The wedding the next day was both everything and nothing that Harry had expected. The actual ceremony itself was basically the same thing that one would expect at a Muggle wedding. But the reception party was what amazed Harry the most. There were dozens of tables set up around the backyard, hundreds of differently colored orbs floating in mid-air to provide lighting, and even the gnomes in the Weasleys’ backyard were put to use as servers. Never-ending tankards of butterbeer and fire whiskey were set up all around the yard, all the food was better than ever, and large wireless speakers provided the dancers with loud music.
All in all, Harry had a wonderful time. He enjoyed it so much that he got caught up in the euphoria and snogged Ginny for about ten minutes, hopefully away from prying eyes (Fred and George’s, mostly). After that, they realized what they had done without any great regrets from Harry, and went back to their status of being broken up.
Ron and Hermione’s day could possibly gone the same way, but they overheard Fleur express her discontent that Victor Krum had to leave so early. Ron immediately blew things out of proportion and turned to Hermione, demanding to know where she had been during her short period of absence that she claimed was for a bathroom break. Even Harry enjoyed sniggering behind their backs with Fred and George.
Far into the night, the party ended when Bill and Fleur left to spend the night in a fancy hotel room they rented in London.
Hermione and Ron didn’t totally make up by the next morning, but it was a definite improvement over how long their arguments usually lasted. They put their trouble aside since Bill and Fleur were coming over before leaving on their honeymoon.
“So,” Ginny asked over the last breakfast with the two families together, “are you two Apparating to Sicily?”
“Oh, no,” Bill answered, “We might get separated. We bought a luxury broom in France that will take us the whole way there.”
“Eet will be so romanteek eef we argue about which way to go. Zat will only prove to everybody we are married.” Fleur leaned in and kissed Bill on the cheek.
“Riiight,” said Ginny slowly, giving her a look as though worried about her mental health. Everybody else laughed and continued to eat.
After breakfast they all went outside into the warm summer sunshine. Bill went back into the house and brought out a trunk and the broom they would be using. Harry could only describe the broom as a boxy Y shape. There was a large space in between the two seats for luggage, charmed so that nothing would fall off the broom.
Bill and Fleur said good-byes to their families (Harry and Hermione too) and mounted the broom. They zoomed up into the air and flew away south. It wasn’t until the broom was a speck in the sky that the spectators moved again. The Delacours then got their trunks and met the Weasleys at the front of the house. The parents of both families said their good-byes, and Gabrielle somehow managed to coax Charlie down to kiss him on both cheeks. Mrs. Delacour grabbed Gabrielle’s hand and Mr. Delacour took the trunk. They turned and waved to everybody, and Disapparated.
“Well,” said Charlie, “I guess I should be going too.” He already had his things with him.
“Try to bring your girlfriend for Christmas this year if you can make it,” said Mrs. Weasley when she hugged Charlie.
“Uh”sure,” he said casting an evil wary eye toward Fred and George.
Crack.
Following Charlie’s departure, Fred and George also announced their leaving.
“Well, vacation’s over,” Fred said, both rundown and enthusiastic about getting back to work.
“I hope Verity wasn’t too swamped while we were gone,” George said.
“She shouldn’t be,” Fred reassured him. “Those instructions you left her should have made it easier for her.”
George stared in horror. “I thought you left her the instructions!”
“I told you to do it!”
“But I was packing my things!”
“I was packing my things!”
“’Bye!” the twins said in unison, Disapparating.
The rest of the month leading up to Harry’s seventeenth birthday went by just as the previous two weeks”except for the absence of Charlie and the twins, and no more wedding talk. Everything was passing along peacefully and it was starting to feel like a regular summer, but the same didn’t go for the outside world.
Two days after the wedding there was an attempted assassination on the Diggorys. They both made it out with minor injuries, but the Death Eater, who probably underestimated them, was in intensive care. After he healed he would be thoroughly questioned. To Hermione’s horror, Professor Sinistra, who was apparently believed to have been very close to Dumbledore, was tortured to death for information regarding Order business. Luna’s father was also killed for his role in revealing Voldemort, even though it has been more then a year ago. Luckily, Luna had been in Diagon Alley buying crushed snake fangs. The Ministry forced her into hiding.
“Poor Luna,” said Ginny, almost in tears. It was halfway through July and she, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the living room reading the Daily Prophet. This touched the four of them the most out of anyone at Hogwarts. Luna was the only person other than Neville that was part of the D.A., at the Department of Mysteries, and the only members that came to help during the battle at the school.
