Now that Harry's and Hermione's schoolmates had for the most part been served, the adults (with a touch more decorum) began to assert their own prerogatives in the matter of gifting the newlyweds. A cluster of three young men, all with hair the color of a sunset, approached. Bill Weasley was first to detach himself, affecting a smiling bow that sent his long pony tail dancing like a jet of flame.
Reaching into his robes, Bill withdrew a small envelope composed of gold foil and handed it to Harry. Exchanging an amused nod with his wife, Harry broke the red wax seal and opened the envelope. A small card was all he discovered. Turning it over, he found it to be blank on both sides, though the reverse was white, the top being a dull gold.
"Touch it with your wand, Harry," Bill instructed.
Harry did so, and he was startled to see two images appear on the card. One was the official seal of Gringotts bank. The other was a small photo of Harry, which immediately flashed a grin up at its living counterpart. Her own curiosity now fully aroused, Hermione took the card, scrutinized it carefully, then looked up at Bill.
"It looks like a Muggle credit card," she said doubtfully. "But there's no such thing as a wizard credit card."
"There is now!" Bill declared in obvious triumph. All eyes were instantly riveted on the tall, pony-tailed wizard.
"You can't be serious?" Ron said, his own doubt the equal of Hermione's.
"Dead serious, little brother," Bill said, displaying his own amusement plainly. Assuming a more formal tone, he explained: "There's been discussion for years about how the Muggle world is surpassing the wizarding world in too many areas, none moreso than in convenience of lifestyle. When a wizard has to make a major purchase, it must be made in gold. But a large amount of gold carries a bit of weight. Lugging around gold Galleons by the sackful is a nuisance at best, and it can be a downright burden for folk who are infirm, or short of stature."
To this last, Professor Flitwick gave a hearty nod and a squeaky, "Hear hear!"
"But how does it work?" Hermione said, unable to disguise the excitement in her voice.
"Simplicity itself," Bill said. "A new Charm, just approved by the Ministry, infuses the card with a designated value. In order to buy something, the amount of the purchase is written on the back of the card in a special ink, which only authorized merchants may possess. Both buyer and seller touch their wands to the card, and that amount is subtracted from the card's value."
"But how is payment actually made?" Harry asked.
For answer, Bill produced three squares of parchment, each of which, like the card itself, bore the official Gringotts seal. After displaying each square separately, he slid them together so that they took on the appearance of a single sheet, held together, Hermione reasoned, by a Sticking Charm.
"Once the purchase amount is recorded," Bill explained, "the card is placed upon the topmost of these parchments, which are likewise enchanted. Both parties touch the parchment with their wands, and the amount of the purchase appears, along with the names of the buyer and seller. Each then signs below his name in the same enchanted ink." Separating the three squares again for effect, he continued, "Everything affixed to the top piece of parchment also appears on the bottom two. One of these becomes the buyer's copy. Another remains with the merchant, for his sales records. The top square is owled to Gringotts, where the transaction is officially recorded. The card holder then has thirty days to appear at the bank and authorize the transfer of funds to cover his debt."
"What if the card holder doesn't pay within thirty days?" Parvati asked somewhat fearfully.
"You don't want to know," Bill said with no slightest trace of his earlier levity. Not a few people shuddered at this, Harry being among them. He remembered Ludo Bagman's gambling troubles related to the Quidditch World Cup and, later, the Triwizard Tournament. The last place a wizard of any common sense wanted to find himself was standing between a goblin and any amount of gold, however small, which it was rightfully owed.
"Anyway," Bill concluded, "it's traditional in situations like this that the first of an item intended for mass distribution go to the Minister of Magic, out of deference to his position. However, in the light of Fudge's, erm, shall we say, lack of foresight in certain matters..." Bill's eyes flicked rapidly from Dumbledore to Percy, judging as he did so that the latter's smile seemed considerably less genuine than the former's. "...it was decided that the very first Gringotts credit card should go to someone closer to the heart and soul of the magical community."
"What's this 'it was decided' rubbish?" Charlie Weasley laughed, stepping up beside his elder brother and clapping him on the shoulder. "The way I hear it, you and father practically twisted Fudge's arm out of its ruddy socket!"
His ears reddening in the traditional Weasley manner, Bill said hastily, "And don't worry that it's only Harry's face on the card, Hermione. As his wife, you're entitled to use it, just as the bank recognizes joint ownership of Harry's vault."
