Since this year Ginny would finally be going to Hogwarts, I was eager to see the Weasley family in Diagon Alley considering everything that had happened. Fred and George wrote to me how they had flown with Ron to Harry's house to rescue him because he hadn't answered his letters all summer to find him locked in his room with bars on his window. I was furious and ranted to my parents that it was a despicable thing to do, even for muggles, and that if I were of age I would have apparated right into their front room and turned them all into teapots. Mum was of a similar mind and actually considered doing it herself, but dad managed to talk her down with sweet words and reassurances that Harry was now alright and in the care of Molly Weasley.
"Good, I hope Molly feeds that poor boy up. Hardly anything of him last I saw, he needs a good feeding. Perhaps next summer, we should invite him here instead. You wouldn't mind would you Mia dear? Only, I just can't stand the thought of him going back to such a dreadful place. It's not as if he hasn't suffered enough already." I was all for it, though Harry might feel awkward by the offer since we only knew each other through the Weasleys. All the same, I was excited to be picking up my new things for this year, and very quickly spotted the Weasley family amongst everyone else.
"Fred! George!"
"You made it! Wondered where you'd got to." They both grinned at me as I tackled them both with a hug, smiling broadly at them before turning around and noticed that they were all rather sooty. "Floo powder."
"Ah right. Where's everyone else? I thought Harry was with you?"
"Turns out, he got lost on the way here. No idea where he turned up." That didn't sound too good, but thankfully Harry appeared with Hagrid and Hermione, Mr Weasley looking relieved that he was all in one piece and when asked, he told us he'd shown up in Knockturn Alley. "Brilliant!" Both the boys were enthusiastically asking him what it was like as Ron said that we'd never been allowed in.
"I should ruddy well think not." Hagrid said to us sharply, making us all grin at him. When Mrs Weasley and Ginny finally arrived, all of us were reunited where she immediately fussed over Harry, sweeping off the soot and dust from his clothes whilst Mr Weasley fixed his glasses for him with a tap of his wand. Harry looked rather sheepish, as if embarrassed he'd gotten so lost and unused to all the affection and worry he was earning. Hagrid, satisfied that Harry was in good hands, went off after a cheerful goodbye and Harry told us that he'd seen Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco in Borgin and Burkes, the place he'd popped out from.
This of course was of great interest to Mr Weasley, who seemed to have a longstanding dislike of the Malfoy family, and I can't say I blame them. From what I knew of the squinty little brat Draco, I doubted the rest of the family would be any better. Anyway, Harry and the Weasley family went into Gringotts in order to withdraw money whilst I lingered with Hermione and her parents outside, who were muggles and looked rather bedazzled by everything around them. My parents talked to them in order to make them feel welcome, inviting them to join them and reassuring them that they could ask any questions they wanted and that if they needed something explaining, they would be more than happy to clear up any confusion as they went into Gringotts in order to exchange their muggle money.
"Good summer Hermione?" I asked her as we waited for everyone else to return. She smiled and chatted away, eager to return to Hogwarts and before you knew it, the both of us were in a heavy discussion over magical theory, Hermione becoming delighted that she had found someone else who understood and was even more advanced than she was and asked if she was ever stuck or uncertain over something, if she could come to me for advice. Laughing I ruffled her hair and said that I was at her service, though I doubted she would ever really need my help since she was clever enough as she was.
Having filled up the time it took for everyone to return, we all started to break off. Mrs Weasley had mentioned that she and Ginny needed to go to a second hand robe shop, so I hastily stepped in. "Um…Mrs Weasley? If you like, I brought my old robes from when I was in first year for Ginny. They're in really good condition, I've been holding onto them for her and they're practically brand new. Would these be alright? They might need taking in a bit…only if Ginny's happy with them of course." Ginny, however, was thrilled at the thought of wearing my old robes rather than some stranger's right off the bat, and Mrs Weasley was thanking me repeatedly for being so kind and considerate.
Whilst she was then distracted with the robes, I then slipped seven gold galleons into Ginny's pocket and lowered down to whisper to her. "For your wand, buy it brand new from Ollivander's. It's my belated birthday present for you and a congratulations gift. Just don't tell your mum where you got the money from." Sniffling happily, Ginny hugged me quickly before I then shuffled her away with a grin and a wink, chasing after Fred and George who had spotted Lee, Mrs Weasley yelling at us to come back in an hour to Flourish and Blotts and not to even think about going down Knockturn Alley.
Of course, we went straight to Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop in order to stock up on supplies, selecting a few of 'Dr Dilibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No Heat Fireworks' where we happened upon Ron, Hermione and Harry. We pranced around happily for an hour of free reign before going to the bookshop, not expecting the crowd outside. "What's all this then?" George frowned until we spotted the sign outside in the form of a banner stretched across the entire front of the shop.
GILDEROY LOCKHART
will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
today 12:30 – 4:30 pm
"Ugh, you mean the guy who wrote pretty much our entire booklist this year?" I wrinkled my nose unhappily. "What's even the point? They don't have anything practical to do with Defence Against the Dark Arts, it's all just a load of rubbish. I bet the stories aren't even true to begin with."
"Don't let our mother catch you saying such things Mia." Fred warned me as the both of them smirked.
