Title: Harry Potter and the Wrought Iron Witch

Author: ebilein

Spoilers: PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QA, FB

Rating: PG-13

Most (or rather, pretty much all) of the characters, including but not limited to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Snape, Lily, Ginny etc., are (c) J.K.Rowling. I'm only have a little bit fun with them, no copyright infringement is intended.


- CHAPTER THREE -

A Wet Wedding

'Wake up! Wake up! Come on, there's less than three hours left!'

Harry blinked when the curtains of the bedroom were opened rapidly.

'Not quite the weather I've hoped for, but it was already gloomy yesterday, so not really a surprise - what are you waiting for?'

Hermione Granger, Ron's girlfriend and Harry's best female friend, was standing in front of their beds, her hands stemmed into her waist.

'I've already told you, less than three hours to go, I've only just arrived, I thought you were already up! Anyway, three hours... you still have to dress, and to meet Fleur's parents, and you've got to tell me what happened yesterday, so one could probably say you're in a hurry.'

Ron pulled the cushion he was lying on over his head.

'Not quite the welcome I was hoping for, but well,' Hermione said, scowling at Ron's cushion.

Harry yawned while sitting up on his bed. He cast a look at Hermione. She had already smoothened her hair, like she had done for the Yule Ball at Hogwarts. She wasn't, however, yet in her dress robes.

She sat down on Harry's bed.

'I asked Ron's mother what had happened, but she wouldn't tell me... And I saw your aunt, she was departing when I arrived, and Mrs Weasley wouldn't say anything but that she wanted to go back to where it happened... You aunt looked horrible, her eyes were all red, as if she had cried the whole night, and I think she was crying when she left, too,' she said.

Harry nodded.

He looked out of the window for a few moments. The sky was covered with gloomy clouds behind which the sun was hidden; it was not raining, however.

'We were attacked by Death Eaters,' Harry said finally.

Hermione gasped, thrusting her hand in front of her mouth.

Ron started snoring again.

'There were three - the Lestranges. Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan. They tortured Ron with the Cruciatus Curse. I lost my wand. Bellatrix, she performed Legilimency. She saw Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's locket, Voldemort's snake... But she doesn't know those are Horcruxes. She only asked me why I had her master's snake in my head.

'Then Dudley seized my wand. He performed magic.'

'What?' Hermione said, unbelieving.

Harry nodded. 'This guy, Robards, told me afterwards how he could have done this.'

'Robards - Gawain Robards?'

Harry looked at Hermione inquiringly. 'You know this guy?'

'Of course!' Hermione said. 'Don't you? He succeeded Scrimgeour as Head of the Aurors.' She looked at him, worried. 'I've heard he has quite a nasty temper.'

'Yeah, he has,' Harry said. 'If I didn't know Ron's dad, I would think that the whole Ministry is full of jerks. I mean, look at Fudge. He wouldn't believe Voldemort was back. Then Scrimgeour - arresting innocent people so that it looks like they've got everything under control. And Umbridge - I suppose I don't have to remind you, do I?'

Hermione shook her head, biting her lips. When Harry wouldn't continue talking about what had happened, she asked, 'Where's Dudley now? It must have been quite a shock for him to do magic...'

Now it was Harry's turn to bite his lips. 'He - he's dead.'

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. It seemed as if she didn't know what to say.

'He's not the only one, though,' Harry added. 'Uncle Vernon... well, he's dead too.'

It wasn't easy to say it, Harry thought, but it was a lot easier than when Sirius had died. He didn't feel empty, as he had done then, he didn't really ask why this had to happen - it was because of him, he thought, because the Death Eaters had been looking for him, and because of Bellatrix, because it was her with her unpredictable temper who had murdered him, but most of all, it had happened because of Voldemort.

'Oh Harry,' Hermione said, turning closer and hugging him. 'This must be so terrible for you.'

The door opened and Harry and Hermione drove apart.

'Oh - sorry, I didn't want to interrupt.'

Harry looked at the person standing in the door. His heart gave a jolt.

There she was standing, with her long red hair, shining slightly in the dusty light of the house, freckles all over her nose, smiling.

