Chapter 13: After the argument between Hermione and Ying Fa, Hermione deduces that Cho is Professor Moon's daughter. Meanwhile, Cho decides to get started. Cho renews her lost friendship with Draco, a friendship forgotten when she had her memories suppressed. Ginny shows Cho a dream of the upcoming battle, with the hope that Xiaolang's still alive.

At the same time, Ying Fa finds a time portal on Hogwarts grounds and uses it to show her the truth of the past.

Outside of Hogwarts, Eriol meets up with Bella. Unknown to him, Kaho and Eli watch Bella reveal the past to Eriol. Eli stubbornly refuses to forgive Eriol for leaving Tomoyo. Finally, Eriol learns that Cho is the Child of Fate.

Chapter 14: The Unraveling of Threads

DISCLAIMER: Card Captor Sakura is owned by CLAMP. Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling. Star Wish owns nothing.

Tomoyo ran.

The moment Voldermort appeared with his group of death eaters, Tomoyo ran. There was nothing she could do. Tomoyo didn't have the same strength and courage Sakura had. Tomoyo didn't spend years of training to hone magical powers like Syaoran. Tomoyo couldn't protect the people she cared about by being offensive and attack.

The only way was to run.

She sped through the corridors of her husband's mansion- when was he last here?- to get as far from Voldermort as possible. Tomoyo lost her footing when another explosion shook the manor. Gasping for breath, Tomoyo willed herself to get up and run. That horrible laugh cackled in the distance. Swallowing, Tomoyo struggled to reach the nearest room. Hide.

Using anything available, Tomoyo barricaded the room. She paused to breathe, closing her eyes in vain hope.

I am important. The blood coursing in her veins was the blood passed down from her great-grandmother, the blood that came directly from Rowena Ravenclaw. And because of that blood, history called Rowena's daughters to follow their destiny.

It didn't help that the other heirs were called to their destiny also. Tom Riddle was the instigator. Cedric was the sacrifice. Jade was the watcher. Harry was the fighter.

Tomoyo followed her preordained path and became the carrier, passing the blood to her daughter. Now, Ying Fa Hiiragizawa needed to end it all as Rowena's heir. The cycle of history would only repeat if Ying Fa didn't stop it.

With an abrupt cry, Tomoyo fell to the floor as the barricade behind her exploded. Tomoyo looked up to see Voldermort and his sadistic smile. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Tomoyo thought angrily for letting her mind forget the situation at hand.

"You should have joined me when I first asked. Good-bye, my dear," he said as he raised his wand. "Avada kedav-"

"IMPEDIMENTA!"

The spell was powerful enough to bring Voldermort to the floor. He stumbled backwards. Tomoyo didn't need to look to know the name of her rescuer. "Ying Fa," she breathed in relief.

Cho remained in her offensive stance, with her wand outstretched. "Run, Tomoyo," she ordered.

Tomoyo stood, looking back to see Voldermort recover from the attack. Her motherly instinct took over and she ran, grabbing Ying Fa in the process.

Cho protested. "Tomoyo-!" She attempted to pull away, but Tomoyo steadfastly refused.

Tomoyo pulled Cho into the nearest room and pushed the younger girl safely to the wall. "You need to live!" Tomoyo begged as she grasped Ying Fa's shoulders tightly. "Why is it so hard for you to grasp that idea? Ying Fa, you need to live!"

Cho was about to give an answer when a low rumble interrupted her. The two females exchanged worried glances when suddenly the ceiling came crashing down. "Ying Fa!" Tomoyo grabbed Ying Fa into a protective embrace as the rest of the Hiiragizawa mansion continued to fall.

Meanwhile, glimpses of random memories fluttered in Eriol's mind.

Cho's sad face suddenly lit up with a small smile. "Professor, you see, I enrolled in Hogwarts when I was ten, due to my experience with magic. And Dumbledore thinks… er, that I should rejoin to students my age," Cho explained.

"Eriol Hiiragizawa," Cho repeated perfectly. "Would you mind if I called you Eriol?"

"Call me Cho, Professor."

"You remind me of my brother," Cho said softly. "He even looks like you. Dark hair and glasses. And inquisitive, too." She got a faraway look in her eyes. "I hope he's alright now," she said.

