I found myself the next morning dressed in dress robes and very uncomfortable; because I had taken a polyjuice potion containing the hair of a local, red headed muggle boy from the nearby town. He was bigger around the chest and middle; and made dress robes a bigger inconvenience than they already were. As part of the disguise I took the identity of a cousin to the Weasleys named Barney for the wedding; and I was helping Ron and his brothers usher guests to their seats.
I ran into some interesting guests. Somehow Luna's father was stranger than she was. Luna was able to know I was Harry Potter despite the polyjuice potion. She has a very unique way of seeing the world. Some of Ron's older relatives are very strange and it was fun to watch Ron and Hermione interact when Viktor Krum showed up.
We found our seats just before the wedding began. Fleur seemed to be emitting a strong, silvery glow that beautified everyone around. Ginny and Gabby, both wearing golden dresses, looked even prettier than usual. Ginny's Aunt Muriel thought the dresses were a little too low cut but I didn't mind. In fact, I may have lost track of the wedding staring at them because before I knew it I was asked to rise and congratulate the new bride and groom. The tent was transformed into a dance floor with tables all around.
Ron led Hermione and I to a table Luna Lovegood was sitting by herself at. We weren't there for long before Luna got up to go dance and twirl around by herself.
"She is great, isn't she?" said Ron admiringly. "Always good value." His good mood quickly dropped though when Viktor Krum came and sat down at an empty chair.
Krum scowled, "Who is that man in the yellow?"
"That's Xenophilius Lovegood, he is the father of a friend of ours." said Ron indicating that they weren't going to laugh at the odd man. Ron stood up and reached out for Hermione, "Come and dance." Hermione looked pleased and together they went and vanished on the dance floor.
"Are they together now?" asked a distracted Krum.
I shrugged, "sort of."
"Who are you?" Krum asked. Before I could answer Gabby walked up and sat down beside me.
"Barney Weasley." I said. I reached out and Krum and I shook hands.
"And who are you? I assume you are Fleur's sister." Krum nodded to Gabby. I didn't like the way he was looking her up and down.
"Gabrielle Delacour, pleased to make your acquaintance Viktor. My sister speaks well of you." Gabby said graciously. I reached out and grabbed Gabby's hand trying to dissuade Krum from attempting to make an advance on her.
Krum may have twitched by my gesture but he resumed the topic he was on earlier. "You, Barney, you know this man Lovegood vell?"
"No, I only met him today. Why?"
Krum glowered over the top of his drink, watching Xenophilius, who was chatting to several warlocks on the other side of the dance floor. "Because," said Krum, "if he was not a guest of Fleur's, I would duel him here and now, for vearing that filthy sign upon his chest."
"Sign?" I said, looking at Xenophilius too. A strange triangular eye was gleaming on his chest. "Why? What's wrong with it?"
"Grindelvald. That is Grindelvald's sign."
"Grindelwald . . . the Dark wizard Dumbledore defeated?" I asked.
"Exactly." Krum finished.
"I'm sure he means nothing by it. He probably things it could help him find some imaginary creature. He is just a kind old man who is a little off his rocker." I said trying to get Krum from shooting death glares toward Luna's father.
I turned to Gabby, "Did you offer Fleur and Bill your congratulations?"
"I did before I came and sat down next to you." Gabby has a huge smile on her face. It is easy to see how happy she is for her sister.
"This girl is very nice-looking," Krum said, recalling me to my surroundings. Krum was pointing at Ginny, who had just joined Luna. "She is also a relative of yours?"
"Yeah," I said, suddenly irritated, "and she's seeing someone. Jealous type. Big bloke. You wouldn't want to cross him.
Krum grunted.
Gabby removed her hand from my grasp. "Really? I was told they recently broken up." Gabby said, "I was told she was single."
"Nope, she is definitely taken." I said glaring at Gabby.
"If she is taken, maybe I am free." Gabby shot back at me.
"You are with me and she is with Harry Potter." I said as I reached out to hold her hand once more.
"It appears you Delacour women like red headed boys. Vot," Krum said, draining his goblet and getting to his feet again, "is the point of being an international Quidditch player if all the good-looking girls are taken?"
"If you are with me, then perhaps you would join me on the dance floor." Gabby said and stood, and I couldn't help but follow.
There was floating bottles of champagne all throughout the crowd. The canopy of the tent was lit with floating golden lanterns. The revelry of the party was getting more and more uncontained.
I don't know how long I danced with Gabby but something about her was glowing and I felt a magnetized pull toward her. I just wanted to be near her.
"I have to admit Harry," Gabby started talking after what must have been an hour of dancing, "I really like you. Everyone grows up hearing stories about the Boy-Who-Lived, who brought down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. But then you turned out to be my personal savior too." Gabby looked down clearly embarrassed.
"It was really nothing Gabby. And the rest are just stories." I tried to explain.
"I know they are stories, but I would like to get to know the real you." Gabby took a second to think of what she wanted to say. "I really do, but you seem hung up on Ginny still."
"To be honest, we are separated not because of a failed romance but because I feel she is safer if we keep our distance until Lord Voldemort is destroyed." Gabby shivered as I said the name out loud. "And I should give you the same advice."
At that moment Hermione came up and grabbed my shoulder. She was leading Ron along behind her. "My feet can't dance anymore. Let's go find a table and sit down for a while."
I followed Ron and Hermione to an empty table clutching Gabby's hand the whole time.
"Ginny has been shooting you two daggers from her eyes all night. You better sleep with one eye open tonight Gabby." Hermione said in a matter of fact tone.
"I figured it would draw suspicion if I dance with Ginny." I said trying to divert another possible situation with Ron. He just looked into his glass trying to avoid any confrontation himself.
