C H A P T E R N I N E
T H E
W E D D I N G
"Ready for the big day tomorrow?" Harry asked as he and Ron exited the Charms classroom and trudged down the stone steps to the dungeons for Potions.
"Yeah, I guess." Ron replied.
"Nervous?"
"Oh, no." Ron answered sarcastically.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure." Harry replied as the two walked down the corridor leading to the dungeons.
By the time the two got down to the Potions room, the rest of the class was already there. Snape was standing at the front of the room, looking sulky. A strange silence hung over the assembly.
As Harry and Ron entered the damp, dark room, Snape and the rest of the students looked at them strangely.
"We're not late, are we?" Ron asked.
"Harry shook his head. Ron shrugged his shoulders and sat down, Harry joining him.
"Well," Snape suddenly announced in a loud voice. "Now that we are all here, let's begin. Love Potions."
Hermione hid her head. Harry didn't know if it was because of the Witch Weekly article or she didn't want to be caught making banned potions. Or both.
"Now, if you'll take out your cauldrons…" Snape drawled, walking around the room. There was a fumbling for cauldrons and ingredient bags. "Set them to boil… with a nice size flame…" Snape was talking unusually slow, pausing after every bit of information. "Mr. Longbottom, when will you learn?" Snape asked exasperatedly without even turning around to look at Neville. "Miss Granger, do not help him." Snape still had his back turned.
Hermione turned and walked back to her desk. "How does he do that?" She asked Rachel, her partner.
"Take out your ingredients." Snape ordered methodically. There was a scuffle for bags and a clinking of grinding stones and palettes. "Add a liter of clam juice…"
Hermione had a pained look on her face.
"…And two grams of diced shrivelroots."
Harry and Ron strained to cut up the roots.
"Finely diced shrivelroots."
Ron shot Harry a miserable look and rolled his eyes as he cut himself countless times trying to get the roots just right.
"Add three coarsely ground pearls…"
"A waste of valuable items." Rachel complained.
"And a pinch of spice."
"Spice?" Rachel asked.
"How much, exactly, is a pinch? And what kind of spice?" Hermione asked out loud. Snape gave her an icy stare. Hermione blushed and turned back to working.
"Don't forget a cup of everything that's…" Snape stopped. "Nice."
"What's everything nice?" Hermione asked again, gaining another look from Snape.
"And finally, a dash of sugar."
"I'm not going to ask." Hermione whispered.
Snape allowed the class to finish their concoctions. "And…" He suddenly added loudly, startling the whole class. Snape turned and started slinking toward Hermione. "What's the final ingredient, Miss Granger?"
Hermione blushed and darted her eyes across the room.
"The ingredient… That turns this from a Hair-Growth Tonic to a Love Potion…" Snape continued, lowering his crooked nose closer to her.
"The ingredient… That can only be found in my private stores. The ingredient… That is from the rarest animal in England. The ingredient! That you! Personally stole! From my closet! Three years ago!" Snape's face was turning red.
Powdered bicorn horn. It was powdered bicorn horn. Hermione knew it. Her eyes darted frantically darted across the room and fell on Harry, who was mouthing the word, "Don't!"
"I-I don't know, Professor." She lied.
"You don't know." Snape laughed. "You don't know - I know… You know. Tell me, Mud-blood, tell me. It's all right." He said soothingly. All of Gryffindor was taken aback when he called Hermione a Mud-blood. "Tell me. What is the final ingredient."
There was a long, long silence. Harry was practically screaming "Don't!" Ron and Rachel were making hand signals telling Hermione not to answer Snape.
"P-Powdered horn of a b-b-bicorn, P-Professor."
Snape, still with his nose just inches away from Hermione's face, smiled. "Good." He laughed. "Good. Now, I wonder how she ever knew that." He said with mock astonishment, his voice suddenly rising as he threw his arms up in the air and walked back to the head off the room. "I wonder…" He glanced at the Witch Weekly on his desk, then at Harry. He glided over to his private closet, grabbed a rather large, clumpy leather bag, and stepped in front of the class.
"I'm only going to give these precious things to a select few of you. And they can finish their Potions. The rest of you… Have just lost all those other ingredients." He said with a smile. He began slowly walking down each aisle of desks, handing out strange, golden-red, spirally horns to students. Naturally, he gave out horns to all the Slytherins. Draco smirked as he crushed the horn and dumped it in his cauldron in front of flabbergasted Gryffindors.
