Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or universe. No offense is meant by the situations portrayed in this or any other fanworks.
Chapter Four: At Flourish and Blotts
Once he heard Dudley wasn't going to Diagon Alley, Hagrid sent his regrets because he decided not to escort them. He said that the Weasleys would be a much better escort than him. So it was just Aunt Petunia, Molly, Hattie, and all the Weasley children. Neville and Hermione planned to meet with them later at an ice cream shop Hattie remembered going to the year before. Arthur planned on meeting them later.
Everyone piled into Aunt Petunia's car and she lugged them all there. "I am not travelling by Floo again," Aunt Petunia said. "And I would hate for you to have to buy more just on Hattie and my account."
Aunt Petunia acted as if nothing happened on Hattie's birthday at all. She dropped the topic completely, which was quite unlike her. Hattie didn't mind, she didn't want to talk about it.
"Well," Mrs. Wealsey said. "You aren't helping to buy textbooks then. I can't imagine why the children have so many textbooks this year."
"But I get Hattie's hand-me-down robes, right?" Ginny asked. "She said I could."
"You're not supposed to eavesdrop on financial matters, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Of course you get Hattie's robes," Aunt Petunia said. "Hattie needs new robes anyway. She's growing like a weed."
"Thanks Auntie," Hattie replied, sarcastically.
Ginny sat between Petunia and her mum, and the rest squeezed into the backseat again. Hattie found herself wedged between Ron and Fred. Percy distantly looked out the window of the car before they even started moving. "I've already tried them on," Ginny said, turning around in her seat. "They fit perfectly. Do you think I'll grow like a weed too?"
"Turn around dear," Molly said as Aunt Petunia started to drive the car.
"You'll want to stay small for Quidditch," Hattie said, unsure of what to reply.
"Unless you want to be a beastly Keeper," George said, laughing. "Those guys are tanks."
"Or girls," Ginny said.
"Ginny," Molly repeated, "Turn around."
Ginny turned around. "You're not allowed to talk about anything interesting because I have to sit in the front sit," Ginny said. "I have to listen to mum's boring conversation."
"We'll just talk about how Ron's going to get Hattie's robes instead of you," Fred said.
"Shut up!" Ginny said, turning around again. "Ron would look terrible in Hattie's robes. He's too tall, anyway."
"Oh for Merlin's sake, Ginny," Molly said. "Turn around. I don't want you wiggling around in case we get into an accident. Not that your driving would ever get us into an accident, Petunia."
"Thank you Molly," Aunt Petunia replied.
The car ride repeated in this manner with Fred and George pushing Ginny's buttons, causing her to turn around, resulting in Mrs. Weasley scolding Ginny, Fred, and George. Percy ultimately joined in the scolding while Ron and Hattie tried to talk about all the things they'd buy in Diagon Alley if they were rich.
The family slightly dispersed from one another, with Molly and Aunt Petunia trailing behind Ginny, Ron, and Hattie as they went shopping. Fred and George ran into Lee Jordan and went with him and Percy simply separated himself from the group. They agreed to meet later in the ice cream shop that they were supposed to meet Neville and Hermione (and their parents) in later.
They ran into Hermione and the Grangers early outside of Flourish and Blotts. "I can actually meet him!" Hattie heard Hermione squealing. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
"You mean people who wrote our textbooks are still alive?" Ron asked Hattie under his breath.
"Molly," Aunt Petunia said. "She's right – we can meet Gilderoy Lockhart!"
"Hattie! Ginny!" Hermione shouted, adding, "Ron. Should we go in and try to meet him?"
Hermione's parents lingered outside of the store uncomfortably, trying to decide which conversation to join into.
"I highly doubt we'll get bonus marks for having autographed copies," Ron said. "Plus every witch is my mum's age in there."
"And I'm getting in there," Molly said, squeezing in and pulling Petunia. "I better thank him for the state of my garden!"
"She'd need to hit him with a shovel to thank him properly," Ron mumbled, causing Hattie to suppress a chuckle.
"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "That's terrible. I wish I went with them."
"Well, we might as well go in and look at the other books, right?" Ginny said. "We're going to have to go in anyway."
"Oh hello!" Arthur waved, mainly to the Grangers than to his children, and jogged up towards the group. "I was hoping to catch everyone early. Where's Molly?"
