As a time-traveler, Hodge Blackthorn was well-versed in the major events of the wizarding world.
Though the details and exact timelines were sometimes hazy, and his advantage would only hold for a few years before the butterfly effect grew too unpredictable, Hodge could confidently call himself the greatest seer of this era.
But he couldn't control everything.
"The magical accident that triggered his awakening," "Ginny's strange behavior," and "Voldemort and his Horcruxes still lurking in the shadows." These three issues were ones Hodge needed to tackle—or at the very least, understand the stakes and keep track of their progress.
Right now, for instance, several scenarios were clashing fiercely in Hodge's mind:
The first: Ginny gets the diary, and he could observe her reactions closely.
The second possible outcome: Ginny doesn't get the diary—meaning Lucius Malfoy didn't find an opportunity to act. In that case, Hodge's presence here was crucial, as it could lend credibility to his future actions, like pointing out that the diary is a dark magical object.
The final possibility: Hodge tries to get the diary himself.
In short, Hodge had contingency plans for each scenario. Right now, things seemed to lean toward the second or third future, because Harry was busy ranting about Lockhart to him.
As long as Harry was here, Ginny wouldn't wander off alone…
While Hodge was lost in thought, Ron and Hermione finished getting their books signed by Lockhart and hurried over to join him and Harry.
Then, an accident happened out of nowhere. Draco Malfoy appeared in the narrow aisle and collided hard with Ron. Clearly prepared, Draco only stumbled back a step, steadied by his father Lucius's quick hand. Ron, caught off guard, wasn't so lucky—he sprawled onto the floor in a heap.
"Well, well, Weasley," Draco sneered. "Didn't expect to see you here. Shouldn't you be at the secondhand bookstore? I bet you're getting those signatures to sell them. Might cover your food for half a month, right?"
Ron's face flushed red with anger. He scrambled to his feet, ready to lunge at Draco and throw a punch.
"Stop right there, Weasley boy," Lucius said from behind Draco, looking down at Ron with a cold, expressionless glare. "Draco, don't be so uncouth. You must understand… the Weasleys have so many children, it's only natural they're a bit strapped for cash. If they didn't find some creative ways to get by, would they just let themselves starve?"
Fred and George pushed through the crowd, the twins' faces alight with indignation.
"What's that I hear? Someone's picking a fight?" Fred said, his tone dripping with disgust. George was about to chime in when Mr. Weasley appeared, arms laden with packages. "What's going on, kids? Your mother's still a bit, the crowd outside's gone mad… we'd better wait out there—" He caught sight of the Malfoys, and his demeanor turned icy.
"Well, well, well—Arthur Weasley," Lucius drawled, his voice thick with mockery.
"Lucius," Mr. Weasley replied curtly.
On the other side, Harry noticed the brewing tension. "Let's go check it out," he said to Hodge and Ginny. The three of them joined Hermione, and Harry whispered, "What's happening?"
"Someone's stirring trouble," Hermione huffed, clutching a stack of books.
As if he'd overheard her, Draco's head whipped around. His gaze landed on Hermione, then flicked away with a dismissive sneer. "Look at the kind of friends your son's made at school, Weasley… I hear you've been busy with work lately, all those raids… They must be paying you overtime, right? Otherwise, why bother being the disgrace of the wizarding world?"
Mr. Weasley's face turned as red as Ron's.
"We have very different ideas about what makes a wizard a disgrace, Malfoy," he said stiffly.
"Of course," Lucius replied, his pale eyes darting briefly to Hermione, then to Hodge as he approached. His gaze lingered for a moment before settling on the Grangers, who looked uneasy in the crowd. A plan seemed to form in his mind.
"…You've set quite the example, haven't you? I hear your latest Muggle Protection Act got shelved. Must be disappointing, sitting on the bench all these years… Hardly surprising, though. It's a trivial matter, only clung to by families who've sunk to the absolute lowest—"
With a loud crash, Mr. Weasley launched himself at Lucius, landing a solid punch to his face. The force of the tackle sent them both crashing into a bookshelf behind them, sending dozens of heavy spellbooks tumbling down with a thud-thud-thud onto their heads.
The scene erupted into chaos.
The crowd scattered in panic, knocking over more shelves in their rush.
Fred and George waved their fists, cheering, "Get him, Dad! Get him!"
A bookstore clerk hurried over, shouting, "Please, gentlemen—stop fighting, please!" He tripped over a book on the floor and went sprawling.
From the signing queue outside, Lockhart's excited voice rang out. "A commotion? A fight? Make way, I can handle this!"
Finally, a booming voice like rolling thunder silenced the chaos. It was Hagrid, striding through the mess of scattered books. He grabbed people blocking his path and moved them aside like chess pieces, leaving one short man bewildered to find himself perched atop a bookshelf. "Clear out, ladies and gentlemen—" In a blink, Hagrid had separated the two brawlers.
Lucius Malfoy sported a swollen eye and a torn collar, silver threads from his fine robes sticking out haphazardly, matching his disheveled hair. Mr. Weasley wasn't much better off, with a split lip and a bloodied nose. They glared at each other like angry bulls, but with Hagrid's massive frame looming, neither dared make another move.
"Let's go, Draco. Don't waste too much time with riffraff—you never know when their bad luck might rub off," Lucius spat venomously, turning to leave.
Then, something extraordinary happened—at least in Hodge's eyes. Ginny, who had been quietly standing beside Harry and Hermione, had somehow moved without anyone noticing. She now stood directly in Lucius Malfoy's path as he stormed toward the exit.
What followed was like a replay of the earlier collision. Ginny was knocked over, falling to the ground as the books in her cauldron spilled everywhere.
Lucius froze for a moment, then crouched down, hastily gathering the books and shoving them back into Ginny's new cauldron. "Here, little girl, take your books. It's the best your father can give you," he said brusquely before striding off. Draco shot Harry and Ron a glare before disappearing into the crowd after his father.
"Blimey, what a mess," Hagrid said, lifting Ginny off the ground as easily as if she were a kitten. "You alright, Ginny?"
Ginny shook her head, burying her face in her cauldron.
"She seems shaken up," Hodge said, nudging Harry. "Go on, comfort her."
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