Quidditch interlude!
In some way, I'm glad that no one guessed rightly who this new POV was. That means my surprise worked.
So, Cho Chang only appeared for the first time in the third book, but she arrived in Hogwarts one year before Harry. And since Cho is bound to have an important role in this fanfiction, I thought it would be good to have a view of her before she and Harry got to know each other. And what better opportunity to get inside Cho Chang's mind than a Quidditch match. It also gives me an opportunity to look at Cho before she became very popular.
CHO I
She woke up early. The sun was barely visible on the horizon. Cho Chang stood up from her bed, her naked feet landing comfortably on the warm carpet. Her friend Marietta was still sleeping, and so were all the other girls in the second years' dormitory. Cho slowly walked out of their dormitory, careful to not make any noise while opening and closing the door behind her. She went down the stairs, past the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, founder of the House to which Cho belonged.
Something covered her right eye, obstructing her vision. She brought her long black hair behind to solve the problem while she looked through one of the many arched windows. She specifically looked through the window that provided a very good view over the Quidditch pitch.
Last year, when Cho woke up for her very first day at Hogwarts, the first thing she looked at was through this window. She dreamed of playing for her House's team one day. Today, this dream would become a reality. In the beginning of the current year, Cho had participated to the selections for Ravenclaw's Quidditch team. She didn't make it into the regular team. She was a good player, but her small frame (she was short even for second years) and limited physical musculature didn't make her the best candidate. Her age and sex didn't help either. All the players in the Ravenclaw team were boys. Most of them were at least in their fifth year at Hogwarts, and they had already played on the team over the past years. Cho only managed to be retained as a reservist. Still, she was retained as the reservist Seeker, an important position. Seekers were often targets in games, and the players who were the most subjected to injuries. So Cho still had a chance of playing by the end of the year, and she got to train with the rest of the team as a result.
The regular Ravenclaw Seeker had been injured during the previous match against Slytherin and never fully recovered. As a result, the captain of the team had approached Cho two weeks ago and confirmed that she would be the Seeker during their last game of the season against Gryffindor. It was the game that would take place today, starting at eleven o'clock.
Cho kept staring at the Quidditch pitch as dawn began to pour some light onto the stadium. She would finally play a real match. She was excited, even ecstatic, but she was stressed as well, nervous. She had attended all five previous games this year, but only as a spectator. This would be her first game of Quidditch as a player, and this happened to also be the last of the season. It would determine Ravenclaw's final ranking for this year. So far, they had won against Hufflepuff, and lost against Slytherin. If they won with a certain margin against Gryffindor, they could hope to reach the second, maybe the first position, which would mean the Quidditch Cup for them. However, this would be no easy task.
The Gryffindor team was without any doubt the best team of Hogwarts this year. Roger Davies, her only friend on the Ravenclaw team, and the youngest player apart from her, told her how Oliver Wood had built the best team of Hogwarts, and Cho had to admit that she admired the team he assembled. Not only Wood was probably the best Keeper of the school, he had twins as Beaters with incredible chemistry, and three talented girls as Chasers, which made Gryffindor the most mixed team in Hogwarts, and probably the youngest as well. Wood was the oldest player, and he was only in his fifth year. No Chaser was older than fourteen. And they had the youngest Seeker to play in Hogwarts since over a century. Only competing against them would be a major challenge.
Cho's main concern was her opponent Seeker for this match, Harry Potter. He was a first-year, but already had two games under his belt where he caught the Golden Snitch, one game where he caught it with his mouth after almost being thrown off his broomstick which had gone mad, and the second where he caught the Snitch in less than five minutes, and with Severus Snape as the referee. Cho, despite being one year older than him, was very nervous. She was not as experienced as he was, and she didn't cause the crowds to applaud her like he did. It was Harry Potter, after all, the Boy Who Lived. And with the events that happened two nights ago, she could easily imagine the Gryffindor team and crowd being more galvanized than ever. All this stressed her very much, but also excited her as well. She would probably face the best Seeker of Hogwarts for her first match. That was quite a challenge, and she was determined to face it. She trained without stopping for the last two weeks, even neglecting her exams, to put all chances on her side. Today, she felt ready.
