Chapter Twenty Two
Once again the Headmaster strode purposefully across the pitch, with a wave of her want the stage reappeared, microphone back and Professor McGonagall stepped up to it and waited momentarily for the noise to die away. "Congratulations Ravenclaw!" she began, and the noise erupted again, "The match was a wonderful spectator event, a great show of genuine talent, hard grafted skill and terrific sportsmanship. Well done to all the players, Commiserations to Gryffindor and Congratulations once again to Ravenclaw."
Reaching behind her back, the Headmaster pulled out the trophy, a large silver cup, she waved her wand over the front of the trophy and it became inscribed with -
The Dumbledore Cup
Ravenclaw 1997
Madam Hooch made her way up to the stage and stood by the Headmaster, "Ravenclaw Captain, Chrissie Berry, please accept this, the Hogwarts Quidditch Champions Trophy - The Dumbledore Cup on behalf of your team," said Professor McGonagall, over a huge roar from the crowd. Chrissie bounded across the pitch, up the stairs and had her hand shaken by the Headmaster and the Match Referee, she took the trophy and held it aloft.
Before she could dart away, Madam Hooch took from the Headmaster a medal on a Blue and silver ribbon and placed it around Chrissie's neck. She stood aside and one by one all of the players were called up, Cho Chang's name was called last and a huge cheer erupted. She accepted her medal, and then Chrissie pressed the trophy into her hands and the whole team cheered her and then awkwardly, nearly dropping her, and hoisted her onto their shoulders.
They carried her stumbling, uncoordinated but with pride and great enthusiasm, they carted her to the side of the pitch to the nearest of the fans, where they finally let her down, but they followed her around the bottom of each of the stands, taking turns to hoist the trophy up for all to see. They were showing their friends and families the Trophy and their medals, receiving hugs and pats on the back.
It appeared to Ginny that this was a good opportunity to give her team their final post match coaching chat, she called them all together,
"I would have liked to have won today," she began, gesturing to the Ravenclaw team.
"But I love Quidditch. I love it. I love flying. I love flying at speed. I love searching for the Snitch, I love hearing the crowd cheer, I love being part of a team. I love you guys. I have loved working with you all this year. And I would do it all over again for this result."
"Who's with me for next year?"
"Me", "I am", "Me too", they all replied.
"Good, because you know what's going to happen next year?"
"No Chang!"
"Well that's true, but what if Hufflepuff get the next Chang?"
Silence.
"Next year presents us with the chance to ride our brooms, to have the wind in our face, to ride as fast as we can fly, to have the crowd cheering for us, to aim for goals, to complete chains of passes, to smash bludgers, to block goals, to celebrate wins and occasionally we will commiserate out losses."
Silence.
"Will it be worth it?"
"Yes," Yesses rang out without much enthusiasm.
"Who's with me for next year?"
"Me", "I am", "Me too", they all replied.
"Who's with me?" she screamed.
"I AM!" they screamed back.
Ginny released them and made her way to her family in the stands, they all patted her all the back and assured her that she had played well. She congratulated Cho's family and accepted their commiserations with good grace. They all turned together and watched Cho out in the middle of the ground, flanked by the Headmaster and Madam Hooch, they were helping her navigate the floods of reporters, photographers, Selectors and Team Representatives.
Madam Hooch had agreed to receive all professional offers on Cho's behalf, and assure interested parties that she was not likely to make a hasty, game day decision about her future. Actually Cho Chang, in concert with her family, the Headmaster and George Weasley, had organised a Press Release for the following day. Reporters, photographers, Selectors and Team Representatives were all beyond interested to hear that piece of news.
A student. Give a Press Release? Surely this signalled that Chang had already made a decision regarding her playing future for next year? What else? They all looked at her in shock, they looked at each other trying to ascertain whether anybody else had gotten the scoop. They asked everybody, repeatedly, whether they knew the topic or the details of the Press Release. The Selectors were dejected, had she been stringing them along?
The Daily Prophet reporter Penelope and the assigned photographer were only just now receiving a formal invitation to return to Hogwarts for the following afternoon, no other details were supplied. If any Selectors and teams wanted to make Cho Chang on offer after reading her story - well, then she would consider it.
