No matter how grueling the exams, they always come to an end. When the seventh years finished their final History of Magic exam, the school year finally drew to a close.
Professor McGonagall, who had received the results early, could hardly contain her excitement as she quietly told Tver that this year's Defence Against the Dark Arts scores were better than ever, especially the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. results. If the usual rule held—that students earning O and E in their O.W.L.s could enter the advanced class—then she would need to prepare for a much larger group next term.
Tver only gave a few distracted replies.
At the end-of-year banquet, Dumbledore unsurprisingly awarded the trio a generous amount of house points for their achievements, indirectly confirming Ron's boasts. So, even though Gryffindor failed to win the Quidditch Cup, they still surpassed Slytherin and took home the House Cup.
Before the students left, Tver assigned their summer homework. Those with poor theoretical grades naturally received much heavier workloads.
After that, Tver disappeared from sight. Until the students boarded the train, no one saw him again. Had they not known he would continue as a professor next year, there would probably have been protests.
...
Knockturn Alley.
It was another magical business district adjacent to Diagon Alley. Unlike its brighter neighbor, the wizards here habitually wore hoods, keeping their faces hidden. That didn't mean everyone present was a dark wizard—some were ordinary wizards with special needs—but most of the goods sold here were dark magic items.
The Ministry of Magic had never shut the place down. It existed as a gray zone between light and dark.
Caractacus Burke considered himself one of the elite here, which was why most people respectfully called him Mr. Burke. He liked to think he knew every secret of Knockturn Alley and controlled the flow of information throughout the wizarding world.
That was until early July, when a mysterious customer entered his shop.
The man was handsome and composed. His tailored suit, elegant yet restrained, seemed made for him, perfectly matching his demeanor. Yet Burke couldn't recall ever seeing such a distinguished man before—especially one who made no effort to conceal his striking looks in a place like Knockturn Alley.
That man was Tver.
Only his appearance had been altered by Transfiguration, reshaped to resemble a younger Dumbledore. He had once "accidentally" caught a glimpse of the old headmaster's younger self when he appeared suddenly in the Headmaster's office as Dumbledore hurriedly packed something away.
Originally, Tver had intended to take the appearance of a nearby teacher whose height was closer to his own. But considering that a young Grindelwald was far more eye-catching than a young Dumbledore, he decided against it to avoid unwanted trouble.
"Mr. Burke?" Tver looked around the dim shop. The stores in Knockturn Alley all seemed to favor the same stingy lighting, as if darkness itself were part of their mystique.
"Greetings, esteemed guest. I am Caractacus Burke, owner of this establishment. You may call me Burke."
He approached with oily politeness. Anyone confident enough to walk openly through Knockturn Alley was either reckless or well-protected—in either case, it meant business.
Tver gave him a curious glance. His hair was greasy enough to rival Snape's, perhaps even worse.
Burke, unfazed, ran a hand through the slick strands that hung over his face.
"May I assist you, sir? We carry every conceivable item to satisfy your needs—you won't find another shop like this in Knockturn Alley."
Tver gave the shop's wares a detached glance: glass eyeballs, grotesque masks, human bones, and other items unsuitable for children.
Burke wasn't lying—this was indeed the shop with the most dark magic items, and its storeroom held even more bizarre treasures. But for him, such basic dark magic paraphernalia no longer sparked any research interest.
So he stated his purpose directly.
"I hear the house next door is also yours. Name your price—I want to buy it."
Yes, he needed a house far from Dumbledore and his family to conduct his Horcrux research. The aura that clung to a Horcrux was simply too sinister; studying it deeply risked being detected by Dumbledore or his relatives. Thus, he could only look for such a house in Knockturn Alley.
Unfortunately, even in this rare commercial district of the wizarding world, few properties met his standards. The only one that caught his eye was the house beside Borgin and Burke's. Perfect. It was only natural that a hint of dark aura would linger around that shop.
Burke blinked blankly. "Could you repeat that, please? I didn't quite catch you just now."
"I want to buy the house next door," Tver succinctly repeated.
Burke raised his hand in surprise, then lowered it. After repeating the motion several times, he finally spoke. "May I ask why you wish to purchase the house?"
"No."
Tver met Burke's eyes, and a flicker of confusion appeared in them. But within a second, the sound of shattering glass echoed from Burke's body, and the dazed look vanished immediately.
"This customer," Burke snapped, pulling out his wand while his left hand produced a Phoenix feather, "state your purpose, or I'll notify the Ministry of Magic!"
As one of Knockturn Alley's most renowned figures, Burke was often targeted by dark wizards seeking to rob him. But he had managed to survive this long thanks to his mastery of magic and his collection of enchanted artifacts.
Tver, however, had no intention of making a scene; he merely wanted to settle the matter quickly.
"Calm down," he said evenly, spreading his hands. "I just want to buy a house. And if you still have that item you used earlier, I'll take that too."
Burke didn't lower his wand, but his tense posture eased slightly. His left hand returned the feather to his pocket while feeling around for something else.
"You mean this?" He pulled out a rhombus-shaped crystal covered in cracks. "This is an artifact that prevents interference with the soul."
Seeing the shattered crystal, his heart tightened again. Merely a Confundus Charm had caused such a violent reaction in it. After all, that crystal was supposed to withstand an Imperius Curse. More importantly, this customer had cast it silently and without a wand.
He suddenly realized how foolish he looked holding his wand. Against someone of this level, unless he possessed a hundred such crystals, resistance was pointless.
Quickly lowering his wand, he bent slightly and spoke in an oily, deferential tone. "Crystals like this are rare. I can offer you one. As for the house next door—are you absolutely certain you wish to buy it?"
Burke's voice carried a trace of complaint; he truly didn't want someone like this as a neighbor. Though it might grant him some invisible protection, if he angered the man, he'd be the first to die.
Tver blinked his sapphire-blue eyes, momentarily puzzled, thinking Burke was worried about the price.
"My goal is the house. Don't worry, if the price is fair, I can pay in Galleons right now."
As he spoke, a large bag of gold coins floated from his pocket, its soft clinking echoing like a devil's whisper against Burke's heart.
Burke eyed the bag of Galleons warily. After a brief internal struggle, he gritted his teeth and decided to sell the house. At worst, he could just strengthen the protective wards.
"Alright, I can sell it to you."
He simply couldn't bring himself to refuse such wealth and power.