Hi everyone. This is a remake of my first attempt at fanfiction Stormy Sunset which was regretfully taken off due to a misunderstanding. It has been updated to take ito account everything that took place in the J.K.R series up to the Department of Mysteries in OotP. It is meant to be light hearted fun, not serious. Hermione is not canon because, no matter how hard I try, I can't write characters like Rowling does. Her birth year is as per the DVD so the plot will work. If none of this bothers you, please read on. If not, I'm sorry to disappoint you.

I love reviews but prefer constructive criticism to mindless squeeing. This doesn't mean you shouldn't leave a review if you can't see anything wrong, but honestly, there is going to be mistakes I missed since I don't have a beta. P.S. That was a hint.

This takes place in Harrys' seventh year and does not take into account anything from, and including, the Department of Mysteries onwards.

The Introduction

Hermione had always loved to solve puzzles. Finding the aspects of a situation that didn't seem to make sense and unraveling the lines of logic until the answer just clicked. It was why she loved Hogwarts so much, even when she had been almost alone with only Aly to talk to occasionally. Hogwarts was like the ultimate puzzle, just when you think you solved all the secrets another one would take it's place.

The second most beneficial puzzle she had found to date, first being Professor Snapes' riddle to guard the philosophers stone, was the puzzle of what could and could not work at Hogwarts. The question had come to her after she had told Harry and Ron that electronic bugs did not work at Hogwarts.

"All those substitutes for magic Muggles use- electricity, and computers and radar, all those things- they all go Haywire around Hogwarts…"

(GoF p 475-476)

Only that wasn't true, pretty much every student raised in a primarily muggle world wore a standard muggle watch which ran on electricity and still worked in Hogwarts. She always checked her watch after returning from Hogwarts because of the time difference from Hogwarts and wherever her parents were vacationing for that summer and her watch had always kept time perfectly. Even the smallest amount of electricity would react in the same way that a large electrical field would. It did not make sense that some electrical items worked and others did not and Hermione did not like it when things didn't lake sense, so she researched it until it did.

The first step to solving a puzzle was to work out what was known, what was presumed and what was a complete mystery. She surveyed a sample collection of students to see what the common belief was and researched the information available in books, then she stated her question and the ways in which she could answer the question.

The simplest way in which she could solve this puzzle was to simple test the theory. Bring in range of technologies and see which worked and which didn't. Test the reaction of various technology based on the way in which it worked and how much energy was expended in order for the device to work. Luckily she had indulgent parents who would replace whichever pieces of technology were scrambled in this venture. Which turned out to be completely unnecessary, every single item she brought with her was fine from the digital alarm clock to the advanced laptop computer with built in satellite uplink for a world-wide internet connection. Granted the internet and her mobile phone did not work on Hogwarts grounds but there was a suitable clearing in the forest which was somewhat accessible when she needed the web. Her mobile had no reception, even with the satellite connection.

Basically a rumor had been spread to discourage the use of technology at Hogwarts so that muggles would pick up any traces of people inside the area. Magic appeared odd and could be explained as imagination, actual evidence of technology was hard proof. Besides magic was easier and faster, for most students anyway, and even if they did want to bring in some form of technology, there was no powerpoint to make them work. It didn't matter if technology could or could not work at Hogwarts, there was no reason to bring any form of it to Hogwarts anyway.

Hermione was not most people. If her laptop worked at Hogwarts she was going to buy a heap of batteries and bring it. It was faster to type her notes onto the computer and use the find command then it was to search manually few hundreds of pages of parchment, no matter how organized and color coded the parchment notes were. It was easier to sleep when she had emptied her thoughts into a journal and her computer was a lot more secure as a password protected hidden computer file then as a ward protected physical book which could be physically taken away. Then there was the fact that chatting with her parents online was a much quicker and more humane way of sorting out her problems then corresponding by owl and working the poor creatures half to death. Now the owl's were only used to send dead and recharged batteries. Unfortunately the ever so quickly approaching storm was stopping that parental guided of problem solving so at the moment she was left with her own wits.

That left her sitting in her favorite thinking spot contemplating a way out of her current mess. Hermione was rather glad that she had com across this spot. She had found it in her third year when she had been fighting with Harry. She had been wandering the more abandoned portions of Hogwarts and come across a room that had an almost perfect view of the forbidden forest. She had climbed on the windowsill to contemplate view and had happened to notice that there was a veranda roof right below the window that would be flat enough and sturdy enough to walk on. It was also placed about torso height below the window so it would be dangerous to get to.

