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Harry - don' want no one ter see yeh down there -"

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"I realized that," said Harry, ducking as Hagrid made to brush him off

again. "I told you, I was lost - what were you doing down there,

anyway?"

* 54

"I was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," growled Hagrid.

"They're ruinin' the school cabbages. Yer not on yer own?"

"I'm staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Harry explained.

"I've got to go and find them . . . ."

They set off together down the street.

"How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid as Harry

jogged alongside him (he had to take three steps to every stride of

Hagrid's enormous boots). Harry explained all about Dobby and the

Dursleys.

"Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known -"

"Harry! Harry! Over here!"

Harry looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the

white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her

bushy brown hair flying behind her.

"What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid - Oh, it's wonderful to

see you two again - Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?"

"As soon as I've found the Weasleys," said Harry.

"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin.

Harry and Hermione looked around: Sprinting up the crowded street

were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and Mr. Weasley.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one

grate too far . He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's

48

frantic - she's coming now -"

"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.

"Excellent." said Fred and George together.

"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.

*55*

"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid.

Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swing

ing wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.

"Oh, Harry - oh, my dear - you could have been any

where -"

Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her

bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to

beat away. Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his

wand, and returned them, good as new.

"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand

wrung by Mrs. Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found

him, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head

and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.

"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron and

Hermione as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his fa

ther."

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply

behind them.

"No, he was selling ='

"So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh,

I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something ......

"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were

bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trou

ble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew -"

"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr.

Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the

sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the

counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for

Hermione to introduce them.

49

,5 s

"But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink!

What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly,

look!" He pointed excitedly at the tenpound notes in Mr. Granger's hand.

"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Harry

were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.

The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped

along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels.

Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt

dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened.

There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon.

Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into

her bag. Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to

block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a

leather bag.

Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered

vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their

friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to

a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers

off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks,"

said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down

Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street.

The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully

*57*

in Harry's pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought three

large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams, which they slurped

happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating

shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Can

non robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until

Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door.

In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George,

and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous

50

Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of bro

ken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion

stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply

boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.

`A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers, " Ron read

aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating . . . ."

"Go away," Percy snapped.

"'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned

out .... He wants to be Minister of Magic. . . " Ron told Harry

and Hermione in an undertone as they left Percy to it.

An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by

no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they

approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling out

side the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed

by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12:30 P.m. to 4:30 P.m.

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's

written almost the whole booklist!"

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs.

Weasley's age. A harrassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying,

"Calmly, please, ladies .... Don't push, there ... mind the books, now . .

. . "

Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound

right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing

his books. They each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells,

Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys

were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless

and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute ......

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded

by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly

51

white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of

forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's

hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs

with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with

every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better

shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet -"

"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had

stepped on it.

Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron

*59*

and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively

shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"

The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized

Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front. The crowd burst into applause.

Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who

was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.

"Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth.

"Together, you and I are worth the front page."

When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers.

He tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm

around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an

extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little

announcement I've been sitting on for some time!

"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only

wanted to buy my autobiography -which I shall be happy to present him

now, free of charge-" The crowd applauded again. "He had no idea,"

Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to

52

the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more

than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting

the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and

pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of

Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft

and Wizardry!"

The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being

presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering

slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the

limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to

her new cauldron.

"You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the

cauldron. "I'll buy my own -"

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Harry had no

trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face

with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.

"Famous Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop

without making the front page."

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny. It was the first

time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy. Ginny went

scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching

stacks of Lockhart's books.

"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were something

unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry

here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted

Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for

all those."

Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron,

53

too, and started toward Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione grabbed the

back of his jacket.

"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George.

"What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley."

It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder,

sneering in just the same way.

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids

... I hope they're paying you overtime?"

He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy

Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide

to Transfiguration.

"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, 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 flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard,

Malfoy," he said.

"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs.

Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you

keep, Weasley ... and I thought your family could sink no lower ='

There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr.

Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward

into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down

on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or

George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd

stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen,

please - please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all

54

"Break it up, there, gents, break it up -"

62

Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had

pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr.

Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still