Chapter 25

Book Shop Vandalised

Reporting from Diagon Alley by

Rita Skeeter

In the early morning hours, one Draco Malfoy arrived on site of his newly procured book shop, Kneaded Anthologies, formerly known as Flourish and Blotts, to meet with Auror Harry Potter and Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt.The scene that greeted said ex-death eater was truly heartbreaking to anyone that enjoyed spending their time here.From what we have been able to ascertain, all front shop windows have been blown out, the front cashiers station has been bashed in, and the bookcases all around the shop have been torn apart, knocked over or damaged in some other way. Countless tomes could be seen scattered across the floor and ground inside and out of the shop, many with torn pages or ripped bindings.It seems the café and office have been left untouched and nothing has been reported as stolen, however this remains a small comfort as the heart of Kneaded Anthologies has been mutilated, many of the books it held practically irreplaceable.No statement as of yet has been received from the young Malfoy heir or any Ministry affiliated members.We did manage a brief encounter with one, Hermione Jean Granger, employee of Draco Malfoy.'We do not know why this has happened, or who is responsible, but we would like to make one thing very clear. We are not afraid, nor are we shaken by this. We will not be bullied, and most certainly will not shrink away in shame, for there is none to be had. Draco is a good man, and has brought something incredible forward for this community, and he will continue to do so, regardless of anyone that may still hold a petty grudge from a war that should be left in the past. Thank you.'Could this be the handiwork of an old rival, a fellow ex-death eater holding a grudge, perhaps? Or could it have been someone that feels they have been wronged in some way by the young man?Any new developments can be found in tomorrows evening edition of the DailyProphet.

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Draco was sat slumped at one of the tables in his shops café, along with Luna who occasionally pat him on the head when she felt he needed it. All Ministry officials had gone for the day to work the case elsewhere, and the reporters grew tired of the silence they were greeted with by everyone involved. He was trying very hard to remain optimistic, but he was frustrated that what he feared would happen, finally did. He thought the locals were warming up to him, and maybe even beginning to trust him after the events he held and the charities he'd donated to. He wasn't in it for the recognition, really. He just wanted respect, and not the kind begotten by way of fear or threat. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling it back out of his face and gripped it tightly, letting out an annoyed, long puff of air. Luna pat him on the head again.

The crunch of breaking glass underfoot drew their attention, and they saw Blaise, Theo and Hermione enter the shop. Theo looked angry, beyond it, to be quite honest. Blaise looked concerned, with his brow furrowed and eyes darting every which way as if the perpetrators were hidden among the rubble. Hermione looked... well, fierce. There was no other way to describe the flaming determination and resolve flashing in her eyes.

"This is bullshit!" Theo exclaimed, making his way over to their table. "What fucking coward decided to pull a stunt like this!? I'll find him and break the little bastards ne-"

"Theo!" Hermione admonished, and he promptly shut his mouth with a snap. She turned her attention back to the blond. "Draco, we will be fine. I know it's a bit of a blow, but we will be okay." She replied softly, walking to his side and running her hand across the back of his shoulders. Without a doubt, financially they were perfectly alright, since Draco didnt really rely on the shop as a source of income, but he also knew she wasn't talking about the money. He turned slightly to wrap his arms around her waist and bury his face in her stomach and she continued to caress his shoulders and back.

"Draco, do you have any idea at all who might have done this?" Blaise asked, and Draco shrugged, still holding tightly to his witch.

"I suppose any number of people have wanted to do this since I bought the place... I just can't narrow down who actually would..."

They all stood in silence for a few moments before Luna spoke with her wind chime voice.

"We'd better start cleaning up. The sun is going down and I'm sure no one wants any Imps or Pixies making themselves at home here."

Everyone watched her rise and start waving her wand, repairing all the broken windows and some of the furniture near the front. Collectively, the group joined her efforts and quickly got the shop mostly back to one piece. The books would need to be handled with care. They began to rifle through, creating piles as they went. One pile of undamaged books, one of slight damage, one of ripped binding, and one for all the unsalvageables. It was tedious, and honestly it was upsetting. They'd lost quite a few valuable, and rare tomes because of the vandalism.

Several pops were heard just outside and they all turned to see Potter, Weasleyette and Longbottom.

"We have brought muggle chinese take out, ale and our assistance!" Potter called as they entered the shop. Theo cheered and Blaise tried not to look gobsmacked by Reds sudden appearance. Hermione and Luna quickly set up a couple of the tables so they could all sit down to eat, since it was getting a bit late and they were all famished.

Draco was staring from his spot towards the back, taking in the sight of Gryffindors and Slytherins, and of course the lone Ravenclaw, laughing, chatting and feasting together in his dilapidated shop. He almost wanted to pinch himself. He snapped out of his reverie when Potter walked up to him.

"Hey Malfoy." he had a sort of lopsided grin plastered on his face, causing him to narrow his eyes in suspicion.

"Potter." He drawled, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

"I know about you and Hermione now, and well, I just wanted to say.. I want you to know I'm happy for both of you. Even if I think it's bloody barmy, she is obviously happy and that's important to me as her friend." Potter replied, holding his hand out for Draco to take.

Draco hesitated, but finally grasped his proffered hand and shook it.

"Let's eat and then finish up repairs, yeah?"

"Yeah..."

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About a week later, Hermione was making her way quickly through the ministry, finding herself in Harrys office.

"Hello, Harry."

"Hey, friend. Shut the door, will you?" he asked before taking a seat at his desk. She shut the door quietly and sat in the chair in front of him.

"Have you made anymore progress on our little vandal?" she asked, tapping her finger anxiously on her lap.

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Whoever did it, did it cleanly. We couldn't find any leads, and using any DNA samples is essentially useless since people have been in and out of the shop so frequently. We even tried several magical detection spells to try and find some kind of trace signature, but even that has been fruitless. Whoever it was knew how to cover their tracks."

Hermione slouched in her seat a bit and stared at Harry for a moment.

"I wish I had a time turned so I could go back and see who did it." She mumbled and Harry chuckled.

"Yes, that would make it a lot easier, that's for sure."

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"Draco, come here."

He meandered over to his witch and slid his arms around her waist. She just arrived to the book shop and saw him sitting on the counter of the café looking sorry for himself.

"You've got to open the shop again, Draco. We have fixed everything, and replaced a good amount of the books. You cannot continue to tuck tail and run. That's not the man you are." She said calmly, her voice was soothing his mind and picking away at his trepidation. He sighed.

"You're right. I've been coming here every day since the incident with the intention of opening but something has held me back." He took in a deep breath. "Owl Luna. We are opening in an hour."

Hermione smiled adoringly at him and kissed him ever so sweetly before walking off to the office to pen a summons to their whimsical friend.

End Chapter 25