Lord Firefox: I know it's been too long, and I'm sorry, I want them to get together soon, but first some really terrible things have to happen. Please stay with me for a few chapters. I'll try to trim it down as much as possible.
Froggie2: I think that this is my favorite review so far, thanks for confirming the part of the story about Asian culture. I wasn't sure if everyone would understand. Sadly Cho's problems are just beginning. But hey she's in Ravenclaw, so ya Gotta know that she's going to think of some way out of it;) I'm reposting your review here because it's very informative to Cho's upbringing, and family culture. And it will help readers understand her reasons for not telling Harry about her problems. Thanks so much. hug Oh, and that Fiona girl, yea very superficial.
As an American whose ancestors are from Southeast Asia...yes we were taught to keep our family problems in within the family. It's not proper to talk about whatever issues we're having with outsiders. That's just the way it was. So yeah I can definitely sympathize with Cho. But that being said...
sniff Cho really, really needs to confide in someone (preferably with emerald green eyes & messy black hair) about her problems at home. It's totally affecting her school work...but who can really blame her.
Oh...don't even get me started on that Fiona chick. She is so superficial...arggh. Harry needs to ditch her yesterday already!
Quillian: Thanks for the complement:) The helicopter is foreshadowing for a later chapter, but just know that Dumbledore was very pissed off when he saw who was in it. Did you go to see what a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter looked like? I love choppers, but I'm not good at describing them. You can do a Google search on it. You'll see the chopper again soon, and meet who was in it.
SolidSnake19: Thanks for the encouragement:) I'm glad that you liked the chapter. I hope to get better, but I'm also going to try and crunch down a few ideas, to make the story shorter. I'll do my best.
EnlightenedKing: Well, Dumbledore did use Harry as bate in GOF, but here his interactions will be more with Cho than Harry. Well as far as Fiona, Hermione's in the clear because her parents are both dentist, and they make enough money. But as far as someone else you mentioned, very good observation. I don't want to spoil who she looks down on for you, so I'll just say that you have good instincts about where the story is going. Well, about Cho's appearance. I wouldn't say that she looks too bad, she just has a sad look in her eyes all the time. A dull look yes, and always looking down to the ground, but not always dark circles. She's withdrawing from everyone, but now she will try to make up some of her schoolwork.
Ooookay everyone, well here it is. Chapter 37. god, I'm sorry about the length. Um well this is more about misinterpretations. It also solves the problem about how I was going to get Harry to argue with a pureblood, and how Marietta could find out about it. Well, I have to say that this seems like a throwaway chapter, but it really has some significance to it. There is foreshadowing at the end. Next couple of chapters are expected to be very dark. Everyone should read the review by Froggie2 above to see how I was trying to give a window on Cho's family culture. It speaks volumes. I'm very grateful to everyone who has stayed on this long. Thanks again:)
Chapter 37: The Yule Ball Committee.
Harry stepped in the door of the classroom where the Yule ball committee was formed, and noticed instantly that there was a vastly disproportionate number of girls than boys in the room. As he scanned the room from one side to the other he noticed that the only boys in attendance were Ron, Neville Longbottom, and himself. Neville was sitting next to the Slytheren girl, Gloria Kingston, which they had met on the train coming to Hogwarts. He had guessed that Neville had finally found a girl for himself. "Good for him," Harry thought. Harry then scanned over to another part of the room to find Ron and Luna in deep conversation. They were both smiling, and giggling. Luna gave Ron a quick kiss, and the conversation continued. Finally in another part of the room Harry saw Hermione talking to Parvati Patel, both were cutting out stars from metallic colored paper. Hermione looked up and saw Harry. She smiled and waved him over to her. Harry walked over and sat down opposite the two girls.
"Hey Harry, what's the news?" Hermione asked happily.
"Well I think that I'm taking Fiona Shaw to Hogsmead for our first weekend. She said that she is going to set up some sort of party her beforehand though, and she wants you and Ron to come." Harry said. Hermione looked excited.
