Harry Potter's Pen Pal

Chapter 11

------------

Tom blinked. He and Harry were standing in a familiar dark alleyway. It was empty, other than the twins, Remus, and Sirius, who had appeared at points further down the path. In front of them was a small store. The sign hanging above the door was in the shape of a coffin, bearing the words The Coffin House.

"The store for the art of Necromancy?" Tom whispered to Harry; his voice was deeper and softer. When Harry raised an eyebrow at him, Tom blushed slightly and said, "I ⎯ or rather, Marvolo ⎯ used to come to Knockturn all the time."

Harry nodded amusedly. "It looks like it's still open," he mused; his voice was also deeper, but also colder. Tom felt himself shiver. "Well, I suppose we can pay for the things I need..." He grinned maliciously. "How are you at bargaining?"

Tom smirked. "You mean getting something for nothing or very little?" Harry smiled darkly in response. "Watch and learn." He pushed open the door and led Harry into the shop.

From the outside, it seemed as if the Coffin House sold coffins and other funeral items. However, when Tom and Harry entered, it was clear that they did not sell anything of the sort. There were only a few shelves, but what they bore were several odd Dark knick knacks and many rare books on Necromancy. There were also five coffins, bearing different runes on the lids.

A bell chimed when Tom closed the door. Instantly, an old man with the craziest white hair appeared behind the counter, blinking at them with wide amber eyes. "How may I serve you today?" he asked in a hoarse tone.

Harry gave the man a cold smile. "We would like to browse for a moment, if you don't mind," he said.

"Not at all, sir, not at all," the old man responded, smiling back.

Harry led Tom over to one of the shelves, this one carrying several books.

Ten minutes later, they were at the counter, bearing several books, a human skull with runes carved in its forehead, two ritual knives with black handles, and Dark ink (which was, apparently, used for drawing runes in the floor for rituals).

"We would also like those two coffins," Harry said firmly, pointing at the coffins closest to them.

The old man blinked at them and then said cautiously, "You are sure?"

"If you're asking whether I can afford these items," Harry said in a much colder tone, making Tom stifle a shiver, "you'll find I can purchase this entire store ten times over. However, I do not need your entire store... at the moment. We will purchase these items now."

"They do not have a set price," the old man said nervously. "It will take several hours to agree on-"

"Then let's begin," Harry said coolly. "My queen, Amber, will negotiate." He took a step back and allowed Tom to step forward.

The old man was really pale now. "You... you are royalty?" he whispered, looking shocked.

"In a way, yes," Harry replied. "I am King Anguis."

"I suggest fifty galleons each for the two coffins," Tom said sweetly. He saw Harry's eyes dilate out of the corner of his eye and stifled a blush.

The old man swallowed. "Sixty galleons each," he disagreed. He clearly wanted to go much higher than that, given the coffins were rare and it obviously had taken hours to carve the runes, but Tom had had experience getting what he wanted.

"Fifty-five."

"Done," the old man rasped.

"Thirty galleons for the skull..."

Twenty minutes later, they'd finished the negotiations and Harry plopped a bag of galleons on the counter. "When we have need of more items, we will come," he said coldly. "Oh... and if the Ministry catch wind of what has happened tonight, we will be purchasing items from a different store."

The old man paled even further. "Yes, Your Majesty," he whispered. "I will not tell anyone what has happened today."

"Good," Harry said with a deadly smirk.

He and Tom placed all the items they'd purchased into a sack that was charmed to be bigger on the inside, and then the two of them swept towards the door.

"Your Majesty," the old man called suddenly. Harry turned and raised an eyebrow, making Tom shiver again. "Might I ask what country you are the king of?"

"I am not a king of a country," Harry said coldly. "I am king over a group of people... the Black Knights."

The old man swallowed again. "Similar to the Death Eaters?" he asked in a very faint sort of tone.

Harry smiled, but there was no warmth or pleasantness in the smile. It was the sort of smile that said You will die soon. "Voldemort-" the man flinched "-and I are allies, of a sort. So yes, the Black Knights are very similar to the Death Eaters. You will not tell the Ministry of this, either," Harry sneered.

The old man nodded very quickly. "I will tell no one-"

"Oh, but you will tell people," Harry interrupted with a dark, seductive laugh. Tom frowned. What was that unfamiliar, but not unpleasant, feeling in his lower regions? "How else will the wizarding world find out about us? It is the Ministry that need to remain ignorant of my purchases and identity."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the old man croaked.

"Good day," Harry purred, making Tom shiver again and swallow. The two left the shop, leaving a very terrified Dark wizard.