Harry Potter and the Sorceress Queen

Harry got up early the next morning because he couldn't wait to see Cho and congratulate her on Ravenclaw's victory over Slytherin. He would've gone the previous night but the Quidditch meeting last night prevented him from doing so. As he neared the familiar spot by the lake, he frowned because the atmosphere was very peaceful. There was no sign of Cho's jumping and leaping, no swishing sound in the air. He wondered if she skipped practice today, recalling that she hurt her ankle for a second time yesterday.

However, when he got closer, Harry found Cho sitting cross-legged on the grass under a draping willow tree. A pile of bricks were placed in front of her. She seemed to be in a trance; her eyes were closed, her cheeks were very red, and a steam of white smoke was hovering above her head.

Harry was torn between bewilderment and anxiety, wondering what Cho was doing, is this another martial arts practice or is she in danger? He walked closer and suddenly fell backwards on the ground; he had hit a seemingly invisible wall. Harry lay on the grass in surprise and looked at Cho; she hadn't budged in the slightest, except the mist above her head thickened a bit.

Seconds later Cho's eyelids flickered open; her face was expressionless, and raised her hand above the pile of bricks and sliced down-crack! The brick on the top was cut into two halves, and Harry could see the brick below had cracks running on the surface.

Cho got up and picked up her wand (it was lying beside her). She pointed it in front of her, muttered something incoherent and the invisible wall vanished. Harry couldn't see it but Cho was walking toward him, so he assumed that the barrier no longer existed.

"Mornin', Potter," she said archly, seeming to be in a very good mood. The mist had thinned and disappeared when the invisible wall was lifted.

Harry scrambled to his feet and stood up. "Another kung-fu trick of yours?" he asked, pointing to the wrecked bricks.

Cho nodded. "It's a training of the inner force, but I'm not making much process," she remarked lightly, looking at the pile. "I gathered five bricks but only two have some......change. Anyway, you're coming to congratulate me, right?" she smiled mischievously, her eyes sparkling playfully.

"Yeah......I mean no," said Harry, feeling like teasing her, seeing her smug expression. "Actually, I was coming to warn you not to get over confident. You've already lost to me last time, remember?"

"That doesn't prove anything!" shot back Cho. She didn't expect Harry to make such a reply, so naturally, she felt mildly indignant. "You had a Firebolt......"

"But I've also grown taller, you're still so shor......" Harry swallowed the last word, because Cho was looking as if she was going to toss him into the air, like she did to Malfoy. The fact that she was shorter than girls of her age was a nerve that mustn't be touched.

"Cho!"

Harry and Cho turned their heads to the direction of the voice; Julie Anne was standing behind them, trying to suppress a giggle. Both of them had been so intent on the other's presence that they didn't notice that Julie Anne was approaching them.

"Harry, you shouldn't have said that," Julie Anne was looking amusedly at Cho. "Cho's really touchy on the subject of......er......heights."

Harry grinned back at Cho. She was looking half mad; half exasperated. If her ankle wasn't hurt, she would've made Julie Anne take back her words in an instant, but now she could only boil in silence, letting Julie Anne take this advantage mockingly.

"Okay, enough of this," said Julie Anne, deciding it was better to end the topic. "Sorry, Cho, but Roger Davies told me to find you, you know, Quidditch again......"

The three of them walked back to breakfast. Cho had brought a wooden cane to support her when she came down in the morning, so she didn't need any help; in fact, she hopped in a quick pace for she was full of energy after the "inner force trance", and was eager to prove she was "just fine".

October whirled away and November came, bringing heavier workloads.

Lessons were getting more and more stressful. Fleur had brought several dozen white mice to class one day, announcing she would be testing them on antidotes exactly a week later. ("Jolly good she's poisoning the mice, not us," whispered Ron.)

"Who can tell me what zis is?" Fleur reached inside her robes and produced a long, thin, brown bottle. She uncorked the bottle, and a strange, sickly smell filled the room.

Hermione's hand shot in the air as usual. "Protracitasum. A poison possessesing chronic powers. It can linger in a person's body for several days before it takes effect, depending on how strong it is."

"Vairy good," said Fleur. "We will be feeding the Protracitasum to ze mice now, and test your antidotes on zem next week. Remember to bring knotgrass, leech juice, daisy roots......" she went into a long talk, instructing them what to do and what not to do. Harry could see Neville taking notes frantically, clearly afraid he might forget something and mess things up.

But the most recondite lesson of all was Defense Against Dark Arts. Professor Jenna had devised a three-step plan for the class to master the Multiplex Charm. In their second lesson, she directed them to congregate on the Quidditch field. She had borrowed twenty Quaffles from Madam Hooch, and conjured up wooden poles in a straight line to balance the Quaffles on.

"Now, since we've learned the basic concepts of the Multiplex Charms, it's important to take action. When your name is called, step forward and try to knock down the Quaffles in a single shot. The person who has the biggest number shall get a prize."

