Chapter 8- A Wizard Wedding
By... well, if you don't know by now!
The morning of October 22nd was a cold one. Harry and Hermione ate breakfast very quickly that morning and went with Professors Sprout, McGonagall, and Dumbledore, (as well as a few Hufflepuffs) to Hogsmeade Station and to the Chapel of the Greenery, which was located a good hundred miles away. The chapel itself was very old looking and was very covered in ivy. Which, Hermione pointed out, was probably the reasoning behind the name.
"It's lovely, isn't it?" Hermione commented. "Very serene."
Harry nodded, then noticed a friendly face in the crowd. Dean Thomas came up with a pretty girl that Harry didn't recognize. "Hello!" he said. "This is Amanda. I'm glad we finally found some familiar faces... I was starting to get worried."
"Nice to meet you, Amanda," Hermione said, shaking the girl's hand, and Harry followed suit. "Have you to been seeing each other long?"
"Oh no," Amanda started, "Dean's my bro—" and Dean gave her a poke in the ribs. "Ouch! For heaven's sake Dean! I'm his sister... I'm a, what was that word again? Murgle?"
"Muggle..." Dean said, shaking his head sadly. "Yeah, couldn't find a 'guest,' but I guess you two couldn't either, huh?" He looked from Harry to Hermione.
"Actually," Harry said, heat rising to his face slightly, "we've been dating for about a month now."
Dean snorted. "Well then, congratulations. 'Bout time," he added. "Hey! There's Seamus! Amanda, please let him think you're my girlfriend? Look, he's with Lavender..." The two of them sidled off.
"Want to go say hi?" Hermione asked Harry.
"Nah, maybe later. Hey, there's Ron!" Ron had just apparated a few feet away with a girl in tow. At first Harry thought that it was Ginny, but realized that she was a stranger. Ron waved and they walked over.
"Hey guys!" Ron said. "These are my friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger." Ron emphasized Harry's name slightly and the girl next to him looked very starstruck. "This is Bianca, she's a friend of Fleur Delacour."
"Nice to meet zou," she said, very carefully. She had very long, titian, curly hair and a dreamy expression on her face. Her eyes were cinnamon colored and she was wearing a very fancy set of peach silk dress robes. Ron, who had recently gone for a Bill-look and grown his hair out, looked very proud to be in the company of someone so gorgeous. Bianca, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to this fact, smiling up at Ron as if he were the greatest thing since the discovery of cushioning charms for broomsticks.
"She doesn't speak especially good English," Ron said.
"My Eenglish iz fine," Bianca said, but kept her eye on the claw earring dangling from Ron's ear.
"It's very nice to meet you Bianca," Hermione said.
"Same here," Harry said.
"So," Ron said, "you two find dates?"
"Er," Harry started, he and Hermione had not yet told Ron about their relationship. "Er, look at the time! We better find seats." He rushed them into the chapel.
"Bride's side or groom's?" a very ancient wizard asked them.
"Either one, we're friends with both," Harry answered.
The wizard gave them a pained look and sent Harry and Hermione to the bride's side and Ron and Bianca to the groom's.
"You didn't tell him?" Hermione hissed into Harry's ear as they sat down.
"You didn't either," Harry said back.
"You're his best friend!" Hermione said.
"So are you!"
"He's going to be so angry!" Hermione said, looking uneasy.
"Frankly, I'm surprised Ginny didn't tell him!"
"Shh!" Hermione hissed again. An ancient organ in the corner had begun playing of it's own accord and the entire room had hushed. Back at the entrance a procession began. First came, not a little girl, but a pure white owl, dropping petals along the ground. A second owl followed, carrying a ring. Shortly after came a little boy and girl who simply walked without any real discernable reason. Then came the Bridesmaids and Best Men. Susan Bones was paired with Justin Finch-Fletchly, then came Zacharias Smith with Sally-Anne Perks, then Daphne Greengrass with a boy Harry didn't recognize. After that came a strange man who accompanied a strange woman, then came Professor Sprout with, strangely enough, a walking tree. About ten more unfamiliar faces marched down the aisle before the tune grinding from the organ changed and a veiled Hannah Abbott entered, arm in arm with her father. They stopped at the front where Ernie Macmillan, who was wearing very spiffy dress robes with a bowtie, was already standing. A man so ancient it was a wonder he was able to stand greeted them.
