darkwave390: Darkwave sounds really cool. Thanks for the review, and I'm glad that I was able to pull at your heart strings.:)
imakeeper: Thank you so much for the complement. Fiona is not associated with Marietta and her cronies; she's just someone who also doesn't accept people for her own reasons. You hate Dumbledore? I didn't think that anyone hated him… wow. I wasn't trying to make Cho's father hated, just coming at a difficult problem from his own perspective, even if it's not the best one. Cho was right, she needs to be with her mum, but her father wants to go with her mums wishes that Cho stay in school, and it's not so easy to get back into Hogwarts after an extended leave.
Froggie2: Perhaps in time things will get better for her. Her father was really most upset that the personal family business went all over the school, and then back to him. But he also wants Cho to go back to school. He knows that Cho has great potential in her, but doesn't' t understand her need to deal with things in a certain way. Although his way of handling the stress by burying himself in his work and smoking isn't actually a good idea. I'm working on the back to Hogwarts thing, but it may be a bit. Stay tuned, and thinks for the review.:)
T-person: Thanks very much for the review. If you really want to you can go back and review chapter 51 separately;) Yea, I have a father with bronchitis, and I hate the smell of cigarettes, just another thing for Cho to worry about. I don't know why I do this to her, when I want her to be happy, but stay tuned. You know that when she and Marietta finally have it out (eventually) she's gonna get to let some of that frustration out.;) I hope that the readers have a lot of empathy for Cho, thanks.
Okay everyone here it is Chapter 53. Sorry it took so long. Well I just wanted to leave Cho at home for a while, so I could get back to Hogwarts. I meant to finish that part last chapter, but thanking about it. I left a few things out. Like Cho's scar, and a magic that she has without a wand. I got the idea, while watching "Sorcerers-Philosophers Stone" again, although I usually don't go by the movies. Anyway Harry Makes the glass disappear without a wand, so I wanted Cho to have some magic ability in her at all times, but one that she was not to good at, and reluctant to use. Anyway. Hope that you like it. I will post again soon. Thanks for reading.
Chapter 53: Home Again
Cho placed the Fish, noodles and the bowl of Shrimp with Lobster sauce that she had helped her Aunty Ying prepare, on the dining room table, as Aunty Ying set the moon pie that they would have for desert down, next to the decretive cylinder in the center of the table that held several pairs of chopsticks. Cho inhaled the aroma of the meal deep in her nostrils. Cho had a love for Scottish food, even Haggis, but she also had a deep appreciation for the home cooked Chinese meals that her family prepared for her growing up. As wonderful as Scottish food was, she missed those meals, which had their origins in her parents homeland when she was away at Hogwarts, which almost never prepared food outside of the meals common in the United Kingdom and Europe. Aunty Ying saw the pleased expression on Cho's face, as she closed her eyes, and breathed in the sensual odor of the feast, with a light smile.
"To your likening Cho?" Aunty Ying asked in Cantonese, (the language spoken most commonly in the Chang household) with a smile. Cho turned to her aunty.
"Oh yes, I've missed it sooo much. I really envy Sally and Ling; we never get Chinese meals at Hogwarts." Cho said. Aunty Ying giggled a bit.
"Actually Cho, I don't think that they care for my style of cooking too much. You see my mother was from the Hunan prefecture, and that's the style of cooking that she taught me, but honestly… I think that Sally, and Ling much prefer your Uncles, Cantonese style, probably you too I should think. Your mum makes such wonderful meals, I only had the good fortune of eating a couple of times at your place in Motherwell, but the food was second to none." Aunty Ying said happily. Cho smiled a bit wider.
"Yes, she's a wonderful cook, but so are you and I love Hunan style as well. Actually, I've been craving anything Chinese for a while now. I'm just happy to enjoy something different for a change. Hogwarts is great, but it's not known for its international cuisine. Still I remember having as many western style meals here over the summer as Chinese.
"Well, I couldn't give up some nice English Cooking, but actually your Uncle Zhongyu and I have been going out a lot lately, and not eating at home… but I don't think that Sally and Ling have missed our cooking. They've fallen in love with the burgers and chips at Mac Donald's. Funny, a name like that, and they don't sell any Scottish food." Aunty Ying pondered.
