Chapter 773: A Welcoming Gift from Knockturn Alley
Chapter 773: A Welcoming Gift from Knockturn Alley
Knockturn Alley, the favored haunt of Dark Wizards and wanderers, presented a stark contrast to its neighboring Diagon Alley. The streets were dirty and dilapidated, and the air was filled with a peculiar scent, reminiscent of the burnt aroma that lingered after brewing potions.
Kyle had been to this place before, but he had never paid close attention to his surroundings. It was only now, as he accompanied Newt on their quest to find the werewolf, that he noticed the abundance of shops lining the alley.
From the entrance to the depths of Knockturn Alley, the number of stores was comparable to that of Diagon Alley. However, most of the shops here lacked signs, opting instead for random objects hung by the door. Examples included withered fingers, skull bones, or twisted roots.
"Those are for the benefit of the Ministry inspectors," Newt explained, noticing Kyle's confusion. "Withered fingers signify general Dark artifacts and stolen goods, while skulls indicate poisons and items carrying deadly curses."
"But most of the shops here sell fakes or repackaged defective products. It's hard to find a single genuine item on this entire street."
"Indeed, integrity is a rare commodity in Knockturn Alley," Newt admitted.
"Then what about the customers who get scammed?" Kyle asked. "Wouldn't they seek revenge?"
"They might have, a long time ago," Newt replied. "But those who own shops here usually have some tricks up their sleeves and a hidden ace or two. It's not easy for a regular wizard to get the better of them. Besides, the shop owners have formed a united front. Causing trouble for one is akin to causing trouble for all, so even powerful wizards have to abide by the rules here."
"What kind of rules?"
"Many," Newt said, "but the most important one is no returns. You have to inspect the goods carefully before buying, and once you've paid, there's no going back."
"I see," Kyle nodded, a question lingering in his mind. Newt had always lived in Dorset, so how did he know so much about Knockturn Alley?
"Have you been here before?" he asked.
"A few times," Newt replied, his gaze turning vague. "There are certain things you can't acquire through regular channels, so I had to take my chances here."
Kyle could guess what those "certain things" might be—relics of Newt's wilder youth. After being blacklisted by practically every Magical Congress in the world, any travel he undertook would have been through illegal Portkeys or other unconventional means, and such tools were only available in places like Knockturn Alley.
In that sense, Newt was a regular customer.
However, Kyle didn't press the issue. Instead, he looked around and asked, "But didn't you say that almost everything here is fake?"
"Almost, not all," Newt clarified with a slight cough. "If there weren't any genuine items, the alley wouldn't be able to sustain itself. In fact, I've been scammed plenty of times myself. On average, I'd say only one out of five purchases turns out to be useful and authentic."
"That's a pretty low success rate," Kyle remarked, once again scanning the shops around them. Suddenly, he spotted a fleeting figure behind a window, but when he looked again, it was gone.
"I think we've been spotted," Kyle said.
"We were spotted the moment we entered," Newt said calmly. "The wizards residing here have a unique way of communicating. They've been aware of our presence since we stepped into the alley."
The two continued deeper into Knockturn Alley, where the surroundings became even more dilapidated. They encountered more people on the street, most of whom were wrapped in tattered scarves and hoods, either sitting in corners selling trinkets or hurrying along with purposeful strides.
However, the crowd was still sparse compared to usual, a clear indication that the Death Eaters' attack on Diagon Alley had impacted business in Knockturn Alley as well.
Here, Kyle and Newt, with their clean and tidy appearances, stood out like sore thumbs. Though their faces were hidden, the direction of their gazes made it obvious that they were being watched by everyone around them.
"Do you think we're being too conspicuous?" Kyle asked in a low voice. "Should we try to conceal ourselves a bit?"
"No need," Newt shook his head. "Knockturn Alley has its own markers. Any outsider is as obvious as a Mooncalf in a Scrute. There's no hiding, not even with an Invisibility Cloak."
"Then how are we going to find that werewolf?" Kyle frowned slightly.
With their every move being observed, both from the street and the shops on either side, it was like they were walking under the glare of a dozen spotlights. Searching for someone in these conditions would be extremely challenging.
"Hmm..." Newt remained calm. "People in Knockturn Alley tend to mind their own business, especially when it doesn't concern them. At least, that was my experience when I came here before."
The two continued on their way, and as they ventured deeper, the crowd grew thicker.
