Halloween in the fifth year.
In canon, the fifth year was the first time nothing significant happened at Haloween. The first year had the confrontation with the troll, the second had the Petrification of Mrs Norris, the third had Sirius' first attempt on Pettigrew, and the fourth had the nomination of champions. Will this year also prove uneventful in this fanfiction?
CHO XIV
Halloween's day could have been a better day for Cho. This was a Saturday, and students were allowed to visit Hogsmeade on that day. She and her friends had planned to go all together to the village. Or, more accurately, Marietta planned going to the village with all their friends, and she dragged Cho along.
As they ate breakfast this morning, Cho didn't feel like going to Hogsmeade. It would be the first time she would go to the village since… Cedric died.
Life had somewhat gotten back to normal for Cho, two months after her return to Hogwarts. She was attending her classes, doing her homework, training in prevision of the first Quidditch game of the season. But despite this, despite almost two months of normalcy, everything looked different. She still couldn't look at the Hufflepuff table without thinking of Cedric. She kept dreaming about him, including some where she imagined his death. The common practices of Quidditch between the three teams of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff reminded her even further of his absence. And there was also this woman, Dolores Umbridge, who attended their courses, examining their teachers. And her mere presence reminded Cho of Cedric as well. She worked for the Ministry of Magic. The same ministry who refused to explain how Cedric died. And all of this made her feel miserable. She struggled to not go alone in the washroom to cry at least once every day.
"What do you think, Cho?"
Marietta's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "What?"
"Honeydukes. There's a new sweet there. We thought it would be good to head there first."
"Oh, yeah. Fine. If you want," she said, distracted.
She was sitting with her usual group of friends. Well, not so usual now. After the first two weeks of the year, Cho almost stopped spending time with them, except for Marietta. She didn't know exactly if it was herself who began avoiding them or the other way around, but anytime she was with them, she couldn't get herself to participate or to be interested in their conversations.
She wasn't interested in going to Hogsmeade. She wasn't interested in anything, truth be told. Not even to the Halloween feast planned for this evening. A part of her simply wanted to go back to the common room and stay there, alone. Cho felt as if she lived in a completely different world. All the people around her were happy, even excited to go to Hogsmeade. For them, this was a day of freedom. But for Cho, no matter the efforts she made, this was yet another occasion reminding her that someone was no longer there to enjoy it like they did.
She remembered the first visit to Hogsmeade she and Cedric went together. It wasn't long after the Yule Ball, barely a few weeks later, in January. They had gone to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. This was the only place where they would not be bothered by their friends. They followed them everywhere, but the intimate atmosphere of the place made it impossible for them to follow Cho and Cedric there. It had been the best moment of the day for her, a moment where she could have Cedric all for herself. A kind of moment that would never happen again.
"We should leave," one of her friends declared. "If we want to visit everything, we better not go late."
The group stood up, and Cho reluctantly followed, almost pushed by Marietta. "You'll see. You'll enjoy the day," her best friend assured. Cho wasn't convinced, but she followed her group of friends nonetheless, feeling like she had nothing better to do.
"We must not miss the discounts at Gladrags Wizardwear," someone said. "There's a new dress I want to buy at all costs, and its price has never been so low."
"Low?" another mocked. "It's so costly. It's more than what my parents give me for an entire year."
"It's worth it," the interested girl said, shrugging.
"As long as we have time to stop at the hairdressing salon. I need new dye for my hair," another said.
"I think I'll want to stop there as well," yet another girl said. "My own are…" Her attention seemed drawn to something. "I don't get why she's interested in him."
Cho followed the gaze of the girl, to a sight that was not to make her any happier. They had reached the Entrance Hall, and in a corner, Harry was hugging his girlfriend. Cho looked away, and for the first time, she spoke of her own initiative.
"You want to waste time looking at other people kissing, or you want to head to Hogsmeade. I thought we had no time to waste."
The other girls looked at her oddly. Marietta then intervened. "Cho is right. Let's go to Hogsmeade. This is a beautiful day."
And they left the Entrance Hall. However, Cho couldn't prevent herself from casting a glance behind her. Harry and his girlfriend were going separate ways. Perhaps he was going to take something in his common room before they found each other at the village.
The atmosphere at Hogsmeade was festive, given the day it was. Cho barely said a few words on their way to the village. She barely spoke as they entered Honeydukes. Like always, the shop was crowded. Cho bought little. She ate two Pumpkin Pasties. She smiled at the taste, though it seemed to not taste as good as usual. The girls then moved to the Three Broomsticks, which like always, was crowded. Madam Rosmerta soon brought them all a Butterbeer, and Cho felt a little better as the beverage went down her throat and warmed her.
