6 May 2001
GREAT AND GOOD ATTEND SOCIETY WEDDING
The groom.
The guests.
The hats.
The gowns.
All were the great sights of the recent wedding of Harry Potter, attended by the great and the good of British wizarding society. However, nothing was more of a spectacle than the dress of the bride, Ginevra Weasley.
For months and months, since the announcement of their engagement on Victory Day last year, the wizarding community has waited with baited breath for this moment. And when the soon-to-be Mrs Potter arrived outside the heavily-secured Weasley estate in Devon, they were not disappointed.
The elegant white dress had a plunging neckline, allowing Miss Weasley to show off her sparkling necklace and other assets, as the light fabric shimmered in the British summer sunshine. It was designed by celebrated robemaker Madam Malkin, of Diagon Alley, who is well known for being the primary robemaker to Hogwarts School. In a stroke of design genius, she stuck with traditional fabrics and a timeless design: a reassuring touchstone in this rapidly changing world.
Miss Weasley was, of course, the last person to arrive at the grandiose affair, being preceded by guests who, if they were to turn up to your tea-party, would make you the envy of your village. Recently appointed Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, was present, as was Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, along with a several other Hogwarts teachers. Harry Potter's friend, fellow Order of Merlin member, and son of Aurors Frank and Alice, Neville Longbottom was present. As was celebrated vaultbreaker William Weasley and his wife, the outrageously beautiful Fleur Delacour.
It was, as one onlooker put it, probably the greatest concentration of Order of Merlin members since the funeral of the late, great, Albus Dumbledore. The guestlist boasted no less than twelve members, including the father of the bride, Arthur Weasley, and Hogwarts teachers Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn. In something of a public snub, however, former Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge was not invited.
Much to the delight of spectators, national and international Quidditch legends also attended the event, including star seeker of the Bulgarian international team, Viktor Krum, and captain of the Holyhead Harpies, Gwenog Jones.
Couple spotting
Even better than gawking at the terrible gowns and god-awful dress robes donned by the more pedestrian of guests, was hunting for society's next big couples. First and foremost, of course, are the current wizarding it-couple: best man, Ronald Weasley; and best-friend, confidant, and, if some sources are to be believed, part-time lover of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger.
Miss Granger dangled from the arm of Mr Weasley for almost the entire evening, our sources say. And she certainly wasn't hiding their relationship from those lucky enough to snag a spot along the unprotected driveway leading into the estate. They were all kisses and smiles as they made their way in, with Miss Granger looking glorious in a shimmering pink dress.
Also attending was the ever-extravagant entrepreneur and brother-in-law to the groom, George Weasley, along with his girlfriend, the stunning Angelina Johnson, who donned an extravagant flowery summertime dress and a ridiculous hat.
The prize for the worst dressed at the wedding, however, has to go to Miss Luna Lovegood, a friend of Mrs Potter, who was sporting a ridiculous bright yellow gown which made her look like something of an omelette. She attended with her father, the professional weirdo Xenophilius Lovegood, who also dressed like the unfortunate cross between a banana and a rubber duck.
Misuse of Ministry Security?
For the course of the wedding weekend, the Weasley's family estate in Devon was given every protection available to the Ministry. From Protego totalem, Cave inimicum, and Fianto duri, to teams of wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol and even a smattering of Aurors, it is likely that for those two days that little patch of land in Devon was the most impregnable fortress in the world.
The cost must have been unimaginable.
Surely this must be a gross misuse of Ministry resources?
We tracked down Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, Percy Weasley, who had the following to say on the subject:
'The Ministry of Magic provides security to several persons who we believe may be the target of serious attack or harassment. Naturally the Minister himself is the target of many security measures, and as such any event he is attending demands the highest protection. Additionally, the Auror Office had, in the weeks leading up the the event in question, received intelligence of realistic threats to the safety of those attending, resulting in the stringent security measures that were in place. Accusations of nepotism are completely unfounded.'
Naturally Mr Weasley, as brother of the bride, attended the wedding on Saturday, along with the Minister for Magic and other senior members of the British wizarding establishment, including Special Advisor to the Wizengamot Elphias Doge, Head of the Office for the Detection of Counterfeit Defensive Objects Arthur Weasley, Senior Vaultbreaker for Gringott's Bank William Weasley, Junior Secretary for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Hermione Granger, Headmistress of Hogwarts School Minerva McGonagall, and Harry Potter's fellow Auror Ronald Weasley. We're sure there's no conflict of interest here!
More intriguing, however, is his slip that there was a serious security threat to the Potter wedding. Who would want to harm the Boy Who Lived? The Chosen One? For more on how the Ministry may have got this information, and how it is snooping on the private lives of every witch and wizard in Britain, see our special report on page 7.