"Really, I'm invited? That's so nice of you to get her to invite me. I've never even met her. Must be a nice girl," Hermione said. Harry shrugged.
"I guess, I didn't get her to invite you, she wanted you to come because you're famous from the battle at the Ministry. But I'm glad that she did invite you and Ron because I would have had her do it anyway," Harry stated. Hermione pulled out a piece of parchment, and a quill.
"Well where's the party?" Hermione asked.
"Don't know? It's a secret because it's after curfew," Harry stated.
"Can my sister and I come too Potter?" Parvati put in. Harry scratched his head unsure.
"Well I don't know. I kind of got the vibe that it was by invitation only, but I'll certainly ask." Harry said casually. Harry looked at Hermione.
"So, do you want me to talk to Ron for you? I don't think that it will do any good, but I'll give it a try." Harry said.
"Yes, Harry I need him to change his mind before the Yule Ball, so that we can go together. I miss him, but don't tell him that. Just tell him that we were meant to be with each other. Tell Ron that he needs to dump that… that girl Luna, and be with me. I'm much more intelligent than her, and I'm not at all weird like her." Hermione said.
"Look Luna's a nice girl, and I thought that the two of you made up already, I mean you and Luna." Harry said.
"We have, but she is still weird. Everyone thinks so. She's not the kind of girl that Ron needs to be romantically involved with. Look Harry just please talk to Ron again." Hermione pleaded.
"I will, but I don't understand why you don't talk to him yourself again." Harry replied. Hermione put her head down and closed her eyes.
"I've tried Harry, but it's no use. All we do is end up fighting about it, and then we don't talk for days, or even weeks. It's not the way I want it to be, but he makes me so mad. Every year we've been hiding our feelings about each other, even though we loved each other. I know what my feelings for him are now and I don't want to hide them any more. I need to spend more time with him, but he's always with Luna." Hermione said in almost a sob. Harry pulled out his wand, waved it around and began to levitate a pair of scissors and use them to cut some of the metallic colored paper into the shape of several stars. Hermione and Parvati began to use their wands to make a banner with the four crests of the Hogwarts houses, on either side of the school crest. After they had been working a while Hermione had become thirsty and asked Harry to get her a drink from the water cooler that someone had conjured at the other end of the classroom. Harry walked over to it, grabbed one of the Styrofoam cups, filled it with cool water, and began to drink. He than poured a cup for Hermione, and walked back over toward the table where Hermione sat.
"Hey Harry, come here for a minute." Ron shouted. Harry stopped briefly to talk with Ron and Luna about the ball, and then returned on his way to sit with Hermione, and Parvati. When he arrived back at the table he found that they had been joined by two Ravenclaw girls. One of the Ravenclaws was Parvatie's sister Padma. Harry had not seen the other girl before, but was surprised when she gave him a dirty look. Padma introduced her as Beverly Jones, a Welsh girl Cardiff, Wales. Harry sat down beside Padma, so that she would be between the other Ravenclaw girl and himself. Everyone started talking about some of the designs at the Yule ball, and how the ball should begin. Harry noticed that Padma's friend was giving him the minimum courtesy when she spoke to him. He wondered what her problem was. Suddenly Ron came up to the table and sat down with everyone.
"Hey Hermione, Harry, what did I miss?" He asked. Harry noticed that Luna was not with him.
"Where is Luna? I thought that she was the reason that you were on this committee." Harry asked.
"She had to go to the lavatory. She'll be back soon." Ron said casually. Everyone at the table introduced themselves to Ron and they all began to discuss decoration for the Yule ball. It was a subject that didn't really interest Harry, but he was there for Hermione. Finally Ron brought up the question of who everyone was taking to the ball.
"Err; well like I told Hermione, I think that I'm going with Fiona Shaw." Harry said.
"And who are you going with Ron?" Hermione asked. Ron looked to make sure that Luna was still in the lavatory, and then turned back to face Hermione.
"Well actually, I was going to ask you Hermione." Ron said in a friendly tone. To everyone's surprise Hermione got offended.
