Til The End

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`Til The End

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"Cho!" A voice greeted her as she Apparatedinto her parents´ home. Cho looked up, and her face split into a large grin.

"Grandmother!" Cho greeted the elderly woman, "Nin hao!"

"Hello to you as well, my granddaughter," Madame Sai-Yu Chang stepped forward and looked appraisingly at her granddaughter, "You are all grown up. Now, you can Apparate, and you have graduated."

"Yes, that´s true," Cho smiled, then saw a figure in Mage robes sitting behind her grandmother. A young woman, black hair in a bun held by two chopsticks. It couldn´t be...

"Jing-Li?!"

The young woman stepped forward slowly, and gave Cho a smile, "You remember me?"

"Of course! You were the one who was studying the Mage Arts from my grandmother that summer after my sixth year! What are you doing here?"

"She has finished her training, top of her class." Cho´s grandmother beamed and patted the younger woman´s hand, "It had been decided by the Chinese Ministry that she would be the first one sent over here. She will learn the conditions of the land, and then, in the next year, the others will follow, and they shall set up a league with her as leader."

"Oh! Congratulations, then! You know, most witches and wizards your age around here are still in school!" Cho informed the younger girl. Jing-Li grinned.

"I know. Same in China, really, but I wanted to learn as much as I could in as short time as possible. Now I just need to learn to speak the language and the way around this country."

"And she needs a place to stay. With the role that she has, she cannot allow her status to be exposed to the public." Cho´s mother had Apparatedin at the tail end of the conversation, "At least, for the first half a year, until she is accustomed to the ways around here. We have decided to let her stay with us, under the guise that she is a visiting cousin. Since you will be moving out, Cho, she can stay in your room with Grandmother."

Cho nodded, deep in thought for a few moments. Then, she smiled brilliantly, "I have a better idea."

* * *

A week later, Cho´s move-in to her new flat was finished, and that evening, her and her new flat-mate decided that, after the long, involved process of moving in, it was high time to spend the warm summer day touring the various places of Wizarding Britain.

And so it was, two Chinese witches, one in white robes, the other in a red Chinese tunic with black piping, flooed into DiagonAlley.

Diagon Alley, as always at this time of the year, was an extremely busy, bustling place. Though they did not really have much that they needed to buy, Cho brought Jing-Li around with her for a tour of all the shops. The younger girl was quite inquisitive, asking her in Chinese about all of the things around them, and comparing them with wizarding goods available in China. The two of them saw several students in the shops, getting their school supplies. Cho met up with Harry Potter, the two youngest Weasley children, Hermione Granger, the newest Head Girl, and Gabrielle Delacour in Flourish and Blotts.

"´Ello, Cho!"Gabrielle had been the first one to see her. Cho turned around and greeted the little girl.

"Gabrielle! How has your summer been?"

"Fine, sank you," the little girl grinned, "I `ave been getting letters from ze boys at school. Zeyadmire me vairy much, I sink."

Cho laughed, "Oh, you´re too young to be a heartbreaker, wait a few years."

"Oh, no, not zat type of letter," Gabrielle wrinkled her nose slightly, "Zey admire me because I `ave been ze only person `oo `as gotten away wis outsmarting zatProfessor Snape." She caught sight of Jing-Li, "´Oo is zat?"

"She´s a cousin from China who is visiting me," Cho said without skipping a beat, "Her name is Zhao Jing-Li."

Introductions were made, and the group talked for a while, with Hermione asking questions to Jing-Li about Chinese wizardry and asking the Chinese girl to evaluate the differences between the two nations. Jing-Li had just finished describing the finer points of incense making, when another familiar voice sounded at the door, calling for "Gabrielle, `Arry, Ron, and `Ermione." Cho swiveled around and grinned widely.

"Fleur!" It was indeed Fleur. She looked radiant as usual, dressed in loose, flowing blue robes. Cho, however, immediately noticed something different about the part-veela. She glanced from Fleur, to the beaming Bill Weasley who had his arms around the former´swaist. Fleur´s robes were slightly tight about the midsection. "Oh my goodness! You´re expecting! Congratulations!"

