Buried Secrets

Lilylala~

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Chapter 1 - Mortiferus

"How extraordinary, interesting indeed. Are you sure of this?"

"Master, I have heard it with my own ears. Dumbledore never lies."

"Hmm, but we still need the boy. How I long to get my hands on him..."

"You may depend on me to bring him to you, Master."

"Not now, not yet, I have a better plan. But when the time comes, remember--no failure is allowed."

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Cho Chang sat on the carpeted floor, knees drawn up to her chin, a radio lying beside her. Music had been flooding the room for hours. Her trunk was sitting at the foot of her bed, half-open, with most of the contents still packed neatly in it. A heavy leather bound book lay on the desk, the bookmark peeping out from the first few pages, and several rolls of unused parchment scattered nearby. Outside, sparrows chirped in the trees, children played in the park, and buses rumbled on the tarred road of Magnolia Crescent.

"I won't cry...I won't..." she whispered, yet as her fingers moved over the volume control, turning the music louder, a tear leaked from her brilliant almond-shaped eyes and dropped onto her lap.

This is so unlike her. Cho Chang, the 'princess' of Hogwarts. She's known to be outgoing, active, and optimistic. A girl full of energy, vigor, and laughter. She had beauty, brains, and friends...nothing lacked. She usually spent her summers hanging around with a group of friends, or practicing Quidditch on her broom. Not here, alone. Not in this normal, plain muggle neighborhood.

The reason behind this was simple. Her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, was cruelly murdered by Voldemort. It was so sudden. Why was it him? Why was it him that strayed across the path of the Dark Lord?

She recalled the first time they met--on the Quidditch field. Cho was in her fourth year, and had just earned her spot on the Ravenclaw team. It wasn't that easy--the former Ravenclaw Seeker had graduated, and three other people were also running for the job. After a fierce competition, Cho managed to force her way onto the team, but during a practice before the match with Hufflepuff, she injured herself during a mad race for the Snitch. Roger Davies, the captain, was half frantic, half exasperated. Fortunately, she had recovered before the match, but it made her twice as nervous as well.

Seconds before the game started, Cho darted a glance at the Hufflepuff Seeker. He caught her eye and smiled. Cho's heart skipped a beat--he certainly was exceptionally handsome. That perfect chiseled face, dreamy grey eyes, and dark brown hair. Her cheeks turned crimson. Stop gawking at him like an idiot, a voice in her head warned. He could have a different girl every day. You’re going to get dumped on Saturday morning if he asks you out on Friday night.

Cho turned her head away, chin pointing upwards, and gripped her broom hard. She wasn't going to let this lady killer distract her! Think of all the effort she'd put into obtaining this spot on the team and she most certainly wouldn't be throwing it away in a hurry.

Madam Hooch's whistle sounded. Cho promptly zoomed off, concentrating hard on the search of the Snitch. The cheers from her friends made her feel braver but also more anxious. What if she failed...no, she didn't want to think about that.

Twenty minutes passed. Cho was beginning to loosen up for their Chasers and Beaters far outshone the Hufflepuff’s. They were already leading by eighty points, but there was still no sign of the Snitch.

Suddenly, a Bludger came pelting at her with great force. Perhaps a Hufflepuff Beater had seen she was slightly lagging, and decided to take advantage. Cho dived to avoid it, but not before she heard someone yell, "Watch out!"

Snickers issued from the crowd, but Cho had no time to figure why. She had spotted the tiny golden ball flitting somewhere near the Ravenclaw stands.

She shot off in pursuit of the Snitch immediately. Her heart pounded wildly, her body full of adrenaline. And she sensed Cedric Diggory following close behind. Hurry...hurry...get the Snitch!

Cho reached out her hand, made a wild grab, and missed. She squinted hard, did a little turn, and tried a second time.

Instantly she felt something had gone wrong. Had she nabbed the Snitch or not? Cho withdrew her hand quickly, and saw the Snitch clamped tightly in her fist. Then she looked up, and found Cedric grinning rather sheepishly at her. Suddenly, everything was clear. He had grabbed her hand instead of the Snitch.

A deafening roar rose from the crowd. Cho landed on the ground, blushing as the rest of the team enveloped her in a group hug. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, for she had tasted her first victory.

　

"You don't know?"

Later at dinner that day, Cho was talking with her friends about the match.

