"What?!" Harry and Sirius both exclaimed. "Are you sure?" Sirius
asked. "Because we've had quite a few doctors examine her over the
past few days, none of them found any traces of poison."
Everyone looked to Gazten, waiting for the answer.
"That's because no doctor, or any other witch or wizard from this realm, would be able to catch it. This type of poison is hidden so well, you'd never know it was there by any amount of testing. The only way it's able to be discovered is by scent, and even then only if you know the scent."
"Can you help her?" Harry asked Gazten anxiously, cutting Sirius off as he opened his mouth to reply.
"Yes," Gazten smiled reassuringly. "This poison is very slow-acting, and thankfully she's only been this way a few days."
Harry lifted Cho's limp, cold hand, and held it in both of his.
"Please do it," he whispered. "Please help her, now."
"Why is it that she was poisoned and we weren't," Sirius spoke up loudly before Gazten could make a move. "The three of us were all fighting against Menetor at one point or another."
"Menetor didn't do this," Gazten explained. "He's never one to use poison. He prefers physical attacks and torture above all else."
"You seem to know a lot about him." Sirius said, guardedly.
"That's because he's from Faerun."
"What about that girl?" Hermione spoke up, hesitantly. "I think it sounds a bit odd that she just sort of showed up when you needed her to." she trailed off as everyone became quiet and looked to her.
"What girl?" Gazten asked, immediately, her eyes flickering to Sirius.
"But she was helping us," Sirius said, hurriedly. "Why would she heal Marzia and I and poison Cho? That makes no sense."
"From what you said," Harry spoke up, somewhat testily, "Cho didn't seem to trust her very much." He was avoiding Sirius' eyes and hurt that his godfather seemed more concerned with proving Gazten wrong than helping Cho.
"What girl?" Gazten repeated, calmly.
Sirius lowered his head, realizing what he'd been doing.
"She was a young girl, maybe 13 or 14 years old, said she lived a short distance from Cho's cabin. Her name was Fern."
"Fern?" Gazten asked in alarm. "As in Fenestraal?"
Sirius looked up abruptly.
"How did you know.?"
"Did she touch you or Marzia?" Gazten asked, brushing off his question.
Sirius hesitated, trying to remember correctly.
"No." he said at last. "I don't recall that she did."
"But I bet she got to Cho," Gazten continued, looking back at the still form on the bed. "She's the one who did this."
Sirius stared at her for a moment, uncertainly.
"I think it would be best," Dumbledore spoke up after a period of silence, "that you take care of Miss Chang first, if you would Allison. Then we can discuss what has happened."
Less than an hour later, everyone except Marzia was sitting in Dumbledore's office. Gazten had healed Cho in much the same way she had done for Ron. The burns were completely gone from her wrists as if they'd never been there at all, and she felt well rested.
Harry had been too relieved to speak when he saw her awake and smiling at him. All he could do was take her in his arms and hold her.
Dumbledore had suggested, upon seeing Cho was indeed perfectly alright, that they adjourn to his office to discuss what had happened further. Due to the fact that Harry and the others had been present for Sirius' explanation, he thought it best they now hear what Gazten had to tell them. The best way to fight an enemy is to know as much as possible about them.
Marzia declined the invitation, respectfully, which seemed to surprise Sirius and it certainly did Harry. However, neither he nor Hermione failed to notice Ron's relief that she was leaving.
When the seven of them were settled into the office, Dumbledore spoke first.
"Allison, I'd like to hear everything you can tell us about Menetor and Fenestraal. I am familiar with both of those names, however I would very much like for you to explain what you know about them."
Gazten threw a brief glance around the room, before nodding at the headmaster.
"Menetor and Fenestraal are two of the six evil Entities. The Entities were once normal inhabitants of Faerun, whose powers surpassed the normal limits of our kind. Menetor is known as the Lord of Pain. He takes pleasure in the screams and pleas for mercy of his helpless victims. As you know, he's rather large, about twelve feet tall. He uses the whip more than any other hand-held weapon, but usually to capture a victim, rarely to use it on them. He has the power to cause you pain by getting into your mind, and can make you feel any form of torture he wishes. You will believe you're tied down to hot coals or that you're strung up by your thumbs several feet in the air, if he wishes you to believe it. The physical exhaustion you'll suffer when he's finished with you, is equal to what you'd experience if these things were truly done to you. Ruthless and cruel to his very soul, if he even has one."
Gazten paused for a moment, glancing around at the horrified expressions on the faces of the students, and briefly, at Sirius and Dumbledore, both of whom waited for her to continue.
"Fenestraal is known as the Lady of Disease. She can inflict any illness upon you by merely brushing up against you. Poisons are her favorite, however, especially those that are slow-acting. She takes the most pleasure in seeing a victim who knows there is something wrong with them, but can do nothing to stop it. Now she appeared to you as a little girl, which is one of her more common forms, though she does possess the ability to change. She usually will try to appear innocent and helpless, to keep her victims unsuspecting. If you see her carrying a weapon, it will most likely be a dagger, though she too rarely uses it on potential victims, preferring to leave them dying with any number of incurable afflictions."
"So those are the two we ran into," Sirius spoke up as she finished speaking. "But you said there were six Entities, right? Who and what are the others?"
"The others are just as powerful and just as dangerous. They are called Elri'kah, Rolisch'kah, Draam, and Saaneeraa. Elri'kah is the Lord of Destruction. Another very large one who likes to carry a great battle axe wherever he goes, and trust me, he likes to make use of it. In no way can he pass for human, as his skin is gray in color and he has two large horns on his head. Unlike the others, he prefers to do damage with his hands rather than use magic, but if it comes down to it, he can unleash such power that it will level a city."
"Rolisch'kah is the Lord of the Dark. Also unable to pass for a human, he is a pool of blackness that can take any shape, but never any form. The only part of him that isn't black are his two silver eyes. He doesn't use any weapon, as he prefers to use magic for anything he sets out to accomplish. One interesting fact, however, is he cannot stand even the smallest amount of light and sunlight especially, will diminish his powers greatly."
"Draam is the Lord of the Undead, usually appearing as a rotting body, with decaying flesh that sloughs off and renews. He carries a club, which he will not hesitate to use. His powers only take effect on those he has killed, as he is undead, himself. Once he has killed a victim, he has free reign over their soul and can use it in any way he wishes. He can also inhabit the bodies of those he's slaughtered."
"The last, and most dangerous, of the six Entities, is Saaneeraa, the Lady of Corruption or the Shadow Behind. Her desire is to control the lives of others through trickery and mental domination. She takes pleasure in causing pain by turning loved ones against one another, each of them believing something was said or done by the other, when it's only what she wanted them to believe."
Gazten paused here, taking a breath and looking around the room, finally resting her eyes on Harry.
"If Voldemort truly has allied himself with all six of these Entities, then you are in more danger than ever. Not one among them has the slightest concern for whom they may hurt to get to you either. The only thing in our favor is they are all enemies of one another, and will never work together even when their goal is a common one."
"If they're truly as powerful as you're telling us," Sirius spoke up, "then why haven't any of them attacked the school yet?"
"As I said, they refuse to work together, not even Voldemort can convince them to do so. Whether it's their own foolish pride or some other reason, this hatred goes back a very long way. If one of them seems to be getting close to their goal, one of the others will take time to try and prevent that from happening, rather than continuing with their own scheme. As for why they haven't attacked the school, well it seems at least one of them has, in a way. Percy Weasley was being controlled, something that each one of them has the power to do. The magic he was using against the boys, and what caused the burns on both Ron and Cho, can only be used by someone from Faerun, with very few exceptions."
"But why were they after Cho?" Harry asked looking at Gazten, before turning to face his girlfriend.
Cho stared back at Harry, looking indecisive.
"Miss Chang," Dumbledore spoke kindly. "We have yet to hear your part of this story, do you feel up to explaining it to us?"
Cho met Dumbledore's eyes evenly, then turned to face Harry. He gave her a reassuring nod, reaching out and taking her hands in his. Sighing softly, and looking down to the floor, Cho began to speak.
"I don't know how everything got out of hand like this. Just over a month ago, I happened to overhear Mr. Thurston having a hushed discussion with another man, whose voice I can only say belonged to another minister, though I'm not sure whose. I was only passing by; would have thought nothing of it and continued on my way, but he mentioned Harry's name, so I stopped. I couldn't hear everything as they were speaking in very low voices as it was, but what I managed to get out of it was the Dementors of Azkaban were no longer under the ministry's control, and that Voldemort had taken over the prison."
She paused looking deeply into Harry's eyes, before continuing.
"They knew, Harry. They knew he was sending them for you, and they weren't going to warn anyone. No one at Hogwart's, or anywhere else for that matter. They were going to pretend it didn't happen."
"Did they know you heard them?" Ron asked.
Cho nodded in disgust.
"I was a fool, too busy trying to hear what they were saying to pay attention to what was going on around me. Several ministers that are always very close to Thurston came up behind me, asking what I thought I was doing. I tried to make it look as though I'd just arrived, to ask Mr. Thurston a question, but they didn't believe me. They made enough of a clamor for Thurston and the other minister to come into the hall. I wouldn't admit I'd overheard anything, but all of them knew. To tell you the truth, I was a bit taken aback they let me walk away from there. But I wasn't going to push my luck. I sent that letter to you and left as quickly as possible."
"Then why didn't I get the letter until a week ago?" Harry wondered aloud.
"I'd like to know that too," Cho replied.
"Well I'd like to know a great deal more than just that!" Hermione spoke up. "How about why didn't Cho's parents realize something was wrong? Why were they acting so strangely? Why did Menetor and Fenestraal both go after her and why does Voldemort want her dead?"
Cho paled noticeably at Hermione's last question and sank back into the chair. Hermione blushed and looked at the floor.
"I didn't mean it to come out like that." she trailed off, unable to meet Cho's eyes or face the glare Harry was giving her.
"No matter how much we may not want to face this," Dumbledore spoke softly, "Miss Granger's questions are all very valid. It does in fact seem a bit too strange that Voldemort would go after Miss Chang without a reason."
A thoughtful silence fell over the room, until Ron cleared his throat.
"Er.I don't know how to say this, but.he wouldn't do it just to.um.well, to."
"Hurt Harry?" Sirius asked, guessing exactly where the question was going.
"Yes," Ron whispered, staring at his shoes.
Harry had been wondering this all along, but didn't want to voice his concern; it would make it too real. Now that it had been done, however, he couldn't even bring himself to look at Cho. Why did this keep happening to him? Could anyone ever be close to him without putting themselves in danger?
"I wouldn't put it past Voldemort to do something so horribly cruel as that," Dumbledore said grimly. "However, if that was his intention, then I would think he would have had Menetor take care of that horrible deed at the cabin. Did he say anything to you Miss Chang? Anything that might help us figure this out."
Cho sat up slowly, nodding her head.
"He wanted to know if I was the defender. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, but he did.didn't believe." she trailed off, and was shaking terribly. Harry immediately pulled her close to him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"It's alright," he murmured. "You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
"It hurt more than anything I've ever felt before," she continued, trying to keep her voice under control, "I thought my head would burst from the pain.no matter how many times I told him I didn't know.or asked him to explain.he just wouldn't!" she cried, bringing her hand up to her face, she buried her head in Harry's neck, and wept.
Harry looked helplessly at Cho, he knew at that moment he would die before letting anyone try to harm her ever again. Feeling anger rising within him, he raised his head to look at Sirius, Gazten and Dumbledore.
"What can we do to stop these things?" he asked. "How do we fight them?"
Dumbledore stood slowly, and moved to the center of the room.
"Mr. Potter, we are all upset and angry over what has happened, but no one is going to be rushing into any fights. When more is known about the Entities we will tell you everything you will need to defend yourself. All the students will have to be prepared for any possibility."
"I don't think there are going to be any attacks on the school, not yet anyway," Gazten spoke up.
