"You lied to me, Ollivander!"

"No! No! I believed a different wand would work, I swear!"

"Then explain this!"

"But it makes no sense..."

"Perhaps our friend's loyalties lay elsewhere, Wormtail."

"No! There must be a way! I'll think of something else!"

"I hope so, Ollivander, for your sake. I won't be so forgiving next time..."

Harry awakens with a gasp, eyes flashing in the darkness. He eyes the shadows above him, then looks down at his hand where his wand glimmers in the moonlight. He grabs his rucksack and wand, walks out of the room tiptoeing in the hallways. He knew that George lost his ear because of him, Hedwig and Moody died because of him. It shattered his heart to see someone else die because of him.

~~~

Harry emerges into the night, shifting the rucksack as he eyes the reeds shifting eerily in the darkness.

"Going somewhere?" he heard Ron's voice behind him. Harry stiffens, turns to meet Ron's accusatory gaze, then continues on.

"No one else is going to die. Not for me." Said Harry

"For you? You think Madeye died for you? You think George took that curse for you? You may be the Chosen One, mate, but this is a whole lot bigger than that."

Harry stares at Ron. The air is tense.

"Come with me. Now." Stated Harry

"And leave the girls? Are you mad? We wouldn't last two days without them." Ron exclaimed

Ron glances around," Don't tell her I said that."

"Besides, you've still got the Trace on you. And there's the wedding..."

"Wedding?" Harry asked

"Bill and Fleur. Mum's been planning it for months. Only thing that's kept her sane, I

reckon. She'll kill me if I miss it. Kill you too. Rather go face to face with You-Know-Who if I'm honest." Ron tries a smile, but Harry looks foul.

"I don't care about a bloody wedding -- no matter whose it is. I have to start searching for the Horcruxes. It's the only chance we have to beat him. And the longer we wait the stronger he gets." Harry says

Ron just stares at Harry, calm, poised.

"Tonight's not the night, mate. You'd only be doing him a favor. Harry stares at Ron --incensed by his cool demeanor and common sense. Finally, he turns away, tosses the rucksack in frustration. For a moment they stand like this, Harry's back to Ron. Silent. Finally Ron speaks.

"Do you think he knows?" Harry turns his head halfway, but doesn't speak.

"I mean, they're bits of his soul, he Horcruxes. Bits of him. When Dumbledore destroyed the ring and you destroyed Tom Riddle's diary all those years ago -- he must've

felt something right?" Harry ponders this, but remains silent.

"What I'm saying is, if we do this thing right, if we find the Horcruxes and begin to destroy them one by one..." Harry waits.

"Won't he know he's being hunted?"

Still Harry says nothing. Silence descends once more.

An enormous circle of silk lies flat upon the ground. As Hagrid looks on, Arthur, Bill, Ron and Fred stand on its periphery, wands poised.

"One. Two. Three!" instructs Arthur Weasley

The silk rises, pitching itself into a perfect wedding marquee, trembling wondrously in the morning breeze then collapses.

---

The next morning you woke up early to prepare for the wedding, Ginny and Hermione were both dressed and were downstairs. You were getting ready, putting your hair into an elegant hair-do.

"HERMIONE!" you called for her

"GINNY!" you called for the red head, no answer.

You went downstairs only to see Harry and George in a conversation.

"Zip me up. Will ya?" you asked Harry. He did as asked.

-----

"How's it look on your end, boys?" asked Arthur Weasley.

"Brilliant!" answered Fred.

Just then, the silk snaps and the trees in the surrounding orchard shiver in a rush of wind. Everyone steps clear of the marquee and watches a tall wizard with grizzled hair and scarred cheek materialize. Rufus Scrimgeour.

"Bloody hell, what's the Minister of Magic doing here?" asked Fred

"Dunno. But something tells me he didn't come to give away the bride." Piped in Ron.

--

Harry enters, trailed by you, Ron and Hermione. Scrimgeour gestures the trio to the sofa. Harry eyes Scrimgeour with thinly concealed contempt.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Minister?" you asked

"I think we both know the answer to that question, Mrs.Malfoy" you looked away uneasily

Scrimgeour pitches a CLOTH BAG onto the table before them. The quartet regard it curiously, exchange glances.

"And this would be...?" asked Harry

"Don't be coy, Mr. Potter. Mr.Weasley. Would you say you were close to your former Headmaster?" asked Scimgeour

"Dumbledore? And me? I dunno. I reckon I was just another Weasley

to him. He was always polite –" Ron was cut off by Minister

"And you, Mrs. Malfoy and Miss Granger? How would you characterize your relationship?" Scrimgeour asked you and Hermione.

"We were friendly, not close like Harry, but –"you answer on the behalf of both of you.

"What's this all about?" Harry cut you off.

"This. Despite the fact that neither of your friends appear to have been particularly close to their recently deceased Headmaster, he saw fit to remember them in his will. Now why do you suppose that would be?"

You, Harry, Ron and Hermione exchange glances again.

"No idea." You said

"Come now, you don't expect me to believe..." Scrimgeour reaches into his cloak, removes a scroll of parchment. reads:

'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.'

Scrimgeour removes a small silver object from the bag.

"Dumbledore left this? For me?Brilliant. Er -- what is it?" Ron asked

Ron CLICKS it and all the light rushes from the lamps into the Deluminator, throwing the room into total darkness. He CLICKS it again and light flies back to the

lamps.

"Wicked."

"To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I

leave my copy of The Tales of

