Don't Mess With The Chosen One....

9

Things were going well for Harry. They'd started Dumbledore's Army (Harry would later use this in his plan to ruin Dumbledore's reputation.) Harry found that he liked teaching. He felt a sense of pride whenever he saw the others improving in their spell work. And it made him feel better knowing that they were doing something right under Umbridge's nose!

A few days before the holidays, after a DA meeting, Harry noticed that Cho remained behind.

She was staring at a picture of Cedric they'd hung up on the wall. She was also crying.

"Er, Cho? Are you alright?" Harry asked, foolishly.

"Do you think Cedric knew this stuff?" Cho asked.

Harry felt his throat tighten, and his heart began to thump in his chest. "Yeah- Yeah, 'course he did. It's just, well- When you're in front of Voldemort, it's not really likely you'll get away...."

"You did, when you were just a baby." Cho said.

"Yeah well, no one really knows why that is." Harry said. "So it's nothing to be proud of..."

"Oh, don't go." Cho hiccuped. Harry stopped moving towards the door. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up Cedric. Not when you must feel awful about it. I mean, you saw him die, so you must just want to forget it all..." She mopped her eyes with the sleeve of her robes.

Harry felt miserable. He really would have liked if she hadn't brought up Cedric, but he felt it would be heartless of him to say that.

"You're a really good teacher, Harry," Cho said, stepping closer to him. "I've never been able to Stun someone before."

Harry's mouth was dry. She was very close now, and he could see some tears clinging to her lashes.

"Mistletoe." Cho whispered, looking up, and Harry followed her gaze.

"Nargles," Harry said, as it was the first thing that popped in his head.

Cho was confused for a moment, but then she kissed Harry.

≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈

That night, Harry dreamed that he was back in the Room of Requirement.

Cho was crying and shouting, as she threw a box of chocolate frogs at his head. "Cedric got me a hundred chocolate frogs! Look!" And she began taking handfuls of chocolate frog cards out of her pockets.

Harry stammered out an explanation how he didn't have enough money to buy a thousand chocolate frogs, because he'd bought stuff for Sirius and Remus.

Hermione was shaking her head gravely. "Harry, you should have prioritized Cho's gift over Padfoot's and Moony's."

And then the scene changed. Harry was no longer in his body. He was sliding along a black, marble floor. Harry raised his head, flicking his tongue, as he tasted the scents around him. A man was nearby; He was drowsy. Harry slithered closer in the direction of the smell, and a silvery cloak slipped off the man, falling to the ground. This motion seemed to have jerked the man awake, because he held his wand out in front of him, and stared around alert.

The man didn't notice him. Harry reared back his head, and opened his mouth, exposing his fangs. The man now noticed him, but he was too slow. Harry moved forward and struck! Once. Twice. Thrice. He bit into the man's neck, the metallic taste of his blood filling Harry's mouth.

Arthur Weasley clutched his neck, gasping for breath as he slid to the ground.

"Harry! Harry! Wake up!"