During Ravenclaw's recent Quidditch practice, Cho got injured.
There was no foul play, and no one was targeting her.
She simply fell off her broom at full speed while attempting a difficult maneuver.
The injuries were quite serious, and she had already been taken to the hospital wing.
"I'll go check on her first. You head back to the common room,"
Wayne said to Cedric after getting a clear understanding of what had happened, then hurried toward the hospital wing.
Watching his retreating figure, Cedric shook his head.
"Tsk, and she's the prettiest girl in second year too…"
Ever since Wayne had brought it up last time, Cedric had also been struck by spring fever. He wanted to find a girlfriend quickly—better than having to pick up the leftovers later.
Unfortunately, after much consideration, no one had caught his eye.
There were a few upper-year girls in Ravenclaw who were pretty nice—but sadly, they were already taken.
And as for Wayne…
Forget it. No point thinking about him. It was just too annoying.
Cedric tapped the table with his wand, sulking.
"Give me a glass of lemonade."
Second floor, Hospital Wing.
Madam Pomfrey, after a thorough examination, pulled out a vial of foul-smelling potion and poured it down Cho's throat, then instructed her to lie down and rest properly.
Then she turned to the group of people around and said:
"It's not too serious—just three broken ribs, a fractured wrist, and some surface wounds."
"She's had the potion. Once the bones mend, she'll be fine. For now, she'll need to stay in the hospital wing and rest properly."
If this had happened in the Muggle world, Cho's injuries would definitely be classified as severe. But in the wizarding world, as long as the injuries weren't caused by magic and weren't irreversible, they weren't really that big of a deal.
Even missing bones could be regrown.
Ravenclaw's Quidditch captain, Roger Davies, let out a sigh of relief—
But Madam Pomfrey's next words made everyone's hearts tighten.
"Still, three broken bones is no joke. No strenuous activity for at least two months."
"But the Quidditch match is next month!" Roger blurted out.
Cho was currently the team's only Seeker. Last year's Seeker had already graduated.
Without Cho, if they had to recruit someone new at the last minute, Ravenclaw might as well start preparing for next year instead.
Madam Pomfrey glared at Roger furiously.
"What's more important—her health or Quidditch?!"
"With her condition, she's highly likely to get reinjured. And if that happens, there might be lasting damage."
"I've told Dumbledore many times—such a dangerous activity should be banned."
"Wouldn't it be better to have weekly medical classes instead?"
By the end, she was grumbling about Dumbledore again.
She was firmly opposed to any activity that could get young witches and wizards hurt. Flying class and Quidditch were her top concerns.
Under Madam Pomfrey's authority, the students were like frightened quails. They might not agree, but none of them dared speak out.
Madam Pomfrey ruled the hospital wing like a tyrant—even the Headmaster had to put on a smile around her. No one dared talk back.
"All right, stop crowding around here. The patient needs to rest!"
She began shooing people out and finally allowed only two students to stay.
But even they couldn't stay too long—thirty minutes, tops.
Cho's eyes were red—she had clearly just been crying.
Not because she was hurt, but because of the upcoming match.
She had trained so hard for so long, practicing diligently every day, but now she couldn't participate.
She was absolutely devastated.
Marietta sat beside her, gently comforting, "Cho, it's just one match. We still have more chances."
At Hogwarts, only two Quidditch matches are held in November—the rest are scheduled for March and June.
The team with the highest cumulative score at the end of the year wins the House Cup in Quidditch.
But Marietta's words didn't seem to help much.
Cho understood all too well—every single match mattered.
If they lost the first one by a large margin, catching up would be a monumental challenge.
She remained silent. Marietta could only sit by helplessly, while another girl just stayed quietly beside her.
Just then, someone slipped in, moving furtively.
The sudden appearance startled everyone— even Cho, still sunk in sorrow, finally spoke.
"Wayne? What are you doing here?"
"I heard you were hurt, so I came to check on you."
Wayne nodded politely to Marietta and the blonde girl, then pulled up a chair and sat down.
"How did you get in?" Marietta asked, surprised.
"Didn't Madam Pomfrey stop you?"
"I used a Disillusionment Charm—she didn't see me," Wayne explained. Then, seeing how pale Cho looked, he couldn't help but scold her softly:
"It's just practice—why go to such extremes?"
"I…" Cho looked aggrieved but knew it was her own fault.
She'd caught a cold recently, and her energy and focus had both taken a hit.
If it had been under normal circumstances, the move that injured her would've been no problem at all.
"Looks like we're a bit of a third wheel here," the blonde girl said teasingly as she looked at the two of them. Marietta chimed in:
"Exactly. Cho wouldn't even talk to us, and now you show up and she's already chatting away."
Cho blushed and turned away. Wayne, thick-skinned as ever, wasn't the least bit bothered by their teasing. Instead, he asked:
"And you are…?"
"Penelope Clearwater. Just call me Penelope," the blonde girl said warmly, extending her hand for a shake.
"You don't need an introduction—Wayne Lawrence, Hufflepuff's little prodigy and the phoenix boy. I've heard plenty about you."
"Professor McGonagall was still lamenting in Transfiguration Club that you turned down her invitation."
"And those quills of yours? Totally raided my wallet."
Penelope?
Wayne had heard of her. She was one of Ravenclaw's most popular students and a likely candidate for prefect next year.
Sharp features, beautiful blonde hair.
And she was in Professor McGonagall's advanced club, which meant her magical aptitude was nothing to scoff at.
A rare combination of brains and beauty.
After a brief introduction, Penelope and Marietta gave them space, leaving Wayne alone with Cho.
"What did Madam Pomfrey say?"
Seeing Cho wincing in pain, Wayne couldn't bring himself to scold her further.
Cho replied gloomily, "I won't be able to play in next month's Quidditch match."
"You really want to play that badly?" Wayne asked again.
"What's the point of wanting it?" Cho gave a bitter smile. "Things are the way they are. Best focus on recovering, and hope I'm back in time for the March game."
"…Fine. Just this once, I'll help you."
Wayne made up his mind and said seriously, "But you have to be more careful next time. If you get hurt again, I'm not stepping in."
Cho blinked in confusion—then saw a flash of flame appear in the air.
Ho-Oh—Wayne's phoenix—responded to the summon.
"Coo! Coo!"
"Ho-Oh, use Sacred Fire," Wayne instructed.
At his command, a white flame burst forth from the majestic phoenix's body. A single wisp of it detached and floated gently toward Cho.
Instead of a searing pain, there was only warmth. Her hospital gown wasn't scorched, and the fire dissolved into her body.
Her broken ribs and fractured wrist began to heal at an astonishing rate.
In under a minute, the pain had completely vanished.
Cho raised her arm in astonishment, then sat upright. Strength was returning to every corner of her body.
"I… I'm better?"
"What's with the noise?! The patient needs rest!" Madam Pomfrey rushed over from the next room, clearly irritated.
Seeing Cho upright in bed only made her angrier. "Lie down immediately! Your bones need at least two more days to fully mend!"
"No, Madam," Cho said quickly, flustered. "I really feel fine… I don't feel any pain at all."
"That's impossible, I—" Madam Pomfrey started, but then caught sight of Ho-Oh floating in midair.
She turned to look at Cho's arm, now waving effortlessly. Her tone faltered.
"…Was this your doing, Lawrence?"
There was only one student in the school with a phoenix.
Madam Pomfrey, of course, recognized Wayne Lawrence.
~~----------------------
Patreon 40 Advance Chapters:
patreon.com/Dreamer20