The following week, Draco had sent all of us an owl, and I had ignored it completely.
"Dear, you have a letter." Mother had said when it arrived.
"Hogwarts?" I asked, looking up from my desk.
"Draco."
"I'd rather not read it." I mumbled, continuing to read Dragons and Goblins.
"Vanice!"
"Oh alright." I sighed, not wanting a lecture on politeness. I stood up and took it from her, and as soon as she left my room, I had tossed it into my fireplace.
So when my father received an personal letter on behalf of my missing response to the first one...I wasn't very surprised.
"Vanice, where is the letter?" Father asked, walking into my room the present day.
"The Hogwarts one is on my desk." I told him, pointing to letter from my bed.
"The one from Lucius." He said, hinting he was not in the mood to play around.
"Mother said that was from Draco." I said, sitting up.
"It was an invitation from the both of them. To be of company to Diagon Alley." My father told me, a bit angry. "The impoliteness of not responding, much less not even glancing at their letter is an insult to the Crypton name."
Wincing, I looked down at my lap.
"I'm sorry."
"Now," Father said, standing at my doorway. "Whether you wanted to or not, it is no longer your freedom of choice to pick. You will go to show that we are not ignorant people. Understood?"
"Yes Father."
By that afternoon I had made sure I was not anymore trouble. An hour before I had to leave, I made sure I was ready: my hair and makeup made; robes clean and fresh; wand and extra Galleons ready.
"So glad you could join us, Vanice." Said Lucius when I arrived at their Manor.
"Thank you for inviting me." I answered, bowing my head slightly. "I'm sure my father discussed the incident with the previous letter?"
"He did. All is fine. We will be leaving immediately." He snapped his fingers and Dobby appeared, looking nervous and in pain.
"Y-yes M-Mast-"
"Go get Draco and the rest of the children." He hissed, glaring at it.
"Y-yes Mast-ter."
We left quickly once everyone had entered, and when we arrived at Diagon Alley, it was packed with wizards and witches, all buying for different purposes. You could mostly make out Hogwarts students running in and out of shops, waving lists around and playing with their wands.
"Alright, who brought their list?" I asked once we were walking along the streets.
"I did." Draco said, pulling his out.
"So did I." Crabbe and Goyle said.
"Duh. I did too." Said Lydia.
"Well that's good. I brought mine." I said, taking everyones lists and beginning the read. "Let's see...it says we need The Standard Book of Spells Grade 2, Break with a Banshee, Gadding with Ghouls, Holidays with Hags, Travels with Tr - OW!"
Falling backwards, I used the hand that was holding onto the lists and rubbed my forehead, pouting.
Lydia came over to help me up, laughing a bit and smiling.
"You like, walked into that sign." She said, pointing to a large wooden sign that was swinging from our meet.
"Follow me. I need to do a few errands before we go buying you all new supplies." Mr. Malfoy said, oblivious to my incident.
We kept right behind him, and stayed even closer when we turned the corner into Knockturn Alley. My father at times walked through here, and I've accompanied him when I would be allowed.
There was an aura that you could never place and it sent chills up my spine. In the distance we saw what looked like the largest shop, but opposite was a window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders. Two shabby-looking wizards were watching us from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other.
An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles was hiding an aged witch. She was holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails. She leered at us, showing mossy teeth.
We walked into a a shop called Borgin and Burkes after Lucius, and I was intrigued by all the rare merchandise. A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a bloodstained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling.
"Wicked..." Draco whispered.
Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to us and saying, "Touch nothing."
We all glared at Goyle, who had reached for the glass eye.
"Ah, Mr. Borgin."
A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.
"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair. "Delighted - and young Master Malfoy, with friends - charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced -"
"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," said Mr. Malfoy.
"Selling?"
Not wanting to listen, we all walked around, looking at the interesting stock.
"Look at that." Goyle said, pointing at a withered hand on its cushion.
"It looks dead." I noted, walking over to it.
"And totally gross." Lydia said.
"I wouldn't touch it, if I were you." Warned Draco.
Holding back a smile, I started looking at the objects for sale. I paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals, Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed - Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date.
"Relax your hand!"
"I can't it's stuck!"
Spinning my head to my right, I saw Goyle trying to free himself from the grasp of the withered hand with Crabbe panicking beside him.
"I told you not to touch it!" Draco hissed, pulling Goyle.
I laughed with Lydia, covering our mouths with our hands and keeping out of Mr. Malfoy's hearing distance.
"You're so dumb." Lydia giggled, walking back to Lucius.
"Done," said Mr. Malfoy at the counter. "Come, children - Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."
Keeping close to the group, we walked out into the small shops that were specialized for Dark Arts. As we started heading back to Diagon Alley for our supplies, another old witch stopped to show us several mirrors. I tried to ignore her and continue walking, but Lydia stayed behind, listening to her speak.
"Vanice! They're called Forever Mirrors!" Lydia exclaimed, pulling me back.
"I wouldn't trust that..." I whispered, tugging at her arm.
"I can just look at myself when I want to...like pictures but it's my reflection!" She said, reaching to grab one.
Widening my eyes, I yanked her away, picking up the pace to catch up to Crabbe.
