Harry of Hog and the Saga of Hogswarth
A/N: Another camp chapter! Oh wow I am loving this story, but I am so worried I'll screw it up, I am hardly daring to write anything! I want to bring out all relationships and build them up properly, but I also want to describe the Hog Kingdom and how the rebels live… because it's so awesome, and I wish I was there too. :) Well in this chapter you get the feeble beginnings of R/Hr, and the two separate storylines of this fanfic finally begin to collide…
Thank you so much for reviewing guys!! I heart you :D
rweasley500: Thank you! I was quite worried about the last chapter because I know it wasn't that exciting… but it was necessary to build up Ginny's character. And you are as always spot on with your predictions. And the old lady, well her role is not obvious yet, but it probably will be later. :)
elfhobbit1: Thank you thank you thank you! And yes… I don't know about Krum, but we'll definitely see old Severus sometime in the future… muahaha. ;)
Cynthia Cacciola: Thanks! I hope this will satisfy you for a while :D
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Chapter 8: The Woes of Lady Cho
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Harry and Ron were sitting side-by-side, leaning against a tree. Harry was sharpening his sword on a stone while Ron was whistling a tune, staring into space, his eyes occasionally flickering towards one of the huts. They had been with the outlaws for over a week now, and had been welcomed with open arms. It was very lucky really, that Hermione had attacked them that day, or they would probably still be wandering around the forest, not knowing the world and not knowing how to get to the castle without getting killed. By staying here in the camp, Ron and Harry had not only found allies in their struggle, but they had been introduced to the world and to the customs of other people. The others had had much fun with them the first few days, as they openly ogled the women, and it was a particularly entertaining evening for the outlaws when Ron had seen a toddler running around – Ron had screamed like a girl and hid behind Hermione, something Seamus and Dean had vowed never to let him forget.
Hermione had been a great help for the two boys. She had shown them around, and taught them all sorts of things, which Hagrid had never thought to teach them. Harry was very happy with her company, it was nice to talk to a girl for once. There was so much to learn about them, and Hermione seemed to be naturally adept at teaching. Ron also liked Hermione, though Harry had noticed that he had seemed a bit snappy with her on occasions, obviously not as comfortable with her as Harry was.
Ron suddenly sat bolt upright, as the cloth covering the entrance to the hut he had been watching rippled, and then was pulled aside to reveal Hermione. Ron smiled, she was wearing a simple long brown dress with long sleeves and a piece of rope tied around her waist, but he thought it looked very nice. He didn't have much to compare with, he figured, so it was a natural reaction. Hermione had a huge smile on her face, and Ron noticed that she had her hands behind her back. His smile widened as he caught her eye.
Ever since they had come to the camp, Harry and Ron had been training with the other rebels, mostly in the art of sword fighting. Although Ron and Harry had both been trained very thoroughly by Hagrid, they still had some techniques to learn, and the others were very eager to be taught some of the excessive and extra powerful moves Harry and Ron had had to learn to deflect Hagrid's powerful blows. Harry and Ron had, despite Ron's endless protesting, taken it in turns to use Harry's fancy ruby-encrusted sword, but Ron had not forgotten Hermione's promise to get him (dare he imagine?) his very own sword. He half expected her to have forgotten, but dared not ask her, in case it would offend her or she would retract her offer, laughing at his gullibility. But here she was walking towards him, and he could see something silver poking out from behind her back.
As she came upon them, Harry and Ron stood up to greet her. "Hi Harry," she smiled. "Ron," she added, raising an eyebrow at his excited expression. "I know this is long overdue, but…" she took her hands out from behind her back, "I did promise you."
For a moment, Ron only stared at the sword. As did Harry. Hermione may have promised Ron a sword, but they had both expected an old, battered blade the rebels happened to have lying around – and here Hermione was holding out a magnificent, long, double-edged, shiny sword, with a simple golden hilt with a black, rigged handle. The sword was no near as extravagant as Harry's, but in Ron's eyes…
"It is perfect," he breathed. "Hermione, you didn't have to…" he trailed off, lost for words. Hermione blushed.
