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Warm sunlight poured through the windowpanes of the massive manor, flooding the bedroom with a golden glow. Augustus was leaning against his desk, reading the daily newspaper delivered by the house-elf.
On the front page, Cornelius Fudge's rather plump face smiled in an official sort of way.
Morton Hughes, head of the Muggle Department, was giving updates to a crowd of reporters about the recent string of Muggle attacks. Meanwhile, Cresson, in charge of Muggle infrastructure oversight, had taken full responsibility for the collapse of a Muggle bridge.
Compared to the constant hustle and bustle of the Ministry of Magic, Augustus was clearly living a much more relaxed life.
This long summer break, he had mostly spent reading books and newspapers, patching up holes in the magical family tree system, and running various experiments on basic types of magic in this world.
But with the new school year approaching, he finally had to start setting all that aside and prepare for his second year at Hogwarts.
"Augustus, are you in there?" came Aurora's voice from outside his room.
"What's up?" he asked, walking to the door and opening it.
"Sweetie, a letter came from the school." She handed him a yellowish parchment envelope, the writing on it in green ink.
He opened it and found the usual back-to-school instructions: he was to take the Hogwarts Express from King's Cross Station on September 1st. Inside was also a list of textbooks he'd need this year.
Second-Year Reading List:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2
Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart
Wandering with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart
Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart
"Gilderoy Lockhart? Who's that?" Augustus frowned. He was familiar with pretty much every legendary-level wizard in this world, but this name didn't ring a bell at all.
"He's kind of a big deal lately," Aurora said with a smile in her eyes. "Word is he's done a bunch of stuff that even top-tier wizards couldn't handle. He's gotten super famous in the wizarding world, where power talks. A lot of people know who he is—and he's especially popular with witches. But honestly, I'm not that interested in him."
"So he must be pretty powerful, then." Augustus nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask further. "Are we going to Diagon Alley today to buy my books and supplies for the term?"
"Yeah. Your father's already waiting for us in the front garden," Aurora replied, turning to lead Augustus out of the room and down the hall toward the front of the manor.
Clovis, dressed casually, was sitting on a bench in the garden. When he saw them, he stood up to greet them.
"Augustus, the new term's about to start. You did great last year. I hope you keep it up. Don't stress about any family stuff—your mother and I will always have your back," Clovis said with a warm smile.
Augustus nodded. Even though this was technically his second life, the love and support from this world's family meant a lot to him.
The three of them boarded the large carriage waiting at the manor's entrance. With a breeze in their wake, they set off toward sun-scorched London.
The carriage descended slowly at the entrance to Diagon Alley. As Augustus stepped down, the scorching sun beat down hard, practically baking the street. The air shimmered with heat.
The family headed toward Flourish and Blotts, and they quickly realized they weren't the only ones with that idea. A huge crowd was gathered outside the bookstore. A large banner stretched across the upper floor:
"Gilderoy Lockhart Book Signing – Today from 12:30 to 4:30 PM"
"We get to see him in person!" a witch exclaimed. "I mean, almost all the books on the list are his!"
Most of the crowd seemed to be older witches. At the door, a tired-looking wizard tried to keep order: "Ladies, please... calm down... don't push... watch the books..."
The line snaked all the way from the door around to the back of the store, where Lockhart was signing books.
Eventually, they got a glimpse of Gilderoy Lockhart. He was sitting behind a table, surrounded by huge posters of himself.
In every photo, he was winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth. The real Lockhart wore a bright cornflower-blue robe that matched his blue eyes perfectly. His pointy wizard hat was tilted playfully over his curly hair.
A grumpy-looking short man with a huge black camera kept jumping around to get shots from different angles. Every time the flash went off, the camera puffed out little clouds of purple smoke.
This is Lockhart? Augustus stared in disbelief. His magical eye revealed that Lockhart's magic reserves were pathetically low—lower than many adult wizards. And yet, here he was, treated like a superstar. Augustus couldn't help but wonder how much of his so-called autobiography was actually true.
Nearby, he spotted Harry and Ron standing in another long line.
"Move it," the short photographer snapped at Ron, stepping back to find a better angle. "This is for the Daily Prophet."
"Brilliant," Ron muttered, rubbing the foot the man had stepped on.
Lockhart apparently overheard. He looked up and spotted Ron—then saw Harry. He stared at Harry for a moment, then suddenly jumped up and shouted, "Isn't this Harry Potter?"
The crowd parted instantly, whispering excitedly. Lockhart rushed forward, grabbed Harry by the arm, and pulled him to the front.
The store burst into applause. Harry's face turned bright red as Lockhart clutched his hand and posed for the photographer. The short man kept clicking away as smoke filled the air and drifted over the Weasleys.
Augustus watched the whole scene with an amused expression. It was obvious now—Lockhart was a master of self-promotion. He had almost no actual power but still managed to be a media darling and the center of attention.
But something didn't sit right with Augustus. Dumbledore wasn't the type to be fooled by flashy appearances.
No matter how charming Lockhart acted in public, a legendary wizard like Dumbledore would've seen right through the façade. So why had the school decided to assign so many of Lockhart's books?
Maybe there was something deeper going on—something Augustus couldn't see yet.
He shook his head slightly, lost in thought.
"....."