Disclaimer - The world of Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling and various publishers. I make no claim to ownership.
A/N: Thanks to my beta Vettesr, and those kind enough to review.
Chapter 16: The Wedding (part 1)
When Ron found out about the wedding, he was floored. "Dumbledore is going to marry you two? Is this even allowed? I figured you and Hermione would wait until you left school."
"Ron," Hermione admonished. "We completed the bond. As far as the magical world is concerned, we already are married. Dumbledore suggested it as a way to formalise it in the wizarding world so that there are no problems when people see us do magic outside of school. It also recognises that Harry and I are now of age. Harry now becomes Lord Potter and can take his place on the Wizengamot. I am now formally Lady Potter." `Lady Potter,' she thought. `That is beyond my wildest dreams. When I started Hogwarts, I dreamed of meeting Harry, I never thought I'd be married to him. He's so sweet.'
Ron considered this and although he had trouble wrapping his mind around the whole thing, accepted that things had now changed yet again. `Thank Merlin Luna seems to want to be around me now. I feel like a third wheel in this,' he thought.
"Now Ron," Hermione continued, "you've lost a lot of school work since you were petrified. We've kept notes, and we'll help you catch up. You'll really have to study hard."
"Okay, okay, I'll do what I have to. Don't want Mum ragging on me if I have to repeat a year."
"That's the spirit, and I'm sure Luna will help as well. She's really a very bright girl, and I think she fancies you," Harry said with a smirk.
Ron turned a bright red to match his hair. "W-what do you mean, she fancies me?"
"Oh Ron," Hermione stated. "She practically lived in the Hospital Wing while you were there. She talked to you constantly and held your hand! Of course she fancies you!
"S-she did?" Ron stuttered. The red had spread to his neck. `Bloody hell.' He thought. `I've got a girlfriend and didn't even know it! I've got to talk to Luna.'
"What about Draco and his friends. Luna tells me that he attacked you two."
"Dumbledore sorted that out a couple of days ago," Harry grinned. "It seems that his father prevented his expulsion, but he gets detention with Filch for the rest of the year. The others weren't as involved, but they all got detentions as well. Crabbe gets to scrub the boy's washrooms on all the floors and Goyle and Pansy will serve their detentions with McGonagall. She says she has a few nasty bits of cleaning for them to do."
Ron laughed at this. "Draco never seems to learn not to mess with you, does he? By the way, have you figured out what petrified me and the others?"
"Yes, we now suspect it's a Basilisk. Which reminds me, we have to see Moaning Myrtle," Harry finished.
….
Entering the second floor girls bathroom, they found that Moaning Myrtle was not there.
"We'll have to check back later, love," Harry said, defeated for the moment in their pursuit of the Basilisk.
"Harry! Here comes Hedwig, and she's got a note," Hermione cried excitedly. "It must be from Mum and Dad. Quick! What does it say?"
Harry waited for Hedwig to hold out her foot with the note and then removed the bit of parchment tied to it.
…
`Dear Hermione and Harry,
Your letter arrived yesterday and we are so excited that you've decided to marry properly. Dan and I are pleased that Professor Dumbledore has agreed to perform the magical part of the ceremony. I'm glad that we will be allowed to attend. This is a very important day in your lives and Dan and I want very much to be there.
I still want you two to be married in a proper church ceremony as well, but I think when you return from school next summer, we'll arrange just that.
I know that Harry has to return to Privet Drive for a few weeks, but now you can be separated safely from him for a few days. We can shop for your trousseau in London.
Oh, I'm so excited. Dan just grumps a lot, but I know he's secretly happy as well. I catch him grinning at odd times, so I think he's okay with this.
We're considering traveling to the south of France again this year and would like you two to join us. We'd get separate places to stay so you two would have some privacy. I miss my daughter and now son-in-law. You've grown up much too fast for us, so we want to spend a bit more time with you. Since you will be going to Diagon Alley, can you pick us up and we'll go with you. I'd love to see what you'll wear for the magical ceremony.
Love,
Mum and Dad.
