FicWad

The Heritage - Chapter 33
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A/N: Scene from the last chapter.
The music band slowly marched towards Harry, and stopped fifteen meters from Harry, still playing. There were twenty men playing all kind of musical instruments ... a harp, a zither ... a strange kind of guitars, a floating piano, several lutes, a two stringed fiddle, strange looking bamboo flutes, and at the end of the band was a man with rack of about hundred bronze bells. Harry was amazed ... he never saw something like that and a wide smile was plastered on his face.

The musicians were aware of Harry's delight and they started a newer and faster tune. In the mean while, the procession behind the band came to a stop, but nobody left the cars ... they all seem to wait until the band was finished playing.
At last the band fell quiet and they were looking expectantly at the sedans. The backdoor of the white sedan opened, and Harry hastened towards the car. He saw a piece of red clothing, and he assumed that Su was sitting there, waiting for him to help her out.

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Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and on staff since 1956 was at a loss. Since the death of her husband, she had never considered to have any romantic feelings for a man, except in two occasions. The first occasion was in 1970, when Albus Dumbledore was approaching her with a proposition of a Quidditch tournament. Minerva had the impression that Albus was not so much imploring her for the idea, than to be close to her. At that time she got the impression that the Headmaster was interested in her ... more then in a professional way. But that moment went away fast enough when she confronted Albus with the question if he was flirting with her. Albus blushed that time, looked away quickly and left the room. He never repeated his flirting ... and kept the relationship always professional.

For Minerva it was in a way strange. She was not sure that time if she would be interested in starting a romantic relationship with another man. And then there was Albus, who was always so well mannered and funny. He was so intelligent and thoughtful ... well ... at least that time ... now though he had changed into a driven man. She sighed.

The other moment for romance came for Minerva when Filius Flitwick was flirting with her five years ago. That small Charms professor and head of the Ravenclaw house persisted his flirting in a sweet, cute and romantic way. She always found a single rose in her bedroom ... and she had absolutely no idea how Filius managed to come into her bedroom. She interviewed the house elves and she forbade them entry to her bedroom. There are many things which were private, but her bedroom was the most private room for her in the whole of the castle. She did not allow the elves to enter her bedroom ... Minerva spent a lot of time warding her bedroom against any intrusion and still Filius was able to place a rose in her room ... on her bed to be precise ... and none of the wards had been breeched!

In the beginning of his attempts Minerva was very irritated, but after a month of finding daily roses on her bed, she started to get used to it. She knew that it was Filius who was placing those roses on her bed, because she told him that time that her favorite rose was a pink Queen's rose. And that was the rose that she found one day after she told him.

When Filius Flitwick became sick that time, the rose did not appear anymore on her bed. When Filius had recovered, the rose started to appear again. When she looked at Filius the next day, he was only smiling at her, but said nothing. Minerva decided to say nothing as well, even that she was annoyed that he was able to penetrate her defenses so easily. Well ... it seemed to be easy for him.

The situation of a year of daily roses changed when he asked her one night if she was willingly to escort him to a Flitwick family gathering. The Head of Family was recovering from a heavy illness and the Flitwick family organized a large family gathering. The Head of the Flitwick family insisted that every family member brought their wife or husband, and because Filius Flitwick was not married, he asked Minerva to accompany him.

After a moment of hesitating Minerva accepted the invitation and she saw Filius Flitwick never as happy as that time before. The little man was beaming of pleasure and happiness and Minerva was still smiling at that memory.

That evening she went with him and admitted to have a wonderful time. The most amazing moment of that night was when Filius brought her back to the castle and escorted her to her rooms in Hogwarts. He kissed her for the first time, and Minerva was standing there touching her lips with her fingers for at least fifteen minutes after Filius returned to his rooms. When she woke up the next morning, her whole bedroom was filled with roses ... pink Queen's roses in all sizes.

