On the morrow, Albus would officially induct Harry Potter into the Order of the Phoenix. He still had his misgivings about the boy's direction, but to keep him away from further corruptive forces was the most pressing matter. The rest could be dealt with as circumstances allowed.
Popping a lemon drop into his mouth, Albus looked sadly over to Fawkes, where the resplendent phoenix sat stoically on its perch.
"What has our world come to, old friend?"
Fawkes was unable to reply, save for a soothing trill.
Interlude One: Sunlight in the Darkness – Within the Room of RequirementDisclaimer: If you've seen it before, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Otherwise, it's mine. Naturally, I'm making no money off this.
Harry lounged about in the Room of Requirement, sprawled out on a large sofa. He still had well over an hour before Cho was due to arrive, and decided to simply relax and enjoy the quiet. His various armaments lay arranged on a small table on the far side of the room, along with his kodachi and black basilisk hide battle robes, leaving a barefooted Harry dressed only in his Muggle shirt and trousers. He used the room's magic to conjure a bottle of heated sake and rested his head against a pillow, rolling the day's events around in his mind.
He had no regrets, but still found it a bit unbelievable that he had actually slain over four dozen Death Eaters. Most of what he had thrown at Dumbledore during his diatribe after the battle had been entirely intended to rile up his makeshift soldiers, but there was still some merit to it. The old man had made a critical blunder today, and had largely lost the confidence of the students. Those students had parents, some of whom exerted a significant degree of influence within the wizarding world. They too would no doubt be extremely critical of Dumbledore and the rest of the Hogwarts staff. Beyond that, Fudge and his merry band of cronies would surely bare their teeth and snarl at the old man in an attempt to win some much-needed favor with the wizarding public. The day's events would have lasting repercussions, for better or worse. At any rate, Voldemort's forces would be depleted as a result of completely losing six squadrons of Death Eaters, leaving him largely unable to take advantage of any discord that might result from the battle's aftermath. Overall, the current situation was looking pretty good for Harry, who held no regard for any of the three factions.
Removing the band from his hair, Harry then began to consider ways in which to turn the current circumstances further to his advantage. He still intended to forge an elite personal unit of the best, brightest, and most loyal of his newfound student followers. He decided that fifteen or twenty at most would suffice. A larger number would come with a higher risk of the whole operation being exposed, which would be disastrous. Besides, he could always recruit more if needed later on. For now, he would just make to procure what would be his equivalent to Voldemort's Inner Circle. He started to mull over whom exactly to approach, but was taken from his thoughts by a familiar and still completely unwelcome voice sounding inside his head.
"You have done well today, my fallen angel. A worthy first bloodletting for my chosen."
The slight state of good humor in which Harry had previously found himself immediately dissipated. He had enough on his mind without this lingering nuisance disturbing him as well. He purposely added a heavy dose of sarcasm into his response.
"Zharrghast. What has it been now, a month? What can this lowly mortal possibly do for your exalted presence on this dreary evening? Had you called ahead, I would have rolled out the red carpet, as it were."
"Hehehehe...you're developing quite the attitude. I appreciate that. However, I am here only to congratulate you. You have finally started to awaken to your true nature. Soon you will be ready."
"Ready for what, pray tell?"
"Ready to fulfill your true destiny, my fallen angel."
Harry couldn't shake the feeling that he and his symbiotic companion had differing ideas as to what his actual destiny was. Harry believed that his destiny was to slay Voldemort, and then tear down the corrupt Ministry of Magic and do his best to remedy the many iniquities plaguing the wizarding world. Zharrghast, being in many respects the very avatar of destruction, was not likely to have much of an interest in such things. No, he surely had far more sinister designs, and Harry couldn't help but feel that he was being used as a mere pawn in the fallen god's greater scheme. The thought annoyed him no small amount, but there was little he could do about the situation at the moment. If nothing else, he could at least try to find out what Zharrghast was up to.