"Yeah, she adores him. You might even lose your place as favourite replacement child if she overheard you." Rolling my eyes I dragged the both of them inside, pushing through the thick crowds of witches all clamouring to get an autograph from this so called famous author. One witch tried to push us back but I yelled at her, threatening to hex her face if she didn't back off and the twins happily followed as I got us to the front of the line where Mrs Weasley and everyone else was. There was the man himself, Gilderoy Lockhart, with light blue robes and wavy hair, his toothy white smile only making me dislike him all the more as he had Harry gripped tightly against him, in the middle of addressing everyone present.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!" He proclaimed to us all and since Fred, George and I had no interest in anything he had to say, we set about smirking at one another and dropping nasty little surprises in a few pockets such as enchanted frogspawn and beetles. It'll be a right old laugh when people realise. It was only when Lockhart eventually got to the point of his announcement that he would be teaching at our school this year that we actually stopped and paid attention.
"What?!" All three of us chorused, looking both horrified and astonished at the idea. There was a rambunctious air of applause from his admirers, but thankfully Harry managed to pull away and, carrying the books that Lockhart had gifted him, poured them into Ginny's cauldron and told her to keep them and that he'd get his own. Unfortunately, any jokes we could have made to make light of the situation were quickly dashed by the arrival of Draco Malfoy.
"Bet you loved that didn't you Potter? Famous Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." Ginny sprung to his defence, however this only gave Malfoy more material to tease him just as Hermione and Ron made their way over. The twins and I were struggling to actually get to the others, there were so many people in the way and I really wanted to punch Malfoy for being such a prat, I don't care if he's two years younger than me. Thankfully Mr Weasley then came over and with him, we were able to make our way through so that we were all huddled together.
"Ron! What are you doing? It's mad in here, let's go outside." He suggested, and I couldn't agree with him more, only now we had another Malfoy on our hands. There was a rather cold and prickly greeting between Malfoy Senior and Arthur Weasley, but when it boiled down to insulting the redheaded family's lack of fortune, Mr Weasley lunged for Malfoy and together, they started to tumble and brawl amongst the books.
"Get him dad!" Fred and George both yelled eagerly as I grabbed Ginny and dragged her back out of the way with the other three as well, keeping them away from the fight as other witches and wizards trampled to get away until Hagrid suddenly waded through and plucked them apart like it was nothing. Poor Mr Weasley had a busted lip, but I was rather pleased to see Lucius Malfoy had a blackened eye from where he'd been hit by a book, courtesy of Mr Weasley. Angry at his own state of appearance, Malfoy angrily thrust the transfiguration book he'd taken from Ginny's cauldron back towards her, dropping it back with a dull thud.
"Here girl, take your book, it's the best your father can give you." This time I launched myself at him. With an angry hiss like a cat, I stamped my foot down on his, driving in the heel and I'm fairly certain I broke a few toes from the way he howled in pain. Mr Weasley stood there with a wide open mouth, everyone else wearing similar expressions until the twins both cheered for me, though Hagrid now had me by the scruff of my neck.
"Let go Hagrid! He shouldn't talk like that, the Weasleys are a thousand times better than he is without contest! Let me smack his face this time!" I struggled and fought as Hagrid continued to just hold me up a few feet off the floor as Malfoy recovered then shot me a withering glare, so I just stuck out my tongue.
"It appears the apple does not fall far from the tree."
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN YOU SIMPERING COWARD? C'MERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE! I'LL HEX YOUR EARS OFF!" Thinking that by that, Lucius Malfoy had started on me about my mother, I raged and spat until Hagrid was forced to take me outside into the fresh air, separating me from Malfoy however, my parents happened to show up at that moment. At first mum was alarmed, but after getting the story from Arthur along with helpful chippings from the rest of the gang, she stalked off proudly in order to find Malfoy and give her a piece of her mind as well as warn him that if he filed a complaint against me with the school, she would make it known that he was incapable of defending himself from a mere fourteen year old girl.
Feeling rather pleased with myself despite the lecture dad was giving me about how I shouldn't let myself get out of control like that, he warned me that if I ever did something like that again then I would be in huge trouble. Mum was of a similar mind, also telling me off but after giving me a fair warning, she then smiled and flicked my nose playfully, telling me she was glad I gave that stuck up elitist what was coming to him. Of course, Ginny thought I was cooler than ever, and as we all stopped for ice cream she showed me her brand new wand that she had bought with a mysterious pocket full of money that her mother had no clue how it came to be there.
After ice cream we all headed back to the Leaky Cauldron together with all our shopping in tow as we checked and double checked everything had been purchased. Since I hadn't grown much over the summer, I could continue using the same robes as last year which wasn't a problem, which really meant only stocking up on supplies and getting the new books. Ginny was positively glowing, with her new wand and cauldron, books and my old robes all tucked away safely, she was babbling away cheerfully as we made sure that the robes turned from scarlet to plain black for her, as they would only change colour according to the house she was in.
"But I'll be in Gryffindor with you, won't I?" She reasoned, not understanding why we had to change the colour so I assured her that it was only because the school uniform stated she needed to turn up in plain robes, otherwise she could get in trouble.
"You'll be joining us in Gryffindor no problem, I don't think I know anyone half as brave as you." Hugging everyone goodbye, we all then went our separate ways. The Weasleys and Harry used Floo powder whilst Hermione and her parents would use the muggle exit into London, whilst my parents would apparate with me beside them back home, where I then recounted exactly what had happened in the bookshop. Outside of other's prying eyes, my parents were much more approving of stomping on Lucius Malfoy's foot, and I overheard dad saying he hoped I'd broken all his toes, and we all agreed that the Malfoy family were a nasty bunch, and we were better off staying well away from them from now on.