Eriol sensed something was not right. It wasn't like Cho to be sobbing uncontrollably in Ginny's arms. Ginny gave him a worried look. Then Cho acknowledged his presence. "It's you," was what she said, with wide eyes and tears streaming down her face

Cho's eyes narrowed. "You knew. You knew about this, didn't you. Didn't you?!" Cho rose up from her bed, about to attack Eriol in her state, but Ginny pulled her down.

"No, no, no!" Cho started screaming.

How did he not see it? (Cho's blue eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth, silencing a gasp.) Cho knew about him from day one. That's why she was so shocked when they first met. But she had smiled at him so graciously ("Good morning professor," she smiled.) that he never expected there were hidden motives and a deep dislike. Why didn't he question it when she was so curious about his past? Why did he confide secret, buried feelings about memories long ago that he never shared with anyone else?

"Eriol-san, are you married?" Cho asked, purposely looking at his left hand. "That ring…amethyst twined with sapphire…very unusual," she commented. "The jewels of the ring must represent the two of you. You must be the sapphire, since your eyes are similar to the gem. Who stands for the amethyst?"

He handed her his navy blue handkerchief. "Here," he said. Without thinking, she took it and wiped her tears. But still they fell.

Studying Madison he said, "You're not crying because Blossom's happy, are you?"

Madison looked up into his dark blue eyes. "Yes I am!" she defended herself.

He calmly answered, "You're crying because you are not the one who she loves the most. You don't need to hide it, Madison. I've been watching you…as I've been watching Blossom. You can hide your feelings very well, but I too can be perceptive."

Madison lost her will. He knew. "But you won't tell." It was a statement, not a question.

He shook his head. "No, I won't. But Madison, I'm your friend too. So if it gets hard, you can just come to me. I'll listen. Just promise me you won't cry again. You're too beautiful for tears, Madison."

His hands cupped around her face, wiping her tears gently with his handkerchief.

"…I promise…and thank you…"

Cho glared back. And because she had many years of practice perfecting her Syaoran glare, she won. "Get used to it. My friends are in that story."

"Oh kami," Cho said aloud, but still in a whisper. "Tomoyo Daidjouji was one of Sakura Avalon's friends, wasn't she? And you think-" she nearly choked "that she died that night."

Eriol's eyes narrowed. Cho, you're a liar.

Cho was furious.

"What do you think you're doing, Arabella? First you tell Draco about my past and now Eriol! What happened to the decision that I could choose who would know! If they were going to know, I would decide that, and I alone would tell them!"

Arabella hardly looked apologetic. "I was offering some help. You were going to tell them anyway, so I spared you the pain from telling them."

"Why are you so certain that this is what I wanted?" Cho gestured to her biological father, who numbly watched the impressive Hiiragizawa mansion be reduced to rubble.

"Look at him! He can't bear the fact that you hate him! He's suffering with the knowledge that it's his fault that you're the Child of Fate!"

Cho gaped unabashedly at Bella. The words, "I don't hate him," remained frozen in her mouth. Sure, there was a dislike for Eriol because he made a noble decision at the wrong time, but Cho knew it wasn't hate. Cho didn't hate Eriol. He was a kind professor who genuinely cared for his students, with a mischievousness that she couldn't help but grin at. No, in the very little time Cho had gotten to know Eriol, hate certainly did not develop.

Instead, Cho said somberly," Arabella, the guilt you feel… it will never go away no matter what you do."

Arabella halted in her tracks. Cho continued to speak. "The decision of naming the Child of Fate solely belonged to you and your sisters. You're the ones who handed me this destiny. You're the ones who are making me your sacrifice. It is not Eriol's fault for being another pawn who turns the wheel of fate.

"You feel guilty in making me, a mere child, to be the one who dies. If you think you can satisfy that guilt by hurting the bystanders caught in the web of fate, then you're wrong, Arabella. Even if you grant every single one of my fleeting wishes, you will still feel guilty. Because I'm going to die, and it's going to be because of you."

Arabella didn't have a comeback. Sighing internally, Cho snapped her fingers to signal her astral self back into her body. "Don't forget to return Eriol to the proper time," she reminded Bella.

Eli raised an eyebrow at the scene. "Interesting" indeed, Mizuki-sensei.

