Chapter 20: Shopping and Book Signings
Harry was both excited and worried about shopping for his school supplies. He was excited because he would be doing so with his friends from school. He was worried because said friends were all girls and everyone knew girls were extra crazy about shopping. They never let guys know why either.
Harry tried asking Davey for answers, but she would just giggle and wink as she said, "We have to have some secrets. I can't go and expose every female secret to a boy. Even if he is like a brother to me."
Harry vowed to one day find a means to figure out all of these female secrets just because Davey said she wouldn't tell him.
Harry was a little disappointed he wouldn't be able to meet Tracey during the trip. She was busy with family matters the day they were going to do their shopping. "I really don't envy Tracey. She has to learn how to be a proper Pure Blood Lady and how to be the Head of her family," Harry thought to himself.
He figured it would be difficult enough with what he had to do as Head of the Potter and Peverell families. He really hoped he wouldn't have to add Head of the Black Family to that list. He will be getting help from Lord Davis, but it is still a lot work. Harry couldn't even imagine what it would be like to learn all of the things a Pure Blood Lady learns on top of everything else. Especially after the conversation with Draco on the train after first year.
[-] [-] [-]
"Hello Harry!" Hermione said happily as she met him in the Leaky Cauldron. It was the obvious staging area for this shopping quest. Hannah and Susan would be joining them soon enough. Susan's Aunt, Madam Bones, was going to be their escort for the trip.
"Hey Hermione," Harry said in reply. She gave him a hug before breaking it off quickly, for her at least. This caused Harry to raise an eyebrow in question. Hermione loved hugs and he loved her hugs. It was odd for her to break them off quickly like this.
"My parents are right outside. I told them I wanted to first check if anyone else was here real quick," she explained quietly with a smile.
"How was the calling thing?" Harry asked.
"Not too bad. It was manageable. Probably because we already met up earlier this summer," Hermione said.
"Good to hear. I've missed you obviously, but it wasn't anything uncontrollable for me," Harry said.
"I wonder why it doesn't seem to affect you as much," Hermione asked mostly to herself.
Harry gave a shrug. "Maybe it's because I hold on tight to bonds anyways, so it is already natural for me to feel connections to others and I have experience with them. Maybe that somehow carries over to the magical world. I don't really know. I'm just guessing," he said.
Hermione placed that idea in the back of her mind for later. It wasn't a secret she didn't really have any friends or people she was close to outside of her parents before Hogwarts. Maybe Harry was right. Maybe it was more of a deep crush and she just wasn't used to it. It could be possible these things were different in the magical world. Whatever the case, they could look more into it this school year.
"Well then. Shall I meet your parents? Get your dad's whole overprotective dad routine out of the way?" Harry asked half-jokingly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "My mom keeps him in check. Even so, I think if you are just you that would be enough," Hermione replied. Harry nodded.
"Lead the way," he said with a small smile.
[-] [-] [-]
"So, you're the reason my daughter decided she wanted to learn cooking?" Hermione's mom asked, causing Hermione to frown in response. Her mother hid a laugh in reply to her daughter's expression.
Hermione then blushed a little as Harry looked to her quickly. She cleared her throat and said, "Mom. We discussed this. I'm a Hufflepuff. We have a kitchen in our dorm rooms."
"So, you've told me," Hermione's mom said causally. It was obvious she wasn't buying that excuse.
"It is nice to meet you, Mrs. Granger. What Hermione says is true," Harry said in greeting.
"I'm happy to meet you as well, Harry," she replied.
Harry then continued his point in defense of Hermione's words. "Some of the students make it a tradition to host a meal in their dorm rooms a couple of times a month. Professor Sprout has even said she might start up an old Hufflepuff tradition again."
Hermione nodded to that and smiled. "Our Head said Hufflepuff used to have a big potluck feast each semester where every dorm room cooked enough to share with the others," Hermione added.