But that kiss was never repeated again. Over all the years Filius Flitwick did his magic and the roses continued to appear in her bedroom, but he never made any attempt to do more then that. Minerva was a woman with many principles; she would never initiate romantic contacts with another man ... even when that man was Filius Flitwick. So the time went by, until some days ago. She received the notification that she was engaged with Harry Potter, and that changed everything.

Adding to the shock of this news, there was no rose anymore on her bed in the evening! For the first time in her life she took the initiative in a romantic situation ... she stormed out of her bedroom and walked quickly to the rooms of Filius. She knocked on his door vehemently until the door opened by a very disturbed Filius until he recognized her. Minerva pushed the small wizard into his own room and she followed him closely. She shut the door and she used her wand to silence the room, door and windows.

"Filius, for all those years you sent me flowers, and once you kissed me. Only today there was no rose on my bed ... why?"

Filius Flitwick looked at his shoes. "Because you are engaged with Potter," he said with a small voice. "It is not suitable to send someone a rose who is engaged with someone else," he said sadly.

"Do you like me in that way, Filius?" asked Minerva softly.

"Yes, I do," he said, still staring at his shoes.

Minerva smiled sadly. "Over all the years you sent me flowers, you never did take the initiative," Minerva said. "Except that one time when you brought me back from your family gathering and you kissed me, I will never forget that, because it was wonderful."

She looked at the small professor, who was still staring at the floor.

"It is too late, Minerva. You are already taken. I had never had the courage to ask you, and now I am too late," he said.

Minerva McGonagall placed two fingers under the chin from Filius and lifted his face. "It is not too late Filius," she whispered.

"It is too late," hissed Filius angrily. "I'm an utterly failure to wait for so many years to admit my love to you."

"It is not too late," repeated Minerva.

Filius looked confused at Minerva. "What do you mean, not too late? There is a binding contract on your head with Potter," he said. "There is no way that you can break that contract!"

Minerva smiled slowly. "I am more then seventy years old," she whispered. "When you think that I am going to marry a little boy like Potter, then you are crazy. There is a way to avoid this whole mess, but I need you for that."

Filius's eyebrows went up and stared at Minerva. "Tell me and I do it," he said croakily.

"You need to kidnap me," whispered Minerva McGonagall.

"What ... I must ... I ... I must kidnap you?" stuttered a shocked Filius Flitwick confused.

Minerva rolled her eyes. "Men are stupid," she said with a smirk. "I think it is genetic," she murmured and looked at the small Charms professor. She sighed. "It is as follows. I am not able to break the contract at my own initiative, neither is Potter by the way. Nothing can break the contract, unless the person who breaks the contract is willingly to pay the price and loose his or her magic or worse. But when something happens with one of the persons, like sickness, accident or other disasters out of the control of one or both parties, the contract will be canceled without consequences for parties.

When you would kidnap me, Filius, then that means that I can't be married with Potter; if the kidnapping takes longer then one year, the contract will be canceled. If you would be my lover, and then you kidnap me, then I pay the ultimate price, but we are not lovers yet. Do you understand me, Filius?" Minerva said slowly.

Filius looked attentive at Minerva.

"I understand, Minerva. Because we are not lovers, and I kidnap you and keep you hidden for one year, then the marriage contract is being canceled without any damage to you or Potter," he said.

Minerva nodded and looked at him expectantly.

"And you expect me to kidnap you and keep you hidden for one year," he continued thoughtfully.

Minerva nodded again.

"I will give up teaching at Hogwarts, throw away my life, take you and hide you somewhere, Aurors will hunt me, I will become a criminal, I loose my income and I need to take all of my savings ..."

Filius signed and looked to the floor.

Minerva smiled sadly and straightened her back ... looking proudly at Filius. "I am too proud to do something like ..."

"When do we go?" interrupted Filius.

Minerva stared at Filius for several seconds. She truly needed to sit down, and Minerva was looking for a chair. She stumbled to the chair behind his desk and sat down shakily.

"Filius, this is not a joke. Do you expect me to marry a sixteen year old boy? I am seventy years old, for Merlin's sake, how do you expect how the faculty will react? And not to forget how the students will think? What do you think what their parents will say? And what do you think what the Ministry is ..."

