Brian walked into the specially decorated Flourish and Blotts and found that, although the book signing was drawing to a close, there were still plenty of people inside-the people gazing at Lockhart with adoration or admiration filled nearly half the shop. Sirius felt rather sour about it.
"It really is that Gilderoy Lockhart," he muttered.
Unbelievable. Gilderoy Lockhart, who had done so many outrageous-even downright absurd-things in his youth, was now standing beneath the spotlight candles, basking in his fans' affection.
The great hand of time was truly marvelous. It could even work the miracle of molding an incompetent blowhard into a model wizard. Sirius was starting to want to turn his days in Azkaban into a memoir himself. Perhaps it would be an unexpected bestseller. Writing a book-yes, writing could help pass the time, too. The more Sirius thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He asked Harry, "Harry, do you think anyone would enjoy a nonfiction book about life in Azkaban prison?"
"Huh?" Harry had no idea what had suddenly occurred to his godfather this time and was rather bewildered. Azkaban? Was there really anyone in the world who enjoyed reading about how Dementors tormented prisoners?
"Maybe... it could work?" Harry tried imagining it. "But... perhaps you should add some fantasy and fairy-tale elements? Like, underneath a Dementor's cloak, there's actually a Transfiguration Rabbit?"
"Then it wouldn't count as nonfiction," Sirius said thoughtfully. "At most, the Dementors ought to be some sort of transformed Dark Magic creatures, like Boggarts. That would make sense. Hmm, this idea could work. Why not call it 'The Prisoner of Azkaban'? Ah, you'd definitely have to appear in it... so that makes it 'Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.' Incredible. You can tell just from the title that it'll be a