-Not the most exciting chapter in the world, but some necessary plot advances, foreshadowing and the bit. Besides, also a little humor too.

Chapter 5 – Visitors Come and Gone

Harry stared at the form that was lying at the ground next to sobbing Lavenders feet. In the past ten minutes he had witnessed some of the strangest things he had ever seen, well at least in the past month or two. He had seen a flying duel, a broom burst into flame and its rider jump off, then another wizard catching another in the air, pretty impressive flying and now this. Somehow the wizard had remained conscious enough to see if the girl he had saved was alright. This guy is something else Harry thought to himself. By now people where starting to help the two wizards into the house. Even though this was the first wedding that he had ever been to, Harry had a feeling that normally, things didn't go this way. As the two wizards where being carried into the house, they actually started to wake up. Those two just didn't stop amazing Harry and the others that where watching them. Seeing them start to wake up, Harry, Ron, Hermione and their friends started to walk over to them. Harry and the others arrived to here them make a request.

"Please ma'am, could we just have some water and two brooms? We will gladly pay you whatever you want for them." Harry saw the wizard in the big hat, which was now back on his head say. His friend just stood behind them. Ron noticed that they where talking to his mother.

"Harry, where do you suppose they're from anyways? And what the bloody hell is that on his head?" Ron whispered to Harry. Harry shook his head that he didn't know, but Hermione chipped in an idea.

"I have no idea where they could be from, but that hat he's wearing is, I believe, a cowboy hat is what I think it's called. I've never seen one before except in pictures. And the only place that I know of where people where those is in, well America. But, what would someone from America being doing here?" Asked Hermione.

"You mean that they could possibly be bloody Yanks?" asked Ron. Harry ignored the comment and added his own.

"I'm not sure why they'd be here either, but I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with those two Death Eaters that where chasing them."

"But why would only two be chasing them, after a group of at least twenty?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"Well, did you get a good look at them. It looked as though they where all younger than us! What could a bunch of kids be doing that winds them up being chased by Death Eaters?" said Harry.

"Do you mean that they could be Yanks?" asked Ron again.

"Yes, Ron they could be. But the chances of that are almost zero. Probably just some guy who probably visited relatives or friends in America. There is no way they could have flown across an ocean on brooms." Hermione answered Ron's question and put an emphasis in the last sentence that indicated that that was that and that part of the discussion was over. But before they could continue their debate, Harry felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned around. It was the wizard who Harry believed was named John.

"Hello sir, and excuse me ladies," he tipped his hat to the girls in the group and turned his attention back to Harry, "but are you perhaps Harry Potter?" he asked.

"Why, yes I am. Why?" responded Harry. He had not expected the guy to come and speak to him.

"I was just curious. My friend, Derek here saw your scar and pointed it out to me. So you are the hero that is supposed to defeat Voldemort, eh?" he asked the question point-blank as though it where an everyday matter. However, Harry and the others easily detected a hint of seriousness in his voice. Fortunately for Harry he didn't have to answer as Mrs. Weasley came back out carrying some water. She cautiously approached the two mysterious flyers and handed the water to them.

"Here you go. I don't have any spare brooms that I can give you. But if you come with me into the house, I can show to a place where you can get some new brooms."

"Thank you ma'am. Just one question though. What did we and our visitors interrupt?" John asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Um, well this is actually a wedding. Well the ceremony is over, but it is now time for the reception." replied Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh. Could you please give our sincerest apologies to the bride and groom then? Here, this should," John reached into his pocket, pulled out a bag and started to dig in it, "pay for any damages. And this is our gift to the new couple. It ain't much but it is all we can give. Could you please take us to the shop then? We really need to rejoin the rest of our group." Mrs. Weasley had barely heard him as she looked what was in her hand. He had given her two groups of fifty galleons. She started to protest that what they gave her for damages was far too much, but they wouldn't hear a word of it. She nodded and motioned for the boys to follow her. A few minutes later she came back out of the house without the two strangers.

"Well, I sent them to Diagon Alley with the Floo network. I hope that they can find their friends from there. How did those two boys defeat those Death Eaters? And in the air no less? Well, they're gone now, and I don't think that we'll be seeing them again anyways. Time to continue the party!" At those words, people seemed to forget that something weird had happened and went about the party with renewed vigor. At one point Harry looked up into the sky and saw two wizards on broomsticks over the house. They stopped, looked around and then sped North. He then looked for Ginny, as she visiting with some of her cousins. As he went looking for her he saw Lavender standing off to the side, starring at place in the sky that the two flying wizards had disappeared. Thinking it best to leave her alone he continued to search for Ginny. He still wanted that dance, but he never got much chance to look for her as he was constantly being talked to by strangers and being introduced to people by Mr. Weasley.

