Esprit de Corps

Chapter 8

The Grangers welcomed them enthusiastically. Remus had informed them of the arrival of Ron and Harry.

"You never told us you're blue-blooded, 'Mione," whispered Harry in her ear, when they were sitting in the drawing room after refreshing showers.

Hermione frowned.

"Does it make a difference?"

"Of course not. You'd still be one of my best friends if your parents were beggars," replied Harry sincerely. She smiled and he was pleased to see how her face lit up. Ron, meanwhile, was busy examining the Muggle devices. Hermione's father was showing him around, while his wife instructed a butler.

"A real butler?" exclaimed Harry incredulously, "I thought they were extinct!"

Hermione giggled.

"Harry, meet Andrew," she said, introducing him to the butler, "Andrew, meet Harry. He is one of my best friends from school."

Andrew bowed and Harry acknowledged it with a regal nod, as if he'd been doing it all his life. Andrew departed.

"You're a natural aristocrat," said Hermione. Harry snorted.

"I'm a natural house-elf," he said. Hermione frowned.

"No, you're not. Just because those awful relatives of yours..."

"Forget it, 'Mione."

Hermione looked into his sad green eyes. She rested both her hands on his shoulders and cried softly, "What have they done to you?"

Images flashed through her mind. Dudley riding a new red bicycle while Harry watched enviously...Dudley trying to push Harry's head into the toilet...Ripper the bull-dog chasing Harry up a tree...Aunt Marge hitting his legs with her walking stick to help Dudley win 'Musical Chair'...Uncle Vernon grabbing his throat...Aunt Petunia throwing a saucepan at him...children laughing at him...neighbours eyeing him disgustedly...Harry crying in his cupboard...

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione had thrown her arms around Harry, sobbing.

The dinner-bell rang loudly and Hermione wiped her eyes.

"Let's go," she said, standing up and holding out her hand. Harry took it and they moved to the Dining room. Ron was already seated and was at the moment occupied with a flashlight, much to the amusement of Hermione's parents, who were also seated.

Dinner was a grand affair. Harry enjoyed every minute of it. He almost forgot the miseries of his life for that period. Hermione's mother pampered all of them with the excellent cooking, while her father kept up interesting conversations with Ron mainly, and Hermione chatted away with Harry. Jokes flew amongst them and they laughed a lot. Finally, they left the table after the most delicious ice-cream pudding Harry ever had in his life.

"Time for bed," said Hermione's mother, "Hermione, show Harry and Ron to their rooms, will you?"

The three friends went upstairs together. Harry and Ron went to their respective rooms, on either sides of Hermione.

The bedrooms were large and grand, much like the entire house. Now that Harry thought of it, he realised that it ought to have struck him before that Hermione was rich...trips to Europe...skiing...and she was never out of money at Hogwarts, either...

Harry flopped down on the luxurious bed and drifted off to sleep, feeling that something was good after all.