"If she wanted Harry, she wouldn't have let him walk away from her." Gabby caused the eyes of everyone at the table to look at her. "If I was dating Harry I wouldn't let anything, including him stop me."
I did not know what to say, but it did not matter, at that moment, something large and silver came falling through the canopy over the dance floor. Graceful and gleaming, the lynx landed lightly in the middle of the astonished dancers. Heads turned, as those nearest it froze absurdly in mid-dance. Then the patronus's mouth opened wide and it spoke in the loud, deep, slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.
The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming. The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming. The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming. The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.
Everything seemed fuzzy. At first no one did anything. Everyone was watching as the cat vanished. That is until someone screamed. Guests started disapparating; the protective wards around the Burrow had fallen. Spells could be heard being shouted and streaks of light passed over our heads. Masked figures were appearing in the crowd. I jumped up and grabbed Hermione's hand while I held Gabby with my other. Ron was holding onto Hermione's close. As we all bunched together I felt Hermione turn on the spot and everything went dark. I felt the familiar squeeze as we passed through space and time, away from the Burrow and the Death Eaters, and perhaps away from Voldemort himself.
"Where are we?" Ron was the one to break the silence.
We were surrounded by people. "Tottenham Court Road," panted Hermione. "Walk, just walk, we need to find a place to change."
I noticed Gabby still holding my hand. She seemed to be freaking out a bit and I was afraid she could lose control at any moment. "How did you apparate with so many of us Hermione?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to get away from there."
"Hermione, we have no clothes to change in to." Ron had made the observation before I could.
"Maybe if I had my invisibility cloak with me we could all try to fit." I said knowing full well we couldn't fit four people completely under it.
"It's okay," said Hermione, "I have the cloak and clothes for all of us. Except for Gabrielle, I wasn't expecting her to be with us." Hermione started looking through her small bag. She pulled out the cloak and handed it to me and also pulled out some clothes for Ron to change into. "Harry, you and Gabby get under there and Ron, hurry and change." Hermione ordered.
"How" I started but Hermione cut me off.
"Undetectable Extension Charm, I have been packed and ready to go for days now. I had a feeling…" Hermione drifted away in thought.
"You're amazing Hermione." Ron said handing her his dress robes so she could pack them away.
Hidden under the invisibility cloak I asked, "What about the others?"
"We can't worry about them right now. They are after you Harry. If you show up it would cause more harm than good for them." Hermione was thinking clearly and for that I was grateful.
We ducked into an all-night café. I slid into a booth with Gabby under the invisibility cloak. Ron and Hermione sat across from us. You would think they had a twitch the way they kept glancing over their shoulders looking at the entrance to see if we were followed.
We sat in silence until Ron said, "We could head over to the Leaky Cauldron." But Hermione quickly cut him off.
"We can't go somewhere where Harry would be recognized! Voldemort has taken over the Ministry." Gabby jumped when she heard the name.
We went back to sitting in silence. Ron and Hermione each ordered a cappuccino from the waitress. A couple burly workmen entered and sat in the booth next to us. Ron and Hermione were going over possible plans. The workmen kept waving the waitress away.
I noticed they both made a move for their wands and I pulled my own. Ron noticed something was wrong just in time to push Hermione over and dodged the spells fired from the two Death Eaters. I cast a silent Stupify under the cloak and hit the blonde Death Eater in the face. He fell back unconscious.
The other Death Eater continued casting spells toward Ron unaware of where the spell had come from that knocked down his friend. I shot another Stupify spell and missed nailing the screaming waitress. The remaining Death Eater had cast a spell to tie up Ron but was surprisingly hit by a powerful Stupify before he could do anything else. Gabby stood up with her wand in hand.
Hermione crawled out from under the bench where Ron had pushed her down. She stood up and pointed a shaky wand at the ropes that Ron was tied up in. "D-Diffindo" she yelled and Ron roared in pain as she slashed open is knee. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ron, my hand's shaking! Diffindo!" she yelled again. This time the ropes were cut free.
"That's Dolohov," said Ron, "and that one is Rowle."
"Never mind what they are called," said a slightly hysterical Hermione. "How did they find us? What are we going to do?" Gabby was still staring at Dolohov, frozen in her own shock.
Seeing the girls panic actually cleared my head. "Lock the door, turn out the lights." I commanded. "We need to wipe their memories. If we kill them they will be suspicious. We need to throw them off our trail. Has anyone done a memory charm?" I asked knowing full well none of us had in school.
"I can," Gabby quietly spoke up. She pointed her wand at Dolohov, "Obliviate!" his eyes rolled back in his head and he got a dreamy look on his face.
"Brilliant Gabby!" I smiled at her. "Take care of the Rowle and the waitress while the rest of us clean up the restaurant."
Once the restaurant was restored we propped the two men back into their booth. "We need a place to hide," said Ron.
"Grimmauld Place," I said. Ron and Hermione both gasped.
"We can't go there, Snape can get in there." Hermione argued.
"Where else is there. Ron's dad said they put up spells to keep him out and if they did get in the Death Eaters probably searched the place months ago. It would be the last place they would look now." I said explaining my thoughts.
Having decided where to go, we turned on the lights, and woke up the two death eaters and the waitress. Before they could notice us I turned on the spot and the four of us vanished in the blink of an eye.
*AN - I hardly do author's notes but I will this time. Thanks if you have read this far. Please feel free to review for my benefit. As you have probably noticed so far things, have stayed very close to canon including me ripping things straight from the book, especially in the prologue. But that won't last much longer. Now that the story is sort of set up having Gabby with the main trio will lead to changes in the overall story.