"What makes you so sure of that?" Sirius asked, looking disbelievingly at her. "Menetor seemed quite anxious to take the port key here if it would lead him to Harry. Not to mention it seems they're looking for Cho as well, and both of them are right here."
"I realize that," Gazten replied evenly. "But if they were going to attack the school they would have already. No, they're looking for something else.and they're not going to make their move until they've found it."
"So what, we just wait for them to get their information together before we worry about any of this? I don't think that's the best idea." Sirius spoke, condescendingly.
"No," Gazten said, now a bit annoyed. "We need to find out what they want to know, get the answers they're looking for before they do. I'm not saying we can all relax either, it's quite possibly they will try to get Harry or Cho out of the school and hold them until they have the information they're looking for."
Harry felt very confused and had the distinct impression Gazten knew more than she was letting on.
"What are you talking about?" Sirius exclaimed. "We're going to base everything on your assumption that they're not going to make a move until they have more answers? Answers to what?"
Gazten hesitated for a moment, looking indecisive. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again quickly, and shrugged.
"I don't know, if I did, we'd be one step ahead of them, wouldn't we?"
"If that's even what they're." Sirius began.
"That's quite enough, both of you," Dumbledore interceded, giving them a pointed look. "We can discuss this later."
Harry looked at his godfather, who clearly did not want to end this conversation, but wasn't going to argue with the headmaster. Gazten on the other hand looked more than relieved Dumbledore hadn't asked her to explain further.
"I need to talk to my parents," Cho spoke up suddenly, startling Harry. "I need to make sure they're okay. Someone must've."
"Miss Chang, we will contact your parents together, I promise you," Dumbledore said kindly.
"They should be fine," Gazten said, giving Cho a reassuring smile. "It sounds like they were only being used to stall Sirius and Marzia, no harm was done to them."
Harry didn't know why, but he believed Gazten. She wasn't there to see what had happened but yet somehow what she was saying felt like it was the truth. Sirius, however, was glaring suspiciously at her, obviously feeling very much the opposite.
Cho simply nodded.
"I think you need to rest," Harry said quietly to her. "I'm sure you're parents are fine, and you can talk to them tomorrow morning."
She looked up to meet his eyes, smiling gratefully, before turning to the headmaster. "Um.is it alright that I stay here?"
Dumbledore chuckled, lightly.
"My dear child, I wouldn't have you go anywhere else. Of course you will be staying here, until this situation is under control, I insist on it."
Cho smiled and nodded, thanking the headmaster, who nodded once in return.
"I will have a room prepared for you now, it will be ready when you arrive," Dumbledore said.
"Is it alright if I walk her there?" Harry asked, knowing how no one seemed to like the idea of him walking alone in the corridors.
Sirius looked as if he were going to forbid this, but the pleading look Harry was giving him was enough to make him give in.
"You are to stay in the room with her until I come to get you, understood? I don't mind you going together but you're not coming back alone." Sirius said, trying to sound authoritative but smiling just the same.
Harry grinned, widely.
"I promise," he replied.
Helping Cho to her feet, he told his friends he'd meet them back in the common room, before the two of them exited the office together and headed off towards the guest rooms.
For a few moments, they held hands and walked in silence. Harry kept glancing at Cho, incredibly relieved at how well she looked now, when just over two hours ago she was pale and limp. Suddenly he realized he was staring at her, and she had caught him doing so. He lowered his eyes, feeling his face flush, as she giggled softly.
"It's okay you know, you can look at me," she said, giving his hand a light squeeze.
"I know," Harry said with a small grin, bringing his head up to meet her gaze. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her smile. It had always been the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked at last, searching her eyes; needing to hear her say it.
Cho nodded slightly.
"I'm not in pain anymore," she said quietly. "Though I'm so confused about what's happening. Do you think Dumbledore will be able to find anything out soon?"
"I hope so," Harry said, uncertainly. "It's just that every time we think we know what's going on.some new problem presents itself. This time, it's the Entities."
Cho shuddered, involuntarily and moved closer to Harry. He put his arm around her, drawing her into his warmth, comforting her.
"We have to find out who the defender is," she said after a brief silence. "That's who Menetor was looking for, who he thought I was. But a defender of what?"
Harry shook his head.
"I don't know. What bothers me is why did he only try and question you about it? Fenestraal never mentioned anything about a defender to you, but tried to kill you. Now if they truly don't work together, than Menetor would never have told her what he'd been told. So if they really needed information they thought you had, why would she poison you and never try to find it out?"
Cho didn't have an answer; she shook her head in confusion and sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. They finished the walk without any more talking and reached the guest rooms. Harry didn't want to think about the last time he was here, only a week ago. The large door opened as soon as they were in front of it, and Harry moved aside, allowing Cho to enter first, before stepping in behind her.
"Which room did he say I'm in?" Cho asked, looking around uncertainly.
"He just said one would be made up for you.so I guess we have to look," Harry replied. He headed for the first doorway, Cho close behind him. As he reached out his hand for the latch, he stopped abruptly, every muscle in his body going tense. The latch was slowly turning itself. Harry stepped back, pulling out his wand and Cho did the same. Slowly, they watched and waited, as the door swung open.
The door opened fully and Harry held his breath, not knowing who or what to expect. However, he let it out in a sigh of relief when he saw who stepped out.
"Dobby!" He and Cho exclaimed, very happy to see him.
"Harry Potter!" Dobby cried excitedly, racing forward and throwing his arms forcefully around Harry's knees in a fierce hug.
Harry twirled his arms slightly; unable to move his legs to catch his balance and Cho grabbed an arm to steady him.
"You know, in hindsight, I should've expected that," he whispered to her, rolling his eyes. She stifled a laugh as Dobby released Harry and looked up at them.
"Hello Harry Potter's friend Cho!" he said pleasantly as he noticed her.
"Hello Dobby," Cho replied smiling.
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked him, putting his wand back into his robes.
"Professor Dumbledore asked Dobby to prepare a guest room and Dobby did as he was asked," he replied, proudly.
"Thank you Dobby," Cho said. "That's the room I'm staying in."
The small house elf looked up at her with delight, quite happy to have prepared the room for someone Harry considered important. The three of them stood in an awkward silence for a brief moment, until Harry cleared his throat.
"Well," he began, "It's getting late."
"And I'm sure you must be tired after tidying up the guest room," Cho continued, looking at Dobby. "You probably want to get some sleep."
"Dobby isn't tired!" the house elf exclaimed, laughing, as if the very idea of sleep were simply ridiculous. "House elves no not sleep as much as masters do!" he explained.
"Oh," Harry said. "You must get a lot accomplished because of that."
Dobby nodded emphatically.
"Yes, yes!" he said. "And now Dobby is going to see what he can do to help the in the kitchen."
As if on cue, Harry felt a rumbling in his stomach and remembered he had not eaten since breakfast. Glancing at Cho, he saw she was just as hungry as he.
"Um.Dobby?" Harry started. "I know dinner is over.but if it wouldn't be too much trouble.could I ask you to."
"Harry Potter and his friend is hungry?" Dobby asked, seeing the two of them holding their stomachs. "Dobby will be happy to bring food!" he exclaimed, bouncing on his feet and clapping his hands. Harry couldn't help but laugh over how much excitement the little elf got out of doing chores, especially when they were for him. He watched as Dobby scampered to the door and out into the hall, before turning to face Cho.
"Well, shall we then?" he asked, gesturing towards the door to her room. Stepping ahead of her, he pushed the door open and stood to the side, allowing her to enter first.
"Thank you kind sir," she said playfully as she passed him.
"Wow," Harry said, pulling the door shut behind him, "this is really nice. Much nicer than the last one I was in, at least," he said with a shudder.
"What do you mean?" Cho asked. "What's happened?"
Harry looked at her for a moment; just now realizing Cho knew nothing about the actual attack by the dementors or the incident with Percy.
"Here, we'd better sit down," he began, taking her gently by the arm and leading her to the couch. "There's a lot to explain."
Harry told Cho all that had happened since he last wrote to her, stopping only when Dobby came to deliver their dinner. They both thanked him, very grateful to him for going out of his way. He left them to their meal, very proud of himself for what he'd done.
When Harry finished his story, ending with the discussion in Dumbledore's office on the morning after Halloween, the food was almost completely gone and they were both more than full.
"I can't believe this," Cho mused as she sat back in the cushy sofa.
"You're not the only one," Harry said grimly, shaking his head in disgust. "We can't keep playing these games and following the little traps Voldemort sets up. He's using people, using my friends, just to get to me. I'd rather face him than have anyone hurt in my place."
"Don't think like that," Cho said sitting up, placing a hand gently on his arm. "What choice do we have but to figure out what his plan is? There's no way we're going to beat him if we don't know how."
"Well.I can think of one way," Harry said in a low voice.
Cho looked at him, worried, waiting for him to continue.
"If it looks like we're not gonna win this time, which is seeming more and more like what's going to happen, I can turn myself over to him."
"Harry." Cho began fretfully, "You can't just."
"Think about it!" he cut her off. "I'm the one he wants. If I give up, he'll stop going after all of you. You'll be safe, free to do what you want without any fear that someone's going to come after you.or try to kill you.because of me."
"I will never let you do it," Cho said with angry determination. "You really think he'd just leave everyone alone after he got you? No! He'd keep terrorizing every innocent person that crossed his path. That's what he was doing before he lost his powers. What makes you think he isn't going to do the same exact thing?"
Harry looked at her, feeling confusion and fear. He could never allow anyone to harm any of his friends ever again, but what she was saying was true.
"The only way to keep everyone safe is to make sure he never gets his hands on you again," Cho continued, in a more soothing voice now. "We have to take his power away, but this time for good."
"But how can we do that?" Harry asked dejectedly. "The only reason he lost his powers last time, is because my.my mother.died." he broke off, feeling a lump in his throat, but he wasn't going to cry, not in front of Cho. He had to stay strong.
"Harry," Cho said sadly, "I know we've never talked much about your parents, and I know the reason why. And while it probably doesn't mean very much now, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to comprehend what you're feeling, but I'm always here if you need anyone to talk to.or just to be with." she trailed off as he raised his eyes to meet hers.
Leaning forward, Harry pulled Cho into his embrace, holding her tight to him. He was overcome with emotions, worrying about her safety, wanting only to protect her. She pulled back slightly, moving her face close to his, their lips met, and they kissed. Gently at first, but slowly becoming passionate. It would have continued for a long time, had they not heard someone enter the room. Pulling away from one another abruptly, they looked towards the door.
Sirius cleared his throat, smiling widely at Harry.
"Sorry to interrupt.no make that very sorry," he laughed. "But it's getting late and I'm afraid you'll have to end your visit here."
Harry nodded at his godfather, wanting to stay, but knowing it would not be allowed. Leaning back towards Cho, he kissed her one more time.
"Good night," he whispered softly into her ear before he stood to go.
"Sweet dreams," she replied, not letting go of his hand until the last possible second. Their fingertips brushed as Harry finally turned away, heading to the door. Sirius shook his head, smiling knowingly, before exiting the room. Harry stepped out a moment later, shutting the door softly behind him.
For a few moments, they walked in silence, Harry thinking about all of the day's events, but looked up as he heard Sirius speak.
"Well done," his godfather said, a proud look on his face. "You truly are your father's son." Harry laughed, a real laugh. Here they were in what was probably going to be the hardest time of any of their lives, and he was feeling only happiness at that moment. He loved Cho; he knew it in his soul. Being with her made him happier than anything else in the world. Having her back in the school, where they were always near to each other, only comforted him more, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances.
"Yes your father never was one to disappoint a lady, of course he had one of the best instructors in the world," Sirius said, looking smugly at his godson.
"Who, Remus?" Harry asked, forcing a puzzled expression.
"Oooh.I'll remember that," Sirius said, playfully jabbing Harry in the ribs.
"Hey!" Harry exclaimed laughing and moving to block his godfather. "Well who else would he learn it from?" he asked, refusing to let up. "I mean, from what I've heard Remus always was a hit with the ladies." he trailed off, completely enjoying the look of horror on Sirius' face.
