Beta: None, as AriArlene is busy with classes.
Original Release Date: 1/23/16
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the canon Harry Potter universe or any other universe.
Chapter Forty One – Ideas Develop
Sitting down to dinner, Harry looks around as the many other students also look around confused at the lack of food on the serving platters, waves of chatter throughout the room.
"Attention students, Professor Lupin would like to make an announcement before we eat" announces Dumbledore before stepping back from the lecturn.
"Thank you, Headmaster, and thank you all for being patient. Getting used to Hogwarts is a hard task, but you all have managed very well this week. However, with a suggestion from two Gryffindor students, Sirius Black and myself have created the functionality for all those in Hogwarts to find where they are and where classrooms are. Dormitories are NOT marked, you should know where that is yourself, or simply drop a pin to remind yourself of where it is. Classrooms, hallways, and lavatories are labeled, in addition to a way to have the system plot the shortest course to whatever room or class you have. Out of bounds areas are also marked, so please take note and stay away of such areas", before stepping back and taking his seat.
"Thank you professor for your hard work, and let us now eat our fill!" declares Dumbledore as food appears on the platters.
Digging into roasted chicken breast, Harry pauses as Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team comes up behind him and states, "Potter, Quidditch practice tomorrow at dawn", before walking away.
Snorting briefly before chuckling, Harry remarks, "Wood really likes Quidditch to be up that early then. But I guess no better time to start than now."
"So Harry, what about our morning run?" inquiries Fred sitting down across from Harry.
"We might as well skip it but let Neville, Ginny, and Hermione to go. No need to tire ourselves out, especially with Wood quite possibly driving us into the ground."
The next morning, while it is still dark out, Harry gathers his Quidditch gear, both safety gear, uniform, and broom, making his way down to the common room where Remus and Professor McGonagall wait, in addition to the rest of the Quidditch team, Neville, Hermione, and Ginny, dressed for some running exercise.
"This morning I have decided that seeing as Wood requested such an early practice time for the Quidditch pitch, that we could exercise while the team warms up" announces Professor McGonagall with a smile.
"Fine with me professor" states Wood, before leading the Quidditch team through the portrait hole first.
Entering the locker room that each team to themselves, Wood stands at the front of the room, pacing back and forth for a few seconds before stating, "We have the same brooms as the rest of the teams, the same styled locker room, but guess what we have that the others don't. Three superb chasers that could hold their own on ratty school brooms, two beaters that can wallop bludgers across the field with one hit, and a stealthy seeker that prowls the field for the snitch, and last me as the keeper."
"You forgot the ability to watch game and practice footage to analyze the opponent and to more fine tune our synergy" calls out Fred from the back.
As the heads not belonging to Harry or George turn towards Fred, Fred smiles and adds, "Well, we can access the cameras and at least watch our footage and learn from it."
"You're joking" says Wood emotionlessly.
"He isn't, I'm looking through one right now" states Harry, turning his Omni Play around so everyone can see the screen.
'He really is looking through the camera…' thinks Wood to himself, before speaking aloud, "How do we go about accessing this…footage?"
"That may be a problem. Only six people have access to this, and it's Professor Lupin, Sirius Black, Neville Longbottom, Fred, George, and myself" answers Harry hesitantly.
"Then how would we all see it?" asks Wood.
"We can watch on one of our devices" answers Harry offers.
Sighing, Wood remarks, "That isn't very useful, Potter. We need something larger so we ALL can watch at the same time."
"Harry, couldn't we just have the Omni Play show it like how we see things through our eyes, like when Remus's head appeared from yours months back, could we?" inquiries George seriously.
Shaking his head, Harry answers, "Of what I know, it can't be done. Something to do with spell work on the cameras or something. Ask him yourself, he and Sirius are the ones who did the work."
Clearing his throat, Wood speaks, "Let's get to practicing and worry about watching how we do for later", before leading the team out onto the pitch.
Beginning with some laps around the arena, Wood throttles practice up as they begin to execute trickier and trickier maneuvers. Watching from high in the stands, Hermione whispers to Neville, "They look exactly like they did before the break."
Whispering back, Neville answers, "That's because Fred and George have a place to practice at their house and so does Harry. Wood's a total Quidditch fanatic, so I figure he's found a way to get some practice in over the break as well. However, I'm not so certain regarding the girls, I really haven't spoken with them."
Sitting in the back of the rows of seats, Remus quickly sends 'Found a testing crowd for our new product' on his Omni Play before sitting back and watching the Quidditch team practice.
"It brings back memories, doesn't it?" remarks Professor McGonagall quietly.
Pausing, Remus nods his head before commenting, "He plays just like James did. While I'm far from perfect, I think I did a pretty decent job of filling in as responsible parent figure for him. Better than Sirius, at times. I think he took James's death harder than us all. But having a mother figure like Amelia helps, especially when Harry is at home and not here."
"Thank you for being so candid, Remus" answers Professor McGonagall watching the practice.
A few minutes later Professor McGonagall asks, "What will you do once this year is over with? Will you stay and teach, or will you go back to the Marauders Emporium and assist Sirius?"
Snorting, Remus answers, "I'll be going back to help make certain Sirius doesn't get in over his head. Especially seeing as we need to hire some employees as we expand our brand throughout the wizarding world. Such as our French venture."
