Potter Sibling Trilogy Plus One Book 2 (continued from Book 1)

Chapter 29 - Wedding Crashers

Fleur has just arrived at the altar and is facing Bill.
"Thank you all for coming here today to celebrate Bill and Fleur's wedding," the officiant begins. "Let us pray: We offer thanks this day for those who are gathered here, for Fleur and Bill, and for their marriage which we are here to bring into being. Amen."
"Thank you for coming to share your presence with us during this joyous event in our lives," Bill begins. "We really appreciate your support in making this ceremony just as we'd like it."
"Mom, Dad, thanks for being here and for supporting our decisions so enthusiastically," Fleur says. "And thanks to those loved ones who are not present here today."
Fleur and Bill turn to the officiant.
"Bill, will you have Fleur to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, keep her, in sickness and in health, and be faithful to her?"
"I will."
"Fleur, will you have Bill to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him, keep him, in sickness and in health, and be faithful to him?"
"I will."
"Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage? Will you do this? If so, answer "we will."
We all say those two words.
"You may now make what promises you will to each other."
"Fleur, when I first locked eyes with you at the Triwizard Tournament, I never expected to fall in love so suddenly. I thought I would never see you again but that day you walked into Gringotts was my happiest ever... that was until you said yes to marrying me. Today only tops up my happiness. You are my love, my all, my everything. I love you."
"Bill, I returned home from Hogwarts after the tournament, heartbroken that I had missed my chance to meet my soul mate so being reunited with you made me so happy again. I was delighted when you asked for my hand in marriage and I will be yours, and you mine, until the day nature tears us apart. I love you too."
"I now declare you married in the eyes of God, the law, and all beings."
Fleur and Bill kiss, and the ceremony concludes.

