The Boy Who Never Was - A Harry Potter Fanfic

Flourish and Blotts was a chaotic wonderland of books, parchment, and magical mayhem.

The air smelled faintly of ink and leather bindings, mingled with a hint of that peculiar magical tang that seemed to cling to everything in Diagon Alley.

Shelves towered all around us, stacked high with books of every size and color imaginable.

Titles like Enchantment for Dummies and The History of Spell Mishaps: A Compendium of Magical Blunders caught my eye as I navigated the narrow aisles.

Hermione, naturally, was in her element.

She stood in the center of the store with her arms piled high with books that looked like they weighed more than she did.

Her brow furrowed as she examined the spine of a particularly thick tome labeled Advanced Magical Theories: Volume VI.

"This one has more detailed footnotes than the fourth edition," she muttered to herself. "But the appendices are incomplete. What if I miss a crucial annotation?"

Mr. Granger sighed dramatically. "Hermione, it's just one book."

Hermione gasped as though he'd just suggested she set fire to the entire British Library.

"Dad! These books are essential! What if I need this information for an advanced spell analysis?"

"It's a book, not a marriage proposal," I quipped, strolling up with a grin.

Mrs. Granger chuckled. "Sky, please. Save us."

"Gladly," I declared. "Hermione, listen up. I have a life-changing, groundbreaking suggestion."

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Hogwarts: A History. Comprehensive, reliable, and won't collapse your bookshelf. On top of that, I will buy you a diary as well so you can fill it in with anything new you discover at the school."

Her eyes widened. "Oh! That's actually brilliant."

"Of course it is. I'm brilliant by default," I said smugly.

Mrs. Granger beamed. "You're a lifesaver."

"Don't I know it."

Hermione hesitated, her fingers twitching toward another book.

"But what if the new edition lacks updated appendices on historical magical disputes—"

I clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"Hermione, trust me. If the new edition's missing anything, you can fill it in your journal. Plus, I'll personally find a way to hex the publisher."

"You're impossible," she muttered, though a smile tugged at her lips.

"Only because it's so much fun," I shot back.

As we made our way toward the checkout, Professor McGonagall appeared, her sharp eyes scanning the shop.

She looked as though she'd just dueled a particularly stubborn group of parents at the school admissions office.

"Ah, there you are," she said briskly.

"How did things go at Ollivander's?"

I tried to sound nonchalant.

"Interesting. Turns out I'm incompatible with any of his wands. He has to custom-make one for me."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Incompatible? Mr. Ollivander has never had such an issue before."

I shrugged. "Guess I'm just special."

Hermione snorted. "That's one way to put it."

Ignoring her sass, I turned back to the shelves.

It was time for Operation Book Hoard.

While the Grangers and McGonagall continued chatting, I made my move.

Discreetly, I flicked my mental focus toward a nearby shelf, and books began vanishing into my inventory one by one.

The Standard Book of Spells, Year One—check.

Magical Theory—check.

Encyclopedia of Common Hexes caught my eye, and I snagged a copy for good measure.

I made sure to only store books with multiple copies.

The last thing I needed was a Flourish and Blotts employee panicking over missing inventory.

Hermione sidled up beside me, her expression suspicious.

"You're up to something."

"Me? Never."

She narrowed her eyes. "You have that look."

"What look?"

Did I have a look? That's not good.

"The one that says you're probably breaking half a dozen rules right now."

I grinned. "It's called multitasking."

Hermione huffed but didn't press the issue.

Victory.

By the time we reached the checkout counter, my inventory was bursting with enough books to start my own magical library.

The cashier blinked at the mountain of tomes Hermione dropped onto the counter on top of my pile.

"Do you need a cart?" The cashier asked.

"We're fine," Hermione said breezily.

"Just ring us up."

I gave Hermione a look. "Are you actually contributing to this purchase, or are you just here piggy back on my transaction?"

"Both," she said cheerfully, slipping a few galleons onto the counter to cover the extra books she'd liberated from her parents.

The cashier tallied up the purchase as Hermione continued her lecture. "You can't just wing your magical education, you know. Proper preparation is the foundation of success."

"Trust me," I said, "I'm very prepared."

If she only knew.

As the cashier packed up the books into enchanted bags, I glanced at the Grangers. "Ready to stage a rebellion if she picks up one more book?"

Mr. Granger gave me a thumbs-up. "You're our hero."

Hermione shot him a glare. "Traitor."

Once the books were paid for, I grabbed Hermione's arm.

"Time to go, book hoarder."

"But I didn't finish looking at—"

"Nope. We're staging a rescue mission here, and you're the hostage."

"But—"

"No buts. The Grangers are two seconds away from forming a search party for the nearest coffee shop."

Hermione sighed dramatically but let me drag her toward the exit.

As we stepped back onto Diagon Alley, the hustle and bustle greeted us like a chaotic symphony of magic and commerce.

Wizards bartered at stands, owls swooped overhead, and the scent of butterbeer wafted from a nearby café.

Professor McGonagall followed us, her lips twitching in amusement.

"I have the distinct impression that Hogwarts will never be the same once you two arrive."

"Oh, you have no idea," I said, grinning.

As we walked, I mentally reviewed my haul.

I'd managed to snag every course book we needed, plus a healthy selection of additional spellbooks and reference materials.

My inventory was practically glowing with magical knowledge.

Hermione, blissfully unaware of my extracurricular activities, chattered on about the various books she'd picked up.

I half-listened, content to let her geek out while I basked in the satisfaction of a library I had managed to make.

Mrs. Granger shook her head with a smile. "You two are quite the pair."

"We aim to please," I said with a wink.

"Or at least cause minimal property damage," Hermione added dryly.

I gasped in mock offense. "How dare you imply that I cause any damage?"

McGonagall arched an eyebrow. "Shall I remind you of the roof incident at Ollivander's?"

"That was a fluke!"

"And the wall that mysteriously vanished?"

"...Advanced interior decorating?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."

"Hopelessly charming," I corrected.

She didn't respond to my witty remark.

Oh well, I didn't hear a protest to my comment at least.