Chapter 1297 Ebenezer Burke
"Gone?"
"No...no more."
Vincent gave him a deep look, then turned and walked toward the door.
Before Mr. Bokin could catch his breath, Vincent suddenly turned around again. "Your answer was very comprehensive. I will verify it one by one. I hope you will still be as talkative as you are now when we meet next time."
Mr. Bokin felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
His answer was indeed comprehensive, but it lacked one person: his dear brother, Ebenezer Burke, the other owner of Borgin-Burke's shop and the truly powerful mole in the British underground magical world.
Vincent left, and the crisp sound of the door closing echoed in Mr. Boking's mind like a bell, the deep lingering sound sending chills down his spine.
He slumped in his chair, his shirt soaked with cold sweat, his fingers unconsciously digging into the wooden countertop.
“He saw it…” Mr. Bokin trembled. “He must have seen it… that look in his eyes…”
Vincent's last glance at him was calm, even polite.
But he sensed the chill beneath the calm, a profound understanding that saw through everything.
Verify them one by one? What does that mean? It means Vincent will go and find people according to the list he gave him.
When those guys are brought to their door by the Dark Lord, what will they think? Who will believe that Mr. Borgin is innocent? They will only think that he betrayed everyone to the Dark Lord in order to protect himself.
He could almost see himself being scorned and hunted down by the entire underworld.
And what if his shrewd and vengeful brother Ebenezer knew that he was the one who indirectly led Vincent there...?
“It’s over…it’s all over…” Mr. Bokin buried his face in his trembling hands and let out desperate sobs.
He not only failed to clear his name, but may have gotten himself into even bigger trouble.
He now prays for only two things:
First, Vincent gets what he wants from Ebenezer, and then never comes back.
Second, Ebenezer was clever enough to handle the situation and never knew where the information had leaked from.
No, it's better to give them a heads-up beforehand.
He turned on the magical communicator on his wrist, but his finger remained frozen on the address book on the projection screen, hesitant to tap it.
There have been rumors that Wayne Enterprises' products have a monitoring backend, and using a magical communicator to contact Ebenezer is practically suicide.
Mr. Bokin lowered his hand tremblingly and looked up at the tightly closed door.
The alleyway was still dark in the afternoon, and the cold aura left by Vincent seemed to still linger there. He felt that his world had become so dark that he could not see a single ray of light.
……
……
Hogsmeade, by the creek outside the village.
There is a very inconspicuous cave here, with a dark and damp environment, just like a bat cave.
Vincent took out his double-snake staff and tapped lightly on the stone wall outside the cave.
A few faint candlelight illuminated the originally dark cave.
"Welcome—" a deep voice came from inside.
Vincent suddenly smiled, recalling some interesting memories.
It wasn't about impersonating Snape to sell the venom of the eight-eyed spider, nor was it about spreading false information about wizard cards. Rather, it was about encountering the injured little black dog that Sirius Animagus had transformed into on that rainy first day of school.
Although many years have passed, he still finds it particularly interesting every time he thinks about it.
I thought I was just rescuing a pitiful stray dog, but who knew I was actually rescuing an escaped Azkaban maniac.
The recollection ended, Vincent's smile vanished, and he coldly walked into the cave.
After several years, Ebenezer, the black marketeer who had been swindled out of a large sum of Galleons by him, seemed to have gained even more weight.
“Honorable guest, what do you have to offer—” Ebenezer’s words came to an abrupt halt.
His ten fingers, adorned with rings, trembled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
He recognized the face; it was much younger and calmer than the portrait on the wanted poster.
It was this eerie calm, coupled with tales of battles with fire dragons, the upheaval of Gringotts dome, and soaring through the air on dragons in the eyes of Muggles, that created an invisible pressure far more chilling than any ferocious appearance.
This isn't a black wizard here to discuss business; this is a mobile calamity.
“Mr. Vincent Wayne,” Ebenezer said, deliberately keeping his voice steady, “it is truly an honor to have such a guest in my humble collection room.”
His small eyes quickly scanned Vincent's entire body, seemingly assessing the other's intentions and emotions.
Vincent slowly stepped forward, wasting no time, and took out the several specially made dragon-skin pouches directly from the Flamel Ring. "Mr. Burke, I've heard you're very knowledgeable. Do you recognize these items?"
Ebenezer took the bag and carefully opened it. At just one glance, his breath caught in his throat.
Of course he recognized them. Not only did he recognize them, but these were all contraband items that he had sold at a high price to a mysterious customer some time ago.
“Mr. Wayne,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, “as you can see, I have a large collection and have dealt with a wide variety of people, but I assure you that I have never handled such a large-scale and systematic collection of contraband.”
He skillfully distanced himself from the situation, but Vincent saw through him immediately. "If I remember correctly, the venom of the Octopoda is also a contraband."
Ebenezer shuddered.
In previous years, he had frequent contact with a mysterious professor at Hogwarts, and the transactions ranged from top-grade potions to rare materials, and even large quantities of octopus venom.
"How...how did you know?"
Vincent smiled without saying a word, and his white sleeveless cloak quickly transformed into a black robe.
As soon as the hood closed, Ebenezer's eyes widened instantly.
Was that mysterious professor not Potions Master Snape, but Vincent standing before us?
How old was he at that time? 12? Or 13?
What terrified Ebenezer even more was the exclusive insider information he had given him about wizard cards, and later...
"Do you remember now?" Vincent returned to his original form.
Ebenezer's throat went dry. "I...I remember now...So...it was you."
Vincent pointed to the specially made dragon-skin pouch in his hand. "So, do you remember these large-scale and systematic contraband items?"
"I...I only had a purely transactional relationship with that customer!" Ebenezer's defenses crumbled instantly. His speech quickened, tinged with pleading.
"He asked for payment in gallons, and I tried my best to comply, I swear! I didn't know exactly what he wanted to do! He was very cautious and never revealed any information about his identity!"
"You really don't know who he is?"
Ebenezer dared not hide anything any longer: "The Galleons he paid were very clean, standard Gringotts Galleons, but the bag that held the Galleons was very special, using the early weaving techniques of the pure-blood families. I would never mistake the texture and luster of it."
"Any more?"
“A scar! He has a scar on his neck, it looks like it was burned by corrosive magic!”
Pureblood, the scar on his neck—clearly, he is Aiden Selwyn.
Vincent remained silent for a moment, and only Ebenezer's heavy breathing could be heard inside the cave.
“Bock, your honesty saved your business.”
Vincent's tone remained calm, but his next words nearly made Ebenezer faint: "Remember, tonight's conversation never happened, and remember, if your guest notices anything unusual for any reason..."
He paused for a moment. "I don't particularly like the Ministry of Magic, but I think they might be very interested in your guest."
This is not a threat, it is a statement, a statement that Ebenezer absolutely cannot bear.
“I understand! Absolutely understand!” Ebenezer nodded hurriedly. “I won’t say anything! I’m going out to gather material recently, yes, to gather material! This place will be closed for a while!”
Vincent said no more, turned and walked towards the cave entrance, his figure slowly disappearing into the darkness.
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