Chapter 9: Cho's Worries

Naturally, by dinner the next evening, everyone at Hogwarts had heard about the incident at the Three Broomsticks. Hermione and Cho had left the Great Hall early to study at the library. Hermione was peering through her Arthimancy text book and Cho nervously read the same three lines of her self-help book, How to Survive the N.E.W.T.: Tips and Strategies.

Hermione looked up at Cho and asked, "Cho, are you alright?"

Cho swallowed carefully, "Ok…I'm worried about Draco."

Hermione laughed, "Me too…apparently, Harry got really angry really fast."

Cho shook her head, "No I don't mean that…you should have seen the way he looked at us when we were leaving. I'd never seen that kind of hatred before, Hermione. I don't know Draco very well…but I know how treacherous he can be. And where has he been? Harry's told me hasn't shown up for class or Quidditch practice in days. And he's not in the hospital wing."

Hermione shut her book and smiled comfortingly, "Listen. Draco's strength lies within his abilities to verbally humiliate people. He's not particularly a great wizard. His other strength lies in the fact that his father has a major stronghold on the Ministry but there's no way he's going to be pressing charges against Harry or anything, if that's what you're worried about. I mean, Draco's father is most likely in hiding, planning with…You-Know-Who, for his next attack...or worse, in Azkaban."

Cho nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right." But as Cho started reading her book again, the sinister image of Draco lying against the bar continued to frighten her.