Chapter 5 - Moving in

Buffy, Sirius and their wedding party posed for their final photo, then relaxed when it was finally taken.

"Lets go eat," Buffy said, "I'm starving!" Hand in hand with Sirius, she glided from the photo room into the gigantic room, in which the tables had been set up in for the reception. Crystal glassware shone everywhere, and many of the guests were already seated at their respective tables. Buffy and Sirius waved at their various friends, including the table of Hogwarts teachers that were at the wedding, including Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and even Professor Snape, scowling away, as Buffy had insisted they invite all the Hogwarts staff, thought even she drew the line at Argus Filch. Hagrid was there though, sitting merrily next to Professor Vector, at an enlarged chair specifically for him. Buffy and Sirius took their place at the head table, and the smartly dressed waiters brought out their first course., either strawberries in a champagne marinade or shrimp cocktail. This was quickly finished with and the meal continued, four courses in all, and then the waiters brought out the cake. It was four tiered and white with delicate icing. However on top stood a cheesy plastic wedding couple. Sirius laughed out loud when saw it.

"How did you manage to make this wedding so classy, but still allow that to be on the cake?" he murmured into her hair.
"I had to have some concessions," she shrugged, "The classiness was getting to me."

They performed the ritual cake cutting. Then Harry stood up to make his best man speech.

"I'm not exactly good at this, I mean I've never done it before," he stammered so I'm going to keep it simple. Sirius has been like a father to me the years I've known him, and a friend, and a brother. Buffy burst into our lives, quite literally. I wish them years of happiness together, and may they never be parted. To Buffy and Sirius." He lifted his glass and the room murmured, 'To Buffy and Sirius.'

Following that, Sirius stood up.
"I have slightly more eloquence than my Godson," he said, to laughs from around the room, "So you will have to listen to me for a little longer. Firstly Buffy and I want to thank you all for coming to our wedding, we were glad to see each and every one of you sharing our special moment. I also want to thank my new wife Buffy, for everything she's done for me, and will do for me. Thank you to Harry, for being a son, a friend and a brother to me, and a best man today, a true gift from my best friend. And on that note, I'd like you all to raise you glasses to three people in the midst of many who lost their lives fighting in the struggle against evil, three of those among the most important people that will ever grace my life: Remus, Lily, and James."

Every person in the room, even those who did not know them stood, and murmured their names in assent.

The group proceeded into the next room, where a jazz band was set up. Dusk had fallen by then, and a single spotlight lit up Buffy and Sirius as the danced their first dance, watched by all, to 'The Way You Look Tonight.' Sirius held Buffy tight to him, then spun her out to arms length, before spinning her back to him, catching her blonde head against his chest possessively. Soon other couples joined them on the dance floor, and the newly wedded couple danced the night away, in the company of all their dearest friends.

Dawn saw her sister briefly the next morning, looking simply satiated with love, just before she left for her honeymoon. She and Sirius were setting off for the Caribbean for two weeks, and to Dawn's delight she and Harry were to move into their new home, Grimmauld Place, to be chaperoned for the two weeks Buffy and Sirius were away by Giles, Willow, Cordelia and Xander. Up til then, Dawn had not had a chance to unpack her belongings properly, since she had been caught up in Buffy's wedding spiral. She didn't have many belongings, since their stuff had all been lost in the collapse of the hell mouth. But she was finally able to settle into the room Buffy had decorated for her.

Harry also settled in, Sirius had told him this was his home now, and Harry was glad as the Dursleys had never truly felt like a home to him. For once he was able to have a nice room, with his own belongings, in a house he could call home. A few morning's after he settled in, Arthur Weasley's head appeared in the fire at breakfast.
"Hi, it's good to see you," Harry said, scrambling to sit on the hearth.
"Hello Harry, I've got a message for you from Dumbledore," Mr. Weasley said cheerfully, "He says to tell you he will be coming over this afternoon, by Floo, to talk to you."

"Is that all he said?" Harry asked.
"It was," Mr. Weasley answered, "But be off now, go to work, Bye." With that, he disappeared.

"What does Dumbledore want?" Dawn asked.
"Don't really know," Harry said, standing up, and sitting back at the table. "More Voldemort stuff I guess."

That afternoon, Harry waited patiently for Dumbledore, and indeed at two o clock on the dot, he climbed out from the fire.

" Good Afternoon Harry," Dumbledore said, shaking off his now dusty robes. "It's nice to see you settled in here, I think you will be happy living with Sirius." Harry led him into the first living room.

"Not meaning to be rude, but why are you here?" Harry blurted out, "Is Voldemort on the move again?"

"No, not as far as my sources can tell. He is in hiding, laying low through fear of you I ma told." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled. "I want to just talk to you about your new powers, and find out how you are managing. Have you been practising much?"

"Yeah, I mean I tried a levitation spell, to see if it would be picked up by the Ministry, but it wasn't so I've carried on," Harry explained. "I've done everything I could do before."

"May I try a little experiment?" Dumbledore asked, and at Harry's assent, continued, "I'm going to conjure a boggart, which of course for you will become a dementors. See if you are able to produce a patronus."

He lifted his wand, flicked it and a dementors appeared and began to glide towards Harry. Thinking hard, he focused on Sirius' and Buffy's wedding, lifted his hand, and a sliver stag patronus appeared in front of him, charging the dementors. Harry then, said 'riddikulus,' and the dementors disappeared with a loud crack.
"Interesting," Dumbledore mused, "I see you are still using your hand."

"After using a wand for so long, I find it easy if I have something that at least resembles a hand. I'm not actually using my hand in any way," Harry explained.
"And the incantation?" Dumbledore probed, "Was that to perform the spell?"

"No, its just strange for something to happen without an incantation, I find, I mean I can do it, but saying the incantation makes it sound more real somehow." Harry shook his head, "I'm not explaining myself very well."

"You are doing just fine," Dumbledore assured him, "Now I must admit, you are fascinating to me Harry. The power radiating from you is magnificent, you would be able to subdue me very easily, without a doubt. Voldemort will be more difficult. The dark magic he has of late been delving into are very powerful indeed. However I do not expect that when you come face to face, he will pose any difficulty to you." Dumbledore rose.

"This has been a very short visit, and I will not be interrupting your summer any longer," he said apologetically, "But when you do return to Hogwarts, I would like begin lessons, on the more advanced spells, spells you would not learn til after NEWT even. Very few wizards can perform all the spells ever written, but I would like to test you."

"Professor, there's just one more thing, "Harry said tentatively, "I said I've been trying out more kinds of magic, well I attempted to apparate the other day, successfully. Would I be able to take my test now, do you think the Ministry would allow that?"
"Certainly," Dumbledore said, "It is very impressive that you are able to obtain that power with little effort. I shall arrange for an examiner to test you right away." With that, Dumbledore himself apparated from the house.