Who let this Dementor into Hogwarts!

Chapter 133: Knockturn Alley Adventure (Part )

"what?"

"Collapsed."

Korn threw a stunning spell at Mundungus.

This guy used to be one of Dumbledore's spies. Cohen didn't intend to let him go just like that. His memory had to be cleared to prevent Cohen's image in Dumbledore's eyes from being affected.

"Count, have you heard of the Silver Key Gathering?" Cohen asked the Count after clearing Mundungus' memory.

"I'm not God," the Count said. "You can't expect me to tell you everything about an owl just by giving it a name. Even an owl has its limits."

"It'll all be clear soon." Coin used his magic to conjure ropes and tied Mundungus up. "I'm going to check out 77 Knockturn Alley, as he mentioned, before the holidays are over."

"But they shouldn't be at 77 Knockturn Alley right now."

The Count suddenly reminded,
"The shop that sold dragon livers closed down, and now there's a magic candle shop in its place."

"What if it's just a new storefront?" Cohen speculated. "In Mundungus's memory, they had a warehouse underground, and the storefront above was just for show."

Whatever the store was, Cohen had no intention of canceling his trip. He hadn't even been to Knockturn Alley yet.
-
"Damn, I knew I forgot something."

On the night after Christmas, Cohen used a pillow to deform a "sleeping Cohen" to deal with his family's inspection, and then he discovered a serious problem.

He forgot to practice Apparition, all because of the basilisk and Voldemort. Cohen was only thinking about how to rescue the two basilisks and how to ensure that Voldemort's plan would not kill the students - he never thought that there would be a need to use Apparition during the Christmas holidays.

Now I have to take the Knight Bus again...

Cohen fell out of the window, but the fall from the second floor was not enough to kill him.

thump--

Cohen made a dull thud as he smashed the machine. His parents and grandmother were chatting loudly in the living room and didn't hear the noise outside.

It was a very strange feeling - Cohen was outside the window where snowflakes were flying, looking through the window at the warm scene in the house, just like when Voldemort attacked the Potter family.

Cohen shook his head, thinking it was not good to associate too much with others. There was still a big difference between him and Noseless. If he pushed open the door next to him, he would receive hugs and caring inquiries from his relatives, while Voldemort would only receive screams and spells directed at him.

Cohen deliberately chose a place some distance from home and stretched out his wand towards the center of the road.

A bright purple three-decker bus suddenly appeared in front of Cohen after making a sharp friction sound.

"Hello there!"

The bus door slammed open, and the old bus conductor with a poor memory was replaced by a young man who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old. He had a pair of big protruding ears and a few pimples on his face.

"Welcome aboard the Knight Bus—for..."

There was a long introduction, exactly the same as the one Cohen had heard last time.

"My name is Stan Shunpike, and I'm the conductor today."

Stan enthusiastically wanted to help Cohen carry the boxes.

"No, I can carry this." Cohen didn't give the box to the other party and paid the money skillfully. "Go to the Leaky Cauldron and add a chocolate."

"Are you lost?" Stan asked the same question as the previous ticket seller.

"I remember him!" The driver, Ern Plan, wiped his glasses, which were as thick as bottle caps, and looked at Cohen in the rearview mirror. "Dirk Marv!"

"Yeah, that's right, Mr. Driver, you have a good memory, much better than the previous conductor, Tucker."

Cohen nodded in praise.

It feels like this car only needs someone to step on the accelerator, and the driver doesn't need to worry about where to go.

After another bumpy ride, Cohen finally arrived at the door of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Need help, kid?"

Tom, the bar owner, asked Cohen.

"No, thank you." Cohen politely declined Tom.

As a Dementor as friendly as himself, Coin really didn't know why those Aurors held a grudge against him.

Although he kills people, collaborates with Voldemort, often goes to dangerous places, and raises dangerous magical animals, he is a good person - oh no, it's weird.

Unlike Edward's bad memory, Cohen memorized the "password" of the wall leading to Diagon Alley after seeing it once last year.

He pulled out his wand and tapped one of the bricks, and the path leading to Diagon Alley suddenly opened up.

Diagon Alley held a unique charm on a snowy night. Some shops still open at night hadn't removed their Christmas decorations, and the multicolored lights reflected on the piled snow, making it look like lumps of mixed-flavor ice cream. Some shops even had snowmen outside their doors, magically brought to life—they danced and shouted out advertising slogans as passersby passed. However, Cohen felt this was counterproductive, and the few passersby at night tried to avoid shops with snowmen outside their doors, fearing they might get tangled up in the process.