To top everything, there was another mass breakout from Azkaban and all the Death Eaters captured at the Department of Mysteries escaped.
More bad news came as another week went by, but it was momentarily forgotten in the Burrow, for Bill and Fleur had come back. According to the couple, they had apparently lost an entire day of the honeymoon because they didn’t realize that they overshot Sicily until they saw Egypt below them. When they finally got to the hotel it turned out that the reservations were lost. So they didn’t get the luxury beach house they asked for. Instead they got a small shack that flooded during high tide and didn’t get much room service. Still, Bill and Fleur admitted to having a good time. The sunset was beautiful through their window and the beach was still marvelous. High tide gave them an excuse to get on the bed.
After the welcome-home dinner Bill and Fleur Disapparated to their new home in London. Another week passed and finally came Harry’s seventeenth birthday. Bill and Fleur came back, along with Fred and George. Hagrid, Lupin, Tonks and Moody came by also.
“All righ’ there, Harry,” said Hagrid, as he clapped him on the shoulder, which caused Harry’s knees to buckle. “Seventeen now, blimey. It on’y seems yest’rday that I fetched ye from the Dursleys.”
Harry had to agree, for this day marked his sixth year since his introduction into the wizarding world. He hoped that he would live to see his seventh.
“So how are things at the school?” Harry asked, trying to keep his mind on other things.
“Not the same without Dumbledore there,” he said sadly. “But I’m still sticking aroun’ ter perform me gamekeeper duties. McGonagall’s stayin’ at the castle too, so that’s some comfort, she bein’ the new Head an’ all.”
Harry patted Hagrid on the shoulder in remorse and joined him in getting a piece of cake.
His presents were some of the greatest that he had ever received. He got a watch from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, assorted sweets from Lupin and Tonks, a dark-detecting device from Moody, a new pocket knife from Hagrid, a number of items from Fred and George’s shop, an updated copy of Quidditch Through the Ages from Hermione, and Ron and Ginny pitched in for Seeker gloves.
“Thanks,” Harry told them happily. I hope I’ll be able to use them, he thought miserably.
Unfortunately, the pleasant mood was killed just as it had been the year before. While everyone was going at the cake, when news came of five more Muggle-born murders, and all the victims were high up in the Ministry. Also, Dolores Umbridge was murdered in full view during a rally for the support of the identification and relocation of all half-human creatures. The theory was that a murder of person high in the Ministry out in the open would further lower public confidence in the government.
“Putting that aside,” Mrs. Weasley half-shouted, forcing a piece of the cake into Bill’s hands. She then spoke softly. “Arthur, why don’t you tell Harry the plan?”
“Right,” said Mr. Weasley, turning to Harry. “I will be escorting you to the ministry to earn your last gift, your Apparition license”and Ron too,” he added as an afterthought.
Harry and Ron gave a shout of joy, and later in the afternoon the two of them and Mr. Weasley were walking down the lawn.
“Okay, boys, since this isn’t a misuse of magic trail you will be Side-Along Apparating with me. Now grab my arms.”
They did as they were told and Mr. Weasley stepped forward. Harry felt the usual pressure and then it subsided. When he opened his eyes he found they had appeared outside the rundown telephone box, the entrance to the Ministry.
“Why didn’t you just take us inside, Mr. Weasley?” asked Harry.
“Because you two are guests, and this is the guest entrance. All right, step inside.”
They stepped inside as best they could and Mr. Weasley dialed six, two, four, four, and two. The dial rolled back into place and the cool female voice filled the space.
“Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business.”
“Arthur Weasley,” he said aloud, “Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects, here to escort Ron Weasley and Harry Potter for their Apparition tests.”
“Thank you,” the voice responded. “Visitors, please take your badge and attach it to the front of your robes.”
The silver badges came out the coin slot and Mr. Weasley gave them one each. Harry’s read Harry Potter, Apparition Test. He and Ron pinned them to their shirts.
“Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at security, which is located at the end of the Atrium.”
The floor shuddered and the telephone box descended slowly. It became dark when they went fully underground and a golden light at their feet appeared and grew larger. Then, the Atrium came into full view.
“The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day.”
They stepped out of the telephone box and started to walk down the Atrium. They passed the fireplaces on both sides, and the empty space where the Fountain of Magical Brethren used to stand.
When they reached the security desk the security wizard, Eric, put Harry and Ron’s wands through the usual procedure.
“Fourteen inches, willow, one unicorn hair, been in use for four years,” Eric said, reading the slip from Ron’s wand. “And eleven inches, holly, phoenix tail, used for six years.” He gave back their wands and placed the slips of paper in the spike.