"Oh come on Cho, don't tell me you didn't hear him." Maggie Quigley shook her red curls and looked at Cho as though the latter was stupid or crazy. "He yelled at you to watch out, remember?"

"Him? Cedric Diggory? But wasn't he in Hufflepuff?" Cho hadn't heard Cedric speak before, so she didn't recognize the voice, and besides, she didn't have the time to think who it was anyway.

Onto her right, Andrea Sullivan gave her a shy, sweet smile and a wink, which meant: Your time has come, Cho.

Edna Elliot poked Cho with her elbow. "He's got a thing for you, Cho."

　

Well, it did seem that Cedric had taken a liking to her. Cho didn't remember how it started--she often met him in corridors (She had suspicions that one of her friends had sold her course schedule to him), in the library, and after Quidditch practice. Finally, he asked her out at the last Hogsmeade trip.

"Cedric Diggory asked me out this afternoon," Cho confided to Edna during Herbology.

"Uh-huh." Edna was bending over a Flutterby Bush, and didn't raise her head as she deftly trimmed the leaves and twigs.

"So do you think I should go with him or not?"

"Cho Chang." Edna straightened up. "He. Asked. You. Out. Any girl in her right mind would say yes."

Cho felt a bit angry. She knew Cedric had a crush on her, and yes, she knew half the girls in school were crazy about him, but that doesn't mean that she'd accept him without question! She did like him, and had no strong feelings against going out with him, but it sort of irritated her when everyone expected her to respond to his advances without doubt.

Well, as she didn't want to imagine what others would say if she refused, Cho decided to 'give him a try'. She found her boyfriend perfect--handsome, kind, athletic, though rather dense at times. Cho had helped him master his Transfiguration before the first task, and was relieved and proud when he actually was first to return from the lake during the second task. And he seldom saw the point of jokes, or broke rules, or pulled pranks on others--something Cho enjoyed to do with her friends. But she really admired his humbleness, which was pretty rare for someone like him.

When he died, Cho couldn't believe it at first. Just minutes before he entered the maze, she had sneaked up to him to wish him good luck. He was nervous--but not as nervous as he was for the previous two tasks. In his mind, it was a miracle he had done so well. Winning was a great joy, but second place, or third--did not seem very disappointing, either.

"Diggory dead?" It was impossible. But as she pushed through the crowd, reality lay bare and bleak before her. There was no mistaking his limp body, his wrinkled robes, and his perfect face. The kind grey eyes that once looked lovingly into hers were lifeless and glazed over.

The rest of the term was intolerable. Cho couldn't walk in corridors or get to class without having people point and whisper aloud. "Look, there's Cho Chang." "Poor girl, her boyfriend dead..." "Yeah, I'd go crazy if it were me..."

Cho had a hard time. She never shed a tear, held her head high, and walked with a firm, steady tread to classes. Yet her face was expressionless. No one could fathom what she was really thinking about inside. All she wanted was to get away, but at the Leaving Feast, when Dumbledore gave his speech about Cedric, she could hold it no longer. The tears just came, pouring silently down her cheeks.

The summer was worse. Her parents and many relatives fussed over her. She appreciated their concern, but it soon got on her nerves. She didn't feel like mourning for Cedric while there were so many people surrounding her, sympathizing with her. But the real reason was that she felt like a porcelain doll, unable to express any emotions at all. Sometimes she felt like she had to scream at them to get them to leave her alone. He isn't my husband, so stop treating me like a widow! I'm not going to hang myself once you're out of my room!

So two weeks before school, Cho decided to go away for a while. Her youngest aunt had married a muggle, and had moved to Little Whinging to settle down with him. Cho found it easier to forget her troubles as she explored the muggle world. It was fun when she first used the talking black box, and the noisy ringing machine.

　

"Cho!" Her aunt was calling downstairs.

"What?"

"Could you do a little shopping for me, dear? We're running out of our daily needs."

"Of course!" Cho scrambled up. Anything to do was a welcome relief.

　

An hour later, the sixteen-year-old witch headed back to her aunt’s house, carrying several fat shopping bags. She had a good time quarreling and bargaining with the grocers and shopkeepers. What a way to let out energy, she thought.

As Cho turned around a corner, imagining how muggles would react if she whizzed pass them on a flying broomstick, voices came from behind.

"Hey, let's go to the movies this Saturday, all right?"