Her eyes remained locked on the pitch as light progressively grew outside. People would not wake up early on a Saturday. Still, Cho went back to her bedroom to change. She couldn't remain in pyjamas in the common room. She was dressed for the day in no time. She then sat on her bed. Her right leg was trembling due to her nervousness. In five hours, she would be flying over the pitch for the first game in her life.
"Cho?" Marietta's voice came as a whisper from her right. "You're already up?"
"Yes. I couldn't sleep anymore," she replied in whispers as well.
Her best friend rose and came to sit by her side, her long and curly reddish-blond hair falling on both sides on her face in its entangled state. "Hey, it's just a game, Cho. Everything will be alright."
That was easy to say. Marietta was a very good friend, the only one Cho had before her arrival at Hogwarts. When Marietta was sorted into Ravenclaw like her last year, Cho was exhilarated. However, Marietta had a tendency to see things lightly, and to never take anything seriously. But Cho took today's match very seriously. It would be the moment when she could make it into a permanent position on the team. Their Seeker was not only injured for this last game. He was also in his seventh year, so he wouldn't play next year.
"Yes, I guess," Cho conceded.
"You've trained more than enough. You'll see. The Gryffindors will not know what hit them."
Maybe. Cho just hoped they wouldn't know out of surprise, not because her hit was so powerless they couldn't feel it.
"You'll be there for the game?" Cho asked her friend.
"Of course, I will. All the girls will be there. I made sure of it. I would never miss my best friend's first game for all the galleons in the world."
Cho smiled at her. She really was the best friend in the world.
Some time later, after the whole tower had awakened, Cho and Marietta went down to the Great Hall to take their breakfast. The atmosphere was tensed, supercharged. Cho was welcomed by the other members of the team, who were joined by several people at the Ravenclaw table. She sat next to Roger, blushing under the applause.
"Ready for the game, Cho?" he asked.
"As ready as I can be." She was trembling through all the emotions she had.
"Eat something. You don't want to play on an empty stomach. Our captain wouldn't allow it."
"You could release the pressure a little, you know," Marietta commented.
"Before a Quidditch match? Forget about it."
Cho took some boiled eggs. All around them, conversations were animated, passionate. People were only talking about two things: the upcoming match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and the events that took place two nights ago on the third floor, the very corridor that was forbidden to students at the very beginning of the year.
No one knew exactly what had happened there. The strangest rumors were running about it, and a new version of events seemed to appear every hour.
"Apparently Quirrell turned into a werewolf, and Harry Potter turned him into stone with a silver spoon," someone at the Ravenclaw table said.
"Come on. Werewolves are not vulnerable to silver. No, Quirrell just tried to kill him with a silver knife and Potter managed to turn it against him, plunging it into his heart. That's all," another countered.
"Well, I don't think I could have done this in his place."
"Apparently, Professor Quirrell was trying to steal something," someone else was saying behind Cho, at the Hufflepuff table.
"What was it?" a neighbor asked.
"No idea. But Harry Potter managed to stop him, and apparently Quirrell burned every time he tried to touch him."
"Really? Jonathan said he was bleeding every time Potter touched him."
"Who do you think will win today?" she heard another Hufflepuff asked.
"No idea, and I don't care," a girl replied. "Our team lost their three games. No matter the results, it won't change a thing for us."
Cho ate her eggs in silence. The Gryffindors seemed heated up. Why wouldn't they? They were the only undefeated team of the year, and now their Seeker would enter the pitch under applauses for his exploits. Cho tried to take a look at the Gryffindor table, in case she would take a glimpse of him. If Harry Potter was there though, she couldn't see him. Yesterday, everyone said he was going to leave the infirmary this morning to play the game.
When their captain called the players to follow him, Cho emptied what was left of her cup of pumpkin juice and followed him. Marietta wished her good luck, along with the other girls of her dormitory and many other students of Ravenclaw, and even from the neighboring table of Hufflepuff.