"They do at the one in Motherwell, just particular sandwiches that aren't usual to England, but… I don't usually eat there myself. It's still fast food, and I prefer food that has a bit of care and love put into it, Western or Chinese." Cho said. Aunty Ying nodded her agreement and called her own children into eat. Sally and Ling, started filling up there plates, with fish, noodles, and all the other genuine Chinese delicacies that the table had to offer, and grabbed a knife and fork each, leaving the cylinder full of Chopsticks untouched. Once they had put a healthy portion on their plates, they started to head back to Sally's room, but were stopped short by their mothers shout.
"Just one moment you two, where do you think that you're going? We're going to eat at the table tonight." Aunt Ying stated. Sally and Ling looked stricken with grief.
"Oh, but mum, were watching telly, it's MTV. Please can't we eat in our room?" Sally protested.
"Yes, please, it's important. A matter of life or death!" Ling put in unconvincingly. Aunty Ying rolled her eyes.
"Your cousin Cho is here again; don't you want to spend some time with her while she's back?" Aunty Ying stated.
"She can come watch with us! Cho you really have to see some of the shows, like the real world! It's about these Americans, and they live in this Luxury flat in San Francisco, which is a city there, and they go on these adventures, and have amazing social lives, and cameras follow them everywhere. They go bungee jumping, and take helicopter tours, and everything. And the cameras follow them everywhere." Sally said in an excited tone.
"Luxury flat? Helicopter tours, and bungee jumping… how do they pay for all this? I have a relative who lives in San Francisco, and the taxes are almost as bad as here." Aunty Ying queried.
"Oh, they have part time jobs for some spending money, but MTV pays for the flat, and electric, and water, and some of the adventures, and all that." Sally explained.
"Hump! Doesn't sound too realistic to me. Why don't they make them pay for all the bills, and have to work full time, now that's realistic." Aunty Ying stated with a tone of disgust. Sally and Ling made more pleads to let them watch the show, and when Cho said that she didn't mind watching it as well, her aunt finally relented. Sally and Ling thanked her and went back to Sally's room after Cho said that she would join them in a moment.
"Well, you might as well take the moon cakes too Cho, just make sure that they both eat their meal before they have this desert, okay?" Her Aunty Ying, stated as Cho nodded happily. Cho had her plate in one hand and tried to take the heavy plate of moon cakes from her Aunty with her other, but a sharp pain, shot through her hand and she watched the cake and plate crumble, and shatter on the floor, as she winched in pain.
"Owwwww!" Cho shouted. Then seeing the mess on the floor, looked back up to her Aunt, and gasped. "Oh Aunty… I'm so sorry. I'll clean it up." Cho apologized. As Cho tried to scoop up the cake her Aunt then noticed the large diagonal gash across the palm of Cho's hand that extended to her wrist. Aunt Ying instinctively grabbed Cho's arm, and brought her hand up to her to look at the scar.
"My god Cho, that's a nasty cut! I can't believe that I didn't notice it before; it's so hard to miss. Are you okay?" Cho's aunt asked with sincere concern. Cho turned a shad of red, embarrassed a little.
"I've been hiding it. It looks bad, but it's healing up." Cho said.
"When did you get this, does it hurt?" Her Aunt said putting a little pressure on it.
"Owwwww!" Cho shouted, yanking her hand away in pain. Aunty Ying put her hands to her mouth.
"Opps, I'm so sorry Cho, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Aunty Ying stated. Cho gave a slight smile.
"It's okay, it's getting better. I just put a bit to much pressure on it." Cho said massaging the area of the wound. "I cut it on some glass the other day." She finished casually.
"Well maybe you need to see a doctor; it looks like it's opened up a little." Aunty Ying stated from the small stream of blood dripping down Cho's wrist. Cho looked down at it.
"I already got it cleaned at hospital, but do you have a bandage I could use?" Cho asked politely. Aunty Ying smiled.
"Certainly, it's in the bathroom medicine cabinet. Do you need help?" she asked genuinely.
"Thank you, but no thanks… I've had a lot of experience helping to dress wounds." Cho stated, referring to her volunteer work at hospital.
"Well you go to the bathroom and take care of it, I'll take care of the mess, Sally and Ling will want to spend some time with you." Aunty Ying stated.
"I'm really sorry about the mess." Cho said sincerely. Aunty Ying waved her off.
"Don't worry about it, just go take care of your hand, and give Sally, and Ling some company." Aunty Ling said. Cho nodded her thanks, and left to the bathroom.
