'Level Nine- Department of Mysteries' I stepped from the lift into the dark and empty foyer the silence only shattered by the sound of the gate clattering shut behind me. I took a deep breath before stepping across the highly polished black tiled floor. My gut instinct was to turn around and leave, to abandon my task but yet my feet continued to lead me further down the left hand corridor, past the many blackened wood doors, repeated like a never ending pattern. It gave the illusion of being in some kind of reoccuring dream... but unfortunately I was very much awake. I stopped as I stood parallel to one particular door I turned my body around to face it... I just stood staring at it for a moment before placing a wand that was not my own against the door. Instantly it clicked open loudly the sound echoing in the narrow tiled corridor. I stowed the wand back into the inside pocket of my jacket before placing a hand upon the cold iron door knob, twisting it I pushed the door inwards. Inside revealed a very long rectangular room lined from floor to ceiling in filing cabinets. I walked along the left hand side allowing my hand to brush along them as I browsed... but I could not see what I was looking for. Not until that is I reached halfway along the right hand side. I hesitated for a moment I shouldn't be doing this but then... I had gone too far now. I pulled open the cabinet and flicked my finger through the various dividers until I stopped upon a section entitled... Restricted Artefacts.'
I frowned withdrawing it contents and beginning to sift through them, I paused as I saw the same compass like image Riddle had shown me in the church yard. Tilting my head to the side I took out my wand duplicating the document before placing the original back within its rightful place along with the rest of the contents in the file and closed the cabinet door with a soft click, quickly I folded up the parchment and secured it next to the 'borrowed' wand.
I sat in a darkened corner of the bar, a drink of black cherry in my hand I scrutinised the parchment that I had obtained early that evening. The compass like object was in fact called a Venari. It was a very rare and ancient artefact and was often used by the ancestors to aid them in hunting and traveling but was also rumored to have many unknown additional attributes. All whereabouts of any surviving Venari's were as of present unknown. The last person recorded to have owned one of the artefacts was British wizard Mr.Scabior Warrington who was reported missing in nineteen eighteen.
What would Riddle want with this... it didn't sound dangerous... he had said that in the wrong hands it could be dangerous... did he know more about its other unknown uses? An unrelenting voice in the back of my mind urged me not to pass on this new found information to Riddle... but then why had I gone to the trouble of obtaining it? Was it purely to satisfy my own curiosity? I had sworn blank that night that I was not going to be used by him. I looked down at my glass to find it empty, I sighed as I placed the parchment back inside of my jacket and out of sight before approaching the bar.
"A top up please," I asked politely as I pushed my empty glass across the bar. The barman looked at me with contempt before taking my glass and disappearing towards the back of the bar. I glanced around me I had not come to a bar in Knockturn Alley merely for pleasure, I looked at my watch, ten pm. An aurors job was never a nine till five position.
I felt a shiver go up my spine, someone was watching me I could feel it. I resisted the urge to turn around and instead remained alert as I stared straight ahead watching the less than alive bar man walk towards me my freshly filled glass in hand.
"Thank you," I breathed quietly before pushing some coins across the wooden counter towards him, he snatched them up hungrily before hurrying off to attend to another customer.
I remained stood at the bar my drink in hand, I could still feel eyes upon me, I decided to wait it out. They were sure to either look away or approach me and if they did I would be ready, I felt up my sleeve for my wand making sure to dislodge it forcing it to drop into the palm of my hand. We were trained to work mostly undercover and instructed were possible not to make a scene... but if it was not possible. Five minutes had passed and the strangers eyes had remained upon me but I now felt their presence much closer to my own, I tensed as I felt someone place a hand upon my shoulder.
"You're not a regular around here are you Mrs." a gruff unfamiliar voice breathed down my ear, his prutrid breath almost causing me to gag.
"It's Miss actually," I replied calmly still not bothering to turn around to face my new acquaintance or to acknowledge his statement.
"Is it now," He replied I felt him move around from the back of me to my left hand side, I could catch a glimpse of his hand resting against the bar... it looked old and wrinkled.
"What is that you want Sir?" I asked now inclining my head stiffly in his direction. He was of average height no taller than myself in my black heeled boots, he was thin and weak looking his grey bushy beard the only thing filling out his gaunt face, his green eyes wild and watery in sunken grey sockets, his hair wiry and grey. I did not recognise him and yet something about him disturbed me.
"Why must you assume that a man would want anything young lady? Perhaps I want to give you something." he smiled showing a row of jagged teeth.
