| Jarvey
Join Date: May 2008 Location: Leicester, UK
Posts: 567
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Krysta Hedwig
Sixth Year | 
Chapter 11: Part 2
That night and for most of the next day he found himself thinking over what Cho had gone on to say to him that evening. It had taken a lot of guts to ask what she did, and for him, it had taken courage to answer her.
After their short discussion about Sharon, they had walked a while in silence. They walked past the West tower and Harry thought of all the students inside there, what they might be doing, what they might all be thinking. It was a scary thought to comprehend. So many people, all living different lives, having different thoughts all at the same time, each one dealing with their own personal problems and hassles, dreaming their own personal dream. The thoughts carried him away and he became lost in the awe of humanity. So many souls, living, breathing, loving and hating; all at the same time.
Cho’s suddenly quiet voice pulled him from his thoughts.
“I have to know, Harry.” She had stopped right beneath the tower and was looking at him with such pleading he wanted to wrap his arms around her. He knew exactly what she meant, but hoped he was wrong. He stopped too, and faced her.
“No one will tell me anything. I’m going crazy. His parents act like I don’t exist. He never told them about me you see, his father’s so…pushy.” Harry remained silent. He remembered Mr. Diggory quite clearly. He was always pushing Cedric to be the best, and was so proud of his Son.
“I don’t know if it’s because of the whole Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw thing.” She added, and Harry looked questioning. “You know, like Slytherin and Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are kind of rivals.” She explained. “Though not as violently, I suppose.” She paused before continuing. “The Hufflepuffs practically ignore me and even my own friends have distanced a little. I think they don’t know what to say.” Harry felt so terrible. Had he done this to her? He blamed himself for Cedric’s death, and he was sure the change in Cho was a result of losing him. Before, he’d been so caught up in his feelings for her he hadn’t taken enough notice of her relationship. The truth was, he and Cho had been close, and he’d been so jealous he hadn’t wanted to accept it.
“I didn’t realise, Cho. I’m so sorry.” was all Harry could manage. She shook her head and he could see her eyes were damp.
“I know it wasn’t your fault, Harry. Despite what the Slytherins say, I know you’d never deliberately hurt anyone. You’ve always protected us, even though the others don’t realise it. I know.” She said and looked a little shyly at him, He was touched. So Cho did think about him now and then after all. “You’re one of the god ones. You’re a Gryffindor.” She added. Harry looked at the ground, and tried to hide the blush. “But Harry, you’re the only one that knows what really happened. I have to know. We became so close Cedric and I. I loved him, Harry and no one will tell me what happened.” Harry felt a lump forming in his throat. He took a deep breath.
“We went into the maze together. Along the way Mr. Crouch’s son, who was disguised as Professor Moody, took both Viktor and Fleur out of the running. We, Cedric and I helped each other. The maze forked and we went separate ways. At the end, we were both in sight of the cup, but just as we were racing for it, I saw one of those giant spiders about to tackle Cedric. He didn’t see it, so I shouted to him and we fought it together. I got injured and Cedric was free to get the cup. But he wouldn’t take it. He said I deserved it more, but I said no. He won it fair and square. But he wouldn’t take it. In the end I said…” he choked slightly at the memory, hating himself every second. He could barely bring himself to tell her. “…I suggested we both took it together and we’d share it. He agreed. But the cup…it was a portkey. It took us straight to Vol…You-Know-Who. It was a trap set for me. Only I was meant to go. It was my fault, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, Cho.” His own eyes were welling up and he could barely speak. As for Cho, huge tears were streaking down her white cheeks and she was shaking.
“He…he didn’t stand a chance. Voldemort didn’t want him, he had no use for him…so he killed him.” At Harry’s final words, Cho broke down in sobs and Harry kept whispering: “I’m sorry, sorry.” over and over until Cho shook her head and put her arms around him. He didn’t hesitate at all. They held each other for a while, comforting one another as friends who had lost someone. Harry felt a huge weight life off him, as relief sank in. He realised that something he’d been terrified of was that she would blame him.
