-This wedding may be a little different than some people imagine it. I got tired of seeing the same old wedding over and over again. It was defiantly fun to write.
Chapter 4 - The Wedding of many Proportions
Harry slept peacefully throughout the night and awoke the next morning to a bright sun shining in his face. He sat up in bed and looked over his surroundings, temporarily forgetting that he was at the Weasley home, and that he was seventeen years old. He got out of bed and changed into his clothes and made his way downstairs where he saw everyone starting to eat breakfast. Both Mrs. Weasley and Ginny where the first ones to notice Harry coming down, but Mrs. Weasley spoke first,
"Good morning Harry! I was just about to call you for breakfast. Come sit down and have some pancakes now." Harry smiled his reply and took a seat at the table, between Ron and Hermione, a few places away from Ginny. Ginny didn't say anything to Harry, and Harry wondered why she didn't say anything to him. But then the memory of last night came back to him in full force and he went red in the cheeks. He started to eat before anyone noticed, but Ron did. All through breakfast Ron kept making wierd slurping noises, which Harry clearly understood what it meant, but Ron got a very confused look from Hermione. Ginny also heard the noises, she also understood what they meant and gave Ron a glare that Harry was glad he wasn't receiving, but Ron took no notice of it.
"Ron, would cut out the bloody noises? It's causing me to loose my appetite!" Fred said as Ron made another sound.
"Yeah, what are those sounds supposed to mean anyways?" asked Fred's twin brother George.
"Well," Ron started but then noticed the look that Ginny gave him and continued, "well, uh, you see...that was the sound Harry was making in his sleep last night and I'm giving him a hard time about it." Fred and George bought it, but the lie clearly didn't fly with Hermione, who then figured out what the noises meant. Breakfast continued without another problem as talk at the table turned to the more favorable subject of Quidditch.
It wasn't long before the meal ended and everyone got up from the table to leave. Just before everyone stopped them Mrs. Weasley stopped them at the door.
"Hold on now everyone, with the wedding next week, you all need to stay and help clean the place up and straighten things up, set up the yard and start organizing everything! So, Harry, Ron would you please start by cleaning up the yard? You'll need to do it without magic as to get everything. Ginny Hermione, would you please start cleaning the downstairs? FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! You can start by helping me make the table decorations since you are so anxious to leave the work. Charlie, could you please help me in the kitchen? Bill, go find something to do." After that everyone started to do their respective chores. For the whole next week, Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't do anything except clean. Finally at the end of the week, the day for the wedding had finally arrived.
On the morning of the wedding Harry and Ron awoke before sunrise and got dressed in their normal clothes for a quick breakfast. They went downstairs to find a very exhausted, but rather excited Mrs. Weasley. She have them a half hearted good-morning and told them what they could eat and that she was going to take a quick nap. As the two boys where eating they where joined by Ginny and Hermione. For the first time all week the four of them where let alone for awhile, much to their relief. They all greeted each other, but not much conversation ensued, at least until Ron asked a question.
"So, Harry, Ginny, why haven't you told Mum about...well, you know?" asked Ron after a mouth full of food. Harry, nearly choked on his bite of eggs and Ginny looked, surprised Harry noticed after recovering from his eggs. Harry didn't know what to say, and was grateful when Ginny gave him an explanation.
"Ron that is none of your business! Anyways, can you imagine what mum might think?" came the explanation from Ginny. Ron smiled as he said,
"Oh, yes I can imagine what would happen! She'd say 'What! The Great Harry Potter and my only daughter? Together? OH this is..."
"So that would explain those weird noises I heard from the hallway last week when Harry came back!" Harry spit out the juice that he was drinking when he heard that voice. Half scared to see who it was, Harry slowly turned his head around. The person who interrupted Ron had been Bill. Harry at first felt relief that it wasn't Mr. or Mrs. Weasley, but then felt very nervous. He had always been secretly very worried what would happen to him when Ginny older brothers found out that he had taken a liking to their baby sister. Harry managed to put a half smile on his face, then turned to look at Ginny. Ginny's face had turned an incredible shade of red, even redder than her hair.
