16. Altercations in the bookstore

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Amelia stumbled into the leaky cauldron, her clothes smeared with dirt from the chimney and her hair slightly tangled. With a sigh, she quickly walked out and into the bustling streets.

Amelia took notice of all the exciting first years and a couple of muggle parents staring in awe at the new world presented in front of them. The young wizard's gaze lingered on them, she couldn't comprehend living a life without magic. One where one has to manually do everything or figure out alternatives for mundane things.

" Amelia?" A voice spoke from behind her. Amelia whipped around and immensely flung her arms around Justin Finch-Fletchley, who stood beside a grinning Ernie Macmillan who held a cone of ice cream.

" You have no idea how good it is to see you," Amelia mumbled to them. She swiftly pulled away from Justin to greet Ernie, who already had his arms open for her.

"It's only been two months, can't miss us already." Ernie joked as he pulled away from the Weasley. The whole summer the two owled each other and most of the letters consisted of Amelia's longing to go back to Hogwarts and to be surrounded by her friends again. It worried him. He never imagined how harmful the Weasleys could treat a person. He couldn't imagine it.

" Two months felt like a whole year." Amelia sighed as she looked between her two friends, " But, never mind that. Well, be at Hogwarts soon! What books do we need." Amelia asked. She looked down toward a paper Justin held to see the new list of books.

" Some books from a bloke named Gilderoy Lockhart?" Justin questioned as he looked down at the name with confusion.

" Ugh, hate that man," Erie said with a stern voice as the three began to walk toward the bookshop.

" Why? Is he bad?" Justin questioned.

" I wouldn't say bad, just really dramatic. " Amelia added.

" Dramatic? I'm positive he makes half the things up, that man." Ernie commented as the two entered flourish and blots, only to find the Gilderoy Lockhart front and center holding a book signing.

" Is that him?" Justin asked his two friends as they stood in the entrance, beside the long line of women who gazed lovingly at Lockhart.

" Yes." The two pureblood said. Ernie redirected his attention back to his school backs as he tried to look for the necessary books. Justin followed suit while Amelia lingered behind.

She didn't have the money to buy new books nor did she think her parents would buy her books for the year.

" Look at those books." Justin gaped as he pointed at a monstrous-looking book that seemed to be biting the bookshop owner as they tried to retrieve them. " Is it alive?" Justin asked, his eyes now confused instead of amazed.

" Books cant be alive, Justin. They don't even have a brain!" Ernie told him as he picked up a new transfiguration book.

"It's just a charm," Amelia added as she looked around the store, her gaze attracted by the desperate-looking women who seemed to be drooling over Lockheart. " Can you two hurry? I want to get out of here." Amelia mumbled to them.

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