A/N: This is for Hogwarts assignment 11 Notable Witches and Wizards task #1 Incorporate the location of Borgin & Burkes into your story, and it's also for the Fanfiction Resolution Challenge Other Era. It's 486 words.
Tom Riddle had surprised everyone after his graduation by getting a job at Borgin and Burke's rather than pursuing a career at the Ministry, or another distinguished establishment. He had been top of his class, Head Boy, and destined to do well but had chosen a dead end job instead.
At least that's what it looks like to them, he thought.
The choice, however, had all been part of his master plan to find items which once belonged to the founders, and make useful contacts in the underbelly of the wizarding world.
He had subtlety brought objects belonging to the founders up not long after he had traced his lineage, and found that only the sword and hat of Gryffindor seemed to remain. A few years later Tom had managed to charm Helena Ravenclaw - or the Grey Lady as she was known - into revealing that she had stolen her mother's diadem and hidden it in a hollow tree before she was murdered. All he needed now was to find something from his ancestor, and Helga Hufflepuff.
The bell over the door rang and pulled him from his thoughts.
"How can I help you today?" Tom asked.
"Do you still have that opal necklace?"
"I'm sorry, sir but we sold it yesterday," he said.
"Will you let me know if it comes up for sale again?"
"Of course, Mr Nott."
The older man nodded before walking back out the door.
Mr Nott was the father of one of his followers and a few well placed favours for him would keep his son loyal to his cause.
Thinking about fathers and sons, reminded him of what his uncle Morfin Gaunt had said before he murdered his own. His mother had stolen Slytherin's locket before she had ran away, but the orphanage had never given it to him. When he asked about it, Mrs Cole said that his mother didn't have any possessions with her at all and that she must have sold or lost it.
The only establishment which would not have openly advertised that they got the locket was Borgin and Burkes. Mr Burke kept details of all purchases over the last two decades in the filing cabinets at the back of the store, and he planned on going through them when his boss was out for lunch. As a new employee, Mr Burke kept a careful eye on him except for the hours lunch he had. Looking at the clock, Tom had thirty minutes before he came back.
I better make a start, he thought.
He searched through the files meticulously and was careful to make sure that they didn't seem out of place. He got as far back as 1942 before he had to stop.
It may take weeks, or even months before he would be able to get through them all, but he would and hopefully he would find what he was looking for.