The Empress of Magic

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginerva Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire. Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.

Though none of the students cared very much about it, instead all of them were excited over the new club which opened its doors at Hogwarts.

Celestia and Aiden, after having presented Professor Flitwick with their idea, were immediately permitted to open up the club, even agreeing to be the teacher watching over the students so they didn't have to search for someone to agree.

Professor Sprout, Professor Sinistra, and Madame Pince agreed to help out as well, all of the women finding the prospect of the use of Technology in their classrooms and workspaces interesting.

And today was the first introduction course, which they decided would be best to do with a group of fourth-year students since they had neither O.W.L's nor N.E.W.T's and their group could observe how the students would react after being introduced to something so new and different from what they were used to.

,, You actually bought tablets for the others to use ?" asked Aiden, gaping at Celestia as they made their way toward the club's meeting place.

,, Of course, I did. How else would they learn how to be able to work with one ?" She asked, tilting her head, Fenris next to her doing the same.

Chrome, who had eaten too much at lunch and therefore quickly fallen into a deep food coma, remained in the girl's chambers this evening, unable to join them since he would probably be napping until the dark hours of the night.

At least he had the audacity to look guilty for it after she had carried him to Ravenclaw Tower.

,, 'Tia that's a lot of money we're talking about!" Aiden said, aghast that it didn't seem to bother the girl in the slightest.

,, Aiden, you do realize that I have a fortune with which I could probably buy a whole country with little to no difficulties?" She asked, lips curving up into an amused smile. ,, Also those are just some tablets that will be used in the club. If someone wants one of their own they will have to notify their parents and ask them to send the needed money to an account the Goblins set up for that very reason and I'll order one for them."

Aiden blinked, before letting out a long tired sigh, running a hand through his hair. ,, What bloody else did I expect............"

A few minutes later they finally arrived at their destination.

They were using one of the many unused classrooms near Ravenclaw Tower, all the fourth-year students who had wanted to visit the club sitting down in rows of tables.

It was not much, but they were glad to have found a classroom that didn't have a curse or a Boggart in it.

Most of Slytherin and all of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had decided to take part in the club, sadly there were only a handful of Gryffindors, though Fred and George smiled as they gave their friends a thumbs up, wishing them good luck.

,, Good evening, everyone." Professor Flitwick greeted, standing on top of a chair so that everyone could see him. ,, Professor Sprout, Professor Sinistra, Madame Pince and I welcome you to the very first meeting of Hogwarts's new Technology club. Now... we teachers are only here to observe and keep watch, so I will now give the word to Miss Grindelwald-Lestrange." He said, stepping down from the chair as Celestia walked to the front, the others right by her side.

She looked at the fourth years, all of them so different from one another.......

Yet their thoughts all held an interest in what they would learn in this club.

Smiling politely she said. ,, A good evening to everyone who has decided to join our club. My name is Celestia Grindelwald-Lestrange and I was raised in the Muggle World, where I was taught how to work with the devices we'll be shortly introducing to you and teach you how to use them yourself."

Right then Hunter and Blaise entered the classroom, each rolling in a small cart with boxes on them.

,, The goods are here." Hunter said, tapping his box with a grin on his face.

,, Wonderful, Professors if you'd be so kind.." 

,, Of course!" The boxes opened and slowly new tablets were levitating in the air and not even a minute later each student was presented with one of their own.

Murmurs broke out, all of them curiously looking at the funny boxes out of thin metal in front of them.

Celestia smiled and took out her own. ,, The devices in front of you will be the subject of today's lesson. Can someone maybe already tell me what they are ?"

The fourth years tilted their heads, none of them the wiser.....

Until finally a single hand rose. ,, Yes, Mr. Welsh." 

,, It's a tablet...." The shy Hufflepuff answered, unsurely looking at Celestia, as all the others turned to him.

She offered a smile that made him return a shaky one back, but calm slightly more down. ,, Correct, Mr. Welsh."

,, To turn yours on, click the button on the right side of your tablet, it should then look like this-" She turned hers on and quite a few people flinched back in surprise, not having expected it to glow.

,, It's your turn, don't worry, nothing will happen to you once you turn it on." assured Susan, smiling happily.

Surely though a little unsurely they all had managed to turn their tablets on, all of them looking fascinated with the glowing little boxes in their hands.

,, Very good, now tap one of your fingers on it, gently, and slide it up. You'll be arriving at the home menu if you do it right." Celestia instructed, having learned her lesson with being specific when teaching others how to use them thanks to Hunter, who almost broke his tablet when trying to get on the home Menu.

As they followed her lead, some hands rose into the air.

,, Yes, Mrs. Spinnet ?"

,, What are these many little Quaders ?" She asked, the hands falling as she asked the question everyone wanted to know.

