Harry Potter H&Hr Fluff Collection

XXII

Owl Instant Messenger

Down the streets of London, a certain wizard walks down reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. He looks at the comings and goings in wizard life. From the cauldron leaks shortening, the dragon problem in Burma has been solved, werewolves spotted in Iran and the eccentric news that the Wizarding world can offer.

Without finding anything interesting in his newspaper, the wizard turns down a corner and throws the Prophet at an emerald green trashcan. The wizard turns down a nearby alley and apparates with a small pop.

The people of the almost empty street pass by ignoring the thrown newspaper which produces moving images right on the cover… strange for someone not to notice. Another Muggle nearly saw something strange but the sound of an accident on the other end of the street removed his interest.

A small gust of wind flies across the near-empty street causing the Daily Prophet's pages to fly out inside the trashcan. From the page to page, it stops suddenly to an article:

A phenomenon in wizard communication!

Owl Instant Messenger is on the line.

Last week, the famous wizarding communication service “Floo Network” has founded a breakthrough in magical communication. Their result in research after research is Owl Instant Messenger also known as OIM. The new technology in wizard communication sets the standards in order for other wizards and witches to communicate wherever and whenever they want. The other good thing is it is instant, it is fast and it doesn't need an owl at all.

To use OIM, every wizard or witch needs a user account to enter OIM services. To do so, using your wand on any piece of paper and saying the spell's chant “Roflous” will grant you access to the OIM's interface where you'll be provided an application form. Fill up your information and you have your user account.

OIM uses a buddy system where you need to find and add friends in order to talk to them on the spot. Using the chant “Lolicous” the parchment that you are using will ask you who do you want to add. Write in your friend's user account name and viola, he or she is in your buddy list and you can talk with him or her on the fly.

But how does OIM work in terms of communication, you ask? Well, it is like normal owl post except that you don't need an owl to send a message to your friends or family. With your selected parchment, the OIM interface will be there for you at the ready (of course, you have to cast the Roflous spell to access the interface). Depending on your parchment, the list of “Buddies” you have will be displayed at the right hand corner of the parchment. Tapping your wand on their name will give you access to a “post room” where your friend will be alerted that you want to talk to him or her. Write down a message and your friend will see it at the other side in an instant!

Amazing, right? To view more details on OIM, brochures and fliers will be provided in almost every wizard shop, kiosk, mail you can think of. Daily Prophet will also provide tips and leaflets about OIM in the coming future so stay tuned!

Is this new found way of communicating a pivotal part in wizard communication? Will we see a bright future in the world ahead?

We'll let OIM answer that.

- - -

Hermione scratched her eyes as she drank a glass of water. She yawned groggily and looked at the digital clock on top of the TV.

1:32 AM

Drinking her glass of water she went up the staircase and headed to her room. She climbed into her bed and started fluffing her pillows when repeated but soft hoots started sounding about.

Startled, Hermione looked around her room and saw a roll of parchment on her study table glowing feebly. The sound of hooting and the glow of the parchment paper could mean only one thing.

Someone's hooting me in

Hermione got out of her bed and headed to her desk. She opened the the desk light and unrolled the glowing parchment. On top of the parchment, a silhouette drawing of an owl and the words “Owl Instant Messenger” appeared. The silhouette owl animatedly hooted signaling that Hermione had an incoming message.

“Roflous” Hermione muttered groggily as she tapped the parchment with her wand which was on her desk.

The silhouette and moniker disappeared, leading Hermione into a menu which showed a list of names. In the list of names, the word “Ron Weasley (chudley_cannonsfan)” was glowing.

Hermione tapped her wand on the name and on the parchment a script-formed text came about across the parchment. Hermione squinted and saw the message.

chudley_cannonsfan: Hey Hermione! Care for a chat?

Hermione smirked. Taking a quill, she opened a bottle of ink, dipped the tip of the quill and wrote on the parchment…

Hermione Granger: Hi Ron, what are the odds of hooting me when I just woke up?

Apparently, there is fad in OIM where users give their account names with different monikers instead of their original names. Hermione wasn't interest in such a thing so she stuck herself with her name.

Ron's reply came with a sound of a “hoot” which signaled a new message.

chudley_cannonsfan: You woke up? Was it my fault? I'm sorry!

Hermione giggled

Hermione Granger: No you didn't Ron. I woke up because of thirst… I just heard the hooting the moment I came from the kitchen.

