HP: It's a snake, not a badger.

Chapter 52 Shopping Before School Starts

"What was Albus thinking? Why did he have to let a clown be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor? And I have to pay to buy his books? Severus, do you think you can even find them in a used bookstore?"

Emeric was getting a little frustrated. He couldn't stand having a peacock as his professor. Half of the semester's admission notices were this peacock's autobiography. He was rich, that's true, but he couldn't afford to spend money on this kind of person.

"Why can't you be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor? If I drug Albus and Gellert again, will he switch that peacock? Or if I pluck Lockhart's peacock feathers, will he be too scared to come?"

"Drugned? Mr. Emerick, it seems you've done something I don't know about. Could you please briefly describe it?"

"It's nothing, Severus. Okay, okay, I admit I did something bad. I put a little bit of a drug to enhance their relationship, and an anti-aging agent too."

Faced with Severus's intrigued gaze, Emeric surrendered instantly, telling the whole story without any resistance, and even adding a few extra words.

"The day before I, Animagus, had this problem, I gave Gellert a Christmas present, and the next day he actually tried to hit me. That's really going too far. Without me, where would he get his wife?"

Upon hearing this, Severus instantly connected the dots regarding why Emeric had been beaten several times. No wonder Dumbledore had noticed something off about him for a while; he probably thought Emeric had gotten the medicine from him.

Emeric was still accusing Gellert of being too much, unaware of Severus's probing gaze. He had unknowingly exposed himself, realizing he could no longer rely on feigning helplessness to gain sympathy.

"Go buy the books quickly."

"Okay, Severus, go sit in the coffee shop next door for a while. It looks noisy in front of Flourish and Blotts. That shop is a joint venture between Lyra and me. Try the food and see what you think, and see if it needs any improvements."

Emeric was right; Lockhart was holding a book signing outside the bookstore, and he arrived just as the farce was beginning.

"The famous Immortal Boy, Harry Potter, also came to buy my book. Lockhart gave this book to Harry Potter, hoping that he could learn something from it."

"Uh...no need, thank you, I can buy it myself."

Emeric walked over to Severus, who was sitting to the side, and gently tapped the table. He glanced at the empty plates on the table and was pleased that Severus enjoyed the food.

"Severus, let's go upstairs, there are private rooms there. Lockhart is still blocking the bookstore entrance, we'll have to wait here for a long time. I brought Harry and Draco along too."

Severus was annoyed, not only because he was wasting half a day here, but also because he would be working with this kind of person and eating in the same place after school started.

"Let's go."

When they pushed open the door, the two little ones were shocked to find their Potions professor there; they were terrified.

The ice cream in my mouth no longer tasted sweet, my lazy sitting posture immediately straightened up, and even my dining etiquette became very standard.

"Professor Snape."

"godfather."

Emeric was very happy after he did something bad, and Severus next to him was also happy after seeing that he had scared the two inside. The world where only the two little ones were injured was achieved.

"Knock knock"

"Your matcha chocolate scones."

"Okay, thank you. From now on, put these guests on my tab and just bring them to the private room."

"Okay, boss."

Once the waiter closed the door, the atmosphere became very quiet again. Harry and Draco didn't dare to move, and they ate very carefully, afraid of making a sound that would attract Severus's attention.

"Severus, look over there, I think I see Mr. Malfoy looking for something?"

Following Emeric's gaze, a platinum-haired man was anxiously weaving through the crowd, and the two little ones sitting next to him finally remembered what they had forgotten.

"Oh no, Dad will beat me! We forgot to tell him where we were going!"

Draco threw himself into Harry's arms, trying to escape the horrific scene that was about to unfold. Harry, his face pale, recalled the beating he had received earlier.

After training, he and Draco wanted to see fireflies, so they went to lie down on the grass behind the manor, forgetting to tell their parents.

As usual, Narcissa prepared to give her two children a goodnight kiss, but after checking two rooms, she couldn't find them. She and Lucius almost tore the manor apart and rebuilt it. They searched until the middle of the night before finally finding the two sleeping on the grass.

That night, two more children were beaten at Malfoy Manor. They even had to stop training for two days. It was the first time Lucius had ever been so angry that he hit his children.

From then on, he seemed to have awakened. Whenever these two did something that could easily hurt them, he would beat them up, and they would behave for a long time afterward.

"Alright, alright, I'll go bring Mr. Malfoy up here. I'll explain, don't be afraid."

Emeric still softened his heart, offered a few words of comfort to the frightened group, and went downstairs to bring Lucius up.

"It seems you two have done quite a bit to make Lucius so angry."

"Godfather, please don't tell Dad, Harry and I didn't mean it."

Severus didn't reply, but wore a gloating smile, full of anticipation for the upcoming family education.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm sorry I didn't look for you. It was too chaotic outside the bookstore, and I was afraid something might happen, so I brought them here. Professor Snape is also in the store. We're safe with adults with us."

"Thank you, Mr. Thaddeus. I've had your books bought. I'll take them home now."

Harry and Draco hung their heads and obediently walked behind Lucius, trying to appease his anger.

But they clearly failed; as soon as they arrived at Malfoy Manor, Lucius slapped them.