CHAPTER SIX
"Hey, have any of you two talked to Cho Chang?" asked Harry as he, Ron and Hermione made their way to the Gryffindor Tower.
"Cho WHO?" asked Ron.
"Cho CHANG," repeated Harry, giving emphasis to Cho's last name. "You know, the fifth year Ravenclaw girl. She's Ravenclaw's Seeker, too,"
"Oh, a GIRL Seeker!" joked Ron.
"No, we haven't talked to Cho yet," Hermione said abruptly, a placid tone in her voice. "Why?"
"Nothing," said Harry. "You know you guys, you should get to know her. She's really nice."
"And pretty too," breathed Ron.
Harry stirred. How could Ron know Cho was pretty? Not unless...
"How d'you know?" asked Hermione, an eyebrow raised.
"Isn't that HER?" Ron pointed to a girl standing at the far end of the corridor.
"Yeah, that's her," breathed Harry. It irritated Hermione for Harry to be behaving like this around her.
"Well, c'mon Harry, introduce us to your new friend," Hermione declared, taking a step forward. "I think Ron wants to get to know Cho as much as I do. Don't you, Ron?"
"Of course!" Ron exclaimed. "C'mon Harry, let's go and meet her!"
Harry, having no choice, led the two to Cho. Cho was surprised to see Harry again.
"Hey Harry," she greeted with a smile.
'She's going to KILL me with that smile,' thought Harry. "Hi Cho. Um… I want you to meet my friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron, Hermione, this is Cho Chang, a fifth year Ravenclaw."
"Pleasure to meet you, Ron," said Cho warmly, extending a hand for Ron to shake.
Ron automatically took the hand in his own and shook it. "No, the pleasure is mine."
"Hi, Hermione. I'm pleased to meet you too." Cho extended her hand to Hermione as well.
"Likewise," said Hermione with an icy glare, ignoring Cho's extended hand. Cho withdrew it wordlessly.
Harry could tell Hermione was acting very peculiar. She was being very cold when usually she's so friendly. And Harry could tell Cho could sense trouble as well.
"Well, I'd better get going now," she said hurriedly. "I've still got a ton of research to do for Potions. I guess I'll see you guys later." She gave the three a friendly smile, ignored Hermione's glares of fury, and dashed off toward the Ravenclaw common room.
"Gee, she's friendly too!" Ron exclaimed. "You'd better let Ravenclaw win when you compete with them, Harry!"
"Ron, what if..." But Hermione cut Harry off.
"You are NUTS! No way Harry's going to let that Ravenclaw girl win! Of course not! Harry's not going to be such a gentleman to the point of losing against Ravenclaw on purpose!"
"OK, it was just an IDEA," an irritated Ron replied.
"C'mon you guys, it's dinner time. I think it'd be better if us three proceed now to the Great Hall for the feast." Harry nodded to the two, motioning for them to follow his lead towards the Great Hall.
* * * * *
Harry woke up the next morning with a stuffy nose and a sever headache. His inflamed sinuses were really starting to get to him as the day passed by. His stuffy nose was now severely runny, and he was having a particularly hard time breathing.
"C'mon, let's play some wizard chess to take your mind off that stupid cold of yours," invited Ron, putting out his old wizard chess set.
"Hey, this isn't JUST a cold, OK?" an irritated Harry retorted. "I think I have a fever as well." He sat down on the floor in front of the chess set.
"A fever?" Hermione repeated. She walked over to Harry and started touching Harry's forehead, her brow furrowed.
"Harry, I SERIOUSLY think you should go to the hospital wing. You have a VERY high fever," said Hermione, trying to pull Harry to his feet.
"No, thanks, Hermione," Harry said calmly. "I'm fine."
"Fine." Hermione strode off.
"You sure you're OK, Harry?" Ron asked, unable to hide the small hint of concern in his voice. Harry merely nodded and said, "Let's get on with the game, shall we?"
Ron shrugged. "OK."
They started the game. Ron was already winning but Harry was gaining on him.
Harry suddenly started massaging his temples, eyes closed. "My head," he moaned. A second later he collapsed onto the carpeted floor of the common room, his head landing with a thud.
"Harry!" Ron and Hermione screamed at the same time. Hermione rushed over to Harry as Ron remained rooted to the spot.
"Is he ---?" Alicia Spinnet asked.
"I'll call Madam Pomfrey," volunteered Oliver Wood, getting up and dashing out of the common room.
People in the common room started to gather around Harry. Fred and George had stopped fooling around with their Filibuster fireworks and started to shoo people away from Harry.
"Get moving, people!" bellowed Fred. "This boy needs some air!"
"Oh, Harry..." Hermione murmured as she cradled Harry's head in her arms.
A few minutes later Wood came in along with Madam Pomfrey. The mediwitch strode over to Harry, shooing Hermione away. She conjured up a stretcher and gently laid Harry on it. Then, pointing the stretcher with her wand, she walked out of the common room.
