The Gryffindor Five

Part Two

Chapter one

By danu40k

Thursday, September 2nd 1993:

After breakfast, they trooped back to the Common Room. They had a study hall right now, and they decided to set things up for selling later.

They had the House-Elves bring in a new large table and placed it against the far wall. They then placed computers on the table along with printers. The students would be allowed to use these computers but had to pay for their own parchment. Since there were only three computers on the table, and each computer and printer was firmly attached to the table, which meant that demand would be high as soon as people discovered everything they could do.

They then placed work lights above each of the computers. Set so that there wouldn't be a glare on the screen.

~ooOoo~

During lunch Harry approached the Muggle Studies teacher, Charity Burbage, saying they had something she would like to see. They brought her into the Gryffindor Common Room and showed her the computers. Students had already discovered the computers and were already trying to figure out how to work them. Harry placed a Sonorous charm on his throat and stated: "Ladies and Gentlemen, a full demonstration of the computers and how they work will be given tonight after dinner. Be assured they DO run in Hogwarts and that I have several available to those who would like to buy one. If you are interested; I, the Weasleys, and Hermione, have gotten together with the companies that made these toys and are able to sell them to you at a special Hogwarts Student Rate which is near cost. We also have CD Walkmans and catalogs for CD's as well as catalogs for various book clubs. During the summer I bought a building which I turned into a PO Box for students and their families. You or your parents sign up to get a box then all you have to do is send your Owl to the Diagon Alley drop and they will send it onto the Muggle world and vice versa." Harry ended the spell and went over to the teacher who was looking at the computers. Students crowded around Harry asking questions left and right. Finally the bell for class rang and all the students rushed out. "I have a computer for you as well ma'am." Harry stated when they were alone.

The teacher looked at him, "Are you willing to give classes? I'll gladly pass you in my class for the year if so."

Harry nodded. "We had a tutor this last summer. So we know how they work and I have everything set up if I need to bring in a tutor just in case."

The teacher nodded. "I have free time now if you wish to bring the computer into my class."

"We did that over lunch. Right now we have independent studies so it was no hardship." Harry grinned at the teacher. They then headed over to the classroom so that Harry could give her a quick lesson in how to use the computer.

~ooOoo~

After dinner the Common room was packed with students from all the houses. There were even a few teachers as well as the Headmaster.

After getting everyone settled and quiet, Harry went into his speal. After which they separated into groups. First years went with Hermione. Second years went with Ginny. Third years with Ron. Fourth with Fred. Fifth with George. Sixth with Harry. And seventh with Percy who had come over from Ravenclaw. He had told the Muggleborns in his house what was going on in Gryffindor and had told them that it was going to be an open house for the night if they wanted to check it out. So most of Ravenclaw was there as well.

Even a few Slytherins had come. Their house was greatly reduced since the arrests and convictions of so many of their parents along with Harry's attack on the assets. What were left were the more open minded families. Many of those left knew a good thing when it hit them and would be writing their families to inform them about the new investment opportunities.

~ooOoo~

That night, after everyone had finally left, Harry sat with the sales teams in his trunk. "I think we were right. We are going to need to bring teachers into the school to teach this. Say one for each year that way all of the people interested will be able to learn." The others nodded. "As it is, it's a good thing we had independent studies today. The Muggle Studies teacher wants to talk me about setting up computers on each of the desks in her classroom." He drank a bit of his butterbeer. "I think things are going to sell real well now. I've already had nibbles from Muggleborns about how much the computers are. When we start to show up listening to the CD's I think sales will go through the roof. I set the signup sheet for PO Boxes and it's already full. Percy says it's the same in Ravenclaw." He drank some more. "Dumbledore wants to see me on Saturday, so that should be fun. Dobby, I want you there as well just in case." Dobby nodded.

Ron thought for a moment, "Harry, the problem with bringing in teachers is that they could sell things from under us. I think it would be a better idea for us to teach it. It's not like we'll be teaching them how to take apart the computer like we were taught. Just how to run the computer programs. It should only take a weekend or so. You know, take five kids. Set them down at the computer and teach them the basics. Just enough so that they can do their homework and such. Take about two to three hours apiece. Then on to the next group. Set up in an old classroom." Harry and the others nodded. Hermione calculated; "That would equal forty to forty five computers. That would fit into a classroom. I think it's a wonderful idea. Have the seventh years go first, then on down. They in turn can teach others until everyone who wants to learn has been through the basic class. Set things up so that after they have bought a computer, they get tutored in how to best use their machine. That's when we can bring in the tutors. Say next month or so. We want to have sold enough for a class. Make it so the tutors can't sell anything personally. People have to go through us."

