When at last I thought I had him forever, he slipped through my fingers again.
When at last I thought I could find that ray of sunshine in the sudden storm, it disappeared behind even darker storm clouds.
There was no way I could continue chasing th...
I was no stranger to Knockturn Alley, but I couldn't say the same about my sister.
The darkness enveloped me the further I ran in, swallowing what light streamed through the bustling friendly atmosphere of Knockturn Alley until the warmth had completely leeched out of even the air around me. Wizards and witches shrouded in pitch black, skin as gaunt and pale as a ghost's, loitered in the shadows, away from the streetlights that flickered with its dying power. As I turned a corner, eyes resting upon the storefront of Borgin and Burkes, I felt my arms tense up with the cold draft that blew past, and I shivered, goosebumps forming over my skin. Who knew that in the span of only a few days, the place would feel like a freezer?
I quickly fished in my bag for something, anything, to wrap over myself to grant me some sort of warmth. My fingers brushed against the smooth surface of dried paint, and I instantly pulled the set of paint-splattered robes out into the open, throwing it on without a second thought. Andre suggested this to perform my chaos for Peeves in style, and it did serve a good souvenir and reminder of all that I went through to get my brother back. Handing Peeves the mischief masterpiece in exchange for the vault portrait was a major obstacle I had to leap over--needless to say, I was happy I executed it to the poltergeist's standards, but even happier that it brought me one step closer to bringing my brother home.
"Clara!"
The sound of my younger sister's voice as I slipped my left hand through the sleeve made me freeze, and I glanced up to see her jog towards me, almost tripping over the uneven cobblestone in her haste.
"Em!" I sprang forward just in time to catch her, and she fell into my arms, a heavy breath escaping our mouths simultaneously in a loud whoosh.
"So this is what Knockturn Alley looks like," Em remarked, her tone suggesting no admiration as she straightened up. "And this is why our parents didn't want us to come here."
"Sorry, Em. I just remembered last year, Duncan Ashe--"
"Hold up." Little Em slowly raised a finger toward another familiar figure, standing on the other side of the shop with her violet eyes gazing intently at the dark artefacts in the shop. "What is she doing here?"
Oh no. Somehow, without my knowing, Merula Snyde had entered Knockturn Alley as well. Last time it was Ben, and now...
I'd imagine this wouldn't be the last time I'd come here, but hopefully it would be the only time I'd be here to stop Merula from concocting whatever stupid scheme she had in mind here and return to finding Jacob.
"Merula Snyde," I eventually said, approaching her with my little sister behind me. "Fancy seeing you here at such a late hour."
"Should have known you'd come here," Merula sneered, looking up at me and little Em with a look of pure disgust on her face. "Come to take me back to Hogwarts and try to convince me that the 'kill or be killed' mindset is all but a waste of time?"
"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked her, folding my arms.
"Shopping at Borgin and Burkes. Not like it's any of your business," Merula responded. "Have you seen the cursed opal necklace in the window? It's supposedly claimed the lives of nineteen Muggle owners. It'd be perfect for Rakepick, don't you think?"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
