The Wedding


The lacy curtains framing the open window rustles slightly to the summer breeze as it travels into kitchen where a family of four sit at a round table, enjoying breakfast. The Dursley family of 50 Stroud Green Road lazily pick at the last of their grapefruit and cereal while listening to the forecaster on the little television in the corner.

"It is a beautiful day, and is sure to remain so as the temperatures continue, unchanged, in the Low 60s and High 70's. So, get out your summer gear as..."

Dudley Dursley looks over at his wife who begins to pick up the children's plates, Callie and Vernon, both two years of age, the latter named after his Grandpa Vernon. Dudley gets up to help, his slightly protruding stomach brushing the side of the table, and picks up the half-empty cups of orange juice. He carries them over to the sink, when suddenly, there is a crash and a shriek.

Bethany Dursley stands shocked, with glass surrounding her feet, as a brown tawny owl carrying an envelope swoops in through the window and perches itself on the table, next to the toast.

Dudley is instantly reminded of his cousin, whom he has not spoken to in over five years. He rushes over to the owl, hesitates, and takes the letter from the owl. The owl looks up at him expectantly.

Dudley holds out a piece of toast for the large bird, who looks at it, head cocked to the side. The owl snatches the bread out of Dudley's hand and begins to peck at it.

Dudley carefully unfolds the letter, his wife watching with a flabbergasted expression at the scene, he reads the contents:

You have been cordially invited to the wedding of

Harry James Potter

Ginevra Molly Weasley

We hope you will be able to make it to this exciting day as we reach this milestone in our lives. Please send reply with our owl.

Inside the envelope was another letter, from Harry.

Dudley -

I really hope you can make it. It would mean a lot. Your family is more than welcome to come.

- Harry

Dudley looks up from the letter and at his family. His children were reaching out towards the owl, thinking it was just another one of their plush toys, while his wife was looking at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

"How do you feel about attending a wedding?"


His wife did not want to go.

"How do we know this is real? What is going on? Who's Harry?"

So, he told her the story. Everything. As he got more and more into detail, her eyebrows traveled farther and farther up her forehead, until they almost met her hairline.

She snorted. "Wizards? What are you on about? Maybe those green peppers in your omelette were past their prime..."

He continued to fasten his tie securely around his neck, and observed his suit, wondering if he was going to stick out. He remembered those strange cloaks that the red-haired people wore. The- the Weasley's. Yes, Harry was marrying one of them.

Dudley made his way downstairs, his wife following him, and heard a sharp knock on the door. Dudley stopped, looked down at the twins who were playing with their blocks, and made his way over to the front door.

He opened it, revealing that older red-haired man, the one who shrunk his tongue back to it's normal size when Dudley mistakenly ate some candies one of the red-haired boys dropped. The man was positively beaming, his jolly purple robes sparkling in the sunlight.

Behind Dudley, his wife stared at the man, thinking the day could not get any stranger than it already was.

The man held out his hand and asked, "Dudley, correct? Harry's cousin?"

Dudley shook it and smiled. "That's correct sir. I'm afraid I've forgotten your name."

The man waved it away, "Weasley, Arthur Weasley."

Dudley let him in and watched as the man stared at the telephone on the table near the door.

"And this'll be one of those teler-phonoes, correct?" Arthur said, tapping the phone with his pointer finger.

"You're yanking my leg, aren't you sir? You have to know what a telephone is..." Bethany said from the doorway to the kitchen.

There was an awkward silence. Dudley cleared his throat and introduced Bethany to Arthur.

"Oh yes! Harry told me that you had gotten married! He said he heard from your mother, Petunia..."

Dudley frowned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Mum and Harry have been in contact?"

Arthur looked at him. "Why, yes! He had found them when he first became an Auror, wanted to 'make things right,' as it were."

Dudley nodded, still not fully comprehending.

"Well," said Arthur, "We better be off, or Molly would have my wand if we weren't on time... our only daughter's wedding is today, you know. Ginny... lovely girl, lovely girl. You'll like her, Dudley, you will."

Bethany smiled at the older man and told him he could keep the telephone. They were going to throw it out and get a new one, the thing is so old. Arthur exclaimed excitedly and thanked her profusely.

