Chapter 865: Deep Within Knockturn Alley
Chapter 865: Deep Within Knockturn Alley
After a period of hard work, Kyle had almost finished setting up his shop in Diagon Alley. Several shelves were placed in the most prominent spots, and a house-elf was busy arranging the products piled on the floor onto the shelves.
"You've been working hard, Dobby," Kyle said as he entered, handing the elf an ice cream cone filled with nuts and cookie crumbs. "You're even helping me organize the goods during your holiday."
"I don't mind at all, sir," the house-elf replied excitedly, taking the ice cream. "I wanted a holiday, but I'd rather help you, sir."
Although Dobby actively asked for holidays and wages, making him an oddity among house-elves, it was more of a formality. Deep down, he retained the same characteristics as other house-elves.
For instance, he couldn't stay idle.
When Kyle mentioned needing a stock manager, Dobby, who had relevant experience, immediately volunteered, not minding that it was his day off.
"I've been seeing you around Diagon Alley lately," a surprised voice said from outside. "I had no idea you opened a shop here."
Kyle turned around and recognized Florin Forsko, the owner of the neighboring ice cream shop, who had just been a customer at his store.
They had met during the Death Eaters' attack on Diagon Alley when Forsko was one of their targets. Fortunately, Kyle had saved him.
"Welcome, Mr. Forsko," Kyle greeted warmly.
"I'm just having a look," Forsko said. "This shop has been vacant for at least thirty years. It's been closed since I opened my store, and I never imagined it would belong to you."
"It's all a matter of fate," Kyle replied.
Forsko stepped into the store, curiously examining the items on the shelves. He eventually stopped in front of a cluster of objects that resembled grapes. "Are you open for business?"
"Of course," Kyle said. "As my first customer, I'll give you a 50% discount on your purchase."
"That's not necessary," Forsko waved his hand. "I can afford this small amount, and I've been wanting to properly repay you for saving my life."
"What is this?" He held the 'grapes' and asked.
"Oh, you have a good eye, Mr. Forsko. These are King Vine Pods, one of the sweetest fruits in the wizarding world. Making ice cream with these will be a sure hit."
"King Vines... Aren't they a magical plant native to North America?" Forsko was taken aback. "I heard that fifty years ago, the local Ministry of Magic started strictly controlling them."
"Yes," Kyle sighed. "Grindelwald and his dark wizards damaged the environment, leaving only a tenth of the suitable habitat for King Vines. They became endangered almost instantly."
"How did you manage to get your hands on these?" Forsko was even more surprised.
He didn't doubt Kyle's words; even holding them in his hand, he could smell the sweet and refreshing fragrance. It was undoubtedly authentic.
Given Kyle's connections with Headmaster Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic, selling counterfeits would be beneath him.
"It's all a matter of fate," Kyle smiled.
"How much?" Forsko asked, holding the pods and swallowing.
Just holding them, the sweet scent filled his nostrils, and he couldn't wait to taste them.
"It's not expensive, just ten Galleons.
Visibly, Forsko's hand trembled.
"Merlin, ten Galleons for this? That's so expensive!"
"No, it's not for the whole cluster, just one pod," Kyle laughed. "As you know, these are not available on the market, so they won't be cheap."
Forsko's hand shook even more as he held his breath and carefully placed the pod back on the shelf.
He couldn't afford it; he only earned about five Galleons a day. If he accidentally dropped the pod, he'd lose two months' worth of income.
"How about this?" He turned to a bottle of ink on the side.
Although he didn't understand why ink would be displayed alongside King Vine pods, it was a common stationery item he could probably afford...
"Mobik Squid Ink," Kyle glanced up. "This is cheap, only fifty Galleons... But I need the Ministry's approval to sell it, so it's not available yet."
Only fifty Galleons?
Forsko suddenly felt a toothache.
"That's unfortunate. I quite... like it," he said, stepping away from the shelf unconsciously.
After browsing a bit more and asking about the prices of a few other items that caught his interest, Forsko realized he didn't need to be in such a hurry to repay Kyle for saving his life.
The main reason was that everything was too expensive, even the ten Galleon King Vine pod was considered a bargain. He wondered where Kyle had sourced these rare items.
Nevertheless, Forsko made a purchase.
He spent one Galleon to buy a box of candies.
"It's amazing you found these," Forsko said, watching the candies flying above his head like bees. "I remember loving these when I was in my first year, but they stopped production soon after. I heard the Duke of Honey changed ownership."
"If you like it, that's good enough for me." Kyle smiled. "What would you like to drink? We have black tea or butterbeer; those are the only two options available at the moment."
