Chapter 7: Face to Face

Harry woke up much later; he spent the whole afternoon in bed. Someone was kind enough to wash his Quidditch robes and the clothes he wore underneath them. His red robe was hung up on the cupboard handle, a large 'P O T T E R' with a numerical '7' boldly displayed on the back.

Number seven? Beckham, eat your heart out…

Shortly after he woke up, Hermione and her mom told him to come downstairs and eat- which was fine as Harry was starving.

"So how was the match, Harry dear?" Jane asked him.

'Great,' he managed to say between mouthfuls. "We won by a really close margin, I thought we were going to lose for sure."

"You should have seen him, mom, he was fantastic!" Hermione gushed out. Harry reddened.

"Thanks, Hermione…" He said sheepishly.

They ate dinner and Harry went upstairs to write the letter to Ron and also one for Professor Dumbledore. He filled Ron in about everything, the meeting with the lawyer, the letter from Bagman, his presence at Hermione's place. It was a while before he finished and his hand was tiring from writing with the ballpoint pen. He read it back to himself and added a final note.

'Ps. When we play Bulgaria I'll make sure and give 'Vicky' your very best. Ha!'

He then started to write the letter to Dumbledore, this one in a much more serious tone.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

I've just played a Quidditch match against the Cannons. Were you at the stadium? Hope you were. When is the next appointment with Mrs. Chang? Any progress on the case? I hope that the Quidditch practice does not interfere with anything concerning the hearing. How are Remus and the rest of the Order? Alastor Moody gave me a medallion, saying it activates in times of emergency, like it's sort of a panic button. It feels quite powerful- do you know anything more about it? I haven't shown it to Hermione or Ron, I thought it would be best to keep it quiet. I don't want them to worry any more than they already do. Give the others my best.

Harry

Ps. What's the news on that muggle that Voldemort sprung from the courthouse?

Harry sealed both letters, and called Hedwig from her cage. "Here girl, one is for the burrow and the other is for Albus Dumbledore." She nipped his ear and took off through the window. There was a knock at his door; Hermione was standing nervously in the doorway.

"Hey Harry. You got a minute?"

"Sure. What's up?

"That, thing you do...You know, when you get all charged up, what in the world is that?" she asked.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Harry asked, completely clueless.

"Like at the match when the reporters were laughing at me. You sort of, exuded energy. That's when they went all silent and you told that woman to apologize to me. Remember?"

"I remember telling her to apologize- I don't know anything about 'energy' or anything," Harry denied.

"I felt it- and not for the first time. When the reporters also felt it, I knew I wasn't going insane. Harry- "

"You mean I'm physically radiating magic?" he cut her off, laughing at how preposterous that was.

"Well, kind of," Hermione ventured softly. That comment stumped Harry.

"What?"

"You seem to get 'turned on' and my hairs get tingly and my face flushes with some wave of ..of.. power. I don't know. That's what I came to ask you."

"Well Hermione, I haven't any answers for you, so I suggest you come off it," Harry told her briskly.

"I did not want to upset you," Hermione said, fearing the worst.

"No, no. I'm not upset. Its just that I really don't know what you're talking about," Harry grumbled.

"Well ..okay. We'll find out soon enough. Goodnight." She turned to go. At the doorway, she apparently changed her mind. Slowly she came up to him, stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," she smiled. It was so brief, Harry would have thought he imagined it if not for the fact that her face was very close to his.

"For what?" Harry asked, stunned.

"For everything. For being who you are." She smiled, and left him there gaping stupidly at the doorway. He shook his head in bewilderment.

"Hmph- girls..."

Harry got up early for practice the next morning quite early, the clock on his bedside table said 6:10 a.m. The sun was not fully up yet and it was chilly outside. Rolling out of bed and unto the floor with a loud thud; he forced himself fully awake. He packed his gym bag, put on his training kit, and went down the stairs. As he was about to leave he stopped, nearly forgetting something important.

Maybe I should tell Hermione first that I'm off

He put down his gear and quickly went back up the stairs, down the corridor to her bedroom door. He knocked quietly, then opened the door .

"Hermione?"

She was still asleep under thick blankets. He knelt next to her bed and looked at her face.

Looks worried even in her sleep. What is she always so paranoid about?

He shook her gently, "Hermione? Wake up. I have to go to practice. Hermione?"

"Harry?" she mumbled softly, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah. It's me."

