Author: Magiquill9
Chapter 5: The WeddingShips: Harry and Ginny, Hermione and Ron, Bill and Fleur, and Lupin and Tonks.
Chapter Synopsis: Harry prepares for the wedding, takes a look at his mementos from Godric's Hollow, and returns to Grimmauld Place
Story Summary: HBP raised as many questions as it answered. How can Harry find a horcrux? How can he destroy the horcruxes? Everything was laid out, and we were about to jump off the cliff. Here's where the cliffhanger ends and the adventure begins. Join Harry and friends as they struggle to lead the wizarding world out of despair, fight the good fight, and put an end to the evil that is Tom Riddle.
Disclaimer: You know, this isn't really much of a disclaimer; it's more like my author's note. Hmmm. I don't know if I have to remind you lot but Harry Potter isn't mind. Because I can't facilitate a kidnapping to rival that of Tom Riddle's in GOF, (yet) Harry Potter remains in J.K. Rowling's hands. Haha. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Anyways, for my story. I do believe the Wedding will happen this chapter. It was due two chapters ago, but I think now we have gotten everything else out of the way. I hope you all are enjoying the story thus far. So now, I submit for your entertainment, Chapter 5, The Wedding.
A week had gone by since Harry's fateful trip to Godric's Hollow. Harry's scar had been a constant throb once more, as Voldemort was too angered by the events of the night to care about Occlumency. So Harry was forced to learn the art of Occlumency. He found a ready teacher in Remus, who was actually a Legilimins himself. So through Remus, Harry had begun to learn Occlumency. Remus was a much better teacher than Snape had ever been, and Harry had proceeded to learn the skill easily. The idea of closing his mind was much easier when there wasn't any hate inside of his head like when Snape had tried to teach him. Harry was able to close off his mind and even detect Remus inside his head. In an easier environment, Harry was able to flourish. But he knew people he liked wouldn't be trying to invade his head. And it was all the more important now to learn Occlumency because Voldemort couldn't find out that Harry knew of the horcruxes. And so the week passed. This morning found Harry awakening to the shining sun, and preparing for the wedding of Bill and Fleur.
Harry paused on the way out and was attracted to his mementos from Godric's Hollow. He looked at the watch, wondering what it really was, and turned it around. On the back was an inscription.
Happy Christmas my Raven. Love God.
Harry wondered what all that was about. He really didn't care. It was a nice watch. Harry decided he would give it to Ginny for her birthday. He might have to get rid of the inscription though. Harry then looked at the wand. It looked so beautiful. It was made of willow, and it carried the tail feather of a phoenix, and was bendy. It was also very small, around 7 inches. Harry remembered that his mother's wand had been made of willow, from what Ollivander had told him. And it was also good for charms. He couldn't remember what else Ollivander had said though. The wand was warm to Harry's touch. It was almost attracted to Harry. Harry reasoned that was because it had belonged to his mother, and her love resided in his blood. Harry wondered how old the wand was. It looked ancient. The wand must have been made over 1,000 years ago. Harry turned it over in his hand and saw a crack on it near the bottom. It was a jagged line, and Harry assumed it was from when the house was destroyed. He turned it over in his hand and deposited it back into a dresser drawer in his and Ron's room. Harry then walked out.
When Harry headed downstairs, what met him was chaos, absolute, terrifying, chaos. Everyone was running around the house, trying to get everything set up for the wedding. Ron grabbed him on the way and dragged him into the living room.
"Harry, Mum's gone mad. She's trying to set everything up for the wedding, because they decided to have it here at the Burrow, and everything's going wrong. Fleur should be here soon and Mum's in a panic."
"I'm sure you're glad Fleur's coming huh Ron?" Ron's eyes grew to the size of marbles.
"I- uhh."
"I'm just joking Ron. I know you have your eyes on Hermione." Harry didn't think it was possible but Ron's eyes got even bigger. He looked like he would gag.
