Harmony Adventure

Chapter 4

By the time they were back on the road after a refreshing coffee it was twilight already. Hermione had her nose buried in a map they had aquired from a tube station and the two boys were trying to keep up on either side of her.

"Where- do - we - go - from - here?" Harry puffed as he hurried along next to Hermione and her too-fast pace.

"According to the map there's a hotel just up the road from here so it isn't that much further now." she said calmly and patiently.

Ron took a huge intake of breath and breathed out. "Hermione- slow- down!" he said heaving himself off some railings that once had assumed the position of someone's front garden fence, and now looked like a car had crashed into it.

"honestly Ron, reparo," Hermione pointed her wand discreetly at the railings and they righted and unbent themselves. "you need to eat less, do more excercise and get fitter. You walrus round a giant school all day everyday and you are this healthy?"

"Hermione, keep your voice down, anyone could hear us around here."

"All I said was giant school, Harry,"

"I know but know but still, that could mean anything."

"Exactly! Of course it could mean anything! Nobody is going to take 'giant school' to mean ma-"

"SSSHHHH!"

"Sorry," said Hermione.

"That's ok," said Harry quickly, while Ron just glared.

"Here we are!" Hermione announced five silent minutes later of trudging up the road and trying to weave through people at the same time. They were standing in front of a big red and gold building with huge glass doors taking up most of the front wall. It gleamed as though it had been made by goblins and night lamps were hovering all around it.

"It's a wizard hotel," Hermione said, noticing the boys' questioning looks at the hovering lamps, "It's a bit like Hogwarts in the way that muggles can't see it, only a dangerous deserted mansion covered with graffiti. I know because I was the one person that listened-" a meaningful look at Ron and Harry, and Harry had the grace to look ashamed of himself- "In History Of Magic."

"You're amazing, you are!" said Harry in shock from the magic on the railings and the amazing, expensive looking hotel, but mostly from a thought that was developing in his uncertain mind.

"And how-"

"Dumbledore granted me permission last year to be able to do magic outside of school, he thought it might be useful and he said he knew I would be careful but would still would have to abide by the secrecy laws. And before you ask, Harry, I know what you were going to say because I know you well, and don't forget Harry, he granted it to you as well."

They both stood there, gaping at her.

"Well, shall we go in then?" she said, taking a few steps forward and looking back anxiously as she realised they were both stock still and their heads following her in amazement.

"Harry, Ron! Wake up the pair of you before I use my new skills to advantage and hex you into Durmstrang or Beuxbatons!" Hermione shouted at them and waved each of her hands in each of their faces.

"Oh, sorry," said Harry suddenly and slowly recovering.

"Yeah, right," said Ron, straightening up and pulling himself together hastily.

Hermione rolled her eyes with half exasperation - half amusement at their own slight stupidity at times and the trio barged their way inside, their eyes coming across the receptionist at the reception table made of galleons stuck together giving them a stern librarian-looking look over the top of her glasses.

Hermione strode up to the counter, "Ah, yes, we will have three adjoining rooms with three ensuite bathrooms, please, madam," she said briskly.

"Fine, Fine, that is four galleons, please," said the receptionist in an even brisker tone, as though it was a competition of who could be brisker.

Hermione handed it over at once from her pocket full of galleons. The receptionist raised her eyebrows as a fountain of galleons and gold and silver and platinum and bronze erupted out of her jean pocket as she brought her hand back out.

"Yes, very rich, very old, maybe oldest, pure blood family," Hermione lied easily in a terse voice as Harry handed it all back to her after a major picking up session for her. However her pretended cold eyes flickered to warmness and love as she acknowledged Harry, then flickered back again as she turned to face the librarian. "Well, we must be off up there then," Hermione said, "Long day, you know, lots of shopping and finding out interesting facts from libraries and bookshops and things, thanks you for your service, goodnight," she finished tersely and just as coldly swivelled round and turned towards the knut plated stairs with Harry and Ron trotting along behind her, still in shock.

"You are room twenty three!" the receptionist called after them, hurrying after them a bit after managing to get out from behind her enormous table.

"Yes, thank you very much," Hermione called back coldly and if Harry was not mistaken, a twinge of sarcasm. He could have almost sworn that the receptionist recoiled slightly and obviously as well.

"She's a friend of Umbridge's," said Hermione as they all flopped onto their beds a few minutes later, " I saw her with Umbridge and coming in and out of her office with a similar sort of smile to that old toad's most days last year,I thought it best to be annoying, terse and cold, and pretend to be a pure blood in front of her. That's the only way to avoid argument with those sort of people. I thought it possible that Umbridge might not have told her about us - especially you Harry - unlikely, yes, but possible - of course."

That was the last thing that Harry really listened to that night, he just lay on his bed while the others rushed around the rooms, doing unessessary but apparently important things; he thought they were just doing it to pass the time really. He zoned in slightly whenever Hermione partly or wholy talked to him and Ron, or just him. But by the time they were both asleep and- Harry was sure- everyone else in the whole hotel, maybe even London was asleep, he had not worked out the hows, whys, whens, or wheres, but he was certain he had worked out this much : he had a crush on his friend, Hermione Granger.