Snape strolled back to the front of the room. The Gryffindors' faces fell. "Oh, pity. I've only two horns left. I wonder to whom I'll give them to." He drawled slowly. "Ah, this ought to be interesting…" He once again sauntered down the rows. "Here you go, Miss Granger. And you, Mr. Potter." He slowly handed a horn to Hermione and Harry. Both of them were blushing something furious.
"Work!" Snape yelled. Harry and Hermione, who had been staring at one another, quickly got to their pounding.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Parvati slip a bottle out of her robes and quietly fill it with the completed Potion. She stuffed the cork in and snuck it back into her robes. She glanced at Harry menacingly, who quickly turned his attention back to his own Potion.
"Here you all go." Snape began, handing out bottles to the Slytherins, Harry, and Hermione. "For your 'Love Juice' as I like to call it." He stared at Harry and Hermione, smiling as they nervously filled up the somewhat larger bottles that Snape gave them. He completely overlooked Ron and Rachel, who were Harry and Hermione's partners, respectably.
"Well, what do you know, it's time for you all to… leave!" He said somewhat happily as the sound of footsteps on stone filled the corridors outside the classroom. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Rachel hurried to pack their things and get out of there.
"Oh, and Harry," Snape said just as they got to the door. "Please don't use it all in one place." All of Slytherin started laughing, even the ones outside waiting to come in.
Harry and company, with ears of fire, scurried out of the room.
"Hey, Potter, who's the lucky…" Draco started.
"Lucky?" Parvati asked.
"Oh, sorry, who's the unlucky girl this time, eh?"
Harry brushed past them and hurried up the stone steps two at a time. Ron, Hermione, and Rachel hurried to keep up.
"What am I going to do with this?" Hermione complained as they made the trek down to Care of Magical Creatures. "I don't want to be caught with contraband goods! Who does Snape think he is? He's going to get us all in big trouble!"
"Are you sure?" Ron asked. "He could have been being… dare I say it… nice to you guys."
Harry stopped in his tracks, causing the others to bump into him. "Did you just say what I think you just said?" he asked.
"No, really." Rachel added. "He only gave the horns to you two."
"And he called you 'Harry'." Ron said.
"I don't know." Harry sighed. "I don't know."
` $ % ^
Later that day, Harry, Ron, and the rest of Gryffindor were changing into their dress robes for the wedding at seven.
"What's the matter, is it cold in here?" Neville asked, looking at Ron, whose whole body was shivering.
"No, I'm just really nervous." Ron answered.
"Yeah, me too, about the Quidditch match tomorrow. Against Slytherin." Harry added.
Ron sighed. "Why do all of our first matches have to be with Slytherin?"
"Don't ask me, you two are the only ones on the team here." Seamus said from his bed.
"All right, I'm ready." Harry said, positioning his glasses on his nose. "Let's go meet the girls." He, Ron, Seamus, Jake, Neville, and Dean strode out of the door and down the steps leading into the common room, where the Gryffindor girls were waiting.
"About time!" Lavender huffed as she and Seamus walked out of the portrait- hole, hand-in-hand.
"Yeah, look who's talking." Ron retorted. "Girls take forever 'getting ready'." He whispered to Harry.
"I heard that." Rachel said from the back wall. She was finishing up with her makeup alongside Hermione.
"You ready, Sweetie?" came a voice from the hole. Harry, Ron, and the others turned to see who it was.
"Yes, Honey." Rachel said sweetly as she drifted over to the portrait-hole and an awaiting Tobias.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Ron stammered. "How'd he get in?" Tobias was, of course, in Ravenclaw. "Aren't only Gryffindors supposed to know the Gryffindor password?"
"Well, yeah." Rachel said. "But, I guess I let a few things… slip."
Meanwhile, Jill appeared and dragged a very confused Ron out into the corridor. "See you outside." She said to Harry and Hermione, who nodded in reply.
Soon, Neville, Dean, and Jake left the common room, leaving Harry and Hermione the only ones left, excusing some other younger students hurrying in their dorms.
"Well, let's go." Harry said with confidence. Hermione took his hand and the two quietly left the room.
"Come on, then." Ron said as Harry and Hermione stepped over the threshold and into the seventh floor corridor where Ron and Jill were impatiently waiting.
Harry and Hermione walked, very closely, hand-in-hand, down the hall, with Ron and Jill, also with their hands wrapped around the other's one, but with some awkwardness, striding along behind them.
"How does he do it?" Ron whispered to himself, staring at Harry and Hermione's perfect unison.
