Chapter Eighteen
On Christmmas morning Cho was woken by shrieks and screams from the Common Room, she pulled on her dressing gown and went to join her Ravenclaw House members. Despite being Head Girl, Cho had developed a friendly relationship with her fellow students, they only occasionally invited her negative attention.
One was early on in the First Term when they partied on a little too late, a little too raucously, she had already been roused from bed to suggest they go to bed, so when she had to get up a second time she gave them such a quiet telling off, accompanied by a rather vicious eyeballing. They understood that this interaction was not a request. Cho greeted them the next morning in perfect friendliness, indicating that she was ot one to hold a grudge.
The second occasion incurring Cho's wrath was upon her overhearing her students making disparaging remarks about another student. Cho turned immediately to address those students, making clear that such an attitude and such behaviour was absolutely unacceptable. When she turned to leave it at that, she saw a few rolled eyes and sniggers and then she turned the blow torch on them.
Six first and second years were penalized by twenty points each, they were given detention and also charged with making anonymous amends to the student in question. It was made very clear that any such behaviour would be punished so harshly that they would wish that they had learned their lesson the first time around. Again, the very next morning, their Head Girl met them with such sweet friendliness that began to accept that she was not a tyrant for the sake of it, but that her leadership and her example were met with respect and appreciation.
So when she joined them on Christmas morning they had no reason to regret her company, they offered her small tributes and trinkets wrapped in various silver, gold and christmas flavoured wrapping papers. She unwrapped a range of Quidditch related knick knacks, Hogwarts flavoured gimmicks, Ravenclaw novelties and various candies and chocolates. She thanked them heartily and bit the head off of a Chocolate Frog, the card featured an image of Bowman Wright (1492-1560), a skilled metal-charmer, Bowman Wright of Godric's Hollow is credited with the invention of the Golden Snitch.
In her turn, Cho presented them all with one of two gift bags, one for Ravenclaw students and one for Quidditch team members. Ravenclaw students received a snow globe with a Raven that Cho had bewitched to fly from a tree branch, to a fence post, to the corner of a roof, whilst Quidditch students received a snow globe of a person wearing Ravenclaw Quidditch robes flying to and fro in front of three Goal Rings. The bags also contained a House coffee mug, a pair of socks with a range of Ravenclaw patterns, a collection of stationary items and chocolate frogs.
After an hour of Christmas infused hilarity and friendship, they returned to their rooms to dress and travel down to breakfast together. As they were leaving, a student pointed at the tree and said,
"What about that one?"
"Cho turned back to the Christmas tree and noticed a bright red envelope with 'For: CHO CHANG' written clearly on the front, she knew immediately that this was Ginny's handwriting, "Go ahead," she told the others, "I will follow in a moment."
They filed out, throwing each other knowing looks, having already turned the gift over and noticed the 'From: GINNY WEASLEY' on the back. Cho bent one knee, reached down and took up the card and a tiny gift.
On the front of the card was a picture of the three Quidditch goals inscribed 'She's a Keeper', inside was a picture of a snitch inscribed "I'm a Catch'. Cho threw her head back and laughed out loud, totally Ginny! The envelope was not empty however, Cho held upside down and a single Sickle rolled out. Cho picked it up and rolled it over between her fingers, a sickle? A sickle… Cho didn't understand the reference and she stared out of the window thinking hard, but nothing occurred to her to help her make sense of the odd tribute.
She turned to the gift wrapped in the same bright red coloured wrapping paper. Cho realised that Ginny had remembered what she had said weeks ago; that red was a significant colour in Chinese culture. She smiled again to herself, and then it clicked! That's why she had slipped the sickle into the envelope - money was a common Chinese gift. Cho was impressed with Ginny's willingness to reference Cho's heritage in her first gift.
She unwrapped the small gift. It was a rectangle wooden chest with a hinged lid opening up - a miniature replica of the wooden crate that Madam Hooch carried down each week to the Quidditch Pitch, the chest containing the Quaffle and the Bludgers. Using her index finger and thumb to pinch the Quaffle like a tiny knob, she tugged it up gently, revealing not a Snitch as expected, but a golden snitch pendant attached to a thin gold chain.
It was beautiful. The pendant was gorgeous, the chain was beautiful and the whole gift was truly special. If Cho knew Ginny at all, and she fancied she did, she knew Ginny would have racked her brain for the perfect gift, this was no last minute scrabble around Hogsmeade, that's for sure. She put the pendant around her neck and fastened the clasp, she ducked back into her room and admired it in the mirror.
When she arrived in the Great Hall, rather than four long House tables, there was one single long table decorated in Hogwarts and Christmas themed decorations, Many students had returned home for the holidays and it made no sense for the few students belonging to each house to be sitting alone, when they could all sit comfortably and jovially together.
Chow found a seat next to Hermione and handed her a gift, it was a book that Hermione had mentioned weeks ago that Cho had sent home to ask her mother to procure for her. In return Hermione presented Cho with a similar gift; a book of the history of Quidditch. They grinned and ate their breakfast happily, having already made plans to spend the day together, probably reading now!
The Weasley House was a combination of both cheerful and somber, as was anticipated by all. No one wanted to forget Fred, no one wanted to pretend that they were not keenly aware of his absence, he was not merely George's twin but a unique individual in his own right. He was remembered, cherished, loved and missed.
There were tears, quiet lonely tears of distress and regret, George set a place for Fred that sat empty throughout the meal. They raised their silent glasses to Fred's place, honouring his memory and his sacrifice. But there was joy as well, Bill and Fleur announced the expected arrival of a new Weasley in the new year, a cause for further tears, as it turns out.
