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Chapter 785: The Witch in Godric's Hollow
Chapter 785: The Witch in Godric's Hollow
By seven o'clock, the guests had started to arrive. Fred, George, and Ron had been drafted by Mrs. Weasley to act as temporary ushers, greeting people as they arrived and escorting them into the house.
"Kyle, what do you think of my outfit? Do I look presentable enough?" Hagrid asked quietly at the door.
"Hmm?" Kyle glanced at Hagrid's furry brown suit and said reassuringly, "Rest assured, anyone can tell at first glance how much you value this wedding."
Who would wear a thick furry suit in August, the hottest month of the year, if they didn't consider the occasion important? Kyle knew he certainly couldn't.
"Um..." Harry's voice sounded a little hesitant as he spoke up from the side, "Do I really not need to do something to conceal my identity, like drinking a Polyjuice Potion or something?"
He and Sirius had reconciled, and no one knew what they had said to each other in the room, but after they came out, they were as good as before.
"Not at all." Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "You don't look that scary, and you won't scare away the guests. Your face is just fine."
"I'm not talking about that." Harry stammered, "I mean, what if Death Eaters find out I'm here? Won't that cause trouble?"
"You don't have to worry about that at all." Kyle said indifferently, "As long as it's not the Dark Lord himself coming here, there won't be any trouble. Besides, coincidentally, the Dark Lord just had a fight with Professor Dumbledore a few days ago. He's probably recovering from his injuries and won't dare to show his face publicly for a while."
"Is that so?" Harry scratched his hair.
"Of course." Kyle smiled at him, "Just do what you want to do, and don't worry about anything else."
"Then what can I do?" Harry immediately became spirited, "Mrs. Weasley didn't give me any tasks."
"Then you can go and check on the seating arrangements for the guests." Kyle thought for a moment, "Also, remember to add some decorations to each seat, like flowers or ribbons. After all, it's a wedding, so it's better to make it more festive."
"No problem." Harry happily ran off.
"Decorating the seats?" Hagrid looked at Kyle curiously, "If I remember correctly, wasn't that Chris' task?"
"That's right." Kyle nodded, "But since Harry rarely takes the initiative to help, I'll let him take over this task."
"Huh?" Hagrid blinked, "Wait, I think I didn't quite catch what you mean."
"Is it that hard to understand?" Kyle said earnestly, "There aren't many occasions like this."
"Yes, that's true." Hagrid nodded.
While there had been wizards who got married during such turbulent times, they didn't know any of them personally. As far as he knew, Lupin and Tonks were the only couple they were familiar with who were planning to get married.
"So, the more you do on such occasions, the more involved you feel. It's a rare opportunity, and isn't that a good thing?"
Hagrid nodded, still looking a bit confused. He felt that something was amiss, but when he thought about it carefully, what Kyle said did make sense.
There weren't many occasions for celebration in the wizarding world these days, and feeling involved was indeed important.
"Okay, then I'll go help too." Hagrid said, and followed Harry towards the area where the chairs were being set up.
"Oh, sir, madam, please follow me this way."
Fred's voice could be heard from a short distance away as he escorted a middle-aged couple.
The woman was a witch who bore a resemblance to Tonks, but her hair was a soft light brown instead of the ever-changing colors her daughter sported.
Beside her was a man with golden hair and a large belly...
"Andromeda, Ted, it's wonderful to see you here."
Mr. Weasley hurried over and embraced the couple.
"It's been a long time, Arthur." Andromeda Tonks, the mother of Nymphadora Tonks, said softly, "How's Molly doing?"
"She's fine, she's preparing the snacks for later." Mr. Weasley said, "Allow me to introduce my sons. This is Fred... or maybe it's George, they're twins as you know."
Mr. Weasley ignored Fred's annoyed expression and pointed to Kyle, "This is Chris and Diana's son, Kyle."
"Oh, Kyle, these are Tonks' parents."
"Nice to meet you." Kyle shook hands with them.
"I've heard of you." Mrs. Tonks exclaimed, "The youngest recipient of the Second Class Order of Merlin, the champion of the Triwizard Tournament, you've brought great honor to the British Ministry of Magic."
"You're too kind." Kyle said humbly.
