Chapter 31: Shops in Perkinbok

It was a gloomy day.

Dark clouds loomed in the sky, indicating that a rainstorm might be imminent.

Lucius and his son left their home early and headed towards their destination.

They didn't go directly to Diagonal Alley, but rather to an alley adjacent to it.

The streets in this alley were cold, dark, and dirty, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of Diagon Alley.

Malfoy yawned and asked his father, "What are we doing here? This place doesn't seem very nice."

"Taking care of some small business," Lucius replied.

"Selling stolen goods, so politely?" Malfoy couldn't help but want to laugh. He looked around at the various shops, noticing one that appeared to be inhabited by spiders and another that sold poisonous candles.

In front of this shop was an old wooden street sign with a large black spider hanging on it.

The sign read "Turning Alley."

They arrived at a shop called Bojin-Bok, which seemed to be the largest in the alley.

There were shrunken heads in the window of a shop across the street.

"Don't touch anything when you go in," Lucius warned before entering the store. "You know the dangers of black magic items."

"Of course, father," Malfoy replied.

As the two walked through the shop, Malfoy saw a shelf full of skulls, a cushion with a corpse hand in a glass box, a stack of blood-stained playing cards, and a dull glass eyeball.

There were also human bones on the counter and rusty instruments hanging from the ceiling.

The shop appeared to be deserted, with dust covering most of the goods.

Soon, a hunched man appeared behind the counter, stroking his shiny hair backwards.

He spoke with Lucius, who seemed to pull out a piece of parchment.

Malfoy didn't want to listen to the bargaining, so he wandered around the store, looking at the various goods.

After some bargaining, the two settled on a final price.

"What do you want to buy, Master Malfoy?" the hunched man, Mr. Bo Jin, asked as he approached Malfoy.

"What do you think of this?" Mr. Bo Jin picked up a withered hand and explained, "Light a candle and only the person holding it can see the light! It's great for thieves and robbers."

"I don't think my son needs it," Lucius said coldly.

"He was first in Hogwarts last year and will likely work for the Ministry of Magic in the future."

"Really?" Mr. Bo Jin smiled awkwardly.

"What do you need then, Master Malfoy?"

"I like this cabinet," Malfoy said, pointing to a black cabinet on the wall.

"Oh, you have good taste," Mr. Bo Jin exclaimed, but Lucius interrupted, "Just tell us the price."

After some hesitation, Mr. Bo Jin agreed to the deal and Lucius and Malfoy left the store.

"Draco, let's go." Lucius stepped out of the door.

"Mr. Bogin, can I ask you a question?" Malfoy said quietly.

"Of course, I'm happy to help."

"Do you know Tom Riddle?" Malfoy asked, his eyes fixed on Mr. Bo Jin's face.

Mr. Bo Jin closed his eyes and seemed to be thinking.

Then he opened them and said, "Yes, Tom was the best shop assistant I've ever had.

He was excellent, but unfortunately he resigned later."

He sounded regretful. "How do you know him?"

"I saw his name in the school's cup display room. I heard he worked at your shop. He was really talented," Malfoy said.

"You'll be even better," Mr. Bo Jin said.

"Thanks," Malfoy said, and hurried out of the shop to catch up with Lucius.

No one noticed that the sold box seemed to shake a bit.