The two men walked out of the door, Dudley kissed his wife on the cheek as a goodbye, and made their way down the street. "Now," said Arthur, "I'm guessing you've never taken a portkey, have you?"

Dudley shook his head, "No sir."

Arthur waved his hand, "Don't call me sir, dear man, call me Arthur, please... Now, you see this old jar on the street?" He pointed to the glass pot that stood next to a telephone pole. "Well, this is not just any ordinary jar, my good man. This is a jar that has been made into a portkey. A portkey can transfer someone from one point to another."

Dudley gaped at him, thinking the man had cracked.

Arthur smiled at him, telephone clutched in his hand. He glanced at his watched and said, "excellent, excellent. Right on time."

Arthur reached down and picked up the jar, handing it over at Dudley who took it hesitantly. Arthur touched it with his pointer finger, and the two stood like that for a few moments, Dudley wondering how strange they must look...

Suddenly, Dudley was wrenched out of his musings when a hook-like feeling that took him from his nasal and pulled suddenly came out of nowhere. Time and space warped around Dudley, who kept his eyes shut and jaw locked.

"Here we are. Dudley, I welcome you to the Burrow!"

Dudley stared up at the majestic white tent with gold trimmings. It looked strange standing next to the older, almost-going-to-fall-over home.

Arthur strode towards the house-like leaning tower of Pisa, and Dudley, who thought it imprudent to remain staring at the tent, hastened to follow him.

They opened the front door and walked through a kitchen that would make Dudley's mother faint. There were dishes cleaning themselves and an odd-looking clock in the corner. The sound of chickens clucking wafted in through the window, and a round-looking woman was adding the finishing touches to a very extravagant-looking cake.

She felt another's presence and glanced behind her at Arthur and Dudley.

"Ooh!" She put down her icing utensils and bustled over to Dudley. "You must be Dudley, Harry's cousin! Oh, I am so glad you were able to come. Harry and Ginny will be very pleased."

He smiled at the older woman whose warm countenance made it difficult not to. "It is nice to meet you, Mrs Weasley."

She beamed up at him.

"I was wondering if you knew where Harry was? I'd also like to meet Ginny, if convenient."

Molly nodded and took him by the hand, leading him up the stairs. They reached the second landing and she pointed down the hall. "He'll be in Ronald's room, the second door to the right."

He nodded and thanked her. He walked down and heard two men's voices.

"Stop fidgeting, Harry! I know you're nervous, and who can blame you? You're marrying my absolute lunatic of a sister...!" Dudley heard a thud, Dudley assumed Harry had punched Ronald in the arm, for he heard Ronald say, "Oi!"

"Shut up, Ron."

Dudley hesitated, then knocked on the door. There were footsteps, and the door was opened by a tall, red-haired man. He assumed that this was Ron.

"Er, hi. I'm- I'm Dudley."

Ron's mouth fell into a comical 'O', and opened the door wider, revealing a nervous looking Harry, readjusting his dress-robes.

"Dudley! You made it!" Harry bounded over to Dudley and held out his hand, Dudley shook it.

"Of course I did, scarface." Dudley grinned, calling Harry by his nickname.

Harry grinned back. "I'm glad you did, Big D." The two laughed, while Ron looked confused. A woman with bushy, brown hair walked in and stared at Dudley.

She opened her mouth, but Harry interrupted her, "Hermione, this is my cousin, Dudley." They shook hands and Dudley politely said, "pleased to meet you", surprising Harry.

Dudley looked back over at Harry and said, "Nervous? I remember I couldn't sit still on my wedding day to Bethany. Thought she'd run out on me." They laughed.

"I am a little nervous..." Harry replied.

Molly walked in and said, "Five minutes, Harry." Harry fidgeted and ran a hand through his hair, which made it stick up again. Molly tutted and glanced over at Dudley.

"Do you want to meet Ginny, Dudley?"

Dudley looked over at Harry and asked, "Would it be okay, mate?"

Harry shrugged. "Okay by me, 'sides it wouldn't matter if I did or didn't. Ginny's been bothering me about meeting you for the past decade..." He grinned at Dudley, who laughed.

"I promise I won't talk her out of it, or anything." Dudley joked.

Harry teasingly held up a threatening finger, "You better not, Big D."

"I'll try, scarface."

