Chapter 13: SHOPLIFTER! And Gilderoy Lockhart as well..
Harry left Ron and began to wander around the store. He walked up the steps to the second level and began to scan the store for interesting people that he wanted to talk to. His gaze landed on a young boy who looked vaguely familiar. 'Probably a little brother of someone from Hogwarts,' thought Harry. Harry watched the young wizard go up and down several aisles. He also noticed that a lot of wizard discs were ending up inside the young boys robe. He went down the steps and began to follow the boy until he was right next to him.
"Nice Selection."
The boy looked up in a panic. "What?"
Harry flipped through a few titles. "Can I help you with anything?"
"No," said the boy rather quickly. "I'm alright thanks."
The boy began to walk down the aisle. Harry followed him.
"You like music?"
The boy turned around and came face to face with Harry and his couch cushion.
"Yeah, me too." Harry turned around to walk away. The boy let out a relieved breath when Harry suddenly turned around and leaned in close to the young boy's ear. "The fat man walks alone," Harry whispered to the extremely flustered boy.
Harry took a step back and looked at the boy. The boy in turn just stared right back at Harry. "What? What are you? Some kind of weirdo?"
Harry chuckled, then stopped and put on a serious face. "That's a big rode you're wearing, lots of pocket room."
"Yeah." the boy turned to walk away. "See ya."
"I'm sure i'll bump into you!!!"
The boy took one last look, then broke out into a run through the store.
Ron, who had witnessed most of the exchange between Harry and the boy, jumped up on the stairs and yelled, "SHOPLIFTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
Harry quickly broke into a run after the young criminal, weaving in and out of the aisles and dodging various people. It felt like he was playing a very odd game of "dodge the Bludgers," except instead of bludgers, he was dodging Gilderoy Lockhart fans and employees.
Ginny and Pansy watched the display from the registers.
Ginny giggled as the boy looked behind him to see Harry in hot pursuit.
"Isn't it customary to leave the scene after committing the crime?"
Pansy shrugged. "Definitely an amateur."
Ginny thought this was too good an opportunity to pass up. She grabbed her wand and pointed it to the speakers.
"Attention Gilderoy Lockhart fans! If you look to your left, you will notice a shoplifter being chased by night manager and the boy-who-lived, HARRY POTTER! This young man will be caught and deep-fried in a vat of former Professor Snape's hot oil potion and served to the first 100 wizards and witches. Just another tasty treat from the gang at Empress Records!"
The customers watched the chase, a boy with robes far too big to be his, and the great Harry Potter, running after the boy with a couch cushion under his arm.
"Oh , shit." The boy finally realized who was chasing him.
*meanwhile.......*
Gilderoy Lockhart pulled up to the back of the store in a horseless carriage. He looked at one of the many mirrors in his carriage and ran his fingers through his hair.
"He cut it too short Minnie." Minerva McGonagall sat in the carriage directly across from Gilderoy. After the war, Minerva had been seriously hurt and had spent almost 4 months recovering from various wounds and broken bones, not to mention a curse that had left her bottom half in her animagus form. After she shed her cat bottom, she decided to stop teaching and lay back for a bit. She promptly found a job as an assistant, to Gilderoy Lockhart of all people. Minerva decided her life was too short and she was a damn good and efficient assistant.
"No, it's fine, really. It's," Minerva took a deep breath and put on her perkiest smile. 'Just think Minerva, this is only temporary. Dumbledore said you could go back anytime, you're just living your life to the fullest. "Fabulous Gilderoy, it's fabulous."
"Oh, God!"
"What?"
"Look at this place?"
Gilderoy stepped out of the carriage and surveyed the back of Empress Records. The trashpile was overflowing, and there was a drunk house-elf who was passed out on the back steps.
"Come on Gilderoy, no gig is too small, alright? Middle Wizarding Communities buy your wizard discs, now come on, we have got a lot of fans waiting." Minerva ushered Gilderoy towards the store. 'Merling help me,' thought Minerva. 'I have to stop being his bloody assistant and put my bun back on...'