"Sometimes, I have the impression that we went through the O.W.L.s only to have their level of work forced upon us," Marietta said as part of the conversation. "The teachers must be forcing us to go through all this so we can get used to overwork for the rest of our time at Hogwarts. At least, we have more free time to do our homework this year. I only wish I had some to rest as well."
"Yeah. I barely have time for my boyfriend," another girl said. "I told him last year that we would have more time after my O.W.L.s, but now I'm beginning to think he's going to leave me."
"That wouldn't be so bad. You always say he is an idiot," someone else said.
"Maybe, but he's my idiot."
The girls laughed together. Cho forced herself to give a few chortles.
"If you want that much to keep seeing your idiot of a boyfriend," Marietta said between laughs, "you can still complain to Mrs Umbridge. Tell her that our teachers are giving us too much homework the next time you discuss."
"Already done," the girl replied. "I told her we were given impossible amounts of work, and that our only way to deal with it was to copy on our friends. And she seemed very interested. Especially when I told her that the professors are aware of that situation, and they do nothing about it."
For about a month, since another educational decree was adopted, students were indeed under the obligation to have private discussions with Mrs Umbridge. The High Inquisitor would ask them questions about their professors and the subjects they followed to better examine the staff. Cho herself had such a meeting with Mrs Umbridge about three days ago. But to be honest, she hadn't liked it at all. The woman started by confirming Cho's identity, then reminded Cho that both her parents worked for the Ministry of Magic. Cho felt she was being told this as if she didn't know where her parents were working. Then this woman proceeded to ask questions. First, these were general. Was Cho satisfied with the teachings and training offered at Hogwarts? Did she have anything to complain about? Was she happy at Hogwarts? But then the questions had become more specific.
"To your knowledge, has any of your professors shown you material that was inappropriate?"
Cho had frowned. "Inappropriate? No."
"Are you sure?" Umbridge had insisted.
"Yes."
"Strange. Because a few of your classmates told me that your professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts showed quite disturbing images. Images that don't have their place in a school."
Cho understood right away what she was talking about. "Oh, Professor Evans only wanted to show us what dark magic could do. It was some kind of introduction to the subject."
"So she did show you inappropriate material. Images, photos picturing people being tortured, killed, deformed…"
"Yes, but…"
"It's alright, Miss Chang. No need to dwell any longer on this topic. Now, are there teachers who tell you to use magic against your comrades in class?"
"Eh… Well, it happens. Sometimes, we need to try spells on other people, to see if it works. In Potions, we even test what we prepare sometimes…"
"But is there a subject where it is recurrent? Where you are called to use magic against your comrades at every lesson?"
"Not really. Of course, there are some subjects where we must do it more often…"
"Which subjects?"
"Charms, when a spell is supposed to affect a person. Transfiguration, more rarely. When we try human transfiguration, we have no choice. And there is Defence Against the Dark Arts as well…"
"And is it true that your professor, in this subject, have you and your comrades doing duels? On a regular basis?"
Cho was afraid to answer. But she decided she would explain all the precautions Mrs Evans put in place to avoid anyone getting hurt. "Yes, she's teaching us curses and countercurses to help us defend ourselves, but she…"
"Thank you," Umbridge cut her.
"But she does everything so that it is safe, and she gives us clear instructions…"
"Miss Chang, thank you very much, but my time is precious. You don't need to provide too many details. But you, personally, have you been jinxed during the lessons Professor Evans gave you? Were you injured? Cut? Stupefied? Thrown against a hard surface? Did you have injuries to the back? To the head? To the arm? Be as specific as possible. I need to make an exhaustive list."
So, this was true. Cho heard rumors that Umbridge was there to cause problems to Professor Dumbledore. Harry's mother was his latest hiring, and there were rumours that Umbridge was initially supposed to be their teacher this year, and that Mrs Evans was chosen in the last minute in her stead. Her father warned Cho to be careful around Umbridge, and to not put this woman against her. Now, she had the distinct impression that this woman was trying to find things against their professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"You were never injured or harmed?" Umbridge insisted. "If you are afraid, I guarantee you that whatever you will say will remain confidential."
"I'm not afraid," Cho had replied. "What should I be afraid of?"
"Well, lately, there have been disagreements between the Minister and the headmaster of this school. They don't see eye to eye. And we wouldn't want any student to feel threatened if they were to say anything against the headmaster or any of the staff he chose."
"I never felt threatened by Professor Dumbledore. Nor by any other teacher."
There were some she could be afraid of. McGonagall was severe, and Snape was scary at times. There was also Filch, the caretaker, but he felt more like a nuisance than anything else. And Peeves could frighten you, but he wasn't dangerous.