"Sank you," Fleur blushed somewhat, "I am about five mons along. It will be a girl."

Cho congratulated the parents-to-be, and introduced her `cousin´ once more. Bill looked at her rather shrewdly.

"I hear that China will be sending over Mages to help aid our Aurors here. Would your cousin know if that were the case?"

Cho´s eyes widened, and she glanced rather nervously at Bill. But the young man simply winked at her, indicating that he knew, probably from his family´s ministry connections. She gave a rather vague answer, he changed the subject, and soon, that group departed for home. Cho and Jing-Li exited Flourish and Blotts, and headed for the Leaky Cauldron for lunch.

Tom greeted Cho cordially as she walked in, Jing-Li right behind her. "´Lo there, Miss Chang!"

"Hi, Tom. A table for two, please."

"A table for two? Right this way!" The bartender led the two young women to a table close to the back. The two sat down, and Cho picked up a menu.

"Jing-Li, I think that I shall have to introduce you to western cuisine," Cho said solemnly, "Choose whatever you want on the menu, as long as you make sure to ask for a slice of cheesecake at the end of the meal. Then, you can´t possibly go wrong."

The other grinned, and quipped, "As long as everything can be eaten with chopsticks, I think that it shall be all right." Then, all of the sudden, the younger woman stilled, "Someone is coming, who exudes of darkness, and someone else, who is of yet uncertain." Cho raised an eyebrow in confusion.

A moment later, footfalls signaling the arrival of two people could be heard, and two tall, silver-blond individuals swept to the next table. One of them was older, with harsher lines to his face, and eyes cold as chips of gray ice. The other´s face, though similarly angular, had slightly more animated features and a hint of blue in his eyes, and though his patrician, handsome features were twisted into a sardonic _expression, it was not a downright cruel one, like the former´s. The latter was quite young, about eighteen years of age, and wore a silver badge on his black Hogwarts robes. The older man talked briefly to the younger for a moment, then swept out, leaving a handful of Galleons on the table. Jing-Li watched him leave, then turned to Cho.

"Who are they?" she asked Cho in Chinese. Cho glanced over, and caught the younger man´s eye. He gave her a smirk, then noticed her companion. The young man stood up, and sauntered over. Cho and Jing-Li stood up.

"Chang," he said civilly and coolly.

"Malfoy," Cho returned his greeting with equal brevity, "I see that you are to be the new Head Boy. Congratulations."

"Why, thank you," Draco drawled, "And who is this here with you?"

"My cousin, Jing-Li," Cho said, for not the first time in the course of the day, "She is visiting from China." Draco nodded slowly, and held out a hand. Jing-Li glanced at him in hesitation for a second, then placed her own hand in his. Dracolooked at her long and hard for a few moments, then brought her hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on her knuckles, all the while looking at her challengingly, as if waiting to see her lose her composure.

Jing-Li merely quirked an eyebrow at him as she gave him a curt nod. Cho caught a fleeting look of surprise in the Slytherin´sface before his customary sneer was back in place. "A pleasure," he drawled, before walking back to his own table. Cho and Jing-Li ignored him for the most part for the rest of their lunch.

Jing-Li did enjoy the cheesecake. As they paid for their lunch and headed out the door, she turned to Cho, "Do you have any shop here where I might be able to purchase Ling Zhi and She Dan of good quality?"

"Oh, we can go to the Apothecary. I know that they carry good ginseng, so they should have other Chinese medicinal substances as well."

The two walked down the cobbled street, and came to the store. The witch working there was in the process of pickling Gallica rose hips. She, like Tom, greeted Cho when the latter walked into the store.

"My cousin would like to see if you have any Chinese medicinal substances."

"Oh? Well, imports from China are all over there, you can go and take a look to see if there is what you need, dearie." The witch pointed at a corner of the shop, and the two Chinese witches walked over. The younger of the two quickly but meticulously picked out what she needed to purchase, and walked to the counter.