When Eli had decided he had enough of watching Eriol from a distance, he turned to make the trek down the hill. Kaho stopped him. "There might be something interesting for you at the airport," she said mysteriously.

Now, Eli looked skeptically at Madison, the woman who looked like his mother. The moon guardian begged the younger boy with hopeful eyes. "Please. You have to help me, Eli."

At the same time, two seven-year-olds pulled at her lilac hair, begging for attention.

Eli shook his head in disbelief. "I can't understand how you got tricked into handling seven boys and girls by yourself."

"It was a bet," Madison explained pathetically. "A stupid bet. But I don't care anymore! Please, just help me."

Eli sympathetically took the sleeping toddler from her arms. "I'll help you take these children to the house."

With the added supervision, the little kids instinctively knew that their fun and games were coming to an end. Besides, they had exhausted themselves on the plane ride. Eli hailed two taxis, and the children fell asleep as soon as the car started moving. "1354 Seventh Avenue," Eli told the driver.

Later, Tomoyo and Haley were pulling gingerbread cookies out the oven when the doorbell rang. Tomoyo grabbed the last tray and smiled at they younger girl. "Could you get that, Haley? I'll get the last ones." Haley nodded, her ponytail bobbing. She wiped her hands on her apron and pulled the door open.

"SURPRISE!" Seven well-rested little kids rushed up to hug Haley.

"How…?" Haley stuttered in disbelief as she crouched down to hug her little brothers and sisters better.

Madison smiled from the doorway. "It's Tomoyo's Christmas present: surprise Haley with a visit from her little siblings from the orphanage."

Haley turned so she could smile gratefully at Tomoyo. "Thanks, Mrs. H."

However, instead of presenting the smile Haley expected, Tomoyo rushed past her to the front door. Haley looked to see Mrs. H envelop a young man in a hug.

Eli smiled quietly. "Merry Christmas, Mother."

Hermione was walking back to her dormitories when she noticed Cho waiting in the adjacent hallway. Hermione stopped, her eyes boring into Cho's.

Ying Fa's blue eyes turned ice cold. She glared at the older girl. Their eyes met, and Ying Fa searched Hermione's mind. "Careful," Ying Fa mocked. "You're going to get it someday."

Cho smiled as she walked the distance to Hermione. "I feel like I should apologize for my past self's actions. I got angry easily back then." She halted. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

The outburst broke Ying Fa's concentration. Immediately, the time traveler felt guilty for invading the other person's mind.

Hermione's eyes hardened. "She- You did something to me. I won't accept that apology. You're not sorry at all."

Cho let the false smile drop. "So you noticed, huh?"

Hermione continued to glare.

Cho leaned in, her eyes sad. "You don't like me at all, do you? Do you at least know why?" When Hermione didn't answer, Cho answered for her. "It's because you don't want me to fulfill my role as the Child of Fate."

Hermione blinked, pulling out to put more distance between them. "Child of Fate?" she repeated blankly.

Cho nodded slowly. "Ah. You're not aware of it yet. So you just hate me instinctively." Cho looked at Hermione seriously. "But I am sorry that it had to be this way. There are things that I want. Things that I want to see done. With the little time that I have left, I'm going to make sure that things end the way that I want. No one can change my destiny. So if I'm going to die, then at the very least I want to have my wishes fulfilled. I'm sorry that you have to be the girl that ends up with the negative impact. But I'm not going to stop. Until my wish comes true, I'm not going to stop."

Hermione frowned, not understanding completely what was being said, but she understood one thing: "You're very selfish, Cho."

"Of course. The wheel of fate is turning, Hermione, but it won't stop just because you don't like the way it's headed. I won't let it."

As Eriol settled down on the Hogwarts Express, he remembered the letter that he had stuffed into his pocket. It was the letter addressed to Ying Fa.

Ying Fa, the Child of Fate. Cho Chang.

After reading its contents he sank into deep thought. What would he do when he returned to the school? Yell at Cho for lying to him or avoid her altogether?

Beneath an invisibility spell, Minerva McGonagall sighed. Can't say I didn't try to warn you.

By chance Eli looked up into the stairwell. There, a floating mass of violet blue particles waited for him. Restraining the effort to roll his eyes, he told the children he was entertaining to play amongst themselves.