Beedle the Bard, in the hope that

she will find it entertaining and

instructive."

Scrimgeour reaches into the bag once again and retrieves a small book, its binding stained and peeling in places.

"Mum used to read me those! The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,Babbitty Rabbity and her Cackling Stump..."

Harry, you and Hermione stare blankly at him.

"Oh, c'mon! Beedle's stories are famous! Babbity Rabbitty? No...?"

Scrimgeour eyes Ron with mild annoyance, continues.

'To Y/n Everret Blackwood, I leave my

Augury Feather in hopes she might find what

it is before its too late.'

Scrimgeour handed you a box with an Augury feather inside it. Augury feathers are really rare and precious.

'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 places the tiny golden orb onto Harry's palm, where it glimmers dully. Harry studies it, then looks up.

"That's it then?" Harry asked

"Not quite. 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...

"To Harry! It belongs to Harry! it chose him! It came to him inthe Chamber of Secrets when he

most needed it!" Hermione countered

"The sword may present itself to any worthy Gryffindor, Miss Granger. That does not make it

that wizard's property. And in any event the current whereabouts of the sword are unknown.

"Excuse me?" Harry asked

"The sword is missing.", before Harry could persue "I won't pretend to be your friend,

Mr. Potter. But I assure you I'm not your enemy" said Scrimigeour

"You'll forgive me, Minister. But it's a little hard to tell the difference these days.Dumbledore said something very similar the last time we spoke."

Scrimgeour gazes out the window, eyes haunted.

"Where is your guard, sir?" you asked

"I came alone. I don't really need them anymore..." the Minister answered

The wedding party is in full swing. Harry, in dress robes, stands on the periphery, absently fingering the snitch as Bill and Fleur twirl madly within a clapping circle of well-wishers. Harry's gaze drifts: to Y/N who looked simply beautiful in her red dress, laughing as Fred and George rush the dance floor, briefly sweep Fleur away from Bill, then begin to dance with each other; to Hermione, stunning in black silk: to Ron, who ignores all, his eyes focused entirely on Hermione, To Ginny and Luna who are snogging in a corner.

Far across the garden, Hagrid wends through the tables in his horrible hairy suit and presents a slice of cake to a pleased Olympe Maxime.

Nearby, Tonks, hand to her belly, leans forward and whispers something to Mrs. Weasley, who reacts with happy surprise. Harry studies Tonks' belly...

"We want you to be the godfather and Y/n, the godmother" Harry turns, sees Lupin standing behind, staring at Tonks with affection. As his eyes shift to Harry

Harry sputters,"You mean -- But that's brilliant --I... don't know what to say."

"Say yes."Lupin grins, claps Harry on the shoulder and hikes off into the darkness, joining the wizards standing guard inthe garden's deepest shadows. Harry looks back to Tonks, then notices a slight, tufty-haired wizard (Elphias Doge) sitting alone at a table just beyond her.

"Hello, Harry!" Luna Lovegood approaches in the company of a cross-eyed wizard with shoulder-length white hair the texture of candy floss. Both wear robes the color of egg yolk.

"Oh, I've interrupted a deep thought, haven't I? I can see it growing smaller in your eyes." Said Luna

"No, 'course not. How are you,Luna?" answered Harry.

"Very well. I was bitten by a garden gnome only moments ago". She holds up her finger, which is sheathed in blood.

"Gnome saliva is enormously beneficial! Xenophilius Lovegood. We live just over the hill!" said Xenophilius Lovegood enthusiastically

"Nice to meet you, sir."

Lovegood suddenly leans close, whispers fiercely:

"I trust you know, Mr. Potter, that we at The Quibbler, unlike those toadies at the Daily Prophet, fully supported Dumbledore during his lifetime and in his death

support you just as fully."

"Come, Daddy. Harry doesn't want to talk to us right now. He's

just too nice to say so."

Lovegood's eyes burn with righteousness, a TRIANGULAR EYE

dangling from a chain around his neck. As Luna pulls him away, Harry glances once again across the garden.

__

You were having fun, this is what you imagined your wedding to be with...... Cedric. Not the wedding you had with the guy you despised in a dark and cold Manor.

You turned around and you saw Harry and Doge in a deep conversation.

Suddenly, a scream sheds the silence.

Harry scans the scattering crowd and meets Y/n's eyes,as she gets buffeted about. He pelts toward her,bouncing between bodies, he pulls her out of the chaos

"Ron! Ron!"Harry turns, sees Hermione glancing about frantically. As she turns, Ron comes into view, pushes toward her. Suddenly the canopy above turns to ribbons as DEATH EATERS -- in dark cloaks and masks -- descend into thecrowd. Arthur, Fred and George wield their wands. You see a flower fall from Fleur's hair, watches it crushed under foot. Harry pulling her out of this mess, she couldn't process anything at the moment

They crash into Lupin spinning him roughly round.

"Harry! Go! Go!" Lupin bellows

A hand reaches out and grabs Y/n's. He looks. It's Hermione, clutching Ron's hand with her other. She

closes her eyes and a great whooshing sound fills Y/N's ears. Thrown up and back in a whirlwind and all goes black. A horn blares as a double-decker bus careens within inches of Harry, Y/n, Ron and Hermione as they stumble INTO VIEW, the streets

teeming with drunken pub crawlers.

"Where are we?" you asked

"Shaftesbury Avenue. I used to come here to the theater with my mum and dad. Just popped into my head. I don't know why..." answered Hermione

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