"That´ll be six Galleons and two sickles, dearie," the Apothecary witch said. Jing-Li nodded, and drew the amount from her silk reticule. Just as Cho and Jing-Li were on their way out the door, Una Markham, now in third year, walked in, a list of school supplies in her hand. She grinned and waved at the two, and Cho wished her good luck that year with Quidditch.

"All right... I will need... four ounces bicorn horn, five scoops of newt eyes, three bat spleens, a dozen dried thistles, and seven sea stars. Oh... and that stuff that is used in memory potions."

"Jobberknoll feathers," the door opened again, and Anthony Weston walked in, looking down his aristocratic nose at Una. "And they say that Ravenclaws are smart... but then, you´re a mudblood. It figures that you wouldn´t know anything."

Una stiffened, and her fists clenched, but she ignored him as she paid for her purchases. Anthony casually picked up a vial of erumpent fluid, and threw a handful of Galleons on the counter. He followed Unaout without bothering to get his change.

Una eyed his purchase suspiciously, "What are you going to do with that? It´s explosive!"

"Wouldn´t you want to know?" Anthony taunted, "Too bad, you wouldn´t be able to comprehend the complexity of it, given your incompetence in Potions."

"Hmph! You should talk! I heard Professor Sinistra suggest to you that you start getting private tutoring sessions from Terry Boot of my house, since you are so amazingly inept at Astronomy!" Unaretorted, then gave him a malicious smile, "Perhaps poor ickle pure-blood Anthony needs help..."

"If you´re suggesting yourself for the job, no thanks," Anthony sneered, "Ruddy stargazer, probably going to marry a centaur when you grow up.Huh, I feel sorry for the poor beast... `saddled´ with a mudblood..."

Before Una knew what she was going about, her fist had connected soundly and satisfyingly with his face. He staggered backwards, a bruise already starting to darken on the pale skin around his eye. "OW! You BINT! That... sodding... HURT!"

"Serves you right, bloody prat! I bet that no one will ever love you as long as you live!" Una hissed, and stormed away.

She had just ducked into Madame Malkin´s next door, and was about to look for a new winter cloak, when an angry voice drifting from outside the slightly ajar window caused her to pause. She ran up to the window to see what was going on.

A tall, black-haired man was standing in front of Anthony Weston, a look of cold fury on his face, "And what did you do after the little mudbloodhit you?" Una´s eyes widened,and she pulled back, hastily hiding behind the storefront dummy.

Anthony shrugged, "She just ran into another store."

"So... if I understand you correctly, you let the chit go unharmed." The man´s voice had softened chillingly, "You did not curse her. You did not break any of her limbs. You are useless, boy!"

Anthony squirmed slightly, "I thought that... we´re not supposed to hit girls." All of the sudden, the man drew back an arm and cuffed the boy brutally on the head. Una winced.

"Fool! She´s a MUDBLOOD! Hit her, hex her, kill her! They´re vermin! They don´t deserve to live..." the man´s lip curled in revulsion, "And you can just stay here until dinnertime. I have no use for spineless whelps following me around." Saying so, the man Disapparated, leaving Anthony Weston standing alone in the middle of the street.

Una felt a tap on her shoulder, and looked up to see Madame Malkin smiling at her, "All right, dear. What do you need to buy?"

The Ravenclaw girl´s eyes suddenly widened, and she shook her head, "Excuse me, I have something to do right now, kind of an emergency... I´ll be back!" she called over her shoulder as she dashed out of the door. The dressmaker watched in bemusement as the girl dashed back into the Apothecary.

"Back again, dear? Did you forget to buy something for school?"

"No... no," Una said hurriedly, "Do you have any healing potion for sale?"

* * *

Anthony was rubbing the bump on his head when someone shoved a small bottle of what he recognized as a potion of phoenix tears into his hand. He looked up with his good eye to see a contrite Una, shifting from foot to foot rather uncomfortably.

