The Wedding

Three o'clock on the following afternoon had Arthur, Mike, David, Jack and Kevin standing outside the great, white marquee at the back of Merlon Manor, awaiting the arrival of the various wedding guests.

Arthur took a large dose of Polyjuice Potion and became a double of a silver haired Muggle boy from the nearby local village, Ottery St Catchpole, from whom Jack stole hairs with a Summoning Charm. The idea was to introduce Arthur as 'Cousin Graham' and trust the large number of Merlon relatives to camouflage him among the guests.

All five of them clutched seating plans to help show people to their seats.

A host of white robed waiters arrived an hour beforehand, as well as a golden jacketed band, all of them currently sitting a short distance away under a tree. Arthur saw a blue haze of pipe smoke issuing from the spot.

Behind him, the entrance to the marquee revealed rows and rows of fragile golden chairs that were set on either side of a long, purple carpet. The supporting poles were entwined with white and gold flowers.

The twins fasted a large bunch of golden balloons over the very spot where Rob and Fleur would soon become husband and wife, butterflies and bees hovered lazily over the grass and hedgerow nearby.

Arthur was feeling uncomfortable as the Muggle boy he took the appearance of was a bit fatter in comparison to him and his dress robes felt hot and tight under the glare of a summer's day.

"When I marry Angelina…" Jack said as he tugged at the collar of his robes. "...I'm not bothering with all this flash. You guys can wear whatever you'd like."

"Hey, here they come." Kevin said, pointing at brightly coloured figures appearing, one by one, out of nowhere at the boundary of the path to the back of the manor.

Within minutes a procession had formed.

Exotic flowers and bewitched birds fluttered on witches' hats while precious gems glittered from many of the wizards' cravats; an excited chatter grew louder and louder, drowning the sounds of bees as the crowd approached the tent.

"Hey, look, there's a few Veela cousins." Kevin said, craning his neck for a better look. "It's a good thing you already have someone, Jack."

He then proceeded to speak to said Veelas, who giggled at what he was saying while Jack dealt with some middle aged witches. David was left to deal with Gideon Weasley, the Muggle obsessed family friend with ginger hair.

Arthur dealt with an old deaf couple meanwhile and Mike handled a rather pleasant and handsome pair of wizards that were married not too long ago, who Arthur recognised as that couple he saw kissing at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Wotcher." A familiar voice said as he came out of the marquee again. It was Tonks and Lupin, who appeared at the front of the queue. She had turned blonde for the occasion.

"Ben told us you were the one with the curly hair. Sorry about last night." She added in a whisper as Arthur led them up the aisle. "The Ministry's being very anti-werewolf at the moment and we thought our presence might not do you any favours."

"It's okay." Arthur assured them, mainly to Lupin, who gave him a swift smile, though as they turned away, Arthur saw his face fall again into lines of misery. He just didn't understand what was wrong with him, but he couldn't focus on that at the moment.

Hagrid came and caused a bit of disruption. Having misunderstood Jack's directions, he sat himself, not on the magically enlarged and reinforced seat set aside for him in the back row, but on five seats that now looked like a large pile of gold matchsticks.

While Ben repaired the damage Hagrid caused, who apologised to anyone who listened, Arthur hurried back to the entrance to find David and Mike face to face with who had to be the most eccentric looking wizard Arthur had ever seen.

He was slightly cross eyed with shoulder length white hair that looked like it was candy floss. He wore a cap whose tassel dangled in front of his nose and robes of an eye watering shade of egg yolk yellow.

But then he was shocked to see that he wore a familiar symbol from a golden chain around his neck: It was a triangle with a circle and straight line inside it. It was the symbol on the ring Marvolo Gaunt wore and became a Horcrux before Dumbledore destroyed it. He remembered that he said it was the Peverell coat of arms.

Why would he be wearing it?

"Xenophilius Lovegood." He said as he extended a hand to Arthur. "My daughter and I live just over the hill, so kind of the good Merlons to invite us. But I think you know my Luna?" He added to David and Mike.

"We do. Isn't she with you?" David asked.

"She lingered in that charming garden to say hello to the gnomes, such a glorious infestation! How few wizards realise just how much we can learn from the wise little gnomes - or, to give their correct name, the Gernumbli gardensi."

