It was the day of her sister's wedding, and the family was prepared for the momentous occasion. Gabrielle Delacour grasped her grandmother's sleeves with one hand while holding a bouquet of flowers in the other. Her parents stood beside Fleur as the French Auror activated the portkey.
Fleur looked stunning in her sleeveless white gown, which featured a beautifully adorned lace hem and gems intricately woven into the fine silk fabric. Her hair was elegantly styled in a bun, embellished with delicate white and yellow flowers. Around her neck, she wore a gold and diamond necklace, a cherished heirloom of the Veela lineage. With her striking Veela features, she radiated an ethereal beauty.
Delila Paselova held Gabrielle's hand tightly as the bride and her parents stepped into the portkey. A brilliant light enveloped them before they disappeared into the magical object.
Delila and her granddaughter stepped into the portkey together. Gabrielle experienced a sensation of stretching as she held tightly to her grandmother's side. Moments later, they found themselves at The Burrow in Devon, England.
An Auror was present near the portkey to greet them—a tall man with a thick mustache and brown hair, dressed in formal black robes.
"Welcome, Madamé Paselova," he said, his voice carrying a strong British accent.
"Greetings zo you as well, Pius Thicknesse," Delila replied, pausing briefly to acknowledge him with a slight nod. She then proceeded toward the entrance, while Gabrielle continued to clutch her grandmother's sleeve.
Feeling a gaze upon her, Gabrielle turned slowly to look back at the portkey. Pius was watching her with a menacing expression, sending chills down her spine as his face twisted into a look of malice.
Her instincts told her he was dangerous!
'Perhaps I was overthinking things. He's an Auror on the side of good. He's not a bad person. Yes, that's it, just breathe.' Gabrielle reminded herself as she tried to calm her thumping heart.
With her other hand firmly clutching the bouquet of flowers, she stepped into the tent. Gabrielle was amazed by the splendor of the celebrations, even within the confined space.
The entrance to the marquee revealed rows and rows of fragile golden chairs set on either side of a long purple carpet. The supporting poles were entwined with white and gold flowers.
The Weasely Twins had fastened an enormous bunch of golden balloons over the exact point where Bill Weasely and Fleur Delacour would shortly become husband and wife. Outside, butterflies and bees were hovering lazily over the grass and hedgerow.
Adults were engaged in lively discussions, when she noticed a movement beside her. Looking up, she saw her grandmother, who was watching the preparations with a blank expression. They made their way toward the stage where the wedding vows were about to begin.
Gabrielle released her grip on her grandmother's sleeves as she spotted Ginny Weasley, the youngest Weasely sibling, dressed in a violet gown adorned with bouquet of yellow and white roses.
Excitedly, she dashed over to her, clutching her own bouquet of flowers. Together, they headed backstage, where Fleur was with her parents, exchanging final words and making last-minute adjustments.
When Fleur's gaze fell upon Gabrielle, her younger sister, her eyes filled with unspilled tears. She beckoned Gabrielle to come closer for a hug. Fleur bent down gently, while Gabrielle carefully approaching her sister and wrapping her small arms around Fleur's neck.
"Sœur aînée." Gabrielle whispered.
"Yez' Gabrielle, this is it. I'm gonna miss you." Gabrielle pulled back from hug wiping tears which were spilling out of her big sister's eyes.
"I will miss you too. You mus'nt cry on your day, sœur. Tu es de toute beauté."
"J'aime beaucoup ma sœur cadette." Fluer chuckled softly, she patted her sister's head.
"Je t'aime aussi soeur. (love you too sister)"
Gabrielle stood to the side, observing as her sister rose to her feet. Ginny signaled to Gabrielle that it was time, and with a shared nod, they stepped into the hallway, holding their bouquet.
"Could the bride and groom's younger sisters, Gabrielle Delacour and Ginny Weasley, please come to the stage?" Gabrielle noticed her grandmother seated in the front row among the other guests.