Harry thought about it. "Dobby get me the computer contract will you?"

Dobby popped up with the contract after a moment. Harry looked it over. "It says here that I have exclusive rights on selling at Hogwarts. Diagon Alley is another story, but here I run the show. So I say let's get the tutors in starting next weekend to show them how to get the best out of the computers. The more they know, the more likely they are to buy." The others nodded while Harry handed back the contract to Dobby so that he could put it away. The others headed out of Harry's trunk and to their respective rooms and beds.

September 3rd:

Friday came and with it classes finally. Charms was first, right after breakfast with Arithmacy after lunch. Then study hall. They planned on using Harry's trunk to do their homework in, then going to their own trunks to type it up.

Professor Flitwick was surprised at how well they were doing. Each was competing with the other to get it done first. With Harry or Hermione usually, but not always, coming in first. When asked what had happened, they each answered that they were finally taking the class seriously and had studied over the holidays. Ron and Neville also told him that they finally had wands that were theirs, and not someone else's which also seemed to help.

They each earned several points that day in class.

After Charms, they had a study hall where they went to Harry's trunk to get their homework done. After that they had lunch and then Arithmacy.

Arithmacy was a new subject to all but Hermione. This made it more enjoyable since they didn't have to hold back. The class had them starting on Pythagoras.

When it was time to work on their homework that afternoon, they found to their delight…okay, Hermione's delight, that Ravenclaw's library had the copies of the Alexandrian library's copy of the original works of Pythagoras in Greek. They had all used the Crystals to learn languages. Not for studying purposes, but because they liked to use spells in other languages besides Latin. It made it harder for their opponents to know what is being cast at them. Plus some of the earlier works were meaner and legal.

~ooOoo~

Saturday came, and with it sales of products such as CD Walkmans and club memberships. Many of the students also signed up for the PO Boxes. Harry had written the Muggle address of the place for their families to write to.

Harry let the others sell while he went up to see the Headmaster with Dobby.

"Harry, I see you brought your House-Elf with you. That is one thing I wished to speak with you about. You know that no students are allowed to have a House-Elf with them. That the only House-Elves in Hogwarts belong to Hogwarts." Dumbledore told him. A twinkle in his eye.

Harry shrugged. "Actually, I got permission from the Board of Governors to have Dobby with me."

"Ah yes, the Board of Governors. You have five of the eleven votes if I remember right. Five of the seats just barely were voted in. Unanimously if I heard right." Dumbledore said.

Harry could tell that Dumbledore was searching for something. Then he felt a mental probe.

"Unless you feel like joining Snape in Azkaban I would quit that right now." He told Dumbledore. "As far as I'm concerned this meeting is over. If you wish to speak with me again it will be with my solicitors here to insure my safety. You try something like this again and I promise you, you won't know what hit you. The same goes for Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville. I WILL be telling Mrs. Longbottom and the others on the board about this just in case something happens to me. Come Dobby." Harry pulled a Snape and stormed out of the office with his robes billowing around him. With Dobby slowly backing out. An eye on the Headmaster to make sure that he didn't pull a wand.

~ooOoo~

Harry arrived at the Room of Requirement after leaving the Headmaster's Office. He walked back and forth three times getting a room where he could blow things up. Spending several hours practicing his Parkour and flinging curses at dummies.

~ooOoo~

Harry walked into the Common Room to see various people with their Walkmans on and listening to the music they had bought off his team. Harry grinned. There was nothing like earning money and making people happy at the same time.

Harry walked up to the group. "How did it go Harry?" Asked Ron noticing Harry was sweaty.

"I walked in, he tried to interrogate me, then tried to mind probe me when he wasn't getting the information he wanted. I caught him and threatened him, then stalked out. I went to the RoR after that. Needed to blow something's up." Harry answered as he plopped down.

"EWW. Stinky! Go shower!" The girls complained. Harry grinned and headed off to shower.

~ooOoo~

Sunday had the representative of the computer company there to talk with Harry and Xander. Harry wanted to arrange tutors to begin next weekend. Harry figured that seven tutors could easily teach the class over the weekend. Harry was willing to front the cost of the computers they would need. He would sell them to the students after they were done. Those that he couldn't sell right away would go towards the Christmas sales.

An agreement was reached after several hours of wrangling, and a new contract was signed.

Harry called out before the end of dinner that an agreement had been made and tutors were going too made available for those who wished to learn how to use the computers.