"I don't doubt it. But if you feel that your professor might punish you because you said anything against her…"
"I have nothing to say against Professor Evans," Cho protested. "She is an excellent teacher. I wish she was the one to teach us last year. She would have helped me a lot with my O.W.L.s.. And if she had taught Cedric half of what we learned so far with her, maybe he would still be alive."
The words had come out on their own, and Cho almost regretted them immediately. Mrs Umbridge looked at her strangely. She put her notepad down on her desk and looked straight at Cho.
"Miss Chang, why do you say that? Have you heard… certain stories… from certain people who are lying?"
Cho had felt threatened under the gaze of that woman, despite her kind expression. But she finally asked the question.
"How did Cedric die?"
Maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed like an ice bucket was thrown into the room. But the woman in front of Cho didn't reply and instead kept questioning her.
"Has someone told you stories about how this young man died?"
"All I know is that he was murdered…"
"Miss Chang, I stop you there. You should know better than to believe those lies. Your parents work for the Ministry. Now, can you tell me who told you these lies?"
Cho was beginning to boil inside. "How did Cedric die?"
"You're not the one asking questions here. Now, tell me who told you these lies?"
In the end, Cho didn't tell Mrs Umbridge anything. But she didn't get any information from her about Cedric's death either. When Cho further questioned the woman, she snapped and told that, although Cedric's death was a tragedy, it didn't do any good to dwell on this tragedy or to know the details. Cho had left the meeting in tears, both from sadness and anger.
Cho thought about this while her friends kept complaining about their homework and teachers. Then one of them said something that caught her attention.
"I once told Mrs Umbridge that Professor Evans is very demanding. She was very interested in what I had to say about her."
"Yeah, she asked me questions about her too," someone else said.
"Something is telling me that she's not going to last long," Marietta said. And Cho couldn't miss the small point of happiness in her voice.
"Why do you think so?" Cho asked her best friend.
"Umbridge is on her case. She's a new teacher, without a solid training… The Ministry has a lot to remove her."
"I don't see how they could," another girl said. "That woman asked me questions about Professor Evans as well, but… I mean, she's way more competent than many others we had. You remember Quirrell? And Lockhart? And she's not a werewolf, at least."
"She's better than teachers like Binns or Trelawney, that I cannot disagree," someone else said.
"Being better than Binns is not very hard."
"Yeah, but… Better than professors who have been there for years, if not decades or even centuries… Before they put her out, they should think about dealing with the ghost. Or the quack with huge glasses and her false death predictions. Or even the half giant. In comparison, an Auror who was sacked…"
"She wasn't sacked," Cho pointed out. "She resigned."
"Well, more points for her then. And… We're talking about the Mother Who Lived, after all."
That statement was welcomed by an uncertain atmosphere at their table.
"I'm not sure this matters a lot now," Marietta said. "Umbridge is clearly on her case."
"You mean… It's because of everything they say in the newspapers? You believe the Ministry wants to get rid of her?" another girl asked.
"If they really want to get rid of bad teachers, they should begin with the really bad ones. Professor Evans, she's fine enough. Her main flaw is that her son is crazy. And aside from that…" Another girl went on.
"Harry is not crazy," Cho declared. "I've known him for years now, and I can guarantee that he is as sane as we all are."
All her friends looked at her. "Well…" one began. "Maybe he's not crazy, but… With all the things we hear about him… It would be better to stay away from him."
"Yes, Cho," another one said, looking concerned. "Maybe you shouldn't spend as much time with him. The common practices of Quidditch… Maybe you should stop them…"
"It was Cedric who had the idea of those practices," Cho snapped.
That ended the conversation. Cho wouldn't stop practicing with Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors because the newspapers were lying about Harry. The same newspapers who refused to tell them how Cedric died.
Later, when they left the Three Broomsticks, Cho left the group as they headed for the hairdressers.
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Marietta asked her.
"No. I need to be alone for a moment. I'll see you later."
Her best friend insisted, but Cho eventually left them all. She walked around in the streets of Hogsmeade, not entering any shop. Going out with her friends didn't make her feel better. But wandering alone in the streets of the village where she once went on a few dates with Cedric didn't make her feel better either. Almost every corner, every shop reminded her of a moment she spent with him.
After a while, Cho felt like she was about to crumble on herself. She made her way to a dark corner on an alley, afar from the crowd visiting the village, and there she cried. She simply couldn't do it. Even months later, there wasn't a day she could avoid crying after thinking too much of the boy she loved. She couldn't forget the sight of his lifeless body, his eyes with an empty expression devoid of life. If summer had been hard, with the memory of her dead boyfriend still fresh in mind, coming back to Hogwarts had not proven to do any good. She couldn't go through a corridor, cast a glance at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall, play Quidditch, or do anything else without thinking about him. Even the sight of the Black Lake, from which he saved her in February, caused her sadness.
