Harry Potter and the Sorceress Queen

Cho gasped. An enormous creature was moving slowly toward them. It looked like a gigantic scorpion, but its lobster-like claws were elongated, not to mention the long jointed tail, which was pointing in the air and gleamed brightly under the sun light, for the creature was covered with a tough, armor-like shell. It strongly resembled a Blast-Ended Skrewt, only it was bigger and the sting had some minor difference.

Harry whipped out his wand and pointed it to the monster. "Stupefy!" he yelled. A jet of light pelted toward the scorpion-like creature and hit the shell; the spell ricocheted off and hit a bush not far from Harry and Cho, causing the bush to turn a smoky black and wither on the ground.

"Harry, it's no use! The Lady Stinger's shell is too thick!" Cho pulled Harry away, and ran to a safer distance, under a group of oak trees. The Lady Stinger sensed their retreat but it was slow to sense where they were, so it crawled aimlessly about, clicking its pincers.

"But......" Harry looked at Cho; she was doing some quick thinking. In a second later, she had stripped off her hair band, which she had been using to fasten her hair into a tight ponytail. "Engorgio!" The hair band grew longer and longer until it was five yards long. Cho picked it up and faced Harry.

"Harry, I'm going to make the Stinger go for me; I'll make it rear up, so you can hit the softer underside, got it?" Cho said it in a rush; her face was very white.

"No, it's too dangerous!" Harry tried to hold her back. "We can go for help......"

"There's no time! It'll cause panic, so many students are down in Hogsmeade!" Harry looked into her eyes; they were stubborn and unyielding. He knew there was no defiance before that determined look, besides, she was right. He nodded and let go of Cho's arm, gripping his wand tighter. "Be careful."

Cho flashed him a reassuring grin, and turned around, her long black hair billowing in the wind. She walked up to the Lady Stinger and lunged out the hair band at it. The end of the hair band caught one of its pincers and with a mighty tug, Cho went flying into the air, using two forces, one from her own leap and the other from the Stinger when it pulled back. She was now high above the Stinger, but her leap was reaching its limit, she was going to plummet down in any time......

"Now!" screamed Cho, as the Stinger reared up, its other pincer clicking angrily as it reached out to her.

His jaw set, Harry took a deep breath and aimed his wand at the Stinger. "Expelliarmus!" he roared.

Luckily they had acted efficiently on those crucial seconds. The Lady Stinger swayed and fell over, its long legs twitching in the air. Harry, fearful it maight revive, sent another Disarming spell on it. Cho landed on the Stinger's head, panting, but she managed to slip down to the ground. Harry hurried over to her.

"Are you......?"

"I'm fine." Cho stood up and took a few steps, but stumbled and fell. Harry caught her just in time. "My ankle......must have strained it when I landed......" Now the danger was over, Cho felt her face burn in front of Harry's chest. "No......I can walk......" she insisted, trying to push him gently away, but Harry laid a firm arm around her shoulders.

"Stop it," he said. "I'm not letting you walk on that ankle without any help."

Cho met his gaze and a deep blush rose in her cheeks. "Alright, then. But don't dare you do anything to me, Potter." she teased.

"Of course I don't, I'm not risking getting karate chopped." Harry returned, although it was hard to behave like a well-mannered gentleman as Cho's soft black hair brushed against his chin.

Cho made a face at him, then grew serious. "I wonder how that Stinger got here? You know, Hogsmeade isn't a place where monstrous beasts roam about."

"Yeah." It was puzzling. Had Voldemort sent the Lady Stinger to kill him? But how could he know in advance that Harry was in the outskirts of Hogsmeade? Besides, if Voldemort was after Harry now, he would have used something more efficient, as the Lady Stinger was obviously sluggish in attack and Harry could've plenty of time to run away. Anyway, Harry thought it essential to report this to Dumbledore once they got back.

When they reached the Three Broomsticks, their friends were waiting outside the door and all were aghast to see Cho hobbling with her long hair draping loosely down, and Harry looking grim as he helped her.

"What happened?" cried Hermione and Julie Anne at the same time.

Many students were passing by and staring. Julie Anne and Nicole quickly helped Cho to a distant table. Hermione and Ron went to get butterbeers for everyone. When they came back, Harry and Cho told them about the Lady Stinger and how they managed to disarm it. Their audience gasped and were most concerned.

