Chapter 2: The Train
Harry put his luggage in the same compartment as Ron and Hermione. They were on board the Hogwarts express, after two weeks at the Burrow with the Weasleys and Hermione and a quick shopping excursion at Diagon Alley.
Harry told Ron and Hermione about his writing exchange with Cho. They felt happy for him, knowing already about his crush on the girl, but they also cautioned him not rush her at this delicate time.
"I'm going to go look for her," said Harry. "I'll be back soon.
"Okay," said Hermione, not looking up from her book.
"Hey Harry," said Ron.
Harry stopped. "Yeah?"
"It looks like you've put on some muscle."
"Er . . . yeah. Push-ups in my room. It should help my Quidditch game."
"Of course." Ron winked knowingly.
I'll leave you two alone, Harry wanted to say as he left the compartment.
***
He found her in another compartment, walking in his direction.
"Hi," he said awkwardly.
"Hi, Harry," she said, a smile forming on her face.
Harry stared. She had become even more attractive than he remembered. Her hair was long and straight, running down her neck towards her shoulders. She had grown along with him in height.
"Cho!" exclaimed a female who had just entered the compartment.
"Yes, Amanda?" said Cho.
"I just finished the second chapter of your novel," said Amanda. She grinned. "It's so amazing."
"Oh, do you think so?" said Cho.
"It's just so moving," said Amanda.
"Well, thank you," said Cho, turning towards Amanda.
Amanda looked at Harry.
"Amanda Smith, this is Harry Potter," said Cho. "Harry, this is Amanda."
Harry and Amanda shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
"Well," said Amanda. "It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," said Harry.
They said quick good-byes, and Amanda left, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.
"So you write stories?" said Harry when Amanda had left.
"Yes," she said in a small voice. "They're not very good, though."
"Amanda thinks they are."
"Oh, that one just started out well."
"I'd be interested in reading something of yours, if you don't mind."
"Well, there's just the one novel . . . I think it needs some work first."
"How come Amanda can look at it?"
"Well . . . " She looked a bit embarrassed. "She's a friend of mine--a neighbor with whom I run back home. You're a stranger."
Harry grinned. "So can I see it."
"Yes, but I'm warning you."
"What do you run for?"
"For Quidditch, for the fun of it, for tennis."
"What's that?"
She looked at him with a puzzled expression again. "I'll explain it to you sometime. Anyway, I teach kids how to play."
"Can I ask how you get injured in Quidditch?"
"Yeah. The first time was at a practice. There were some boys on my team, goofing off, as boys do"--she grinned--"and a stray Bludger fractured my right index finger."
"That doesn't sound so bad."
"Oh, go jump out the window."
Harry grinned back.
"The second time," said Cho, "was also at a practice. We were running, and I pulled a hamstring."
"Ouch. Don't try so hard," said Harry.
"Don't what?" she said incredulously. "Oh, right. You said in a letter that you don't study until right before exams."
Harry grinned back. "How much do you like writing?"
"Well, I . . . would like to write for a living," she said sheepishly.
"That's great," said Harry. "At least you know what you want to do."
"You don't?"
"No."
"Hmm." She crossed her arms, her face bearing a pensive expression until her eyes lit up. "You could play professional Quidditch."
"Maybe."
Some students traversed the compartment, saying hi to Cho. She smiled and waved at them.
Harry held his breath, and continued after the visitors had moved out of the compartment. "Or . . . er . . . I could do something that requires more brains," he said, not wanting to be categorized as just a jock.
"Then I guess Hogwarts could prepare you for that?" she said.
Had she steered him into this little confession? If so, then it was clever. Well, he had mentioned his "irregular" study habits.
"Right," he said. "Maybe I should take school more seriously."
Cho looked at him quizzically, and then started to giggle. "You're such a push-over, Harry."
She punched him lightly on the right shoulder.
"Ow," said Harry, rubbing the shoulder with mock concern.
Cho giggled. "I'd . . . better get back."
"Me too," said Harry reluctantly.
They said their good-byes and parted, each walking back to their original compartments.
***
"What took you so long?" Ron asked Harry as their boat took them across the moat.
Harry shrugged and answered casually. "I lost track of time."
"Oh, I see," said Ron knowingly.
Hermione was on Ron's side of the boat, her back facing the castle and her eyes lost in a book.
Harry noticed the boat that contained Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. With Draco on one side, and his friends on the other, the boat looked oddly unbalanced.
"He looks lost in thought," said Ron. "Draco, I mean. Crossed arms and all."
Harry nodded.
"Maybe he's trying to do simple arithmetic," said Ron.
"Do leave it alone, Ron," said Hermione with irritation, looking up from her book. "We already hexed them last time, so we had our revenge."
"Feel sorry for them all you want," said Ron.
Harry tuned out the ensuing argument between his friends, and looked for Cho out on the lake until he spotted her boat. One of its passengers was Amanda, and the other two looked vaguely familiar. Cho looked to be telling a story, because the others were paying her rapt attention. She finished, and then they were all laughing. Cho spotted Harry and their eyes met, neither one averting his or her eyes. She winked at him, and he winked back.
Hagrid was spotted onshore as they disembarked onto dry land, the smell of fresh cut grass detectable in the air. He looked tired and drained, and, anyway, he was too busy guiding First Years to chat with Harry and his friends.
***
The Sorting and Opening Banquet seemed to end as soon as they had started. Harry and the others found themselves both caught up in the act of catching up with others' summer stories and disinterested in the official business going on. The real Mad-Eye Moody was the new Dark Arts teacher, and Harry knew that might take some adjusting to.
Harry ended up staring at Cho way too much, watching her chat animatedly with almost an entire table, eating with a simple elegance and conversing with remarkable energy. Harry made sure to chew with his mouth closed, in case she looked at him.
***