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Chapter 02: Encounters in Diagon Alley

Many mistakes had been made throughout Harry's life. Some of them had been small silly errors, which could be chalked up to inexperience. Others were a little more costly than that. Harry could not tell exactly where this particular mistake fell within that spectrum.

"Note to self, never travel in this matter after eating a whole marshmallow and chocolate sauce pizza," said Harry looking a little sickly from all the spinning from the teleportation with his Portus-Amulet.

Harry pulled himself off the ground, brushing the dust from where he landed off of his robes. Observing his surroundings, Harry was just outside the entrance of Knockturn Alley, over to the side where he could not be easily spotted. As it turned out, Harry's landing place was a stroke of pure misfortune, as trouble walked straight into Knockturn Alley.

"Come quickly, Draco, I wish to get this done before anyone has a chance to see what I am doing," said a middle aged man with blond hair, who Harry knew was Draco Malfoy's father, Lucius.

With Draco and Lucius, the apple did not fall far from the tree. Lucius is just as slimy and just as arrogant as Draco; only Lucius was crafty enough to shield his less honorable actions from the real world. That fact and getting deep in the pocket of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, managed to keep Lucius out of the Wizarding prison Azkaban. From what Harry found out from his two best Slytherin friends Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott, Fudge was firmly in the back pocket of Lucius Malfoy, as Malfoy used his influence with the slightly naive Minister of Magic to delay laws which were not favorable to the pure blooded extremists. Also, the Ministry of Magic was so corrupt to the core; no one would bother speaking up as Malfoy threw his influence around.

Nevertheless, Lucius seemed to be up to something he would rather hide and Harry's curiosity got the better of him. Harry decided to follow the Malfoys at a discreet distance. Lucius and Draco turned into a dark and chilling looking shop. Harry snuck around and saw the sign on the shop read Borgin and Burkes.

"Shady looking shop, eh Lucius," muttered Harry underneath his breath. "What unethical dealings are you up to on this morning?"

Harry crept around and a stroke of fortune hit him. A window was cracked open slightly where Lucius appeared to be doing business with a greasy looking shopkeeper. Draco looked rather bored, as if he did not want to be there. Harry crouched underneath the window, peering through the bottom.

"Father, I thought you said you were going to buy me a present," hissed Draco underneath his breath. Harry's excellent hearing caught every word.

"I said I would buy you a racing broom, Draco," said Lucius in a cool tone, low tone of voice. "Although with the reckless way you acted last year, I am not even quite sure if I should do that. You recklessly revealed my past ties to the Dark Lord in front of several people. You should consider yourself lucky it was no one important enough to take their suspicions to the Ministry and extremely lucky Harry Potter was not there to hear what you said. If Potter went to the Ministry and told them what you said, it could be disastrous because the Ministry of Magic seems predisposed to bend over backwards for Mr. Potter at this point in time due to the fiasco a few years ago when he was placed with his Muggle relatives, whom were proven to be unfit guardians. Even I, with all my influence, cannot control that fact."

Lucius noticed the shopkeeper who was attempting to eavesdrop on the Malfoys' conversation.

"We will discuss this later, Draco, after my business has concluded," said Lucius under his breath before turning to address the shopkeeper. "Mr. Borgin, a good morning to you."

"Ah, Lucius and young Master Malfoy too, charmed," said Borgin. "It is interesting you should show up, because I have a once in a lifetime offer. Just in, reasonably priced I might add, is..."

"I am not buying today, Mr. Borgin but selling," said Lucius, cutting off the shopkeeper.

"Selling?" asked Borgin quizzically.

"Yes, it seems that the new Muggle Protection act appears to pose a threat to the security of several of my possessions in Malfoy Manor. No doubt if they were to be discovered, I would have to answer many awkward questions," said Lucius. "Normally they would not bother me but with that flea bitten Muggle loving fool Arthur Weasley being persistent on getting that act pushed through, the threat lingers ever so slightly."

"Surely the Ministry would never bother a man such as noble as you," said Borgin, the sucking up to Malfoy obvious in his voice.

"Can I have this?" asked Draco suddenly. Harry raised his head a few centimeters for a better look at what his spoiled and arrogant Slytherin rival wanted. Draco appeared to be holding up a withered looking hand of some sort.

"Ah, the Hand of Glory, " said Borgin, eyeing Draco's selection. "An excellent device, which gives like that only the wielder of, the hand can see. A most satisfactory choice for thieves and plunders."

"I hope my son amounts to more than a thief or a plunderer," said Lucius in a slight agitated tone of voice. "Although the way his grades have been slipping..."

