Thanks for the reviews, Nupurlath. Cheers!
Nupurlath: Yes, it was just a one-scene chapter, but it was about as long as the previous one!
Hello everyone, here is Chapter Three. Readers, please review. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All (well, most, anyway) characters are from J K Rowling's brilliant best-selling series.
Chapter Three
Wedding Plans
"You're all set, come on through."
The silver doe vanished, and James grinned at his parents. "Ready?"
"You know it," said Mr Potter, while Mrs Potter nodded with a small smile on her face. "Let's go, then." He withdrew a small pouch of Floo powder from his pocket.
The Potters stood in front of their fireplace, dressed in their Muggle best; Mr Potter wore a smart dark grey suit with a matching tie that was a lighter shade of grey, while Mrs Potter looked regal and elegant in her magenta evening gown which covered her legs entirely, but was Charmed to not touch the ground as she walked. James himself was dressed in the same clothes he'd worn at Vernon and Petunia's wedding – his navy-blue suit with a maroon tie, having decided that the suit was too good and well-made to not be worn for an occasion such as this.
"It's great that you connected their fireplace to ours for one night, Dad," said James, accepting a pinch of the glittery, green powder. Mr Potter grinned and said, "It helps when the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation is a good mate of yours. Go on, then," he added, and with a wave of his wand, crackling flames appeared into their fireplace.
"Right," said James, "Remember – the address is 11 Diam –"
"You say that one more time and I'll hex you," said Mrs Potter, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Jamie, you've told us the address nearly a hundred times now –"
"All right, all right!" said James (she did have a point), grinning as he threw the Floo powder into the fireplace, causing the flames to turn green. Stepping into the cool flames, he shouted, "11 Diamond Gardens, Cokeworth!" He shut his eyes as he began to spin, faster and faster as several fireplaces sped past him – he wanted to ensure that he entered Lily's house elegantly, not as a spinning mess – until he felt himself slow down, and opened his eyes just as he tumbled out of Lily's fireplace. He stayed on his feet and non-verbally Vanished the ash on his robes, and smiled at the three people standing in front of him.
"Good evening, Mr and Mrs Evans," he said politely, noting with relief that their attire was similar to his parents'. "Evening, Lily," he added softly, and she stepped forward to plant a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Hello, James, good to see you again," said Mr Evans affably, as Mrs Evans gave him a quick hug. "Have you been keeping well, my boy?"
"Quite well, thank you," replied James, shaking hands with Mr Evans. "My parents will be here any second – oh, I think that's Mum –"
And sure enough, Mrs Potter came spinning into view, and James could tell that her landing was far more elegant than his (They have years of practice over you, he consoled himself mentally). "Good evening," she said formally, as Mr Potter stepped out of the fireplace right behind her, and stood next to her, also smiling. "My name is Euphemia Potter, and this is my husband – Fleamont."
"Welcome, welcome," said Mr Evans, striding forward to give Mr Potter a firm handshake, "My name is Larry Evans, and this is my wife, Dahlia. Please, take a seat – make yourselves at home." He remained standing as the Potters sat down on the sofa, before taking a seat in the recliner next to the coffee table. Mrs Potter took another empty chair, and Lily said, "Erm – would you like some tea?"
"Tea sounds lovely, dear," said Mrs Potter warmly, and Lily flicked her wand once; a tray containing six teacups zoomed in from the kitchen, before stopping in mid-air in front of them. Smiling at the simple, casual display of magic, James watched as his parents accepted a cup each before taking his own; Lily and her parents followed suit, and Lily set the empty tray down on the coffee table with a rather smug wave of her wand before taking the chair next to James, who was seated on the edge of the sofa. "Show-off," he whispered, and she grinned mischievously. "I learned from the best," she whispered back, and he chuckled.
"Thank you," said Mr and Mrs Potter together, before taking a sip from their respective cups. "It's delicious!" said Mrs Potter, smiling. "Do I detect a hint of cinnamon?"
"Yes – it's Mum's signature tea," said Lily, giving her mother a fond glance. "Goes well with the cardamom, doesn't it?"
