Chapter 61: Flourish and Blotts Part 2
"Nova, Nova! Over here" A voice called out. Nova turned and saw that it was Hermione. Seeing it was her, Nova had a large smile on his face as he gave her a big hug.
"It is good to see you. I see that you have been working on strengthening your souls. Good." Nova told her.
"It's been so long since you have seen me and that is all you have to say?" Hermione asked.
Cocking his head sideways, Nova had a puzzled look, "Nova, Hermione is look to hear words of affection from you." A random voice said.
"MOTHER! Don't say that. You will give him the wrong idea." Hermione said to her mother, Rose.
"Now dear. Don't taunt your daughter too much." Hermione's father, Ian stated.
"Madam, Sir. It is good to see you again. Did you enjoy your vacation?" Nova asked.
"We did indeed. Though I feel that we have entered fantasia once again. This alley never ceases to amaze me." Ian said, though this was not his first time here. His wife and him were both nervous.
"Harry, Ron? Are you guys alright?" Hermione said as she just now noticed the frozen Weasley family.
Hearing her voice, the Weasley's finally start to come out of their stupor. With the amount of times it was happening, Nova wondered if it was a family thing.
"We are fine Hermione, Nova is just breaking reality for us." Ron said.
Mr. Weasley finally came to, and instead of saying anything to Nova, 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.
"We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten pound notes in Mr. Granger's hand.
Suddenly there was a large crash as a goblin, lept over his counter and knocked over his scales.
"Ah Your Lordship! You are here!" the goblin exclaimed suddenly. Realizing it was Nova who the goblin was speaking to, several other goblins quickly brought out an ornate throne and table and laid desserts and snacks out for him and all but pushed him into the chair.
"How can we be of assistance today?" The goblin said as he bowed in front of Nova. Seeing the sight, every witch and wizard in the building, jaws fell to the floor. They have never seen such a sight.
"Yes I am here with the Weasleys and Mr. Potter, who need to make deposits and withdrawals from their vaults. Also the Grangers need to perform a currency exchange."
The group that have finished picking up their jaws could only shake their heads, couldn't the young man see that others were waiting as well?
"Certainly." The goblin then clapped his hands and two other goblins appeared and immediately escorted their respective parties to make the transactions. Everyone else's jaws fell to the floor.
"Nova what is going on?" Hermione asked.
"No clue."
"Your Lordship. Could you be so kind as to allow our craftsmen to study your Spatial Ring." the goblin asked.
"Sure." Nova took off the ring and gave it to the goblin. "Tell your craftsmen they have until the Weasley group returns to bring me back my ring."
"That is only ten minutes though." a goblin protested.
"You best get moving then." Nova replied as he reached for a lemon turnover. The goblins all but flew to their craftsmen. The full extent of chaos that was caused by the ten minute timer Nova had set for them was unknown to him. But he didn't really care. Nova once watched an entire race of craftsmen wipe out another for a one day lesson from him on sword forging.
After ten minutes had passed a goblin with forging equipment came running into the room, one second before the Weasley's and Harry had arrived, with his ring on a silk pillow.
"Thank you for this opportunity, Your Lordship!" The goblin smith said.
Nove picked up his ring and studied it, "I see that you have cast 5 different molds of my ring and used mithril grade hammers to insure the ring could be imprinted into the steel molds. Though one of you used a clay made of ash and pumice to try and pick up any grooves that the steel might have missed."
"Tis true Your Lordship. It is exactly as you have said." The goblin smith said as he kneeled on the floor."
"Though your brother's molds might not be successful, I am still impressed at what your kin were able to accomplish. Here take this quill. It is the simplest and least impressive of my creations. If you or your craftsmen are able to create anything off of it's design. I will educate your clan for one day. You have until the Winter Solstice."
Nova took out a quill that he had made last year and put it on the pillow the goblin was still holding.
Seeing the quill, the goblin could only stare at it. "Thank you, thank you for this honor!"
"Remember you have only until the Winter Solstice." Nova said and got up and left leaving all the goblins to clean up the mess that was bound to happen.
"Why did you do that?" Hermione asked.
"Why not? Let us see if they are indeed as cable as they say they are." Nova stated.
Hermione could only sigh in defeat. The Weasley's had joined them outside as well on the marble steps. They all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. 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," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully. Nova decided not to follow the Idiot Duo and Hermione, but instead went with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny.
"Mrs. Weasley. There is no need to go to a second hand store for Ginny's robes. Now that you have the resources you should use them." Nova said.
He then led the two to Madam Malkins for Ginny's robes. He was also in need of alterations done on his robes as well since they were now a few inches too short and had a few burns and tears in them for whatever strange reason.
After the alterations were done, Nova excused himself from the two and went towards the bookstore. The witches and wizards who saw him along the way were talking amongst themselves, Nova let out a small smile as he heard some of the gossip about his glasses and the stunt in Gringotts.
Along the way Nova met up with Harry, Ron and Hermione. They saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling out side 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 P.m. to 4:30 P.m
"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
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 . . . . "
Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute ...
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 that 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 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.
"Indeed I have to agree with Ron on this one. Though I can understand you mortals desire to mate and propagate. I have never fully understood why there is more of a physical attraction than an attraction in ability. I have found that the more attractive the mortal is, the more often he is ill suited for mating and has no real abilities whatsoever. I believe you mortals call it being a pompous fraud.
When Nova said this many of the women glared at him with hate, while some of the men were nodding their heads in agreement. Now, of course, Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron and Nova,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; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front. 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."
When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him 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 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!"
The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.
"Poor Harry." Nova sighed. "Thank the Void I am not famous like him." Nova then watched Harry go over to Ginny and tipp the books into her new cauldron.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.
"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. It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy.
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy. Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.
"Oh, it's you," said Ron, 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 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.
"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."
It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.
"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids ... I hope they're paying you overtime?"
He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.
"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy 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.
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.
"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying 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; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backward, 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 toward them 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 -" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.
"Lucius. You know it might be the best he can provide for his family. But unlike some, Arthur Weasley does not need to rape his wife to get married or better yet at least he has his manhood still on him and is not a broken bloodied mess." Nova said.
Just as they were about to leave, Lucius Malfoy, stumbled and turned to face whoever had spoken. Seeing that it was Nova, he sneered.
"Be careful of slander, child. You may offend someone you cannot hope to oppose." Lucius sneered and walked off.
"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, 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 them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.
"A fine example to set for your children . . . brawling in public . . . what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought -"
"He was pleased," said Fred. "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 -"
"Umm. . . Nova? Why are you smiling like that?" Hermione asked. Unbeknownst to himself, Nova had a large toothy grin on his face after the incident with the Malfoys. Realizing he was doing so, Nova changed his teeth back to human ones.
"Oh no reason. I was just remembering something that I had forgotten to do over the summer. I do suggest you read the paper in next few days. It will be quite enjoyable. Especially for you Mr. Weasley." Nova said with another smile as his teeth were once again dragon's teeth causing everyone to shiver.
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