Hermione looked horrified. "A Lady Stinger? But in the 'Monster Book Of Monsters', they are only common in eastern Europe......"

"Yeah, and thank god they're not really deadly," put in Julie Anne. "Lady Stingers produce no venom, so they're suitable oppenents for young inexperienced warriors......wait, why, it seems as if that Lady Stinger was provided for Cho to test her kung-fu skills!"

"But no one knows that Cho is there, besides the Stinger isn't dangerous for her......it can't be meant for her," said Hermione. "The question is, who brought that Lady Stinger to Hogsmeade and why?"

No one could shed more light to the mystery. Since it was getting late, the Ravenclaws said goodbye to the Gryffindors and returned to the castle. Cho was assisted to the hospital wing to have her ankle treated, while Harry went to report to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was concerned to hear about the incident, although he could offer nothing to solve the mystery of the Lady Stinger.

"Twenty points to Ravenclaw and ten points to Gryffindor," he said, as Harry prepared to leave. "Harry, please be careful and remember to keep your eyes out for anything more. Tell Miss Chang that I am impressed at her skillful fighting, and maybe we can start a duelling club again." The last sentence was meant as a joke.

A week later, Gryffindor played Quidditch against Hufflepuff. Without the presence of Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff was even weaker than usual, and Harry caught the Snitch within minutes. This victory was expected. Burke warned the team not to be over excited and concentrate hard on the next match.

In Charms, they were learning the Diminishing Charm now, which was the opposite of the Engorgement Charm. Flitwick brought another cage of bunnies for them to shrink. It turned out that making objects smaller was more difficult than making them bigger.

The date of Ravenclaw's match against Slytherin was now approaching. Cho seldom had time to talk with Harry after her martial arts practice, for Quidditch training took up most of her free time, but Harry still liked to take a few minutes to sit with her on the grass. Cho apparently was severely influenced after the Lady Stinger incident. She had no enemies, and assumed that the Lady Stinger was meant for Harry, so she showed more concern and lesser indifference toward him.

On October 15th, the school was buzzing with excitement. Both Ravenclaw and Slytherin were a well match for each other, and it was hard to predict the results. Naturally, Harry, Ron and Hermione rooted for a Ravenclaw victory, though they hoped to beat Ravenclaw in the final match. After breakfast, they hurried to the front doors of the castle and out on the Quidditch stands to get good seats.

When it was time to begin, the two teams walked onto the field amid the great noise the audience were making. Harry was feeling almost as nervous as if he was out on the field. He focused his gaze on the slight, lithe figure who was walking quite easily in the rear of the Ravenclaw team.

"Hope that Cho gets the snitch, eh, Harry?" said Ron beside him. Harry reddened, but didn't say anything.

"It's hard to say," Hermione was looking at the Slytherin team with disgust. Even though Marcus Flint was not on the team, the rest of the team (minus Malfoy) were still as enormous as ever.

"Captains, shake hands!" said Madam Hooch. Warrington and Roger Davies moved forward. Then Harry saw something that made him clench his fists in anger. Cho, who was facing Malfoy, gave him a small smile. Malfoy also smiled, and even more than that, he was slithering his hand up Cho's arm.

The next seconds things happened in a flash. Cho, in turn, grabbed Malfoy's wrist, yanked his arm upward, and with a sharp kick, Malfoy went flying backwards and landed roughly on the ground several yards away.

Most of the Ravenclaws noticed this, and many of them started laughing and clapping, Harry, Ron and Hermione were among them. Madam Hooch went over and asked what was wrong. Cho merely said a few words with a contemptuous look at Malfoy, who had got up and was looking abashed and angry. Madam Hooch gave both of them a short talking, in which neither student paid any attention.

With a shrill blast from Madam Hooch's whistle, the fifteen brooms rose into the air.

"They're off, and the Quaffle is taken by Lisa Turpin, Ravenclaw Chaser, she's heading to the goal posts......" Lee Jordan was commenting as usual.

"......no, Slytherin in possession, Warrington has the Quaffle---hopes he gets hit by a Bludger--only joking, Professor---he's going to score, no-- Ravenclaw Keeper Roger Davies flies forward and saves it!"

Harry was watching Cho; she was circling above the game, squinting around for the Snitch. Suddenly Cho dived, then she raced across the field, her gaze focused on a tiny golden glimmer flitting near the Ravenclaw posts.