The floating light had disappeared by the time Eli had walked up the stairs, and he chose a spot overlooking the first floor so he could keep an eye on the youngsters. "The coast is clear, Cho."

In an instant, Cho's form appeared next to him. Eli looked her over critically. "At least Dumbledore's lessons got you to astral project all the way here."

Cho pouted childishly. "Nii-chaaan, are you still made at me for not telling you about Eriol?"

Eli frowned at her behavior. "Very much so, Cho." The girl's shoulder slumped and he explained, "I'm your brother, Cho. Your older twin brother. You shouldn't have to carry the burden by yourself."

Cho swallowed, avoiding his eyes. "You hate him, don't you?"

"Why don't you?" Eli shot back.

Cho sighed. "Eriol thought he was protecting Tomoyo when he left her. When Kaho-sensei warned him, he thought that Voldermort might appear and hurt Tomoyo. So Eriol decided to leave Hong Kong, thereby removing Tomoyo from any danger in the process."

Eli shook his head. "But that's ridiculous. You weren't even born yet, so Mother was Rowena's heir at the time. If anything, Voldermort would have taken extreme measures to not hurt Mother. Besides, Clow knew that Rowena didn't share romantic feelings for him. Salazar's heir would have no reason to hurt him or Mother."

Cho twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she waited for Eli reach the conclusion.

"Unless… he didn't know that and thought Voldermort was coming after him simply because he's a Sorcerer…" Eli trailed off in shock as Cho nodded.

"I did some checking. I looked into his mind, and concluded that Clow Reed has absolutely no memories of his time in England. Therefore, Eriol does not know what happened to the Four Founders and how the prophecy about its heirs started."

"Those are weeks- …years that Clow Reed lost! Not to mention the fact that he was in love with Rowena…!"

"Rowena erased all of his memories in Hogwarts because she felt responsible. It would follow that any changes in his character during that time would drastically change his demeanor," Cho explained. "Erasing his love for her certainly left a dark void in his heart."

Eli remained quiet as Cho continued to speak. "I looked into his mind even further. Eriol was the one who cast the spell that prevented Tomoyo from being in the same country as him. However, it was a means of keeping Voldermort away from Tomoyo. During the past years, Eriol has been keeping tabs on Voldermort and his supporters, going to oracles to secure the future, and gathering allies for Dumbledore. He thinks about Tomoyo constantly, wondering if he should return or even ask his guardians about her. He still wears his wedding ring-"

"Ying Fa," Eli interrupted gently. "Even so, he decided out of his own volition to leave. Why are you defending him? Why aren't angry with him?"

Cho bit her lip. "I don't hate him, Eli."

"Well, I do."

"Mrs. H, your son is so polite!" Haley commented as she passed out cookies and milk to her little brothers and sisters. "He's very well kept, he listens to you when you talk..."

Tomoyo raised an suspicious eyebrow. "Are you saying you're interested in my son?"

A blush tinted Haley's cheeks. "Well... he's very nice, Mrs. H. But he has someone else, doesn't he? Someone who he likes?"

Tomoyo gave a slight nod. "Hm. Yes, he does like someone... but he's too polite to try anything. I fear it would take months before their relationship goes anywhere." Tomoyo shook her head. "Just like his father."

Haley paused, studying carefully the reminiscent look on Mrs. H's face. "Eli takes after his father a lot, doesn't he?" she said softly.

Tomoyo blinked before smiling again. "Yes. In so many ways."

Nakuru interrupted their conversation. "Yeah, but one thing Eli doesn't have in common with his father is his sister complex." She pointed to two figures descending the staircase. "See?"

"Ying Fa!" Tomoyo called, elated. The auburn-haired girl looked embarrassed as the older woman ran to hug her. "What are you doing here? I thought you would stay in school!"

"Astral projection," Cho tried to say through the embrace. "Eli made me stay."

"For one hour," Eli told his mother. "It's her punishment."

"Punishment?" Tomoyo repeated. "What for?"

Instead of an answer, the twins gave her a 'We're not going to tell you' smile.

Crash! "I'm okay!"

"I can't believe you're trusting her to make your food," Eve said over the phone.