Cho went back to their common room to take her Comet Two Sixty. Her father had bought it for her in Diagon Alley this summer. For the first time, she would use it during an actual game, and her parents would be there to watch her play. As she walked through the grounds of Hogwarts, she saw the stadium growing up as she approached it, the noise of the crowds already on place getting louder. In the changing rooms, she put on the team's blue and bronze uniform.
"So, how do you feel just before your first game?" Roger kindly asked her.
"Not sure. I think I have butterflies in my stomach," she replied.
"Normal. The same happened to me. Everything will be fine, Cho."
"It's not you who gets to face Harry Potter at your first Quidditch match," she retorted.
"You'll be okay. He's only a first-year. You're a year older than he is."
"He's got a better broom, already two games worth of experience, including one where he caught the Snitch within less than five minutes, and the other where he got it despite a mad broomstick. And he got it with his mouth." She had just summarized with her voice what she had thought during the morning. "I wouldn't say this game is going to be a cake walk."
"Well, I think the boy is in for the surprise of his life because he's going to face the best Seeker of the school," Roger said, causing Cho to blush.
"You're kind, Roger, but you are a very bad liar."
"Okay team," their captain Trevor Memphis called, leaving his office. "So, I have some good news, especially for you, Cho. Harry Potter is not going to play today." The commotion it caused led all the others to speak between themselves, while it left Cho speechless. Trevor continued. "I just received Gryffindor's alignment. It seems Potter is still at the infirmary. Katie Bell, their youngest Chaser, is going to assume the role of Seeker today."
"I thought he was supposed to get out of the infirmary this morning," Cho said.
"It seems that the people of Gryffindor made everyone believe it. Well, he's not here. That means you have a better chance of catching the Snitch, Cho. Don't miss it."
The rest of the team cheered at the news, and they processed out of the changing rooms, towards the pitch. Cho didn't. In fact, she felt disappointed. She had prepared mentally and physically to face Gryffindor's Seeker. And although she was nervous, she was also excited at the idea of facing Harry Potter in a Quidditch game. It seemed like a very good challenge. Now she would face a substitute. Yes, it meant her chances of catching the Golden Snitch were higher, but that also meant that her team expected her to catch it. Had she faced Harry, she would have still been able to get away with saying this was her first game, and against a Seeker who had proven himself, who was a prodigy by many people's opinion. Now she had to prove that she could catch the Snitch. There would be no excuse for failure against a girl who was the same age as she was, and who was at her first experience as a Seeker too.
"Come on, Cho. It's our turn," Roger told her, getting her out of her reverie. Outside, she heard loud cheers, and the voice of the commentator, Lee Jordan.
"Hello, everyone. I am Lee Jordan, and welcome to the last game of this Quidditch season. Today, Ravenclaw faces Gryffindor."
Cho emerged from the changing rooms into the light, under the applauses and shouts of hundreds of people. Her heart was beating quickly as she mounted her Comet, kicked the ground and flew up.
"For Gryffindor, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Rowan Salisbury as Chasers. Fred and George Weasley as Beaters. Oliver Wood, the team's captain, as the Keeper. And for today, the team's Seeker, Katie Bell. Gryffindor must play without his star Seeker, Harry Potter, who is currently recovering from grave injuries in the infirmary. I'm sure the public will give a round of applause for his recovery."
A part of the public did, but Cho noticed how another part, especially the green section, booed. She never liked the Slytherins, but right now she hated them more than ever. Mocking someone terribly injured and stuck in the infirmary was just plainly heinous and evil, even when he was an adversary on the Quidditch pitch.
"For Ravenclaw, Trevor Memphis, the team's captain, along with Phillip Montgomery and Roger Davies as Chasers. Godfrey Shamus as the Keeper. Duncan Inglebee and Jason Samuels as Beaters. And for her first game as Keeper, Cho Chang."
Cho flew right next to the section of the stadium where the Ravenclaw crowd assembled. They erupted in cries and shouts at this moment. Cho noticed her friend Marietta and waved her hand at her, laughing in the process. It felt so good. The wind was whipping at her face. She felt as light as a feather. She took altitude to reach the levels of the towers, searching for her parents. Even her mother, who spent so much time working at the Department of Mysteries, wrote to say she would be there with her father. But Cho couldn't find them, and soon she had to position herself around the central circle with all the other players.
