Chapter 707: The Wedding Proceeds
Chapter 707: The Wedding Proceeds
Felix and Bill Weasley stood in front of a tall wooden house not far from the wedding tent. The house, about twenty to thirty feet high, was constructed from tree trunks with their branches removed, leaving only the uppermost part of the canopy, making it look like a green mushroom.
This was a temporary home for Hagrid's brother, Grawp, but now the small house had a large hole in it.
"Little Grawp couldn't find the door when he woke up this morning", Hagrid said abruptly, as if that explained everything. He began hammering and replacing the broken wood with new logs. He tied a handkerchief-sized cloth to the edge of the door and showed Grawp.
The giant extended two fingers, tugging at the cloth, causing the door to open and close repeatedly.
"He's smart", Bill Weasley remarked.
"Yeah", Hagrid said proudly, "Little Grawp can count to twelve now."
Grawp's thick fingers moved along the logs, counting out loud, "One, two, three... ten", and then he added two more, "Grawp eleven, Hagrid twelve."
He scratched his head and smiled foolishly.
"Great job, Hagrid", Felix said. "He has a lot of potential. But we need to move the house first."
"Move it", Hagrid said readily. "I think using a method that ties names to numbers could help Little Grawp count to seventeen, but any more and he starts to miss a few", he added, his face darkening. "He tends to skip a couple of names."
The giant suddenly blocked the front of the house, shouting at them, "Grawp—wants—house."
"Only temporarily", Hagrid shouted back. "I'll bring it back tonight." He then looked at Felix uncertainly, "You can use that—shrink things—magic, right?"
"I have something else in mind", Felix said vaguely. "It's more convenient and, of course, more interesting." He glanced at Grawp, "Could you step aside, please?" The giant hesitated, remembering the three-headed dog, and reluctantly moved, sitting down heavily.
The ground shook.
Felix circled the house, looking for the right angle. Then, the Mind Chamber unfolded like a silver veil. The wood lost its solidity, the edges becoming more prominent, like a three-dimensional painting. Felix pushed, compressing the three-dimensional image into a flat one, which floated and landed in his hand. He rolled it up and handed it to Hagrid.
Hagrid stared blankly at the image as Grawp's eyes widened, his head resting on Hagrid's shoulder, mumbling.
"You can do this now?" Bill Weasley asked, amazed.
"Combining Ancient Runes with other magic is quite fascinating, isn't it?" Felix asked.
"It's like my memory has been scrambled", Bill Weasley said casually. "I never thought Ancient Runes would become so advanced when I was in school—do you still keep in touch with Professor Babbling?"
Felix hesitated, "She says I've turned a leisurely vacation into a busy one." However, his former Ancient Runes professor was highly complimentary of Felix's efforts to consolidate the Ancient Runes Association, believing it had helped her settle a score.
"The old man is avoiding me now", she wrote proudly in a letter. Felix wasn't sure if she meant Creevey's grandfather or the previous president—possibly both.
Felix conjured a spinning top for Grawp to play with, then they walked on the soft grass toward the Burrow. Hagrid kept waving to Grawp, holding the irregular painting rolled up in his hand.
"Be careful, Hagrid, magic might damage it", Felix warned. Hagrid's movements instantly became more gentle.
They passed through a grove of apple trees, and the Burrow came into view. Bill Weasley hesitated.
"Felix, I need to talk to you about the goblins."
Felix looked at him, waiting for more.
"I worked at Gringotts for a while, and I thought I understood them—wizards and goblins can be friends, provided sensitive topics are avoided. They, like wizards, vary individually in personality and temperament."
Felix knew Bill Weasley was leading up to something, "That's not surprising. Intelligent beings always have more complex personalities and emotions."
"Exactly", Bill Weasley agreed. "A goblin friend told me that the Goblin Brotherhood has selected a new leader and is unhappy with the goblins' easy agreement to join the Pan-Magical Alliance. They are also upset about wizards threatening to reveal the secrets of goblin magic. Moreover, goblins aren't just in Britain; Gringotts has branches worldwide, and goblins are spread across the globe. They use a council to balance differing opinions, and only about a third of the goblin elders participated in the previous negotiations."
"Are you saying they are divided and the trend is becoming more apparent?" Felix asked, after a moment's thought. "Do they have any plans in the near future?"
"As far as I know, no", Bill Weasley said. "But once our negotiations with the Muggle government are concluded, they will likely take action."
"Then we'll keep an eye on them", Felix said. "Even if they are a powder keg, it will only explode in the future. Unlike the ongoing government negotiations, the goblins have already joined the Pan-Magical Alliance, and the head of the Goblin Liaison Office, Dirk Cresswell, will try to calm them down. I can't spare the time right now—after the wedding, I'll be traveling abroad."
"Abroad?" Bill Weasley and Hagrid exclaimed simultaneously. Bill Weasley's eyes flickered with thought, "Is it related to the unexpected guests from Sirius? They are from the International Wizarding Confederation..."