"Do what?" Jill asked, skipping a step as she tried to move her arm so as to walk with more comfort with Ron.
"Nothing."
Pretty soon, the foursome reached the Great Hall.
"It's only half past six!" Hermione exclaimed, glancing up at the humongous magical clock positioned high above the Head Table. "We're early!"
"Yeah, but let's try to grab a seat while there's still good ones left." Harry said.
"Up in front." Ron ordered, somewhat smugly. "Family privileges."
The friends started making their way up toward the front of the Hall, which was decked out in the most brilliant of white tapestries, with designs in red and gold. The House Tables were gone; thousands of rows of smaller pews had taken their place, leaving a long central aisle down the middle of the room. Gigantic floating chandeliers drifted overhead, as millions of flowers lined the walls, windows, and floor, emitting both a wonderful fragrance and a handful of petals once every so often.
"Oh, it's simply beautiful!" Hermione gasped.
"But not as beautiful as you." Harry whispered.
"Oh, not this again." Ron whined and rolled his eyes.
"Come on." Jill said impatiently, bringing the others to the front rows. Rachel, Tobias, Seann, Fred, and Angelina were already sitting down in the third row from the front, on the right side of the aisle.
"How'd you guys get here?" Ron asked to the non-family members present.
"We saved 'em a spot." Fred answered.
"Oh."
"Sit."
"Okay." Everyone sat down. Fred was on the aisle, with Angelina by his side. Tobias was next, and Rachel. Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Jill sat in that order. Seann sat on the other side of Jill.
"Now what are we going to do?" Hermione asked. "We still have nearly twenty- five minutes until the wedding starts."
"Sit and wait until it starts, and talk, of course." Rachel answered. Hermione looked relieved.
"Speaking of talking," Ron leaned over to Harry. "It's about me and Jill. I know we love each other, but I have to ask you, what can I do to make it more… um, special?"
"Well, you can put your arm around her, for one."
"Um… Example?"
"Watch… And learn." Harry put his arms up as if to stretch, and lowered his left one, the one closest to Hermione, around her shoulders, and pulled her close to him. Hermione, who was talking to Rachel at the time, stopped immediately, looked at Harry's hand, and cuddled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder, smiling.
Rachel, who had been watching all this, laid her head on Tobias's shoulder and her hand on his chest and snuggled to him.
Ron was staring, open-eyed at all this. "H-How did you do that?"
Harry let out a soft laugh. "Just do what I did." And he held Hermione closer.
"Okay." Ron said. He lifted his arms in a mock-stretch, sighed, and brought his one arm down – right on top of Jill's head. Jill whirled around, gave Ron a strange look that lasted quite a while, and then suddenly cuddled up to him.
Ron gave Harry an embarrassed smile. "Oops. Have to work on that." And turned back to Jill and began stroking her hair.
Harry, Hermione, Rachel, and Tobias had been trying to hold back their laughs, but couldn't any longer. As the four burst out laughing, Professor Dumbledore stepped up in front of the congregation. "Ahem!" He said. "We are gathered here today…" Hermione burst into tears.
` $ % ^
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit dungeon deep below the city of Little Hangleton, three shadowy figures huddled around a small table in the middle of the otherwise empty room.
"It's finally ready." A strong, yet slow voice said.
"Yes, and I can't wait!" A smaller voice answered.
"Once this Portal is open and running, we can finally get rid of all the Muggle trash that's poisoning our perfect world." The first voice said.
"Yessssss." A third and seemingly feminine voice whispered.
The smallest figure stepped away from the group to a smaller stool that was holding an assortment of glowing bottles and objects.
"Here you are, father." The small shadow said, handing the biggest shape an oddly figured stone.
"Yes, thank you, son." He answered, holding up the stone, which was glowing an eerie reddish hue. "And with this last touch – the Sorcerer's Stone – we will finally be able to make our purpose known to the world." He lowered the Stone into a smoking cauldron that began to vibrate slightly and smoke.
"Yesssss. Hehe." The female voice whispered menacingly.
The mixture started shaking more violently and the smoke turned a sickening purple.
"Soon, my family, soon. A matter of moments lies between us and a world filled of purity." The father said.
Suddenly, the thick wood door to the dungeon opened and a small girl walked in. The three figures whirled around to face her.
"Oh, baby, what are you doing here?" the small boy said menacingly, yet with worry, as he ran over to her and held her in his arms. The girl pulled away.