Turning suddenly to the side, Professor McGonagall inquiries, "You two have expanded into France already? Oh my."
Nodding his head, Remus smiles and answers, "That we have. Well, Sirius has done the leg work, such as building the French Marauding Network. That then allows the French Ministry of Magic to broadcast their own content on our networks for only French citizens and not us. There is still a store there to build, hire some witches and wizards, in addition to the other mountain load of projects we have on our plate. Sirius seems cheerful enough, but he's honestly exhausted."
Smiling, Professor McGonagall turns back to the Quidditch practice and comments, "I'm quite happy for you two. I bet if James was alive that you three would be taking the world by storm."
"I bet we would" remarks Remus somewhat absentmindedly.
Patting his right hand, Professor McGonagall comments, "I'm sure both Lily and James are quite satisfied on how you, Sirius, and Amelia have raised Harry and Susan."
"I bet they are, I bet they are" murmurs Remus.
A few hours later as Harry, Fred, and George come to rest at the Gryffindor table, Luna sits down across from Harry and asks, "Harry, why isn't there a way to search through everything that has been collected on a topic?"
Blinking a few times in confusion, Harry asks somewhat wearily, "Can you explain a bit more, please Luna?"
"Is there a collection of all recorded information on a specific topic so that someone can search through it?" restates Luna looking intently at Harry.
"Uh—" begins Harry before being interrupted by George, "I think Luna is referring to a database to search for a particular topic. And that the database contains information regarding everything that has been written on one or more topics. Is that roughly what you're looking for, Luna?"
Nodding her head, Luna smiles and answers, "Correct."
"I'm afraid that most people want money for their work, and unless we pay them for their work, that they won't let us collect and index their work for searching purposes, even if it is for educational purposes" remarks a familiar voice.
"Doesn't surprise me, professor" comments Fred.
"However, if you all were to design something and add content that wasn't taken from a book, I don't see why it couldn't be added for public use, if you think it would help. Preferably research papers with some sort of structured methodology on how things were set up. Speaking of things, Miss Grainger, I enjoy your suggestion but think you should talk to Professor Flitwick in regards to what spells you would need to achieve it."
"Thanks professor" answers Hermione smiling at Remus.
"Now Fred, George, don't forget to share those Structured Query Language books that I provided you two" reminds Remus before leaving.
"May I borrow those books that Professor Lupin provided to you two?" inquiries Luna giving Fred and George a look that they didn't understand.
"Uh, yeah, we can go get them after we eat" answers George hesitantly.
Smiling, Luna says, "Thank you George", before skipping away and out of the Great Hall.
Later that evening at dinner, Fred and George sit down at the Ravenclaw table across from Luna and gently place the hefty books by her plate. "The books are slightly dull reading wise, but have their interesting points" remarks Fred as he taps one of the books.
"Oh, I'm sure they aren't as interesting as the history of Crumpled Hornsnorkaks, but I'm sure they are still fairly interesting" answers Luna before putting a spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.
"Right. If you need any help building a database, feel free to ask us" remarks George.
"Thank you, I may very well take you up on your offer" answers Luna before smiling and humming as she eats.
"Attention everyone. While this is a bit later than normal, Sirius Black and I have decided to debut our newest product with samples in each of the four house common rooms, in addition to each of the Quidditch locker rooms, and of course the Hospital Wing. Each house will now be able to watch previous Quidditch game footage for each match that their team has played in. This will help each team to better understand where they may have had some issues in their formation, or what have you. In addition to that, this provides students who wish to watch games in their common rooms during the colder months to be able to watch live games without having to go out into the cold. For now these products do not have an official name, just a code name for the database, and would love to hear any thoughts for a name after being used. Thank you" states Remus before stepping back from the podium.
/*In France*/
"There ees no way for one to know what their friends are up to without asking each one" remarks Fleur, studying the Omni Play in her hands.
Hearing her remark, one of her roommates begins questioning Fleur in rapid French, both girls communicating using both their words and hands. Minutes later the girls sit down and begin to make a list in flowing cursive, moving down the parchment as they continue to talk in bursts of French. Finishing and looking over their list, Fleur rolls the parchment up, ties it with some white lace, before gracefully exiting the room, list in hand.
Author note: Thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, etc. This is the first chapter where I am attempting to use my new Gunnar computer glasses to help reduce the overall amount of eye strain I get from both my job and from at home.
RIP Alan Rickman, 1/14/2016. We will remember you ALWAYS.
As it was stated in the chapter, I am taking naming suggestions for this essentially TV like device. It is much larger than the Omni Play, like a 60inch TV someone might buy from an electronics store. The name that wins, that reviewer (guest or not) will get a shoutout and credit for it.
To the readers, and everyone in general, while I have an idea or two of whom to ship Harry with, I don't have it determined exactly yet. Susan is out of the question of course, and there are a few others that I've ruled out based on my plans for the rest of series. To state those names would potentially ruin chapters, so I'll not say anything. Honestly, I'll figure it out when I get to writing it/more than likely fourth year. Worst case scenario, I use a Python program to randomly select a name from an array 100 times and figure out who has the highest pick count. :p