After bandaging her hand, and explaining to Sally and Ling that she had accidentally cut it through her own clumsiness. She didn't know why she didn't want to tell her family the real story. It would be easy for her father to have held the scar with magic. But it might have meant another row with him, and maybe she just wanted to put the whole thing behind her for now. Cho finished watching the program on the telly, and eating a wonderful Hunan style meal of fish and noodles, that Sally and Ling didn't seem to fond of, Sally and Ling then turned to Cho to ask her questions about what happened at school.
"Did you see Harry Potter again?" Sally asked excited. Cho lowered her eyes to the floor.
"Yea, I saw him." Cho said depressed. After she didn't speak for a moment, Sally pressed her.
"Well, did he say anything to you? What did you two talk about?" Sally continued.
"He's got problems; someone is making him look bad. Setting him up to look like he was doing something wrong." Cho said quietly. Sally and Ling's eyes widened.
"Really! How could they do that? Did they send an anonymous note to the teacher, blaming him?" Ling asked.
"No, he thinks someone named Draco Malfoy has been pretending to be him. Dressing up like him, and attacking people at the Quidditch match, and in a fight with Allen Miller, the head boy, and other times." Cho said, still keeping her eyes to the ground.
"How did the boy make other people think that he was Harry Potter, I mean if he was on the Quidditch pitch then surely many people would have recognized him as someone else, especially his own team." Sally put in.
"Harry reckoned that Malfoy had used Polly Juice Potion. It's a mixture that when adding the DNA of someone to it, and drank by another person causes the person to assume the form of whomever the DNA sample is from. They become an exact copy in physical appearance. Anyway that's what Harry said that he thinks that Malfoy did. So, Harry has problems at school this year." Cho finished.
"That's really sad Cho, but what's DNA?" Ling asked.
"It's the genetic make up of the body. Each person's DNA is specific to them, like no two peoples finger prints are alike. But poly juice potion copy's a persons DNA to someone else, which is why you need something like a strand of hair from the person that you need to copy. Anyway that's what Harry thanks this Malfoy boy has done to frame him." Cho finished.
"Wow, so you and Harry are talking again, that must mean that he's your boyfriend. Cho's got a boyfriend, Cho's got a boyfriend!" Ling teased. Cho turned to look at her cousins.
"No, I don't… were not even friends. We didn't really get along this year. We just can't seem to connect. So, when I left, it was already over, permanently." Cho finished.
"You… you mean that you're both enemies now?" Ling asked.
"No Ling, well never be enemies… Harry fights the people who killed Cedric… in a way he'll always be my hero, but… we can't be friends for several reasons that I can't get into. Can we talk about something else, what about your new boyfriend Sally? What was his name, Donald Tran?" Cho asked.
"Oh, my god Donald is sooooo cute, he's the sweetest most romantic guy in the world, and we go somewhere ever other weekend almost. This weekend were going to play miniature golf. His parents live over on Edmonton Street, so it's really close. They're from Vietnam, but he was born here. He's really smart too. He's like the best in his year. Not only that, he's teaching me how to skateboard as well, but I'm not that good yet. Wait, I'll go and get a picture of him!" Sally said excited, and leapt up and ran over to the dresser, returning with the picture of her, and Donald. It was taken at Piccadilly Circus, and he was dressed in baggy paints, and a high school T-shirt, holding a scratched up skateboard in one arm with the other around Sally who was in her school uniform, a black blazer with a red, and blue school crest on the front pocket, and a blue tie. Cho smiled, and looked up at Sally.
"He looks very handsome Sally. I'm glad that he's nice to you. It's good that you have someone in your life." Cho said sincerely. Sally nodded.
"He really is great Cho, and his friends are cool too." Sally said.
"That's great, how are you doing in school Sally?" Cho asked.
"Oh I'm doing average. You know just getting by, school is boring, but there are some great parties at the community center on Friday nights, just after the basket ball game, so at least I have fun then. Look how about Beverly, how is she doing? That was so cool how she turned that stone into a frog at Diagon Alley. You should have her come here to show us some more tricks, or better yet, you can show us Cho! Your seventeen now, and can do magic and it's legal." Ling said excited. Cho looked sad all of a sudden.
"On, no Ling, I can't, I don't have a wand now. I can't do magic anymore." Cho said in an apologetic tone. Sally and Ling instantly looked disappointed.
"Cho, how could you forget your wand, isn't there like some rule that no witch can be without it or something? I guess we could go to Diagon Alley tomorrow and you could by one to use just for here. Errr, how long are you going to stay with us this time, please don't go back to school too soon." Sally stated.
"Yes, we missed you so much, at least stay for a week Cho." Ling added. Cho looked up at her cousins, and tears started to well up in her eyes. She stood up, and walked over to the large window in the room, gazing out at the buildings of London's west end, with her back to her cousins.