"I can't. My cousins are coming to visit."

"Aww, damnit. Next Saturday, okay?"

A teenage couple passed her, the sleeve of the girl's left arm brushed Cho as she went ahead. Cho noticed that they were holding hands. God, how it reminded her of Cedric and her.

Cho shut her eyes and tried to think of something else. Peanuts, butter, Quidditch, O.W.L.s, raindrops.

WHAM! Cho opened her eyes and blinked. She had crashed into someone during her stupid blind monologue.

"Sorry! Are you all right?" She dropped her shopping bags to help the other person up.

When the unfortunate victim raised his head, they both received a shock.

"Harry?"

"Cho?"

"What, you live here?" they said at the same time, and then laughed. Cho couldn't help chuckling when she noted that Harry was wearing an awful large sweatshirt and baggy jeans. He looked rather comical on the pavement, with his jet-black hair sticking out from all directions and round glasses hanging askew on his nose.

Cho bent down and gave him a hand up. She frowned when Harry's hand tensed at her touch, and the familiar blush began spreading over his face as he did his best to stand up properly. He still has that childish crush on me. Now what?

"So..." Cho started, managing a friendly grin. "I've heard that you live with muggle relatives, Harry. Somewhere near here perhaps?"

"Yeah, on Privet Drive," he answered. The pink blush hadn't left his cheeks. "What about you?"

"I’m staying at my aunt's," Cho replied, tilting her head to one side. "I...I wanted to be alone."

Harry didn't push the matter. He fully comprehended--there were times he wished to be alone, too, especially when he was thinking about his parents. Not even his best friends could really share that feeling, of being the infamous young wizard, but being mistreated for ten years by unaffectionate muggles. He dared himself to sneak another look at Cho. There was an obvious difference in her appearance; she had cut her hair, probably to shoulder-length, for the long shiny ponytail that whipped in the wind when she glided through the air was cropped to a bob of ebony-black. She also seemed smaller and paler, which led to the recollection of Cedric. It was his fault. He had caused the pain, the bright, friendly girl he used to admire was suffering because of him. He looked down at the ground again.

Harry doesn't seem very happy, either. Cho observed. He had grown taller, but the tired, burdened look he used to carry had deepened. She remembered him clutching Cedric's corpse when they came out of the maze, looking half-dead himself. She suddenly felt indignant and pity for the dark-haired bespectacled boy standing before her. Like Cedric, he didn't deserve this fate.

"Um...Harry?"

He looked up. Cho was holding out her hand, and a large chocolate chip cookie lay on her palm. "Take it," she said in a firm voice. "I know, it's not the healthiest stuff for you, but it helps when you’re down."

Harry stared at her hand, and reached out for the unexpected offer, figuring that he'd get a glare if he didn't. "Thanks," he mumbled, blushing again.

Cho gave a little sigh of relief. She decided she'd better leave, and it wasn't exactly pleasant having him going red and shy in her presence.

"Well, I guess I'd better go. See you later!" Cho forced a parting smile.

"Oh... Bye, Cho." For a fleeting second, she thought she'd seen a wistful look in his emerald eyes. It was similar to when he looked at her and stammered that embarrassing invitation to the Yule Ball. A sudden warmth stung her cheeks at the recollection. Cho quickly bent down to retrieve her shopping bags.

A gasp from Harry made her look up.

Hurrying down the street was a tall, slender woman. She wore a long, flowing snowy gown, which was stained with blood. Long honey-coloured ringlets of shining hair rippled down her back, entwined in white ribbons. Judging from her lovely features and milky-white skin, this lady couldn't have been more than forty. However, Cho didn't know that Harry was mainly surprised of the large, shaggy black dog nestled in the woman's arms.

"You...you're Harry...?" The woman panted, as she came to a halt before the two teenager's astonished eyes.

Harry didn't answer at first; he was stunned to see his godfather. Cho looked curiously at him and the dog, and said for him, "Yes, he’s Harry Potter."

"Oh my God," murmured the enigmatic woman. "And...and this is Arabella Figg's house?" She gestured to the nearest residence. Cho noticed several cats basking lazily in the sun on the front yard.

Harry found his voice. "It is."

"Thank God," The next second, the white-clad woman swayed and shook. Cho leaped forward and caught her before she pitched onto the road. Harry reached over and gathered up the dog in his arms. It had a cut above the eye, and a nasty looking wound on the stomach. Also, it was shivering slightly.