"Well, this is why it took a while to get it prepared," she said. "I've seen you train, you're… you're excellent. And… um, well, we are fighting a war, and giving you a lousy sword would be like hacking ourselves in the foot, wouldn't it?" she finished briskly, absently plucking an invisible bug out of her hair.
"Right," said Ron quickly. "I mean… thanks, I guess. And… thanks," he mumbled, gesturing at the sword.
Harry, on his part, suddenly felt oddly like he was intruding on something private, and tried to seem very interested in the bark on the tree he and Ron had been leaning against.
After a short awkward pause, Hermione seemed to remember that she was still holding the sword. She quickly held out the sword handle to Ron, and as he went to take it their hands brushed slightly, and they both jerked their hands away – causing the sword to slip from Hermione's grasp and clatter to the ground.
Ron hurriedly bent down to pick it up, turned on his heel and hurried over to the washing area, muttering something about wanting to clean the slush off.
After a moment, Harry turned to Hermione. "Well," he said, smiling pleasantly. "There you almost did hack yourself in the foot, didn't you?" and he strolled away, grinning, leaving Hermione alone by the tree, just as confused as Ron was about what had just happened between them.
As Harry left Hermione and the tree, he looked around, wondering where to go. He felt… oddly restless, like he should be doing something other than just waiting around the camp… and for what? Lupin was the one who called the shots here, but so far no shots had been actually called. What were they waiting for?
As Harry walked past one of the huts, a girl with long, shining black hair poked her head out of it. "Hi there Harry", she smiled. Harry turned, and smiled slightly in return. Lady Cho had been very nice to him and Ron – well, not so much Ron, really, but since Ron didn't seem to have noticed, Harry hadn't bothered mentioning it – ever since they had arrived, and next to Hermione, Ron and Seamus of Fin, Cho was probably the person in the camp whom Harry had spent the most time with. Not that that was saying much, as he was pretty much always with Ron and Hermione, but sometimes Cho would come and sit next to Harry at mealtimes, and usually would have pretty good talks. Harry thought it was a nice distraction from Ron and Hermione's frequent bickering, and for some reason he seemed to particularly enjoy being distracted by Lady Cho. Not that Seamus and Dean were not good company either – they were very fascinated by Harry's stories of his upbringing, and Harry in turn never grew tired of hearing of their adventures and of Mugglewood, and sometimes Harry, Ron, Hermione, Seamus and Dean would all gather together and discuss battle tactics and sword technique… But with Cho, it was different. Unlike Hermione, who was becoming to Harry pretty much what Ron had been all their lives, Cho really seemed like a girl to Harry, and for some reason it made him a bit nervous – but in a nice kind of way, which completely confused him.
Harry knew that Cho had been betrothed to a Sir Cedric, a fellow rebel who had fallen in battle not long ago. They had not discussed him much; in fact Cho seemed keen to try and avoid the subject, and Harry never questioned her about it. In his weaker moments he had dared imagine himself as Cho's betrothed – a thought so foreign to him, as he hardly understood what being betrothed entailed. He knew that men and women were betrothed before getting married, but this concept of marriage meant little more to Harry than having one girl around you for the rest of your life – and he honestly couldn't think of anyone other than Cho to imagine as his wife. Even though he were a lot closer to Hermione, he really couldn't see the two of them together like that… he honestly couldn't see the two of them together without Ron. He laughed inwardly at the idea of Ron and Hermione getting married. It somehow seemed both completely insane and perfectly logical to Harry.
"How are you, Cho?" Harry asked her pleasantly, as he waited for her to catch up with him."
"Oh," she answered, "I am alright, I suppose… But anyway, where are you going?"
