'Weasley Wedding'
"All together now!" Arthur bellowed
to them all, "One, two, three."
Gradually, the large white marquee floated off the ground, each of the older Weasleys guiding it up with their wands.
"How's it looking your end, boys?"
Fred was about to reply, when a crack echoed across the garden like a whip, all of their mouths falling agape, "Bloody hell," George muttered, "what's the Minister for Magic doing here?"
Rufus Scrimgeour walked over, gazing up at the tent with as close to a smile as he could muster, "My congratulations. However, I must speak with Mr Potter and R Weasley and Miss Granger and L Weasley."
Lori and Ron shot each other a look, before the oldest sister gracefully ushered him into the kitchen and offered him a cup of tea, which he politely declined. Ginny appeared with Harry and Hermione moments later.
"To what do we owe the pleasure, Minister?" Harry asked.
"I think we both know the answer to that question, Mr Potter." he replied grimly, moving over to lay a few items out on the table, the four teens sitting in front of him.
"And this is...?"
Scrimgeour delved into his leather briefcase, producing a document and letting it open in mid air, "Herein is set forth the last will and testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. First, to Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, a device of my own making, in the hope that when things seem most dark, it will show him the light."
He carefully opened the smallest of the three packages in front of them, moving the red velvet back with such care, before handing Ron a small gadget, the size of his palm.
"Dumbledore left this for me?" Ron asked, examining the Deluminator more closely.
"Yeah."
"Brilliant. What is it?" he slowly clicked on the switch, light from the nearest lamps billowing into it in small spheres, "Wicked."
"To Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' in the hope that she find it entertaining and instructive."
Hermione was passed the book, Ron peering over her shoulder, "Mum used to read us those. The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, Babbitty Rabbitty and the Cackling Stump. Come on, Babbitty Rabbitty? No?"
Hermione and Harry both shook their heads.
"To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill."
Scrimgeour handed the Snitch to Harry in a black cloth, waiting with bated breath. Nothing happened as he twirled it in his fingers, Hermione and the Minister both looking disappointed.
"Is that it, then?" Harry enquired.
"Not quite for you, Mr Potter. Dumbledore left you a second bequest: the sword of Godric Gryffindor. Unfortunately, the sword of Gryffindor was not Dumbledore's to give away. As an important historical artifact, it belongs..."
Hermione cut over him, "To Harry. It belongs to Harry. It came to him when he needed it in the Chamber of Secrets."
"The sword may present itself to any worthy Gryffindor," he drawled, "that does not make it that wizard's property. And, in any event, the current whereabouts of the sword are unknown."
"Excuse me?"
He nodded, "The sword is missing. I don't know what you're up to, Mr Potter, but you can't fight this war on your own. He's too strong."
The Minister's hand fluttered to the final package, the largest of them all, "To Loretta Jasmine Weasley, I leave my dearest companion, in the hope she finds his company enlightening and motivational."
Red velvet was pulled back, revealing a bird cage, with Fawkes snoozing on the perch, before he blinked and stood up, his eyes fixed on Lori. She put her hand to the bars of the cage, Fawkes nuzzled against her finger and sighed, a small chirp leaving his beak.
*
People clapped along to the cheery folk song as Bill and Fleur danced up the aisle, before circling around each other and smiling, their arms laced around the other's waist.
Confetti fluttered in the air, falling in peoples' hair and wine as even the floor jumped from the excited stamping.
Fleur and Bill broke away, each grabbing someone from the crowd, Lori pulled towards forwards by the bride as they started waltzing exuberantly, Fleur twirling under Lori's arm.
"I must say," Lori beamed, "you look absolutely gorgeous."
A smile curled onto Fleur's lips as Bill came dancing past with Charlie, his best man, "And so do you. I always knew I wanted the bridesmaids in blue, thought it would bring out you and Ginny's hair."
Gabrielle was clapping excitedly as Lori spun Fleur towards her, smirking as she latched onto Cedric and wrapped her arms around her.
"Merlin, love," he laughed, stumbling forwards slightly, "how much have you drunk?"
"Nothing" she replied as he spun her around, "yet."
They laughed happily, gazing into each other's eyes before silence rippled over the tent, it now bathed in an eerie blue glow.
People formed a tight circle around a floating orb, opalescent smoke swirling from where it hovered as Kingley's voice echoed from it, "The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead."
Lori pressed forward, the crowd parting to let her through as she gazed at the orb, staring into its misty depths.
"They are coming... They are coming..."
Scared chatter filled the tent as the orb vanished, cracks echoing around as people disapparated. Lori grabbed Cedric, heading towards Hermiome through the clamouring crowd.
Fire engulfed the tent as Death Eaters arrived in plumes of black smoke, green spells flying from their wands.
Hermione latched her hand with Lori's when they met, leading Ron as they ploughed through to find Harry, who was heading towards Ginny.
Lupin grabbed him, "Go!"
Nodding sadly, Harry turned towards the four of them, lacing his hand with Ron's as the tent warped in front of them, Lupin sending Lori a hazy nod before he disappeared.
With a crack, the leader of the Order of the Phoenix appeared in the middle of the road, still holding on to Cedric and Hermione as a red bus lurched at them, horn blaring.
They ducked out of the way just in time, their backs flush to the railings of the pavement as it thundered past, all of them exhaling a sigh of relief as they clambered over the metal and onto the thoroughfare of Muggles, all of them looking at their smart clothes oddly as they passed.
"Where are we?" Ron asked.
"Shaftesbury Avenue," Hermione replied as they pushed onwards, jostled on all sides, "I used to come to the theater here with mum and dad. I don't know why I thought of it, it just popped into my head."
Soon, they were in the cover of a dark alley, Ron looking at his sister in confusion as they walked, "Can we slow down, I'm in dress robes."
Lori rolled her eyes, snarling as she pulled him along, "Yes, Ron, you look lovely."
Hermione pulled out a small bag from the depths of her red cocktail dress, "We need to change."
Her hand disappeared into the bag, up to her shoulder as she produced clothes, handing a set out to each person.
"How the ruddy...?"
"Undetectable Extension Charm." Hermione replied.
"You're amazing, you are."
"Always the tone of surprise," she smiled, before a low clattering within the bag made her groan, "that'll be the books."
Hermione and Lori turned, already pulling their dresses over their heads and wearing their trousers as Ron shot his sister an uneasy glance, "Do you have the word 'privacy' in your vocabulary?"
"Considering we nearly just got killed, I think privacy is the least of our worries," she shot back, "besides, we're all family."
Ron looked at Cedric, "Not bloody yet, we're not."
Hermione smiled slightly at Lori, both of them now wearing clothes that were definitely not fit for a wedding, their crumpled dresses shoved to the bottom of the bag, heels exchanged for trainers.
Cedric handed his girlfriend his white shirt and bow tie, pulling a tight-fitting tee on, already having changed his smart trousers for jeans.
Hermione nodded at them all once they were ready, "There's a small cafe around the corner, it's usually empty. We should go there."
Lori nodded in agreement, lacing her hand with Cedric's as they once again braved the streets of Muggle London, much more composed than before.