Chapter 80: Gilderoy Lockhart
Ron touched the Galleons in his pocket and reluctantly walked into the Quidditch Quality Supplies shop. He really liked the Chudley Cannons uniform displayed inside.
He quietly calculated his savings. With what he had and the money from the mutual aid group, he could already afford a set of the uniform he liked. But he quickly gave up the idea. Compared to those flashy outfits, he preferred the sense of security that his Galleons gave him.
After that, Hermione took them to a stationery shop next door to buy ink and parchment. As expected of a top student, she even enjoyed browsing stationery stores.
Time passed quickly in their relaxed and cheerful mood, and soon the hour was up. They made their way to Flourish and Blotts bookstore. Along the way, they noticed many people heading in the same direction. When they arrived, they were surprised to see the shop already packed with people.
Only then did they notice a huge banner hanging upstairs—it turned out that someone named Gilderoy Lockhart was holding a book-signing event.
"Oh, we get to see him in person!" Hermione said excitedly. "Most of the books on our list are written by him!"
Most of the people attending the signing seemed to be around Mrs. Weasley's age. They looked extremely excited, as if they were about to meet their idol—the handsome man himself. The bookstore even had a wizard at the door maintaining order: "Ladies, please don't crowd too close—mind the books!"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione took advantage of their height and squeezed through the gaps into the store. It was packed wall to wall. They made their way from the entrance to the back, where a handsome blond man was signing books—Gilderoy Lockhart himself.
The three grabbed copies of Lockhart's books and quietly slipped into the line where the Granger and Weasley families were waiting.
"Oh, you're already here—good, we'll queue together," Mrs. Weasley said nervously, breathing a little fast as she tried to smooth her hair. "We'll meet him soon… we might even shake his hand!" Thinking of it made her heart race.
Finally, it was their turn. Lockhart sat behind a table covered with his own photographs. In each one, he wore different outfits, smiling brilliantly and winking as if they were all twins.
In person, Lockhart wore a blue robe that matched his bright blue eyes, along with a pointed wizard hat tilted stylishly over his curly hair.
A short man holding a magical camera ran around snapping pictures nonstop. Each flash was accompanied by a puff of purple smoke.
"Move aside!" the man shouted irritably, constantly searching for better angles.
"Sorry," Ron muttered, rubbing his sore foot after being stepped on.
Lockhart looked up. A natural performer, he always seized opportunities to turn unexpected moments into publicity. With just a little showmanship, his charming image would surely make headlines.
His eyes landed on Ron—and then on the boy beside him with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. He froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up. Jumping to his feet, he shouted:
"Isn't this our very own Harry Potter?!"
The crowd erupted with excitement, craning their necks to see. Harry felt his face burning with embarrassment. Before he could react, Lockhart rushed over, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the front.
Seeing the famous Boy Who Lived, the crowd burst into thunderous applause. Harry wanted to hide, but Lockhart held him tightly while the photographer snapped pictures nonstop.
The short man pressed the shutter frantically, darting around and nearly stepping on people again, causing gasps.
"Smile, Harry!" Lockhart beamed, flashing his signature dazzling teeth. "We might make the front page!"
Harry finally felt Lockhart loosen his grip, but his fingers were numb from being squeezed. He tried to slip back into the crowd, but Lockhart wasn't finished. He draped an arm around Harry's shoulders and held him firmly in place.
Lockhart raised a hand for silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a very special moment. On this wonderful occasion, I would like to make a small announcement…"
The crowd quieted instantly.
"Today, Harry Potter has come to Flourish and Blotts specifically to purchase my signed autobiography. And now, I am delighted to present it to him—free of charge!"
Thunderous applause erupted again.
"But that's not all…" Lockhart continued dramatically. "He doesn't yet know that he is about to receive something even more valuable than my autobiography. In fact, he and his friends will soon experience the real me—a truly magical me!"
The crowd gasped and applauded.
Lockhart raised his voice proudly:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased—and honored—to announce that this September, I will be taking up the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
The crowd exploded into even louder cheers. Even those who had only come out of curiosity were stunned. The Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts was rumored to be cursed, yet Lockhart had boldly accepted it.
Dazed, Harry finally pushed his way out of the crowd. He realized he was carrying all of Lockhart's books in his arms—no wonder he was stumbling.
He squeezed over to the wall, where Ginny was standing beside a newly purchased cauldron.
"These are for you," Harry said, dumping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own later."
He had a very poor impression of Lockhart and had no intention of keeping the books himself.
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