"I bet Remus was the one to tell you that too, wasn't he? C'mon out with it.that liar, I'm going to have a little talk with him."
Harry doubled over in laughter, watching Sirius get all worked up. He opened his mouth to egg him on further, when he saw something move further up the hall. For a moment he froze, unable to see clearly in the shadows, but relaxed almost immediately after, seeing the familiar form for the third time that evening.
"Dobby," Harry said as they came closer to each other. "Where are you off to now?"
Looking as excited as ever about being in Harry's presence, the house elf answered.
"Dobby needs to pick up trays from Harry Potter's dinner. Is okay?" he asked.
"Yes it's okay," Harry replied, nodding. "Thank you again for bringing it to us, we really appreciate it."
"No, no, no.it is Dobby's pleasure," he replied quickly, putting up his little arms. "Is there anything else Harry Potter wishes of Dobby?" he asked, wide-eyed.
"No Dobby, but thank you," Harry said, smiling. He moved aside, letting the house elf pass and began walking with Sirius again, when suddenly an idea struck him.
"Dobby!" he called, spinning around and trotting back the way he'd just come.
Dobby turned instantly upon hearing his name, waiting eagerly for whatever Harry had to say to him.
"There is one thing I'd like you to do, if you can," Harry said, kneeling down so he was at eye-level with the short elf.
"Dobby will be happy to do whatever Harry Potter wishes of him," he said anxiously.
"You said you don't get much sleep and that you were probably just going to help out in the kitchen. If they really don't need you there, it would mean a lot to me if you could watch over Cho. You know, like guard her room, make sure she's safe. Would you do that for me?" he asked, hopefully. He was never sure exactly how strong Dobby's powers were, but he never forgot him blasting Lucius Malfoy down the stairs at the end of his second year. Hermione had told him they knew a great deal of powerful magic as well.
"Dobby would be honored to do this for Harry Potter!" he said, breathlessly. Harry smiled widely at the house elf.
"Thank you," he said meaningfully, nodding once. He stood up slowly, and watched Dobby run off to attend to his new task, before heading back to where Sirius stood waiting for him.
"He really admires you," Sirius commented as they were walking side by side again. "Though he can be overly dramatic at times," he laughed.
Harry grinned.
"I know, but I don't think he realizes it."
"Well, the important thing is you don't take advantage of him. He would do anything for you and you know it. Some people in your situation would love to have that opportunity."
"But, what about people who own house elves?" Harry asked. "Don't they have the same chance?"
"Not exactly," Sirius said, sounding doubtful. "They have control to the point where the house elf is a servant, but they can't force them to use their magic for other things. That is always up to the elf."
"Oh," Harry said, still a bit confused, but feeling he was too tired to really understand clearly. By the time they reached the portrait of the fat lady he was yawning regularly, and could only think of his bed. Saying goodnight to Sirius, he entered the common room, and headed straight for the stairs. Once in his dorm, he changed quickly and climbed comfortably between the soft sheets, falling almost immediately into a deep slumber.
The next day, Harry awoke to silence. Slowly, he forced himself into a sitting position, wanting badly to slump back into the comfortable pillow, but he also wanted to see Cho. Reaching over to the bedside table, he grabbed his glasses and pocket watch. It was just past 10 am, still enough time to have breakfast with her. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stood up, and headed for his closet. After changing quickly, he headed down to the common room, looking for his friends.
"Morning Harry!" Ron smiled catching sight of his friend. "We were just heading down to breakfast, you want to come?" he asked.
"Hey Ron," Harry said pleasantly. "I'll meet you guys there, I want to see Cho first."
"How is she?" Hermione asked, stepping up next to Ron.
"She's much better health-wise," Harry answered. "But very shaken up over all that's happened, and I can't say I blame her. I want to know what's going on, and who this 'defender' is."
He looked at his friend's worried expressions, and sighed.
"Well for right now I'm just going to see her, like I said I'll meet you in the great hall," he said turning away.
As the portrait closed behind him, Harry shook his head sadly. He wanted to go back in time, back to when life was simpler. No, he thought ironically, life had never been simple. Before he knew he was a wizard he'd get in trouble for things he didn't do, only now he knew he actually was the cause of them, however indirectly. Then he finally escaped the misery that was the Dursley's, only to find out he was a famous wizard ever since he was 1 year old, and the dark wizard he'd defeated wanted his revenge.
Sighing inwardly, he walked on until he reached the guest rooms, saying the password and stepping into the hallway beyond.
Dobby, true to his word, was standing upright, just in front of Cho's door. When he saw Harry, his eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.
"Hello Dobby," Harry said cheerfully as the house elf beamed at him.
"Dobby did as Harry Potter asked! Dobby did stand here all night!"
"I see that," Harry smiled, "Thank you, I truly mean it."
If it was possible for house elves to blush, than that's what Dobby was doing. He lowered his eyes as his cheeks darkened and Harry had to stifle a laugh. He didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it looked rather comical.
"Okay, I'm gonna go inside there now, but maybe I'll see you later?" Harry asked.
"Yes, yes! Dobby will come again tonight!" Dobby said excitedly. He hugged Harry around the legs, but not quite so fiercely this time, before turning away and scampering out the door. Harry chuckled watching the small house elf go, before grabbing the handle and pushing the door open.
The room was quite dim, the curtains were all pulled and the candles were out. As quietly as possible, Harry tiptoed across the room to the bedroom door. Slowly he turned the latch until hearing the click, before nudging the door inward. He could see Cho, fast asleep in the bed on the far side of the room, and quietly slipped in. As he came up to the side of the bed, he couldn't help but stare. She looked beautiful. Her long dark hair was splayed everywhere, over the pillow, on her shoulder and across her face. He reached down and gently brushed it away from her soft skin. She didn't even flinch, still in a deep sleep. He decided it would be best to let her stay that way, not wanting to disturb her. Stepping backwards, he made his way again to the door, and shut it quietly behind him.
"That was quick. What, Cho wasn't hungry?" Ron asked as Harry sat down across from him at the Gryffindor table.
"Nah, she's still asleep," Harry replied as his plate filled up in front of him. "I didn't want to wake her, she probably really needs it."
"I believe it," Hermione spoke up from next to Ron.
"I told her everything," Harry continued. "Everything that happened with the Dementors, Percy, Neville, Gazten.everything."
"Even about." Hermione began, looking around cautiously, "about Lunis?"
Harry nodded.
"She already knew about it, but I told her what I left out of the letter."
"How did she take it?" Hermione asked.
"We didn't get to talk much about it last night," Harry replied. "It was too late by the time we finished dinner, which is why I wanted to see her this morning." he trailed off, pulling out his watch.
"You've been here for all of five minutes Harry," Ron said with a laugh, "take it easy. You have all day to talk to her."
Harry looked up sheepishly.
"I know, I just really want to."
"Hey," a voice from behind him said. Harry turned to see Mel stop at his side. "How are you? Is your girlfriend alright?" she asked.
"How do you know about that?" Ron asked, confused.
"I was with Mel yesterday when Hermione told me about Cho," Harry explained quickly, before turning back around. "Yes, she's much better, thank you," he smiled. Mel nodded.
"Great, that's wonderful."
Harry slid over a bit, gesturing with his hands to the empty space next to him.
"Do you want to sit? Have you eaten yet?"
Mel took the seat, thanking Harry.
"Yes I did, I only came over here to make sure everything was okay. You looked so upset yesterday." she trailed off.
Harry lowered his gaze, somewhat embarrassed.
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," he said. "Just glad everything turned out okay."
Mel smiled, and opened her mouth to speak again, when another voice interrupted.
"Harry, it's almost 11 o'clock!" Ron said, standing up. "We've got quidditch practice today."
Harry laughed to himself.
"Well, we better get going then, can't believe I forgot about that."
He turned to Mel.
"Sorry to cut this short again, maybe I'll run into you on your next trip to the owlery," he joked.
"Yeah we do seem to meet up there a lot, don't we?" she asked, smiling. "Have fun!"
Harry waved as he and Ron headed for the door. Quidditch practice was just what he needed right now, as good a way as any for getting his mind off things. Quickly grabbing their brooms from the dorm, they left the school and headed down to the pitch.
"Great job guys," Harry told the rest of the team as they set down on the ground after a long practice session. "We're set to win the match against Ravenclaw in two weeks, no problem. You've got the techniques we've practiced down pat, just a bit more fine tuning and it's in the bag."
"Now all we have to worry about is that new seeker," Ginny commented as they began heading back up to the school.
"Sara Delix, it's her first year playing, but I've heard she's really good," Ron added.
"She is really good," came a familiar voice from behind them.
"Cho," Harry said, turning around and smiling. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to watch your practice. I ran into Hermione and she told me where you were," she replied before turning to the others. "Hey Ron, hey Ginny," she said nodding.
"So what do you know about her?" Ron asked, eager for anything that might help against the opposition.
"Well she's been our reserve seeker since her second year, I always practiced with her and really I don't know which of us was better. She caught the snitch just as many times as I did, and she practices every chance she gets."
"Wow," Harry said quietly, "and you weren't easy to beat to the snitch either. This might be tougher than I thought."
"Ravenclaw's your first match I take it?" Cho asked. The three of them nodded in unison. "Hmmm.who to root for.tough one." she said, stroking her chin and looking at Harry teasingly. She had to stifle a laugh at the hurt expression on his face.
"Oh stop.crybaby," she said elbowing him playfully. "You know I'm cheering for Gryffindor."
Harry smiled contentedly as they went inside.
Ron and Ginny headed off for the tower to put their brooms away, Harry and Cho followed, but at a slower pace.
"I have to go meet Professor Dumbledore," Cho said as they walked through the halls. "We're going to try and get in touch with my parents."
"That's great," Harry said, "I'll come with you."
"No, no," Cho said apologetically. "Thank you, but not this time. I don't know what's going on with them and for right now, I want to have as few people there as possible. I actually wanted to go to their house, but Dumbledore didn't think it would be safe for me to do that yet. So for now, I'm just gonna talk to them."
"Okay," Harry said, "whatever you think is best. Can we meet later on?" he asked.
Cho smiled.
"Yes, definitely. How about I meet you for dinner, in the great hall? I really want to talk about what you told me last night. If that's okay."
"Of course it is," Harry smiled. "I'll see you later then."
Cho nodded and turned away, heading towards Dumbledore's office eagerly. Harry wanted to be there with her, but if she wanted to do this alone, he wasn't going to stop her. And if anything she found out was upsetting, he'd be there for her when she returned.
As he entered the common room the first thing he noticed was a large crowd of students hovering around something on the wall to the left. Spotting Ron and Hermione in their usual corner, he moved around the crowd and to the back of the room.
"What's going on?" he asked as he reached his friends.
"Looks like there's another Yule Ball," Hermione said, gesturing to the group of students who were slowly dispersing back through the room. Harry could now see an announcement tacked to the wall. The ball would be on Christmas Night.
"Which means," Ron began, sighing, "There's gonna be a lot more students here over the holiday then usual."
"You say that like it's bad thing," Hermione said.
"Well it is, I enjoy being in the school without running into Malfoy."
"Maybe he won't go this year," Harry suggested sliding into one of the chairs.
"One can only hope," Ron muttered before looking over at his friend. "So will you be asking Cho.seeing as she'll most likely be here for Christmas."
"Yes," Harry said, smiling. As much as he hated what had happened to bring Cho here, it would be nice to have her at his side for the last dance he'd attend as a student.
"Did you hear that?" Hermione asked, looking pointedly at Ron. "He said 'yes'.he's going to ask her. You might want to follow his lead."
"Oh come off it Hermione, why should I when.?"
"Because it's polite.and I want you to," she replied.
Ron rolled his eyes as Harry looked back and forth between them, questioningly.
"Did I miss something?" he asked.