"Right then. MUUUM. Harry's up! He can help!" Harry glared at Ron and watched him sprint up the stairs to shut himself in his room. Coward. Harry trudged into the kitchen and put himself at Mrs. Weasley's mercy. She quickly assembled teams to make everything done properly. Harry and the twins were to go outside and set the reception area, Ginny and Hermione would be checking everything for the bridesmaids, and Charlie was staying up with Bill to console him. Ron was nowhere to be seen. Harry headed outside and began to have a duel with the tables, like Charlie and Bill had a couple years ago. Harry, finally able to use magic, was enjoying it immensely. Harry's table attacked Fred's and with George's help, managed to subdue it after taking out 3 legs and splitting it in half. Fred gave up and set his down, while restoring the legs. Harry took George's on and spun it sideways in the air, slashing his wand downward and essentially pinning George's table to the tree. With a mighty crash, George pulled his table out and managed to swing his back at Harry's. Like a spell hitting a shield charm, Harry's table groaned, and then finally collapsed, sinking down into the ground. George gave a yell of triumph and Harry reluctantly restored his table.
"You just aren't ready yet Harry. Maybe later, once you know what you're doing. Besides, nobody messes with the Weasley twins." With a grin, the twins picked Harry up by his arms and pinned himon the ground, then forced a sweet down his mouth. In horror, Harry fought futilely against their grip, but it was too much. They punched him in the stomach, which forced him to swallow, and Harry looked up into their faces hesitantly.
"Since it was your birthday last week-" began George
"And we didn't get to prank you-" stated Fred
"Fred and I decided that now was as good a time as any-"
"To prank you, and now you are eating Delicious Dung-"
"A tasty treat that cancels out the effects of you-no-poo-"
"But it takes a while for the candy to stop-"
"So don't forget to flush," they finished with a grin. Harry bolted upstairs into the bathroom and stayed there for a while, letting the effects of "Delicious Dung" end. Ten minutes later, Harry returned to the kitchen and saw everyone out of breath, but calm. It was all finished. Bill pulled Harry to the side.
"Harry, I meant to ask you, would you be willing to be one of the groomsman? You'll be escorting Ginny of course." Harry nodded.
"Thanks Harry, I knew I could count on you."
"Hey Bill, who else is groomsman?"
"Well Charlie is best man, Ron is one, along with you, and I've got a couple friends from Egypt. Fleur has her sister Gabrielle, Ginny, and a couple friends of hers from Beauxbatons. Ron's escorting one of them since Herm- someone thought that him being with a veela would be a bad idea." Bill grinned sheepishly. It was then Harry noticed his scars from the werewolf attack earlier. He looked much better; there wasn't much scarring. His smile was a bit forced, and his skin was a little stretched, but otherwise he looked fine. Harry could also notice his shoulder was still causing him a little bit of pain but Bill looked great. Harry returned the smile.
Harry headed upstairs to change and put on the dress robes Mrs. Weasley had handed him. He headed downstairs and noticed Fleur and company had arrived. Fleur looked like she was going to burst into tears though. Harry heard Ginny gingerly asking what was wrong. Harry smiled when he heard her voice and listened to the answer.
"Cl- Clara isn't coming. We 'ave one bridesmaid short. It is all uneven and 'opeless." Fleur returned to her sobbing. Ginny patted her back consolingly and Hermione walked into the room to drag Ginny back upstairs. Fleur lifted her head and stared at Hermione, the same look in her eyes as had been in Ron's when he had realized Hermione was a girl.
"Hermione. Could you be one of my bridesmaids?" Hermione looked like the only thing she could say was most definitely not, but after a look from Mrs. Weasley and a kick from Ginny that would have had any boy on the floor gasping for breath, Hermione nodded her head. Fleur cried harder and pulled Hermione into a hug. Hermione winced, but patted her back nonetheless. She then grabbed Ginny by the hand and the two girls marched upstairs. Harry felt like he was going to laugh and ran back upstairs to hide. He heard Ginny muttering darkly about 'that Phlegm.' Harry suppressed his laughter until he made it back upstairs. He burst out laughing and Ron looked at him strangely.
"What's the matter mate?"
"Fleur was freaking out because she was a bridesmaid short."
"Who was missing?" Ron asked.