Harry, Ron, and Mr. Weasley went through the golden gates to the lifts.
“Hold on!” yelled Mr. Weasley to a lift that was closing. They caught it just in time and they started to ascend as the grilles slid closed.
“Level seven,” said the same voice from the phone booth, “Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and Ludicrous Patents Office.”
The grilles opened and people came in and out, along with some interdepartmental notes. The grilles closed and they started to ascend again.
“Level six, Department of Magical Transport, and the incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, and Apparition Test Center.”
“This is us,” said Mr. Weasley, grabbing Harry and Ron. They bustled through the crowd and left the elevator as the grilles shut.
They passed through a corridor and a room full of cubicles with working people, who weren’t maimed like some of the Aurors on the second floor. They went into another corridor and at the end of it were large double doors marked Apparition Test Center. Through the doors they could hear the faint sounds of people Apparating.
“I’m leaving you two here,” said Mr. Weasley. “If you pass, then go back home. If not, then use the Floo Network. Either way, I want you to send me a note.” He clapped them both on the shoulders and left.
Harry and Ron opened the doors and sounds of Apparition were more profound, with the occasional shrieks of terror of someone splinching. The room was huge, about the size of two cathedrals. On the side they were standing on there were many lines of people waiting to take their tests. They came up to a desk with a wizard behind it wearing earplugs and reading the Daily Prophet.
“Take a form, fill it out and give it to an Apparition examiner,” the man shouted automatically, barely looking at them over the top of the paper.
Harry and Ron did as they were told and filled out the forms with the provided quills. It asked simple things such as name and date of birth.
“Now wha”” Ron started to ask.
“Get in a line,” interrupted the man, jabbing his thumb toward the lines behind him.
They both the chose the second line from the left and waited.
“Nervous?” Harry asked.
“Oh, no,” said Ron anxiously. “Just because if I fail again I’ll never hear the end of it from Fred and George, and Hermione might think less of me, doesn’t mean I’m nervous. I mean, what if I end up like Charlie and Apparate five miles south of here?”
“Come off it. Sure Fred and George will never let it go, but Hermione won’t care. She knows tests were never your strong point. And I’m sure if you so overshoot, then it’ll only be three miles.”
“Thanks a lot,” he said sarcastically. “What about you?”
“I’m okay,” Harry lied. The truth was that he had bats instead of butterflies in his stomach. He had already done this before, but it had been under very different circumstances.
They waited for another twenty minutes until the Apparition instructor called Harry’s name. As he stepped forward Ron gave him a thumbs up.
“Form, please,” said the instructor. He took the form from Harry and his eyes widened. He looked from Harry to his scar. “You’re””
“Here for the test. Correct,” Harry said, interrupting forcefully. There was another shriek of terror as another person splinched.
“Uh…yeah. Sorry about that.” The instructor checked over Harry’s form again. “All seems in order,” he said, as he signed it and gave it back to Harry. “Now, all you have to do is Apparate to the other side of the room. If you passed, then give the form to the man waiting for you and he’ll give you your license. If you don’t pass (and you will know if you did), we’ll help you out and you can come back some other time to try again. Take your time.”
Harry shut his eyes and concentrated on the other side of the room. Somebody else shrieked. Maybe the three D’s would actually help. Destination, Determination, Deliberation…nothing, he thought bitterly. To Apparate to the other side of the room was all he wanted. He waited for another second and stepped forward. The pressure came and left, and when he opened his eyes he found himself on the other side. Harry could hear a very faint whoop from Ron. Harry checked himself for any missing body parts and cheered as well.
“Form,” said a tired-looking wizard, snatching the form from Harry. He inserted it into the slot of a large camera. There was a blinding flash and a plastic card shot out of another smaller slot from under the lens. The wizard then took it and shoved it into Harry’s hands. He then went to serve somebody else who just appeared.
Harry looked at his license. It had all of the information that Harry put on his form, as well as his picture. He stuck it in his pocket.
Crack.
Ron had just Apparated a little to Harry’s left. He checked all of his body (especially his eyebrows) and cheered. Ron went through the same procedure as Harry and they left through the large double doors marked Exit.
Trying to find their way back to the elevators, they found an office. Ron sent a message to his dad and Harry got directions. Within minutes they were both walking down the Atrium.
“Ready for your first licensed Apparition?” Harry asked.
“More than I ever was,” answered Ron.
They both thought about the Burrow. They stepped forward and turned. Then the Burrow appeared in front of them.