Having thanked Bill one last time, Harry turned to Hermione with his hand extended to take back the card -- only to see Hermione tuck it into her bodice with an elaborate flourish, her lips curling into an impish grin.
"Get used to it, mate," Charlie advised, grinning in concert with most of the crowd.
Charlie had taken Bill's place now, and Harry noticed for the first time that the dragon-wrangling Weasley held an object under his arm, inexpertly wrapped and resembling in size and shape a melon or a small pumpkin. Or a...
But, no, it couldn't be...
Charlie handed the object to Harry, who felt no small amount of weight as it settled onto his legs. Hermione helped him to peel the paper away, and Harry's mouth nearly fell open. It was a dragon egg, though not a real one. It was an identical copy of the golden egg Harry had snatched from the nest of the Hungarian Horntail during the Triwizard Tournament.
"Open it," Charlie prompted.
"Cover your ears, everyone!" Ron cried, suiting deed to word.
But, to Harry's great relief, the nerve-rending screech of the original egg was not repeated. Instead, slow, lilting, hypnotic strains of music filled the air, music which seemed to creep into the soul and bathe it in a sense of wonder and majesty. The crowd fell silent as one, enraptured by this haunting symphony. It was if magic itself had been transfigured into sound. Not a few of the listeners found their eyes misting with the beginnings of tears. Harry and Hermione were among them.
"I've..." Hermione said in a breathless gasp, "...I've never heard anything so...so..."
His glasses fogging up, Harry said in a voice intended for his wife's ears alone, "It's like...all the love I've ever felt for you...or ever will feel for you...has been translated into some kind of magical language...one that doesn't need words. It makes me think that if...if love itself had a voice...it would sound just like this." Removing his glasses to wipe his eyes, Harry lifted his head and said, "Charlie...where...how..."
"Believe it or not," Charlie said, wiping his own eyes with the sleeve of dress robes the color of dragon scales, "it was created by a Muggle.
"For as long as I can remember," Charlie confessed, "I've been addicted to Muggle cinema. Whenever the weather prevented me from practicing Quidditch up on the paddock, I'd be down in the village at the theatre, eating popcorn with the Muggles and none being the wiser.
"Well, as time went on, I realized that nearly every film I really liked had music composed by the same bloke. Fantastic stuff, really. I thought sure he must be a wizard, because no one could possibly create such music without magic. Anyway, when you announced your engagement last year, I brainstormed for the perfect gift. And all of a sudden it hit me like a Bludger between the eyes. Acting purely on impulse, I converted a sack of Galleons into Muggle money and, using a bit of magic to help me along, I found this composer's agent and arranged a meeting. I told him I was an independent film producer, and I asked him if he could compose something that would describe the greatest and noblest hero in a world of myth and magic...someone who was so great that he didn't even know how great he was...nor how loved he was by the people of this magical world. And, well, this is the result.
"I had to place a Memory Charm on him afterwards, of course," Charlie grinned somewhat guiltily. "Not strictly according to the rules, I know. I hope no one here will report me to the Improper Use of Magic office." He tilted his head in the direction of Percy, who returned an uneasy smile. Everyone knew Percy would sooner eat Bubotuber pus than break a Ministry rule.
"As for the egg," Charlie concluded, "well, no explanation needed there."
The newlyweds expressed their sincere thanks, Harry shaking Charlie's hand while Hermione pulled him nearly double to kiss his cheek. But as Charlie was backing away, Harry called out, "What's his name, Charlie? The composer?"
"Actually, you two may have heard of him, growing up as Muggles," Charlie said. "John Williams?"
From first to last, every witch and wizard displayed a blank expression. Harry and Hermione merely smiled.
It was now Percy's turn, and, as if miffed at having been relegated to last place after his older brothers, he inflated his chest with an air of self-importance that brought snickers from a few younger guests, Fred and George chief among them.
"Harry. Hermione," Percy said somewhat formally. "You might say I am today an official representative of the Ministry of Magic. My gift is one of official capacity, not unlike Bill's. But as the Ministry is involved, what I am about to tell you is most secret. Owing to that, a top Ministry official has infused my voice with a very specific Memory Charm. Once I have imparted my news, you will be unable to repeat anything I say for twenty-four hours. Further, should you attempt to do so, by means non-verbal, or even magical, you will immediately forget everything I will have said."
"You're giving yourself too much credit, Perce," Fred cried out.
"Yeah," said George. "We always forget everything you say as soon as you've said it!"
