第10节

“Fleurinvitedme，”saidKrum，eyebrowsraised.

Harry，whohadnogrudgeagainstKrum，shookhａｎｄs;thenfeelingthatitwouldbeprudenttoremoveKrumfromRon’svicinity，offeredtoshowhimhisseat.

“Yourfriendisnotpleasedtoseeme，”saidKrum，astheyenteredthenowpackedmarquee.“Orishearelative?”headdedwithaglanceatHarry’sredcurlyhair.

“Cousin.”Harrymuttered，butKrumwasnotreallylistening.Hisappearancewascausingastir，particularlyamongsttheveelacousins:Hewas，afterall，afamousQuidditchplayer.Whilepeoplewerestillcraningtheirneckstogetagoodlookathim，Ron，Hermione，Fred，ａｎｄGeorgecamehurryingdowntheaisle.

“Timetositdown，”FredtoldHarry，“orwe’regoingtogetrunoverbythebride.”

Harry，RonａｎｄHermionetooktheirseatsinthesecondrowbehindFredａｎｄGeorge.HermionelookedratherpinkａｎｄRon’searswerestillscarlet.AfterafewmomentshemutteredtoHarry，“Didyouseehe’sgrownastupidlittlebeard?”

Harrygaveanoncommittalgrunt.

Asenseofjitteryanticipationhadfilledthewarmtent，thegeneralmurmuringbrokenbyoccasionalspurtsofexcitedlaughter.Mr.ａｎｄMrs.Weasleystrolleduptheaisle，smilingａｎｄwavingatrelatives;Mrs.Weasleywaswearingabrａｎｄ-newsetofamethystcoloredrobeswithamatchinghat.

AmomentlaterBillａｎｄCharliestoodupatthefrontofthemarquee，bothwearingdressrobes，withlargerwhiterosesintheirbuttonholes;Fredwolf-whistledａｎｄtherewasanoutbreakofgigglingfromtheveelacousins.Thenthecrowdfellsilentasmusicswelledfromwhatseemedtobethegoldenballoons.

“Ooooh!”saidHermione，swivelingaroundinherseattolookattheentrance.

AgreatcollectivesighissuedfromtheassembledwitchesａｎｄwizardsasMonsieurDelacourａｎｄFleurcamewalkinguptheaisle，Fleurgliding，MonsieurDelacourbouncingａｎｄbeaming.Fleurwaswearingaverysimplewhitedressａｎｄseemedtobeemittingastrong，silveryglow.Whileherradianceusuallydimmedeveryoneelsebycomparison，todayitbeautifiedeverybodyitfellupon.GinnyａｎｄGabrielle，bothwearinggoldendresses，lookedevenprettierthanusualａｎｄonceFleurhadreachedforhim，BilldidnotlookasthoughhehadevermetFenritGreyback.

“Ladiesａｎｄgentlemen，”saidaslightlysingsongvoice，ａｎｄwithaslightshock，Harrysawthesamesmall，tufty-hiredwizardwhohadpresidedatDumbledore’sfuneral，nowstａｎｄinginfrontofBillａｎｄFleur.“Wearegatheredheretodaytocelebratetheunionoftwofaithfulsouls…”

“Yes，mytiarasetoffthewholethingnicely，”saidAuntieMurielinarathercarryingwhisper.“ButImustsay，Ginevra’sdressisfartoolowcut.”

Ginnyglancedaround，grinning，winkedatHarry，thenquicklyfacedthefrontagain.Harry’smindwａｎｄeredalongwayfromthemarquee，backtotheafternoonsspentalonewithGinnyinlonelypartsoftheschoolgrounds.Theyseemedsolongago;theyhadalwaysseemedtoogoodtobetrue，asthoughhehadbeenstealingshininghoursfromanormalperson’slife，apersonwithoutalightning-shapedscaronhisforehead….

“Doyou，WilliamArthur，takeFleurIsabelle…?”

Inthefrontrow，Mrs.WeasleyａｎｄMadameDelacourwerebothsobbingquietlyintoscrapsoflace.TrumpetlikesoundsfromthebackofthemarqueetoldeveryonethatHagridhadtakenoutoneofhisowntablecloth-sizedhａｎｄkerchiefs.HermioneturnedaroundａｎｄbeamedatHarry;hereyestoowerefulloftears.

“…thenIdeclareyoubondedforlife.”

Thetufty-hairedwizardwavedhishａｎｄhighovertheheadsofBillａｎｄFleurａｎｄashowerofsilverstarsfelluponthem，spiralingaroundtheirnowentwinedfigures.AsFredａｎｄGeorgeledaroundofapplause，thegoldenballoonsoverheadburst.Birdsofparadiseａｎｄtinygoldenbellsflewａｎｄfloatedoutofthem，addingtheirsongsａｎｄchimestothedin.

“Ladiesａｎｄgentlemen!”calledthetufty-hairedwizard.“Ifyouwouldpleasestａｎｄup!”

Theyalldidso，AuntieMurielgrumblingaudibly;hewavedhiswａｎｄagain.Thescarsonwhichtheyhadbeensittingrosegracefullyintotheairasthecanvaswallsofthemarqueevanished，sothattheystoodbeneathacanopysupportedbygoldenpoles，withagloriousviewofthesunlitorchardａｎｄsurroundingcountryside.Next，apoolofmoltengoldspreadfromthecenterofthetenttoformagleamingdancefloor;thehoveringchairsgroupedthemselvesaroundsmall，white-clothedtables，whichallfloatedgracefullybacktoearthroundit，ａｎｄthegolden-jacketedhａｎｄtroopedtowardapodium.

“Smooth，”saidRonapprovinglyasthewaiterspoppeduponallsides，somehearingsilvertraysofpumpkinjuice，butterbeer，ａｎｄfirewhisky，otherstotteringpilesoftartsａｎｄsａｎｄwiches.

“Weshouldgoａｎｄcongratulatethem!”saidHermione，stａｎｄingontiptoetoseetheplacewhereBillａｎｄFleurhadvanishedamidacrowdofwell-wishers.