Harry Potter 06 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

willingly; Malfoy must have made a real effort to free himself from her clutches. Harry, knowing and loathing Malfoy, was sure the reason could not be innocent.
    He glanced around. Mrs Weasley and Ginny were bending over the Pygmy Puffs. Mr Weasley was delightedly examining a pack of Muggle marked playing cards. Fred and George were both helping customers. On the other side of the glass, Hagrid was standing with his back to them, looking up and down the street.
    ‘Get under here, quick,’ said Harry, pulling his Invisibility Cloak out of his bag.
    ‘Oh – I don’t know, Harry,’ said Hermione, looking uncertainly towards Mrs Weasley.
    ‘Come on !’ said Ron.
    She hesitated for a second longer, then ducked under the Cloak with Harry and Ron. Nobody noticed them vanish; they were all too interested in Fred and George’s products. Harry, Ron and Hermione squeezed their way out of the door as quickly as they could, but by the time they gained the street, Malfoy had disappeared just as successfully as they had.
    ‘He was going in that direction,’ murmured Harry as quietly as possible, so that the humming Hagrid would not hear them. ‘C’mon.’
    They scurried along, peering left and right, through shop windows and doors, until Hermione pointed ahead.
    ‘That’s him, isn’t it?’ she whispered. ‘Turning left?’
    ‘Big surprise,’ whispered Ron.
    For Malfoy had glanced round, then slid into Knockturn Alley and out of sight.
    ‘Quick, or we’ll lose him,’ said Harry, speeding up.
    ‘Our feet’ll be seen!’ said Hermione anxiously, as the Cloak flapped a little around their ankles; it was much more difficult hiding all three of them under it nowadays.
    ‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Harry impatiently, ‘just hurry!’
    But Knockturn Alley, the side street devoted to the Dark Arts, looked completely deserted. They peered into windows as they passed, but none of the shops seemed to have any customers at all. Harry supposed it was a bit of a giveaway in these dangerous and suspicious times to buy Dark artefacts – or at least, to be seen buying them.
    Hermione gave his arm a hard pinch.
    ‘Ouch!’
    ‘Shh! Look! He’s in there!’ she breathed in Harry’s ear.
    They had drawn level with the only shop in Knockturn Alley that Harry had ever visited: Borgin and Burkes, which sold a wide variety of sinister objects. There in the midst of the cases full of skulls and old bottles stood Draco Malfoy with his back to them, just visible beyond the very same large black cabinet in which Harry had once hidden to avoid Malfoy and his father. Judging by the movements of Malfoy’s hands he was talking animatedly. The proprietor of the shop, Mr Borgin, an oily-haired, stooping man, stood facing Malfoy. He was wearing a curious expression of mingled resentment and fear.
    ‘If only we could hear what they’re saying!’ said Hermione.
    ‘We can!’ said Ron excitedly. ‘Hang on – damn –’
    He dropped a couple more of the boxes he was still clutching as he fumbled with the largest.
    ‘Extendable Ears, look!’
    ‘Fantastic!’ said Hermione, as Ron unravelled the long, flesh-coloured strings and began to feed them towards the bottom of the door. ‘Oh, I hope the door isn’t Imperturbable –’
    ‘No!’ said Ron gleefully. ‘Listen!’
    They put their heads together and listened intently to the ends of the strings, through which Malfoy’s voice could be heard loud and clear, as though a radio had been turned on.
    ‘… you know how to fix it?’
    ‘Possibly,’ said Borgin, in a tone that suggested he was unwilling to commit himself. ‘I’ll need to see it, though. Why don’t you bring it into the shop?’
    ‘I can’t,’ said Malfoy. ‘It’s got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it.’
    Harry saw Borgin lick his lips nervously.
    ‘Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn’t guarantee anything.’
    ‘No?’ said Malfoy and Harry knew, just by his tone, that Malfoy was sneering. ‘Perhaps this will make you more confident.’
    He moved towards Borgin and was blocked from view by the cabinet. Harry, Ron and Hermione shuffled sideways to try and keep him in sight, but all they could see was Borgin, looking very frightened.
    ‘Tell anyone,’ said Malfoy, ‘and there will be retribution. You know Fenrir Greyback? He’s a family friend, he’ll be dropping in from time to time to make sure you’re giving the