"It's not my fault the teachers have favorites," interrupted Draco. "Like Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, they seem to be the favorite of most of the teachers in that bloody school with their oh so perfect grades."

Draco said the last part sarcastically but Harry felt anything that could take Draco down a peg would do him a world of good.

"You should feel ashamed that a girl of no Wizarding family beat you in every exam," snapped Lucius. "As for Mr. Potter, I have warned you to cool it about him, because public hatred of Harry Potter is no way to earn yourself any favors."

Lucius hit the nail right on the head. All Draco's attempts to undermine Harry earned him was a ruthless pranking last year.

"It's tragic really, that Wizarding blood is counting less and less everywhere," said Borgin.

"Not with me, Mr. Borgin," said Lucius calmly.

"Nor with me," said Borgin. "Now what can you tell me about these questionable items you have to sell me."

Harry looked at his watch and cursed underneath his breath. He had less than ten minutes to meet Hermione and her parents at Gringotts. Cutting the impromptu stealth training exercise short, Harry did hear Malfoy had a number of questionable items under his drawing room floor before setting off.

During the trip from Knockturn Alley, Harry looked at the booklist for this year at Hogwarts for the first time. Scanning list, a lot of the books seemed to be written by someone named Gilderoy Lockhart. Whoever assigned these books must be a big fan of this guy, Harry believed.

Reaching the Gringotts building, Harry spotted Hermione standing outside looking for him. Hermione's eyes lit up when she spotted Harry.

"Harry!" yelled Hermione waving Harry over. "It's so good to see you again."

"Hello, Hermione," said Harry. "Where are your parents?"

"They are inside exchanging Muggle money," said Hermione. "Did you see what is happening at Flourish and Blotts at two o' clock today?"

"No Hermione, I have not been in that direction," said Harry.

"Well you know the guy who wrote most of the list, Gilderoy Lockhart, he is going to be signing his autobiography today," said Hermione in an excited tone of voice. "I mean, he must be a really good wizard if he wrote that many books."

Harry privately thought that just because someone wrote many books, that did not make them a really good wizard. They could have had excellent research skills, which helped them write the books, but it was a mark of Harry and Hermione's friendship that Harry did not debunk his friend's delusion on that fact.

At Flourish and Blotts, which was the last stop on the shopping agenda for the day, they arrived just as people were filing in. The place was packed and Harry wondered what exactly the big deal was about this guy Harry had never heard of until he had acquired the book list.

"Look at all these people lining up to meet Gilderoy Lockhart," said Hermione excitedly. "Isn't this exciting, Harry?"

"Thrilling," said Harry blandly. As bright as Harry was, he wanted to spend as little time in the bookshop as possible. There was a chance if just one person saw that blasted scar on his head, his day would be ruined by hundreds of people goggling at his forehead.

"Harry, is that you?" said a voice from behind Harry. Harry spun around and saw Ginny Weasley coming up to him. Ginny and Harry had met the previous year at King's Cross and she told Harry on how to get on the platform for the school. Another plus, as far as Harry was concerned, was she did not know his full name and thus his identity as the Boy-Who-Lived yet. Perhaps Harry could make one friend without the scar and his past with vanquishing Voldemort preceding the opinions people could form about him.

"Hello, Ginny," said Harry brightly. "I must say it's nice to see you again and I don't think I got a chance to thank you properly for telling me to get on the platform."

"It wasn't a problem at all, Harry," said Ginny before looking at Hermione curiously. "Who's your friend, Harry?"

"This is one of my friends, Hermione Granger," said Harry. "Hermione, this is Ginny Weasley, we met at King's Cross and she told me how to get on the platform for Hogwarts."

"I gathered that much for your conversation, but all the same, pleased to meet you Ginny," said Hermione. "So, are you going to start Hogwarts this year, Ginny?"

"Yes, Hermione, I'm so excited," said Ginny happily. "I’ve wanted to go for years. So what houses are you two in anyway?"

A feeling of slight apprehension, he hoped Ginny would not have a reaction similar to her brother Ron at his placement in the Slytherin house. Harry didn’t know why he cared, but he did.

"I'm a Gryffindor although I feel it may have been a mistake for the Sorting Hat to put me there," said Hermione.

Harry thought that was the understatement of the century. Harry was more impulsive than Hermione was and he thought his plans out slowly, going over every paranoid thing, which might happen before setting off on a course of action. Harry felt Hermione would have done well in Ravenclaw or even, Slytherin. The thought of a muggleborn being in Slytherin would give the pure blood extremists a brain aneurysm and Harry entertained himself with the brief image of Draco Malfoy slowly slipping into insanity due to this fact.