"Welcome," said his highly cracked voice. "We are here to-day to unite one Ernest Robert Macmillan with one Hannah Louise Abbot in holy matrimony." Harry's thoughts wandered for a moment and he wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Macmillan had ever heard of Sesame Street. "Who gives away this woman?" As Harry shuddered to think that Hannah should be called a woman, Mr. Abbott stood. "If anyone has reason to believe that these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." No one spoke, so the man went on. "The young people have asked to recite their own vows."
Ernie straightened and put on a face of utmost smugness and became to recite, in a very practiced manner, his vows. "Hannah, I promise to stand by you, through thick and thin, through wet or dry, through hot or cold, through bad or good, through sickness or health, through hunger or prosperity..." Hannah seemed to shift slightly as Ernie's list dragged on. "...I will not leave you, Hannah, my darling, my dearest, my heart's desire, until death takes me. Even then, I will remain with you, forever and always. I love you." Everyone applauded.
"Ernie, I love and always will. With the devotion of a house-elf, I will remain beside you. I love you, dear." Everyone applauded, though Hermione seemed somewhat skeptical after the house-elf metaphor. The ancient wizard went on in his crackly voice for another fifteen minutes, in which Harry had to struggle to keep his eyes open.
"...And now, it is my greatest honor to announce that this couple may now be joined in wedded bless. May I have the wands, please?" Justin handed the wizard a pair of wands and the man gave them to Ernie and Hannah, who swapped immediately. Then one of the owls gave the man the rings. The rings were slipped onto the ends of the wands and Hannah and Ernie held them up and touched them end-to-end.
"Repeat after me," the man said, "Unum." Hannah and Ernie did so and an enormous flash of pink light erupted. Several witches in the audience began to cry. "You may kiss the bride," the wizard said, ending the ceremony. Without further ado, Ernie lifted Hannah's veil and planted a rather rigid looking kiss on her. Harry felt Hermione's hand move into his. The occupants of the room began to stand and follow the young couple outside.
"That was lovely," Hermione sniffed, dabbing her eye with her free hand. They were outside now and Ron's vibrant red head came towards them through the sea of people.
"Zat was beautiful," Bianca said, staring once more up at Ron. Ron's eyes were distracted however.
"Why are you two holding hands?" he asked, rather roughly, gaping at them.
"We're, er, kind of..." Harry began.
"We're dating," Hermione said, a pleading sound in her voice.
"You and... you?" Ron said, rather stupidly.
"Zat is good!" Bianca said. "I am glad zou are not liking Ronald." Ron was still gaping at them, mouth open, but Hermione motioned for Lavender and Seamus to come over.
"Hey there!" Seamus said. "Nice ceremony, eh?"
"Perfect," Lavender said, rubbing away a few stray tears.
"Hey Lavender," Harry said rather suddenly, "you've got one interesting cousin."
"Cousin?" Lavender asked, looking up and scratching her head.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Betty. Hermione and I are teaching at Hogwarts."
"Betty?" Lavender said, looking confused. "I have a cousin named Betty, but she's not at Hogwarts this year."
Harry's mind jumped into a much more focused mode. "She, she isn't?"
"No, she had a very bad accident over the summer. Broke her back and isn't allowed back at school for a few more months." Lavender was giving Harry a you're-crazy look.
"Er, what happened, exactly?" Harry asked; hoping his tone didn't sound worried.
"She fell off her broom from a three-hundred feet drop, as if you care."
"Uh-oh," Harry said, giving Hermione a meaningful look.