Jenna waved a small, palm-sized bag before them. It was dark blue in color and a simple, yet elegant pattern was embroidered on it in white threads.

"Bought this in Japan," said Jenna, seeing the class looking dissatisfied. "This is no ordinary bag. Its capacity is a thousand times larger than what you actually see outside. Japan's a small country with an extremely dense population, so it's very useful for the Japanese witches."

This explanation caused a reverse effect. Most of them were berating themselves for not having thoroughly researched the Multiplex Charms the week before.

The outcome was somewhat unexpected, at least, for Hermione. She was a trifle nervous, and though she took perfect aim, only fourteen Quaffles went down. It was already a good deal better than the others, but to Hermione's usual standard, she had expected at least more than eighteen.

"Nice try, Hermione," said Jenna. "Try to blend a little more force, and stay calm when you fire."

Ron, on the other hand, put too much force in his aim. Two Quaffles were burned. Professor Jenna wasn't very pleased. However, with the Repairing Charm (A/N: I don't know if that's the right name. The incantation is 'Reparo'.) , the Quaffles were restored in a jiffy.

Neville was trembling as he raised his wand. As a result, the beams of light shot out of his wand in such crazy angles that one hit Seamus-who was standing nearby-on the face, causing ugly boils swell up. Seamus had to go up to the hospital wing.

It was Harry who won the bag in the end. Perhaps his Seeker training enabled him to have sharper eyesight, and that he had plenty of experience in curses and hexes, Harry's Multiplex Charm blasted seventeen Quaffles off the poles, which brought a momentary silence, then an eruption of cheering and clapping. Harry was surprised at himself.

In the next lessons, Jenna increased the number of Quaffles to thirty and arranged them into a semi-circle. The last drill was a dozen of Bludgers, which were stuffed in a box first, placed at a distance, then Jenna made the lid fly open with her wand, and the Bludgers flew out at the opponent/student. Jenna explained the purpose of this was that in normal circumstances, enemies should be moving in unpredictable directions, therefore using Bludgers is the best substitute.

"If we use sparrows, they may be in danger of being seriously stunned, besides, we have to bewitch them first to make sure they won't fly away. Bludgers are easier to keep in control."

Hermione often helped Ron with his lessons, for Ron seldom studied in the summer because of Quidditch. Sometimes they would go to the library, but as Ron and Hermione's voices usually grew louder above tolerable level, Harry found it better to stay in the common room.

As the date of the Quidditch final drew nearer, Harry's stress was building. Burke was training the team every day, using the spare hours in early morning or at night, so Harry couldn't converse with Cho after her martial arts routine. But he did see her often, for the Ravenclaws were working just as hard and diligently.

Almost every time the Gryffindor team were leaving the field, they would meet the Ravenclaws coming down from the castle, on their way to practice, and sometimes it was the other way round. Once, Cho hailed Harry to stop for a private word, making him blush furiously as Fred and George whistled behind him. However, Cho merely inquired anxiously if he had seen anything suspicious since the Lady Stinger's accident, much to Harry's disappointment.

On the day of the Quidditch final, Harry's nerves were stretched to a breaking point. Hermione and Ron were confident they will win, but scenes of Cho's breathtaking performance kept flashing past his mind. Harry was hoping he won't suddenly collapse or vomit out of nervousness and stress during the match. In the locker rooms, the other members on the team clapped him on the shoulder, wishing him good luck, as the Seeker's capture of the Snitch meant 150 points. Burke said nothing; his expression showed it all.

When it was time to go, Burke put out his hand and said concisely, "Let's go." The others reached out their hands too and piled up. The Weasley twins counted one to three, and with a loud, thunderous, "GO!" , the Gryffindors walked out on the Quidditch field.

A tidal wave of yells and cheers from the crowd seemed to engulf Harry as he followed his fellow teammates to the center of the field. When Burke and Davies shook hands, Cho made a grimace at him playfully, to ease the tension a bit. Harry grinned and tried to return one of his own, which was rather badly made. Cho giggled.

"On my whistle," said Madam Hooch. "Three-two-one......"

"And they're oooooff!" shouted Lee Jordan happily. "Possibly the most anticipated match in Hogwarts history, as the winning team gets to an exchange trip in Holland......"

"Jordan!"

"Okay, okay......well, Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinnet with the Quaffle, nice swerve around Fawcett, Ravenclaw Chaser, she's flying to the goal posts-duck! Bludger work there by Terry Boot, and the Quaffle-taken by Mandy Brocklehurst, long pass to Lisa Turpin-NO! Angelina Johnson intercepts the Quaffle, great job! Johnson heading to score-no, a back pass to Katie Bell-well done-GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

The Gryffindors below screamed and shouted as Angelina glided back to her fellow Chasers, grinning excitedly. As this was their last year Hogwarts, Angelina, Alicia and Katie had worked with all their efforts to coordinate seamlessly with each other.