"It does indeed," said Mr Potter, with a smile at Mrs Evans. "So," he said, setting his cup down, "Allow me to get straight to the point. Our Jamie –" James frowned at Mr Potter, who smirked at him, "—informed us a few days ago that he asked Lily here to marry him, and we told him that nothing would make us happier. Lily is a wonderful young woman – she would be a marvellous addition to our family, and we're honoured to accept her as our daughter-in-law."
James gave Lily a sideways glance, and wasn't surprised to see her blushing. His father had certainly been effusive in his praise.
"She complements Jamie perfectly," said his Mum in her soft voice. "She keeps him grounded and restrained – he can be a tad impulsive and mischievous, see? I was very taken with her when she first visited us – and that wasn't just because she shared my interest in Potions." She laughed. "She's well-mannered, polite and a mature, responsible young lady – and at times she seems too good for our Jamie, to be honest." She smirked at James, who shrugged. "Can't say I disagree, Mum," he said truthfully.
"Thank you," said Mrs Evans sincerely. "Lily informed us that James had asked her hand in marriage the night she returned from school – showed us the ring and everything – and I must say, we're nothing short of delighted." She beamed. "We had James over for Christmas dinner, as you know – and he was so polite and charming!"
"Keeps Lily from being too uptight about things, he does," said Mr Evans, with a rich chuckle. Lily narrowed her eyes at her Dad, who pointed at her, saying, "See – case in point." He laughed, and Mr Potter smiled politely, too. "I believe he taught her that one shouldn't take life too seriously – that it's OK to let one's hair down a bit and see what life has to offer us, rather than simply zipping through it. I like that."
"And he was so helpful during Petunia's – our older daughter's – wedding!" gushed Mrs Evans. "He was here since the morning, assisting with everything all day – made our life a lot easier, he did! My sister – Lily's Aunt, who lives in Birmingham – told me that she thought James was a wonderful young man, too… She said that her son, Matt, had given James a glowing stamp of approval, which means something 'coz apparently, it takes a lot to impress Matt."
"Yes – our Jamie's always been quite the charmer," said Mrs Potter, with a smirk at James. "Smooth and suave, even as a four-year-old – why, he once convinced his friend Marlene to give him her teddy bear, that her Mum had bewitched to always be soft and warm, and give her a Chocoball – a popular sweet, that is – once every day! She loved that thing – but Jamie wanted it, and to this day I still don't know how he got her to part with it!" She gave James an amused glance, and he could feel his face redding a bit. But Lily's parents laughed, so he simply smiled and looked at Lily, who was laughing too… James was sure that she was making a mental note to ask Marlene about this incident later – not that he cared, really.
Both sets of parents seemed to enter a mutual (albeit unspoken) agreement to table the wedding discussion for now, and spend the evening getting to know each other. Dinner consisted of three courses – Yorkshire pudding with onion gravy, followed by chicken tikka masala served with rice (Mrs Evans told the rather surprised company that while the dish originated in the Indian subcontinent, its popularity in Britain had resulted in it becoming one of the Britain's national dishes, and that she'd learnt it from one of their neighbours down the street), and, for dessert, banoffee pie (which Mr Evans said was the favourite food to cook of Margaret Thatcher, a Muggle politician widely tipped to become the next Prime Minister of Britain). James didn't say much; this was a meeting between the parents (who seemed to be happily swapping work stories throughout dinner), which meant that the less he said, the better. He focused on the food instead, and Lily assured him that while she'd helped, this was all her mother's cooking. "This banoffee pie is a recent addition, though," she said, smacking her lips as she ate, "This is the first time I'm having it – and it's delicious!" She lowered her voice. "Would I be too greedy if I helped myself to a third slice?"
"Yes," said James, grinning. She made a face at him and said, "Ugh – shut up… As if it won't be greedy if you took more pie!"
"It will," said James, "But I think it's been established that I'm a greedy git – right at this table last Christmas!" He laughed. "Besides, we're the guests tonight – so, if I ask for more pie, your Mum will happily give me the whole thing!"
"Take a piece for me," said Lily. "Please…"
"Come on, Lil," said James, rolling his eyes, "Have I taught you nothing? Just be shameless – take it yourself!"
