ch1

Harry stopped pushing the mower and wiped his forehead with his shirtsleeve. He took off his glasses and wiped them, too. They weren't dirty, but he didn't need much of an excuse to take a break from mowing the backyard of Number Four, Privet Drive. He replaced his glasses and stared into the cloudless blue sky. A perfect July day. Even the fact that he'd been ordered to mow the lawn didn't ruin his mood.

This summer may have been the best--so far--that Harry had ever had. Of course, that wasn't saying much, as his summers were usually miserable. Still, cousin Dudley was still on his diet, though it didn't seem to be working, and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were so busy enforcing it that they scarcely had time to berate Harry. Harry just kept out of the way mostly, and tried to work on his summer schoolwork whenever he got the time.

Harry glanced around, suddenly realizing that he'd been staring into space for going on five minutes. If Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia caught him, he'd be polishing silver all afternoon for sure, and he wanted to finish the backyard so he could start on his Astronomy homework. He was just about to resume pushing the mower when something caught his eye- something white, getting larger in the brilliant blue sky.

Harry's heart leapt. Hedwig! She'd been gone for two days, carrying a letter to Harry's best friend, Ron. Harry had been correponding with his schoolfriends for three weeks, since their last term at Hogwarts had ended. Though Harry very much enjoyed hearing from Ron and Hermione, it was always with some trepidation that he opened their letters. Last term, the most powerful Dark wizard in the world had regained his body, his powers, and his followers. Being cut off from all news of the wizarding world, Harry was perpetually anxious to find out whether any attacks on Muggles, or killings of wizards opposed to Voldemort, had been reported in the Daily Prophet. But strangely, nothing of the kind had come to Ron's or Hermione's attention, though both were diligently watching for news. The Daily Prophet didn't even seem to know that Voldemort had returned to power; Harry supposed that Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry of Magic had seen to that.

Hedwig alighted on Harry's shoulder and clicked her beak, obviously proud that she had performed her mission successfully.

"Hi, Hedwig!" Harry said affectionately. "Listen, I'm glad to see you, too, but you've got to fly into the upstairs window--I can't carry you through the house without being seen." He removed the envelope that was attached to her leg. She hooted disdainfully. Clearly feeling unappreciated, she disappeared around the side of the house and, Harry hoped, flew into the window of his bedroom to her waiting cage. Looking around to make sure he wasn't being watched, Harry tore open the envelope and read Ron's letter. It ran over two pages of parchment, which was rather long for Ron:

Dear Harry,

Thanks for the birthday list, very helpful. "I don't know" is always a popular item though, I'm not sure I'll be able to get it for you. Anyway, we'll talk about that later, I've got news now that's much more important!

Harry shuddered. Had there been an attack? Had Voldemort surfaced?

Harry, you'll never believe it. Percy's getting married! You remember his girlfriend from school, right, that curly-haired Ravenclaw girl? Penelope Clearwater? Well, it turns out they've been sending letters and seeing each other ever since they left Hogwarts, and he's just proposed--and she said yes! Imagine that, would you, someone wanting to marry Percy? She must be mad. Anyway, they've already set the date- August 29.

August 29? That didn't seem like much time to plan a wedding.

Dad says you'll think it's a bit of a short engagement, but to tell you that wizards have shorter engagements than Muggles--weddings being much quicker and easier to arrange when you can use magic.

Harry remembered the ornate decorations for the Yule Ball last Christmas at Hogwarts, and tried to imagine what a wizard wedding would look like.

Anyway, you're invited, of course. More than invited--I reckon if you say no, Percy is likely to Apparate in your room and kidnap you ... he's been telling everyone that Harry Potter's going to be a guest. Hermione's invited, too, and I've just sent a letter to her.

Harry, you've got to come, it'll be a great party. Fred and George are beside themselves trying to invent a spectacular practical joke that will hopefully ruin the ceremony and get them in loads of trouble. Mum's going crazy trying to keep them in line.

Oh, and we met the Clearwaters last night, they had a little engagement party at their house. Bill and Charlie are home on holiday, and they were there too. Mr. And Mrs. Clearwater are nice enough. But Harry, get this: Penelope's sister is an Auror! I think her name's Persephone ... or something. It was brilliant, all through dinner she was telling us stories about tracking down Dark wizards, and comparing scars and burns with Charlie. I think she had him beat--he had more scars, but her stories were much more interesting. Once you've heard one dragon burn story, you've heard them all.

Anyway, you've got to come, Harry. Mum says you can come to the Burrow a few days early and go to the rehearsal with us. Ask the Muggles and let me know as soon as you can.

Ron

Percy Weasley was getting married! Harry had never been to a wedding before ... At least, not that he could remember. He knew he had attended the wedding of a cousin of Uncle Vernon's once when he was three, but for some reason the Dursleys never talked about it. Whenever the subject came up, Uncle Vernon started mumbling something like, "flowers changing colors, blinking ... flying all around the church ... never in my life ... couldn't prove it had anything to do with us, at any rate ..."

So Harry's experience with Muggle weddings was limited, and his only exposure to a wizard wedding was his parents' wedding picture in the photo album that Hagrid had put together for him at the end of Harry's first year at Hogwarts. Harry visualized the picture in his mind: his father's proud look, his mother's smile. It seemed like a normal wedding picture, to Harry ... except, of course, that everyone pictured was moving and waving. A wizard wedding must be just like a Muggle wedding, Harry reasoned. Still, he was rather anxious to attend one, and immediately began thinking of ways to convince the Dursleys to let him go.

"Taking a little break, are we?" a voice called from the back door. It was Uncle Vernon, wearing a nasty expression of proud spitefulness.