[Note: Read up to Chapter - 70 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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Everyone turned to stare at Aris and the middle-aged man—the manager of Flourish and Blotts—with suspicion written all over their faces.
"Shafiq?"
"Aris Shafiq?"
"Hang on, is this boy a descendant of the Shafiq family?!"
"Merlin's beard… the rumours were true. The Shafiqs really have resurfaced!"
"No wonder—no wonder he recited the whole book flawlessly. What a genius… or maybe this whole thing was staged!"
"I'm starting to think he memorised the book beforehand. It's all a bit too perfect, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if this lad and Flourish and Blotts cooked up the whole performance!"
The mood shifted again. The crowd, once impressed, now grew restless, their curiosity tinged with doubt. Dozens of pairs of eyes bore down on Aris and the manager, demanding answers without saying a word.
The calm that had briefly settled was quickly replaced with a rising murmur.
"What's going on? Why's everyone acting all weird again…?"
Hermione Granger hadn't quite caught on at first, but a moment later, her eyes widened with realisation.
"Shafiq… His surname's Shafiq! That's the same family from the book he just recited… He's actually a descendant of that ancient, mysterious family!"
Miss Know-It-All's thoughts were in turmoil. It felt as if a fictional character had just stepped out of the pages and into real life—it was surreal.
Just then, the manager of Flourish and Blotts hurried over to Aris and grabbed his hand, his expression twisting into something between awe and disbelief, with a flicker of excitement in his eyes.
"Oi, let go of him!"
At that moment, Xeno finally lost his patience. With Luna by his side, he marched over, pulled Aris back behind him, and stood protectively in front.
"I can vouch for him—he didn't cheat. If you've got an issue, I'll sort it out."
He assumed the shop manager was gearing up to cause trouble after learning Aris's true identity.
"No, no, you've got it all wrong!" the manager stammered, backing off quickly. "Young man—no, Mr Shafiq—might I have a word with you? Privately, somewhere a bit quieter if that's alright?"
The noise around them was growing louder. The crowd of gathered witches and wizards clearly didn't buy the manager's change in tone. Whispers turned into grumbles, and a few were already throwing out accusations.
"Bunch of con artists, the lot of 'em!"
"I knew this was too perfect to be real—what a waste of time!"
"They've made a complete mug out of us!"
They were calling it a scam—accusing both Aris and Flourish and Blotts of pulling off an elaborate stunt just to stir hype. A few even began booing outright.
But Aris didn't seem the least bit fazed. He stood calmly, unfazed by the rising volume around him. If need be, he could recite another book on the spot. The outcome wouldn't change.
What really caught his attention, though, was the shop manager's expression. The man didn't look angry or embarrassed—he looked… nervous? Almost desperate. Something wasn't right.
After thinking it over, Aris gave a slight nod.
"Alright. Let's talk."
"Thank you, sir," the manager said earnestly, bowing slightly. "Give me just a moment—I'll settle things here first."
After speaking, the manager stood up straight, raised his wand to his throat, and cast a Sonorus spell. Instantly, his voice boomed across the street like thunder.
"Oi! Quiet down!"
The crowd fell silent at once, all eyes turning towards the middle-aged shop manager.
"I'm terribly sorry, but today's promotional event at Flourish and Blotts has officially come to an end!"
He paused for a beat, scanning the faces in the crowd.
"Our staff will now hand out discount cards to everyone who joined us today. These cards'll get you twenty percent off your next purchase at our store!"
"Thank you all for your support—and may Merlin's light shine upon you!"
With a nod, he signalled to the two assistants behind him, who promptly pulled out fat stacks of discount cards from their coat pockets and began weaving through the onlookers, handing them out.
The crowd, still a bit grumpy but easily distracted by discounts, shifted their attention to the clerks.
Seizing the moment, the manager ushered Aris and the others aside, gesturing towards the entrance of the bookstore.
"This way, if you please. We've a storage room round back—quiet and private."
Xeno glanced at Aris, and seeing the boy give a slight nod, he relaxed and led the group inside.
Just as they passed the threshold, the manager turned and called out, "Ah—Miss Granger! If you wouldn't mind joining us, I've still got your reward to hand over!"
Hermione, still a bit dazed by everything unfolding, blinked and nodded before hurrying after them.
"Oh, alright then!"
Hermione nodded quickly and trotted after the others.
She'd been dead curious about Aris from the start, and now she finally had a chance to tag along and maybe find out what was really going on — right up her street.
Inside Flourish and Blotts, the place was absolutely packed with books — new, old, thick, thin — you name it.
They weren't exactly shelved in any neat order either. Popular titles, like this year's Hogwarts textbooks, were stacked in the most obvious spots, practically shouting for attention.
Even the aisles were crammed with books, giving the whole shop a rather cluttered, chaotic look.
"Aris, don't you think something's a bit off?"
Luna had somehow made her way to Aris' side, slipping past Xeno without a sound. She whispered in that dreamy tone of hers, but her words were sharp as ever.
"You noticed too?" Aris wasn't surprised in the slightest that Luna had picked up on it. She might act a bit loopy at times, but she was clever — razor sharp, even.
"He got all jumpy when he heard your name," Luna added casually, as if she were commenting on the weather.
"Could be because of the Shafiq family name," Aris replied, frowning slightly. He hadn't quite figured it out yet, but aside from the system, his last name was the only thing that could raise any eyebrows.
He'd had a quick look at the shop's shelves earlier, scanning the titles, and hadn't spotted that book — The Mysterious Shafiq Family — anywhere.
That could only mean one thing…
It wasn't for sale.
It was probably part of the manager's personal collection.
And anyone who'd go out of their way to collect a book like that…
Might just have a bit of a history with the Shafiq family.
Or at least, that's what Aris reckoned.
As for what's really going on, I'll have to chat with the store manager and get the full picture.
"What are you two whisperin' about, eh?" Xeno's voice suddenly piped up from behind just as they reached the stairs leading up to the second floor of the shop.
Trailing behind him, of course, was none other than dear Miss Know-It-All herself.
"Nothing!"
Aris and Luna replied in perfect unison.
Clearly, neither of them fancied making Xeno worry before having a proper word with the store manager.
As for whether they were in any danger…
This was Diagon Alley, after all. If the manager really was daft enough to try anything shady, the Aurors or Hit Wizards from the Ministry would be here quicker than you could say "Mimbulus mimbletonia".
Outside of the darkest days — back when You-Know-Who had free rein — no one dared stir up trouble in Diagon Alley.
If anyone was planning on doing something dodgy, they'd do it down Knockturn Alley, not here.
Besides, Mr. Lovegood was with them.
Sure, he wasn't quite Auror material, but he was still a fully grown wizard who knew his way around a wand.
He could hold his own if things went pear-shaped.
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[Note: Read up to Chapter - 70 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]