"The Groom, William Weasley, will now enter." Bill appeared from behind the veils on stage, accompanied by Charlie Weasley, who served as his best man. A broad smile spread across Bill's face, radiating joy as he looked like the happiest man alive.
"Now, may the bride, Fleur Delacour, enter." Fleur walked in alongside Monsieur Delacour. As she reached the front of the stage, Bill leaned forward eagerly.
After exchanging a nod with her father, Fleur took Bill's hand, prompting a brief round of applause. The couple locked eyes, captivated by each other's beauty. Charlie cleared his throat to redirect his brother's attention. Fleur received the bouquet from Gabrielle and Ginny as Bill turned his gaze to the assembled crowd, marking the beginning of the wedding ceremony.
Her sister would no longer be Delacour after tonight's events she would be Weasely. The Manor would be empty with just the four of them. She was going to miss her.
By the time, ring exchange and vows were over; Gabrielle glanced at the familiar face standing at the back of the crowd.
It was 'Harry Potter.'
Gabrielle got down the stage with Ginny to meet Harry. Her light pink dress swayed when she ran across the room.
" 'arry! 'ow are yu?" Gabrielle embraced Harry, who responded with an awkward hug in return.
"It took you long enough, Famous!" Ginny playfully chided Harry. As Gabrielle released him, she noticed the lack of response.
"I'm fine, Gabrielle. I apologize, Ginny, I was late because—" Harry's attempt to explain was interrupted by Ginny.
"Don't worry about it, Harry. I was just teasing; there's no need to apologize. Now come join us," Ginny said, leading Harry toward the table where the Weasley family was gathered.
Gabrielle said her goodbyes and made her way to her grandmother, who was engaged in conversation with an elderly couple. Not wanting to intrude, she wandered aimlessly for about half an hour, encountering various ladies from pureblood and half-blood families. They were courteous and invited her to dine with them, but at just 12 years old, Gabrielle was reluctant to enter the political circle so soon. Events like this often sparked gossip and served as a platform for showcasing political affiliations.
By the time she arrived at the table where two families were seated, the atmosphere had become quite tense. Gabrielle was too absorbed in the festivities to notice the shift.
During dinner, Harry excused himself, looking uncomfortable. Moments later, he returned, pulling Ron and Hermione away with him.
"So," Delila began, her heavy French accent evident as she set down her spoon. "The wedding preparations are quite extravagant; I expected more flowers, but I must say, what you could afford has left me impressed." The tension in the air was palpable.
Mr. Weasley nearly choked on his food and coughed slightly. Molly Weasley quickly responded, "Well, certainly, Madame Paselova. It was quite challenging to make arrangements on such short notice.I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!"
Delila Paselova raised a brow. "They've known each other a year."
Molly Weasley however displeased retorted "Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and centre..."
Delila sighed in understanding, "Young love. What can we say? All it takes is a spark before spreading. Let's toss for blessing the young couple." Delila raised her wine glass up slowly, the Delacours raised first and the Weaselys followed. Gabrielle took the Harry's wine glass who was sitting next her moments ago. She attempted to make a toss too, when her mother pulled her back down on her other side.
*Clang*
A loud footsteps at entrance shattered the tranquility of the wedding dinner, caused by another man. He was visibly distressed, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and sweat glistening on his forehead. Instantly, everyone at the table rose to witness the disturbance.
A silver light surged through the entrance behind him, swirling around the room before coming to a stop in front of Harry.
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."
— Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus delivered the grim warning.
An overwhelming silence enveloped the hall, as the reality of the situation sank in. Witches and wizards scrambled to use their portkeys to escape, only to find them rendered useless. Pius Thicknesse, the Auror assigned to the portkey area, was nowhere to be seen.
Moments later, Death Eaters Apparated into the venue, crashing the reception and launching an assault on the guests. With no other options, attendees began to Apparate and flee on their brooms.
Chaos erupted as spells and deadly hexes flew in every direction, with the guests desperately fighting against the outnumbered forces of darkness, including Bellatrix and the LestrangeBrothers among them.