Hermione watched helplessly as the knife continued to spin towards her.
"Haltius!" A clear voice rang through the air.
The knife halted just an inch from Hermione's head. Hermione's breath came out as a strangled sigh. Malfoy and Voldemort both turned simultaneously towards the voice.
Cho was standing, glowing with purple light, with her wand raised towards them. "Hermione's right, dad. Harry is going to live because there are people who love him, but you won't. No one in this world loves you. You are all alone. A pathetic, worthless creature who doesn't even have the love of his own daughter." Cho's eyes began to blaze with life. "I love Harry and he does love me, no matter what you say or do. Lily Potter's love protected him once before, and now my love for him will protect him from you."
Voldemort's eyes blazed red as he lunged for his daughter. "What can you do? I don't need love to protect me. I am the most powerful wizard in the world. Are you really willing to kill me? For if you kill me, you will most definitely destroy Harry Potter. The one boy you have ever loved. Now that would be a betrayal of the worst kind." He cackled.
Cho closed her eyes and whispered. "Terlayar immuin othlaglir" A black rose appeared into her hands and as her father lunged towards her, Cho tipped the rose towards him. His claw-like hands wrapped around her shoulders and gripped her hard. The tip of the rose touched his chest, then plunged deep.
Voldemort's scream rang through the forest as steel pierced his skin. The black rose was now a long sword embedded in his chest. Cho stepped back and ripped the black steel sword from his chest. "It was wrong of Harry to try and kill you with one of your own curses. But I'm not going to make that same mistake. This sword represents every single persons life you have destroyed and ruined. This is for them. This is for me. This is for my mother."
Voldemort fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. He looked up at his daughter, glowing with purple light as she brought down the sword once more. "Eliminatus!"
Sinking the sword into his chest once more, Cho felt the ground tremble. The sword began to shake uncontrollably but still she held on. Voldemort's head fell back and he opened his mouth to let out a horrendous yell.
Cho ground the sword deeper into his chest and screamed once more "Eliminatus" The forest clearing burst into light and a loud explosion threw Cho backwards. The sword fell out of her hand and she covered her eyes from the blinding light.
When at last the light faded and darkness fell once again onto he forest, Cho scrambled up. In the distance she heard.
"Lumos"
Turning swiftly, she saw Hermione near the tree, tending to her boyfriend. Reaching for her wand, Cho light it up with the spell and went about looking for Malfoy. She hoped that he hadn't run off, the evil little rat. Disappointment filled her, as Malfoy was no where in sight. But to her surprise Professor Snape was sitting upright on what seemed to be a black lump.
"Professor, are you alright?"
"Yes, Cho. I guess you're looking for this" He said pointing to the lump. "I caught him just as the lights began to fade."
Cho grinned with relief. Then turned back towards Hermione.
"Cho, He hasn't got a pulse. What if Harry's dead." Hermione had left Ron sitting at the bottom of a tree and was kneeling close to Harry's still body.
Cho bent down towards Harry's lifeless body. Her heart was beating spasmodically, as she reached down and clasped his hand. It was icy cold and Cho could feel sadness begin to overwhelm her.
"No! Harry, you can't die! He's gone. Voldemort is finally gone. Please Harry you have to live." Cho sobbed uncontrollably, bending over Harry's face. Tears slid down her pale skin, and a droplet fell on Harry's lightning shaped scar.
In that moment all time seemed to freeze. Hermione's hand stopped shaking, the leaves of surrounding trees stilled and even the chilly breeze seemed to stop. All except Cho.
The forest was dark but inside Cho felt light. All the sadness, pain and terror that had filled her slipped away. A soft voice whispered into her mind. "Cho, all you have to do is show him that you love him. Let your love save him."
Cho closed her eyes and trembled. She knew, deep down in her heart that it was her mother that had just spoken to her.
She gripped Harry's hand tighter, leant down and gently placed a kiss on his cold lips.
"Sweet Harry. For all the good you have done in this world, may the spirits of those who lost the battle against evil protect you. Live a full and happy life, Harry. Live on."
A strange energy began to pulsate through the air and warmth flooded through Harry's body. Life was flowing through him once more!
Cho leant down once more and placed a kiss on Harry's forehead. The lightning scar which had marred his forehead for the majority of his lifetime, faded slowly until it disappeared completely.
