TBAY- Grand Opening! The morning after. (Slight spoiler)

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 66757


Hermione stretched langorously as she reclined at ease in the parlour at MADAM W's. 
The opening night had been a triumph.

Idly she traced a pattern in the spilt butterbeer and Droobles wrappers with her wand. 
"I must remember to thank Rita for giving me the idea for this," she thought, "and 
with what I know about her, she'd better give me a good write up."

On the other side of the room a House Elf wearing one sock and a thong several sizes 
too big was sorting through the party debris.
"Get a move on!" snapped Hermione. "I've set you free and I pay you good money - 
now earn it!" She glanced around. "And while you're at it, get rid of that." She pointed 
at a large item of furniture. "I don't need a Casting Couch to cast my spells!"
"Yes, Mistress," quavered the Elf, "Please Mistress," it continued, "is this what freedom 
is?"
"Of course! Before you were oppressed! Now you have freedom - freedom to choose 
to do what I want or starve on the beach with the rest of the losers!" Honestly! The  
ingratitude of some people! 

She glanced at the clock. Not long before that Loony Lovegood was due for her girl to 
girl chat. Be a push-over this one, she believed anything. And she'd been paying all 
too much attention to Ron. Definitely to  be discouraged. No other influences will be 
tolerated. Just let drop that Ron thinks she's a raving nutter who belongs in the 
locked ward in St Mungo's, and another little problem will be solved. It even had the 
virtue of being the truth.

Much more subtlety had been needed to deal with Cho. Giving Harry advice that he'd 
find incomprehensible and would throw him off balance, and at the same time hint to  
Cho that Harry was an insensitive beast with the consideration of a horklump. So 
predictable!

Yes, things were ticking along nicely. Let Harry have the public adulation, while in the 
background.....

She gently scratched Crookshanks' ears and on the radio the old Muggle group  ELO 
were singing "Evil Woman". She smiled, knowingly. 


Kneasy started to place his bets