The Warning
After failing to get the signature of such a celebrated hero, the group simply started looking for the books they needed to buy for the new school year, while the crowd of housewives gradually began leaving the bookstore after learning that the Masked Hero had already departed.
Though some of them, having failed to get a signature from their favorite author, ended up taking a few of the posters and photographs decorating the shop, even while the employees tried to stop them.
Percy was not the biggest fan of books.
Or at least not books with too many words.
So he and Tyson had grabbed one of the children's books, the kind that had magical figures that popped out when you turned the pages, which, to be honest, were actually pretty interesting.
Meanwhile, Harry could not help glancing at both of them for a moment, feeling that sometimes they really were quite alike.
"Well, well," a familiar and rather unpleasant voice was heard, one that Harry seemed to genuinely dislike quite a lot. "What do we have here? The famous Harry Potter."
Harry turned around to find Draco Malfoy coming down the stairs from the second floor, while a shop employee followed behind carrying a huge stack of books.
So many books that it was obviously impossible for Malfoy to have read even one of them, as though he simply wanted to show that he could buy the entire store if he wanted to.
"What is it, Potter? Thinking of replacing the Masked Hero and sitting over there signing books? You should love trying to do that," Malfoy said with his usual air of contempt.
Harry had no idea where he had gotten such a stupid thought from.
He simply stared at him silently.
The silence did not last long because Ron, Hermione, and Percy seemed to have overheard the conversation and walked over.
Percy moved even faster than the others, wearing a serious expression as he looked at Malfoy.
The sight alone made the blond boy instinctively take a step backward, as though he had developed some sort of trauma involving Percy.
But a hand rested on Malfoy's shoulder, stopping him.
And the moment he felt that support, Draco seemed to regain his confidence, especially when the owner of that hand spoke.
"Well, well, it's Potter," said an older man with long hair.
He looked very much like Draco, only older.
And he carried the same contemptuous gaze as his son.
Only stronger.
Lucius Malfoy.
The moment he looked at Harry and then Percy, Lucius's gaze seemed to grow cold for a few moments, almost revealing the faintest trace of hatred.
Of course he recognized the sons of that witch.
And that only increased his hatred further.
His eyes swept across the surroundings as though searching for something.
Something he found almost immediately.
And that caused his expression to become cautious at once.
His gaze met Adrien's.
Adrien was still standing beside Sally.
But his hand rested near his waist, and he had not stopped staring directly at Lucius.
To the point that the wizard felt chills run down his spine, feeling that even from this distance, and despite being a wizard himself, if he did anything foolish he could be in danger.
Lucius shifted his eyes away from Adrien and noticed that several other people throughout the bookstore were now watching him in exactly the same way.
Adrien had never been the only one accompanying Sally and the boys to Diagon Alley.
They had always been deployed around them.
Waiting.
Lucius let out a brief mocking chuckle, relaxing his caution slightly before looking back at Percy and Harry.
An expression that seemed to say that even if he did nothing to them now, they would not remain safe for very long.
Or at least that was what Harry felt when Lucius looked directly into his eyes.
It felt strange.
But he immediately pushed the thought aside when Mr. Weasley arrived.
"Children, it stinks in here. We'd better leave this place," Arthur said with a friendly smile while being followed by Fred and George.
"Well, well, Father Weasley," Lucius said, instantly changing targets. "Very busy at the Ministry these days, Arthur, with all those raids. At the very least they should have paid you overtime, shouldn't they?" Mr. Malfoy said disdainfully.
At the same time, he walked over to Ginny, who was carrying her cauldron filled with books, and picked them up to inspect them.
Among them were the new books by the Masked Hero and a battered secondhand copy of Beginner's Transfiguration that seemed to be missing a few pages.
"Clearly not," Lucius added mockingly. "What is the point of disgracing the name of a wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?" he asked with contempt.
"We have very different ideas about what disgraces the name of a wizard, Malfoy," Mr. Weasley replied calmly.
Lucius smiled mockingly as his gaze settled on Hermione's parents.
"Considering the company you keep, Weasley, I thought you couldn't sink any lower," Lucius added while tossing the book back into Ginny's cauldron as though it were a trash bin.
Before Ron's father could respond, Percy suddenly interrupted.
"And ending up in a non-magical prison isn't sinking low too?" he asked, unable to help himself.
Causing both Arthur and Lucius to turn toward Percy at the exact same time.
And as if it were something that should never be mentioned in front of Lucius, his face changed color and filled with uncontrolled fury.
Almost on reflex, he grabbed the cane he was holding and pulled on it, drawing the wand hidden inside.
But he did not even manage to say a single word when he suddenly felt something cold touching his neck.
Causing Mr. Malfoy to freeze instantly as he felt a blade just moments away from cutting his throat if he so much as tried to utter a charm or spell.
Or even move his wand.
Lucius went pale as he moved only his eyes, searching for Adrien, who moments ago had been standing quite far away beside Sally.
Now he was standing right next to him with a short sword pressed against his neck.
Sally also rushed forward and protectively pushed Harry, Percy, and Tyson behind her, watching Lucius cautiously while he still held his wand.
Though it was obvious he had only not let go of it out of pride.
Because right now he could barely swallow while feeling the blade resting against his throat.
Lucius slowly moved his wand without saying a single word, placing it back inside his cane.
Even his hand trembled slightly.
When the click of the wand locking back into place was heard, Adrien's sword still remained pressed against his neck, making Lucius swallow nervously.
Then he moved his hand away and handed the cane to his son Draco, who was watching all of this just as pale as everyone else at the sight of his father in such a state.
Lucius even had to smack him with the cane before Draco finally grabbed it.
Only when Draco took possession of his father's wand did Adrien finally ease the sword away from Lucius's neck, allowing him to breathe again.
Though he still looked panicked.
As if he had just remembered a nightmare.
"I didn't mean to," Lucius said, trying to justify himself, panic clear in his eyes as he looked at Adrien.
The exact same look Draco had worn earlier when Percy approached him.
"Get out," Adrien told him, not even remotely interested in hearing any excuses, as he slid the short sword into a sheath that nobody knew when had appeared on him.
The moment Lucius heard those words, he seemed to feel as though he had been granted amnesty.
He cast one final glance toward Sally, Harry, and Percy, then grabbed his son's arm and dragged him away at great speed.
Though for a brief moment, malice still seemed to burn in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the people around them stared.
Or rather, they stared at Adrien.
He had used a sword, and now everyone was beginning to panic as they realized who he might be.
And what he was doing in Diagon Alley.
A knight.
The only ones who did not seem afraid of Adrien were, naturally, Harry, Percy, and Tyson.
And for some reason, the Weasley twins, who kept muttering things like "awesome" every now and then while looking at Adrien and then at his sword.
Meanwhile, Arthur seemed to remember that Adrien was one of the very knights the Ministry had become so afraid of, cleaning up dark magical artifacts and so many of the Ministry's problems ever since they had started entering the magical world more frequently.
But after speaking with Adrien, he felt considerably more at ease.
After all, both of their jobs, in one way or another, revolved around protecting people.
With the day's shopping finally finished, everyone parted ways at the Leaky Cauldron, where they used the Floo Network to return to their respective homes.
Though the Granger family, not having a connected fireplace, could only leave through the front door.
Meanwhile, Adrien had separated from them there because, according to him, he had something he needed to do.
So Harry, Percy, Tyson, and Sally returned home, bringing their Hogwarts shopping trip to an end.
Though Harry could not forget Lucius's final look.
Nor that strange feeling he had experienced when their eyes met.