Lily shook her head and gave him a beseeching sort of look. James fake-sighed and proceeded to take another slice of the pie, and gave most of it to Lily before keeping some for himself. It really was delicious…
Finally, they were all seated in the living room once again, and Mr Evans opened a bottle of wine. James was feeling well-nourished and sleepy, and was only half-listening as Mrs Potter and Mrs Evans went over the finer points of the banoffee pie recipe (Mrs Evans glowed as Mrs Potter effusively complimented her cooking). Just as he was about to doze off, however, Lily elbowed him a little hard, and he sat up straight. "Sorry," he said automatically; everyone was looking at him expectantly, and he felt his face grow hot. "Sorry," he said again, "What was that?"
"I only asked, dear boy, if the two of you had a date in mind for your wedding," said Mr Evans, his green eyes amused as Mrs Potter whispered frantically to him, "Jamie, behave!"
"Er – right," said James, slowly returning to wakefulness, "Er – we were thinking, if it's feasible, er – end of this month?"
"We want a small wedding, Mum," said Lily quickly, sensing that her Mum was about to say something. "Y'know, something that won't be too difficult to plan, and maybe just immediate family and close friends… Something that won't be too costly, too –"
"Lily, dear – money isn't an issue at all!" exclaimed Mr Potter heartily.
"Seconded," said Mr Evans. "Don't worry about that, Princess!"
James gave his parents a warning glance; they'd discussed this… He'd conveyed to them that it was Lily's wish to have a small, intimate wedding, and they'd been a little put out (quite understandably). However, they'd agreed to take that under consideration. He hadn't broached the subject again, wanting to give them some time to discuss that…
His Mum gave him a surreptitious nod before saying, "Well – I think we should all listen to the would-be bride first. Go ahead, Lily."
James couldn't resist a grin; his Mum had subtly given Lily a chance to make her case for a small wedding. He knew that his Dad would be rather more disinclined than his Mum to have a low-key wedding – he was certainly far more well-connected, after all – but he could always count on his Mum!
All eyes went to Lily, who blushed slightly as she said, "Well – the thing is, ever since I was thirteen, I always envisioned myself having a wedding like the Wilsons' daughter, Rebecca. They're our neighbours," she added, addressing James and his parents. "I remember the ceremony vividly – other than the bride, the groom and their parents, there were of three Becca's aunts and uncles, as well as their families, and about the same on the groom's side. There were a few others, such as us – all in all, it was only about fifty people at most. I came home that night realising that even a simple wedding like that could be so beautiful and meaningful, with only family and close friends present. It seemed as if Becca personally knew all the guests, which sat right with me, too, and I remember thinking that in my wedding, I'd like the same, too – thank everyone personally for coming, that is. It would mean so much more to me to have an intimate ceremony, with simple music – like an acoustic piano, or guitar, when we say our vows or when Daddy's giving me away," she finished softly, giving her father an affectionate glance.
There was a silence as everyone digested Lily's words. Mr Potter was the one who broke it.
"Well, Lily, dear," he said, with a smile, "I understand. To me, honestly, a wedding is a party – the celebration of two people deciding to spend the rest of their lives together, and the merging of their families! It's also a chance for me to show you off to everyone I know," he added, his eyes twinkling, "To show – how proud and happy I am to have you as a new addition to our family! But –" he gave Mrs Potter a sideways glance, "—I seem to have forgotten that when it comes to her wedding, the bride is always right. It shall be as you desire," he said, before looking at Mr and Mrs Evans, "—that is, if you're all right with it, too."
Lily's parents glanced at each other; Mrs Evans nodded slightly, and Mr Evans smiled in a resigned sort of way. "We're fine with that," he said, "We wanted a grand wedding too, just like you, but Lily made it clear to us what she wanted, and we agreed to conditionally, subject to you all being OK with it, that is."
"Bride's always right, Larry," repeated Mr Potter, with a little shrug and a smirk.
"Amen to that," said Mr Evans, chuckling; he raised his glass of wine to them all before taking another sip from it.
"Thank you," said Lily softly, and kissed her father on his cheek. James let out the breath he'd been holding; persuading his father hadn't been easy, but he'd bowed down to Lily's wish at least…
"Well," said Mr Potter, "I do have a request for you, Lily."
"Yes, Mr Potter?" Lily asked politely.