All in all it was the perfect place for solitude, a place to be left alone to think without giggling, chattering or cries for help with homework. Even if someone came into the room they would only see her if the leaned out the window and looked straight down and according to the Mauruaders Map she was floating in mid air. This was the perfect place to be alone and at the moment she was both loving and hating the feeling.

Her problem had begun that morning with the arrival of the mail and the Daily Prophet that had been dropped on her plate. For once the pertinent news was emblazoned on the front cover and not hidden away in a square inch article at the bottom of a page next the most boring article in the entire paper. This time it was headlining news: The Witch Auctions.

'In what is likely to be the most controversial move he has made in his entire political career, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic has passed what has been called 'The most idiotic law ever.' In an effort to raise Britain declining birthrates the Wizengamot last night passed a law which demands witches of child bearing age are to be married within a month of the completion of their formal education. If witches find they do not have a husband by 1st August their name will be entered on a registry and the witches will be offered at a public auction on the 1st September.

In accordance with the law all current betrothal's and engagements are to be honored within a month of the youngest participants coming of age and all currently unwed witches of child bearing age are to find a spouse within a month. If these witches do not marry within the month they will be auctioned on the first auction to be held on the 1st of June. The auction, to be held annually on the 1st September for the next ten years, is only open to unwed or widowed wizards of marriageable age or the Patriarch of the family who may bid for unwed male of his line and will endorse a wizarding ceremony striving for two children to result from the union.

Further details on page five.

The news had, obviously, created a stir. Within ten minutes all the students were talking about the article and law, most in shock or denial. Hermione, already seeing what would happen had gone up to her dormitory and grabbed her second book bag which had her laptop and muggle stationary in it, then climbed onto the roof to think. She didn't want to get married. She was confident that some one would ask her but she had no interest for any wizard of an appropriate age that she had met. Most of the boys in her classes were childish or simply did not hold any form of appeal for her and she had not really known any of the older barring the Weasley's. It was only November and she still had most of the year to decide who to marry but that also meant she had almost a year of the guys acting like morons trying to attract attention and the more eager boys trying to get laid early because they would get married soon. Hermione was going to suggest a sex education class when she got the courage to go back into the castle and hint that the pumpkin juice be laced with a contraceptive potion.

It was likely that she was over reacting to the concept of witches being sold to the highest bidder. It was probably just stress from the Final Confrontation, as the last battle with Voldemort had been called, but she was rather emotional about this whole concept and it would be a year before the Wizengamot could hear any petition that the law be overturned. This years' graduating class and any unwed witches of an appropriate age already would be forced into a marriage or mocked because they had no takers. It was a serious problem, particularly since the fine print read that any marriage that took place after a month of eligibility must be a wizarding ceremony and could not be annulled without the blessing of a Wizengamot member, which would likely only be given after the birth of two children.

Like she would do with any other problem, Hermione had switched on her computer, typed out her thoughts and worked on the problem with an analytical mind. She noted everything she knew about the law and ways she could get more information. Then, as she was Head Girl, she made a list of all the problems that this law could cause in the school and ways the school might handle it. Finally she made a list of all the candidates for herself and noted the relevant information them.

She was still working on the list when an owl swooped down to perch on the windowsill above her head. Hermione tilted her head back to look at the owl and got a poke on the check for her trouble as the owl drooped an envelope on her face.

"Ow. That was uncalled for."

The owl hooted it's disdain and flew of again as Hermione broke the seal and took out her letter. It was the Headmaster.

Dear Miss Granger,

Please come see me in my office in ten minutes time to discuss some current affairs. You will find the password has not changed since your last meeting with me. Please refrain from sitting on any Hogwarts roofs in the future unless you have company to help ensure your safety.

Professor A. Dumbledore

After checking the time and saving her documents, Hermione packed up the laptop and climbed back into the empty room. She didn't have time to drop her bag back into her room, but if the Headmaster knew she was on the roof by herself he may well know that she had smuggled in electronics and didn't mind so long as she kept it a secret. He would be distracted by the prospect of his students being forced into marriage anyway. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Hermione set of for the gargoyles that marked the Headmasters office.