"How could you ask me that now when you came here to be with Luna Lovegood?" Hermione shot. Ron looked unsure of what to say.
"Well… I um, I'm not going to the ball to be with Luna. I want to be with you at the ball. Look, don't be difficult. You know I love you, and I'm not going to explain why I'm going out with other people again. What is your problem? Why do you have to act like this every time I try to be nice to you!" Ron said, his face turning red to match his hair.
"Don't you get heated with me, Ron Weasley! You haven't spent anytime with me this year at all." Hermione shot. Harry looked around; this row was starting to attract a lot of attention in the classroom.
"And whose fault is that? Look every time I try to spend time with you, you tell me to get lost unless I'm ready to commit. Well I'm not ready to, but I still want to go to the ball with you, now what's you answer?" Ron shouted pointing an accusing finger at Hermione. Hermione enraged slammed her fist down loudly on the desk and stuck her middle finger in the air right in front of Ron.
"Here's my answer you stupid git." Everyone in the room had jumped at the slam, even though they were all fully engrossed in what was going on. Ron stood up still looking at Hermione, with an expression of hurt. Harry thought for a second that Ron was going to be the one to tear up. Ron lowered his head for a second. When he raised it he seemed more composed.
"Fine. Who needs you anyway? I don't want to spend any time with you. I don't want to see you again anymore. I wish that stupid hat had put you in another house so I wouldn't have to see you again." Ron said coldly. He turned and walked toward the door leaving Hermione with an expression on her face that made it look like someone had just stabbed her in the heart. Harry was speechless. He looked back to see Luna walk in the door, just as Ron walked up to it. Ron grabbed her arm, and turned her around.
"Come on." Ron said angrily.
"But what about the decorations, I…" Luna started.
"I said come on, were leaving. We need to spend more time together to talk about going to the Yule ball together." Ron said as he rushed her out the door. The room was suddenly quite for a few minutes as everyone looked at the table that Harry, and Hermione sat at. Finally Harry could take it no more.
"Sooo, um Parvati who are you taking to the ball?" Harry asked breaking the silence.
"Well I haven't got a date yet, but I've been talking to Ernie Mac Millan, a Huffelpuff boy in our year. Were getting pretty serious, so I hope he will ask me. Actually I'm sure that he will." She finished.
"Great. Mac Millan is a really good guy. I'm glad to hear that you two are hooking up together." Harry said. Hermione desperate to avoid any attention focused on herself turned to Padma's friend.
"So, who are you taking, Miss Jones is it?" Hermione asked. Beverly Jones smiled as she looked up from the stars that she was cutting out.
"Yes it is. My date to the ball is going to be Gloria Kingston." She said casually. Harry snickered unintentionally.
"That's funny Jones." Harry laughed. Beverly gave him a defensive look.
"Why is that funny Potter?" She asked. Harry was thrown by the question.
"Well um, you can't go to the ball with Gloria Kingston, I mean she's a girl." Harry said.
"So?" Beverly asked casually. Harry was at a loss for words, the situation seemed a little bizarre.
"Well, I mean… you're a girl. And if you went out with her, than that would make you a… a…" Harry couldn't finish, as he was starting to feel strangely uncomfortable.
"A lesbian?" Jones asked finishing his sentence. "Yes, does that offend you Potter?" She asked coldly. Harry was feeling very uncomfortable.
"Err… um, no… I mean, hey you know to each their own, I just um. Nothing. I'm cool with it." Harry stammered. "So who are you going with Padma," Harry said changing the subject.
Padma said that she was going with Allen Miller, the Slytheren, who had become Head boy.
"What? Padma how could you consort with the enemy, you know all those Slytherins are a bunch of potential Death Eaters." Harry said louder, and in a more hostile tone than he had intended. He was thinking about Malfoy, and how he was probably going to use his prefect position against Harry, and although Harry had never met Miller, he remembered his fight with the Slytheren last year in Umbridge's office. Padma gave him an angry look.