"Stop, Minerva. I agree with all of that. Now that I told you that I have feelings for you, let's escape this dreadful world and start something nice in France? We stay somewhere incognito, nobody will find us. I have some saving money, which is enough for the two of us to spend many years living well and hidden. We buy a nice cottage somewhere in a nice magical forest, and nobody knows better. Both of us disappear from Hogwarts and I can make sure that nobody can find us. We simply disappear," said Filius.

Minerva looked at the small professor, but said nothing.

"It is for the best," Filius continued. "What do you think about Potter? I personally think that he will be relieved, because it is also not his choice that a marriage is being enforced on him, and what I understand, he had already so many women to marry, and you can be his grandmother. When you disappear from him, I don't expect that he will make a lot of noise."

Minerva nodded.

"But to leave everything behind ..."

Filius sighed. "You don't have any other choice," he said. "When you marry the boy, you leave everything behind as well, because you will move in with him. When you go with me, you leave everything behind as well, except you stay in charge of your own future."

Minerva looked at Filius, a sad smile on her face. "I think that you are right, because I can't face that boy, I could be his grandmother, for Merlin's sake. Take me away from here, Filius. Harry is being married at this moment with Su Li, and he will not notice my absence for at least a day."

Filius was smiling happily.

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Harry was staring at the car warily ... he knew what was coming now, because Su's father, Luan Li explained to him that the bride cannot touch the ground with her feet until she arrives at the castle. Luan Li demanded chickens, so that his relatives could throw rice into the air, hoping that the chickens around will eat the rice instead of pecking at the bride, but Harry had refused. Chickens ... what the hell must he do with chickens? And what would happen when the chickens would pick Su? He would AK them and that would be a pity for the chickens, not? Chickens were good food!

Harry saw movement in the backdoor of the white sedan ... Su Li was busy trying to work herself out of the tight sedan, and Harry walked quickly to the backdoor to help her. When he looked into the car, his breathing stopped for some moments, because Su really looked beautiful. Her one-piece dress was exquisite, graceful and elegant, and the decorations were marvelous ... clearly made of silk with hand made embroidery of silver and gold phoenixes along with chrysanthemums and peonies. On her head, she wore a phoenix crown, a headdress of kingfisher feathers and pearls, along with a red veil. Harry's costume was less elaborate. He wore a black silk coat over an embroidered dragon robe of dark blue ... his headgear is a black hat with red tassels.

Su was looking at Harry with a wide smile on her face, and Harry came out of his stupor.

"Oh sorry Su, you are so beautiful, I could not help but to stare at you," Harry said with a happy smile.

Su beamed of pleasure. "Carry me?" she whispered. Harry could not see her face clearly then only through her red veil, but that made her even more mysterious and beautiful.

Harry bowed over, one hand under her knees and the other hand on her lower back and he lifted her in his arms. Firecrackers exploded all around the couple ... Harry and Su were smiling, because it seemed that time had stood still when Harry was looking at his bride. All Su's family members were already out of their cars and they surrounded the couple. Harry could see his fiancées had joined the family members as well, and he smiled at them. His fiancées seem to amuse themselves very well, until he saw the face of Thea Zabini. Thea was his bride as well, today, and he was curious if she would join this wedding until the end. It was to be her wedding day as well and he looked for her mother Sebena.

When Harry with Su in his arms passed Sebena Zabini, he smiled at her. "Please Sebena, take care of Thea," he whispered loudly.

Sebena nodded. "Of course, Harry," she whispered back. "All the things are ready for you and Thea. Right after this wedding we start Thea's wedding. That will be much shorter then this one, also much less fuss. "

Harry started to walk towards the castle with Su in his arms. Before he was twenty meters away from the large entrance doors, a red carpet rolled towards him. Harry paused and looked wearily to the rolling carpet, but it stopped right in front of him. Who ever is making this working is a genius, he thought. Harry stepped on the carpet and continued to walk until he saw all the house elves from the Gryffindor castle apparating in front of the door along the red carpet. They were obviously waiting to receive Su and Harry, and Harry smiled at the little creatures.

