Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 127: Another Visit to Knockturn Alley
James arrived home and received a warm welcome from part of his mother.
A few hours later, his father returned home, and his attitude towards James was as usual.
He was sure that his father had learned about what had transpired in the Black Manor since the man worked at the Ministry of Magic.
However, his lack of response towards him led him to believe that his involvement had been successfully kept a secret.
Not to mention that he never received a visit from any Auror.
After a pleasant family dinner, James excused himself and went directly to his room and locked the door to make sure he was not disturbed.
'There is much to do and so little time.' He was feeling exhausted by the trip and the lack of sleep, but he had arranged a meeting for tonight and it could not be postponed.
James changed clothes and performed a last-minute check to make sure he had everything he needed.
The next moment, he raised his wand and disappeared from the room.
He held no concerns for his parents noticing him leaving the wards. One of the first things he had done after his arrival in that house was to meddle with the main runic formation and make sure that something like that was not going to occur.
It was dark already, but the streets of Diagon Alley still had a few wizards and witches walking around.
James walked through the main road with purpose. He noted that the shops would be closing soon, but this was fine. The shop that he was going to visit would be open for him, even at this late hour.
While trying to avoid being seen by too many people, James ventured into Knockturn Alley.
The last time he visited was during the day. However, Knockturn Alley only came alive at night.
In a moment, he had over a dozen eyes on him, watching him venture further into the dark alley.
He was wearing non-descript robes, although his face could clearly be seen.
James wasn't famous or anything. The reason he gathered so much attention was because it was not every day that they saw a young boy daring to walk into this place, much less during the night. Or at least, that's what he thought.
Most of the wizards and witches limited themselves to looking at him from afar while talking among themselves.
A middle-aged woman with messy hair and ragged clothes decided to get in his way. "Hello, boy… did you wander in here by mistake? This is no place for children."
James lifted his face to glare at her. "Move, witch." His tone was calm and hid a hint of coldness that he didn't like to reveal to others.
The witch didn't seem intimidated by his words, not one bit. On the contrary, she looked more excited now. "What a handsome face!" She extended one hand to touch him. "Would you like to keep me company for a while? I won't hurt you, I promi—"
James grasped the witch's hand before it had a chance to touch his face. As his skin touched hers, he pushed a wave of his magic into her body.
The witch's eyes went blank, and she collapsed on the ground with a loud thud.
James turned back and looked at the audience of people watching him with rapt attention. "She is only sleeping. I won't be so kind to the next one who gets in my way."
After saying that, he took off and disappeared into the dark corridors of the alley.
People murmured loudly. Some of them found the situation amusing while others didn't seem to care one way or another, as this kind of thing was a common occurrence in the alley.
But there were two wizards sitting beneath the low roof of the bar behind them who were paying more attention to James. They seemed to be having an intense conversation among themselves.
"That boy… he looked like the one from the poster," one of them said.
"That's impossible. No way that boy would come here alone," his companion responded.
"He also looks very similar to the one who attacked the Posson band a few months ago. Remember? They were found petrified near The Creeping Ivy."
"Mmm… we should send a message, just in case. We can get a hefty reward just for the information."
The two men looked at each other and grinned.
"Tonight is our lucky night."
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James had very good memory and spatial awareness, so this time he didn't have a need for a guide to reach the core part of the alley.
In front of him was the small garden where the Black Rose shop was located.
He moved closer without hesitation. Tonight he had a meeting with the owner of this shop. Hopefully, she was able to collect all the things he required; otherwise...his plans would need to be changed and James hated having to change things once he had everything arranged.
The door of the small cabin became wide open before he even touched it.
'I guess I'm being welcomed,' James thought and went inside, hearing the door close right behind him.
"Greetings, my dear customer," the owner of the shop said with her charming voice and demeanor.
He followed the voice and found her sitting on a large leather sofa that had been placed next to a fireplace.
"Good night, Lady Rose. Did you find everything I asked for?" James asked.
She made an expression of displeasure. "Directly to business? How boring…" She took a sip of her drink before placing it back onto a small circular table next to her.
Lady Rose then stood up from her chair and walked behind the counter of the shop.
After reaching for something behind her, she placed a small coffer made of wood and precious metals.
James approached the counter and was about to touch the coffer when she moved it away and looked at him with a mischievous expression.
"Before that… did you remember my request?"
James sighed. "Is there any need to doubt my capabilities? I thought we were past that." He reached into his robes and pulled out a couple of potions.
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