We searched and searched for Harry, but we couldn't find him anywhere. We checked the bank, the robe shop, even the ice cream parlour but he wasn't there. I was beginning to get worried, what if he's not even here? What if he's landed in some stranger's house who loves kidnapping kids? Oh god! Please don't let that be true!
"Bella!" Someone screamed from behind me and I turned around to see my other best friend, Hermione Granger rushing towards me with a smile on her face.
"Hermione!" I grinned and hugged her. "How are you?"
"I'm good, you?"
I shrug. "Good. Have you seen Harry?"
Hermione was still the bushy brown haired girl that I remembered. She hasn't changed.
"No?" she looked confused. "I thought he was with you?"
"We had a mishap with the Floo Powder...he said Diagon Alley wrong and now we can't find him," I tell her, panic clear in my voice.
"He can't be far, come on!"
I set off with Hermione to search for Harry, but we weren't having much luck. Harry was pretty famous in our world, and everyone we asked said 'if I had seen Harry Potter, do you think I'd be here?'. Hermione had to break off to call into Gringotts but before she went inside, she spotted someone.
"Harry! Harry! Over here!"
I spin around and spot Harry with Hagrid. He looked shaken up and dirty from the Floo Powder, and his glasses were broken, but other than that, he looked fine.
"Oh thank god," I breathe.
I leave Hermione standing on top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts and rush towards him, my hair blowing behind me. I pull him into a tight hug which he returns, Hagrid clears his throat making me blush and pull away.
"What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid" I say.
Hermione catches up to me. "Hi, Harry! Hi, Hagrid! It's so wonderful to see you all again...Are you coming into Gringotts Harry? Me and Bella were just about to go,"
"I wasn't, I don't need Gringotts," I said.
Hermione looks at me. "How do you expect to pay for your stuff?"
"Oh...yeah.."
Harry laughed. "As soon as I've found the Weasley's, yeah"
"Yeh won't have ter wait," Hagrid grinned
Me, Harry, and Hermione looked around; sprinting up the crowded street were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and Mr Weasley.
"Harry," Panted Mr Weasley. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far" I watched as he mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic - she's coming now"
I nudged Harry. "You see? You had us all worried...me especially"
"Where did you come out?" Ron asked
"Knockturn Alley," Hagrid told us grimly.
My eyes widened. "What?!"
"Brilliant!" Fred and George said together
"We've never been allowed in," Ron told us, enviously.
"I should ruddy well think not," Hagrid growled.
I nodded, agreeing with Hagrid. "It's a bad place...a really bad place"
Molly now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other. I glared at her, did she have to come?
"Oh, Harry - oh, my dear - you could have been anywhere-"
Gasping for breath, she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot left on Harry. Ginny was staring at me, and I did my best not to look at her because I knew I would either glare at her or say something mean. Maybe both. Mr Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand and returned them, good as new.
"There's my Harry," I smiled and ruffled his hair, making him blush.
"Your Harry," He confirmed and it was my turn to blush. I could practically taste the jealousy rolling off of Ginny. Ha! Take that!
"Well, gotta be off," Hagrid said, he was having his hand wrung by Mrs Weasley ('Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found him, Hagrid!). "See yer at Hogwarts!" he shoots me a wink telling me he heard what me and Harry had just said, before he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.
"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked me, Ron, and Hermione as we climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father"
"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Mr Weasley asked sharply from behind us.
"No, he was selling"
"So, he's worried. "Mr Weasley said with a grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something..."
"You be careful, Arthur," Molly said sharply, as we were ushered into the bank by a bowing goblin at the door. "That family's trouble, don't go biting off more than you can chew"
"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius?" Mr Weasley asked indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.
"Hi!" I waved at them and they smiled at me.
"But you're Muggles!" Mr Weasley said delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr Granger's hand. I giggled.
"Meet you back here," Ron said to me and Hermione, as the Weasley's and Harr were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.
Once I got my money, I met up with them outside on the marble steps, before we all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Molly and Ginny were going to a second-hand robe shop (I was thankful to get away from her), Mr Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.
"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your school books," Molly said, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twin's retreating backs.
Me, Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. My bag of money jingling cheerfully in my pocket, wanting to be spent. Harry got us all large strawberry and peanut-butter ice-creams which we slurped happily as we wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' where I treated myself to another book before Hermione dragged us all off to buy ink and parchment in the store next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, we met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who was stocking up on 'Dr Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks,' and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, wonky brass scales and old cloaks covered in potion stains we found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.
"A study of Hogwarts Prefects and their later careers," Ron read aloud off the back covers. "That sounds fascinating..."
"Go away," Percy snapped.
"Oooh, somebody's on their man period" I chuckle
"Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all out...he wants to be Minister of Magic..." Ron told us in an undertone, as we left Percy to it.
