1 Chapter 1-A Present for Hermione

When Hermione had stepped off the train after her 6th year at Hogwarts, her parents had told her there was a present waiting for her at home. Now, stepping into her room at home, it was hard to miss it. Her parents had bought her a brand new computer. She squealed. Hermione had always wanted one of these, having seen her Muggle friends use them. Fine, fine, they weren't Muggle friends, they were other library members, but that's not the point. Hermione quickly found the 'on' button and watched it load. When it was finished, her dad came in.

"I know your school doesn't have any of these there, but I thought you should learn to use one. And the best way to do that was to buy your own. Now, I've already set everything up. If you click on that twice, you can type things up instead of writing them out. If you double click on this icon, you can surf the Internet. And finally, if you click here, you can learn how to type properly so you can type faster."

Hermione absorbed all of this information, and watched as her dad left the room. Knowing she should learn as quickly as possible, she double clicked on the icon title "Type To Learn" (A/N: This is a REAL computer program used to help students learn proper typing skills)

By dinnertime, Hermione had finished the program. 'It was really quite easy.' She thought to herself.

So she headed downstairs for dinner. Her parents grilled her for answers about school that year, which she answered diligently. After helping clear the table and wash the dishes, Hermione's parents went to bed. So she trudged up to her room, and closed the door. Looking around, she realized that she wasn't sleepy. So she turned to her computer. And slowly, she opened the Internet.

For awhile, she just kinda typed in random stuff and hoped it took her someplace. But one of these places had an add that intrigued her.

"Sign up for free and meet all sorts of people!"

In a moment of confidence, Hermione decided to go out and make some new friends. So she downloaded the program, and created herself a screen name. Hermione Granger was now Herbie_G.

Herbie was a name her parents had called her for years, until she proclaimed that she no longer liked it. G was simply her last initial.

So Hermione looked around her new instant messaging program, and eventually found something called 'chat.'

She clicked on it, and was quickly given a wide range of categories of chats. Hermione browsed through them all, and eventually decided on one called 'witches and wizards.' She wanted to see what the Muggles were saying about her kind.

As soon as the chat window opened, people bombarded her.

RoSeFiEnD: hey there! Can we call you Herbie?

Herbie_G: sure. Well, I'm Herbie who are all of you?

Lighteningbolt: I'm Larry

LilysRKewl: Call me Lils

RoSeFiEnD: Rose here

Herbie_G: good to know. So did I interrupt any important conversation?

LilysRKewl: we were debating the existence of witches and wizards. Rose and I are totally against it, but Larry here seems pretty certain we're wrong

Herbie_G: well, then I'll just make the sides even and join up with Larry here, b/c you know, I think he's right

RoSeFiEnD: you do?! Why?!

Herbie_G: I don't know, I just have a hunch

Hermione was lying through her teeth, but it didn't matter. She'd never meet these people, and right now, she didn't care.

Lighteningbolt: hey, does anyone know how to add people to our buddylist? I'm still new at this…my aunt and uncle bought this for me when I got back from school.

LilysRKewl: yeah, click on list setup, and at the bottom, there's this dude who's waving and he's got a plus next to him. Click on him, and type in the person's screen name

Lighteningbolt: thanx

Herbie_G: yeah, thanx

So Hermione put all their names down on her buddy list, just glad to have some new friends.

RoSeFiEnD: hey herbie, if you think witches and wizards exist, what do you think they do.

Herbie_G: well, they all have wands, with a special core from a specific magical animal. When they turn 11, they all go to a special school to learn to use their wands with spells that do things like unlike doors, illuminate dark spaces, and even kill people. They have special communities and their very own sport. They all wear robes, and they like to remain a secret.

LilysRKewl: yeah right…

RoSeFiEnD: no kidding! Where would you come up with bull like that? No offense or anything…

However, Hermione did get offended.

Herbie_G: darn…I've got to go now. I'll see you guys around.

So she closed the chat window, and went back to browsing the long list. But just then, she received an individual message from Lighteningbolt.

Lighteningbolt: that was really rude of them. Sorry they did that

Herbie_G: I know! Thank you!

Lighteningbolt: hey, it's no big deal. Besides, we were on the same side of the debate. Its like defending my team

Herbie_G: you're right. That's really neat.

Lighteningbolt: so what are you doing right now?

Herbie_G: nothing. Right now. I'll probably start on my summer homework in a few minutes. I always like to be ahead.

Lighteningbolt: me too. my aunt and uncle don't like the school I go to, so I have to do my homework in secret. They're really wacked out if you ask me.

Herbie_G: they are, aren't they. Hey, pardon my asking, but why do you live with your aunt and uncle?

There was a long pause.

Lighteningbolt: They died in a car crash when I was a year old. I was in it, but somehow came out of it alive.

Herbie_G: oh. I'm really sorry.

Lighteningbolt: it's okay. Not your fault, I'm sure.

Herbie_G: true. So anyway, you said that your aunt and uncle gave the computer when you got back from school. What year did you just finish?

Lighteningbolt: 6th

Herbie_G: hey! Me too! I'm excited…only two more months until the very last year

Lighteningbolt: you too? that's so cool…and I know the feeling! I can't wait!

Herbie_G: I wonder if you go to my school…that'd be way creepy/cool

Lighteningbolt: that would be…but I doubt you do. There aren't very many people at my school

Herbie_G: same here…it's really little.

Lighteningbolt: well, mine is an all boy's school…in Scotland

Herbie_G: oh. Mine's in Scotland, but it's co-ed

Lighteningbolt: darn…that'd be cool. Like my friend Bill, he's great, but he's just not a girl.

Herbie_G: how'd you know I was a girl?

Lighteningbolt: oh I dun know…just something about you. You know, female aura

Herbie_G: that's awful nice of you to say. No one has ever said anything that nice to me before! Not even my best friends Ron and Harry

There was another long pause.

Lighteningbolt: really? How could they not?! You seem perfectly nice to me

Herbie_G: ( thank you. I really appreciate that.

Hermione looked at her clock.

Herbie_G: wow…I've really got to get to bed. I'll cya around, k?

Lighteningbolt: yeah, cya

Then Hermione signed off, and went to bed. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought about Larry.

'He's so sweet. Ron and Harry wouldn't say that to me…ever, unless I was about to throw myself off a cliff or something. He's so kind, and he's my age. He'll stick up for me. I wonder if he's cute.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Hermione woke up and bounded downstairs for a quick breakfast. She was about to head back upstairs for her shower, when her mother announced that they were going shopping. So Hermione rushed her shower, and came back downstairs for a long day with her mother.

As soon as Hermione got in the car, her mother started asking her all of the embarrassing questions.

"Hermione, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No! No one at my school likes me. I'm too much of a brainiac. Even my best friends don't like me like that. Ron is going out with this girl named Lavender, and Harry doesn't even have a girlfriend."

"So then I can safely assume you've never had sex?" Her mother was gripping the wheel and staring straight ahead as they drove down Main Street.

"Yes mother. I've never even kissed a guy."

"Hermione, I don't mean to sound prude, but you have no idea how much relief that brings me. Now where do you want to go?"

And just like that, the conversation was over, and the rest of the day was spent driving around buying Muggle clothes that fit.

But every quiet moment, Hermione was thinking about her new friend Larry.

End Chapter 1

Hehe…I really hope you can tell who Larry is. And his friend Bill.

I hope you liked this!! Please review!!

~Herbie (who's name is NOT Hermione)

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