As Dumbledore approached the dais, followed immediately by Ron and Ginny, a number of curious things happened at nearly the same instant.
Upon seeing Harry and Hermione appear, Parvati had immediately reached into her beautiful peach-colored dress robes and pulled out a small camera. She lifted it, one eye closing to permit her to view the newlyweds through the sighting lens -- then immediately lowered the camera and returned it to her robes. The expression on her face, which Harry observed with a trace of humor, reflected a complete lack of awareness, as if her mind suddenly had no knowledge of what her body had attempted.
Within the same span of seconds, Lavender, seated next to Parvati, had whipped out a roll of parchment and a Quick-Quotes-Quill. Hermione found this spectacle particularly entertaining, knowing as she did that Lavender had secured a position at Witch Weekly magazine on the strength of a promise to deliver the first-hand goods on the "Wizard Wedding of the Millennium." But any impressions that may have formed in her mind would never be read by the magazine's readership. Lavender smoothly returned parchment and quill to her robes in a single fluid motion, seemingly oblivious even to her attempt, much less its lack of success.
And in his place behind his Gryffindor housemates, Dean had opened the flap of his pouch and withdrawn several sheets of artboard even as a packet of colored chalks rose from a side pocket and hovered at his side. A moment later he dismissed the chalks with a wave of his hand, returning the artboard to his pouch with an expression indicating that sketching the scene before him had never entered his mind.
Dumbledore now stood before the dais, smiling warmly at the white-robed couple. Ron and Ginny, coming up behind Dumbledore, had separated and were now circling the dais. They stepped up behind Harry and Hermione and took their hooded cloaks, thereafter stepping back and standing at either side of the Speaker.
It was only now, standing close enough to observe the scene in greater detail, that Ron and Ginny noticed that Dumbledore's attention was no longer focused on Harry and Hermione, but rather on a point just above them. The other guests seemed to have made the same discovery, for there was now a collective intake of breath. Hovering just above the newlyweds was a single white candle, its magical flame steady in defiance of the breeze ruffling the petals of the nearby roses.
Drawing his wand, Dumbledore made a pass over the candle. A globe like unto glass, yet reflecting none of the bright sunlight, appeared around the candle. Though effectively sealed from the air, yet the flame did not waver, but continued to shine brightly.
"The two lights are now one," Dumbledore said reverently, his smile softer now as his blue eyes regarded Harry and Hermione over the rims of his half-moon spectacles. "One heart. One life. One love.
"This light is the Unity of Spirit. No power on Earth can extinguish it. Always know, my children, that whenever the weight of despair bids to overwhelm you, this light will be your beacon."
Dumbledore waved his wand once. The candle vanished. But to Harry and Hermione, it had not gone. They saw it still, a ghostly image which they could see merely by willing. Reading their expression, Dumbledore smiled more broadly now.
"This light will burn in your hearts forever. With but a single thought you may summon it, and by its presence know that, though a world separate you, you are not alone. Henceforth, and for all time, you are One."
With a final nod, Dumbledore turned his back on the smiling couple and addressed the assembly:
"Ladies and gentlemen. Witches and wizards. And any other magical folk upon whose ears my words might fall.
"Nearly two decades agone I was honored to preside as Speaker at the Joining of Lily Evans and James Potter. May God rest their souls. I had thought that I should never again know such happiness and contentment as that occasion bestowed upon me. Yet today am I doubly honored to stand before this august company and speak for James' and Lily's son, Harry Potter, and for his beautiful bride, Hermione Granger.
"There is much of his father in Harry, nor in appearance alone. And also of his mother, I daresay. Each of them possessed of great courage and nobility. Like his parents before him, Harry strove to do what was right as opposed to what was easy, to put the good of others ahead of self. Though he endured much hardship in his early life, he did not let it embitter him. He chose instead to see good in all people, to regard evil as aberration rather than the natural order of things. Were he anyone other than 'The Boy Who Lived,' he would still be deserving of the praise I bestow upon him today. For if history remembers Harry Potter as a great wizard, it will not have been his name that made him great, but he who elevated his name to greatness. For these things, and others too numerous to relate upon this joyous occasion, I honor him today.
"And of his bride I may say nothing less. Not without cause was Hermione Granger placed in Gryffindor House, even as was her predecessor, Lily Evans. Both of these exemplary young women came from Muggle parents, being the first and only members of their families to possess magical blood. In each case, they brought with them to Hogwarts the Muggle ethic of accomplishment through endeavor. For magic is a tool, neither more nor less, and it falls to the individual to employ that tool for good or ill. There is therefore no praise I can withhold from the parents of this splendid young woman for blessing the magical community with the light of her presence."
The Grangers reddened visibly as the crowd chorused unanimous agreement with Dumbledore's words. When Dumbledore bowed deeply to them a moment later, Mrs. Granger sobbed softly, gratefully accepting a handkerchief magicked to her by Molly Weasley.
Throwing his head back so that his long hair cavorted about his shoulders, Dumbledore raised his arms, his palms skyward, his eyes uplifted in concert with his spirit.