'Hi, Ginny,' Harry said.

'You didn't interrupt,' Hermione said.

'Ron's still sleeping, isn't he?' Ginny said laughing. 'Nothing could ever wake him up, I doubt if even an Fwooper's Song might make it.'

Harry and Hermione started laughing, too.

'You don't mind if I sit down here?' Ginny asked, closing the door behind her. 'It's just... well, Fleur and Gabrielle and Yolande and mum are down in the kitchen, and I just couldn't bear it anymore... women,' she added, shaking her head.

'Yolande?' Harry asked, surprised while Ginny sat down on Ron's bed. He had never heard this name before.

'Fleur's mother,' Hermione said. 'Are they still fighting about the soup? They were when I arrived,' Hermione said.

'No,' Ginny answered, 'they've moved on to the cheese.'

'How many people are going to come to the wedding?' Harry asked.

'Oh, quite a few,' Ginny said. 'Mostly people from the Order... I think Bill has invited some of his charm-breaker pals... and Fleur's folks, of course.'

Ginny finished her sentence screwing up her face.

'You don't like them?' Harry asked, surprised. 'I mean, they're not as bad as Fleur, possibly, are they?'

Ginny shook her head. 'You've got to meet them - they're way worse. I don't want to offend any of them, though... I think that might ruin Bill's big day.'

'Can't one person sleep in here?' Ron said, sitting up angry, his ears in a dark shade of red.

'Good morning to you too, brother,' Ginny said pertly. 'Very nice of you, considering we haven't seen each other for a month.'

When Ron wouldn't say anything but kept glaring at her, she said, 'Well, I think I'm going to go to my room if I'm not welcome here.'

She got up and left the room, banging the door shut.

'I think Ginny's right,' Hermione said, getting up as well. 'If you don't want us to keep you company, Ron, then we better shouldn't.'

She left the room as well, but closed the door quietly.

Ron looked as if he wanted to slap himself.

At twelve o'clock Harry and Ron left Fred and George's bedroom. Harry was wearing his green dress robes, while Ron was wearing blue ones - the dress robes Ron had once worn, dreadful brown ones with frills that did indeed look rather like a dress, they had crammed back into Ron's trunk.

Hedwig and Pig, Harry and Ron's owls, as well as all their possessions had been brought to the Burrow while they had been sleeping, but they had not started to unpack; Harry was not sure when he would be going to Godric's Hollow, but he knew it was to be soon and he didn't want to make himself feel too comfortable at the Burrow.

They entered the kitchen where they saw Mrs Weasley and another woman cooking of whom they were sure that it was Yolande. They were flashing and flicking their wands so fast Harry felt quite dizzy just because of looking at it.

'Er... mum?' Ron said faintly.

Mrs Weasley turned around, not ceasing to move her wand. 'Yes, dear? Oh, of course, you haven't met yet, did you? Er... Yolande? Yolande?'

Yolande turned around and Harry instantly knew who had given Fleur her gorgeous looks.

Although Yolande Delacour was surely not a year younger than Mrs Weasley she looked quite different; her hair was long and bright blonde, just like Fleur's, her eyes were of a light shade of blue, her skin was fair, however not pale, and her hands moved with elegance and grace.

'May I introduce you to my son and his friend?' Mrs Weasley said slowly and punctuated.

Yolande nodded. Her hair moved and seemed to shine brightly in the small dark kitchen.

'This is Ron,' Mrs Weasley said, 'my youngest son -'

'It is a pleasure to meet you,' Yolande said, curtseying.

Ron wasn't able to say anything. He gawped at Yolande, not even blinking.

'And this - this is his best friend, Harry,' Mrs Weasley continued, 'Harry Potter, I'm sure you've heard of him.'

''Arry Potter!' Yolande said, gasping and stopping to flick her wand. The dishes behind her fell to the floor and crashed. 'I am so... I do not what to say - ze legendary 'Arry Potter! Quelle surprise de le voir ici!'

She curtseyed to him, too, while Mrs Weasley took care of the smashed dishes.

