Chapter Seven
On the following Monday morning the rain was really coming down. Cho was standing in the open doorway of the front doors to the castle, bag in hand, broom over shoulder but she was yet to cross the threshold. Not only was it dark and decidedly wet, it was also cold. Quite cold.
"Don't be a wuss, Chang," she heard Ginny's voice at her elbow, and felt her hand giving her a mock push toward the truly uninviting weather.
"Morning," Cho grinned at her antagonist,
"Morning," Ginny returned, "Race you?"
"Oh Weasley, you think I don't know you will feint a quick start only to remain under cover and laugh your head off at my gullibility and wet hair?"
"Points for anticipation, Chang, I am impressed. It's not actually my fault though, it's a reflex defensive action, the result of being the seventh and youngest child of a long line of pranksters."
Cho regarded Ginny critically for a moment and thought that her excuse was probably quite genuine. She had had Fred and George Weasley in her cohort, well known jokers, accomplished tricksters and pranksters, albeit good natured fellows. In the early years their efforts had been largely witty retorts and sneaking around Hogwarts after lights out but they had progressed to candied charms and jinxes and school wide pranks - like that mid exam firework display they had pulled on Umbridge, witnessed by the whole school. Legendary.
"They really were amazing people, the Weasley Twins," she finally agreed.
"Hey, I've an idea."
"Uh oh, that's a scary prospect."
"Don't you trust me?"
"Weasley, you just attempted to send me into the rain, alone, not two minutes ago."
"Oh fair call. But this involves training and keeping dry and warm."
"Did you get the Quidditch board game for your birthday?"
"Three words, Chang, Room of Requirement."
'That is an idea!"
Two hours later, the pair were showering side by side, in their own cubicles, of course, talking excitedly about how good the Room of Requirement really was and why they didn't use it more often.
"If I wasn't a prefect and needed to be so frequently present in my House Common Room, I would definitely use it for my bedroom. I would love an ensuite!"
"I already have one," replied Chang.
"How do you have an ensuite?" exclaimed Ginny, almost outraged, certainly jealous.
"It's a Head Girl thing, Justin has one too,"
"Oh so that's how his hair always looks so good?"
"Does it? I will let him know you think so."
"Please don't. He has already asked me out twice, I don't want to have to say 'no thank you' a third time. It may have to come in a more convincing form."
"Oh Weasley, you are positively intimidating. I don't know how anyone would have the courage to ask you out, at all."
"Risk-reward," dead panned Ginny and the pair burst out laughing. "Well I guess that's incentive for me to try and get the Head Girl gig for next year then."
"I could leave you all my books and things in there, for you to use."
"Cool, and copies of your assessments would be really helpful."
But the Room of Requirement really was a boon. It had provided Ginny and Cho with a universal competition sized Quidditch Pitch with state of the art facilities; a hard, dry turf, a match referee, Bludgers that could be set to attack in various degrees of difficulty settings, changeable weather and wind conditions including adjustable natural light settings. Automatic Quaffle and Snitch release and recall. They could gain experience playing in varying weather conditions, wind, rain and snow whilst remaining completely dry and warm.
Opposition players could be manufactured and dissolved at will and the girls found it hilarious that their off hand comments to one another would be reflected back at them in the form of loud and repetitive spectator chants. "Did you see that save, Chang? I am totally hot!" was followed up by the sound of thousands of cheering Quidditch fans screaming "Weasley is hot, Weasley is hot!" in unison.
The room was complete with a full gymnasium with two of every machine. Ginny had continued running with Cho before they hit the skies, and the running began to encompass a variety of other cardio options and weights. An obstacle course saved Ginny from dying of boredom and impressed Cho with the increasing variety of and entertaining ways to improve her fitness.
The weights were a dangerous addition, however, oh not for their own sake - Ginny caught sight of Cho's muscles rippling under the exertion and once she very nearly dropped her own weights on her foot and another time nearly bit her tongue clean off.
She wasn't the only one who could appreciate a fine figure and a pretty face, Cho had become preoccupied with Ginny's developing physique and she had more than once noticed her breasts bouncing as she waited for her to complete her laps. It had made her mouth go dry and she began to relive those moments away from their training as well, sometimes in class, or during her homework sessions and more than once while she was staring at Ginny in the dining hall. So embarrassing.
Back to the Room of Requirement, it was so convenient and always more fit for purpose than the user could have anticipated, Ginny began using it more frequently. As a bathroom rather than going all the way upstairs to the girls bathroom in between classes. She had discovered that she could be in need of a room in which time passed rather more slowly and took to doing her homework in there. She could pop in for an hour and achieve four hours worth of work.
Once in genuine need of school supplies, Ginny presented at the door of the Room of Requirement suitably in need and when she stepped inside it was the equivalent of a giant Officeworks. Aisle after aisle, shelf after shelf of office and school supplies with no price tags!
