Not long after, the Weasley parents and Harry returned from Gringotts.
Harry, poor guy, had clearly just experienced Floo travel for the first time—his face still looked a little green.
They barely had time to regroup before they noticed something—
The bookstore was packed.
Completely packed.
Inside Flourish and Blotts, a massive crowd had gathered for a book signing.
And at the center of it all—
Gilderoy Lockhart himself.
Most of the crowd consisted of middle-aged witches, completely enchanted by him.
"Housewife heartthrob" didn't even begin to describe it.
Unfortunately—
That also meant buying textbooks would be a nightmare.
If they wanted their books, they'd have to fight their way through the crowd.
Just as the Weasleys puffed up their chests, ready to charge in—
Lewis stepped forward.
He casually called over a shop assistant.
"Oh! Mr. Green, our esteemed member!"
The assistant immediately became respectful.
"How may I assist you?"
Since establishing the tower, Lewis had purchased an enormous number of books from Flourish and Blotts to fill his library.
That single order had nearly matched the shop's monthly revenue.
As a result—
He had become one of their most valued customers.
"The entrance is blocked," Lewis said calmly, gesturing at the crowd. "Is there another way in?"
"Of course! We would never make a distinguished guest like you queue."
Moments later—
They were led through a back entrance, bypassing the chaos entirely.
Inside, they finally saw the man of the hour.
Lockhart sat behind a desk, surrounded by towering stacks of his own books.
Posters of his smiling face blinked and flashed dazzling white teeth at the crowd.
The real Lockhart was dressed in bright forget-me-not blue robes, perfectly matching his eyes. His hat sat at a jaunty angle, curls arranged just so.
A short photographer bounced around him, snapping pictures—
Each flash producing a puff of purple smoke.
Then—
Lockhart's gaze swept toward Lewis's group.
Lewis reacted instantly.
He slipped behind Ciri, using her height to block himself.
"Turn away," he muttered quietly. "Don't let him see you."
He knew exactly what kind of person Lockhart was.
A master of self-promotion.
And Lewis and Ciri—First and Second Class Order of Merlin recipients—were perfect targets for attention-grabbing.
Ciri didn't understand, but she obeyed.
Which left—
Harry.
"Ah, Harry Potter!"
Lockhart swooped in like a hawk, grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him forward.
Harry shot Lewis a deeply betrayed look.
You knew this would happen.
Lewis silently apologized.
Sorry, Harry. Someone has to take the hit.
At the signing table, Lockhart raised his voice dramatically:
"Ladies and gentlemen! When young Harry Potter walked into this shop today, he merely intended to buy my autobiography—Magical Me!"
He tightened his grip on Harry's wrist, waving grandly.
"But little did he know—he would receive something far more valuable!"
Lewis could almost hear him shouting:
"Everyone look at me!"
"Because today—yes, today—I am delighted to announce…"
"I will be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts!"
A stack of signed books was shoved into Harry's arms.
More photos followed.
Flash. Smoke. Pose. Smile.
Even Hermione could see through it now.
"…I didn't expect him to be like this."
Her face was full of disappointment.
In her mind, the value of a Third Class Order of Merlin dropped sharply.
Ciri frowned as well.
"This is nothing like what his books describe."
At that moment—
Their decision was made.
No guilt whatsoever.
They would absolutely use Lewis's Copying Charm.
The twins were thrilled to join.
Percy and Ginny also agreed—anything to save money.
As for explaining it to their parents—
Hermione came up with a plan.
They'd claim Lewis used his membership privileges to acquire discounted second-hand copies.
And the source material?
Harry's brand-new signed set.
Which meant—
Nine people.
Zero purchased sets.
Perfect freeloading.
Just as they were happily discussing their scheme—
A commotion broke out.
Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy had started fighting.
The scene was chaotic.
Employees and Mrs. Weasley shouted desperately:
"Stop! Stop fighting!"
Meanwhile—
Fred and George cheered.
"Get him, Dad!"
"Kick him—!"
"YOU TWO, BE QUIET!" Molly snapped, mortified.
But someone else was even worse.
Lewis.
He quietly extended his hand toward Mr. Weasley.
A subtle surge of natural energy flowed out.
"Wild Strength."
In an instant—
Arthur felt different.
Stronger. Faster. Sharper.
A punch that should've hit him—
Missed.
He countered instinctively with a straight punch—
"BANG!"
Lucius was sent flying four meters back, crashing into a bookshelf, completely dazed.
The fight ended instantly.
Staff and Mrs. Weasley rushed in to separate them.
Arthur stared at his own fist in disbelief.
"…Am I really that strong?"
He tested another punch.
Nothing.
The feeling was gone.
Meanwhile—
Lewis had already withdrawn his magic.
Standing quietly in the corner.
Deeply hiding his merit.
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