The Grimstone

The shopkeeper smiled nervously. "Of course. I'll be back in a minute." He disappeared through a back door.

"What is this mysterious object you had him bring?" Tom asked.

"You'll see… It will be the perfect thing for Potter and Dumbledore."

Tom shrugged. "Alright." He walked around the shop, exploring the showcases.

A bloodstained pack of cards lay under a glass counter.

"Look at this," Malfoy said aloud, pointing at a shriveled hand on a pedestal. "The Hand of Glory. It gives light only to the holder. I bet I'll need it in the future."

"Sure. That can be useful."

"Hangman's rope. Dunno what that is used for."

"So this shop collects only dark artifacts?" Riddle asked.

"Yes," the blonde boy replied, admiring an Opal Necklace behind a fortified counter. "Only those with curious and strong magical properties. Most of these articles are over a thousand galleons worth."

"I see. It'd be nice to work here as an intern."

"Really?" Malfoy sneered. "Hmm. I could get you a delightful spot in the Ministry through my father's recommendation."

Riddle shrugged. "We'll walk that bridge when we get to it."

"We'd love to have a bright young wizard like you," Borgin said, walking back with a tiny box in his hand.

"Tom has better things to do than live in this pathetic alley," Malfoy sneered, to which the shopkeeper had no answer.

He nodded, opened the box, and placed it on the counter.

"There you go, Master Draco. The Grim Lodestone."

The boy grinned. "Does it do what I think it does?"

"What does it do?" Tom inquired curiously.

The object was a baguette-shaped gem that could fit on a ring. However, it did not shine or reflect light as gems did. It seemed to cast a peat-like shadow in its surroundings.

"Ah, one of the finest in our collections," Borgin explained with pride. "The Grim Lodestone or the Grimstone is a bringer of grievous misfortune. If you touch it once, tragedy will strike. You may die or suffer fates worse than death. The last person who touched it was kissed by a dementor!"

**

The hair on Harry's back stood up. It was the second time he had heard the word. 'Dementors' did not sound like sociable magical creatures. Snape had compared them to the Living Shrouds; hence, they were likely to be nothing short of nightmares.

"Don't breathe so loudly, or they will hear us," Hermione whispered.

Harry nodded and continued spying on the duo.

**

"So.. you want Potter to touch it and be cursed?" Tom asked.

Malfoy shushed him. He did not want Borgin to overhear the purpose of his purchase.

"Please pack it up nicely," he told the shopkeeper.

Borgin grinned with satisfaction and packed the artifact in a minute. "That will be twelve hundred galleons."

Tom's eyes widened. It was a steep price for a black stone with no luster. Yet, owning such a miraculous curse was worth the expenditure.

Malfoy paid Borgin from his bottomless purse. They were about to leave when Tom's eyes fell on a neglected rack in the shop. Inside it lay rusted and unattended, an object that caught his attention.

"What is that?" he inquired, barely able to contain his enthusiasm.

"That thing?" Borgin replied. "It used to be of tremendous value. Perhaps the most valuable magical artifact ever. Alas, it is wrecked beyond repair now and completely worthless."

"What is it called?" the boy asked with bated breath. He instantly remembered the surreal dream he had inside the Lethifold's embrace.

Borgin paused and took a deep breath for dramatic effect. "It is called… Merlin's Gauntlet."