Corruptions embrace
Harry and Ron walked through the bustling crowds of Diagon alley. It was the start of summer and Harry's third year at Hogwarts had just ended. Harry still wasn't sure what to make of the events just a few weeks ago. Sirius Black convicted mass murderer was innocent, Professor Remus was a werewolf and tried to kill them, and Ron's rat turned out to be Peter Pettigrew, the man that had framed Sirius and indirectly killed Harry's parents.
The whole situation was enough to make his head spin. He honestly wasn't sure how Ron was holding up, knowing his pet rat was actually a forty-year-old criminal. The cynic inside him almost found the situation amusing, if it wasn't so disturbing.
Harry turned his attention back to Ron who was going on about some of the shops they should visit. Harry was honestly surprised that Mrs. Weasley had let them go on this trip alone considering the incident with the car last year, but he wasn't going to complain.
Harry had spent these last few days thinking. Every year at Hogwarts has almost ended with him dying horrifically. The more he replayed all these events, the more he realised just how lucky he had been. It was almost shameful to admit but his magical abilities were woefully inadequate to deal with these situations. If the trend continued, he could very well meet his demise next year.
It was Harry's aim to improve his knowledge of magic and Diagon Alley seemed the perfect place to start. After all what better place to find books to help him than the largest market in magical Britain.
"Hey Ron," Harry said interrupting his friends rant about the increased chores he has to do this summer. "You mind if we split up? I'm going to look for some textbooks and I doubt you'd be interested in coming."
"You've got that right mate." Ron said with a laugh. "If I even see a book this summer, I'd be too soon."
Ron took a look around the street they were on before turning back to Harry. "I'll go check out some of the shops here, we can meet back up in about an hour." Ron turned and began to walk away disappearing into the crowds.
Mrs. Weasley wouldn't be happy that they split up like this but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Harry turned surveying the shops surrounding him. There were certainly many options, but none of them seemed to catch his interest. They were all the standard magical shops selling basic tomes on the different subjects, he doubted any of it would prove useful if he ran into a Voldemort.
Harry made a risky decision, turning and walking towards the entrance of Knockturn alley. If he was to have any chance against the various wizards and monsters trying to kill him, he would need to first understand the magic they used.
The dark arts were a rather taboo subject and Dumbledore would certainly be disappointed if he learned of Harry's plan. He shook his head clearing the thoughts away. How was he supposed to defend himself if he didn't know half the spells his opponent used?
Given Knockturn's reputation he figured that getting a tome wouldn't be that difficult; although it wouldn't be good if he was recognized. He could already imagine it, The Boy who Lived – The next Dark Lord? It would certainly be an interesting headline.
As the crowds thinned and the streets look more and more ominous, Harry knew he had reached his destination. He pushed his shaggy black hair down to block his scar so no one would recognize him at first glance and proceeded onward.
The shops in Knockturn looked decrepit and one could be forgiven for thinking some of them were abandoned buildings. The people around him certainly seemed to match the theme, they were all individuals Harry would rather avoid if he could. He continued down the street looking at the shops and doing his best to avoid any interactions with the locals.
Eventually he stopped in front of a small shop tucked into a corner out of sight. The sign was slightly crocked but legible. Gregor's Emporium of the Mystical Arts. It certainly seemed to be what he was looking for, and he'd rather not go any farther into the winding alleys surrounding him.
Walking up to the door he could faintly see a dim light shine through the glass. He could make out a candle barely illuminating the figure of a man sitting at a desk. Harry pulled the door open and entered to shop. A faint bell could be heard as the door was pulled open alerting the man in the store.
The man had a pudgy build, wrinkled skin and grey hair giving away his advanced age. The man turned his head towards Harry, his pale blue eyes focusing on the boy's form. "You seem rather young to be here, take a wrong turn somewhere?"
The man had a rough voice that echoed through the room. "No, I'm just looking for some tomes on magic and this shop seemed to be a good place to look." Harry replied nervously.
"If it's tome you want Diagon alley may be better suited to you're demographic." The man said with a laugh motioning Harry to leave.
Harry steeled himself. "I'm looking for a tome that could help me defend against the dark arts and I figured that I would find it here." Seeing the man's skeptical look, he quickly added. "I have enough money to pay you."
"Why would a teenager be interested in a tome on the dark arts, you've probably never even been in a fight." The man said staring at Harry. "What do you possibly need to defend against?" The man uttered in a cold tone.
"There've been a few incidents I've been in that involved dark magic, if it ever happens again, I'd like to be able to defend myself without dying."
The man seemed to analyze him for a few seconds before chuckling. "Well then defense may not be my speciality, but I may have something that will interest you." The man stood up; he was taller than Harry expected towering over the boys small frame. He motioned for Harry to follow and they walked to the back of the store.
The man reached the back bookshelf and climbed up a ladder that was attached to the shelf. As he reached the top, he grabbed what appeared to be a large tome covered in dust. Climbing down he walked over to a table and sat the book down before turning to Harry.
"This book is one of the largest catalogues of dark magic that you can find here in Britain." He said before wiping the dust off, revealing the books pitch black cover. "If you want to defend yourself against the dark arts, you must first know the dark arts."
"But be warned boy, this book could pose a bigger threat to your safety then any dark wizard you could encounter." The man said with a grave look on his face, as he picked up the book and handed it to Harry.
Harry looked into the man's eyes before rummaging into his pockets and pulling out his pouch filled with money. "Thank you, how much do I owe for it?" Harry asked wondering if he even had enough money for it.
The man seemed to contemplate it for a second. He looked at the book for about a minute before turning back to Harry. "I'm willing to part with it on a discount, after all its better off in the hands of a wizard then gathering dust on a shelf." The man held out his hand. "One galleon and the book is yours.
Harry was surprised by the offer; he was expecting the price to be much higher if the book was as useful as the man said. However, as the saying went it was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Harry handed the man a galleon.
"Good choice, if you study this books contents you may survive a death eater attack, if they ever decide to avenge their master that is." The man said in an amused tone staring at Harry's forehead.
Harry quickly realized his hair must have shifted revealing the scar on his forehead, he moved his hand to block it again. "You aren't going to tell anyone about this, are you? Harry said in a nervous tone. If anyone found out he'd be in some rather hot water.
The man laughed rather heartily at that. "Of course not, if I did, I would have to admit to selling you an illegal book." He began walking to the front of the store and Harry quickly followed. "My name is Gregor by the way, if you ever have any questions about the book and its contents, you know where to find me,"
Gregor opened the door and motioned harry to leave. Harry exited the shop and turned around to thank Gregor, but the shop door was already closed. Shrugging Harry figured this was a good time to meet back up with Ron. He placed the book in his bag and headed off from where he came.
As the two boys reunited Ron told him about some of the he decided to buy, which included a rather large number of sweets. When Ron asked if he had found any books Harry decided not to tell Ron too many details. The boys continued their day until it was time to head back to the burrow.