CHAPTER 2: The Welcoming Banquet

In classic Hogwart's fashion, a lavish selection of savory foods and delicacies awaited the professors and staff at their welcoming banquet. Oliver found himself mindlessly eating, his mind transfixed on the events that happened earlier that day.

Had he heard correctly? Oliver was quite certain Cho had said 'Cedric and I', and not in any sort of past tense. Given her history, Cedric Diggory was the natural conclusion he would jump to upon hearing that name, but obviously that was not possible. Oliver knew Cedric Diggory, the once Hufflepuff Captain and Seeker, was dead. There were several articles and histories on the Second Wizarding War that now listed Diggory as one of its first casualties. Oliver even remembered reading the news of the boy's death in the Daily Prophet and thinking what a tragedy it had been.

Not that he had known Cedric well, but he knew the boy shared his love of Quidditch, which made him okay in Oliver's book. Diggory, like Oliver, had been Captain of his house team, and a proficient one at that. The boy had also been a surprisingly good Seeker, despite not having the usual lithe build that was common for that position. The only other piece of information that Oliver could recall about Cedric was the fact that he always ran around with Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker. Being as obsessed with Quidditch as Oliver had been, he was always perplexed how two people on rival Quidditch teams could maintain a friendship. He often thought that Cedric as a Quidditch Captain should know better than to fraternize with the enemy.

He stopped himself when he realized he still didn't know that Diggory was the person in question. Surely this 'Cedric' she had mentioned was just another teacher or friend of hers that happened to share the late Diggory's given name. That had to be the explanation. He had wanted to inquire further after she mentioned it, but just as he was preparing to bring it up, they had reached King's Cross Station.

Cho had been taken off guard by the sudden arrival, and was so distracted by not being able to use magic to gather her things that the appropriate window to ask came and went. Oliver tried to figure out a way to bring the topic back around, but Madam Pince had approached Cho just as they had stepped onto Platform 9 ¾. Apparently Madam Pince wanted to go over the necessary reading list Cho had prepared for the school year. Then Oliver too found himself distracted as Madam Pomfrey had spotted him and wanted to catch up. He and Cho ended up having to ride apart on the Hogwarts Express, but he had been hoping that once at school another chance to speak with her would present itself.

Unfortunately that was not to be the case. There was so little time to get situated for the banquet that most the staff had run off to put their things in their rooms. He had lost track of Cho as she disappeared with the others down the women's wing. Already upset at his bad luck, he then had to wait on Filch to be shown to his new room. It took the caretaker so long, that Oliver barely made it to the Great Hall in time for the Welcoming Ceremony.

He was hoping to find a spot next to Cho, but upon entering the Hall, found both seats next to her occupied. Cho and the young man to her right were engaged in a conversation. They exchanged several laughs and Oliver felt a twinge of jealousy creep over him. He didn't recognize the man, but after scanning the room and seeing only two new faces he concluded that based on age it was more than likely Terrance Higgs. Unless it was Cedric, and Terrance hadn't arrived yet. He racked his brain trying to remember what Terrance Higgs, a boy years under him from a time long past, had looked like, and couldn't come up with a face.

He had looked around to see if another young man was seated elsewhere and he missed him, or perhaps one was behind him arriving late. As he was scanning the room he found himself waved down by Headmistress McGonagall, who gestured to a seat she held near herself. Once he had taken his seat she gave a short speech and welcomed him as the newest member of the staff. He had risen and waved to those around him. He managed to exchange a smile with Cho as she and the rest of the room applauded him on his new position, but that had been the extent of his interaction with her since the train.

"Professor Wood."

"Professor Wood?" Hrm. Oliver was finally snapped out of his thoughts by Headmistress McGonagall standing over him.

"Professor McGonagall- I - mean Headmistress. I'm sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment." He apologized. She looked at him with a curious expression on her face, as if trying to figure out whether or not he had been listening to anything she had said all dinner.

"As I was saying, if you are done eating, I'd like to introduce you to some of the members of the staff." She held her arm out gesturing down the table.

"Oh aye, sorry." He rose from his seat quickly. "I'm finished. Lead on." She lead him down to the end of the table to begin the introductions.

"I'm sure you remember Argus Filch, Madam Pomfrey, and Hagrid."

"Of course." He smiled at the older teachers.

Hagrid stood up and closing the distance, gave Oliver a big bear hug, lifting him off his feet and then setting him back down. "Welcome back to Hogwarts, Professor." He said in a booming voice while giving Oliver a wink with his last word.