They stayed there for what seemed like an age. When they broke apart Cho’s face looked clear. Her eyes, though puffy and red were bright and she smiled, just like she always used to.
“Thank you, Harry.”
He’d slept a little better that night, and no bad dreams haunted him. The next day he kept rolling the events over in his mind. He really did feel a lot better about the whole thing. Talking about it to someone who had been close, if not closest to Cedric, and being forgiven had cleared the heavy dark cloud of guilt from his mind.
Cho had smiled as she had passed him on the way to breakfast and he had returned the smile warmly. She had sat next to Sharon again, and almost immediately the two were engrossed in conversation.
In a reversal of temperaments, Harry was upbeat and Ron was high as a kite, but Hermione and Ginny were sombre and quiet.
“Oh gawd, I’ve just realised.” Said Ron through a mouth full of toast.
“What?” asked Harry asked Harry watching Ginny thoughtfully, who was avoiding eye contact with everyone around her.
“I hate to tell you this…but we got Potions this morning.” Ron told him, his mouth finally empty. Harry dropped his spoon and gulped. His high-flying little bubble of happiness had just burst.
The dungeon was unusually cold and dreary this morning. Harry thought maybe it was his own imagination fuelled by his hate for the subject and its teacher, but when the other students looked equally as miserable, he figured maybe it was particularly cold and dreary after all. Professor Snape wasn’t there when they arrived, which they thought unusual, and the Slytherin students were uncommonly quiet. Harry felt extremely uncomfortable and couldn’t help but feel that there was something wrong.
Ten minutes later Snape entered the room and moved swiftly but quietly to the front of the class. He didn’t speak a word to anyone, and didn’t even glare at a single student. Harry was waiting for the storm to break, but it never did.
“Welcome back class. Please open your books to chapter 23 (a). Read through it carefully. The ingredients are on your desks. When I say, you shall make the potion. Anyone needs help, I’ll be at the front here.”
That was it.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at each other as though they’d been slapped around the face. Slowly they found the chapter, and exchanging uncertain looks, began reading up on the potion.
Half an hour later, things were still quiet, and their potions bubbled away quite happily without a single snide remark or point deducted from Gryffindor. Harry was beginning to think he was trapped in a terrifying nightmare or alternative reality, when he felt the rush of moving air through his hair. Hermione gasped in shock and a murmur went through the room. A bird had flown through the window and had landed on Snape’s desk. Ron urgently nudged Harry, but he hadn’t needed to. It was the Silver Kestrel. Snape hurriedly tore the note from the bird’s vicious-looking talons and hastily unrolled it. The bird took to the air and hovered impatiently, as if waiting for something. Snape’s forehead creased into deep furrows and a dark frown crossed his face. In an instant, he’d grabbed his wand and dashed through the room.
“Finish your potions. Clean everything up and we’ll test them next lesson. Make sure you leave it clean” he ordered sharply as he hurried, frantically from the room, the kestrel swooping through the door behind him.
They were quiet in the library, and not just because of the warning glances from Madam Pince. Harry knew they were all thinking the same thing, and asking themselves the same questions.
That bird belonged to the person who had supposedly been protecting Harry, and in that case, why was it carrying clearly urgent messages to Professor Snape of all people?
Snape had seemed out of sorts to say the least. There had been no surprise test, no nasty comments, no moaning and no criticism of their work. He generally seemed quieter than normal, and Harry had already suspected something was going on. But now…he didn’t know what to think.
Harry wanted to talk to Sirius more than ever. If he could only ask him about his so-called protector, know for sure that everything was now ok. But there was still far too much going on for him to be calm, and this morning’s events only added to it. The subject of Snape had been bugging him for more than one reason recently. Both Dumbledore and Hagrid had hinted at the real reason Snape hated his Father: something to do with love? He was just mulling this over when he realised he was being watched. Hermione peered over the top of an upside down book at him. He smiled slightly at the idea of Hermione pretending to read something and she blushed.
“You ok?” she whispered. He nodded uneasily.
“Just confused.” He replied. She nodded to show she understood.
