Hadrian Potter

Inescapable Past

1990 Knockturn Alley:

I was tall for my age, as was Nev, it wasn't as if we lived the high life, we were children in the Wizarding Streets of London, known for being thieves, liars and on a come down apparently.

It was a Saturday so the shops were open and the Alley's were busy, Borgin had asked Nev and I to deliver a parcel to an apartment in Diagon Alley, the perhaps brighter and more respectable place to shop.

I was in withdrawal, I was shaking and my eyes were rimmed red, I felt like I was a ghost, gliding down the cobbled streets with pure transparency.

Nev knocked on the door of 312, a man with grey hair and aged features opened it, looking at us curiously for a moment before letting us in.

"Mr Howze?" Nev asked politely, I just stayed quite, I looked around the hallway we stood in, it's walls were ivory paired with dark wooden flooring.

Everything matched from the stairs at the end of corridor to the wooden cabinets along one wall, it held no clutter, the items which adorned the cabinets and hallway looked as if they belonged, they were also valuable very valuable.

I had learnt a lot from working for Borgin and things of value I knew well.

The smell of the place reminded me of washed linen, it was a beautiful residence, considering the location and the well kept decorated interior I knew the man had money.

He seemed to noticed my attention to his property, and spoke up, "Yes I'm Mr Howze, and you are?"

His voice was low and kind, his tone didn't imply anything other than curiosity, though I knew he already knew who we were.

"You know who we are. From Mr Borgin," Nev said speaking my mind, handing the man the package, which he took never looking away from me.

I remember thinking I must've looked like shit, we were both dressed in black cloaks with the hoods down, my black hair sat scruffily as always but my skin was pale and my features looked sullen, it contrasted with my piercing green eyes which made me look that much more severe.

Voices sounded from the room to our right, "Please come in, while I get the agreed payment." He said moving his hand to gesture to the room from which I heard the voices, the door opened.

Two men sat opposite each other, another seat was also there which I assumed Mr Howze was previously sat in, thats what this was; a meeting.

Living on the streets made you grow up fast, made you understand more than you should, I mean I was 11 and I knew what I was seeing. I was also hot, and shaky, I needed my hit.

One of the men whom sat facing us, must of been at least 50, black hair speckled with grey from apparent ageing, his eyes were blue but not too bright nor too dark.

He looked like a business man, adorned with a suit and tie, however he wore a cloak over the top of his attire to assert himself as a Wizard. My face was emotionless while observing him.

My eyes then moved on to the man who sat with his back to us, however he had now turned to look at whom stood in the doorway.

He had grey piercing eyes that looked into your very soul, however it did not work on me, my soul was too well masked, mostly of darkness due to my state of withdrawal and the disastrous childhood, both of these things equipped me with a stare just as intense.

He had black hair, and was young; at least in his mid twenties, his clothing was more practical and fitted his built frame well, he was a fighter however I could also sense an intelligent mind from within his intense stare.