"Who knows?" Sirius shrugged as they walked towards Flourish and Blott's. "Unfortunately it looks like today was the wrong day." Looking up Harry was greeted by a long line outside of the bookstore and a large banner proclaiming that Gilderoy Lockhart would be signing copies of his new book 'Magical Me' today.
"Ugh…maybe I'll be able to slip through the store unnoticed at least?" Harry asked with little hope.
"If anyone tries anything they'll be dealing with me." Sirius promised his hand patting his wrist. Harry knew that was where Sirius kept his wand holster and couldn't help the small smile that formed on his face. It was nice to have someone looking out for him. The duo made their way through the crowd with little fanfare after assuring the clerk that they weren't there for the book signing. Harry was able to collect his textbooks without much trouble, a few people greeted him a bit too enthusiastically and Sirius interjected himself to end the encounter when it happened. Making their way up to the counter Harry caught the attention of the 'man of the hour'. Lockhart made his way over to Harry and actually reached out for him. Harry was already stepping back from the man when Sirius' hand grabbed onto Lockhart's wrist.
"Thanks Sirius." Harry whispered getting a nod from his Godfather.
"Something I can help you with?" Sirius asked Lockhart with a glare and the blonde man retracted his arm.
"Just thought Harry would want to get on the front page of the Prophet with me." Lockhart spoke up with his 'famous' smile.
"He doesn't." Sirius stated flatly. The flash of a large Wizarding Camera going off in their direction indicated that Harry would probably be on the front page tomorrow regardless. Lockhart quickly went back to the middle of the crowd and made the announcement that he would be the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts this year.
"You've got to be kidding me." Harry grimaced as the blonde man posed like a peacock for the cameras after his announcement. A bit of mana to his glasses and Harry got a reading on his soon-to-be Professor. 'What? Are you kidding me? 2,158? That's it?' He thought to himself at the low reading for an adult wizard. "He had to be the only one that applied. No way Dumbledore would hire him if he had ANY other options." Harry muttered making Sirius chuckle.
"Maybe he's the 'terrible thing' happening this year?" Sirius joked as he and Harry walked up to the counter and started getting the textbooks purchased.
"I wish that was the extent of it. But I somehow doubt it." Harry sighed as Sirius paid for the books. Just as they were turning to leave a fight broke out amongst two of the customers in the shop. From the distinct hair colors it was easy for Sirius to tell who the fighters were. As they were close Sirius went to help separate his red-haired acquaintance from the Death Eater he was punching. Though not before giving some encouragement, of course.
"Hit him harder, Arthur!" Sirius crowed happily watching Arthur Weasley punch Lucius Malfoy while the two men tussled on the ground.
"Sirius?" Molly Weasley questioned before raising her voice. "Don't encourage him! Stop this!"
"Come on you two, break it up!" Sirius hollered as he pulled Arthur off of Lucius. "Good punches there, Arthur." He whispered to the man with a grin as the Malfoy Patriarch was standing from the floor.
"Black." Lucius greeted stiffly.
"Not very polite of you Lucius, you forgot to address me with my title." Sirius replied regally, though the undercurrent of amusement in his voice was impossible to miss.
"Lord Black." Lucius greeted a second time his face carefully controlled but his eyes burning with rage.
"How are you today, Malfoy?" Sirius questioned as Molly fussed over Arthur.
"Fine thank you, come along Draco." Lucius answered brusquely as he ushered his son out of the bookstore.
"Still a wanker." Sirius chortled to himself seeing the man leave. "How've you been Arthur?" He greeted his acquaintance making the older redhead smile and shake his hand.
"Doing well Sirius; heard you've been healing. Molly and I were so pleased to hear about your recovery." Arthur smiled even as a small bruise was forming on his jaw.
"Molly, how're you? The kids doing well?" Sirius asked and the Matriarch of the Weasley Family smiled and confirmed that she and the kids were doing well. Sirius listened with a grin as Molly told him about her children. Bill and Charlie had graduated Hogwarts while he'd been in a coma so it was interesting to hear about what the two kids had grown up to become.
"Wicked, didn't think we'd get to meet you here Harry." Ron Weasley commented as he and the twins stood before Harry. The little red-haired girl next to them must have been their sister.
"Was honestly hoping to not have a spectacle made of just shopping for my school things, should have known better I suppose." Harry shrugged with a polite smile.
"Hey, Harry, before mum notices or Percy gets back could you give us a little reading?" The twin on the right asked while the twin on the left acted as the lookout for Percy or their mother's attention. Ron and Ginny's eyes widened at the idea and Harry didn't see the harm.
"Sure, why not?" Harry replied. "Your father is apparently friends with Sirius so I'm sure he wouldn't mind." With a little mana to his glasses Harry looked at the twin who asked and got the first reading. Changing his gaze over to the lookout twin Harry repeated the mana activation of his glasses' Scouter function getting another reading, repeating this while looking at Ron and then the little sister gave Harry everything he needed.
"So what's the reading like?" The first twin asked seeing Harry refocus on him.
"You…" Harry started but didn't know which twin he was addressing.
"Fred." Fred informed eagerly.
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