In Praise Of House Elves (wish I had one!)

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Tea time was Hortense Noble’s favourite time of day. The afternoon was almost over, the evening had not yet begun. Gentle sunlight filtered through the lace curtains of the tea room, spreading a golden glow over the tea table, the settee, and the mantle piece. The room seemed almost angelic - if a room could be said to remind one of angels. It was perfect, just perfect!

Hortense beamed proudly. It had been a struggle to get the room looking this way, considering the naughty things that had lived here, but at last she had prevailed. With some help of course. She couldn’t have done it without Donald. Not at all. He had been a god send.

At first she had been put off by his crude manners and rough talk. He sounded like someone who had come from a place like Glasgow, but much, much worse. Yet behind the crusty exterior was a heart of gold, and a love for this house that matched her own.

The previous owner had not believed in Donald’s ability to maintain the house. Without that crucial support, wee Donald had been unable to prevent the naughty things from getting inside the place and running rampant.

However, she - Hortense Noble - believed in Donald just as she had believed in every house elf in every house she had inhabited. Hortense was a house elf’s best friend.