'I know zat you 'ave met my two daughters yet, do you not 'ave?' Yolande said and Harry nodded. Ron blinked, shaking his head, obviously getting rid of the Veela-effect of Fleur's mother. 'But I do not zeenk zat you 'ave met my son yet... Sébastien! SÉBASTIEN! Sébastien, viens tout de suite!'

Yolande seemed to have completely forgotten about preparing the food for the wedding. She was staring at Harry, searching for the scar on his forehead.

'Did you know zat you are also very well known in France?' Yolande asked.

'Er... no, I didn't,' Harry said. He felt uncomfortable, as always, when people were staring at his bolt-shaped scar.

'Ouais, maman, qu'est-ce qu'il y a?'

Harry and Ron turned around, taken by surprise by the unknown voice that sounded behind them, talking in a language they couldn't understand.

Sébastien Delacour did look neither like one of his two sisters nor like his mother. He had to have, Harry thought, the looks of his father, whom Harry - he was sure of it - would see quite soon, too.

He had short dark - almost black - hair, his face was pale and his eyes were dark and sunken in. He was very thin, but wearing many layers of dark shirts, robes and a cloak. His voice was harsh and loud. When he entered the room, he moved with a strange mix of grace and clumsiness.

'Sébastien, turn around and say 'ello to the last members of the family,' Yolande said, smiling gently.

'Beuârk, combien de casse-pieds est-ce qu'il y a dans cette famille?' Sébastien said harshly, screwing up his face.

'Tais-toi, coquin!' Yolande said loudly. 'I 'ave to say sorry for my son, 'e does not speak English very well,' Yolande added in excuse. 'Zeese are... er... Mr Weasley, the youngest son of the Weasleys -'

Sébastien barely looked at Ron.

'- and zis is 'Arry Potter -'

Sébastien's face changed this very moment. He opened his eyes widely, looking inquiringly at Harry. His expression turned from sulking to admiration within seconds.

'Ze 'Arry Potter?' he said.

Harry looked straight into Sébastien's eyes.

'It seems so,' he said coldly. He couldn't help it but he felt strange around this guy.

'Yet again, I 'ave to excuse for my son's manners,' Yolande said appeasing. ''Arry, Weasley - zis is my only son, Sébastien Telesphore Delacour.'

Sébastien bowed to them while his mother spoke.

'It is a pity you did not meet 'im when Fleur was champion for Beauxbatons and we came to watch ze third task, but 'e was in France busy studying for his exams. 'E is very conscientious and I am sure all of you will 'ave a very good time.'

Yolande was beaming at her Harry, Ron and her son.

Suddenly the kitchen door burst open again and Mr Weasley entered with his glasses askew. 'Sébastien, please, your dad and I need your help... Molly, if you could come, too, please, I think there's something wrong with the chairs, a Gnome tried to sit down on one of them and... well, I don't want to say it in front of the children - oh,' he said, his eyes meeting Harry and Ron, 'you two are up, very good - oh, and Yolande, please, could you continue cooking? The guests are coming at one o'clock, I think, with the ceremony starting at two and everything...'

The kitchen emptied itself within seconds, leaving behind only Harry, Ron and Yolande.

'Do you need any help, Mrs Delacour?' Harry asked.

'Oh, no, thank you very much, I'll be all right,' Yolande said. 'You could go and say 'ello to my daughter Gabrielle, she is upstairs in - I think it is the old bedroom of one of the Weasley children.'

Ron gawped at Yolande, now, however, not because of her beauty but because she ignored him completely.

'Well, OK,' Harry said, 'I'll see if I can make it to... the old bedroom of one of the Weasley children.'

'Go and do that,' Yolande said, flashing her wand around.

'Can you believe them?' Ron said, looking deeply disturbed. 'All the Delacours seem to ignore me - all of them! Even this ugly Sébastien guy, he barely looked at me! As if I would look at him, though, I can't believe someone like him is in a family that consists of Fleur and Yolande...'

'But don't forget, Ron,' Harry said, 'Fleur's going to be your sister-in-law and Yolande is going to be your brother's mother-in-law. And it's not really that great, I think I got goose bumps when Fleur's brother looked at me... he's creepy, isn't he?'