"You see, dear," said Mr Potter, "This wedding – it's sort of a big deal for Euphemia and I, what with our only son getting married and all… So, if you don't mind, I'd like to propose a reception, to be held after the wedding – a separate event, if you like – where we can invite whoever we want, and have a great time showing you and James off," he added, with another twinkle in his eyes. "There are a lot of people at the Ministry, for instance, whom I'd planned on inviting to the wedding, but now that we're going with a small and intimate ceremony, would it be all right with you to have a reception where the four of us –" he indicated himself, Mrs Potter, and Lily's parents, "—can, for lack of a better term – go wild?"
Before Lily could answer, Mr Evans said, "Seconded – come on, Princess, that's a fair request. We can invite everyone for the reception, too!" he added, indicating himself and Mrs Evans.
"Oh," said Lily, slightly disconcerted with all eyes on her, "Well – I suppose that's fine. I'm getting my small wedding, so you can do what you want for the reception!" she added with a shrug and a wry smile before looking at James. "What d'you think?"
"It's about time someone asked for my opinion," said James dryly.
"Stop being a drama queen, Jamie," said Mrs Potter, rolling her eyes. "Do you have any other opinion than 'I don't care, do what you want'?"
"Well – no," said James, shaking his head slightly.
"Checkmate," said Mrs Potter, and James chuckled before saying, "I'm starting to see why people say that other than showing up and getting married, the groom doesn't really have anything to do with the wedding."
"You'll understand that better as the wedding draws closer," deadpanned Mr Potter. "Trust me, I know."
"As do I," said Mr Evans, with another rich chuckle. James laughed as the three women rolled their eyes collectively.
"Well, then," said Mrs Potter, with a grin, "It's settled – small wedding at the end of July, followed by a grandiose reception."
"Hear, hear," said James and Lily together. "Should be doable, right?" added James.
"Certainly," said Mr Potter confidently.
"A few months ago, we just planned an entire wedding for our elder daughter, who is exceedingly particular and nit-picky – in a matter of weeks," added Mrs Evans, with a little smile. "Trust me, this will be a cinch compared to that… End of July is plenty of time." She gave a sideways glance at Mr Evans, who grinned. "What she said," he said.
"I'd say that July the Twenty-ninth – that's a Saturday – should work perfectly," said Mrs Potter. "Today's the First, right? That gives us four weeks. Besides, we get some more flexibility with the planning, too – if we have a morning or afternoon ceremony, the wedding and the reception can take place on the same day. If we have an evening ceremony, we can even have the reception on the next day – though I think the first option is better."
"Yeah, Saturday makes much more sense than Sunday," agreed Mrs Evans. "We'd have liked the same for Tuney, but nothing doing – she wanted it on Easter Sunday, and the bride gets what the bride wants!"
Lily laughed. "I think a morning wedding with an evening reception on Saturday sounds lovely," she said, and James nodded in agreement.
"So," continued Mrs Evans, her tone businesslike, "Basic items first – guest lists for both the wedding and the reception, venue, catering, invitations – I know that weddings might take place a little differently in the Wizarding world, but the basics are the same, right?" she added to Mr and Mrs Potter.
"That's right," said Mrs Potter, with a nod. "I do have a couple venues in mind, yes, but let me procure the necessary information on them and get back to you. As for invitations, we can design them together. The time, catering and the menu can be decided once we finalize the venue, and we can start working on our guest lists once we decide the number of guests – which brings us to – money."
"Fifty-fifty," said Mr Evans promptly, "If that's OK with you."
"Er," said Mr Potter, "Well – we might end up inviting more guests than you, so that wouldn't really be fair –"
"Oh, come on," said Mr Evans, waving his hand dismissively, but Mr Potter shook his head. "We can work out the number of guests, and consequently, the guest list, based on our budgets. I think that the four of us should meet for a wedding planning session," he added, indicating all parents. "We can hash out the details then – and as for you two, make sure to have two guest lists, one for the wedding and the other for the reception," he said to Lily and James.
"D'you think we should have an upper limit for the number of guests?" inquired Mrs Evans.
"It's up to you," said Mrs Potter with a smile. "I'll be honest – we don't have one," she said, indicating herself and Mr Potter. "Neither do we have a budget cap – so, in the unlikely event that your guest list exceeds your budget, don't worry, 'coz we're happy to cover the cost overrun. We just want to ensure that everyone gets to invite whoever they want for the reception, and we all have a grand time," she finished, with a fond smile.