"Hermione thinks I should ask her to the dance," Ron explained. "But if she's really my girlfriend, as she claims to be, then why ask? Everyone expects we're going together anyway."
Harry looked at Ron in amazement, shaking his head.
"I'm warning you Ronald Weasley," Hermione began, "I'm going with the first person to ask me.whether it's you or not."
Ron looked at her, annoyed before turning to Harry.
"Is Cho like this? You see what I have to put up with?"
"Asking your girlfriend to a dance is not the worst thing I could request of you," Hermione snapped.
"Okay," Harry said holding up his hands defensively and standing. "I'm staying out of this one. You two fight it out; I'll be upstairs.doing.something." he said stepping backwards. Turning around quickly, he headed straight for the stairs and up to his dorm. Ron and Hermione could fight about the stupidest things, and he'd learned early on, the worst thing he could do would be to side with one of them, so he politely declined to offer his opinion when things started heating up, and usually ended up exactly where he was now.
Having a few hours still before dinner, Harry decided to get some homework done. He hadn't started on it yet after what had happened the day before, and didn't want to be up too late having to get it finished. Pulling his trunk open, he began to take out his books, before settling down and getting to work.
The hours passed quickly and as Harry was finishing his paper for history of magic he looked at his watch to see dinner started over ten minutes ago. Stacking his books on top of one another, he tossed them into his trunk before heading downstairs.
When he reached the great hall, he found his friends already there, along with Cho. Oblivious to the eyes of the other students that always seemed to hone in on him no matter where he was, he made his way to the seat they'd saved for him at the Gryffindor table.
"Thanks for telling me you guys were leaving," he said sardonically sitting next to Cho and throwing a pointed look at Ron and Hermione.
"Sorry," Ron muttered not taking his eyes off his plate.
Harry looked back and forth between his friends, disbelievingly. How could they still be arguing about this? He shook his head, sighing inaudibly, before turning to Cho.
"So, did you speak with your parents? Is everything alright?" Harry asked.
"Well.I spoke with them, yes, using the floo network. Talking to people's heads in the fireplace always gave me the creeps," she shivered. "My parents seemed fine, but I know something's not right."
"What happened?" Hermione said, looking up in interest.
"They can't remember Sirius and Marzia's visit. No recollection whatsoever. They also still can't see anything wrong with my room, but I have no way of knowing if it's still a mess or not. I wish I could just go there." she trailed off sadly.
Harry leaned over, putting his arm around Cho's back and pulling her closer.
"Listen," he said quietly. "Whoever did this to your parents doesn't seem to want them hurt. More likely, they don't want them to interfere. I don't think they're going to be harmed."
"But we can't be sure!" Cho exclaimed, hopelessly. "Not without being there to see for ourselves." she trailed off.
"Did Dumbledore say he'd do anything about it?" Ron asked.
Cho shrugged and nodded slowly.
"He said he'd be going out to talk to them, but I don't know if it'll do any good. It's obvious someone's controlling them and he won't be able to find out any more than that person wants them to know," she paused before continuing in a harsher tone. "We need to find out who's doing this."
"Believe me I couldn't agree with you more," Harry said soothingly. "And trust Dumbledore, he'll do everything he can to help your parents."
Cho sighed quietly.
"I know, I'm just worried." she trailed off.
"You're not alone," Hermione said grimly.
An awkward silence fell over them as no one was quite sure what to say next. Everyone sat picking at their food in silence until Harry couldn't take it anymore, he looked over at Cho and decided it was time to get out of there.
"So, did you still have those questions about last night.we can't talk here because too many people might over hear." he said in a low voice.
"We can go back to the guest rooms," Cho said, brightening a little.
"Let's go," Harry said, already beginning to stand. Ron and Hermione watched him help Cho out of her seat as she looked at them uncertainly.
"Um.did you two want to come?" she asked, not wanting to be rude.
"Sure," Ron said standing up, only to find himself back in the seat a second later, Hermione having pulled him down. Ignoring his angry glare, she turned to the others.
"You go on," she said to Cho and a very grateful looking Harry. "We'll talk with you later."
Harry quickly escorted Cho towards the door, not wanting to hear the argument that was sure to follow.
"Ron and Hermione seem to be a little.upset with one another," Cho commented as they reached her room at last.
"What else is new?" Harry asked rolling his eyes and holding the door open for her. "They'll get through it.eventually," he said as they went to the couch and sat down. "So, what did you want to know then?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Well, for starters, how is Percy doing? Are Arthur and Molly okay?"
"Percy still isn't talking," Harry said glumly. "But physically he seems fine. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came as soon as Dumbledore contacted them. They stayed for a few days too. I know Mr. Weasley went back to work because at the time we didn't want to report anything to the ministry until we knew where you were. Mrs. Weasley still comes by every day though. They're both very shaken up over it, and I don't blame them at all."
Cho nodded her agreement before speaking again.
"What about Wormtail? You haven't heard anything from him since you told him to get out that last time?"
"Not a word," Harry replied. "I'm actually wondering if he's found a way around the whole predicament we were in."
"Have you tried summoning him again?" she asked. Harry shook his head quickly.
"No way, and I'm not going to either. Personally I'm quite happy with it this way."
"But what if you need his help again?" Cho asked.
"If I do I'll try to summon him then, but I don't see a reason to now. If he's not gonna come, he's not gonna come, and knowing that won't change the fact."
Cho looked like she wanted to argue the matter, but instead just shook her head and continued on.
"Have you found out anything more about Neville then? Can we trust him.and Gazten?"
"I think we can." Harry said carefully. "He said I'd find out what was going on, and unless something happens that makes it seem as if he's lying, I'm gonna keep his secret.for now."
"Do you think.?" Cho began, trailing off.
"What?" Harry prompted her.
Cho sighed.
"Well, I know this might sound silly, but after the way you said he acted that night with Percy.do you think he's the defender Menetor was asking about?"
Harry sat back in the chair, considering.
"I don't know," he said at last. "I mean, is the defender supposed to be defending something in particular? Or just anyone who needs help? We need to find out more about him or her before we can be sure if it's Neville or not."
"I agree," Cho said quickly, "but it is a bit odd that someone who isn't very adept at learning even simple spells suddenly knows how to defend against magic he's supposedly never seen before."
"Okay, okay, I get your point." Harry said, holding up his hands defensively. "You're right, it would make sense that he's the defender. But how do we make sure."
"Why don't you ask him?" Cho suggested matter-of-factly.
Harry laughed.
"He wasn't exactly very forthcoming with information, so unless he wants me to know, he won't tell me."
"Alright, so we don't ask him.for now." she said quietly. For the next half hour, she asked several more questions, mostly having to do with Lunis, clearing up the details she didn't catch the night before, wanting to make sure she understood as much as possible about the unique power. When she finally had nothing left to ask, the two of them sat on the couch, very close together, enjoying the silence and each other's company.
Peering at his watch, Harry saw it was getting late and shifted slightly so she'd know he was getting up.
"Leaving?" she asked looking a bit sad, not wanting him to go.
"I don't want to," Harry said quickly. "But if I don't get back to the dorm and this news reaches Sirius, you know he's gonna send out the search parties. If he finds I've been here while he's worried sick, roaming the halls, I'm in deep and we both know it."
Cho couldn't help but laugh at how seriously Harry said this.
"Well it's true," he said, blushing a little.
"Oh I know," Cho said, smiling. "And he's right, I don't want you getting detention.or worse, because of me. So go on, get goin'" she said waving her hands towards the door.
"Good night," Harry said softly, leaning over and kissing Cho once, before forcing himself to stand. He began to walk across to the door, when suddenly he remembered something he'd wanted to ask her, and spun around.
"Um, Cho? There's one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.before I go," he said, suddenly feeling uncertain.
"Sure Harry, what is it?" she asked pleasantly, looking curiously at him.
"Well, I know you're probably going to be here at the school for a while, and I was wondering." he began. "You see there's another Yule Ball this year, on Christmas night. I was thinking, since you're here.if you're still here then.maybe you'd like to go with me?" he asked, hopefully.
Cho smiled warmly, but an apologetic expression crossed her face.
"Oh Harry, I'd love to go with you.but I'm not a student here anymore, and I wouldn't feel right."
"Well.I know you're not.but I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't mind if." he began.
"No this has nothing to do with that," she interrupted. "I don't want to go to a dance right now. Like you said, I'm here for the moment, but this would be based on if I were still here in a month and a half. I don't want to ruin your chances of going with someone if I find out I can't be here last minute."
"I wouldn't mind." Harry tried to convince her, but Cho shook her head.
"No, I'd rather us not make those plans," she said. "Please don't be angry with me," she said standing up and crossing to where he stood.
"I'm not angry," Harry said, feeling rejection wash over him. He knew she hadn't done it to be mean, but he couldn't help feeling this way at the moment. "It's okay, maybe I won't go anyway.it'll just be Ron and Hermione arguing all night." he trailed off as she gently placed a hand on his cheek, pushing his face so he was looking directly at her.
"Listen to me," she began softly. "I want to be with you, very much so, but I just don't want to go to the dance. Don't take it as if I don't want to go with you, because that's not it at all, okay?"
He nodded, knowing she was telling the truth.
"And I think you should go," she continued. "Don't you dare sit in your common room all night and let everyone else have all the fun."
"Well isn't that what you're going to be doing?" Harry asked, smirking.
Cho sighed.
"If I'm even still here, I promise I'll stop down, alright?" she asked.
"Alright then," Harry said with a grin.
"Good, now that that's settled, you get back to your tower before you're out past curfew," she said pointing at the door.
"Sweet dreams, Cho," he said, kissing her briefly, before finally stepping through the door, and heading off to his dorm.
The weeks went by, blissfully uneventful, for Harry and his friends. They spent hours in the library researching any person, creature or otherwise that was ever known as a defender, but there were far too many references to cover them all in one school year.
Wormtail kept his silence still, for which Harry couldn't be happier, and he avoided the topic with Cho any time she seemed to try and bring it up. What does it matter if he's still around or not, he thought. If I know he isn't there, it's not going to change anything if I need him later on. One way or the other he won't come.
Dobby still kept watch on Cho's room and reported proudly to Harry each morning that she was safe.
As the quidditch match drew nearer, the Gryffindor team stayed out longer and longer, trying to get in as much practice as possible and sometimes barely making it back in before curfew.
On the day before the match, Harry awoke very early, before the sun had risen. Sitting up, he pulled the curtains back from around him and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table. No one else was up yet, as he expected. He wasn't too sure on why he'd woken so early, but felt no desire to go back to sleep, so sliding to the side of the bed, he stood up and changed quickly.
The common room was empty, which didn't come as any great surprise. So having nothing else to do, Harry went through the portrait hole and headed down to the great hall. He walked slowly, automatically taking one hallway after the next, barely paying attention to what was in front of him, lost in his thoughts. As a result, he turned a corner quickly, barely missing a collision with the person walking the opposite direction.
"Oh, sorry about that Harry, guess I wasn't paying attention," Marzia said, taking a step back.
"No it's my fault too," Harry shrugged, grinning. "I should've looked where I was going."
"Got a lot on your mind?" she asked, knowingly.
Harry sighed, lightly.
"You could say that," he replied, before giving her a questioning look. "Why are you up so early?"
"It's my job, kiddo. I patrol the school with your godfather, remember?"
"Just the two of you?" Harry asked, thinking that was a lot of ground to cover for just two people.
"Well the faculty helps as well, we all take turns. With times as they are right now, there's really no other choice."
Harry nodded miserably.
"I know." he said quietly.
"Hey, hold on a minute," Marzia said, reaching out a hand and putting it under his chin. She lifted his face until their eyes met.
"Don't Harry," she began, firmly. "Things are not going to be easy for you, no one's going to kid you about that. But if you let yourself wallow in misery and depression, it will make things much, much harder.not to mention you'll be more vulnerable."
Harry nodded, unconvincingly, and Marzia just shook her head.
"Okay, let's talk about something else, no more of this depressing stuff," she said, cheerfully.
