Arthur and a few others, along with the Weasley family, arrived at Flourish and Blotts. The place was packed wall to wall with people.
After asking around, they learned today was the day Gilderoy Lockhart was doing a book signing.
The moment she heard the news, Mrs. Weasley lit up with excitement, and Hermione looked equally thrilled.
The two of them eagerly squeezed through the crowd, finally managing to struggle their way into the front row.
Arthur, holding Ranni by the hand, went upstairs to the second-floor gallery, where they could look down at the entire scene below.
But once they got there, he noticed someone else standing by the railing — none other than this story's perennial "tragic supporting role," young Draco Malfoy.
What? You ask who the female lead is?
Well, that would obviously be none other than Harry's best mate, Mr. Ron Weasley.
As he looked at Draco leaning against the balustrade, a stray line suddenly surfaced in Arthur's mind:
"The sorrows and joys of men are not the same. I only think they are noisy."
(Lu Xun: Hey, that really is my line!)
Arthur greeted him. Draco, however, turned his head away arrogantly, too proud to answer.
This child just wanted to make friends, but did he really have to be so prickly about it?
The saying goes, a man who acts tsundere isn't charming at all.
Arthur didn't take offense, but Ranni was another story.
How dare this boy ignore her king!
Invisible pressure swept out from her, crushing down on Draco.
Draco instantly went cold all over, as if a dragon had locked its gaze on him.
No, worse than a dragon — it was terrifying to the point of suffocation.
Arthur quickly noticed Draco trembling, then glanced at Ranni, whose expression was deadly serious.
He immediately realized what was happening.
He squeezed her palm gently, signaling her to rein in her aura.
Then, stepping in front of Draco, he said apologetically:
"Sorry, my fiancée has a bit of a temper."
Draco gasped for air, stammering: "N-no problem…"
As if he dared say otherwise!
Who knew where this Arthur had found such a terrifying fiancée? Her aura alone had nearly crushed him flat.
After that, Draco said no more, turning his eyes instead to Harry below.
Arthur also led Ranni to look down at the scene, which he saw only as a farce.
A thief whose only real skill was a perfect Memory Charm — he stole other people's experiences, polished them up, and sold them as his own.
Especially that so-called autobiography Magical Me, which had stayed at the top of the Daily Prophet's bestseller list for twenty-seven straight weeks.
Bloody hell, wizarding entertainment was seriously messed up.
If this guy were dumped into Conan's world, they'd have enough material for a "joint-crime special episode."
Hard to believe he even managed to graduate from Ravenclaw.
Ranni was puzzled too. She asked:
"Why does a weakling like him have so many admirers?"
This time, she wasn't comparing him to herself — she was comparing him with the crowd.
At least half the people down there were stronger than Lockhart.
"Probably because he managed to fool everyone."
Arthur shrugged indifferently.
"So those heroes in his books aren't really him?"
Ranni studied him carefully and easily spotted the truth.
"Exactly. Just look at him — smooth skin, slender hands. Does he look like someone who's spent years fighting magical beasts outdoors?"
Draco listened in shock, as though he had just stumbled across a huge secret.
"You're saying… Lockhart's a fraud?"
He couldn't hold back his curiosity and finally spoke up.
"Of course. Not a single scar on him. How could he possibly have fought all those dangerous creatures he wrote about?"
Draco took another hard look at Lockhart's immaculate appearance. Indeed, it was just as Arthur said.
As a boy who still had a streak of honesty, Draco grew curious.
"Then… hasn't anyone exposed him?"
"Why would they? Maybe some people know he's a fake, but as long as he brings benefits, that's enough.
Look at that Daily Prophet photographer — just a few pictures and he has tomorrow's headlines.
And publishers? His books sell like wildfire, so they make a fortune. Who cares if the stories are real or not?
It's just that this year, we're the unlucky ones."
Draco frowned. "Unlucky? Why?"
"Because that peacock down there has applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts."
Draco sneered. "Hah, has Dumbledore gone senile? He can't even tell a conman from the real thing?"
"Not really. It's more that no one dares apply for the job anymore."
"Why?"
"Because Voldemort once applied and Dumbledore rejected him. Out of spite, he cursed the position — no one's been able to last more than a year."
"And last year's Professor Quirrell?"
"Dead. Disintegrated into dust and dead."
Draco swallowed hard at the way Arthur said something so horrifying in such a casual tone.
Could it have been him who killed Quirrell?
Glancing at his terrifying fiancée, Draco found the idea disturbingly plausible.
This guy was clearly someone not to be provoked. Luckily, he hadn't crossed him last year.
Arthur, seeing Draco's face, immediately guessed his thoughts.
Foolish boy, the real killer is right downstairs, grinning like an idiot while posing for photos.
"Draco, what are you doing?"
At that moment, his father Lucius Malfoy ascended the stairs.
"Father, I'm just talking with a classmate," Draco replied.
"Your classmate?" Lucius glanced at Arthur and Ranni. "Slytherin? Strange, I don't recall you ever mentioning them."
"No, he's in Gryffindor."
"Oh, Draco! Didn't I warn you not to mingle with riffraff? Gryffindors are all brainless—"
But before he could finish, he was smothered by the same crushing aura Ranni had unleashed earlier.
She, Princess of Caria and Witch of the Moon, had just been labeled "riffraff"?
How intolerable!
And so, Lucius shared the same suffocating experience as his son — a neat little family reunion of breathless Malfoys.
Arthur didn't like Lucius.
Arrogant, full of himself, yet still willing to lick Voldemort's boots.
It was only after Draco begged that he signaled Ranni to withdraw her aura.
"Draco, remember this: only by becoming strong yourself can you earn respect. Not through your father's empty 'pure-blood glory.'
And by the way, your oh-so-proud Malfoy ancestors once included Lucius the First, who tried and failed to court Queen Elizabeth I.
Quite amusing, isn't it?"
With that, Arthur took Ranni by the hand and headed downstairs.
Before leaving, he left Draco with a final word of advice.
Draco, unlike Lucius, still had a chance.
His worldview wasn't set in stone yet, and at heart, he wasn't truly malicious — just tainted by his father's bad habits.
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