Pairings: Too many to list here, but the one's you'll see on a regular basis are: AD/MM, SB/RL, and HP/DM.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, or anything that sounds remotely like JK Rowling might have thought it up first. I also do not own the novel The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, which is in fact owned by Farahad Zama and the Berkeley Publishing Group. So, since this is a story made up of JK Rowling's characters and Farahad Zama's plot, I can safely say that I own absolutely nothing.
A/N: So, I bought and read the novel The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, by Farahad Zama, and absolutely loved it. Then I got this crazy idea to adapt it to the Harry Potter world, which was a challenge, considering all the parings and side stories that I had to cram Rowling's characters into. But, I think it was worth it.
Just a few things I wanted to mention:
First off, I realize that several characters are going to be (extremely) OOC. I'm sorry about this, but I basically went down the list of characters in MBRP (Marriage Bureau for Rich People) and tried to cram Rowling's characters into the spots that best fit them. Some of the fits are far from perfect. Also, I ended up splitting the Weasleys up into separate families, which is a little weird. Just go with it.
Also, the original novel takes place in India, and religion and caste plays a large part in the story. I managed to use the blood politics in the wizarding world in place of a caste system, but the religious issue wasn't as tidy. I ended up just using a vague pagan religion-type-thing in place of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. The actual beliefs aren't important, just that the characters have them.
Some good news: since this is an adaptation and not an original story, there's no writer's block to worry about (yay!) and I will be updating this very regularly. The whole thing will come out to 20-ish chapters, so it should be a pretty good run. Enjoy, and PLEASE review!
Noise came early to Diagon Alley. The sun had hardly risen and Mr. Dumbledore could already hear the sounds of another day beginning on the busy street. He stood in the living room and listened to shopkeepers opening their stores, shouting greetings to each other.
He walked out to his small patio, the location of his proudest achievement: his garden. The space was small, tiny even, but in the small plot of dirt he had planted and tended to several beautiful plants. Mr. Dumbledore scanned the plants, which hadn't started blooming yet, seeing as how it was only early spring – Mr. Dumbledore stopped himself when he noticed two flowers on the vine that climbed up the wall that separated his small house from the alley.
He made his way closer to the flowers, admiring their bold red color, when he saw a hand reach over the top of the wall and start pulling on the highest bloom. "Excuse me!" he exclaimed, moving quickly over to the gate and sticking his head out into the street.
He saw a well-dressed young many pluck the flower from the vine. "Don't do that!" he demanded. The young man looked at him, unafraid.
"It's for the shrine, old man." He explained, and continued on his walk down the street. Mr. Dumbledore humphed, mourning the loss of the flower. It was one of the downsides to living so close to the shrine that stood at the end of Diagon Alley. A large statue of Merlin, the shrine was said to bring good luck to those that left a gift. Flowers being the most popular gift for shrines, it was hardly the first time Mr. Dumbledore's garden had been attacked by shrine-goers.
Mr. Dumbledore turned back towards the house when he heard chuckling. His wife, Minerva, stood in the doorway, an amused look on her face. "Such a look on your face, over a silly flower," she chided mockingly.
Mr. Dumbledore scowled, and was about to answer her when he saw a crow land on his wall from the corner of his eye. He turned to it just in time to see it pluck the remaining flower from the vine and fly off. Mr. Dumbledore swore, throwing his hands in the air in surrender, hearing Minerva laugh out loud.
"What exactly do you find so funny about losing both our flowers before the sun had even fully risen?" he demanded. Minerva simply shook her head, the laughter fading.
From the back of the house, they both heard the sounds of their maid, Molly, entering through the back door.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Dumbledore," she greeted them cheerfully.
"Good morning Molly," Minerva replied, and followed Molly into the kitchen to discuss the day's housework.
Mr. Dumbledore remained standing on the patio, until he heard knocking on the gate. Opening it up, he saw a middle aged man standing in the street holding a large sign under his arm.
"Good morning, Sir." He said. "It's all ready" he added, gesturing with the sign.
"Good, good," Mr. Dumbledore said, stepping out into the alley with the man. "Shall I help you hang it up?"
"Thanks, Sir." The man replied. Together, they hung the sign on the wall next to Mr. Dumbledore's gate. When they'd finished, Mr. Dumbledore paid the man. He then walked across the street to get a good look at the whole effect.
