A few Galleons lighter, the group reached for the chessboard—their Portkey.
With a whoosh, distorted space slammed into Tom and the others.
Harry, never having used a Portkey before, felt like a giant hand had seized him and hurled him into the void.
A dizzying spin…
Boom!
The disoriented quartet spilled out into a back alley of an Egyptian wizarding town.
"Bloody hell… I'm seeing stars," Harry mumbled, staggering against the mud brick wall. He pushed himself upright and stumbled out of the alley into the sunlight.
His jaw dropped. "Wow…"
Before him stood a city of exotic, ochre buildings, the busy streets thronged with locals in brightly colored, elaborately patterned clothes—a world away from the somber robes of England.
Harry was already contemplating buying a headscarf when Tom, Nagini, and Cassandra swept past him, heading for the other side of the street.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Harry abandoned the wall and hurried after them.
The street was a riot of sights and sounds: a pet shop where a charmer coaxed rattlesnakes with his flute, a clothing store overflowing with local costumes, an antique shop crammed with bizarre curiosities… and a dizzying array of other shops whose purpose remained a mystery.
Harry even spotted a wand shop proudly proclaiming itself to be run by "Ollivander's Relatives."
Lost in the novelty, Harry blundered straight into a passerby wearing a tan turban.
Tom turned, surveying Harry and Malfoy with a thoughtful look, and then drawled, "You two can go explore on your own for a while. Meet us at the tavern around the corner before nightfall."
Harry and Malfoy visibly perked up at the prospect of unsupervised mayhem.
Cassandra and Nagini, however, looked utterly unimpressed. What was the point of seeing the world without Tom?
"However," Tom continued, his voice taking on a serious edge, "there is one thing you should be aware of, and that is the local gangs."
Harry and Malfoy's excitement evaporated, replaced by nervous gulps.
"We have to be careful not to cross them?" Harry asked, his voice slightly shaky.
"Are there any Knockturn Alley types around here?" Malfoy chimed in, his eyes darting around nervously.
Tom's face broke into a self-satisfied smirk. His plan was working perfectly. "Are you joking? We are the biggest gang around!"
After all, the Death Eaters had a presence everywhere, even Egypt. Other dark wizards? They could get in line!
"Go on, have some fun!" Tom waved them off dismissively.
"Whoa!!!"
With a shout, Harry and Malfoy tore off down the street like unleashed hounds, reveling in their newfound freedom far from the familiar constraints of Hogwarts.
Their confidence stemmed from their nascent Death Eater status, the comforting knowledge that Tom had their backs.
Anyone who dared to mess with Tom Riddle was signing their own death warrant, no matter where they were.
...
Halfway down the street, Cassandra examined a pair of snakeskin gloves in a clothing shop. The style wasn't quite right, and she was considering buying several outfits to find the perfect match.
Nagini, however, showed little interest in the gloves but found the vibrant clothing pretty.
Tom, naturally, became curious how his scaled familiar would look when dressed as Cleopatra.
Learning that Tom was "curious," Nagini decided to buy them.
It was worth noting that Nagini was paid; her position at Hogwarts was that of a teaching assistant. While her magical abilities were not on par with other professors, she could still assist in classes.
However, because she was helping Tom manage the Death Eaters, she did not have time to attend classes often.
Death Eaters, afraid of interrupting Tom's plans, often wrote letters asking him what to do for important matters.
Tom was too lazy to deal with these and just had Nagini reply on his behalf.
Therefore, Nagini only performed her teaching assistant duties when Tom was busy.
While Cassandra and Nagini browsed, Tom stood outside the shop, calmly observing the flow of people.
Suddenly, a flash of red hair caught his eye.
Is the Weasley bloodline really that prolific? Even a branch in Egypt?
Intrigued, Tom moved closer, only to discover that the redhead was none other than William Arthur Weasley—Bill Weasley—the Curse-Breaker from Gringotts.
"Well, well…" Tom mused. "What brings a Gringotts employee like Mr. Weasley to Egypt? On business, I presume?"
Bill, who traveled frequently for work and had only seen blurry newspaper photos of Tom, found the man's demeanor approachable and replied, "Due to unique cultural and historical reasons, many ancient Egyptian artifacts are cursed. We've recently unearthed some new pieces, and we're short on Curse-Breakers, so…"
Tom nodded. A business trip, plain and simple.
"Sorry, I have to run. I have a meeting with my local contacts."
With a polite nod, Bill hurried off.
Tom watched him go, lost in thought.
Cursed artifacts, you say?
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, Harry and Malfoy were admiring a magic carpet displayed in a shop window.
Malfoy was considering a purchase when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Turning, he saw Harry pointing towards a narrow alleyway.
"Hey, Malfoy, look at that!"
Two figures, heavily cloaked and moving furtively, had just disappeared into the alley.
They exchanged a knowing glance.
Let's go have a look!
They crept into the alley, but the mysterious figures were gone.
Filled with curiosity, they ventured further and spotted a nondescript door set into the mud brick wall.
Harry looked at Malfoy, who nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Click.
Harry pushed the door inward, and they stepped into the gloom.
It was a dingy little shop, tucked away and seemingly forgotten, with a wizened old man perched behind a battered counter.
A strange contraption was fitted over the man's left eye as he peered intently at an ancient trinket in his hands.
"Uh… hello?" Harry ventured tentatively.
Without looking up, the old man rasped, "Look all you want, but don't touch anything."
Reassured, Malfoy and Harry stepped further into the shop.
It was a chaotic jumble; the counters, shelves, and even the floor were piled high with a bizarre assortment of old objects.
Clothes, tools, knick-knacks… it was impossible to tell what kind of shop it was supposed to be.
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