How long she stayed alone to cry, she didn't know. But when she emerged, she went to the first shop she spotted. It was Honeydukes. She took some more pumpkin pasties, along with a Chocolate Frog. After eating the frog, she looked at the card inside. It was one of Albus Dumbledore. She was almost surprised to find one. She almost expected the company producing Chocolate Frogs to have made them disappear, with everything being told about the headmaster. But the card was still there, summarizing Dumbledore's greatest accomplishments, including the defeat of Grindelwald.
Like most wizards and witches of her age, Cho had grown up hearing everywhere that Albus Dumbledore was the greatest wizard of modern ages. It was something that was almost ingrained in her mind. This was why she was surprised when the Daily Prophet started depicting him like an old fool, and that the Ministry of Magic turned his back on him. Her parents didn't say much about the matter, but she could feel that they were very uneasy about what the newspapers claimed. Cho, for herself, always found Dumbledore peculiar, original, funny, but crazy and mad? Never. He was the headmaster of the school she was attending. All their teachers only had good words on him, even those as unpleasant as Snape. And at least, Dumbledore never tried to hide Cedric's death. He had an explanation for his death. Unlike the Ministry and the Daily Prophet who only seemed to want to hide and forget his death.
Her wandering led her to the front door of Tomes and Scrolls. Cho didn't really want to buy anything there, but the shop was usually very quiet. She hoped that she could spend a quiet time there, only looking at books she didn't intend to buy.
Indeed, when she opened the door, the atmosphere was very calm. Only a few people could be seen around, browsing through large tomes. Cho went through the rows, until she found one where no one could be found. This was an alley where medieval history books coexisted with culinary essays. Cho thought about how food felt less tasteful since June. She randomly took a book and opened it on a page depicting a recipe for flaming gooses with a caramel sauce. It was quite uninteresting, and she instead ended up listening to the silence rarely broken by whispers that surrounded her. Until a conversation reached her ears in the rows right next to hers.
"You think it will be alright for your mother?"
"I guess so. With time."
"Don't worry, Susan. She will recover." At the mention of the name, Cho's attention was caught.
"I hope. She really put a lot of herself in that referendum. And now… This."
Through an opening between books on the shelves, Cho saw the redheaded girl with her best friend in the other alley of books. Susan Bones was holding a newspaper between her hands, and she was showing it to her best friend, a girl by the name of Hannah Abbott.
"Yes, I understand," Hannah said. "At least, it is over now."
"I don't think it is over," Susan replied, her tone a little disappointed. "This year's Halloween is not very pleasant."
"Don't say that, Susan. I know that Harry didn't want you to spend the day with him, but…"
"I don't blame him, Hannah. I can't blame him. I would like to be with him right now, but… The year has been difficult for him already. And today… I can't blame him for wanting to be left alone."
Being left alone. Cho could relate to that. More often than not, she only wished for her friends to leave her alone. Even Marietta, who understood what she felt after the Triwizard Tournament, was someone Cho wanted to be away from on many occasions. Including today.
"Still, I thought he would allow you to accompany him," Hannah Abbott went on. "I mean, you've been together for, what? Nine months? And after going through so much together… The Triwizard Tournament. The Dementors' attack. I didn't expect to spend the day with you, Susan. I was sure you would be far away with Harry."
"That's his decision, Hannah. And I respect it."
The girl from Hufflepuff told so on resigned tone. Cho walked to another row, where she could no longer hear what was being discussed. She felt guilty for listening. But she was surprised, like the girl named Hannah was. She expected Harry to spend the day with his girlfriend. She had the occasion to see Harry on multiple occasions since the year began. However, she tried to talk to him only when he was alone. She didn't appreciate some of his friends. The one who was the new Keeper of Gryffindor, the Tornados-haters, among others. And she also preferred avoiding him when he was with his girlfriend. As a result, they mostly met during the common Quidditch practices. Cho exchanged a few words with him, but they never had any meaningful conversation. There were always many people around them. But those short word exchanges… Did they make her feel better? She wasn't sure. But at the same time, she felt that they were more meaningful than anything else she did at Hogwarts. And when she saw Harry wander in the corridors of the school with his girlfriend, she felt… She wished she could talk to him more easily. She found it odd that Harry didn't spend the day with Susan. Cho remembered seeing them on their first date at Hogsmeade last year, in January. She and Cedric had gone on their first date as well that day, if you excluded the Yule Ball.
Making to the exit of the shop, Cho spotted a girl from her house, but one year below, looking at a section where books on Arithmancy were in evidence. Hesitating an instant, she went in her direction.
"Hi, Padma."
Padma Patil had her back on Cho. She turned to face her. "Hi, Cho. How are you today?"
