Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to J.K Rowling

A response to the Wedding Challenge in the AlbusandMinerva-group.

Chapter 4: The BIG Day

On THE day itself, Minerva woke up early at around 8am and the teachers and Hermione arrived at her bedroom for their preparations. Professor Sprouts was in charge of the girls' hair and gowns. The boys' side however, it was Lockhart who was helping Sirius, Remus, Snape (he was being forced to because he didn't want to look deadly on Dumbledore's wedding day), Hagrid and Dumbledore, doing their hair and helping them to tie their bows.

"Hey, Professor Lupin, your hair is a little grey, perhaps I should dye it..." Lockhart said and took out his wand.

"No thanks." Remus said, not really want Lockhart to dye his hair.

"Oh, you don't have to be polite, I don't mind." Lockhart said cheerfully and pointed his wand at Remus' hair.

Immediately, Remus could sense that something had gone terribly wrong because he saw the others were trying not to laugh. Sirius was the first one to lose his control and start laughing loudly; Snape gave a smirk, Hagrid laughed until tears came out of his eyes, and Dumbledore just looked amused. "What?" He asked in bewilderment. Sirius was laughing so hard that he had to sit down on the floor and pointed at Remus' head. "Your...hair..." He managed to say between guffaws.

Remus looked confused and grabbed a mirror. "Aaahhhh!!!! My hair!" He hollered and ran his fingers through his sky blue hair. "Professor Lockhart! What did you do to my hair?!" He demanded.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! It's a just small mistake, I will correct it." Lockhart said quickly and pointed his wand to Remus' hair again. This time, instead of quiet down, Sirius and Hagrid laughed even harder, "Oh no oh no oh no, Buwhahahahha!!!!! My stomach hurts!" Sirius yelled and Snape started to laugh. Dumbledore started chuckling.

"Now what?" Remus asked and looked into the mirror again. "Aaahhhh!!! Professor Lockhart, you better change my original hair colour back NOW! Or else!" He bellowed, pointing at his blue and purple hair.

"All right, all right..." Lockhart started.

"Wait, I better do this myself, before you change my hair colour into blue, purple AND pink." Remus said, took his own wand and the mirror, went to a corner and sat down, trying to change his hair colour back.

"I am so sorry." Lockhart said when all the teachers went quiet.

"I bet." Snape said sarcastically.

****

"Oh this is so exciting!" Madam Hooch said as she watched Professor Sprouts helping Minerva with her white wedding gown. Minerva's wedding gown was toga style, with pearls down her back and it was long and flowing. "By tonight, you will be Mrs. Dumbledore!"

Minerva smiled happily in response and when Professor Sprouts was done, she turned around to let her friends and Hermione to admire. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful." Madam Hooch said simply.

"Like a queen, now let's do your hair." Professor Sprouts said and took out a few diamonds hair clips. A few moments later, she said: "There."

"Georgia, you are a genius." Madam Pomfrey said in awe.

"Thank you. Well Minerva, what do you think? It's called "Grand Dame" " Professor Sprouts asked.

Minerva stared at her reflection in amazement. Her hair has a twist on the French boussant that turns her into a regal queen. It was decorated with the clips. "Amazing." She managed to say.

"Now the bride is ready, it's time for the rest of us." Professor Sprouts announced.

"Good thing that my hair is short, it will save you the trouble to doll it up." Madam Hooch said, patting her hair.

***

"Looser, man! I can't breathe!" Sirius choked out when Lockhart tied his bow.

"Oops, sorry!" Lockhart said and untied Sirius' bow.

"Lockhart, I thought you are the photographer today?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"You bet. I even do as you ask, bring a Muggle instant camera." Lockhart said, holding up a camera proudly and grinned. (A few days ago, he offered to be the photographer during Dumbledore and Minerva's wedding. "So that you don't have to take the trouble for finding one, I am pretty good in photography.") "Is it loaded?" Dumbledore asked.

Lockhart shrugged. "I don't know, let me try." He said and aimed the camera at Snape.

"Hey, lay off!" Snape yelled.

CLICK

"Hey, where's the flash?" Sirius asked in bewilderment.

"Maybe he bought the non-flash kind of camera." Remus suggested.

A few seconds later, Lockhart fanned the photo and stared at the great photo of Snape looking enraged. "Yep, it's loaded."

"Cool photo, mind if I have it?" Sirius asked.

"Sure." Lockhart said and handed the photo to Sirius.

"Remind me to go to Hogsmeade to buy Muggle darts and a round board tomorrow." Sirius whispered to Remus, whose hair has gone back to its original colour.

"Since it is loaded, why don't you go to the girls' side and take a few photos? The boys and I can manage ourselves here." Dumbledore suggested.

"All right, but I will be in Professor McGonagall's room if you need me." Lockhart said and left the room.

"I won't call you for a thousand years." Snape muttered.

****

"Professor Sprouts? What kind of hairstyle is this?" Hermione asked when Professor Sprouts pulled her hair back into the scallop chignon with locks braided and kept her hair in place with crystal clips.

"I'm not sure, I think the Muggles called it: "Smooth Cruiser"" Professor Sprouts said as she pinned Hermione's hair with the last clip. "There you go."

"It's beautiful, thanks."

"Hi, ladies! Is the bride ready?" Lockhart asked suddenly.

"All except her veil." Professor Sprouts said cheerfully. "Oh, is that a Muggle camera?" She asked.