As Hermione finished reading the letter with Harry, a tear formed in her eye and she sniffed a bit. Harry, they're going to be okay with this. I was afraid they would balk at us being married so soon. Even Dad seems to be accepting it. I'm so happy!
You do realize that we'll have to go through two weddings, love.
Yes Harry, but Mum is great at organizing things. Ooh, she wants me home to shop for my wedding dress. You don't mind, do you? We'll only be apart for a few days. I hate to leave you at the Dursley's by yourself. Maybe I can just go for the days and sleep with you at night.
It'll be alright Hermione. I've handled my relatives for years, a few days won't matter. Still, if you can make it here for night, I'll sleep better, he smirked.
….
As the day came for the trip to Gringotts, Harry was nervous. What if his vault didn't have a ring that was suitable for Hermione. They also had to visit Madam Malkins for new dress robes for the wedding, not to mention that their regular clothes fit badly now.
It was a beautiful spring day when they arrived with Professor McGonagall at the Leaky Cauldron. They immediately went outside to retrieve Mr. and Mrs. Granger, ignoring the odd looks from the patrons. Apparently students were a rare sight there at this time of year.
"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Granger," the Professor greeted, "I trust you are well. Are you looking forward, as I am, to the wedding?"
"Yes indeed Professor," Jean said excitedly. Dan grinned as he shook the Professor's hand.
Walking through the Leaky Caldron and into Diagon Alley, they first stopped at Gringotts. Approaching the front desk, Harry asked to see his parent's vault. Once again they were directed to Pickaxe. Professor McGonagall had waited in the lobby.
"Ah, Lord and Lady Potter, we were expecting you."
Hermione's parents gasped when they heard this. "Lord and Lady Potter?" Jean and Dan exclaimed as one.
"Of course Mr. and Mrs. Granger, The Potter line is a very old one and traces it's roots back to Godric Gryffindor. We believe Merlin himself was part of his ancestry. Lord Potter and now Lady Potter will take their rightful place in the wizarding world," the old Goblin said. "Now, Lord Potter, I assume you have come to do business. How may I help you?"
"Pickaxe," Harry said, bowing, "We would like to look for a suitable ring for my wife in my vault. Do you know if there is such a ring?"
"Of course, Lord Potter. You must reclaim the Potter Signet ring as well. With this, you will be able to claim voting rights in the wizard government. Lady Potter will have one as well, but may only vote in the absence of yourself, or sign documents."
"Griphook will take you to your vault. Mr. and Mrs. Granger must wait in the lobby, as the wards would not let Muggles pass."
Griphook escorted them to their vault on the `one speed only' cart. Hanging on to Harry for dear life, Hermione could never get used to the breakneck speed the cart took, twisting and turning through the deep caverns. After a somewhat lengthy trip, they arrived at the Potter family vault.
Opening their vault, they walked inside. Piles of Gold Galleons, Silver Sickles and Bronze Knuts were stacked everywhere. It seemed as if the piles had grown somewhat since their first trip at the beginning of the school year. Griphook, noticing their looks, provided the explanation. It seems that Pickaxe had made some very wise investments for them, adding another thirty percent in gold to their coffers.
We'll have to ensure his bonus is increased love, we'll never spend this amount of money in several lifetimes.
Do you know where to look for the ring Harry?
Ah, here's a jewel box. It looks quite large though, let's see…
Merlin Harry! There's a fortune in diamonds, emeralds and rubies in there! I don't see any rings though.
Let's try over here, Hermione. Help me move these paintings. There, what's that box?
That looks like it might have jewelry inside.
Nope, looks like deeds to property. Geez, there must be a hundred deeds in here!
How about this one Harry?
Yes, this chest has rings. Now I want you to look and see which one might be suitable. Oh wait, here are the Potter Signet rings. See the Potter crest.
Harry and Hermione examined the two rings. The man's ring was a heavy gold ring with a Gryffin and a wand worked into the surface. The lady's ring was similar, but lighter and made from platinum. Harry picked up the two rings and pocketed them.
Looking farther, Hermione spotted a pair of elegant rings with a pair of diamonds surrounded by two hearts carved in the top. Beside the hearts were a small ruby and an emerald. With runes carved around the outside.