“Listen, Harry…I know you don’t like Snape, and in all fairness, he doesn’t like you. But Professor Dumbledore trusts him. Snape isn’t nice…but I don’t think he’s evil. I truly don’t, Harry.” She stopped and he remained silent, deep in thought. He really, really hated to admit it, but she was right. Snape was a bitter man, but his objectives were the same as theirs. When it came down to it, they were on the same side. But the question of the silver kestrel still remained. He could understand the mysterious K.H. sending messages to Hogwarts, but surely they would go straight to Dumbledore, or maybe McGonagall. So why to Snape?
“There’s something else bothering you. I can tell.” She said quietly and Ron looked up from the Rune book he was studying and nodded in agreement. Harry took a deep breath, and began to explain his thoughts.
“You what Dumbledore said…about love and hate?” they both nodded slowly. “And Hagrid said something very similar.” They nodded again. Harry inhaled deeply once more.
“Well…it’s been bugging me. What happened between my Father and Snape to create such hatred in Snape?” he said, staring at the table. Ron and Hermione exchanged a knowing, but nervous look.
“Harry, we er…” Ron began and then trailed off. He looked helplessly at Hermione.
“Harry, we didn’t tell you this before, because…well it didn’t seem important.” Harry looked bewildered and Ron and Hermione exchanged another nervous glance.
“Remember the Arinella shop?” asked Hermione, and Harry nodded, full of suspicion now.
“Well, the old man who works there, his name’s Mr. Slumbardo. He used to be Professor Slumbardo.” Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“He worked here? As a teacher, didn’t he.” Harry prompted and his two closest friends nodded in tandem.
“He taught a class on magical tradition and religion.” Harry looked surprised. He’d never heard of such a class.
“The subject was axed years ago when the new Council took power a few years after we were born. The ‘New Age’ as Mr. Slumbardo called it. They believed that a person should make up their own minds, and that the old religion no longer had a place in education.” Explained Ron.
“Which is why we don’t know anything about it, Harry. I didn’t even know there was a wizarding religion.” Said Hermione thoughtfully, as though she’d just uncovered an undiscovered tomb in Egypt.
“It’s not a religion in the strictest sense.” Said Ron. “My parents told us the old stories. I don’t really remember them, just that there’s this great-spirit called Yana who watches over us.”
“The whole thing sounds fascinating, actually.” Said Hermione, rummaging in her bag and pulling out a large, and ancient book in classic leather binding.
“Oh, I don’t believe it, she got a book out.” Said Ron rolling his eyes as Hermione grinned at him.
“It’s full of myths and legends and everything.” She said excitedly, and Harry and Ron exchanged a grin. “Oh it’s all a load of rubbish, but it makes great reading.” She said and Ron looked about to protest this when Harry put a hand warningly on Ron’s arm.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion.” He said quietly and Ron smiled sheepishly.
“Listen Hermione this is great, but weren’t you trying to tell me something?” asked Harry, slightly amused, but desperate to hear what they had to say. Hermione looked up a blank expression on her face.
“Oh yeah, sorry.” She grinned, then continued with the story, closing the book, and resting her elbows on the cover. “Well, he asked if you were who he thought you were, and we told him who you were. He was really happy. Not excited, almost like he was relieved. He knew exactly why we were there. He asked about the school and how everything was. And it was the weirdest thing, he asked: “Does Severus Snape still work there?” and we said yes, and then he shook his head and said: “sad business, terrible.” We asked him what he meant, but he wouldn’t tell us.”
“I think it’s to do with Snape being a Death Eater, because he said something about “Albus always knew when to forgive.” Or something like that.” Added Ron. Harry thought Ron could have been right about that.
“But what this got to do with my father?” he asked. Hermione took a breath herself before continuing.
“We…well Ron…told him that we didn’t really get on with Snape…”
“I said he was bitter and twisted and we hated him.” Corrected Ron.
“…And he smiled. He said: “Can’t say I’m surprised. After what happened. James was the best of men, but he ruined Severus’s chances at love. At least that’s how Severus saw it. But that was a long time ago.” And that was pretty much it. He didn’t say anything else, just gave me the instructions for the Arinella, took our money and went into the back of the shop.”
