Til The End

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'Til The End

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The second Quidditch match of the season was played on a cold, crisp winter's day. Cho, having spent a week in the hospital and several subsequent weeks wrangling with accumulated schoolwork, was glad for the break. This day, she, along with a crowd of other students, headed out to the stands to watch Gryffindor play Hufflepuff.

One by one, the players on both teams flew out and took positions in the air. 6^th year Beater Samuel McKinnon, the new Hufflepuff captain, landed in the middle of the pitch, along with Angelina Johnson, and the two shook hands. Cho looked at the other players in the air. Replacing Cedric as the Seeker on his team was the reserve Seeker 2 years ago, 4^th year Mason Everett. Also, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones were new Hufflepuff Chasers this year, and Ernie MacMillan, the new Keeper. The Gryffindor team remained largely unchanged. Replacing Oliver Wood as Keeper was a small girl with wavy red hair tied back in a ponytail, whom Cho recognized as Ginny Weasley, the youngest child of that family, sister of Beaters Fred and George Weasley. Really, there were not too many alterations made to either team, but this game felt so different from that last game that Gryffindor and Hufflepuff played...despite the much-improved weather this time, and the absence of Dementors, Cho half-wished that she could turn back time to that last game...back when things were still much more simple...

Then, the whistle blew and the game began. Cho abandoned her cheerless thoughts and began to methodically make observations of both the teams, taking note of strategies used, strengths and weaknesses, and most especially, the performance of the newcomers.

The Hufflepuff Chasers were quite good, working as a seamless whole, and Cho smiled slightly. Cedric would have been proud. However, the new Gryffindor Keeper, despite her small size, was quite skilled as well, and blocked the shots quickly and efficiently.

And then, when the score was 70/30 in favor of Gryffindor, Cho saw Harry Potter go into a dive, Mason Everett hot at his heels. The Gryffindor Seeker dived almost straight down, quickly somersaulting on his broom when Samuel McKinnon hit a bludger his way without even thinking about it. About a foot away from the ground, Harry caught the snitch, and the game was over. Gryffindors streamed triumphantly onto the field. Cho watched, deep in thought, for a few more moments, before going back to the castle.

* * *

Cho was muttering potions ingredients to herself as she made her way from the Charms classroom towards the dungeons. "All right...a Somniferum potion requires one ounce of crushed moonstone, three medium-sized sprigs of spearmint, one flask of sloth's milk, heated to a rolling boil, a scoop of tsetse fly stingers, two poppy leaves, and one cup of essence of..."

CRASH!

She bumped into someone, who had been hurrying from the dungeons, going the opposite direction that she was going. A harried voice, male, hastily apologized.

"...lavender..." Cho said weakly, before looking up to see who had knocked her down.

"No, it's me, Harry," he quipped. Harry Potter was looking down at her, blushing somewhat, a half-worried, half-sheepish expression on his face. And, Cho noticed, there was a hint of trepidation in his eyes...as if meeting her would somehow bring something very unpleasant upon him.

And she had a fairly good idea what it was that he feared.

"Hullo, Harry. How're your classes going this year?" she asked him casually, trying to convey through her tone that she really did not blame him for Cedric's death, "Getting ready to take your OWLs?"

"Hermione's been badgering Ron and I to study for them," he answered, with a wan smile. Cho nodded.

"Good luck, then. Oh, and congratulations on your last win against Hufflepuff."

Harry winced slightly, "Er...thanks. I..." he paused, seemingly uncomfortable with discussing games against Hufflepuff, "And you, too. That was an amazing win against Slytherin last month!"

"Thanks, too bad I couldn't get the Head Boy to change the Prefect's office password to 'Carl Warrington can kiss my Ravenclaw arse'...although I did manage to make him kowtow to Charisse in front of everyone."

Harry grinned, "Yeah, Hermione told me." All at once, he grew serious again, "You...er...Cedric..."

Cho sighed, "I've already talked to Hermione about this, but I will say it again. I know what happened that day. And Harry, I don't blame you. Cedric..." she paused, "Cedric was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Had it been Fleur or Krum, the same thing would have happened to them. Stop beating yourself up over it, all right?"

Harry nodded slowly. He would come to terms with it someday, but for now, at least he had heard it from herself that she didn't blame him. "So...are you all right?"