Trevor shook hands with Oliver Wood while Cho found herself face to face with a girl about the same age as she was, but taller, with brown eyes, fair skin and brown hair brought into a ponytail like Cho did for the games. Cho tentatively smiled at her, and the girl returned it, though it looked as awkward as Cho's. Madam Hooch had already released both Bludgers and the Golden Snitch. Then she threw the Quaffle in the air.
Cho had already witnessed the beginning of a Quidditch game from the crowd, but it was entirely different to watch it from above. The point of view allowed to better see how Roger took the Quaffle and avoided contact with the other players, although it was still a miracle none of them crushed against someone else.
"Roger Davies got the Quaffle... He makes a pass to his captain... Memphis then passes to Montgomery... He dodges a Bludger... He sends it back to Memphis... Memphis shoots... Wood stopped it... The Quaffle goes to Johnson... A Bludger... She avoids it by little... She sends the Quaffle to Spinnet... Who loses the Quaffle to Montgomery... But another Buldger takes it away. The Quaffle is falling to the ground... Salisbury takes it back... But he loses it to Montgomery... Who makes a pass to Davies... Davies is far below the level of goalposts... A pass up to Memphis... And he scores... Wood didn't see it coming. Ten points for Ravenclaw."
"YEAH!" Cho raised her fist in the air as she accelerated to celebrate. Her friends down below were celebrating as well. They had scored first. They could win. Cho, more determined than ever, returned to scrutinizing the terrain in search of the Snitch, which had remained oblivious to her eyes so far. She noticed Katie from the corner of her eyes, searching just like Cho did.
In the meantime, Oliver had thrown the Quaffle to Angelina. The Gryffindor Chaser rushed forward, only to let the Quaffle fall. Alicia recovered it and zigzaged between players and Bludgers before sending the Quaffle to Salisbury. The only male Chaser of the team gave it back to Alicia very quickly though. She avoided two Bludgers and scored, eliciting screams of joy from the other side of the pitch.
"It is Gryffindor's turn to score now. And Shamus gives back the Quaffle to Memphis... Memphis dodges a Bludger... He avoids Spinnet... Then another Bludger, but he's led to the right, against the crowd... Johnson takes the Quaffle from him and sends it to Wood, her Keeper... Wood just kicked the Quaffle... Spinnett gets it... She is at half the terrain and she's rushing to the opposite goalposts... A Bludger misses her... She's got the whole field for herself... She shoots... Oh, Shamus stopped it... He waits with the Quaffle... Then he sends the Quaffle... Johnson intercepted it! She shoots! She scores!"
New wave of applauses from Gryffindor. Cho gritted her teeth. Gryffindor was leading 20-10. They had no chance of winning the Cup if Gryffindor was leading. However, the situation reversed quite quickly. Roger got the Quaffle and, in quite a huge demonstration of feats, he travelled from one side of the terrain to another with the red ball, and scored in the right ring. Then Rowan tried to do the same for Gryffindor and failed miserably, being hit by a Bludger after only advancing a few feet. Roger took back the Quaffle, handed it to Trevor who scored as well. Ravenclaw now led 30-20.
Cho still hadn't managed to get sight of the Snitch. But she saw Katie diving to the ground. Cho boosted her Comet to catch her up, but Katie quickly climbed back. Cho adjusted her trajectory, but it soon became obvious that the Gryffindor Seeker was back to searching the Golden Snitch and was as clueless as Cho as to where it might be. Katie Bell's dive had caused some excitement in the crowd, but if fell down immediately when they understood the Snitch remained unfound. In the meantime, Roger intercepted a pass between two Gryffindor Chasers and scored again, bringing Ravenclaw's advance to twenty points.