Meiling grimaced as she watched the little blond head bob up and down. "She's your daughter, not mine."

"And what if the food is inedible?"

"Then we'll just order take-out. You might want to restock when you come back, though. There might not be any food here after this."

Eve laughed. "Thanks for this, Mei."

The young Malfoy stood up, glaring. "Is that Mom? Tell her I don't need a babysitter! I'm thirteen!"

Meiling rolled her eyes. "Really. Did you hear that, Eve? She doesn't want me here." Meiling paused as she listened to the phone. "Your mother says too bad. Deal with it."

The young girl pouted. "Hmphf!"

Meiling grinned, shaking her head as she headed for the living room. "On the other hand, New York is really nice. You don't get snow like this in San Fran." Meiling opened the curtains of the Malfoy's apartment, revealing the falling of snowflakes against the backdrop of city lights.

Eve sighed on the other line. "Yeah. I wish I could be there." Meiling suddenly yelped and Eve worriedly asked, "What happened? Is she okay?"

Meiling shook her head. "No, your daughter is fine. I just- I'm sorry, I almost sat on your cat."

"Feiganbaum!" the child cried. "You're back!"

"Cat? Oh, is he gray with faint stripes?"

"Yeah," Meiling told Eve. Covering the phone she yelled, "Hey, if you're going to cook, keep that cat out of the kitchen!"

Eve sighed. "He isn't ours. I keep telling her not to feed him, but she does it anyway. And he keeps coming back. You should have sat on him."

Meiling laughed. "I'll see what I can do. But what are you doing now?"

Eve glanced at the abandoned building Chloe had parked. "Since Chloe made us do something we didn't want to do, we forced her to do something the same."

The car door opened and Jennie stepped in. "Well, she went in. I really can't believe they placed St. Mungo's Hospital in a place like this."

"Hey, I called Meiling," Eve offered the phone to the brunette. "You want to speak to her?"

Jennie took the phone, "Sure. Thanks, Eve." To the phone she said, "Hey, Mei! By any chance, do you have the number of your friend in Seattle? I want to check on my daughter too."

An elderly woman clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Really, I don't see what's so hard about getting a doctor to speak to. I just want to move them to another room, with more sunlight…"

"Grandmother…" a young boy weakly scolded.

The pair reached the secluded room and the boy bumped into the woman when she stopped suddenly. "Sorry Grandmother…"

The woman didn't answer him. The boy warily glanced into the room where another woman stood, her face mirroring his Grandmother's shock. She cleared her throat as she looked away. "Um. I brought some flowers. For Alice."

The older woman nodded slowly and then tartly told the boy, "Neville, get me a cup of coffee."

"But you just had one…" he was curious about the woman in the room.

"Now, Neville," she ordered. Neville nodded, defeated, as he left.

"You didn't have to send him away," Chloe said. "And I don't need coffee. I was just about to leave."

"Nichole…"

The brunette smiled weakly. "I really didn't want to come here. I was worried about running into you."

"Nichole, it's been years since I last heard from you. How are you doing?"

"No, Mom. I don't want to explain my life to you. I don't want you trying to understand me," Chloe sighed. "I just don't understand you, Mom. This is the daughter of the woman that Father left us for! And you're taking care of her son? After everything-!"

The older woman opened her mouth, but Chloe continued with her tirade. "Sometimes I think that Father left because of me. Me, the daughter with no magic. What a shame that must have been for him. If that's true, that I can understand why you left me too, Mom. You just couldn't stay away from the magic, sacrificing yourself just so I could grow up with other people just like me. People without magic. Muggles and squibs-"

The mother slapped her daughter across the cheek.

Neville, who had just returned, froze. "Grandmother-!"

"Don't ever think like that," Chloe heard her mother say.

Chloe's eyes watered and she quickly wiped the tears away. She straightened. "I guess I must be going now." But before she took a step, she turned to the patient. "I'm sorry for the commotion, Alice. I- I just wanted to do something nice for you."

"Nichole…"

Chloe stopped at the doorway and she turned at her mother's plea. She feebly smiled. "I'm married now, mother. He's kind, sincere, and he doesn't care what kind of history I have. And I'm a doctor. A dentist, actually. And-" she swallowed. "And my daughter's a witch."

