I cannot believe these pansies are actually willing to pay me to wander into Knockturn Alley. It started off as a dare but it was my idea to bring galleons into the question. "You must last 5 whole minutes in there." Psssht. This was going to be a piece of cake. My uncle had been taking me here for years before. I loved to look around in Borgin and Burkes; so many neat objects. What my fellow classmates didn't know was that my family and I are big supporters of dark magic; this meant that we bought many things form Knockturn Alley.
I take the first few steps down the cobblestone path and turn to look back of the group of cowardly witches and wizards urging me to go farther. Ignoring their chants, calling me a big baby, I continue the rest of the way into the dimly lit alley. This place intrigued me, something about the dim lighting, and the boarded up shop windows gave a sort of adrenaline rush.
The alley was mostly empty, aside from an old wizard standing the shaded part of an old shop entryway, cloak covering his face. One shop hand lit candles floating on each side of the doorway with a sign on it that read 'ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK'. I turn back around to see my friends peaking around the corner trying to see what I was doing. This was going to be the easiest 500 galleons I have ever made.
Ignoring the whispers of my friends behind me, I wander farther into the alley, stopping outside of a small shop. Ah yes, my favourite store; Borgin and Burkes. I push open the door and step into the dark shop. It smells of dust and mold, but yet it is comforting. I look towards the counter and can see that I am alone up front so I decide to wander around.
I find myself standing in front of a jewelry cabinet that holds hundreds of fine pieces. My eyes quickly fall onto a wolf-tooth necklace. This is the most beautiful thing I have every seen. The canine's pearly white tooth had a black pearl set into it and dangled from a thin black chain. The wolf-blood in me came to life. I had to have this.
"See something you like?" I almost knock over a shelf when the old man startled me. Jeepers creepers, couldn't he have made a little noise to alert me to his presence? "Yes, how much for the wolf tooth necklace?" I point out the necklace in the case, "more than you can afford. Now get out of my shop before I remove you." Though the old man seemed serious about his threat, I was just as serious about this necklace.
"What about a trade?" This caught the old mans attention as I watched his eyes look me over once, probably noticing that I don't have anything on me to trade. "I see nothing I like, now get out." I reach to the collar of my cloak and pull out two dogs tags attached to a metal chain, markers of the lycanthropes. "How about some blood?" The man perked up at the sight f the tags and developed a small sly grin on his face.
I was led into one of the back rooms of the shop where I was told to have a seat in an old creaky wooden chair. The man lays out two vials on the little table between us along with a small dagger. "Two vials of your blood and the necklace is yours." It's now my turn to grin. I grab the dagger and push the tip into the palm of my hand until blood began to pool in the center of my hand. It didn't take long for me to fill the two vials and once I was finished the man handed me cloth to wrap my wound.
Leaving the shop I am beaming with joy as I look down and see the tooth dangling from my neck. I look at my pocket watch and can see that I have been down here for almost thirty minutes and I start to make my way out of the alley. Once I step out of the dim light and into the busy atmosphere of Diagon Alley, my friends swarm me.
"Oh my goodness! What took you so long! We almost sent someone in there after you!" "I was shopping. Now where's my money?" The group of young witches and wizards were hesitant in handing over their galleons, 100 each, but they eventually coughed them up, probably out of fear that I would hex them. I've never been more proud of myself in my life. Not only had I bargained for my new necklace but also now half the students in my year would treat me better out of fear. I had survived not only five minutes in Knockturn Alley, a whole half hour. There is no way the Dark Lord would be able to deny me the spot in his army of Death Eaters now.