It was then that Katie did something Cho would never have expected from another Seeker. She dived again, but only got to the level of the playing field. Oliver had just given the Quaffle to Angelina, and Katie positioned herself right in front of her. Katie, with Angelina behind, flew towards Ravenclaw's goalposts at full speed, and the two Beaters took place behind them, to their left and right. They deviated a Bludger, then a second one, while Katie prevented Trevor from stopping Angelina. They travelled the field in this formation, perfectly synchronized, until they reached the opposite rings. Then Katie turned right just before she would enter the scoring area and Angelina sent the Quaffle right through one of their rings. It was now only 40-30 for Ravenclaw.
Katie received an ovation from the crowd. Cho couldn't believe it. She was always told that Seekers had to remain away from the main game, devoting their full attention to searching the Golden Snitch, but also to not endanger themselves. Seekers were already a target. They didn't have to paint an additional target on their back by joining the action in scoring points with the Quaffle and giving further opportunities for opponents to put them down.
"Shamus gives the Quaffle to Memphis... Memphis to Davies... WHOAH!"
Rowan Salisbury just grabbed Roger's arm, almost dragging him out of his broomstick. Later, Cho would think he didn't do it on purpose, that he tried to grab the Quaffle and mistakenly grabbed Roger instead. But at this moment, she screamed at the boy who just almost knocked her friend to the ground.
"Penalty to Ravenclaw for seizing a part of their Chaser's anatomy!" shouted Madam Hooch.
Roger took the penalty, of course, but he missed the ring. Gryffindor then recovered the Quaffle and proceeded to another attack. They travelled through the pitch, their Chasers exchanging the Quaffle between themselves, avoiding Ravenclaw's Chasers and Bludgers, reaching the middle of the field.
Then Cho saw it. It was the Golden Snitch. It shone in the central circle. Cho plunged towards it. The small golden ball moved quickly. The sun was high in the sky, and although the golden surface of the Snitch reflected his light, it made the grass on the pitch look more yellow and Cho struggled to keep sight of the key to 150 points for her team. She had it. It was her chance.
CLING!
She got distracted when by the sound of another score for Gryffindor. She looked up to see who just did it. It was Angelina. By the time she looked again to where the Golden Snitch was, it had disappeared. Cho stopped, now at a level between the ground and the Chasers above her. That was a huge mistake. Seekers could never remain still.
A Bludger she barely avoided reminded her of this fact, and she proceeded to climb back, but she was cut by Katie. Cho tried climbing again, and this time she was blocked by Alicia. A third attempt was stopped by Fred or George Weasley. Maybe both as the other twin was flying closely. Cho watched powerless as they scored again for Gryffindor, making it 50-40 for their team.
This game was definitely not a traditional one. The regular Seekers for both teams were absent, the Gryffindor's Seeker was helping scoring goals, and Cho had trouble getting higher than a few feet in the air.
"Chang, climb up!" Trevor shouted to her as he flew close.
"I'm trying!" she shouted back.
And then she saw it again. She may never had spotted it if she had not been looking for a way to get high. The Golden Snitch was close to the goalposts of Gryffindor, on the ground level. Cho immediately rushed forward and avoided a Bludger on her way. The Snitch was there. She wouldn't lose it this time. The golden ball moved to her left, then up. Cho's feet were close to the ground. She thought she saw a figure up to her diving. Cho accelerated, using all the power her Comet could provide. The Snitch was there. It was at hand.
And she caught it. She scratched her leg against one of Gryffindor's goalposts for the occasion, but she didn't care. She flew up, the small golden object in her hand. She heard a whistle, and the crowd erupted.
"YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
She screamed until she lost her voice. In no time, the other members of the team were on her, hugging her, tapping her shoulders, congratulating her. Cho cried in joy as they flew down quietly.
She made it! She made it! Once on the ground, her teammates carried her on their shoulders as people with blue banners and blue scarfs left the benches, Marietta at their head. It was the best moment of her life. Her parents joined them. Right at this moment, Cho couldn't imagine a moment when she would happier than today.
After the match, and after she was congratulated again and again by her friends, her teammates and almost everybody in Ravenclaw, or so she thought, and after her parents were gone, she disillusioned rapidly. After looking at the board for the rankings, she realized Ravenclaw had finished in second place, with only ten points behind Slytherin and ten points ahead of Gryffindor. Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup again.
