Harry didn't need to withdraw any money, so he waited in the main hall of Gringotts.
Spotting Harry's figure, one of the goblins briefly froze, but eventually shook his head and left, returning to sit at the counter.
Soon enough, everyone else returned with their money, although Ron didn't seem too excited about the upcoming shopping trip.
After a quick discussion, they decided to each handle their own errands. Percy muttered about needing a new Feather Pen, and Molly and Ginny aimed for a store selling second-hand robes.
As for Arthur, he insisted on taking the Granger family and Lucius to the Broken Cauldron Bar for a pint.
His curiosity about the Muggle World surpassed his irritation with Lucius, so he didn't mind having Lucius sit beside him.
Hey, it's just one more person, after all.
After Lucius offered to cover the tab, Arthur became noticeably more friendly.
After everyone else left, Draco joined Harry's trio.
Draco, Ron, and Hermione engaged in a silent stare-off, none of them willing to yield.
"What scheme are you planning this time?" Hermione asked Draco with disdain.
"Granger, I must correct you—I'm not planning any scheme," Draco said, smoothing back his slicked hair. "I admit I wasn't very friendly last school year, so I've decided to turn over a new leaf."
"Really?" Ron asked.
"Of course, it's true. Besides, I can't beat you guys," Draco sighed.
The power Miss Melop bestowed upon him had expired. He had been bedridden at home for almost a week, and even now, he felt a bit shaky.
Thinking about it, he deeply regretted what had happened.
Why did he fall for Miss Melop's trick and let her drain his life force? Look at where that got him.
Luckily, he wised up in time, otherwise...
The more Draco thought about it, the more terrified he became. What if he really ended up drained to death? His mother would surely be heartbroken.
"Just stay quietly behind us and don't speak," Hermione remained somewhat skeptical. "Okay, let's go get some ice cream first."
"I'll pay," Draco offered quickly.
Such opportunities to show off in front of Great-Uncle were rare. If his elder relative was pleased, perhaps he'd teach Draco a cool magic spell...
With seeming affluence, Draco bought four chocolate, raspberry, and nut-crunch ice creams at Florin Fosco Ice Cream Parlour, quickly alleviating some of Ron and Hermione's animosity toward him.
Of course, Draco's sharp tongue was always getting him into trouble, so they weren't excessively hostile.
Draco and Ron were both captivated when they passed by the Quidditch Broom Shop.
It was one of their few shared interests.
"This broom is really impressive—Light Wheel 2001," Draco remarked. "Harry, do you think if I ask my dad to donate a Light Wheel 2001 to each member of the Slytherin School Team, Captain Flint might let me join the team?"
"Are you crazy," Ron retorted sarcastically, "What's wrong with relying on your own skills? You always think throwing money at the team is better. I think you really have a burning desire to waste money, Malfoy."
"What else? That's the Slytherin way," Draco shrugged, resigned, "To join the team, personal skill alone isn't enough; some external factors help too."
"I suggest you drop that idea, Drama-King Draco," Hermione called Draco by his nickname again. "Money should be spent on things that matter, not on trivial pursuits..."
"Don't call me Drama-King!" Draco snapped, on the verge of losing it.
"Alright, alright, I won't," Hermione said, raising her hands as she dragged Ron away from the Charlie Fire Cannon Team merchandise, "Let's go, Ron, you've been staring at that for over half an hour!"
Ron reluctantly stood up and followed Hermione, trudging away.
When they passed by a second-hand bookstore, they saw Percy sitting at the entrance with a well-worn book titled "How to Gain Power as a Class Prefect" in his hands.
"Class Prefects of Hogwarts and Their Careers After Graduation," Ron read aloud from the back cover. "Sounds interesting, but—just one book?"
"Get lost!" Percy shooed Ron away irritably, as if herding a duck.
"Honestly, I think you'd be better off watching a TV series instead, Percy," Hermione said, looking at Percy with a complex expression. She doubted there was much value in the book on prefects. "If I were you, I'd study a few Muggle TV shows—like 'Yes, Minister' or 'Yes, Prime Minister.' I find these illustrate our political ecosystem sharply. They'd even resonate in the Magic World."
"Really?" Percy hesitated, lowering his book.
After all, Hermione was a top student, so out of sympathy between achievers, he was inclined to trust her advice.
"Of course, if you're interested, I can find you a couple of memoirs—yes, the ones written by Bernard. I think they'd greatly aid your political understanding," Hermione suggested to Percy.
Percy was overjoyed and quickly thanked Hermione.
After they left, Ron whispered, "I think Percy aims to be Minister of Magic. His authority obsession is way too strong."
"The pursuit of power isn't inherently wrong; it's about how you approach it," Harry said thoughtfully.
"That's profound, who said that?" Draco inquired, playing along.
"Your ancestor," Harry answered.
He wasn't lying to Draco since Mr. Septimus indeed said it.
Well… It was during the summer of their fourth year when Septimus was advising his son, Ignatius Malfoy, and Harry was incidentally sitting on the side with Cassandra, listening in.
"Alright, we should head to Li Hen Bookstore now," Hermione said after glancing at her watch. "It's about time."
A huge crowd clustered outside Li Hen Bookstore, some clutching books, others empty-handed, all seemingly vying to squeeze inside.
A long banner hung upstairs announcing, [Gilderoy Lockhart Signing and Selling Autobiography 'Magical Me', Today 12:30—4:30 PM]
"It's him, he's signing books!" Hermione clasped her hands, visibly excited.
Using their stature advantage, they squeezed through the crowd.
The majority of the crowd seemed to be witches around Molly's age, likely Lockhart's mom-fans.
As they pushed forward, Lockhart was getting photographed, showcasing his radiant smile and gleaming teeth.
Admittedly, he was quite handsome; you had to concede that.
"You finally came—" Molly noticed the kids among the throngs.
But before she could call them over, Lockhart, with sharp eyes, spotted Harry among the people.
"Oh my, look who's here?" Lockhart stood up, eyes alight, "Isn't this Harry Potter?"
He parted the crowd and approached, seizing Harry by the arm, pulling him forward without giving him a chance to resist.
"Smile, Harry, why aren't you smiling?" Lockhart murmured in his ear.
For unknown reasons, Harry felt the Lockhart before him wasn't entirely friendly?
Harry mulled over it a few times, unable to recall a time he'd crossed paths with this Lockhart.
"I assume we can be on the first edition photo, Harry," Lockhart chuckled. "But before that, I have a question I want to ask you."
"Please, Mr. Lockhart," Harry responded politely, subtly trying to escape Lockhart's grip.
But as an adult, Lockhart had much greater strength, preventing Harry from breaking free, and instead leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"I hear… you're Dumbledore's favorite student?"
(The next chapter will be coming shortly, hasn't finished yet.)