"Ours happen to know some swear words." David said. "Though I'm sure Jack and Kevin taught them those."

He led a party of warlocks into the marquee as Luna rushed up.

"Hello, Arthur!" She said.

"My name's Graham." He said, totally flummoxed.

"Oh, have you changed that, too?" She said brightly.

"How did you even know -?"

"Oh, just his expression." She replied to Mike.

Just like her father, she wore bright yellow robes, which she accessorised with a large sunflower in her hair. Upon getting over the brightness of it all, the effect was pleasant. At least she didn' have radishes dangling from her ears.

Xenophilus, who was in deep conversation with an acquaintance, missed the exchange between Arthur, Mike and Luna. Bidding the wizard farewell, he turned to see his daughter, who had held up her finger, saying "Daddy, look - one of the gnomes actually bit me!"

"How wonderful! Gnome saliva is enormously beneficial!" He said, seizing her finger and examining the bleeding puncture marks. "Luna, my love, if you should feel any burgeoning talent today - perhaps an unexpected urge to sing opera or to declaim in Mermish - do not repress it! You may have been gifted by the Gernumblies!"

David, having passed them in the opposite direction, let out a snort.

"David can laugh…" Luna said serenely as Arthur led her and her father to their seats. "...but my father has done a lot of research on Gernumbli magic."

"I can't imagine." Arthur said, knowing it was best to not challenge her or her father's peculiar and inaccurate views. "You sure you don't want anything for that bite?"

"Oh, it's fine." Luna said, sucking her finger in a dreamy fashion, looking Arthur up and down. "You look smart. I told daddy most people would probably wear dress robes, but he believes you ought to wear sun colours to a wedding, for luck, you know."

As she went after her father, David and Mike reappeared with an elderly witch that clutched their arms. Her beaky nose, red rimmed eyes and her feathery pink hat made her look like a bad tempered flamingo.

"...and your hair's too long, David, for a moment I thought you were Mary. Merlin's beard, what is Xenophilius Lovegood wearing? He looks like an omelette? And who are you?" She barked upon seeing Arthur.

"This is Cousin Graham, Auntie Edna." David told her with a look of utter annoyance and longing to be away from her.

"Another Merlon? You breed like gnomes. Isn't Arthur Pendergast here? I was hoping to meet him. I thought he was a friend of yours, David, or have you merely been boasting?"

"He couldn't come -"

"Hmm. Made an excuse, did he? Not as gormless as he looks in press photographs, then. I've just been instructing the bride on how best to wear my tiara." She shouted at Arthur. "Goblin made, you know, and been in my family for centuries. She's a good looking girl, but still - French. Well, well, find me a good seat, David, I am a hundred and seven and I ought not to be on my feet too long."

Mike no longer helped her as David gave the two a meaningful look as he passed and didn't reappear for a bit.

"I don't even know how they can even tolerate her being a part of the family." Mike said as he and Arthur went to the entrance and showed a dozen more people to their seats. The marquee was now nearly full and there was no queue outside now as David met up with them.

"She is nothing but a nightmare." He groaned as he mopped his forehead on his sleeve. "Jack and Kevin, especially, hate her. So much so that they set off a Dungbomb under her chair during one Christmas dinner. She took so much offence to this that she no longer comes for Christmas, thank goodness. Dad says she might've written them out of her will, but they won't care, especially since they'll be richer than her any day of the week - WOW!" He added, wide eyed and jaw dropped as Chrys showed up. "You look amazing!"

"Thank you." Chrys giggled. She wore a floaty, pink and purple dress with matching high heels. "Your Great Aunt Edna disagrees, of course. I met her upstairs while she gave Fleur the tiara. She said 'Oh dear, is this the Muggle-Born?' and 'bad posture, skinny ankles and little to no hair'."

"Don't worry, it's like her life's mission to be rude and condescending to everyone." David shrugged off.

"Talking about Edna, I see." Kevin said as he reemerged from the marquee with Jack. "She just told me that my ears were lopsided. Stupid old bat."

Just then, a guest approached. He was a dark haired young man with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. His eyes were entirely on Chrys as he held out his invitation to David.