"Fine," her mother relented with a smile. She then whispered to Hermione, "The fact he so quickly came to your side is a good sign. I'm rooting for you, dear."
Hermione blushed again. She was thankful her dad was meeting Harry at the moment. They were too busy to see her blushing so much.
[-] [-] [-]
Mr. Granger looked the boy over. Harry was pretty strong looking for his age. He could see why his precious little girl might have one of those terrible and damnable crushes on him. He really didn't like it though. He still reached out a hand to shake Harry's in the way a real father would, when meeting some boy that might get ideas.
"I've heard a lot about you, Harry," he started with a neutral smile. "My daughter is very important to me. She hasn't had a lot of friends and such before. I'm so glad you're a friend of my daughter's. You better not hurt her though," he said in subtle warning.
"Of course, a real friend would never do that to someone they were friends with. I hope you will always be Hermione's friend and never hurt her," Mr. Granger said. He was placing a lot of emphasis on the word 'friend' each time he said it. He squeezed Harry's hand a little harder each time as well.
Harry showed no signs of weakness. He had no problems with the extra tight and strong handshake either. He gave a friendly smile and said, "I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Granger. Hermione is very special. A real Hufflepuff will always be sure they don't hurt their fellow Hufflepuffs. Even if I wasn't a Hufflepuff, I would never hurt those I consider important to me."
For some reason, Harry felt he should avoid using the term 'friend'. He didn't want to limit his relationship with Hermione by using such a word. He also felt it showed he would remain strong, even under a protective father's gaze. He held the handshake firm and didn't relent. Harry didn't see a need to tighten it in return to prove something either.
Mr. Granger looked the boy in the eyes. He couldn't help but feel both annoyance and respect towards Harry. The boy wasn't hiding that there might be something more than just friendship between him and Hermione. This annoyed Mr. Granger.
At the same time, Harry had a strength to him that few had, let alone at his age. Mr. Granger could also tell Harry meant what he said. The father felt respect towards the boy as a result. It was still annoying though.
"When are the others due to arrive?" Mr. Granger asked after a moment.
"They should be here soon," Harry replied.
"I'm still worried about this whole magic shopping thing," Mr. Granger casually admitted. The magical world made him feel more than a little uneasy.
"If it is any help," Harry started. Mr. Granger looked to him. "Susan's aunt, who is escorting us, is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Harry said.
Mr. Granger nodded to that. "That does help a little," he admitted. That also meant Harry wouldn't try anything with his precious little Hermione either. The boy wouldn't dare do something so heinous as looking at his daughter too long, or with too much interest under the watch of such a person.
It was then the doors to the Leaky Cauldron opened and a severe looking witch and two girls walked inside. "Hello Harry! Hello Hermione!" Hannah greeted them cheerfully as did Susan.
"It is good to see you both again," Hermione said with a smile as she gave them both hugs in greeting. Both girls happily returned the tight hug.
Seeing this interaction made both Mr. and Mrs. Granger happy. They had heard about their daughter's other friends as well, but it was nice seeing them in real life with her. Their daughter had already gained so much in the magical world.
"I'm Amelia Bones. Susan's Aunt and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," the severe woman greeted the Grangers politely.
Susan told her aunt it would help put Hermione's parents at ease knowing such a person was helping their daughter today. They would be staying for some of the trip, but sadly not all of it. They had a business appointment they needed to make in the area after lunch. They would return to take their daughter home after spending time with the others in the Leaky Cauldron at the end of the day.
After the Grangers greeted Madam Bones and the other two girls, the Head of the DMLE turned to Harry. "I'm glad to meet you in person, Mr. Potter. You have been a great friend to my niece," she said with a fond smile.
Harry smiled in return. "She has been a great friend. She has also been very helpful in explaining things about the magical world to both Hermione and I," he told her.
