Words of a Serpent

Now with a load considerably lighter, both Malfoys were more easily able to weave their way through and around the still ever growing crowd. It wasn’t an easy task, Draco realised, after he bumped into several people in a row.

His eyes bulged in disbelief as they entered Diagon Alley. If it was even possible, it seemed this crowd was larger. The largest congregation, though, was outside of Flourish and Blotts. As they drew closer Draco noted that almost all of the people outside the shop were witches, some accompanied by their annoyed and out-of-place husbands.

Draco squeezed in-between people to get through, abandoning his father who had been stopped by an acquaintance to chat. Moving closer toward the front of the line, he saw what was causing all the fuss. Gilderoy Lockhart, bedecked in cobalt blue robes, was smiling his sickeningly white smile. He hardly seemed to notice the books he was signing, he was much more interested in dazzling people with his teeth instead.

Draco sneered and trudged up the stairs of Flourish and Blotts to safely purchase his books without being mauled. He stopped at the top, leaning over the creaking railing, to watch the action when he saw someone enter the shop. Upper lip still curled in disgust, Draco grabbed the last of his books, Voyages with Vampires, and made his way back down. He was just in time to see Lockhart grab a small, black- haired boy by the neck and have a picture snapped.

As the boy shakily made his way toward the door, weighed down by a large stack of Lockhart's books, Draco stepped forward.

"Well, if it isn’t famous Harry Potter," his grey eyes stared disdainfully at the soot on Harry’s robes and face. "Can’t even go into a book shop without making the front page."

Harry only glared, ostensibly not brave enough to start anything with so many people around.

"Leave him alone!" A small redheaded girl with a number of freckles had suddenly appeared. She, too, was covered in soot and carrying a rather shabby looking cauldron.

Draco’s eyes flickered over to her, a smile playing at his lips, "Got yourself a girlfriend, eh Potter?"

The girl went scarlet, and looked as though she were about to answer when her father walked up.

"It’s stuffy in here, how ‘bout we get a bit of fresh air?" He had started to usher his children forward when Draco’s father stepped in.

“Arthur Weasley,” he drawled coldly.

“Lucius,” was the equally chilly reply.

“I heard about all those raids. A dreadful thing. I do hope they’re paying you well,” Lucius plucked a copy of A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration out of the girl’s cauldron. The book looked so worn that it would crumple to dust at any given moment.

“Apparently not.”

He threw the book back into the cauldron, it making a considerably louder noise then would’ve been expected of a book that size.

Draco squinted to get a look at the contents of the cauldron when he spotted something that hadn’t been there before. Rubber-banded to the Transfiguration book, was another one. Much smaller in contrast, Draco couldn’t see much of it, though he could tell it was black. And as the girl turned slightly to move out of a woman’s way, he got a glimpse of gold letters spelling out “iddle”.

He strained his eyes and craned his neck but the girl had stepped backwards as their fathers argued like young children. There was no use in trying any further; she was half hidden by Hermione now. There was no chance of Draco getting closer unless he wanted it to look like he was associating with them. He would never stoop that low. He slumped back becoming more and more bored. Though his father was obviously the smarter of the two gentlemen, Arthur was the one to break off the argument as his wife walked up to the small group.

“Come on, Arthur dear,” she said quietly, giving both Lucius and Draco a discrete glare. “We’ve still got to get the children’s other supplies.”

The Weasley’s, Potter, and Granger brushed past. Draco let out a condescending snort as the redheaded girl walked past and tried vainly one last time to look at the book. A few others not with the group gave odd looks as they noticed him almost tip over.

“Pay for your books,” Lucius hissed.

It seemed as though their presence had created a much unneeded stir of curiosity so Lucius was keen on leaving the shop immediately. After handing over seven Galleons to the store owner, both Malfoys were once again on the streets of Diagon Alley. Luckily for both, Lucius wasn’t well liked among the inhabitants of the cobbled alley way, many didn’t believe his story of being under the Imperius curse by Voldemort, so they were only given quick glances.

“What else do you need, boy?” His father asked.

Draco glanced down at his list of supplies, he was running low on Potions supplies that he would need for brewing even the simplest concoctions. He didn’t see the need to buy anymore, though, as his father had a wealthy supply in an ingredients cupboard at the Manor.

Draco shook his head, the rest of the supply list were things he could easily get elsewhere. Lucius sighed loudly.

“Good, I need to speak with your Mother and I haven’t got time for all of this.” He waved his snake cane around airily.

As they walked toward the stairway down to Knockturn Alley, Draco remembered the most important thing they were to buy. Broomsticks.

Tugging on the arm of his father’s dark cloak Draco said, “Father, we’ve still got to get my broomstick.”

He slowed as they passed the glass window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, which was displaying the new Nimbus Two Thousand and One. Draco couldn’t be sure his father had even heard him until Lucius began steering both of them towards the shop. Looking at the Nimbus, Draco felt as if he were on top of the world. With a broom obviously better then Potter’s there was no doubt he’d get on the House team and outstrip the supposed 'best Seeker since Charlie Weasley'.

He didn’t even bother looking at the one in the window closely, where several children were staring in awe, vainly asking their parents to buy them one.

“We’d like to buy complete team set of Nimbus Two Thousand and One’s,” Lucius said, drawing the attention of the kids staring.

Draco smirked proudly, inching closer so everyone would know the man was his father. The group of children glared back enviously then returned their focus to the broom in the window. That’s right; keep on wishing, Draco thought.

The owner of the shop had disappeared into the back, only reappearing when he had seven broomsticks balanced carefully on his body, some under his arms, some under his chin. As he went to hand them over, Lucius sneered.

“You don’t expect me to carry them? Have them delivered to my Manor.”

Not surprisingly, the owner looked shocked. Having seven brooms delivered by owl was rather expensive, especially to a Manor not surrounded by anything close by, but money was never an issue with Draco's family.

“Right away, sir,” he replied, returning to the back to send them off.

Draco was still interested in looking around but his father had lost all patience - it was obvious he wanted to leave. Not wanting to wait for his son, Lucius passed the goggling children to almost disappear into the crowd of Diagon Alley.

“Father, wait!” Draco called, glaring at a young girl as he ran to catch up to his father.

The walk back to the un-owned shop was uncomfortable, Draco’s father had blatantly ignored several people on the way, no doubt insulting them with the action.