"Harry, what about you?" said Ginny, looking like she really wanted to know.

"Slytherin," muttered Harry under his breath.

"What did he say?" said Ginny to Hermione. "I couldn't quite hear him."

"My prat of a friend said he was a Slytherin," said Hermione irritably. "Harry, you are normally proud about that fact, why are you so ashamed about that now?"

Harry couldn't answer why exactly that was the fact right now.

"Harry, you've met my brother, haven't you?" asked Ginny darkly. "Ron's a good enough person but he tends to have a blind prejudice against Slytherins and tends to group them all together. However, I’, not prejudiced against Slytherins, so don't worry. The fact the majority of the Dark Wizards came out of Slytherin doesn’t change my opinion on you at all. Ron's opinion does not reflect my own, I’m my own person. I just wish people would see that."

"Sorry, Ginny," said Harry looking a bit ashamed but feeling relieved at the same time Ginny did not hate him for being a Slytherin, a tremendous weight being lifted off of his shoulders.

"So what house do you think you are going to be in Ginny?" asked Hermione.

"Well, I expect I'll be in Gryffindor because everyone in my family has been in that house for as long as anyone can remember," said Ginny, frowning slightly. "Although I'm not quite sure if I want to..."

Ginny was cut off by Ron who was attempting to duck underneath the people.

"There you are Ginny, Mum's been looking all over for you, why did you give her the slip like..." said Ron before stopping seeing Harry for the first time. "You!"

"Me," said Harry calmly. "Stuck for foot in your mouth this summer yet, Ronald?"

"Potter, you better not be corrupting my sister!" yelled Ron.

Hermione looked like she wanted to tell Ron off but Harry shook his head. Ginny looked alarmed and turned red rather quickly.

"You're Harry Potter," muttered Ginny quietly looking at the floor, more ashamed at the silly little crush that she had on the Boy-Who-Lived when she was younger, without really knowing him.

"Yes, I am," said Harry, while glaring at Ron, cursing him revealing his true identity. Harry planned on breaking it to Ginny slowly and carefully.

Unfortunately for Harry, Ron's little outburst got the attention of Gilderoy Lockhart who looked up and spotted Harry. Beaming, Lockhart got up and walked over to Harry.

"Why if it isn't Harry Potter," said Lockhart with overblown excitement while pulling Harry in front of a photographer and putting his arm around the Boy-Who Lived. "Big smile, Harry, together you and I are worth the front page."

Harry just gritted his teeth as the photographer snapped the picture of him and Lockhart. Lockhart appeared to be the average stereotypical pretty boy with delusions of grandeur. Lockhart turned to the crowd, with an overblown smile.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this gives me a perfect opportunity to make a little announcement which I have been dying to make for several weeks," said Lockhart excitedly. "When Harry came into this bookstore today, he was only hoping to buy my autobiography, Magical Me but this September he will be getting much more."

Lockhart paused for dramatics and Harry feared the worst. Hogwarts was down a Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher and Fate hadn't screwed Harry over for at least a few minutes, so Harry's mind naturally put together the worst-case scenario.

"Yes, Harry and his classmates will be getting the real Magical Me, for I will be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," said Lockhart excitedly as Harry felt the urge to bang his head against something hard and blunt at that time. He hated it when his paranoid theories were spot on.

Harry was given the complete works of Gilderoy Lockhart or more accurately, three fourths of the book list. Harry struggled over to Ginny, Ron and Hermione who had been joined by two people who Harry assumed were the Weasley parents along with Fred and George who seemed rather amused at Harry's predicament. Ginny seemed a bit nervous around Harry now that she knew exactly who he was, due to the outlandish exaggerations given by some of the books which talked about his legend. Those books depicted Harry as something he was not. Harry wondered if Ginny had a crush on the Harry Potter depicted by the books about his legend.

"Ginny, are the Lockhart books on the list for your year too?" asked Harry.

"Yes, Harry," said Ginny.

"Take these," said Harry, handing the books to Ginny, who dumped them in a cauldron at her mother's feet. "I can buy my own."

"Ginny, don't accept gifts from that Slytherin," hissed Ron angrily. "He might have hexed the books for all you know."

"Ronald Weasley, knock it off," said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "I heard about what you have been spreading up at the school about the poor boy. Tell me, did he do anything to deserve the lies you have been spreading?"

"He's a Slytherin, Mum," whined Ron.

Harry wondered who exactly tipped Mrs. Weasley off about Ron's behavior but his attention was diverted by a familiar drawling voice he grew to extremely despise drew his attention from these thoughts and the argument.

