These words caused an uproar in the audience.
"Really?!"
Professor Lockhart is giving away books for free?!
The crowd, which had initially been skeptical, was immediately overwhelmed with joy, and cheers and expressions of gratitude rose and fell.
Mrs. Weasley's eyes lit up instantly, and she excitedly grabbed Ginny. Ron opened his mouth wide, George and Fred whistled and clapped wildly, and even the usually serious Percy showed an unexpected smile.
Lockhart's heart ached with pain, but to save face, he gritted his teeth and agreed, "Of course! No problem! Take whatever you want! It's all on me!"
The crowd surged forward to collect their books, creating a lively scene.
Draco simply took Hermione's hand and turned to walk towards the cashier.
Hermione asked softly, "Aren't we going to get it?"
Draco shook his head, took out a gold coin, and gently placed it on the counter. "We'll buy it ourselves."
He disdained to take advantage of such a situation, and even less so to accept anything Lockhart offered as charity.
Hermione understood, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes, and she obediently stood beside him.
The two quietly paid, clutched their Lockhart suits, and walked out of the bustling Flourish and Blotts.
The crowd who received the free book sets almost instinctively cheered, " Draco! Draco!"
The scene was so grand that it was as if the entire venue had been booked by this young master Malfoy.
Lockhart stood there, a stiff smile on his face, his heart bleeding.
Hey, get this straight! I sent the book! It was Gilderoy Lockhart who sent it!
But he didn't dare utter a single complaint, much less call for a halt.
If this gets leaked to The Daily Prophet, he can even come up with the headline for them:
Professor Lockhart made a promise in public, then went back on his word, losing face completely.
At that point, the fame and image he has painstakingly built will be completely ruined.
He could only grit his teeth and maintain his composure, while frantically calculating in his mind: he must make sure the reporters take as many photos as possible of him generously giving away books.
Then he would elaborate on his noble image of caring for his students and being generous and selfless, making up for all the embarrassment he had lost today!
The look in his eyes as he looked at Draco was now more complicated. This kid was so young, yet his mind was so deep, and his methods were both ruthless and steady.
They both cornered him and gave him a way out, making him resentful while also deterring him from easily provoking them.
After the crowd dispersed slightly, the Weasley family, carrying a thick stack of the free books they had received, hurried out of the bookstore.
This time, the way they looked at Draco was completely different.
The guardedness and prejudice in their eyes were gone, replaced by boundless gratitude.
Draco could easily waive the school fees for his five children, which greatly reduced their family's financial burden.
Mrs. Weasley stepped forward, her tone much more sincere, even tinged with embarrassment:
" Draco, thank you so much. We wouldn't have gotten these books without you."
She used to think that the Malfoy family were all cold and arrogant, but today she realized that this boy was insightful and exceptionally protective of Hermione.
Ginny, clutching her book, whispered, "Thank you, Dr. Malfoy."
The initial shyness had been replaced by genuine admiration.
"Brilliant, Malfoy, that was brilliant! You got Lockhart completely under your thumb with just a few words," George approvingly agreed.
"The only pity is that you performed all the coolest scenes of the whole show by yourself," Fred said regretfully.
Ron, holding the book, sighed with regret.
"It's a pity Harry and the others weren't here today. They missed such a wonderful show. It would have been so much fun if they were here."
Mrs. Weasley listened to the boys talking amongst themselves, and then recalled Lockhart's repeated excuses in the bookstore earlier.
The fervor on his face gradually faded, replaced by a sense of solemnity and realization.
She gently touched the book in her arms and said a little embarrassedly, "Now that you mention it... I also feel that something's not right. It's clearly his proudest achievement, why did he hesitate like that when he was asked to demonstrate it?"
Ginny, clutching the book, looked utterly disappointed. "I was just waiting to see him use that powerful spell... Does he... not know it at all?"
Mrs. Weasley sighed, her voice lowering:
"Now I'm starting to have doubts... Maybe he's not as amazing as the book portrays him at all, and those stories... might just be well-written."
She glanced at Draco, then at Hermione, her eyes filled with gratitude.
If Draco hadn't brought it up today, they might have remained in the dark for much longer.
Ginny nodded slightly, her adoring gaze now turning sober. "I will never blindly trust him again."
George and Fred exchanged a smile and spoke in unison:
"The fact that you can think this way means you're completely awake!"
Ron crossed his arms, looking like he knew it all too well.
"You're right, he was completely bewitched just now, no amount of persuasion could stop him."
Mrs. Weasley blushed slightly, turned to look at Arthur Weasley who hadn't said much beside her, and gently nudged his arm. "Is... is it really that exaggerated?"
Arthur smiled gently and commented incisively:
"Darling, it's not an exaggeration, Lockhart is just too good at captivating people."
"Some wizards may not be very skilled, but they are masters at bewitching people."
"What happened today is actually more effective than any textbook. Seeing it with your own eyes is more practical than hearing a hundred propaganda speeches."
Mrs. Weasley's face flushed slightly, and she sighed softly. When she looked at the set of books in her arms again, her previous fervor had vanished.
After purchasing the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2, the group continued their stroll through Diagon Alley.
They hadn't gone far when the window of Ms. Prim's Beauty Aphrodisiac shop immediately caught Mrs. Weasley and Ginny's attention.
The shop window displays sparkling hair oil, skin-brightening magic potions, curling mascara, and the same shampoo that Malfoy uses, claiming to "make hair smooth in three seconds."
Ginny's eyes lit up immediately, and Mrs. Weasley also subconsciously slowed her pace, staring intently at the bottles and jars.
Hermione smiled gently; girls are generally not very resistant to these things.
Mrs. Weasley herself seemed a little embarrassed, and turned to everyone with a light cough. "We'll just... just take a look, we're not buying."
"I just wanted to check out that hair treatment," Ginny added.
Fred quickly replied, "Don't worry, we definitely won't rush you. Take your time to enjoy it; it's much more pleasing to the eye than Lockhart!"
George, however, noticed something and teased with a grin, "Oh—I didn't expect Ginny to start caring about her hair too!"
"Looks like our youngest daughter is finally starting to see the light!" George said with a mischievous grin.