"Clara." Ron frowned.
"I was her escort." Harry laughed harder. In between gasps Harry ended Ron's puzzled look.
"Hermione is replacing her." Harry watched Ron's face break into a grin, then disappear so fast that if Harry didn't know better, he wouldn't have known he saw it at all.
The door opened before Harry could comment further and it was Charlie's red hair that poked through the door.
"Time to get this show on the road guys. Ready?" After a nod from Harry and Ron, the three of them trooped down the stairs and prepared for the wedding.
Somehow, everything had seemed to work out well. Harry, Ron, Charlie, and two of Bill's Egyptian friends, John and Luke, were all standing at the front with Bill in the lead, awaiting the bride. According to Hermione, Wizard and Muggle weddings were very similar, the main difference being at the end. She said Harry would have to wait and see. Harry resisted the urge to hit the girl he'd come to regard as a mixture between sister and friend, and settled for rolling his eyes.
Harry had just escorted Ginny up to the front, with Ron and Hermione right in front of them. Harry noticed the two of them risking glances at each other, and when their eyes met they would turn away and blush. Harry occasionally risked a glance at Ginny, and she would catch his eye and smile. She really did look stunning. She had a long golden dress, added with her red hair which madeher lookGryffindorish, that brought out her figure in ways Harry didn't know could be shown. He caught himself wishing they were still together a number of times, but knew that it just wasn't the time. At least, not yet. All eyes were to the back as Fleur walked in. She took almost everyone's breath away, and Harry knew it wasn't because she was part veela. Her white dress seemed to almost flow behind her, as if magic kept it afloat, which it probably did, Harry thought with a snort. She had the goblin made tiara Mrs. Weasley had promised, and it sat atop her head, letting her face almost seem to radiate the joy she was feeling. Everyone clapped and took their seats. Harry was impressed to see that the twins had kept from doing any trouble…yet.
The wizard priest went on about how these two people in front of him were in love but Harry never caught a word. He was wondering what it would take to get Ginny back. He was falling in love with her all over again, horcruxes be damned. Harry was in love with the girl across from him. He knew it, just like he knew it when he told his mom. 'How would he get her back though' Harry thought. He had already tried to push her away. And would he let her know about his mission, his destiny. It was too much. Why couldn't his life be normal? Harry wondered about the decisions he had made to get to here, the choices that brought him to now. Harry had already pretty much figured out what would have happened if Neville was the chosen one, after that revelation last year, but Harry began to wonder what would have happened had he let the sorting hat put him in Slytherin.
He wouldn't have befriended Hermione and Ron, that's for sure. He'd probably be with Malfoy, and Zabini. It would be interesting, if he had to defeat Voldemort but he was in Slytherin. Would Harry have joined him, or maybe taken over in his place after defeating him? Harry shuddered at the thought. It was a good thing he hadn't been put in Slytherin. But like Dumbledore said, that made the difference. He chose his path, and it went against Voldemort's, even though they were almost the same. They were both parselmouths, a revelation Harry still failed to comprehend. Voldemort gave Harry his scar that night, and something about the scar gave Harry some of his powers.
Wait. Was it possible? Harry gave an involuntary shudder. Was he, Harry, a horcrux? It would explain why he had some of Voldemort's powers. And it made a lot of sense, after all, sometimes he just knew what to do, or knew what to say, without any real reason for him to know. But then, why was Voldemort trying to kill him? Did he not know Harry was a horcrux? But no, Harry couldn't be a horcrux. Maybe… maybe when Voldemort took Harry's blood, he took away the horcrux and resurrected himself, so now Harry wasn't. Had he ever tried to speak to a snake after fourth year? Wait no. He had, when he heard the snake in Bob Ogden's memory. Why couldn't he be a horcrux? There had to be something. But Harry thought and thought, and couldn't come up with a single thing. He would have to talk to Hermione. He was pulled out of his reverie when he saw the priest do something strange. Hermione winked at him.
