Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don't own it.
Chapter 11– Book Signing.
Edited: 27/03/2023
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"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Mr Gilderoy Lockhart." As soon as I hear those words, I move the curtain out of the way and walk through the doorway and onto the stage to see a gaggle of witches and wizards absolutely crowding up the inside of Flourish and Blotts, as it is Friday and the day of my book release and my signing event.
Over the past few days, I have acclimatised to the wizarding world quite well, partly because of my memories from old Gilderoy and also because I am so in awe of all the magic in everything that surrounds me. I don't have time to be scared or closed off from it because I want to learn and devour as much of it as I possibly can.
I have gone out and explored almost all of Diagon Alley in the last few days, visiting various shops that were all just so bizarre and random, such as a shop just for magical lanterns and a shop for random magical odds and ends. There was even a magical playground right near Ollivanders. I guess even magical mothers get tired of their kids. But boy, does that playground look fun. The magical swings and stuff look like bundles of fun.
Bizarrely the oddest shop, or maybe not the oddest, but the shop I least expected was a magical money lender, or better known as magical loan sharks, that had an office called GalloLoans, but I shouldn't have been surprised. People are inherently greedy, even magical people, so it makes sense that there would be loan sharks in the wizarding world as well. Since Purebloods are hard to have as clients given their financial wealth, then muggle-borns will obviously be the main targets.
Either way, it wasn't my problem if people were going to be idiots. But, if anything, I have to respect the people in that office a bit, given that they saw an opportunity and an untapped market, in this case being new poor muggle-borns that would need financial support and would prove to be suckers.
Just get them under a contract, and they will be spending the rest of their magical lives working to pay you, living breathing magical cash cows, not a respectable business but a profitable one, and that is really the only thing that matters these days.
Over these past few days, I have been exploring the alley like there was no tomorrow, and I did plan to go explore other places like Hogsmeade and Godric's Hollow. But there was so much to do and see here in Diagon Alley that I never actually got around to it. Even old Gilderoy didn't know about ninety percent of these shops since he usually stuck to the popular fancy shops, but each and every shop here has something special about it that is unique to it.
But even with all the excitement and fun I was having, I could not rid myself of the nervousness that was plaguing me. I was anxious about this very day because this was the day I signed various witches' and wizards' books and finally revealed myself, the new and improved Gilderoy Lockhart, to the world.
This entire time I have been wandering around and exploring this new world without actually revealing my natural face. Instead, using extensive charm work to disguise my appearance, I have been running around as a completely different face with no one distracting or bugging me.
To be honest, I was making the most of this time before I had to be at the book signing because after I showed my face as Gilderoy Lockhart, there would be no turning back. I will live the rest of my life as Gilderoy Lockhart. It will be who I am. I will have to deal with all the crap Gilderoy left unfinished and all the people he had relationships with, good and bad.
So today, here I am because no matter how you cut it, I am Gilderoy Lockhart. There is no running away from that fact. I have his body, I have his face, I have his memories and everything else that he owned. It all belongs to me. I am all Gilderoy Lockhart was, is, and ever will be, but when I look out at all those faces staring up at me with love and adoration, I stall.
"Uh, Mr Lockhart, are you okay?" The announcer looked at me and asked with concern on his face, which was because I had just pushed the curtain out of the way and walked onto the stage, and the minute everybody looked at me, they started to cheer and shout, and I was taken aback.
"Haha, my apologies. I was just so stunned to see each and every one of you that have shown up here today to show your support for me. I am completely astonished." I start to monologue, feeling the words just roll off the tongue with ease, while I walk over to the podium and place my hands on it.
"Truly, I just had to stop and stare for a moment, just so that I could memorise each and every one of your faces, the faces of my biggest fans. I would surely not be in this position I am in today if it was not for your support, and so for that, I thank you, and I hope to get to meet each and every one of you today." At my words that make mention of them repeatedly, cheers and cries ring out, professing their love and admiration of me, and all I can do is bask in the effervescent glow.