"Let the word go forth, from this place and time, that Harry and Hermione are forever Joined one to the other, husband and wife. Let all of us who love them partake of their happiness. Let us rejoice with them. Let us further pledge ourselves to them, to support them in this union and to lend them our strength as need may arise, seeing in them the heights to which mortal flesh may aspire upon this Earth.
"For if there is one true magic in all our lives, it is love. Let their example light our way as we strive against the powers of darkness, in whatever form, from whatever quarter. When all is bleak, when all seems forlorn, let us remember this day as a light to dispel all shadow."
As Dumbledore's words flowed through him in tangible waves, Ron struggled valiantly against an onrush of tears. But it was not from the sadness he expected to feel at losing Hermione forever. Seeing the light of love on the faces of his two closest friends was a balm for his heart. He knew beyond all doubt that they were Destiny's lovers, and the happiness he felt for them in that moment could have kindled every electric light in the city of London.
For her part, Ginny made no attempt to stay her own tears of joy; she hugged Hermione's snowy cloak to her bosom and wept until her freckled face fairly glistened in the September sun. Her love for Harry would never die; but it was now a love that rejoiced rather than mourned.
As if reading Ginny's very thoughts, Dumbledore cried out now:
"Rejoice with me, friends! And again I say, rejoice! For Harry and Hermione have pledged their troth this day! Let us celebrate the blessed union of these two gentle souls! Come forward, one and all, and drink the cup of their happiness!"
Dumbledore turned aside, his hands extended. With one hand did he beckon to the guests to rise and come forward; the other he extended to receive Hermione's as she and Harry descended the dais.
The moment Harry set foot upon the ground, there was a silent burst of light which dazzled all eyes for the briefest moment. When all could see clearly once more, the rose-covered dais was gone, leaving no slightest mark upon the ground to betray that it ever had been. Nor were the young couple unchanged, for their ceremonial wedding robes had given way to more conventional wizard attire.
Harry's formal robes were a brilliant blue, shimmering in the morning sun with highlights of aqua and turquoise. Pride surged through him, for these were the very robes in which his father was married; a gift to Harry from his godfather, who himself had been gifted by James in the hopes that Sirius would "find a nice witch and settle down."
Ah, James, Sirius thought tearfully now at sight of his godson looking so like his departed comrade, if only you could have lived to see this day!
Hermione was still garbed in white, but her elegantly tailored robes displayed elaborate stitching which reflected the sunlight in patterns of stars and birds and garlanded flowers. Hermione fairly shivered with excitement, exchanging a triumphal look with Lavender, with whose help she had found this perfect wedding robe in a shop in Milan after days of seemingly fruitless searching. (Thank Merlin for Apparation!)
The guests surged upon Harry and Hermione, but none was able to precede Dumbledore. The old wizard wrapped his arms around them, his glasses misting with tears, even as were Harry's.
"Thank you, Professor," Harry said.
"Yes, Professor," Hermione said. "Thank you. For everything."
"You are very welcome, " Dumbledore said. "And as I am no longer your Headmaster, I shall remind you that my name is Albus, and I should be very pleased if you would so address me from now on."
Harry had no time to reply, for Dumbledore was quickly overwhelmed by the remaining guests, all of whom wanted to be first to congratulate the newlyweds. But it was no surprise to Harry when the first hand to find and clasp his belonged to Ron.
"Good job, mate!" Ron said sincerely. "You got the best girl -- no, the best woman-- in the bloody world, and I'll Curse anyone who says otherwise!"
"I agree," Ginny said, releasing Hermione from a crushing hug. Before stepping aside to let the other guests express their sentiments, Ginny reached into her robes and placed an object into Hermione's hand. "It's not a portkey any more," Ginny said as Hermione cupped the white rose in her hands. "But it still represents a journey of sorts. And I know it will be a long and happy one. For both of you."
Smiling tearfully, Hermione drew her wand and placed a protective spell on the rose before slipping it into her robes.
By now there was no holding the crowd back. Diverse hands pounded Harry on the back and crushed his fingers in congratulatory handshakes. Hermione was smothered with hugs from male and female alike, and Harry threatened to use his wand on more than one enthusiastic well-wisher (though the imprecation came always from smiling lips).
Parvati's camera was out now, snapping away furiously with a sound like a Muggle typewriter. (Curiously, Dumbledore appeared not once in any of the hundreds of photos taken that day.) Dean's colored chalks were streaking across artboard like a swarm of hornets, and Lavender's Quick-Quotes-Quill danced like it was still attached to its original donor's bum.
No one was keeping track of time, but it wasn't long before the chatter was split by a mournful cry:
"Blimey, I'm starving! Anything to eat around here?"
Before anyone could reply, Dean held his hand out, a triumphant smile splitting his darkly handsome face as Seamus dug into a pocket of his robes, muttering under his breath.
"Sucker bet," Dean declared as his hand closed on a gold Galleon that a moment before had resided in Seamus' pocket. "Knew I could count on you, Ron."
Ron's face turned the color of his hair as laughter exploded from every quarter. But the smile on his face was
broader than Dean's.