It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant drain. He seemed to be spinning very fast - the roaring in his ears was deafening - he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick -something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly, still spinning and spinning - now it felt as though cold hands were slapping his face - squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond - his six bacon sandwiches were churning inside him - he closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then...
He fell, face forward, onto cold stone.
Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, Dudley got gingerly to his feet, holding his broken glasses up to his eyes. He was quite alone, but where he was, he had no idea. All he could tell was that he was standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop. There was a variety of curious objects lining the shelves—hideous masks, black and scarlet robes, various ceremonial daggers, cauldrons covered in strange runes, wicker figures woven together with different colored threads. A bookcase covered one wall, full of leather-bound tomes with titles such as "The Darkest Magical Arts," "Raising the Dead: A Guide to Inferi" "A History of the Horcrux" "and "Necromancy Through the Ages" There was even a box of voodoo dolls and needles.
"Wow," Dudley said. He didn't think he had seen this shop in Diagon Alley when he was last here. He picked up one of the voodoo dolls and admired it. It was a simple, featureless figure made out of straw-like material.
"If you purchase one of those, you should also purchase the supplementary book," a whispery voice said. "Voodoo for Vengeance: A Beginner's Guide"
Dudley jumped, dropping the doll and spun around. He hadn't noticed the figure behind the counter. He was ancient, tall, long and thin—all of his limbs looked longer than normal. He had a black bowler hat on his head and was wearing black robes covered in various runes and symbols.
"Huh … I," Dudley was uncertain what to say. "You have some interesting stuff."
The man looked irritated at his items being called 'stuff'. "Necromancy is a craft that few appreciate and even fewer can master. The objects I sell allowed those with enough skill, talent and desire to achieve mastery over death itself—or, at least, to such an extent where that is possible."
Dudley's eyes gleamed. This was his sort of place, and he made up his mind to come back here as soon as he had gotten some gold from Gringott's. He shoved his fat hand into his pockets and rummaged around—he was sure he had some left over galleons from last year.
"How much for a voodoo doll and book?" he asked.
"I will sell both for 6 galleons," the man said.
Dudley counted out some coins and handed it over. A voodoo doll would be something worth having—he couldn't wait to test it on Malfoy.
He left the store and looked up at the faded sign. "The Coffin House."
Dudley had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. Near the shop he had just left was a large establishment called "Borgin and Burkes". Opposite that was a nasty window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders. Two shabby-looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other.
Dudley stepped back into the doorway of a grubby tavern called The White Wyvern as a pair of figures approached. One of them he recognized—his rival at school, Draco Malfoy. Or, punching bag would perhaps be a better term.
Malfoy was accompanied by a tall man with long blond hair who could only be his father. They were deep in talk and entered the shop called Borgin and Burkes. Dudley considered spying on them briefly when another figure caught his eye—Hagrid, who given his size was hard to miss as he towered above everybody else. He was looking in the window of Shyverwretch's Potions and Poisons.
"Suspicious," Dudley said, eying the giant as he stepped inside.
Dudley looked around again. An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told him he was in Knockturn Alley. This didn't help, as Dudley had never heard of such a place. He supposed he hadn't spoken clearly enough through his mouthful of ashes back in the Weasleys' fire.
"Not lost are you, my dear?" said a voice in his ear, making him jump.
An aged witch stood in front of him, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails. She leered at him, showing mossy teeth.
"Yeah, I am," Dudley said. "I'm trying to get back to Diagon Alley."
The crone grinned wider. "This way dear, this way. Follow Old Mrs Gimble."
Balancing the tray on her arm, she led the way down the street. Knockturn Alley was far emptier than Diagon Alley—there were no students here. Most of the wizards were quite old and shifty looking. Dudley saw a thick, heavysat man who looked a lot like a Slytherin he knew called Crabbe who was heading into a shop called "Cobb & Webbs" and there was a wizard with a lopsided leer and a palid doughy face who was walking along with a sloping-shouldered witch who resembled him. She stared at Dudley as they passed.
"Here we are, dearie," the crone said, gesturing down a darkened alley. "Head right that way and you'll get to Diagon Alley. Be quick, youngsters like yourself shouldn't be wandering Knockturn Alley alone."
Dudley frowned, this seemed suspicious. The alley was narrow and dark, leading between two buildings. He could just make out a doorway on one of the buildings. It was open. Dudley squinted, he could see a hunched figure covered in robes lurking just outside it.
'Go on, dearie," Old Mrs Gimble urged, giving him a sharp poke in the back.
"Oi! What's going on, 'ere'," a voice said. They both turned around. A short wizard with bandy legs and bloodshot eyes with long ginger hair was approaching.
"I've been keeping an eye on you," he said, waggling a finger at Old Mrs Gimble who looked furious. "What are you playing at, trying to lure a student to a hag!"
"A hag?" Dudley repeated in shock.
"You want to bring the Aurors down on this place?" the wizard said.
"C'mon you, let's get you back where you belong." He gripped Dudley by the arm and led him a different direction. "Not the sorta place students should be wanderin' abou'." He grunted. "Not safe—a lot of dodgy folks around here."
The wizards robes were clanking with unseen items hidden within with every step he took. Dudley felt he seemed as dodgy as anybody else Dudley had seen.
"Here we are," the wizard said, and Dudley saw the white building of Gringott's. "Diagon Alley—be more careful next time." He said, giving another grunt before heading back the way he came.
"Hey, Dud!"
Dudley looked around to see the Weasley family accompanied by Dean Thomas and his mother hurrying towards them.