"You look vunderful."

"Viktor!" Chrys gasped. "I didn't know you were coming! How are you?"

"Fleur invited me. It's good to see you." Krum said as he shook hands with her. He then proceeded to shake hands with Mike and David, who seemed to treat him well, no doubt because he didn't see him as competition.

"I'm actually Arthur, but I'm pretending to be a Merlon cousin named Graham." Arthur said as he shook hands with Krum, feeling he can be trusted with this information.

"Good to see you again." Krum grinned as Arthur led him into the packed marquee. Of course, his appearance caused quite a stir, especially amongst the Veela cousins. He was a famous Quidditch player, so it was a given,

As people craned their necks to get a look at him, Mike, David, Chrys and the twins hurried down the aisle.

"Time to sit down." Jack told Arthur. "Otherwise we'll be run over by the bride.

Arthur, Mike, David and Chrys all took their seats in the second row behind the twins.

A sense of jittery anticipation grew in the warm tent with the general murmuring being broken by the occasional spurts of excited laughter. Both Ben and Martha strolled up the aisle, smiling and waving at various relatives. Ben wore a set of dark grey robes that made him look like he rose from the ashes.

A moment later, Rob, along with Kenny and Sam stood up at the front of the marquee, wearing dress robes with large, white horses in their buttonholes. Jack wolf whistled, causing an outbreak of giggling from the Veela cousins.

The crowd suddenly fell silent as music swelled, seemingly from the golden balloons.

"Ooooh!" Chrys said as she swivelled round in her seat to look at the entrance.

There was a huge collective sigh from the assembled witches and wizards as Monsieur Delacour and Fleur walked up the aisle.

Fleur looked like she was gliding while her father was bouncing and beaming. She wore a very simple white dress that seemed to have emitted a strong, silvery glow. Her radiance usually dimmed everyone else by comparison, but today, it had beautified everyone it fell upon. Both Mary and Gabrielle wore golden dresses and looked even prettier than usual.

Once Fleur reached him, Rob looked like Greyback didn't maul his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen." A slightly sing-song voice said, and Arthur was surprised to see that it was the same small, tufty haired wizard that presided at Dumbledore's funeral, who now stood in front of Rob and Fleur. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…."

"Yes, my tiara sets off the whole thing nicely." Auntie Edna said in a carrying whisper. "But I must say, Mary's dress is far too low cut."

"Do you, Robert Owen, take Fleur Isabelle….?"

In the front row, Martha and Madame Delacour were sobbing quietly into scraps of lace. Trumpet-like sounds from the back of the marquee was Hagrid taking out one of his tablecloth sized handkerchiefs. Chrys turned and beamed at David as Mike did with Arthur, all of their eyes watering.

"...then I declare you bonded for life."

The tufty haired wizard raised his wand high over the heads of Rob and Fleur, making a shower of silver stars fall upon them, spiralling around their now entwined figures as they shared a kiss.

As the twins led a round of applause, the golden balloons over everyone burst: birds of paradise and small golden bells flew and floated out of them, adding their songs and chimes to the din.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The tufty haired wizard said. "If you would please stand up!"

Everyone did so, Auntie Edna grumbling audibly. He waved his wand.

The seats they sat on rose gracefully into the air as the canvas walls of the marquee vanished, making it so that they stood beneath a canopy supported by golden poles, all with the glorious view of the sunlit forest and backyard.

Next, a pool of molten gold spread from the centre of the tent to form a gleaming dance floor; the chairs now grouped around small, white clothed tables, all of which floated graceful back to earth around them, and the golden jacketed band trooped to a podium.

"Smooth." David said approvingly as waiters popped up on all sides, some with silver trays of pumpkin juice, Butterbeer and Firewhiskey, others with tottering piles of tarts and sandwiches.

"We need to congratulate them!" Chrys said, standing to tiptoe in place and find where Rob and Fleur were, having vanished into a crowd of well wishers.

"We'll have time later." David told her as he and Mike snatched Butterbeers for all four of them. "Let's grab a table. Nowhere near Edna, of course."

David led the way across the currently empty dance floor, glancing left and right as he went. When they reached the other side of the marquee, most of the tables were occupied, the one that was the most empty had only Luna.

