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Chapter 255: Kyle to the Rescue
Chapter 255: Kyle to the Rescue
An hour had passed since they left the bookstore, and the group was now making their way towards Flourish and Blotts.
However, today was no ordinary day, as the crowd gathered outside the usually spacious shop was far larger than expected. Everyone was pushing and shoving, trying to make their way inside.
"Wow, there are so many people here today!" Harry exclaimed, having tried several times to squeeze his way in without success.
"Maybe Flourish and Blotts is giving away free eggs or something," Kyle joked.
"Really?" Ron's eyes lit up at the thought.
"Of course not!" Hermione said excitedly, giving him a nudge. She pointed towards the window upstairs. "Look at that..."
A large banner hung across the window, which read:
"Gilderoy Lockhart
Signing his autobiography
'Magical Me'"
...
"We get to meet him in person!" Hermione exclaimed, her excitement evident. "I mean, he's the author of almost every book on our school book list!"
"But how are we going to get inside?" Harry rubbed his sore arms, feeling the strain from the pushing and shoving. "Those people are really strong."
"Leave it to me..."
Clearing his throat, Kyle shouted, "Mr. Lockhart, what are you doing here?"
For a moment, the bustling crowd froze, and everyone turned their heads, curious to see whom Kyle was addressing.
Taking advantage of the momentary pause, Kyle and his friends quickly squeezed their way through the crowd and into the shop.
"Nice one, Kyle," Harry said with a smile.
"It was nothing. I was actually thinking of shouting 'Voldemort' instead. That probably would've worked even better." Kyle grinned.
"Please, don't say that name," Ron shuddered, "It would've caused complete chaos."
"I know, that's why I didn't," Kyle laughed, "But Ron, you should try to get used to saying it. You and Harry are the only ones brave enough to do so."
"Many adult wizards can't even bring themselves to say it..." Ron mumbled, "Except for you and Harry, of course."
The line inside the shop was long and winding, snaking from the front door all the way to the back, where Gilderoy Lockhart sat signing books.
Each of them grabbed a copy of 'Breaking with the Boggart' and sneaked over to where the Weasley family and the Grangers were standing in line.
"Oh, there you are! Wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, breathless and continuously patting her hair, "We'll get to meet him soon..."
Gradually, they caught sight of Gilderoy Lockhart. He sat behind a table, surrounded by large posters of himself, all of which featured a winking "Lockhart" with dazzling white teeth.
Lockhart himself wore a pale blue robe, and his wavy blond hair was topped with a jauntily tilted pointed hat.
"He's so charming..." Mrs. Weasley sighed, standing on her tiptoes like an eager fan.
"Yes..." Mr. Granger agreed, "His teeth are quite dazzling, and his hair... Is there a particular brand of hair care products he uses? I wonder if we can get them here."
"You could try the magic supply store across from Ollivanders," Kyle suggested. "I recommend the 'Potter's Rapid Shampoo'. Our professor has stocked up on several boxes, but he rarely uses it."
"If the professor is reluctant to use it, it must be quite expensive..." Mr. Granger frowned, considering the price.
They didn't have many Galleons to spare, as most of their money was intended for Hermione's school supplies.
"It's not expensive at all," Kyle assured him. "A few Sickles will get you a large bottle."
Mr. Granger ran his hand through his thinning hair, tempted by the offer.
Hearing Kyle's words, both Harry and Ron subconsciously averted their gazes, feeling that they were the ones Kyle was referring to.
However, Harry was also curious about something else. He walked up to Kyle and asked hesitantly, "About the shampoo you mentioned earlier, is it...?"
"Yes, it's from your family, the Potters..." Kyle explained, "But the brand was sold off to another owner long ago, so it's no longer associated with your family."
The excitement on Harry's face quickly faded, and he returned to Ron's side, feeling disappointed.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked.
"Nothing," Harry shook his head.
For a fleeting moment, he had thought that he might still have an uncle or some other relative, but it turned out to be another false hope.
"Out of the way!"
At that moment, a short-tempered, short man with a large black camera pushed past Ron, saying, "Don't block the way, I'm taking pictures for the Daily Prophet."
"Oh, how wonderful!" Ron said, rubbing his foot where it had been stepped on.
Gilderoy Lockhart heard this, and he looked up, first spotting Ron and then Harry.
He stared at Harry for a moment before jumping up from his seat and exclaiming, "Merlin's beard, is that Harry Potter?"
The crowd parted, whispering excitedly.
Harry watched as Lockhart rushed towards him, apparently intending to pull him forward for a photo.
In that moment of social mortification, Harry's brain suddenly awoke to a wisdom far beyond his years.
"Kyle's at the back!" he shouted.
"Is that the same Kyle who received the Second Grade Merlin Medal?" Lockhart asked excitedly, following the direction of Harry's finger.
But there were only two middle-aged men and an excited witch there...
Harry was stunned.
Where had Kyle gone? He had definitely been there just a moment ago!
"I suppose the young man must have hidden because he saw how nervous I was,"
Lockhart flashed his sparkling teeth. "You know, I've won the Most Charming Smile Award from the Wizarding World Weekly five times."
This explanation was far from convincing to Harry, although he had no idea what the Wizarding World Weekly Smile Award was. It certainly couldn't compare to the Merlin Medal.
Moreover, Kyle had met legendary witches like Nicolle Mei; he wouldn't be nervous.
"Kyle must have run off because he didn't want to be photographed!" Harry thought to himself.
He felt like doing the same, but Lockhart didn't give him the chance.
Even without spotting Kyle, having Harry Potter in their photos was enough for the front page.
Harry was pulled forward like a puppet, as Lockhart warmly shook his hand for the photographer.
The short man frantically snapped pictures, and purple smoke wafted towards the Weasley family.
Harry felt flustered by the applause and the sound of the camera shutter, his face turning redder than Ron's hair.
He still couldn't understand how Kyle had disappeared so suddenly.
...
(End of Chapter)
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