The entrance to Knockturn Alley is on a hidden side street in Diagon Alley, which forms a sharp contrast with the warm night scene of Diagon Alley.

The roads here are extremely narrow, and there are dark and dilapidated storefronts everywhere. The few shops with lights are only illuminated by dim oil lamps, which makes it look even more gloomy.

Cohen counted the peeling and rotting house numbers, extending from small to large and deep into the alley. Number 77 should be very far back.

On the way deeper into the city, Cohen stopped in front of another store.

In theory, the Bock family should have a stake in this store because its founder is the ancestor of both the Bogin and Bock families.

But it's hard to say whether the stingy Mr. Bogin will admit this now.

But since he was already here... Cohen planned to go in and take a look, although he wasn't here to divide the property with Bo Jin this time.

But perhaps we can get a little more information about the Silver Key Gathering from him.

"Squeak-"

Cohen pushed open the door and walked in. The place was still open and candles everywhere were still glowing dimly.

[Soul Strength: 16 (31-15) (Curse)]

The shop owner, Bojin, emerged from a shelf piled high with bones like a ghost. He was a middle-aged man with a hunched back and greasy hair. Even his voice was greasy:

"who are you?"

Borgin stared at Coin.

"Want to buy anything?"

As long as there is a buyer, the deal is done.

"Look around," Cohen said.

Borgin's sudden appearance would often scare away many students who came to Knockturn Alley for the excitement of novelty, but Cohen was certainly not a student who would be scared - he was lucky that he didn't get so playful as to transform into a Dementor and scare Borgin in return.

"Whose young master are you?" Borgin noticed the clothes on Cohen and the suitcase full of magical fluctuations. "Flint? Nott? Rowle?"

This question has been asked.jpg
"Borke." Korn looked into Borgin's cloudy eyes. "Korn Borke."

The name made Borgin stunned for a second, and then anger flashed in his eyes.

"I'm not kidding you," said Borgin grimly.

"I'm not kidding you either."

Coin breathed in his emotions, and the chill in his soul made Borgin step back.

His back slammed against the front desk, and he stared at Cohen intently.

"You are the experimental subject..."

"I still prefer the first thing people ask me is 'Are you a Dementor?'" Cohen said. "But yes, I am."

"If you want to take half the store's assets, feel free to do so." Borgin calmed down and regained his composure. "I don't get involved in those 'grand plans'."

He went around behind the desk and pulled a large, old, torn account book from a drawer and pushed it in Cohen's direction.

"Are you referring to the purpose of the Bock family's experiment?" Cohen flipped through the account book handed to him by Borgin.

"They're all dead, and I don't want to die," said Borgin grimly. "At least not in the next few years."

"I didn't come to Knockturn Alley tonight to get paid," Cohen said. "I just came to look around and ask you a question."

"What is it?" said Borgin.

"Have you heard of Silver Key?" Cohen looked at a page of accounts from seven years ago. It was very conspicuous because the entire page was dedicated to "Silver Key".

The content of the transaction was "old furniture" and "dragon liver". These things were obviously to deal with the inspection of the Ministry of Magic. No old cabinet could be sold for 300 Galleons, and no kind of dragon liver could be sold for 7 Galleons an ounce. When the tax rate was high enough, the Ministry of Magic only needed to make a profit and there was no need to delve into the things behind it.

"A lunatic group, not unlike those at Burke Hall," Borgin was impressed. "They're studying some vague idea, claiming it's the source of magic."

"The source of the magic?" Cohen frowned. "Hybridization?"

"I don't study these things. I only buy and sell them." Bogin looked behind Cohen. Outside the store not far away, a passerby was approaching. "Shh—someone's coming."

Through the window, Cohen turned his head and saw who the next customer was.

He had light brown hair with a lot of gray in it, and was wearing a tattered robe with patches clearly visible even in the low visibility at night.

Looks sick because it's just past the full moon.

Remus Lupin.

[Soul Strength: 39]

It’s better not to show up.

Cohen immediately inhaled the soul of a vole in his pocket - his own figure disappeared instantly. It was impossible for Lupin to remember the appearance of a child he had never met through the window in a few seconds.

Bogin was stunned for only a moment when Cohen suddenly disappeared. Years of experience in dealing with inspections allowed him to control his emotions well in most things.

"Hello." Lupin walked stiffly up to Borgin after entering the store. "I want to buy something. I wonder if you have any - was there a child standing here just now?"

(End of this chapter)