“What do you think he meant?” Ron and Hermione shrugged in answer, although Hermione had a nervous look in her eye. “What is it, Hermione?” Harry asked, suspiciously. Hermione looked uncomfortable.
“Well, to be honest, the matter intrigued me.” She began nervously. “I even asked Professor McGonagall if Snape was ever married or anything, but she said no.” Harry and Ron were exchanging apprehensive looks. “But I couldn’t let it go. And I got thinking. How could one man ruin another man’s chances of love?” she said, looking at the two boys for suggestions. They both shrugged. She swallowed before continuing.
“Ok, say Snape was in love with someone…” Harry shivered dramatically and Ron pretended to gag. She fixed them with a cold stare and they both calmed down, grinning at each other. “…and that someone didn’t love him back…because they were in love with someone else.” Hermione paused and waited for a reaction. Ron looked blank, but Harry looked like he’d seen a ghost. He knew what she was getting at. How could his Father have ruined Snape’s chances at love? Maybe if he had married the woman Snape was in love with? Harry swallowed hard. He felt sick.
It was just a little too much to take in. Snape had been in love with his Mother. No wonder He hated Harry, it made perfect sense, but it was horrid.
In Professor Flitwick’s class Harry managed to drop a textbook on Neville’s head when he lost concentration, and despite having become a expert on such things, his summoning spell went terribly wrong and he made an entire table launch itself across the room at himself, Ron and Hermione, much to the amusement of Dean and Seamus. By the end of the lesson everyone was keeping their distance.
That evening everyone was quiet though. Tomorrow was the gathering in memory of Cedric, and Harry was wondering how he would be able to show his face. He was certain many of the students still blamed him for what had happened. Knowing Cho held nothing against him and he hoped that once that got around, maybe some of the other students would follow suit. Cho was back on form. Since their conversation the previous evening she’d been through a miraculous change. She smiled everywhere she went, he eyes gleaming, as they always had. She took the time to smile or wink at Harry when she passed him and the bounce was back in both her hair and her step. Harry figured she’d found what the American students might call ‘closure’.
Ginny on the other hand remained subdued. At dinner her head remained down through out the meal, and she barely spoke a word. Afterwards he tried to talk to her, but by the time he reached the common room she disappeared. He saw her friend, Reena and called out to her. The little dark-skinned girl stopped dead and looked at him wide-eyed when she heard him. She looked around, as if ensuring that it had really been him that had called her name.
“Er…yeah?” she said nervously.
“Reena, have you seen Ginny?”
“Er…”
“It’s just, well she’s seemed really down recently. I wondered if something was wrong.” A sad expression fleeted across her face and was gone, leaving Harry wondering if he’d really seen it at all.
“I, er…think she’s in our dorm. I could check if you want.” She offered.
“Reena, is she alright?” he insisted, gently. Reena sighed deeply.
“No…not really.” She said, and before Harry could say another word, the girl had gone.
Perplexed and worried he trundled over to Fred and George who were sitting, heads together with Lee Jordan, whispering. They looked up apprehensively when he sat down at their table.
“Yes?” George asked suspiciously as Fred quickly shut a folder they were all sitting around, apparently studying.
“What’s wrong with Ginny?” he asked, straight and to the point. The twins exchanged an unreadable expression.
“In terms of what?” Fred asked carefully.
“Well, she’s been down recently, and I was wondering if you knew why.” The twins exchanged another unintelligible look.
“Why don’t you ask her?” George said, trying to sound passive. Harry could see they were trying to get rid of him.
“I’ve tried, but she’s doing a good job of making herself scarce at the moment.”
“Well I’m sure she’s got her reasons.” Said Fred with an ounce of agitation. Angry and frustrated, Harry got up quickly from the table and stormed away. As he began to ascend the stairs he heard the whispering begin. He stopped. He crouched down low and listened, straining his ears to hear what they were saying.
“…we should tell him. It involves him too.”
“We promised.”
“I know, but it can’t really harm…not really.”
