Chapter 362: Memory Cabinet
Chapter 362: Memory Cabinet
"His salary demands were quite reasonable. Such a talented individual, willing to work in my small shop, of course, I was more than happy to have him."
"So, he stayed with me. I taught him how to appraise antiques and some peculiar magic items. His talent was truly remarkable. No matter what I taught him, he would grasp it immediately and even apply it in different contexts, saving me a lot of time."
"Within three months, I could confidently entrust part of the shop's operations to him."
"Just as you said, your uncle, though somewhat outgoing in his youth, was never particularly warm. In Knockturn Alley, such a demeanor is essential. Sometimes, overly enthusiastic shopkeepers can have the opposite effect."
"Tom was very good with words. He got along well with the regular customers, especially Chris, Smith, and a few others. They all liked this young man very much."
"Especially Smith, she really adored him. Tom didn't mind her being older; he was quite skilled at charming women. For a while, they were almost inseparable."
"He worked for me for about three years. One day, he suddenly came to me and said he was tired of his current life and wanted to travel."
"At that time, I had grown accustomed to having this talented young man help me run the shop. I offered to increase his salary by thirty percent if he was dissatisfied with his pay, but he ultimately decided to leave."
Borgin's face, filled with reminiscence, gradually returned to its usual expression as he looked at Dumbledore.
"I asked him where he planned to go, but he didn't tell me the exact location. He only mentioned that he had already been to Albania and now intended to travel north. He might return to Britain once he had his fill of traveling."
Dumbledore softly repeated the place name.
"Albania?"
"Yes, that was likely where he went before coming to work for me. During his time here, he never took more than a two-day leave."
Borgin's face wore a relaxed smile as he continued.
"That's all I know. I hope this information is helpful, Mr. Riddle."
Two hundred Galleons for such vague and possibly false information was undoubtedly a poor deal. However, Dumbledore's expression remained unchanged, as calm as ever.
He nodded and thanked Borgin.
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Borgin. I hope we can work together again in the future."
Upon seeing that Dumbledore was satisfied with the information, the old wizard's smile grew even wider.
"Oh, of course, Mr. Riddle. This cooperation has been very pleasant."
Dumbledore and Sherlock then left Borgin's shop without further delay, walking out together. They didn't stop, and Sherlock led the way to a small house he had purchased in Knockturn Alley, where the Lestrange family's property was temporarily stored.
Only after turning a corner and no longer in sight of the shop did Dumbledore calmly ask,
"Did you find anything?"
Sherlock, who had remained silent throughout their visit, now spoke with a cold laugh,
"His poor memory due to age is true, but he lied about one thing. There's a Chamber of Secrets in that shop, filled with all sorts of jewels and Galleons, clearly his personal treasure trove. Inside the Chamber of Secrets, there's a cabinet. The cabinet contains a Pensieve and many labeled memories."
“I saw Riddle’s name in those memories. Although he didn’t know that the talented young man working in his shop at the time was Voldemort, for some reason, he still held him in high regard.”
At this point, Sherlock couldn’t help but look at Dumbledore with a hint of confusion.
“Professor, didn’t you use Legilimency to read something from his memories?”
Dumbledore, of course, wasn’t a constant user of Legilimency, always peering into others’ minds. However, when the time was right, he wouldn’t be so stubborn as to avoid using such a useful magic.
But clearly, this time it didn’t yield any results.
“Occlumency isn’t a particularly difficult magic to learn. A Wizard like him, who has lived in Knockturn Alley for decades without any mishaps, wouldn’t leave me a chance to read his memories without his knowledge.”
By now, they had already entered the small house Sherlock had purchased, which was completely empty.
Sherlock had long since emptied the Lestrange family’s vault at Gringotts in Diagon Alley. All the assets that couldn’t be easily sold had been transferred to a new vault he had opened in Gringotts in France.
If one day Bella and her husband could somehow survive and be released from Azkaban, the family vault at Gringotts would be cleaner than their faces.
“So, should we tamper with the memories he has stored?”
Given Dumbledore’s presence, it was only natural that Dumbledore would make the decision. Sherlock was more than happy to leave the thinking to him.
Dumbledore’s eyes were dark, and without his glasses, his blue eyes seemed to be deep in thought.
“We need to obtain his memories. I believe he’s hiding something. During our conversation, that memory might answer my questions.”
Since Dumbledore had made his decision, Sherlock naturally didn’t object.
“It’s a simple task for me. I don’t even need to open the Chamber of Secrets. There’s a sewer in his little vault, and I can use that to steal the memory.”
“Then let’s wait here until nightfall.”
Time passed quickly, and night quietly descended upon Knockturn Alley.
After a quick dinner at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley, Sherlock and Dumbledore, dressed in black robes, approached Borgin and Burke’s shop.
Borgin had never married and had always been a bachelor, seemingly interested in nothing but earning Galleons.
By around 10 PM, he had already extinguished all the lights in his home and gone to bed.
Sherlock didn’t immediately start his work. Using his Control Magic, he confirmed that Borgin’s breathing had become steady and that he was sound asleep before he began.
In the shop’s Chamber of Secrets, the old, dilapidated cabinet in the corner was silently opened.
(End of Chapter)
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