Harry! These are gorgeous! I think they'll be perfect; one for you and one for me.
As soon as Harry picked the rings up, he felt a strange power emanating from the rings.
"Do not put the rings on until you have the marriage ceremony Lord Potter," Griphook warned. "There is powerful magic in those rings, I can sense it. I have only seen one other set like it and it was very old. I suspect this is that same set. I had thought it lost in antiquity."
"Can you read the runes, Griphook? Harry asked.
"Yes, but I must not say them, it would be death for anyone but the ring owners to say the spell that the runes contain. Suffice to say, the rings will benefit you greatly. You will have to decipher the rings yourself. It is interesting that these two rings are in your vault as I am sure your parents never wore them, although I believe they are wedding rings."
"Harry, look! There are clothes here." She gasped as she spotted a gorgeous wedding ensemble. Squealing with delight, Hermione held the dress up to her. "Harry, it's beautiful! It's a bit large for me, but I bet Mum can alter it to fit!"
The dress was indeed a fine piece of work. The dress was made from the finest silk with a beauty that belied its age. It was a deep creamy white, full length with a plunging neckline. Hermione decided it would accentuate her new curves very well. The veil was a fine lace and was held in place with a silver tiara studded with diamonds and emeralds.
"There are dress robes here as well!" Harry exclaimed. "I'll bet these were my parents wedding outfits. The man's robe was a dark green with gold piping. The lady's robe was dark blue with silver piping."
"We'll take them as well," Hermione exclaimed, "they look perfect for our wedding!"
Gathering up the clothes and jewelry chest, they exited the vault.
Thanking Griphook, Harry prepared to depart, but paused to ask. "Griphook, how can I find Potter Manor?"
"There is a special Portkey in the vault that will take you there. You will have to reset the wards when you arrive."
"Do you know what the Portkey looks like?" Hermione inquired.
"It's a special shaped galleon with the Potter crest on it," Griphook replied.
"Here it is, in the jewelry box," Harry exclaimed. "Now, how is it activated?"
"You tap it with your wand, Lord Potter. Only you can activate it. It's a special two way Portkey, that will return you to your vault when you tap it again in Potter Manor."
"Hermione, we should at least go there for a quick visit. We'll only stay a few minutes, since we don't want to keep your parents and Professor McGonagall waiting."
"We can wait, Harry, Just take the Portkey with you and we'll go when we have a bit more time. I want to have more than a quick look."
"I guess you're right love, I'm just so excited to see it."
Returning to the main lobby of Gringotts, they were met by the Grangers and Professor McGonagall. A smile spread across the professor's face when she saw the wedding dress.
"Look Mum," Hermione called excitedly. "There was a wedding dress in our vault, and dress robes for Harry. They'll need a bit of altering to fit, but we won't have to shop for our wedding outfits."
Jean examined the dress and the robes, They looked like the finest of materials and would be easy to adjust to Hermione's and Harry's size.
"Let's see the rings then," Jean asked.
Harry opened the jewelry chest and produced the wedding rings. "Be careful," Harry warned. "They're charmed and we don't know what they'll do if someone other than us handles them. There is supposed to be some sort of protection built into them."
"Oh! They're beautiful," Jean exclaimed. "What are those markings around the edges?"
Hermione answered. "They're medieval runes, Mum. We have to decipher what they say, and only we can say the words. I'll have to research what they mean."
"Perhaps I can help, my dear," McGonagall asked. " I studied runes when I went to school."
"Please don't say the words, Professor!" Harry admonished forcefully. "Until we are married, anyone but the ring owners who say the words would be killed. Griphook warned us when we asked if he could translate them for us. There are also two others, which are the Potter signet rings."
"My word!" the professor exclaimed. "These rings must be Merlin and Viviane wedding rings!"
"But Professor, didn't Viviane enchant Merlin?" Hermione asked.
"Indeed she did my dear, these rings are how she bound him to her. I would be careful with these rings Mr. Potter. Keep them safe and away from anyone who might see them before the ceremony. I must tell Albus about these."