"Why are, you doing this? I thought you changed!" The girl cried loudly and ran out of the dungeon, crying. The boy rejoined his family huddled around the pot.
"Oh, well, she didn't follow our plan, father, I suppose I should just let her go."
"Yes." The man said. "If she will not follow the plan, she must not know of it." He raised his hand, holding a wand at pointed it at the ceiling. "Nonknowledgia Patil immedia!" He shouted as a light filled the room. It revealed a totally blonde family dressed in black around a cauldron that was now almost erupting with violent spurts of fire and sparks.
"Now that that's done with, shall we continue?" The female said.
"Yes. Father?" The boy asked.
The threesome lifted up their wand arms and, pointing them at the pot of brew, recited together: "Doblar, doblar, trabajo y problemas. Fuego quemar y caldera burbujear. Llevar este barro-sangres lejos a la lugar lejos!" A brilliant flash of black light erupted from the cauldron.
"Yes! We've done it! The Dark Lord will be pleased with us!" The young figure exclaimed.
"Yes, he will, but this needs a full day to reach its ultimate power. Or else the target will be stuck in timeless space forever." The father explained.
"But isn't that what we want to do to those nasty Mud-bloods?"
"Well, I'd like to, but the Dark Lord said to transport them all safely to the time he demanded."
"Why?"
"I don't know. A man so hateful as he would certainly want to wipe out all impure Magic totally, but he has his ways. I'm sure it will work out for the good of all of us."
"I hope so." The boy ended with a laugh that was pure evil that rang throughout the small stone room.
` $ % ^
"…You may now kiss the bride."
Alicia Spinnet, now Alicia Weasley, kissed George Weasley while the band played, the flowers went crazy, and the guests erupted in cheers, tears, and jeers as the newlywed couple walked down the aisle and out of the Great Hall.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, Jill and Rachel stood up, but did not leave. "I gotta go, honey. Classes." Tobias said with a kiss to Rachel. He walked through the crowd and out into the school.
"When's the reception?" Hermione asked.
"Um… Thursday night at five. Don't ask me why it's two days after the ceremony."
"Alright, then, I won't."
"So, ready for the Big Game tomorrow?" Ron asked. "First game as Captain!"
"Yeah, still real nervous, but I'll be okay."
"Wish I could say the same." Rachel added. Ron and Hermione nodded.
"Oh, well. Come on, it's almost time for dinner. Then I'd better get to sleep early; the game is at seven tomorrow. Gotta get my rest." Harry said.
"Yeah." Ron agreed as they made their way to the Common Room, where they were to have supper, since the Great Hall was still decorated and the flowers wouldn't leave.
` $ % ^
The next day, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Rachel woke up bright and early; before the sun rose. It was Wednesday, December twelfth. The four friends met the rest of the team in the Common Room.
"Where's George and Alicia?" Harry asked the seventh years present. "Aren't they going to come watch our first game without them?"
"Yeah, they're coming." Fred answered. "Still sleeping, though."
"Oh, okay." Harry said as the seven players walked down to the school grounds.
"Hey, Harry," Ron whispered to Harry on the way down. "Think you can help me with that arm thing again, I kinda messed up the first time."
"Yeah, kinda." Harry said sarcastically.
"Really, Harry. Will you?"
"Sure, just this time, make sure you get your arm around her shoulders."
"Ha ha, very funny."
"Yeah. I thought it was."
The group of seven players reached the Pitch and sat down on the bench that was there for practices. Rachel sat next to Hermione, who sat next to Harry, who sat next to Ron. Ginny, Katie, and Fred sat behind them in the next row.
"Okay." Ron said seriously. "So I lift up my arms…" He lifted his arms in a 'stretch.'
"Right." Harry affirmed, nodding.
"…And bring them down…"
"Mm-hm"
"…Onto her shoulders." He lowered his arms… onto nothing. Ron, hit with the fact that there was no Jill next to him to put his arms around, fell off the short bench and onto the very wet grass. Harry, who this knew this was going to happen, shut his eyes in anticipation. After a dull "thud" and a weak "Ow," Ron pulled his damp head above the edge of the seat. "Oops. Again."
Harry cocked an eyebrow and smirked back. "We'll… Still. Have to work on that."
"Yeah." Ron said weakly, catching in his gaze the bewildered stares he received from the rest of the team over Harry's shoulder. He pulled the rest of his body up back onto the bench and tried to dry himself off.
"Allow me." Hermione said, reaching over Harry and tapping Ron's robes with her wand.