“Hmm,” Felix didn’t elaborate, “compared to the issues abroad, the problems with the goblins seem rather insignificant—goblin issues aren’t unsolvable, but they’re difficult to resolve quickly. We can pretend to make threats at the negotiating table, storm out in a huff, but the actual implementation would inevitably bring chaos and turmoil to the entire wizarding world, which isn’t worth it at this juncture.”
His point was clear: prioritize the main issues, and the goblin problem was secondary.
The three of them crossed a garden that seemed recently washed. Mrs. Weasley stood by the window, holding a long list, her sharp gaze sweeping back and forth. Upon hearing the door open, she approached them, unable to hide her anxiety. “I feel like something is still missing.”
Bill Weasley opened his mouth, but a white figure darted past Mrs. Weasley and into his arms—it was Fleur. She stepped back, twirling on the spot, her white dress rippling like the surface of water, and her silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, adding the final touch.
“Darling, do I look beautiful?” Fleur asked.
“Absolutely stunning,” Bill Weasley replied, and Fleur’s face lit up with a radiant smile, while Mrs. Weasley’s smile faded. Felix looked around and pointed to the floating banners on the ceiling and the purple lanterns piled in the corner. “I think it’s because of these, Molly. Some things from Harry’s birthday party last night haven’t been put away yet.”
“Oh, right, you’re correct.” Mrs. Weasley said hurriedly.
Hagrid followed Felix cautiously, and they entered the living room, which was packed with people. “Hello, Charlie,” Hagrid greeted warmly. Charlie was the Weasleys’ second child, working in Romania researching fire dragons. Hagrid liked him, perhaps because Charlie had once helped him a great deal.
“Is Norbert doing well?” Hagrid asked.
“Norbert?” Charlie laughed, “We call it Norberta now.”
“What—Norbert is a girl?”
“Yep,” Charlie explained, “It’s hard to tell the sex of a dragon when they’re young, but it gets easier as they grow, like the Ukrainian Ironbelly I recently got. It’s as if it’s inflating like a balloon…” He glanced at Felix, who waved and sat down next to Lupin.
“They do grow quickly when they’re young,” Hagrid murmured, recalling his own experience with raising dragons.
Once Felix sat down, Lupin leaned over, speaking in a low, urgent voice, “After the wedding, can you come to the office? It shouldn’t take long.”
“What’s up?” Felix asked in a hushed tone.
“I think… it worked.” Lupin seemed to be trying hard to hide his excitement. The Delacours were surprised, but they were quickly distracted by Mr. Weasley’s entertaining joke.
“What worked—oh!” Felix looked at Lupin. He mouthed a word.
“The Ancient Magic to control werewolf transformations,” Lupin said, his voice trembling slightly. “Maybe it was the alcohol. After Harry’s birthday last night, I felt a strange sensation when I got back to the Castle. I tried it, and it went surprisingly smoothly to the final step, but I didn’t dare go further.”
“No problem, let’s do it tonight,” Felix said thoughtfully. He was happy for Lupin. After five months, Lupin finally saw a glimmer of hope. He had a solid foundation in Ancient Runes due to his work, which highlighted the complexity of this magic.
Felix understood Lupin’s eagerness—ideally, testing on a full moon would be best, but the significance of this magic was too great for Lupin to wait another half-month.
...
Mr. Weasley burst into laughter, as if he were the one listening to the story.
The Delacours weren’t very fluent in English, so they expressed their praise in French. Their youngest daughter, Gabrielle Delacour, sat between her parents, looking around. She was a mini version of Fleur, a budding beauty at just 11 years old. She and Ginny were the bridesmaids for today’s wedding.
Gabrielle suddenly jumped up, pressing her face to the window, and chirped, “Mom! Someone’s coming. Are they wedding guests? Is the wedding starting?”
Mr. Weasley also stood up and looked out the window. “It’s Percy and Penelope, and someone else—Sirius!” He glanced at his watch, then scanned the room, finally settling his gaze on Charlie.
“The time is about right, Charlie. Go get the kids in the garage—” Charlie stood up, “Sure, Dad.” “—and check if they’ve made a mess in there.”
“Let Gabrielle do it,” Mr. Delacour said good-naturedly. His wife stood up, and the couple’s heights seemed reversed—she was taller and slender, with a head of radiant blonde hair, while he was short and stocky, with a small black mustache.
Gabrielle skipped to the door, pushed it open, and disappeared from their sight in a flash. It was like a signal, and everyone in the room started moving.
Earlier, in the Weasley’s garage—
The adults were chatting in the living room, while the children (or those still considered children) were gathered in the Weasleys’ garage, chatting casually. Ron was fiddling with the radio equipment the Weasley Twins had brought back.
“I want to get one of these someday,” Ron said.
“Aren’t you going to be an Auror?” Fred raised an eyebrow.
“Of course, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have a hobby,” Ron replied.
