The second week of school went the same as the first had. The first quidditch practice was Friday night. The only members left from last year were Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the two beaters. After the practice had ended, Ron called the whole team to the ground. "Well apparently we still need two chasers, so if you know anyone who wants to try out, the try outs are Saturday afternoon. This Saturday. I want all of you to be here at one o'clock so that we can all judge the people who will be trying out." The other team members nodded and walked toward the castle. Harry helped Ron carry the quidditch equipment inside. Then they went into the locker room to change. Ron waited until the beaters had left before he said "I really don't like being captain."
Harry shrugged. "They wanted you."
"Yeah but... I dunno, I really don't like being the one in charge."
"Why not? I would like to be the one in charge." Harry admitted.
"Then why didn't you become the captain?" Ron asked
"I told you, I have other things to do."
"Like what?"
"Like..." Harry paused. He still wasn't sure if he could tell Ron about everything that he'd been doing. He sighed "I can't tell you. Dumbledore won't let me."
"Oh come on. It can't be that much of a secret."
"Well it is. And it really doesn't matter, its not that important."
"Then why can't you tell me?"
"Because Dumbledore doesn't want me to."
"Come on he'll never know."
"Ron... I just can't tell you, okay?"
"Fine." Ron got up and walked out of the locker room. A few minutes later, Harry came out, and headed for the common room. He really did want to tell Ron, but he wasn't sure if he should. Geeze he probably hates me worse now, Harry thought. He walked through the portrait hole and sat down in a chair. Harry looked around the common room, and saw Ron and Hermione in a corner by themselves. He wasn't sure what they were doing, but he could tell that they didn't want to be interrupted. Harry noticed how much his muscles hurt. He hadn't played quidditch for a while. The portrait swung open, and Ginny came into the common room. She looked in Ron and Hermione's direction, and then at Harry. As she walked past him, she asked "What are they doing?" Harry shook his head and got up to follow her. She sat at a table directly facing the corner, and Harry sat down next to her. "You okay?" she asked
"Yeah."
"You look like something hurts."
"Yeah, everything hurts."
"Oh." Ginny said. She looked at the corner. "If I could actually talk to Ron without him threatening to kill me, I'd go over there and see what they're doing. Hey! Why don't you go?"
"No, he's already ticked off at me."
"Why's that?"
"Because I won't tell him every little detail of my life." Ginny nodded. Ron suddenly stood up, said something to Hermione, and ran up to the dormitories.
"Someone's a little cranky." Ginny said
Harry stood up. "I'll go talk to him."
"Ask him if he would mind talking to his younger sibling once in a while." Ginny said as Harry was walking up the stairs. Harry walked into the dormitory and went to his trunk. He acted like he was looking for something, so that Ron wouldn't think that Harry had followed him.
"We weren't doing anything in that corner, since you and your little girlfriend want to know." Ron said
"I wasn't going to ask, and she's not my girlfriend. She's my only friend that I have left."
"What's that supposed to mean? You don't consider us friends anymore?" Ron asked
"Well I would think that a real friend would believe me, and not pry into my personal life -"
"I wasn't prying! I just wanted to know why you weren't telling me."
"You really want to know? Fine then. Voldemort had been following me all summer and now I have to take Occulmency again so that someone else doesn't die! And I didn't cut myself, demons really did attack me! They were part of the group Voldemort sent out to kill me! And I don't know what other reasons you have for ignoring me, but right now I don't really need it from you too." Harry slammed his trunk shut and fell onto his bed. He heard Ron get up and walk toward him.
"I umm... well I guess I was mad at you because I... when you got hurt, mum was taking care of you all the time... I broke my arm and all she did was give me a potion and tell me to shut up... so I guess I was kind of jealous. I mean she's my mum, and - "
"Yeah yeah I get it." Harry said
"You're not mad?"
"I'll say the same thing I said last time - yes I am mad, but at least there's a reason for what you did." Ron looked at his feet and turned around. "So what were you doing in the corner?" Harry asked.
"Fighting." Ron said "Again." He sat on his bed. "It's like we can never get along. That one time in the summer when you and Ginny knocked on the door? Her stupid cat was chasing Pig. Not that I really care, but still, you'd think she could keep it on a leash. I swear it's out to get every pet I've ever owned." he paused for a minute. "Well... if I would have known about... Scabbers... then it could have had him." Harry smiled. "At least you have a girlfriend you can get along with." Ron said
"By girlfriend do you mean -"
"Cho." Ron said
" I haven't talked to her for a while. But at least I know I can talk to her. She said her dad's in the Order."
"Really? I haven't seen anyone new, well at least the one time I went to headquarters."
"That's what she said."
"They don't get new members that often, Harry. It sounds like a lie to me."
Harry shrugged. "I dunno. But she said she knew about Sirius."
"She could have been lying to get you to tell her things."
Harry shook his head. "I don't think she'd lie about something that serious."
"You never know." Harry stood up and walked down to the common room. He was going to find Cho, and ask her. He walked back to Ginny.
"Where's Cho?"
"I don't know. Probably in her common room. Why?"
"Where's it at?"
"I dunno, but it's probably on the map. Why what's wrong?"
"The map." Harry said. He turned and ran back to his dormitory. He opened his trunk and pulled out the Marauder's Map. Harry pulled out his wand, pointed it at the map, and said "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." The map appeared, and there was a little dot that said 'Cho Chang'. Except it didn't look like she was in a common room. It looked like she was in the Room of Requirement. Ron was standing behind him.
"What's up?" Ron asked. Harry pointed at Cho's dot.
"Why is she in there?" Harry thought out loud. He put his wand back in his pocket, folded up the map, and headed for the common room again.
"Where're you going?" Ron asked
"To find out why she's in there." Harry said.