Mr. Borgin

Even the toughest exams eventually come to an end. As the last History of Magic exam for seventh year concluded, the school year was finally drawing to a close.

Professor McGonagall, having received the grades in advance, couldn't contain her excitement and quietly informed Professor Tewell that this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts results were better than ever, especially for the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams.

If past trends held, with O's and E's in O.W.L., the number of students attending advanced classes would likely increase significantly.

But Tewell only responded absentmindedly.

At the end-of-year banquet, Dumbledore unsurprisingly awarded a substantial number of points to the trio, indirectly confirming Ron's boasts.

So, while Gryffindor didn't secure the Quidditch Cup, they still surpassed Slytherin, lifting the House Cup.

Before students left for the holidays, Tewell assigned summer homework, naturally assigning heavier loads to students with poorer theoretical scores.

Afterward, Tewell disappeared from the students' view until they boarded the train, with no one sighting him again until they returned for the next school year.

If they hadn't known he would still be teaching next year, protests might have started.

...

Knockturn Alley.

It's another magical commercial district adjacent to Diagon Alley.

Unlike Diagon Alley, wizards here habitually wore hoods to conceal their identities as much as possible.

But not all inside were dark wizards; sometimes ordinary wizards with special needs would appear. Nevertheless, most items sold here were associated with dark magic.

Thus, the Ministry of Magic didn't crack down on this shady place, as it existed in a gray area between black and white.

Caractacus Burke considered himself the top dog here, so most people referred to him as Mr. Borgin.

He believed he knew every secret of Knockturn Alley and had access to numerous sources of information in the wizarding world.

That was until early July when a mysterious guest arrived at the shop.

He was a handsome, debonair man.

The refined yet understated suit seemed tailor-made for him, perfectly complementing his demeanor.

However, Borgin couldn't recall such a prominent figure ever appearing, especially not one so conspicuous in Knockturn Alley.

This man was none other than Tewell.

Except his appearance had been altered through transfiguration to resemble a younger version of Dumbledore.

This happened once when he unexpectedly appeared in the Headmaster's office, catching the old man off guard as he scrambled to tidy up.

He "accidentally" caught a glimpse of his appearance.

Originally, he intended to transform into a nearby teacher, aligning his height closer to Tewell's, but he realized that the young Grindelwald, even in his youth, was far too conspicuous compared to a young Dumbledore.

To avoid trouble, he abandoned the idea.

"Mr. Borgin?" Tewell surveyed the dimly lit shop.

As if to enhance the mystery, the shops in Knockturn Alley were stingy with their lighting.

"Welcome, esteemed customer. I am the proprietor of this establishment, Caractacus Burke. You may call me Burke." Borgin approached respectfully, oily-haired.

Anyone who dared to act so ostentatiously in Knockturn Alley was either reckless or had some sort of backing. Whichever it was, it signaled potential business.

Tewell, however, glanced strangely at his hair, which was as greasy as Snape's, if not more so. Borgin didn't seem to mind as he casually ran his hand through the slick strands hanging on his face.

"Is there anything our distinguished guest requires? We have a variety of items here that can fulfill your needs. In Knockturn Alley, you won't find a second shop like ours."

Tewell glanced indifferently at the items in the shop: glass eyes, grotesque masks, human bones, and other items unsuitable for children. Borgin wasn't lying; it was the shop with the most dark magic items, with even more eerie ones hidden in the warehouse.

However, for him, these levels of dark magical artifacts no longer piqued his research interests. So, he straightforwardly stated his purpose.

"I heard the adjacent house is also your property. Name your price; I want to buy it."

Yes, he needed a house far away from Dumbledore and his family to conduct his Horcrux research.

The aura emanating from Horcruxes was too sinister, and delving deep into the study risked attracting Dumbledore's attention.

Thus, he had to find a house in Knockturn Alley.

Unfortunately, even in this rare commercial street in the wizarding world, he found few properties satisfying.

The only one that caught his eye was the house next to Borgin and Burkes.

Conveniently, there were whispers of dark energy around Borgin and Burkes, so it seemed fitting!

Borgin blinked in confusion. "Could you please repeat that? I didn't quite catch it."

"I want to buy the adjacent house," Tewell restated concisely.

Borgin raised and lowered his hand in surprise several times before finally speaking, "May I ask why you want to buy the house?"

"No."

Tewell looked into Borgin's eyes, a hint of confusion apparent.

But a second later, the sound of shattered glass emanated from Borgin's body, and the confused expression vanished instantly.

"This guest," Borgin directly drew his wand and produced a phoenix feather with his left hand, "must clarify his intentions, or else I'll have to notify the Ministry of Magic!"

As one of the most well-known figures in Knockturn Alley, Borgin was often targeted by dark wizards for plunder.

However, he had remained safe until now, relying on his excellent magical skills and various magical artifacts.

But Tewell had no intention of resorting to force; he simply wanted to resolve the matter quickly.

"Calm down," he calmly spread his hands, "I just want to buy a house. Of course, if you still have that item you just used, I'll take it too."

Borgin didn't lower his wand but relaxed his tense muscles. His left hand returned the feather to his pocket while fumbling inside.

"You mean this?" He pulled out a diamond-shaped crystal, cracked all over. "This is an item to prevent soul interference."

Seeing the thoroughly shattered crystal, Tewell's heart skipped a beat.

Just a Confundus Charm had elicited such a violent reaction from the crystal.

It was meant to resist the Killing Curse!

What's more, this guest performed wandless and non-verbal magic!

He suddenly realized how foolish his wand-raising action was. With this person's strength, unless he had a hundred of these crystals, resisting was futile.

Quickly, he dropped his wand, bent down, and spoke in a more respectful, albeit oily, tone, "Such crystals are rare. I can give you one. As for the neighboring house, are you sure you want to buy it?"

Borgin's voice sounded aggrieved; he didn't want to be neighbors with such a figure.

Although sometimes he received invisible protection, angering this person would be the most dangerous move.

Tewell was a bit puzzled, blinking his deep blue eyes, thinking Borgin was worried about the price.

"My target is the house. Don't worry; as long as the price is right, I can produce the Galleons right now."

As he spoke, a large bag of coins floated out of his pocket, tapping against Borgin's heart like a devil's whisper.

Borgin glanced askance at the bag of Galleons. After a brief internal struggle, he decided to sell the house; after all, he couldn't summon the courage to decline such wealth and power.

"Alright, I can sell it to you."