Work Text:
From: Kingsley Shacklebolt
To: Ministry of Magic_Staff
Subject: Wizard World Wide Web
To all employees,
I am happy to announce the launch of the long awaited Wizard World Wide Web.
Earlier this week, you have all been given a magically improved version of the device Muggles call computer. It should have no problem working in the presence of magic – if you notice any errors, please contact our new Technology Department. When opening up the browser, it will automatically connect to the Wizard World Wide Web. If you want to connect to the Muggle web, simply put ‘www.’ in front of the address instead of ‘wwww.’
Please note that data from these computers will be monitored to obtain information that could be used in testing. As we are still in the early stages of development, this information is highly confidential.
I hope you’ll all enjoy this journey to a brighter future.
Kingsley Shacklebolt,
Minister for Magic
Welcome, Hermione Granger! Please take a moment to read the instructions for the use of computers...
Next
This is the Setup Wizard. It will help you...
Next
This is your browser. You can use a browser to...
Skip
Suggested websites for first-time users:
Hooter – Join Hooter today – it only takes a few seconds. Connect with your friends and other fascinating people. Get in-the-moment updates on the things that interest you.
VidProjector – Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on VidProjector.
Welcome to VidProjector! Here are a few tips to help you get started...
Skip
Trending
Error: We were unable to find any information on what’s trending in the Wizarding World. We will now redirect you to the Muggle version of this website.
Redirect...
YouTube
Trending
Cat plays the piano for 30 | Avatar - Official Trailer | Billie Joe Armstrong | A Very Potter Musical Act
minutes about the new album 1 Part 1
Harry yawned loudly and sat up in bed, wondering what had woken him up. It took a few seconds for his brain to catch up with his ears and identify the sound as someone knocking on the door. He groaned, rubbed his eyes, then put on his glasses. He grabbed a wrinkled shirt from the floor and quickly pulled it over his head, before he walked downstairs and opened the door to finally stop the incessant knocking.
Hermione had just raised her hand again, presumably to continue her assault on the door, but stopped in mid-air when she saw Harry. His hair, if possible, looked even more dishevelled than usual, his eyes were bloodshot, and there was some strange imprint on his right cheek.
“You look awful,” she said in place of a greeting.
Harry didn’t provide her with an explanation, he simply responded with, “So do you.”
That was true: the witch wasn’t exactly in a good state either. Her hair, which had been cut slightly shorter since the last time he saw her, was sticking up in all directions, as if the laws of gravity didn’t apply to it. The elegant blazer, blouse and skirt she was wearing were wrinkled, and looked slightly sweaty. The circles under her eyes were a few shades darker than they used to be when she’d stayed up too late to study for an exam.
Deciding there was no point in further small talk, Hermione walked inside, leaving Harry to close the door behind her. She sat down on the couch and slowly unpacked the contents of her handbag onto the coffee table. Harry looked at the laptop and the huge bottle of wine with a curious look on his face.
“I have to show you something,” was all Hermione said. Harry nodded and pulled out two glasses from the kitchen cabinet, then put them on the coffee table next to the bottle and sat down.
“Did you get Kingsley’s message yesterday?” Hermione asked, turning towards him. Harry shook his head.
“I didn’t go in yesterday.”
“Well, they finally launched the Wizard World Wide Web, and they’re testing it on ministry employees first.”
“Yeah, he’s been talking about that for months.”
“Yes. So, I was trying out VidProjector, this video-sharing website they came up with. But as there was no actual data of wizards using it, they redirected me to the Muggle version, you know, YouTube.”
“Yeah, I know it. I don’t use it very often.”
“I don’t, either. But it turns out that there are thousands of Muggle-borns and half-bloods – even some more liberal pure-bloods – who have been using it. And to keep Muggles from finding it, they used magic to make videos only available to those who know how to find it with magic. As the laptop has already been enchanted, the videos were automatically available on it, and I saw that this was trending.”
She turned the laptop towards Harry and showed him the video. The title read: A Very Potter Musical Act 1 Part 1. Hermione knew Harry well enough to be able to identify all the different emotions crossing his face: he looked confused for a second, then shocked, then curious.
“Is it… Is it about me?” he asked, his voice sounding incredulous. Hermione nodded.
“Yeah, I’ve spent the night watching it. It’s definitely about us.”
“But… Who would write a musical about us?”
Hermione shrugged, indicating that for once in her life, she was just as clueless as the man.
