Chapter Nine
Lucius Malfoy's attitude was no more improved the next morning. "Draco, come," the older blond said as soon as they were in Diagon Alley proper.
Draco passed him a questioning glance but Lady Malfoy stepped in. "Harry, why don't you and I see to your list while those two handle house business?"
Harry-- who had become quite fluent in 'Lady-speak' as of late-- knew this was not a request. He nodded in acquiescence but did note when the blond duo turned down one of the many alleys that branched off of the main one. Its entrance was actually difficult to see if one wasn't paying attention to it-- practically shrouded in shadows in the early morning overcast. He made a mental note to ask Draco about it later (the other couldn't help but brag about anything to do with his father).
Leaving his curiosity at that and not bothering to waste any more time knowing Lady Malfoy would have given him more information if she wished for him to know. "We will get you measured for a new set of robes. I believe you've grown a bit."
Harry could feel the blood draining from his face at the prospect of even more clothes. Lady Malfoy chuckled quietly before leading the way. "Just school robes today, Harry. Don't pout."
'Monster's don't pout,' he thought mutinously.
Even still, he did try to keep some sort of composure through the robe measurements that took probably twice as long as it had at Madam Malkins. (He pouted a little at the ten minute mark.)
"That wasn't so bad," she insisted.
"Did I need ten sets of school robes?"
She arched a single eyebrow at him and Harry was surprised to recognize the expression from Draco. It was probably the first time he had seen his classmate have something from his mother attitude wise. "As I recall there were seven until you asked for a different fabric for your winter robes."
Harry frowned (not pouted). "The winter robes were scratchy."
"Hence the extra three robes," she said.
Harry nodded before paying attention to the large crowd they were making their way through. "What's going on here?"
Lady Malfoy's face had turned into a look of displeasure. "A book signing. It's best we go upstairs to wait for the others lest they have greater difficulty finding us."
Harry followed her easily. He had never seen a book signing before at the store and the level of hubbub was interesting. He wondered if it was a good author or one of those idiots who published complete lunacy and labeled it best-selling information. (Harry had gotten a few of them early on and had questioned their validity after some words from Vince.) "Is that a dueling section?" Harry asked, making a beeline for the shelves of books that had caught his attention.
"Are you interested in dueling as a potential profession?"
Harry shrugged then flinched, recalling it was inappropriate for an heir of his standing to do. "I mean, Vince-- Vincent Crabbe was telling me about his Uncle Lord Alistair. He performs in several dueling circuits and has an international ranking in the top twenty of the world."
Lady Malfoy looked rather amused. "I am familiar with his accomplishments. We were able to watch his debut performance here. He was quite impressive."
Harry was a bit jealous, but Lord Alistair has been dueling for three years-- he hadn't even known he had magic back then, much less about dueling. "Vince says he has taken lessons and offered to spar with me. I've heard that NEWT Defense offers dueling matches for potential extra credit."
"Ah, I should have known your interest had some academic origin. My son says you are rather studious and are the terror of your seniors."
Harry sniffed without remorse. There were more than a few upperclassmen in his house that had been horrible to him before Prefect Dodd-- Helena-- and Daphne had stepped in. He had found they were most affected about school work. Slytherins were surprisingly diligent in their studies and were quick to fall into dismay if they couldn't find a thome for an assignment. They were even quicker to bargain-- or in rare instances beg-- if they needed notes for material they didn't understand.
It was safe to say that Harry had quickly started studying ahead in his subjects and had even picked up some introductory texts on Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. "There's no club at school even remotely similar to dueling," he continued as they continued looking through the second level of books, staying away from the massive crowd in Flourish and Blotts.
"Much of that has to do with the current Headmaster. While the council that oversees changes in curriculum can offer suggestions and in rare cases pass judgement they have very little power when it comes to the actual running of the school. It is ultimately the Headmaster who hires staff and thus chooses what can and can't be offered as a course."
Harry frowned. So Dumbledore could essentially keep subjects he doesn't want taught off the curriculum by just not hiring staff to teach the subject? Add in the fact that any clubs had to be sponsored by a staff member-- of which there were very few and there was no wonder there was very little variability in educational choices for students. "He hires who he wants to teach what he wants and the council can do nothing about it?" Harry asked.
"The council's job is ostensibly to watch over the funds of the institution-- especially in cases where additional aid is required for a student to attend. While the orphan's fund isn't what it once was, there is still quite a few families that require financial assistance. The council spends a bit of time reviewing all requests for financial aid and votes on how much to offer and to whom. They also monitor the state of the school and determine when it is best to step in."