Her eyes half opened and looked at his face. A slight frown creased her eyebrows- she halfway acknowledged that he was going somewhere. "Don't leave me," she whispered, a sad expression on her face. Harry looked at her strangely for a moment, then smiled softly.

Still asleep- doesn't have any clue what she's saying

"Hermione, I'm coming back later. I'm just going to practice at the stadium. I'll be back soon."

She reached out to caress his cheek. At that moment- he saw an image of someone putting salve to his own face,- but what was strange was that he was looking through their eyes. "Your bruise is gone." The image vanished as her hand fell to the Medallion of Courage Moody gave him. "What is this?" she asked softly, holding it lightly in her hand. Harry closed his hand around hers briefly, then released her grip on his amulet.

"Don't worry about that. Go back to sleep," he whispered.

"mm-kay," she replied softly, then promptly fell back asleep. Harry let himself out her room then left the house with his gear.

"Time to begin my career," he told himself in congratulations, then took out his wand and held it out in a thumbs up.

BANG!

"Good morning, this is the Knight Bus. I will be your conductor for today my name is Stan Shunp- OY! IT'S HARRY! ALL RIGHT, mate?"

"SUP, Stan?" Harry grinned.

"Well come on. We haven't got all day." He beckoned Harry inside. "How are you mate? I heard that man Sirius Black was a good bloke after all eh? Who would've thought that?"

"Yeah. He was a good man." His face darkened. "No, a great man." Harry did not want to talk about Sirius with Stan. Nor anyone else for that matter.

"Killed by Death Eaters... that seems to be all in the rage these days? I wonder if He who must not be named is really back-" he looked at Harry expectantly. Harry remained silent, looking out the window. "Also heard Black was part of some Cult- or team, or something. The 'Order of the Phoenix'- how stupid does that sound? Sounds ridiculous- it's supposed to be the wizard's version of SuperFriends? You believe any of that codswallop? It's bollocks if you ask me."

"Yeah? Well I didn't ask."

"Don't get all knotted up now. I ain't swinging on your nuts, Potter-boy."

Harry sighed. "No problem, Stan."

"Where you off for anyways?"

"Chelsea stadium."

"Right! I wanted to go to that match yesterday. Had to work. Really upset my day, that it did. Heard there was a spectacular finish. Did not get the details though. Know anything about it? What am I? Cooped in St Mungo's- I've got the paper right here- just got it before we picked you up, that we did." He grabbed the Daily prophet. "Here," he rapped on the back page. "England 250- Cannons 230. Details inside."

Harry took out his fare and gave it to Stan, who absentmindedly pocketed it while reading out loud, "England was being demolished by the more experienced Cannons. Even though it was a friendly, the atmosphere was charged with emotions." He looked up at the driver, "OY! WHERE YOU THINK WE'RE GOING, POTTER GETS OFF HERE!"

Harry said goodbye and stepped out of the bus, leaving Stan to continue his report. As his feet hit the ground, Stan burst out the window, "POTTER ! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU WERE ON THE TEAM! WHAT A SNEAKY, CONNIV-" his voice trailed off as the Knight Bus sped away. Ignoring him, Harry breathed in the morning air, feeling revitalized and in control. He finally had the opportunity to make something of himself other than a boy-who-lived-nonsense. He loved Quidditch, and was not going to blow this opportunity. He steeled himself on and as the warehouse transformed itself into a stadium lobby he was shocked to see that there were wizards and witches everywhere.

"What in bloody hell-?" he said aloud.

"THERE HE IS! HE'S FINALLY HERE!"

Dozens of people came flocking to him, cameras flashing and blinding him from all directions He froze for a split second, dazzled and disoriented. He then realized that these people were even worse than Dark Wizards. Reporters. It was too late now, he could not escape. Shielding his eyes from the barrage of cameras he braced himself for the onslaught.

"Mr. Potter, a few words-"

"We did not get that interview you promised us yesterday- "

"Harry –"

"LISTEN!" he shouted. "I am not speaking to any of you this morning. I don't have time for this. Talk to the admin and if they arrange it, I will try to be accommodating. If not, bugger off!" He pushed his way through the crowd, magical microphones and recorders shoved all in his face. He stormed through the corridors to the dressing room, now quite irritated. He burst into the dressing room and threw his gear down on the ground with a loud thump.

"Stinking paparazzi- what the fu-"

"OH!" a girl said, startled.

