Harry Potter and The Third Party

Chapter 5: The Reflecting of Cho Chang

The waiting room of the hospital intensive care unit was cold and sterile. The cleaning staff had just recently finished mopping the floor, and a fresh pine scent hung in the air. Rows of plastic orange chairs were propped against a wall, and in those chairs sat the room's only occupant.

Just off her shift of working as a volunteer, and still in her candy striper uniform, Cho Chang began to reflect on her past few years. They had not been good to her. Her mum had been in and out of St. Mungo's several times over the last four years. Each time the healers thought they had the problem solved, she would show symptoms of the disease that was slowly destroying her body. She had taken many potions, some of which had had terrible side effects. Many of the charms made her very groggy. Even Cheering Charms did not last long. Cho had spent two of the last three Christmases with her mum at St. Mungo's. Often, her mum would be so sick from the treatments, she was barely conscious. When Cho had returned from a disastrous sixth year at her boarding school, her father had told her that the healers at St. Mungo's had done all they could. The family should consider checking Mrs. Chang into a Muggle hospital, as they had made some advances in treating this particular disease. Cho was devastated, and this was piled on everything else that had happened to her. She felt so helpless when it came to her mother.

In addition to her mother's illness, Cho had had other traumatic events in her life lately. In her fifth year at Hogwarts, her boarding school, her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, had been murdered at the end of term. Cho had really grown close to him and was only now fully moving on from the feelings and grief she'd held for him.

During her sixth year, things had not been any better. First, the Ministry of Magic, the government of the wizarding world, and the Daily Prophet, the wizarding world's legendary newspaper, had been writing awful things about her childhood hero, Harry Potter. They were saying he was insane and delusional, and was liable to explode into violent rage at any moment. The Ministry implied that he was capable of harming other students, and a few of Cho's fellow Ravenclaw friends had transferred schools to get away from him.

Cho could not believe that so many of her fellow students believed the lies. She knew it could not be true and became a champion for the cause of his innocence. But it was a lonely station to side with Harry Potter, and it didn't exactly make her the most popular person in school to be defending a boy everyone else thought was mental. Now, he was no longer The Harry Potter or The Boy Who Lived, but "Harry Potter, danger to other students."

Cho had been in several heated arguments with good friends who had said that Harry should be expelled. Most notable among them were her friends Beverly Jones, and her best friend Marietta Edgecombe.

Marietta had had a particular dislike of Harry Potter for a long time, one that Cho could not understand. And it was with Marietta that the most heated debates had occurred. And not just about Harry. Marietta and her friend Daniel had been picking on a girl named Luna Lovegood that Cho had been tutoring since her second year. Luna was a sweet girl who always seemed a little lost. People treated her badly, but Cho had managed to get her a few friends. Cho had made Marietta back off when she was around, but Marietta and her friends would continue to torment her when Cho was gone. So Cho chastised Marietta, and lectured her about tolerance for others, and tried to get her to see that Luna was a nice person, just as she had tried to get her to see that Harry was a good person. Cho had always had a reputation of being an arbitrator, always trying to get people to compromise to get along. But Marietta and many of those closest to her were really putting her to the test.

Another event that school year had come after she convinced Marietta to join the DA. The DA was Harry Potter's illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The Hogwarts Grand Inquisitor, Professor Umbridge, had been sent by the Ministry of Magic to make sure the students did not learn anything to prepare themselves for the Dark Forces in the outside world. Umbridge dumbed down al studies so of course a student led Defense Against the Dark Arts class purposefully flouting her authority, was not going to be tolerated.

When Cho found out about it, she was elated. She had always had a crush on Harry Potter, growing up with him as the hero of her childhood. Once he had even asked her to the Yule Ball, but she had already agreed to go with Cedric Diggory. True to her loyal nature, she had to turn him down. But now she had a chance to actually help him out. She could do something to support him.

It was very secret, so Cho had to choose the people she would try to convince to join carefully. She had asked Beverly Jones, because she had in the past stood up for Beverly and even been sent to Professor Flitwick's office for doing so.

