Tom tossed a few Knuts onto the table, rose, and gestured for his students to follow.
Old Tom hurried over, snatched up the coins, and breathed a sigh of relief, his little shop spared from further demolition.
...
The blasted brick wall had been repaired.
Perhaps mellowed by his improved mood, Tom refrained from his usual explosive entry, dutifully chipping away at the bricks this time.
Entering Diagon Alley, Harry Potter found it more crowded than usual.
"Term must be starting soon; everyone's here for textbooks, I guess?"
Cassandra Vole scanned the crowd, quietly taking Tom's hand and leading him forward.
Harry thought she had a point, even though he didn't remember it being this packed last year.
He quickly put it out of his mind; he had more pressing concerns.
"Sir, I got the key to my parents' vault! We can use the money to build up the Death Eaters!"
Harry waved the key triumphantly.
Truthfully, if Dumbledore hadn't used the key as bait, he wouldn't have bothered returning to the Dursleys.
"Very well. We shall do as you suggest."
Tom, pleased with Harry's enthusiasm, decided to indulge him.
They altered their course and headed for Gringotts.
Harry then made another observation; the goblins seemed unusually cordial toward Tom.
Though hardly surprising, given Tom could have easily stolen from them, yet he opted for a legitimate withdrawal.
It would be odd if they weren't welcoming.
Half an hour later, having crossed half a block, they arrived at Flourish and Blotts.
"You two may enter and select your required texts. I shall… have Harry settle the account."
Tom issued his instructions and vanished.
Cassandra, used to this by now, didn't argue and headed straight into the bookstore.
Harry, equally accustomed to Tom's disappearances, followed her inside.
The place was packed.
Parents milled about with their children, and Harry spotted the Grangers and the Weasleys.
He was meeting Hermione Granger's parents for the first time and felt too awkward to say hello.
He'd seen the Weasleys a few times, including their youngest daughter, Ginny Weasley, who looked as if she were starting her first year.
He didn't approach them either; their connection was hardly close, given his current… affiliations.
Besides those buying texts, a knot of middle-aged women queued for something, the end of the line lost in the throng.
Smack.
"Oi! Scarface!"
Harry felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Draco Malfoy.
"Malfoy? Buying textbooks too?"
Harry was mildly surprised but could hazard a guess.
"Yeah, this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is a right lunatic, making us buy loads of books all at once! Like… Wanderings with Werewolves, Year with the Yeti, Voyages with Vampires…"
Malfoy glanced at his list, muttering, "How much does this bloke love Gilderoy Lockhart? Half these books are his!"
"Who knows? Maybe he is Gilderoy Lockhart."
Harry shrugged.
"Never mind that now, let's just get this…"
"I don't believe it, Harry Potter!" a voice boomed suddenly, drawing all eyes.
"What now?"
Harry felt a cold dread creep up his spine.
His feeling was immediately validated.
"Oh, my dear Harry!" A saccharine voice dripped with false enthusiasm.
Harry and Malfoy turned to see the crowd part, revealing a man with impeccably coiffed hair and robes of eye-watering brightness.
"Who's that?"
Harry whispered to Malfoy.
Before Malfoy could answer, the surrounding women began to shriek, Mrs. Weasley among them: "Lockhart!!!"
Malfoy, with a sigh, muttered, "Well, now we know."
Lockhart was already upon them.
Ignoring Malfoy completely, Lockhart clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, pulling him close. "Smile, Harry, this will be front page news."
"Make way, if you please… This is for the Daily Prophet!"
A man with a camera shoved through the crowd, levelling his lens at Harry and Malfoy.
Before Harry could react, the flash had exploded in his face, leaving him momentarily blinded.
Even in his daze, Harry heard Lockhart pronounce, "Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment!"
"Our little Harry came to Flourish and Blotts this morning specifically to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me… Which, by the way, has been number one on the Daily Prophet's bestseller list for twenty-seven weeks now."
Lockhart preened, completely enamored with himself.
Harry finally found his voice. "Do we even know each other? When did I ever tell you I was buying your book?"
The statement hung heavy in the air.
"Ahem… It seems our young Harry is still half-asleep and hasn't recognized me. Allow me to reintroduce myself."
Lockhart, momentarily flustered, flashed his signature smile. "Gilderoy Lockhart, internationally renowned author, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award… Though I hate to boast. After all, one does not defeat monstrous dark forces with mere charm."
"Yeah... and?"
Harry scoffed, his disdain obvious.
"Well!" Lockhart stammered, quickly regaining his composure. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I also have an announcement to make… I shall be joining Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor! While many dangerous adventures undoubtedly await me, Albus Dumbledore's persuasive insistence was too enticing to refuse, and I wish to impart my humble wisdom to the young minds of tomorrow."
Lockhart raised his eyebrows at Harry expectantly.
Harry ignored Lockhart to wonder if this was some elaborate curse.
"I see you've emerged from your stupor, my dear Harry."
Lockhart beamed, his teeth so polished they seemed to glow, blinding Harry. "Therefore, I shall present you with a small gift to commemorate this occasion—a complete set of my signed works! How about that? Thrilled?"
Harry blurted out, "Not in the slightest."
A collective cringe swept through the crowd.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside the bookstore.
---
The updates will not stop like they did before, as I am dropping new chapters every few hours to keep this momentum at an all-time high.
Our target is the Top 10, and I need your help to get there.
Hit that vote button and let me know in the comments if you are ready for the next mass release!