Knockturn Alley, a favorite place for dark wizards and wandering wizards, where the streets are dirty and rundown, even the air is filled with a strange smell, much like the burnt odor emitted by boiled-down magic potion, a stark difference from neighboring Diagon Alley.
Kael had been here before, but never really observed closely. It was only this time, coming with Newt to find a werewolf, that he noticed there were so many shops here.
The shops stretched from the entrance all the way into the depths of Knockturn Alley. In terms of sheer numbers, they weren't any less than those in Diagon Alley.
However, most of these shops didn't have any signs; some casually hung something by the door, like a dried-up finger, a skull, or something resembling a tree root.
"These are to deal with checks from the Ministry of Magic." Seeing Kael's confusion, Newt explained, "The dried finger signifies general dark arts items and stolen goods, the skull for poisons and items with deadly curses.
"But most of these shops sell fakes or repackaged substandard goods. You can't even find a genuine item on this half of the street combined.
"After all, in Knockturn Alley, integrity is the cheapest thing."
"Won't the people who are deceived come looking for trouble?" Kael asked.
Anyway, if he ever bought a fake, he certainly wouldn't let it go easily.
"They used to, a long time ago." Newt said, "But anyone who owns a shop in Knockturn Alley usually has some tricks up their sleeve and an ace in the hole; ordinary wizards have a hard time getting the upper hand.
"Moreover, the shopkeepers here have long combined forces; causing trouble for one means causing trouble for them all. So even powerful wizards have no choice but to abide by the rules here."
"Rules? What rules?"
"Many, but the most important is no returns." Newt said, "You must look carefully before buying anything here. Once you've paid, there's no turning back."
"Oh, I see." Kael nodded. He looked at Newt, feeling somewhat puzzled… Wasn't Newt always living in Dorset? How could he be so familiar with Knockturn Alley?
"Have you been here before?" he asked.
"A few times." Newt's eyes suddenly wandered, "Some things can't be purchased through regular channels, so you can only try your luck here."
Judging by his expression, Kael could pretty much guess what was going on… It's nothing more than matters from Newt's younger days.
Having been blacklisted by almost every country's Ministry of Magic, if he wanted to go anywhere, he could only do so through illegal Portkeys or other unregulated means.
And these things could only be found in a place like Knockturn Alley.
So strictly speaking, Newt could also be considered a frequent visitor here.
However, Kael didn't point this out. He glanced around and asked, "But didn't you just say almost everything here is fake?"
"Almost everything, not completely, otherwise this place couldn't survive." Newt coughed lightly, "In fact, I've been deceived many times too. On average, I find one useful genuine item every five tries."
"That's quite a low probability." Kael said, curling his lip, before looking around at the shops again.
At that moment he suddenly noticed a silhouette flash behind a window, disappearing as soon as he looked over.
"It seems we've been noticed." Kael said.
"We've been noticed for a while." Newt said calmly, "Wizards living here have a special way of communicating. They knew since we came in."
The two walked forward a bit more, heading deeper into Knockturn Alley.
The environment worsened here, and there were more people around, most wrapped tight in worn scarves and hoods, either setting up street stalls at the corners or walking briskly.
These people weren't particularly numerous, but it was evident that after the Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley, business here was also affected considerably.
Here, the cleanly dressed Kael and Newt became the odd ones out. Though their faces weren't visible, it was easy to tell from the direction of their head movements that every single person here was watching them.
"Aren't we being too conspicuous?" Kael quietly asked, "Shouldn't we hide ourselves a bit?"
"Doesn't matter." Newt shook his head, "Knockturn Alley has its own signs; every outsider here stands out like a Moonstruck Beast among Scorpion-tailed Beasts, it's impossible to hide, it wouldn't help even with an Invisibility Cloak."
"Then how do we find that werewolf?" Kael frowned slightly.
Now they were being watched with every move, by those on the streets and in the shops on both sides, it was almost like walking under countless searchlights, trying to find someone in such conditions was truly difficult.
"Hmm… People in Knockturn Alley rarely meddle in others' affairs." Newt said calmly, "Especially when it's none of their business. At least, that was the case when I came before."
The two continued walking forward. The farther they went, the more people there were.
At this point, Kael also gradually got used to the looks coming from around him. Just as Newt said, everyone was merely watching; none showed any intention of stepping forward to inquire.
Kael took a turn and stopped at an intersection, to his left stood a shop with fangs hanging from it. Though it was just as rundown, it was remarkably the largest shop around.
Newt glance up. "I think we can ask for directions."