After a few seconds, Ron replied

chudley_cannonsfan: Lol. I thought it was me. Anyway, me and the family had a party and it lasted till now. I'm about to turn in.

Hermione wondered what “Lol” meant. She dipped her quill and wrote down what she wanted to write.

Hermione Granger: Wish I was there. It must've been fun for you guys. By the way, what does “Lol” mean?

A slight pause… Hermione drummed her fingers waiting for Ron.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Lol means “laugh out loud”. Harry told me that Muggles use that term a lot when they use their own instant messaging.

Hermione looked at a picture of her and Harry in Hogsmeade during their third year. She smiled and remembered him… it's been three weeks since she had an OIM conversation with him.

Hermione Granger: I see. What happened in the party?

Ron's next few messages were about how the party went. Hermione sighed and hoped she was there in the Burrow to join the festivities.

chudley_cannonsfan: The best bit was when Fred and George tried to make a quaffle sing! It was hilarious and mum thought the quaffle had a great voice.

Hermione laughed and glanced again at the picture of Harry and her in Hogsmeade… she bit her lower lip and wrote down.

Hermione: How was the food? Knowing your mum, the food must be great

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: It was superb at best. I reckon mum had to double the supplies since the feast was large.

The feeling of wanting to eat something juicy and meaty came to Hermione's mind. Perhaps she should take out a slice of cake from the kitchen?

Hermione Granger: Ron, can you stand by for a moment? I'm just going to get some midnight snacks.

With a reply from Ron, Hermione left the room and went to the kitchen, took a slice of chocolate cake and went back up to her room.

Hermione Granger: Sorry I took so long, Ron. I had problems with the cutlery

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: No problem, Hermione. I know I would have problems with chickens and ducks.

Hermione raised her eyebrow. What was he saying?

Hermione Granger: Ron… what?

Hermione's wait to Ron's answer to his mysterious message came.

chudley_cannonsfan: Er… you said cutlery. Those are birds, right?

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: No, you twit! That is poultry. Cutleries are knives, plates, bowls and such. Don't worry, I still like you.

Ron replied with a sorry and a small joke which acknowledge Hermione that Ron was laughing at the mistake.

chudley_cannonsfan: I really need to brush up my vocabulary!

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: It's about time, Ronald!

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: I have a dictionary on my lap right now.

Hermione giggled and looked at the Christmas stocking which Harry knitted when he helped her in her knitting sessions last year at Hogwarts. Hermione sighed and wondered where Harry was.

Hermione Granger: Ron?

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Yes?

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: Have you ever been in… or like had a crush?

There was a long pause… a really long pause. Hermione thought Ron must've jumped out of the window of his room.

For months, Hermione had a crush on this boy in Hogwarts that made her almost crazy at the thought of it. No way could it ever work outHoHo.

After five minutes…

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Crush? Hmmm… I had some but I never really bothered them in the next few days. What's wrong?

Hermione bit her lower lip harder and started choosing her words carefully.

Hermione Granger: Let's say that I'm kind of eyeing someone… sort of an attraction.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Really? This is huge…

Hermione blushed.

Hermione Granger: Don't make it a big deal, Ron! Just take it in baby steps. I don't want anything out in the open…

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Does Harry know?

Hermione stopped dead at that very moment. She looked up at the ceiling and thought…

Does he need to know?

She sighed and wrote down:

Hermione Granger: I think he might know… but I really never told him anything.

chudley_cannonsfan: Okay… so who's the guy you are crushing on?

Hermione's face blushed furiously when she read the post. She cupped her cheeks and stared into the picture of her and Harry again.

Should she tell Ron? He might freak out or do something drastic.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Hermione? Are you oaky?

chudley_cannonsfan: Whoops, typo… haha.

chudley_cannonsfan: Hermione?

Hermione stared into the words of Ron and dipped her quill.

Hermione Granger: I'm fine, Ron. Don't worry… I was eating my cake.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Ah ok. I thought something happened… I was worried that my question surprised you.

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: What does that supposed to mean?

Hermione sat back on her seat and breathed heavily. If she was going to tell Ron who she was crushing on then two things could possibly happen. First, he will know and secondly, the fact she gave out information on something so secretive might betray her.

Well, she was crushing on the boy for months now ever since she found herself staring at him and realized how handsome he was. The realization came to her when the boy turned to her which forced to turn away. There she realizes that she was staring at him… lovingly.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Based on common sense, you girls are very sensitive towards these types of questions. What you like, where do you want go, how painful does your nail hurt… I find women different, frankly.