Neville watched the woman walk away. "Grandmother? Grandmother, who was that?"

The old woman fingered the flowers that Nichole left. "Your aunt, Neville. Alice's sister."

Neville frowned as he offered the cup of coffee to his grandmother, who shook her head and declined the drink. But, wasn't Mother an only child?

"Your hour is up, you know," Eli told Cho as she tucked the last child into bed. "The wards I placed to keep you here are gone now."

"Shh," Cho scolded as she pulled her older brother out of the room.

"Doesn't it tire you to astral project this far, this long?"

"Hm," Cho shook her head. "Not really. And don't look at me like that," she said as the look passed his face. "I'm supposed to have this much power."

"You gave some to Ginny."

"I gave her my own power. Not the power the Fates gave me. This way, when I die, that power dies with me. No one will have to be burdened with that power again."

Eli closed his eyes, willing himself to keep calm. She's already willing to die, he thought with a sinking heart. Aloud, he told her, "I going to believe you have a plan."

"Plan?" she repeated. "For what?"

"A plan to make sure that this ends right. A plan that keeps yourself alive. That's why you traveled to the future when you were younger. It would ensure that the events happening now are the events you wanted. To make sure that your plan will work."

Cho shook her head sadly. "Eli… I don't have any plan. I'm going to die and that's it."

Eli suddenly grabbed her shoulders, looking directly into her eyes. "Stop saying it! Stop saying you're going to die! You need to live!"

Gently, Cho pulled her brother into a hug. "Eli," she said softly. "My destiny can't be changed. All I can do is to put my affairs in order. I just want to make that everyone I love will be fine. That's all I ask for."

"It doesn't have to be this way," he said. "You still have a choice. You can leave now, before anything happens. Leave all of us and just live."

Cho sighed, pulling out of the hug. "You know I'll never do that."

Eli let his hands drop back to his sides. "Just go."

"Eli…"

He turned back to her, this time with a false smile plastered onto his face. "Cho, if you have time to waste, then you'd better fix the Hogwarts' Barrier. It doesn't let anybody in. You should fix it before the students return."

"Eli…" Cho started, but decided to let it drop. She smiled also. "Tell her" -meaning Mother, of course, "that I said goodbye. I'll try to show up again for Christmas." Eli nodded.

"Oh, and Eli?" Cho's voice asked as her astral self started to disintegrate. She grinned. "I want you to come to Hogwarts. Draco needs a friend!"

Eli shook his head with a wicked smile. "Then I should do something about that, hm?"

BAM!

The wooden door fell apart on impact. Immediately, Fight covered her nose with the sleeves of her uniform.

The other card forms beside Fight followed suit. "What a horrid smell!" Dark gagged. Light clenched her jaw and entered Flower's room. Tentatively the others followed her into the unusually dark-lit room. The scent became stronger inside the card's domain.

Earthly touched the brown leaves and petals sadly. "The flowers are all rotten… dying." The voice was muffled though her cape.

"What the hell is happening here?" Firey demanded.

Hope clasped her hands together, unable to give an answer. Dream stepped up next to her. "Something ominous is in the air," the turban-wearing card form said telepathically.

"Flower? Where are you? Come out so we can play!" Rain called out desperately.

Something stirred in Hope's heart and she fearfully took a step back. Dream clasped her shoulder. "Don't. If you lose hope, then it's the end for all of us."

Hope looked up to the taller card spirit with wide eyes. Unable to take it any further, she pulled out of Dream's grasp and ran out of Flower's room.

Meanwhile, Mirror noticed that the door connecting to her own realm was ajar. She stepped in carefully. "Flower? Are you in here?" There was no answer. "A little light, please," she told the room. The room obeyed slightly, only turning a few lights that shed more shadows, and Mirror gasped in horror.

The glass planes placed all around the room were smashed. Thousands of copies looking like Mirror reflected off the glass. Instead of the beautiful art of reflecting glass, Mirror's domain had become a frightful maze of cracked glass.

Only one flat sheet of glass remained untouched. Mirror stepped up to glass and touched her reflection hesitantly.

It was minor, but the reflection changed. The eyes narrowed, becoming dark and harsh and cold. A cruel smile touched the lips, twisting them into an awkward fashion. Mirror struggled to let go, but the reflection held fast. The pale lips mouthed three words and laughed silently.