However, he also noticed that it was always Mrs. Tonks who was speaking, while Mr. Ted Tonks had a rather unpleasant expression on his face. It was only when Kyle looked at him that he forced a stiff smile.
This was understandable, as Lupin didn't fit the image of an ideal son-in-law in terms of appearance, age, or financial status, not to mention the fact that he was a werewolf.
It was normal for Mr. Tonks to be unhappy about the marriage, and it would have been strange if he had shown up all cheerful and supportive. Kyle could even understand if he had chosen not to attend the wedding...
"This way, please, let me show you to Andromeda." After a brief introduction, Fred led them into the house to find Tonks.
Next was George, who brought along some familiar faces—Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout. This came as a surprise to Kyle, as he rarely saw them outside of school.
Especially Professor Sprout, Kyle always thought she would never leave the school greenhouses.
"Welcome, Professors." This time, it was Sirius who greeted them. "Your presence here is truly a delightful surprise."
"I'm quite surprised myself," said Professor McGonagall, glancing at the house in the distance. "I never expected you to choose this place for the wedding."
"It was Remus' insistence," Sirius said, rubbing his nose. "Because James once said that when Remus got married, he would attend no matter where it was."
"Yes, they were inseparable during their school days," Professor McGonagall said, her eyes glistening with emotion.
"Those were some of my happiest memories," Sirius said. "Anyway, come on in. Lupin will be thrilled to see you. He thought you wouldn't be able to make it."
"We didn't have the time initially, but Filius took over some of our work." Professor McGonagall explained, "Lupin is one of my favorite students, and I couldn't miss his wedding."
"The same goes for Nymphadora," added Professor Sprout with a smile.
"What about me, then?" Sirius asked playfully, his mood seemingly quite cheerful. "What impression do I leave in your heart, Professor?"
"If I had my way," Professor McGonagall blurted out, "perhaps Gryffindor would have won a few more House Cups if you had been sorted into another house."
Intentionally or not, Professor McGonagall glanced at George as she said this.
"That's truly heartbreaking," Sirius said, covering his chest, but his smile only widened.
"Follow me, Professors. Lupin will be overjoyed to see you." After Sirius left, George didn't rush back but instead walked over to Kyle, who was standing nearby.
"When I get married..." George tugged at the tie around his neck as he spoke. "I won't go through all this fuss. I'll throw a party that lasts from morning till night. People can come and join in whenever they want, and they're free to leave whenever they please."
"Then you'll have to get past Mrs. Weasley first." Kyle handed him a bottle of chilled pumpkin juice. "She'll never agree to that."
"It's fine." George took a gulp from the bottle. "I can put a Full-Body Bind Curse on Mum until it's all over."
"In that case, remember to let me know in advance." Kyle glanced at him. "So I can pay my respects at your grave the next day."
"She has to catch me first." George laughed. "Okay, I'd better go and tell the band to start playing."
With that, he strolled towards the largest tree nearby, where the wizard band members were smoking pipes. They were apparently a famous band, but Kyle couldn't remember their name, nor did he recognize them.
The number of guests who came was even fewer than expected. By half-past seven, everyone had arrived, and most of them were familiar faces.
However, this situation was something they had anticipated.
Tonks' mother had been disowned by her family long ago for marrying a wizard born into a Muggle family. One of the burn holes on the Black family tapestry belonged to her.
Due to this incident, she had cut off contact with most of her acquaintances. Even if she had maintained some relationships, those people wouldn't have attended her daughter's wedding to a werewolf.
As for Ted Tonks, most of his relatives were Muggles, so it wouldn't have been appropriate to invite them to a wizard's wedding.
Aside from them, the only strangers Kyle saw were Lupin's parents.
They arrived halfway through the wedding, just as the officiant was reciting the vows. Lupin suddenly dashed off the stage, leaving Tonks so furious that her hair turned red.
It was only when she and the others followed Lupin's gaze that they noticed the tardy couple.
Like Tonks, Lupin's parents were a wizard-Muggle couple, but unlike her, Lupin's father was a wizard.
Lyall Lupin, an expert in Dark Creatures, was a name Kyle had heard from Newt, who held him in high regard.
