Okay so this is the start of Chamber of Secrets :P
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I hadn't been able to write to anyone over the summer, Daniel had taken Hooter off me and locked her in the spare room downstairs with all my school stuff. I got my punishment for keeping my Gryffindor friends, honestly it was a surprise i didn't need to go to hospital after it.
Eventually I'd had one too many beatings and I decided I was just going to find somewhere to hide in Diagon alley until it came time to get the train. I knew it meant an even worse Summer when i got back from school, but at that moment i didn't care, i'd cope with it when i got there.
So one night when Daniel had left to go and find a new toy, i grabbed my things and took off, using the book i'd borrowed from the school library to teach me how to apparate. There was a small abandoned flat above an empty shop that i squatted in for three nights - glad it still had running water and strangely enough, food.
On my fourth day in the little wizard village i was wandering around with my bag of stuff - Hooter had flown off for a hunt sometime that morning - when i spotted some familiar faces. I ran up and pounced on Ron's back with a loud roar.
"Belle!" he, Harry and Hermione exclaimed.
"Hey guys," I stepped in between Harry and Ron. "How's my best beasties doing?"
"Good, you?" Harry asked, eyeing the bruises all over me and my broken left wrist.
"Great!" I grinned. "Been in Diagon alley for a few days now."
Harry frowned as we headed for the bookshop which was crowded, a poster announcing Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his book.
"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
"He's a pig, Hermione," i stated with a roll of my eyes.
Despite that, I followed them to Mr and Mrs Weasley and the others. Since the books were new on the list, Daniel had bought them for me when he got the letter in, but most of it seemed like children's stories than actual adventures.
"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. "We'll be able to see him in a min - oh Belle dear!" she hugged me, then examined me, "Oh my goodness what happened?!"
"Oh i fell down the stairs," i laughed. "Tripped over my shoes."
"Well, you'll be coming back to the burrow? It would be nice to have you over, you can owl your family later."
"Great," Ron grinned. "Oh great," he then groaned.
Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a 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. Harry and Ron sniggered as I mimicked being sick and Hermione elbowed me in the side, flushing red as she stared at the blonde man.
A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.
"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet -"
"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. Unfortunately, Lockhart looked up and spotted Harry.
"It can't be Harry Potter?" he gasped.
The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front out of mine and Ron's grip, the two of us glared at the blonde man.
The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.
"Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."
Harry tried to get back over to the others and me but Lockhart wouldn't let him, I was aware of the twins holding me back when i tried struggling. Then all of a sudden i was falling flat on my face.
"What was that for?" i complained, rubbing my nose as i got to my feet.
The twins looked at me with wide eyes, "Your hair turned red."
"What?" i pulled a few loose bits in front of my eyes, but it was black as ever, "No it didn't, why did you really drop me?"
"No seriously," Fred grabbed me by my shoulders.
"It turned red," George insisted.
"Right," i rolled my eyes, turning my back on them to see how Harry was coping.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Lockhart demanded silence. "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. "He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "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!"
"No!" I cried, running away as the crowd cheered. Ginny smiled at me and i pouted, pointing dejectedly at Lockhart.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine," she told me.
Harry stumbled over to us a few minutes later looking red in the face from both anger and humiliation. He tipped the books into the youngest red head's new cauldron.
"You have these, I'll buy my own-"
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?"
"Oh for god's sake, is it blonde prat day today?!" I exclaimed, still glowering at Lockhart, now turning it on Malfoy.
"Famous Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny, also glaring at Malfoy.
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy, Ginny went scarlet, "What happened Sparrow? Realise you were better than him?"
"Take a walk Malfoy, preferably off a cliff. I'll wave at you on the way down if you like."
Malfoy glared at me as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.
"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at the blonde as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"
On the way to the shop, Harry had briefly filled me in about the house elf Dobby situation. If i was honest, i really doubted it was Malfoy, he wasn't that smart - and if he was, he'd happily boast about it for the credit.
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."
Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket and I stood between them and Malfoy.
"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."
"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley," Mr Malfoy drawled as he came up behind his son, laying a hand on his shoulder and sneering 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 pulled out a tatty book from Ginny's cauldron. "Obviously not. 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?"
Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny, even the twins had turned red.
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," Mr Weasley stated.
"Clearly," said Lucius.
"Wow Malfoy," I turned to the small blonde, "I wondered where your charming personality came from, and now I see your father is just as much of a dickhead as you are."
"Shut it Sparrow," Malfoy snapped before his father could speak.
"Ah," Lucius peered down at me, just as most Slytherins did - curious and baffled, "So this is Miss Sparrow."
My lips parted in surprise, but then i turned to the little ferret on my right, "Malfoy," I smirked, unable to help myself, "You talk about me at home? I'm touched."
Malfoy said nothing, just flushed red while Harry and Ron snickered. Lucius Malfoy however had found Hermione's muggle parents and was now sneering at them.
"The company you keep, Weasley . . . and I thought your family could sink no lower-"
Mr Weasley lunged at Lucius, knocking him into a bookshelf, and Fred and George encouraged it as they swapped hits. Hagrid however, seized the two men and pulled them off each other. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Lucius had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopaedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.
"Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -"
Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to his son and swept from the shop. Malfoy gave us a malicious glare before hurrying after his father.
"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, "Rotten ter the core, the whole family - Everyone knows that - no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter - bad blood, that's what it is - come on now - let's get outta here."
And we did, bidding good bye to Hermione and her parents before collecting my stuff and flooing back to the Burrow. I pretended to write to Daniel, but knew if i actually did then he'd come and take me home, and it would be hell.
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