When Harry and Ron entered that house it was clear that they were not to getting the triumphant return they had been expecting. All the guests except for Bill and Fleur had left and everybody was sitting around the kitchen table. Ginny seemed the most subdued.
“Uh…we passed,” said Ron uncertainly. All eyes at the table shifted toward them.
“What happened?” Harry asked.
“We got a letter from Hogwarts,” said Hermione, holding up an envelope with the Hogwarts crest. “It says that they won’t be reopening until the threat is either gone or diminished.”
“I am indeed sorry zat ‘Ogwarts will not be reopening,” said Fleur somberly. “Eet was a wonderful school.”
“What is going to happen now?” Mrs. Weasley asked to nobody in particular. “Hogwarts is the safest place there is. And what about you four?” she said to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. “What are you going to do without a complete education?”
“I know eet will not be ze same, but I am certain zat I can convince Madame Maxime to take all of you in.”
This offer took Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny completely off guard, but it cheered Mrs. Weasley very much.
"Oh, that would be delightful, Fleur!” said Mrs. Weasley excitedly. Harry figured that this was the first time she was glad to be related to Fleur.
“What!” Ginny blurted out. “No offense, but I really don’t want to go to school in France! And I’m sure this lot feels the same way.” She pointed to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
“But, Ginny, you all don’t have much of a choice. What are you going to do without a complete education?”
“We’ll manage,” said Harry. “Besides, I already have plans.”
“You mean we already have plans,” said Ron and Hermione.
“Plans?” said a confused Mrs. Weasley. “I thought the Dursleys were””
“That was just stage one, Mum,” said Ron.
“But you never ran anything else by me, Ronald.”
“Sorry, but I’m seventeen now, Mum. I don’t have to.”
Mrs. Weasley stood up and slapped Ron hard across the back of his head as best she could. “That may be true! But I only have your best interests in mind”all of yours! Now, what are these plans?” she demanded.
“Traveling,” said Harry quickly, hoping it would somehow be a good enough excuse.
“Traveling? But there is plenty of time for that after school. And where to, exactly?”
“We’re going to spend a little time in Godric’s Hollow. Then, we go wherever we have to.”
Before Mrs. Weasley could retort, Bill stood up and cut her off. “Listen,” he said, glaring at the three of them, “You lot may be of age, but what was the point of the last six years if you’re not going to finish? And the same goes for you, Ginny.”
“This is important,” said Harry. “Even more than school right now. I am sure that Beauxbatons is a very good school, but I can’t go. And I can’t say what we are going to do.”
“Why?” said Mrs. Weasley, sounding more worried.
“It’s a secret, Mum,” said Ginny, standing up. “I don’t know myself, Harry wouldn’t tell me. But I do know this is important.”
“Really,” said Bill suspiciously. “Tell me, Harry. Would you still go through with this if Hogwarts did reopen?”
Harry shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, this is important,” he said. Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement.
“It can’t be more important than a proper education,” said Mrs. Weasley desperately. “I will not let anybody stay in this house if they are supposed to be in school. And if you still refuse to go then you will have to go somewhere else.” It pained her to say that, but she hoped it would scare them with the prospect of nowhere to stay.
“What about me?” Ginny cried out.
“If you still don’t want to go to Beauxbatons, then you will just have to go with Harry.”
Harry wouldn’t meet Ginny or Mrs. Weasley’s eyes. “I’m sorry, but Ginny can’t come.”
“That just proves you’ll be doing something dangerous,” said Mrs. Weasley, bursting into tears and putting her head against Ron’s shoulder.
“Sorry, Mum, it’s just something that we have to do,” said Ron, putting an arm around her.
“Can’t this be done by the Order?” she sobbed.
“No,” said Hermione, “it has to be us.”
“I think that we’ll have to leave tomorrow,” said Harry. “But I can at least tell you we’re stopping by Grimmauld Place first.”
Ginny was the next one to start crying. “So I guess I’ll be going to France. But I don’t want to leave everybody behind. It’ll take weeks to get news by owl.”
“Do not worry,” said Fleur, “I will make sure zat you can keep close contact. I don’t know ‘ow, but I will.”
Harry turned and tried to leave in the same manner he had at Dumbledore’s funeral.
Crack.
Harry stumbled backward and the mood in the kitchen was interrupted by the appearance of Kreacher, who saw Harry and bowed low.
“What do you want?” Harry snarled. This is not good timing.
