Chapter Five

Technological Advancement

"... So what is it again?" Ginny asked her father, peering at the oddly shaped box sitting on the desk in her father's study. It looked rather like a Muggle television, only what were all those extra cords and boxes doing around it?

"A computer!" Arthur Weasley said excitedly, stroking the top of the box. "Brilliant invention by Muggles, quite recent too!"

"A computer," Ginny said slowly, giving her father a blank look. "Well, what does it do?"

"Do?" Arthur's grin faded. "I haven't figured that out yet."

"Okay," Ginny said, knocking on the side of the box. Hmm... not really hollow sounding. "So what's in it?"

"Lots of things!" Arthur beamed. "Wires, metal – you name it, it's in there!"

"And what are all the cords for?" Ginny asked, picking one up dubiously. "This looks a bit like the plug you use for the Muggle kettle."

Arthur looked down at the cord, recognition dawning on his face. "So it does! Let's go try it in the kettle!"

"Um, no," Ginny said, holding it out of her father's reach. "Let's plug it into the computer and see what it does."

Ginny busied herself fitting different shaped plugs and cords into the back of the computer slots. Finally there were none left. She plugged the other ends into the electricity 'power board' thing that her father had brought home the year before, flipped the switch to red and waited expectantly. Nothing happened.

"Maybe... maybe you need to press another button," her father said, looking worriedly at the computer. "My colleague did say that it worked!"

Sure. Ginny grimaced to herself. She examined the biggest box more closely and discovered some words printed on it. They were upside down, so Ginny craned her neck to read them properly.

"Power..." Ginny read, her neck already aching. "I think this is it, Dad." She pressed the button. A whirring noise began promptly, lights flashing. Ginny and Arthur jumped back in shock before leaning in more closely to examine the source of the noise.

"It's working!" Arthur said, positively delighted. "Look at that, Gin!" He ruffled her hair.

"Daaaaad!" Ginny shied away, cheeks glowing.

The whirring noise slowed. Arthur touched the box tentatively.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"Um..." Ginny looked around her helplessly. "What's that box for? The television bit?"

"Um..." Arthur echoed Ginny's confusion. "Well... I'm not sure, exactly."

Ginny looked at the back of the screen. There were two holes there; a narrow slit filled with tiny holes and another one shaped like the kettle cord.

"There isn't another kettle cord, is there, Dad?"

"No," Arthur said. "What did you do with the other one?"

"Plugged it into the box."

"And?"

"Oh, and I put the other bit in the power board." Ginny looked at the back of the computer. "There's a similar hole here that I've plugged this funny shaped one into."

"Does that plug into the power board too?" Arthur picked up the power board. "There's only one thing plugged into it."

Ginny looked at the television shaped box holes again. She ran her eyes down the length of the odd shaped plug and discovered yet another plug at the end of it.

"Hmm..."

Ten minutes later, Ginny had all the plugs and cords figured out correctly. She'd located a power button on the television box too, and to their great excitement, had seen words and pictures on the screen.

"This is excellent, Ginny, excellent work!" Arthur had praised Ginny exuberantly before rushing out of the room to telephone his work colleague. "I'll ask for instructions, Ginny! Don't break it!"

"I'm not going to break it!" Ginny rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the screen. New pictures were loading across the bottom. A long bar with "start" written in the corner, and a tiny triangular shaped arrow in the centre of the screen. "Peculiar..." Ginny said to herself.

Ron appeared in the doorway of Arthur's office, lounging casually against the doorframe.

"Hey, Gin."

Ginny turned her head around, giving a weak smile.

"Hey, Ron."

Ron took a few steps into the room, looking curiously at the computer. "What're you doing?"

"Trying to figure out this Muggle thing for Dad." Ginny stood up and stretched. "Time for lunch, I think."

"Hang on." Ron extended his arm and grabbed at Ginny's sleeve as she tried to pass. "I was just wondering..."

Here we go, Ginny thought.

"Yes?"

"Um..." Ron looked out at the corridor fleetingly before looking back at Ginny. "Have you heard from Harry lately?"

"What? Why?" Ginny asked defensively.

Ron frowned. "Well, I haven't heard from him and I was worried. Mum said you might've."

"Well, I haven't." Ginny tried to brush past him.

"Ginny." Ron rolled his eyes. "I know you have. Mum said you have."

Drat.

"Okay, so maybe I have. What's it to you?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms and staring Ron down.

"I was just wondering if he's okay!" Ron said hotly, his cheeks flushing crimson.

"He's fine. Can I go now?"

"Um... sure." Ron watched, puzzled, as Ginny exited abruptly.