Harry's strange behaviour continued during the shopping trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies.
Instead of stay quiet and trying not to get noticed Harry spoke loudly, said hi to a lot of people whether he knew them or not, and even struck up the occasional short conversation with strangers and shopkeepers. His actual comments changed often, but the content was the same... 'Some great and powerful Lord the dark one turned out to be'. Ron and Ginny weren't very clear what Harry was attempting to accomplish, but every time the group stopped, someone was hearing how ineffectual both the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters were.
'Can't even kill a baby in his crib.' 'He's faced me five times since I first held a wand...' 'Is he really that afraid of Dumbledore?' 'He was only able to kill my mother because she wasn't defending herself. She was pleading for my life instead.'
That last one bothered Ron the most. As he understood it, Harry didn't want anyone to know what his memories were when he was confronted by a Dementor, so why was he bringing them up so publicly? Then again, Harry wasn't telling those in Diagon Alley how he knew that, just stating it as a fact.
And then the reporters started finding them. Ron noticed his friend smirk slightly, and looked to see what had amused him. Not twenty feet away he noticed a Daily Prophet reporter standing in the crowd, quill literally humming along writing down every quote Harry was making. Turning his back towards Harry (who hadn't paused in his conversation with the parents of a second year Hufflepuff and a fourth year Ravenclaw) Ron saw a Wizard Wireless Network Reporter with a recorder getting sound bites for their next broadcast. A quick spin noticed three other quills furiously dashing out Harry's conversation.
"... But don't get too lazy, okay folks? Just because he's not as all-powerful as he claims to be doesn't mean he won't have a temper tantrum as soon as I say this. He'll try to hurt as many people as possible to make people believe he's an important man, and to forget that he's just a fool with a single wand. If the Ministry really wanted him gone they would have just sent in twenty wizards to overpower him twenty years ago.
"Just remember... the next time the Prophet tells you Voldemort is on a rampage it's because he's not capable of taking me on. He just wants to make you think that I'm the one avoiding him. Well he knows where I am, and is too afraid of both Albus Dumbledore and myself to come near the place."
"Wait a minute, young man. Are you challenging the Dark Lord to come to Hogwarts? Should I pull my kids out of there?" said a frightened father.
"No, no. You're kids are perfectly safe at Hogwarts. Besides the Headmaster and myself being there to protect them, I'm sure the Ministry wouldn't leave your children unguarded. Even now the Auror Corps is most likely setting up a rotating detail of Aurors and Unspeakables to guard everyone. I mean what else are they going to do? They've proven they're too afraid to go after the real threat themselves, so they'll have to settle for protecting the most precious magical items there are... your children. After all, if Voldemort kills all the children, the Wizarding world dies no matter who is in control when it happens."
"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish shopping with my friends before I go back to the Minister's home. He's agreed to house me until school starts; for his own protection, of course. Have a good day."
Despite his protestations of 'shopping' to do, Harry and the Weasleys almost immediately went back to the Burrow, the family through the Leaky Cauldron and Harry through the floo in Fred and George's shop. Not a bad way to protect his real destination.
He was met back at the Burrow by the entire family staring at him like he was bonkers.
The train ride back to Hogwarts was... quiet. Ron and Hermione, as prefects, were roaming up and down the train maintaining order. Ginny was still not talking comfortably with Harry because of the odd package of robes. Hedwig apparently was sleeping the whole way. And then there was Nev and Luna. Nev and Luna had apparently been instructed by their respective guardians to avoid all talk about Harry's Diagon Alley trip, at least in public. They both ignored Harry after saying hello, and chatted quietly with each other and Ginny the whole trip.
When Malfoy opened the compartment door to see who was in there, he took one look at Potter and slammed the door shut again. Harry smiled to himself and went back to the spell book he was reading.
As the returning students reached the front doors of the castle Professor McGonagall got the attention of her famous student. Guiding him into an alcove she told him that his little 'conversation' in the Alley had caused the various news outlets to insist on reporters being present as school started up in order to confirm the safety of the children. Harry's smile at hearing this caused the witch to step back and consider her pupil more seriously.
"Harry Potter! If I didn't know better I'd swear you were plotting something! Now the reporters will be here through first curfew. The headmaster wants you in his office five minutes after they leave to explain yourself and the position you've put this school into. And I'm sure after that the Minister will like to know why his home was attacked three times in the last two weeks."
Harry just replied, "Only until first curfew? I'd better hurry then. Make sure you stay in the great hall after the feast please, Ma'am. I'll need your help with a transfiguration." He hurried into the school doors, trying to get away before she could get a single syllable out.
She got out two before he couldn't hear her anymore. "BONKERS!"
Several minutes later Seamus and Dean walked into their dorm room to put their trunks away before the feast. The sight that greeted them made them stop dead in their tracks. Harry had unfolded his special package from Madam Malkin's and was running several cleaning and ironing spells over it.
Their questions on what was going on stumbled out of their mouths so quickly the green-eyed boy fell over laughing trying to understand what they were saying. Once he finally recovered and figured out what they were asking he just replied, "Just getting ready for the feast. You guys go ahead and I'll be down shortly." He then turned back to the task at hand.
He heard them shut the door behind them and he shot a quick locking spell on the door. He then pulled a second package out and repeated the same cleaning and ironing spells on it. He managed to be downstairs for the feast only two minutes before the headmaster stood to start the school year.
Fortunately for his plans, neither the reporters nor his friends had time to interrogate him before the opening speech.