It wasn't surprising to see Hermione here—after all, Draco had also received the second-year book list from Hogwarts just yesterday.
In fact, aside from meeting up with Pansy, Draco had planned to use today to buy all the supplies he needed for the upcoming term.
What he hadn't expected was to run into Hermione. And what truly caught him off guard was how much she had changed—he nearly didn't recognize her...
Up until now, the impression Hermione gave off was never "pretty" or "beautiful," but rather "smart" with a hint of arrogance. Simply put, no wizard had ever cared much about whether Hermione was good-looking.
But now that she had started taking care of her appearance—and coupled with her own unique temperament—the face that had long been hidden beneath her bushy hair suddenly seemed much more striking.
In fact, if it weren't for her brown eyes and that soft yet assertive voice, Draco really wouldn't have realized it was Hermione Granger.
He had to admit, the smooth, neatly styled long hair had done wonders for her appearance. That much was obvious from the red-haired wizard behind her who kept sneaking glances her way...
"Harry, did you see that new model of broomstick? It's so beautiful, I really want to try riding it!"
"Yeah, the Nimbus 2001 has some great new features—but the price is a lot higher too."
"If we had a Nimbus 2001, our team could totally crush those awful Slytherins—and that vile Death Eater."
Just then, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley appeared, clearly having just come from Quality Quidditch Supplies. Their arrival made Draco drop the idea of calling out to Hermione.
He wasn't about to let those two ruin his rare moment of peace.
Speaking of Quality Quidditch Supplies, it was the largest Quidditch store in Diagon Alley. You could find the newest broomsticks on the market and complete sets of robes for any team there. The Chudley Cannons jersey Harry was holding had also come from that shop.
Interestingly, Harry wasn't really a fan of the Chudley Cannons. He bought the jersey after noticing Ron's eager expression—he planned to give it to him as a Christmas present, knowing Ron was a die-hard supporter of the team.
Caught up in their excitement, they didn't even notice that their constant jabs at Slytherin—and Draco—had made Hermione, who was walking in front of them, pause in irritation...
"You've already wasted enough time drooling over that broomstick. Don't forget we still have a bunch of things left to buy."
Though Hermione was a lot prettier now, her commanding tone hadn't softened one bit. You could tell just by looking at Ron, who usually bickered with her but now seemed to be avoiding her gaze and blushing more often than usual. Harry noticed it too, glancing sideways at Ron with a puzzled expression. It wasn't like him at all.
Was it because Hermione had gotten prettier?
"Ahem... Ron, what else do we need?"
"Something by... uh, someone named Lockhart? But why do we have to buy so many of his books?"
"..."
As Hermione turned to look at him, Ron instinctively picked up the book list—and a moment later, his eyes widened in shock.
At the bottom of the list was a string of books, all written by the same author. Ron's expression darkened. With his sister starting school this year too, the cost was going to be an even bigger burden than last year...
Fortunately, the book list didn't include the prices—otherwise, Ron probably wouldn't even be in the mood to enjoy himself.
Knowing Ron's family situation and his pride, Harry had no idea how to comfort his best friend. All he could do was change the subject and try to distract him.
"Yeah, and these books don't even look like proper textbooks. They read more like novels."
"Now that you mention it, that's true. Hmph, maybe someone's just trying to make money off us."
"Or maybe one of the professors is a big fan of this Lockhart guy?"
Titles like Break with a Banshee, Voyages with Vampires, and Wanderings with Werewolves sounded just like ordinary novels, which made Harry seriously suspect that one of the professors was obsessed with this author—especially since all the books were written by the same wizard.
It was no wonder they felt that way. Compared to last year's book list, this year's selection really was kind of strange.
Caught up in their conversation, Harry and Ron didn't notice Hermione had turned around. Her expression was stormy, like an angry kitten...
"Oh my God, do you even know what you're saying? He's our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor! And his name isn't 'Lockhart-whatever'—it's Professor Lockhart! Professor Gilderoy Lockhart!"
"...."
"...."
Faced with Hermione's sudden outburst, Harry and Ron stared at each other for a few seconds before they finally registered what she had just said.
So... the author of all those books was going to be their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?
That made things even more suspicious...
"It's getting late, we need to hurry!"
"Hurry for what?"
"The book signing! Today is Professor Lockhart's signing event for Magical Me!"
Watching Hermione anxiously dive into the crowd, Harry and Ron were completely bewildered. Was that really Hermione?
...
Draco, just a few steps away, had taken in the entire scene. Harry and the others probably hadn't even realized that the so-called "Death Eater" they were talking about was standing right nearby...
"Now that was interesting."
"What did you say, Draco?"
"Nothing. Just thinking whether I should tell a certain little kitten the truth about a certain wizard."
"Huh?"
Pansy had no idea what Draco meant. As she looked at him in confusion, she absentmindedly licked the corner of her lips, clearly still craving another serving of that strange ice cream. Draco gave her a sharp look and tugged the corner of his eye in exasperation.
Coincidentally—or maybe not—Harry Potter happened to catch Pansy's playful little gesture from a short distance away...