"I, um… I'll be staying for a bit longer than that actually." Cho said softly. Sally and Ling looked at each other with excited expressions on their faces, and then returned their gaze to Cho's back.
"That's great Cho. How long until you go back to Hogwarts?" Sally asked. Tears began to fall from Cho' s eyes, as she watched snow start to fall from the sky outside.
"I'm never going back. I'm done with school. I… I just don't have the time, and I was never really good anyway. Hogwarts is for smart witches." Cho continued. Sally and Ling giggled.
"Smart witches? Oh come on Cho, we've never known anyone who's been able to soak up knowledge as much as you have. Anyway you're not serious about leaving school are you?" Ling asked.
"Yea, I… I really don't think that I belong there. Plus I need to take care of mum. I'm going to get a job at the hospital so that I can make some money to help out here, and still be near her." Cho said.
"What… what job will you get there Cho? Will Hogwarts send you a diploma?" Ling asked.
"No, I didn't achieve high enough marks to get one. I'll just have to settle for a job that doesn't require a diploma." Cho said sincerely.
"What type of job will you get Cho?" Sally asked.
"I don't know. I… I've not decided yet. Really, I'll just have to see what's available." Cho said.
"Well not much without a diploma in this economy, I'm afraid." Sally put in. "But Cho, your father talked with us about you growing up. He said that you used to could do magic when you were really little, without a wand. Couldn't you show us just something? Please." Sally begged.
"Oh yes please Cho, we haven't gotten to see magic since Beverly turned the stone into a frog at Diagon Alley. I mean your dad is always working, and never has time to show us anything." Ling added. Cho looked hesitant.
"Well, I don't know, I really don't want to…" Cho started, but was cut off by her cousin's pleadings. Cho gave a great sigh. "Okay, I do know one trick, but that's it okay?" Cho stated.
"Great!" Cho's cousin's shouted in unison.
"Okay, Sally will you clear the lamp off the thee legged little table over there?" Cho requested pointing at a small table, with a single lamp resting on it, that sat in a corner of the room. When Sally had removed the lamp, Cho helped her bring the small table to the middle of the room. The tree stood back, and Cho concentrated looking at the table. She closed her eyes, and thought hard on the table, seeing what she wanted to happen. Cho's hands balled up into fist, and she blocked everything else out of her mind. Suddenly the small table flew across the room, and slammed into the wall with a loud bang, leaving a small hole in the drywall with one of its legs. Cho opened her eyes, and gasped at the sight of the whole. "Damit! I didn't mean to do it that hard." Cho said frustrated.
"Wow, that was so cool Cho! Do it again." Sally pleaded.
"Yes, that was amazing, can we please see it again?" Ling added.
"No, you guys, I didn't mean to make it do that that hard, I was just trying to knock it over, but I screwed up." Cho said, as she walked over and took the table out of the wall. Suddenly the door opened and Aunty Ying stormed inside.
"What the bloody hell what that racket?" She demanded, and then noticed the hole in the drywall beside Cho. "What… how did that happen." Aunty Ying demanded. Cho lowered her head to the ground.
"I… it was my fault. Sorry Aunty Ying, it was an accident. I knocked over the table with magic, it won't happen again." Cho said ashamed.
"Oh, well okay Cho, just use your magic to fix the wall, and it'll be okay, but no more throwing stuff around the room, okay?" Aunty Ying replied. Cho nodded.
"Aunty Ying, I won't use anymore magic, but I can't fix the wall. I don't have a wand anymore. Dad could come over and easily fix it. I'm really sorry." Cho stated, very sincerely. Aunty Ying looked really surprised.
"Well if you don't have a wand how could you move it with magic in the first place?" Aunty Ying inquired.
"Well it's just a trick, that I know how to do, I've known for a long time, before I started school. It just got out of hand, I'm really sorry." Cho stated, and she meant it. Aunty Ying nodded.
"Well, alright Cho. I'll have your father come on the weekend and patch it up. Meanwhile, you had all best get ready for bed. Lights out in thirty minutes, Sally and Ling have School tomorrow." Aunty Ying said in a tone of finality, and left the room closing the door behind her. Cho turned to see Sally and Ling looking at her with amazement.
"You… you were able to do that before you even went to Hogwarts Cho… how?" Sally asked wide eyed.