A traditional English Christmas feast was produced by the practiced hand of Mrs Weasley and the table was groaning under the weight of the massive meal. They pulled apart their magical crackers; tiny quidditch players flew around on brooms and miniature Hogwarts ghosts floated over the dishes and through the turkey.
Mr Weasley sat at the head of the table, carving the impressive turkey. He was not the sturdy man of just a few years ago, he had never fully recovered from the attack by Nagini in the Department of Mysteries. The stress of his work with the Order of the Phoenix, the Second Wizarding War, the Battle of Hogwarts, the desperate concern for the safety and wellbeing for all of his children and of course the loss of Fred had been a terrible, devastating, heartbreaking loss.
All of his children sadly noticed his rather aged appearance, their mother was also a little heavier, a little more worn, less ready to laugh than the cheery mother they remembered from their youth. Her tears sprung frequently to her eyes and silently rolled down her cheeks, but she tried desperately not to be a burden to her children, to provide them with a happy Christmas holiday.
The meal was a long drawn out affair, for the first part Mrs Weasley kept waving her wand to replenish serving platters and toward the end of the meal she sent the empty dishes to the sink with a flick of the same. This was the first Christmas for years where there were no additions to the Weasley clan, no Harry Potter, no Hermione Granger, no members of the Order of the Phoenix. And this would be the last christmas meal comprising just them - next year they would have the first of a new generation of Weasleys, and over the coming years it was more than likely that more and more Weasley babies will be born.
After the meal, Ginny retreated upstairs to her bedroom for just a little repose on her bed she found two Christmas gifts waiting for her on her bedspread. Ginny opened both cards and saw that one was from Hermione and the other from Cho. Hermione had designed and created a personalised wall hanging featuring a historical record of the inventions of Quidditch Broomsticks. Hermione had procured second hand Broomsticks, magically reduced their size and attached them to the hanging, in order of invention, top to bottom. Ginny was thrilled - it was ideal!
Ginny had sent Hermione an illustrated, collectors edition of The Tale of the Three Brothers, a fairy tale often told to wizard children, believed to be originally written by Beedle the Bard. The intricate leather bindings were a work of art in themselves and Ginny knew whilst Hermione already had a copy of the author's complete works entitled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, but this particular copy was a valuable keepsake.
Laying the wall hanging aside, Ginny turned her attention to the second gift. By now Cho would have received and opened her own Christmas present, she hoped Cho liked the pendant. She picked up the card and slid it out of its envelope, on the front the message was 'Christmas may be magical, but…' and inside the text read 'You make my heart go LUMOS!' Ginny chuckled, and her stomach gave that familiar little flutter.
She unwrapped a silver picture frame with a photograph of the two of them that was taken on their date. Ginny could not recall posing for any photographs whatsoever, and this image reflected the pair of them cheek to cheek, smiling, their eyes shining in their lovely dresses - that moment had not actually occurred. That was some outstanding magic, Ginny reflected. She noticed that the frame was inscribed with their names and the date of their date. She smiled and placed the frame on the bedside table, so that she could see it, first thing when she woke up the following morning.
Tap tap, Ginny heard a little knock at her bedroom door, She rose and opened it, revealing Bill and Charlie carrying a tray of christmas pudding and their Weasley tradition of gingerbread flavoured Christmas martinis. She grinned broadly and opened the door widely to admit them. It was a small bedroom at the best of times, but Charlie whipped out his wand and easily applied a temporary expansion charm on the room. They all sat on the floor and prepared for their once or twice yearly catch up.
It was impossible not to start with further congratulations on Bill's baby news, he was grinning from ear to ear, he was flushed and his delight was undeniable. Ginny and Charlie indulged him easily as he shared his joy, his happy marriage, his job satisfaction and his expectations about becoming a father. He finally gave way to Charlie who, despite being very, very happy, was not nearly as content as his elder brother. He did share some of his adventures in Romania and across Eastern Europe, many adventures involved dragons or women, a few involved both dragons and women! Bill and Ginny laughed at him and his antics.
That brought them around to Ginny, Bill started with "Before we hear about Hogwarts, Potions and Quidditch - I want to hear about her!" He waved his wand and the picture frame on Ginny's bedside table turned from an angle facing the bed, to one facing the room and Charlie hoisted himself up from his elbow to stare open mouthed at the pretty girl with her face pushed up against his sisters.
As expected, and with permission, Ginny was able to say, "That's Cho Chang, my girlfriend." Charlie whistled long and low, and Bill raised his eyebrows and said "wow!" And off she went, telling them all about Cho, their two dates, their daily Quidditch training, her Quidditch Round Robin project, she reminded them that she was Prefect and updated them on Hermione Granger.
"So no chance of her getting back together with Ron, then?" asked Bill,
"Less than none," she said adamantly, "I wouldn't be at all surprised whether she is actually waiting for Harry Potter to come home."
"You don't say?" said the fellows looking at each other.
"What?" asked Ginny.
"Well, they each were dating a Weasley and will now end up together! Could have broken your heart and still might break Ron's!"
"Oh surely not! Harry was ever so good to me, you know? And he was honourable to the last, there are no hard feelings here. And as for Ron, you know he was really quite abusive to Hermione, he doesn't deserve her, I am sorry to say. If he still has feelings for her, it's because he is dwelling uselessly on a past that never was. He really needs to grow up and I am not sure riding on George and Fred's coattails is helping."
Bill and Charlie looked seriously at Ginny, processing her information with what they knew of Ron, and they tended to agree. Of all the Weasley's, Ron had shown a persistent lack of ambition and an aversion to hard work. They had thought that he would grow out of it, They had assumed that he may have simply been overshadowed by Hermione and Harry, but according to Ginny, there may be something more.