Cho Chang grasped the handle of her Nimbus firmly, then pushed off,
relishing the feel of the cold night wind buffeting her. Oh, how she'd
missed this. She truly did love reading, and was content to spend most of
her days buried in a book, but that made her all the more eager, every once
in a while, to escape all her boundaries. The sheer speed and power that
she felt while airbourne overwhelmed her senses, and trite as it sounded,
she felt honestly free. She did wonder, sometimes, why this year's
Quidditch games had been canceled. The Tournament couldn't replace them,
not really - that was only for the Champions. But, one way or another, the
cessation of practices had taken away her 'excuse' for these wild rides,
and she'd taken to sneaking out at night.
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Charlie Weasley watched the retreating form of the Gamekeeper with a rueful shake of his head. He had no idea what had possessed him to tell Hagrid about the dragons - it had sort of slipped out. The man insisted that Charlie call him in the fire every few months and tell him how Norbert was getting on, and last august, he'd casually mentioned that a few of Norbert's larger cousins would be invading Hogwarts. He hadn't had a moment's peace since then - Hagrid had been sneaking out to the paddock whenever the opportunity presented itself. Thankfully, Madame Maxime had drawn him away tonight, and he could finally do what he'd been waiting for.
Returning to his tent, he rummaged around in his luggage, eventually unearthing a tiny Firebolt, which he quickly returned to his normal size. Slipping on his black robes, he exited, then quietly crossed the grounds to the Quidditch pitch. Strictly speaking, he wasn't supposed to be here - if a student spotted him, they might get suspicious. But he just had to do it. He had so many happy memories of flights here - surely a small ride wouldn't hurt. It was past midnight, after all, no one would be out now. Once he was airbourne, however, he realized that he was wrong. At the other end of the pitch, he saw a streak of pale blue. Quickly, he turned, hoping that he could land before whoever-it-was saw him.
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As she rounded the hoops, Cho looked up, startled - she could have sworn she'd seen something. Likely her Seeker-trained eye acting up again, but it couldn't hurt to look - if anyone had spotted her, she might be in serious trouble with Professor Flitwick. She leaned forwards, and her broom sped up. She was sure, now, that something was there. As she got closer, she made out a figure on a broomstick, dressed in black, but the red hair was like a beacon. "Who is it?" she called out, resigned to get this over with.
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Charlie groaned, then shook his head and waved the other rider towards the ground. She - yes, it was a she - landed expertly next to him, then began studying him in confusion.
"Who are you?" she asked again.
He opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off.
"Wait a minute...you're Charlie Weasley, aren't you?"
Taken aback, he nodded. "Have we met?"
"Not directly," she replied, "but I was a first year when you finished up as the Gryffindor Seeker."
That made things a bit clearer then, he thought. No wonder he didn't remember her, especially if she was from another House. "And you're..."
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"Cho Chang," she finished.
Charlie nodded, but she saw no recognition in his eyes. That was understandable, after all - little reason why a Gryffindor in his last year of Hogwarts would take note of one of the youngest Ravenclaws.
"Do you play Quidditch?" he asked now.
"Yes - Ravenclaw Seeker," she elaborated. "Or at least, I would be, if the cup were on this year."
He nodded again. "Well, I gather you're not supposed to be out here any more than I am..."
Cho sighed - this was it, he was turning her in.
"...but," he continued, "I won't breathe a word. On one condition."
"Yes?" she asked suspiciously.
A grin spread across his face. "Race you to the hoops." With that, he jumped back on his broom and took off.
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He heard an indignant cry behind him, then a rush of air as Cho swiftly began to make up ground. She was fast, he thought, checking behind he...only to see nothing. He frowned in confusion - where had she gone? Seconds later, his question was answered as she appeared directly in front of him. (This was one of her signature Quidditch moves, though he didn't know about it.) Almost before he knew what happened, they were at the row of golden hoops, and she arrowed through the middle one moments before he reached it. With a rueful chuckle, he motioned her down again.
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Cho grinned, then did a triumphant loop mid-air. She'd never thought that she could beat the legendary Charlie Weasley on a broomstick - but then, she never would have imagined him being as friendly as he was, either. She landed beside where he was leaning against one of the hoops.