Gradually, Kyle became accustomed to the stares, just as Newt had predicted. The onlookers merely watched, unconcerned and uninterested, and none of them made a move to approach or question them.
Kyle followed his gaze. "Teeth? What kind of shop is this?"
Just then, two disheveled and filthy-looking wizards emerged from within.
"Get out of here, wizard. This isn't a place for the likes of you," one of them rasped, his voice hoarse as if squeezed from his throat.
The familiar voice and the distinctive yellow, long fingernails immediately triggered a realization in Kyle.
Werewolves...
That's right, Lupin had mentioned before that Fenrir Greyback was selective, only recruiting young and robust werewolves into his ranks. The older and weaker werewolves were left to congregate in Knockturn Alley.
With this in mind, Kyle stepped forward and politely said, "Don't misunderstand. I'm here to look for someone."
"That's none of our business," one of the werewolf wizards snapped. "Get lost!"
"Don't be like that," Kyle said, holding out a handful of gold coins. "If you provide me with some information, this can all be yours."
"You're running a business here, judging by the items hanging at your entrance. So, if you tell me what I want to know, consider this payment for your services."
The werewolf wizard's eyes widened at the sight of the gleaming gold coins in Kyle's hand.
He eyed Kyle's clean and tidy clothes and his youthful face, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
At the sight of the gold coins, the surrounding onlookers also stirred, subtly surrounding Kyle and Newt.
The werewolf wizard asked quickly, "Let me make this clear. If you want information, this amount won't be enough."
"No problem," Kyle smiled, seemingly oblivious to the tense situation. "As long as it's reasonable, I'll pay any amount."
"What do you want to know?"
"A few months ago, a werewolf from outside your community came to Knockturn Alley. His name was... Tor, I believe." Kyle said, "Where is he now?"
As soon as Kyle finished speaking, the werewolf wizard's expression darkened, and he asked in a low voice, "What do you want with him?"
"It's like this," Kyle said calmly. "We just came from the Dark Forest, and his friend asked me to deliver a message to him."
At the mention of the Dark Forest, the werewolf wizard's face twisted in distaste.
"Wizard, what are you playing at? Do you take us for fools?" he asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
At the same time, more werewolf wizards emerged from the shop, surrounding Kyle and Newt.
"You shouldn't have said that," Newt said, moving to stand beside Kyle. "Being abandoned by stronger werewolves and relegated to the Dark Forest is a source of shame for them. You're effectively rubbing salt in their wounds."
"Oh, I see." Kyle nodded as if he'd just realized something. "Well, if I apologize, will that make you feel better?"
"Apologize? Sure." The lead werewolf wizard sneered. "It'll cost you a hundred galleons for me to accept your apology."
"No problem." Kyle readily agreed and pulled out a large bag.
"Here's exactly a hundred galleons. Now, can you tell me where he is?"
As the bag jingled, emitting a crisp, pleasant sound, the surrounding werewolves gasped as Kyle opened the bag, revealing its glittering contents.
These werewolf wizards had never seen so much money, and the dazzling gold nearly blinded them.
"Well, now that I've apologized, can you tell me where Tor is?" Kyle asked again.
"No," the werewolf wizard snarled, baring his sharp teeth.
"This hundred galleons is for my apology. If you want information, you'll have to pay another hundred... no, five hundred galleons!"
"It seems you're not really interested in negotiating," Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Five hundred galleons? You're quite bold, aren't you?"
"Enough talk!" another werewolf wizard shouted. "Now, it's our turn to make demands. Either you pay us another five hundred galleons and scram, or we'll take matters into our own hands. And I can't guarantee what will happen to you then."
He eyed Kyle's neck, licking his lips hungrily.
It was then that Kyle realized that the werewolves in Knockturn Alley weren't as innocent as Lupin had suggested. They weren't participating in the war not because they didn't want to, but because no one wanted them.
Neither the Death Eaters nor Fenrir Greyback considered them worthy allies.
Kyle turned to Newt and asked, "What should we do now? They don't seem very cooperative."
"I don't know," Newt shrugged, feigning helplessness. "It's your call."
"My call?" Kyle glanced at the wand in his hand.
The surrounding werewolf wizards tensed, some raising their own wands while others crouched, baring their sharp teeth, ready to pounce on Kyle.
But the next moment, Kyle lowered his wand and instead picked up the box he had been carrying in his other hand.
"ROAR!"