Harry's spirits lifted. Now as he soared through the air, the wind ruffling his hair, making it untidier than ever, it seemed as if he left his fear back on the ground.

Minutes later, another Ravenclaw Beater, Stewart Ackerley elbowed Alicia, which forced her to drop the Quaffle. Madam Hooch's whistle sounded and awarded a penalty to Gryffindor.

When Katie succeeded in putting the Quaffle past Roger Davies, Fred signaled to Harry. This meant a certain tactic they had thought out earlier. Harry gritted his teeth, and faking a look of concentration, suddenly shot toward Fred and George, his gaze focused on a spot behind them.

Cho sped after him, determined to catch up with him this time, but when she flashed past Fred and George, Harry suddenly turned the Firebolt upwards sharply. Cho froze a second, she sensed a Bludger whizzing to her, and what's more dangerous, the Bludger came from a short distance, so it was even difficult to dodge it whether in speed or time. George had come up with the idea, first using Harry to lead Cho on a fake trail past the Weasley twins, so Fred or George would be able to swing a Bludger at her. Much as Harry disliked hurting Cho, he admitted she was the biggest obstacle in their way to championship.

The crowd below held their breath. The Bludger was going to knock Cho off her Windspeeder----even if she zoomed away in time, at least a part of her body would get hit. At the last second, she flung herself off her broom, hanging upside down, only her left leg was still swung around the handle. The Bludger passed above her by inches, grazing her left thigh. When it was safe, Cho straightened up, still white from shock, but unhurt.

Applause broke out from the Ravenclaw crowd, and even many Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs joined in. Fred and George looked a bit downcast at the failure of their plan, but soon grinned, shaking their heads in half disbelief, half admiration. Harry secretly was glad that Cho managed to avoid the Bludger, but he reminded himself the game wasn't over yet, Gryffindor was only ahead by twenty points, he must find the Snitch soon......

Ravenclaw was pulling back now, they didn't practice day and night for nothing. Lisa Turpin, having gotten hold of the Quaffle, sped toward the Gryffindor goal posts with Mandy Brocklehurst at her tail. Burke flew forward, his jaw set, ready to ward off the Quaffle when it comes. Ravenclaw Beater Terry Boot fired a Bludger straight at Burke, he ducked to avoid it, Lisa used this opportunity to pass the Quaffle to Mandy, she seized it and placed it through the golden hoop, scoring Ravenclaw's first goal.

"Ravenclaw in possession, no, Gryffindor in possession! Argh......Ravenclaw in possession again, it's Fawcett heading to the goal posts, a swerve round Bell, past Spinnet, urgh......no, George Weasley blocked her, and it's a penalty to Ravenclaw!"

"It was an accident!" protested George, but he was a trifle fast when he blocked Fawcett, causing Fawcett smash into him. Fortunately, Burke saved the Quaffle so the score was still twenty to ten.

Harry was circling twenty feet above the game, searching around for the Snitch. He suddenly saw Cho, who was ten feet below, had gone into a sharp dive, was it fake or had she seen the Snitch? But he just couldn't stay there and do nothing. Harry shot off after her, desperately hoping he could catch up with her......

Harry's gaze caught a tiny glimmer of gold a few feet above the grass, he put on an extra burst of speed, and stretched out his hand......he caught it! He immediately pulled out of the dive and held the Snitch high in the air.

The Gryffindor crowd below went wild; nearly everyone were jumping up and down, yelling their voices hoarse......Harry's mind seemed to be washed over, leaving only pure joy after winning the game, he was going to Holland next year, but something odd kept lingering in the back of his mind. He soon found out, for when he prepared to return to the ground, his teammates delighted voices sounding around him, an alarmed cry rang out. Distracted, Harry looked down, and saw something that made his mind go temporarily blank.

Cho was bending down over her broom, her face contorted in......pain? It did seem to be the case, for her hand was over her mouth, and to Harry's horror, blood was trickling down from her hand. The Ravenclaw team had noticed this and gathered around Cho, helping her to descend to the ground safely.

When Harry landed on the ground, he managed to tear himself away from his fellow teammates and the cheering crowd and ran over to Cho. A large group of friends were surrounding her. Harry pushed through the crowd, and saw Cho was still in agony, spitting blood. And more to that, the blood had black streaks in it. Therefore, she must be......

"Poisoned?" Madam Pomfrey came stalking down, looking worried, and to Harry's surprise, Fleur also appeared. She held out a small glass vial beneath Cho's mouth, and let drops of the blood fall in. Then she took out a small bottle and poured a strange liquid in the vial. The contents of the vial instantly frothed and hissed, then turned into a dark, muddy color.

"C'est impossible," Harry heard Fleur say, shaking her head. "Protracitasum."