A cheer went up throughout the great hall.

September 6th:

Monday morning came and the group finally got together to work out. Two hours later, they came in sweaty and tired. The workout had been hard.

They showered and dressed, heading down to the great hall for breakfast.

There had been no word yet from the Headmaster as to what he was going to do since Harry blew up at him. He had been absent from the great hall yesterday. Though Harry had gotten word that he had been contacting Madam Bones, and when that didn't work, he tried the Board. Again he met with little success. Harry had gotten word to them via. Dobby and they were not happy with the Headmaster at all.

In fact, after contacting them to try and reign in Harry, he ended up with Howlers instead. For this reason he had not eaten in the great hall for several meals.

Harry got up and headed to History, followed by the others. Ginny headed to Potions. She told them that she would tell them what the new potions teacher was like. So far they had heard nothing but praise about the man.

If they hadn't brought their own history books with them to study, they would have fallen asleep within minutes of Binns starting the class. As boring as he is, and as tired as they were, they would have had a hard time not to.

The end of class could not come too soon in their opinion.

~ooOoo~

After lunch came Defense. Madam Bones had personally vetted the man. He was a retired Auror, and definitely knew his business, though they had a slight problem. Boggarts. Their fears were not the fears of children, but of war weary adults. They made sure to place themselves last in the hopes that they wouldn't get to do it.

It worked. They definitely didn't mind the extra homework they had because they didn't do the practical.

September 7th:

They finished their work out in better shape than they had been before. They had decided that they would switch out every other day. First day work out, second day martial arts, and so on. They wanted their evenings free to be available to their customers.

When Quidditch work out began, Ron, Ginny, and Harry would have to think of something else. But for now they would stick with this.

Their first class of the day was Transfiguration. Again, their teacher was amazed at the improvement of her students.

After lunch, they had Runes, and then Harry had hired a tutor for music lessons.

~ooOoo~

That evening, they had a lot of people lined up to talk with them. The twins and Percy had done a great job in selling things, but some questions they could not answer.

One came from a first year Hufflepuff named Thomas. His family was poor and if wasn't for the Lilly Foundation giving scholarships, he wouldn't have been able to come. Thing was he really wanted a CD player. He could live without a computer for now, but he really wanted the player. All his friends at home had one, and most of his friends here at school had one, but he just couldn't afford it.

Harry told him that he would give him a loan. To repay the loan, he was to work with the twins as one of their test subjects. And for every O he got on his homework, Harry would knock off a Sickle from the loan. But he had to have proof, so Thomas was to show him his papers. Thomas grinned and nodded, he could do that.

Harry gave him a Player and told him to get a CD out of the box so he had something to listen to. Harry then told him that if he continued to do well in class, he would continue the practice of knocking money off his purchases of CD's. He then told him to tell everyone that there would be a movie night the last Saturday of the month.

Thomas yipped in happiness and scampered off to tell his friends.

Harry continued to do this for the other students on scholarship. If the student wanted a computer, Harry made an appointment with Xander to go see the kid's parents for a special discount as part of their scholarship. For those not on scholarships he had a loan application they were to send to their parents whom would allow the parents to slowly buy off the computer and printer set. Usually at ten galleons or fifty pounds per month depending on the family. Those parents that were Muggle he had set up a bank account they could make payments to so they wouldn't have to go to the hassle of exchanging money.

September 8th and 9th:

Wednesday was Potions, Herbology, and Astronomy. With Study hall Thursday morning to allow students who needed it a chance to sleep in.

Harry and the others used the time to finish off their homework, and then have some fun. They had been working so hard that they just hadn't had the time.

They headed up to the seventh floor staircase then started slinky races to see how far and how fast each slinky would go. Harry watched them go down, then stated, "You know. Some people are like Slinkys, really useless, but make me happy when pushed down the stairs." The group looked at him for a moment, and then began to laugh.

Little did they know that Hogwarts herself was watching and enjoying the fun. Moving her stairs to get the most out of the toys. Till Filch confiscated them saying they were a danger to everyone. People could trip and fall over them.

Personally they knew they could get more, they just had to figure out where to play with them. Maybe the RoR.

That night, Hogwarts had one of the House-Elves take the Slinkys out of Filch's office and bring it to the top of the stairs and let them go. Throughout the night you could hear the stairways moving as she played. She would have to tell Harry to bring more games for her to play.

Harry had the strangest dreams that night. It started out with Hogwarts lovingly playing with the Slinkys and then morphed into Hogwarts playing with remote controlled toys.

End Part Two Chapter One