Harry sighed. This was one problem he had when talking to Cho. When talking to Hermione and Ron, conversation came naturally; they could sit in silence together, or talk about anything under the sun. Cho was so closed to Harry in many ways, and he was not certain what was alright to say sometimes. "I'm not sure actually," he said after a short pause. "I was just thinking about how long you have all waited to finally take on Riddle, and what is actually-"
"Cedric died today."
Harry stopped short. "I'm sorry?" he asked, bewildered.
Cho turned to face him, and Harry saw to his horror that she had tears in her eyes. "One year ago on this date," she said shakily, more tears welling up in her eyes, "Cedric was murdered by Riddle's men. My brave, noble Cedric… gone forever," she finished, shaking now, and Harry, completely terrified at this rapid change in behaviour, awkwardly reached out a hand and patted Cho on the shoulder.
"I'm so sorry Cho," he said finally. "But this is only one more reason to fight Lord Riddle isn't it, to destroy him once and for all, so that this terror will end!"
Cho's eyes widened, and she jerked away her shoulder. "That is your response to me? Cedric is dead, and you expect me to just go on, fight for a freedom I have no need for anymore?"
Harry frowned. "Well," he said, "What about the rest of us? We've lost people too, and we still fight. Doesn't our freedom matter to you, Cho?" For some reason he felt a slight twinge at the thought that she might not care about them – about him. They were friends after all.
Cho flushed slightly. "I'm sorry, Harry, of course I care… I just loved Cedric so much. Do you know what it's like to lose someone you thought you would spend the rest of your life with? Well… I suppose you don't, really, but…" she trailed off.
Harry once again felt very uncomfortable. No, he did not understand what Cho was going through. He wished with all his heart that she would somehow find release for her sorrow… for a moment he had even imagined himself taking Sir Cedric's place, and Cho being happy with Harry instead – but a whole life with Cho? The way she said it made it sound like something really special. Like if he met the right woman he would… know it? Was that crazy?
"Did you…" he started, "With Cedric… did you always know?"
Cho's eyes watered slightly again. After a moment, she whispered, "Yes."
Harry nodded.
For a moment the two just stood there staring at the ground. After a while Harry said, "Actually I was on my way to shoot some arrows, d'you want to-"
"No, you go ahead," Cho said quickly. "I think I need to be alone for a little while." At Harry's concerned look she added, "Don't worry. I'll be… fine. Eventually. I just need to do this." She smiled slightly at him. "See you, Harry." She started to walk away from him, but paused after a few steps. "I believe you have someone out there, waiting for you. Just as I had Cedric. And when you find her… yes, Harry, I believe you will know." She smiled again, and walked away.
Harry stood still for a few moments, thinking about what Cho had said. Then remembering that he had nothing to do, decided to do as he had told Cho he would. As he walked past one of the huts he grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows that were leaning on the doorframe, and made his way to the rebels' makeshift archery practice area.
When he got there, the clearing was empty. 'That's probably for the better,' he thought, loading the bow and preparing to fire. He took aim, and pulled his arm back. He released- but as he did so, an arm came to rest on his shoulder, and Harry gave a jump of surprise, sending the arrow hurtling off into the trees far above the target. Harry whipped around quickly, and found himself face to face with Sir Lupin.
"Sir Lupin, you… you scared me," Harry breathed, his heart beating fast.
Lupin chuckled. "Harry, just call me Lupin. And I may have frightened you, but you know, a good archer is able to hit his target every time, even with distractions."
Harry blushed. "Thank you, S- Lupin. I will try to remember that."
"Why don't you shoot again Harry, let me see what you can do?" Lupin said kindly. "No distractions."
Harry smiled. He loaded up another arrow, and took aim. He felt slightly nervous, feeling Lupin's eyes following his every move, but as he released the arrow he had no doubt that it would hit home. And it did, exactly in the middle of the target. He couldn't help but smile proudly at Lupin as he turned towards him again. Lupin was looking at him approvingly, and nodded his head. "You are indeed very skilful. I had no doubt of course, considering…" he trailed off. "You know Harry," he said, his eyes flickering over the bow and quiver, "That is Hermione's bow you are using."