Harry looked up suddenly, surprised to see that it was Cho. It was Cho, and she was only wearing a pair of tights and a sport bra, her uniform laid out neatly on the bench. His jaw slacked a bit in dumb fascination.

"Harry what are you doing in here? This is the female locker room!"

"I did? I mean, it is? I'm really sorry," he looked at her- and how smooth her skin was. "Er..I - I must have taken a wrong turn. Um- Bye.." He turned to leave.

"Harry, wait. There's something I want to talk about," she said to his back.

Harry froze. Right now his mind was far from talk. "Uhhh- what is it?" he said, not even turning around. He could feel a bead of sweat forming at his temple, and a strange feeling building in his stomach. He could smell her fresh bath scent, and his thoughts went back to their first kiss It was intoxicating. He closed his eyes.

Don't be stupid, just keep cool, you can do this… "If it is about yesterday-" he was thinking about that kiss.

"Yesterday? Um, no. Actually it was about the visit you and the professor had the other day. Mom seems to be really shaken up, and has been buried in work everyday. She hardly sleeps; she's really into this. What's going on?" she asked earnestly, her desperation and concern for her mother obvious in her voice. Harry's mind quickly shifted focus, and now he felt once again as if he were being interrogated.

"I don't really want to talk about it," he said sourly.

'Really? Well I want to talk about it! My mother is on the verge of collapse yet she won't stop to get some proper sleep! If there's anyone who deserves to know it's me!"

"Cho, I can't, it's...complicated," he sighed. She was right behind him; and Harry could remember how nervous he used to get around her. Heck, he still was nervous. Damn, she smelled good.

"Harry, I need to know. What's really happening here?" she took his hand and turned him around. The contact rattled him; he was definitely under some feminine wiles here.

"Well I guess you deserve to know, as I did freak out your mom that day. You're concerned. I could understand that." He hesitated. "It's a long story. So I guess we better sit down." They sat at the bench, Harry avoiding Cho's eyes. She sat next to him, and casually put on a t-shirt. Harry could resist but look at her as the soft white material glided down over her chest and covered her trim stomach. Trying not to be too obvious, he noticed that her legs were perfect, and was instantly reminded of his first day by Hermione- and how even more perfect Hermione's legs were.

Get a hold of yourself, Harry

"The long and short of it is that your mom is representing me in a hearing I have on the 27. She called me into the office that day for the details and well, my side of the whole Ministry of Magic –um- incident .She heard some disturbing facts and sort of freaked out. But everything is fine now," he added quickly, seeing the expression Cho had on her face.

"Everything is obviously NOT fine. My mom is in a state, what could be so horrible?"

"Er- the ministry has charged with some serious crimes," he reddened, "and your mother wanted to know how I could do the Cruciatus curse. I told her that Moody showed us the spell and..and well, that Voldemort used it on me last year…" He watched her quickly for her reaction. He didn't have to wait long.

"Vol-vol..MY GOD HARRY! ARE YOU OKAY!" she grabbed his hand and was squeezing it very hard, her skin pale and eyes doubled in size. "You said last year; that means we were in year four .. It had to be after the Triwizard tournament." She put together the facts. " That means that was when Cedric…Cedric was murdered." Her face was sullen; but she did not burst into tears. It was a change from the over-emotional girl of last year he thought. "Harry I'm glad you told me the truth. Now I know why you were acting so strangely towards me last year about it. I wouldn't want to relive that experience."

"Yeah well, I guess you deserve to know now. I have to face some of the things I try to deny, or forget. Life's so fucked up." His face was stony, his manner rigid. She took his hand lightly, rubbing her thumb on his knuckles. Harry looked at her fingers resting on his. He looked up- her eyes were bright, almost on the verge of tears; and she was looking into his. He couldn't be angry with her, she really was worried about her mom and not knowing the reasons behind it always made things worse.

"Don't cry, everything will be all right," he consoled her, awkwardly patting her back. Were all girls this emotional? The tears slowly leaked out now, and she leant into him, crying into his shoulder. He felt stupid patting her back, so he closed his arms around her and she sunk into the embrace.

"Harry, I won't be able to bear anything happening to you. I really like you, and what you said on Valentine's Day hurt. But I don't want us to be like that anymore. I want us to start over from scratch," she confessed, her voice muffled against his neck. She looked up at him, and slowly kissed him on the lips.