Look at that, he thought. I had no idea I had so many elves ... there are least hundred elves here! Maybe more! Harry recognized elves, who were clearly working in the kitchens, several of them wore the white cooking uniforms, and others were cleaning elves ... there were simply too many elves to study in detail.

When Harry and Su reached the threshold of the entrance, he saw a lit stove. He knew that Su must cross the threshold. The fire supposed to cast out all evil influences, according her father, remembered Harry.

Misty yellowish light appeared from the stove and Harry looked alarmed ... he felt Su tighten her grip on his arm to get his attention. "That's normal," she whispered in his ear. "This is a magical marriage, remember. All the traditions are not a bunch of baloney, but every step is a step towards the magical release, which defines the Chinese marriage."

Harry looked wearily at the yellowish mist, and he did not like it one bit. Magical marriage or not, that smoke gave him the creeps.

He lowered Su carefully on her feet in front of the stove ... at the moment her feet touched the ground, the yellowish mist started to swirl around the stove ... and the mist seem to grow.

Su looked for a moment cautiously but she jumped easily over the stove, which was very hot! Instantly the mist started to change color ... it changed into blue and the mist started to expand and covered Harry and Su. It happened so fast and unexpected, that Harry could not react ... when he looked more carefully ... he saw little sprinkling lights floating all around him. It did not seem to hurt, and it did not make them uncomfortable or hindering them ... it was the opposite ... he felt happy and joyful. When he looked at Su, his heart melted ... Su looked so happy and she was laughing so hard because of the expression on his face of course.

One of the elves immediately placed a heap of rice in a sieve over Su and she laughted. Harry stepped over the stove as well, and took a small mirror to flash light upon Su. Su smiled happily at him, very pleased that he was keeping the customs.

Then Harry stood in front of Su, and he grabbed carefully the veil in front of Su's face ... he lifted the veil and for the first time that day he could see Su's face. She did not use much makeup; her dark eyes were sparkling in the lights in the entrance, her lips were full and her small nose was like a small knob ... oh Merlin, she looks amazing, thought Harry, who was staring at his bride with wide eyes.

Now it was time to pay homage to Heaven and Earth, the family ancestors and the Kitchen God Tso-Chon or Tso-Chün or Tsao-Chün or something like that. For this they needed to walk to the altar, which was located at the first room on the right in the entrance hall. Su and Harry were standing aside and welcomed everyone in the castle, smiling and laughing to the guests and family of Su.

When everyone finally was in the entrance hall, they entered the large room with the altar. Su and Harry entered the room as first and waited in front of the altar. Harry could see that the Minister official was already present ... his nose was suspiciously red and the man was looking with interest at the spectacle around him. All the guests streamed into the hall and taking seats surrounding the altar.

Harry knew that this Chinese wedding ceremony was much different then the marriage ceremony, which were held in the western world like England. In England you had vows, and the Ministry official would say some words, but in the Chinese wedding ceremony there were no words.

Su grabbed the arm of Harry, and held it tightly ... she looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Harry smiled reassuringly. They looked up and bowed deeply. Then they looked at the floor, and bowed deeply again. That was giving honor to the heavens and the earth, Harry thought amused. Then both of them looked at Su's parents and bowed again. That was for the ancestors and her parents. Then Su and Harry looked amused at the house elves and bowed deeply again. That was for the kitchen god with the impossible name.

One of the beaming elves gave Harry a cup with two lotus seeds and he offered it to Su's parents. Harry knew that those cups suppose to be offered to his parents, but they were not here. He and Su's father agreed that they would offer it to them.

Su released Harry's arm and looked at him kindly. Both Harry and Su bowed to each other. One of the elves placed a goblet in Harry's hand and he offered it to Su. Su sipped from the goblet and offered it to Harry. Harry sipped from the goblet as well, and he tasted immediately the sweet and heavy red wine ... he had trouble to keep his face pleasant, because the wine was very sweet.