"And what is my true destiny, then?"
Harry received no answer. The fallen god had retreated to back into the recesses of Harry's soul. The young wizard had a bad feeling about this entire mess. Not for the first time, he wished that he had never approached the sentient brand within the village. In the end, he would just have to wait for Zharrghast to show his hand and then counter the fallen god's machinations to the best of his ability. He wasn't going to be anybody's tool, nor would he become a slave to Zharrghast's power. On a whim, he removed his shirt and looked down at the transparent reflection of the brand emblazoned on his upper body. Dark tendrils of energy emanated from the weapon's blade, spreading out slightly and entangling the previously untouched flesh close to the tattoo. The sentient brand's foothold within Harry's body and soul was increasing, a fact that was beyond any doubt connected with the day's events. Harry found himself at a loss. Further such bloodshed could not be avoided, but he feared the possible consequences. His thoughts continued along the same path until he eventually dozed off into a light slumber.
He awoke some time later, with his head now plopped onto what felt akin to a warm pillow. He felt a soft hand softly threading through his long hair with a slow, rhythmic pace as another tenderly stroked the length of one of his wings. The sensation was nearly euphoric, and Harry would have liked nothing better than to remain in his current state of borderline consciousness for a long while, but his body wouldn't allow it. Eyes opening slowly, he glanced up to find himself nestled in Cho Chang's lap. She had obviously arrived during his brief nap. He shifted slightly as the rest of his body returned to the waking world, causing the Chinese beauty to look down at him. He glanced up to meet her gaze with a slight smile.
"Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long here. Really, falling asleep like that. I deserve to be put to death..."
"Don't worry about it, Harry. I can think of worse ways to pass my time. What did you want to talk to me about?"
He answered her with a teasing tone, content with not being forced to think about more serious issues, if only for a short while.
"Maybe I just wanted an excuse to be able to enjoy your company?"
She matched his toned with a grin.
"An excuse, you say? Smooth indeed. Shame on you, Harry Potter. Deceiving a poor, innocent girl..."
"But we aren't exactly innocent anymore, are we?"
Cho's face fell and tears slowly gathered in her eyes. Harry initially wanted to slap himself for ruining the casual mood, but quickly realized that it was doomed to end sooner or later anyway. He hadn't asked her here tonight just for a mindless flirting and kissing session, after all. Cho's voice cracked slightly as she replied.
"No, I suppose we aren't..."
"Are you holding up okay, Cho? It's been a rough day for all of us. How are you feeling?"
Cho snorted mirthlessly.
"How do you think I'm feeling? Merlin, Harry...we killed people today. I'm upset and angry about it, obviously. Why did this have to happen to us?"
"Because Voldemort is a monster? Or because Dumbledore is an incompetent old fool, perhaps? I don't really know why it had to happen, Cho. But it did, and we dealt with it as best as we could. You have a right to be upset and everything, but just don't turn the blame against yourself. Think of how much worse it would have been had we done nothing."
Cho closed her eyes for a moment, drying her tears. She changed the direction of the conversation afterwards, regaining some of her better humor. Harry was again amazed with how quickly she was able to shift moods.
"I know. So, what's with these wings of yours, Harry? They're not of veela origin. At least, I've never heard of any veela having permanent wings. They're beautiful, in any case."
"That ties in with the real reason that I asked you here tonight..."
"So, you weren't just looking for a snog after all? I'm almost disappointed. Well, I'm listening."
"It's a pretty long story, so I hope you don't lose interest easily. Then again, you're a Ravenclaw. Wordy and boring is just the order of the day for you lot."
"You're treading on thin ice, Potter..."
Putting aside his annoyance at being referred to by that surname, Harry decided to end with the sarcastic quips get to the heart of the discussion. He wanted to talk the exotic beauty over to his side. Aside from genuinely fond of the Chinese girl and wanting her with him, her position of authority as Head Girl and her connections within Ravenclaw House would prove extremely useful. She was also a very powerful and intelligent young witch, being the only DA member other than Hermione that had managed to conjure a corporeal Patronus during the previous year. She was the very prototype of what he was looking for in a prospective member of his enforcer group.