"Well, I don't know. When I was really small, I sometime threw tantrums and did it. But I was to young to remember. That's just what mum and dad told me. Later I did it as a joke to mum and dad. I just some how always knew how to do it. I would knock stuff over, and make them think that their was a poltergeist in the house for a while. Anyway I got to laughing so much after a while that they eventually knew what I was up to. I got in trouble. So I never did it at home again.
"That's amazing Cho. How come you never did that for us before? That can be so useful." Ling put in.
"Well I don't like to do it. Something happened." Cho said in monotone.
"What happened Cho? Tell us." Ling pleaded. Cho was reluctant, but at least they didn't ask about Hogwarts.
"Well remember when I told you that when I was nine, my parents sent me to a Hong Kong school to learn Chinese Calligraphy?" Cho said.
"Do I ever, Mum and Dad were thinking about sending me there too. Fortunately they changed their minds. I hate school, and then they wanted to double the workload on me, by having me learn a whole second written language. I mean, It's not like I'm ever going to live in China." Sally said.
"Yea, well anyway. The school I went to, there were these three older boys picking on this smaller boy in a class. I got mad, and tried to pull them off, of him. But they just knocked me out of the way. I got mad, and I had the idea to throw a desk at the three bully's with my mind. But one thing I never have been able to do is control the force of how I move things. And I can't levitate anything; I can only throw things with my mind. So… I just wanted to scare the boys, and throw the desk a little and I… I threw a desk, But I can't really aim when I do that, still today. I… ended up throwing the desk into the little boy, hard. It scared the three boys, and they ran off, but… the boy, his name was Hu, he got crushed hurt by the desk. He went to the hospital. Eventually he was okay, but I felt really bad. Anyway as word got around people looked at me strange, because it was a muggle school and no one had seen anything like that before. I… I think I creeped a lot of people out. I really didn't have any friends there. It was a lonely year, and a half away from everyone. So I really almost never did it again. Anyway I'm probably boring you two, sorry." Cho stated.
"No, not at all." Her cousins protested.
"Anyway, I have to get ready to see mum tomorrow. Goodnight you two. And Sally. It was a good thing to learn Chinese. I was lonely, but I really am glad that I know how to write it. You should consider it." Cho finished.
Cho headed to the bathroom to clean up. Cho was in the hot, steaming shower cleaning up for tomorrow, her father had said that he wanted Cho to start thinking about heading back to Hogwarts, but Cho had only one place to be tomorrow, and that was at hospital beside her mum. She had been away for too long, and she wasn't going to stay away again. She reflected on what job that she could get at hospital without a diploma. She would check on the nursed break room bulletin board tomorrow, she thought. As she began to wash the vanilla scented shampoo out of her eyes, Cho heard a familiar sinister laugh, followed by the flushing of the bathroom toilet, and it was then that she remembered that she had forgotten to lock the bathroom door again. As the Icy cold water hit her, Cho shrieked.
"Ahhhhhh… Ling, I'm going to kick your arse!"
The next morning, Wellington Hospital; Nurses break station:
Cho sat with Carol and a few of her other hospital friends eating lunch and going over the list of available jobs that were posted on the bulletin board. Carol looked though a paper list of requirements needed for all the jobs at hospital again, trying to find something for Cho. Carol looked up at Cho with a disappointed look on her face.
"I'm sorry Cho, but the only thing that seems to be open without the necessity of a diploma, is a volunteer position." Carol said.
"I'd love to, but I need to make money to help out at home. There must be something that I can do. It has to be here, so I can look in on mum." Cho said. Carol got down to the bottom of the list. If you go back to your school and graduate then there will be more options for you. It'll only take a little more time Cho, half a year." Carlo advised. Cho shook her head.
"No Carol, I have to be here for mum now. I've been away too much already. I have to be here now, please understand." Cho pleaded. Carol nodded.
"I do understand Cho, but the only job available on here without a diploma is janitor, not you don't wan…" Carol began, but was cut off.
"I'll take it!" Cho interrupted.
"Oh, come on Cho, Janitor? It doesn't pay very well." Carol stated.
"It'll be enough. And it keeps me here at hospital." Cho said.
"Okay, but I don't do the hiring." Carol said.
"its okay, Dr. Gardiah said that he would help me get on if I could find something that I was qualified. Well this is it." Cho said. Carol looked at the paper again.
"It's not very glorious work fro seven quid an hour Cho." She stated. Cho smiled.
"Neither is working with bedpans, but I did that for free all summer." Cho stated. Everyone in the room had a giggle, and Cho had a job the next day.