Malfoy, who was already about ten feet below, accelerated. He was pulling close to Cho, he almost became level with her, and......

Two Bludgers came pelting out of nowhere, heading straight at Malfoy, sent by the Ravenclaw Beaters. Malfoy's eyes widened and (to Ron's disappointment) he zoomed upwards just in time, his face white from fear. The Bludgers, unblocked, shot ahead, they were going to hit Cho......

Cho sensed the Bludgers coming, she heard the crowd below her gasp, and she quickly turned her Windspeeder up, her back narrowly missing the two Bludgers by inches, but unfortunately, one Bludger hit her foot, and to Harry's dismay, it was the same foot that she had sprained her ankle on the day they met the Lady Stinger. A pained look passed her face, but within seconds Harry saw it again, that determined, stubborn expression. Needless to say, in all the commotion, the Snitch had disappeared.

Lee Jordan was still commentating.

"Slytherin leads by thirty points to twenty, now Ravenclaw in possession, Fawcett's got the Quaffle--argh, no, Montague has it, he's flying to the posts--no, Bludger in the way--Montague drops the Quaffle and it's caught by Turpin--and--no!"

Lisa Turpin was blocked by Warrington, he made a wild grab for the Quaffle, but as both of them were moving fast in the air, Warrington's hand smacked Lisa hard on the face instead. Lisa winced, one side of her cheek was red and swollen. Madam Hooch flew toward them and awarded Ravenclaw a penalty.

Harry was beginning to feel worried; two of the Ravenclaw players were injured, which meant the odds against Ravenclaw increased. He again focused his gaze on Cho, who was zooming around in midair, scanning frantically for the Snitch.

Suddenly Cho shot forward, her long black ponytail whipping in the wind. Harry sat upright on his seat, he saw the Snitch hovering a little way above Zambini, the Slytherin Keeper's head. Malfoy saw what she was doing and zoomed after her. Even if Malfoy hadn't noticed, it was almost impossible for Cho to get to the Snitch, for at least ten players were scattered before her, a Bludger was already whooshing in her way......

Cho ducked, the Bludger passed inches above her; she rose again and this time her hard practicing in kung-fu really paid off. Montague swerved in front of her, determined to block her at the risk of another free penalty to Ravenclaw, he stretched his hands out to knock her, it seemed there was no way of dodging this huge oppenent, but amazingly, Cho shot under Montague's arm like a bullet, she was so small and fast that Montague barely realized she was already past him......

Malfoy was weaving in and out of people too, but he couldn't dodge around as deftly and swiftly as Cho. She had managed to shake off Bole, who was trying to hit her with his club, and now Warrington darted forward to stop her. Cho nearly smashed into him, for Warrington had swooped down in front of her in a sudden, but she dived down sharply and pulled out of the dive very quickly, she was speeding toward the Zambini......

The Snitch wasn't above Zambini's head anymore, it had flitted somewhere behind the golden hoops, Cho saw this and took a deep breath, she pretended to point the Windspeeder down but immedietely shot upwards, Zambini was screaming in rage when he missed her, Cho flashed through a golden hoop, and reached out her hand......

A deafening roar rose from the stands. Cho flew back to the middle of the field, raising her hand high in the air, the tiny golden ball clasped tightly in her fist.

"She did it!" screamed Hermione, jumping up and down. She had been clutching a handful of her robes fearfully when Cho got past the Slytherin players.

Ron was also cheering loudly along with the others. Harry sat in silence; he was still fascinated at Cho's spectacular performance. Her ability has immensely increased due to her new Windspeeder and all those daily martial arts training. For a brief moment, Harry wondered if he could beat Cho in the final match ,but he chided himself hastily.

That night, Burke called the Gryffindor team together, and held a meeting to discuss tactics for their next and last match with Ravenclaw.

"Their Chasers are pretty good, but not fast enough......" Angelina was saying.

"Watch out for the Ravenclaw Seeker, Harry. " said George, winking at him.

"Yeah, she did really well today, with that Windspeeder," chimed in Alicia. "You've got to keep your eyes open, Harry."

"Harry." Edward Burke looked pointedly at him.

Harry could feel everyone's eyes on him now. "I'll do my best." he stated firmly.