sounded unbelievably lost. "Cho, you're in your final year here," Amy said. "You should try to get better because there's a lot out there for you to experience!"

Cho shrugged. "Like what? No one cares about me. I'm worthless."

"What?" Amy said, aghast. Madam Pomfrey looked stricken. Professor Dumbledore was deeply troubled.

"Cedric cared about me." Cho's lip trembled. "But he's dead. I thought Harry cared about me, but he's too busy. And I know how miserable his life must be. And then Michael…" She trailed off and sighed. "There's no point."

Dumbledore patted her hand sadly. He put the potion on her nightstand and led Amy and Madam Pomfrey toward the door. Harry crept closer to him. "Albus, what can we do?" Madam Pomfrey asked desperately.

"Peace, Poppy," the old headmaster said softly. "We can let the girl rest now. She has had a very trying day."

"I agree," Professor Madison said. "Especially when there are boys involved." She closed her eyes briefly. "I remember how messy that can get."

Dumbledore and Pomfrey, if they were curious about her meaning, didn't show it. Dumbledore nodded slightly to Madam Pomfrey and led Professor Madison out. Harry slipped out behind them as the door softly swung closed.

.i.i.i.

Harry crept silently down the hall, upset and angry over what he had heard. Did Cho really believe that she was worthless? How could he have been so stupid? How could he have treated her the way he did so soon after she had lost Cedric?

He was met with an odd and chilling sight when he rounded the corner next to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady had crowded herself into the topmost corner of her painting as a young girl pounded on the bottom. "Let me in!" she screamed.

"No!" The Fat Lady cried back, trying to crush her massive body as far into the corner as possible to avoid the girl's blows. "Not without the password!"

"But I need to see Harry!" she sobbed.

Harry didn't know what to do. Finally, when he could take the girl's wailing no more, he slipped off the invisibility cloak and stepped out of the shadows. "Hello?"
The Fat Lady's face shone with relief. "Oh thank Merlin you're here! Get this monster away from me!"

The girl turned and Harry recognized Bricilla Monaghan. "Bricilla! Hi."

Bricilla threw herself into Harry's arms. "Oh Harry!" she sobbed. "Harry, you have to help me!"

Chills crept down Harry's spine when he saw the fear in Bricilla's eyes. "Bricilla," he asked slowly. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, unable to speak. Finally she grabbed his hand. "You have to come with me," she said urgently.

"Where?"

"Just come with me," she pressed.

He thought for a moment before nodding. She led him through the maze of castle corridors until they reached the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. For a moment, Harry was afraid that she'd somehow found the passage to Honeydukes, but she turned down another hallway and stopped in front of the tapestry of Henrich the Heinous. "What…" he started to ask.

But Bricilla had already pushed the heavy fabric aside to reveal a slim staircase winding down into the not-quite complete darkness. Harry stared open-mouthed. "I never knew this passageway was here!" he said.

"I found it at the beginning of the year, but the tapestry was glued shut over it." Her voice sounded just a little more level as she led him down toward a faint light. Harry followed in awe, wondering how he'd never managed to find this passage on the Marauder's Map. Then again, he hadn't paid much attention to any passage that didn't lead to Hogsmeade.

He blinked as she led him out of the end of the tunnel and onto school grounds. He looked around, confused. Bricilla grabbed his hand and dragged him toward where the Whomping Willow stood falsely calm in the distance.

Bricilla neared hysterics as she got closer to the Willow. "Oh no…" Harry breathed. He left Bricilla behind and ran to where Luna Lovegood lay sprawled on the ground. "Luna? Luna!"

It didn't do any good, regardless of how loud he yelled or how much he shook her. He barely heard Bricilla's sobs as he frantically checked Luna's throat for a pulse.

"Bricilla! Bricilla, calm down, it's all right! She has a pulse! Luna's alive!"

But no matter what Harry said, Bricilla just cried harder. He laid Luna out in what at least looked like a comfortable position and went back to the girl. "Look, I know Luna is your friend, but she's going to be fine, I promise! It's okay!"

"No!" she shouted, almost violently. "It isn't okay! It's never been okay!"

Harry didn't understand. "Bricilla, what's wrong?"

She covered her face in her hands before crying, "It was me, Harry! All of it! It was me!"