Their words were abruptly cut off by a thunderous roar.
Suddenly, a massive fire-breathing dragon appeared out of thin air, blocking the entire street.
Noble snorted in displeasure at the narrow street, exhaling twin streams of fire from his nostrils.
Before anyone could react, he lashed out with his sturdy tail, striking the werewolf wizard who had threatened Kyle earlier. The force of the blow sent the wizard flying, crashing through a wall like a cannonball.
A deafening silence fell over Knockturn Alley. No one doubted the dragon's authenticity anymore.
As the onlookers snapped out of their shock, the other wizards who had gathered, hoping to take advantage of the situation, turned and fled into the dark alleys, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Rustling noises emanated from the surrounding shops, but soon died down as their occupants either hid or escaped through alternate exits.
The werewolf wizards wanted to run too, but they couldn't. As the primary targets of the dragon's wrath, they were already exerting all their energy just standing there.
"Now, can you tell me?" Kyle stepped out from under Noble and asked calmly, "Where is he? The werewolf, Tor?"
Noble lowered his head at the right moment, opening his mouth to reveal a set of sharp teeth and emitting a strong sulfurous odor.
The werewolf wizard he was addressing immediately broke down and fainted.
Kyle turned to another werewolf, who, despite his shaky state, managed to raise his hand and point shakily at the house behind him, as he was not directly in Noble's line of fire.
At that moment, a dark figure bolted out from the door without looking back and sprinted away.
Although the figure moved swiftly, Kyle recognized him as the same person he had encountered earlier at Borgin and Burkes when investigating the Vanishing Cabinet.
"What a lucky break," Kyle remarked, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He then raised his hand, preparing to send Noble in pursuit.
But someone was faster.
Over a dozen spells flew in from different directions, red and green lights resembling fireworks, all striking Tor.
The werewolf crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
"Consider that our welcoming gift." A figure stepped out from the shadows.
It was the owner of Borgin and Burkes, leaning on a skull-topped cane and standing at the entrance of a small alley, watching the two of them.
"It's been a long time, Mr. Scamander. I never expected to see you again in Knockturn Alley."
"You are Herbert Burke's son?" Newt inquired.
"Indeed, and I'm impressed you remembered me." Old Borgin said, "I assume you're aware of the rules of Knockturn Alley. Are you here to wage war on us with such a show of force?"
"While your numbers may be impressive, so is my dragon."
As he finished speaking, more people emerged from the shops on both sides of the alley.
Although the denizens of Knockturn Alley usually minded their own business and didn't concern themselves with the lives of others, the dragon's destructive power was too overwhelming. If it were to rampage, at least half the street would be reduced to rubble.
When their own interests were at stake, they couldn't sit idly by, so they banded together to take out the potential target of the dragon's wrath—the werewolf.
"No need to jump to conclusions, I have no intention of starting a war." Newt said calmly, "And this dragon isn't mine."
Evidently, Old Borgin didn't believe a word of it.
After all, who else but Newt Scamander could summon a fully grown fire-breathing dragon at will? Did he take him for a fool?
However, he didn't press the issue, merely continuing to eye Newt as he said, "In that case, please leave. Knockturn Alley is no place for the likes of you."
Newt didn't rush to respond, instead turning to glance at Kyle.
Kyle nodded slightly, his grip tightening on his wand as he keenly sensed the presence of the Killing Curse among the spells cast earlier, and not just once.
Unless the werewolf wizard's name was Tor, he was as good as dead.
Kyle opened the box, and Noble let out an unhappy whine before reluctantly retreating back inside.
The sight of the box further confirmed Old Borgin's suspicions... Only Newt Scamander could release a fire-breathing dragon like that, and here he was, refusing to admit it!
"I suggest you leave now." Old Borgin repeated, "Knockturn Alley does not welcome your kind."
"Of course, believe me, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't necessary." Kyle added.
"Couldn't agree more."
Kyle and Newt retraced their steps, heading back toward the entrance of Knockturn Alley. This time, even more eyes followed their every move.
Kyle walked calmly at the forefront, his wand clutched tightly in his hand, ever vigilant.
Fortunately, the onlookers in Knockturn Alley didn't make any unwise moves, and by the time Kyle and Newt stood once again on the streets of Diagon Alley, no one had attempted a sneak attack from behind.
As Kyle turned to look back at Knockturn Alley, the figures that had been trailing them had also vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.
...
(End of Chapter)
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