"As a model Hufflepuff should," Madam Bones said proudly. She then gave a slight frown. "I am sad I didn't get the opportunity to meet your guardians though. Not only do I want to make sure those around my niece are being properly taken care of, but your whereabouts and who is looking after you, are both big mysteries."
"From what I have been told, that is for good reason," Harry said.
"True. I don't think it should be such a mystery to the DMLE though. At the same time, I can understand why it is," she said.
The truth was it might be for the best so few knew where Harry stayed. The boy looked healthy enough and seemed to have been well cared for. She still wanted to know more as the head of the DMLE and an ex-Auror. She could appreciate the secrecy tough, even if she didn't like it.
"Can we get going?" Hannah finally asked after a moment.
"Yes, we can," Madam Bones replied as she led the way.
[-] [-] [-]
Shopping had been very successful so far. The kids had most of their supplies already. They would be getting books last for the day. Susan told her aunt of Hermione's habits regarding shopping for books. She even mentioned Harry could take plenty of time as well.
Lunch had been wonderfully pleasant. The Grangers really enjoyed the place Hannah picked out for them all. It had more choices than the Leaky Cauldron and the muggles loved seeing the variety of food.
"I had kind of feared the worst after what Hermione said about the meals at Hogwarts. I'm glad they feed the students well, but it sounds like the selection is rather limited and on the heavy side," Mrs. Granger said.
"Hogwarts' food is very good, but I agree with you. It would get old if all of our world's food was the same," Madam Bones said.
The kids were having their own conversation during the meal. In the meantime, Hermione's parents asked Madam Bones plenty about the magical world. She helped put their minds at ease with her answers, while also worrying them in other ways. They both accepted there wasn't much they could do about that though. Hermione was a part of the magical world now. Seeing how happy she was, they understood she couldn't go without it anymore.
Once lunch was over and the Grangers left, the remaining group headed to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry was very insistent on getting a broom. Hermione seemed curious about them as well, but it was obvious she didn't really have plans of getting her own. She wouldn't say 'No' to riding with Harry though.
Harry loved seeing the store. It was really cool seeing all of the Quidditch stuff. He never knew there was so much to it. He didn't really know about trying out for the team though. He didn't know what position he would be suited for and the team was pretty good already. He still made sure to look at everything in the store. He looked at each of the brooms carefully. He even managed to get a fact sheet which explained all the details for the different brooms on sale.
The boy did surprise Madam Bones when he actually went for last year's broom model. The Nimbus 2000 was really good, but she figured he would pick the newest and most recent broom. She learned he could easily afford it.
When she asked Harry why he chose the Nimbus 2000, he actually had a very well-reasoned answer. "The differences aren't that significant. I'm not on team where even the slightest edge would be beneficial to me. I just want to fly for fun," he said to her.
This answer actually earned some respect from Madam Bones. It wasn't often you would come across people with such self-control and logical reasoning. Especially, if they had plenty of money and were young.
[-] [-] [-]
"All that's left are books," Madam Bones said once they finished up the rest of their shopping. Hermione and Harry both seemed to brighten hearing that, Hermione especially so. The girl was bouncing on her feet in eagerness. Madam Bones was wondering if she might have to drag the girl out of the store herself before they finished for the day.
When the group arrived at Flourish and Blotts, Madam Bones frowned. The place was jam packed. It seemed there was some kind of event going on today.
"I think I'll wait outside for this one. If you need anything, I'll be right out here. I'll come and get you all if you take too long," she said.
The place was too crowded for her liking. She was tempted to give the store a citation for breaking fire code, even if it was rather lax. She at least knew the kids were trustworthy enough to handle one store on their own.
Plus, given Hermione's love for books, Madam Bones doubted the frizzy haired girl would let her friends do anything, which might endanger the precious tomes. She just might have to be personally dragged out of the store at the end of the day.
"Okay, Auntie. I don't blame you… I would ask Hannah to grab the books for me, but I know she wouldn't let me get away with that," Susan said with a giggle as Hannah nodded in reply while grinning.
