Chapter 361: Tom Riddle's Two Nephews
Chapter 361: Tom Riddle's Two Nephews
Borgin & Burkes was the largest shop in Knockturn Alley.
The shop owner, Borgin & Burkes, was originally named Caractacus Burke, an elderly wizard who always hunched over, with hair as greasy as Snape's.
He was a rather smooth-talking wizard, and his voice was just as greasy as his hair.
Hearing the commotion at the door, he looked up and saw Sherlock and Dumbledore, disguised as two middle-aged wizards, walk in. Mr. Burke's lips instinctively curled into a flattering smile.
"Welcome, gentlemen, to my shop. What can I do for you?"
Sherlock didn't say a word. As soon as he entered, he released his domain of control.
Even the largest shop in Knockturn Alley didn't cover a hundred square meters. The moment the domain unfolded, everything inside was laid bare to him.
Dumbledore was the one to engage Mr. Burke in conversation.
His face still bore that gentle smile, which, combined with his middle-aged appearance, gave the impression of a harmless, easy-to-push-around old man.
"My name is Percival Riddle, and this is my brother, John Riddle. We have been living in York for some time."
Mr. Burke studied Dumbledore with his old, weary eyes. The smile on his face remained, but his gaze became more cautious.
"Oh, Mr. Riddle, your surname sounds somewhat familiar to me."
Dumbledore leaned on the counter, closing the distance between him and Mr. Burke. He deliberately lowered his voice.
"We have an uncle who has been missing for several years, Mr. Burke. He is my father's younger brother, and he disappeared in the 1950s. Now that my father is getting old, he just wants to know what happened to his brother, whether he is still alive or not. We did some investigating and found out that our uncle, Tom Riddle, worked here for a while before he went missing during a world tour in 1948. We thought you might have some information about him."
Mr. Burke's cloudy eyes showed no change after Dumbledore's story. He was silent for a few seconds, then slowly frowned and tapped his head.
"Sorry, old age has made my memory a bit unreliable."
Dumbledore's smile didn't waver; he continued to look at Mr. Burke with a calm gaze.
"However, I do recall hiring an excellent young man with the surname Riddle. He was a cheerful and enthusiastic graduate from Hogwarts, Gryffindor House."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, and his smile faded. He then made a show of turning to leave.
"It seems we were mistaken, Mr. Burke. Our family are all graduates of Slytherin House. While my uncle was cheerful, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic. Riddle isn't exactly an uncommon surname, after all."
But before he could take a step toward the door with Sherlock, Mr. Burke's face lit up with realization.
"Oh, right, that young man was from Slytherin. I apologize, old age does make one forgetful. It's a shame Pensieves are so expensive; otherwise, every elderly wizard should have one."
Dumbledore and Sherlock turned around naturally. Sherlock still had a cold expression on his face, remaining silent, while Dumbledore's face once again wore that gentle smile.
"This is quite normal, Mr. Burke. My father is about your age, and sometimes he can't even find his way home. But it's a good thing that you can recall it. I hope you can provide some assistance to us brothers."
Mr. Burke's face showed a look of difficulty.
"I would love to help you, but recently there are some items that aren't selling, and it's been quite troublesome. You can understand, I'm sure, that when an elderly person is preoccupied with how to earn a living, it's hard to remember certain things."
This wasn't a hint; it was a clear indication.
Dumbledore's smile slowly faded, but it didn't completely disappear.
He gently pulled a pouch from his pocket, and countless golden granules spilled out onto the floor.
The golden beans, each about the size of a soybean, seemed to come to life, running and climbing, swarming up to the counter in front of Burke. They then transformed into Galleons right before his eyes, forming ten stacks of twenty each on the glass countertop.
"I know the rules, Mr. Burke. There's no such thing as a free lunch in Knockturn Alley. You don't have to give us any unsold items. This money is the fee for the information. If you still think it's too little, then we'll call it off today."
Seeing the golden coins shimmering before him, a greedy glint flashed in Burke's eyes.
He picked up one of the Galleons from the stack. With his sharp eye, he could immediately tell that these weren't fake pixie coins but genuine Galleons.
Dumbledore's display in front of him was also a warning.
There weren't many wizards who could perform such a transfiguration without uttering a spell or using a wand. This gave Burke a reasonable excuse to curb his greed.
"This is a very reasonable price, Mr. Riddle. Thank you for providing some financial assistance to an elderly person trying to support himself. I will, of course, share everything I know, hoping to provide a bit of help for your search for relatives."
Without any visible movement, the Galleons on the counter vanished before Dumbledore and Sherlock's eyes.
Clearly, once the money was given, there was no getting it back. Burke then spoke in his oily voice, recounting the story of the young man named Tom Riddle, who had once worked in his shop.
"To be honest, your uncle left a very deep impression on me."
With the money in hand, Burke no longer bothered to pretend. He spoke with a thick-skinned candor.
"He was the most outstanding student in that year's Hogwarts graduates. The Ministry of Magic had its doors wide open for him, with many departments vying for his services. However, he chose to apply here, saying he wanted to be an apprentice in my shop."
(End of Chapter)
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