A.N.: Getting interesting? Bwahahahaha! Read n Review! :-D
By... well, if you don't know by now!
The morning of October 22nd was a cold one. Harry and Hermione ate breakfast very quickly that morning and went with Professors Sprout, McGonagall, and Dumbledore, (as well as a few Hufflepuffs) to Hogsmeade Station and to the Chapel of the Greenery, which was located a good hundred miles away. The chapel itself was very old looking and was very covered in ivy. Which, Hermione pointed out, was probably the reasoning behind the name.
"It's lovely, isn't it?" Hermione commented. "Very serene."
Harry nodded, then noticed a friendly face in the crowd. Dean Thomas came up with a pretty girl that Harry didn't recognize. "Hello!" he said. "This is Amanda. I'm glad we finally found some familiar faces... I was starting to get worried."
"Nice to meet you, Amanda," Hermione said, shaking the girl's hand, and Harry followed suit. "Have you to been seeing each other long?"
"Oh no," Amanda started, "Dean's my bro—" and Dean gave her a poke in the ribs. "Ouch! For heaven's sake Dean! I'm his sister... I'm a, what was that word again? Murgle?"
"Muggle..." Dean said, shaking his head sadly. "Yeah, couldn't find a 'guest,' but I guess you two couldn't either, huh?" He looked from Harry to Hermione.
"Actually," Harry said, heat rising to his face slightly, "we've been dating for about a month now."
Dean snorted. "Well then, congratulations. 'Bout time," he added. "Hey! There's Seamus! Amanda, please let him think you're my girlfriend? Look, he's with Lavender..." The two of them sidled off.
"Want to go say hi?" Hermione asked Harry.
"Nah, maybe later. Hey, there's Ron!" Ron had just apparated a few feet away with a girl in tow. At first Harry thought that it was Ginny, but realized that she was a stranger. Ron waved and they walked over.
"Hey guys!" Ron said. "These are my friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger." Ron emphasized Harry's name slightly and the girl next to him looked very starstruck. "This is Bianca, she's a friend of Fleur Delacour."
"Nice to meet zou," she said, very carefully. She had very long, titian, curly hair and a dreamy expression on her face. Her eyes were cinnamon colored and she was wearing a very fancy set of peach silk dress robes. Ron, who had recently gone for a Bill-look and grown his hair out, looked very proud to be in the company of someone so gorgeous. Bianca, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to this fact, smiling up at Ron as if he were the greatest thing since the discovery of cushioning charms for broomsticks.
"She doesn't speak especially good English," Ron said.
"My Eenglish iz fine," Bianca said, but kept her eye on the claw earring dangling from Ron's ear.
"It's very nice to meet you Bianca," Hermione said.
"Same here," Harry said.
"So," Ron said, "you two find dates?"
"Er," Harry started, he and Hermione had not yet told Ron about their relationship. "Er, look at the time! We better find seats." He rushed them into the chapel.
"Bride's side or groom's?" a very ancient wizard asked them.
"Either one, we're friends with both," Harry answered.
The wizard gave them a pained look and sent Harry and Hermione to the bride's side and Ron and Bianca to the groom's.
"You didn't tell him?" Hermione hissed into Harry's ear as they sat down.
"You didn't either," Harry said back.
"You're his best friend!" Hermione said.
"So are you!"
"He's going to be so angry!" Hermione said, looking uneasy.
"Frankly, I'm surprised Ginny didn't tell him!"
"Shh!" Hermione hissed again. An ancient organ in the corner had begun playing of it's own accord and the entire room had hushed. Back at the entrance a procession began. First came, not a little girl, but a pure white owl, dropping petals along the ground. A second owl followed, carrying a ring. Shortly after came a little boy and girl who simply walked without any real discernable reason. Then came the Bridesmaids and Best Men. Susan Bones was paired with Justin Finch-Fletchly, then came Zacharias Smith with Sally-Anne Perks, then Daphne Greengrass with a boy Harry didn't recognize. After that came a strange man who accompanied a strange woman, then came Professor Sprout with, strangely enough, a walking tree. About ten more unfamiliar faces marched down the aisle before the tune grinding from the organ changed and a veiled Hannah Abbott entered, arm in arm with her father. They stopped at the front where Ernie Macmillan, who was wearing very spiffy dress robes with a bowtie, was already standing. A man so ancient it was a wonder he was able to stand greeted them.