Harry realized that they were now married, because the actual ceremony was now ended, but none of the guests moved ... they were all looking at them expectantly. Now came the tea serving.

Su looked curious at Harry, who tried to smile reassuringly. He hoped that he would not screw this up, and that he remembered the instructions of Su's father. Harry looked to the elves ... one of the elves came to stand next to him with a huge teapot ... the elf gave him a cup filled with tea and Harry took it with both hands. Su did the same and both of them walked to the father and mother of Su, who were sitting in front of the couple. Both Harry and Su kneeled in front of her parents and they offered her parents the tea. The parents looked very pleased, and Harry could see Su's father smiling appreciating. Harry was glad to remember that he needed to stand at the right side of Su, and he smiled at Luan.

Harry was paying attention to Su, because now they needed to offer the tea to the oldest of her family, and that was what he was doing for the next hour. Every time Su came to some family members, they kneeled and she said something in Chinese and she and Harry offered the tea cup with both hands. He knew that Su was addressing her family members by their official titles, but he thanked Merlin that he did not need to memorize all the family members, so the only thing he did was smiling at the people.

Every time that they offered the cup with tea, the people would give Su or Harry a red envelope. Harry knew that the envelope was filled with money or jewelry. The tea ceremony went on and on, and Harry knew what would come after that. They would be led to the bridal chamber, where they were supposed to sit on the bed. Then the guests would start the banquet, and he and Su would follow soon after.

When Harry and Su were finished serving the last and youngest family member, Harry heard Su murmuring something and he looked at her.

"We must go to the bridal chamber, Harry. We need to wait here until my family join us," she whispered.

One of Su's female family members came to the young married couple with a big smile and she grabbed the elbow of Su. She whispered something in Su's ear and both girls were giggling. The girl dragged Su towards a door, which was until now closed. Su grabbed Harry's arm and she dragged him along with her. They opened the door and Harry's eyebrows went up. That was a bedroom with a large king-sized bed. The couple entered the bedroom and they sat on the bed. That was the sign for all the female guests to follow them into the bedroom and start to chat with Su and quickly the ladies were laughing and tittering.

Luan and his wife, now Harry's father-in-law and mother-in-law approached Harry with big smiles on their faces.

"Harry, my son, how do you feel?" Luan asked pleasantly.

"I feel great, Luan. Thank you very much. How are you?" Harry answered agreeably.

"We are more then fine," Luan said. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you, Sir. I feel truly welcome," smiled Harry, looking to his bride.

The mother of Su grabbed Su in a hug and they were whispering as well, but instead of giggling and tittering, they both looked at Harry expectantly.

Harry looked mystified to both women. "What?"

"Nothing," answered Su immediately, and smiled reassuring at Harry. "Did you memorize all the things you had to do so far? Did my father help you with all the things?" she asked.

"Yes, he did," said Harry, looking at Su's father. "He was a great help and a perfect teacher. But what was the thing with combing of the hair?"

Su smiled prettily. "Normally, the night before the wedding a good fortune woman and man must comb our hair. Because that night we were in the castle, we tweaked that ceremony a bit. This morning the woman came. My hair needed to be combed four times, which symbolizes different things. The first time it symbolizes the beginning and the end, then harmony from now till the old age, then sons and grandsons and finally good wealth and long-lasting marriage. The whole ceremony symbolizes the adulthood of us."

During what seemed to take hours, most guests were already visiting the young couple. Several guests were laughing and telling things in Chinese, and Harry assumed those were naughty jokes, because of the way Su was blushing so many times. One of the guests was an old woman, and she asked if Harry had enough energy to survive the night. When Harry looked questioningly at the woman, she was smiling mystically.

According the woman, she was the one who was gave the Talk to Su and she was the one who taught Su the secrets of married life, if he understood what she meant. Harry of course had no idea, but he nodded anyway. The woman began to laugh when she looked in his face and saw his expression.