Harry finally managed to find Ginny after he thought that he met everybody at the party. She was talking to a couple of girls that where friends of Fleur's. He stepped to her side silently and waited until the conversation was done and the girls had left. Ginny turned around to look at him.

"So, I've seen that you've been meeting everyone at the party Harry." She asked.

"Yeah, I missed too. I think that I have everyone here. I'm really getting tired of being around so many people who know me, but I don't know them."

"Well, I thought that you might say something like that once you finally found me. How about we get away from the crowd for a while?" Harry instantly abandoned the idea of a dance for some alone time with Ginny. They navigated their way out of the party area and around to the back of the house, where they ran into the second big surprise of the day. As the two rounded the corner of the house they saw Ron and Hermione so close to each other that Harry wouldn't be able to squeeze a piece of parchment between them. Quickly they ducked back around the corner of the house before Ron or Hermione could spot them.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other with huge grins on their faces. They both sneaked a peek around the corner and then ducked back. Harry then remembered something from his sixth year at Hogwarts.

"I lost ten galleons because of those two. How about you?" Harry asked Ginny.

"I lost five. Just because those were too thick to admit they had feelings for each other and start dating, we had to lose fifteen galleons between the two of us. There will be revenge!" Ginny told Harry with a little more than a hint of anger in her voice.

"Don't worry Ginny. I've got an idea that will make up for it! Just stay here for a minute okay? Don't laugh or make a sound." Harry told her as he started to sneak around the corner. He saw that the two where still seemingly stuck together, going at each other as though life depended on it. He managed to get rather close to them before he spoke, actually it was more like a yell.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Harry yelled in his deepest voice as loud as he could. Ron and Hermione both jumped half way to the moon and looked at Harry with horrified faces. They grew incredibly pale at the sight of Harry's face. He had managed to put on a very angry face and looked like he was about to blow his top. They where so pale that Harry thought they looked like ghosts. He wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer. All of a sudden the two of them started talking at once, each trying to explain to Harry what he had seen.

"Harry, mate, we wanted to tell you, but we…we….were worried what you might think…"Ron stammered out.

"Yes, yes Harry. We just were going to tell you soon. After we knew for sure that you…" Hermione was almost in tears by this point.

"ENOUGH EXCUSES!" At this Ron looked at the ground and Harry thought that he saw tears almost go down Hermione's face. Now was a good time. "Do you two have any idea how many galleons I lost because of you two? Between the two of us, Ginny and I lost nearly twenty galleons!" At this Harry could no longer contain himself and started to laugh so hard that he nearly fell over. Ron and Hermione looked at him with disbelief, then turned to see Ginny walking over towards them also laughing profusely hard. Disbelief turned into anger as Ron and Hermione figured that a joke had been played on them. And both of them had fell for it like a ton of bricks. Ron started to laugh as well, at least until Hermione stamped on his foot. While Ron was nursing an injured foot, Hermione turned her wrath to Harry and Ginny.

"Harry! Ginny! How could you! Do you have any idea as to how scared we both where? And what do mean that you lost money because of us?"

"Well, Hermione this is how it happened. There was a bet going on in the whole Gryffindor house that you two would be together by the end of the year. When you didn't Ginny and I lost are side of the bet, along with the rest of the sixth years all of the seventh years and some fifth years. Everyone else thought you two wouldn't be together." Explained Harry. At this Ron couldn't help but ask,

"Mate, how much money in total was bet do you think?"

"Uh, well, I'd say somewhere between three and four hundred galleons." At light of this information Ron's mouth dropped.

"Well, that is incredibly rude of people to bet on us like that!" Hermione added her obvious discomfort to that information. But she didn't say anymore about the gambling affair, instead she asked Harry a question.

"Harry, you don't mind do you? Because if you do…" before Hermione could finish what she was going to say Harry interrupted her.

"Of course I don't mind Hermione! I'm happy for you two. I had a feeling that this might happen one day anyways. The way that I figured it, either I or Ron would ask you out one day. Thankfully Ron did, otherwise I wouldn't be dating his sister. Why in the world would doubt that I wouldn't mind?"
"Well, mate we were worried that it might cause a strain on our friendship." Ron explained timidly.

"Ron, Hermione, I think that this talk has gone on long enough. Though I do say that this has been a very interesting day for all of us. Hey, Ron, did you see how that guy…" with that Ron and Harry went off to discuss the battle that they had witnessed earlier in the day, while Ginny and Hermione went off to discuss things that only girls talk about, things that only girls can understand.