An hour later, we headed for Flourish and Blotts. We were by no means the only ones making our way to the bookshop. As we approached it, we saw to our surprise 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 12.30-4.30 pm
"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
I gave her the 'are you kidding?' look. "You can't seriously like this guy? There's no way he's done all that stuff..."
"Are you calling him a fraud?" Hermione asks me.
"I've always been told don't judge a book by its cover, but today I guess that's what I am doing... so, yeah I am"
The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs Weasley's age. A harrassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please ladies...don't push, there...mind the books, now..."
The four of us managed to squeeze our way inside. A long queue wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. We each grabbed a copy of Break with a Banshee, and sneaked up the line where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr and Mrs Granger.
"Oh, there you are, good," Molly said. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute..."
I groaned. "I'm really not that interested..."
Gilderoy 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 which exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.
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 snared at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet"
"Big deal, " Me and Ron said at the same time, Ron rubbed his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.
Much to my dismay, Gilderoy had heard us. He looked up. He saw me and Ron- and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"
The crowd parted, whispering excitedly. Harry looked around confused and I nudged him as Lockhart dived foward, seized Harry's arm and pulled him to the front. I frowned, by the look on his face, Harry was clearly uncomfortable. His face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over to us.
"Nice, big smile, Harry," I heard Lockhart say to Harry through his own gleaming teeth. "Together -" he spotted me and grinned.
"Oh no," I moved back just as Lockhart dived for me and dragged me to the front next to Harry.
"I can't believe it! Two birds with one stone! Harry Potter and Bella Black!-" I frowned, that's not my name. "Smile big now, together, us three will make the front page"
I did not smile.
I hated my photo being taken.
When he finally let go of mine and Harry's shoulders, we tried to slip back over to the Weasley's but Lockhart stopped us both by grabbing our writs and clamped us 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 and Bella here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, they only wanted to buy my autobiography - which I shall be happy to present them now, free of charge -" the crowd applauded again, "-they had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving me and Harry a little shake which made me nearly lose my balance and make Harry;s glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that they would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. They and their school fellows 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 Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
Called it! Wait...No! Not him! Anyone but the big-headed freak!
The crowd cheered and clapped as me and Harry were presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering under their weight, we managed to make our way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where sadly, Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron. Can this day get any worse?
"You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books in the cauldron whilst I struggled to shove mine into my bag. "I'll buy my own-"
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Swan, Potter?" said a voice I knew too well. I shoved the final book in my bag and looked up to find Harry face to face with Draco Malfoy who was wearing his usual sneer.
He still was the blonde haired- ferret looking freak, but this year he looked older... may I say it, cute? No! I will not!
"Famous Harry Potter and Bella Swan-"
"I'm not famous," I sneer folding my arms.
Malfoy ignores me. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page,"
"Jealous, are you?" I grin at him.
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" Ginny said. It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy. Notice how she was only defending Harry? Yeah, me too.
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy and I watched in both horror and jealous as Ginny went scarlet. Ron and Hermione fought their way over to us, both of them clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.
"Oh, it's you," Ron said, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"
"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 that lot"
Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started towards Malfoy, but me, Harry, and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket.
"Ron!" Mr Weasley said, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's mad in here, let's go outside"
"Well, well, well- Arthur Weasley"
I looked over and saw it was Mr Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.
"Lucius," Mr Weasley said, nodding coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," Mr Malfoy said. "All those raids...I hope they're paying you overtime?"
He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amidst the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration.
"Obviously not," he 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?"
Mr Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny and I felt sorry for him.
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," Mr Weasley snapped and I smiled. Go Arthur!
"Clearly," Mr Malfoy said, his pale eyes straying over to Mr and Mrs Granger, 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 Ginny's cauldron went flying and I watched in shock as Mr Weasley threw himself at My Malfoy. He knocked him backwards into a bookshelf, dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on our heads; there was a yell of '"Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Molly was shrieking "No, Arthur. No!"; the crowd stampeded backwards, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please - please!" cried the assistant, and then louder than all, "Break it up, there, gents, break it up-"
Hagrid was wading towards us through the sea of books. In an instant, he had pulled Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy apart. Mr Weasley had a cut lip and Mr Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old transfiguration 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-"
Wait! He dropped another book in the cauldron! I looked around, did anyone see that?
Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip, he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.
"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," Hagrid said, almost lifting Mr Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "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"
The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop us from leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. We hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Molly beside herself with fury.
"A fine example to set to your children...brawling in public...what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought..."
"He was pleased," Fred said. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report - said it was all publicity"
But it was a subdued group who headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, myself, the Weasleys and all of our shopping will be travelling back to The Burrow using Floo Powder. We said goodbye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side. Mr Weasley started to ask them how bus stop worked, but stopped quickly at the look on his wife's face.
I watched as Harry took off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before helping himself to Floo Powder. I could tell he hated this way to travel. And I did too.
.