The chatter in Diagon Alley was almost deafening as I navigated through the bustling crowds toward Flourish and Blotts. The store was packed, overflowing with witches and wizards eager to meet Gilderoy Lockhart. His books were everywhere, each cover displaying his impossibly white teeth and ridiculous hair.
As I stepped inside, I immediately spotted Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the Weasleys standing in line. Mrs. Weasley was fussing over Harry, brushing soot off his robes like a mother hen.
"Jason!" Ron called out, his face lighting up.
"Hello, everyone," I said, joining them. "How's the day been?"
Ron grinned. "It's been mad, mate. Mum's been dragging us through every shop, and now we're stuck here in this circus."
"Circus is putting it mildly," I quipped, gesturing toward the crowd.
Hermione, tilted her head. "So, how was your summer, Jason?"
"Good," I replied. "Learned a bunch of stuff."
Ron groaned. "No, no, we're not talking about books the second we meet Jason. There has to be a rule against that."
Harry chuckled. "Ron, you do realize you're standing in a bookstore, talking to a Ravenclaw?"
Ron pulled a face. "You should've been in Gryffindor, mate. We'd have knocked some sense into you by now.."
Mrs. Weasley's attention shifted to me, and she smiled warmly. "So, you're Jason! Thank you for helping Ron with his studies. I swear, he wouldn't have passed Transfiguration without you."
I smiled back. "It was no problem, Mrs. Weasley. Ron's a quick learner when he's not distracted ."
The crowd suddenly erupted into applause as the man of the hour appeared. Gilderoy Lockhart, clad in robes that looked like they'd been stitched together from unicorn sparkles and vanity, strutted into view.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart!" a man announced dramatically.
The mostly female audience cheered, and Mrs. Weasley joined in enthusiastically.
Ron leaned toward me and whispered, "Mum fancies him."
Mrs. Weasley swatted him playfully. "Oh, hush, Ron."
Lockhart immediately locked eyes on Harry. "It can't be—Harry Potter!"
Before Harry could react, a photographer swooped in, gripping Harry by the shoulder pushing him towards the Lockhart. "Excuse me, madam. This is for The Daily Prophet!"
Jason stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "No."
The photographer blinked at me. "This is for the—"
"Don't care," I interrupted. "Let go of him, or I'll remove your hand myself."
Mrs. Weasley gasped, and Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, but I didn't flinch.
Lockhart, sensing the tension, stepped in. "Now, now, no need for any unpleasantness!" he said with a wide grin. "Having Harry Potter here is a blessing!"
The crowd cheered again as Lockhart handed Harry a stack of his books. "And you, my dear boy, will leave with my entire collected works… free of charge!"
Harry looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. As he shuffled back to our group, Mrs. Weasley eagerly took the books. "I'll get these signed, Harry. You lot wait outside."
We moved toward the shop's front area, but the moment of peace was short-lived. Draco Malfoy, perched smugly on a staircase, spotted us.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" he sneered. "Famous Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookshop without making a spectacle."
Ginny, standing beside Harry, stepped forward bravely. "Leave him alone!"
Draco smirked. "Harry Potter… got yourself a girlfriend, have you?"
Before I could respond, a tall figure appeared behind Draco and pushed him aside with a walking stick. Lucius Malfoy.
"Now, now, Draco, play nicely," Lucius drawled, his voice smooth and condescending.
Lucius extended his hand to Harry. "Mr. Potter. We meet at last." He examined Harry's scar with an unsettling intensity. "Your scar is legend, as is the wizard who gave it to you."
Harry pulled his hand away. "Voldemort killed my parents. He was nothing more than a murderer."
Lucius's cold smile didn't falter. "You must be very brave to mention his name. Or very foolish."
Hermione interjected, her voice steady. "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
I smirked. "And besides, lad did kill him, didn't he?"
Lucius's gaze snapped to me. "And who might you be?"
"Just another Muggle-born," I said nonchalantly.
His lips curled in disdain. "Know your place, boy."