"We don't foresee any cost overruns," said Mr Evans politely, "But – thank you, kindly." His tone was sincere, and James's parents acknowledged that with nods of their own.
A distant clock struck eleven times, and Mr Potter stood up. Everyone followed suit, and Mr Potter said, "Well – it's getting late, but I'm glad that we got started on this process. Thank you for a most wonderful dinner." He withdrew a little pouch from his pocket. "This is Floo powder," he explained, handing it to Mr Evans. "It allows us to travel and communicate via fireplaces – most Wizarding households generally have one – and it'll allow you to visit us, too. Your home needs to be connected to the fireplace network, though, and it's tricky for Muggle households, but it can be done on a temporary basis, like tonight. Please come to our house on Saturday afternoon – say at four o'clock – and we can go over first drafts of budgets and guest lists. It would be our pleasure to have you stay for dinner, too!" he added with a smile.
"That sounds perfect – thank you for the invitation, we accept," said Mr Evans, smiling back at Mr Potter as he placed the Floo powder pouch on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. "It was truly a pleasure getting to know you both."
"Likewise," said Mrs Potter, shaking hands with Mr Evans and giving Mrs Evans a hug. Mr Potter shook hands with Lily's parents, too, before turning to James. "Ready?" he asked.
"One moment, Dad," said James, and planted a quick, chaste kiss on Lily's cheek. Lily blushed as their parents watched in faint amusement, and James said, "See you tomorrow, love – Sirius and I are having lunch tomorrow, d'you want to join us?"
"Can't, I'm going to Liz's for lunch tomorrow," said Lily brightly. "I'll rendezvous with you for dinner at that little restaurant near your town square – say, seven o'clock?"
"Done," said James, before proceeding to shake Mr Evans's hand. Mrs Evans hugged him (out of the corner of his eye, he saw his parents hug Lily, too, and felt heartened – he knew that they liked her very much, but to see them so comfortable with each other made him a lot happier), and he stepped forward towards the fireplace and lit it with a casual flick of his wand. "See you later!" he said, and threw a pinch of Floo powder into the fire, which turned green at once. Stepping into it, he shouted, "Potter Mansion!" He waved at everyone else just as they vanished, and spun for what felt like an hour before emerging into his own house. Once again, he managed to stay on his feet, and he grinned to himself as his parents came spinning into view one after another. He was getting better with his landing…
"So," said Mrs Potter, "I think that went beautifully. Lily's parents are wonderful, polite, kind and interesting people!"
"You said it, dear," said Mr Potter.
"So – happy that you're getting a grand reception, at least?" asked Mrs Potter, elbowing Mr Potter slyly. James laughed as his Dad said, "Oh, you have no idea… It's going to be so much fun, inviting whoever we want, for the reception though it may be!"
"I'm glad you agreed to the small wedding ceremony, Dad," said James sincerely. "I didn't think you were convinced when we left for their house a few hours ago!"
"I wasn't," admitted Mr Potter. "But – there's something about Lily that makes it quite difficult to say no to her, see?"
"Don't I know it," said James wryly, and his Dad laughed. "Anyway," he continued, "I could see how important it was to her, so I didn't put up an argument. Besides, I got my reception, so everyone's happy!"
"True," said Mrs Potter, "Ooh, it's going to be so much fun, planning this wedding!"
"Well – I'll leave you both to it," said James, suppressing a yawn. "Have fun – g'night!"
"'Night," said his parents together, and he made his way upstairs to his bedroom, feeling giddy with happiness… The meeting between his and Lily's parents had gone off smoothly, he'd been nervous for nothing. Well – I should get started on that guest list soon, he thought. But before that, there's something I need to ask Sirius…
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"So, that's the full story, mate," said James, taking the final bite of his chicken sandwich as he sat at the dining table in Sirius's Diagon Alley flat. "End of July, small wedding, potentially huge reception!"
"Sounds familiar," said Sirius, grinning. "Except for the small wedding part, that is."
"Lily was firm on that, and as my Dad said last night – the bride's always right," responded James, with a lopsided grin of his own. "It doesn't really matter to me, Padfoot, but it matters to Lily, so – that's what it's going to be."
"So, what does a small wedding mean, anyway?" inquired Sirius. "Just immediate family or something? In that case, am I invited?" he added, smirking.