A new and keenly anticipated event was on the verge of being announced at Hogwarts. The last three Sundays of November and the first three Sundays of December had been marked by Madam Hooch as a six week Quidditch Round Robin. This announcement was cause for the wave of excitement that washed over the whole school. It was a moment of great anticipation and the student body waited, milling around the Entrance Hall under the message board and general frivolity turned to serious, quiet and urgent whispers, "Madam Hooch, Madam Hooch."
She walked with great importance through the sea of students, who parted like some biblical body of water to let her through, and fastened the fixture to the board. She only just managed to extract herself from the rising wave, threatening to engulf her and prevent her from leaving with ease or at all.
The Quidditch Round Robin was cause for celebration! People copied the fixture into their notebooks and began assessing and evaluating individual players and team abilities, some were even making wagers as to the likely winners of the first match, and eventual overall winners. Students could be heard expressing interest in putting their name down to commentate a match, others beginning to make rhyming House cheers for their teams and still others keen to participate in the clinic, primarily for the Keeper and Seeker roles.
There was to be a second Round Robin in the second term, the results of the two Round Robins would determine the fixture for the Finals Series to be played out in the third term, producing the overall end of year winner and bragging rights! This was more Quidditch than Hogwarts students were used to being allowed to play at Hogwarts but it was hoped that more frequent meetings would contribute to less intense Inter-House rivalries and a more relaxed sporting atmosphere.
The first match featured Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw (Gryffindor), second was Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor (Slytherin), third Gryffindor versus Slytherin (Hufflepuff), fourth Slytherin versus Hufflepuff (Ravenclaw), then Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor (Slytherin) and finally Ravenclaw versus Slytherin (Gryffindor). The names bracketed alongside was the name of the team responsible for providing Madams Hooch and Pomfrey to set up and return their equipment on game day.
Cho and Ginny were also in the Entrance Hall, standing together, head and shoulders above the student population, halfway up the first set of stairs. They didn't need to see statistics to know that their efforts were already achieving a more buoyant morale. Both experienced a tight knot of anticipation for the coming games, still three weeks away and they both had plenty to keep them busy in the meantime, early morning training, classes, homework, Prefect duties and Quidditch practice - as well as meals and sleeping.
Ginny had implemented all the positive practice traits that she remembered from Oliver Woods and Harry Potter and ditched all the things she thought were less effective; Oliver's intensity and habit of screaming and Harry's determination to stick with his friend Ron as Team Keeper, despite the fact that he was worse than terrible. Both previous captains were more competitive than Ginny thought appropriate for the current school environment, she preferred a more relaxed style of leadership.
Ginny was highly competitive within herself, as could be seen with her additional personal training and in her general friendship with Cho where everything was a race or competition. And whilst she was prepared to push herself in her own training and performance and whilst she desired to see Gryffindor win, it was not at any cost. Student moral and participation had to be the priority.
At dinner Hermione opened the Daily Prophet onto the middle of the table, she turned a couple of pages and pointed at an article with her index finger.
"What's this?" asked Ginny, leaning over and began to read.
"Hogwarts student's innovative Quidditch Round Robin to begin on the 21st."
"Oh wow," said Cho, leaning over to read upside down, "We made the news?"
"You made news and made the news," quipped Hermione, with a wry grin.
"Hogwarts Headmaster Professor MacGonagall and Hogwarts Quidditch Coach and Match Referee Madam Hooch confirmed a brand new six match Interhouse Round Robin competition. Invitations have been extended to Ministry of Magic Officials and Regional Quidditch selectors."
"Selectors!" Cho and Ginny exclaimed in unison and stared into each other's eyes in amazement.
Selectors had never been invited to Hogwarts before, there had been noise of one or two occasionally coming in an 'informal' capacity, but… Ginny turned to Hermione,
"Did you know about this?"
Hermione was caught by surprise and turned a deep shade of magenta,
"Why would you ask that?"
"Answer," said Ginny immediately, being the youngest of seven children she was well used to being talked around as a diversionary or stalling tactic.
"Well, I may have anonymously sent a note and a copy of the fixture to the head offices of the professional league…" she tailed off, wondering if Ginny was actually cross with her. Had she misunderstood, overstepped? She had intended to do a good deed, afterall.
Ginny leapt up and threw her arms around Hermione and kissed her cheek,
"You are amazing, Hermione. Thank you so much!" she enthused.
"That's really clever. And thoughtful, thank you, Hermione. I can't believe it," said Cho.
"Well," said Hermione, nodding toward Cho, "You only have one year to stamp your authority on the game, we don't want them to miss a single match," and nodding at Ginny, "and a second year of exposure couldn't hurt, right?"
"If this works, Granger, do you want to be my manager?" Cho asked in earnest.
"Hopefully I will be too busy in my first post Hogwarts role in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic. However," she said, in a remarkable and completely unintentional imitation of Headmaster McGonagall, "I will be expecting tickets!"
"You got it!" "As many as you like!" Ginny and Cho spoke over each other, while Ginny began cutting the article out of the newspaper with the end of her wand.