'Yeah, he is... Wait, I think I hear Hermione...'

Ron stopped, waiting for a second and then knocking at the door.

'Are you mad?' Harry said furiously. 'You do know that this is -'

He didn't say the rest of the sentence because Ginny opened the door to her room. When she saw Ron, she looked at him emotionless. 'What do you want? Did you come to apologise?'

'No, I didn't come to apologise -' Ron started, but Ginny interrupted him, 'Why did you come, then?'

'I thought I heard Hermione's voice.'

Ginny closed the door for a moment. They could clearly hear her saying, 'Hermione, Ron's out there, do you want me to let him in?' Then Ginny returned to the doorframe. 'No, Hermione's not here. But I just thought,' she said, turning to Harry, 'that you could come in if you want.'

Harry smiled, but shook his head.

'Don't be childish,' he said, 'we've just been introduced to Yolande and Sébastien, so please, would you be as kind to let us in? Because otherwise we'd have to go to Gabrielle, as Yolande told us to.'

'All right,' Hermione said, appearing next to Ginny in the doorframe. 'You two may come in.'

'But please close the door quickly,' Ginny added, 'I want my room to stay Delacour-free.'

Harry had never before been to Ginny's bedroom. It wasn't big, but nevertheless inviting. The wands were covered with magical photos of the Weasleys, of Hogwarts and its students. Harry didn't look at it too carefully. The floor was covered with a big beige fluffy carpet on which Hermione sat down. Harry followed her example.

Both Hermione and Ginny were wearing their dress robes - Hermione was wearing pink ones, which were obviously new (because at the Yule Ball at Hogwarts she had worn blue ones), while Ginny was wearing bright green ones.

'I think they are all a little bit mad,' Ginny said, sitting down on her bed.

'I wouldn't say mad,' Hermione said, 'I think they're just a little bit excited with the wedding and everything.'

'Do you know Sébastien?' Harry asked Ginny.

'Well, not really... he usually scowls at everyone; he doesn't speak very much either. I think he's quite bright, though,' she said, shrugging.

'He looks so very unlike his sisters,' Hermione said. 'If I didn't know he was their brother...'

'He looks very much like his father,' Ginny said.

'Anyway,' Harry said, turning to Ron and Hermione. 'Er... well, I know you two probably don't want me to speak of it, with us just arriving here and everything, but, well... I've already spoken to Ron, Hermione, and we both have agreed that we're going to depart for Godric's Hollow sometime in the next two weeks.'

Hermione sighed quietly. 'That's quite soon. But I'll come along. After all, I've promised.'

Ginny looked at Harry, saying sadly, 'You know that I want to go with you, too -'

'No,' Harry and Ron said simultaneously.

'You're too young to leave school,' Ron said.

'We don't even know if it'll open again!' Ginny said desperately.

'But we don't want you to get hurt,' Harry said quietly. 'You know that we love you too m-- Well, we don't want you to get hurt. It would kill Ron, your whole family... and me,' he added inaudibly for the others under his breath.

Ginny nodded reluctantly.

'Then I'm going to go downstairs... help in the kitchen,' she said, getting up. 'I think mum'll want you downstairs at one o'clock, too, because Fred, George and Charlie have said that they'll come that time.'

'We'll be there,' Hermione said, and they watched Ginny leave the room.

'So,' Ron said, turning to Hermione as soon as the door had closed, 'did you find out anything about R.A.B.?'

'Nothing,' Hermione said, watching her feet rather then looking at Harry or Ron. 'It's so difficult, but just as I told you, I've found a few names bearing those initials, but no one seems to have a connection to V-Voldemort.' She cast a look at her wrist-watch. 'It is quarter to one,' she said, 'so we'll only have about fifteen minutes to discuss everything, you know... we'd better hurry.'

She turned to Harry.

'Now please tell me everything about Bellatrix performing Legilimency.'

'I didn't really realise what she did until it was too late,' Harry said. 'And like I've told you before, I don't think she understood what these things meant. I don't think she knows about Horcruxes.'