However, Beverly was outraged at the idea of the illegal class, even though no one was a fan of Professor Umbridge. Many students were still convinced that Harry was going to go off at any moment, and he had been heard having rows with his best friends on more than one occasion. Beverly threatened to go to Umbridge, for Cho's own safety, but Cho pleaded that Beverly say nothing, or else Cho would never speak to her again. So Beverly relented.

After a while, Cho had convinced three of her fellow Ravenclaw friends to go to the first DA meeting, and among them was Marietta Edgecombe. Cho knew that if Marietta could just see Harry and hear him out, she would see that he was actually a wonderful boy, and was telling the truth about You-Know-Who. She practically dragged Marietta to the meeting kicking and screaming, but she was Cho's best friend and Cho knew that she could change her views about Harry and other people in general. She wanted to be a good influence on her friends, and she knew that if she worked hard enough, she could change Marietta's mind about others.

At the first meeting, everyone signed a piece of parchment agreeing to never tell anyone about the class. They could torture me and I would never tell, she thought as she signed the parchment.

Cho couldn't take her eyes off Harry, and all the feelings she'd had for him since she first saw him, and the dreams she'd had about him her whole life, were welling up inside her. But Harry seemed to be avoiding her gaze. This hurt Cho. Perhaps he didn't really like her. Maybe he didn't know she existed, and he had only asked her out last year because he hadn't made a date yet and he was desperate. But no, any girl would be honoured to be with Harry Potter. And last year he was still The Harry Potter and not the fallen hero people saw him as now.

Cho tried to stay after the meeting to talk to Harry, but every time, something seemed to come up and he disappeared. Things were going so badly for Cho this year, and she was still trying to recover from Cedric's sudden death. She still didn't have any details of what had happened. All the Headmaster had said was that You-Know-Who had killed him. But Cho didn't know how, and she missed Cedric.

With everything on top of her mother's illness, the events were taking their toll on Cho. She seemed to do nothing but cry all the time, and her grades were slipping. She was even doing horribly at Quidditch, her favourite sport. She felt she was due to have something good happen in her life, and aside from her mother recovering, the other thing she wanted was to be with Harry.

In addition to her romantic feelings for Harry, he had been the last person to see Cedric alive, and was present when he died. Cho needed to ask Harry what had happened that night, so she could close that chapter of her life.

After the last DA class before Christmas holiday, Cho finally found herself alone with Harry in the Room of Requirement, where the DA classes were held. She was feeling more depressed than usual that day, between a letter telling her that her mum would be in St. Mungo's that Christmas again, and her desire to tell Harry how she felt about him. She was still feeling guilty about having deep feelings for someone else so soon after Cedric's death, and there was the simple fact that she was feeling not at all well. All of it together was causing her to cry again, and all she could say to Harry was that she really fancied him, and to steal a kiss under the mistletoe. It was a beautiful moment, and Harry radiated heat like warm sunshine. Cho hadn't intended to be crying when she kissed him, but she couldn't seem to control herself. Nonetheless, it was the greatest kiss she had ever had, and she wished that the moment could last forever.

Eventually, Harry asked Cho to the Hogsmeade Valentine's weekend, and finally her spirits began to soar! Maybe this was the break that was long overdue. Maybe now, something nice was finally coming her way. She wanted so much to be with Harry, that the second he had asked her on that date, she had planned to go to the most romantic places in Hogsmeade. Everything on that day would be perfect, even if the rest of her life was far from it.

When Cho and Harry had first met to go for the weekend, they had started off towards the town talking about a subject they both loved, Quidditch. A great start, she thought as they laughed, and talked about past games.

However, when they reached Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop, Harry grew very quiet, and started ignoring Cho. She thought maybe he was angry with her, but couldn't understand why. The atmosphere was very romantic and she looked into Harry's eyes lovingly. She put her hand out on the table for him to hold as so many couples around them were doing, although they were also kissing. Cho had hoped that Harry might want to as well, and hoped seeing the other students would encourage him. But he really seemed to be working hard at not paying attention to her or anyone else. Cho had the idea to get him jealous by mentioning that Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, had asked her here, but she had turned him down. Cho said this to show Harry that she wanted to be here with him just as much as she said it to make him jealous. But it only seemed to distance him from her even more.