Harry left Ron and began to wander around the store. He walked up the steps to the second level and began to scan the store for interesting people that he wanted to talk to. His gaze landed on a young boy who looked vaguely familiar. 'Probably a little brother of someone from Hogwarts,' thought Harry. Harry watched the young wizard go up and down several aisles. He also noticed that a lot of wizard discs were ending up inside the young boys robe. He went down the steps and began to follow the boy until he was right next to him.
"Nice Selection."
The boy looked up in a panic. "What?"
Harry flipped through a few titles. "Can I help you with anything?"
"No," said the boy rather quickly. "I'm alright thanks."
The boy began to walk down the aisle. Harry followed him.
"You like music?"
The boy turned around and came face to face with Harry and his couch cushion.
"Yeah, me too." Harry turned around to walk away. The boy let out a relieved breath when Harry suddenly turned around and leaned in close to the young boy's ear. "The fat man walks alone," Harry whispered to the extremely flustered boy.
Harry took a step back and looked at the boy. The boy in turn just stared right back at Harry. "What? What are you? Some kind of weirdo?"
Harry chuckled, then stopped and put on a serious face. "That's a big rode you're wearing, lots of pocket room."
"Yeah." the boy turned to walk away. "See ya."
"I'm sure i'll bump into you!!!"
The boy took one last look, then broke out into a run through the store.
Ron, who had witnessed most of the exchange between Harry and the boy, jumped up on the stairs and yelled, "SHOPLIFTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
Harry quickly broke into a run after the young criminal, weaving in and out of the aisles and dodging various people. It felt like he was playing a very odd game of "dodge the Bludgers," except instead of bludgers, he was dodging Gilderoy Lockhart fans and employees.
Ginny and Pansy watched the display from the registers.
Ginny giggled as the boy looked behind him to see Harry in hot pursuit.
"Isn't it customary to leave the scene after committing the crime?"
Pansy shrugged. "Definitely an amateur."
Ginny thought this was too good an opportunity to pass up. She grabbed her wand and pointed it to the speakers.
"Attention Gilderoy Lockhart fans! If you look to your left, you will notice a shoplifter being chased by night manager and the boy-who-lived, HARRY POTTER! This young man will be caught and deep-fried in a vat of former Professor Snape's hot oil potion and served to the first 100 wizards and witches. Just another tasty treat from the gang at Empress Records!"
The customers watched the chase, a boy with robes far too big to be his, and the great Harry Potter, running after the boy with a couch cushion under his arm.
"Oh , shit." The boy finally realized who was chasing him.
*meanwhile.......*
Gilderoy Lockhart pulled up to the back of the store in a horseless carriage. He looked at one of the many mirrors in his carriage and ran his fingers through his hair.
"He cut it too short Minnie." Minerva McGonagall sat in the carriage directly across from Gilderoy. After the war, Minerva had been seriously hurt and had spent almost 4 months recovering from various wounds and broken bones, not to mention a curse that had left her bottom half in her animagus form. After she shed her cat bottom, she decided to stop teaching and lay back for a bit. She promptly found a job as an assistant, to Gilderoy Lockhart of all people. Minerva decided her life was too short and she was a damn good and efficient assistant.
"No, it's fine, really. It's," Minerva took a deep breath and put on her perkiest smile. 'Just think Minerva, this is only temporary. Dumbledore said you could go back anytime, you're just living your life to the fullest. "Fabulous Gilderoy, it's fabulous."
"Oh, God!"
"What?"
"Look at this place?"
Gilderoy stepped out of the carriage and surveyed the back of Empress Records. The trashpile was overflowing, and there was a drunk house-elf who was passed out on the back steps.
"Come on Gilderoy, no gig is too small, alright? Middle Wizarding Communities buy your wizard discs, now come on, we have got a lot of fans waiting." Minerva ushered Gilderoy towards the store. 'Merling help me,' thought Minerva. 'I have to stop being his bloody assistant and put my bun back on...'