T H E
W E D D I N G
"Ready for the big day tomorrow?" Harry asked as he and Ron exited the Charms classroom and trudged down the stone steps to the dungeons for Potions.
"Yeah, I guess." Ron replied.
"Nervous?"
"Oh, no." Ron answered sarcastically.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure." Harry replied as the two walked down the corridor leading to the dungeons.
By the time the two got down to the Potions room, the rest of the class was already there. Snape was standing at the front of the room, looking sulky. A strange silence hung over the assembly.
As Harry and Ron entered the damp, dark room, Snape and the rest of the students looked at them strangely.
"We're not late, are we?" Ron asked.
"Harry shook his head. Ron shrugged his shoulders and sat down, Harry joining him.
"Well," Snape suddenly announced in a loud voice. "Now that we are all here, let's begin. Love Potions."
Hermione hid her head. Harry didn't know if it was because of the Witch Weekly article or she didn't want to be caught making banned potions. Or both.
"Now, if you'll take out your cauldrons…" Snape drawled, walking around the room. There was a fumbling for cauldrons and ingredient bags. "Set them to boil… with a nice size flame…" Snape was talking unusually slow, pausing after every bit of information. "Mr. Longbottom, when will you learn?" Snape asked exasperatedly without even turning around to look at Neville. "Miss Granger, do not help him." Snape still had his back turned.
Hermione turned and walked back to her desk. "How does he do that?" She asked Rachel, her partner.
"Take out your ingredients." Snape ordered methodically. There was a scuffle for bags and a clinking of grinding stones and palettes. "Add a liter of clam juice…"
Hermione had a pained look on her face.
"…And two grams of diced shrivelroots."
Harry and Ron strained to cut up the roots.
"Finely diced shrivelroots."
Ron shot Harry a miserable look and rolled his eyes as he cut himself countless times trying to get the roots just right.
"Add three coarsely ground pearls…"
"A waste of valuable items." Rachel complained.
"And a pinch of spice."
"Spice?" Rachel asked.
"How much, exactly, is a pinch? And what kind of spice?" Hermione asked out loud. Snape gave her an icy stare. Hermione blushed and turned back to working.
"Don't forget a cup of everything that's…" Snape stopped. "Nice."
"What's everything nice?" Hermione asked again, gaining another look from Snape.
"And finally, a dash of sugar."
"I'm not going to ask." Hermione whispered.
Snape allowed the class to finish their concoctions. "And…" He suddenly added loudly, startling the whole class. Snape turned and started slinking toward Hermione. "What's the final ingredient, Miss Granger?"
Hermione blushed and darted her eyes across the room.
"The ingredient… That turns this from a Hair-Growth Tonic to a Love Potion…" Snape continued, lowering his crooked nose closer to her.
"The ingredient… That can only be found in my private stores. The ingredient… That is from the rarest animal in England. The ingredient! That you! Personally stole! From my closet! Three years ago!" Snape's face was turning red.
Powdered bicorn horn. It was powdered bicorn horn. Hermione knew it. Her eyes darted frantically darted across the room and fell on Harry, who was mouthing the word, "Don't!"
"I-I don't know, Professor." She lied.
"You don't know." Snape laughed. "You don't know - I know… You know. Tell me, Mud-blood, tell me. It's all right." He said soothingly. All of Gryffindor was taken aback when he called Hermione a Mud-blood. "Tell me. What is the final ingredient."
There was a long, long silence. Harry was practically screaming "Don't!" Ron and Rachel were making hand signals telling Hermione not to answer Snape.
"P-Powdered horn of a b-b-bicorn, P-Professor."
Snape, still with his nose just inches away from Hermione's face, smiled. "Good." He laughed. "Good. Now, I wonder how she ever knew that." He said with mock astonishment, his voice suddenly rising as he threw his arms up in the air and walked back to the head off the room. "I wonder…" He glanced at the Witch Weekly on his desk, then at Harry. He glided over to his private closet, grabbed a rather large, clumpy leather bag, and stepped in front of the class.
"I'm only going to give these precious things to a select few of you. And they can finish their Potions. The rest of you… Have just lost all those other ingredients." He said with a smile. He began slowly walking down each aisle of desks, handing out strange, golden-red, spirally horns to students. Naturally, he gave out horns to all the Slytherins. Draco smirked as he crushed the horn and dumped it in his cauldron in front of flabbergasted Gryffindors.