"Just what do you mean consorting with the enemy, Potter? Allen Miller is a very nice boy and happens to be very intelligent as well. What, have you two had a row or something?" she asked. Harry was sorry that he had been so quick to speak out against someone he had never met, but as a rule he considered anyone in Slytheren his personal enemy. Why not, he had never met a Slytheren he liked.
"Well no, I've never actually met him, but if he's in Slytheren than he can't be a good person can he." Padma was highly offended.
"Look Potter, for your information we've been seeing each other seriously since this summer. Allen and I have been neighbors and friends since we were children, and I love him. You sound like Marietta Edgencombe judging a whole group of people with one broad stroke. You haven't even met him." She said. Harry felt bad about prejudging Miller without ever meeting him. He was about to apologize to her, but she stormed out of the room angrily almost knocking over Pansy Parkinson who was walking in with some refreshments for the people at her table. Parvati rushed past Harry to go talk to her sister.
"Parvati, look I'm sorry, I just… I didn't mean it. Let me talk to her." Harry started sincerely.
"Forget it Potter, I'll talk to her, just watch what you say about people that you don't even know. She's right; you're acting just like Marietta." Parvati finished as she ran off to speak with her sister.
"Harry turned to Beverly Jones, the only Ravenclaw left at his table.
"What did they mean; I'm acting just like Marietta Edgencombe? I'm not a sneak? How else does she act?" Harry asked. Beverly gave him another harsh look.
"Just like you do Potter. She prejudges everyone on where their from, and what groups they belong too. She treats people who belong to certain groups badly. Doesn't look at them as individuals, or try to get to know them personally, just makes up her mind that everyone in a certain group of people are bad." Beverly said and started to walk out of the room. At the door she turned to Harry. "Oh, but the one good thing that I can say for Marietta Edgencombe is that she never dumped a guy fifteen minutes into a planed out date to go and be with someone else." Other than that I'm sure that you two have a lot in common." Beverly said accusingly and walked out the door. Harry sat down next to Hermione.
"Well this has been fun." He said sarcastically. Harry then looked over to Hermione, who was covering her eyes with her hands, and crying into them. "Hermione, why did you treat Ron like that? You had what you wanted; he was going to ask you out to the Yule Ball. He did ask you out. All you had to do was say yes. You could have argued over weather you wanted him to commit or not later, after the ball. Stop being so pushy, your making him feel as if you're backing him into a corner. Look, I don't understand why you girls get so emotional about these things. Hermione looked up at Harry with bloodshot teary eyes.
"Don't lecture me now Harry, I've just lost the boy I was going to marry." Hermione cried as she sat up, and started for the door. Harry blocked and put up a hand to stop her. He noticed everyone in the room was still looking at them.
"Look, I'll talk to Ron; I'll tell him that your just having women's problems or something, he'll…"
"Oh, god Harry!" Hermione said with a disgusted look on her face, and she ran out the door.
"What? What did I say wrong?" Harry yelled to her as she ran out. Suddenly Harry felt several dozen eyes boring into his back. He turned around to see everyone in the classroom staring at him, some with shocked expressions, and some with angry looks. Apparently all the drama at his table had been so loud, and chaotic that everyone else had stopped what they were doing to watch it all unfold. One blond haired, Ravenclaw girl stepped out with a pissed off expression on her face.
"I hope your happy Harry Potter! Since you've come in here, we've lost six people that were supposed to help us with the banners, and decorations today. Your not even a part of the Yule Ball committee, so why don't you get the fuck out, and go stir up shit somewhere else!" she said heatedly.
"Who the hell are you?" Harry asked, a bit pissed off at being blames for the drama of others.
"I'm Nancy Cromwell. I'm the president of the Yule Ball committee, and I don't think that you should come here anymore if all your going to do is cause trouble." She said, a bit of finality in her voice.
"Fine! I didn't want to be a part of the stupid Yule Ball committee anyway! I only came to be with my friend Hermione, and now I've got no reason to stay." Harry shouted, angry at being blamed for events that were beyond his control, and he left the room in a huff.