"And now, with the wands, they shall be made to never fight against one another, for a husband and wife should never fight each other. And allow me to cast the bonding spell." After a moment the priest cleared his throat, as a white glow surrounded Bill and Fleur. "Your souls have now been bonded, as your lives have joined together in holy matrimony, so have your souls. You are of two bodies, two minds, and one spirit. May your lives be full of happiness and love. You may now kiss the bride." Amid applause, Bill kissed Fleur, and everyone was happy, everyone except Harry, whose morbid thoughts had dampened his happy mood considerably. Harry needed to talk to Hermione. The guests all headed to the reception area, and Harry found himself seated on his battle weary table, now groaning under mountains of food. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, all took his side. Harry pulled Hermione aside with a significant look, and she followed, leaving the Weasley crew to themselves for a moment.
"What's wrong Harry?"
"Hermione? Do you think I am a horcrux?"
"What? No, of course not Harry," Hermone said, too quickly for Harry to believe her.
"But how do you know for sure?" he pressed.
"Voldemort's trying to kill you, he wouldn't be if you had part of his soul," she reasoned.
"Yeah, but what if he doesn't know? He was trying to make a horcrux the night he tried to kill me, we don't exactly know how to make a horcrux do we? It's possible. Why else do you think I'm a parselmouth?"
"Well… I guess you are right, but I don't think you are Harry. I think when he tried to kill you, your mother's sacrifice made his soul try and possess you, like he did before, at the ministry. And I think, once you possess something, whatever it is you possessed retains some of your abilities. No one really knows for sure, because when someone was possessed they died. It's not like the imperious curse, where they are just in your head. But honestly? I don't think you are Harry. Besides, you were sorted into Gryffindor, if you had part of Voldemort in you, I think the sorting hat would have at least tried to put you in Slytherin."
Harry's heart sank to the bottom of his stomach, then kept going and hit his toe.
"It did," Harry said in a small voice.
"What?"
"The sorting hat, it said- it said I would have been great in Slytherin." Harry shifted his eyes uncomfortably to look at the floor.
"Harry! I know why you couldn't be a horcrux. He would have to kill someone first!"
"He killed my Mum Hermione."
"But no, I don't think it works that way. I think- well I dunno. You just can't be a horcrux though. I don't think a person's soul can split into more than seven pieces. And each piece he split, it wouldn't be 1/7, it would be ½. So he has like a really small piece of soul in him. I don't think he could have split it that many times Harry. What probably happened is that the spell connected the two of you, like Priori Incantatum, and how the wands force one wand to show everything it had done, I think it forced Voldemort's soul to do that, and it left a mark on you." Hermione's hand reached up and brushed Harry's scar.
"If you were indeed a horcrux, I don't think it's you. I think it's the scar." Harry looked at Hermione and felt his scar tingling from her touch.
"And I think Dumbledore would have told you if he thought you were a horcrux Harry, that's something he couldn't keep to himself."
"No one knows why I stopped him that night Hermione. No one truly knows what happened. For all we know… I could be."
"Harry, do you think Voldemort will become a ghost when he dies?"
"Well yeah, I suppose, Nick said that if you are too afraid of death you leave an imprint of yourself to walk where you had been."
"What if, when Voldemort died, he became a ghost, but then was stopped because he wasn't truly dead. And the ghost just kind of entered you. So you wouldn't be a horcrux, you would just have an imprint of Voldemort's soul."
"Maybe… But then, that's like a portrait isn't it? It's basically the same thing?"
Hermione bit her lip. "I don't know Harry."
"Wait a second… Hey, Nagini is probably a horcrux right?"
"Yeah."
"What if… oh I bet this would work, I had thought of this earlier, when I was in Nagini at the Department of Mysteries, before we left to the Burrow in fifth year, Dumbledore checkeda strangesilver instrument. I told you about it remember?" After Hermione's nod, Harry continued.
"What if, when the two snakes came out, theyrepresented two pieces of Voldemort's soul? So there were two pieces of Voldemort's soul there when I was there. Which means I'm not a horcrux because Nagini and Voldemort were the two pieces!" Harry finished triumphantly.
"That would make sense," Hermione said slowly. "But that doesn't explain why you have Voldemort's powers."