James rolled his eyes. "For what might seem like the umpteenth time – and that's 'coz it is – you're family, Padfoot," he said, over his best friend's laughter. "Anyway – there was something I needed to ask you, mate."
His tone must have been more serious than he'd intended, because Sirius stopped laughing almost at once. "What is it?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
James smiled. "I'd like you to be my best man," he said simply.
"I accept!" exclaimed Sirius, beaming. "Blimey, I'd love to!"
"Great – that's settled, then!" said James, grinning back at him. "I'm going to ask Moony and Wormtail later today to be my ushers – I think having just two other than you is sufficient, considering that it's going to be a small wedding."
"Fair enough," said Sirius. Then his face became serious. "You know, Prongs –we've known for a while that you and Lily would certainly end up getting married one day, and now that it's here – I'm so, so happy for you both." His grey eyes were sincere as he gazed at James intensely.
"Thanks," said James, nodding in acknowledgement. "It was a long road, Padfoot, to get her to fall in love with me – but your role in it was substantial. Indeed, if it hadn't been for you and what you said that night two years ago – I don't think this would've even happened!"
"Nah – I think it would've," said Sirius, shaking his head and clapping him lightly on his shoulder. "Sooner or later, she would've fallen for you, mate. I mean, sure, you were a bit fatheaded back then – but people change, don't they? Well – not too much," he added, smirking. "It's more like – while one's nature doesn't really change much, one can – er, temper – the more undesirable aspects of one's personality, and enhance the desirable ones. For example, I don't think you'll ever stop being an arrogant show-off –" he grinned and dodged the fork James threw at him, "—but as long as you don't do that very often, people will focus more on your smartness, chivalry and courage."
James smiled. "Just the opposite of how you show the world what a cocky, smooth-talking berk you are, while hiding the more sensitive, perceptive side of your personality, then?" he said mischievously.
"I thought we talked about this," said Sirius, rolling his eyes. "I don't have a sensitive side," he added, with a stage whisper.
"Right, right – sorry," said James quickly, laughing.
"Oh!" exclaimed Sirius suddenly, and withdrew a piece of parchment from his pocket. "I just remembered – it came this morning. I assume you got this, too?" he asked, waving the parchment.
"Yep," said James, withdrawing an identical piece of parchment from his own pocket. "I wonder what Dumbledore's got planned for our first ever Order of the Phoenix meeting."
"Yeah, me too," said Sirius. "Well – you and I are both into Auror training, so how much time d'you think we can devote to our Order duties?"
"That's my first priority," said James firmly. "If it comes to choosing between the Auror academy and the Order – my choice is clear. I'll just have to pick up duelling skills and techniques on the fly."
"Fair enough, but that's not the easiest thing to do, mate," cautioned Sirius. "If we don't know how to fight effectively, we'll be a liability."
"True," said James thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose Dumbledore will have something to say about that… Maybe some of the Order members will teach us more. It's not like the Order is a motley, rag-tag bunch of witches and wizards fighting Voldemort and his lot, is it? Some of them are Aurors, while others are just skilled fighters. We saw how good they are last weekend…"
"Yes, but I'm sure they couldn't fight with their usual effectiveness, considering that they had to watch our backs all the time!" Sirius pointed out. "I'm telling you, Prongs – they'll want us to be as good as possible, and becoming an Auror will go miles in that direction."
"That's fair," conceded James. "We'll see – based on what Dumbledore says on Wednesday night."
"Yeah," said Sirius. "Interesting phrase, this – 'The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Twenty-four, Queen's Pier, Ramsey, Isle of Man.' Fidelius Charm?"
"Possibly," said James, nodding. "I recognise Dumbledore's handwriting, which means that he's the secret-keeper… As for the location, I think it's because the Isle of Man is so far out of the way, and likely the centre of Britain and Ireland."
"True," said Sirius. "It's pretty elegant too, having this letter itself function as a one-time use portkey… Since we don't know exactly where this place is, we'd have had a job Apparating there!"
"Typical Dumbledore, thinks of everything," said James, grinning. "I suppose we'll be Apparating next time onwards."
"Well – I'm excited, I dunno what to expect!" exclaimed Sirius, rubbing his hands together.
"Me too," said James, feeling a twinge of excitement himself. "Me too…"
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