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: Very funny, Ronald. Yes, I have to admit. Us girls think differently and we are almost unpredictable. Anyway, about my crush… I think it is safe to say we all know him… even Harry.

Hermione threw a risky maneuver at Ron.

chudley_cannonsfan: Even Harry knows the boy? Hmmm… could it be Malfoy?

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: Don't be disgusting, Ron! I'd be a fictional character in a book before I get paired up with that git.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to jest… seriously… who is it?

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: That's all I can say… besides, I don't want the secret out. As long as I know that you can keep it then I can tell you.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: You don't trust me, Hermy?

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: It's not that… I'm not even sure if the information will make you in a state of peace in mind.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Let's pretend I don't know what you meant…

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: What I mean is that you might freak out at the news… and you might leak it out.

At this moment, Hermione nearly broke her cool. She was about to write who she really had a crush on.

chudley_cannonsfan: Hermione! I am shocked! I would never ever spill any secrets to anyone ever! Look, Harry has his own secrets that he told me and I never spilled it to anyone. I did one to you remember back in fifth year? Same goes for George, Fred and other people. I'm like a Secret-Keeper minus the Fideli - charm - whatever.

For once, Ron made sense, a whole lot of it. Hermione rethought what Ron said… could she trust him? He's been their by her side ever since apart from Harry. In fact, she always trusted Ron to help her in her time of need and he was always initiative and always got the job done… well not always but still.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: I know… if you are not ready to tell then I'm fine with that. Friends need privacy, after all.

Hermione couldn't stand it no longer when she glanced at the picture of her and Harry again.

Hermione Granger: Alright, Ron! I'll tell! Just don't tell anyone, okay? It is really a big secret and no one knows, not even your sister or any Legilimens I ever met!

There was a long pause… Hermione drummed her fingers nervously at the surface of the wooden desk. She knew what to do and she knew it was the right thing to do.

I few seconds has passed and…

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: You can count on me, Hermione.

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: Don't tell anyone… not even your brothers, mum, dad AND Harry.

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: Sure and tell you what, I'm going to go to the bathroom (I really need to go). From there you can write who you have a crush on and I'll help you with whatever problem you have… You can trust me, Hermione!

Hoot! Hoot!

A double hoot… that meant Ron was away at the moment. Hermione grabbed the picture of Harry and her. She stared at it and bit her lower lip… it was for the best. Besides, maybe in tight spaces in the future, Ron could easily help her worm her way out of it. She smiled at the thought… she always wondered what it always felt like to have a Secret-Keeper who knew about her relationships in life.

I can trust Ron… he is my best friend after all.

And she began to write…

- - -

The Burrow was all in slumber when the clock struck two-thirty in the morning. The sound of Hedwig hooting sleepily in her cage was the only sound in Ron's room. Ron left the room for a bathroom break leaving one person alone in the room, Harry Potter.

Harry turned on his bed feeling a bit uncomfortable in his current position. He sat up and started fluffing his pillow when…

Hoot!

The hoot sound made Harry jump. He was about shush Hedwig when he saw Ron's study desk lamp open.

Strange, shouldn't that be turned off?

Harry scanned the room and saw Ron's bed empty. He must've gone down for a glass of water, Harry thought.

Another “Hoot!” came about and it made Harry curious. Who would be sending Ron an OIM message this late at night?

Harry stood up and walked towards the desk. The fact that he saw Ron's buddy list and a post room made him realize Ron was chatting with someone this whole time… but with who?

Grabbing his glasses which he left on the same desk last night, Harry put them on and looked at the message below on Ron's parchment…

Hermione Granger: Ron? If you are there, I'm ready to tell… don't tell anyone, okay?

It was Hermione… What was she doing in the middle of the night chatting with Ron?

Hermione Granger: Here it goes…

After a few seconds…

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: I don't know what I'm feeling at the moment but I feel very weird yet wonderful about this… I've been seeing this boy for a long time now with my own eyes and I'm glad that I have every will in my body to be there for him… From the very first time I rested my eyes on him back at the train… my heart said followed through and now, I'm in love with him… so much.

Harry was on the edge of his seat, figuratively. He found it almost wrong and right to know who Hermione was in love with…

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: Ron… It isn't a crush anymore… I don't know where he is but as far as I am concerned… I love Harry Potter.

Harry nearly slipped on his feet and his chin landed on the edge of the desk. Rubbing his chin as he got up, Harry sat on the chair and looked in shock…

So it was no rumor… Hermione really liked him. Ever since he noticed Hermione's occasional stares and her very tight hugs, who knew that it would've been out of love?

