Chapter 455: Double-crossing
Chapter 455: Double-crossing
A crackling sound suddenly rang out on the path to Hogsmeade, and a cloaked figure appeared out of thin air. Surveying his surroundings, the cloaked man reached into his pocket and pulled out a mechanical pocket watch. After checking the time, he proceeded down the twilight-shrouded path.
By the time the cloaked figure reached Hogsmeade, darkness had fully enveloped the village, and lights flickered in the windows of the shops lining the main street. Turning off the main road onto a side alley, he soon heard the boisterous noises emanating from the nearby Hog's Head pub.
The Hog's Head was even livelier at night, frequented by wizards from the gray areas of society looking for a stroke of luck. It was not uncommon to encounter smugglers, peddlers of illegal potions or restricted items, and even wizards who took robbery as a side job.
The pub owner could introduce you to suitable buyers or sellers for whatever you needed. Running the pub and lodging seemed to be his side business.
As the cloaked man approached the entrance of the Hog's Head, he was hit by a wave of lively chatter and the aroma of ale. Scanning the bar counter, he searched for the dragon egg smuggler he was supposed to meet.
His contact was nowhere to be seen. He was late.
"Has that man arrived yet?" The cloaked figure asked the pub owner, who was polishing glasses with a rag. The dragon egg smuggler was a seller introduced to him by the owner.
"Jack isn't here yet. Take a seat, and I'll let you know when he arrives," the pub owner replied nonchalantly. "What can I get you to drink?"
"Whisky," the cloaked man rasped.
In truth, the cloaked man had wanted to conduct this transaction elsewhere, but Mr. Jack had insisted on the Hog's Head, so he had relented.
"He's late!" The cloaked man's temper soured. He didn't care about the damned smuggler's whereabouts, but he was concerned about getting his hands on the dragon egg today.
Soon after, a middle-aged man with thinning hair hurried into the pub, greeting several patrons along the way.
"Jack, what goodies have you got for us today?"
Many of the regulars recognized the smuggler and called out to him cheerfully.
"Sorry, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long!" Jack apologized to the pub owner, his eyes fixed on the cloaked man sitting at the counter.
"Where's my merchandise?" The cloaked man asked impatiently.
"Here's your cargo," Jack said, opening a briefcase to reveal its contents: a dragon egg.
"I went through a lot of trouble to get this, so not a single galleon less than what we agreed upon," Jack said, closing the briefcase and rubbing his hands together, signaling it was time to transact.
"Here you go!"
The cloaked man opened his money bag and tossed the agreed-upon amount on the counter. "Not a single galleon less, but this whisky is on you for wasting my time."
"Oh, damn. Fine, this whisky is on me, given the amount of galleons involved," Jack said, a wide grin spreading across his face as he pocketed the heavy bag of coins.
He handed over the briefcase, allowing the cloaked man to inspect the goods.
Taking the briefcase, the cloaked man once again examined the dragon egg inside.
"This is a rare Norwegian Ridgeback dragon egg; you won't be disappointed," Jack assured him as he counted the galleons. "Just place it on a fire to hatch it. Once it's hatched, you'll need to feed it a bucket of brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour."
Jack paused, his tone turning cautious. "But let me warn you, it's difficult to tame, and they're quite dangerous."
"Any other questions?" Jack finished counting the galleons and looked up at his wealthy customer.
"None," the cloaked man replied, closing the briefcase.
"Then... the deal is done."
Jack took out a few galleons and placed them on the counter, paying the pub owner for his services as a middleman.
"Do you know who that mysterious fellow is?" Jack asked, watching the cloaked man's retreating back.
"No idea," the pub owner said, sweeping the galleons into the wooden cash box under the counter nonchalantly. "He seems like a reseller, but you set the price a bit high."
"Not too high; it was a fair trade," Jack glanced at the pub owner and drained his butterbeer. "I guess it's best if I lay low for a while!"
Jack, having made a hefty profit from smuggling dragon eggs, was pleased with the transaction, except for the fact that someone had taken an interest in him.
He noticed several greedy gazes fixed on him, their owners clearly coveting his newly acquired wealth.
This was the downside of doing business at the Hog's Head—earn too many galleons, and you became a target for greedy individuals.
The upside, however, was that no one dared to blatantly double-cross you within the pub.
At the Hog's Head, patrons tended to keep their baser instincts in check. While unwritten and fragile, the rule of taking any disputes outside was generally respected. No one wanted to risk getting jumped during a transaction.
Naturally, acquiring a dragon egg would cost a small fortune.
Jack had hit the jackpot, and to many, he now resembled a juicy lamb ready for shearing. Highway robbery was a common side gig for wizards operating in the gray areas of the law.
As soon as Jack hastily departed the Hog's Head, several wizards with greedy glints in their eyes stood up and followed suit.
A series of crackling noises echoed outside the pub.
Half an hour later, Jack finally managed to shake off his tail using the Disillusionment Charm.
"Bunch of useless idiots," Jack spat on the ground contemptuously. Just as he was about to leave, a spell shot out from behind, striking him squarely in the back. As he stumbled, drunk and dizzy, he recognized the silhouette of a familiar figure pointing their wand at him.
"It's... you!"
Jack's face contorted with bitterness and anger. He never expected the buyer to double-cross him. With a final curse, he collapsed onto the ground.
The cloaked man stepped out of the shadows, his expressionless gaze fixed on the fallen man. He withdrew the other wizard's wand, pointing it at the unconscious Mr. Jack.
The next moment, an ominous green light flickered in the darkness.
After retrieving his galleons, the cloaked man used a Transfiguration spell to turn the body into a stone, then dug a deep pit to bury it.
As for the wand, he destroyed it, reducing it to ashes without a trace.
"What an idiot. Didn't even realize there was a Tracking Charm on the money bag," he muttered.
The moonlight bathed the cloaked figure, and beneath the shadows, an unfamiliar face twitched. The Polyjuice Potion was wearing off, and the cloaked man's true identity was revealed—any Hogwarts student would instantly recognize their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Quirinus Quirrell.
Quirrell stomped on the ground where he had buried Jack's body and then vanished into the night.
(End of Chapter)
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