"Okay, then. I won't beat around the bush any longer. I needed to talk to you alone because I need your help."
She looked somewhat doubtful.
"What could you possibly need my help with? And I still want to hear the story behind those wings."
Harry sat up from his position in her lap and lazily tossed an arm around her.
"Of course. I suppose the best place to start is at the beginning..."
Harry proceeded to recant to her the events of the first half of his summer, just as he had told Ron a month prior upon returning to Grimmauld Place. He left certain events out of this recitation, however. Particularly, he carefully avoided making any mention whatsoever of Hitomi, to say nothing of their nightly training sessions in the village. Cho possessed a razor sharp mind and was inherently suspicious, and Harry knew that she would have little difficulty making the connection between the kunoichi from his summer and the new teacher from Japan. He also purposely neglected to speak of his arrangement with Draco's mother. Still, he was able to give Cho an accurate retelling of events. He watched the girl's eyes as he spoke, seeing surprise and curiosity reflected in her obsidian orbs at some points, but nothing resembling anger or indignation. He ended his story with a detailed account of his brief exchange with Snape right before entering Liangshan Alley. Throughout the tale, Cho listened appreciatively and nodded every few seconds.
"...And that just about does it. You already know what happened at your family's compound, and talking about my last month with Hermione and the Weasleys would only bore you. Well, there's also the story of my godfather's will reading, but I'll tell you about that some other time."
Cho cocked her head slightly and regarded him with an inquisitive tone.
"Allow me to make sure that I have all of this correct. You're apparently descended on your mother's side from a demonic race of veela, and got those wings as a result of some induced transformation. You're also the last remaining heir of Lord Grindelwald and officially bear his family's title, along with those of your father and godfather. You've now allied yourself with some of his old adherents, and have chosen to continue his legacy and wipe away the Ministry. And finally, you spent the first month of summer in some secluded village of assassins out in a darkened forest behind Gringotts, where you trained in the Dark Arts, among other things. Is that all of it?"
Harry smiled a bit sheepishly, though it was more for show than anything else. He was a bit concerned that she didn't believe him.
"Yeah, that's about the whole story."
She beamed back at him.
"Well, it's all a bit hard to believe, but I've never known you to tell lies. Besides, a lot of what you're saying does fit in with recorded history. The goblins did indeed openly support Lord Grindelwald. Also, several books written during the time seem to indicate that he dabbled in demonology. But you still haven't told me what you need from me."
"I want you to join me, and to help me accomplish all of this. You're smart and powerful, and beyond that..."
"Go on..."
Harry could tell by the anxious tone of Cho's voice exactly what she wanted to hear. While he did genuinely care for her, it really wasn't in his nature to use sappy language. Still, he resolved to at least make an honest attempt. He only hoped that he wouldn't make a complete embarrassment of himself, and that she wouldn't run off crying afterwards.
"Well, I care about you. I have ever since our Quidditch match during my third year. At first I waited too long to say anything, and then I messed things up between us by being a complete prat. And still, you forgave me. I want to do things right from now on, both for us and for the rest of the wizarding world. Once I've taken the reins of power, I want you to be right there by my side, Cho. I'll make you a queen, and strive every single day for your happiness. But for now, I need your assistance and support."
The beaming smile never left her face as she cuddled up closer to him.
"Your delivery needs a bit of work, Harry. Still, I can tell that you really meant it, and that's what matters the most. At least some things about you haven't changed over the summer. You're still no good at being romantic. But I can tolerate that, at least as long as you don't think you can use it as an excuse not to even try."
"Don't tempt me. So, you're really in on this?"
Cho nodded.