'But she surely has gone to V-Voldemort? I mean, if she saw his snake in your head -' Hermione said, but Harry interrupted her.

'I don't think Voldemort would suspect me to know about Horcruxes. He must think no one knows about them. And of course I would know about his snake, I've seen her when he came back, in the graveyard, and I've been inside her, don't you remember? When I had that dream about biting your father, Ron...'

'Yes,' Hermione said, 'but still, don't you think if she talked to Voldemort, speaking about lockets and cups and his snake, that he would get suspicious? After all it's you who will defeat him, and if you know about him producing Horcruxes -'

'I've been tortured with the Cruciatus Curse,' Ron said dully.

Hermione looked at him in shock.

'You were?'

Ron nodded.

Hermione approached him, thrusting her arms around him, hugging him; but after a few seconds she let go, saying, 'That's terrible, but there are more important things to talk about now.'

Ron looked at her, disgruntled, but didn't say anything.

'I know you don't want to talk about it,' Hermione said, 'but Snape -'

'Yeah, you're right, I don't want to talk about him,' Harry said.

Just the thought of Snape made his insides burn with fury; the ugly face with the long nose, the long, greasy black hair, the dark eyes, the black cloaks, the infuriating sneer... Harry loathed this former Potions and Defence against the Dark Arts teacher with every fibre of his body.

'Dumbledore confided so many things to him, concerning the Order, concerning the school...' Hermione said, shaking her head.

'Dumbledore trusted Snape completely,' Ron said.

'And now that Snape is on Voldemort's side, Voldemort knows everything Snape knows,' Harry said.

They were silent for a few minutes, until Ron said, 'What are we going to do after visiting your parents' grave?'

Harry didn't answer for a few seconds. He knew it wouldn't be easy.

'We're going back to Hogwarts,' he said.

Ron and Hermione gasped.

'You mean like - like school?' Hermione said.

Harry shook his head. 'Ron, you should at least know why... you were there... Kreacher, he visited us on my birthday. He said Slughorn sent him. Kreacher said that McGonagall wanted to talk to me as soon as possible.'

'Oh,' Ron said. Harry knew Ron was disappointed.

'After all, we don't even know if the school is going to open again,' Hermione tried to comfort herself.

Harry bit his lip. Both his best friends had promised that they would go with him, wherever he wanted to go in order to stop Voldemort, but he knew that they still hoped to be able to return to Hogwarts. He wasn't angry with them; after all, he himself wanted to go back there, although he knew it would never ever be the same without Dumbledore. But Harry couldn't possibly return to Hogwarts... he didn't have time... there were still four Horcruxes out there, four items engraved with four parts of Voldemort's soul... and if anyone wanted to stop Voldemort, they had to destroy these four Horcruxes first before even attempting to finish Voldemort himself.

Harry knew what these items were: The Locket of Slytherin, that had been stolen from it's place by a person with the initials R.A.B., the Cup of Hufflepuff, then something of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's, and Voldemort's snake Nagini.

Harry had learnt all this in his lessons with Albus Dumbledore, the former Headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore had been the greatest wizard of his time, and the only one Lord Voldemort had ever been afraid of.

Dumbledore had shown Harry everything about Voldemort's past, starting with his mother, Merope Gaunt, and his father, a Muggle called Tom Riddle; about Voldemort's school years, when he had learnt of the existence of Horcruxes from his teacher Horace Slughorn; about the years after his school, when he had collected Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket; about Voldemort trying to be a teacher in Hogwarts, and - when Dumbledore refused - starting a curse that would last until these days, that not one teacher of the subject Defence against the Dark Arts would stay longer at Hogwarts than for a year.

'It's nearly one o'clock,' Hermione said, standing up. 'We'd better go downstairs.'

When they had reached the end of the stairs, Harry and Ron saw - for the first time since they had arrived at the Burrow - the groom, Ron's eldest brother Bill.

Bill, a tall man in his mid-twenties, had once been a very good-looking guy; Harry suddenly remembered the first time they had seen each other. It had been before the Quidditch World Cup: Bill had had long red hair, bond together in a ponytail, he had worn boots made out of dragon leather and had seemed very much like a person who did whatever he liked to do.