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Charlie smiled at her. "That was good flying."
Her cheeks coloured. "Thanks, Mr. Weasley..."
"Ah, ah," he cut her off, wagging a finger at her comically. "It's Charlie to you, young lady."
That got a laugh out her. She really did have a nice laugh, he thought idly...
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Charlie Weasley watched the retreating form of the Gamekeeper with a rueful shake of his head. He had no idea what had possessed him to tell Hagrid about the dragons - it had sort of slipped out. The man insisted that Charlie call him in the fire every few months and tell him how Norbert was getting on, and last august, he'd casually mentioned that a few of Norbert's larger cousins would be invading Hogwarts. He hadn't had a moment's peace since then - Hagrid had been sneaking out to the paddock whenever the opportunity presented itself. Thankfully, Madame Maxime had drawn him away tonight, and he could finally do what he'd been waiting for.
Returning to his tent, he rummaged around in his luggage, eventually unearthing a tiny Firebolt, which he quickly returned to his normal size. Slipping on his black robes, he exited, then quietly crossed the grounds to the Quidditch pitch. Strictly speaking, he wasn't supposed to be here - if a student spotted him, they might get suspicious. But he just had to do it. He had so many happy memories of flights here - surely a small ride wouldn't hurt. It was past midnight, after all, no one would be out now. Once he was airbourne, however, he realized that he was wrong. At the other end of the pitch, he saw a streak of pale blue. Quickly, he turned, hoping that he could land before whoever-it-was saw him.
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As she rounded the hoops, Cho looked up, startled - she could have sworn she'd seen something. Likely her Seeker-trained eye acting up again, but it couldn't hurt to look - if anyone had spotted her, she might be in serious trouble with Professor Flitwick. She leaned forwards, and her broom sped up. She was sure, now, that something was there. As she got closer, she made out a figure on a broomstick, dressed in black, but the red hair was like a beacon. "Who is it?" she called out, resigned to get this over with.
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Charlie groaned, then shook his head and waved the other rider towards the ground. She - yes, it was a she - landed expertly next to him, then began studying him in confusion.
"Who are you?" she asked again.
He opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off.
"Wait a minute...you're Charlie Weasley, aren't you?"
Taken aback, he nodded. "Have we met?"
"Not directly," she replied, "but I was a first year when you finished up as the Gryffindor Seeker."
That made things a bit clearer then, he thought. No wonder he didn't remember her, especially if she was from another House. "And you're..."
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"Cho Chang," she finished.
Charlie nodded, but she saw no recognition in his eyes. That was understandable, after all - little reason why a Gryffindor in his last year of Hogwarts would take note of one of the youngest Ravenclaws.
"Do you play Quidditch?" he asked now.
"Yes - Ravenclaw Seeker," she elaborated. "Or at least, I would be, if the cup were on this year."
He nodded again. "Well, I gather you're not supposed to be out here any more than I am..."
Cho sighed - this was it, he was turning her in.
"...but," he continued, "I won't breathe a word. On one condition."
"Yes?" she asked suspiciously.
A grin spread across his face. "Race you to the hoops." With that, he jumped back on his broom and took off.
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He heard an indignant cry behind him, then a rush of air as Cho swiftly began to make up ground. She was fast, he thought, checking behind he...only to see nothing. He frowned in confusion - where had she gone? Seconds later, his question was answered as she appeared directly in front of him. (This was one of her signature Quidditch moves, though he didn't know about it.) Almost before he knew what happened, they were at the row of golden hoops, and she arrowed through the middle one moments before he reached it. With a rueful chuckle, he motioned her down again.
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Cho grinned, then did a triumphant loop mid-air. She'd never thought that she could beat the legendary Charlie Weasley on a broomstick - but then, she never would have imagined him being as friendly as he was, either. She landed beside where he was leaning against one of the hoops.
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Charlie smiled at her. "That was good flying."
Her cheeks coloured. "Thanks, Mr. Weasley..."
"Ah, ah," he cut her off, wagging a finger at her comically. "It's Charlie to you, young lady."
That got a laugh out her. She really did have a nice laugh, he thought idly...