"Don't worry you two, your secret will be safe with me. But I do agree with Ron, she will go insane with joy when she finds out. Fred, George and Charlie might try and kill you though. Though that would be something to brag about, having the one and only Harry Potter as a brother-in-law..." Bill let his thought trail off as he walked out of t he kitchen with a couple pieces of bread. Ron started to go off on the brother-in-law thing, but Ginny shut him up by holding up a knife, too afraid to find out what she might do with it, Ron let the subject drop. When breakfast was finished, Harry and Ron went to find Bill to help him get ready, and Ginny and Hermione went off to find Fleur.
Harry and Ron found a very nervous Bill in his room, putting a lot of effort into not shaking. Charlie was trying to reassure him that everything was going to be fine.
"But what if she doesn't show up? What if I'm left standing on the altar all be myself? What if she ran away with some other guy? There's still time to..." All of a sudden Bill could no longer speak. Charlie looked in his mouth, and it looked as though his tongue was stuck to the top of his mouth. Charlie turned and Harry and Ron standing at the door, the former with his wand held out. Charlie starred at the wand then at Harry, then laughed. Bill looked slightly panicked, though he finally registered what had happened to him.
"Harry, what did you do to Bill?" asked Charlie when he had regained his composure.
"Well, I figured that you had been listening to that for a while now, and saw that you where trying to talk some sense into him. So I shut him up to try and make our job easier." responded Harry with a smile, secretly praising the langlock spell. That spell could simply so wonders.
"Good thinking Harry! Now listen to us Bill. Fleur is here to marry you because she loves you. She isn't going to runaway, or else we would be hearing Ginny right now trying to hex the poor girl. Things will be fine, I promise." When Charlie siad this, Bill appeared to calm down a bit and Harry released him from the spell. When they had all gotten dressed in their dress robes, they went downstairs to start greeting the guests that had arrived early. Harry saw all kinds of people, both who he didn't know and some who he knew really well. Among those that he did recognize where Tonks, Lupin, Mad-Eye Mooney, Professor McGonagal, Professor Flitwick, and then to his great surprise he saw the Parvati twins. Rather, he saw their parents first, talking warmly with Bill. Then he heard Ron curse under his breathe. Behind the twins came none other than Lavender Brown, Ron's girlfriend from the previous year at Hogwarts.
"What's she doing here?" asked Harry.
"What haven't you heard? Lavenders parents where attacked by Death Eaters a couple of weeks ago! Nobody seen them since and she went to live with the Parvati's. Bill and their Dad are friends, but I guess I half hoped that they wouldn't some. Oh well,..." Harry was shocked to here about this. Of course he could relate to what Lavender was going through right now having lost his parents to Voldemort when he was a baby.
"Come on Ron, let's go talk to them. Oh quit being a baby!" Harry told Ron when he got a sour look on his face. Harry and Ron maneuvered around several groups of people to get to the Parvati twins and Lavender. When they saw each other they greeted each other, but Lavender didn't even look at Ron. Harry got the impression that she was still hurt by Ron leaving her earlier this year. They started to talk for a while, Harry giving Lavender his condolences about her parents; she thanked him for it, though Harry saw tears well up in her eyes at the mention of her parents. Just then Bill came over and grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him away from the group, leaving Ron alone with the three girls. Harry got the impression that Bill had a problem. A big problem. When they had gotten away from everyone Bill turned to look at Harry.
"Harry, listen. I think I forgot to mention this to you, and I know no one else told you, but I never asked you about it. It slipped my mind some how! I need you to be one of my groomsmen. It's really easy. All you have to do is escort one of the bridesmaids down the aisle and then stand off to the side. Don't worry, I'll let escort one of Fleurs friends from Beauxbatons!" At the mention of this Harry went pale. What would Ginnt thin of that? She'd kill him on the spot! Seeing Harry's reaction, Bill started to laugh. "That, Harry, was payback for gluing my tongue to my mouth this morning! No don't worry you'll be able to escort Ginny down the aisle, who knows this might be practice for you one day! Thanks Harry!" Bill ran off laughing back to the living room of the Burrow to greet someone who just arrived. Harry just watched him leave. Then Harry realized that he never gave Bill an answer. Well, looks like I'm part of this, whether I like it or not, thought Harry as he made his way back to the living room. Before long it was almost time for the ceremony to begin.
