A Christmas Wedding

Blaise smiled faintly and straightened himself. The Great Hall of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was full and arrayed in silver and green, on the occasion of Blaise's wedding with Balkis, the Princess of the Eastern Gate, the grand-niece of Prester John, the Lord of Maracanda and the King of Central Asia in their world. Balkis was once thrown by the magic powers of a shaman of a nomadic tribe hostile to her homeland, into Blaise's world and into the Common Room of the Gryffindor House of the Hogwarts School, where Blaise was trying to do his Divination assignment. Blaise took on himself to find some means for her returning back, did a research in the Library of the Hogwarts School, meanwhile Balkis lived as his cat, and they somehow fell in love with each other. When Blaise found the recipe for a potion to return her home, and brew it, he drank half of the potion himself and went with her. He met her great-uncle, and also her former teacher in the art of magic, Lord Matthew Mantrell. They liked Blaise, and he promised, leaving that he will marry Balkis when he becomes a teacher at Hogwarts. Now he held the position for four months, and this Christmas their wedding was to be held. The other teachers were all here - the venerable silver-haired Professor Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, the tall and stern Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress, the Transfiguration teacher and the Head of the Gryffindor House, the thin, tall, hook-nosed Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master and the Head of the Slytherin House, reluctantly moved, the tiny Professor Filius Flitwick, the Charms teacher and the Head of the Ravenclaw House, the plump cheerful Professor Salvia Sprout, the Herbology teacher and the Head of the Hufflepuff House, the lean, pale and very young-looking Professor Remus Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and a werewolf, the transparent Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher and a ghost, the mysterious-looking Professor Sibyl Trelawney, the Divination teacher, the lovely Professor Mira Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, the sharp Professor Kay Thorn , the Ancient Runes teacher, the brisk Madam Hooch, the Flights teacher and the coach, the kindly Madam Poppy Pomfrey, the school nurse, the shrewd Madam Pince, the school librarian, and huge, hearty Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts and the Care of the Magical Creatures teacher, a half-giant and Blaise's superior. There were also plenty of students as well, among them Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, a seventh-year Gryffindor, and Fergal Maloney, a Gryffindor fourth-year, Mortie's friend. There were also Blaise's school friends - Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Ginny's fiancé. All they waited for Balkis, her friends who were to be bridesmaids Lord Mantrell and Prester John, who was to be the celebrant, to appear. Macavity, Blaise's two-year-old red lean Kneazle cat, appeared on Blaise's shoulder and rubbed himself against Blaise's cheek. Blaise smiled and said:

'Thank you, Macavity. You are a true friend'.

Macavity purred, and Blaise stroked his back. Then a pop sounded, and in the hall appeared Balkis, extremely pretty with her shapely figure, pale gold skin, long mahogany-colored hair falling on her shoulders, heart-shaped face, a little slanting brown eyes and full lips, in a robe of gold silk. With her was Lord Mantrell, tall, well-built, with brown hair and warm brown eyes to match, in dark blue robes, and with him two young children - a girl and a boy. Then came Prester John, with neatly trimmed black beard and black hair, a bit like Balkis, in a blue tunic and breeches, with a mantle embroidered with black dragons on his shoulders and a high crown on his head. Last came three girls - one Chinese, with shiny black hair and small, in a green silk robe with a silver dragon embroidered on it and pearls hanging from its waist, the other Turki, more plump, in a blue silk robe and a silver cap with three square pendants set with corals, peals and turquoise, and an opening on its top, and gold bracelets with dragon-head shaped ends on her hands, the third an Arab, with olive skin and an aquiline nose, in a red silk dress embroidered with gold and a rose veil on her head, with bracelets and earrings of gold set with rubies and sapphires on her hands and in her ears.

Blaise sighed with relief and embraced Balkis:

'My love! I was starting to get worried that you are late'.

'Well, we needed to dress properly, and Lord Mantrell decided to take with him his children,' Balkis said. 'These are Kaprin, the Crown Prince of Merovence, and Princess Alice his sister, Blaise'.

'Good afternoon, Your Highnesses,' Blaise said.

'Good afternoon, sir,' the royal children answered.

'Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mortie, these are my great-uncle Prester John, the King of Central Asia, my former teacher Lord Matthew Mantrell, the Royal Wizard of Merovence and the Prince Consort of Queen Alisande of Merovence, and my friends, Lady Tao Yu-lan, Lady Badam Lubsang and Lady Zahra Bint Fasil. These are Blaise's friends, Mr. Harry Potter, Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger, the Aurors, and Mortimer Wimsey, the Viscount Saint George, the only son to the Duke of Denver, a Gryffindor fourth-year student,' Balkis said.

