"Allen, let's go. There's something new here."
Fred and George, seeing that Zhao Lun not only gave their sister a gift but also presented a book to their mother that she couldn't refuse, became visibly upset. Without waiting for Zhao Lun or anyone else to object, they grabbed him and led him away.
Once they were in a secluded area, the two brothers finally let go of him.
"Allen, you already have a girlfriend. Don't even think about hitting on my sister!"
"Yes! She's still so young! How could you even consider it!"
Their actions, expressions, and tone were as if accusing him of being a heartless beast.
"Hey! What do you mean by that?"
"It was just a gift! Does it really need to be this complicated?"
"Besides, your sister is so small..."
"What! You just called my sister small?!"
"So, does that mean, if she weren't small, you'd make a move?"
After some back-and-forth, the two brothers stopped on this topic. The three of them, following the others, were heading back to their group when they arrived at a bustling bookstore.
"Oh! Look there! It's Lockhart!"
"He's so handsome! He's like the prince I've always dreamed of!"
When women spotted their ideal man, both the older women and young girls screamed excitedly. Their voices echoed across several streets.
The screams attracted the three of them. Following the noise, they saw a group of older women and young girls surrounding Lichen Bookstore, seemingly attending a book-signing event.
"Yeah, when we came to buy books earlier, they had set up the place like this. At that time, I was puzzled, but it turns out they were holding a book-signing event."
Zhao Lun realized, then peered through the crowd.
Lockhart was surrounded like a superstar, smiling with a brilliant grin. He was constantly speaking, his mouth opening to reveal white teeth. His voice had a magnetic quality, exuding a charm that made both women and girls swoon.
The ladies in the crowd acted like crazy fans, desperately trying to get closer, causing chaos inside the bookstore.
Fred and George were extremely annoyed because their mother and sister had also become crazy fans of Lockhart and were pushing to get inside for autographs, which embarrassed them greatly.
"This guy again!"
"We see his ads everywhere these days!"
"If it weren't for you giving my mom that book, she would've bought one too."
The two brothers harbored a grudge against Lockhart. Seeing this chaotic scene only worsened their mood.
"Isn't that Maria? Why isn't she going inside? Why is she laughing outside?"
"Is there something funny going on here?"
"Oh! Isn't that Potter? He's being watched! He looks almost like some kind of mascot."
"I bet Maria is making fun of him!"
As they complained, Potter finally broke free from the crowd and squeezed out. Upon noticing this, the brothers grabbed Zhao Lun, eager to leave.
Zhao Lun glanced at a girl in the crowd, Hermione, who, like the other book fans, was attending the book-signing event.
Leaving the bookstore, the two brothers' moods quickly soured as they encountered the ever-mocking Malfoy father and son.
The father and son duo, true to their nature, always provoked the Weasley family upon sight, with their gestures, greetings, and tone almost identical.
Mr. Arthur Weasley, in a sudden lapse of judgment, angrily swung his fist, creating a chaotic scene.
At this moment, the advantage of having so many people came into play. The Weasley family moved forward, helping the father in the fight, quickly turning the tables and gaining the upper hand, three people overpowering one.
Seeing his father being beaten, young Malfoy tried to intervene but was stopped by Potter and Ron, who got caught up in a tussle. Meanwhile, George, one of the twins, returned from Malfoy's back to help his brother subdue young Malfoy.
The commotion attracted quite a few onlookers, including a young girl who cheered them on, clapping and directing the fight.
"Go Fred! Slap him in the face!"
"George, kick him in the butt!"
"Whoever that is! Pinch his nose!"
"Wow! Amazing! Just like that!"
The fight quickly became one-sided, with the Weasley family using their numbers to overpower the Malfoy father and son.
The Malfoys were beaten black and blue, completely subdued by the larger Weasley group!
Passersby were startled, and the book-signing event at Lichen Bookstore was disrupted, drawing a large crowd who gathered around to witness the dramatic battle.
Of course, arriving late and concerned about maintaining his dignity, Percy refrained from joining the fight. Seeing his father and brother in such an undignified brawl, he could only frown.
The situation was brought to an end with the arrival of Mrs. Weasley.
Maria, taking advantage of the chaos, slipped away and approached a girl with curly hair and prominent front teeth. She eyed her up and down, making the girl uncomfortable.
"Curly hair, bunny teeth... I don't think I've mistaken you for someone else?"
"Your brother said you're very smart, able to remember a lot of knowledge? Doesn't seem like it. If you're so smart, why are you such a fangirl... liking this flashy old man?"
Maria muttered to herself as she ticked off her fingers, then mumbled a remark and walked off.
Unaware, the curly-haired girl, furious at being called out for her "bunny teeth," was about to step forward and confront Maria.
"Bunny teeth!" That was the one thing she hated being mentioned.
Fangirl! When had "Miss Know-it-all" ever been called that? It was outrageous!
She was furious and wanted to confront Maria to correct her and demand an apology.
But reason held her back. The girl in front of her must have been a familiar acquaintance's sister. Confronting her seemed pointless.
Who her brother was remained a mystery. She thought long but couldn't figure out who resembled the girl in question.
Today's events had left her remembering this beautiful young girl.
The fight hadn't affected their mood much. Zhao Lun followed Fred and George, discussing recent events, quietly exploring the alleyway, and browsing until the afternoon, having a fruitful time.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley."
"And Fred, George, Ron, Harry, see you at school."
When it was time to part ways, Zhao Lun bid them farewell.
"Goodbye!"
"Dear Allen, goodbye, Maria."
"Goodbye Allen, Maria, don't forget to write."
Everyone, except Hermione, bid him farewell. Hermione gave Zhao Lun a disbelieving glare, then exchanged a fierce stare with Maria, as if measuring each other.
The subtle battle of wills between them left Zhao Lun puzzled. He thought to himself, "We just met, there shouldn't be any history. Why are they so antagonistic?"
"Goodbye, Hermione!"
"Goodbye!"
Maria didn't tell him anything, and Zhao Lun left in a daze, saying his goodbyes.
Once alone, Maria reverted to her lively self, chattering nonstop, her conversation centered around the Weasley family.
Mrs. Weasley had been kind to her, and Ginny had become a close friend in just one afternoon. They had bonded well.
When parting, the two of them expressed some reluctance, even asking to write letters. Zhao Lun found it curious how they could become such fast friends.
He was pleased to see that Maria had finally made a friend.