Previously on 'The Redemption'... Cho tries her hand at Quidditch tryouts.
Chapter 7- First Impressions
It seemed that almost 2 years of being out of practice had taken its toll on Cho's body. Groaning, Cho flipped over on her bed, her stiff muscles protesting against the tiniest movement. Around her closed curtains she heard the sleepy footsteps of her dorm mates as they stumbled into the bathroom to get ready. With some difficulty, Cho slid up into a sitting position before swinging her legs over the bed and batting away the drapes.
"Good morning" greeted Cho, sleepily rubbing her eyes. Lucinda and Sarah, her two other roommates, replied in low monotones. Arlene was still presumably asleep judging by the faint snores emanating from her side of the room.
"Goodness Cho, you better hurry or you'll miss breakfast" admonished Sarah who was already in the midst of lacing up her shoes.
"What about Arlene?" asked Cho, eying the still sleeping girl
Lucinda brushed her mid length blonde hair up into a neat chignon "Arlene has the uncanny ability to not care whether she's late to class or not" she said primly, smoothing out the non existent crinkles in her dress "But for those who have a little pride, I strongly discourage tardiness"
Sarah rolled her eyes "Don't mind her Cho, I like to think she's much nicer than she actually sounds"
Lucinda shot an icy look at Sarah and sniffed huffily, finishing the final touches on her already perfect hair. Pointedly ignoring them all, she dramatically swept out of the dormitory, the door clicking shut behind her.
"Finally, the witch is gone" muttered a groggy voice "Morning Sarah, Cho"
"Good morning" they both chorused in return. Arlene dragged her body towards the bathroom and shut the door while Sarah shouldered her bulging backpack.
"I'm going to go, I'll see you in Runes?" asked Sarah, pulling a brush through her fine light brown strands. Cho nodded, bidding Sarah goodbye before she moved to get changed into her uniform.
Deciding that she was probably going to skip breakfast with Arlene, Cho took her time getting ready so as not to spike the pain in her arms and legs. Eventually, the two girls traipsed out of the Ravenclaw common room and swung by the Great Hall to quickly grab a muffin before class. Unfortunately, Arlene did not take Ancient Runes, leaving Cho to wander to her classroom by herself while the other went to Divination.
Upon entering the classroom, she discovered most of the seats were already filled up. Sarah gave her an apologetic look as she passed, mouthing 'sorry' for not saving her a seat. Taking the only available spot near the back, Cho gently laid her satchel onto the table before sinking down into her seat.
The boy beside her offered no greeting, his dark blue eyes avoiding her completely. His rich brown hair was parted neatly to the side, contrasting against his alabaster face. The shiny green and silver badge pinned above the Slytherin crest on his robes was inscribed with two italic words: Head Boy.
Silently, Cho took out her textbooks, parchment and quill set, laying them in perfect formation around her side of the desk. After a few minutes of waiting; the Professor swept in through the doors, her mustard yellow hat sitting at a jaunty angle atop her loose white blonde hair.
"Good morning class! Welcome to Ancient Runes!" she smiled, her hands gesturing wildly towards the blinds that shot open. Streams of sunlight shone through the tall windows, temporarily blinding the occupants of the room. "I trust you all had a fantastic holiday" she continued, "But holidays are over and we have the N.E.W.T's to prepare for!"
A few students groaned and the professor smiled indulgently at them "Put away those long faces dears! The curriculum for this year has changed by the order of the Ministry of Magic. As a result" she paused, looking around at the expectant faces "A group project will determine 30% of your grades!"
If the professor was expecting relief or excitement she was sorely mistaken. The most studious of the class were panicked; worried that too many marks rode on the back of just one project, while the others gave off the impression of disinterest. Cho on the other hand wasn't at all worried. The same assessment had made an appearance in her 7th year and it hadn't been too hard. It really just depended on who your partner was and whether they pulled their weight. Judging by the fact they were all in the advanced class, Cho figured that none of them could be that terrible at the subject.
The professor explained the task, detailing that the students must work in pairs in order to research a magical ancient relic of their own choosing. The pair must not only decipher the runes meanings but also their magical implications, theories and discovery.
"Now, the only thing left to do is to sort you into partners!" said the professor, smoothing out a crinkled piece of paper that was tucked underneath her ink pot. Straightening her spectacles, she read down the list. One by one, the students moved to sit next to one another, not all of them too pleased by the professor's choices. Cho saw the Ravenclaw boy she had bested at Quidditch tryouts sneer at a timid looking Gryffindor. Frowning at his behaviour, Cho turned her attention back to the teacher, positive that her name had not yet been called out.
"-and Miss Chang" she called out, focusing her eyes on Cho "you are paired up with Mr Riddle"
Cho glanced around the room, looking for a person that had not yet been paired up with anyone. Confused, Cho began to put her hand up when a low voice spoke up beside her.
"Hello, you must be my new partner. My name is Tom Riddle"
Turning to her side, she realised it was the boy right next to her who spoke. His words which was melodic and low sent shivers up her spine. Cho could admit to herself that the boy was absurdly handsome but that wasn't the reason for her reaction. There was something off about him, an aura of calm he tried to exude that wasn't convincing her in the slightest.
Trying not to overanalyse, Cho did her best to smile at her new Runes partner "Nice to meet you Mr Riddle"
He smiled disarmingly, making Cho falter "And you, Miss Chang."