Once Madam Bones left, Hannah turned to the others. "I wonder what's going on today?" she asked as her friends shrugged in reply.
Harry decided to politely ask one of the people waiting in line. "Excuse me, ma'am. What's going on here exactly? If you don't mind my asking," he asked.
"Oh no worries, dear. It's a book signing. Gilderoy Lockhart is here himself!" she answered without looking.
"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise.
The woman turned to look at them and nodded.
"That's surprising…" Harry started. "He's the author of all our school books this year. I wonder what he's like."
The woman blinked and looked to him in disbelief before smiling. "He is amazing! He's been all over preforming great deeds and writing about them. He's got the best of smiles as well," she said dreamily.
She then looked at Harry closer and blinked. "Wait a minute! Aren't you… Harry Potter?!" she asked in surprise this time.
Harry gave an almost unnoticeable sigh to that. "Yes. I am," he replied. He was about to leave it at that and slip away to look at the books, but it seemed her words got the notice of the other people in line.
"It's really him!" one lady said to another. More started to whisper to each other, which in turn got more people's attention.
Harry still might have been able to slip away, but just then a pompous voice spoke up. "What is going on here?" a man asked. He made his way over to the commotion.
The man was wearing rather extravagant and flamboyant robes. He also had wavy blonde hair and teeth so white and straight his smile could only be accomplished through magic. He gave a gasp and his eyes widened. "Is that you, Harry Potter?" he asked almost as if he knew Harry personally.
Harry didn't even reply before he was swept up by the man and posing for a picture. Harry didn't even know where the cameraman had been hiding until then. "Harry Potter! It is so good to see you. Together, you and I are front page news!" Lockhart said giving a big gleaming smile at the camera. Harry was still surprised, yet appeared neutrally polite to the outside observer.
Hermione and the others were shocked by the way things turned so quickly. They weren't sure what to do here to help. Hermione additionally seemed to be a bit starstruck at Lockhart's appearance. Harry wondered about that and part of him didn't like it.
Before any of them could regain their bearings, Lockhart spoke up clearly to all of the gathered people. "Ladies and Gentlemen. This is the perfect chance to let you all know a tiny but wonderful secret I've been desperately keeping," he said as he moved a little away to better stand out on his own.
Harry frowned to all that just happened. He needed to get a better hold on his celebrity status in the magical world. He thought he would be okay given how some people saw him in the Street Knights and how people acted at Hogwarts. It seemed; he underestimated the people at large.
He was not happy someone just took advantage of his presence to improve their own status like that. He took a little solace in the fact it was mostly harmless and Lockhart had moved on already. The man unwittingly gave Harry a reprieve by speaking to everyone again and drawing their attention.
All of the people were whispering to each other as they wondered what Lockhart was about to say. "No doubt Harry Potter came here today, like all of you wonderful people, to buy my new autobiography. Magical Me! However… he will get more than just the book for free," Lockhart said as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"He's so generous…" one of the fan witches said to another quietly.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! I am very pleased to announce to you all first! Harry, all of his friends, and fellow students will be getting the real magical me in person," the man said with a gleaming smile.
The gathered people gasped in excitement as Lockhart smiled to them all.
"That's right! I am very pleased to announce I will be taking up the post as Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Lockhart said.
The gathered group cheered happily to this news.
Lockhart gave an amused laugh before quieting them all down. "I felt it was only right that I better help our young and promising witches and wizards. They are our future, even I should do my part to ensure they can be the best they can be. My books are wonderfully detailed and very authoritative in how to deal with all manner of threats in our world. But there is little that can replace personally sharing our experiences with the witches and wizards of tomorrow!" he said.
"He's so wonderful! He's always thinking of the children and our future as a society," another older witch said with a dreamy sigh.
"Yes. Yes. We are all excited," Lockhart said with a chuckle. He then clapped his hands together and said, "Now then. Let us all get back to the reason we have gathered here today. On with the book signing!" People cheered to that as well.