As I enter the tent for the reception, I look around.
Bill and Fleur are dancing while everyone around them clap to the rhythm of the music. Luna is dancing oddly with her father - nothing new there.
Somebody catches my eye - it's Elphias Doge, the man from the paper this morning.
As I head towards him, Luna steps in front of me.
"Hello, Harry."
She pauses.
"I've interrupted a deep though, haven't I? I can see it growing smaller in your eyes."
"Of course not. How are you, Luna?"
"Very well. Got bitten by a garden gnome only moments ago."
Her father comes up behind her.
"Gnome saliva is very beneficial," he says before he holds out his hand. "Xenophilius Lovegood. We just live over the hill."
"Pleasure to meet you, sir," I say as I shake his hand.
"I trust you know, Mr Potter," he says, leaning towards me, still holding my hand. "We at The Quibbler unlike those toadies at The Daily Prophet fully supported Dumbledore in his lifetime..."
As he speaks, I notice the pendant he's wearing. It's a triangle with a circle in the middle and a vertical line through the middle of the circle.
"And, in his death," he continues. "Support you just as fully."
"Thank you."
"Sorry to hear about Bella," Luna says. "That must have been terrible for you."
Even though, me, Hollie, Ben, Hermione, Ron and the Order know that Bella is alive, everyone else has been told she's dead, for her own protection.
"Yes, I still haven't got my head round it. Hollie still cries herself to sleep at night."
"Oh Harry!" she says as she puts her arms round me.
I pull away and pretend to wipe a tear from my eye for effect.
"Come, Daddy," Luna says. "Harry doesn't want to talk to us right now. He's just too polite to say so."
They walk away and I go over to Elphias.
"Excuse me, sir? May I sit down?"
"Mr Potter. By all means. Here."
I sit down.
"I found what you wrote in The Daily Prophet really moving. You obviously knew Dumbledore well."
"Well, I certainly knew him the longest. That is, if you don't count his brother, Aberforth and somehow, people never do seem to count Aberforth."
"I didn't even know he had a brother."
"Ah. Well, Dumbledore was always very private, even as a boy."
"Don't despair, Elphias," an old woman at the next table says. "I'm told he's been thoroughly unriddled by Rita Skeeter in 800 pages, no less. Word has it that someone talked to her. Someone who knew the Dumbledore family well. Both you and I know who that is, Elphias."
"A monstrous betrayal."
"Who are we talking about?" I ask.
"Bathilda Bagshot," the woman says.
"Who?"
"My gosh, boy, she's only the most celebrated magical historian of the last century. She was close to the Dumbledores as anyone. Oh, I'm sure Rita Skeeter thought it well worth a trip to Godric's Hollow to take a peek into that old bird's rattled cage."
"Godric's Hollow?" I ask. "Bathilda Bagshot lives at Godric's Hollow?"
"Well, that's where she first met Dumbledore."
"You don't mean to say he lived there too?"
"The family moved there after his father killed those three Muggles. Oh, it was quite the scandal. Honestly, my boy, are you sure you knew him at all?"
I don't reply to this, but it gets me thinking. Suddenly I get a horrible feeling so I stand. A few seconds later, something appears in the tent and everyone moves back, looking at the floating light.
"The Ministry has fallen," a voice comes out of the light. "The Minister of Magic is dead."
Images of faces float around the light for a second or two before each one disappears.
"They are coming," the voice continues before it repeats the last three words.
The light disappears and there's alot of hustle and bustle as people begin to leave.
Death Eaters fly into the tent and everyone runs round screaming as they begin smashing things up and blasting people.
I see Mrs Weasley trying to gather her family. Ron and Hermione run to each other.
"Ginny," I shout before I try and get to her. Remus stops me.
"Harry! Go!"
He pushes me back.
"Go!"
I go over to Ron and Hermione.
"Hollie, Ben?" I shout as I see them holding each other.
They hurry over to us and the five of us apparate to a London street before having to jump out the way of a bus.
"Come on," Hermione says before we start up the street.
"Where are we?" Ron asks.
"Shaftsbury Avenue," she replies. "I used to come to the theatre here with Mum and Dad."
Hollie takes my hand and I see she's holding Ben's hand also.
"I dunno why I thought of it. It just popped into my head. This way."
We continue and she leads us into an alley.
"We need to change," Hollie says before she stops us and digs deep into her bag before pulling out some clothes.
"How the ruddy...?" Ron asks.
"Undetectable Extension Charm," Hermione says as she hands out the clothes.
"You're amazing you are," Ben smiles.
We get changed and head round the corner to a diner.
"What about all the people at the wedding?" Hollie asks. "Do you think we should go back?"
"They were after you and Harry," Ron says. "We'd put everyone in danger by going back."
"Ron's right," Ben says.
A waitress walks over to the table.
"Coffee?"
"A cappuccino please," Hermione says.
"Latte," Hollie replies.
"You?" she asks Ron.
"Cappuccino."
"Same," I reply.
"Just a cola," Ben says.
She walks away.
"So where do we go from here?" Ben asks. "Leaky Cauldron?"
"It's too dangerous," Hermione says. "If Voldemort has taken over the Ministry, none of the old places are safe. Everyone from the wedding will have done underground, into hiding."
"My rucksack with all my things, I've left it at the Burrow," I tell them.
Hermione shakes her head.
Two men in overalls walk in and Hollie puts her bag on the table.
"You're joking," I say.
"I've had all the essentials packed for days, just in case."
"By the way, these jeans, not my favourite," Ron says.
I notice one of the mean in overalls removing a wand from his clothes.
"Guys, put your hands on the table and don't let go of that bag, Hollie," I urge.
They all look at me and put their hands on the table so I place my hand on top and apparate us to Grimmauld Place.
Once we've tapped the password, and the house is revealed, we go inside but it's too quiet. Nobody is there.
A mass of dust gathers few feet away and turns into a face before flying at us and disappearing.
"What was that all about?" Ron asks.
"Probably Mad-Eye's idea in case Snape came snooping," Hermione says.
There's a clatter further inside and footsteps.
"Homenum Revelio," Hollie says but nothing happens.
"We're alone," Hermione says.