At last the Ministry official came into the bedroom with some papers in his hand. He looked strange to the couple, still sitting on the bed, and Harry could see that now his face was totally red because of the sherry the man had been drinking. He even now had a sherry glass in his other hand and he was in a very good mood.

"Mr. Potter and Ms. Li ... please sign these papers and then all my work is finished for this marriage. I understand there is another marriage after this one?" the man asked.

Harry and Su grabbed the papers and signed them quickly before the man would pass out or worse, because the way he was breathing heavily.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the Ministry official said formally. "I present you Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter," he declared loudly, but nobody was listening.

"Mr. Potter, you may kiss your bride," he said. He looked around him, discovered the open door and saw all the guests were already eating and drinking and bolted out of the door.

Su was turning to Harry. "You have another wedding after this one, no?"

Harry nodded.

"When is the wedding, Harry?"

"I need to marry Thea Zabini in one hour," Harry answered. "Do you want to join the wedding? It is a very simple wedding without all the extras."

Su nodded happily. "After that ceremony we go to bed," whispered Su huskily. "I have learned all kind of nice things this morning," she said hoarsely. "And I want to demonstrate them to you when we are in bed."

Later that day they went to the huge banquet. The house elves did more then a great job. The banquet went for hours and hours, and the food did not stop coming.

Harry was listening to Su's translation of a story being told by her father. He was describing his twenty's marriage and the story was really interesting and funny. Listening to his father in law he learned a lot about women in a harem. The man had fifty three women and one hundred sixty three children! Amazing it was. His mother-in-law, Aci-Ent, came over to Harry and Su and she laid a hand on their shoulders.

"You two, my children, will have a very restful night, but the duty is calling you, because you, Harry my dear, need to take your second wife right now. The young girl Thea Zabini is waiting for you in the room next to this. She is crying and is unhappy," Aci-Ent whispered.

Harry looked up and his gaze went to the entrance door of the hall, where they were having their feast. He looked at Su, and she nodded encouragingly.

"Do you want to accompany me, Su?" Harry asked.

Su nodded. "You are my husband, Harry. I will follow you everywhere."

Harry smiled and stood up, dragging Su to her feet with him. "Let's go and see if we can do something for Thea Zabini," he said.

The left the large hall without being noticed by anyone except Su's mother, and they entered a small conference room, where Thea Zabini was sitting on a large table, crying. Next to her sat her mother, Sebena, who had her arms around the girl.

Harry and Su approached the crying girl and Harry took her in his arms. "What is wrong, Thea?"

"I'm so afraid," she whaled. "I don't know what I must do. I have nobody and I can't give a huge party, because I'm a slave and nobody wants to talk to me. All my friends ignore and despise me." Tears ran over her cheeks and Harry kissed them away.

"Tonight you are mine," he said tenderly. "You will be a free woman ... proud, rich and powerful, because the powers of nine families are behind you. And you are not alone anymore; you have me, your mother and your sisters and your future sister wives with you. From now on, you will never be alone. You will always have support and help, and I am here, standing next to you."

Thea Zabini looked Harry hesitatingly in the face. "Do you mean that?" she whispered hopefully. Harry could see her age in her eyes, young, hesitant and fearful.

"Yes, my Thea. I mean every word," he said.

Slowly a small smile appeared on Thea's face. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Thank you," a voice said behind their back, and they turned around, looking at Thea's mother Sebena. "You have no idea how happy you make me," said Sebena joyfully.

"The Minister official is waiting in the dining hall," a voice came from the entrance door. Everyone looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing there smiling. Behind her Harry could see all his fiancées waiting.

"Let's get married," he said to Thea Zabini, and grabbed her elbow and walked towards the entrance door. "And after the ceremony we go to bed," he said with a shy smile.

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"Excellent," Mr. Bardoes, the Ministry official began, and then looked around at the young women; he seemed to take a breath.