"Is it alright if we join you?" David asked her.

"Oh yes." Luna said happily. "Daddy's just gone to give Rob and Fleur our present."

The band started to play. Rob and Fleur took to the dance floor first, to much applause. Then Ben led Madame Delacour onto the floor, followed by his wife with Fleur's father.

"I like this song." Luna said, swaying in time to the waltz-like tune and soon stood up, gliding onto the dance floor, where she revolved on the spot on her own, eyes closed and waving her arms.

"She really is something, isn't she?" David said admiringly.

Soon, Viktor Krum joined them in Luna's vacant seat. Unlike before where he grinned and looked happy, he had a scowl on his face.

"Who is that man in the yellow?"

"That's Xenophilus Lovegood, the father of a friend of ours." David said, the tone of his voice indicating that there was to be laughing at him.

"Want to dance, Chrys?" He then asked.

Taken aback, but pleased, she and David got up and vanished into the growing throng on the dance floor.

"Ah, they are together now?" Krum asked Arthru and Mike, momentarily distracted.

"Something like that." Mike shrugged.

"Hm. Do you two know this man Lovegood vell?"

"We only just met him today, why?" Arthur asked.

Krum glowered over the top of his drink, watching Xenophilius, who was currently chatting to several warlocks on the other side of the dance floor.

"Because if he vos not a guest of Fleur's, I vould duel him, here and now, for bearing that filthy sign upon his chest."

Arthur and Mike frowned as they looked over at Xenophilius, in particular the symbol on his chest.

"What's wrong with it?" Arthur asked.

"Grindelvald. That is Grindelvald's sign."

"The dark wizard Dumbledore defeated?" Mike asked, surprised by this.

Even Arthur was surprised, as well as perplexed. How could the coat of arms of a wizarding family also be the sign of a wizard tyrant?

"Exactly." Krum said with his jaw muscles working like he was chewing before he continued. "Grindelvald killed many people, my grandfather, for instance. Of course, he vos never powerful in this country, they said he feared Dumbledore - and rightly, seeing how he vos finished. But this -" He pointed a finger at Xenophilius. "This is his symbol, I recognised it at vunce: Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang ven he vos a pupil there. Some idiots copied it onto their books and clothes, thinking to shock, make themselves impressive - until those of us who had lost family members to Grindelvald taught them better."

Krum then cracked his knuckles menacingly as he glowered at Xenophilius.

This took Arthur aback, as well as Mike. They've never seen him like this before and there was no way someone like Luna's father would be a supporter of the Dark Arts, and no one recognised the symbol.

"There is a chance, you know, that he doesn't know what it really means." Arthur told Krum. "The Lovegood's are known to be… odd. He could've picked it up somewhere and thought it was the cross section of the head of a Crumple Horned Snorkack."

"The cross section of a vot?"

"We don't know what they are, though he and his daughter go on holiday to find them." Mike told him.

"There's his daughter." Arthur pointed at Luna, who was still dancing on her own, waving her arms around her head like someone was attempting to beat off midges.

"Vy is she doing that?" Krum asked.

"Trying to get rid of a Wrackspurt, I guess." Mike replied.

Krum, unsure if he was joking around, drew his wand out from his robes and tapped it menacingly on his own thigh, making sparks fly out of the end.

This made Arthur remember what he knew Voldemort was doing.

"I remember that your wand was made by Gregorovitch. Do you know where he's been lately?" He asked, leaving Krum a bit puzzled.

"He retired several years ago. I vos one of the last to purchase a Gregorovitch wand. They are the best - although I kno, of course, that Britons set much store by Ollivander."

This made Arthur and Mike look at each other. This truly suggests that Voldemort is trying to find Gregorovitch for a solution to try and kill Arthur without any problems, like he would've if he used his original wand and Lucius' that night he chased after him.

"This girl is very nice looking." Krum said, making the two see that he was pointing at Mary, who joined Luna.

"I don't think she's interested in anyone at the moment. Plus, she'll think you're too old for her." Arthur said apologetically to Krum, who frowned before he drained his goblet and strode off.

This left the pair to sit there and take sandwiches from a passing waiter.

They decided to split up and talk with some of the other guests.

