More Important Than Any Broomstick [Harmione]

9. Leaving Hogwarts

The next morning, Harry woke up very early and snuck down to the common room. He was surprised to hear music softly playing when he got there. "Hello," he called out, causing the bushy-haired brunette sitting on the other side of the room completely absorbed in the music coming from her cd player to jump.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said panting from the shock. "It's you."

"Yes love," said Harry while approaching her. "I'm sure you're disappointed. I know you were hoping I was Ron com..."

"Ew!" shrieked Hermione while lowering the volume of her cd. "Don't even joke about me liking that prat!" Then she smiled mischievously. "Now that captain of the Hufflepuff team, Cedric Diggory. He's so handsome, and such a GOOD seeker. All it took for him to beat you was help from a hundred dementors."

Harry grinned just as mischievously as his girlfriend. "But did you see the seeker for the Ravenclaw team, Cho Chang? She's so..."

"Ok, ok," said Hermione. "I guess two can play at that game. I'm sorry."

Harry chuckled. "Me too. Anyway, I can see, or rather hear, that you got your cd player working here."

She smiled, "Yeah. I guess I should have told you earlier. I guess that since it gets its power magically, its operation isn't affected by the magic of this castle, so I'd guess that magical laptops would work here. If only we knew if they were legal or not."

"Why don't we write Mr. Weasley? We'll just say that we found out how to make magic batteries from the book we sent him, and were wondering if using magical batteries and Internet connections that don't change the behavior of the computers would be illegal. In fact, instead of write him, we can ask him at King's Cross Station today."

"All right, Harry," she said.

"Now, if we can do that, Hermione, I'd like to know if we can put the text of our books onto the computers."

She beamed at him. "Oh, that would be helpful!" she said excitedly. "We could easily search the text for words, and have only need to bring our laptops with us instead of the books!"

"I still think we should carry the books to classes," said Harry. "No need to call attention from the teachers. But I think we should get book bags that are magically weightless and bottomless for next year."

"You don't have to buy me..." said Hermione.

"I want to, Mine," said Harry.

"Er, don't you mean, 'Mione?'" asked Hermione.

Harry blushed. "I prefer calling you 'Mine' if you don't mind."

Now she blushed. "Er, well I guess you can call me 'Mine' but only you, and ONLY when we're alone. But now I will have to think up a nickname for you."

"Well, the prophet calls me the 'Boy Who Lived' and Draco calls me 'Scarhead,'" suggested Harry.

"No. Don't be silly! None of those names suits you." She sighed. "I'll have to think about it and get back to you."

"Ok Mine, whatever you say. Did you get everyone in the school to sign our petition?" asked Harry. "Or will we have to take it to everyone on the train."

"I believe we got everyone we wanted," said Hermione. "One hundred and fifty signatures out of two hundred and twenty-four* total. That's nearly three-fourths of the students."

"That's great!" said Harry. "If that doesn't get Dumbledore's attention, I don't know what will."

"Yeah," said Hermione distractedly. "I, er, tried talking to Percy about education here."