CHAPTER FOUR: Incident At The Bookstore
Ginny Weasley blew out an impatient sigh as she searched the shelves of the Flourish and Blotts shop for a copy of Fantastic Creatures that Make Not so Fantastic Pets. She should have taken Hermione up on her offer to help her find her textbooks. She probably knew the whole store as well as the shopkeeper – maybe even better. How was anyone supposed to find anything anyway with the disordered mess these books were in?
She cast a quick look around for Hermione, but there were so many other people crowded into the store she couldn't see the other girl through the crowds. An old, graying witch, the shopkeeper, was too busy helping everyone in the immediate vicinity around her, leaving Ginny to find what she was looking for on her own.
She had finally convinced her mother that she was old enough to buy her school supplies on her own and what a great job of it she was doing.
Even after five years of buying most of her things second hand, it did not make her feel any less embarrassed to be searching for her school books in the section of the store where all the used ones were kept. But it was made a little easier when she discovered she was not the only one browsing around the area.
"I think you'll need this one," a male voice said from behind her.
She whirled around to face Harry, who was holding a used copy of Standard Book of Spells – Grade Six in his hands.
She took it from him and placed it in her basket with the other three books already in there. "Thanks,"
She went back to searching the shelves, more to keep him from seeing her reddening cheeks then anything. There weren't many people who could hand her a used book without offending her, and Harry was one of them. He hadn't given her one to insult her, she was sure of that. She knew even without asking he would have bought all her books for her – brand new, but she would never let him do that, and that's why the offer had never been made. She didn't need any more reminders of her family's money problems.
"What are you looking for now?" He asked, coming to stand beside her.
She told him the title of the book she had spent the past ten minutes searching for.
"I almost thought you weren't coming," she said, as they continued to search the titles on the bindings of books.
"You know I don't travel by floo too well," said Harry, thoroughly searching the shelves. "Found it," he announced a minute later. Even with his height, Harry had to stand on his tiptoes to grab a copy of Fantastic Creates that Make Not so Fantastic Pets.
"These last two I have to get new," she told him. Since third year the Defense Against the Dark Arts books had been updated and expanded upon every year, making an old copy utterly useless. She had almost cringed when she had first gotten her book list and two had happened to be Dark Arts ones.
The section filled with brand new texts was a lot busier than the part of the store she had just been in. She practically had to push people out of the way to reach the area where all the Defense Against the Dark Arts texts were kept.
"Did you already get your books?" She asked as Harry turned the corner.
"Yeah, they're up at the front," he said, turning to face her as he spoke. As a result, he ended up bumping into the back of the person in front of him. "Sorry," he apologized quickly. "I didn't – "
When he recognized who it was, he wished he hadn't been so quick to apologize.
Draco Malfoy fixed him with an icy glare. "I'd be a bit more than sorry if I was you, Potter,"
He noticed Ginny standing there, and said loudly, "This is the area for people that actually have money. I think you belong back over there, Weasley."
Ginny watched Harry's jaw clench, but he kept his mouth shut. He grabbed her arm to steer her away from Malfoy before he could make any more comments.
"I get it," Malfoy said to their retreating backs. "Potter's buying your books this year. How charitable."
Before Harry could turn around, there was a loud thud from the stacks behind them and there came the sound of books crashing to the floor.
Ron had Malfoy shoved up against the bookcase. The Slytherin's eyes were wide with fear for a second, but he quickly regained control of himself.
"Get your hands off me!" He shouted at Ron.
Ron made no move to release him. "I don't think so," he said, in a dangerously calm voice, giving Malfoy another shove back. "You've insulted my family for the last time, Malfoy."
Harry knew from experience that Ron's temper was at its most dangerous when he attempted to speak in a controlled voice. Knowing his best friend was about to get himself in a whole load of trouble, he went to step in, but Hermione reached him first.
"Ron, let him go," she said, sternly, holding a wrapped package of books under one arm.
Even appearing to be at the mercy of Ron, Malfoy managed a chuckle. "I was starting to wonder when your mudblood girlfriend would rear her ugly face."
Ron's face became a mask of pure fury. He went to hit Malfoy, but Hermione, showing a surprising amount of strength managed to hold him back. Ron turned his fury on her. "What the hell are you doing?" He roared at her.
"Keeping you from doing something you're going to regret," she snapped. After all these years, he still managed to let Malfoy goad him into a fight.
Ron actually laughed, though there was no hint of humour in it. "Regret? I've been waiting seven years to smack the smirk off that bastard's face."
"I don't want to interrupt your little lover's quarrel," said Malfoy, when Ron's grip had relaxed enough that he could break free. "I'll see you all on the train," he said, straightening his robes and then leaving.
Ron's glare followed Malfoy until he disappeared down another aisle. "There, are you happy now?" Ron snapped at her. "He makes our lives miserable and you just let him walk away."