"Welcome," said his highly cracked voice. "We are here to-day to unite one Ernest Robert Macmillan with one Hannah Louise Abbot in holy matrimony." Harry's thoughts wandered for a moment and he wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Macmillan had ever heard of Sesame Street. "Who gives away this woman?" As Harry shuddered to think that Hannah should be called a woman, Mr. Abbott stood. "If anyone has reason to believe that these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." No one spoke, so the man went on. "The young people have asked to recite their own vows."
Ernie straightened and put on a face of utmost smugness and became to recite, in a very practiced manner, his vows. "Hannah, I promise to stand by you, through thick and thin, through wet or dry, through hot or cold, through bad or good, through sickness or health, through hunger or prosperity..." Hannah seemed to shift slightly as Ernie's list dragged on. "...I will not leave you, Hannah, my darling, my dearest, my heart's desire, until death takes me. Even then, I will remain with you, forever and always. I love you." Everyone applauded.
"Ernie, I love and always will. With the devotion of a house-elf, I will remain beside you. I love you, dear." Everyone applauded, though Hermione seemed somewhat skeptical after the house-elf metaphor. The ancient wizard went on in his crackly voice for another fifteen minutes, in which Harry had to struggle to keep his eyes open.
"...And now, it is my greatest honor to announce that this couple may now be joined in wedded bless. May I have the wands, please?" Justin handed the wizard a pair of wands and the man gave them to Ernie and Hannah, who swapped immediately. Then one of the owls gave the man the rings. The rings were slipped onto the ends of the wands and Hannah and Ernie held them up and touched them end-to-end.
"Repeat after me," the man said, "Unum." Hannah and Ernie did so and an enormous flash of pink light erupted. Several witches in the audience began to cry. "You may kiss the bride," the wizard said, ending the ceremony. Without further ado, Ernie lifted Hannah's veil and planted a rather rigid looking kiss on her. Harry felt Hermione's hand move into his. The occupants of the room began to stand and follow the young couple outside.
"That was lovely," Hermione sniffed, dabbing her eye with her free hand. They were outside now and Ron's vibrant red head came towards them through the sea of people.
"Zat was beautiful," Bianca said, staring once more up at Ron. Ron's eyes were distracted however.
"Why are you two holding hands?" he asked, rather roughly, gaping at them.
"We're, er, kind of..." Harry began.
"We're dating," Hermione said, a pleading sound in her voice.
"You and... you?" Ron said, rather stupidly.
"Zat is good!" Bianca said. "I am glad zou are not liking Ronald." Ron was still gaping at them, mouth open, but Hermione motioned for Lavender and Seamus to come over.
"Hey there!" Seamus said. "Nice ceremony, eh?"
"Perfect," Lavender said, rubbing away a few stray tears.
"Hey Lavender," Harry said rather suddenly, "you've got one interesting cousin."
"Cousin?" Lavender asked, looking up and scratching her head.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Betty. Hermione and I are teaching at Hogwarts."
"Betty?" Lavender said, looking confused. "I have a cousin named Betty, but she's not at Hogwarts this year."
Harry's mind jumped into a much more focused mode. "She, she isn't?"
"No, she had a very bad accident over the summer. Broke her back and isn't allowed back at school for a few more months." Lavender was giving Harry a you're-crazy look.
"Er, what happened, exactly?" Harry asked; hoping his tone didn't sound worried.
"She fell off her broom from a three-hundred feet drop, as if you care."
"Uh-oh," Harry said, giving Hermione a meaningful look.
A.N.: Getting interesting? Bwahahahaha! Read n Review! :-D