"I... I´m sorry," she said awkwardly, "Here... drink it... it will heal..." she gestured his black eye and the bump on his head.

Bloody hell, she had seen that? "Sod off!" he snarled, "I don´t need anything from you!" He somehow managed to put on a superior sneer despite his rather sorry state, and Una grew incensed once more.

"Fine! Be that way! See if I´m ever nice to you ever again!" The girl flounced off, and disappeared once more into Madame Malkin´s.

Anthony watched as Una climbed onto the stool to be fitted for new robes. When he was certain that her back was turned, he uncorked the bottle of healing potion and gulped it down. Then, he gave one last glance to the girl´s back, before walking away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cho and Jing-Li, who had Apparatedto Hogsmeade after finishing their excursion at Diagon Alley, had just walked out of the new joke shop, Weasley´s Wizarding Wheezes, clutching their sides in laughter.

"I still say the funniest were the cinnamon devils," Cho giggled, "I hope that Fred and George did not give any to Gabrielle; she might want to make Professor Snape sprout horns and a tail in the middle of class, though he probably checks what he eats and drinks very carefully now..."

"I liked the trick cameras the best," Jing-Li grinned, looking at a picture of her taken with said camera. Her hula dancing photographic self was wearing a tiger costume complete with fangs, a tail and a preposterous bright red cape.

"Say, let´s go and have a drink at the Three Broomsticks." Cho declared. Jing-Li assented, and the two girls made their way over to the pub.

Cho was just about to walk towards a table when one of the two men sitting at the counter turned slightly, and she halted. Then, a devious _expression on her face, Cho put a finger to her lips, gesturing for Jing-Li to remain quiet, and snuck up behind the man. Then, just as he lifted his tankard of butterbeer to his lips, she punched him between the shoulder blades, hard.

He sputtered and coughed, then spun around. Cho smirked, "I promised to beat you black and blue."

"Chang! Corking to see you. Now, get me another butterbeer, since you´ve just made me spill mine," he ordered.

"You´re a big, bad, filthy rich Quidditch player, Warrington. Surely you can afford your own?" She caught sight of the narrow-faced man sitting next to Warrington, and inclined her head almost imperceptibly, "Nott."

Nott nodded just as coldly. Warrington addressed Cho again, "So, what´re you doing here?"

"Just having a drink with my cousin. She just came from China to visit." Cho sat down next to Warrington at the counter, and called for two tankards of butterbeer. Jing-Li sat down next to her on her other side, and as Madam Rosmerta went off to get their drinks, Warrington asked if he would be seeing her on the Quidditch pitch.

"No," Cho said crisply. Warrington raised an eyebrow.

"Then what will you do?"

"If I tell you, I´d have to kill you." Cho said archly. Warrington rolled his eyes.

"First Weston, then you. Secretive smart-arsedspeccy little Ravenclaws... but then, I can´t exactly blame Weston for being secretive... if Nott´s words have any indication. Who´d´ve expected Ms. Holier-than-thou to become what she did?"

"Thank you." Cho said sarcastically, "It´s a bit rich, coming from you, calling someone else smart-arsed, you smarmy git."

Warrington grinned, "Why, Chang... you love me! You really love me!"

"Stop flattering yourself. So, you´ve kept in touch with Charisse, I take it?"

Warrington snorted, "Right... we´re pen-friends and send each other fluffy teddy bears at Christmas... No, Nott sees her around." He did not mention exactly where Nott saw Charisse around.

"Oh? Where?"

"If I tell you, I´d have to kill you." Warrington mimicked her words earlier.

Cho merely rolled her eyes. Jing-Li glanced at her quizzically, and asked her in Chinese who the two men were.

"The cocky bugger here was the Head Boy my sixth year, and the other is his friend." Cho replied, also in Chinese. Warrington cleared his throat.

"Hey, no talking about me in foreign languages! You can extol my dashing good looks in English, thank you. And what´s her name, anyway, Chang?"

"Jing-Li."Cho responded promptly.