Harry took that as his cue to fade into the background and go get his school books. He probably wouldn't spend as much time as he usually would in a bookstore. There was no way he wanted to chance Lockhart swooping him up into something else.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry had his books and made his way to the exit of the shop. He was going to wait there for the others.
"Bet you loved that, Potter," Draco started from where he was sitting on a set of stairs with Pansy by his side. Harry gave them a nod in greeting. Draco then gave Harry a smirk. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go to a book store without making the front page of the newspaper and getting his picture taken," Draco drawled out in a tone Harry knew well enough showed the boy was joking.
Harry gave a scoff and looked over to Professor Lockhart briefly. "Such publicity could be a handy tool, but I would much rather it be on my own terms. Not so some peacocking buffoon of a wizard could prop himself up," he said.
Draco gave a chuckle to that. "Yet that peacock is to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. Clearly, Dumbledore couldn't get anyone else," he finished with a scoff.
"I bet a sixth-year student could do a better job instructing than him," Pansy said with a frown at the man. He was smiling brightly as he signed a witch's book while she gushed over him in front of everyone.
"All they'd have to do was read from the books without stuttering and demonstrate a spell or two and be deemed DADA Professor of the decade," Harry said earning laughs from both Draco and Pansy.
"Even given who they are… I still find it surprising he has so many fans. Maybe he should instead teach a class on being a mundane celebrity," Draco said as he looked over the gathered witches.
"I doubt he'd be good at that. Just look at his fans," Pansy said with a disgusted look on her face. "Bored and lonely house wives who probably haven't felt an intimate touch in years. It shouldn't be surprising they all seem to be… shall we say… rotund?"
Draco laughed to that. "No wonder Molly Weasley is here in that case," he said darkly while smirking again.
"Hey!" a voice shouted from nearby. "You take that back! Slimy Snake," Ron said with a glare. His face was matching the color of his family's trademark hair.
"Oh? Heard that did you? So sorry… I didn't even notice you were there. The scent of these books must have surprisingly covered up your stench, Weasley," Draco said in the tone he always reserved for Ron personally.
Harry mentally sighed. Ron and Draco were about to go at it again. He doubted Draco hadn't noticed Ron was nearby. Ron was far from stealthy and the two loved going out of their way to get into a row with each other. They were both always surprisingly aware of the other's presence when they were nearby. Most of the time Ron and Draco were the first to notice the other.
They didn't get the chance to continue their fight though. For better or worse, it was Ron's dad who cut them off. "What's going on here?" Mr. Weasley asked as he came over to them. He was carrying a cauldron stuffed far more than was probably safe. "Oh… Draco. Come on Ron. Let's get going. We still have a lot to do and you know how your mom gets," he said to his son.
"Yes. Please do stop pestering your betters, boy," a new voice said.
Draco's dad came forward. He looked almost exactly like a spitting image of Draco, but older. Judging by the barely contained contempt on the elder Malfoy's face, it seemed Draco shared his father's dislike of the Weasleys.
"Come along Ron. We don't have time to waste," Arthur said ignoring Lucius Malfoy's comment.
"Can't even get a break when outside of the ministry? I do hope they at least pay you extra for such… pointless devotion," Lucius said. He picked up a book that was about to fall from top of the stack Mr. Weasley held.
He gave the book a disgusted look before placing it back in the cauldron. "Clearly, they don't. Why even bother working so hard in such a department? The Ministry doesn't actually care much for muggles. Why do you? No proper wizard should," he said with a sneer.
Mr. Weasley looked livid now. Harry guessed Ron inherited his dislike of the Malfoy family from his father. "Some of us have a different opinion on what makes a proper witch or wizard. Muggles are still humans and should be treated as such," he replied.
"If you love them so much… You should do us all a favor and snap your wand to join them. We'd be even better off, if you took your brood with you," Lucius said with a dark smirk.
