Harry strode forward, with Ron and Hermione close behind.
Seeing these "little tyrants" leaving, Lockhart's heart finally settled back into his chest.
He opened his mouth to say some pleasantries, but his boastful nature took over. "Harry! Do you need my help? You know, I once convinced a vampire and a werewolf to become friends using only my words."
The moment the words left his mouth, Lockhart regretted it, wishing he could slap himself.
Damn it! Why did I bring that up!
Harry, hearing this heroic claim, clasped his hands. "The Professor is truly extravagant! That scoundrel Quirrell truly disgraced the position of Defense professor!"
Lockhart, hearing mention of the headless Quirrell, felt as if he'd been struck in the head, his mind reeling.
"Ahem, thank you for the compliment, Harry. If you don't need me—"
"Aiya! The Professor is so kind, how could this one refuse you? Let us go together!"
Before he could make an excuse, Harry seized his wrist and dragged him downstairs.
Downstairs, the shop was filled with the noise of a hundred chattering heads, like a flock of crows.
Harry jumped onto a table to see. The crowd was focused on the northwest corner of the shop, where two men were standing: one with messy, sky-high red hair, the other with shoulder-length silver hair.
The red-haired one was Arthur Weasley. The silver-haired one, Harry did not recognize.
Ron jumped up next to him. Seeing the silver hair, he gasped, "That must be a Malfoy. You can tell by the hair."
"I remember my dad told me about him... long hair, very pretentious... Oh! He must be Lucius. Draco's father."
Harry already disliked Draco. Learning this was his father, he snorted. "Like father, like son. This one doesn't think that scoundrel is a good bird, either."
He pushed forward with his saber. Lockhart took the opportunity to flee backward. "Oh! Harry, wait for me—Aiya, stop pushing! I'm being pushed out~"
He was a natural actor, leaning his body forward while his feet slid backward. Even Michael Jackson would have praised his "Moonwalk."
Ron and Hermione, seeing his (fake) eagerness, believed he genuinely wanted to help Harry. They pushed him from both sides.
"Professor Lockhart, we'll help you!"
Lockhart scoffed internally. I'm a grown man. Do these two children think they can move me?
But Ron and Hermione tensed, pouring all the strength they had forged at the Burrow into their limbs.
Four hands shoved at once. Lockhart felt as if he'd been rammed by a Nimbus 2000. His feet left the ground, and all thoughts of escape vanished. Only one thought remained:
Where did these two kids get so much strength?!
He stumbled forward and landed right between Arthur and Lucius.
"Look! It's Lockhart!"
"He must have heard the fighting!"
"Oh, he's so kind."
He was trapped. Lockhart straightened his back and flipped his hair. "That's right. I can't have my fans fighting."
He held up his hands, grabbing Arthur and Lucius. "Gentlemen, the children are watching."
"Give me some face."
Lucius violently ripped his hand away. "Get this straight, Mr. Lockhart. It was Mr. Weasley who accosted me."
Arthur, usually a smiling, peaceful man, was now furious, glaring like a wrathful Buddha.
"Apologize to my daughter! After you apologize, I guarantee I won't stop you!"
Lockhart, sensing a story, was intensely curious.
He asked the onlookers what had happened. It turned out the argument was because of Ginny.
Ginny, flush with Harry's Galleons, had been buying books.
She had just paid for three romance novels when Draco Malfoy shouted, accusing her of only paying for one. He drew the attention of the entire shop, humiliating Ginny.
Lockhart, fascinated, asked, "So that's it—and then? What did Mr. Draco say?"
Before the onlookers could answer, Draco shouted again, "She bought three books, but she only paid for one!"
Ginny, on the verge of tears, cried, "I did not!"
Harry, finding this strange, gripped his saber.
This one has stayed at the Burrow for a month. Sister Ginny is a good and honest girl. How could she do something like shoplifting?
Conversely, this Draco scoundrel is making trouble. Could it be he's up to some filthy trick?
He stepped forward. "You say my sworn sister underpaid. Do you have a witness?"
Draco, seeing Harry, was like a graveyard ghoul meeting the Reaper. His first instinct was to retreat.
He took a small step back, but before his heel hit the floor, Lucius's cane tapped the ground sharply.
Draco froze and shouted, "I saw it!"
"You saw it?"
Harry took a few steps closer. "Did the shop clerk see it? Did the manager see it? How is it that they are silent, and only you, scoundrel, are shouting?"
Harry's questions pushed Draco back, and he was unable to answer.
As the saying goes: Brothers to fight a tiger, father and son to go to war. With Draco defeated, Lucius spoke. "Mr. Potter, honesty is the best virtue for a young wizard. Don't you agree?"
"Hah! This Draco is honest, so my sworn sister is not? What kind of twisted logic is that!"
Harry's words hit their mark, far more effective than Arthur's sputtering.
Ginny, her head now clear, was no longer flustered. With Harry beside her, she felt brave.
She opened her wallet to Lucius. "That's right! I have dozens of Galleons! I don't need to steal!"
Seeing her display the money, Harry winced. The sister has made a mistake in her haste. She only thought to prove her innocence, but she has put us at a disadvantage.
Lucius clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk. My, my. So much money. How many books could that buy?"
"Why didn't Miss Ginny let everyone know sooner?"
"Could it be... she was afraid people would know the Weasleys have money?"
"Or perhaps... this money wasn't come by... properly?"
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