,, Those are little Programs called Apps. There are many different types of them, which you will learn in the future, but for now an app is an abbreviated form of the word "application."  An application is a software program that's designed to perform a specific function directly for the user or, in some cases, for another application program." Celestia answered.

,, Yes, George ?" 

,, Will we use one today ?" He asked, he himself rather curious, because Aiden and Celestia were the ones to plan today's lesson, not a single one of their friends telling them what it was about because it should have been a surprise for the fourth years.

,, You will be introduced to one, which we thought you should not have any troubles with, and introduced to one designed and Programed by me." Celestia answered.

Hushed, excited, whispers broke out.

,, Now, we would like to ask all of you to search the little Quader box with the Headline, Notes '." Aiden said, Theo, Blaise, and Regulus standing with the three Professors and Madame Pince to show them as well.

,, As you can see there isn't much of anything on this little App, which is why you will click on the little Icon that looks like a pen and an empty page will appear, there you can write down anything you like." Susan explained, smiling as she saw some of the fourth years already trying out the keyboard and writing things down.

,, Try writing something down, maybe even draw a little. We'll be walking down the table rows and answering questions or helping you if you need it." Hunter said as all of them made their way toward them.

There weren't many who needed actual help, just a Slytherin and a Gryffindor who didn't know how to switch back to their normal pens after having drawn something.

Celestia showed them how to correct that problem in front of the class so nobody made the same mistake and the rest of the lesson continued smoothly.

----------------

,, You all made excellent progress today, be sure to notify your parents about the eight Galleons they need to pay if you want me to order a tablet for you alone to use and keep." Celestia said as everyone turned theirs off again, all of them against ending the lesson for today, but the Professors had reminded them that it was time for Dinner.

The tablets were placed back in the boxes, though the Professors and Madam Pince got to keep theirs, wanting to experiment working with them in class and the library.

,, Oh, do you want me to order a Beamer or a Projector as well? You'll be able to show the students what you write down on your tablet and Professor Sinistra would even be able to Zoom in on a specific Star Pattern if she wanted to." Celestia asked, and the Astronomy Professor didn't have to be asked twice, immediately wanting one.

The witch had enough of the bloody school Goveners and Albus ignoring her wishes and ideas for her lessons, from now on she would go to Celestia and simply ask the girl to buy the needed material in the Muggle World.

Celestia was grinning inwardly...

Her plans were already being set in motion.

,, Someone seems happy." Regulus said, appearing beside her out of nowhere.

She blinked in surprise but otherwise did nothing to show it, instead, she smiled. ,, I am.....it worked far better than I had thought it would."

,, That it did." The twins said, all of those who had visited the first club meeting making their way down towards the Great Hall for Dinner together.

,, Quite a few of the Ravenclaws were already discussing owling their parents so they could buy a tablet for themselves." Aiden said, smiling.

,, Yeah, some of the Slytherins as well. They liked the idea of using something other than Parchment to take notes for their O.W.Ls." Blaise said, all of them excited that the first introduction to the Muggle Technology had gone so well.

,, If the others react the same way, we'll definitely have no trouble with taking over Muggle Studies and History of Magic." Hannah said, wanting nothing more than to finally start on those projects.

Celestia listened to her friends and the fourth year's talks and thought, glad that they all were happy......

,, ... rip... tear... kill..." 

The young Witch almost froze in her steps, Fenris growling as he heard the voice again.....

The very same voice that was near the pipes of her Chambers just a few days ago.

"... soo hungry... for so long..." 

,, Miss Grindelwald-Lestrange, please control your familiar!" Professor Flitwick asked, the students around them flinching back as Fenris began turning his head around snarling and growling menancingly at something they couldn't see.

,, ... kill... time to kill..."

The voice was growing fainter. Fenris was having none of it and sprinted after the voice, unwilling to let it escape, to which Celestia followed, quicker than anyone had thought possible of the petite little second-year.

,, Miss Grindelwald-Lestrange! / 'Tia!" The Professors and her friends called after her, all of them quickly following after the girl and her familiar.

Celestia ignored their calls, running after Fenris without too much difficulty.

Matsugoro and Sai had after all made sure she would be able to handle herself after they died.........

 "... I smell blood... I SMELL BLOOD!"

Picking up even more speed at that, she soon heard Fenris barking loudly, his snarls and growls still very much prominent.

And as she went around the corner she came to a stop, taking in breaths of air as she looked at the scene found before her........

Something was shining on the wall ahead. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

And right in front of her stood none other than Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger..........

,, ...... What have you done......?" She asked, eyes wide in horror as she looked at the three Gryffindors.

These idiots............

They had given the Beast the perfect escape route........

And then proceeded to stand there instead of running away to get a Professor!!!

For a few seconds, they didn't move, too shocked to see her and Fenris. Then Ronald said, "Let's get out of here."

But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; the next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, and the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ronald, and Hermione stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, Fenris still growling at them, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

It was Draco. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.