When they got downstairs, they found Mrs. Weasley dividing her efforts
between cooking and cleaning up Lockhart's graffiti. Mr. Weasley was
sitting at the kitchen table and looking extremely tired. An owl swooped
in, dropped off The Daily Prophet and flew back out the window.
"What's the Prophet say today?" Ron asked.
Mr. Weasley started to read haltingly because the article was covered with Lockhart's purple autograph. "Gilderoy Lockhart is continuing his autographing . . . tour. Witches and wizards across Britain . . . again woke up to find Mr. Lockhart's signature . . . scrawled on every surface, in many . . . cases, where the autographs had . . . been just the day . . . before. No explanation is known . . . for Mr. Lockhart's self-aggrandizing behavior. Ministry officials . . . assure us that they are close to catching Mr. Lockhart."
Mr. Weasley put the paper down with a sigh. "It's a lie," he said. "The Ministry has no clue how to catch Lockhart."
The other Weasleys and Hermione came downstairs, and Mrs. Weasley set plates of food in front of all of them.
"After you eat, we're going to Diagon Alley," she said. "I'm all out of Mrs. Skower's, so there's no use trying to clean up. And we can get your school things."
"And Fred and George can go to their shop," she added with a grumble.
~*~*~*
A few minutes later, they were standing in front of The Home and Cauldron, the magical homemaking shop. The throng of witches and wizards was so thick that they couldn't even get near the door. An older witch stepped out of the store and sent sparks into the air to get everyone's attention.
"I am sorry to announce that we are completely sold out of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover," she shouted to the crowd. "We are also sold out of paint-repelling paint. And we currently have only five scrubbing brushes left in stock."
Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione turned and began heading for the other shops they needed to go to.
"I need some new quills and more ink," Ginny said.
Hermione got a fierce look of concentration on her face. But she didn't say anything.
A few minutes later, they bumped into Fred and George.
"Why aren't you at your store?" Ron asked.
"Slow business," George replied. "Seems no one's in the mood to buy joke supplies. Lockhart's graffiti is enough joke for them."
"Plus, we just though we'd leave Lockhart's autographs up until he is caught," Fred said. "No use cleaning up just to have him sign everything again. He signed everything in our store --- except for the ink-banishing paper, of course."
"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "I know how to catch Lockhart."
~*~*~*
That evening they said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who were going back to The Burrow. Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry had said they were going to stay in Diagon Alley to help Fred and George clean up their shop.
A few minutes later, they were clustered waiting in the dark and closed Sorcery Stationery Shop.
"What's this about anyway?" Ron asked.
"Lockhart has to come here," Hermione said. "He's running out of ink. The first night the ink was multicolored. The second night the ink was purple. And it probably varied all over the country. He needs more ink and probably more quills, too."
After what seemed like hours, they heard a noise at the door. It sprang open and in walked Gilderoy Lockhart.
"Go!" Hermione whispered to Ginny.
Ginny stepped out of the shadows and held a piece of paper out to Lockhart.
"Mr. Lockhart, will you please give me your autograph?" she asked.
Lockhart beamed. "Why, certainly!" he said, taking the paper from her.
He pulled out a quill and grabbed a bottle of ink from a shelf. He bent over the paper and signed his name with a flourish.
Only nothing showed up on the paper.
He tried again. Nothing.
"Why won't this paper let me write?!" Lockhart yelled.
"Ink-banishing paper," Fred whispered.
Lockhart continued to try to sign the paper. He pushed so hard his quill went through. Then he tried again, getting more frustrated every time. With Lockhart distracted, Harry stepped out of the shadows and pointed his wand at his former teacher.
"Petrificus totalus!" he shouted.
Lockhart's legs sprang together, his arms snapped to his sides and he fell over onto the floor.
A few minutes later, they heard the distinctive "pop" sounds of people apparating. They slipped out of the shop unnoticed.
"This is neat work," a Ministry official said, looking at Lockhart lying on the ground with his quill still in his hand. "I wonder who did it?"
~- End -~
"What's the Prophet say today?" Ron asked.
Mr. Weasley started to read haltingly because the article was covered with Lockhart's purple autograph. "Gilderoy Lockhart is continuing his autographing . . . tour. Witches and wizards across Britain . . . again woke up to find Mr. Lockhart's signature . . . scrawled on every surface, in many . . . cases, where the autographs had . . . been just the day . . . before. No explanation is known . . . for Mr. Lockhart's self-aggrandizing behavior. Ministry officials . . . assure us that they are close to catching Mr. Lockhart."
Mr. Weasley put the paper down with a sigh. "It's a lie," he said. "The Ministry has no clue how to catch Lockhart."
The other Weasleys and Hermione came downstairs, and Mrs. Weasley set plates of food in front of all of them.
"After you eat, we're going to Diagon Alley," she said. "I'm all out of Mrs. Skower's, so there's no use trying to clean up. And we can get your school things."
"And Fred and George can go to their shop," she added with a grumble.
~*~*~*
A few minutes later, they were standing in front of The Home and Cauldron, the magical homemaking shop. The throng of witches and wizards was so thick that they couldn't even get near the door. An older witch stepped out of the store and sent sparks into the air to get everyone's attention.
"I am sorry to announce that we are completely sold out of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover," she shouted to the crowd. "We are also sold out of paint-repelling paint. And we currently have only five scrubbing brushes left in stock."
Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione turned and began heading for the other shops they needed to go to.
"I need some new quills and more ink," Ginny said.
Hermione got a fierce look of concentration on her face. But she didn't say anything.
A few minutes later, they bumped into Fred and George.
"Why aren't you at your store?" Ron asked.
"Slow business," George replied. "Seems no one's in the mood to buy joke supplies. Lockhart's graffiti is enough joke for them."
"Plus, we just though we'd leave Lockhart's autographs up until he is caught," Fred said. "No use cleaning up just to have him sign everything again. He signed everything in our store --- except for the ink-banishing paper, of course."
"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "I know how to catch Lockhart."
~*~*~*
That evening they said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who were going back to The Burrow. Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry had said they were going to stay in Diagon Alley to help Fred and George clean up their shop.
A few minutes later, they were clustered waiting in the dark and closed Sorcery Stationery Shop.
"What's this about anyway?" Ron asked.
"Lockhart has to come here," Hermione said. "He's running out of ink. The first night the ink was multicolored. The second night the ink was purple. And it probably varied all over the country. He needs more ink and probably more quills, too."
After what seemed like hours, they heard a noise at the door. It sprang open and in walked Gilderoy Lockhart.
"Go!" Hermione whispered to Ginny.
Ginny stepped out of the shadows and held a piece of paper out to Lockhart.
"Mr. Lockhart, will you please give me your autograph?" she asked.
Lockhart beamed. "Why, certainly!" he said, taking the paper from her.
He pulled out a quill and grabbed a bottle of ink from a shelf. He bent over the paper and signed his name with a flourish.
Only nothing showed up on the paper.
He tried again. Nothing.
"Why won't this paper let me write?!" Lockhart yelled.
"Ink-banishing paper," Fred whispered.
Lockhart continued to try to sign the paper. He pushed so hard his quill went through. Then he tried again, getting more frustrated every time. With Lockhart distracted, Harry stepped out of the shadows and pointed his wand at his former teacher.
"Petrificus totalus!" he shouted.
Lockhart's legs sprang together, his arms snapped to his sides and he fell over onto the floor.
A few minutes later, they heard the distinctive "pop" sounds of people apparating. They slipped out of the shop unnoticed.
"This is neat work," a Ministry official said, looking at Lockhart lying on the ground with his quill still in his hand. "I wonder who did it?"
~- End -~