The next day they all went right back to the Clearwaters' again for the wedding, which was set for two o'clock in the afternoon. Everyone was looking forward to the ceremony, except Percy, who went about looking quite pale and agitated ("What if something goes wrong?" he said hoarsely), and Mrs. Weasley, who was convinced that the twins' eagerness for the wedding to begin was based on some unspoken, sinister plot.

"Honestly, Mum," said George when she surveyed him suspiciously for the fifth time that day, "do you think we're evil? We'd never try to ruin Percy's wedding day. Though the wedding night, on the other hand ..."

"GEORGE!"

"Only joking, Mum!," he cried through convulsions of laughter. In fact everyone, including Mr. Weasley, was laughing very hard at George's joke.

"Don't encourage him!" was all Mrs. Weasley could manage to say through her clenched teeth.

Whatever Mrs. Weasley may have been expecting, the wedding ceremony went off without a hitch that day. At that hour, from their location in the garden, Harry and Hermione could finally see the measure of the Clearwaters' estate. The grounds were spectacular, and as they sat in the garden, they were able to see a very large lake situated down a valley and past some meadows. If they turned around, they could see the back of the house, which could really more apropriately be called a mansion. The Clearwaters appeared to be a very old wizarding family, and they had lived on this estate as long as anyone in the wizarding world could remember.

Hermione was right, the ceremony was very much like a Muggle wedding, except for the clothes. The bridesmaids all wore matching dress robes in a rather ugly shade of mauve.

Harry nudged Hermione as the wedding party finished walking down the aisle slowly in pairs. When Bill and Persephone Green had nearly reached the end of the aisle, he asked, "Are they supposed to look ... like that?"

Hermione shrugged, clearly puzzled as well. "I don't think so. I didn't read anywhere that the bridesmaids' robes had to be ugly."

They were both unsure what to expect Penelope to look like, but when she appeared beaming, she was wearing very becoming, bright red dress robes of embroidered silk with a high Mandarin collar. At the other end of the aisle, Percy still looked pale as he watched her walk toward him. He looked as though he might keel over at the slightest breeze.

"D'you think Percy will make it?" Harry whispered. Hermione stifled a giggle.

But he did make it. The minister performed the ceremony smoothly, and after the couple had exchanged rings, he pulled out his wand. As if on cue, Percy held up his left arm and Penelope held up her right arm. The minister passed his wand around their wrists, and a very thin, luminous cord came from the end of it.

"Ooh," said Hermione, "that custom is unique to wizard weddings!" She leaned forward eagerly in her seat.

After this, the minister declared that Percy and Penelope were married, and they kissed quitely briefly and self-consciously. Harry wrinkled his nose at Hermione, who laughed in spite of herself. All the guests rose and cheered as the couple walked back down the aisle, toward the house.

"Well, that went really well!" exclaimed a relieved Mrs. Weasley as they all made their way toward the ballroom and the reception.

Harry and Hermione were situated at the head table with the wedding party. They chatted happily with the two Ravenclaw bridesmaids, whom they had met the night before. Very shortly after the guests had been seated, a procession of solemn-looking House-elves carried out an enormous violet cake. As they set it on a table in the middle of the room, it began to croon a very high-pitched love song. Harry and Hermione had a very difficult time stifling their laughter at the idea of a singing cake.

"Dunno whether I'm too keen on eating that," Harry confided as a plate of cake was placed before him.

"Oh come on, Harry, it's an invaluable cultural experience!" Hermione encouraged him. They began to eat (to Harry's relief, the cake had stopped singing when it was placed before him). He was surprised to find that it was actually quite good. His only complaint was that it appeared to stain everyone's lips a dark purple.

After the cake, the main course was brought out, and everyone devoured their salmon and pickled asparagus enthusiastically. After the meal, their attention was directed toward the dance floor. A very large band, complete with brass section, began to play, and Percy and Penelope were directed to begin the first dance. Slowly their parents and members of the wedding party joined them. Other guests stood up and began to mill around and talk. After he had stood at the edge of the dance floor watching the dancers for several minutes, Harry felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Albus Dumbledore standing behind him.

"Hello, Harry! Very good to see you again." Harry hadn't noticed Dumbledore among the wedding guests. "I was sitting at the other end of the head table, so I didn't get a chance to speak with you until now. I trust that you've enjoyed your summer."

Harry nodded. "Thank you for arranging things with Mrs. Figg. I didn't realize she knew you."

"Oh, yes," Dumbledore responded with a smile. "She told me how surprised you were." He leaned forward and spoke more softly. "I hope you don't mind that we didn't tell you before. But you hadn't seen her since you began your schooling at Hogwarts, and so much has happened since then that I'm afraid it just slipped both our minds."

Harry smiled and told him that he didn't mind. As he spoke, Mrs. Figg walked up behind Professor Dumbledore.

"Hello, dear! You look very nice today! Look at the way your robes bring out the color of your eyes," she chuckled approvingly.

"Yeah, Mrs. Weasley picked them out for me."

Just then the up-tempo song that had been playing ended, and band began playing a slower one. Someone grabbed Harry's shoulder from behind.

"Hello, Grandfather, Mrs. Figg--do you mind if I borrow Harry for a moment?" It was Persephone Green. Dumbledore and Mrs. Figg smiled and began conversing with one another. "Harry," Persephone whispered, "how would you like to do me a personal favor?"

"Um--"

She looked over her shoulder. Charlie looked around, spotted her, and began to make his way toward her. "Please, Harry, you have to dance with me."

