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.