"Actually," Harry began, "there is something I wanted to talk to you about."
Everyone looked to Gazten, waiting for the answer.
"That's because no doctor, or any other witch or wizard from this realm, would be able to catch it. This type of poison is hidden so well, you'd never know it was there by any amount of testing. The only way it's able to be discovered is by scent, and even then only if you know the scent."
"Can you help her?" Harry asked Gazten anxiously, cutting Sirius off as he opened his mouth to reply.
"Yes," Gazten smiled reassuringly. "This poison is very slow-acting, and thankfully she's only been this way a few days."
Harry lifted Cho's limp, cold hand, and held it in both of his.
"Please do it," he whispered. "Please help her, now."
"Why is it that she was poisoned and we weren't," Sirius spoke up loudly before Gazten could make a move. "The three of us were all fighting against Menetor at one point or another."
"Menetor didn't do this," Gazten explained. "He's never one to use poison. He prefers physical attacks and torture above all else."
"You seem to know a lot about him." Sirius said, guardedly.
"That's because he's from Faerun."
"What about that girl?" Hermione spoke up, hesitantly. "I think it sounds a bit odd that she just sort of showed up when you needed her to." she trailed off as everyone became quiet and looked to her.
"What girl?" Gazten asked, immediately, her eyes flickering to Sirius.
"But she was helping us," Sirius said, hurriedly. "Why would she heal Marzia and I and poison Cho? That makes no sense."
"From what you said," Harry spoke up, somewhat testily, "Cho didn't seem to trust her very much." He was avoiding Sirius' eyes and hurt that his godfather seemed more concerned with proving Gazten wrong than helping Cho.
"What girl?" Gazten repeated, calmly.
Sirius lowered his head, realizing what he'd been doing.
"She was a young girl, maybe 13 or 14 years old, said she lived a short distance from Cho's cabin. Her name was Fern."
"Fern?" Gazten asked in alarm. "As in Fenestraal?"
Sirius looked up abruptly.
"How did you know.?"
"Did she touch you or Marzia?" Gazten asked, brushing off his question.
Sirius hesitated, trying to remember correctly.
"No." he said at last. "I don't recall that she did."
"But I bet she got to Cho," Gazten continued, looking back at the still form on the bed. "She's the one who did this."
Sirius stared at her for a moment, uncertainly.
"I think it would be best," Dumbledore spoke up after a period of silence, "that you take care of Miss Chang first, if you would Allison. Then we can discuss what has happened."
Less than an hour later, everyone except Marzia was sitting in Dumbledore's office. Gazten had healed Cho in much the same way she had done for Ron. The burns were completely gone from her wrists as if they'd never been there at all, and she felt well rested.
Harry had been too relieved to speak when he saw her awake and smiling at him. All he could do was take her in his arms and hold her.
Dumbledore had suggested, upon seeing Cho was indeed perfectly alright, that they adjourn to his office to discuss what had happened further. Due to the fact that Harry and the others had been present for Sirius' explanation, he thought it best they now hear what Gazten had to tell them. The best way to fight an enemy is to know as much as possible about them.
Marzia declined the invitation, respectfully, which seemed to surprise Sirius and it certainly did Harry. However, neither he nor Hermione failed to notice Ron's relief that she was leaving.
When the seven of them were settled into the office, Dumbledore spoke first.
"Allison, I'd like to hear everything you can tell us about Menetor and Fenestraal. I am familiar with both of those names, however I would very much like for you to explain what you know about them."
Gazten threw a brief glance around the room, before nodding at the headmaster.
"Menetor and Fenestraal are two of the six evil Entities. The Entities were once normal inhabitants of Faerun, whose powers surpassed the normal limits of our kind. Menetor is known as the Lord of Pain. He takes pleasure in the screams and pleas for mercy of his helpless victims. As you know, he's rather large, about twelve feet tall. He uses the whip more than any other hand-held weapon, but usually to capture a victim, rarely to use it on them. He has the power to cause you pain by getting into your mind, and can make you feel any form of torture he wishes. You will believe you're tied down to hot coals or that you're strung up by your thumbs several feet in the air, if he wishes you to believe it. The physical exhaustion you'll suffer when he's finished with you, is equal to what you'd experience if these things were truly done to you. Ruthless and cruel to his very soul, if he even has one."
Gazten paused for a moment, glancing around at the horrified expressions on the faces of the students, and briefly, at Sirius and Dumbledore, both of whom waited for her to continue.
"Fenestraal is known as the Lady of Disease. She can inflict any illness upon you by merely brushing up against you. Poisons are her favorite, however, especially those that are slow-acting. She takes the most pleasure in seeing a victim who knows there is something wrong with them, but can do nothing to stop it. Now she appeared to you as a little girl, which is one of her more common forms, though she does possess the ability to change. She usually will try to appear innocent and helpless, to keep her victims unsuspecting. If you see her carrying a weapon, it will most likely be a dagger, though she too rarely uses it on potential victims, preferring to leave them dying with any number of incurable afflictions."
"So those are the two we ran into," Sirius spoke up as she finished speaking. "But you said there were six Entities, right? Who and what are the others?"
"The others are just as powerful and just as dangerous. They are called Elri'kah, Rolisch'kah, Draam, and Saaneeraa. Elri'kah is the Lord of Destruction. Another very large one who likes to carry a great battle axe wherever he goes, and trust me, he likes to make use of it. In no way can he pass for human, as his skin is gray in color and he has two large horns on his head. Unlike the others, he prefers to do damage with his hands rather than use magic, but if it comes down to it, he can unleash such power that it will level a city."
"Rolisch'kah is the Lord of the Dark. Also unable to pass for a human, he is a pool of blackness that can take any shape, but never any form. The only part of him that isn't black are his two silver eyes. He doesn't use any weapon, as he prefers to use magic for anything he sets out to accomplish. One interesting fact, however, is he cannot stand even the smallest amount of light and sunlight especially, will diminish his powers greatly."
"Draam is the Lord of the Undead, usually appearing as a rotting body, with decaying flesh that sloughs off and renews. He carries a club, which he will not hesitate to use. His powers only take effect on those he has killed, as he is undead, himself. Once he has killed a victim, he has free reign over their soul and can use it in any way he wishes. He can also inhabit the bodies of those he's slaughtered."
"The last, and most dangerous, of the six Entities, is Saaneeraa, the Lady of Corruption or the Shadow Behind. Her desire is to control the lives of others through trickery and mental domination. She takes pleasure in causing pain by turning loved ones against one another, each of them believing something was said or done by the other, when it's only what she wanted them to believe."
Gazten paused here, taking a breath and looking around the room, finally resting her eyes on Harry.
"If Voldemort truly has allied himself with all six of these Entities, then you are in more danger than ever. Not one among them has the slightest concern for whom they may hurt to get to you either. The only thing in our favor is they are all enemies of one another, and will never work together even when their goal is a common one."
"If they're truly as powerful as you're telling us," Sirius spoke up, "then why haven't any of them attacked the school yet?"
"As I said, they refuse to work together, not even Voldemort can convince them to do so. Whether it's their own foolish pride or some other reason, this hatred goes back a very long way. If one of them seems to be getting close to their goal, one of the others will take time to try and prevent that from happening, rather than continuing with their own scheme. As for why they haven't attacked the school, well it seems at least one of them has, in a way. Percy Weasley was being controlled, something that each one of them has the power to do. The magic he was using against the boys, and what caused the burns on both Ron and Cho, can only be used by someone from Faerun, with very few exceptions."
"But why were they after Cho?" Harry asked looking at Gazten, before turning to face his girlfriend.
Cho stared back at Harry, looking indecisive.
"Miss Chang," Dumbledore spoke kindly. "We have yet to hear your part of this story, do you feel up to explaining it to us?"
Cho met Dumbledore's eyes evenly, then turned to face Harry. He gave her a reassuring nod, reaching out and taking her hands in his. Sighing softly, and looking down to the floor, Cho began to speak.
"I don't know how everything got out of hand like this. Just over a month ago, I happened to overhear Mr. Thurston having a hushed discussion with another man, whose voice I can only say belonged to another minister, though I'm not sure whose. I was only passing by; would have thought nothing of it and continued on my way, but he mentioned Harry's name, so I stopped. I couldn't hear everything as they were speaking in very low voices as it was, but what I managed to get out of it was the Dementors of Azkaban were no longer under the ministry's control, and that Voldemort had taken over the prison."
She paused looking deeply into Harry's eyes, before continuing.
"They knew, Harry. They knew he was sending them for you, and they weren't going to warn anyone. No one at Hogwart's, or anywhere else for that matter. They were going to pretend it didn't happen."
"Did they know you heard them?" Ron asked.
Cho nodded in disgust.
"I was a fool, too busy trying to hear what they were saying to pay attention to what was going on around me. Several ministers that are always very close to Thurston came up behind me, asking what I thought I was doing. I tried to make it look as though I'd just arrived, to ask Mr. Thurston a question, but they didn't believe me. They made enough of a clamor for Thurston and the other minister to come into the hall. I wouldn't admit I'd overheard anything, but all of them knew. To tell you the truth, I was a bit taken aback they let me walk away from there. But I wasn't going to push my luck. I sent that letter to you and left as quickly as possible."
"Then why didn't I get the letter until a week ago?" Harry wondered aloud.
"I'd like to know that too," Cho replied.
"Well I'd like to know a great deal more than just that!" Hermione spoke up. "How about why didn't Cho's parents realize something was wrong? Why were they acting so strangely? Why did Menetor and Fenestraal both go after her and why does Voldemort want her dead?"
Cho paled noticeably at Hermione's last question and sank back into the chair. Hermione blushed and looked at the floor.
"I didn't mean it to come out like that." she trailed off, unable to meet Cho's eyes or face the glare Harry was giving her.
"No matter how much we may not want to face this," Dumbledore spoke softly, "Miss Granger's questions are all very valid. It does in fact seem a bit too strange that Voldemort would go after Miss Chang without a reason."
A thoughtful silence fell over the room, until Ron cleared his throat.
"Er.I don't know how to say this, but.he wouldn't do it just to.um.well, to."
"Hurt Harry?" Sirius asked, guessing exactly where the question was going.
"Yes," Ron whispered, staring at his shoes.
Harry had been wondering this all along, but didn't want to voice his concern; it would make it too real. Now that it had been done, however, he couldn't even bring himself to look at Cho. Why did this keep happening to him? Could anyone ever be close to him without putting themselves in danger?
"I wouldn't put it past Voldemort to do something so horribly cruel as that," Dumbledore said grimly. "However, if that was his intention, then I would think he would have had Menetor take care of that horrible deed at the cabin. Did he say anything to you Miss Chang? Anything that might help us figure this out."
Cho sat up slowly, nodding her head.
"He wanted to know if I was the defender. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, but he did.didn't believe." she trailed off, and was shaking terribly. Harry immediately pulled her close to him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"It's alright," he murmured. "You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
"It hurt more than anything I've ever felt before," she continued, trying to keep her voice under control, "I thought my head would burst from the pain.no matter how many times I told him I didn't know.or asked him to explain.he just wouldn't!" she cried, bringing her hand up to her face, she buried her head in Harry's neck, and wept.
Harry looked helplessly at Cho, he knew at that moment he would die before letting anyone try to harm her ever again. Feeling anger rising within him, he raised his head to look at Sirius, Gazten and Dumbledore.
"What can we do to stop these things?" he asked. "How do we fight them?"
Dumbledore stood slowly, and moved to the center of the room.
"Mr. Potter, we are all upset and angry over what has happened, but no one is going to be rushing into any fights. When more is known about the Entities we will tell you everything you will need to defend yourself. All the students will have to be prepared for any possibility."
"I don't think there are going to be any attacks on the school, not yet anyway," Gazten spoke up.
"What makes you so sure of that?" Sirius asked, looking disbelievingly at her. "Menetor seemed quite anxious to take the port key here if it would lead him to Harry. Not to mention it seems they're looking for Cho as well, and both of them are right here."