"Nope. You've gone bonkers. I bet it takes away your soul or something."
Draco looked back at us, confused. A second later he shook his head, most likely deciding it was better not to ask.
"Come on, my father said we could go off in our own, and to meet at Flourish and Botts later on." He said.
Leading us to a stand near the middle of Diagon Alley, he bought us five large vanilla-and-caramel ice cream cones.
"Thank you." I said, then took a large bite of the ice-cream.
Moments later I regretted that decision greatly as a bad brain-freeze started, and I started stamping my foot in pain, gritting my teeth.
Lydia and Goyle began laughing besides me, nearly tipping their sweets over.
"Sh-shut up!" I hissed, holding my head and whining.
Suddenly a hand wrapped itself around mine and took away my cone gently. A small hard candy was being placed into my mouth, and the pain began to subside as soon as I had began to suck on it.
"Ice-Cream Subsider." Draco's voice said. "You shouldn't bite into your desserts like that."
Blushing slightly, I nodded and reached out to take my cone back.
"Right, sorry."
"Let's go shopping!" Lydia giggled, wiping her face with a napkin.
Agreeing, we all began walking together, examining the fascinating shop windows. Draco walked into Quality Quidditch Supplies, and we stayed for awhile, seeing the new brooms and Quidditch team merchandise.
"A Nimbus Two Thousand and One!" I sighed, staring at it.
Through the window behind the broom was a small pink sign, and as my eyes adjusted, I grinned as I saw it was Sugarplum's Sweets Shop. I dragged everyone off to buy sweets and candy.
Next door was Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, and I stopped slightly. I could've sworn I saw that unmistakable red hair...
"Let's go, Vanice." Lydia said suddenly, grabbing my sleeve.
An hour later of exploring and shopping, we headed for Flourish and Blotts.
"This is absurd!" I groaned, seeing that we were by no means the only ones making our way to the bookshop.
As we approached it, we saw to our dismay a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed
by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:
GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12:30 P.m. to 4:30 P.m.
"Isn't he like the one that all of our books are from?" Lydia asked, raising an eyebrow in excitement. "He's is so cute!"
The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around our mothers age. A harrassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies ... Don't push, there ... mind the books, now..."
We squeezed inside, making our way to a staircase that led above the chaos. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. I grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 for each of us, then handed them out, leaning against the railing before us.
"Look who it is." Draco suddenly sneered beside me.
From the view we had, all we could really see was the entrance and the line that lead up to the table that was being used by Gilderoy Lockhart. Yet, it was unmistakable that Potter, Granger and Weasley were there, waiting near the front of the line.
"What a surprise to see them in a shop." I smirked, rolling my eyes.
Minutes later, Lockhart came slowly into view, taking his seat at the 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.
"He is so attractive." Lydia sighed, looking down and shoving her books at Goyle.
"He really isn't that bad..." I agreed, giving my books to Draco.
I heard the boys begin to mutter, but my attention was on Lockhart, who had then leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"
The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Scarhead's arm, and pulled him to the front. The crowd burst into applause.
Besides me, Draco seemed even more irritated that he suddenly already was.
"Nice big smile, Harry," I heard Lockhart say through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."
"Rubbish." Crabbe muttered.
Lockhart threw an arm around Potter's shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment 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 -which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge-"
The crowd applauded again, and we scoffed loudly.
"He had no idea," Lockhart continued, "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!"
"Might as well give it to Weasley. He can't afford them anyways." Lydia snapped, crossing her arms.
"We should let them know." Draco hissed, walking down the stairs.
I walked behind him and saw Potter walking right up to us, not even noticing himself.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said Draco with a sneer.
"Famous Harry Potter," I continued. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said the tiny red haired girl besides him. She glared at us.
"Potter, you've like got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Lydia.
"Oh, it's you," said a voice, and we looked up to see Weasley. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Draco. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."
He went red, then dropped his books into the cauldron and started toward Draco but Potter and Granger grabbed the back of his jacket.
"Ron!" said another voice, which belonged to Mr. Wesley himself, struggling over with the Weasley Twins. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."
And all too familiar voice spoke behind us, and the smirk we had grew even wider.
"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley."
It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, glaring in just the same way.
"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Lucius. "All those raids ... I hope they're paying you overtime?"
He reached into the little girl's cauldron that looked like the rest of the Weasley's and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.
"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
We all glared at them, sneering and smirking.
Mr. Weasley flushed darker than his children.
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.
"Clearly," said Lucius, his pale eyes straying to Muggle parents, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower - "
There was a thud of metal as a cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf.
"Uncultured pig!" Lydia and I yelled at Mr. Weasley as the boys cheered Lucius on.
Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all our heads; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over.
"Gentlemen, please - please!" cried the assistant.
In an instant, it all stopped, just as quickly as it started. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding the old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at the girl, his eyes glittering with malice.
"Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -" Pulling himself upright, he beckoned to us and swept from the shop.
"My mother is going to be enraged." Draco muttered, staying behind his father.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
I'm glad you all liked that second chapter, and I love the reviews I've gotten! Thank you also for all the follows and favorites!
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•Q.O.C...
-Would you swoon over Lockhart?
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