"But I don't really d--"

"You don't understand," she spoke urgently. "That Fred Weasley has been trying to distract me all night while George tried to put something in my wine. I've danced every dance so far with Charlie Weasley, who is a very nice young man, but--" she glanced backward at the encroaching Charlie a last time, "I can't take any more. I just need a break from the Weasleys, pleeeeease, Harry."

"But I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would--"

Persephone shook her head. "Already asked him. He wants to catch up with Mrs. Figg. Harry, please, you're my last hope!"

She looked down at him with pleading eyes. As Charlie made his way toward them, Harry saw that Ginny was close behind her brother, looking at Harry hopefully. He made up his mind. "Sure, alright," he answered.

Just then, Charlie walked up behind Persephone. "There you are! I was afraid I'd lost you. What would you say to another dance?" he asked nervously.

She smiled very sweetly. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, but I've just promised Harry I'd dance with him. You don't mind, do you?" With that, she swept past him, dragging Harry out onto the dance floor with her. "Maybe later ..." Charlie looked crestfallen.

"Thank you," she sighed as they began to dance. "Don't worry, you're doing fine. All you have to do is move your feet back and forth like this."

They danced for a few minutes without talking. Harry noticed something about Persephone that he hadn't seen the night before: a long, thin scar that ran from below her left ear down to the middle of her neck, just underneath her chin. He decided not to mention it, however, and to focus on his dancing instead. He was just beginning to feel that he was getting the hang of it when the crowd on the dance floor began to pass around very small vials of a bright blue liquid.

"The Levitarantella!" Persephone exclaimed excitedly. "Here, take one, Harry. You know how to do this, right?" She drank the potion.

"Um, not exactly," he replied. But he drank the potion just like she had. It tasted very sweet and light. "Hey, that's pretty good. What's in it?"

"Not too sure," she responded. "But I think the active ingredient is the same as the stuff they put into Fizzing Whizbees."

Now she tells me, Harry thought, as he noticed his feet leaving the floor.

The band began to play a very fast song which reminded Harry of a polka he had heard on a television show once. Everyone crowded onto the dance floor and formed a very large circle.

"Grab my hand, Harry," Persephone coached him. He gave one hand to her and one to Mrs. Clearwater, who was standing on his other side. By now they were about two feet off the ground. "Here we go!"

The crowd began to dance in a clockwise circle. The dance was a rather complicated succession of steps, but by watching carefully Harry was able to avoid being trampled. He looked across the circle to Hermione, who appeared ecstatic. She looked as though she were trying to take in every detail of the dance, and Harry supposed she regretted that she couldn't take notes and dance at the same time.

Percy and Penelope were pushed to the middle of the circle, and the crowd danced around and around them. Everyone was laughing giddily, even Harry, who had picked up a few of the steps by now. The crowd dissolved in a blur of color and laughter. After a few minutes of dancing, the Levitating Potion began to wear off and the crowd settled back to the floor.

"Very nice, Harry! Are you sure you've never done that before?" Persephone looked at him in amazement. Just then a scream came from near a table at the far end of the room. They both looked over apprehensively.

A very short, stocky, red-faced wizard was holding his throat as though he were choking. But it became very evident that he could in fact breathe when a spectacular red flame issued from his mouth.

"Cousin Thomas!" she exclaimed. "What's wrong with him?"

Behind him Harry could hear someone sniggering. He turned to see George giving Fred a high-five.

"Dragon Breath Drops!" George held out a handful of golf-ball sized red candies toward Harry. "We've just invented them!"

"Mrs. Figg wasn't able to get all our salamander eyes," added Fred.

Persephone overheard this. She turned toward them with an incredulous look. "So that's what you were trying to put into my drink?" She looked back at Thomas. "I set my wineglass down on that table before I came to find Harry. Thomas must have picked up my glass and finished it for me--he's been known to do that. Likes wine a bit too much, I daresay." She began to laugh. "Maybe not so much after this, though, eh?" she asked George. She, Fred, and George giggled as wedding guests backed--or ran--away from Cousin Thomas. Only Albus Dumbledore dared to approach him, and helped him out of the room, careful to keep the short man facing away from him.

"Brilliant!" Persephone exclaimed. "Pity it wasn't me though. Now I wish I'd drunk that wine after all."

"Dragon Breath Drops! Only five Knuts apiece!" shouted Fred. But Mrs. Weasley promptly made her way through the crowd and grabbed the candies right out of his hand.

"I have never ... How dare you ... When we get home ..." she began -- or tried to begin -- through clenched teeth. Mrs. Clearwater walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Molly, it's alright, no harm done," she said gently. "The boys were just having a bit of fun. This is a party, after all." Mrs. Weasley apparently could think of no reply to this, though that may have been because her mind was seized with rage. She let the boys go, and they produced more Dragon Breath Drops from their pockets, and began selling them to the younger guests and children.

The rest of the reception was relatively uneventful. The crowd saw Percy and Penelope off, and the couple waved from their horse-drawn carriage. "Going to Italy for their honeymoon," Harry overheard one of the Ravenclaw girls telling Hermione. Harry noted that Italy was a very popular vacation spot this year. He chuckled to himself as he imagined Percy and Penelope running into the Dursleys on a Tuscan streetcorner.

When they arrived back at the Burrow that night, everyone was exhausted. Especially Fred and George, who had turned a brisk business in Dragon Breath Drops and Canary Cremes, which they had also smuggled into the wedding in their pockets.

As Harry and Ron settled into their twin beds in Ron's room that night, Ron muttered sleepily, "Nice place the Clearwaters have, eh? Much nicer than the Burrow, for sure."

Harry thought about this for a moment. "Nah," he finally responded, as the ghoul in the attic commenced rattling his chains threateningly. "It's nice, but I'd much rather live here."

They both dropped off to sleep almost instantly.