Snape strolled back to the front of the room. The Gryffindors' faces fell. "Oh, pity. I've only two horns left. I wonder to whom I'll give them to." He drawled slowly. "Ah, this ought to be interesting…" He once again sauntered down the rows. "Here you go, Miss Granger. And you, Mr. Potter." He slowly handed a horn to Hermione and Harry. Both of them were blushing something furious.
"Work!" Snape yelled. Harry and Hermione, who had been staring at one another, quickly got to their pounding.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Parvati slip a bottle out of her robes and quietly fill it with the completed Potion. She stuffed the cork in and snuck it back into her robes. She glanced at Harry menacingly, who quickly turned his attention back to his own Potion.
"Here you all go." Snape began, handing out bottles to the Slytherins, Harry, and Hermione. "For your 'Love Juice' as I like to call it." He stared at Harry and Hermione, smiling as they nervously filled up the somewhat larger bottles that Snape gave them. He completely overlooked Ron and Rachel, who were Harry and Hermione's partners, respectably.
"Well, what do you know, it's time for you all to… leave!" He said somewhat happily as the sound of footsteps on stone filled the corridors outside the classroom. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Rachel hurried to pack their things and get out of there.
"Oh, and Harry," Snape said just as they got to the door. "Please don't use it all in one place." All of Slytherin started laughing, even the ones outside waiting to come in.
Harry and company, with ears of fire, scurried out of the room.
"Hey, Potter, who's the lucky…" Draco started.
"Lucky?" Parvati asked.
"Oh, sorry, who's the unlucky girl this time, eh?"
Harry brushed past them and hurried up the stone steps two at a time. Ron, Hermione, and Rachel hurried to keep up.
"What am I going to do with this?" Hermione complained as they made the trek down to Care of Magical Creatures. "I don't want to be caught with contraband goods! Who does Snape think he is? He's going to get us all in big trouble!"
"Are you sure?" Ron asked. "He could have been being… dare I say it… nice to you guys."
Harry stopped in his tracks, causing the others to bump into him. "Did you just say what I think you just said?" he asked.
"No, really." Rachel added. "He only gave the horns to you two."
"And he called you 'Harry'." Ron said.
"I don't know." Harry sighed. "I don't know."
` $ % ^
Later that day, Harry, Ron, and the rest of Gryffindor were changing into their dress robes for the wedding at seven.
"What's the matter, is it cold in here?" Neville asked, looking at Ron, whose whole body was shivering.
"No, I'm just really nervous." Ron answered.
"Yeah, me too, about the Quidditch match tomorrow. Against Slytherin." Harry added.
Ron sighed. "Why do all of our first matches have to be with Slytherin?"
"Don't ask me, you two are the only ones on the team here." Seamus said from his bed.
"All right, I'm ready." Harry said, positioning his glasses on his nose. "Let's go meet the girls." He, Ron, Seamus, Jake, Neville, and Dean strode out of the door and down the steps leading into the common room, where the Gryffindor girls were waiting.
"About time!" Lavender huffed as she and Seamus walked out of the portrait- hole, hand-in-hand.
"Yeah, look who's talking." Ron retorted. "Girls take forever 'getting ready'." He whispered to Harry.
"I heard that." Rachel said from the back wall. She was finishing up with her makeup alongside Hermione.
"You ready, Sweetie?" came a voice from the hole. Harry, Ron, and the others turned to see who it was.
"Yes, Honey." Rachel said sweetly as she drifted over to the portrait-hole and an awaiting Tobias.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Ron stammered. "How'd he get in?" Tobias was, of course, in Ravenclaw. "Aren't only Gryffindors supposed to know the Gryffindor password?"
"Well, yeah." Rachel said. "But, I guess I let a few things… slip."
Meanwhile, Jill appeared and dragged a very confused Ron out into the corridor. "See you outside." She said to Harry and Hermione, who nodded in reply.
Soon, Neville, Dean, and Jake left the common room, leaving Harry and Hermione the only ones left, excusing some other younger students hurrying in their dorms.
"Well, let's go." Harry said with confidence. Hermione took his hand and the two quietly left the room.
"Come on, then." Ron said as Harry and Hermione stepped over the threshold and into the seventh floor corridor where Ron and Jill were impatiently waiting.
Harry and Hermione walked, very closely, hand-in-hand, down the hall, with Ron and Jill, also with their hands wrapped around the other's one, but with some awkwardness, striding along behind them.
"How does he do it?" Ron whispered to himself, staring at Harry and Hermione's perfect unison.
