Chapter Twenty Four
With Quidditch over there was no excuse not to start focussing all her efforts on preparing for examinations, not just Cho, but Hermione and the whole seventh year cohort were beginning to show signs of NEWT anxiety. The fifth years were also pretty tense preparing for their OWLs, Ginny and the rest of the Hogwarts students all had regular end of year exams which did ring an extra layer of intensity whether you were a more serious student or a student less inclined to apply themselves.
There were six weeks of term remaining, it was Tuesday and there could be no more excuses to avoid what they all knew was coming, a prolonged period of intense study and then examinations. Students of every year level finally and with determination shook off the final remnants of Sunday's exciting Quidditch Grand Final and Mondays diversionary attention regarding their Head Girl's article in The Daily Prophet. Today was the day, no further excuses.
Ginny and Cho had returned from their walk the previous day to set up camp in the library. Hey had decided that the best way to approach their families in the wake of the public outing of their relationship, was to write a letter, immediately. Pulling parchment and quills from their school bags they prepared to make a start, Ginny wrote with confidence, Dear Mum and Dad, and then her eyes glazed over and turned to glance out of the window.
Likewise, Cho had addressed the letter, Dear Father, Mum and Po Po, but she pushed on before she lost her nerve,
Thank you for coming to support me in the final Quidditch match on Sunday, it felt amazing playing and knowing you were present, watching me, cheering for me. I am sure you all have read my article in today's Daily Prophet, there has hardly been a week this year that I have not at least mentioned in the news, who would have thought?
But that's the point, I guess. Two years ago I was in a terrible position and I didn't think I would ever get back, but here I am, back at school finishing my education, back playing Quidditch with a chance to be offered a contract. I didn't do it alone, though. I had help, I had my family and professional help, and now I have friends, Ginny and Hermione.
That's really why I wanted to do the article, I wanted to give back. I am not alone, I am loved, and I just want others to know that they are not alone either, that someone cares. I know the article is not what you would have chosen, but thank you for supporting my choice.
I promised you all that I would work hard this year and I have done so, I didn't expect to make friends along the way but I have. I would not have chosen for you to find out like this but, it is outside of my control. I have formed a close bond with Ginny Weasley, our friendship has become a romantic attachment. I don't have anything else to say except that she cares about me, she is kind and thoughtful, she supports me.
I haven't been made any offers, yet, and I have six weeks of school before exams. I can only control what I can control, so I am going to focus all of my attention on that and not get sidetracked by contracts, girlfriends or other upsets.
Please keep believing in me, I love you, Cho x
Once she had made a beginning the message seemed to just flow out of her quill and spill across the page. Relieved to have completed such an important task with relative ease, Cho looked over at Ginny who was staring out of the window, absentmindedly dragging the feather ended quill back and forward across her forehead. She glanced down at Ginny's parchment, still blank except for the greeting, she wondered if Ginny was actually more concerned about the reaction of her parents, her family, than she had anticipated.
Cho reached out and touched Ginny's arm, "Hey? You ok?"
"Oh Yeah," said Ginny, coming out of her day dream. "I've just been arguing in my mind for the last five minutes. I'm a good person, a good daughter, I can understand my parents being surprised or worried, but the thought of causing them more upset after what happened with Percy two years ago and after Fred."
"I understand. You don't think it could go the other way?"
"How do you mean?"
"Maybe they will think 'we've lost enough'."
"Yeah, maybe," Ginny stared for a moment and then leaned over her parchment, reread her opening and began writing -
Dear Mum and Dad,
Cho and George's article is brilliant and I am proud of both of them. They have taken a huge risk to reach out to people who are vulnerable to say, 'hold on, you are not alone, things can get better'. Their message is amazing.
There was another message, that I am sure did not escape your notice, about Cho and I being more than friends. Well, it's true. I was going to speak to you about it over the summer, face to face and I was hoping to invite her for a visit so that you could get to know her - but that plan has been interrupted. Oh, that's the papers for you!
I hope you aren't upset. I am your only daughter, and the best one you will ever have. If the biggest disappointment I bring you is not providing you with a son in law, then I guess I will be doing alright.