The twins erupted into fits of laughter. But this was cut off abruptly by an incensed Molly Weasley, who pointed her wand at Fred and George and said, "Silencio!" The two jokesters suddenly found themselves with their mouths wide open and no sound coming out. This brought a different sort of laughter, mostly from the younger guests (though Percy seemed uncommonly pleased as he stifled his own chortles until he coughed).
"Nicely done, Molly," Hermione said (though she had been guilty of a few titters at Percy's expense herself). "I may use that one on Harry when he starts rambling on about the Quidditch finals."
As Harry smiled good-naturedly to the accompaniment of affirmative nods from his female schoolmates, Arthur sidled up to Harry while Molly was distracted and whispered, "I'll teach you the counter-Charm later, Harry. Non-verbal, of course. All in the wand."
If Hermione heard Arthur's words, she allowed her husband the dignity of pretending she had not.
"As I was saying," Percy resumed with as much of his own dignity as he could salvage, "the Ministry is keeping this under wraps until certain details are finalized."
Percy now cleared his throat and straightened to his full height, leaving him scarcely an inch behind his father and Bill in that regard.
"Not unlike Gringotts, the Ministry is endeavoring to move the wizarding world boldly into the 21st century. As a first of many planned steps, we will be forging ahead next month with the introduction of...wizard television!"
The excited murmurs which ensued extended even to Molly Weasley, who gave Percy her undivided attention (which respite allowed Arthur to spirit Fred and George away and restore their voices with a deft twirl of his wand).
"Wizard television," Percy pressed on, "is based on the combining of two common magical items, the Fire-com, and the clairvoyant crystal. A slab of hollow glass is cast, roughly three feet across and six inches thick. Magical cold fire is kindled within the glass, upon which surface images may then be viewed, transmitted by the same basic principles as the Wizarding Wireless Network.
"A dealership is presently being set up in Diagon Alley for the purpose of selling wizard tellys to the public. The Ministry is even now establishing an official network, like the Muggle BBC. Independent networks will follow in the next few months. Everything will be reported in tomorrow's edition of the Daily Prophet.
"However, the manufacturers have graciously donated a number of sets, to be distributed at the Ministry's discretion to certain...um...select members of the magical community. Many, of course, will go to high-ranking Ministry officials. The rest are to be divided among a few designated persons held in high esteem by the Ministry."
"Rich pure-bloods," grunted Seamus, whose sentiments were echoed by more than a few of his fellows.
"However," Percy concluded, "it was decided -- on my recommendation -- " Clearly, Percy was not nearly so reticent to blow his own horn as was Bill, " -- that one of these sets be redesignated and presented to Harry and Hermione, in congratulations and in gratitude for their service to the magical community."
"Redesignated?" Dean said. "Who was the original designate, then?"
"In other words, Percy," Bill said, clearly enjoying the pink glow beginning to creep across his brother's face, "whose telly did you nick for Harry and Hermione?" The gleam in Bill's eye clearly indicated that he knew the answer already.
His face reddening by the moment, Percy mumbled something unintelligible.
"Say again?" Bill prompted, his smile becoming positively wicked.
"Er...Malfoy," Percy said in a low, somewhat embarrassed murmur.
"You're ruddy joking!" Ron exclaimed, clearly impressed with his brother. "You pinched Lucius Malfoy's telly?"
"Er, no, actually," Percy said. "Even with You-Know-Who gone, I'm afraid Lucius is still too well-connected."
It took a moment for the significance of Percy's statement to penetrate Ron's head. But others were not so slow on the uptake.
"DRACO!" Seamus and Dean chorused. Percy nodded once, smiling uneasily through his glowing cheeks.
Ron now clapped his hand on Percy's shoulder, tears of silent laughter running down his face. "I take it all back, mate! Every rotten thing I ever said or thought about you! Draco flippin' Malfoy's telly! I love it! I absolutely love it!"
"That wasn't exactly according to the rules, was it, Percy?" Hermione said sweetly, her large brown eyes dancing like the kaleidoscopic petals of Neville's rose.
"Well," Percy shrugged, "I guess there comes a time when you have to bend a rule...now and then," he added somewhat defensively.
"If I die tomorrow," Ron said, gulping back the dwindling remains of his laughter, "at least I lived long enough to hear that!"
Even Percy was forced to laugh.
Author's Note: If anyone is wondering, yes, I borrowed the chapter title from the classic science fiction movie. But in this case, the two worlds in collision are the wizarding world and the Muggle world.
The gifting continues next week. See you in seven.