"Who cares? I'm not a horcrux. That proves it."
"I think we should ask Professor Dumbledore."
Harry stared at Hermione incredulously. "Umm… Hermione? Dumbledore is-"
"Dead, I know, but his portrait is up in the headmasters office."
"You're brilliant Hermione, I could kiss you." Hermione looked flustered, and before she knew it, Harry leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. Harry heard Ron and Ginny yelling at them and Hermione turned. Harry ended up kissing her lips instead. Ron growled and Ginny shrieked 'Hermione!' They broke away quickly, both flushed and stared at the pair of Weasleys in front of them.
"Umm, it's because-" Hermione began.
"Long story Ron, I'll tell you later." Ron still looked angry, but nodded nonetheless. Ginny however, looked furious.
"Hermione I can't believe you went and kissed my boyfriend!"
"Ginny, we aren't together anymore." Harry's heart dropped even lower than before as he said this. Ron and Hermione stared at him in shock.
"Look Harry, I've thought about what you said. And you know what, I think you're scared. Scared because you can't handle someone else loving you."
"Everyone who has loved me has died for me Ginny."
"Yeah, well what if I was willing to die for you too?"
"That's just it, I don't what you to. Don't you see Ginny? You're the reason I keep fighting. I do this for you. I want to get rid of Voldemort so I can be with you."
"Harry, listen, I don't care about any of that. I want you with me. I won't take no for an answer. Have you ever thought about what it would do to me if you left and never came back? I love you Harry." Harry stared at her. There was just no getting rid of his friends it seemed like. Harry's last wall of resolve broke. He pulled Ginny to him and gave her a kiss that seemed to freeze time. When they pulled apart minutes later, gasping for breath Harry leaned in and whispered in her.
"I love you too Gin. I guess, I don't know. I just couldn't bear the thought of losing you, on top of everything else. But I guess I can't let Voldemort rule my life huh?" He gave her a sheepish grin. Ginny stopped her indignant rant and pulled Harry back down to her and kissed him forcefully. Ron and Hermione coughed moments later and they broke apart. Ginny slipped her hand into his and Harry felt that everything was right in the world once more. They turned around and sat back down, Harry feeling determined to eat, and not let some crazy Dark Lord dictate his life. They talked about nothing and everything, like friends do, Harry's mind off of horcruxes. Harry decided that it didn't matter if Voldemort left part of his soul in Harry. All the more reason to kill him. But Harry would talk to Dumbledore. That was something he needed settled soon. Harry just couldn't bear to carry that burden on top of everything else.
The four of them wandered around the garden aimlessly, Harry holding Ginny's hand and to his shock, Ron holding Hermione's; it didn't look like either one noticed, but on close inspection, it looked like they both noticed but were too shy to say anything in case they stopped. Harry suppressed a laugh. His best friends were so crazy. They talked about the wedding for a while, and they decided they would have to go to Diagon Alley, well, Hermione decided they would have to go to Diagon Alley.
"Do we really have to Hermione?" Ron's back hit the tree and he slumped down, lying on the grass. His actions made Hermione fall down and she landed on top of him, her face inches from his.
"Sorry…" Ron said in a small voice.
"It's ok," said Hermione, equally quiet.
"Ugh. I've had enough of you two. Just kiss already!" Exasperated, Ginny cast a placement charm on Hermione and moved her right onto Ron's lips. Satisfied, she lay into Harry, who was also resting on the tree trunk, and smiled contentedly. About ten minutes later, about five of which involved Hermione apologizing to Ron, glaring at Ginny for making her kiss him, and at Harry for laughing, Ron pulled her back down and actually did kiss her. Flustered, Hermione settled down and leaned into the kiss, running her hands through Ron's hair. They broke it off, both of them smiling goofily.
"About time," said Harry.
"No kidding, I lost 2 galleons because you didn't get together last year," whined Ginny playfully. Ron stared in shock, and Hermione looked indignant.
"The whole school knew except you two. Hate to break it to you." Harry allowed himself a small smile. Hermione and Ron just laughed it off and together, the four of them they headed back to the Burrow.
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