“She feels really strongly, though. We can’t tell anyone, especially Harry.”
“Why?”
“You know why.” There was a pause, and Harry had to beg people trying to climb the stairs not to reveal his presence. The whispering continued.
“I don’t know why she’s down though.” Another pause.
“C’mon we got work to do.” The subject of their conversation changed, Harry stood up and began to slowly climb the stairs, deep in thought.
The morning was cold and the icy wind that came whistling through the open window brought with it the first sign that autumn was on its way. Harry dressed in his full uniform early in the morning. He’d woken early and couldn’t get back to sleep. He stood at the window looking out over the grey dawn with a slight nervousness stirring in his guts. Today was Cedric’s memorial, and was still nervous about everyone’s opinion of him. From here he could see across the Lake and if he leaned out of the window he could just see the edge of the Forest. He was testing this by leaning as far as he could when something came into view that almost caused him to fall out of the window entirely. A now familiar black shape was slinking through the bushes and shrubs at the edge of the Forest, and even as he watched it disappeared into the darkness of the trees. He was just thinking he should get Ron to tell him he’d seen the creature again when another dark shape came into view. This time he had to grip the lead-lined window frame to stop himself falling. From this distance it was hard to tell for sure who it was, but he was pretty certain he knew. He watched in shock as Professor Snape followed the Black Panther into the dark, shadow-filled Forest, disappearing into its depths.
Everyone was quiet, even the teachers this morning. Classes went without incident and at 11:40, students and staff began making their way outside to the grassy hill over-looking the lake. The Heads of Houses were standing together to one side of a small table covered in a silver cloth embedded with the Hufflepuff crest in shimmering colours. But Harry frowned. Where was Snape? Professor Sprout stood solemnly closest to the table behind which Dumbledore stood tall and proud, surveying the students over his half-moon spectacles as they all crowded close in silence. Harry noticed the lack of Slytherin students in the crowd compared to the Hufflepuffs. Every single one of them was present, even the first year Hufflepuffs who hadn’t known Cedric. They were like a vigil, moving together in the name of a dead King. Harry was in awe. The presence of Ravenclaw students surprised him. He estimated that at least eighty percent of them were present, each full of respect for their rival Seeker. Harry noticed the Hufflepuff Quidditch team standing together near the front of the crowd. Another stab of guilt went through him. They’d lost their Seeker. They’d lost their Captain.
He, Hermione and Ron stood huddled together a little way from the front. Harry didn’t want to be exposed. He wanted to be tucked away where no one would notice him. Ginny, Fred and George appeared behind them and Ginny smiled at him for the first time in two days. He returned the smile gratefully. Angelina and Alicia appeared next to them and the remains of the Gryffindor team stood together. Ron nudged him and nodded towards the front. Harry was surprised to see Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum standing besides Hagrid to the left of the table. Harry watched Ron’s face and noticed tightness as he looked at Viktor. But Hermione wasn’t taking any notice…of either of them. Cho was standing next to Fleur, who had an arm around her, Harry suspected just for support as Cho looked tall and strong, for which he was relieved.
The stillness of the atmosphere was chilling. The only sound was the wind in the tall trees of the forest and the calls of birds that circled the tower. No one spoke, no one whispered.
All was still.
“Thank you for coming, children.” Professor Dumbledore’s voice broke through the silence like a calming blanket surrounding them all. Every person was hanging on his every word.
“We are gathered to remember our friend. We lost Cedric when he was young. His future was a promising one. He was a fine young man and we were very proud of him. He was an excellent student and a talented Quidditch player, a good friend and influence on his piers. He shall be missed.”
Sobs had begun to come from some of the crowd. The Hufflepuff Quidditch team were clutching each other with grief and Professor Sprout had tears trickling down her chubby cheeks.
“This afternoon we cast our memories to the stars whence we came.” He stepped back and everyone watched as Cho moved forward. She carried a broomstick, which Harry recognised. It was Cedric’s. She held it aloft and spoke loudly to the crowd before her.