Harry's head hurt. He wished he just slept instead of poking his nose into other people's business… wait a minute… Hermione is the one who loved him so it is his business!

Fueled with that thought, Harry got the quill beside the parchment, dipped it on a bottle and wrote…

chudley_cannonsfan: Hermione?

Hoot!

Hermione Granger: Yes, Ron?

Hoot!

chudley_cannonsfan: It isn't Ron, Hermione… It's Harry.

There was a very long pause. Harry didn't know what Hermione was doing in the other side. But he could picture her in a very shocked face.

Harry waited for a reply… but in the end there was the sound of a small owl screech signaling Hermione logged out of the OIM system.

Harry banged the desk out of frustration.

“Harry?”

Ron's voice made Harry jump. He turned and saw Ron eating a sandwich.

“Ron, you're awake…” Harry said

“Same with you two - Wait… did you chat with Hermione?”

Harry nodded

“I see, how was she? Did you tell her I went down for a sandwich?” Ron said

“Yup,” Harry lied looking at parchment paper which had a list of Ron's buddies whom all were not on OIM due to the time.

“Ron”

“Yep?”

“Did Hermione like a boy in Hogwarts?” he turned to Ron

“She didn't tell me who. She was about to but then you -”

Ron made a brief pause. The fact that he should be the only to know about Hermione's secret crush caused Ron to go in a cautious state.

“Er…” he said nervously “You didn't see the name, did you?”

Harry sighed

“She likes me, right?”

Ron gave Harry a puzzled look. He observed why would Harry ask this and the quill on Harry's hand, the parchment and the detail that Harry chatted with Hermione made Ron discover about a grave mistake.

Harry is the boy.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no, no, no, no, no, no…” he said as he dropped the sandwich and looked at the parchment to see Hermione's reply.

“Hermione went off” Harry said as he gave Ron the seat “I said it was me and then she just got off”

Ron got his wand out and with a tap he muttered “Archivac”

A small box popped out on the parchment which contained a long message archive of Ron's previous post sessions. Harry saw Hermione's being the most recent in the list.

Ron read the recent one with Hermione's and his mouth dropped. He looked at Harry who was reading over his shoulder.

“Stop reading!” he yelled hysterically and covered the parchment “Hermione has a big problem!”

“Ron! Hermione likes me! It is my business too!”

“But Hermione doesn't want anyone to know” Ron said nervously rolling up the parchment but accidentally dropping it out of shaking.

“Hey, I have every right to know what Hermione is thinking at the moment! Let me talk to her”

“Let me explain how the human brain works” Ron said in a sad attempt to distract Harry from the problem at hand

- - -

Hermione, who was blushing like a red apple, stood up and chanted “Roflous!”.

She started pacing around thinking…

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god… Harry knows! (she cussed a word she wouldn't say in front of anyone) you, Ron!”

The fact that she is here doing nothing and Harry knows at the Burrow made her almost pull her hair off.

Hermione shook her head, took a deep breath and said to herself…

“It's okay… it's okay. It won't be bad. Harry knows, we will talk and I bet he is getting to go in on OIM with his own account - I CAN'T BELIEVE, RON!!”

She ran to her bed and stuffed her face to her pillow and made a small scream.

Hermione groaned in her pillow and hoped that it was all a silly dream. After a few seconds she started to make tiny sobs of doing something so stupid.

She loved Harry with all her heart and she didn't want Harry to discover about that in a way that she is caught. She expected her to tell him personally but now… it's just different.

She turned on her bed and wiped her subtle tears away. Hermione closed her eyes ignoring the “Hoot!” sounds her parchment was making.

It must be either Harry or Ron. Just ignore it.

Hermione dozed into a dreamless sleep, unknown that in the next day, Fred and George will come to fetch her to bring her to the Burrow, unknown of the most awkward week in her life when she talks with Harry in the burrow, unknown that Harry has developed same feelings for her, unknown that by next week's Saturday that she'll have her first kiss with him, unknown that in the next summer days, that she and Harry will have countless snogging sessions, unknown that her first date with Harry will be on her birthday…

In other words, Hermione was unknown that if this is all like a dream she will never wake up, even when September ends.

Why? Because it is real.

“O RLY?” Hedwig asked back at the room in the Burrow

“YA RLY.” Pig said in reply as Harry and Ron talked in the horizon.

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