Emma Potter; Going to War

97: Wedding Crashers [Pt.2]

George was left to deal with the middle-aged witches and Ron took charge of Mr. Weasley's old Ministry colleague Perkins, while a rather deaf old couple fell to Harry's lot. I went in and out helping best I could. 

 "Wotcher," said a familiar voice as I came out of the marquee again and I found Tonks and Lupin at the front of the queue. She had turned blonde for the occasion.

 "Arthur told us you were the one with the curly hair. Sorry about last night," she added in a whisper as I 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 favors." 

 "It's fine, I understand," I said, speaking more to Lupin than Tonks. Lupin gave him a swift smile, but as they turned away, I saw Lupin's face fall again into lines of misery. I did not understand it, but there was no time to dwell on the matter: Hagrid was causing a certain amount of disruption.

 Having misunderstood Fred's directions he had sat himself, not upon the magically enlarged and reinforced seat set aside for him in the back row, but on five seats that now resembled a large pile of golden matchsticks. While Mr. Weasley repaired the damage and Hagrid shouted apologies to anybody who would listen, I hurried back to the entrance to find Ron and Harry face-to-face with a most eccentric-looking wizard. 

Slightly cross-eyed, with shoulder-length white hair the texture of candyfloss, he wore a cap whose tassel dangled in front of his nose and robes of an eye-watering shade of egg-yolk yellow. An odd symbol, rather like a triangular eye, glistened from a golden chain around his neck. 

 "Xenophilius Lovegood," he said, extending a hand to me, "my daughter and I live just over the hill, so kind of the good Weasleys to invite us. But I think you know my Luna?" he added to Ron.

"Yes," said Ron. "Isn't she with you?" 

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

 "Ours do know a lot of excellent swear words," said Ron, "but I think Fred and George taught them those."

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

 "Hello, Emma! Hello, Harry!" she said. 

 "Er — my name's Barny," said Harry, flummoxed. "And her's is Kathaleen."

  "Oh, have you changed that too?" she asked brightly.

 "How did you know — ?" I began

  "Oh, just your expressions," she said. 

 Luna was wearing bright yellow gown, which she had accessorized with a large sunflower in her hair. Once you got over the brightness of it all, the general effect was quite pleasant. At least there were no radishes dangling from her ears. Xenophilius, who was deep in conversation with an acquaintance, had missed the exchange between Luna, me and Harry. 

Bidding the wizard farewell, he turned to his daughter, who held up her finger and said, "Daddy, look — one of the gnomes actually bit me!" 

 "How wonderful! Gnome saliva is enormously beneficial!" said Mr. Lovegood, seizing Luna's outstretched 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!" 

 Ron, passing them in the opposite direction, let out a loud snort.

Ron can laugh," said Luna serenely as I led her and Xenophilius toward their seats, "but my father has done a lot of research on Gernumbli magic."