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Chapter 10 - Brawls and books

I looked at the Weasleys who didn't seem to be overly concerned, then at my dad who gave me a shrug and a very confused expression.

Looking back at Harry, I saw him shaking Lockhart's hand, his face burning red as the photographer snapped photos.

"Nice big smile, Harry," Lockhart said through his own dazzling smile. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."

After more pictures were snapped, Harry's hand was released, and more confusion right in front of me, Lockhart spoke again. "Ladies and gentlemen. What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect time for a little announcement!

"When Harry Potter here stepped into Flourish and Blotts, he only wanted to buy my autobiography- which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge." Lockhart continued, smiling at the crowd, "He had no idea he would be getting much more than just my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real me! Yes, it is with immense pleasure that I announce that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

As he finished his speech, the crowd started to cheer loudly. Harry was presented with a stack of Lockhart's books, and he practically ran away from Lockhart. The stack of books nearly falling, made his way over to Ginny and I.

"You have these," he mumbled to Ginny, releasing the books into the cauldron at her feet. "I'll buy my own-"

He was abruptly cut off by a boy who walked up to them, his blond hair gleaming in the lurid light.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" he asked with a sneer upon his face. "Famous Harry Potter can't even go to a bookstore without making the front page."

Famous?

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny, lifting her chin and glaring at the boy defiantly. 

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" the boy sneered. Ginny's face turned bright red and she looked down at her feet.

Looking at her, I suddenly got defensive, glaring at the pale boy with anger. "Were you born this rude, or did you have to take lessons?"

Turning his sneer to me, he rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to respond but didn't get the chance. 

"Hey, Malfoy!" Ron's voice called from behind us, "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley." the blond boy- Malfoy retorted. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."

That was such a better comeback than what I said. Wait... not better... I mean what he just said was terrible...

Ron started to turn as red as Ginny, lunging at Malfoy before Harry and Hermione held him back.

"Ron!" Mr. Weasley called, making his way over to them with Fred and George, the Weasley twins. "What are you doing? It's too crowded here, let's go outside."

He turned as if to start to head out but someone stood in his path. "Well, well, well... Author Weasley." A man with long blond hair, a pale face, and cold, gray eyes said greasily. He walked over to Malfoy and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Lucius Malfoy." said Mr. Weasley coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," Mr. Malfoy said smoothly, "I hope they're paying your overtime?"

His hand reached for Ginny's cauldron, but I grabbed the cauldron and pulled it from him before he could. Ginny's hand let go as I grabbed it, leaving the heavy books in my hands.

Mr. Malfoy looked at me, a sneer, almost identical to Malfoy's, plastered on his face. "And who do we have here?" he asked, his voice full of annoyance.

I smiled as sweetly as I could muster and tilted my head at him. "Just someone who really wants to help you out. So... which way did you come in?"

The man raised his eyebrows at me, then gave a small laugh and rolled his cold, gray eyes. "Nevermind, it doesn't matter."

He turned away from me and back towards Mr. Weasley. But then, quick as a flash, his hand sped towards the cauldron in my hand and reached for a battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.

I quickly pulled the cauldron the cauldron away, but I was too late. I glared at him in disgust.

"Dear me." Mr. Malfoy said while shaking his head. "What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard is they don't pay you well for it?"

At that Mr. Weasley flushed a deeper shade of red than Ginny and Ron.

"We have a different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said rather forcefully.

"Clearly," was the response, Mr. Malfoy's eyes reaching towards the Grangers and my dad who were watching the scene from behind us. "The company you keep... and I thought your family could sink no lower-"

Mr. Malfoy was cut off as Mr. Weasley threw himself at him, knocking him back into a bookshelf. Dozens of spellbooks fell, and shouts of the crowd and of the Weasleys were heard. 

Suddenly an assistant was yelling. "Gentlemen, please! Please!"

Then a huge figure started stumbling through the fallen books, his voice booming around the shop. "Break it up, there, gents, break it up-" It was Hagrid, instantly pulling the two men apart.

Mr. Malfoy, still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book, shot me a heavy glare. "Here girl- take the book -it's the best he can get..." he shoved the book into the cauldron I was still holding so hard that I stumbled slightly.

With that he beckoned Malfoy and the pair swept from the shop.

"Yeh should've ignore him, Arthur," Hagrid said almost sternly. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that."

Uh... not everyone...

Mr. Weasley just nodded in response, straightening his robes.

We all headed out of the shop, drawing more attention than what was comfortable. 

"A fine example to set for these children... brawling in public... what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought..." Mrs. Weasley was ranting to Mr. Weasley, causing him to look at the ground. Huffing out a breath, Mrs. Weasley sighed. "I'm going to take Ginny and Aelynn to get their wands at Ollivanders." she said quietly, still calming down. "Take Ginny's supplies home."

Mr. Weasley nodded, and smiled at me and Ginny. "Exciting right?" he asked, cheerfully.

Ginny nodded and replied to her dad, but I looked at my own dad. 

"Hey, Dad?" I asked, "I can go with them, right?"

My dad smiled and nodded, though there was some shock from what had just happened still in his face. "Yeah, of course. I'll bring your stuff home. You know how to get back?"

I nodded. "Yeah, just through the Leaky Cauldron again. Ginny told me."

He smiled, and started to follow the rest of the Weasleys, the Grangers, and Harry to leave Diagon Alley.

I watched them walking for a second, then remembered something. My eyes lit up and I straightened.

"Hey, Harry?" I called out, speaking to him for the first time.

He turned and looked at me. "Yeah?"

"Uh... this might sound a little... strange. But why did Lockhart take pictures with you? You like... famous or something?" I asked, the last part I added as a sort of joke, but then he started to look uncomfortable.

"Er... kind of..." he said slowly, looking at the ground.

Ron turned next to him, and slapped his shoulder. "Come on, mate," he said with a grin. "You know you are."

He turned to me, and gave me a wide grin. "He's the Boy Who Lived. Survived You-Know-Who, a decade ago."

I tilted my head slightly. "You-Know-Who?"

"Oh... erm." Ron stumbled, his earlier confidence fading slightly. "Yeah. Well he was the darkest wizard ever, who, you know, killed lots of people. Harry kind of stopped him, not knowing of course, but yeah... I'm sure my mom can explain more on your way to Ollivanders."

He seemed eager to move on from the topic and so did Harry so I let it go. "Yeah, okay." I said with a half-smile, "Thanks."

They turned to leave through the Leaky Cauldron and I started to follow Ginny and her mom to Ollivanders.

This really sucks, not knowing anything... 

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