Harry's mouth tingled as they broke apart, and on the surface; Cho was amazingly pretty. Try as he might- he could not focus on her face. Something kept creeping into the back of his mind and his feelings for Cho were somewhat becoming more fantasy oriented than really love-oriented. She kissed him again, fuller this time, and all of his doubts were pushed into a corner. She was warm and sweet in his arms, and it felt very similar to their first kiss in the Room of Requirement. It felt so good, being held like this, but at the same time...it didn't feel…right.

At that moment, Amy Charles- the starting chaser, walked in. Harry and Cho jumped apart from each other, embarrassment red on their faces.

"Don't mind me," Amy smiled. "Happens all the time," giving Harry a wink. "Good work Chang, I was gonna take a chance on Potter here 'til I saw that piece of work you put on him after the match yesterday. My, it seems the early brid does get the worm eh?" she teased, looking at her watch. Cho blushed furiously and excused herself, ducking into the other room. Harry just watched Amy warily, still unsure whether he was safe around her. She laughed at his naivete.

"Don't worry Potter. I won't bite. Unless you like that sort of thing?" it was clearly an invitation to something more.

"Umm, no thanks," Harry stammered, and left. He was grinning uncontrollably as he geared up the men's locker room. A few minutes later Oliver Wood and Jimmy Morrison arrived, and both were looking at him strangely.

"What're you grinning about?" Morrison asked.

Oliver Wood pulled thoughtfully on his beard. Didn't he just see Cho and Amy babbling about something as he came in? And why were they giggling so much? He put two and two together catching on to what must have made Harry grin so stupidly. He smiled knowingly.

"It's nothing," said Harry, still not being able to stop grinning.

"She's a catch, Potter," Oliver congratulated him. Harry said nothing, but began to change into his training gear, feeling happier than he did in these two days that he felt whole of last year. This is going to be a great summer!

Practice was great. Coach Ryan knew his strategies; he used to coach the Blues a few years back until England drafted him into their training for the new generation squads, seeding out who were the best to play for the England first team. The drills were repetitive but in the end they really got the team into an understanding they did not have in the match before. Harry still did not automatically earn his starting place: coach Ryan said that great players weren't built around individual spectacular plays, but the consistency and the ability to make the team perform better. Harry took this to heart, and worked harder than ever to support the squad, making himself available for passes of the Quaffle and even dummy plays to create space for his attackers. They played some practice sessions against each other, the reserves against the first team. Harry was exceptional, having caught the snitch in their first three games faster than it took them to score fifty points on either team.

"We actually may have found a weapon. His reflexes are astounding- even for a wizard," Coach Ryan muttered to his assistant, obviously impressed. "No one's this good at what, fifteen, sixteen?"

"Sixteen on the 31st of July," his assistant said, referring to the roster in his hands

"Excellent. We'll have him for four years before he leaves. If so much-"

"Aye, he's young still, much to learn."

"If Jackson found out what we have here, he may steal him from us before then. He'll break records or something, wait and see. Promising lad," Ryan said.

Hours later Harry was tired but feeling great. He was integrating himself amongst his team and his teammates did not consider him some sort of tragic hero or self-absorbed spoilt brat. To them he was just Harry. They touched down on the sand and thy were good naturedly remarking that it was only because he had a Firebolt that he was able to catch the snitch so fast.

"Yeah well, I can still take you Cantonma if I had only a Cleansweep-" he retorted, laughing with them.

"Cocky aren't we?" came the reply. They made their ways to the locker rooms to shower and change. The healing balm Hermione put on really did the trick, Harry thought, his cuts and bruises not even stinging once. The guys dressed, talking about who was the hottest between the three girls on the team, Cho, Amy Charles or Resha Jemson. Harry kept quiet through this debate, not wanting to spill the beans on himself and Cho.

"Harry! What do you think?" Cantonma asked him. He and Harry got along quite well, even though they were competing for the same position.

"Ha! That's easy!" Wood declared. " He's already smitten with Cho Chang!"

"I am not smitten!" Harry laughed it off. He was really enjoying this- being able to joke about girls, playing Quidditch, everything. Sometimes, he couldn't believe how lucky he was.

"Whatever mate. I just hope that she makes it through the seeding process after the Bulgaria match. She's really just a replacement because Kira got herself pregnant."

Harry thought about not seeing Cho for practice, and decided not to dwell on the possibility of her not being around on a regular basis over the summer. He was walking towards the door to the main lobby when he heard her voice call out to him.

