They squeezed in, trying to reach the spellbooks. They almost got there too, except the massive crowd of sorcerers stood in the way.
"Out of the way, you!" A man that resembled a bat shoved Ron away, his camera clicking like mad. "This is for the Daily Prophet."
Ron scowled. "Big deal," he snapped, rubbing the spot on his ribs where the bat man jabbed him.
A man in blue wizard robes at a table looked up at Ron's comment. He saw Ron, then he saw Hermione, and his gaze fell on... Harry.
"Harry Potter?" He cried, jumping up. The crowd turned to where the blonde man was looking and began to murmur. Hazel could see clearly the man's portrait was on several books surrounding him, each looking excitedly at Harry. Gilderoy Lockhart leapt around the table and pulled Harry up close to him, aiming him at the bat photographer. "Nice big smile, Harry" Lockhart said with a gleaming smile. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."
Piper looked outraged. "Together?" she hissed.
Harry's face turned the color of Ron's hair as the cameraman clicked away. When all the pictures were through, Harry tried to slip away, but Gilderoy grabbed his arm and pulled him into another embrace. It would've looked strange on anyone else, but the blonde wizard pulled it off.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, still showing gleaming teeth, so white they appeared to be carved out of pearls. But they weren't, otherwise Hazel would force him to close his mouth. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!"
"I hate him already," Piper grumbled.
"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to by my autobiography— which I shall be happy to present to him now, free of charge—" why was everyone clapping? "—He had no idea," Lockhart continued, patting Harry harder on the back, "That 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 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
He suddenly shoved a stack of books into Harry's arms and pushed him to the crowd. Hermione sighed. "Isn't he amazing?" she murmured under her breath.
Nico rolled his eyes. "Puh-lease," he muttered.
Harry staggered under the weight of several books to the edge of the room, where Ginny was. He muttered something to Ginny and handed her all the books. Ginny looked like she was about to pass out, her face was burning red.
The crowd cleared out slowly, as the ten tried to regroup with the other Weasleys and Harry.
"Bet you loved that, Potter?" A voice that reminded Hazel strongly of Octavian drawled out towards them. A boy that also physically reminded Hazel strongly of Octavian strutted down from a staircase. "Famous Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page," he sneered. Oh no, it really was Octavian 2.0. The boy stopped in front of Harry and Ginny.
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" Ginny defended him hotly. Little Octavian sneered.
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" Ginny turned the color of an overripe cherry.
Ron finally noticed little Octavian and scowled, shoving his way. "Oh, it's you," he said in disgust.
Little Octavian turned to Ron. "Wow, am I surprised to see you in a shop, Weasley. I suppose your family will go hungry for a month to pay for all those," he spat.
Hazel felt her face heat up in anger. She didn't know Ron very well, or Little Octavian, but she hated bullies. She was about to slap him when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came in.
"Ron, let's go outside. It's crowded in here—"
"Well well well. Arthur Weasley." Big Little Octavian appeared next to Little Octavian, probably his dad. Mr. Weasley tensed up and he looked at Big Little Octavian with hatred.
"Lucius," he said coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," Lucius Octavian said conversationally, but his voice was laced with contempt. "I would hope they're paying you overtime?" his gaze cut to their tattered robes, the hand-me-down books. He picked up a beaten down copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration and lazily flipped it open. "Clearly not," he sneered. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the wizarding community if they don't even pay well for it?" He thrust the book back to Ginny.
Mr. Weasley turned darker than Ginny and Ron.
Hazel could sense a fight was about to break out, and so could Piper. She smiled sweetly, charmspeak in action.
"Hey, Mr. Lucius—" ("Malfoy" Ron muttered to her,) "Mr. Malfoy, you were just about to leave, right?" Her power was so strong, Hazel turned and was about to exit the door, even though it wasn't directed at her.