If Kyle remembered correctly, he was probably in his sixties, but he looked much older than his actual age.
At first, they didn't seem to believe that Lupin was getting married and thought it was a prank. It was only after they confirmed it with their own eyes that they finally lost control of their emotions and hugged each other, weeping with joy.
However, Kyle always felt that there was something a little odd about the relationship between Lupin and his parents—not close, but not exactly distant either. There was just a subtle sense of estrangement, as if they were distant relatives who rarely interacted.
After the brief surge of emotion, the atmosphere between them quickly turned silent again.
Then Lupin returned to the stage.
Fortunately, the officiant was experienced and chose to ignore this little incident, starting over with the vows from the beginning.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls..."
"I never expected them to be like this," Fred, sitting to Kyle's left, suddenly muttered.
"What do you mean?" Kyle asked.
"I'm talking about the relationship between Lupin and his parents," George said from the other side.
"Their relationship isn't good?"
"I guess it's not exactly bad," Fred thought for a moment. "This all happened over thirty years ago."
"Lupin's father said something that offended Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf. So, on the night of a full moon, Greyback broke into their house and bit young Lupin," Fred explained.
"Yeah," Fred nodded. "Because of this incident, Lupin's father sank into deep self-blame and became silent and distant, rarely speaking to Lupin."
"Adding to that, Lupin's identity as a werewolf drove a further wedge between them, and that's how they ended up like this," George added.
Kyle looked at them in confusion. "How do you know all this?"
"We overheard it, of course," Fred said matter-of-factly. "We eavesdropped on their conversation for three whole hours last night. Lupin even said he didn't think his parents would come to the wedding."
"But it looks like he was wrong," George said with a smile.
"Three hours?" Kyle smacked his lips. "You guys really have too much free time."
"It was worth it, wasn't it?" Fred raised an eyebrow. "After all, they wouldn't have shared such secrets with us otherwise."
Then he turned to look at the couple on the stage.
"This is really nice, but I still think it's too much trouble. When I get married, I won't have someone rambling on and on like that," Fred stated.
"You'll have to get past Mrs. Weasley first," Kyle said.
As the vows were read, some of the more sentimental guests started to shed tears. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione dabbed at their eyes, while Mrs. Lupin and Mrs. Tonks wept with joy. Behind them, there was a loud noise, like someone blowing their nose.
It was Hagrid, covering his face with a tablecloth-sized handkerchief, his nose making those honking sounds.
"...I now pronounce you life partners."
At these words, Fred and George jumped up from their seats, setting off the party poppers they had prepared earlier, showering Lupin and Tonks with colorful confetti.
This time, it wasn't leftover Christmas stock but specially made for the occasion.
A shower of silver stars and various flowers rained down on them, real flowers with bees buzzing around, startled at first but soon excitedly flying towards the garden below.
Then Kyle waved his wand, and the surrounding flowers began to grow wildly, reaching human height in the blink of an eye. Fuzzy little animals of all kinds jumped out from all directions, and three phoenixes landed behind the couple, singing a melodious song.
"That's quite an impressive Transfiguration spell," Professor McGonagall commented from the guest seats, nodding in approval.
"Indeed," Professor Sprout agreed. "Though I think goldenrod or hydrangeas would have been a better choice than orchids and roses. They are the most beautiful flowers, in my opinion."
The two professors discussed their botanical preferences with interest.
"Hey, Kyle, this wasn't part of the plan," Fred said with a hint of annoyance.
"And you're making us look bad," George added.
"It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Don't be mad," Kyle said with a grin.
He had just thought of it, feeling that he should do something for Lupin's wedding, so he decided to liven up the atmosphere a bit.
This unexpected display earned applause and cheers from the guests.
Then the garden transformed into a dance floor, and the band struck up a lively tune. Drinks like pumpkin juice, butterbeer, and fire whiskey flew in from all directions, neatly arranging themselves on the tables.
"This is fantastic," George said, taking a sip of butterbeer. "But I have a question."
"What is it?" Fred asked.
"Who's that person over there?" George pointed.
Not far from them stood a hunched-over witch who looked quite old and out of place amid the lively wedding celebration.
"Don't know her," Fred shook his head. "Probably one of the neighbors."
(End of Chapter)
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