"Okay," she replied, not being very truthful. "I… Padma…" She made sure to talk on low tones. "You're in the same year than Harry, aren't you?"
The Indian girl frowned at this. "Harry Potter? Yes, I am."
"Do you happen to know where he could be right now? I'm looking for him." She tried to sound as natural as she could be.
"If you're looking for Harry, you will not find him at Hogsmeade today. No more than in Hogwarts, for that matter."
Cho was confused for a moment. She had the impression that Padma answered her, but without moving her lips. And that her voice was coming from behind. Realizing this had no sense, Cho turned to see another girl who was identical and with the same voice. She then understood immediately. It was Padma's twin, Parvati, who was talking.
"Why not? Is there a problem with him?" Cho asked.
"No. But right now, if you want to see him, you would need to go to Godric's Hollow," Padma's twin said.
This was Cho's turn to frown. "Godric's Hollow?"
"Yes. Harry goes there every year at Halloween. That's why we usually don't see him for the feast. Well, except last year. He's never in a very good mood on that day."
"Why is that?" Cho asked, skeptical.
"This is the day his father died." All of a sudden, Cho remembered. Yes, You-Know-Who was destroyed on a Halloween night. She felt horrible for not thinking about that. "It's better to not try to talk to him during Halloween. In some way, I'm lucky. I didn't get to date him long enough to experience that as his girlfriend."
Cho heard a scoff. She turned to see Hannah Abbott disappearing behind shelves.
"You didn't choose the right time to say that," Padma commented, not without admonition.
"Who cares, Padma? Anyway, they know Harry and I dated, and Susan was never mean with me for that," Parvati pointed out.
"That's not a reason to remind everyone that you dated Harry Potter when the best friend of his actual girlfriend is around."
"It was only a joke. And if they knew… Do you realize that I once paired Susan with Ron? The former boyfriend of Hannah?"
Padma loudly sighed. "Are we forced to talk about your Board of Love again? I already hear about it too often whenever Lavender is nearby."
Cho chose to retreat from the growing argument between the twins. She knew Padma much better than Parvati, largely because the first twin was in Ravenclaw while the other was in Gryffindor. And more than once, she heard Padma complain about the behaviour of her sister. So Cho preferred to avoid getting stuck into a sisterly dispute. She left the shop.
As she walked among the streets of the village, Cho felt guilty. She hadn't thought that Halloween was a difficult day for Harry. He was mourning for someone today, just like she did. She would try to talk to him today, if she ever saw him. Maybe he was in Godric's Hollow right now, but maybe she would see him before the day was over.
Cho found her group of friends busy buying clothes. She spent the rest of the day with them. Unexpectedly, she managed to somewhat enjoy the rest of the day until they went back to the castle, where they prepared for the feast. As she waited for Marietta to come out of the dormitory, Michael Corner, who was a year below her, came through their portal, a large smile on his face.
"Hi, Cho," he said.
"Hi, Michael," she replied. "You had a good day?"
"Marvelous. I spent it all with Ginny." Seeing the confused look on her face, he specified. "My girlfriend. Ginny Weasley. She's in Gryffindor."
"Oh. The sister of Fred and George Weasley? The Beaters in Gryffindor?"
"Yes, that's her. Too bad she's in Gryffindor as well. I would sit next to her during dinner. I wonder what they prepared for this year."
"No idea." Last year's festivities around Halloween were centered around the Triwizard Tournament. Cho remembered being so happy when Cedric's name came out of the Goblet of Fire. She wasn't dating him yet at the time, but they were already very close. If she had known what participating to this tournament would mean for him, she would have screamed and begged him not to join the competition.
"Maybe another performance by the ghosts," Michael went on. "Maybe the Grey Lady could perform this time. Two years ago, she did little."
Cho made small talk with Michael until Marietta came out. They went together to the Great Hall and joined the same group of friends who accompanied them to Hogsmeade earlier today. Conversations around all of them were happy. They all fell silent the moment the headmaster stood up.
"Welcome, everyone," he declared. "For those of you who spent the day at Hogsmeade, I hope you haven't eaten too many Chocolate Frogs. And if you ate the wrong flavour of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, then you have a very good occasion to get rid of that filthy taste in your mouth. Now, let's feast. Happy Halloween."
People gasped in wonder again as the tables were spread with all kinds of plates and food specific for Halloween. Cho filled her plate, like all her friends.
"It's been an eternity since I ate one of those," said someone, who Cho knew came from a Muggle family.
The pumpkins hanging from the invisible ceiling were burning from the inside. Cho noticed that gigantic pumpkins from last year were missing this time. At the staff table, Professor Grubbly-Plank was still there, while the gamekeeper, Hagrid, still shone by his absence. Maybe this was why the pumpkins were not here this time. Cho found herself missing those pumpkins.