"Marriage is a holy bond, with obligations and responsibilities beyond those of any other duty. It is a also a journey of highs and lows ... much like how you two got here, that with luck, may take you centuries further along that road, and beyond. In all of my years as Ministry Official In Charge Of Marriages, I can remember all of the couples I married.

Thea Zabini's hand clenched painfully on Harry's ... and Mr. Bardoes continued. "There is nothing that I can say, that they themselves can not, Lord Potter?"

The faintest hint of ozone permeated the air, as the small hairs on the necks of the fiancées began to prickle. Time stopped, and somewhere far away, a bell rang.

Harry took a breath and took both of Thea's hands in his and looked her straight in the eyes. "My dearest Thea, in all your fifteen years of life, you have come from the highest top as a free human to the deepest hell as a slave. You became a slave of mine, and I now have the honor to be bound to you in marriage. My first gift to you as my partner, my wife and companion is to give you your freedom again. Be with me, and together we will be happy together. Marry me, Thea and be my wife, now and forever."

Thea bit her lip as a soft, choked sound escaped her throat. She didn't bother to wipe away the tears that fell softly as she leaned forward, a bare couple of centimeters, to kiss him, before pulling back slightly and whispering, "I had lost everything and now I find my freedom in you. For this I am always grateful."

Mr. Bardoes and all the fiancées gasped as a sharp wind ruffled the skirts and gowns and a bubble of power pushed everyone back from Harry and Thea ... the candles in the room flickered.

Mr. Bardoes chuckled softly. "Excellent, excellent. Now Lord Potter ... do you, Lord Harry James Potter, take Thea Potter, before Thea Zabini as your wife, to protect her above all others, to honor her above all others and to love above all others, in happiness and sadness, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do, I will, now and forever," said Harry firmly.

"Thea Potter, before Thea Zabini, do you take Lord Harry James Potter as your husband, to protect him above all others, to honor him above all others and to love above all others, in happiness and sadness, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," said Thea simply.

Small crackling energy webs crackled at the edge of the room, and Mr. Bardoes seemed thrilled.

Rings appeared in front of Harry and Thea. "Lord Potter, please take the ring and repeat the following. With this ring, this symbol of our bond, I bind my magic, my heart and my soul to yours."

Everyone was slightly speechless as Harry plucked the ring from the air and slid it on Thea's ring finger. "With this ring ... this symbol of our bond, I bind my magic, my heart and my soul to yours." The fingers of his left hand intertwined with hers as Mr. Bardoes nodded and looked to Thea.

"Thea, please do the same," Mr. Bardoes said.

Thea plucked the ring from the air and slid it on Harry's left ring finger; her voice was soft and slightly choked up as she whispered, "With this ring, the symbol of our bond ... I bind my magic, my heart ... and my very soul to yours." she said in a faint breath.

A sudden crackling circle of greenish light snapped between each other, quickly growing into a bubble with Harry and Thea in the center. Mr. Bardoes and the fiancées were knocked back another step before the bubble collapsed with the almost-newlyweds standing stock still, unaffected.

"Very, well then," Mr. Bardoes pronounced loudly, "I hereby declare you husband and wife," he announced proudly. "You may kiss the bride."

Harry felt Thea's hands grab his hair and she pressed her lips against his ... he opened his lips and welcomed her in ... her tongue dancing with his ... tasting and exploring each other ... as a promise for more later on. Somehow his hands ended up running though her curls as she leaned against him.

Mr. Bardoes turned to the fiancées. "May I present you Lord-Baron Harry James Potter-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Black-Bones-Zabini-Evans-Malfoy and Lady Baroness Thea Potter-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Black-Bones-Zabini-Evans-Malfoy."

Applause and happy yelling came from the fiancées as the pair finally broke apart, and came to their senses more or less. Thea turned and gave her mother a hug, while behind her; Harry hugged a surprised Mr. Bardoes. They switched after a moment, for Thea to hug Mr. Bardoes and kiss him on the cheek, with Harry doing the same to Sebena Zabini.

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A/N: Next chapter you will find the wedding night.