"No luck this year," Roger said by her side. "Still, second place, it's already quite the accomplishment, given our odds before today."
"Yes, but now Slytherins got their sixth consecutive Quidditch Cup," Cho said, raging internally.
"Well, there's not much we can do about it."
Roger could say so, but Cho knew he was wrong. Their team had won this game 190-50. Had Cho waited for her team to lead by ten points before she caught the Snitch, the Cup would have been theirs. Or if Gryffindor had led by thirty additional points when she caught the Snitch, Ravenclaw would still have won the game, but Slytherin would have lost the Cup. She made her catch at the wrong moment.
"Look, Cho, don't look so disappointed. It's your first game and you caught the Golden Snitch. We finished in second place, which is way better than what we expected this year," Roger tried to comfort her.
Cho knew it was stupid from her to be disappointed by seeing Slytherin won the Cup, but she couldn't help but feel responsible about the next year of taunts, mockeries, and blusters everyone in Hogwarts would have to support from Slytherins.
"Why don't you come with me to the common room? There's a big celebration that's going to start," Roger offered. Cho, however, couldn't take her eyes from the board. Her eyes went from the scores for Gryffindor to Ravenclaw's.
"I'll join you there soon. You can go, Roger," she told him.
"Alright. I'll see you there, Cho."
He left her with one final smile. Roger was very kind with her, but she found him a little too sticky sometimes. Well, she wasn't the only girl with who he behaved that way. Roger had a way with girls, and some of Cho's roommates would say from time to time how it wouldn't bother them to faint in his presence only for him to reanimate them through a kiss. As for Cho, she found his behavior more funny than anything else.
She finally left the board of results behind her. Outside the stadium, a group of girls were waiting for her, Marietta at their head, and they exploded in applauses the moment Cho walked out. She couldn't help but smile. Marietta came to hug her right away, more tightly than ever.
"You were fantastic!" her best friend whispered in her ear.
Marietta was giggling, as Cho found her smile back. And then every girl who was present, not only Cho's roommates but also girls of all ages and years, and even two from Hufflepuff came to hug her, congratulating her. Cho didn't recall being so popular.
"Hey, why are you still there?" one of the girls, a fourth-year, asked. "There's a huge party in the common room. Come on."
The girls started to escort her in this direction. However, once they got into the Entrance Hall, Cho stopped them, which was no small feat.
"Wait. There's something I've got to do first," she told everyone.
"What?" Marietta asked.
"Something. I've got to see someone." Half the girls started giggling and the others were exchanging looks that were very explicit on what they thought it was about. Cho ignored them. "Look, go to the common room. I'll join you there."
"Okay." Cho had the impression that half the girls said the word at the same time, exchanging complicit smiles and looking at Cho with a knowledgeable expression as they left.
"Are you alright, Cho?" Marietta asked her.
"Yes, I am. There's just something I need to do first. I'll be in our common room in ten minutes, maximum."
"Fine," Marietta said, looking at Cho with an inquisitive look.
"And I swear to you, Marietta, it's not about a boy."
"I hope so," her friend said, looking worried. "See you soon, Cho."
Marietta left as well. Cho was alone. She felt she could breathe more easily now. She headed immediately towards her destination. Marietta was a very good friend, but she could also be overprotective at times. Especially when it came to boys. Marietta would never let Cho alone with a boy, at least not knowingly. She often told Cho that she trusted people too easily, and boys were the people Marietta had a hard time trusting. Cho found her behavior silly, truth be told. She was only twelve, and definitely not looking for a boyfriend. Though if Marietta knew where Cho was going, she would never have let her friend go alone. And this was exactly what Cho did.
Once she arrived at her destination, Cho saw that the door was opened. She knocked on the wall just outside, bringing the attention of Madam Pomfrey.
"Yes, child?"
"Sorry, Madam. Is Harry still here?"
If Cho was afraid that the Healer might have doubts about why she wanted to see him, she soon realized there was no reason for it. Instead, Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "You're another one of his friends, aren't you? Incredible, how many friends he has. Come. You may stay a few minutes. Put your present next to all the others."