I can almost hear mum's voice saying 'be careful', 'don't rush' and 'plenty of time' - if so, you will be well pleased because I am doing and being all three.
We have exams, I will be home for the summer, Cho will be off being an amazing Seeker somewhere and I will be back at Hogwarts next year. See? The best daughter ever!
Love you both, no howlers, Ginny xo
Cho had been reading over Ginny's shoulder and laughed aloud at Ginny's ability to diffuse tension with her quirky sense of humour and determination to head off direct controversy. She kissed Ginny's temple and the two of them headed for the Owlery to get their messages in the air and hopefully reduce the length of time their loved ones would be nursing upsets.
Ginny, Cho and Hermione were just finishing their breakfast when a late Owl arrived for Cho. She untied the little scroll from its outstretched leg and it took a little run off before taking flight, turning widely and flying back to the School Owlery. Cho unrolled it, read it, raised an eyebrow, read it again, let out a long breath and handed it to Ginny. Ginny also read it twice,
"Me? Why does she want to see me?"
"Not only you," Cho reminded her.
"Oh, yeah." Ginny passed the scroll to Hermione, who looked from Ginny to Cho and back again, before reading the scroll. Ever diligent, Hermione closed her newspaper, folded it and prepared to stand up and follow the directions of the note.
Ginny and Cho who were still eating, took note of Hermone's determination, groaned and picked up a pile of toast to eat along the way,
"What do you think it is?" asked Ginny.
"You must know, Ginny?" Hermione said, looking again from Ginny to Cho. "Cho?"
"It might be an offer?" replied Cho, with a grimace, torn between hopeful and hopeless - she wanted to believe but she dared not.
"Of course it's an offer," said Hermione, with the utmost confidence.
"But after yesterday, the article…" droned Cho.
The three of them trooped off together, abandoning further attempts to guess the purpose of their summons, they all presumed that if the issue was very serious they would be on the way to the Headmaster's office, rather than the Sportsmaster's office. Madam Hooch could been seen peering out of her curtained windows and seeing them approach, she bustled out to greet them,
"Good morning, they you are, there you are, come along in,"
"Good morning Madam Hooch," they practically sang in unison, like small first years. They allowed themselves to be herded in, the heavy set older woman lifted away some papers and one or two old coats to free up some chairs for them to sit in,
"Cup of tea?"
"Let me do it," said Hermione, knowing that Cho was anxious indeed to hear the purpose of their visit, she went to the little kitchenette, filled the kettle and set it to boil. There were plenty of cups but all needed washing before they could be used, Hermione waved her wand wordlessly and all the cups dived into the sink without clashing, appeared to shower under the running faucet and then stack themselves neatly, upside down to dry in the rack.
"Right then," said Madam Hooch, who, having noticed this parade of Chinaware, became distracted for a moment and was now returning to purpose. Ginny reached out and laid a hand on Cho's forearm, the tension was palpable. Hooch leaned over her desk which was piled high with folders, newspapers, student forms, unopened mail, she fossicked around for a moment and pulled out an envelope, from somewhere toward the top of the pile on her desk,
"Hmm, I'm not sure what it is but it's from The British and Irish Quidditch League - "
A squeal escaped from Cho Chang who looked like the kettle - ready to explode, she slapped both hands over her mouth to stop the uncontrolled noise, Ginny intervened,
"Please, Madam Hooch," she reached out a hand for the envelope, Madam Hooch passed it, and Ginny passed it straight to Cho who looked wide eyed at the envelope, she turned it over and looked at the back and read The British and Irish Quidditch League before looking to Madam Hooch, Ginny and Hermione.
Nobody moved, hardly anyone breathed. Cho had dreamt of this moment since she was a child - of playing professional Quidditch. To be signed to a team, to wear their uniform, to travel with the team, to play Quidditch every single week, to get paid to play! This was Cho's momen, the moment she had worked toward for so many years, and nobody wanted to interfere, they wanted her to enjoy it, to remember it.
Eventually Cho set to work, she slowly and with care inserted a finger nail under the flap of the envelope and began to tear it open, she took a deep breath and tugged the parchment from it's jacket, it was folded exactly once.