It was really becoming awkward now, and Cho was searching for something to talk about so she wouldn't bore her date. She thought that he might still be hurting from Cedric's death as she was, as he had seen him die. Talking about it would help bring them both closer to healing the grief, and would perhaps bring the two of them closer as well. She'd asked Harry about it, but it was a mistake, and he seemed to get offended. He'd stood up, saying that he had another girl, Hermione Granger, he wanted to meet now and Cho could tag along if she wanted to! Cho was devastated. How could he have another date? This day meant so much to her. It was supposed to be so special, and she was just one of many other girls to him.

She ran out of the shop crying after telling him how hurt she was. She couldn't focus on anything after that, and she went through several weeks in a daze, not paying attention in class or at Quidditch practice. She begam to talk to Marietta about it, but Marietta kept saying he was dangerous and Cho should turn him in. Cho screamed at Marietta in a fit of rage until her throat was sore. She may be mad at Harry, but she knew he was telling the truth, and he was still her hero. She still believed in him. But she couldn't bring herself to look at him. He had hurt her too badly. Whenever she passed him on the school grounds, she looked away because it hurt to know that she meant so little to him when he meant so much to her. More damning articles were coming from the Daily Prophet about Harry, and Cho still hated the way people talked about him, and she still got into rows with her friends about him.

Eventually, an article in a magazine called the Quibbler, owned by the father of Cho's friend Luna Lovegood, came out and it contained an interview with Harry and a complete description about what had happened that day at the Triwizard Tournament, including You-Know-Who's return, and Harry's temporary defeat of him. Cho read the article over and over. Finally! This was what she needed to bring closure to everything. Now she knew what had happened.

She rushed to find Harry, and rebuild the connection that had been lost that day in Hogsmeade. It didn't matter how many dates he'd had. He was worth Cho proving that she could love him more than ten girls, and she wanted him to know that she cared about him, and would always stand by him. Now, with this article coming out, many other students started coming over to Harry's side, and started to believe what Cho had known all along. Harry Potter was a hero, brave and honest, and the Ministry was full of stupid gits, who were not to be trusted.

Cho came up and hugged Harry. "I always believed in you," she said.

Now things were getting better for Harry, and Cho was so happy for him. They were on good terms again and she held his hand every chance she got. Things seemed too good to last. It turned out they were.

Eventually, Marietta Edgecombe ratted out the DA, and almost got everyone expelled. However, she had paid for it, because Hermione Granger had jinxed the parchment to spell out SNEAK in pimples across the face of any person who ratted out the club.

Cho was furious at both Hermione and Marietta. It seemed a sneaky thing to do to jinx the parchment without telling anyone, and she didn't exactly like Hermione to begin with, seeing as she was the girl that Harry had left Cho for on Valentine's Day.

But she was even angrier with Marietta. How could she betray the boy she knew Cho thought the world of? How could she betray all the other students, and how could she betray Cho? But Marietta had sworn that she'd only done it because she was afraid of her mother getting into trouble if the Ministry found out her daughter was in league with their enemy, and she thought that if she came forward, everyone would only get detention.

Cho accused Marietta of doing this because of her old prejudice that Cho had fought so hard to break her of. "You did this because of your hatred for Harry! Because of what he represents to you! You promised you would stop this, you traitor! I hate you!" Cho had cried.

But Marietta had returned, "No, Cho! I swear, I was only concerned for everyone else. I still think he's dangerous. But you know I wouldn't have turned him in for that! I promised you I'd change, and you know there were other purebloods in that class. I'd never betray them. I was really scared for my mother! And all of you!" Merritta gasped. "Oh, the pain. I can barely breathe. The scars hurt! Do you think I'll die, Cho? Will you come to my funeral?" Marietta asked dramatically.

"Hey, Stop that. You're not going to die, but we need to get you back to Madam Pomfrey if you're hurting that badly." Cho said nervously. Marietta now looked like she was in real pain, and for a moment, Cho worried that maybe Hermione had jinxed the parchment to kill. Marietta had changed a lot over the last few years, and not for the better, but surely she didn't mean to really get anyone expelled. It was just a mistake, a horrible mistake. She couldn't really have meant to cause so much trouble, and she had learnt her lesson, and then some.

