As the Weasleys walked into Gringotts, they noticed Hermione and a bunch of their friends waiting just past the guards. Ginny said to Harry, "How come they are here?"
Harry patted her arm and said, "I wanted to share my engagement with all my friends...to show how proud I am of my future bride!"
Ginny smiled bashfully...if only Harry knew of her plans for his money once she became his wife.
"Oh!" Ron said, "That's Rita Skeeter. We don't want her here, do we?"
Ragnok stepped forward and said, "Mr. Harry Potter becoming engaged is a story that all of the wizarding world will want to read about. So I arranged for Miss Skeeter to cover the story for both "The Daily Prophet" and "Witch Weekly". I hope you don't mind, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley."
"Of course not, Ragnok. That was very thoughtful of you. I should have thought of that myself. Of course we will want front page coverage of the engagement, as well as lots of photographs. Right, Ginevra?" Harry asked.
"Of course, Harry, if you think it best!" Ginny replied tentatively.
"I do!"
Ragnok stepped forward and said, "If you please, there is a room prepared just through this door. If you will follow me, please," and he lead the way through to the meeting room. Once everyone was in the room, he closed the doors, sealing them so no one could enter or overhear was happened.
"If you would care to get started, Mr. Potter," he said.
"Certainly, and thank you, Ragnok. My friends, we are gathered to share in my engagement announcement but first, there are a few things to be taken care of. Ginevra, if you please."
Ginny smiled up at him, think he was about to put his ring on her finger.
"Miss Ginevra has informed her parents that not only did I seduce her under the promise of marriage and that I have made her pregnant. We need to take care of this before we move forward to the engagement."
Molly thought fast and said, "Harry dear, that isn't important now that you are getting engaged to dear Ginny!"
"No, Molly, this is important to me. Ragnok, if you please!"
Ragnok held forth a parchment paper and a silver knife, asking Ginevra and Harry to hold their hands out so he could prick their fingers and then let the blood drop on to the parchment paper. After a few minutes, the blood formed letters and he began to read what they said.
"Regarding Miss Weasley, she is not pregnant by Mr. Harry Potter or any other wizard. In fact, according to this, she is still a virgin. As no sexual activity has taken place, she was not seduced. And therefore, Miss Weasley does not have the right to force Mr. Potter into marriage as a remedy for her lost virginity.
Ginny flushed an unbecoming shade of red...right up to the roots of her hair...as did her father who gave her a withering glare. His precious daughter had lied in an effort to force the one and only Harry Potter to marry her...and this came out in front of all their friends, as well as in front of Rita Skeeter. But why all this fuss if he was going to marry her...or was he?
"Harry, none of that matters anyway as you are going to put your ring on my finger, aren't you?" She asked coyly.
"Actually, you will find that I didn't exactly state that. Before I name my beloved, I wanted to make sure that there was no risk of scandal attached to my name regarding improper conduct toward yourself. Now that this is done, Luna, would you come here, please."
Luna walked over to Harry and put her hand in his. Ragnok handed him the rings and Harry said, "In the presence of my friends as well as one who is as dear to me as a sister, I offer my name and my heart to Luna Lovegood, for time and all eternity." And he placed his ring on her finger.
Luna replied, "I Luna Lovegood, love you, Harry, and I accept the gift of your name and of your love, for time and all eternity." And she placed the other ring on his finger.
Ragnok announced, "Witches and wizards, my I present to you Mr. Harry and Mrs. Luna Potter!"
All of a sudden the room was full of the sounds of congratulations directed at the happy couple, as well as the popping of champagne bottles and flashing camera bulbs!
The Weasleys though were silent. This was going to be a terrible scandal. Molly and Ginevra had over-reached in trying to make Harry marry Ginny...and now the whole wizarding world would know what she had done as a) all their friends were present, and b) Rita Skeeter had written down every single word that had been said.
The ONLY good thing about the whole debacle was that their daughter was still a virgin...although after the events that had just taken place, she was now likely to stay that way for the rest of her life. After all, who would want her now? She would be lucky to marry a squib!
A much-embarrassed Arthur started to marshall his family out of the room when a smiling Rita approached them, asking if Miss Weasley had anything she would like to contribute to the story. Arthur simply said, "No comment, Miss Skeeter. Obviously my daughter made a grievous error in judgement but we will be discussing that much later at home and in private. And if you will excuse us..."
One of the photographers stepped forward and managed to get a perfect picture of a shamefaced Ginevra Weasley as well as her enraged mother. Not that they knew it at the time, that was to be the front page picture on the next day's edition of "The Prophet". They would be ruined socially!
Before any more pictures could be taken, Arthur rushed his family out the door, through the Bank, and out into Diagon Alley, where he apparitioned his family back home. Ginevra was angry, embarrassed, and afraid of what her father might do to her. Worse, she was never going to live this down. And she knew whom to blame...it was all the fault of that Hermione Granger! And she would get her revenge! But for now, it was time to take responsibility for her actions...and it wasn't going to be pretty!