"I'll have the dress and robes ready for fitting in a few days, dear," Jean told Hermione and Harry. I have your sizes and it looks like a very minor amount of work to get them to fit perfectly. You both will have to try them on, say next weekend?"
Professor McGonagall agreed to transport them to Hermione's home for the fitting.
Harry have you thought of who you want for best man? I'm going to ask Luna to be bridesmaid.
Ron would be perfect as best man, although I had initially thought about Neville. Ron and Luna are seeing one another now, so this would be perfect to bring them even closer. Neville, Fred and George could be ushers.
Emily would be perfect as a flower girl. Ginny too.
We better contact them right away then, the wedding is getting close.
….
Returning to Hogwarts after seeing the Grangers off with the dress and robes, Harry and Hermione quickly went to their dormitory. Harry opened his trunk and deposited the rings inside. Locking the trunk, he joined Hermione for lunch in the Great Hall. Ron was sitting at the Ravenclaw table with Luna, enjoying a joke, as they were both laughing. Emily spotted the duo and made her way to the Gryffindor table to sit beside Hermione.
"Hi Emily," Hermione greeted her sister. "We just got back from Diagon Alley. You just have to see the gorgeous wedding dress we found in our vault. We think it was Harry's Mum's! We met Mum and Dad and Mum offered to adjust the dress and Harry's dress robes, so we left them with her.
"Oooh, and the rings! I can't show them to you before the wedding, but they are special. We also have the Potter signet rings and a portkey to Potter Manor.
"Harry and I would like you be a flower girl at the wedding"
Emily was bouncing up and down with excitement. "I'm dying to see the dress, Hermione. When can I see it? The wedding is getting pretty close now, just two weeks away. Will Mum have it ready in time? Why can't I see the rings now? Yes, I'd love to be a flower girl!"
"Mum says she'll have the dress and robes ready for next weekend. Maybe we can get McGonagall to bring you with us. The rings are charmed and are dangerous to anyone other than us until we are married. We have to say a special set of runes when the ceremony is complete. I just have to decipher the runes."
Ron and Luna joined them and were asked if they would be best man and bridesmaid. Both enthusiastically agreed. They also caught up with Neville and the twins, who also agreed to be ushers. They finally caught Ginny alone and she agreed to be a flower girl.
….
Oliver Wood approached them after lunch, telling them that they had postponed the Gryffindor Ravenclaw match until after the wedding. That match would decide the Quidditch cup since Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were tied. Meantime, they had a practice session tomorrow, to keep everyone sharp.
The next morning was blustery and wet, but Oliver insisted on the practice. Both Harry and Hermione trudged down to the changing rooms and after changing into their Quidditch robes, grabbed their brooms and launched themselves into the air. Oliver called them down and as they landed, he instructed them to alternate with Alicia as chaser and the other as seeker. Harry started as seeker with Hermione as chaser. The practice was rough, since the weather kept blowing them around. Harry managed to catch the snitch after ten minutes and then it was Hermione's turn while Alicia took Hermione's place as chaser. Harry sat and watched as Hermione zipped around looking for the snitch. Fred and George, as beaters, kept them on their toes, with Wood defending the hoops. An errant bludger headed straight for Hermione and Harry yelled. The Golden glow formed to deflect the bludger and the rest of the team gasped as they saw the glow. Calling a halt to the play, Wood approached Hermione. "What the hell was that?" he exploded. "You can't do that, the other team will call it cheating!"
Mollified, Hermione could only stutter, "I-I didn't know that w-would happen. It's our protection aura. It keeps us from getting hurt."
"Well, you won't be able to play with that. That's an unfair advantage. Harry? Do you have that as well?" Wood was afraid to hear the answer.
"Yes Oliver, I never figured it would work while we played, but there's nothing we can do to control it."
"Damn!" Wood replied. "You can't play either! Now we're in trouble, we have no seeker! This is a disaster."
"What about Ron? He could play, or Neville. Neville's become much better on a broom now and Ron has played at home for years," Harry encouraged.
Defeated, Wood could only nod. "We'll have to try both of them, nobody else…"
"What about Ginny?" Fred asked. She's pretty good and she loves the game as much as we do."