"Ron are you that thick? Malfoy wanted you to hit him. Then he could go running to his father."
"Let him run to daddy. I don't care. I'm so sick of his shit. I'm not going to take it this year."
"And beating Malfoy to a bloody pulp is really going to make things better?" She was so angry, she didn't tell him off for cursing.
Ginny had seen them row in public before, but never in such a heated manner. She thought about trying to break it up, when Harry placed a restraining hand on her arm.
"Let them have it out. It's better this way," he told her.
She wasn't sure she believed him. Both their faces were bright red from shouting, and people were starting to stare.
"Are you sure?" She asked, before she let him lead her away.
"Trust me,"
He had known them both long enough to know that when they had an all out yelling match like the one they were having now, the best thing anyone could do was leave them alone to argue it out. He had learned that lesson the hard way, after finding himself in the middle of many of their rows over the years.
By the time Ginny had finished getting her books and they left the shop, Ron and Hermione had calmed down enough that Harry and Ginny walked back with them to the Leaky Cauldron. They didn't speak to each other the entire way to the Cauldron or during the short walk to the train station. If Harry hadn't seen them act that way so many times before, he would have been worried. But he was confident that by the time the train reached Hogwarts they would have made up.
It was near dark when the carriages full of Hogwarts students arrived at the gigantic, old castle. Not needing a teacher to guide them into the school, the older students proceeded to enter the castle and make their way into the Great Hall.
The Gryffindor table was nearly full when Harry took a seat at it. Not surprisingly, Ron and Hermione were already seated, talking amongst themselves. He had purposely left their cart on the train and had declined to share a carriage with them on the ride over to Hogwarts, so they could work things out. It looked like they had.
When Ron saw Harry sit down at the table, he said, "look who's at the staff table."
Harry assumed he was talking about Professor Lupin, but since he had promised Sirius he wouldn't let on he had known, he let his gaze fall on the head table. Sure enough Lupin, with his graying hair and patchy robes was sitting to the right of Dumbledore, and Harry took note he was as far away from Snape as possible. That didn't stop the potions master from sending him a sour look when Lupin wasn't watching.
"Dumbledore brought Professor Lupin back," Harry said, excitedly. His excitement wasn't false either. Remus Lupin had been the one teacher he could trust. He was more than happy to have him back.
"Lupin's not the only one back," said Ron, indicating to the head table again.
Harry hadn't noticed anyone else different at the table. All the same professors were there, with the exception of Lupin, but then Harry noticed that there was one person missing and that was Madam Hooch. In the place of the flying instructor and Quidditch referee was Oliver Wood. Harry was more than a little shocked to see him. Last he heard Wood had been playing keeper for Puddlemere United but was currently on the injured reserve list because his shoulders had been severely busted up by bludgers during a match. What was he doing back at Hogwarts?
Oliver Wood wasn't the only surprise; sitting two seats down from him was the former Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang. She saw Harry looking at her and gave him a small smile, which he returned before turning back to the Gryffindor table, hoping no one had noticed.
Ron raised an eyebrow at him as if to suggest why not go over there and say hi, but refrained from saying anything out loud, which Harry was grateful for. Having the whole school watch him say hello to his ex-girlfriend was not something he wanted.
They had dated briefly last year, lasting only a couple of months, when they both realized they were better off friends. They had ended things on good terms. Harry had even received a few owls from her during the summer months, but she had never once mentioned anything about a posting at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore stood up to speak then, gaining the respectful silence of the hall in a record time that only he could achieve. "I have a few short announcements to make before we get on with the sorting," he said to the assembled students. "For those of you who haven't already noticed, we have two new editions to our staff table, and one returning presence. I'm proud to announce that Remus Lupin has accepted to take up his old position as Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I'm sure many of you will be happy to have him back."
Every table gave Professor Lupin a long round of applause and cheers, everyone of course, except for the Slytherins. Malfoy looked to be the most disgusted of the group. Harry and Ron exchanged grins, knowing Malfoy's father had been unable to stop the reinstatement of Lupin.
"Former Gryffindor, Oliver Wood, has graciously accepted the temporary position of first year flying instructor until Madame Hooch returns from her long over due holiday in January," Dumbledore continued.
Wood received a rounding chorus of applause and even some cheering, the majority of it coming from the Gryffindor table.
Dumbledore smiled before getting on with his final introduction. "Miss Cho Chang, who graduated last year has also returned. She will be apprenticing with Professor Flitwick until early March."
The Ravenclaw table was the loudest this time as they applauded their former star seeker.
Professor McGonagall took over from there. She began the Sorting Hat ceremony, and once all the first years were sorted into their houses, the beginning of the school year feast started.
Eating and talking amongst his friends, Harry felt the worry he had been feeling since last night drain away from him. Something about being back at Hogwarts and in the presence of Dumbledore made him feel like he could take on Voldermort at that very moment if he chose to attack.