Cho was surprised by the bluntness of Madam Pomfrey. She walked into the infirmary nonetheless, and soon found where Harry Potter was resting. He was in one of the white beds that filled the place. Next to him, a table was encumbered with every kind of sweets someone could imagine, from Chocolate Frogs to Liquorice Wands. She stopped at two feet from his bed and looked at him.
She had seen him during the Sorting, for the Quidditch games, and also once or twice maybe in the corridors, very quickly. It had been two days since he was there now. He didn't look injured. It was as if he was sleeping peacefully. But if there was any truth to all the rumors that circulated in Hogwarts, then he had gone through hell on the third floor. No wonder he was still there and he couldn't participate to the Quidditch game. Cho wondered what would have been the results had she faced him. She saw him play. He was very good. He wouldn't have lost his time helping the Chasers score more points, and judging by the fact Cho had lost sight of the Snitch the first time she saw it, she doubted she would have caught it before him. Had he been present, Gryffindor would probably have won the game and the championship, breaking Slytherin's winning streak.
Cho took a chair nearby and sat into it, right next to Harry. When you looked at him closely, he didn't seem that particular or extraordinary. He looked like a normal child, just like her, and from his current state, he seemed quite vulnerable.
"Hi Harry," Cho started. "My name is Cho. Cho Chang. We haven't met before, but I wish we did." Perhaps this was stupid of her to talk to him. He was asleep, and probably did not hear her and wouldn't remember anything she said when he would wake up. "I am the Seeker for Ravenclaw. We played against your team today, and we won. Because of that, Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup this year." She was almost ashamed to admit it. "I was supposed to face you in this game. I regret I didn't have the chance. I saw you play before, and you are an excellent Seeker. I think your team would have won if you had been there. I'm sorry you couldn't play today. I wish you had."
She stayed there, staring at him. She thought he looked a little different without his glasses. After a moment, she heard someone walking into the infirmary.
"Anything changed, Madam Pomfrey?" a feminine voice asked.
"No, Mrs Evans. We'll tell you as soon as your son wakes up."
Cho looked over her shoulder. A tall woman with fair skin and long, dark red hair and wearing dark robes just walked inside and was now heading in Cho's direction. She didn't seem to notice Cho as she was looking down to the floor. She turned around, standing next to Harry but on the other side of the bed. That's when her eyes went up and she noticed Cho. She had dark circles around her eyes, but they otherwise looked very alive, bright and green as she looked at Cho.
"You're another one Harry's friends?" she asked.
"Yes," Cho answered without thinking. She let the Healer believe she was his friend so she could see him, but now she felt that she was lying to that woman who was obviously Harry Potter's mother.
"What is your name?"
"Cho."
"That's a pretty name. It's kind of you to visit him, Cho. Everyone has been very kind with him," the red-haired woman said, not lifting her eyes from her son. She looked very tired. Cho felt out of place.
"I can leave you two alone if you want," she offered.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
She addressed another smile to Cho. She left, casting one last glance to the woman who had sit next to Harry.
Cho headed back to Ravenclaw's common room. She had done what she believed to be right. It wasn't fair that Harry did not get the chance to play against her, and it wasn't fair that Gryffindors were deprived of their Seeker. When she provided the right answer to the eagle's riddle, the door opened. On the other side, the party was going on in full swing. She only made a few steps inside that everyone rushed on her. They brought her on their shoulders, and Cho forgot about everything else but their victory. This was one of the most beautiful days of her life, and she partied with all the other Ravenclaws to celebrate her first victory. On this day, she was the most popular girl in Ravenclaw.
In the books, this game was a disaster for Gryffindor, but I find it unlikely that they suffered their worst defeat in years only because their Seeker was in the infirmary. It didn't deprive them of all their other wonderful players. And even from a morale point of view, in this version, since the Golden Trio didn't cause Gryffindor to lose 150 points through Norbert's problem, the mental state of the team must have been better. So instead, here we have quite a challenging game for both teams.
Please review.
Next chapter: Harry