"I realize that," Gazten replied evenly. "But if they were going to attack the school they would have already. No, they're looking for something else.and they're not going to make their move until they've found it."
"So what, we just wait for them to get their information together before we worry about any of this? I don't think that's the best idea." Sirius spoke, condescendingly.
"No," Gazten said, now a bit annoyed. "We need to find out what they want to know, get the answers they're looking for before they do. I'm not saying we can all relax either, it's quite possibly they will try to get Harry or Cho out of the school and hold them until they have the information they're looking for."
Harry felt very confused and had the distinct impression Gazten knew more than she was letting on.
"What are you talking about?" Sirius exclaimed. "We're going to base everything on your assumption that they're not going to make a move until they have more answers? Answers to what?"
Gazten hesitated for a moment, looking indecisive. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again quickly, and shrugged.
"I don't know, if I did, we'd be one step ahead of them, wouldn't we?"
"If that's even what they're." Sirius began.
"That's quite enough, both of you," Dumbledore interceded, giving them a pointed look. "We can discuss this later."
Harry looked at his godfather, who clearly did not want to end this conversation, but wasn't going to argue with the headmaster. Gazten on the other hand looked more than relieved Dumbledore hadn't asked her to explain further.
"I need to talk to my parents," Cho spoke up suddenly, startling Harry. "I need to make sure they're okay. Someone must've."
"Miss Chang, we will contact your parents together, I promise you," Dumbledore said kindly.
"They should be fine," Gazten said, giving Cho a reassuring smile. "It sounds like they were only being used to stall Sirius and Marzia, no harm was done to them."
Harry didn't know why, but he believed Gazten. She wasn't there to see what had happened but yet somehow what she was saying felt like it was the truth. Sirius, however, was glaring suspiciously at her, obviously feeling very much the opposite.
Cho simply nodded.
"I think you need to rest," Harry said quietly to her. "I'm sure you're parents are fine, and you can talk to them tomorrow morning."
She looked up to meet his eyes, smiling gratefully, before turning to the headmaster. "Um.is it alright that I stay here?"
Dumbledore chuckled, lightly.
"My dear child, I wouldn't have you go anywhere else. Of course you will be staying here, until this situation is under control, I insist on it."
Cho smiled and nodded, thanking the headmaster, who nodded once in return.
"I will have a room prepared for you now, it will be ready when you arrive," Dumbledore said.
"Is it alright if I walk her there?" Harry asked, knowing how no one seemed to like the idea of him walking alone in the corridors.
Sirius looked as if he were going to forbid this, but the pleading look Harry was giving him was enough to make him give in.
"You are to stay in the room with her until I come to get you, understood? I don't mind you going together but you're not coming back alone." Sirius said, trying to sound authoritative but smiling just the same.
Harry grinned, widely.
"I promise," he replied.
Helping Cho to her feet, he told his friends he'd meet them back in the common room, before the two of them exited the office together and headed off towards the guest rooms.
For a few moments, they held hands and walked in silence. Harry kept glancing at Cho, incredibly relieved at how well she looked now, when just over two hours ago she was pale and limp. Suddenly he realized he was staring at her, and she had caught him doing so. He lowered his eyes, feeling his face flush, as she giggled softly.
"It's okay you know, you can look at me," she said, giving his hand a light squeeze.
"I know," Harry said with a small grin, bringing his head up to meet her gaze. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her smile. It had always been the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked at last, searching her eyes; needing to hear her say it.
Cho nodded slightly.
"I'm not in pain anymore," she said quietly. "Though I'm so confused about what's happening. Do you think Dumbledore will be able to find anything out soon?"
"I hope so," Harry said, uncertainly. "It's just that every time we think we know what's going on.some new problem presents itself. This time, it's the Entities."
Cho shuddered, involuntarily and moved closer to Harry. He put his arm around her, drawing her into his warmth, comforting her.
"We have to find out who the defender is," she said after a brief silence. "That's who Menetor was looking for, who he thought I was. But a defender of what?"
Harry shook his head.
"I don't know. What bothers me is why did he only try and question you about it? Fenestraal never mentioned anything about a defender to you, but tried to kill you. Now if they truly don't work together, than Menetor would never have told her what he'd been told. So if they really needed information they thought you had, why would she poison you and never try to find it out?"
Cho didn't have an answer; she shook her head in confusion and sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. They finished the walk without any more talking and reached the guest rooms. Harry didn't want to think about the last time he was here, only a week ago. The large door opened as soon as they were in front of it, and Harry moved aside, allowing Cho to enter first, before stepping in behind her.
"Which room did he say I'm in?" Cho asked, looking around uncertainly.
"He just said one would be made up for you.so I guess we have to look," Harry replied. He headed for the first doorway, Cho close behind him. As he reached out his hand for the latch, he stopped abruptly, every muscle in his body going tense. The latch was slowly turning itself. Harry stepped back, pulling out his wand and Cho did the same. Slowly, they watched and waited, as the door swung open.
The door opened fully and Harry held his breath, not knowing who or what to expect. However, he let it out in a sigh of relief when he saw who stepped out.
"Dobby!" He and Cho exclaimed, very happy to see him.
"Harry Potter!" Dobby cried excitedly, racing forward and throwing his arms forcefully around Harry's knees in a fierce hug.
Harry twirled his arms slightly; unable to move his legs to catch his balance and Cho grabbed an arm to steady him.
"You know, in hindsight, I should've expected that," he whispered to her, rolling his eyes. She stifled a laugh as Dobby released Harry and looked up at them.
"Hello Harry Potter's friend Cho!" he said pleasantly as he noticed her.
"Hello Dobby," Cho replied smiling.
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked him, putting his wand back into his robes.
"Professor Dumbledore asked Dobby to prepare a guest room and Dobby did as he was asked," he replied, proudly.
"Thank you Dobby," Cho said. "That's the room I'm staying in."
The small house elf looked up at her with delight, quite happy to have prepared the room for someone Harry considered important. The three of them stood in an awkward silence for a brief moment, until Harry cleared his throat.
"Well," he began, "It's getting late."
"And I'm sure you must be tired after tidying up the guest room," Cho continued, looking at Dobby. "You probably want to get some sleep."
"Dobby isn't tired!" the house elf exclaimed, laughing, as if the very idea of sleep were simply ridiculous. "House elves no not sleep as much as masters do!" he explained.
"Oh," Harry said. "You must get a lot accomplished because of that."
Dobby nodded emphatically.
"Yes, yes!" he said. "And now Dobby is going to see what he can do to help the in the kitchen."
As if on cue, Harry felt a rumbling in his stomach and remembered he had not eaten since breakfast. Glancing at Cho, he saw she was just as hungry as he.
"Um.Dobby?" Harry started. "I know dinner is over.but if it wouldn't be too much trouble.could I ask you to."
"Harry Potter and his friend is hungry?" Dobby asked, seeing the two of them holding their stomachs. "Dobby will be happy to bring food!" he exclaimed, bouncing on his feet and clapping his hands. Harry couldn't help but laugh over how much excitement the little elf got out of doing chores, especially when they were for him. He watched as Dobby scampered to the door and out into the hall, before turning to face Cho.
"Well, shall we then?" he asked, gesturing towards the door to her room. Stepping ahead of her, he pushed the door open and stood to the side, allowing her to enter first.
"Thank you kind sir," she said playfully as she passed him.
"Wow," Harry said, pulling the door shut behind him, "this is really nice. Much nicer than the last one I was in, at least," he said with a shudder.
"What do you mean?" Cho asked. "What's happened?"
Harry looked at her for a moment; just now realizing Cho knew nothing about the actual attack by the dementors or the incident with Percy.
"Here, we'd better sit down," he began, taking her gently by the arm and leading her to the couch. "There's a lot to explain."
Harry told Cho all that had happened since he last wrote to her, stopping only when Dobby came to deliver their dinner. They both thanked him, very grateful to him for going out of his way. He left them to their meal, very proud of himself for what he'd done.
When Harry finished his story, ending with the discussion in Dumbledore's office on the morning after Halloween, the food was almost completely gone and they were both more than full.
"I can't believe this," Cho mused as she sat back in the cushy sofa.
"You're not the only one," Harry said grimly, shaking his head in disgust. "We can't keep playing these games and following the little traps Voldemort sets up. He's using people, using my friends, just to get to me. I'd rather face him than have anyone hurt in my place."
"Don't think like that," Cho said sitting up, placing a hand gently on his arm. "What choice do we have but to figure out what his plan is? There's no way we're going to beat him if we don't know how."
"Well.I can think of one way," Harry said in a low voice.
Cho looked at him, worried, waiting for him to continue.
"If it looks like we're not gonna win this time, which is seeming more and more like what's going to happen, I can turn myself over to him."
"Harry." Cho began fretfully, "You can't just."
"Think about it!" he cut her off. "I'm the one he wants. If I give up, he'll stop going after all of you. You'll be safe, free to do what you want without any fear that someone's going to come after you.or try to kill you.because of me."
"I will never let you do it," Cho said with angry determination. "You really think he'd just leave everyone alone after he got you? No! He'd keep terrorizing every innocent person that crossed his path. That's what he was doing before he lost his powers. What makes you think he isn't going to do the same exact thing?"
Harry looked at her, feeling confusion and fear. He could never allow anyone to harm any of his friends ever again, but what she was saying was true.
"The only way to keep everyone safe is to make sure he never gets his hands on you again," Cho continued, in a more soothing voice now. "We have to take his power away, but this time for good."
"But how can we do that?" Harry asked dejectedly. "The only reason he lost his powers last time, is because my.my mother.died." he broke off, feeling a lump in his throat, but he wasn't going to cry, not in front of Cho. He had to stay strong.
"Harry," Cho said sadly, "I know we've never talked much about your parents, and I know the reason why. And while it probably doesn't mean very much now, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to comprehend what you're feeling, but I'm always here if you need anyone to talk to.or just to be with." she trailed off as he raised his eyes to meet hers.
Leaning forward, Harry pulled Cho into his embrace, holding her tight to him. He was overcome with emotions, worrying about her safety, wanting only to protect her. She pulled back slightly, moving her face close to his, their lips met, and they kissed. Gently at first, but slowly becoming passionate. It would have continued for a long time, had they not heard someone enter the room. Pulling away from one another abruptly, they looked towards the door.
Sirius cleared his throat, smiling widely at Harry.
"Sorry to interrupt.no make that very sorry," he laughed. "But it's getting late and I'm afraid you'll have to end your visit here."
Harry nodded at his godfather, wanting to stay, but knowing it would not be allowed. Leaning back towards Cho, he kissed her one more time.
"Good night," he whispered softly into her ear before he stood to go.
"Sweet dreams," she replied, not letting go of his hand until the last possible second. Their fingertips brushed as Harry finally turned away, heading to the door. Sirius shook his head, smiling knowingly, before exiting the room. Harry stepped out a moment later, shutting the door softly behind him.
For a few moments, they walked in silence, Harry thinking about all of the day's events, but looked up as he heard Sirius speak.
"Well done," his godfather said, a proud look on his face. "You truly are your father's son." Harry laughed, a real laugh. Here they were in what was probably going to be the hardest time of any of their lives, and he was feeling only happiness at that moment. He loved Cho; he knew it in his soul. Being with her made him happier than anything else in the world. Having her back in the school, where they were always near to each other, only comforted him more, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances.
"Yes your father never was one to disappoint a lady, of course he had one of the best instructors in the world," Sirius said, looking smugly at his godson.
"Who, Remus?" Harry asked, forcing a puzzled expression.
"Oooh.I'll remember that," Sirius said, playfully jabbing Harry in the ribs.
"Hey!" Harry exclaimed laughing and moving to block his godfather. "Well who else would he learn it from?" he asked, refusing to let up. "I mean, from what I've heard Remus always was a hit with the ladies." he trailed off, completely enjoying the look of horror on Sirius' face.