"That's it!" Mr. Weasley said before he shoved the cauldron over to Ron, who barely managed to save it from crashing to the floor. Mr. Weasley lunged at a surprised Mr. Malfoy who quickly responded in kind. The two men started throwing fists at each other and glared at one another while calling out rude names.
Draco was actually appalled by his dad's behavior. He still hoped his father won. A Malfoy shouldn't lose to a Weasley. Ever!
Ron was cheering his dad on. "Give him a left, dad! Give him a right! Give him the old Weasley one-two!" he cheered as he tried to keep the cauldron and books steady. Harry thought it was actually impressive how well Ron succeeding in that task.
The fight didn't last long.
"What in the?!" a voice growled out as a giant of a man picked them both up by their robes. "Arthur?! Lucius?!" Hagrid asked. "What are ye doing?! In front of the children no less," he said with a shake of his head.
The two men looked like overgrown children who had just been forced to break up a quarrel with each other. Both men were small compared to Hagrid, but they were fiercely glaring at each other.
Harry only didn't laugh because he knew it wouldn't go over well. The scene looked like something out of a cartoon to him. If they each took a Pepper Up Potion, causing their ears to steam, it would be a live action version of a cartoon fight.
"Ye should both be ashamed of yerselves," Hagrid chastised them before placing them back down.
Mr. Malfoy tried to smooth out his robes and pretend he hadn't just been easily manhandled by Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Grounds. "Come, Draco. There is much we need to do and your mother will be expecting to take you and Pansy robe shopping," Mr. Malfoy said as he tried to save some dignity and left with the two following him.
Harry could tell Pansy was using all of her Pure-Blood Princess training to keep from laughing as she walked with Draco and his father.
"Come on Ron. Like I said… We shouldn't keep your mother waiting," Arthur said as he took the cauldron back from his son and they left as well.
Hagrid shook his head at the lot of them. "Can't believe they did that in a bookstore of all places. See ya at Hogwarts, 'arry," Hagrid said with a grin before leaving. He would have stayed to talk to Harry a little but he was very busy himself.
[-] [-] [-]
"Done!" Hannah said cheerfully as she suddenly came up to Harry with Hermione and Susan in tow.
"I'm surprised you finished already," Harry said to them with a teasing grin as he looked to Hermione in particular.
"We had to pull Hermione away from an aisle displaying previous editions of the same book next to each other," Susan said with a giggle.
Hermione blushed and looked away as she said, "I'm surprised you're ready, Harry."
Harry nodded in reply. "After the whole Lockhart thing. I wasn't really in a browsing mood," he said.
"Oh…" Hermione replied. She gave a frown. "I can see that," she admitted sadly.
She had thought Lockhart was interesting and kind of handsome, even if Harry was more so in her mind, but now she didn't like the man. If he caused Harry that much trouble, she couldn't really like him. Harry loved books too and Lockhart ruined a part of the trip she knew Harry was looking forward to along with her.
Harry squeezed her shoulder and smiled. "I did at least get to see something very entertaining," he started. He didn't want her or the others thinking the day was ruined.
"What happened?" Hannah asked.
Harry's smile grew. "Hagrid handling Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy like naughty school boys," he said now laughing like he wanted to earlier. The girls were stunned for a moment as they pictured that. They soon joined him in laughing.
"Let's get going," Susan said after their shared laughter. "My Aunt won't like us keeping her waiting a moment longer." The group followed her out of the store. None of them wanted to keep the Head of the DMLE waiting, even if she was off-duty.
"I was about to go inside and see what all the ruckus was about, but it seems Hagrid took care of it. Mr. Malfoy looked unusually pale when he noticed I was waiting out here though," Amelia said as the group came over.
The four children looked to each other and snickered. "What did I miss?" the Head of the DMLE wondered as she led the children back to the Leaky Cauldron to finish out the day.