If there was anything more awkward than being dragged off by an elder to a matchmaking date, it was several elders dragging several people off to meet several others for a group matchmaking session.
And if anything could be even more awkward than that, it was having just fought one of your prospective matches that afternoon.
Yes, Sirius had brought Nymphadora, Harry, Tris, and the other youngsters to the Hilliacs Family, the largest wizarding family in France, for matchmaking-though, of course, the official excuse was a social gathering to get to know one another.
But with all those boys and girls of similar ages gathered together, the intention was painfully obvious.
The Hilliarks family was not the only French family present, either. Several other French wizarding families with considerable reputations even in Britain had come as well.
Compared with Britain, France placed less importance on blood purity-the existence of part-Veela witches and the appointment of a half-giant as a magical school's headmistress were proof enough.
As such, witches and wizards like Nymphadora and Harry, whose parents were both magical but who were not half-bloods in the strictest sense, faced no prejudice.
On the contrary, with one being a young Auror and the other famous throughout the wizarding world, both were very popular with those wizarding families.
The youngsters, however, suffered.
Neither side had known about this beforehand, and every last one of them was mortified.
Tris undoubtedly suffered the most.
An eleven-year-old being dragged into matchmaking was absurd enough. Spotting Miss Pheobe of the Delacour Family among the guests, her gaze practically breathing fire, made it even worse.
Pheobe had actually heard the name Weasley when she heard Tris's name, but she had paid it no mind.
As one of Britain's oldest and most prolific families, the Weasleys had branches