"She needs medical aid," said Cho, bracing herself against the woman's weight. "Shall we go over there?"

Harry hesitated, then nodded. Together, they slowly made way toward the cat house.

When they got to the door, Harry raised his fist and knocked. "Mrs. Figg?" he called.

The door swung open suddenly with a creaky sound, and an old woman looked out. She was leaning onto a wooden cane, and though her greying hair had white streaks in it, her piercing, snapping black eyes showed no sign of withered old age. Her gaze bore straight into the queer little company at her doorstep, and came to rest at the unconscious woman for the longest moment. Cho felt a bit uneasy.

"In here, all of you," Mrs. Figg barked, startling them. She waited until they were all inside, and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

"Over here," She waved her cane to the furniture in the living room. As Cho gently lowered the woman onto an orange couch, a strange smell of cabbage reached her nose. Harry put the big black dog on a low sofa nearby.

"Girlfriend, Harry?" Mrs. Figg suddenly asked, in a loud distinct voice.

"No!" Harry and Cho both said simultaneously, and blushed. Cho could see the corners of Mrs. Figg's mouth curl up slightly, and she bit her lip. This drove her to the utmost need to explain.

"Harry and I are just friends from school," she stated, with an indignant toss of her head. "And we only met today, because I'm staying with my aunt."

"You should come to your aunt's more often, I'm sure Harry will like that," replied Mrs. Figg, which made Cho all the more frustrated. But before the young girl could think up another retort, the elder woman raised the shabby-looking cane she used for support, and directed it at the white-clad lady lying on the couch.

"Enervate!"

The eyelids of the mysterious woman fluttered open. She tried to sit up, but Mrs. Figg waved a hand, indicating her to lie back. "Take it easy."

The woman stared at Mrs. Figg, and a sob escaped her. "Ara...Arabella? It's you, isn't it?"

"Celestine, my dear," Mrs. Figg appeared to be fighting back tears. "Fifteen years since I last saw you! Not changed much, girl, when did you come back?"

"Three weeks ago. Hang on; this is Harry, Lily and James' son, right?" Celestine was surveying Harry up and down, as though he were some kind of rare creature in danger of extinction.

"Yes." Mrs. Figg waved her wand, and a steaming pot of tea appeared in the air, accompanied with several cups. She poured out the tea, and settled in a large rocking chair. Seeing Harry looking confused, she added quietly, "She was your mother's best friend at school, Harry. Celestine Foster."

"I remember you!" Harry suddenly shouted. "You were in one of the pictures Hagrid gave me!"

Celestine smiled happily, but then she coughed. Bright red blood trickled from her rosebud lips.

"Jesus, what happened?" Mrs. Figg demanded. She twirled her wand again, and this time a small box came out amidst a purple cloud of smoke. The old lady opened the box, and drew out a piece of soft white material. "Those wounds need treating."

"Wait!" Celestine pointed to the big black dog, which was still writhing in pain. "Arabella, take a look at him first. It's Sirius, I think he might be poisoned."

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed, which earned a baffled look from Cho, who was standing awkwardly beside Celestine.

Arabella Figg pursed her lips. "Poisoned? What on earth happened to you?" She got up and went over to the sofa. Harry followed her.

The next second an unexpected thing happened. Well, it was surprising for Cho, at least.

A flash of blue-white light erupted from Mrs. Figg's wand and engulfed the big black dog. Harry threw up a hand to shield his eyes from the light, as he was standing very close. When the flashing light vanished, in the spot where the dog used to be there was now a full grown man. His shirt was splattered with specks of dirt and blood, his face a sickly greenish color, but there was no mistaking his identity.

"Sirius Black!" Cho screamed, jumping up and pointing at him, her finger shaking.

"He's innocent!" Harry shouted back. Without thinking, he put both his hands on Cho's shoulders to calm her down. "It's all right, Cho!"

"What do you mean it's all right? He's a convicted murderer, and..."

"Stop." Mrs. Figg commanded. Somehow, her tone had such a note of authority, Harry and Cho ceased talking. "Young lady, that man IS innocent. Harry, tell her while I check up your godfather."

Cho looked up at Harry, and shrugged her shoulders. He took the hint, and quickly lowered his hands to his sides, blushing furiously. He assumed that Mrs. Figg knew everything already, judging from her expression and tone.

