Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: I've changed the end of the first chapter a little bit because I realized that I had forgotten some stuff, so I suggest you look at the end of the first chapter before you start reading this one. Oh, and quick reminder: When there are words in bold (in the story) it means it's part of the actual book.

Thank you to Squibbert for very helpful notes!

Enjoy!

2

Diagon Alley and Gilderoy Lockhart

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 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 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.

Hermione finished writing the letter to Ron (and maybe Harry) and tied the parchment to the owl that had brought her the letter from Ron.

Ron had informed her that he, Fred, and George would be trying to get Harry out of the Dursleys' house. She really hoped that they wouldn't get into any trouble and that everything was okay.

"Harry! Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed, running to meet the two. There were lots of people in Diagon Alley, but Hagrid was unmistakable, towering over everyone else. And Harry, with his glasses ("Broken again!" Hermione said.) and bright red scar, stood out in the crown as well.

"It's wonderful to see you two. Are you coming into Gringotts?" she asked, gesturing to the big marble white building behind her.

"After I find the Weasleys," Harry replied. His hair was sticking out all over the place as usual, but what wasn't normal was that he was covered in soot! He must have been using the Floo, Hermione thought. She had read all about Floo and Apparating the first day she had found out that she was a witch.

"There they are," Hagrid grinned, looking behind Hermione. Hermione whirled around to see five red-haired people running towards them.

"Thank goodness, Harry!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy coming to a halt around him. "Molly's worried sick, she should be coming now."

"Where were you?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," Harry replied, shuddering a little. Hagrid had left, but they could see him turn a corner far off.

"Awesome!" George and Fred exclaimed.

"We've never been allowed in," Ron explained.

Mrs. Weasley came running towards the group, Ginny hurrying by her side. "Oh, Harry — oh, my dear — you could have been anywhere —" Mrs. Weasley pulled out her wand and took all the soot off Harry while Mr. Weasley fixed Harry's glasses.

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

Hermione flinched. She had read all about Borgin and Burkes; it was full of objects with Dark magic. She knew that Draco's father had been one of Voldemort's followers, but she didn't think he would still be drawn to the Dark objects.

"Did he buy anything?" Mr. Weasley asked from behind them.

"No. He was selling," Harry replied.

"So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something…"

"You be careful, Arthur," his wife warned sharply. "That family's trouble."

They were all brought into the bank by a goblin at the front door.

Mr. Weasley was immediately distracted by the sight of Hermione's parents waiting for them at the counter.

"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 Hermione's father's hand.

"See you back here later," Ron told Hermione as he, Harry, and the rest of the Weasleys were led to vaults by another goblin.

Hermione nodded and turned back to her parents. They gave a goblin behind the counter fifteen ten-pound notes in exchange for thirty galleons.

After everyone had made their desired withdrawals, Hermione and her parents met up with the Weasleys and Harry to get school supplies from the list attached to their annual start of the term letter from Hogwarts, but they all split up. Percy wanted a new quill, Fred and George had seen their friend, Lee Jordan, and had gone to meet up with him, Mr. Weasley insisted on taking Hermione's parents to a drink at the Leaky Cauldron, and Mrs. Weasley was going to take Ginny to buy robes.

"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.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry decided to just stroll around. Harry bought them all ice creams (not without protests from Hermione and Ron that they would buy their own) and they sat at the steps of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and happily licked their ice creams.

Ron stared at Chudley Cannon robes in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies before Hermione dragged them into the shop next door to buy quills and ink.

They went to many different shops, sometimes meeting their fellow classmates.

An hour later, they went to Flourish and Blotts. There was a very large crowd outside, and the reason was explained by a single sign hanging outside.

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

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.…"

Hermione, Ron, and Harry stumbled into the shop, and each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2. That was the only book on their book list for DADA that wasn't a Gildroy Lockhart book.

The trio squeezed past many witches, Hermione politely saying, "Excuse us," and "Sorry," while Ron and Harry followed quickly after her. They finally made it to the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione's parents at the back of the room, towards the beginning of the line.

