[89] The Door in the Dark

"Excuse me, customers. What would you like to buy?" A cold, deep voice spoke behind them.

"Ahhh!!!"

"Ahhh!!!"

Hall had noticed the person approaching. He wasn't startled by the sudden voice — but he was terrified by Ron and Harry! The two jumped onto Hall, clinging like sloths. Ron on his chest, Harry on his back.

"Pfft, hahaha —" The shopkeeper, Mr Borgin, was thoroughly amused.

"You two!" A cross expression appeared on Hall's face. "Get down! That's the shopkeeper!"

Ron and Harry exchanged a glance before scrambling off. "Even a shopkeeper shouldn't be this scary..." Ron muttered.

"Hello," Harry greeted awkwardly.

"At this hour, I didn't expect to have customers." Mr Borgin waved his wand, lighting the remaining oil lamps. He walked behind the counter and examined them. "Still such young children. This isn't a place to play. You'd better leave quickly."

He picked up a dirty rag and turned to clean.

"I've come to buy something," Hall said. "But after I buy it, I'll need to leave it with you for a while."

"Hehehe. Little ones, what could you possibly buy?" Mr Borgin clearly didn't think they had enough Galleons.

Hall took out a handful of Galleons and placed them on the glass counter. The sound of coins clattering against glass was crisp and melodious — a sound Mr Borgin never tired of.

He turned immediately, eyes wide. With years of experience, he knew there were at least thirty.

"Can I buy now?" Hall recognised the glint in Borgin's eyes — greed.

"My esteemed guest, what would you like to buy? Let me show you." Mr Borgin grinned, his yellow teeth practically disappearing.

"No need. I want to buy this cabinet." Hall walked to the Vanishing Cabinet and patted it.

It was a black wooden cabinet, quite ordinary. Harry and Ron were bewildered but stood firmly behind Hall, nodding in unison.

Mr Borgin's gaze shifted. "One thousand Galleons. Do you know what that is?"

Hall raised an eyebrow. "Yes. So after purchasing it, I need to keep it here for a while."

Mr Borgin didn't think the boy had that many Galleons. Even a wealthy noble would hesitate at this price. This was suspicious — but those weren't his concerns.

He looked away and continued wiping. "Storing things here isn't cheap."

Borgin and Burkes was not only a trading centre for dark items but also a shop that walked the line between darkness and light. They offered a service to store the shady trinkets of nobles. To make the transaction appear legitimate, they'd give the noble a sum, pretending to buy something. Then they'd hold the item until the noble returned to buy it back — naturally adding a few Galleons.

"Don't worry. I know your rules." Hall walked back to the counter and, under Borgin's watchful gaze, took the Galleons back.

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Borgin's hand was already outstretched.

Hall returned the bag to his pocket, his movements agonisingly slow. Borgin's eyes were bright — he was certain he'd seen countless Galleons inside, layered and seemingly bottomless.

Hall held the bag out, letting Borgin feel its weight. As a seasoned merchant, Borgin immediately understood it held nearly a thousand Galleons.

His fingers gripped the bag — but with a pull, Hall snatched it back.

"What do you mean!" Borgin's face twisted.

Hall weighed the bag. "The day I come to collect the cabinet, these Galleons will also be yours. No less. Only more." He naturally had other ways to take the Vanishing Cabinet without spending a single Knut.

Mr Borgin suppressed a smile. He was very satisfied with the price. The cabinet, though powerful, was useless to him. When he'd bought it, he'd tricked the family into thinking it was junk furniture — only 8 Galleons.

"Now. Can we use this cabinet?"

Mr Borgin immediately understood where the other Vanishing Cabinet was. But he was a shrewd businessman, and shrewd businessmen know how to play dumb.

"Very well, my esteemed guest." He wasn't worried Hall wouldn't return. Hall knew the cabinet so well — a thorough investigation had been done. Such meticulous work couldn't be for a single use.

Mr Borgin watched the three children walk into the Vanishing Cabinet one by one, his smile gradually widening. He hummed a tune — this was one of the two most enjoyable transactions he'd made in years.

The other, he owed to a foolish woman. Because of her ignorance and poverty, he'd acquired Slytherin's locket for 10 Galleons. It had made him a fortune.

If that woman ever visited his shop again, he would definitely give her a one percent discount as a token of his gratitude.

Hall led the way into the Vanishing Cabinet's darkness.

Hall led the way, Harry followed.

The three entered the Vanishing Cabinet one by one. Pushing open the other door, they were greeted by an incredibly cluttered room.

Ron and Harry were still filled with unease. Was this really Hogwarts? Could they just go in and out like this?

Ron frowned. "Hall, are we here?"

Hall nodded.

A passage ran through the cluttered room, connecting the Vanishing Cabinet to the main door. Hall had cleaned it during his last inspection. "Let's go."

They walked along the passage. Hall pushed open the tall wooden door and stepped out.

The view outside was familiar to Harry and Ron. They looked at each other excitedly and followed.

"It really is Hogwarts!" Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Though he trusted Hall, he'd harboured doubts about whether a wardrobe could transport them across such a distance.

"Oh my god!" Ron's mind raced. "Then we —"

"No." Hall interrupted ruthlessly.

Ron's face fell. "Fine..."

Hall noticed Ron's glance toward the Room of Requirement door. "I just sealed the Vanishing Cabinet. Don't even think about it."

Hall's words were like a bucket of cold water, shattering Ron's illusions. Ron glared at him reproachfully.

Hall sighed. Typical Weasley cleverness — utterly unsuitable for studying.

Suddenly, Hall tilted his head as if sensing something. "Wait here."

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Because I'm waiting for him~" A voice came from the bottom of the stairs. Peeves poked his head out, peering at them. Then, as if remembering something, he became self-righteous, hands on his hips, floating leisurely toward them.

"Do you want to know why I'm looking for you~" Peeves said arrogantly. "You'll have to beg me~"

Ron and Harry took a step back. Peeves's pranks were one of Hogwarts's biggest headaches — he always liked throwing dungbombs at people.

Peeves floated around in front of Hall, making him quite dizzy.

Hall swatted Peeves away. "The Headmaster sent you to see me."

Peeves bounced against the wall, then bounced again. "How did you know?!" He'd planned to use this to blackmail the scoundrel.

Ignoring the furious Peeves, Hall called Ron and Harry and left.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!!" Peeves yelled after them. "Dumbledore's waiting for you at the Whomping Willow — you're all dead! He'll definitely throw you all out! Especially you! You damned bastard! Hahahaha!!!"

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