12th August 1992
Gilderoy Lockhart.
He's a genius my mother proclaims. I often wonder if she's actually read his books.
I've never read worse prose in my life. I want to sit him down and force him to read Shakespeare. Don't even get me started on the titles either! I mean "Voyages with Vampires" sounds like he took a picnic with them instead of fighting.
Plus how the hell has one man managed to do all of these things? I have serious doubts that Lord Voldemort could take on all these monsters single- handed let alone some vain pompous show off.
Context – Gilderoy Lockhart was in Diagon Alley today.
I can now safely say that I shall not be reading anything he's written ever again.
The day was a disaster from start to finish.
"Wasn't this the year when…?" Ginny paused and looked at her father who had gone a little red.
The twins grinned.
After managing to somehow lose Harry Potter (who has clearly never used the Floo before) as he came out in Knockturn Alley rather than Diagon.
I swear he could find life-threatening trouble in the middle of nowhere.
"It just gets worse" Fred sighed.
I'd be impressed if it wasn't so concerning. But anyway the trouble really started in Flourish and Blotts when the aforementioned hated author caught sight of the Boy-Who-Lived. He yanked the poor kid so hard it must have bruised and then proceeded to embarrass him thoroughly in front of the entire bookstore.
I have never desired fame and this reminded me why very clearly! The second hand embarrassment was bad enough. Then as if the day couldn't have gotten worse I found myself witnessing my father, a fully grown man, launch himself a Lucius Malfoy like some kind of pro wrestler.
I understand that this man is slimy – yes, evil – most likely but for Merlin's sake we were in public. Fred, George, Ron and Harry looked like Christmas had come early but all I felt was discomfort and a little shame. This from the man who had always said to use words and not fists.
There a subtler ways to get payback. Poison maybe? Or a powerful laxative now that would be satisfying.
Note to self – Fred and George (payback?)
Georgegaped disbelieving while Fred burst into hysterical laughter.
"Hmmm" Charlie said "He may be onto something."
Fred stopped laughing abruptly.
The best way to get close to an enemy is to ensure they don't know you're an enemy. Clearly none of them have ever read The Art of War. Now that was a book - Gilderoy Lockhart should take note!
Hagrid had to separate my father and Malfoy in the end. I've never really been that friendly with Hagrid. Not that he's not friendly but once he realised that dangerous animals were definitely not my thing, which he figured out from the horrified expression on my face when he asked if I planned to follow in Charlie's footsteps, we've maintained more civil than warm relationship. However standing in that bookshop today I felt the biggest wave of affection for the half-giant man.
I should make more of an effort with Hagrid, he's a good guy.
In other news I found this hysterical book about prefects that have risen to power. I picked it up in sheer bafflement that someone could have written such a thing and rifled through it. Ron caught me at it and gave me the most contemptuous look I've ever seen on his face as if I'd picked it up to actually read it.
I got that white hot rage feeling in the pit of my stomach and told him to get lost before something much worse came out of my mouth. It's getting harder and harder to stop getting angry at trifling things. It's almost like I've buried so much anger throughout my childhood that I know have endless reserves and it lies dormant like a volcano just waiting to go off.
Most of the time I can make it cold again but I can't seem to get rid of it completely so it just lies there like a dead weight. I feel like I'm walking around with a constant stomach ache.
Someday it's all going to come bubbling out like hot lava and someone will get burnt.
22nd August 1992
Sixteen. I can buy a lottery ticket now. Although other than that I'm not entirely sure what the big deal about being sixteen is.
In the wizarding world sixteen just means you only have year left until you're seventeen and that's what it's all about. Muggles apparently place a bigger deal on this age than we do and I felt unnecessarily fussed over. It was nice don't get me wrong but it was a little confusing all the same. Mia later explained that for Muggles it was the first step towards adulthood, they make a big deal about sixteen, eighteen and twenty-one though the reasons for this have become a little obscure as the years go on.
Julie and Kevin made me a cake and bought me some more sheet music and a personalised guitar pick. Mia got me a really nice case for my guitar so that I can now travel with it.
It wasn't until after her parents had gone to bed that I understood little more about the significance of being sixteen. As a joke Mia had also brought me some condoms and then to our mutual embarrassment had to explain what they were for. It seems that sixteen is the legal age for muggles to start having sex.
"Cover your ears Ginny" Bill smirked. She scowled at him.
I've never gone so red in my life and that is saying something. I can't even bring myself to write down that particular conversation in detail but suffice it to say I now know more than I ever needed to about Muggle kinds of birth control.
We have both agreed however never to discuss such things again. There's only so far I'm willing to go.
"We've come full circle again" Charlie held his hand out for the diary "I think we're getting closer to the end now"
A/N I had to go there! Our little Percy is becoming a man! Please review!