Harry frowned. "Step in?"
"Usually if there's a danger to the students or institution as a whole."
His frown deepened. That seemed like a bit of a vague condition. He, Vince, and Draco had faced a Cerberus, Devil's Snare and a crazy professor that-- Anyway they were all in the hospital ward after the spectacle and never heard about a council. He also had a serious doubt that keeping a thirty foot tall three-headed dog in a school for children and told them to stay away unless they wanted to die. It was almost as if thee headmaster hadn't thought that eleven year old boys weren't complete idiots most of the time. That idiocy didn't get much better as they aged.
It was a miracle that only they had been hurt honestly. How was that not considered a danger to the students? Figuring that he was unlikely to understand the mind of adults now that it was the Malfoys rather than the Dursleys. Grabbing a few of the dueling texts that caught his eye Harry tried to focus on what he could affect. "Perhaps I can see if Helena is familiar with dueling."
"I can tutor you on the basic dueling etiquette during the rest of your stay," Lady Malfoy offered. "Once you have the basics down, self-tutelage is markedly easier for further improvement."
"There you two are."
They turned to see Draco pushing his way through the crowd, a frown on his face at the mob of people. "Father has stopped off at Gringotts. He'll be along shortly."
"Apparently there's some big-shot author doing a book signing downstairs," Harry offered in greeting.
This caught his immediate interest. Draco wasn't just as voracious with his studies as Hermione Granger, but he was something of a curious individual suited to the rigors of academia. (Harry, for his part, preferred specific areas of interest at any given time that he rarely pursued past a certain level of proficiency.) "What author."
Lady Malfoy answered before he could. "Gilderoy Lockhart."
Harry had no idea who it was but by Draco's interested expression it was a common enough name. "Oh?" I've heard he's quite accomplished in his adventures."
"All largely hyperbolic, I assure you," Lady Malfoy said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "He was hardly as skilled as his books make him out to be at hogwarts and much of his escapades began quite suddenly five years ago."
Harry frowned. "So he's claiming his fictional stories are works of nonfiction?"
"Actually the events are all very real. How involved he was in said events is up for debate."
A fraud? Then again how could he get away with claiming responsibility for any adventures grand enough to gather such an audience without being found out?
"Oh there's father now, come one Harry," Draco's voice cut through Harry's thoughts.
True enough there was a head of platinum blond hair next to a notable amount of red hair. "Is that Lord Weasley?"
Draco wrinkled his nose as they headed for the stairs leading downstairs. "No one calls them by their title, you dolt. They're just Weasleys."
"But that makes no sense," he muttered under his breath. "They're part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight."
"Yes well everyone knows that any land and money they might have had was lost generations ago. They're just as bad a--"
Draco's sentence cut off at the sudden outburst of sound at the small gathering in the front of the store. Harry watched in shock as Lucius Malfoy devolved into brawling with the Weasley patriarch like a hot-headed school boy. There was even some hair pulling going on. He was pretty sure Lady Malfoy would have a beautiful look of horror on her face but Harry couldn't look away. It was a bit like a train wreck if he was being obvious and there was no way he'd look away for even a moment.
It was a little disappointing when the two broke it up soon afterwards but Harry was sure that his memory of such an event should be saved for prosperity's sake if nothing else. (He was definitely showing Vincent who was going to smirk because of it.)
He wasn't too amused to notice that Lucius still had the common decency to pick up someone's school books after being the reason she dropped them to begin with. This didn't prevent Lady Malfoy from narrowing a piercing stare onto her husband as they exited the store. "When we return home, you two are to commence your independent studies in the library. My husband and I have matters to discuss."
Harry doesn't think he imagines the sudden pallor to Lucius' complexion or the way Draco flinches in sympathy. Whatever discussion that was to be had was surely to be a might unpleasant for the Malfoy patriarch. But better him than Harry. Honestly, women were terrifying.
A/N: I know it's been a long time coming by here are the rewritten chapters I promised last year. I'm posting a bunch of chapters all at once-- many of which have been rewritten and the last of which is an update. Because of this it might be helpful to reread at least from chapter 8 onwards where a lot of the additional scenes begin cropping up. That also means the author note will be identical for half of the chapters so every reader that's already started the story knows what's going on. I thank everyone for their patience.
Aerialas