"Getting better," Cho replied, then glanced at her watch, "Good Lord, I must run, I can't be late for potions or else Snape will have my head, and after that concussion, I really rather value it! Good-bye, Harry!" She took off at top speed towards the dungeons, and Harry watched her for a moment before turning and walking away.

* * *

After potions was Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, her last class of the day. She waved at Fleur as she walked into the classroom, and sat down at her usual seat in the front. Soon, Zach's girlfriend, 6^th year Gryffindor Angela Snow, came and sat down next to her. Cho and Angela chatted for a while, then quieted down as class began.

That day, they learnt about various Dark creature-repelling charms, including, but not limited to, the Patronus charm. It was a difficult lesson, so it seemed like mere moments had passed when the lesson was over. Angela left to find Zach, and Cho lingered for a while to talk to Fleur after the other students were gone.

"So, Fleur, how many different Patroni have you seen?"

"Oh, mine looks like a winged 'orse...razzer like ze ones zat pulled ze Beauxbatons carriage. Erm...ze Charms teachair at Beauxbatons, Monsieur Roche, 'is looked like a wolf. Madame Maxime, 'ers looks like a giant falcon wis an 'uge wingspan about ze lengs of a sofa."

"Oh, that must be quite impressive!"

Fleur was about to answer when a knock sounded on the door, and a second-year girl with pale brown hair and chocolate eyes, wearing Ravenclaw robes, walked in. Cho recognized her as Orla Quirke. Fleur smiled at the girl.

"Good evening, Orla. 'Ow are you?"

"Fine, thanks. Evening, Cho."

"Hullo...say, aren't you done with classes?" Cho asked, rather surprised. It was nearly dinnertime.

Orla shrugged and said candidly, "Defense is fascinating...Professor Delacour is just giving me some extra lessons. I want to become an Auror when I graduate."

"Oh? Like Roger." Cho said, almost to herself. Orla seemed to perk up at this.

"Roger, as in Roger Davies? He graduated last year, didn't he? He was always so nice...and he came to watch you play Slytherin! He's an Auror now? How wonderful!" The second-year girl clearly idolized Roger, and Cho smiled.

"Yes, Roger is wonderful, isn't he? Well, I better be off. Have a nice lesson, Orla! And see you later, Fleur!" Saying so, she stepped out of the classroom, gently closing the door behind her, and headed towards the Great Hall.

"Hello there, Cho," a familiar soft voice sounded behind her. Cho turned around to see Charisse, followed by Warrington, walking towards her. The Head Girl was carrying a heavy-looking Advanced Potions book in her hands and smiling like the cat that ate the canary, while the Head Boy was scowling and rubbing his head.

"Warrington, what did you do this time?" Cho asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing at all, Chang. Although if you see Weston being accosted by Slytherins any time in the near future...I know nothing of it!"

"We were supposed to make a potion that forms words and symbols in the air when it smokes. Based on what ingredients we add to it, specific words and symbols are formed. This git sabotaged mine so that it formed the words 'I am one of the fifty girls who want to shag Carl Warrington' in bright green smoke! I have never been so humiliated!" Charisse glared at the Head Boy as she explained to Cho.

Warrington looked unabashed and unruffled, "Simply stating the truth. Therefore, no reason to bruise my head. But at least, bruising my head wouldn't interfere with certain important activities too much."

"Lecherous sod!"

"And proud of it."

This bickering promised to grow more intense, when a much louder and angrier argument reached their ears. A familiar boy's voice was yelling, "You don't know anything about flying! We've a better team!"

"Oh really? Then how come we won that Quidditch match?!" Another voice, a girl's, yelled back.

"That was just luck! We've beaten your team for the past several years running!"

"I've heard about your team. They only win because they CHEAT!"

By the time the last proclamation was uttered, all three Prefects had reached the scene. Charisse sighed. Her brother was glaring at Una Markham, who was shaking a small fist in his face. The two were practically head to head. Charisse called out, "Anthony!"

The boy turned his glare upon his sister. "What do you want now, 'Risse?"

"Do you have to argue with her?"

"Yes," Anthony lifted his chin mutinously, then caught sight of Cho and Warrington standing behind his sister, both with curious looks on their faces. He immediately turned to the Head Boy, "The Serpents are a better team, aren't they? I heard Draco say that you said so."

