Life at the Burrow was as different as possible from life on Privet Drive. The Dursleys liked everything neat and ordered; the Weasleys' house burst with the strange and unexpected.

Olivia practically died from laughing when she saw Harry get a shock the first time he looked in the mirror over the kitchen mantelpiece and it shouted, "Tuck your shirt in, scruffy!" The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he felt things were getting too quiet, and small explosions from Fred and George's bedroom were considered perfectly normal. Olivia tried to see what they were doing, but they hid everything. "No one can see anything yet." George told her. What Olivia found most appealing about life at the Weasley's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: It was the fact that everybody there seemed to like both her and Harry.

Mrs. Weasley fussed over the state of their socks and tried to force them to eat more helpings at every meal, she also fussed over the bruises that Olivia had on her arms from Pierre. Mr. Weasley liked Harry to sit next to him at the dinner table so that he could bombard him with questions about life with Muggles, asking him to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked. Olivia sat between Fred and Ginny, and they planned some pranks to do around the house. Ginny told her a bunch of stuff that didn't know about wizards, like there was a minister of magic, and vampires are real, and so are leprechauns.

Fred and George one day we're out in the garden with Olivia and Ginny, when Fred stopped talking abruptly and looked at Olivia. "I've had an idea." He explained how Olivia took too much time to say.

"Might we call you Liv?" George asked her. Olivia nodded.

"You can call me nearly any variation of Olivia, I would love to have nicknames. Harry sometimes calls me Livvy." Olivia said with a smile.

That night at dinner, Fred and George made a spectacular show of dubbing Olivia - Liv at dinner, complete with a short song, a jig, knighting her with a ladle, and putting a crown of garlic on her head. Olivia found it utterly delightful. The whole house was in a fit of tears from laughing by the end of the night.

Liv and Ginny heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning about a week after she had arrived at the Burrow. Ginny and Olivia had gotten up early every day because Ginny had a crush on Harry, and she didn't know how to talk to him. They woke up and went downstairs for breakfast. When they sat down, Mrs. Weasley put more food out on the table, and Mr. Weasley handed each of them identical letters. "Your letters from Hogwarts I'll expect." Mr. Weasley told Olivia, but as she had studied Harry's letter, she knew exactly what it said.

'HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress'

She turned to look at her materials.

"UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings) Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope set1 brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS"

Olivia smiled and looked around the table. Suddenly Harry and Ron appeared in the doorway. The moment she saw Harry, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter. Ginny seemed very prone to knocking things over whenever Harry entered a room. She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun. Harry pretended he hadn't noticed this and sat down next to Olivia and took the toast Mrs. Weasley offered him. Ron sat down next to Harry.

"Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing Harry and Ron identical envelopes of yellowish parchment. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry — doesn't miss a trick, that man. You two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pajamas.

For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters. Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Harry's.

"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan — bet it's a witch."

At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade.

"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive…"

"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."

"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year too?" Harry asked Ginny.

She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair. Just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest.

"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."

He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a molting, gray feather duster — at least, that was what Olivia thought it was, until she saw that it was breathing.

"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally — he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."

He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again, so Ron laid him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic."

Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:" 'Dear Ron, and Harry if you're there, 'I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry and his sister into trouble, too. I've been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl, because I think another delivery might finish your one off."

"I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course' — How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on vacation! — 'and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley?"

'Let me know what's happening as soon as you can. Love from Hermione.' "

"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs. Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"

Harry, Ron, Fred, and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that they could practice Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high. They couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the village; instead, they threw apples for one another to catch.

Ginny and Olivia stayed inside and played wizard games like wizard chess, which was a lot more fun than normal chess because when you captured the other person's pieces, they would destroy the other person's piece.

Mrs. Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half, a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.

"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today... Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!" And she offered him the flowerpot.

Harry stared at them all watching him. "W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.

"They've never traveled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, I forgot."

"Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"

"We went on the Underground —" Olivia put in eagerly.

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Were there escapators?" Olivia giggled at his mistake on using the wrong word. She liked how interested Mr. Weasley was in all Muggle things. She was the same way with all the wizard stuff, so she nodded. "How exactly —"

"Not now, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before —"

"They'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Here, watch us first." He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames. With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.

"You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley told Harry and Olivia as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. "And be sure to get out at the right grate…"

"The right what?" said Harry nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight, too.

"Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly —"

"He'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley, helping himself to Floo powder, too.

"But, dear, if he got lost, how would we ever explain to his aunt and uncle?"

"They wouldn't mind," Olivia reassured her. "Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if we got lost up a chimney, don't worry about that —" Harry and Olivia exchanged looks, Olivia wiggled her eyebrows at him, and Harry gave her an annoyed look.

"Well . . . all right . . . Harry you go after Arthur, Olivia after Harry," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going —"

"And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised.

"And your eyes shut," said Mrs. Weasley. "The soot —"

"Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace —""But don't panic and get out too early; wait until you see Fred and George."

Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Olivia watched as Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. He scattered the powder into the flames and stepped forward.

"D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed, then vanished too.

"Your turn Olivia, dear." Olivia gave Mrs. Weasley a confident smile and took a pinch of the powder. She sprinkled the powder into the flames and once again they turned emerald green. She took a step into the fire, which felt like a warm breeze. She opened her mouth and shouted, "Diagon Alley!"

It felt as though she were being sucked down a giant drain. She seemed to be spinning very fast — the roaring in her ears was deafening — she opened her eyes and the whirl of green flames fascinated her, but just as she was feeling dizzy, she saw Fred and George, and then she fell, face forward. She felt the four hands grab her before she hit the ground. They helped her up and kept her from falling over because she was so dizzy.

"Nice exit..." Fred said with a smile.

She saw Mr. Weasley standing up there next to catch the next ones. "Where's Harry?" Olivia asked.

"Did he leave before you?" Mr. Weasley asked as Ron appeared and only stumbled a bit. Finally, Ginny, Percy, and Mrs. Weasley appeared, and Mrs. Weasley took out a big clothes brush and started brushing the soot off of all of them.

"Where's Harry?!" She asked shrilly. We all shook our heads.

"Half of you look on the right then half on the left, maybe he's only the next grate over." Mr. Weasley said hopefully. Olivia went with Fred, George, Ron, and Mr. Weasley on the right side.

"No! He's not here!" Mrs. Weasley sounded frantic. Olivia and the boys started to sprint down the road. The twins initially were the fastest, but Olivia soon overtook them, she had had loads of practice escaping Dudley and his gang. Suddenly she heard one of the twins yell. "Look it's Hagrid, maybe he's seen Harry!" Olivia saw Hagrid too, and ran even faster. There Olivia saw Hagrid, Harry, and a girl. She started slowing down and stopped next to Hagrid.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far…" He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic — she's coming now —"

"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.

"Excellent!" said Fred and George together.

"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.

"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid.

"Why not?" Olivia asked, but Hagrid seemed to have gone deaf for the moment. "What's down Knockturn Alley?" Olivia whispered to the twins.

"Dark wizard stuff, all sorts of cursed objects." George whispered back.

"We've wanted to journey down there for a long time. But Mum would wring our necks if she found out we've been down there." Fred said with a grin. Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny clinging onto the other.

"Oh, Harry — oh, my dear — you could have been anywhere —" Gasping for breath she pulled the large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the rest of the soot. Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand, and returned them, good as new.

"Here Livvy. Happy late birthday." Hagrid handed Olivia the cage with the most beautiful owl she had ever seen. It was a big tawny brown Great Horned owl.

"Oh, he is so cute, thank you Hagrid!" Olivia put the cage down and gave him big hug.

"Yer welcome... Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found him, Hagrid!").

"See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.

"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Asked Mr. Weasley sharply behind them.

"No, he was selling —""So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something…"

"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew —"

"So, you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.

"But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger's hand.

"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and the two Potters were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.

The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Olivia enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag.

She felt even worse when they reached their vault. Harry and she tried to block the contents from view as Harry hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.

Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs. Olivia stuck with Harry because he had their money.

Olivia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought four large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams, which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks. Olivia managed to get a few things from the joke shop too, and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains, they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.

"A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating..."

"Go away," Percy snapped."

"'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out… He wants to be Minister of Magic . . ." Ron told them in an undertone as they left Percy to it. They took Olivia to the wand shop as they had gotten everything else already.

"Ready?" Harry asked her grinning. Olivia nodded and pushed the door open. The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid had sat on the year before to wait. Olivia looked up at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. It looked exactly as it had the year before.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Olivia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all jumped. Mr. Ollivander was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Olivia brightly.