While looking at thew staff table, she noticed the absence of another teacher. Lily Evans Potter was also missing. She was probably still at Godric's Hollow with Harry.
"I can't wait for whatever they've prepared as a show," one of Cho's friends said between two bites.
Soon, they had moved to dessert. The pumpkin pie was delicious. Then it was over, and Cho felt totally full with everything she just ate.
"Now that we have filled our stomachs yet another time," Dumbledore declared, describing very well the situation, "I would like to invite the choir and orchestra of our school, led by Professor Flitwick, to perform for us before we go to bed."
People applauded as dozens of students stood up from the four tables across the Great Hall. Professor Flitwick stood up as well, bringing chairs along with musical instruments for the orchestra, while the chorists remained standing, facing the other students. Professor Flitwick took his wand made to conduct his students. He silently asked for silence, which he obtained. Then he made a great movement with his wand, and the orchestra began to play. Flutes began to play, along with small drums. Then another movement of wand, and the chorists proceeded to sing. And Cho recognized the song. She heard it maybe two years ago.
(Double Trouble; John Williams)
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Double, double toil and trouble
Something wicked this way comes
Eye of newt, and toe of frog
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Double, double toil and trouble
Something wicked this way comes
In the cauldron boil and bake
Fillet of a fenny snake
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Something wicked this way comes
People applauded and cheered for the song that was well known. It wasn't the first time the choir sang it, and the song itself was pretty popular.
Professor Flitwick again silently asked for silence. The crowd gave it to him, especially as the light began to reduce and soon only the flames inside the pumpkins, both on the floor and in the air, remained to dimly light the Great Hall. Then the ghosts gathered in front of the students, their pearly white color contrasting against the semi-darkness of the place. Cho noticed that a member of the choir had stepped forward. Even in the dim light, she recognized Susan Bones. She was playing with her hands. She looked stressed. Cho even thought she saw the girl open her mouth a few times without a single sound coming out. Then the first words of the song came out, without musical support, very soft, so soft Cho could barely make the lyrics.
(The Hanging Tree; Peter Hollens)
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where a dead man came back
To set himself free
Strange things have happened here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight in the hanging tree
Susan seemed to take some confidence, her voice becoming more assured. A sound could be heard in the back, and Cho realized the other chorists were joining with back sounds.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where someone survived
To tell you the story
Strange things have happened here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight in the hanging tree
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
If someone wasn't there
Alive he would be
Strange things have happened here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight in the hanging tree
Cho realized that the rhythm of the song slowly grew faster, and that the orchestra had discreetly joined the voice, although Susan still remained the only one singing, her voice getting quicker and louder. The back voices also grew louder. The ghosts started hovering slowly over their heads, almost in a menacing way. The lights in the pumpkins grew stronger.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where a darkness master
Was welcomed by many
Strange things have happened here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight in the hanging tree
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
The dead were witnesses
They saw the enemy
Strange things have happened here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight in the hanging tree
And then, almost like an explosion, the other chorists joined to sing the lyrics, while the orchestra now played in full force. All lights were back on.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where a dead man came back
To set himself free
Strange things have happened here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight in the hanging tree
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Where someone survived
To tell you the story
Strange things have happened here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight in the hanging tree
Large waves of bats emerged from everywhere in the Great Hall, obscuring the invisible ceiling, as the orchestra kept playing the refrain. Ghosts flew everywhere, offering a show of flying. The choir also kept humming the refrain very loudly, but without the lyrics. It was as if they were attempting to make opera sounds. The volume kept increasing, until both orchestra and choir maintained a high note for a long time, then suddenly stopped. The lights went out. Slowly, they reemerged. And Susan Bones sang the last two verses of the song, very softly again, like in the beginning.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Then it was over. It took a certain time. Cho herself wasn't sure if this was over, but finally, students clapped their hands. Cho was thoughtful as she applauded with the others. Was the song about what she thought? Or was it only her imagination? She didn't think anyone noticed, judging from their behaviors. But the choir and orchestra were already reorganizing, and the lights turned dim again.
A melody began. Soft, sweet, yet terrifying in its own way. Cho believed it was a xylophone that played it. Maybe another instrument with chords joined it. It lasted for maybe a minute, plunging the Great Hall into quite an unsettling atmosphere. The ghosts continued to hover. Members of the choir began to follow the melody by whistling. Then a single voice from a girl began to sing.
(Come Little Children; The Hound + The Fox)
Come little children
I'll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of shadows
The choir joined with whistling. Another boy joined the girl, singing with her as a duet.