Lucius Malfoy blinked and nodded, the scowl on his face disappearing. "Yes, why we were. Come, Draco." He turned on his heel and Lucius and Draco left the shop. Mr. Weasley looked around, confused.
"Lucius..." he trailed off. Harry shot Piper a look and raised his eyebrow, sending the silent question. What just happened?
Later, she mouthed.
The remaining people who didn't leave from Piper's charmspeak were swarming Lockhart again.
"We should go now." Jason cut into the silence. "Perce, where are you staying?"
>>>•O•<<<
Hazel shook off soot from the fireplace. "Never again." She coughed up the Floo powder. Percy smiled weakly. "Yeah. Come on, the tents are over here."
"Tents?" Frank followed Percy, Thalia, Annabeth, and Nico just over the hill where two silver tents were seen set up. "You're staying in a tent?"
"It's a huntress tent," Annabeth said, as if it explained everything. Hazel, who had never been in a huntress tent, was excited. Her excitement was not wasted.
"You're kidding me!" she stood up inside and looked around. There were cushions and sleeping bags around a fireplace, a buffet table with healthy food and packets of instant hot chocolate, and air conditioning. "You get to stay in these year round?" She asked Thalia. Thalia grinned and flopped on a pillow.
"Being a hunter has it's perks," she said, biting into a slice of watermelon.
"So, Hecate provided all your stuff, right? What's your wands made of?" Annabeth asked, lounging on another pillow.
Hazel pulled out her wand. "Mine's hazel with a unicorn hair. Hecate just had to make mine hazel." she blew a speck of dust off the stick.
Piper studied her wand too. "This one's rosewood with a veela hair." She turned her chin to the tent flap entrance. "Jason's is ebony with a thunderbird tail feather, and Frank's is fir with a phoenix feather. Isn't that ironic? Frank's firewood is fir and a phoenix can burst into flames at will." Piper shook her head. "Hecate's sense of humor is dangerous."
"So what are yours?" Hazel asked.
"Mine's olive with a phoenix feather," Annabeth said, displaying her own wand. "Percy has a cedar one with a white river monster spine core."
"White river monster spine?"
"Yep." Thalia flicked her black wand. "Mine's pine with a thunderbird tail feather, and Nico has elder with a thestral tail hair."
"Pine?" Piper shook her head. "Hecate really put thought into these, didn't she?"
Annabeth got her 'dictionary' look in her eyes. "I read up about these in the library— there was a section about wands. Percy's, cedar, is unusually loyal people who are especially protective over their loved ones. Not many people are brave enough to anger the owner of a cedar wand.
"Fir, Frank's, marks a survivor. All people who bear fir are usually the least scathed in a group.
"Nico is elder wood, which is super rare. Unfortunately, elder wood notorious for being unlucky. But owning an elder wand is also a sign that your destiny is special, and it will give you a feel of power when in certain situations.
"Hazel, which is obviously yours Hazel, is a powerful wand. The wood performs outstanding magic, and it reflects the owner's emotional state. It can also detect water, underground.
"Ebony, which is Jason's wand, is for those who know where they stand. They're not swayed by their peers.
"Mine, Olive, shows determination and intelligence. It's mainly for those who can make quick decisions without regretting them. The spells come out fast and clear from this wood.
"Yours, Thalia, is pine, which is usually for mysterious loners who adapt quickly. Their owners are usually known for living a long life.
"And finally, Piper, rosewood is purity and it excels in love spells and healing potions. They're really rare and quite effective on Dark Magic."
Piper looked at her wand again. "So... basically Aphrodite is influencing my life forever. Even in a world of magic, I'm still known as the love goddesses child." She sniffed in disgust.
Thalia shook her head. "I'm a loner?" she asked, glaring at her own wand as if it was her problem.
Annabeth put up her hands defensively. "I'm just quoting the book."
Hazel twirled her wand. "Who knew wands had so much backstory?" she asked absentmindedly.
"Get used to it" Annabeth advised. "Everything has a story behind its covers."