Releasing his hand, Cho stood up and stepped away from Harry. She knew that there couldn't be a place for her at Hogwarts anymore. Not after everything that had happened. No matter how hard she worked she would always have to bear the stigma of being the child of Lord Voldemort.
Gathering her cloak tighter around her, she stepped further into the dark, still forest.
"Forget about me Harry. I want you to be happy with Ginny. I want you to be happy." Cho whispered to Harry. Then turned, cloak billowing behind her.
Cho crept out of the forest and as the first rays of the new day were dawning, she turned to take one last look at Hogwarts. Her face split into a smile. She felt deliriously happy, and for once well and truly free. The breeze which had stopped came alive once more, and swept her black hair across her face.With a delighted laugh, Cho began her journey for a new life.
A young girl bolted up the stairs of a small cottage, taking them two at a time. She swung the door open enthusiastically, and with her arms laden with luggage pushed herself through the doorway.
"Mum! It's so great to be back." She exclaimed excitedly.
"How was your first year dear?" Enquired a smiling woman as she helped her daughter unload some luggage.
"Oh mum! Hogwarts is the absolute best school. I'm in Gryffindor, mum! The sorting hat's amazing and I've got so many friends. But mum guess what the best thing is?" The girl was fairly jumping out of her skin with excitement, and she continued without waiting for a reply. "My Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is Harry Potter!"
A dreamy-eyed look overcame the girl as she collapsed onto the couch behind her. "When I grow up, I'm going to marry Harry Potter and we're going to fight evil together."
Cho looked up from the black chest, she had been unpacking and smiled at her daughter. "That's nice, dear."
The End
(And that's all folks. Thanks to all of you who have stuck through this and made it to the end.)
(Some little tid bits I'd like to add that weren't in the story are:) Harry and Ginny get married and live happily ever after, and increase the population of the wizarding world with six scrawny black and red haired children. Hermione becomes the first female Minister of Magic, and her husband Ron Weasley coaches the national quidditch team {which has never lost a game since he began} Draco Malfoy was found guilty of association with Lord Voldemort and was stripped of all his power, then sentenced to a lifetime of giving muggles foot massages.
"Haltius!" A clear voice rang through the air.
The knife halted just an inch from Hermione's head. Hermione's breath came out as a strangled sigh. Malfoy and Voldemort both turned simultaneously towards the voice.
Cho was standing, glowing with purple light, with her wand raised towards them. "Hermione's right, dad. Harry is going to live because there are people who love him, but you won't. No one in this world loves you. You are all alone. A pathetic, worthless creature who doesn't even have the love of his own daughter." Cho's eyes began to blaze with life. "I love Harry and he does love me, no matter what you say or do. Lily Potter's love protected him once before, and now my love for him will protect him from you."
Voldemort's eyes blazed red as he lunged for his daughter. "What can you do? I don't need love to protect me. I am the most powerful wizard in the world. Are you really willing to kill me? For if you kill me, you will most definitely destroy Harry Potter. The one boy you have ever loved. Now that would be a betrayal of the worst kind." He cackled.
Cho closed her eyes and whispered. "Terlayar immuin othlaglir" A black rose appeared into her hands and as her father lunged towards her, Cho tipped the rose towards him. His claw-like hands wrapped around her shoulders and gripped her hard. The tip of the rose touched his chest, then plunged deep.
Voldemort's scream rang through the forest as steel pierced his skin. The black rose was now a long sword embedded in his chest. Cho stepped back and ripped the black steel sword from his chest. "It was wrong of Harry to try and kill you with one of your own curses. But I'm not going to make that same mistake. This sword represents every single persons life you have destroyed and ruined. This is for them. This is for me. This is for my mother."
Voldemort fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. He looked up at his daughter, glowing with purple light as she brought down the sword once more. "Eliminatus!"
Sinking the sword into his chest once more, Cho felt the ground tremble. The sword began to shake uncontrollably but still she held on. Voldemort's head fell back and he opened his mouth to let out a horrendous yell.
Cho ground the sword deeper into his chest and screamed once more "Eliminatus" The forest clearing burst into light and a loud explosion threw Cho backwards. The sword fell out of her hand and she covered her eyes from the blinding light.