"Mum's in the line to meet Gilderoy Lockhart," Ron said. "Please stop her."
"Maybe I better get in line to thank him for the state of the garden," Arthur muttered.
He squeezed inside, ushering the Grangers, to talk to them in the bookstore. Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Hattie followed soon after. Hattie had never been inside a building so cramped full of people. Ginny clung between Hermione and Hattie, possibly out of fear of getting lost in the crowd. Ginny didn't have to buy a lot of textbooks as most of hers would be hand-me-downs, but Hattie, Hermione, and Ron grabbed some of the textbooks they needed.
"Do you think your Aunt would let me cut in line with them?" Hermione asked. "I'd love a signature. It would help me study."
"You're kidding Hermione," Ron said. "You don't want to be in that line."
Hattie spotted Arthur and the Grangers near the entrance with Arthur talking eagerly and the Grangers politely nodding. Mr. Granger spoke here and there, and she noticed Mrs. Granger often looked towards Aunt Petunia and Molly in the line-up.
"Hattie, you'll stand with me in line, won't you?" Hermione said.
"Nope," Hattie said. "You're stuck with the old ladies. I gave Aunt Petunia her first Lockhart book and that's as far as I go."
"Ginny?" Hermione asked, pleadingly.
Ginny sighed. "All right," she said. "But if I get sorted into Hufflepuff, you have to sit with me at mealtimes, okay?"
"Deal," Hermione said. "Because I know you'll be in Gryffindor."
Hattie and Ron inched closer anyway to see Lockhart better. He was wearing a stupid white grin and stupid blue robes that matched his stupid blue eyes. "Man he looks stupid," Ron said, after he hijacked the narrator. "I don't know what Hermione sees in him."
"Did you ever read any of his books?" Hattie asked.
"No," Ron said.
"Neither have I," Hattie said. "I can't imagine Hermione reading something stupid."
"Well he looks stupid," Ron said. "And our garden is rubbish."
"Yeah, I wouldn't tell your mum though," Hattie said.
That's when a short, irritable-looking man pushed by Hattie and Ron, announcing that he was taking pictures for the Daily Prophet.
"Big deal," Ron said, nudging Hattie.
Gilderoy Lockhart must have heard him and turned towards them. Lockhart did a double-take when he spotted Hattie. Leaping up from his seat, he shouted, "It can't be Hattie Potter?"
"Oh Merlin," Hattie muttered.
The crowd parted as Lockhart tried to grab onto Hattie's arm.
"So much for blending in with us," Ron mumbled, trying to wave Hattie's hand off of his arm.
Hattie was furious when the photographer took a picture of her underneath Lockhart's arm. Lockhart mumbled something about the front page, but Hattie could only see how excited Aunt Petunia was.
He started something about an autobiography and the crowd started clapping and then he announced that he'd be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year. He then stacked a heap of his books into Hattie's arms and she hurried away from him. "Well at least we know You-Know-Who isn't on the back of his head," Ron said. "You-Know-Who would probably rather kill Himself."
"I know I would," Hattie said. "Come on, Ginny and Hermione stepped out of line, I want to give Ginny these books."
A few steps and Hattie pushed the books into Ginny's hands. "I don't want anything to remember that," Hattie said. "What a jerk."
"Is he a jerk for leeching off your fame, Potter?" Of course it was Draco Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Oh please, Malfoy," Hattie said.
"Leave her alone," Ginny piped up from behind her books.
"Potter, have you spawned yourself a double?" Malfoy asked. "Oh wait, it's a female Weasley."
"Merlin, Malfoy," Ron said. "Don't you have something better to do than try to make insults up for us?"
Ginny suddenly dropped all the books Hattie had stacked onto her arms, as well as the books Ron had given to her to carry. Just as Draco gave out a laugh, Arthur was immediately at Ginny's side to help pick up her books.
"Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley."
Arthur stopped helping his daughter to look up at Lucius Malfoy, who placed his hand on Draco's shoulder and sneered just like his son.
"Lucius," Arthur said coolly, keeping his eyes on the ground.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Lucius. Arthur stood up, his knees creaking in a way that embarrassed him. Lucius continued, "All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime?"