"Yeah, I am. I completely agree that the Ministry is hopelessly corrupt and needs to be done away with. I want no part of a government run by people like Fudge and Umbridge. As for the Headmaster and his people, they pretty well exhibited their general incompetence today. So, now that we're completely on the same page, might I ask what you're planning to do next?"
Harry stretched his wings slightly, not moving from his seated position, and began threading his hand through Cho's silky raven hair.
"For now, I'm going to wait and watch. I want to see how the aftermath of today's battle plays out with the rest of the wizarding world. I do want to begin putting together a small unit of people within the school, but I'm not yet entirely sure whom I can trust. I've got you, Ron, and Ginny for certain and probably the twins as well. I'd like to say the same for Hermione, but she's been acting a bit off lately, and killing somebody in the fighting today has really messed with her head. Still, there's no rush. I'm going to allow at least a week or so for everybody to get settled into their routines before I make any moves. Maybe Hermione will sort her issues out by then as well."
"I'll start feeling people out within my own house. I imagine there are at least a few that we can count on there. Actually, a lot of people in Ravenclaw are extremely loyal to you after what you did with the DA last year, especially now that the Ministry's idiocy has been exposed to the entire magical world."
Harry nodded, finally resting his chin on the crown of Cho's head and hugging her tightly against him.
"That's a good idea, but enough with all the planning for now. I'm just too exhausted for it."
"So...I guess you're in no mood for that snogging session, then?"
Harry raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly, sending a silent request to the Room of Requirement. He glanced up at the ceiling, ascertaining that the room's magic had answered him, and then tilted Cho's line of vision up toward the same spot. A sprig of mistletoe hung daintily from a thread, a visible reminder of the last time the two had been alone in the enchanted room.
"Let's hope it goes better this time, okay?"
Cho shook her head in amusement.
"You are absolutely insufferable, reminding me of that bawling excuse for a kiss. Since we've already established that you're now able to talk to me, now you can show me what else you've learned to do with that tongue of yours."
Cho placed her hands on either side of Harry's head and covered his mouth with hers. He returned her kiss readily, and almost immediately felt her tongue probing his lips for entrance. Naturally, he obliged, noting that the inside of her mouth tasted slightly of kiwi. Her flavor was every bit as exotic and bittersweet as the rest of her. Cho's hands moved down from his head as they continued to kiss, now taking the run of his toned upper body at an almost frenzied pace. While impassioned, her efforts were sort of clumsy, indicating to Harry that she really didn't have very much experience with this sort of thing. Cedric Diggory had obviously been her only previous boyfriend, and that relationship had only lasted for about four months before he was killed on Voldemort's orders after the final leg of the Triwizard Tournament. Still, she was apparently eager to learn.
A bit too eager, Harry thought. She was nearly suffocating by the time she broke off the kiss. He took advantage of the brief pause to unbutton the front of Cho's robes and slide the garment off of her body. She wore a pair of black shorts and a tight blue t-shirt underneath. While she wasn't completely revealed, the view was still by far the best Harry had ever managed to garner of her petite, athletic body. She had a very slightly muscled form accentuated by nearly perfect curves. Her breasts, though not particularly large, were quite well proportioned to the rest of her. Her delicate face with its shining black eyes, framed by her long and soft raven hair, remained her most attractive feature in Harry's opinion. Though not quite as sexy as the likes of a Blaise Zabini, Cho was easily the most beautiful girl that Harry had ever seen. That much had never once changed from the very first time he had laid eyes upon her. He decided to voice his opinion.
"Cho...you are so beautiful..."
She kissed him slightly below the mouth and whispered back breathlessly.
"Compliments will get you nowhere, Harry Potter. You're a wonderful kisser, by the way."
"You're tiring yourself out. Take it a bit slower next time..."