It was a plan hammered out by strategist Hermione Granger, participants Cho and George, the Hogwarts Headmaster and only the highest level management of the Daily Prophet. Hermione had cleverly included in the deal that Cho, George and the Headmaster get final editorial control to prevent anyone sneaking in at the last moment to add, delete or twist a particularly important concept or phrase.
The following day The Daily Prophet published the first expose on the Hogwarts Quidditch Grand Final; a front cover photograph of the Premiers Ravenclaw Team, holding The Dumbledore Cup and the medals fastened around the necks with the blue and silver ribbon. Overlaid in the bottom right and left corners were a smiling image of Captain Chrissie Berry and Seeker Cho Chang.
There was the main story of the Tournament and the Grand Final, there was a story about the Captain, one about the Seeker, one about the potential for Cho Chang to be offered a contract by a professional team, and one about Gryffindor, with a special mention of Ginny Weasley, including terrific projections of their predicted rise for the following year, without the challenge provided by the talented Cho Chang.
A number of extra copies were provided to Hogwarts and it was the topic of conversation for the entire day. The conversation might have lasted longer but for an equally rabid conversation about many of the same characters from a slightly different angle which burst out of the papers the following morning. The very next day the second story was out! It was out and Cho was out, and therefore, inadvertently, so was Ginny! But that was less of a problem than one might have anticipated, as it turns out.
Hermione and Ginny were reading the article word for word over breakfast in the Great Hall, Cho was nowhere to be seen. Passing students caught glimpses of images of Cho Chang and George Weasley and Headlines referencing 'mental health' from the few copies of The Daily Prophet around the dining room. As word got around that the story contained essential extracurricular knowledge, many students sent off immediately for a copy of their very own.
The article began with Cho's story, minus the names of individuals including Draco Malfoy and Former Headmaster, Professor Severus Snape, there were a series of smaller images of Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley.
This was followed by George Weasley's story about the death of his twin brother, Fred. An image of each of them as Gryffindor Beaters, one of them as children and one of them outside of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, also known as Weasley & Weasley, a highly successful joke shop located at Number 93 Diagon Alley, founded by the pair of them.
George talked about how his family had all travelled to Hogwarts with the intention to fight Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, in what later became known as the Battle of Hogwarts. Of course they were aware of the risks in turning up to fight - but the risk of not fighting was more terrible still and being a part of a large family increased the chance of their facing their share of injury and death.
George was proud of Fred, proud of his contribution, his sacrifice, the fact that they had won the war made his sacrifice legitimate in some sense. He knew that if Fred had known the outcome going in he would have gone regardless, it is the difference between doing what is right rather than what is easy.
In the coming days George was in such a state of shock, from the war, from the reaction of other people to Fred's death. But in the following weeks and months, it appeared that as others were beginning to accept and adjust to Fred's absence, George began to waken and feel it more keenly than ever. The person whose thoughts and sentences were so frequently finished by his twin, was alone.
Ginny and Hermione wiped silent tears from the eyes and cheeks at the honesty, the vulnerability, the pain and the strength of two people they fancied they knew rather well.
"I am proud of them, both of them," said Ginny.
"Me too, it's got to be hard on them, but if they help even one person, it is worth it, surely?"
Ginny nodded mutely, she looked around the Great Hall once again but came up empty, No Cho.
Hermione turned back to the first page of Cho's story and asked,
"Did you notice it?"
"Yes. And I don't care. The story is more important."
"Good, I agree. But I want you to know that it wasn't there when I proofread the article last night."
"We trust you," Ginny reached over and rubbed Hermione's hand, imparting comfort.
What they were referring too was the captions that had been inserted over the top of the images. Hermione didn't even notice that they weren't there, perhaps partly because she knew the names belonging to each face and partly perhaps because print media is not her area of expertise, not the way library books are, for instance. The names and descriptions were added at the last moment, likely unthinkingly and without malice but the damage was done.
Under the images of Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were written their names along with a description of who they were. Hermione would have preferred to have read; Cedric Diggory - murdered by Lord Voldemort, and Harry Potter - attempted murder by Lord Voldemort.
But what was actually printed was Cedric Diggory - Chang's former boyfriend, Harry Potter - Chang's former boyfriend, and Ginny Weasley - Chang's current girlfriend. Totally irrelevant, completely sensational.