Lucius took a very battered copy of 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration' from Arthur's hand. There was a very calm exchange between Lucius and Arthur about what they considered to disgrace a wizard. Lucius kept cool, whereas Arthur's face burned a classic Weasley red.
But then Mr. Malfoy stared down Mr. and Mrs. Granger who seemed anxious at the exchange. "The company you keep, Weasley," Lucius said, watching the Grangers, "and I thought your family could sink no lower-"
Arthur threw himself at Lucius, knocking him into one of the bookshelves. Hattie was taken aback at Arthur's rage and Ron nudged her. "See," he said, "you're practically a Weasley."
Molly and Petunia left their spot in the line as Molly tried to pull Arthur off of Lucius. More shelves were knocked over as the people in the bookstore tried to see what the fuss was about. Molly and Petunia managed to separate Lucius and Arthur. Lucius shoved Petunia away once he saw she touched him. Hattie's heart pounded in her ears as she saw the way Lucius glared at her Aunt. Draco hadn't developed that look yet, and that look scared her more than anything.
Hattie took her Aunt's hand on her own and Lucius shoved Ginny's old book into her hand. "Here girl – take your book – it's the best your father can give you," he said.
He shot Aunt Petunia another dirty look, before beckoning Draco to follow him out of the store. Ginny shrunk speechless beside Ron. Hattie wished she could grow large enough to hide her Aunt behind her. Could she convince Aunt Petunia to leave the Wizarding World? It couldn't be safe for her – a muggle who took care of the Girl who Lived.
Once they excited the store themselves, Molly hit Arthur on the arm with the book she wanted Lockhart to sign. "You know better than to let Lucius wind you up like that," she said. "A fine example to set for your children – especially since we've been trying to teach Hattie not to fight first – and you brawling like that in public – what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought – "
Fred and George rushed up once they saw their mother yelling at Arthur in public. "What did we miss?" Fred asked Hattie.
"Your father fought someone," Aunt Petunia said.
"Draco's dad," Hattie added.
"I can't believe we missed it," George said.
They stopped at the ice cream shop to meet with the Longbottoms, but their mood was subdued. The Grangers looked half-terrified, Ginny hadn't spoken at all, Arthur sulked from being scolded, and Molly was still furious. Not even Fred and George kept their spirits up out of fear of being scolded by their mother. Aunt Petunia hadn't spoken much either. She either knew what the look Lucius gave her meant, or she knew that Hattie coming to stand beside her couldn't bode well. Percy came in later and didn't even ask to be filled in on what happened.
Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Hattie sat at their own table. Ginny stayed tucked away by her father, although she had been invited with them. Neville thankfully had only come with his mother, so his sister was alone at home with his father. "We can't stay long," Neville said. "Mum and dad have work so I have to be at home to watch Natasha."
"Did you already do your shopping?" Hattie asked.
"I managed to get Lockhart to sign my textbook," Hermione said. "Do you think I should give it to your mum, Ron?"
"Yes," Neville said. "I mean, yes I already did my shopping. I don't know about the book."
Ron shrugged. "I think you should give it to my dad. Burning it would cheer him up," he replied.
"I'm on your mum's side," Hermione said.
"You would be," Ron muttered.
Hermione shot Ron a dirty look before turning to Hattie. "I hope you don't take this as permission to act out once we get back to school," Hermione said. "You can't risk getting into trouble, especially if trouble comes looking for you."
"Okay, okay," Hattie said. "Ron's dad will just be my new hero."
"I can't believe I missed all the excitement," Neville said, eating his ice cream. "I always miss the excitement."
"Well you've got ice cream now, Neville," Hermione said, bitterly. "That's excitement."
The conversation went downhill from there – Hermione too sour to contribute much conversation and Neville too disappointed to help revive it. Hattie almost wished Ron and her could be alone so they could talk about how cool his dad was, but decided they still had some time before school started again.
They exchanged goodbyes and the Weasleys piled back into Aunt Petunia's car. Ginny squeezed in between Ron and Hattie so Arthur could sit in the front with Molly and Petunia. It was a tight fit and Arthur promised to learn how to magically make more seatbelts for the car.
Hattie found the conversation inside the car tense though not quiet. Percy was wedged between the twins who talked excitedly about going back to school. They managed to get Hattie and Ron's excitement back too. By the time they got out of the car, Hattie couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts, regardless of what she had to face.