It's too late.

And a scream sounded, shattering the last perfect mirror.

Cho dusted her hands in satisfaction. "That should do it," she smiled, nodding her head the newly erected Hogwarts Barrier. While the last one she made was much too strong, this one was made with the perfect level of power. It was completely the same barrier that Syaoran and Sakura made for Howarts years ago, only this time Cho's barrier would last longer.

Even when she died, the barrier would still hold.

When Cho returned to the school she froze when noticed the familiar back of a professor. Before she could stop herself, she called out, "Professor?"

Eriol stiffened when he heard the voice of the girl plaguing his thoughts. He had been deciding to go into the school (because there was the possibility of running into Cho) or going back on the Hogwarts Express (and take that ridiculously long ride to do more thinking). Caught, he turned around to face her. "Cho?"

A cold wind picked up as a flurry of white snow fell. Two pairs of cerulean eyes stared at each other, waiting.

Father.

The Child of Fate.

Sirius sighed. "Now that I think about it, Ying Fa lost her childish innocence a long time ago." He nodded to himself. "Even when she was younger, she was smarter than the other children. When she looked at you, …you could see the wisdom in her eyes.

"All it took for her was to look at me, and she said, 'The Hogwarts Barrier has been reconstructed, but I can get you in.' Just one look! That's all it took for her to know." Sirius shook his head. "I keep wondering to myself, when was the last time I had seen her act like a child?"

Dumbledore looked up from his work to seriously consider the question. He shook his head sadly. "Even in my earliest memory of her, I believed Ying Fa had the loneliest eyes I had ever seen."

Sirius remained silent as Dumbledore returned to his work. Sirius frowned, staring out of the window into the darkness. As the snowflakes started to fall, Sirius suddenly said, "Harry!"

Dumbledore looked up, curious. Sirius explained excitedly, "Whenever Ying Fa was with Harry, she acted more her age. She was less precocious; less worried about the future. When she was with Harry, she was more of the child she really was."

Dumbledore somberly added, "Then it is ironic that the Boy-Who-Lived is the antithesis to the Child of Fate."

Sirius dropped into the nearest chair, frowning again. "The Girl-Who-Will-Die…"

Dumbledore glanced at the younger man. "Why did you come here, Sirius?"

Sirius snapped out of his reverie and then grinned guiltily. "Well, I was going to meet Snape like you told me too, but he got called away for a mission or something."

"By the Dark Lord?"

Sirius shook his head. "Not by using the Dark Mark, as far as I can tell. Lucius Malfoy appeared and dragged Snape away from our rendezvous point."

Dumbledore frowned. "It would have been much easier for the Dark Lord to use the Dark Mark."

"Maybe they're not meeting for an attack," Sirius shrugged.

Dumbledore frowned. "Perhaps it is something not related to the Dark Lord at all…"

"I find it degrading that you're making me watch your friend's daughter," Meirin told Meiling over the cell phone.

"Yeah, well, just because she's seventeen doesn't mean she old enough to be alone yet. Not in her mother's eyes, at least. Meirin, you have absolutely no idea about how important a child is to their mother."

"Hmm…"

"What is it?"

"An ominous vision," Meirin said as he noticed the stirrings of the future. "When will this task be over?"

"It's called babysitting, Meirin. And it's over when the mother comes back."

"That won't give us much time then."

He needed to send a warning to Madison.

"What is this? Attacking a muggle's house?" Snape questioned as he pulled on the black cape.

"Quiet, Severus," Lucius snapped. "She's keeping my son from me. They're foolish enough to think that she can keep him safe."

Snape halted, his eyes narrowing. "He-who-should-not-be-named specifically said that we were not to harm her. He would not have changed his mind so suddenly. Killing that woman and destroying that house are not his orders."

Lucius grabbed the other death eater's collar. "I will inform Him that you share the company of dogs, Severus. You will join my attack against her, or I will kill you!"

With his other hand, Lucius Malfoy pointed to a certain house. "We will attack that house at noon tomorrow," he told the other death eaters. "Does anyone else have questions?"

The house he pointed to was 1354 Seventh Avenue.