The actual ceremony was going to take place in the yard, and there what looked like three hundred chairs set up to accommodate all of the guests. At the rear of the ceremony area stood a large white tent. There Fleur was hidden away in the back behind several curtains with her bridesmaids. Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Charlie stood in the back as well waiting for the bridesmaids so that they could begin the ceremony. Bill had already assumed his place at the altar, next to the wizard who would be presiding over the ceremony. Finally the bridesmaids came out from behind the curtain. Harry felt his jaw drop and his heart skip a beat when he saw Ginny. She was incredibly beautiful in her bridesmaid dress and with her hair down in some fancy curls. Harry approached her and took her by the arm, and when no one was looking, kissed her on the cheek. He was still incapable of saying anything to her at his point. He looked around when he and Ginny got into their place. In front of them both Fred and George had a girl from Beauxbatons as did Charlie who stood behind them. Charlie was going to be escorting the Maid of Honor as he was the Best Man. Also right behind he and Ginny, Harry was surprised to see that Ron was arm-arm with Hermione. Smiling, he turned his attention back to his own escort as the ceremony started. The groomsmen and bridesmaids made it down the aisle without a problem, and then in came Fleur. Both Harry and Ron jaws dropped again when they saw her. She was incredibly beautiful in her wedding dress. Every man in the audience couldn't help but notice her beauty, and it earned some of them some bad looks from their wives or girlfriends. Finally Fleur made it to the altar and the presiding wizard started to speak. Harry looked at Ginny and saw that she was looking dreamily at Bill and Fluer, then at him. Somehow Harry could tell that she wasn't thinking of this wedding, but some future one. Her wedding. Harry gulped, and then saw the same look on Hermione's face when she looked at Ron. Harry was slightly confused at this, but then it clicked. Harry smiled to himself and looked out in the audience. The speaking wizard was now about half way down with his speech, but no one in the audience was paying attention to what he was saying. They where all looking up in the sky at something. Naturally. Harry followed their gaze and saw that Ron was looking up as well.
In the sky Harry noticed maybe fifteen are so figures flying in the. Looking carefully he saw that they where all witches and wizards on broomsticks. Nothing too unusual Harry thought, but then noticed something weird. All of the flyers looked younger than he and Ron! All of a sudden they all stopped in mid-air, right above the wedding. By now even the presiding priest, Bill and Fleur where looking at this group of flyers. Harry saw one them , the one in the lead say something to the witch behind him and point North. Then all of the flyers sped off, all of them except for two of them. Those two stayed behind and where facing West. The one who had been in the lead was wearing some kind of funny wide-brim hat that went all the way around the part his head went in. They appeared to be waiting for something. After they sat there for a while the wizard resumed speaking. Finally, he said those words to close the ceremony, "You may now kiss the bride!" Bill eagerly obeyed this command and then he and Fleur ran down the aisle, or rather Bill carried her down the aisle. As they went down the aisle everyone who had been watching the ceremony started cheering and clapping as the new couple went past them. It was finally time to start the reception party.
With great food and great music, the reception, Harry decided, was the best part of the whole wedding. It had been almost half an hour ago that the two wizards stopped in mid air, and they where still there when Harry looked up, but this time he noticed two small dots way out in the East, moving towards them. Harry figured that those two where stragglers from the group and went to find Ginny. He figured he might as well try and get one dance with her that night. Harry found Ginny, Ron and Hermione sitting with the Parvati twins and Lavender. There was one empty chair left at the table next to Ginny and Harry quickly filled it.
"About time you get here." Ginny whispered to Harry.
"Sorry, but I couldn't figure out what it was that I wanted to eat first!" Harry offered up as an excuse.
"Yeah, but Ron went up at the same time as you and got back here a lot earlier than you!"
"Ron didn't have to think about what he was going to eat, he just took some of everything." Harry smiled as though that ended the argument and he was victorious, but Ginny wouldn't let that stand. She had to get the last word in.
