Alaina was cooking breakfast the next morning when the owl came carrying Harry's second year school list. Her features twisted with worry when she saw the Hogwarts seal. She had half a mind to go and get the things from Diagon Alley herself and bombard the house with protection charms while she was gone, but she just couldn't bear the thought of leaving Harry alone in the house, and she knew that he would be angry with her. He had so much fun in Diagon Alley the last time that it would be cruel to deprive him of the thrill of getting his school supplies this year. She sighed wearily. She finished cooking the eggs on the stove and then put them on a plate. As bad as she hated to, she was going to have to go get Harry up. They needed to go and get his things today if at all possible. It was just a couple of days until school started anyway. Minerva had been late getting the letter out this year.
She ran up the stairs and opened the door, surprised to see that he was already up and sitting on his bed, fully dressed. He smiled at her.
"Morning, mum."
"Good morning. What are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep," Harry answered groggily. He yawned.
Alaina walked in and sat down beside him. "Harry, you don't have to worry about a thing. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay?"
"Okay." That had been what was worrying him alright. He couldn't sleep a wink for worrying about what might be awaiting him back at school.
"I've got eggs ready for you for breakfast, then I want you to get ready to leave."
Harry frowned at her. "Where are we going?"
Alaina smiled. "You just got your letter. It's in the kitchen. We're going to Diagon Alley."
A smile spread across his face. "Great! I was starting to wonder when it was coming."
"I had forgotten all about it to be honest." She got up and motioned for Harry to follow.
The two of them went downstairs together and ate breakfast. Alaina washed the dishes afterwards, then they got ready to go. They were out the door in ten minutes and on their way to Diagon Alley. Of course, she had to stop at Gringotts Wizarding Bank and pick up enough money to buy his school things. Harry was strangely quiet the entire trip, not saying a word until they came up to Flourish and Blotts. He only spoke then because there was an unusual crowd around the book shop. That, and he saw someone he knew.
"Harry!" Hermione ran up to him. "How have you been?"
"Good," he lied. He would fill her in later. "And you?"
"Really good. My mum and dad are here. They're inside. I was just getting a bit of fresh air before Gilderoy Lockhart showed up."
"Gilderoy Lockhart? Who's that?"
Hermione placed her hands on her hips. "Honestly, Harry! Don't you ever read the Daily Prophet? He's our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"Oh. I didn't know." He wanted to tell her that he had other things on his mind, but again, he would fill her later.
"Do you want to come in with me?"
Harry looked up at Alaina, silently asking her permission. She nodded. "I'll be right behind you. Go ahead."
He smiled and disappeared into the shop with Hermione. Alaina watched them go inside. She searched around her to make sure nothing looked suspicious and then she went inside too.
Flourish and Blotts was overrun with witches and wizards and parents with their children. Alaina frowned in confusion. She wondered who this Gilderoy Lockhart was. As if he had heard her thoughts, he appeared out of nowhere. There was a photographer by his side and they were taking pictures of the man. He was dressed well in a light blue suit. His blonde hair sparkled underneath the light and she could tell by the way he was acting, the bright smiles and the less than subtle poses, that he thought a lot of himself. She watched as his eyes went wide as they rested on someone in the audience. Her heart plummeted when she saw the photographer grab Harry from the crowd. He had been talking to the Weasleys. The man took a picture of Harry and Lockhart and then Lockhart handed him his entire published works free of charge. He brought them down to Alaina with a strange look on his face.
"I already do not like that man," Harry told her.
Alaina chuckled. She didn't say it out loud, but she could definitely see why. She took his books from him and went up to the front to see if the owner of the shop had a bag or something she could put them in.
Harry joined Ron and Ginny, who had come down from the crowd, and they headed outside.
"Bet you loved that didn't you, Potter?" a voice spat from above them.
The three of them looked up. It was Draco Malfoy. Fred and George and Percy walked down to stand beside of them. Hermione was talking with her parents and the Weasleys.
"Famous Harry Potter," he said as he descended the stairs and stepped in front of him, "Can't even go to the book store without making the front page!"
Ginny, whose face was set hard, stepped forward, pure hatred emmanating from her. "Leave him alone."
"Oh look, Potter! You got yourself a girlfriend," Draco said with a smug smile.