Dudley followed Molly out and the two went down to the second landing. Molly knocked on the door and said, "Ginny? Harry's cousin, Dudley, wants to meet you."

"Oh!" called a voice from inside the room. "Oh, let him in!"

Molly opened the door, patted him on the back and said, "I'm just going to check on Arthur, he brought this silly little contraption home when he went to collect you. I bet he's out in his shed poking at it."

Dudley grinned and walked in. A woman with bright red hair and a smiling face was all dressed in white. She was, Dudley noticed, very beautiful.

He held out his hand, which she disregarded when she hugged him. "It is so nice to finally meet you, Dudley! I'm Ginny."

She offered him a chair and sat across from him.

He took in his surroundings and pointed at a strange-looking poster. "Who are they?"

She looked up at where he was pointing, she laughed, "Oh, they're my favorite band. They're called the Weird Sisters. I'm guessing you've never heard of them..."

He shook his head, eyes wide as he watched three girls wearing too much black rocking out in the moving poster. However, it did not make any sound.

He looked back down at the redhead and asked, "Nervous?"

She shrugged. "Not really..."

He laughed. "Well, Harry's in the other room thinking you're going to run out on him or something."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh Merlin! He is so pessimistic."

Molly bustled in and said with a serene smile, "Ginny. It's time."

Ginny took a steadying breath, stood up and gathered her dress. She winked at Dudley and said, "We made sure you had a spot up front."

Dudley left the room and hurried down to the tent.


The ceremony was one of the most interesting ones Dudley had ever seen. Granted, he'd only been to a few weddings, but Dudley was sure the one he had just witnessed was one of the strangest and most beautiful weddings he had ever attended.

Ginny was radiant and Harry was beaming. Both had an air of complete and utter joy that seemed to emit and spread to the rest of the crowd, Dudley included.

At the reception, one of the Weasley's, (who Dudley later found out to be named George), pressed a bottle into Dudley's hand. "Firewhisky," George said with a wink and a smirk which led Dudley to feel slightly unnerved. Dudley took a small, hesitant sip from the bottle then sputtered. Dudley looked around and put the bottle down on the table and left it there, swearing to himself that he would never touch that stuff again.

Dudley wandered among the many guests and stopped at a number of groups listening in to conversations.

He stopped at one group where a squat man who resembled a walrus was currently entertaining everyone with praises of both the bride and groom.

"... Ginny plays chaser for the Holy Head Harpies, all thanks to me of course! If I hadn't introduced her to Gwenog Jones some few years ago at one of my little Slug Club parties, it never would have happened, mark my words! And Harry, oh Harry was just one of my favorite pupils! Smart as a whip in my potions class, he was! Next to be Head of the Aurors!" The man had one of his hands on his protruding stomach and laughed in jollity.

"Er, excuse- excuse me, sir?" Interrupted Dudley. "What d'you mean by, er, Slug Club?"

The man's eyes flashed over at Dudley and exclaimed, "I am sorry, m'boy!" He stuck out one of his chubby hands and Dudley met his with his own. They shook and introduced themselves.

"Call me Slughorn! I'm Harry and Ginny's former Potions master from Hogwarts, and you are?"

Dudley cleared his throat, "Er, I'm- I'm Dudley. Harry's cousin."

Slughorn clapped a hand on Dudley's back and said, "well, welcome m'boy! You must be a muggle, eh? Are you Lily's sister's son? "

Dudley nodded, remembering that his deceased aunt had been named Lily.

"Well, let me introduce you!' He pointed over at a strict looking woman wearing green robes. "That's Professor McGonagall, she taught Harry and GInny in Transfiguration..." he continued to point out people and give their names; names which Dudley soon forgot.

Dudley became acquainted with a few others, including most of the Weasley's, whom he had become particularly fond of. To his astonishment, Dudley learned that Charlie was a dragon trainer and spent the rest of the night asking questions and getting fascinating answers.

When the light emitting from the hovering lanterns soon became brighter, people began to leave and Dudley was surprised to find himself sorry that it was over. He wove between tables and people and located Harry, who he clapped on the back and congratulated one last time.

"... and feel free to come over one night for dinner with your lovely wife to meet mine." Dudley said.

Harry smiled and said he and Ginny would love to.