"Will she remember any of this?" Mrs. Chang tucks the sleeping form of her daughter into bed and kisses her on the forehead.
"I'm afraid not." Dumbledore says as they exit her room. Cho's parents take a last look at their daughter before closing the door.
"The contract had a multitude of layers, memory charms upon memory charms." He explains as Mrs. Chang pours out the tea. They sit quietly in the Chang home, exhausted by the day's events. The Diggorys had declined their invitation, which was understandable under the circumstances, but Dumbledore stayed to give them some sort of closure.
"Love can be just as powerful as magic." He continues. "Hers tried to give Cedric a second life, and for a short time, she succeeded. But she did not factor in your love for her, nor his parents for him. The memory charm weakened under all of this, and the contract was broken."
"But she is alive."
"Cedric was quite a remarkable young wizard, and even a remarkable muggle this time around. And he loved your daughter very much." Dumbledore's voice softens. "He couldn't have known the details of the contract, yet he understood its underlying meaning. The meaning of undying love. And he entered a contract of his own. He gave up his life for hers."
"And she will never know?"
Dumbledore shakes his head sadly. "The last memory charm will change her memories of this summer into a fading dream. One that will slip into nothingness by the time she boards the Hogwarts train. She will only remember the feeling of his love."
[End?]
to Part 9 - the Alternate Ending