"I beg your pardon," I replied a little taken aback. "I do not want anything that you have to give me thank you," I declined him turning my head back away from him I heard him chuckle.
"How do you know if you do not know what I have to offer you?" I sighed a long drawn out sigh as I turned my face back towards him, "What is it?" I asked wearily, I had still not seen the person that I had truly came here to investigate and the night was growing old with each passing minute my chances were ebbing away and there was nothing that frustrated me more than unfinished plans.
"Money," he grinned widely, I rose an eyebrow at him. It was highly unusual to be offered money by a stranger lest of all in this neck of the woods, in fact it was probably one of the more unnerving things to be offered. He pointed a long bony finger towards my chest, I looked down a little disgruntled at first until I saw the golden and ruby lion pendant resting upon innocently. I rose a protective hand instinctively towards it hiding it from view. I had not wore the necklace for over a year until I had been searching through my belongings when moving into London and I had came across it... it's memories and the lost connection which it represented had called to me, drawn me to wear it.
"It's not for sale," I replied bluntly. The old man did not however look discouraged.
"I always offer a fair price. Perhaps if you were to change your mind," he grinned again, the same unnerving smile as he handed me a small rectangular piece of paper that he had withdrew from thin air. I took it my curiosity taking charge of my better judgement one again I looked down at the black card with its gold cursive writing.
'Borgin & Burkes. 13B, Knockturn Alley. Owners: Mr Borgin & Mr. Burke. Assistant: Mr. Riddle.'
My eyes lingered frozen on the last name... Mr. Riddle... Tom. This was Tom's boss. I looked up to find that the old man had vanished leaving me stood alone at the bar. I cursed, I was not making any arrests this evening and once again Riddle had managed to distract me without evening being in my presence, I looked down at the card still in my hand.
I looked up at the store front before me. An old building which almost seemed to lean to one side. Two thin grimy arched latticed windows upon either end displaying an array of strange objects upon podiums and pillows, I would not have even thought the shop open despite it being eleven o'clock in the morning on a Wednesday had it not been for the crooked 'open' sign hanging by a thread on the inside of the door. The fact that Tom had chosen to work here made me uncomfortable. Tom was impeccable clean and organised... something that appeared to be the complete opposite of this establishment. There was very little grandeur and Riddle was grandeur itself, no if Tom had chosen to work here he had a very good reason and that was more than his likely less than enviable wages and menial tasks.
I walked up towards the door my hand hovering over the handle I hesitated... why was I chasing him? Why didn't I just walk away from him, I should leave it where it was. I had told him that I did not want anything to do with him and yet here I was... but it was as if no matter how hard I tried fate was bringing him into my path whether I liked it or not.
"Can I help you?" I spun around to see Tom stood hands resting in the pockets of a black suit coat, I quickly looked him up and down. Black suit coat, black slim fit trousers, black shiny shoes and neatly parted dark hair the same characteristic strand falling over his eye.
"I... I'm looking for someone." I replied sharply.
"Somebody that I know?" He smirked tilting his head to the side. I knew better than anyone that there was no one alive that could deceive him.
"No." I replied before hastily side stepping him.
"Perhaps I should have become an auror, how it would be to simply wander the streets for a living." he mocked. I knew that the sensible thing would be to ignore, I knew that what he wanted was a response but for some strange reason I could never seem to be very sensible when it came to him as I spun around to face him.
"Really? Perhaps you should have Riddle then you would have been doing some good in the world."
"If that is what you believe you are doing Grisha," he replied in a pitying voice which made my blood boil.
"You are nothing more than a replaceable pawn doing the bidding of others." he sighed fixing me with a fake sympathetic stare.
"And what are you?" I scoffed. "Working in that... shop," I placed extra emphasis on the word.
"You never could see the bigger picture." He smiled shaking his head, I stared at him.
"No, perhaps I couldn't. Not the one that you saw," I turned from him taking in a deep breath. Seeing Riddle again was uncovering old memories and feelings which I had pushed and locked away, I could not have him mess with my hear- head again.
"I wish you luck on your day Grisha," I bit down on my lip hard forcing myself to nod my head.
"Riddle..." I quickly turned myself around to face him, he rose his eyebrows at me expectantly.
I fingered the parchment inside the inside pocket of my coat, disguised by my folded arms...
"You too," I breathed turning back around and walking away down the cobbled streets I tried my best to find my strength.