Arthur eventually leaned against a golden pillar and watched Mary dancing with Lee Jordan, the twins' best friend. He also saw Jack dancing with Angelina Johnson, still happy to see them together.

Having never been to a wedding before, he couldn't judge how wizards celebrate in comparison to Muggles, but he did know that the latter wouldn't have a wedding cake that was topped with two model phoenixes that took flight when the cake was cut, or bottles of champagne floating unsupported through the crowd.

As the evening drew in and moths started swooping under the canopy, now lit with floating golden lantern, the revelry was now more and more uncontained. Kevin had disappeared into the darkness with one of Fleur's cousins; Kenny, Hagrid and a squat wizard in a purple pork pie hat sang 'Odo the Hero' in a corner.

Arthur was now looking for Mike when he spotted an old wizard sitting by himself at a table. His cloud of white hair made him look like some dandelion clock, topped with a moth eaten fez. Arthur remembered that he was Elphias Doge, a member of the Order of the Phoenix and the writer of Dumbledore obituary.

Arthur decided to approach him.

"Is it alright if I sit down?"

"Of course, Of course." Doge said, having a rather high pitched, wheezy voice.

Arthur leaned in, saying "Mr Doge, I'm actually Arthur Pendergast."

Doge gasped.

"My dear boy! Ben told me you were here, disguised… I am so glad, so honoured!"

In a flutter of nervous pleasure, Doge poured Arthur a goblet of champagne.

"I thought of writing to you, after Dumbeldore… the shock… and for you, I am sure…." Doge whispered.

"I read the obituary you wrote in the Daily Prophet." Arthur said. "I didn't know you knew Dumbeldore that well."

"As well as anyone." Doge said as he dabbed his eyes with a napkin. "Certainly I knew him the longest, if you don't count Aberforth - and somehow, people never do seem to count Aberforth."

"Speaking of the Prophet… I don't know if you saw, Mr Doge, but -"

"Oh, please call me Elphias, dear boy."

"Okay, Elphias. I don't know whether you've seen the interview with that hag, Rita Skeeter gave about Dumbledore."

Doge's face flooded with anger.

"Oh, yes, Arthur, I saw it. That woman, or vulture might be a more accurate term, positively pestered me to talk to her. I am ashamed to say that I became rather rude, called her an interfering trout, which result, as you may have seen, in aspirations cast upon my sanity."

"She hinted that Dumbledore was involved in the Dark Arts when he was young."

"Don't believe a word of it!" Doge said at once. "Not a word, Arthur! Let nothing tarnish your memories of Albus Dumbledore!"

Arthur looked right into his earnest, pained face. He felt some frustration because he felt like he should know some more about Dumbledore, even if it isn't really good stuff he learns.

Doge must've suspected his thoughts, because he looked concerned and hurried on "Arthur, Rita Skeeter is a dreadful -"

He got interrupted by a shrill cackle.

"Rita Skeeter? Oh, I love her, always read her!"

Arthur and Doge looked to see it was Auntie Edna who stood there, the plumes dancing on her hat, a goblet of champagne in her hand.

"She's written a book about Dumbledore, you know!"

"Hello, Edna." Doge said. "Yes, we were just discussing -"

"You there! Give me your chair, I'm a hundred and seven!"

Another silver haired Merlon cousin jumped off their seat, looking alarmed, and Auntie Edna swung it around with surprising strength and plopped down upon it between Doge and Arthur.

"Hello again, Gram, or whatever your name is." She said to Arthur. "Now, what were you saying about Rita Skeeter, Elphias? You know she's written a biography of Dumbledore? I can't wait to read it, I must remember to place an order at Flourish and Blotts!"

Doge looked stiff and solemn at this while Edna drained her goblet, clicked her bony fingers at a passing waiter for a replacement and took another large gulp of champagne before belching and then said "There's no need to look like a pair of stuffed frogs! Before he became so respected and respectable and all that tosh, there were some mighty funny rumours about Albus!"

"Ill infrared sniping." Doge said, turning radish coloured.

"You would say that, Elphias." Edna cackled. "I noticed how you skated over the sticky patches in that obituary of yours!"

"I'm sorry you think so." Doge replied coldly. "I assure you I was writing from the heart."