"So famous Harry Potter cannot even go into a bookshop without getting any attention," said Draco Malfoy.

"Leave him alone, he didn't want that!" yelled Ginny angrily, rushing to defend her new friend, almost on instinct.

Draco narrowed his eyes at Ginny, with a calculating expression before responding.

"Potter, it looks like you have got yourself a girlfriend," said Draco.

Harry turned to say something to Draco but Ron Weasley had heard what Draco said and he looked enraged.

"Don't you dare slander my sister's name like that, Malfoy," snapped Ron angrily. "She would never have anything to do with a slimly Slytherin like Potter."

"Ron don't you talk that way about..." started Ginny but her words fell on deaf ears as Malfoy began to speak.

"My, Weasley, you Gryffindors are extremely blind," said Draco coolly. "Not really surprising, what is really surprising is the fact you are in a shop Weasley. I suspect your parents will go hungry for a month paying for all those Lockhart books."

Ron looked about ready to explode and attempt to knock Malfoy's head off but Mr. Weasley walked over, seeing his son was about to do something he may regret. At the same time, Lucius Malfoy came into the picture.

"Greetings, Arthur," said Lucius calmly.

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley giving Lucius a short nod. Harry could plainly see there was some past bad blood between these two men.

"I heard from Minister Fudge, because you know how well connected I am at the Ministry, you have been working quite a lot recently. I do hope you have been paid overtime," said Lucius coolly before reaching down in Ginny's cauldron and pulling out a battered looking Transfiguration book which stood out like a sore thumb amongst all the glossy looking Lockhart books Harry gave her. Lucius sneered at the book. "Apparently not, being the disgrace of the whole Wizarding world and not getting paid for it. I thought the Weasley family could not sink any lower."

BAM! Mr. Weasley leveled Mr. Malfoy with a punch and it was on. Harry always felt pleased at the sight of a good fight and he just sat back and enjoyed the show. Security was attempting to pull apart the two men and Draco looked to want to rush forward but Harry gave Draco a discreet elbow to the back of the head, causing Draco to fall flat on his face. After a few moments, Lucius and Arthur were pulled apart. Lucius thrust the battered Transfiguration book at Ginny.

"Take it girl, it's the best your father can give you," said Lucius. "Come, Draco."

The Malfoys walked off without a word and Mrs. Weasley appeared to be ranting to her husband about brawling in public. Harry took this time to have a word with Ginny.

"Ginny, just to let you know, I’m a completely different person then the historical books make me out to be. I have never had so much as a word with those people, so they can't possibly know who I really am," said Harry steadily. "After all, me being a Slytherin does not change anything, so why should me being the Boy-Who-Lived change anything?"

"You're right, Harry," said Ginny. "It shouldn’t change anything. I also understand if you don't want to be friends, because you're Harry Potter, not that it matters to me, and I'm just the insignificant little sister of six older brothers."

"Ginny, if you think I am not going to be your friend just because I am famous, you're mistaken," said Harry. "I don't think you’re insignificant or I am better than anyone else."

Before Ginny responded, Mrs. Weasley called her.

"Come on, Ginny, it's getting late, you can talk to your friend at Hogwarts," said Mrs. Weasley before turning to Harry. "I do apologize about the behavior of Ron, dear. I raised him better than that and I am extremely disappointed at him spreading malicious lines. Please write to me if he gives you any more trouble. A few well chosen words should straighten him out."

The Weasleys left, leaving Harry alone with Hermione.

"I wonder who informed Mrs. Weasley about what Ron was saying about me last year," said Harry as Hermione and Harry walked out of the shop with their purchases.

At these words, Hermione looked rather guilty.

"Hermione, do you know anything about this?" asked Harry, looking at his friend. "Tell me the truth, please."

"Alright Harry, I may have gotten mad at Ron Weasley and might have written to his mother, but only once," said Hermione as Harry gave her a glare. "Harry, I needed to say something before he got really nasty and started spreading even worst rumors. You heard the stories about how the general public of the Wizarding World would believe anything."

"Unfortunately," said Harry, remembering the exaggerations about his greatness. "I have to go right now, see you at Hogwarts Hermione."

Harry left with his books, feeling irritate at Hermione going behind his back. He could fight his own battles and Weasley was not even bothering him too much. Sure, Harry probably would have done the same thing if Weasley or anyone else would spread malicious lies about one of his friends, but this was different. Arriving home, Harry reflected on the past day's events. The day had been interesting for sure but Harry wondered how he would get through Defense Against the Dark Arts without strangling that utter prat Lockhart. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.