Nott leered lewdly at Jing-Li, "I could use a nice nosh."

Before anyone could react, he was on the floor, writhing convulsively, scratching himself all over. Jing-Li had gotten to her feet, eyes blazing, face red with fury. She had her wand in one hand, and was shouting something very profane in Chinese.

"Ta ma de wang ba dan!!! Jing gan zhe yang shuo WO?!" Cho winced. Warrington raised an eyebrow.

"She said... `That sodding, bloody bastard! How dare he say something like that about ME?!´ Just because she doesn´t speak a lot of English doesn´t mean that she doesn´t understand it." Cho explained.

"Well, I guessed that that was the gist of what she said," Warrington declared, "I meant... what´s that spell?"

Cho shook her head, and looked at the other Chinese girl. "Tiao zao zhen." Jing-Li said shortly.

"I guess... the rough translation would be a flea hex. He feels like there are fleas crawling and biting him all over his body." Cho said tentatively. It was primarily a Mage distraction hex, straightforward but quite effective, although quite a few non-Mage Chinese wizards learnt it as well.

"Interesting. When does it wear off?"

"Feeftingminutes." Jing-Li replied bluntly, her English with a slight Chinese accent, "Zis is de most mild flea heix. De mose serious would couse heem to scrach heemsalf untiul he bleed to deas."

Warrington winced, "All right... I think that I´ll stay on your good side, then."

"Good." Jing-Li smiled and turned back to her butterbeer. By the time Nott, his face marked with light fingernail scratches, was able to stand up again, Cho and Jing-Li had finished their drinks, and walked out of the pub.

* * *

Owl from R. Davies to C. Chang 29 August

Cho,

Good luck starting work tomorrow! I am glad to hear that your move-in went well. Having Jing-Li live with you for the time being is wise. She will learn more about her surroundings, and you two can watch out for each other.

Today, we got some notable news: Mad-Eye Moody is out of his retirement! He has returned to active Auror duty, and he´ll be joining the rest of us very soon. I am partially glad that we have someone as experienced and skilled as he is, on our side, but on the other hand, the fact that current circumstances have forced him to leave a well-deserved retirement... that does not bode well at all.

I look to his arrival with mixed feelings. Of course, I am glad that he will be able to benefit the Light Side, but thoughts of him bring back certain memories...

I´m sorry, I shouldn´t bring that up to you. I don´t want to cause you any pain, ever. But... it´s the truth. I hope that this time, his appearance will be for the better.

Well, I must go now. Good luck, and keep out of trouble!

Yours,

Roger

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"Ah, Miss Chang." Cecilia Bode was a sharp-featured, beady-eyed woman whose angular form radiated an indefinable aura of hidden strength. Dressed in billowing black robes, she sat behind a desk and looked at Cho appraisingly. "Well, get on with it. Let´s see the transformation."

Her no-nonsense appearance and crisp manner seemed strangely reminiscent of Professor McGonagall, but Cho kept silent as she changed from woman to cat and back. Bode nodded approvingly.

"Good. Now, you are aware of what this job involves?"

"Yes." Cho knew quite well. She would be prowling around quite a bit, gathering information and evidence while in her Animagus form. She could quite well be tortured or killed at any time, if she happened to get caught.

"And?" Bode looked at her, dark eyes boring into her own.

"Well, I´m here, aren´t I?" Cho said simply. Cecilia Bode gave her a nod of approbation.

"Excellent that more witches nowadays are taking matters into their hands to benefit the common good. I see that Miss Weston has started a trend. She was from the same house as you, too."

Cho blinked, "Miss Weston?"

"Why, yes. She´s been quite indispensable for the Light Side as an inside informant. Joined the Death Eaters as an undercover spy, tells us what she learns in the circle. She was a Ravenclaw, like yourself. A year ahead of you... the daughter of a Death Eater named MordredWeston. She´s tall, has dark blonde hair, kind of pale..."

Cho´s eyes grew to saucer-like size, "CHARISSE?!"

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