Harry glanced at the bow as well, distracted for a moment. "Really? I didn't even notice… I just grabbed one from outside a hut," he said, unsure if this was not an acceptable thing to do.
"I'm sure she won't mind," Lupin smiled. He stood for a moment, as though lost in thought, then nodded slightly to Harry and began to walk back towards the camp.
"Uh, sir, I mean, Lupin?" Harry called after him, jogging to catch up.
Lupin slowed down. "Yes Harry?"
"I just… I am sorry but I need to ask you, what are we waiting for? I mean, Ron and I arrived a week ago all ready to attack the Hog Castle single-handedly, and here we are with the very people most likely to help us, and we're… doing nothing," he finished vaguely.
Lupin gave Harry an appraising sort of look. Harry, suddenly feeling like he had overstepped his boundaries, looked down at his feet as they walked slowly back towards the village. He looked up when Lupin spoke again.
"Look around you Harry," Lupin said, and Harry did so. "What do you see?"
Harry frowned. "Huts? Weapons? A few people walking around?"
"So Harry, do you see an army? I know you are not so familiar with large quantities of people, but do you see a force large or powerful enough to storm a fortress?"
"Well," said Harry, "I suppose not, but me and Ron were going to…"
"Yes, Harry, you were, my point exactly!" Lupin exclaimed. At Harry's continuing puzzlement, Lupin elaborated. "You and Ron probably would not have managed to get very far on your own because you do not know the lands, and because Ron's squeals would have given you away as soon as he saw one of the maids in the castle," the corner of Lupin's mouth twitched, and Harry laughed slightly despite himself. Lupin continued, more seriously now, "But you had the right idea, of how to go about it. Lord Riddle will be prepared for a full-frontal attack, I expect he is half expecting to see King Albus striding up from behind a hill with a thousand soldiers every day. By stealth, Harry, we will stand a much better chance of overpowering him."
"Then why haven't we-"
"We wait," Lupin interrupted, "For the opportune moment to strike."
Harry nodded. "When will-"
"Soon, Harry. The hour is drawing ever closer in which Riddle will be forced, by Hog tradition, to open his castle to the commoners of Hog. There is going to be a series of festivities and tournaments you see, leading up to his wedding."
Harry looked repulsed. "He is getting married? How do you know?"
Lupin winked at Harry. "We have spies everywhere Harry."
Harry frowned. "But… Who would ever want to marry Lord Riddle - I thought everyone hated him?"
Lupin smiled sadly. "I see the influence Hermione has had on you. Very strong minded, that one, she would never let anyone force her into anything she did not consent to. However, what she has failed to teach you is that very few women are as independent-minded as Hermione, or as free to live the way she chooses for herself. Lady Ginevra does not get to decide if she wants to marry Lord Riddle. She marries him, or he kills her family, it is that simple. I give a lot of credit to Lady Ginevra for being strong minded enough to actually marry Riddle, and save her family the only way she can."
Harry felt absolutely outraged. "What a beast! No, I cannot allow this to happen! No one should be forced to do what they don't want to, I am not letting Riddle ruin another person's life!" His face was livid.
"And we will stop it Harry, we will, but you must be patient, or all our planning will have been for nothing. Your time will come, Harry, and you will get to face Riddle. But for now… The tournament starts in a week, and I will send you, Ron and Hermione there for reconnaissance. I am sure it will be useful for all of us." He paused. "But Harry?"
Harry looked up at him again, more calm now, but still inwardly seething with anger.
"Just don't do anything… rash."
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A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! About Cho, maybe some of you won't like my version of her… and maybe she is a bit ooc, but I never really had a problem with Cho in the books (besides the fact that she wasn't Ginny!), and really thought the impression we get of her in OotP is really biased on Harry's part because of his anger issues and hormones… the girl lost her boyfriend, whom she possibly loved! I think she deserves a break. :)
Please review and tell me what you thought!
