Lesson 10: Knockturn Alley
Some of you have noticed the little side street that runs off the alley, and even more of you actually know what the place is. Yes, I’m speaking of Knockturn Alley. Knockturn Alley is best known for the shops and peddlers that sell doggy and questionably legal items. I personally try my best to never visit there, as the witches and wizards who hang around there are just as questionable. I highly recommend no student under the age of 17 visits Knockturn Alley alone or without parent permission. However, I’m sure some of you have been to the alley before with your parents. *watches Maya*
There are many shops in Knockturn Alley, and most, if not all, sell a wide variety of dark objects. Some of the objects you might find there are shrunken heads, giant spiders, poisonous candles, flesh-eating slug repellant, and so much more.
Like Diagon Alley, one cannot access Knockturn Alley through the muggle world. A magical witch or wizard can Apparate in or out or they can use the floo network. It is said a mispronunciation when stating his destination during his first floo power experience is what caused Harry Potter to land in Knockturn Alley once.
Borgin and Burkes:
One of the shops we do know about in Knockturn Alley is Borgin and Burkes. This shop is located at 13B Knockturn Alley. The shop is known to sell dangerous magical artifacts, and buy them from dark wizards who it might be consider inconvenient to have the items found in their house. The shop first opened in 1863 with the owners Caractacus Burke and Mr. Borgin offering confidential services for unusual and ancient wizarding artifacts.
Some of the artifacts that have made it through the shop are the heavy golden locket that is said to have belonged to Salazar Slytherin and the Hand of Glory. A famous dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, worked at the shop after he graduated from Hogwarts. Tom Riddle’s job was to use his charm and charisma to talk wizards into parting with their very valuable artifacts for a very low selling price. He was very successful at his job.
It is said that Voldermort quit his job at the shop after he retrieved both the Slytherin locket and the Helga Hufflepuff cup, making both items into Hocruxes; which is a topic we will not be learning about in this class. *shivers*