Carl glanced at Charisse, Cho and Una. All three Ravenclaw girls were glaring at him. He shrugged and said lightly, "Well, what do you want me to say, kid? I'm a bit outnumbered here by three die-hard Eagles, including the captain, and all of them look like they're about to hex me. I've already been hit over the head by a huge textbook..."

"You could just hex them back." Anthony frowned a little, obviously wanting Warrington to back his declaration up. Warrington looked at him with a thoughtful sort of expression.

"Would you really want me to hex your sister?" he asked seriously, "If I did, she would become much less pretty."

Anthony fell silent for several long moments, "Couldn't you hex her in a way that doesn't hurt her at all or make her less pretty?"

Warrington laughed, "Not that I know of. But we're crowding up the hallway. I think we better go to dinner now. If you'd like, you can sit with me and the rest of the team and help us come up with strategies to kick their arses in the future." Saying so, he walked away from the three astonished Ravenclaw girls, leading the younger boy along.

Charisse watched the two of them leave with her mouth agape, "Blimey! I must have gotten him harder than I thought!"

* * *

That evening found Cho in the kitchens, a smudge of flour on her cheek, kneading a ball of dough with dexterous fingers. On the table was a mixing bowl filled with a mixture of finely minced meat, chives and spices, a pair of chopsticks sticking out like two bare miniature flagpoles from the top.

It was three days before Christmas, and Cho was taking the time this evening to make her present for Roger. In his last owl, he had said that he would be unable to make it home for the holidays, because he was on assignment, and Cho had decided then and there that he deserved to have a decent dinner on Christmas day no matter what. He was voluntarily spending his holidays tracking down dark wizards, helping to keep the world they all lived in safe at personal risk. And she, Cho, would make sure that he would get the best Christmas dinner that could be had.

Two hours later, Cho watched her owl fly out of the owlery with three dozen dumplings and a Christmas card, "I hope you have a Happy Christmas wherever you are, Roger," she whispered as the bird flew out of sight into the starry night sky.

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Owl from R. Davies to C. Chang 26 December

Cho,

Thank you very much for the dumplings, that was very sweet of you. I hope you had a Happy Christmas, better than mine, at any rate. Yesterday, I went on my first real mission as a full-fledged Auror, and what an unpleasant one it was! The Dark Mark had been cast over the house of a wizarding family in Dorset, where the man, who had been a prominent pureblooded family (not unlike Charisse's) had married a Muggle, and me and several others were sent to salvage what we could, look for clues and hunt for survivors.

The house was entirely ransacked. Everything was shattered, broken, burnt...there was dust and debris everywhere. Two dead bodies, a man and a woman, killed by Avada Kedavra. Still holding each other's hands. Several of us broke down in tears at the sight, but the head Auror of the group informed us, in a weary voice, that this was something we would need to get used to. There was more of this to come.

Well, after looking around a bit and gathering up the evidence, everyone started to leave, but then, I heard the soft sound of crying coming from a closet. Went and opened it up, and there was a little girl there, only about five years old, clutching a teddy bear in one hand and dressed in her night gown. At first, she shrank back when I talked to her, but after a while, she told me that three masked men came to her house last night while everyone was sleeping. She had gone to the bathroom, and suddenly, she heard her parents screaming, and saw them being subjected to Cruciatus. She climbed into the closet and stayed there, until the screams abruptly stopped and she heard the Death Eaters say the Killing curse, and then, two thumps.

I stayed and talked with her for a while, and shared your gift with her. As she ate, she said to me, "Your wife makes good food, Mr. Roger. You should protect her. The bad men in masks want to kill all the good people."

I explained to her that the person who made the food was certainly too young to be married, and she simply looked at me with her big brown eyes and said, "Then you should protect her even more. She needs to live 'til she's married and a mommy, at least."

This from the mouth of a little child...I took her back to my flat for a night, because she had no place to stay, and the poor girl cried herself to sleep. Today, I went to the Ministry and looked to see if there are any relatives with whom she could stay. She's now residing at an aunt's house.

Well, now I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that being an Auror isn't about glory and heroism, so much as doing what needs to be done, and trying the utmost to stop and prevent such tragedies from happening. I just wish...I just wish that I could have done more.

As always, keep in touch, and best wishes!

Yours,

Roger

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Awww...how sad for Roger, and that little girl! *sniffles* More to come ASAP! REVIEW!!