HARRY POTTER WLoF PART 4 CHAP 3

"Harry, wait up!!" Max called out, panting as she tried to keep up with her brother. In all honesty this summer had been hellish. With that random house elf named Dobby popping into Grimmauld Place and trying to make it look like Harry was doing underage magic…well it had been a rather interesting letter from the Ministry. She just hoped her first year wouldn't be as adventurous as Harry's had been.  Still she couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts. She had already gotten her wand (which hadn't been as bad as when Harry got his apparently…though she did actually blow up a vase), her uniform (thankfully no Malfoy was there this time. Harry had to get his resized too), well actually everything. Harry, however, had forgotten to buy his DADA books as there was more than one this time. And it was more crowded in Diagon Alley than normal. Why? They had come around the same time last year and even though it was crowded, it wasn't this crowded. Harry stopped, allowing her time to push herself through the crowd to him. "What's the hurry?" She panted out. "I don't think the Weasley's are going to leave the bookstore just yet." She said.

"I know I just want to get there before it closes. What's with the influx of people today?" Harry said as they continued to elbow and squeeze their way through. Max then spotted a sign and groaned.

"It's because Lockhart is here…see? It's a book signing." Max complained and Harry looked at her amused.

"Why is it that you and Aunt Moria seem to not like his stuff? The rest of the female population seems to fancy him."

"That's because Mummy and I are sensible enough to see he's an extremely self-absorbed git." Max complained as they managed to get into the bookstore, which surprisingly was less crowded than outside the store.

"Maxine, be reasonable. I've read his books and he seems to be quite an honorable man." A voice interjected and they spotted Hermione as they turned. Behind her were Ron and the rest of the Weasley's. Max waved at Ginny, who waved back only for her to face redden as she spotted Harry. Max however took no notice of this, apparently used to this. As the pair reached the group and began talking about their summers, a sudden hush came over the crowd following a flash of a camera and a gaggle of girls, women becoming alert, including Hermione. They then spotted a foppish, blandly handsome wizard with wavy blonde hair and particularly straight and shiny teeth. Hermione sighed dreamily and Max looked at Harry as though to say 'if I ever do something along those lines…kill me' to which he shrugged.
Lockhart continued to pose for the camera, not noticing Harry until a photographer stepped onto Ron's foot, causing his to yell out and gain the attention of the fame seeking wizard, who spotted Harry.

"Ladies and gentleman," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is!" he exclaimed and Max heard Harry groan as everyone's attention swiveled towards him. Before Max could react she was shoved away, Ron barely managing to catch her as a photographer grabbed and dragged Harry to where he was standing next to Lockhart. After listening to an egotistical speech about being the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and then Lockhart giving Harry his DADA books free of charge, he shooed the now embarrassed boy back towards the group.

"You okay?" he asked Max who nodded, pointing at Ron.

"He caught me." She said appreciatively. "How about you?"

"Annoyed." He grumbled. And they moved as a line formed for the books to be signed by Lockhart. Max sighed.

"Well, let's head out before we get run over again." She suggested and once Arthur and Molly had been given their children's books began to head out. That was until they were stopped by a certain blonde haired boy.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you Potter. Famous Harry Potter can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." Draco snarled, his lips curling in a smirk. Harry glared at him, but it was Ginny who spoke up.

"Leave him alone." She warned, glaring at him. Draco glanced down and her and then looked at Harry with malice.

"Oh, look, Potter, you got yourself a girlfriend." He teased, causing Ginny to blush. However before Draco could add insult to injury, a handle of a can tapped on his shoulder pushing that side of his body towards it.

"Now, now Draco, where are your manners?" An older man said. Max observed him, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that this was Draco's father. They looked completely alike, right down to the pompous attitude.

"Yes Father." Draco replied, though he sounded annoyed that he couldn't bother the group anymore. His father looked at the group with bored eyes till he landed his sights on Harry. Max bristled as he moved his cane and shifted Harry's bangs with it.

"Mr. Potter! Lucius Malfoy. We meet at last. Forgive me, your scar is legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you." He said. Harry moved away from the cane and kept his glare straight at Lucius.

"Voldemort killed my parents. He was nothing more than a murderer." Harry responded and Lucius smirked.

"You must be very brave to mention his name. Or very foolish." He said. Hermione crossed her arms, glaring at him as well.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." She said and his attention turned to her.

And you must be Miss Granger. Yes, Draco's told me all about you. And your parents. Muggles, aren't they?" he asked and no one could mistake the threat involved in the sentence. He then looked at the rest of the group. "Let me see. Red hair... vacant expressions..." he said and picked up some of Ginny's books before tossing it back into Ginny's cauldron. "…tatty second hand books... you must be the Weasleys." He suggested. At that moment Arthur appeared. He noticed his coworker and his smile shifted into that of an annoyed one. He tried to ignore him and looked at the children.

"Children, it's mad in here. Let's go outside."

"Well, well, well. Weasley senior." Lucius drawled and Arthur stiffened, finally looking at him.

"Lucius."

"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur, all those extra raids? I do hope they're paying you overtime. Though judging by the state of this, I'd say not. What's the use in being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?" he said, a Malfoy smirked etched on his face. Arthur's face hardened.

"We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." He said harshly and Lucius scoffed, looking at the group of children disdainfully.

"Clearly. Associating with muggles. And I thought your family could sink no lower."

"And you would be the expert in that wouldn't you, Malfoy?" a voice behind Lucius asked. He turned and Max could see shock register on his face when he saw it was Moria standing behind him. Her eyes were cool, both Max and Harry could see anger etched in them. "Considering the types of slime you associate with." She added.

"Moria Prescott." Lucius responded. "What a surprise. And here I was under the assumption that you had been killed."

"Yes, you would have liked that wouldn't you?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, before glancing at everyone else. "Sorry I was late; I was held back a bit."

"What for? Getting Potter another broom?" Draco mocked. Moria glanced at him and then smirked, looking back at Lucius.

"I'm shocked Lucius. Don't tell me you weren't informed of my employment as the new History Teacher at Hogwarts." She stated and watched Draco's face pale and Lucius's eyes narrow into a glare. Moria didn't back down, when many wizards older than her would have. They stared at each other, Moria clearly egging Malfoy to start a fight with her, knowing that he knew she could win before he even drew out his wand. Lucius finally humphed and looked at his son, disdainfully.

"Come Draco. Your mother must be wondering why we are so tardy." Lucius said and with one last glare at the entire group, walked out of the store, brushing against Moria. Moria glared at the back of the Malfoy's before looking back at the group with a smile on her face.

"Well, that was fun. Now then, who wants to get some ice cream? My treat." She asked. The Weasley's continued staring at her in shock, before both Fred and George broke out laughing, and Ron grinned triumphantly.

"Bloody hell, Maxi your Mum is wicked!" Ron said. Max blushed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear a small smile on her face.

"Malfoy has been like that since we were kids at Hogwarts, I didn't back down then, I don't know why he expected me to back down now." Moria stated with a smile, glancing at Arthur with a large grin. "Well let's go then shall we? As Arthur did say, it is mad in here."