"Do what?" Jill asked, skipping a step as she tried to move her arm so as to walk with more comfort with Ron.
"Nothing."
Pretty soon, the foursome reached the Great Hall.
"It's only half past six!" Hermione exclaimed, glancing up at the humongous magical clock positioned high above the Head Table. "We're early!"
"Yeah, but let's try to grab a seat while there's still good ones left." Harry said.
"Up in front." Ron ordered, somewhat smugly. "Family privileges."
The friends started making their way up toward the front of the Hall, which was decked out in the most brilliant of white tapestries, with designs in red and gold. The House Tables were gone; thousands of rows of smaller pews had taken their place, leaving a long central aisle down the middle of the room. Gigantic floating chandeliers drifted overhead, as millions of flowers lined the walls, windows, and floor, emitting both a wonderful fragrance and a handful of petals once every so often.
"Oh, it's simply beautiful!" Hermione gasped.
"But not as beautiful as you." Harry whispered.
"Oh, not this again." Ron whined and rolled his eyes.
"Come on." Jill said impatiently, bringing the others to the front rows. Rachel, Tobias, Seann, Fred, and Angelina were already sitting down in the third row from the front, on the right side of the aisle.
"How'd you guys get here?" Ron asked to the non-family members present.
"We saved 'em a spot." Fred answered.
"Oh."
"Sit."
"Okay." Everyone sat down. Fred was on the aisle, with Angelina by his side. Tobias was next, and Rachel. Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Jill sat in that order. Seann sat on the other side of Jill.
"Now what are we going to do?" Hermione asked. "We still have nearly twenty- five minutes until the wedding starts."
"Sit and wait until it starts, and talk, of course." Rachel answered. Hermione looked relieved.
"Speaking of talking," Ron leaned over to Harry. "It's about me and Jill. I know we love each other, but I have to ask you, what can I do to make it more… um, special?"
"Well, you can put your arm around her, for one."
"Um… Example?"
"Watch… And learn." Harry put his arms up as if to stretch, and lowered his left one, the one closest to Hermione, around her shoulders, and pulled her close to him. Hermione, who was talking to Rachel at the time, stopped immediately, looked at Harry's hand, and cuddled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder, smiling.
Rachel, who had been watching all this, laid her head on Tobias's shoulder and her hand on his chest and snuggled to him.
Ron was staring, open-eyed at all this. "H-How did you do that?"
Harry let out a soft laugh. "Just do what I did." And he held Hermione closer.
"Okay." Ron said. He lifted his arms in a mock-stretch, sighed, and brought his one arm down – right on top of Jill's head. Jill whirled around, gave Ron a strange look that lasted quite a while, and then suddenly cuddled up to him.
Ron gave Harry an embarrassed smile. "Oops. Have to work on that." And turned back to Jill and began stroking her hair.
Harry, Hermione, Rachel, and Tobias had been trying to hold back their laughs, but couldn't any longer. As the four burst out laughing, Professor Dumbledore stepped up in front of the congregation. "Ahem!" He said. "We are gathered here today…" Hermione burst into tears.
` $ % ^
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit dungeon deep below the city of Little Hangleton, three shadowy figures huddled around a small table in the middle of the otherwise empty room.
"It's finally ready." A strong, yet slow voice said.
"Yes, and I can't wait!" A smaller voice answered.
"Once this Portal is open and running, we can finally get rid of all the Muggle trash that's poisoning our perfect world." The first voice said.
"Yessssss." A third and seemingly feminine voice whispered.
The smallest figure stepped away from the group to a smaller stool that was holding an assortment of glowing bottles and objects.
"Here you are, father." The small shadow said, handing the biggest shape an oddly figured stone.
"Yes, thank you, son." He answered, holding up the stone, which was glowing an eerie reddish hue. "And with this last touch – the Sorcerer's Stone – we will finally be able to make our purpose known to the world." He lowered the Stone into a smoking cauldron that began to vibrate slightly and smoke.
"Yesssss. Hehe." The female voice whispered menacingly.
The mixture started shaking more violently and the smoke turned a sickening purple.
"Soon, my family, soon. A matter of moments lies between us and a world filled of purity." The father said.
Suddenly, the thick wood door to the dungeon opened and a small girl walked in. The three figures whirled around to face her.
"Oh, baby, what are you doing here?" the small boy said menacingly, yet with worry, as he ran over to her and held her in his arms. The girl pulled away.