“Our little brother is quite fond of putting his voice into other people’s ears,” Fred told Cedric. The two families had moved closer to each other during the brief threat from Voldemort to support each other, and even after the war, the Diggorys found it pleasant and continued to visit regularly.
“You can’t say you don’t like it,” Ron pointed out.
"Sure, we're just giving you a heads-up", George said in a threatening tone. "If you're planning to share any interesting family stories, it might be best not to include us. For your own personal health, that is."
"You mean Mr. Weasley's interview?" Hermione asked the twins.
They didn't answer directly. "The Daily Prophet quoted some Muggle reports, and now I feel like I'm standing naked in the middle of a snowstorm", Fred said dejectedly.
"Parents are a terrifying species. They remember every embarrassing moment from your birth", George added, feeling the same way.
"—And they love sharing them."
"I thought it was just Mom's hobby!"
"Who knew Dad would strike the final blow from behind."
"Can't even face people anymore."
The twins chimed in, and Harry didn't see much embarrassment on their faces. Mr. Weasley hadn't mentioned anything particularly bad, but Harry's curiosity was satisfied—Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had distinguished the twins as infants by marking their bottoms.
"Hey, I see a group of goblins looking this way", Cho Chang said, peering out the window.
"That's odd", Ron said, puzzled. "They usually take a day or two to work up the courage."
"I know why", Ginny said. "Dad thinks every family member should bring some good luck, so he quietly gave some candy to the goblins."
"Every family member? Goblins?" Ron stared in disbelief, then his face lit up with understanding. "That explains why Dad decided to give the ghoul in the attic new clothes. I thought Mom had infected him... Right, Harry?"
"Please, don't mention it", Harry said, grimacing. He had accidentally squeezed a few pus-filled blisters while grabbing the ghoul's arm, and the stench was almost enough to make him faint. Hermione, Ginny, and Cho Chang giggled, while Cedric turned away, struggling to keep a straight face.
At that moment, a little girl with silver waterfall-like hair appeared at the door. "Hello! They're calling you! Guests are arriving!"
"Got it, Gabrielle", Hermione said gently, as if she hadn't just been laughing. "Let's go."
As they stepped out, they met a group coming from the Burrow. Mr. Weasley handed the seating chart to Fred and George. "Kids, a little help." Then he turned to Ginny with a stern look. "If you don't want to hear your mom using the Sonorus charm to call your name, you'd better hurry back and change."
Ginny yelped and rushed back, with Gabrielle following lightly behind.
"Where are Amelia and Tonks?" Felix and Lupin asked Sirius as they walked together from the back of the crowd.
Sirius glanced at his watch.
"The wedding starts in an hour. She should arrive about fifteen minutes early, so she's probably inspecting Diagon Alley—preparing for the Muggle guests. Tonks is with her. They asked me to come over first and explain the situation. Apparently, a travel agency guide is doing the commentary. Someone must have had a bad idea."
"That would be me", Felix said absentmindedly. "I mentioned it offhandedly."
"Insightful", Sirius grinned. "I don't know the Wizard, but back in school, that travel agency seemed to pride itself on making more Wizards 'disappear' than any other."
"There will be Aurors keeping an eye on things in the background", Felix said. "But when are the International Confederation of Wizards people arriving?"
"They're already here", Sirius said. "Amelia had them rest at the Ministry of Magic before coming over. Aberforth isn't in the best shape."
At exactly three in the afternoon, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George stood outside the large, milky-white tent in the orchard, holding the seating chart and waiting for guests. A purple carpet stretched from their feet to the end of the tent, and golden chairs were neatly arranged. Poles and tables were adorned with fresh flowers that Fred and George had traded from the town. Hermione and Penelope tirelessly placed various small gifts in the center of each table.
Mr. Weasley disappeared for a moment, then returned with a group of waiters and a band. Everyone went about their tasks, and soon the tent began to fill with guests.
Grawp couldn't enter the tent; just standing there, he could easily pluck the flags from the tent's open top. As the only Pureblood giant in Britain—though that might be irrelevant—Grawp had been given a task. He held a bunch of balloons and handed one to each passing guest. The only effect was to scare them.
But there were always brave souls willing to try.
Felix, with nothing to do, kept an eye on the arriving guests.
After a while, Felix took out a Magic Camera and handed it to Mr. Weasley, who was overjoyed and left with the camera. When Felix looked outside again, he saw Percy standing in front of Grawp, holding the camera and taking photos of guests who were eager to show their bravery.
When a group of girls from France, who seemed to have Veela blood, mustered the courage to have their photos taken, it became a special wedding activity. Those who succeeded returned with a sense of triumph, walking with a more upright posture.
Finally, the person Felix had been waiting for arrived.
At first sight of Aberforth Dumbledore, Felix knew Sirius's earlier assessment had been too mild. Aberforth didn't just look a bit worse for wear; he was severely worn out. In just over a month, he seemed to have aged a decade.
(End of Chapter)
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