When at last the light faded and darkness fell once again onto he forest, Cho scrambled up. In the distance she heard.
"Lumos"
Turning swiftly, she saw Hermione near the tree, tending to her boyfriend. Reaching for her wand, Cho light it up with the spell and went about looking for Malfoy. She hoped that he hadn't run off, the evil little rat. Disappointment filled her, as Malfoy was no where in sight. But to her surprise Professor Snape was sitting upright on what seemed to be a black lump.
"Professor, are you alright?"
"Yes, Cho. I guess you're looking for this" He said pointing to the lump. "I caught him just as the lights began to fade."
Cho grinned with relief. Then turned back towards Hermione.
"Cho, He hasn't got a pulse. What if Harry's dead." Hermione had left Ron sitting at the bottom of a tree and was kneeling close to Harry's still body.
Cho bent down towards Harry's lifeless body. Her heart was beating spasmodically, as she reached down and clasped his hand. It was icy cold and Cho could feel sadness begin to overwhelm her.
"No! Harry, you can't die! He's gone. Voldemort is finally gone. Please Harry you have to live." Cho sobbed uncontrollably, bending over Harry's face. Tears slid down her pale skin, and a droplet fell on Harry's lightning shaped scar.
In that moment all time seemed to freeze. Hermione's hand stopped shaking, the leaves of surrounding trees stilled and even the chilly breeze seemed to stop. All except Cho.
The forest was dark but inside Cho felt light. All the sadness, pain and terror that had filled her slipped away. A soft voice whispered into her mind. "Cho, all you have to do is show him that you love him. Let your love save him."
Cho closed her eyes and trembled. She knew, deep down in her heart that it was her mother that had just spoken to her.
She gripped Harry's hand tighter, leant down and gently placed a kiss on his cold lips.
"Sweet Harry. For all the good you have done in this world, may the spirits of those who lost the battle against evil protect you. Live a full and happy life, Harry. Live on."
A strange energy began to pulsate through the air and warmth flooded through Harry's body. Life was flowing through him once more!
Cho leant down once more and placed a kiss on Harry's forehead. The lightning scar which had marred his forehead for the majority of his lifetime, faded slowly until it disappeared completely.
Releasing his hand, Cho stood up and stepped away from Harry. She knew that there couldn't be a place for her at Hogwarts anymore. Not after everything that had happened. No matter how hard she worked she would always have to bear the stigma of being the child of Lord Voldemort.
Gathering her cloak tighter around her, she stepped further into the dark, still forest.
"Forget about me Harry. I want you to be happy with Ginny. I want you to be happy." Cho whispered to Harry. Then turned, cloak billowing behind her.
Cho crept out of the forest and as the first rays of the new day were dawning, she turned to take one last look at Hogwarts. Her face split into a smile. She felt deliriously happy, and for once well and truly free. The breeze which had stopped came alive once more, and swept her black hair across her face.With a delighted laugh, Cho began her journey for a new life.
A young girl bolted up the stairs of a small cottage, taking them two at a time. She swung the door open enthusiastically, and with her arms laden with luggage pushed herself through the doorway.
"Mum! It's so great to be back." She exclaimed excitedly.
"How was your first year dear?" Enquired a smiling woman as she helped her daughter unload some luggage.
"Oh mum! Hogwarts is the absolute best school. I'm in Gryffindor, mum! The sorting hat's amazing and I've got so many friends. But mum guess what the best thing is?" The girl was fairly jumping out of her skin with excitement, and she continued without waiting for a reply. "My Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is Harry Potter!"
A dreamy-eyed look overcame the girl as she collapsed onto the couch behind her. "When I grow up, I'm going to marry Harry Potter and we're going to fight evil together."
Cho looked up from the black chest, she had been unpacking and smiled at her daughter. "That's nice, dear."
The End
(And that's all folks. Thanks to all of you who have stuck through this and made it to the end.)
(Some little tid bits I'd like to add that weren't in the story are:) Harry and Ginny get married and live happily ever after, and increase the population of the wizarding world with six scrawny black and red haired children. Hermione becomes the first female Minister of Magic, and her husband Ron Weasley coaches the national quidditch team {which has never lost a game since he began} Draco Malfoy was found guilty of association with Lord Voldemort and was stripped of all his power, then sentenced to a lifetime of giving muggles foot massages.