"Why are, you doing this? I thought you changed!" The girl cried loudly and ran out of the dungeon, crying. The boy rejoined his family huddled around the pot.
"Oh, well, she didn't follow our plan, father, I suppose I should just let her go."
"Yes." The man said. "If she will not follow the plan, she must not know of it." He raised his hand, holding a wand at pointed it at the ceiling. "Nonknowledgia Patil immedia!" He shouted as a light filled the room. It revealed a totally blonde family dressed in black around a cauldron that was now almost erupting with violent spurts of fire and sparks.
"Now that that's done with, shall we continue?" The female said.
"Yes. Father?" The boy asked.
The threesome lifted up their wand arms and, pointing them at the pot of brew, recited together: "Doblar, doblar, trabajo y problemas. Fuego quemar y caldera burbujear. Llevar este barro-sangres lejos a la lugar lejos!" A brilliant flash of black light erupted from the cauldron.
"Yes! We've done it! The Dark Lord will be pleased with us!" The young figure exclaimed.
"Yes, he will, but this needs a full day to reach its ultimate power. Or else the target will be stuck in timeless space forever." The father explained.
"But isn't that what we want to do to those nasty Mud-bloods?"
"Well, I'd like to, but the Dark Lord said to transport them all safely to the time he demanded."
"Why?"
"I don't know. A man so hateful as he would certainly want to wipe out all impure Magic totally, but he has his ways. I'm sure it will work out for the good of all of us."
"I hope so." The boy ended with a laugh that was pure evil that rang throughout the small stone room.
` $ % ^
"…You may now kiss the bride."
Alicia Spinnet, now Alicia Weasley, kissed George Weasley while the band played, the flowers went crazy, and the guests erupted in cheers, tears, and jeers as the newlywed couple walked down the aisle and out of the Great Hall.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, Jill and Rachel stood up, but did not leave. "I gotta go, honey. Classes." Tobias said with a kiss to Rachel. He walked through the crowd and out into the school.
"When's the reception?" Hermione asked.
"Um… Thursday night at five. Don't ask me why it's two days after the ceremony."
"Alright, then, I won't."
"So, ready for the Big Game tomorrow?" Ron asked. "First game as Captain!"
"Yeah, still real nervous, but I'll be okay."
"Wish I could say the same." Rachel added. Ron and Hermione nodded.
"Oh, well. Come on, it's almost time for dinner. Then I'd better get to sleep early; the game is at seven tomorrow. Gotta get my rest." Harry said.
"Yeah." Ron agreed as they made their way to the Common Room, where they were to have supper, since the Great Hall was still decorated and the flowers wouldn't leave.
` $ % ^
The next day, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Rachel woke up bright and early; before the sun rose. It was Wednesday, December twelfth. The four friends met the rest of the team in the Common Room.
"Where's George and Alicia?" Harry asked the seventh years present. "Aren't they going to come watch our first game without them?"
"Yeah, they're coming." Fred answered. "Still sleeping, though."
"Oh, okay." Harry said as the seven players walked down to the school grounds.
"Hey, Harry," Ron whispered to Harry on the way down. "Think you can help me with that arm thing again, I kinda messed up the first time."
"Yeah, kinda." Harry said sarcastically.
"Really, Harry. Will you?"
"Sure, just this time, make sure you get your arm around her shoulders."
"Ha ha, very funny."
"Yeah. I thought it was."
The group of seven players reached the Pitch and sat down on the bench that was there for practices. Rachel sat next to Hermione, who sat next to Harry, who sat next to Ron. Ginny, Katie, and Fred sat behind them in the next row.
"Okay." Ron said seriously. "So I lift up my arms…" He lifted his arms in a 'stretch.'
"Right." Harry affirmed, nodding.
"…And bring them down…"
"Mm-hm"
"…Onto her shoulders." He lowered his arms… onto nothing. Ron, hit with the fact that there was no Jill next to him to put his arms around, fell off the short bench and onto the very wet grass. Harry, who this knew this was going to happen, shut his eyes in anticipation. After a dull "thud" and a weak "Ow," Ron pulled his damp head above the edge of the seat. "Oops. Again."
Harry cocked an eyebrow and smirked back. "We'll… Still. Have to work on that."
"Yeah." Ron said weakly, catching in his gaze the bewildered stares he received from the rest of the team over Harry's shoulder. He pulled the rest of his body up back onto the bench and tried to dry himself off.
"Allow me." Hermione said, reaching over Harry and tapping Ron's robes with her wand.