Follow sweet children
I'll show thee the way
Through all the pain
And the sorrows
Weep not poor children
For life is this way
Murdering beauty and passions
Hush now dear children
It must be this way
Too weary of life
And deceptions
Rest now my children
For soon we'll away
Into the calm and the quiet
The entire orchestra played the melody, joined by the whistles of the chorists. Then the entire choir sang the lyrics.
Come little children
I'll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of shadows
The song ended on the last notes of a guitar, or so Cho thought. She wasn't that familiar with music instruments. But people applauded as well, probably more than for the second song. The lights came on again. Dumbledore stood up.
"Thanks to our artists," he declared. The whole Great Hall gave an ovation as Professor Flitwick, along with his chorists and musicians, bowed. "But now, it is getting late, and sadly Halloween is coming to an end. I wish you a good night without the nightmares that can accompany this day, and I ask you to join your common rooms with calm and order."
Cho stood up along with her comrades. Some of them already looked like they needed a good night of sleep. Others seemed to wish the feast lasted longer. Cho, for herself, didn't really wish for the celebrations to go on. She had managed to not feel too miserable tonight, but she didn't feel happy either. It was hard when the evening of Halloween reminded her of the night when Cedric was sent to a tournament that would get him killed. Her eyes wandered to the Hufflepuff table, around the place where Cedric stood up when his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. The chaotic sounds that filled the Great Hall were reminiscent to the clamors that followed Cedric as he headed out, joining the two other champions who were selected by then. In the sea of people rising, Cho had the impression of seeing Cedric's shadow also rising.
"You're coming?" Marietta asked, taking her once more out of her reveries.
"Yes. Sorry, I'm coming," Cho replied.
"That was a nice show," her friend said, trying to start a conversation as they walked through the sea of people towards the exit.
"Yes, it was."
Cho watched the Grey Lady disappearing through the wall. She never gave much attention to the ghost of her house. Few Ravenclaws did. Of all the houses in Hogwarts, Ravenclaw was the one whose ghost was the most discreet, who never involved herself in anything, as if she tried to make people forget she even existed. There were even some students in Ravenclaw who forgot that the Grey Lady was their house's ghost, or who even thought their house had no ghost at all. There were times when Cho thought she might like to be this ghost, almost ignored by everybody.
"Tomorrow, we'll have to study," Marietta went on. "The day of leave at Hogsmeade is going to make us regrets a few things."
"Probably," Cho replied, thinking about the huge amounts of work she had and that never seemed to end. This thought wasn't to make feel any better. She was heading for the stairs leading to the Ravenclaw common room when her eyes caught glimpse of someone leaving the crowd and taking another path.
Her heart stopped. She couldn't mistake his back for anyone else's.
"Marietta, excuse me," Cho told her best friend. "I have something to do."
"Where are you going?" Marietta asked, quizzical.
"I have something to do. I'll see you later at the common room."
Cho began to walk away, but Marietta stopped her. "It's late, Cho. What are you doing?"
"Something important. Look… I've got to do it. It's very important."
"It's late, Cho. We cannot wander in the corridors at this hour."
"It will not take long. I'll see you later."
Marietta had slowed her down as Cho left the crowd of students heading the tower of Ravenclaw. As a result, the person she spotted had disappeared, turning a corner. Cho walked quickly. When she reached an intersection between two corridors, she noticed him on her right, just as he turned left to another corridor. She followed Harry as fast as she could before he would disappear again.
She had something important to tell him. And she had to do it tonight. It couldn't wait for tomorrow. However, when she finally caught up on him and was about to call him, she noticed in which corridor they were. And the door he knocked at.
This was the office of Professor Evans. She knew because Cho had to give her a completed homework at her office recently. Cho watched him walk into his mother's office, not noticing that she was maybe twenty feet behind him. The door closed behind him. Cho remained standing there, unmoving, for a moment. A part of her wanted to knock at this door. She really wanted… No, she needed to talk with Harry. She had to tell him that… She was sorry for his father. This was fourteen years now since he died the same day. She should have thought about that and offered him her condolences. Cho wasn't the only person who lost someone.
But she couldn't barge into the office of a professor to tell that to Harry. Even less when the professor in question was his mother, the woman who lost her husband these same fourteen years ago. Not to mention that she would probably have something to say about the fact that Cho was wandering in the corridors at this hour. Marietta was right. They were not allowed to wander in the school after a certain hour.
Cho made to walk away, but she looked back at the door. She really needed to talk to Harry. She felt it. But she didn't want trouble either. She sighed heavily and, slowly, she walked away, her head down. She watched one of the vases on a small table on the side of the corridor. There were hundreds of these across the school. Peeves had the habit of smashing them to cause problems to Filch.
Cho slowly went forward, until a voice she didn't expect called her from behind.
"Cho?"