"Hey, have any of you two talked to Cho Chang?" asked Harry as he, Ron and Hermione made their way to the Gryffindor Tower.
"Cho WHO?" asked Ron.
"Cho CHANG," repeated Harry, giving emphasis to Cho's last name. "You know, the fifth year Ravenclaw girl. She's Ravenclaw's Seeker, too,"
"Oh, a GIRL Seeker!" joked Ron.
"No, we haven't talked to Cho yet," Hermione said abruptly, a placid tone in her voice. "Why?"
"Nothing," said Harry. "You know you guys, you should get to know her. She's really nice."
"And pretty too," breathed Ron.
Harry stirred. How could Ron know Cho was pretty? Not unless...
"How d'you know?" asked Hermione, an eyebrow raised.
"Isn't that HER?" Ron pointed to a girl standing at the far end of the corridor.
"Yeah, that's her," breathed Harry. It irritated Hermione for Harry to be behaving like this around her.
"Well, c'mon Harry, introduce us to your new friend," Hermione declared, taking a step forward. "I think Ron wants to get to know Cho as much as I do. Don't you, Ron?"
"Of course!" Ron exclaimed. "C'mon Harry, let's go and meet her!"
Harry, having no choice, led the two to Cho. Cho was surprised to see Harry again.
"Hey Harry," she greeted with a smile.
'She's going to KILL me with that smile,' thought Harry. "Hi Cho. Um… I want you to meet my friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron, Hermione, this is Cho Chang, a fifth year Ravenclaw."
"Pleasure to meet you, Ron," said Cho warmly, extending a hand for Ron to shake.
Ron automatically took the hand in his own and shook it. "No, the pleasure is mine."
"Hi, Hermione. I'm pleased to meet you too." Cho extended her hand to Hermione as well.
"Likewise," said Hermione with an icy glare, ignoring Cho's extended hand. Cho withdrew it wordlessly.
Harry could tell Hermione was acting very peculiar. She was being very cold when usually she's so friendly. And Harry could tell Cho could sense trouble as well.
"Well, I'd better get going now," she said hurriedly. "I've still got a ton of research to do for Potions. I guess I'll see you guys later." She gave the three a friendly smile, ignored Hermione's glares of fury, and dashed off toward the Ravenclaw common room.
"Gee, she's friendly too!" Ron exclaimed. "You'd better let Ravenclaw win when you compete with them, Harry!"
"Ron, what if..." But Hermione cut Harry off.
"You are NUTS! No way Harry's going to let that Ravenclaw girl win! Of course not! Harry's not going to be such a gentleman to the point of losing against Ravenclaw on purpose!"
"OK, it was just an IDEA," an irritated Ron replied.
"C'mon you guys, it's dinner time. I think it'd be better if us three proceed now to the Great Hall for the feast." Harry nodded to the two, motioning for them to follow his lead towards the Great Hall.
* * * * *
Harry woke up the next morning with a stuffy nose and a sever headache. His inflamed sinuses were really starting to get to him as the day passed by. His stuffy nose was now severely runny, and he was having a particularly hard time breathing.
"C'mon, let's play some wizard chess to take your mind off that stupid cold of yours," invited Ron, putting out his old wizard chess set.
"Hey, this isn't JUST a cold, OK?" an irritated Harry retorted. "I think I have a fever as well." He sat down on the floor in front of the chess set.
"A fever?" Hermione repeated. She walked over to Harry and started touching Harry's forehead, her brow furrowed.
"Harry, I SERIOUSLY think you should go to the hospital wing. You have a VERY high fever," said Hermione, trying to pull Harry to his feet.
"No, thanks, Hermione," Harry said calmly. "I'm fine."
"Fine." Hermione strode off.
"You sure you're OK, Harry?" Ron asked, unable to hide the small hint of concern in his voice. Harry merely nodded and said, "Let's get on with the game, shall we?"
Ron shrugged. "OK."
They started the game. Ron was already winning but Harry was gaining on him.
Harry suddenly started massaging his temples, eyes closed. "My head," he moaned. A second later he collapsed onto the carpeted floor of the common room, his head landing with a thud.
"Harry!" Ron and Hermione screamed at the same time. Hermione rushed over to Harry as Ron remained rooted to the spot.
"Is he ---?" Alicia Spinnet asked.
"I'll call Madam Pomfrey," volunteered Oliver Wood, getting up and dashing out of the common room.
People in the common room started to gather around Harry. Fred and George had stopped fooling around with their Filibuster fireworks and started to shoo people away from Harry.
"Get moving, people!" bellowed Fred. "This boy needs some air!"
"Oh, Harry..." Hermione murmured as she cradled Harry's head in her arms.
A few minutes later Wood came in along with Madam Pomfrey. The mediwitch strode over to Harry, shooing Hermione away. She conjured up a stretcher and gently laid Harry on it. Then, pointing the stretcher with her wand, she walked out of the common room.