"I bet Remus was the one to tell you that too, wasn't he? C'mon out with it.that liar, I'm going to have a little talk with him."
Harry doubled over in laughter, watching Sirius get all worked up. He opened his mouth to egg him on further, when he saw something move further up the hall. For a moment he froze, unable to see clearly in the shadows, but relaxed almost immediately after, seeing the familiar form for the third time that evening.
"Dobby," Harry said as they came closer to each other. "Where are you off to now?"
Looking as excited as ever about being in Harry's presence, the house elf answered.
"Dobby needs to pick up trays from Harry Potter's dinner. Is okay?" he asked.
"Yes it's okay," Harry replied, nodding. "Thank you again for bringing it to us, we really appreciate it."
"No, no, no.it is Dobby's pleasure," he replied quickly, putting up his little arms. "Is there anything else Harry Potter wishes of Dobby?" he asked, wide-eyed.
"No Dobby, but thank you," Harry said, smiling. He moved aside, letting the house elf pass and began walking with Sirius again, when suddenly an idea struck him.
"Dobby!" he called, spinning around and trotting back the way he'd just come.
Dobby turned instantly upon hearing his name, waiting eagerly for whatever Harry had to say to him.
"There is one thing I'd like you to do, if you can," Harry said, kneeling down so he was at eye-level with the short elf.
"Dobby will be happy to do whatever Harry Potter wishes of him," he said anxiously.
"You said you don't get much sleep and that you were probably just going to help out in the kitchen. If they really don't need you there, it would mean a lot to me if you could watch over Cho. You know, like guard her room, make sure she's safe. Would you do that for me?" he asked, hopefully. He was never sure exactly how strong Dobby's powers were, but he never forgot him blasting Lucius Malfoy down the stairs at the end of his second year. Hermione had told him they knew a great deal of powerful magic as well.
"Dobby would be honored to do this for Harry Potter!" he said, breathlessly. Harry smiled widely at the house elf.
"Thank you," he said meaningfully, nodding once. He stood up slowly, and watched Dobby run off to attend to his new task, before heading back to where Sirius stood waiting for him.
"He really admires you," Sirius commented as they were walking side by side again. "Though he can be overly dramatic at times," he laughed.
Harry grinned.
"I know, but I don't think he realizes it."
"Well, the important thing is you don't take advantage of him. He would do anything for you and you know it. Some people in your situation would love to have that opportunity."
"But, what about people who own house elves?" Harry asked. "Don't they have the same chance?"
"Not exactly," Sirius said, sounding doubtful. "They have control to the point where the house elf is a servant, but they can't force them to use their magic for other things. That is always up to the elf."
"Oh," Harry said, still a bit confused, but feeling he was too tired to really understand clearly. By the time they reached the portrait of the fat lady he was yawning regularly, and could only think of his bed. Saying goodnight to Sirius, he entered the common room, and headed straight for the stairs. Once in his dorm, he changed quickly and climbed comfortably between the soft sheets, falling almost immediately into a deep slumber.
The next day, Harry awoke to silence. Slowly, he forced himself into a sitting position, wanting badly to slump back into the comfortable pillow, but he also wanted to see Cho. Reaching over to the bedside table, he grabbed his glasses and pocket watch. It was just past 10 am, still enough time to have breakfast with her. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stood up, and headed for his closet. After changing quickly, he headed down to the common room, looking for his friends.
"Morning Harry!" Ron smiled catching sight of his friend. "We were just heading down to breakfast, you want to come?" he asked.
"Hey Ron," Harry said pleasantly. "I'll meet you guys there, I want to see Cho first."
"How is she?" Hermione asked, stepping up next to Ron.
"She's much better health-wise," Harry answered. "But very shaken up over all that's happened, and I can't say I blame her. I want to know what's going on, and who this 'defender' is."
He looked at his friend's worried expressions, and sighed.
"Well for right now I'm just going to see her, like I said I'll meet you in the great hall," he said turning away.
As the portrait closed behind him, Harry shook his head sadly. He wanted to go back in time, back to when life was simpler. No, he thought ironically, life had never been simple. Before he knew he was a wizard he'd get in trouble for things he didn't do, only now he knew he actually was the cause of them, however indirectly. Then he finally escaped the misery that was the Dursley's, only to find out he was a famous wizard ever since he was 1 year old, and the dark wizard he'd defeated wanted his revenge.
Sighing inwardly, he walked on until he reached the guest rooms, saying the password and stepping into the hallway beyond.
Dobby, true to his word, was standing upright, just in front of Cho's door. When he saw Harry, his eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.
"Hello Dobby," Harry said cheerfully as the house elf beamed at him.
"Dobby did as Harry Potter asked! Dobby did stand here all night!"
"I see that," Harry smiled, "Thank you, I truly mean it."
If it was possible for house elves to blush, than that's what Dobby was doing. He lowered his eyes as his cheeks darkened and Harry had to stifle a laugh. He didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it looked rather comical.
"Okay, I'm gonna go inside there now, but maybe I'll see you later?" Harry asked.
"Yes, yes! Dobby will come again tonight!" Dobby said excitedly. He hugged Harry around the legs, but not quite so fiercely this time, before turning away and scampering out the door. Harry chuckled watching the small house elf go, before grabbing the handle and pushing the door open.
The room was quite dim, the curtains were all pulled and the candles were out. As quietly as possible, Harry tiptoed across the room to the bedroom door. Slowly he turned the latch until hearing the click, before nudging the door inward. He could see Cho, fast asleep in the bed on the far side of the room, and quietly slipped in. As he came up to the side of the bed, he couldn't help but stare. She looked beautiful. Her long dark hair was splayed everywhere, over the pillow, on her shoulder and across her face. He reached down and gently brushed it away from her soft skin. She didn't even flinch, still in a deep sleep. He decided it would be best to let her stay that way, not wanting to disturb her. Stepping backwards, he made his way again to the door, and shut it quietly behind him.
"That was quick. What, Cho wasn't hungry?" Ron asked as Harry sat down across from him at the Gryffindor table.
"Nah, she's still asleep," Harry replied as his plate filled up in front of him. "I didn't want to wake her, she probably really needs it."
"I believe it," Hermione spoke up from next to Ron.
"I told her everything," Harry continued. "Everything that happened with the Dementors, Percy, Neville, Gazten.everything."
"Even about." Hermione began, looking around cautiously, "about Lunis?"
Harry nodded.
"She already knew about it, but I told her what I left out of the letter."
"How did she take it?" Hermione asked.
"We didn't get to talk much about it last night," Harry replied. "It was too late by the time we finished dinner, which is why I wanted to see her this morning." he trailed off, pulling out his watch.
"You've been here for all of five minutes Harry," Ron said with a laugh, "take it easy. You have all day to talk to her."
Harry looked up sheepishly.
"I know, I just really want to."
"Hey," a voice from behind him said. Harry turned to see Mel stop at his side. "How are you? Is your girlfriend alright?" she asked.
"How do you know about that?" Ron asked, confused.
"I was with Mel yesterday when Hermione told me about Cho," Harry explained quickly, before turning back around. "Yes, she's much better, thank you," he smiled. Mel nodded.
"Great, that's wonderful."
Harry slid over a bit, gesturing with his hands to the empty space next to him.
"Do you want to sit? Have you eaten yet?"
Mel took the seat, thanking Harry.
"Yes I did, I only came over here to make sure everything was okay. You looked so upset yesterday." she trailed off.
Harry lowered his gaze, somewhat embarrassed.
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," he said. "Just glad everything turned out okay."
Mel smiled, and opened her mouth to speak again, when another voice interrupted.
"Harry, it's almost 11 o'clock!" Ron said, standing up. "We've got quidditch practice today."
Harry laughed to himself.
"Well, we better get going then, can't believe I forgot about that."
He turned to Mel.
"Sorry to cut this short again, maybe I'll run into you on your next trip to the owlery," he joked.
"Yeah we do seem to meet up there a lot, don't we?" she asked, smiling. "Have fun!"
Harry waved as he and Ron headed for the door. Quidditch practice was just what he needed right now, as good a way as any for getting his mind off things. Quickly grabbing their brooms from the dorm, they left the school and headed down to the pitch.
"Great job guys," Harry told the rest of the team as they set down on the ground after a long practice session. "We're set to win the match against Ravenclaw in two weeks, no problem. You've got the techniques we've practiced down pat, just a bit more fine tuning and it's in the bag."
"Now all we have to worry about is that new seeker," Ginny commented as they began heading back up to the school.
"Sara Delix, it's her first year playing, but I've heard she's really good," Ron added.
"She is really good," came a familiar voice from behind them.
"Cho," Harry said, turning around and smiling. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to watch your practice. I ran into Hermione and she told me where you were," she replied before turning to the others. "Hey Ron, hey Ginny," she said nodding.
"So what do you know about her?" Ron asked, eager for anything that might help against the opposition.
"Well she's been our reserve seeker since her second year, I always practiced with her and really I don't know which of us was better. She caught the snitch just as many times as I did, and she practices every chance she gets."
"Wow," Harry said quietly, "and you weren't easy to beat to the snitch either. This might be tougher than I thought."
"Ravenclaw's your first match I take it?" Cho asked. The three of them nodded in unison. "Hmmm.who to root for.tough one." she said, stroking her chin and looking at Harry teasingly. She had to stifle a laugh at the hurt expression on his face.
"Oh stop.crybaby," she said elbowing him playfully. "You know I'm cheering for Gryffindor."
Harry smiled contentedly as they went inside.
Ron and Ginny headed off for the tower to put their brooms away, Harry and Cho followed, but at a slower pace.
"I have to go meet Professor Dumbledore," Cho said as they walked through the halls. "We're going to try and get in touch with my parents."
"That's great," Harry said, "I'll come with you."
"No, no," Cho said apologetically. "Thank you, but not this time. I don't know what's going on with them and for right now, I want to have as few people there as possible. I actually wanted to go to their house, but Dumbledore didn't think it would be safe for me to do that yet. So for now, I'm just gonna talk to them."
"Okay," Harry said, "whatever you think is best. Can we meet later on?" he asked.
Cho smiled.
"Yes, definitely. How about I meet you for dinner, in the great hall? I really want to talk about what you told me last night. If that's okay."
"Of course it is," Harry smiled. "I'll see you later then."
Cho nodded and turned away, heading towards Dumbledore's office eagerly. Harry wanted to be there with her, but if she wanted to do this alone, he wasn't going to stop her. And if anything she found out was upsetting, he'd be there for her when she returned.
As he entered the common room the first thing he noticed was a large crowd of students hovering around something on the wall to the left. Spotting Ron and Hermione in their usual corner, he moved around the crowd and to the back of the room.
"What's going on?" he asked as he reached his friends.
"Looks like there's another Yule Ball," Hermione said, gesturing to the group of students who were slowly dispersing back through the room. Harry could now see an announcement tacked to the wall. The ball would be on Christmas Night.
"Which means," Ron began, sighing, "There's gonna be a lot more students here over the holiday then usual."
"You say that like it's bad thing," Hermione said.
"Well it is, I enjoy being in the school without running into Malfoy."
"Maybe he won't go this year," Harry suggested sliding into one of the chairs.
"One can only hope," Ron muttered before looking over at his friend. "So will you be asking Cho.seeing as she'll most likely be here for Christmas."
"Yes," Harry said, smiling. As much as he hated what had happened to bring Cho here, it would be nice to have her at his side for the last dance he'd attend as a student.
"Did you hear that?" Hermione asked, looking pointedly at Ron. "He said 'yes'.he's going to ask her. You might want to follow his lead."
"Oh come off it Hermione, why should I when.?"
"Because it's polite.and I want you to," she replied.
Ron rolled his eyes as Harry looked back and forth between them, questioningly.
"Did I miss something?" he asked.
"Hermione thinks I should ask her to the dance," Ron explained. "But if she's really my girlfriend, as she claims to be, then why ask? Everyone expects we're going together anyway."