"Oh, your shop offers free drinks?" Mr. Florenchesco exclaimed in surprise.
"It's not free, but friends are an exception." Kyle took out a bottle of butterbeer and placed it on the table.
Anyone who had ever made a purchase in the shop was considered a friend. If they hadn't, they wouldn't get a drop of water to drink, not even if Fred and George themselves showed up.
Although Mr. Florenchesco's spending habits were relatively modest, he was still the first customer, and it was only right to offer him some special treatment.
Moreover, Kyle felt there was potential for collaboration between them.
"If I may say, you could actually buy two King Vine pods." He took out another bottle of butterbeer and sat down next to Mr. Florenchesco.
"No, I can't afford that stuff." Mr. Florenchesco shook his head repeatedly.
Unless he went crazy, he wouldn't spend two days' worth of earnings on a single fruit.
"Not for you to eat, but as raw materials to create an entirely new, unique flavor." Kyle spoke softly. "The flavors in your shop haven't changed in several years, and the most expensive one is only eight Sickles. It's time to introduce a high-end product."
"If you juice one King Vine pod, it should be enough to make at least ten portions of raw material, right? Even if you sell each portion for one Galleon, you'll still make a profit."
"One Galleon... that might not sell well?" Mr. Florenchesco hesitated.
"You won't know until you try. If it doesn't work out, we can divide it into twenty portions, or fifty..." Kyle waved his hand.
Dobby immediately understood what he meant and ran to pick a pod to bring over.
Kyle handed it to Mr. Florenchesco.
"As we discussed earlier, I'll give you a 50% discount. This pod is five Galleons, and I'll personally gift you a box of old-fashioned milk candies."
"Well... alright." After a moment of hesitation, Mr. Florenchesco nodded.
Although the price of five Galleons for a pod was still outrageous, he could afford it if he gritted his teeth.
He decided to use half of it as raw material first and try it out. If it didn't sell... he would consider it a new experience.
As Kyle said, King Vine pods were genuinely rare, and it was worth indulging in a luxury like this.
After seeing Mr. Florenchesco off, a familiar face suddenly appeared from the corner of the street.
Draco Malfoy?
Kyle was slightly taken aback but quickly hid himself.
However, Malfoy seemed to be preoccupied with something and didn't notice the newly opened shop. He walked straight past.
Kyle hesitated for a moment, then turned and said,
"Dobby, I have something to attend to. I'll leave things here to you. We won't be open for business for now. Remember to close the door later."
"No problem, sir." Dobby nodded.
After giving these instructions, Kyle tapped his wand on his head, and as the surrounding light distorted, his figure disappeared.
Kyle then followed Malfoy, curious about this young Death Eater who had been expelled from Hogwarts mid-way. Why was he in Diagon Alley at this time?
Due to the start of the school year at Hogwarts, the streets were not crowded.
As expected, Malfoy soon turned into Knockturn Alley.
These Death Eaters were indeed interesting. It was as if they would always go to Knockturn Alley, afraid that others might not know they were Dark Wizards.
Kyle didn't hesitate and followed him in.
Knockturn Alley remained the same. This small street closely associated with Dark Magic was almost deserted, and the shops on both sides were empty, with even the owners not bothering to show their faces.
This was normal. Perhaps in other places, this would be considered a prime location, but Knockturn Alley was an exception. Those who came to do business here feared being seen the most. Usually, they wouldn't choose a spot closer to the street entrance.
As they walked further, the surroundings gradually became more crowded.
Several wizards, wrapped up tightly, sat on the ground with a pile of items that looked intriguing.
Malfoy frowned and quickened his pace.
Despite the native residents of Knockturn Alley being curious about the young wizard who had suddenly intruded, no one dared to have any thoughts about Draco Malfoy due to his distinctive platinum blond hair.
Everyone knew that the Malfoy family was a favorite of Voldemort, and their signature feature was that platinum blond hair.
No one wanted to invite trouble.
Thus, Draco Malfoy smoothly passed through this perilous alley.
At the same time, these people didn't notice that there was another person following Malfoy.
Knockturn Alley was deeper than Kyle had imagined. Draco Malfoy walked for over twenty minutes without showing any signs of stopping, making Kyle wonder if they were still within the boundaries of Diagon Alley.
He also saw a group of werewolves, the same ones he had encountered on his previous visit. As he passed by them, Kyle could clearly see Draco Malfoy becoming tense, but he still walked past them without hesitation.
Kyle followed behind him.