"Well..." Harry started. He suddenly found himself tongue-tied again, with Cho staring at him, her brilliant black eyes fixed on him. For an instant, he wondered if it was all right to trust her to Sirius' secret. But seeing her curiosity aroused, he knew it was going to be difficult to satisfy her until he explained, unless he put a Memory Charm on her and kick her out.

"Voldemort was after my parents, and they needed to perform the Fidelius Charm." He paused, and saw that Cho understood what the Fidelius Charm was. "They meant to use Sirius as their secret-keeper, but Sirius thought it was too obvious, and persuaded them to change to Peter Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew?" Cho interrupted. "But he was blown up! The biggest part that was left of him was his finger!"

"No, he's alive! When Sirius found out he had sold my parents to that dirty scumbag, he tracked Peter down, or Wormtail, his nickname. And Wormtail yelled that Sirius was the traitor and blew up the whole street, and turned into a rat. That's why only his finger was left; because he cut it off with a knife before transforming. So you see, Sirius was caught, and spent all those years in Azkaban, even though he’s done nothing to merit it." He finished bitterly.

Mrs. Figg straightened up. "I'll have to look up the symptoms," she said briskly, and headed to a rickety old staircase. "Harry, please watch Sirius and make sure he doesn't fall off the sofa. Oh, and young lady, could you bandage up Celestine for me? Thank you."

"Is…is it serious?" Harry asked. Cho looked at him; he was actually biting his lip to keep back tears. He really must be telling the truth, she thought.

"I don't know," was the laconic reply. They listened as Mrs. Figg's footsteps died away.

Cho went over and picked up the box Mrs. Figg had conjured. She approached Celestine a bit timidly. The elder woman looked up and gave her an apologetic smile. "Do you believe it now?"

Although there were still a lot of questions to Harry's concise explanation, Cho could do nothing but nod. She pulled out her wand to perform a few Healing Spells. "Where's that awful Wormtail? Is he still alive?"

"He's gone back to Voldemort; I've seen him," Harry said grimly.

"Continues doing wicked deeds, with his master restored to strength," Celestine muttered. "I heard Dumbledore mention this Wormtail had murdered a student just two months ago..."

"What? You mean...?" Cho looked up, horrified as the truth dawned upon her. Cedric...it was he who killed Cedric...

"Er..." Harry knitted his brows, trying to change the topic.

Suddenly, Sirius, who was tossing uncomfortably on the sofa, gave a small yelp of anguish. The others quickly turned their attention to him; he had gone into a state of delirium.

"Lucius Malfoy...I'll get you back...Malfoy..." the words came out painfully, his breath ragged and strained. Harry reached for his godfather's hand, and grasped it tightly.

"Lucius Malfoy," Celestine uttered, as though the name was revolting. "That...that demon! It was him who did this!"

"What? He poisoned Sirius?" Cho asked. She felt rather awkward at addressing this man by his first name, after all those years she had believed him to be a ruthless criminal.

"When I came back from America," Celestine began. "I went to see Dumbledore, and he told me to come to Remus' place. It was then that I found out that Sirius was innocent. This morning, Sirius and I went to the nearest village to buy food supplies. When we came back..." Celestine shivered, and she looked pained. "Death Eaters were everywhere. It was horrible, the house on fire and Remus was cornered, we rushed to help, but there were so many of them and then I heard Sirius yell, and I saw a small arrow stuck in his body. Lucius Malfoy was laughing..." she broke off, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"And then?" Harry pressed on.

"We might have...perished, or been taken prisoner, but thankfully, Mundungus Fletcher and a dozen other Aurors apparated just in time. Remus gave me your address, and told me to take Sirius to Arabella, because she's good at potions and poisons..."

"I've found it," the curt voice of Mrs. Figg broke out. She was standing at the foot of the stairs, a heavy book clutched in her arms. Harry and Cho looked over at her eagerly, but immediately sensed something was dead wrong. Mrs. Figg's wrinkled face was absolutely chalk white, it was a bit scary to look at her.

"It's Mortiferus, an extremely rare and deadly poison. If we can't make an antidote in three days, he'll be dead."

"How...how are we going to make the antidote?" Cho ventured, seeing the other two too stricken, or afraid to ask.

Mrs. Figg shook her head. "I have no idea."