When I came to a stop earlier, barraged by the noises of the crowd when I first walked out onto the stage, it was not because I was nervous or scared. On the contrary, it was because I felt great pleasure and joy when I heard these numerous wizard folk shouting out their love and admiration for me. To see them all showing up in mass to come and meet me for something as little as a signature, no doubt some of them will cue up for hours on end to get it, yet they are willing to do so.
I have never felt such energy before, and I have never witnessed such dedication and determination, and it is all for me. So all of this hubbub just to meet me, to shake my hand, talk to me for a minute top and get my signature before going on their merry ways, am I really so beloved?
"Haha, okay, okay, quieten down. I don't want you all to strain your voices before I even get the chance to speak to you. Now, who is ready to buy my new book and get it signed by me? I will also sign any of my other books that you have brought with you today." Again at my words, a cheer rings out even though I had just told them all to quieten down. Such is their excitement that they cannot control themselves.
"Now, I know I have been gone for a year, and you all must be wondering where I have been. Well, this new book will tell you all that and more. In it, I record my trip to a land that is so cold that there is hardly any life there, and the danger is so imminent that the life that does inhabit this land is always in jeopardy. Finally, I encounter a mythical, never before seen magical beast that I doubt will ever be seen again, so come forward and buy my new book. Assault On The Abominable Snowman!" Another wave of cheer rings out, and I can't help the smile that grows on my face.
I turn around to see that a desk with all the tools and equipment I need, as well as several of my books, has appeared on the stage behind me, and I go forth to take a seat at it, having memories of following this procedure numerous times. And when I am sat at the desk, the podium that was on the stage was now gone, and I was left with a clear view of the entirety of Flourish and Blotts and all of my fans queuing up to meet me.
"Okay, reporters to the front, right next to the stage. Everybody else, stay in the cue and wait until we allow you to get your books signed. remember, you can buy your books at the front of the store." One of the staff begins to speak and organise the event, and the reporters quickly come up to the front of the stage and immediately get out and point their cameras at me, and I am barraged by a constant flashing of lights.
I easily manage to ignore the constant glare in my eyes because I have memories of doing these sorts of events before, as well as my body is used to functioning under these conditions. So I have no problem watching as an older woman walks onto the stage clutching a few different books to her chest, and she is also quite the looker.
"Hello, Mr Lockhart, my name is Patricia Evans, and I am a big fan, and I have bought all of your books." She begins to bumble as she drops all of her books onto the table. As Patricia starts to ramble off about various things she loved in my books and asks me questions, I pick up the first book and get to signing them, occasionally humming to her words and pitching in with some answers to her questions.
"And we are all done. Thank you for buying my book Patricia, and I look forward to seeing you around sometime. it was lovely meeting you." I say as I hand Patricia the final books, which she grabs hold of with her left hand before she suddenly reaches and grabs my hand with her right and leans in to get close to me.
"You can see even more of me tonight. I would love to spend even more time with you. You can owl me with a time and place, and I will be there." She seductively whispers into my ear, propositioning me. I was kind of expecting this since Gilderoy had received many of these offers in the past and took some of his fans up on it.
As Patricia backs away without waiting for a response, clutching her books as she goes, I can't help but look at her delicious posterior. I really think I will love my new life as Gilderoy Lockhart.
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"And we are all done. Thank you for buying my book Eveline, and I look forward to seeing you around sometime. it was lovely meeting you." So I say as I hand Eveline the final books that I ha assigned, though this time I do not get a sultry proposition, or to be more accurate, I quickly wave her on her way before she can send one my way.
Eveline is an old woman, and I don't roll that way. I had already received numerous offers today, so much so that I was spoilt for choice on who to pick. There were a lot of incredibly beautiful gorgeous women that I met today, and not all of them had invited me to join them on a later date, some having been here purely out of admiration and love of my works, and it wasn't just women either.
I had met all sorts of people today at this event, men and women, old and young, beautiful and not so beautiful, and there were even some foreigners, and I also suspect that there might have been one or two magical creatures as well. I call them creatures, but they are more like magical variations of humans, having something more to them than ordinary magical folk, and I think at least one showed up today.