One of the werewolves seemed to sense something and sniffed the air around them. His cloudy yellow eyes scanned Malfoy's empty back.
A moment later, he averted his gaze again.
The crowd around them thinned, as if even the Dark Wizards were reluctant to venture deeper into Knockturn Alley.
Finally, Malfoy stopped in front of a dilapidated door.
As Kyle approached, he faintly heard a faint buzzing sound. Malfoy anxiously looked around, and only after confirming that no one was nearby did he push open the door and enter.
Kyle's eyes widened in surprise.
He saw a familiar face, and at the same time, he understood the source of the buzzing sound he had heard earlier.
A Silencing Charm, a spell to prevent eavesdropping.
Seizing the opportunity before Malfoy fully entered, Kyle quickly stepped forward and slipped an ear-shaped object into the pocket of his robe.
Malfoy seemed to sense something and turned his head instinctively, but was soon stopped by another voice.
"Come in quickly, dear."
"Please, Severus, only you can help us this time."
Kyle hid outside the door, listening to a woman's sobs coming through the Extendable Ear. A mischievous smile crept onto his face.
Severus... it was indeed Snape.
Unbelievable. That guy was meeting with Narcissa Malfoy in such a secluded place and even using a Silencing Charm.
I wonder if Lucius is aware of this.
Kyle's face wore a devious smile as he surveyed the surroundings.
Unfortunately, there were no windows to take a picture.
What a shame.
With a sigh, Kyle could only listen to the voices coming through the Extendable Ear.
"I've told you, it's impossible. Even if you beg me, it won't work!" Snape's voice echoed from within.
"But Severus, Draco is your godson..." Narcissa's voice trembled, as if she was on the verge of tears.
"Mom, please..."
Draco Malfoy seemed to want to say something, but was interrupted.
"Don't speak, Draco. Stand over there." Under Narcissa's stern reprimand, Draco actually quieted down.
"I've said it before, it's impossible." Snape continued, "Although I'm the Head of Slytherin, I don't have the authority to let Draco return to Hogwarts. You should know that what he did is enough to get him expelled a hundred times over..."
"But that was the Dark Lord's order, Draco was forced, he had no choice..."
"Shut up, Narcissa!" Snape's voice turned stern. "If you want him to live, if you want Lucius to live as well, then dig out such thoughts from your heart. The Dark Lord's orders cannot be defied; we only need to obey, there is no room for coercion or voluntariness."
"But Severus, Draco will die." Narcissa choked, "If he's not a student at Hogwarts... he won't be under Dumbledore's protection anymore... he'll die..."
"That Kyle... he killed seventy Death Eaters in Godric's Hollow... seventy of them... even Bellatrix is dead. If he finds out that Draco tried to kill him..."
A thud came through the Extendable Ear, and Narcissa seemed to have lost her strength, collapsing to the ground.
Kyle raised an eyebrow, surprised to find his name mentioned here.
But it made sense; the incident at Godric's Hollow had just occurred, and his name was likely not well-received among the Death Eaters. It was understandable for Narcissa to be afraid.
"Do you think he doesn't know?" Snape said coldly, "Or do you think your clumsy plan can deceive him?"
"But I'm still alive," Malfoy said, his first complete sentence since entering the room.
"Even if he suspects, there's no evidence to prove that opal necklace was prepared by me."
"Evidence? That's something Dumbledore needs," Snape chuckled coldly. "Do you think a man who can kill seventy Death Eaters without a trace needs evidence?
"He's not like Dumbledore. A mere suspicion is enough."
"But he didn't kill me," Malfoy seemed slightly defiant. "If it were as you say, why didn't he kill me?"
"That's because you were still at Hogwarts at the time," Snape said impatiently. "Dumbledore wouldn't allow him to do something out of line at the school, right under his nose. That's how you managed to keep your life."
As someone who had experienced it firsthand, Snape knew exactly what had transpired. He was also aware that Kyle clearly knew the origin of that opal necklace.
If it weren't for Dumbledore, Malfoy might have disappeared in the Forbidden Forest long ago. How could he be standing here, chuckling?
But Kyle didn't voice these thoughts; otherwise, Kyle would surely protest his innocence.
He wasn't the Dark Lord, so how could he possibly harm his classmates, let alone Malfoy, who had been a significant client, contributing a substantial amount of Galleons.
At most, he would have given him a slight lesson.
As for the Death Eaters in Godric's Hollow, they had made the first move, and he was only defending himself.
Besides, Voldemort also played a part in that incident. It wasn't fair to put all the blame on him.
...
(End of Chapter)
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