"Yes, I am the photographer today, in case that all of you haven't noticed, I am an excellent photographer." Lockhart said proudly and held up the camera. "Now let me take a shot of the bride."

Minerva turned around and as when Lockhart just about to take a snapshot, he frowned. "What's wrong?" Minerva asked.

"Uh oh. I ran out of film." Lockhart said slowly.

"Oh no! Not now! What did you do to the rest of the film?" Madam Hooch demanded.

"Err..." Lockhart started, not willing to answer the question.

"Hurry up, or we will mess up your hair-do." Madam Hooch grinned mischievously, eyeing at Lockhart's beautifully arranged golden hair.

"I took one shot of Snape just now..." Lockhart said quickly.

"And?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"I guess that I used them to take the pictures of myself in pink suit yesterday." Lockhart said and began to retreat to outside when all of the girls were glaring at him. He dashed out, saying: "Not to worry! I will get a new roll of film right away!"

"DON'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU HAVE A NEW ROLL OF FILM!" Madam Hooch yelled after him.

***

"Severus, your bow is still a bit crooked." Hagrid pointed out, trying to tie his own long hair into a ponytail

"Great, that's why I hate Muggle clothing, they are so troublesome." Snape grumbled as he tried to retie his black bow.

"Gentlemen, it's time." Fudge said, poking his head through the opening door. He was wearing a dark green suit with a black bow.

"Here we go! The big event!" Sirius yelled.

"Stay calm, everything is going to be fine." Snape said, patting Dumbledore's shoulder.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded.

***

"Girls, it's time." Madam Hooch announced happily.

Minerva stood up from her chair and Professor Sprouts smoothened her gown while Professor Sinistra helped her with her veil: A ring of white roses connecting to a long, white veil. Minerva put on her long white gloves and took her bouquet of white roses. Then Hermione and Madam Pomfrey took their baskets of flowers and Madam Hooch, Professor Sprouts and Professor Sinistra took their small bouquets of red roses. They left the room together nervously for the big event.

***

The Great Hall looked magnificent, on the side of the two walls were the giant banner of the four houses: Gryffindor and Slytherin ("Who is in charge of the banners' arrangement?" Snape grumbled at the two banners on the day before) on the right side and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff on the left side. At the front of the Hall, the huge banner showing the Hogwarts crest was covering the wall. The High Table was missing, in replacement; a wooden podium was there with Mr. Fudge behind it. And instead of the four House tables, rows and rows of benches sat on the both sides of the Hall. The guests sat on the benches, chatting excitedly and some of them stared in awe at the enchanting ceiling, which was decorated with small golden and silver wedding bells.

Dumbledore stood near the podium and Lockhart was beside him, looking kind of tired because he had been running around in Hogsmeade to get a roll of Muggle film. When Professor Flitwick waved his wand for playing the Wedding March, Dumbledore's blue eyes looking nervously at the doors of the Great Hall as it opened, with Snape and Madam Hooch entered first arm-in-arm. Then Sirius with Professor Sinistra followed by Remus with Professor Sprouts. They walked together until they reached the podium then they walked separately: Boys to the right, and girls to the left. The guests all turned their heads to see the bride as she entered with Hagrid escorting her, and Hermione and Madam Pomfrey behind her, holding their baskets.

"Beautiful." Dumbledore heard Lockhart saying, and a few clicks as Lockhart took Minerva's pictures. And Dumbledore had to agree with Lockhart, Minerva looked gorgeous, like a queen.

Hagrid smiled warmly at Dumbledore and handed Minerva's hand to him. Then he stepped back, sighing happily as Dumbledore held Minerva's hand and faced Mr. Fudge.

Mr. Fudge cleared his throat and smiled. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here today to celebrate the union of Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall."

Silence.

"Do you, Albus Dumbledore, take Minerva McGonagall as your lawful wedded wife and love her forever and ever?"

"I do." Dumbledore said, squeezing Minerva's hand.

"And do you, Minerva McGonagall, take Albus Dumbledore as your lawful wedded husband and love him forever and ever?"

"I do." Minerva whispered.

Snape reached in his pockets, getting ready to take the wedding rings out.

Nothing. He searched his another pocket. Still nothing. "Uh oh." He whispered, his face went as white as chalk.

"What?" Sirius asked in concern.

Snape whispered in Sirius' ear: "I forget to bring the wedding rings."

"And if there is anyone here who knows of a reason why these two people should not be joined together, speak now or forever hold your peace." Mr. Fudge said.

"WHAT????!!!!" Sirius bellowed, and all the people turned to look at him.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" Remus demanded.

"This idiot forgot about the rings!" Sirius said, pointing at Snape.

"What?" Remus exclaimed.

"Oh no!" Minerva groaned.

"Sorry, I am going to get them right now, I think I left them in the dungeon." Snape said quickly and apparated to his dungeon.

A few seconds later, Snape apparated back with a square box made of velvet and opened it. "Here." He panted.

"You may exchange the rings." Mr. Fudge said seriously.

Minerva took a silver ring while Dumbledore took a diamond silver ring. Each ring has the words: "Albus & Minerva Forever" engraved on it.

After they had exchanged the rings, Mr. Fudge announced, "I hereby announce you two husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

As Dumbledore lifted Minerva's veil and they shared a long, passionate kiss, Madam Hooch and the others sobbed and clapped their hands along with the guests.