Chapter 3: Cho Chang
A mild round of applause sounded from my right and the woman motioned me towards a table with blue banners. Professor Dumbledore continued his speech.
"Congratulations, Coal! Ravenclaw is a very respectable house!" Cheers erupted from the table I was sitting at. "This is the head of your house" He pointed to a professor "and I am the headmaster Professor Dumbledore."
"As many of you know, there will be a very special surprise event happening at Hogwarts this year. We are hosting the Triwizard Tournament!" There was mild applause but many confused faces (including mine). What was the "Triwizard Tournament"? Dumbledore looked a little disappointed at our reaction. "The Triwizard Tournament is a competition between three witches or wizards from three different schools. This year, since Hogwarts is hosting, guests from Durmstang and Beaubatons are coming!"
I gasped. Durmstrang? There might be some people I know!
"Unfortunately, we are putting Quidditch on hold for a year because of this." Shouts of protest erupted from the crowd. "Also, we are banning students that are under 17 from competing-" more complaints were heard. "But I'm sure you will all have fun watching, and one of you competing in, the events. All the details will be shared tomorrow evening when our guests have arrived. Well, right now, I'm guessing you're pretty hungry so we shall begin our feast." Food suddenly appeared on our plates and we all dug in.
The conversation was mild at my table. I wasn't asked many questions so I seized the chance to look around and know people by sight. A facts people caught my attention. First, as I was looking over the Slytherin table (most of the people here looked pretty vile) I spotted three boys that looked that they were in about my year shooting angry glances at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I made a mental note to stay away from them. At the Hufflepuff table, most of the students were laughing and smiling. They seemed like nice people, but none of them too intelligent. Next, I studied the Gryffindor table. There, the kids were smiling and talking including the three friends I made on the train. I heard a loud "Pop!" and was startled to see one of the students turn into a canary! Two redheads were clutching there sides and stifling laughs and with another "Pop!" the giant canary turned back into a kid. He was smiling too! I made another note to stay on the "good side" of the redheads.
Now it was time to study my own table. It seemed like the people here were the smartest since half the children were reading. None of these girls seem as pretty as Hermione. I thought. This startled me. Did I have a crush on Hermione? That's what I thought until I reached the end of the table. One of the girls there was absolutely stunning. My eyes rested on her until I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Excuse me, Coal." A boy's voice rang. I quickly tore my gaze from the girl.
"Oh, hi." I said. The boy I was talking to had brown hair and blue eyes.
"I'm Nickolai." He held out his hand. "I know who you are."
"Yeah."
"So, I noticed you had your eyes on that girl over there." Nickolai motioned to the pretty girl. "She's awfully pretty, isn't she?" I nodded and began to wonder what this boy was getting to. "That's Cho Chang. She's the most popular girl in the school."
I finished point. "Which means I have no chance."
"Well- yeah pretty much." He patted me on the back and sat down in gap between me and a reading girl. "I went out with her twice last year. "
I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"
"Uh-huh. but she's mostly just looks. She dumped me and went for Diggory."
"Diggory?" I was puzzled.
"Yeah, he's a Hufflepuff. And the most popular guy in school."
"Oh." I mouthed and spotted him talking to his huge group of friends.
"So, now you know that Cho Chang is off limits." He concluded. "So, where are you from?" Nickolai asked.
"Um... well all over, I guess."
"You don't know where you're from?" He said, aghast.
"Well, we move all the time and I never really talk to my dad." I said, embarrassed. "He's an alcoholic and my mom died."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." I said instinctively.
"What's your last name?"
"Black." I said. His eyes opened wide. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Really. What's wrong?"
"Well, there was an escaped convict last year, you know, Sirius Black."
"Oh, don't worry, my dad's name is Regulus."
He looked relieved. "Okay, just wondering."
A mild round of applause sounded from my right and the woman motioned me towards a table with blue banners. Professor Dumbledore continued his speech.
"Congratulations, Coal! Ravenclaw is a very respectable house!" Cheers erupted from the table I was sitting at. "This is the head of your house" He pointed to a professor "and I am the headmaster Professor Dumbledore."
"As many of you know, there will be a very special surprise event happening at Hogwarts this year. We are hosting the Triwizard Tournament!" There was mild applause but many confused faces (including mine). What was the "Triwizard Tournament"? Dumbledore looked a little disappointed at our reaction. "The Triwizard Tournament is a competition between three witches or wizards from three different schools. This year, since Hogwarts is hosting, guests from Durmstang and Beaubatons are coming!"
I gasped. Durmstrang? There might be some people I know!
"Unfortunately, we are putting Quidditch on hold for a year because of this." Shouts of protest erupted from the crowd. "Also, we are banning students that are under 17 from competing-" more complaints were heard. "But I'm sure you will all have fun watching, and one of you competing in, the events. All the details will be shared tomorrow evening when our guests have arrived. Well, right now, I'm guessing you're pretty hungry so we shall begin our feast." Food suddenly appeared on our plates and we all dug in.
The conversation was mild at my table. I wasn't asked many questions so I seized the chance to look around and know people by sight. A facts people caught my attention. First, as I was looking over the Slytherin table (most of the people here looked pretty vile) I spotted three boys that looked that they were in about my year shooting angry glances at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I made a mental note to stay away from them. At the Hufflepuff table, most of the students were laughing and smiling. They seemed like nice people, but none of them too intelligent. Next, I studied the Gryffindor table. There, the kids were smiling and talking including the three friends I made on the train. I heard a loud "Pop!" and was startled to see one of the students turn into a canary! Two redheads were clutching there sides and stifling laughs and with another "Pop!" the giant canary turned back into a kid. He was smiling too! I made another note to stay on the "good side" of the redheads.
Now it was time to study my own table. It seemed like the people here were the smartest since half the children were reading. None of these girls seem as pretty as Hermione. I thought. This startled me. Did I have a crush on Hermione? That's what I thought until I reached the end of the table. One of the girls there was absolutely stunning. My eyes rested on her until I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Excuse me, Coal." A boy's voice rang. I quickly tore my gaze from the girl.
"Oh, hi." I said. The boy I was talking to had brown hair and blue eyes.
"I'm Nickolai." He held out his hand. "I know who you are."
"Yeah."
"So, I noticed you had your eyes on that girl over there." Nickolai motioned to the pretty girl. "She's awfully pretty, isn't she?" I nodded and began to wonder what this boy was getting to. "That's Cho Chang. She's the most popular girl in the school."
I finished point. "Which means I have no chance."
"Well- yeah pretty much." He patted me on the back and sat down in gap between me and a reading girl. "I went out with her twice last year. "
I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"
"Uh-huh. but she's mostly just looks. She dumped me and went for Diggory."
"Diggory?" I was puzzled.
"Yeah, he's a Hufflepuff. And the most popular guy in school."
"Oh." I mouthed and spotted him talking to his huge group of friends.
"So, now you know that Cho Chang is off limits." He concluded. "So, where are you from?" Nickolai asked.
"Um... well all over, I guess."
"You don't know where you're from?" He said, aghast.
"Well, we move all the time and I never really talk to my dad." I said, embarrassed. "He's an alcoholic and my mom died."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." I said instinctively.
"What's your last name?"
"Black." I said. His eyes opened wide. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Really. What's wrong?"
"Well, there was an escaped convict last year, you know, Sirius Black."
"Oh, don't worry, my dad's name is Regulus."
He looked relieved. "Okay, just wondering."