She froze, and turned, both afraid and happy at the same time, finding Harry maybe dozen feet away from her.
"Hi, Harry," she said, trying to smile.
He looked surprised and stammered. "I… I didn't expect to see you here."
"Yes. I… I know it's late. But I… I needed to see you."
"Oh?"
"Harry… I just wanted to tell you… I know which day we are…" Why was it so difficult to tell him? "I just… I'm sorry. I know… I know it's been fourteen years now that your father died. I just wanted to offer you my condolences. I should have done it earlier."
Harry looked surprised, buy also thankful. "Oh. Thank you."
"I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for that. It must be a hard day for you."
"Yes. It is. Especially since…" He seemed about to say something, but stopped himself from doing so. But Cho had an idea of what he meant. He was about to mention the day Cedric died, when the man who murdered Harry's father returned. "It's especially hard for my mother."
She nodded. "Yes, I guess. You went to Godric's Hollow with her today?"
"Yeah. Sorry, but I've got to go."
She didn't want him to go, but she had no reason to hold him back. And she didn't want to hold him back either. So she watched him walk away in silence, following him with her eyes until he disappeared by turning a corner.
Cho thought she would feel better, maybe, after talking to Harry. But she didn't. She only felt more miserable. It seemed like every interaction she had with Harry, at least any time she wanted to broach a serious subject, ended poorly. She gulped and, without thinking, as she decided to head back to her own common room, she looked behind to the door of Professor Evans' office… to find Lily Evans Potter looking at her from the doorframe.
Cho froze in place. Was she going to have trouble? She waited for the reaction of the professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, but what the teacher said next wasn't what she expected.
"Do you want some tea?" This was so unexpected that Cho didn't know what to do for a moment. "Come," the professor added, making a move of the head indicating she wanted Cho to come in her office.
Partially mechanically, Cho followed the teacher inside. The door closed behind her. Lily Evans waved her wand, and two fuming cups of tea appeared in thin air. Cho sat down in front of her desk, and the cup landed in her hands.
"Thank you," Cho told her professor weakly.
She took a sip, the warm liquid making her feel a little better. She looked around. She had already come inside this office before. Now, though, she had the opportunity to look closer at how it was. It was still in the same state of mess, books and parchments pilled everywhere, though there seemed to be a certain order to it. There was also a small frame on the desk, its back turned on Cho. She guessed that it must be showing a family photo.
"It is very kind what you said to Harry," Professor Evans told her all of a sudden. "Very few people think about it. Most of the time, when they think of Halloween, they remember it as the day when Lord Voldemort fell." Cho shivered at the mention of the name, which made her even more afraid now she knew that he was Cedric's assassin. "They forget or they simply don't think that someone also died on that day."
Cho didn't miss the point of sadness and regret in her professor's mind. "I'm sorry," Cho said. "It must be a difficult day."
"It is." Lily Evans also took a sip of tea. She sighed. "But it is also a day for celebrations. It is Halloween, after all. That doesn't help people to remember about my husband. After all, who wants to remember a murder on such a day?"
"Just like they have already forgotten Cedric," Cho muttered.
She often wondered how people could get on with their lives. When she came back to school in September, it was already as if people had forgotten about Cedric. They did as if he never died. No, they behaved as if he never even existed. As if nothing had happened.
"If this is any consolation, Cho, I can tell you one thing. I understand that you may have this impression, but there are many people who haven't forgotten Cedric. And they are not going to forget him, ever."
Cho stared back at her professor. She looked sincere. "Thank you." She looked down again. She remembered something Mrs Evans told her during one of her first lessons. "How long does it last?"
She couldn't say more. She couldn't bring herself to say more. But it seemed that the older woman didn't need to hear more. "It depends. With time, we learn to live with it. And instead of remembering his death, we learn to remember the good memories. And to cherish them."
Cho thought about the good moments she spent with Cedric. But even remembering those moments made her sad, for she knew that she would never experience them again. And remembering the bad memories, such as the discovery of his body at the end of the third task, when he reappeared, was even worse.
"How did you manage to get over your husband's death?" Cho finally asked, suddenly forgetting that she was talking with one of her professors.
"Harry. Taking care of him helped me to go forward."
Cho said nothing. There seemed to be nothing to help her go forward. Only a vast emptiness, with no end in sight.
As you could see, no significant event took place, but we can feel the Ministry's and Umbridge's stranglehold over Hogwarts getting tighter. No one is escaping it. The Ministry is not helping anybody, including Cho.
I took the liberty of refering covers for the songs Hanging Tree and Come Little Children, rather than the originals. I also took the freedom of modifying some of the lyrics for the Hanging Tree. And I know, the Hanging Tree will not be released before nearly twenty years at this moment.
Please review.