"Ah yes, hello again." said Mr. Ollivander. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you one of these days soon, Olivia Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your father's eyes. It seems only yesterday he was in here himself, buying his first wand. Eleven inches long, pliable, made of mahogany. More powerful and excellent for transfiguration."

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Olivia. "Your mother, on the other hand, favored a willow wand. Ten and a quarter inches long. Swishy. Nice wand for charm work. Well, I say your mother favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Olivia were almost nose to nose. He shook his head and then saw Harry.

"Harry Potter, I trust your wand is doing well for you?" Harry nodded but did not say anything. "And Hermione Granger. Yours as well?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, it is amazing." She said smiling at Mr. Ollivander.

"And Ronald Weasley, still using your brother's first wand I see... Well, I imagine I will be seeing you in here sooner or later." Ron's ears tinged pink.

"Well, now - Miss Potter. Let me see." He pulled out his long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"My right," said Olivia.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Olivia from shoulder to finger, then Olivia watched in fascination as he moved back, and the measuring tape continued to measure her wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head.

As it measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand." Olivia wanted to know more about Phoenixes as well but didn't voice her questions.

Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes. "That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss. Potter. Try this one. Maple and phoenix feathers. Ten inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

Olivia took the wand and waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand at once. "Oak and dragon heartstring. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -"

Olivia had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander. "No, no - here, birch and unicorn hair, twelve and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Olivia tried. And tried. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer too, eh? Like your brother before you. Not to worry, we'll find the right wand for you... Unicorn hair, willow, 13 inches nice and firm."

Olivia took the wand. She felt a sudden warmth in her fingers. She raised the wand above her head and wiggled it, and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the ceiling. Harry, Ron, and Hermione whooped and clapped. Olivia looked at the wand in amazement and smiled brightly and Mr. Ollivander cried,

"Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... Interesting..."

"What's that?" Olivia asked Mr. Ollivander. He smiled.

"Well, it seems that you are your father and mother's daughter." He pointed to the wand. "Many of the wands are made from the same tree. Your mother's wand was made from the same tree, but not only that... The unicorn hair core... The unicorn gave four hairs, two per wand... These two hairs were from the same unicorn as your father's wand." Olivia and Harry look at each other. "You must be equally your mother and your father." Mr. Ollivander said smiling.

Liv was elated to hear that. "This wand will do quite well in all your classes. I think that in Transfiguration and Potions will be best for you, though it should suit you in charms too.

He put Olivia's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper. Olivia smiled, she liked Mr. Ollivander much better this year than last. Harry paid seven gold Galleons for her wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them all from his shop.

Then they went to all the other stores, besides the bookstore, to pick up all of her other supplies. An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in.

The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies… Don't push, there . . . mind the books, now…"

Harry, Olivia, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. The older three each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and Liv didn't need The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 because she would just use Harry's from last year, but she grabbed all of the other books that she needed, other than the Lockheart books, and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…"

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash. "Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet —"

"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron — and then he saw Harry. He stared.

Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?" The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front.

The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face turned slightly pink as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over them. Then Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side. Harry did not look comfortable.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time! When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge —"

The crowd applauded again. "He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The crowd cheered and clapped, and Harry was presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. He managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron. Then he dumped the books into Ginny's cauldron.

"What do you think the odds are he'll be a total git?" Fred asked Olivia. She turned to him. Then she looked at Lockhart.

"I'd give it 8/10 chance." She responded after sizing him up. He didn't seem like the teaching type, and he could easily be the teacher she hated going to. She went up to the counter and bought her books and dumped them into her cauldron. Then she followed Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George back to the exit.

"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, but Liv couldn't see what was wrong. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well — Arthur Weasley."

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said a man. "All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime? — Obviously not," he said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," Mr. Weasley responded.

"Clearly," the man replied, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower —"

There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please — please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all —

"Break it up, there, gents, break it up —" Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and the other man apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and the man had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Here, girl — take your book — it's the best your father can give you —" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he swept from the shop and a kind of cute boy left too.

"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that — no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter — bad blood, that's what it is — come on now — let's get outta here."

The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them from leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.

"A fine example to set for your children... brawling in public... what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought —"

"He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report — said it was all publicity —"

But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder. They said good-bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face, but Olivia whispered that she would tell him later.