Blaise's friends and Balkis's companions all exchanged greetings. Prester John said:

'What a splendid hall! So large. And it seems that there is no ceiling, but only skies'.

'The ceiling is enchanted to look like the sky above,' Blaise explained. 'And as for large, well, every day about a thousand people take their meals here'.

'The Headmaster is, I think, that venerable silver-haired old man over there?' Prester John asked.

'Yes, this is Professor Albus Dumbledore,' Blaise said. 'He is the most wise and powerful wizard in all the world'.

'And who is that handsome dark-haired man by his side?' Lady Yu-lan asked.

'Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master,' Blaise said. 'He is sharp-tongued, but very learned and brave. He is the Head of the Slytherin House'.

Lady Yu-lan seemed to be pleased with Blaise's answer.

'I see you keep the turquoise I gave you, Blaise,' Balkis observed, looking on a silver ring with bright blue Afghan turquoise on Blaise's hand.

'Of course I do, dear heart,' Blaise said. 'It was a remembrance of you when you were far away'.

'I remembered you constantly, Blaise,' Balkis said.

'The day I met you was the most wonderful day in my life,' Blaise said. 'I found a perfect woman. As Sir John Suckling once said about it:

'When, dearest, I but think of thee,

Methinks all things that lovely be

Are present, and my soul delighted:

For beauties that from worth arise

Are like the grace of deities,

Still present with us, though unsighted'.

'Who was that Sir John Suckling, dear?' Balkis asked.

'An English courtier and poet of the seventeenth century' Blaise said. 'I liked you when I saw you as a cat, with your gentle voice and your clever talk. And there was that Venus in transit in conjunction with my Pluto in the ascendant chart I have just drawn, meaning an encounter, which will change my life and an important romantic union. And when I saw you in your human form, I said to myself, Blaise Zabini, carpe diem and seize Fortune by the tail. This girl is clearly your destiny'.

'She would not like your seizing her by the tail, which she hasn't, anyway,' Balkis said. 'I met her once'.

'Who, Fortune?' Ron said in surprise.

'Yes. She is a quite nice lady,' Balkis said. 'She told Lord Mantrell and me where his children, stolen by the nomads, were. She lives in a cave in the Himalayas'.

'Now, who is the best man?' Prester John asked.

'Me,' Harry said, stepping forward.

'Very well,' Prester John said. 'Stay here, and you step off'.

Hermione, Ron, Mortie, Lord Mantrell, Prince Kaprin and Princess Alice retreated to the background. Harry stood by Blaise's side, and Ladies Yu-lan, Badam and Zahra by Balkis's side. Prester John asked:

'Blaise, wilt thou take this woman to be your wife?'

'I will,' Blaise said resolutely.

'Balkis, wilt thou take this man to be your husband?'

'I will,' Balkis said, shining.

'What God united let no man separate,' Prester John said. 'You may kiss your wife, Blaise'.

Blaise leaned to Balkis and kissed her, and a lovely pair were they, he small and slight with olive skin, black curly hair and black eyes, and Balkis.

'Now let the feast begin!' Professor Dumbledore declared, and they all sat down one great table, which was standing that day in the hall instead of five, one for each House and one for the teachers. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Mortie sat beside Blaise and Balkis Zabini, Prester John and Lord Mantrell beside Professor Dumbledore, Ladies Badam and Zahra beside Ginny, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, and Lady Yu-lan beside Professor Snape. Soon Professor Dumbledore, Prester John and Lord Mantrell became engrossed in a scholarly discussion, Ladies Badam and Zahra, Ginny, Parvati and Lavender in a conversation about fashion, Prince Kaprin and Princess Alice in playing with Macavity, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, and Lady Yu-lan in her attempts at making Professor Snape interested in her, which he ignored. Blaise looked at them with a smile and said:

'Yes, Severus isn't everyone's cup of tea'.

'But you are mine, darling,' Balkis answered. 'Oh, look how Kaprin and Alice like Macavity! I remember the day when I met him. He took a defensive pose and snarled at me, for he saw I was an Animagus and thought I came to you pretending to be a cat, and gained your confidence to harm you later'.

'Yes, I had to tell him I knew you were an Animagus,' Blaise smiled. 'Dear old Macavity. So loyal'.

'Yes, he is a faithful friend,' Balkis said.

'God send to every gentleman

Such hawks, such hounds and such a leman!' Blaise said.