The British and Irish Quidditch League
Dear Miss Chang,
Congratulations on catching the Snitch in the Hogwarts Grand final, and securing your team's win - thrilling to watch and a wonderful moment in Quidditch History!
I was surprised to see you back at Hogwarts this year, after a two year hiatus, I know many teams had hoped to secure your talent at that time.
Having read The Daily Prophet article yesterday it seems your absence is finally explained and I, and many others, are all pleased to know that you have recovered from the devastating effects of Voldemort and the war.
The Quidditch world has watched your re-emergence this year with pride and joy. We have no doubt, and nor should you, that your unique on field success has been simply amazing to see, which makes the following only inevitable.
Without further delay; we have received, reviewed and approved a number of offers to contract your services to play Quidditch professionally, those offers have been forwarded in a second OWL.
Congratulations once again,
Doria Alghoul
"A number of offers…" Cho breathed, she looked around the room stunned, tears filled her eyes, She passed the letter to Ginny and Hermione read over her shoulder.
"A second envelope, Madam Hooch?" Hermione asked briskly.
"Second? Oh yes, there was something, um, where… where..."
Ginny and Hermione began searching the desk thoroughly, lifting the envelopes and parchment, one at a time as though performing a forensic investigation, Madam Hooch appeared to be retracing her steps, "Ah, over here," she said, there was a smaller table with a half drunk, luke warm cup of tea, todays copy of The Daily Prophet and a thick envelope.
Ginny had to restrain herself from ripping it out of the woman's hand, but Hooch had finally registered the importance of the communication and dashed back across the room to hand it to Cho without delay. Cho took it in silence and the process of wonderment began again, she looked at the envelope, turned it over once or twice, inserted her finger nail, Ginny had to stand by the window to stop herself ripping it out of Cho's hand and opening it herself.
The envelope finally released its contents and thirteen single sheaves of parchment fell out, Hermione stepped forward to help collect them, she shuffled the ones that had fallen but into a single pile.
"One, two, three, four…" she stopped counting aloud and after a moment she looked at Ginny, "Thirteen." she said, stunned, "I've received an offer from every single team!"
"Can I take a look?" asked Hermione. Cho pushed the pile of papers at her and kept staring at Ginny, tears were welling in her eyes and began slipping down her face, Ginny grinned at her.
"All of them?" asked Madam Hooch, "That's never happened before," she said, shocked, "Oliver Wood received three, if I recall correctly, and he joined Puddlemere United as a reserve."
"Appleby Arrows, Ballycastle Bats, Caerphilly Catapults. Look, Tutshill Tornados, Gloucestershire - that's your team, Cho, isn't it?" She looked up to see Cho nodding in disbelief., Ginny strode across the room and hugged Cho tightly, she kissed the top of her head and said,
"I am so proud of you, you deserve this success, well done."
"Would it be alright, Cho, if I began collating these offers? Unless, of course, you know where you want to go?"
"No, go ahead."
There's a lot to consider," said Madam Hooch, going over to Hermione and took a seat next to her on the couch, "First is which position they are offering, Seeker offers should get priority, also find out who is currently Seeker on their team and whether Cho is likely to get a game next year - "
"Length of contract, monetary and other compensations, facilities, culture of the club…"
"Oh Madam Hooch, keep going, I am just going to copy all that down," said Hermione, reaching into her beaded bag for a quill.
"If Cho can narrow it down to three clubs, she can ask for a tour, possibly play on or two against the other to see if there is wriggle room in the initial offer."
"You sound like you know what you are talking about Madam Hooch. Do you think Cho should have an agent, to help with this decision?"
"Oh, my word, yes, it's absolutely necessary."
"This is amazing, I can't believe it! I have to let my family know,"
"Here, you write and I will call Pigwidgeon," said Ginny, passing Cho a quill and parchment from Madam Hooch's desk, and within a minute everybody was hard at work, cups of tea lay forgotten all over the little office.
"I have got to go in forty minutes, I have Potions class," said Hermione, checking her watch.
"Oh, thats me too, then," said Cho, smiling. The news was all starting to become reality. She had the offers in her hand, they were real, they were not going to disappear or be withdrawn, she had time to review the information, to make a decision - there was no real sense of urgency.