A few days later, Cho ran up to Harry to apologize, to beg forgiveness for Marietta, and ask it for herself. It was all her fault that Marietta had been able to do what she did. Marietta never wanted to go. Cho had dragged her to the meetings. She had only intended to prove to Marietta that she was wrong about Harry and to support Harry, as the whole school was against him, and to do the right thing in general. So many things had gone wrong, and it was all Cho's fault.

She started to apologize to Harry, but to her surprise, he started attacking poor Marietta, who was still complaining about the pain from the pimples on her face. Cho tried to explain that Marietta had only been afraid for her mother, who worked in the Ministry, and it was very hard on her. She also said that Hermione had been wrong to jinx the parchment without telling anyone.

When Harry started defending Hermione, Cho became jealous, and before she knew what she was saying, she blurted out, "Oh, so it's always Hermione, is it!" Tears started to well up in Cho's eyes as she thought that she would never win Harry back from Hermione now, and she could swear he was looking at her with hate in his eyes.

"Don't start crying again!" Harry shouted.

"I wasn't going to!" she lied, but she ran to her dorm room and did so for the next few hours.

The rest of the term, Cho couldn't concentrate on anything. Her studies were failing fast, and Professor Flitwick brought her into his office to complain about one of his star students taking such a sharp drop so fast.

More time went by, and then it was Roger Davies complaining that she wasn't paying attention at Quidditch practice. Her mind was focused on how she had ruined things for everyone, especially herself. She was feeling new emotions of hate for herself, of worthlessness. She just wanted to help everyone, and instead, she had messed everything up. Now Harry hated her. She still couldn't do anything but think of him.

These thoughts were going through her mind as she slowed her broom and saw a gold flash under her nose, snatched up by a red blur as the Gryffindor Seeker grabbed the Snitch from under her nose.

She'd just lost the House Cup for Ravenclaw.

She'd just ruined everything for everyone again. As she always did. She wasn't even paying attention to the game. Why am I so stupid? she thought. She was so frustrated with herself, she slammed her broom down in disgust. She was the biggest dunce in the world, and it was affecting the boy she loved, her friends, and now her entire house. How did the Sorting Hat ever put someone as stupid as her in Ravenclaw?

One last time, she saw Harry in the halls at school, but she was about to tear up again and had to look away before she did. She was sure he hated her. It hurt so much to know it.

She avoided him on the train; she didn't want him to yell at her anymore. Marietta tried to talk to her, but Cho wasn't in the mood. She spent most of the trip back to King's Cross crying in the lavatory, wishing she could take back everything.

A gentle hand on her shoulder shook Cho out of her lamenting trance.

When Cho arrived back at St. Mungo's that summer, she went to the wing of the hospital where Marietta was undergoing several anti-jinxing treatments for her pimples. At first, Cho tried to comfort her, but all too soon Cho realized what a mistake she had made in defending her. Marietta had ranted about how she was going to kill that Mudblood Granger girl, and how she was mad and disappointed in Cho for befriending and going out with Mudbloods. She started on Cho's friend Beverly again, and Harry Potter.

Cho was devastated. Harry had been right. Cho had had a duty to the boy she cared about to support him, and because Marietta was in such pain, and they had been friends for so long, Cho had defended her. All Cho's efforts to change Marietta had been in vain, and all Marietta's promises to change were lies, lies that Cho had believed because she wanted to believe that she could be a positive influence in someone's life.

Cho had left Marietta's wing of the hospital wing in tears and minus a best friend. The only bright side Cho could see was that at least she didn't have to divide her time between Marietta and her snobbish pureblood friends, and Cho's Muggle-born, half blood and kind pureblood friends. Cho had always hated having to arrange her schedule to allow time to be with all of her friends, just because Marietta and Daniel wouldn't associate with those who weren't purebloods.

If you think that way, why aren't you both in Slytheren? Cho thought. But Cho now realized that she couldn't change anyone's heart and soul. Marietta and Daniel would always hold those views, and nothing Cho could do would change that. Just tack it on as one of her many failures, she thought bitterly.

A gentle hand on her shoulder shook Cho out of her trance, and back into the present again. "Cho, honey, the doctor wants to see us now," said the voice of her father.