However, in June, when Death Eaters had invaded Hogwarts School, Fenrir Greyback, a savage werewolf, had attacked Bill and not even Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts nurse, had been able to heal Bill's wounds thoroughly; it had also been this day in June that Snape had killed Dumbledore.

Now, having Bill stand there in green dress robes, Harry thought smiling weakly that Fleur Delacour had tamed him.

'You look better, Bill,' Ron said.

Bill's face was scarred thoroughly and reminded Harry rather of Mad-Eye Moody, an Auror that worked for the Order, although Bill's nose didn't lack a big chunk.

'Congratulations,' Hermione said.

Bill grinned broadly.

'Thanks, Hermione,' he said. 'You can't imagine how much I've been looking forward to this day... Ah,' he said, turning to the front door, 'I think I've heard someone Apparate - well, do you want to go with me and welcome our guests?'

'Of course,' Ron said, now also smiling widely.

Fred and George Weasley were standing in yard, behind them the girl Harry, Ron and Hermione knew from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

'Hey, bro',' Fred said, coming nearer and hugging Bill, 'can't believe you're going to marry today -'

'And most of all,' George added, 'can't believe whom you're going to marry today - let's face it, you're going to have the prettiest wife seen in the Weasley family ever.'

'Don't let mum hear that, though,' Fred grinned. 'Er - Bill, that's Verity - come on, honey, don't be so shy... Verity, that's my brother, Bill, he's the one who's going to marry.'

'So you're his girlfriend?' Bill asked Verity, who nodded. 'All right, but be aware of Fred - you never know what he's up to... And don't test anything he gives to you unless they're already selling it.'

'All right,' Verity said, 'I'll be a good girl.'

This second another person appeared with a crack.

Charlie Weasley, the second-eldest son of the Weasleys, had just appeared on the street. He started running, approaching the Burrow. Then he hugged Bill, while Verity noticed Harry. She was, however, consequently pulled away into the house by Fred before she could say anything.

It was fun welcoming all the guests that appeared during the next half hour. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Bill never were alone outside; sometimes five persons appeared at once, coming nearer, talking merrily. They saw members of the Order of the Phoenix, notably Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin, Tonks and Shacklebolt; every now and then also a family appeared, looking around astonished, talking French; then there were some people who had gone to school with Bill and a few funny fellows that Bill called 'The Curse Breaker Boys'.

At quarter to two, Bill, Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the Burrow again, accompanied by an old, shaking woman with long, blonde hair who had introduced herself as 'Zephyrine Salomé Odette Bélain' and who obviously was Fleur's grandmother.

People were standing and sitting in the backyard where about thirty chairs were facing an arch, leaving an aisle in the middle; the arch the chairs were facing had been decorated with all kinds of flowers, even some which would normally not blossom in August: roses and lilies and daisies and snowdrops and tulips and irises in all colours imaginable were facing defiantly the grey cloudy sky.

Yolande and a tall man with dark hair, whom Harry was sure to be Fleur's father, were just welcoming the old lady Bélain that had followed Harry, Ron and Hermione into the garden; Mrs Weasley and her husband were talking lively to the twins and Verity, who seemed to try and make a very good impression; the Curse Breaker Boys seemed to enjoy watching the Gnomes, little ugly creatures with heads shaped like potatoes, chase each other around the little pond in the Weasleys' garden, while the members of the Order of the Phoenix were muttering quietly, standing apart from the rest of the guests.

Five minutes before two o'clock the people began to sit down, staring apprehensively at the gloomy sky.

'I just hope it won't start raining,' Hermione said, sitting down in the first row next to Verity. 'But it's only the ceremony that's going to be held outside, is it? The meal afterwards is in the house?'

Harry and Ron sat down, too.

'I don't know,' Ron said. 'But I don't think all these people would fit in our kitchen.'

Sébastien came out of the house, walking along the aisle towards his father and mother, who were standing on the right side of the arch, facing the guests (Mr and Mrs Weasley were on the left). Sébastien stopped next to his parents.