Harry looked at Ron in amazement, shaking his head.
"I'm warning you Ronald Weasley," Hermione began, "I'm going with the first person to ask me.whether it's you or not."
Ron looked at her, annoyed before turning to Harry.
"Is Cho like this? You see what I have to put up with?"
"Asking your girlfriend to a dance is not the worst thing I could request of you," Hermione snapped.
"Okay," Harry said holding up his hands defensively and standing. "I'm staying out of this one. You two fight it out; I'll be upstairs.doing.something." he said stepping backwards. Turning around quickly, he headed straight for the stairs and up to his dorm. Ron and Hermione could fight about the stupidest things, and he'd learned early on, the worst thing he could do would be to side with one of them, so he politely declined to offer his opinion when things started heating up, and usually ended up exactly where he was now.
Having a few hours still before dinner, Harry decided to get some homework done. He hadn't started on it yet after what had happened the day before, and didn't want to be up too late having to get it finished. Pulling his trunk open, he began to take out his books, before settling down and getting to work.
The hours passed quickly and as Harry was finishing his paper for history of magic he looked at his watch to see dinner started over ten minutes ago. Stacking his books on top of one another, he tossed them into his trunk before heading downstairs.
When he reached the great hall, he found his friends already there, along with Cho. Oblivious to the eyes of the other students that always seemed to hone in on him no matter where he was, he made his way to the seat they'd saved for him at the Gryffindor table.
"Thanks for telling me you guys were leaving," he said sardonically sitting next to Cho and throwing a pointed look at Ron and Hermione.
"Sorry," Ron muttered not taking his eyes off his plate.
Harry looked back and forth between his friends, disbelievingly. How could they still be arguing about this? He shook his head, sighing inaudibly, before turning to Cho.
"So, did you speak with your parents? Is everything alright?" Harry asked.
"Well.I spoke with them, yes, using the floo network. Talking to people's heads in the fireplace always gave me the creeps," she shivered. "My parents seemed fine, but I know something's not right."
"What happened?" Hermione said, looking up in interest.
"They can't remember Sirius and Marzia's visit. No recollection whatsoever. They also still can't see anything wrong with my room, but I have no way of knowing if it's still a mess or not. I wish I could just go there." she trailed off sadly.
Harry leaned over, putting his arm around Cho's back and pulling her closer.
"Listen," he said quietly. "Whoever did this to your parents doesn't seem to want them hurt. More likely, they don't want them to interfere. I don't think they're going to be harmed."
"But we can't be sure!" Cho exclaimed, hopelessly. "Not without being there to see for ourselves." she trailed off.
"Did Dumbledore say he'd do anything about it?" Ron asked.
Cho shrugged and nodded slowly.
"He said he'd be going out to talk to them, but I don't know if it'll do any good. It's obvious someone's controlling them and he won't be able to find out any more than that person wants them to know," she paused before continuing in a harsher tone. "We need to find out who's doing this."
"Believe me I couldn't agree with you more," Harry said soothingly. "And trust Dumbledore, he'll do everything he can to help your parents."
Cho sighed quietly.
"I know, I'm just worried." she trailed off.
"You're not alone," Hermione said grimly.
An awkward silence fell over them as no one was quite sure what to say next. Everyone sat picking at their food in silence until Harry couldn't take it anymore, he looked over at Cho and decided it was time to get out of there.
"So, did you still have those questions about last night.we can't talk here because too many people might over hear." he said in a low voice.
"We can go back to the guest rooms," Cho said, brightening a little.
"Let's go," Harry said, already beginning to stand. Ron and Hermione watched him help Cho out of her seat as she looked at them uncertainly.
"Um.did you two want to come?" she asked, not wanting to be rude.
"Sure," Ron said standing up, only to find himself back in the seat a second later, Hermione having pulled him down. Ignoring his angry glare, she turned to the others.
"You go on," she said to Cho and a very grateful looking Harry. "We'll talk with you later."
Harry quickly escorted Cho towards the door, not wanting to hear the argument that was sure to follow.
"Ron and Hermione seem to be a little.upset with one another," Cho commented as they reached her room at last.
"What else is new?" Harry asked rolling his eyes and holding the door open for her. "They'll get through it.eventually," he said as they went to the couch and sat down. "So, what did you want to know then?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Well, for starters, how is Percy doing? Are Arthur and Molly okay?"
"Percy still isn't talking," Harry said glumly. "But physically he seems fine. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came as soon as Dumbledore contacted them. They stayed for a few days too. I know Mr. Weasley went back to work because at the time we didn't want to report anything to the ministry until we knew where you were. Mrs. Weasley still comes by every day though. They're both very shaken up over it, and I don't blame them at all."
Cho nodded her agreement before speaking again.
"What about Wormtail? You haven't heard anything from him since you told him to get out that last time?"
"Not a word," Harry replied. "I'm actually wondering if he's found a way around the whole predicament we were in."
"Have you tried summoning him again?" she asked. Harry shook his head quickly.
"No way, and I'm not going to either. Personally I'm quite happy with it this way."
"But what if you need his help again?" Cho asked.
"If I do I'll try to summon him then, but I don't see a reason to now. If he's not gonna come, he's not gonna come, and knowing that won't change the fact."
Cho looked like she wanted to argue the matter, but instead just shook her head and continued on.
"Have you found out anything more about Neville then? Can we trust him.and Gazten?"
"I think we can." Harry said carefully. "He said I'd find out what was going on, and unless something happens that makes it seem as if he's lying, I'm gonna keep his secret.for now."
"Do you think.?" Cho began, trailing off.
"What?" Harry prompted her.
Cho sighed.
"Well, I know this might sound silly, but after the way you said he acted that night with Percy.do you think he's the defender Menetor was asking about?"
Harry sat back in the chair, considering.
"I don't know," he said at last. "I mean, is the defender supposed to be defending something in particular? Or just anyone who needs help? We need to find out more about him or her before we can be sure if it's Neville or not."
"I agree," Cho said quickly, "but it is a bit odd that someone who isn't very adept at learning even simple spells suddenly knows how to defend against magic he's supposedly never seen before."
"Okay, okay, I get your point." Harry said, holding up his hands defensively. "You're right, it would make sense that he's the defender. But how do we make sure."
"Why don't you ask him?" Cho suggested matter-of-factly.
Harry laughed.
"He wasn't exactly very forthcoming with information, so unless he wants me to know, he won't tell me."
"Alright, so we don't ask him.for now." she said quietly. For the next half hour, she asked several more questions, mostly having to do with Lunis, clearing up the details she didn't catch the night before, wanting to make sure she understood as much as possible about the unique power. When she finally had nothing left to ask, the two of them sat on the couch, very close together, enjoying the silence and each other's company.
Peering at his watch, Harry saw it was getting late and shifted slightly so she'd know he was getting up.
"Leaving?" she asked looking a bit sad, not wanting him to go.
"I don't want to," Harry said quickly. "But if I don't get back to the dorm and this news reaches Sirius, you know he's gonna send out the search parties. If he finds I've been here while he's worried sick, roaming the halls, I'm in deep and we both know it."
Cho couldn't help but laugh at how seriously Harry said this.
"Well it's true," he said, blushing a little.
"Oh I know," Cho said, smiling. "And he's right, I don't want you getting detention.or worse, because of me. So go on, get goin'" she said waving her hands towards the door.
"Good night," Harry said softly, leaning over and kissing Cho once, before forcing himself to stand. He began to walk across to the door, when suddenly he remembered something he'd wanted to ask her, and spun around.
"Um, Cho? There's one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.before I go," he said, suddenly feeling uncertain.
"Sure Harry, what is it?" she asked pleasantly, looking curiously at him.
"Well, I know you're probably going to be here at the school for a while, and I was wondering." he began. "You see there's another Yule Ball this year, on Christmas night. I was thinking, since you're here.if you're still here then.maybe you'd like to go with me?" he asked, hopefully.
Cho smiled warmly, but an apologetic expression crossed her face.
"Oh Harry, I'd love to go with you.but I'm not a student here anymore, and I wouldn't feel right."
"Well.I know you're not.but I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't mind if." he began.
"No this has nothing to do with that," she interrupted. "I don't want to go to a dance right now. Like you said, I'm here for the moment, but this would be based on if I were still here in a month and a half. I don't want to ruin your chances of going with someone if I find out I can't be here last minute."
"I wouldn't mind." Harry tried to convince her, but Cho shook her head.
"No, I'd rather us not make those plans," she said. "Please don't be angry with me," she said standing up and crossing to where he stood.
"I'm not angry," Harry said, feeling rejection wash over him. He knew she hadn't done it to be mean, but he couldn't help feeling this way at the moment. "It's okay, maybe I won't go anyway.it'll just be Ron and Hermione arguing all night." he trailed off as she gently placed a hand on his cheek, pushing his face so he was looking directly at her.
"Listen to me," she began softly. "I want to be with you, very much so, but I just don't want to go to the dance. Don't take it as if I don't want to go with you, because that's not it at all, okay?"
He nodded, knowing she was telling the truth.
"And I think you should go," she continued. "Don't you dare sit in your common room all night and let everyone else have all the fun."
"Well isn't that what you're going to be doing?" Harry asked, smirking.
Cho sighed.
"If I'm even still here, I promise I'll stop down, alright?" she asked.
"Alright then," Harry said with a grin.
"Good, now that that's settled, you get back to your tower before you're out past curfew," she said pointing at the door.
"Sweet dreams, Cho," he said, kissing her briefly, before finally stepping through the door, and heading off to his dorm.
The weeks went by, blissfully uneventful, for Harry and his friends. They spent hours in the library researching any person, creature or otherwise that was ever known as a defender, but there were far too many references to cover them all in one school year.
Wormtail kept his silence still, for which Harry couldn't be happier, and he avoided the topic with Cho any time she seemed to try and bring it up. What does it matter if he's still around or not, he thought. If I know he isn't there, it's not going to change anything if I need him later on. One way or the other he won't come.
Dobby still kept watch on Cho's room and reported proudly to Harry each morning that she was safe.
As the quidditch match drew nearer, the Gryffindor team stayed out longer and longer, trying to get in as much practice as possible and sometimes barely making it back in before curfew.
On the day before the match, Harry awoke very early, before the sun had risen. Sitting up, he pulled the curtains back from around him and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table. No one else was up yet, as he expected. He wasn't too sure on why he'd woken so early, but felt no desire to go back to sleep, so sliding to the side of the bed, he stood up and changed quickly.
The common room was empty, which didn't come as any great surprise. So having nothing else to do, Harry went through the portrait hole and headed down to the great hall. He walked slowly, automatically taking one hallway after the next, barely paying attention to what was in front of him, lost in his thoughts. As a result, he turned a corner quickly, barely missing a collision with the person walking the opposite direction.
"Oh, sorry about that Harry, guess I wasn't paying attention," Marzia said, taking a step back.
"No it's my fault too," Harry shrugged, grinning. "I should've looked where I was going."
"Got a lot on your mind?" she asked, knowingly.
Harry sighed, lightly.
"You could say that," he replied, before giving her a questioning look. "Why are you up so early?"
"It's my job, kiddo. I patrol the school with your godfather, remember?"
"Just the two of you?" Harry asked, thinking that was a lot of ground to cover for just two people.
"Well the faculty helps as well, we all take turns. With times as they are right now, there's really no other choice."
Harry nodded miserably.
"I know." he said quietly.
"Hey, hold on a minute," Marzia said, reaching out a hand and putting it under his chin. She lifted his face until their eyes met.
"Don't Harry," she began, firmly. "Things are not going to be easy for you, no one's going to kid you about that. But if you let yourself wallow in misery and depression, it will make things much, much harder.not to mention you'll be more vulnerable."
Harry nodded, unconvincingly, and Marzia just shook her head.
"Okay, let's talk about something else, no more of this depressing stuff," she said, cheerfully.
"Actually," Harry began, "there is something I wanted to talk to you about."