"Please call me Poppy now," said Madam Pomfrey, "and as I told you on the train. I don't want to see you in the medical ward nearly as often as when you went to school here!"

Filch only managed a nod and some grumbles, to which Oliver nodded back. They continued down the table where he was reintroduced to Madam Pince, Madam Sprout, and a new elder gentleman, who was the other professor Oliver had not recognized. Headmistress McGonagall introduced him as Francis Wellington, who now taught Muggle Studies.

Then they approached Cho and the gentleman who sat to her right.

"And you may remember Professor Cho Chang, our Charms instructor, from your days at Hogwarts." Cho gave him a warm smile, and a little wave. Oliver smiled back at Cho.

"Aye, actually we ran into one another on the train down from Edinburgh." Oliver said to McGonagall.

"You did?" She said looking between the two. "Wonderful." she continued, "and here we have Professor-"

"Terrance Higgs." The younger man interrupted. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wood." He grabbed Oliver's hand and began shaking it enthusiastically.

So this is Terrance? Oliver looked him up and down, a good enough looking young man. Much more friendly than he had been expecting for someone from Slytherin. Oliver was feeling a little silly for having judged the man without having met him, but he was still upset that this Terrance Higgs got to spend the dinner in Cho's company instead of him.

"Cho just told me you were Madam Hooch's replacement, and I almost didn't believe it! Sorry." He had to stop himself from continuing to shake Oliver's hand. "Wow. Oliver Wood, Puddlemere United's starting Keeper for 4 years, and reserve Keeper before that! I'm a huge fan of Puddlemere U."

Cho looked at Terrance laughingly. "Aye, I think he's figured that much out. Stop actin' as though you've never met the man either, I told you we went to school with him!"

"Yeah but that was before, I mean I knew he was good, but I didn't think he'd become a professional. And for Puddlemere none-the-less! It's an honor to meet you. I saw that game against the Cannons. 100 saves! Incredible! Hey listen, do you mind signing some stuff when we head back to the rooms?"

Oliver blushed. "Sure, Professor."

"Oh do call me Terrance. We're amongst peers after all." he said beaming. Oliver was finding it difficult to dislike Terrance Higgs now.

Headmistress McGonagall finally interjected by clearing her throat behind them. She was eager to finish introducing Oliver to the rest of the staff. As the night came to a close everyone started heading back to their rooms in the teachers wing. Oliver managed to fall in step with Cho and Terrance as they headed out.

"Mind if I walk with you guys?"

"Not in the slightest!" replied Terrance, a giant smile stretched on his face. They started discussing Quidditch again. Terrance was eager to ask Oliver several questions regarding his time with Puddlemere United. They mentioned how they sometimes played with a few of the folks who lived down in Hogsmeade at their local pitch there. Oliver was excited to hear that he may be able to get in an actual game, but upset that he wasn't able to speak as comfortably with Cho whilst Terrance was along.

As they were passing a hall, Cho stopped. She looked over at them, then back down the hall, as if in a debate over whether or not to leave them.

"I'm sorry." She said.

The spring in Terrance's step stopped, and Oliver noticed the young man sullen a bit. He fancies her. He suspected as much from their body language earlier but wasn't quite sure until now. "Cho." Terrance nodded his head toward the teachers' rooms.

"I'm sorry." She said again her feet already moving down the hall. "I told him I'd pop in after the banquet. I'll be back soon. I'll see you both later."

As they both watched Cho disappear from view Oliver was finally too curious and had to ask.

"Where's she off too?" He said turning to the younger man.

Terrance was still looking down the now empty hall. "Oh." The tone in Terrance's voice was flat and morose. "She's gone to see Cedric."

"Cedric? Is that her boyfriend? A fellow from Hogsmeade or something?" Oliver was confused.

"One would think that wouldn't they." Terrance let out a defeated sigh. "No. I'm afraid she's off to see Diggory."

"By Diggory, you mean Cedric Diggory?"

"The very one."

"So he's alive then?" Oliver asked completely confused.

"Well...not exactly." Terrance answered. "He's a resident ghost here at Hogwarts."

Dun-Dun-DUUUN! Sorry so actually when writing this I had this as the end of chapter 1, but ended up breaking it into two parts. So yeah here's the rest. Again please read and review.

Let me know if there's any interest and if I should continue or not. Novice writer here, this is only my 2nd story, and I have to say. Writing is hard! OMG, haha. I suck at this, but I have fun anyways. Sorry the grammar and tenses maybe off. I kept changing things which changed the time, then I got lost trying to put everything in the right tense to make it work. UGH. Lets just say it's been a LONG time since I've taken any grammar classes.