"Ron is a pig though." was all that Ginny could come up with. Harry turned to see Ron busy eating and decided that he should do the same, as all of the girls at the table where chatting away like a gaggle of hens. Harry was surprised that Hermione was even participating in the conversation, and she actually seemed to be enjoying it too. All of a sudden everyone froze as they heard a deep, loud, scream from above. Harry thought that it was more like a whoop than anything. He looked up to see the source of the noise and saw the wizard in the big hat take out a wand, as did his companion and sped towards the two oncoming dots. By now could almost make out the two incoming flyers, both of whim had their wands drawn. All of a sudden one of them pointed his wand into the sky and the Death Mark appeared in the sky. The two incoming flyers where Death Eaters then, Harry thought. Some people screamed, mostly girls but Harry heard a few men, but mostly people seemed rooted in the spot anxious to see the outcome of the battle. When the four flyers came within a hundred feet of each other, Harry could see spells being cast back and forth until they met up with each other. Then the four mixed together and then split of into pairs. Pairs of flying duelers. The one in the funny hat went one way following one Death Eater, while his companion was being chased by the other Death Eater. These two made their way directly over the reception when they finally started casting spells at each other. The funny hat wearing wizards companion Harry now saw was wearing a baseball hat with the brim turned backwards. But Harry gaze was drawn to the wizard wearing the big hat and the duel he was fighting. The wizard was pulling off some pretty impressive tricks on his broom. Harry watched as he narrowly dodged a stupefy spell but was then hit with an expelling charm. The wizard's wand went flying and he went after it. All of a sudden the wand flew back to his hand and the wizard climbed to rejoin the battle. He's pretty good with silent spells, Harry remarked as the wizard cast his expelling charm at the Death Eater. It hit the Death Eater and his wand went flying. However the Death Eater couldn't recover the wand before it went into the trees, and the Death Eater ran away as fast as he could.
Harry blinked and looked above him at the other two combatants. The wizard in the baseball hat wasn't faring very well. Harry saw him get hit with an expelling charm and the wand landed in the dirt not far away from the table that he was at. By now they where low enough to the ground for Harry to see their faces. The Death Eater smiled as he pointed his wand at the wand-less wizard. Harry saw the other wizard flying as fast as he could towards them, but he saw that it wouldn't be fast enough. Both Harry and Ron drew their wands at the same time, having the same thought and pointed them at the Death Eater.
"Stupefy!" Harry shouted, casting the stupefaction spell at the Death Eater. Harry saw Ron cast the expelling charm at the same time. Harry's spell hit the broom while Ron's spell managed to hit the Death Eater. But it was too late. The Death Eater had set the other wizards broom on fire with an incendio spell. The broom quickly burst into flames and the wizard jumped off the broom. He was falling, and falling fast towards the ground. HE was heading straight for the table that Harry, Ron and the others where sitting. Harry noticed that he was going to land right on top of Lavender if she didn't move away.
"LAVENDER! MOVE!" shouted Ron as he had noticed the same thing a second before Harry. But it seemed as though she was rooted in cement at the spot. She was watching the falling wizard with a look of absolute fear on her face. Harry looked back up and saw the other wizard diving towards his friend. Maybe thirty feet off the ground he grabbed his friend by the collar and held on for dear life. He managed to slow the descent of the falling wizard, but his speed was already to great to stop all the way. Seeing this the wizard in the funny hat managed to move his friend to a spot to where he wouldn't hurt anybody. But in doing so he lost his balance and fell of his own broom. He landed with a loud thud right at Lavenders feet. Fortunatly he had managed to only fall about ten feet, but he had landed flat on his back, as did his friend. The two wizards managed to stand up, with a great deal of effort, but they managed to get to their feet. Everyone was starring at these two wizards with both admiration and fear. Admiration because the two of them had defeated two Death Eaters, but fear because of what they looked like. Both of them where bleeding from the face and had numerous cuts on their arms and hands. Their faces where covered in blood, in fact the one by Lavender had an eye that was swollen shut. They where both thin and pale from hunger. Harry looked into the eyes of the one that landed close next to Lavender, his hat now hung around his neck by a cord that was attached to the brim. Harry looked into his eyes and clearly saw that he was exhausted. The strangest thing Harry noticed was that both of them where his age! Harry watched as the wizard turned to Lavender.
"All you alright?" he asked in a hoarse, scratchy voice.
"Yes, yes I'm fine. Thanks to you." Lavender managed to reply
"Good." He said as he smiled, white teeth showing through his blood soaked face. His eyes then closed and he fell to the ground. Lavender screamed and started to cry.
"JOHN!" Harry turned to see the wizards friend yell. He took two steps forward and also fell flat on his face and didn't move a muscle.