“Master must know by now that Hogwarts is closed,” croaked Kreacher with a slightly gleeful tone. “All other house elves of school to be taken care of in another place, but not Kreacher, no. Kreacher does not belong to the school he belongs to Master. So Kreacher came to Master for his next orders.”
Harry ran his hand across his face. Of course, he thought miserably. He was then struck by a thought and turned to Mrs. Weasley, who had momentarily forgotten her main troubles.
“Mrs. Weasley, Ron told me once that you wanted an elf to help out. Why don’t you”?”
“Quite all right, dear,” she said, backing off. “He belongs to you, not me.” She tried to sound grateful for the offer and forced a smile.
“Bill””
But Bill was hiding Fleur behind him and giving Kreacher a look of dislike. The same went for Ron and Ginny. Not surprisingly, Hermione pitied the elf.
“Fine,” said Harry, rounding back on the elf. “Just go back to Grimmauld Place and wait for me there.”
Kreacher bowed again. “Right away,” he said, delighted.
Crack.
“Sorry about that,” Harry said to everyone.
“Harry,” said Hermione, “if Kreacher can’t be with the other Hogwarts elves, doesn’t that mean””
Crack.
Harry stumbled again, but was not surprised to see Dobby, who was holding an unconscious Winky. They were both was wearing some of Hermione’s old knitted scarves and hats, and Dobby had on a pair of socks that Harry had given him.
“Harry Potter!” said Dobby, putting Winky down (Hermione gently picked her back up) and jumping onto Harry. “It is good to see you, sir!”
“Same here,” said Harry, unsure of what to say. He wasn’t surprised to see Dobby, but was curious of Dobby’s intentions. “Why are you here?” he asked, putting him back on the floor. “I’m not your master.”
“Dobby and Winky have been fired,” he said sadly, ears drooping. “They say they will only help real Hogwarts elves, sir. But I came here with hope that Harry Potter could help us!”
Instantly, Harry saw the answer to Ginny’s problem. “Mrs. Weasley!” he said. “I know that you don’t like Kreacher, but Dobby’s different. He cleaned the entire Gryffindor common room all by himself for months. And he’s cheap.”
“That’s true,” Hermione eagerly supported. “He only worked for a Galleon a week”by himself? Why?” She was now eyeing the hats and scarves Dobby and Winky wore.
“Later,” said Harry, waving her off. “So, what do you say?”
“Harry, this isn’t the best time for this,” said Mrs. Weasley. “We are in a middle of a serious problem, remember?”
“Exactly. And Dobby is the answer to one other problem.” He turned to Dobby and asked, “Can you Apparate between here and France?”
“It is no problem for Dobby,” said the elf.
“See? He can pass news much faster than an owl.”
Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly down at the house-elf, and said, “Very well, we can discuss payment later. Why don’t you start by getting Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s dirty laundry?” She looked at the three of them. “They will need fresh clothes for when they leave tomorrow.”
“And what about ze other elf?” asked Fleur, looking at Winky with both sadness and interest. “Can she do all ze things you do and be paid ze same…Dobbee, is it?”
“Dobby is sure she can, ma’am. But Dobby does not know if she will be up to it. She is still very sad about her old master, ma’am.”
“Yes, well, when do you think we can contact Madame Maxime, Fleur?” asked Mrs. Weasley.
“Right away,” said Fleur, standing up and taking Bill with her. “We can go to our ‘ome now. Ginny better come as well.”
“All right.” She turned to Dobby. “I will base my decision on payment on the quality of the laundry, so you should get started. And your friend could stay as long as she is no trouble.”
“Winky will be no trouble, ma’am, no trouble at all,” said Dobby happily, and he left for the stairs to the other rooms.
“Didn’t even tell him where our rooms are,” laughed Ron.
“He’ll figure it out,” said Mrs. Weasley, giving Ron a hug. “We will be back soon. And I do hope you know what you’re doing.” She gave Harry and Hermione a hug and left.
“Sorry,” said Harry as he hugged Ginny as well before she left. She made no reply and followed her mother.
Harry could only imagine what it must have been like for Mr. Weasley when he got home later that evening. They now had a house-elf that was exceptional at chores, their daughter was now enrolled in a foreign school, and Ron would be leaving with Harry and Hermione the next day for some dangerous task, about which they would not go into detail.
“Blimey,” he said miserably. “I’m doubting if I should ever go back to work again.”
Not one of the best endings to my birthday, Harry thought.
When Harry got to bed he felt guilty about defying Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who had taken care of him. But finding the Horcruxes was far more important than fulfilling Uncle Vernon’s lie about him studying in France. And after that, Harry has to face Voldemort once and for all.