This time, he initiated the kiss. She followed his advice, and their second exchange of passionate feeling lacked the sensation of longing desperation that had filled the last. To Harry, it felt much more sensual, and decidedly nicer. Cho apparently got the hang of things relatively quickly. They continued on like that for well over an hour, neither making any particular move to advance things further. Harry felt obliged to wait for her, judging from the slight reaction on her face when he had removed her robe that she wasn't yet willing to move beyond just kissing. Besides, he could get mere sex from just about anywhere. When finally content to stop, Cho curled back up against him. He wrapped his wings around her body, staring off into nothingness as she fell asleep. Harry eventually succumbed as well, this time not to wake again until morning.
Despite falling asleep after Cho, Harry managed to awaken first. He felt completely rested, and the lingering pain from the previous day's battle had largely subsided. Harry looked down at Cho as the girl slept peacefully against his bare chest, face largely obscured by a shining waterfall of black hair. He picked up his masterpiece wand from where he had left it, on a small table to his left where it shared space with the now cold sake. The sunstone fragments were glowing, though Harry paid it no mind, waving it lazily and whispering an incantation.
"Tempus."
The visual produced by the spell indicated that it was nearly eight o'clock in the morning. The remainder of the school would be assembling for breakfast soon, and Harry needed to hike over to Gryffindor Tower and change into his Hogwarts robes. Loath as he was to rouse the sleeping girl currently clinging to him as if he were a winged teddy bear, there was no help for it. He nudged Cho lightly, getting only an annoyed whimper in response. Sighing, he tickled her face with one of his wings until she sneezed, eyes opening.
"Morning, sleepyhead."
"Harry? What time is it?"
"A few minutes before eight. I'd say we overslept."
Cho jumped from the couch, hastily putting her robes back on and straightening her hair. For his part, Harry languidly strode across the room and gathered up his things, slipping on his shirt and battle robe. The rest he scooped up into his arms. Cho walked over and quickly pulled him into a kiss.
"I'll see you at breakfast. Love you."
Cho bolted from the room, no doubt hoping to be able to take a hot shower before breakfast. Harry's thoughts dissected her last two words for a brief moment. She had likely simply uttered them without thinking. He couldn't help but wonder if he could honestly say the same two words for her. Dismissing the matter from his mind for the time being, he left the Room of Requirement to begin the long trek to his dormitory. The slightest hint of kiwi lingered on his lips.
(End Interlude One)
Author's Note: Aiya! I really deserve to be taken to task for being so late with this and producing such a short update as well. Most of you will no doubt notice that I haven't listed this as the fourteenth chapter. Really, I don't consider this installment long enough to be worthy of being called a full standing chapter on its own. The whole Room of Requirement scene with Harry and Cho just started to become so long that I wasn't going to be able to fit even half of what I had originally intended into the chapter. Neither did I want to go tossing out a long-winded beast of an update. So, I simply decided to give you the scene on its own as a somewhat brief interlude, allowing me to start the next full chapter with a clean slate. There'll be much more plot development in the next update, I promise.
Of course, I really don't know when that installment will be coming out. I've got a lot on my plate right now, to put things mildly. These research papers are eating my lunch, so much that I'm going to be spending half of my Spring Break in the university library digging for sources and likely the other half doing other schoolwork. As for the wait on this one, my muse suddenly decided to take a sabbatical, and didn't bother returning until earlier this evening.
I may utilize this interlude format again in the future if one particular scene starts to run away on me like this one did. Still, I hope that I've left you gentle readers with enough to chew on while I struggle through my own personal Hell back here. At the very least, I intend to go back through the earlier chapters and make some revisions. I reread the work on this site a few days ago in search of some inspiration, and was appalled with some of the errors that I allowed to stand uncorrected earlier on. I won't be altering the plot any, so there's no reason to reread the story. I just want to fix some grammatical and capitalization mistakes, as well as correct some misused terminology. Any mistakes that have been pointed out in recent reviews will be properly adjusted.
Since this is such a short update, I don't really have any particular question of the week, so I'll leave it to the imagination of my faithful reviewers. I appreciate every one of you. I'll be back here as soon as I'm able.