Two Hours later: The School Library
The four girls sat at the library table discussing the events that took place at the Yule Ball meeting earlier. Marietta Edgencombe, Lori Sanchez, and Danielle Forester all listened intently to Pansy Parkinson recount the events from a few hours earlier.
"…and that's exactly how it happened Marietta, Potter just came in and pissed off a lot of people, including Padma Patel, Nancy Cromwell, and Beverly Jones of Your house. I mean everyone saw the whole thing." Pansy Parkinson said, recounting what she remembered about the incident at the Yule Ball committee meeting. "A lot of people were really pissed, because, even though we have time to prepare, like six people who he was sitting with, just left angry, soon after he came in the room. Danielle Forester smiled as she sat back in her chair.
"Well Marietta, if this keeps up we won't have to make him look bad, he'll do it all for us himself." Danielle said pleased. Marietta continued to remain silent for a moment. She lowered her head in deep concentration. When she brought her head up again she had an unreadable expression, as she turned to Pansy Parkinson.
"How pissed off was Harry at Padma Patel?" she asked in a very serious tone. Pansy thought about it for a moment.
"Well pretty pissed off I think, I wasn't exactly sure what it was about, but something to do with her going out with Allen Miller, and him not liking Slytherins. Anyway, he got her and her sister very upset. Also Beverly Jones and Nancy Cromwell were pretty miffed at him as well…" Pansy started to continue but was cut off by Marietta.
"I don't care if a bunch of filthy half blood, slime, or Muggle born, Mudblood filth were upset. I was asking about Padma. She's one of us." Marietta said coldly. Pansy raised an eyebrow.
"You mean that she's a society member?" She asked a bit confused.
"No, I mean that she's a pureblood, and Potter may have started an argument with her because of that fact. We have to keep a record of every time that he harasses one of our own, weather they are society members or not. Another thing is that we cannot count on him messing things up on his own," Marietta said. Marietta looked over to Lori, and Pansy.
"Lori, I need you to go to go to your common room and tell Semis Finnigan that I need to see him tomorrow night in our usual place. Please go now." Marietta said with a hint of urgency. As Lori turned to leave out the door Marietta turned to Pansy Parkinson. "Pansy tell Miller what Potter said about him, if you can't remember everything make something up if you need too. I'm sure everyone in you house knows how Potter feels about them, but impress it upon their minds once more. Spread a few rumors about Potter threatening Miller if you need to. Best to go now." Marietta finished. She then waited for Pansy to exit the room, and turned to Danielle.
"Cho hasn't come asking forgiveness yet. I think it's time we started working over her friends, and first and foremost we need to get that queer, Beverly Jones out of the way. I've got to be off for now to see my dear uncle. We need to speed up our plan. I want Cho on our side and Potter expelled as soon as possible. He is really insane you know, and I think that he's going to hurt or even kill a student before Christmas." Marietta said coldly. Danielle's eyes widened.
"Oh, Marietta, surely you don't believe that, that he's capable of doing that! I mean I know he's the enemy, and all, but surely…" Danielle started, but was cut off by Marietta.
"Remember the papers from last year? Well they were right the first time. You know how powerful he is. Harry Potter might have put the imperious curse on the owners, and editors of the Profit. No one knows what he's capable of Danielle. Remember, he's impure. His mother had no magical lineage. But… don't concern yourself with Potter for now, leave that to me. I'm going to talk to my Uncle tomorrow morning. He's going to make it easier to take care of Cho's friends, but the rest is going to be up to you and Pansy. I need to keep attention away from myself for a while. She must use her prefect position to cause Cho's friends as much grief as possible. Give her a hand to mess with people like Cromwell, and any other friends she has in Ravenclaw. Do you understand?" Danielle nodded eagerly. "Good. Then lets go, we have plans to make." Marietta smiled. "So Potter and a pureblood finally had a row. This is the break I've been waiting for," Marietta thought as she walked back to the North Tower. "Things were about to advance more rapidly. How convenient that the argument would be with a pureblood from her own house. Poor Padma, your sacrifice will not go unforgotten. Maybe one day someone will make a statue of you, and put it in the school." Marietta thought to herself happily.