Lucius Malfoy turned his pale, pointed face toward Hermione, his cold eyes gleaming with disdain. "And you must be... Miss Granger," he said smoothly, his voice dripping with condescension. "Yes, Draco's told me all about you... and your parents." His gaze flickered to where Mr. and Mrs. Granger stood, awkwardly talking to Mr. Weasley. "Muggles, aren't they?"
The words hung in the air like a bad smell. Hermione stiffened, her cheeks flushing red, but she didn't respond.
I couldn't stand it. "And you'd do well to keep your thinly veiled threats to yourself," I said, stepping forward.
Lucius turned his sharp gaze on me, clearly not expecting someone to challenge him. "Or what?" he asked, his tone icy and dismissive as he stepped closer.
I held my ground, lowering my voice just enough to make sure only he could hear. "Or the suspected Death Eater mouthing off against a Muggle couple in public might find his reputation dragged through the mud. Bad look, don't you think?"
Lucius's lips curled into a sneer. "Don't speak of matters you have no knowledge of, boy. Know your place and understand how the world works."
His eyes narrowed,, turning instead toward the Weasley children.
"Let me see," Lucius drawled, plucking a book from Ginny's cauldron and inspecting it with mock curiosity. "Red hair, vacant expressions... tatty, secondhand book... you must be the Weasleys."
Ginny turned bright red, looking down at the floor, while Ron clenched his fists. Before anyone could say anything, Mr. Weasley approached, his face tight with restrained anger.
"Children, it's mad in here," he said curtly. "Let's go outside."
But Lucius wasn't finished. "Well, well, well, Weasley senior," he said, turning to face Mr. Weasley with a smug smile.
"Lucius," Mr. Weasley said evenly, his tone polite but clipped.
"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur? All those extra raids," Lucius said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "I do hope they're paying you overtime, but judging by the state of this..." He held up Ginny's book, turning it over with exaggerated distaste. "...I'd say not. 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's jaw tightened. "We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."
"Clearly," Lucius replied with a sneer. "Associating with Muggles..."
As he spoke, I noticed him slip two books into Ginny's cauldron. Harry noticed it too, his eyes narrowing.
"...and I thought your family could sink no lower," Lucius finished, his voice full of contempt. He straightened his robes and smirked. "I'll see you at work." With that, he strode toward the door.
Draco lingered just long enough to deliver his own jab. "I'll see you at school," he said, smirking at Harry.
"Looking forward to it," I said dryly, folding my arms. Draco's smirk faltered slightly before he turned and followed his father out of the shop.
As soon as the Malfoys were gone, the tension in the air seemed to lift.
"Jason," Fred began, grinning, "you've got—"
"Balls of iron," George finished, clapping me on the back.
Ron nodded eagerly. "Dad, you should've seen Jason talk to Malfoy's father. Left him speechless!"
Harry gave me an approving look. "That was brilliant."
Hermione, still shaken, managed a small smile. "Thank you, Jason. For standing up for me... and my parents."
I waved her thanks off. "He was out of line. Someone had to remind him of that."
As we left the shop and headed toward the ice cream parlor, Hermione suddenly turned to me. "Jason, why didn't you let Harry take a photo with Lockhart?"
"Because Lockhart would've used it," I said simply.
"Used it how?" Harry asked, frowning.
"To boost his sales," I explained. "Harry Potter holding his books? Instant goldmine. He'd have milked it for all it was worth."
Ron groaned. "Mate, do you always have to think about this stuff?"
"Yes," I replied with a smirk.
Hermione frowned. "But Lockhart has won awards—Merlin's, even. And he's done amazing things."
"Or so he says," I countered. "But reputation and reality don't always match, Hermione.."
Harry nodded thoughtfully.
Ron waved it off. "Enough about Lockhart! Let's just get some ice cream."
"Finally," I said, grinning. "To ice cream and leaving Malfoy speechless."
"Cheers to that," Harry said with a laugh.
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Might not be able to upload tommorow so here it is . drop power stone .