The continuous click-clack of camera shutters rang out.
"That's a lovely smile, Harry—we could make the front page," Lockhart whispered, flashing his signature charming grin.
"Ug.." But Harry only felt embarrassed, finding this man rather strange.
When the cameras finally paused, Lockhart raised his voice and announced:
"Ladies and gentlemen, what an exciting moment!"
"When little Harry stepped into the bookstore this morning to buy my autobiography, Magical Me, which has topped The Daily Prophet bestseller list for twenty-seven consecutive weeks, he surely couldn't have imagined…"
Lockhart paused deliberately, building suspense among his fans.
"I—I am going to give my complete works to Harry for free!"
Pleased by the enthusiastic applause, Lockhart was just about to wave Harry off and begin his own signing session.
But he failed to notice Harry taking several deep breaths, clutching a black cloth bag embroidered with silver patterns.
"Oh, there are too many books.. they're far too heavy, I really can't carry them…"
The exaggerated yet loud complaint made Lockhart's smile stiffen. He turned to look at Harry, then at the books. What was this child trying to do?
How could a few books possibly be heavy? Had he not been eating well and exercising properly?
Lockhart was about to rely on his quick wit to smooth over the awkward situation.
But from below the stage, voices began to call out one after another:
"Yes, great Saviour of the Wizarding world, what should we do?"
"I also have to carry a pile of books and cauldrons to school—it's so heavy! Legendary boy, do you have a solution?"
Not only was Lockhart caught off guard by these sudden remarks, but Harry's face flushed bright red as well. He glanced toward the Weasley twins weaving through the crowd.
The script they had agreed on didn't include those lines about "Savior" and "legendary boy"!
But once the arrow had been loosed, there was no turning back. Harry steeled himself, raised the black cloth bag in his hand, and recited formally:
"It's fine—I've got this. A shrinking luggage! No matter how many books there are, it can hold them all!"
As he spoke, Harry pulled out his wand, cast a levitation charm on the books, and guided them one by one into the bag. At the same time, he held the bag at chest height for everyone to see, making sure the corner with the logo was clearly visible.
"Are you still troubled by carrying multiple bags when you travel? Are you troubled about the Ministry sanctions on the untraceable extension charm and their expense? Are you still worried about the burden of your child carrying books? The shrinking luggage will solve all your worries."
"For more details, please visit the XXX shop in Diagon Alley…"
Lockhart, witnessing this scene, was completely dumbfounded.
No, this kid was… advertising?
At Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing?
Hijacking the event? Turning the tables?
Lockhart's original intention had been to ride Harry's fame to boost his own publicity—so how had it turned into this?
Although Lockhart was utterly confused, some people reacted quickly.
For example, a reporter from The Daily Prophet, who had already gone into a frenzy of rapid snapshots the moment Harry pulled out the shrinking luggage and began storing the books.
Are you kidding? Lockhart promoting his mediocre books made the papers several times a month.
Nothing generated buzz like the Savior doing an advertisement!
This was real news.
Harry Potter usually spent his time at school, and during the holidays he kept a low profile, reportedly studying diligently.
How often did reporters ever get the chance to capture something like this?
"Genius—which genius came up with the idea of getting Harry Potter to promote a product?"
The reporter muttered to himself as he snapped photo after photo, capturing both Harry's face and the shrinking luggage.
"L.G.?"
"Is that a new workshop? Sounds interesting. Should I go check out the shop Harry Potter mentioned later?"
"I just don't know the price. Containers with Undetectable Extension Charms like that aren't cheap…"
"Exactly! They take advantage of being the only ones selling them and keep driving the price up. Merlin's beard, they're all a bunch of profiteers!"
"…"
Whispers like these spread through the crowd, clearly showing their interest in the shrinking luggage.
Harry struck a few more poses with the bag, his mind already drifting to the powerful and interesting Charms Lucien had promised to teach him.
To avoid the inevitable frenzy of the signing session, Lucien had already led Penelope to a quieter corner of the bookstore.
"Is that child quite famous in your wizarding world?"
Lucien wasn't surprised by her question. Judging by the reactions of the people around them, it was an easy conclusion to reach.
"Yes, he's like a celebrity in the Muggle world."
Penelope nodded, understanding why Lucien had chosen to ask for Harry's help with promotion. She didn't point out that favors between friends should be repaid; she trusted Lucien to handle such matters properly.
"Oh, right—about that man named Lockhart. Are his experiences really as exciting and remarkable as he claims?"
Hearing her pointed question, Lucien smiled.
"You noticed, as expected."
Penelope absently rubbed the ring on her hand, her tone calm.
"He seems like a talented writer, but he doesn't really have an adventurous spirit. It's hard to connect him with those thrilling experiences, isn't it?"
As the current head of the Grafton family, her extensive experience gave her a sharp eye for judging people.
Lucien wasn't surprised by this assessment. Indeed, how could she not see through a fraud like that?
"Unlike our little Lucien, who is not only handsome but also genuinely talented."
"Speaking of which, have you made any good female friends at school? Didn't I send you some jewelry before?"
"If not, how about meeting the girls from the Campbell and Fitzgerald families again during the winter break? They are…"
Her topic shifted so abruptly that Lucien couldn't quite keep up.
"Ah, the great Savior has arrived."
Malfoy stepped in front of Harry, who was pushing his way out of the crowd, wearing a smug expression for no apparent reason.
Harry didn't bother to dwell on it—Malfoy was always like this.
"Malfoy, what do you want?"
In response, Malfoy shrugged.
"Alas, Potter, didn't have much of a summer, did you? School's about to start, and now you finally get to be in the news and show your face. How envious I am."
Harry frowned. After a summer apart, without Lucien keeping him in check, Malfoy seemed to be acting up again.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Hearing this, Malfoy finally stopped holding back his smile. He pulled out a few moving magical photographs from his robes and shoved them in front of Harry.
"Ha—well—Lucien and I went to my fa—mi—ly's dragon farm during the summer. I took a few photos. Can you help me choose which one looks best?"
Ginny, who had been standing nearby and was about to speak up for Harry, seemed to freeze, a silent question forming in her mind:
"?"
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