"Oh, we all know you worshipped Dumbledore, I daresay you'll still think he was a saint even if it does turn out that he did away with his Squib sister!"

"Muriel!" Doge exclaimed.

Arthur was now starting to get very annoyed with Edna.

"What evidence was there to even suggest that his sister was a Squib? How can you trust Skeeter after all the lies and garbage she wrote?" He said with a frown.

"Thought wrong, Gram!" Edna said, looking delighted at the effect she produced. "Anyway, how could you expect to know anything about it? It all happened years and years before you were even thought of, my dear, and the truth is that those of us who were alive then never knew what really happened. That's why I can't wait to find out what Skeeter's unearthed! Dumbledore kept that sister of his quiet for a long time!"

"Untrue!" Doge wheezed. "Absolutely untrue!"

"Again, what evidence was there to suggest she was a Squib?" Arthur asked with a steeled tone to his voice.

"The reason Albus never spoke about Ariana…" Elphias began with a voice stiff of emotion, preventing Edna from replying. "...is, I should have thought, quite clear. He was so devastated by her death -"

"Why did nobody ever see her, Elphias?" Edna squawked. "Why did half of us never even know she existed, until they carried the coffin out of the house and held a funeral for her? Where was saintly Albus, while Ariana was locked in the cellar? Off being brilliant at Hogwarts. And never mind what was going on in his own house!"

"He would never have locked his sister, of all people, in the cellar!" Arthur said, very heated.

Doge patted his arm while Edna cackled again.

"Who said it was Albus? His mother was a terrifying woman, simply terrifying. Muggle-Born, though I heard she pretended otherwise -"

"She never pretended anything of the sort! Kendra was a fine woman." Doge whispered miserably, though Edna ignored him.

"- proud and very domineering, the sort of witch who would have been mortified to produce a Squib -"

"Ariana was not a Squib!" Doge wheezed.

"So you say, Elphias, but explain, then, why she never attended Hogwarts!" Edna said before turning back to Arthur. "In our day, Squibs were often hushed up. Though to take it to the extreme of actually imprisoning a little girl in the house and pretending she didn't exist -"

"I tell you, that's not what happened!" Doge said, but Edna kept going, still addressing Arthur.

"Squibs are usually shipped off to Muggle schools and encouraged to integrate into the Muggle community… much kinder than trying to find them a place in the wizarding world, where they must always be second class; but naturally Kendra Dumbledore wouldn't have dreamed of letting her daughter go to a Muggle school -"

"Ariana was delicate!" Doge said desperately. "Her health was always too poor to permit her -"

"To permit her to leave the house?" Edna cackled. "And yet she was never taken to St Mungo's and no healer was ever summoned to see her!"

"Really, Edna, how you can possibly know whether -"

"For your information, Elphias, my cousin Lancelot was a healer at St Mungo's at the time, and he told my family in strictest confidence that Ariana had never been seen there. All most suspicious, Lancelot thought!"

Doge looked like he was on the verge of tears. Edna was sadistically enjoying herself as she snapped her fingers for more champagne.

Arthur didn't want to believe her. There had to be more to this than what she was saying about Ariana Dumbledore. If she was hidden from the world, she must've been afflicted with something so bad that it can't be exposed to the world.

"Now, if Kendra hadn't died first." Edna resumed. "I'd have said that it was she who finished off Ariana -"

"How can you, Edna?" Doge groaned. "A mother kill her own daughter? Think what you are saying!"

"If the mother in question was capable of imprisoning her daughter for years on end, why not?" Edna shrugged. "But as I say, it doesn't fit, because Kendra died before Ariana - of what, nobody ever seemed sure -"

"Oh, no doubt Ariana murdered her." Doge said with a brave attempt at scorn. "Why not?"

"Yes, Ariana might have made a desperate bid for freedom and killed Kendra in the struggle." Edna said thoughtfully. "Shake your head all you like, Elphias! You were at Ariana's funeral, were you not?"

"Yes, I was." Doge said through trembling lips. "And a more desperately sad occasion I cannot remember. Albus was heartbroken -"

"His heart wasn't the only thing. Didn't Aberforth break Albus' nose halfway through the service?"