When everyone had sat down (Moody helped old Mrs Bélain who didn't seem to be too flexible anymore) and the talking had ceased, Mr Delacour flicked his wand.

A soft, slow music started to play, and all the people's heads turned backwards.

Ginny and Gabrielle appeared, wearing bright green dresses, holding small baskets filled with blooms they dropped while approaching the arch. Behind them, Bill and Fleur appeared; Fleur was wearing a wide red dress with a long train and in her bright blonde hair a tiara was shining Harry knew she had got from Mr Weasley's sister Muriel; Fleur was holding a bouquet with red roses, and both Fleur and Bill smiled widely as they, too, approached the arch.

'Shouldn't there be a priest?' Harry asked Ron quietly, trying not to attract the attention of the surrounding guests by interrupting the lovely music.

'This is a wizard wedding,' Ron answered just as quietly. 'It's the parents who act as priests.'

Ginny and Gabrielle stopped by their parents' side, but Bill and Fleur moved on to the arch.

Mr Delacour flicked his wand again and the music stopped.

It was quiet for a few seconds. Then Mr Delacour and Mr Weasley started to talk simultaneously, 'We have come together today in order to bind two souls who no longer wish to exist without the other, and without the other these two souls shall no longer wish but cease to exist.'

Now Yolande and Mrs Weasley spoke, again in chorus, 'These souls shall never be ripped apart by anything but death, and until death nothing shall ever rip them apart.'

Mr Delacour and Mr Weasley turned around, each one approaching the other one's descendant.

'Take your right hands.'

Bill and Fleur did as they were told.

'Belle Fleur Antoinette Delacour, I, anon thy father, ask thee,' Mr Weasley said, and suddenly his voice was deep and solemn, 'art thou willing to ne'er betray my son?'

'I am,' Fleur said.

Mr Weasley flicked his wand and white light shone from it.

Now Mr Delacour spoke. 'Bill Fabian Weasley, I, anon thy father, ask thee, art thou willing to ne'er betray my daughter?'

'I am,' Bill said, and just like Mr Weasley Mr Delacour flicked his wand, letting it shine with bright white light.

Yolande and Mrs Weasley now approached their own children.

'Take your left hands,' they said, and Fleur and Bill did as they were told to.

'Belle Fleur Antoinette Delacour,' Yolande said, 'I, for aye thy mother, ask thee, beest thou willing to swear by the welkin's stars the Vow of Love?'

'I am,' Fleur said again, and Yolande swished her wand, that yet again burst out white light.

Mrs Weasley smiled but also cried when she asked her son. 'Bill Fabian Weasley, I, for aye thy mother, ask thee, beest thou willing to swear by the welkin's stars the Vow of Love?'

'I am,' Bill said, nodding.

Mrs Weasley flicked her wand, and a last jet of bright white light lit the arch. It was painful to keep watching all this dazzling light. The Weasleys and the Delacours had vanished from sight; just Bill and Fleur were visible, standing alone in the pulsating flashes of brightness.

Then Bill and Fleur spoke concurrently, 'We utter the Vow of Love, ne'er to counterfeit, ne'er to betray our other soul, ne'er to mew it up, ne'er to fleer at it, ne'er to beshrew it, our new and only ally, to save it withal my life! By my troth, the Vow of Love!'

Then a shadowy figure appeared in all the light - Sébastien. He spoke with a clear voice, 'By my faith! This likes me well. Thou, for aye my sister, and thou, anon my brother, take these rings! Ere this bond doth end, the welkin's glistering stars will fall!'

And while he put the rings onto Bill's and Fleur's fingers, the parents yelled on top of their voices, 'These gyves of gaud suit you! Ere this bond doth end, the welkin's glistering stars will fall!'

There was a last pulsating flash of white light that lit all and everything, and then it started to rain.


TBC in Chapter IV, The Apparition Applicants, in which Harry and Ron finally take their Apparition tests and HRH overhear an interesting conversation between Dawlish and Robards.

Thanks to my reviewers - go and leave another one, pretty pretty please :)