Previously on 'The Redemption'... Cho meets the Sorting Hat once again and makes a friend.
Chapter 6 - Tryouts
Cho was almost a whole day through her new life, and surprisingly, was managing to stay afloat rather than drowning in the absurdity of it all. Arlene had taken it upon herself to be Cho's personal tour guide as well a body guard, shooting unfriendly looks at stragglers who were curious about the new girl.
If asked last night, Cho wouldn't have been sure whether she liked Arlene Stevens, but after some time in her company she decided that she did like her a lot. She was different from the other students, more eclectic and unafraid to say what was on her mind; which much to Cho's amusement was usually outrageously inappropriate or just strange. She danced on the fine line between brilliance and oddity, reminding Cho heavily of a tougher, less whimsical version of Luna Lovegood.
Arlene herself was currently yawning in an obnoxiously loud fashion as they sat in History of Magic. Professor Binns continued to drone on, unaware of the lack of attention from his students who were all slouching in various states of boredom or entertaining themselves.
"How do you take notes in this class?" said Arlene, not bothering to put a hand over her mouth as she yawned again "It's taking all my will power not to fall into a permanent coma"
Cho's hand continued to move quickly across the page, her ink smudging slightly in her haste "The witch trials of the 16th century have been in the N.E.W.T's almost every year…." she murmured, crossing her 't' with a flourish of the quill.
Arlene rose a brow "You take school seriously don't you Chang?"
Cho smiled a little, a light pink flush forming on her cheeks "I guess you could say that"
Stretching, Arlene produced 2 sugar quills from her school bag, sucking on one while handing the other one to Cho "Do you take sport seriously too?"
Cho nodded absently, her attention still on Binns "I play quidditch"
Arlene's green eyes glowed at her words, leaning in towards Cho in interest "Why don't you try out for the team? The tryouts are tonight"
A part of Cho yearned for the thrill of quidditch again, the wind blowing through her hair as she twisted and turned on her speeding broom and the utter freedom she felt while flying. She remembered the first time she had won the match for Ravenclaw, the combination of euphoria and pride that coursed through her, her teammates and her house. But a small part of her conscience told her it was a terrible idea for her initial plan to stay under the radar until Dumbledore found a way for her to travel back to her time. Being on the quidditch team would draw even more attention towards her, attention that she really didn't need if she wanted to keep the timeline the way it was.
But was it presumptuous of her to believe that just her presence could change anything? Cho inwardly sighed, wishing that for just once in her life she could stop worrying over every detail.
"Well?" prodded Arlene, noticing that Cho's inner monologue had gone on for a tad too long "Are you going to tryouts?"
Cho grinned at her friend, embracing the temporary optimist inside of her "Yeah, I think I will"
Grasping the borrowed school broomstick in her hand, Cho strode purposefully towards the centre of the quidditch pitch where a small group was huddled together. Her stomach was fluttering with nerves, the feeling so overwhelming that it almost made her nauseous. She prayed it would at least hold till after the tryouts, regardless of whether she got the position or not.
Approaching the rather burly looking boy who appeared to be the Captain, Cho tapped him on the shoulder gently, stepping back as he whirled around to look at her.
"Can I help you?" he asked politely, the soft Irish accent quite pronounced in his words.
Cho shyly held up her rather battered broomstick "I'm here for the tryouts"
Some of the boys sniggered loudly but the Captain managed to keep his composure, a courteous smile on his lips to hide his doubt.
"Then you've come to the right place. I'm Henry Pollux, Captain of the Ravenclaw team"
He held out his hand, which Cho shook firmly "Cho Chang" she said confidently, aware of the other tryout's eyes on her.
"Well then Cho, what position will you be going for today?" asked Henry, suddenly business like as he scribbled her name onto the clipboard clasped in his hands.
"Seeker"
Henry looked grim "I'm not meaning to discourage you but there's over a dozen here trying out for that very same position. I wish you the best of luck though, please step over to red group and put a sash on"
Cho nodded mutely and looped the sash across her body, fidgeting with the handle of her broom as Henry instructed the others who were trying out for various places. Minutes turned to an hour, and finally it was Cho's turn to have a go. Mounting her broom, Cho kicked off from the plush green lawns and into the sky, enjoying the view as she did a small lap. The school broom she had borrowed was not nearly as fast as her Comet 260 back home but hopefully it could serve her purposes for now.
The tryouts involved a series of exercises to determine their agility, speed and dexterity. The first task was deceptively simple, involving Henry who would throw a plain ball and watching if they could catch it in time. Many failed, unable to pull out from their steep dive in time and resulting in a trip to the Hospital Wing.
The left over 6 people, including Cho, were paired up in races to find the golden snitch. They battled it out, one against another until only two were left standing. Cho shivered in the cool nights air, watching as one of the participants who had suffered a bludger to the face was carted off the pitch on a levitating white stretcher.
"Only one more round left" yelled Henry "Whoever wins this will be Ravenclaws new seeker!"
The small crowd clapped and cheered, their huddled figures seemingly small from such height. Squaring her shoulders and tightening her grip on her broom, Cho faced off against her partner- a lanky boy with an unfashionable buzz cut and a sarcastic grin. Henry blew his whistle and released the golden snitch, watching from the ground as the two seekers scoured the field in search of the illusive winged ball.
The skies were darkening, the limited lighting making it harder for Cho. Much to her relief however, the boy she was competing against also seemed to have no luck as if yet. She continued to circle the pitch, her eyes straining for a glimmer of gold. Suddenly, she spotted a faint shimmer near the centre goalpost, the fluttering of the snitch's tiny wings almost invisible through the distance. Chancing a quick glance behind, Cho suddenly sped downwards, hoping that the boy would follow in pursuit thinking that she had found it.
Sure enough, he was following her, his superior broom allowing him to catch up quickly. Cho continued to sharply dive towards the ground, ignoring the alarmed shouts from Henry and a few spectators. In one abrupt motion, Cho tilted her broom upwards and spiralled, narrowly avoiding a messy collision with the ground. The boy also realised her feinting technique, pulling out of the dive just in time.
But it was too late, Cho was too far ahead. She was so close she could see the golden ball whizzing next to the painted white goalposts. Keeping one hand on the handle of her broom, she stretched out her other arm, inching closer and closer till her fingers closed in around the cold metal.
A smile spread across her face as she caught it, her eyes immediately travelling towards Henry and some others who were cheering loudly and clapping. She felt the excitement within her bubble over as she touched the ground where her new team mates congratulated her. Arlene, who had been cheering the loudest from the sidelines tackled Cho and hugged her fiercely.
"I knew you could do it!" she sang, looking possibly more proud than Cho felt. Henry walked over, a bundle of royal blue robes laden in his arms.
"Welcome to the team Cho" he said, grinning as he handed her the new uniform. Cho beamed in return, feeling as though nothing could possibly ruin her day.