Doge now reached beyond the heights of horror on his face, like Edna stabbed him. She cackled loudly and took another swig of champagne, which dribbled down her chin.

"How do you -?" Doge croaked.

"My mother was friendly with old Bathilda Bagshot." Edna said happily. "Bathilda described the whole thing to mother while I was listening at the door. A coffin side brawl! The way Bathilda told it, Aberforth shouted that it was all Albus' fault that Ariana was dead and then punched him in the face. According to Bathilda, Albus did not even defend himself, and that's odd enough in itself, Albus could have destroyed Aberforth in a duel with both hands tied behind his back."

Edna swigged some more champagne, very elated to see how horrified she made Doge, which irked Arthur to no end.

He was thinking about one key point: Albus Dumbledore let his brother punch him in the nose. He knew firsthand that Dumbledore was a mighty wizard, especially when it came to duelling. Yet he let his brother harm him. The only logical reason he'd do that was because of incredible guilt. Arthur knew that because it's what he'd do if he did something he regretted severely. So what part did he play in his sister's death to make him guilty?

Also, Dumbledore proved to be very loyal to those important to him, which included the students at Hogwarts, which he showed when Umbrdige physically grabbed and shook Marietta Edgecombe. He'd never let anything happen to his family.

"And I'll tell you something else." Edna said, hiccoughing slightly as she lowered her goblet. "I think Bathilda has spilled the beans to Rita Skeeter. All those hints in Skeeter's interview about an important source close to the Dumbledores - goodness knows she was there all through the Ariana business and it would fit!"

"Bathilda would never talk to Rita Skeeter!" Doge whispered.

"Exactly, there's no way a respected author would talk to someone as trashy as Skeeter!" Arthur agreed with him. The only way she'd ever talk to her was by being forced against her by various means, like the Imperius Curse, or even Veritaserum.

"Not to mention that she's an old friend of Albus'." Doge said, clutching at his statement like a drowning man at a lifebelt.

"Quite gaga these days, I've heard." Edna said cheerfully, which made Arthur furious.

"If that is so, it is even more dishonourable for Skeeter to have taken advantage of her, and no reliance can be placed on anything Bathilda may have said!" Doge said, expressing Arthur's feelings, making him think she may have used either of the methods he used on Bathilda.

"Oh, there are ways of bringing back memories, and I'm sure Rita Skeeter knows them all." Edna said. "But even if Bathilda's completely cuckoo, I'm sure she'd still have old photographs, maybe even letters. She knew the Dumbledores for years… well worth a trip to Godric's Hollow, I'd have thought."

Arthur, having taken a sip of Butterbeer, choked. Doge banged him on the back as he coughed, looking at Edna through streaming eyes. Once he was able to speak clearly, he asked "Bathilda Bagshot lives in Godric's Hollow?"

"Oh yes, she's been there forever. The Dumbledores moved there after Percival was imprisoned, and she was their neighbour."

Arthur's insides were now empty.

Dumbledore never told him, during the past six years, that he had lived and lost loved ones in Godric's Hollow. Why? It was where his ancestor was born and where his parents lived until Voldemort killed them.

Arthur felt like Dumbledore didn't trust him to tell such personal information, information that would've bonded the two more closely than ever.

He simply stared ahead, barely noticing all that was going on around him. So much so he didn't realise that Mike and Chrys appeared from the crowd until they drew up in chairs beside him.

"I feel like my legs will break if I keep dancing." Chrys panted as she slipped off one of her shoes and rubbed the sole of her foot. "What's odd was that I saw Viktor storm off from Luna's father. It seemed they were arguing -"

"Arthur, are you alright?" Mike asked, seeing the look on his face.

Arthur didn't even know where to begin.

But it didn't matter, because at that moment, something large and silver fell through the canopy and over the dance floor.

Graceful and gleaming, the lynx landed lightly in the middle of the astonished dancers. Many heads turned, as those nearest to it froze in mid dance.

Then the Patronus' mouth opened wide and spoke in the loud, deep, slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour's dead. They are coming."


I despise Edna/Muriel. How anyone can tolerate her being part of their family is beyond me. And the fact that she believes Skeeter's garbage is all you need to know about who she is.