"Did you see someone bump into me and then move away faster?" Marvolo asks urgently.
Harry turns to look straight away, remembering one man, and locks onto a figure flipping up their cloak's hood and slipping into Knockturn Alley.
Marvolo understands immediately and he's gone before Harry can say anything. The older male is left jogging after Marvolo's fast stride and isn't even surprised that the crowd parts for the Horcrux instinctively.
Marvolo disappears into Knockturn Alley without a hint of hesitation but Harry pauses. The narrow alley just seems darker than Diagon and several shady figures loiter outside grimy shop windows that don't dare to advertise the products they sell.
Harry tenses when Marvolo passes a group of three very scarred males and they push off the wall, making moves like they're going to follow.
Harry is rushing into the alley soon after. He shoots a scowl at the maybe-werewolves and catches up to Marvolo just in time for them to hit an intersection.
"Go left," Marvolo snaps and heads right.
"Wait!" Harry cries. "What am I looking for?"
Marvolo whips around and step close, lowering his voice. "It's a dagger with a hilt and sheath of basilisk skin. The latter has an emerald 'S' on it."
Harry can't help but ask, "Is that where you came from?"
"Just go," Marvolo snaps and vanishes further into the alley, a glamor melting over him because he's most definitely going to kill someone today.
Harry tries a point me spell even though he knows it won't work. Knocturn has quite a few wards scattered around the place that stop any kind of tracking, always set up no matter how many times the Ministry tear them down.
He tucks away his wand again but keeps his hand in the same pocket, ready. He continues for a few more minutes but everyone has their hoods up and he highly doubts he'll find the dagger.
This is the point when he remembers Marvolo doesn't have a wand. Harry mutters a curse and spins around, backtracking at almost a run. He hits the original intersection and continues, picking random turns and just hoping he'll find Marvolo-
A large body flies out of a small side alley and hits a shop wall opposite before crumpling to the ground and staying still.
Harry vaguely recognises the face as one of the three men from before and quickly turns the corner with his wand out. Another man is lying face down on the ground and a third is pinned to the wall with magic, about a meter off the ground.
Marvolo is standing with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. When Harry walks in, the Horcrux shoot him a glare, very pointedly glancing at the holly wand.
"To be fair," Harry begins. "You don't need a wand. Now, how about we put the nice man down?"
"Yeah," the stranger says quickly. "Yeah, let's put the nice man down."
Marvolo raises an eyebrow, not impressed at all.
Harry turns to the man pinned instead. "Hi, Mr…?"
"Kharma," the man mutters.
"Mr Kharma," Harry continues. "I'm sure you have family and friends who love you, and – why am I using the emotional route?"
"Yes, maybe you should restart that," Marvolo offers.
Harry sighs. "Marvolo, you can't kill him because you have better things to be doing. Remember the dagger?"
Marvolo rolls his eyes and lets the man drop. But then he also breaks Kharma's legs and three ribs.
Harry frowns at Marvolo with a backing track of screams.
Marvolo shrugs and strolls past Harry. "I put him down, what more do you want?" He pauses and turns around to face Harry. "And, by the way, if you don't have my dagger then why are you here?"
"Thought you might need some help," Harry mutters and follows when Marvolo starts walking again. "Where were you kept, by the way?"
"Nowhere in particular," Marvolo murmurs; his eyes scanning the street and profiling potential suspects. "I was actually picked up by a few muggles and got dropped off in a museum."
"You didn't possess any of them?" Harry wonders.
"They died as soon as they touched my blade," Marvolo says. "It was actually quite annoying because after the first few times everyone used tools to move me."
Harry frowns. "So then the guy we're chasing could potentially touch-"
A piercing scream cuts through the air and Marvolo smiles, walking towards it with a bounce in his step.
"I'm trying to reform you," Harry sighs. "At least pretend you're getting better."
Marvolo is unrepentant as he takes a left and walks straight past the circle of horrified watchers that surround a shuddering figure on the ground. He curls his fingers and the knife dropped a few steps away is summoned to his hand.
Harry winces when Marvolo calmly tucks it away and then kicks the writhing thief, knocking the man onto his back. The crowd shrinks back at the horrifically melted skin that shows and Harry hears the faint noise of someone throwing up.
"Now," Marvolo hums in amusement. "What do you need to apologise for?"
The thief clearly can't respond considering his jaw is non-existent at this point in time.
So Marvolo answers for him. "Yes, that's right; don't touch my things." He smiles charmingly. "I think we've all learned something here today."
"Actually," Harry cuts in, stepping up beside Marvolo, thankful that both of them are glamoured. "No one can understand you."
The Horcrux scoffs. "There is a half dissolved maybe-corpse at my feet. I think everyone knows exactly what's happening."
Harry looks down and sees that the man isn't moving. He's just going to stick with 'maybe-corpse' because it's better than 'corpse'.
Marvolo whips around and his cloak billows out behind him as he walks from the crime scene without a care in the world.
.
A/N: New challenge: What's the tar inside Marvolo?
One guess only per person, no vagueness! (This is actually a pretty easy one.)