“I don’t know. But once I got through the initial shock, it was actually pretty good. It’s really funny, and the songs are good.”
Harry looked at the laptop and the wine, then back at Hermione.
“So you want to watch it with me now?”
Hermione nodded.
“Wait, why is he American? I thought this was supposed to be about me.”
“It’s about all of us.”
“None of us are American.”
“Just shut up and watch.”
“Wait, so if everyone is American, for some reason, why is Malfoy British?”
“Maybe she was the only one who could do the accent.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to keep it consistent?”
“Not all people who live in the same place have the same accent. This is just more realistic.”
“Yeah, but Malfoy is still the only one who has an accent at all, shouldn’t more people have–”
“No.”
“I like the fact that Malfoy is played by a woman, though.”
“Oh my god, if Voldemort had been a boggart, all I would’ve had to do was watch this video and he would’ve died instantly.”
“See? You should’ve just sang a song to the dragon.”
“Thanks, Hermione, for this great advice.”
“Very funny.”
“You really did look beautiful, Hermione.”
“Thanks, Harry, that’s nice of you to say.”
“No, I mean it. You know, I wanted to ask you to the ball, but I didn’t think Ron would understand. And... I was afraid you’d say no.”
“I would’ve said yes.”
“Oh.”
“I was so relieved when we found out you weren’t dead. I thought I’d lost you forever.”
Hermione grabbed his hand, already feeling her chest tighten at the memory of that night.
“Well, thankfully, I’m still here. Though I’m not so sure Ginny’s always thankful for that,” Harry said, with a sad smile.
“Don’t say that! You know she loves you.”
“I… I don’t think she does anymore.”
“Harry, what happened between the two of you?”
“We had a fight. It was about me going to Romania for work, and about her leaving her Quidditch career to be home with the kids and just write articles about sport, and about the house, about the kids… Just all of those things that had built up over the years, you know? I don’t think I ever realised how much she’d sacrificed for me, and how much she still resented me for it.”
“Where is she?” Hermione asked. She didn’t want to mention it before, but the house looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks, and still, there weren’t any toys lying around, like there usually were.
“She went to the Burrow. About two weeks ago. She took the kids, too, it’s been a long time since they were at their grandparents’.”
“I’m so sorry,” was all Hermione could think to say.
“It’s okay,” Harry said. “I think some part of me always knew it would end eventually.”
Hermione wished she wouldn’t have recognised the look in Harry’s eyes so easily. She’d seen that kind of sad resignation far too often since they became friends. It pained her to see him just accept the bad things that happened to him, like he somehow deserved it. For all the good he had done in his life, all the people he’d helped, deep inside, he still blamed himself for Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, and everyone else he believed he should’ve saved.
It was an almost unconscious instinct that made her move closer to him on the couch. She wanted to get that look out of his eyes, wanted him to be happy again, to laugh like he did a half hour ago, watching the video. Before she knew it, she was sitting right next to him, staring into his piercing green eyes. She grabbed his face in her hands and gently pulled him closer to her.
“It’s not your fault,” she whispered, and she knew he understood that she wasn’t just talking about Ginny. But he didn’t believe her. She saw it in his eyes. So, she did the only thing she could think of.
She gently touched her lips to his. He didn’t move away. He didn’t react at all, at first. Then, slowly, he put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him, their bodies fitting together perfectly. It was a soft, sweet kiss, the kind she used to dream of as a girl, the kind she hasn’t gotten from Ron in years. She felt warm inside, and she felt like she could stay in that perfect second of love and friendship forever.
Then, a strange sound came from the laptop, and a message appeared on screen, warning her that the battery was low.
The two of them both jumped like teenagers who were just caught making out on their bed by their parents. Hermione cleared her throat.
“I should go.”
Harry didn’t say anything, but he nodded as he watched her quickly put the laptop back in her bag. The bottle of wine on the coffee table was empty.
He stood up from the couch and walked her to the door. They stood there for a second, a little awkwardly, not daring to look at the other. She made to go outside, but Harry grabbed her arm. She finally looked up into his eyes.
“Thanks for showing this to me. I had a great time,” he said. For the first time in a very long while, she wasn’t sure how to describe the expression he had on his face. Sad? Hopeful? Disappointed?
“Of course,” she smiled, but it felt a little forced. She turned around again, but stopped. When she turned back to him, she had a real smile on her face.
“They say there’s going to be a sequel.”
He smiled back with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“I can’t wait.”