He smiled, happy with the image. The sign read:
Mr. Dumbledore's Marriage Bureau for Purebloods
Prop: Mr. Albus Dumbledore, professor (retired)
Ph: 236672
The sign looked very sharp, hanging next to his gate. Mr. Dumbledore took the opportunity to view the alley. Though the street was busy, it wasn't the busiest part of the alley, with the larger more popular shops. Instead, most of the buildings in this area were slightly quieter shops and businesses, usually with apartments in the second and third floors.
Mr. Dumbledore's house stood out for its small size. Built before the alley was so developed, it was only one story, and was built on a small, narrow strip of land. The house consisted of a living room, two bedrooms, and a kitchen, with a bathroom to the side. The patio and garden in front were also unique, since all the other buildings extended all the way to the curb.
Minerva walked out to join her husband, having given Molly her instructions for the day.
"It looks rather good, doesn't it?" Mr. Dumbledore asked his wife.
"It does," she agreed.
After a few minutes of silence, Mr. Dumbledore turned to her. "Shall we set up the office?" he asked.
"Yes, lets."
They walked back across the street to their house, almost being run over by a man pushing a cart of firecrackers in the middle of the street.
They stepped through the gate and into the patio, and got to work.
First, they swept the patio and cleaned any cobwebs from the overhang that shielded the patio from the sun. Once that was done, they carried the desk out from the living room and onto the patio. They got Molly's help to carry the spare wardrobe out next, which would serve as a filing cabinet. Finally, they carried out the extra sofa and a chair for behind the desk.
They spent some time arranging things before they were satisfied. The desk stood at the end of the patio, facing the gate, so Mr. Dumbledore could see people enter. The patio was sitting with its back to the house, so clients were facing the desk, but still keeping an open area in the middle of the patio.
The wardrobe stood with its back to the house as well, but it was behind the desk instead of in front of it. Next to the wardrobe was the fireplace, which was connected to the floo network.
After the furniture was arranged, Minerva went back inside, leaving Mr. Dumbledore to arrange the office supplies in the wardrobe and on the desk.
When Mr. Dumbledore was done, he sat in the desk quietly and looked at his new "office." Though it was outside, the overhang protected him from the sun and rain, and warming charms kept it mild even in the winter.
The marriage bureau had been his brother's idea, actually. After a year and a half of retirement, Mr. Dumbledore thought he was going to lose his mind with boredom. Finally, fed up with the man's restlessness, Aberforth suggested that he start up a business, as a pastime.
Mr. Dumbledore's gaze swept over the patio, eventually resting on the two pictures hanging from the wall. One was of a young couple with a small boy sitting in between them. The small family was smiling, and the child waving cheerfully at the camera. The second picture was of a young man with dark hair and a hooked nose, who started strait at him challengingly.
Mr. Dumbledore briefly considered taking the pictures down, for professionalism's sake, but then decided against it.
Minerva came back out an hour later.
"Any calls?" she asked.
"No, not yet," Mr. Dumbledore replied. "But it's still early."
"True," she said. "Did the ad go out today?"
Mr. Dumbledore nodded, handing her the day's paper.
She opened it to the classifieds section, and found Mr. Dumbledore's ad circled in green ink.
It read:
For widest choice among Pureblood brides/grooms, contact Mr. Dumbledore's Marriage Bureau for Purebloods.
Minerva smiled in appreciation, and then turned to inspect the patio as Mr. Dumbledore had just done. Her gaze also landed on the two photos. "We should call Severus," she suggested.
"No!" Mr. Dumbledore exclaimed. "We will only argue, and I don't want any arguments today." He argued.
Minerva sighed, and went back inside.
A few minutes later, the bell hanging from the fireplace rung, signaling an incoming floo call. Excitedly, Mr. Dumbledore knelt down next to the hearth.
He was admittedly disappointed when his brother, Aberforth's face appeared in the fire.
"Any clients yet?" he asked.
"Not yet," Mr. Dumbledore muttered.
"Well, since things are still slow, do you want to accompany me to the temple today?" Aberforth continued.
"But it's not Friday," Mr. Dumbledore pointed out.
"And where does it say that we can only visit the temple on Fridays?" Aberforth demanded. Whereas Mr. Dumbledore had grown restless and bored with retirement, Aberforth had reacted by throwing himself into religion, becoming increasingly pious with age.
Mr. Dumbledore declined the invitation, and returned to the desk.
Though it was slow to start at first, Mr. Dumbledore did eventually get calls from prospective clients. The trick to a marriage bureau is that it is slow to start. With no other members to match clients to, the first few memberships are the hardest to get.
Over the next few weeks, however, Mr. Dumbledore's business grew as he collected more and more clients.
Mr. Dumbledore's Marriage Bureau for Rich People had officially opened.