Harry glared at him hatefully. Suddenly a silver snake was on Draco's shoulder. Harry jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of it.
"Now, now, Draco. Play nicely."
A man with long platinum blonde hair the same shade as Draco's stepped forward. His face seemed to be frozen in an eternal sneer as his eyes fell on Harry.
"Mr. Potter." He extended his hand. "Lucius Malfoy."
Harry reluctantly took his hand. He thought he was just going to shake it, instead he pulled him toward him, and with the snake end of what appeared to be his walking stick, Lucius moved Harry's hair out of the way so he could see his scar.
"Forgive me. Your scar is legend. As is, of course, the wizard who gave it to you."
Harry's anger rose spontaneously. "Voldemort killed my parents. He was nothing more than a murderer." He pulled himself away from Lucius forcefully.
Hermione saw what was happening and rushed down to stand beside of Harry.
"You must be very brave to mention his name," Lucius said, "or really foolish."
No one notice that Hermione was there until she spoke. "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
Lucius turned slowly in Hermione's direction and Harry felt a small smile creep up on his lips. "And you must be Ms. Granger." He looked to Draco for confirmation and he nodded. "Oh yes Draco has told me all about you and your...parents. Muggles, aren't they?"
Hermione glared at him as he looked toward her parents in a snobbish way. She really did not like the man at all. Lucius looked over the rest of the crowd of children in front of him.
"Let me see, red hair, vacant expressions, tacky second hand book," he said as he got a book out of Ginny's cauldron, "you must be the Weasleys."
"That's right," Fred said. "Nothing gets past you, mister."
Harry couldn't help but laugh.
Lucius didn't find it particularly funny though. He grabbed Harry's robes menacingly, his anger rising. "Think that was funny?"
Draco was standing behind her grinning like a cheshire cat. He was enjoying every minute of this display. Hermione gasped, and if she hadn't, Alaina never would have turned her head. Her eyes widened as she saw Lucius with his hands on Harry. She made her way hurriedly through the crowd, stopping when she was standing beside of Harry. Lucius looked up at her, surprised.
"You would do well to get your hands off my son," Alaina warned.
He immediately let Harry go. "Well, well, well. Alaina Evans. And here I thought you were dead."
She smiled at him. "Oh I'm very much alive. If you ever touch him again, they're going to be wondering about your mortality status. Not mine."
He smirked as if her threat meant nothing to him. Lucius took the book in his other hand and put it back in Ginny's cauldron just as Arthur Weasley came down to join them. Harry stared at it for a moment. He thought there had just been one book. Now there was two. He must be going mental.
"Is there any trouble here?" Arthur asked.
"No trouble," Lucius told him. "I was just getting acquainted with Alaina and Harry." He stared hard at her, and Alaina glared at him. "But I saw you up there talking with Ms. Granger's parents." He shook his head shamefully. "Associating with Muggles. Just when I thought your family could sink no lower."
"The only way his family would sink low is if he started associating with you," Alaina snapped. She bent down next to Harry's ear. "Take your friends and go outside. Wait for me."
Harry nodded and whispered something to Hermione and Ron and they went outside. Fred, George, Ginny, and Percy followed. Draco slipped out as well.
"I suppose I should be going," Lucius said.
"Yeah, there's no children left in here for you to pick on," Arthur shot at him.
He narrowed his eyes. "I'll see you at work, Weasley." He glared at him and then at Alaina. He left a few seconds later.
"I really don't like that man," Arthur admitted.
Alaina agreed. "Me either." She hurried outside.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in deep discussion about something. The other children had moved on down the line looking at something else. Alaina adjusted the bag in her hand carrying Harry's books.
"I think we'd better go on and get the rest of your things, Harry," she told him. She didn't want to take the chance of running into any more trouble.
She and Harry said their goodbyes and went on to the next store and the next one. They were finished with everything and on their way back when Alaina noticed something that made her stomach do flips inside. She saw Lucius Malfoy talking to someone. At first she didn't think nothing of it, but then she heard his silky voice and there was no mistaking the man's identity. It was Severus. She wondered what he would be doing talking to Lucius or how he even knew him. She made a mental note to ask him when she saw him on the train to Hogwarts. She just hoped that they weren't friends. She wasn't sure she could deal with Lucius Malfoy again and keep a cool head.