"Oh, good, there you are," Mrs. Weasley said hurriedly, patting down her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a moment."

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, bald man was jumping around taking pictures with a big black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Move out of the way," he snarled at Ron, stepping on the redhead's foot.

"Big deal," Ron replied angrily, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.

Gilderoy Lockhart must have heard this, as he looked up at Ron—and then he saw Harry. He stared for a moment before jumping up from behind the table and practically shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"

The crowd whispered excitedly as Harry was pulled to the front by Lockhart. Lockhart shook the poor boy's hand ruffly, beaming brightly as the photographer took picture after picture, the purple smoke dropping on the Weasleys, Hermione, and her parents. Hermione coughed, waving her hand in front of her face to move the smoke.

"Nice big smile, Harry," Hermione heard Lockhart say. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."

After many more pictures, Lockhart finally let go of Harry and he tried to slip back to the Grangers and Weasleys, only to be stopped by Lockhart again. The man threw his arm around Harry's shoulders and pulled him close.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lockhart said loudly, waving for quiet with his free hand. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect time 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 —"

"And the rest of his books," Ron muttered, rolling his eyes. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge," Lockhart continued. "He had no idea 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!"

Lockhart thrust the entire book collection into Harry's hands, and Harry was finally able to leave Lockhart's side and make his way back to the Grangers and Weasleys. He dropped the books into Ginny's new cauldron mumbling, "You have these, I'll buy my own later."

Draco stepped in front of Harry Potter, sneering. Much as he tried, Draco just couldn't find anything good about the boy in front of him. Hermione was nowhere in sight, which was surprising to him since he had seen her come in with her family, Potter, and the Weasleys. "Bet you loved that, huh, Potter?" he snarled.

Potter glanced up and stood up straight. "Famous Harry Potter," Draco continued. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." He had to admit, he was kind of jealous of the amount of attention Potter got. Draco was a Malfoy! He should be getting the attention.

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" the redhead girl next to Potter glared.

"Oh, Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" Draco replied, not at all fazed by the fierceness of the youngest Weasley (Jenny or Ginny, he thought her name was). The girl went red, backing up a little as none other than Ronald Weasley came pushing through the crowd of people. He was carrying a pile of books, and he dropped them in Ginny/Jenny's cauldron.

"Oh, it's you," Ron Weasley said, looking at Draco angrily. Draco glared back, but then Hermione came into view.

"Is there a problem?" she said, coming to stand in between Draco, and Potter and his crew.

"No," everyone, with the exception of Ginny, replied.

"Good. Now, good to see you, Draco," Hermione went on, grabbing his hand and pulling him aside. Hermione saw Ginny eyeing them, with a look on her face saying she was trying to figure something out.

When they were out of earshot of Harry, Ron, and Ginny, Hermione turned to Draco, her hands on her hips. "What was that about?" she demanded. "I could hear, you know."

"What's the problem?" Draco replied, slightly scared. Nothing good could come out of an angry Hermione.

"The problem is that they did nothing to you!"

"Whatever."

Hermione shook her head, then walked back to the group. Draco saw his father there as well and waited for a while before joining them, as he didn't want his father to know he was with Hermione. Draco was scared as to what Lucius Malfoy would do if he found out his heir had become friends with a muggle-born.

"Come, Draco," his father said, turning around and out the door. Draco trailed after, but not before glancing back at Hermione. She had a disapproving look on her face. He sighed but followed his father back to the Leaky Cauldron and they both apparated back to the Manor.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I know in the books (and movies) Hermione is very fond of Gilderoy Lockhart, but I didn't think it seemed very Hermione-like, so I decided to make her disapprove of Lockhart. I hope that's alright with everyone!

I'm sorry I couldn't post last week, but the good news is that the third chapter is almost done, so I might post it next week. But otherwise, I'll be updating every other week.

Stay tuned and stay safe!