SERPENT HEART° TOM RIDDLE

040. CAVEAT EMPTOR

CHAPTER FORTY
— let the buyer beware

TOM WAS ANXIOUS TO RETRIEVE THE HORCRUX SPELL FROM BORGIN AND BURKE'S, meaning they set out for Knockturn Alley at the start of Easter break, before Rhea had a chance to take her things back to Hel House. Each of them rented rooms at The Leaky Cauldron before setting out for Borgin and Burke's to find the spell that would set Tom on his path to 'world domination'. Rhea couldn't help but wonder if she was helping or hurting Tom as they drew closer to the store, but the his eyes were filled with a hunger Rhea had seen in people like her mother and Grindelwald. Tom was willing to do anything for power and Rhea wouldn't be able to stop that.

When they arrived at shop 13B, Avida stepped to the front, smoothing out each strand of hair so that she looked presentable for her family's friend. Rhea never cared for Avida Carrow much, despite the fact that the girl had been dating her brother for years, but Rhea wasn't the least bit surprised to find that Avida was one of Tom's original Knights. The Carrows had been avid supporters of Grindelwald when his reign first began, it made perfect sense that their daughter would follow in their footsteps.

Borgin and Burke's was quite large with a large stone fireplace in the corner. The cloudy sky outside coupled with the dim lighting made it nearly impossible to see anything, but Rhea could make out the proprietor standing behind the counter.

"Avida Carrow, is that you?" Mr. Borgin questioned, squinting at the girl as she stepped inside the shop with Rhea and Tom. Rhea and Tom lingered behind, allowing Avida to chat with the owner while they glanced around for the Horcrux spell. Both of them tried to appear as though they were glancing around aimlessly as they searched the room for any sign of the Horcrux spell while Avida distracted the shopkeeper.

The shop was filled with dark artifacts, ranging from spiked instruments to masks made of human bones that leered down from the wall. Rhea could tell that Tom was taking an interest in all of the items that surrounded them, his eyes alight with curiosity as he examined the items in the shop.

Rhea took her eyes off Tom and turned to Mr. Borgin and Avida. Although the owner chatted with Avida, he made sure to keep a watchful eye on the two other guests in his shop. When he noticed Rhea's gaze on him, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, as though he were trying to place her. Suddenly, he spoke,

"Caliope," Mr. Borgin said. Rhea resisted the urge to let her distaste at being recognized for her resemblance to her mother show on her face. Avida and Tom turned their gazes to the pair.

"Her daughter, Rhea." Avida introduced. Mr. Borgin tilted his head to the side.

"What is the daughter of Caliope Hel doing in my shop?" Mr. Borgin asked. Rhea couldn't deduce from the man's tone whether or not he was a friend or a foe of her mother's. She wondered if she could sneak a look into his mind to find out his true intentions, but decided to take a chance.

"We're looking for a spell." Rhea said, making her way to the counter. Mr. Borgin glanced at Tom.

"Who's he?" He asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the boy.

"He's a friend; he's related to the Gaunts." Rhea said dismissively, but that seemed to catch Borgin's attention. He stared at Tom.

"You're Merope's child then?" Borgin asked. Rhea and Avida exchanged a silent look with one another when Tom became suddenly attentive at the mention of Merope Gaunt.

"You knew my mother?" Tom asked, striding forward so that he stood beside Rhea.

"No. Saw her before she died — pity what happened." Borgin shrugged before turning his attention back to Rhea once more. She looked at Tom from the corner of her eye and could see that he had a hundred questions on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to ask. She nudged him discreetly, a reminder to stay focused on the task at hand. Borgin said to her, "It'll cost you."