“Remember Cedric.” She removed her hand from the broom, and it hovered above all their heads. Everyone remained still, all remembering the boy who had touched so many lives. Harry could feel something happening, and the look on other faces showed he was not alone. A force was flowing through them and surrounding them. He felt like his mind was being probed and a breeze went trough his subconscious. He heard gasps around him and knew the same was happening to the others. Harry realised what was happening. The force was coming from within them all. It circled them growing like a living breathing organism, and then it rose. Higher and higher it climbed into the sky taking the broom with it. With lightning speed the broom flew from view into the heavens followed by a pinprick explosion of light barely visible in the light of day. It was breathtaking. After a few moments a quiet murmur went through the crowd, but Harry could not speak. He realised that the ceremony was over. He was surprised. He’d expected it to be longer. But this, what had happened today, over 1000 people with magic flowing in their veins had cast a piece of themselves into the stars in memory of a person they’d known and respected, was somehow far more powerful and worthy of a human soul than anything he could imagine.
People were beginning to turn to leave, and Harry was about to do the same when a voice called out above the murmurs.
“Please everyone. I’d like to say something in Cedric’s memory…before you go.” Everyone stopped and turned to see Cho still standing in front of the table, looking nervous, but determined. They all stopped and turned to face her. All were silent, waiting for her to speak. She swallowed deeply.
“Cedric died at the hands of Lord Voldemort.” She spoke loudly and clearly a shocked silence running through the crowd at her use of Voldemort’s name. She continued.
“Only one human has survived this evil, and he stands here today, remembering and honouring Cedric with us.” A slight murmur passed though the crowd and Harry felt eyes upon him.
“Harry Potter saved Cedric’s life twice in the maze, before they even reached the Triwizard Cup at its heart.” Another murmur spread through the people surrounding him, a murmur of surprise and shock. She waited for silence again before continuing.
“Harry had a clean shot at reaching the cup first, but he stopped to save Cedric’s life.” the murmurs started again, but she ignored it “They reached the Cup together, and they agreed to take it together.” Here she paused and Harry could see she was struggling. “Neither of them could have known what was to happen. And there was nothing either of them could have done to prevent it. What happened…” he paused to swallow an obvious lump in her throat “…happened because of an evil so great, and so powerful, an evil with no respect for human life. Harry risked his life to bring Cedric’s body home to us. He was barely alive himself.” She stopped, allowing this to sink in. The crowd before her were deathly still. “I loved Cedric…I still do. If I can see that Harry was not to blame for his death, surely you all can too.” She stopped and people began to look at each other, some people looked at the floor in shame - those who Harry recognised as being particularly hostile towards him. Hermione looked as many people in the face as she could, and Ron made himself as tall as possible. The Gryffindor team stood by him tall and proud. Cho caught his eye and she smiled.
“Instead of persecuting him, we should be happy that The Boy Who Lived is still here with us, and thank him for bringing our friend home.” There was another silence and Harry felt overwhelmed. Next to him Ginny was quietly sobbing and Hermione was gripping his arm so tightly he could feel the circulation dropping. Then above the din, above the silence of the crowd Harry heard a strange noise. Someone was clapping. Everyone was turning to see who it was. Expecting it to be Cho herself or maybe Dumbledore, Harry was shocked to see Viktor Krum, the international Quidditch star standing boldly at the front of the crowd of people applauding Cho. Next to him Fleur Delacour joined in, and his fellow Quidditch players joined her. One by one the crowd slowly joined in. Not all of them, but all the teachers, the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and all the Ravenclaw students applauded their housemate’s brave words. It had taken guts to do what she had done and to stand up to her piers for something she believed in, as Neville had once done. Professor Dumbledore stood beside her smiling, but not clapping. Professor Flitwick was cheering so much he floated up higher than Professor McGonagall who was clapping too much to notice.
Finally when the noise had diminished and the people fell silent again, a grinning Cho had one more thing to say.
“However, I just want to say, that Ravenclaw are gonna kick Gryffindor’s backside in the Quidditch tournament this year!” All the Ravenclaws burst into a tremendous roar of shouts, applause and cheers and everyone else, Harry included laughed like they hadn’t done in a very long time.
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