Secrets, Lies and the Daily Prophet (Alt. Fifth Year Fic)

Chapter Twenty: A Talk with Cho

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Uncle Vernon grumbled and complained all the way to London. Harry thought his uncle ought to be grateful that it was only the second time he had to ferry his nephew to the train station. The other years, the Weasleys saw him off to school. Harry was determined that nothing was going to dampen his spirits today He was going back to school and wanted this year to be special.

Harry smiled as he pushed his trunk with Hedwig's cage resting on top through King's Cross station. Ron and Hermione were waving to him as soon as he passed through the barrier at Platform 9 ¾.

"Harry! There you are. Let's grab a compartment before they're all full," said Ron.

"Hey Harry, it's great to see you!" Hermione said as she gave him a quick hug. "I just want to stow my trunk in your compartment. I have to go to that prefects' meeting for the beginning of the trip, but I'll come back later."

They started making their way onto the train when another voice came through the air.

"Harry!"

He turned to see that it was Cho.

"Oh, hi," he stammered as he felt his heart leap into his throat.

"Harry, could I talk with you? Alone?" she asked.

"Ah, sure. Just let us get our stuff put away."

Ron gave Harry a wink and a quick nudge in the ribs. Harry glowered at him in return. After their trunks were put away Ron left saying he was going to visit with Fred and George for a while. Cho walked awkwardly into the compartment. Harry pointed to a seat and gave her a small smile.

"Harry, can you tell me what happened to Cedric?" she asked. "I've been waiting all summer to ask you. I tried writing you, but my owl returned my letter."

"Sorry about that. I was getting hate mail, so I stopped taking letters for awhile."

Then Harry turned and went to close the compartment door. He pulled his wand out and muttered a few words under his breath.

"I just put a charm on the door so our voices wouldn't carry. This may sound weird, but before I tell you anything, I need to make sure that you truly are Cho Chang and not someone who is impersonating you. Tell me something that only youo and I would know."

She furrowed her brow. "Umm, how about...I saw you at the Quidditch World Cup last summer and you wound up spilling a bunch of water down your front?"

He smiled sheepishly as he remembered that embarrassing incident.

"That'll work. Cho, I'm going to tell you a few things that aren't widely known. Please try to keep them to yourself as I'm not sure how much Headmaster Dumbledore wants known. Also, please understand there will be some things that I can't tell you."

He sat down across from her and noticed that her eyes had grown wide with fear.

"Okay, umm, where to begin? Well you know that Voldemort killed my parents and tried to kill me when I was a baby?"

She nodded and flinched when Harry had said Voldemort's name.

"Voldemort wasn't killed that night, because he had done so many evil things that he wasn't quite human anymore. So he wound up just existing in some weird evil vaporish form all these years. Anyway, a year ago one of Voldemort's old servants was flushed out of his hiding place for twelve years. He made his way to Albania where he found Voldemort's essence. This servant was able to help nurse his master back to a small state of health again. He also met up with Bertha Jorkins the Ministry of Magic employee who went missing last year. Voldemort tortured her for information before he killed her. It was her information that led him to devise a plan to enter me into the Triwizard Tournament so that he could get to me and return to a full human body."