"Ginny?" They all asked.
"Yeah," Harry replied. "I've seen her play last summer and she's really good."
"Okay, we have three possible replacements. I'll meet them at lunch and try them out. Sorry guys, you two were the best we had, but it wouldn't be fair to the other team."
After lunch, Harry and Hermione watched as Ron Neville and Ginny tried out for the team. Neville was okay, but not spectacular. Ron was better, but Ginny showed a real flair for the position. In the end, Wood chose Ginny, but with some misgivings. They would need to train hard to bring her up to speed. Fortunately, Ginny was small and speedy, just like Harry was last year.
….
The day of the wedding dawned at last. Harry was a nervous wreck and Hermione alternated between tears and laughter. It seems like butterflies were trying to escape from both of them.
H-Harry, I t-think I'm going to be sick!
Not now Hermione! I'm just as nervous as you. Your Mum will be up to see you in a minute. Professor Dumbledore just brought them here by portkey. I have to retrieve the rings, do you remember the spell for the runes?
Yes Harry, I finally deciphered it last night. That's why I'm so nervous. We both have to say the spell together, after the rings are on our fingers. The words can be said in any language, fortunately, but Celtic is preferred, according to the books I read. I'll write it down for you as I daren't say it until the ring is on my finger.
She wrote the inscription out with the proper pronunciation and gave the note to Harry. He looked at it and blinked. This is the translation?
Yes Harry, odd isn't it?
….
The Great Hall was filled with students, professors and dignitaries. Among the dignitaries were the Minister for Magic, his wife and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, along with several Aurors.
The tables had been replaced by comfortable chairs and with several hundred people attending, there was little room left over. The Great Hall was decorated with the house banners and a thousand candles floated above the crowd.
An alter had been erected at the front where the Head table usually sat and a red carpet ran the length of the hall. Neville, Ron, Emily and Ginny were ready and waiting for the ceremony to begin, dressed in matching outfits for the bride and groom. Hermione's mum had done a masterful job on fitting her wedding dress, and she looked radiant. The Grangers had already taken their seats in the front row, Jean smiling at the couple, a few tears in her eyes. Dan had a huge grin on his face. Harry looked dashing in his dress robes, a nervous look on his face. The ceremony was due to start in a few minutes and people were starting to take their places. Harry moved closer to Hermione, soon they would be husband and wife in the eyes of the magical world.
Lucius Malfoy had heard from Draco that Potter and Granger were to be married on Saturday. Here was the perfect time to kill the girl. If he could kill Hermione, he would have a chance to claim guardianship over the brat Potter. He'd need to sneak into Hogwarts and kill her before anyone realized he was there. He warned Draco to stay away from the pair.
Lucius had considered bringing other Death Eaters with him to ensure success, but the risk of being spotted was too great.
As he passed the Hogwats wards, he refined his plan. He needed a quick way to escape and not be seen. Since apparating inside Hogwarts was not possible, he chose a route that would quickly take him beyond the wards.
His son had failed him when he tried to kill the Mudblood before, but all was not lost yet. Off in a corner of the hall, Lucius Malfoy contemplated the scene. The problem was, Potter and the Mudblood seemed to be protected somehow. Draco had not told him how the pair was protected, but they were only kids and would be no match for a fully trained dark wizard like himself.
First, a distraction was in order, then a killing curse at the girl, before he slipped out of the hall. He needed to get just a bit closer.
Working his way around the edge of the Great Hall, Lucius cast a Reducto curse at the doors behind him. The loud noise served as the distraction he needed, as everyone froze. Carefully aiming he yelled "Avada Kedavra" at Hermione. Harry and Hermione reacted instantly as the doors exploded outwards. Harry landed on top of Hermione a split second before Lucius's curse could find its mark. The green light passed harmlessly over them, instead striking Draco Malfoy. Lucius was horrified, he had warned his son to stay clear of the pair. Obviously he didn't pay attention. He quickly retreated outside, running to the edge of the wards and disapparated before anyone could notice him, but the damage was done, he had lost his only heir.
-->