Harry was glad that he was seated with Ginny, and not doing this signing on his own. He didn't think that he could have done it on his own, and he was sure that he couldn't have written the book on his own. When he first heard of the idea to publish the letters it had taken him a great deal of time before he'd decided to do so. He had bared his life out to Ginny. Somehow her questions had drawn out thoughts that he'd never realized he had, and things that he'd never thought he would ever tell.
He wished he could be just Harry, but he would never be, not since the day that Voldemort had killed his parents. The realization he couldn't hide in the background anymore had been gradual. He wasn't quite sure when it happened. It might have been when he got on the Quidditch Team. Or it could have been when he found out that he was going to be a father. Harry was still learning what that meant. Monty Granger told him that he was still learning what that meant, and Hermione would be thirteen in September.
Harry reminded himself that he needed to make sure to get something for Hermione's birthday before they left the bookstore. He had the list she'd given her parents a couple days ago at their request, not knowing that Harry was in on it. He looked across the room between signatures, and spotted Hermione with Jimmy in a sling against her chest, a book in her free hand. Jimmy looked to be asleep at the moment.
There was another attempt of someone trying to skip having Ginny sign the book. Harry pushed the book back to Ginny. "No skipping," Harry said, firmly, deliberately turning his head away from the man who tried to pass in favor of the little girl that had proceeded him, and was holding his hand. "So, what is your name?" he asked.
"Demelza," the girl said, her grin revealing a missing left central upper incisor. Her reddish brown hair wasn't as near as outstanding as Ginny's red, but she was a cute little girl with her twin pigtails, as she sort of stepped slightly behind her companion.
"Can you spell that for my friend Ginny?" Harry asked, as Ginny dipped the quill into the ink bottle again. "She signs everything first, and wants to see more brave girls you and she are."
The girl stepped back around. "Dee E Em E El Zed A," she said, with just a hint of a lisp due to her missing tooth. It was obvious to Harry that he'd just thwarted the girl's companion's plans, but the big smile on the girl's face was worth it.
"I hope you enjoy the book, Demelza," Harry said, once the book was passed back to him. "Maybe someday we'll see you at Hogwarts in our house." He signed it carefully, making sure that he fit closely to Ginny's signature, so it couldn't be easily removed. Then he handed the still open book to Demelza. It was a good thing the ink was fast drying, as the girl quickly closed it and held it up against her chest as if it was the most precious thing to her in the world.
It wasn't the first time Harry had seen a girl do that, in fact a lot of the children, some even older than Harry, had held their signed book close. He wasn't quite sure what to think about that, but he was sure that he had made Demelza's day, and did something that her companion didn't like.
The next person in line greatly surprised him, "Professor Dumbledore?" Harry exclaimed, as the book was slid in front of him. He'd expected McGonagall, who had been among the first in line, and probably should have expected Madam Pince, who just happened to be next in line after Dumbledore.
"I'm afraid that I have been – shanghaied by Madam Pince for her annual restocking trip. I suspect that I am going to have to pack and have Fawkes take many heavy loads with me back to Hogwarts." Then he leaned close to Harry and whispered, "They're running out of ways to get me out of Hogwarts for my birthday."
"Happy Birthday Professor," Harry replied. "How do you want your copy inscribed?"
"Just your name will be enough, Harry," Dumbledore replied. "It will be my bedtime reading tonight."
"I'm not sure it's best for that," Harry said, as he added 'Happy Birthday' next to where Ginny had addressed it as 'Professor' before signing his full name under hers. "I will see you at Hogwarts, Professor." He said as he handed the book back to his Headmaster.
Ron Weasley was the student chess champion of Hogwarts. He'd been playing chess since he was two. There were exactly three people he knew could regularly challenge him, his parents, and Professor McGonagall. He'd heard that Draco Malfoy was trying to learn to play better, and had challenged him a few times. He'd been disappointed. Though he'd also found why Draco was trying to learn to play better and today he was about to meet that reason at the ice cream parlor in Diagon Alley.
He spotted Draco first, that particular shade of blond was as recognizable as Ron's Weasley red. On Draco's right was another blond girl who was maybe a couple years younger than Ginny. Ron knew that wasn't his opponent. It was certain that the girl was related to Draco, but somehow the red shirt with a black inscription of "She canna take it anymore" didn't say chess genius. So he shifted his gaze to Draco's other side and discovered a hyperactive girl with the same hair as the others, but wearing a classic queen's crown, like that found on any set of wizarding chess figures.
Ron judged the girl to be maybe four, but just barely. It looked like his opponent had spotted the chess set that was set up on the table in front of him, and shook loose of Draco's hand. He saw Draco's sort of exasperated smile, as what had to be his youngest sister skipped over to the open chair. Behind them was Victoria Malfoy, holding her baby, and Journeyman Ollivander, whose arm was around her shoulders, lending proof to the rumor that the two were an item.
"You're letting me start out as white?" the little girl said, as she clambered into the chair opposite Ron.
"You're supposed to be introduced first, little queen," Draco said, catching up and putting a hand on his little sister's right shoulder. "Ronald Weasley, this is my currently youngest half-sister, Judith Malfoy, the second best chess player in the family, daughter of Grandmaster Malfoy. Judith, this is Ronald Weasley, the son of Grandmaster Arthur Weasley." Draco looked down at his littlest sister, his gaze conveying orders.
"P'eased to meet ya, Ronald," Judith said, holding out her hand.
"Pleased to meet you as well Judith," Ron said. "You can call me Ron. I have a feeling that we're going to end up meeting over a chess board a lot in the future as we plot to figure out how to beat our Grandmaster parents."
"Call me Jude," Judith replied. "You're really going to play me a lot? People don't let me play them a lot after I beat them."
"We'll see if you can beat me," Ron replied. "Draco, I don't believe I've met the other young lady at your side."
"Oh, this is Juliet Malfoy, my other younger half-sister," Draco said. "She'll be starting Hogwarts in a couple years. She and Mother Erlene are taking me on a tour of Muggle London later today, and needed to get out of the house before her twin brother drove her nuts."
"Call me Julie," the nine-year-old said.
"Ron," Ron replied, noticing that Jude had made her move already. He responded, and continued. "I hope your twin brother is not like my twin brothers, though I understand he's your twin, but younger, where mine are a par in themselves."
"Trust me, Weasley, Jupiter is not in their league, he's in one of his own," Draco said. "This morning he woke me up by jumping on my bed, naked, after having already done the same to Julie, and then went across the hall to wake up Victoria. This, of course earned him eternal damnation as he also jarred Patrick Draco's crib, who Victoria had apparently just gotten back to sleep. I think he's still too used to ... oh no, she's caught you."
Ron had played through two more moves while Draco had been talking, and knew exactly what tactic Jude Malfoy was after. It had been e4, e5, Nf3, Nc6, and now Bb5. He moved a6, starting the Morphy Defense as the book that Hermione had gotten him for his birthday had called it. Jude replied with Ba4, and he replied with Nf6, and he saw Jude's expression as puzzled. It appeared that he'd given her something she hadn't seen.
Fifteen minutes later, Jude tipped over her king. "Good game, Master Weasley," she said carefully, offering her hand to shake. Ron reached out and shook her hand. "I hope to play you again."
"And I do too," Ron replied. "If nothing else, we can try by owl once I get back to Hogwarts."