| HIDDEN IN SECRETS |

chapter thirteen

SCUFFLES

•

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco sneered. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said a young redheaded girl.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" Draco remarked with a laugh.

"Leaving now, Draco," Verena told him, grabbing his hand, but he pulled away.

"Oh, it's you two," said Ron Weasley as he approached. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," Draco retorted. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."

The Weasley dropped his books into a cauldron and took an offensive stand. Verena took a step forward, her wand peeking out of her cloak.

"Put your wand away, Verena," said a stern voice, and she looked behind her at Silas.

"Now, now, Draco, play nicely," said the voice of Lucius Malfoy, and Draco and Verena stepped aside.

"Mr Potter. Silas Salvador," he introduced.

"Lucius Malfoy," he said. "We meet at last."

Lucius pulled him closer after they shook hands, and he examined the mark on his forehead. "Forgive me. Your scar is legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you."

"Voldemort killed my parents," Potter responded, stepping away. "He is nothing more than a murderer."

"You must be very brave to mention his name," Lucius said.

"Or foolish," Silas added.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," said Granger.

"You must be Miss Granger," said Silas. "Yes, I've heard all about you, and your parents. Muggles, aren't they?" He glanced over at the others. "Red hair, vacant expressions, tatty second-hand books... You must be the Weasleys."

Mr Weasley walked over to his children,
not noticing the Malfoys and Salvadors, and said, "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley."

"Lucius," Mr Weasley, nodding coldly. "Silas."

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Lucius. "All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime?"

Lucius had reached into the youngest Weasley's cauldron and pulled out an old, battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.

"Obviously not," Lucius 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 have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.

"Clearly," said Lucius. "Associating with Muggles... 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 into the air. Mr Weasley had charged at Lucius, knocking him into a bookshelf. Dozens of spellbooks came down on all their heads.

"Look out!" Draco said loudly, pulling Verena away from the books about to fall on her.

"Get him, Dad!" yelled one of the twins, encouraging their father while his wife began shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"