The moment Harry Potter saw Pansy, it was as if something had struck him—he froze on the spot.
Her stylish short black hair, the bright curve of her eyes, and the way she shyly licked her lips with a hint of flirtation... Maybe at his age Harry didn't yet understand what this rapid heartbeat meant, but right now, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The strange emotion left Harry momentarily dazed, until Ron Weasley's anxious voice snapped him out of it...
"We're about to lose sight of Hermione! Stop spacing out, Harry—let's catch up!"
"Ah... hey..."
Focused entirely on Hermione's retreating figure, Ron hadn't noticed Harry's odd reaction. Without giving him a chance to speak, he grabbed Harry and ran in the direction Hermione had gone.
Harry wanted to glance back one more time, but ultimately gave up on the idea. He figured he should calm himself down...
Neither Harry nor Ron realized that Draco had been watching them the entire time. Actually, thanks to Harry's completely unfiltered stare, Pansy had also noticed them.
"Is that the Chosen One and his friends?"
"Probably here to buy their second-year books."
"Hmm, I almost forgot about that. You've seen the book list too, right?"
"You mean the complete works of Lockhart?"
For some reason, when Draco mentioned Lockhart's name, his face twisted in visible distaste, like he couldn't stand the man.
Pansy's expression mirrored his. It seemed neither of them had a very high opinion of Lockhart...
...
Gilderoy Lockhart.
International celebrity, bestselling author, recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. In the wizarding world, he had published over a dozen wildly popular books.
In terms of popularity among witches, Lockhart's fame rivaled that of powerful wizards like Dumbledore.
And this very Gilderoy Lockhart was the one Draco and Pansy had just been talking about—it was obvious they were both very familiar with him.
In truth, to reach that level of success, Lockhart had needed more than just talent, hard work, and luck. The investment and influence of a business family like the Parkinsons had played an essential role.
Simply put, without the backing of the Parkinson family, Lockhart could never have achieved such unrivaled fame. He might've made a name for himself, but certainly not on this scale.
Which meant, if anyone knew the real Gilderoy Lockhart inside and out, it was the Parkinson family. He was an idol author built on connections and wealth.
And just the mention of Lockhart reminded Pansy of what had happened earlier that morning...
"Speaking of which, our family's bookstore is apparently hosting that guy's book signing today."
"You're not wrong. Look—those witches and wizards all have the same book. Must be here for the signing you mentioned."
Draco pointed toward the window, confirming her information.
The crowd outside was moving excitedly in the same direction, clearly heading toward a shared destination—and more importantly, they were all holding the same book.
"As for why that guy ended up as our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor... I have no idea. Maybe ask your father?"
"Forget it. I don't get any of that business stuff—just thinking about it gives me a headache."
Pansy's pitiful expression made Draco chuckle and shake his head.
If she was the only heir to the Parkinson name, she would eventually have to learn all of it. It was both her responsibility and her duty as the princess of the Parkinson family.
"Stop pretending. Come on, let's go check it out."
"Huh?"
"If I'm right, you and my father are both supposed to be at your family's bookstore right now."
As Draco stood up, he lightly patted Pansy on the head—like he was patting a dog. Pansy, irritated, immediately snapped at him.
And so, with Pansy chasing Draco in embarrassment, the two of them also headed in the direction Hermione had gone...
...
Flourish and Blotts.
A large wizarding bookstore with towering shelves that reached the ceiling. In addition to offering beginner-level magic books, it was also the only bookstore that provided textbooks for Hogwarts students—though the books required for Hogwarts classes often exceeded the store's available stock.
What most wizards didn't know was that the shop was owned by the Parkinson family, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families...
When Harry Potter and the others arrived at Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley, they could see from a distance that the outside was packed with a huge crowd. It looked like there was no chance of squeezing inside.
"This is insane."
"Yeah..."
Since neither Harry nor Ron were particularly fond of reading, they couldn't quite grasp the excitement of the gathered witches and wizards. Naturally, they had no idea just how wildly popular Gilderoy Lockhart was among female witches.
If this were a Quidditch player's autograph session instead, the one going crazy would probably be Ron, not the crowd...
As Harry scanned the scene, he noticed that most of the witches in the crowd were about the same age as Mrs. Weasley. Right now, they were squealing Lockhart's name like giddy schoolgirls—though it was unclear whether they were fans of his books or just smitten with the author himself.
Hermione stood quietly to the side, waiting. Though she was also clutching Lockhart's new book with anticipation, her reaction wasn't nearly as over-the-top as everyone else's...
Just as Harry was wondering if they should come back later, Mrs. Weasley spotted them in the crowd. Beside her stood a visibly excited Ginny Weasley and a resigned-looking Arthur Weasley.
Worth noting—Ginny Weasley was Ron's younger sister and a new Hogwarts student this year.
"Oh, you're here! Wonderful! We're about to see him!"
Still catching her breath, Mrs. Weasley beamed and grabbed Hermione's hand in delight.
In truth, if it weren't for that adventure in the Forbidden Forest with Draco, Hermione might have genuinely admired Lockhart.
Now that she had some real experience under her belt, Hermione was still interested, but it was only because she enjoyed the stories and magical knowledge in the books—not because she idolized the author.
That was why she wasn't acting as giddy as Mrs. Weasley...
...
[Up to 50 chapters ahead for now]
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