"Mr. Potter…"
A tall, pale wizard stepped forward, his long blond hair gleaming in the light.
"I'm Lucius Malfoy," he said smoothly. "We finally meet."
Lucius offered his hand. Harry hesitated, sensing hostility beneath the polite smile, but shook it out of courtesy.
The moment their hands met, Lucius yanked Harry toward him with surprising force.
He lifted his serpent-headed cane and used it to push back Harry's fringe, revealing the lightning-shaped scar. He opened his mouth to speak—
—but Kevin suddenly stepped in, shoving Lucius back several metres. In one motion, Kevin snatched the cane from his grip and snapped it clean in two.
"Mr. Malfoy," Kevin said coldly, "it seems your so-called noble upbringing could use some improvement. You're not even as decent as your son."
The broken cane clattered to the floor, revealing a hidden wand inside. Lucius's eyes narrowed, more in shock than anger—few dared to lay hands on him, let alone disarm him in public.
"And who might you be?" Lucius asked, his voice low and dangerous, trying to maintain his aristocratic composure.
By now, the commotion had drawn a crowd. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hurried over, pulling their children close.
"Malfoy, what do you think you're doing to my children?" Mr. Weasley demanded.
Lucius sneered. "Ah, Arthur Weasley. Still keeping company with Muggle-borns, I see." His gaze flicked to Kevin on the last words, as if it were an insult.
Kevin ignored the provocation. Strength, he believed, was the only thing that mattered.
Harry didn't fully understand the insult, but Hermione bristled. "Shut your filthy mouth," she snapped.
"Oh, Miss Granger," Lucius said with mock politeness. "Your parents are Muggles as well, aren't they?"
Hermione's parents weren't with her that day, but Lucius clearly knew exactly who she was.
"Don't you dare go too far, Malfoy!" Mr. Weasley growled, stepping forward.
Lucius smirked. "Careful, Weasley. You wouldn't want to exhaust yourself before another hard day at the Ministry."
He circled Arthur like a predator before stopping in front of Kevin, looking him up and down with a cruel smile. Kevin didn't move.
Lucius stepped past him to Harry. "Harry Potter. The scar on your forehead… quite the legend."
"You mean Voldemort?" Harry replied evenly. "He's just a murderer. Nothing more."
Gasps came from nearby customers.
"You dare speak his name? You're either incredibly brave… or incredibly foolish," Lucius said with a hint of mockery.
"Not daring to say his name just proves you're a coward," Hermione shot back.
Lucius's eyes turned cold. "If the Dark Lord were still alive, Miss Granger, Muggle-borns like you would be the first to suffer. Watch your tongue."
Before anyone could respond, Kevin's fist shot forward.
Lucius had just enough time to cast a wandless, nonverbal Shield Charm—but it wasn't enough. Kevin's punch shattered the magical barrier like glass and connected squarely with Lucius's jaw.
The force sent Lucius spinning through the air before crashing to the ground.
The shop erupted in shocked gasps.
Hermione stared at Kevin, eyes wide—not in horror, but admiration.
"Father!" Draco rushed to Lucius's side. He had stayed silent the whole time, caught between his father and his classmate. Now, pale and panicked, he helped Lucius sit up.
Lucius spat blood—and two teeth—onto the floor. Kevin had clearly pulled his punch; otherwise, Lucius might not have been standing.
"What's… his name…" Lucius rasped, still staring at Kevin with murderous intent.
"Kevin," he replied evenly.
"You're welcome to come and try for revenge anytime, Lucius," Kevin added with a mocking pat to Malfoy's chest.
The gesture mirrored one from the previous year, when Kevin had taunted Draco the same way. Draco recognised it immediately.
"Very well, Kevin," Lucius said with a low, dangerous laugh. "I'll remember you." He turned, leaning on Draco, and swept from the shop.
Draco glanced back once, and Kevin tilted his chin in a subtle gesture to go on.
The tension broke. Hermione, Harry, and the Weasleys crowded around Kevin, half in worry, half in excitement.
"Kevin, that was brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, shaking his friend's shoulders.
"Thanks," Harry said quietly. "He had no right to treat me like that."
The twins whooped about Kevin "defeating Malfoy" and "winning the lady," earning a glare from Mrs. Weasley before she pulled Kevin into a fierce hug.
As they were gathering their things, Kevin's gaze caught Ginny's cauldron. Nestled behind her brown-covered book was a small, black diary.
When did Lucius slip that in? Kevin thought.
He suspected it happened when Lucius had stepped close to Harry and Hermione—Ginny must have been right behind them, hidden from sight.
Still, Kevin let it be. Removing the diary might disrupt events in dangerous ways, and Harry seemed destined for trouble regardless.
That evening back at the Burrow, Kevin handed out extra Defence Against the Dark Arts textbooks—Professor Snape's recommendations—to everyone except Hermione, whose copy he would give her later.
Mrs. Weasley was touched by the gesture, as were the rest of the family, though she said nothing against Lockhart's books.
Hermione simply smiled, knowing Kevin was once again balancing favours and debts in his own way.
The next day, they would return to Hogwarts.