"Harry, wait up!" Cho was wearing muggle clothes and put on some makeup, she really was gorgeous.

"Hey Cho," he replied, smiling.

"That was a good session wasn't it?" she came up to him.

"Yeah, I'm glad were finally playing on the same team, instead of trying to knock each other off."

"I secretly knew you wouldn't really to knock me off, I heard Oliver reprimand you for not doing so in a match we played in Hogwarts." She smiled at him sweetly, Harry remembered the match too.

She paused, looking a bit flustered and uncertain. "You, you want to do something? Like get an ice cream perhaps?" she ventured.

"Sure," he answered automatically. "Where?" She took his hand and pulled him to out the door. "I know a place, it's only at the corner of this block, they have a delici-"

-click- FLASH!

"What's going on here?" she asked looking at all the reporters flashing pictures at them.

"Arrgh! Come on Cho, ignore them." He led her on by the hand, making his way through the small throng of people.

They made their way out of the building, one or two reporters still following them at a distance. Cho pulled him along faster now, wishing to avoid the attention as well. "They are really persistent!"

"Yeah you should have seen them yesterday-" He broke off suddenly, a voice whispered in his head- a warning...

Danger!

And at that moment, his scar burned ferociously- just like it had after he faced Bellatrix Lestrange. There was a loud pop, and a tall robed figure apparated directly front of them. Harry's scar exploded with pain as he stood face to face with his nemesus.

"You! VOLDEMORT!" Harry shouted, fear freezing him to the spot. Adrenaline pumped through him, the medallion high on his chest began to burn as his whole world began to spin with the blood rushing to his head.

"Ah yes. It is I." He smirked through his hood, his eyes more menacing than ever. " Good afternoon, Harry. We have no need for you, girl." He lazily pointed his wand at her. Something clicked insid eof harry, and fear no longer was a factor. His hair instantly became charged with magic, and his pupils began to glow.

"NO! " Harry cried, and without thinking he charged Voldemort with a rugby tackle. Caught off guard, Voldemort crumpled in a heap of robes as Harry caught him flush in his stomach, wanting to wrap his hands around his neck, only to realise he was trying to strangle a snake in an empty black robe. He flung away the vicious reptile- and then panicked. Voldemort had disappeared! He sprung back up to his feet- his senses reaching out for anything, any inclination that he was nearby. His scar still burned like hell...

"CHO! PULL OUT YOUR WAND- SHIELD CHARM! NOW!" he ordered.

She trembled but did as told. "PROTEGO!" she screamed.

"Those little school tricks are no match for me, Potter." Voldemort said casually, reappearing behind both of them. He waved his wand almost negligently, and the shield charm vanished. Cho whimpered. Harry paled as he saw how easily Voldemort countered her spell, but did not give up. He drew his wand, and ran in front of Cho, shielding her with his body. Voldemort lowered his wand, laughing at him from a few feet away. His eyes narrowed on Harry's.

"Ah, this brings back fond memories. Haven't we seen a Potter die trying to defend a woman he before?"

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Harry bellowed, raising his wand directly at his face. Voldemort raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes, we've heard that one before. Well enough chit chat. I wish I felt a bit of remorse doing this, But I don't," he hissed, pointing his wand at Cho.

"Harry- duck!" Moody bellowed behind Voldemort, his wand drawn and ready.

"IMMOBILUS!"

The hasty freezing spell caught Voldemort flush in the back, paralysing him. "POTTER, CHANG! It won't hold him for long. Get over here!" he rapped the half empty whiskey bottle in his left hand. "Portus!" Before they had even recovered fully from the shock of seeing a unexpected rescuer; Voldemort was moving again, the spell only stopping him in his tracks for two, maybe three seconds. It was enough. Harry hauled Cho towards Moody and they grabbed hold of the portkey. The world sunk in around them, breathing became difficult, and with a final yank behind the navel they were gone.

Voldemort stepped over to the slightly smoking footprints of where the trio had left . It was the only sign that he was this close to catching that slippery fish off guard and dealing with him once and for all.

"Blasted pest, that man is." Voldemort said aloud, crouching at the point of teleportation- inspecting the label that was burnt off the Whiskey bottle. "Fletcher will be first- you will be next, Auror Moody. I'll save that fool Dumbledore for last- I will show him that the apprentice can indeed stronger than the teacher." He smiled inwardly, and vanished.