Chapter 188: Chuck Addams
"Aguamenti!"
Wednesday summoned a surge of water that crashed head-on into the spreading poison. White and violet steam exploded outward, swallowing the alley in a dense haze.
Hermione watched anxiously.
She knew—right now, her magic wasn't enough. At best, she was slowing Wednesday down.
I have to get stronger, she resolved. When we get back to Hogwarts… I'll train properly.
Wednesday's ears twitched.
She rolled sharply to the side—dodging a Binding Curse that struck where she had stood a split second earlier.
As she fired off a Stunning Spell—
Hermione suddenly reacted on instinct.
"Lumos!"
Blinding white light erupted.
The attackers staggered, momentarily blinded—
One of them was struck head-on by the Stunner, his body flying backward and smashing into the window of Borgin and Burkes.
The impact jolted a preserved human head awake on the counter.
"Blasted idiots—who dares disturb my rest?!"
One of the remaining wizards attempted a Transfiguration, turning shattered stones into blades—
But Wednesday was faster.
"Protego!"
The rebounding fragments ricocheted—slamming into him instead.
The last wizard, realizing the tide had turned, sliced open his palm and smeared blood across his wand.
A swarm of foul-smelling ravens burst into existence—
They blackened the sky, circling overhead.
Wednesday spun her wand.
A violent gust roared to life, tearing through the flock—
The ravens were shredded midair, dissolving into nothing.
Seizing the moment, Hermione lifted scattered bricks with a Levitation Charm.
"Oppugno!"
The bricks shot forward like a storm of projectiles, forcing the attackers to retreat into the crumbling doorway of a nearby shop.
Wednesday didn't give them a second to breathe.
Her wand flashed repeatedly—
In an instant, the remaining enemies were frozen in place, transformed into immobile statues.
"It's… over," Hermione gasped, dropping onto the ground.
She stared at her hands in disbelief.
Her magic—had actually made a difference.
"You did well," Wednesday said, pulling her to her feet.
"But… this isn't that simple."
She frowned slightly, thinking.
Were they targeting me?
Or Harry?
Neither explanation quite fit.
They weren't skilled—some hadn't even mastered basic shielding magic.
And yet… they wielded strange, fragmented dark spells.
It didn't add up.
"Close your eyes, Hermione," Wednesday said calmly.
She didn't have time to restrain them properly.
So she chose the simplest solution—
To send them… into death's embrace.
Hermione obediently closed her eyes—but she was far too sharp not to understand what Wednesday intended to do next.
"Wednesday… don't."
Wednesday frowned slightly. She didn't change her mind—but that brief hesitation was enough.
One of the dark wizards recovered.
He ducked behind another, peeking out just enough to aim his wand.
"Avada—aaagh!"
"Sectumsempra."
An invisible blade slashed through the air.
The man collapsed, clutching his severed forearm as it hit the ground along with his wand. Blood sprayed everywhere.
"Ah—!" Hermione almost screamed—but clamped her hands over her mouth just in time.
"Everyone alright?"
Russell appeared, dragging a pale-faced Ron down the steps behind him.
Without hesitation, he flicked his wand again—
Another Sectumsempra ended the screaming wizard for good.
Russell had wanted Ron to stay behind.
But Ron had insisted—fear and all. He couldn't abandon Harry.
And truthfully, the only reason he dared come down at all…
…was because Russell was there.
"Did you find Harry?"
Russell moved efficiently, collecting the remaining wands.
Then he bound the surviving dark wizards tightly with ropes.
Still not satisfied—
He broke their limbs, cast a silencing curse, and ensured they couldn't speak.
"This counts as self-defense, doesn't it?" he said casually.
To be safe, he added a Disillusionment Charm over them—just in case anyone came looking.
Only then did he nod, satisfied.
"Follow me," Wednesday said.
They moved deeper into Knockturn Alley.
At the far end—
She stopped.
"This is it."
They all looked up.
The shop's sign was… wrong.
At first glance, it was just text—
But on closer inspection, the letters were made of thousands of writhing worms, constantly shifting and clicking against each other.
A faint crack-crack sound filled the air.
"Let's go."
Wednesday pushed the door open without hesitation and stepped inside.
Russell followed immediately.
After a brief glance at each other, Hermione and Ron forced themselves forward—eyes shut, breathing deep—as they stepped in behind them.
What they saw inside—
Left them stunned.
The hunched shopkeeper sat behind the counter, dozing.
And in front of him—
Harry sat perfectly fine, sipping a large mug of butterbeer.
Inside the transparent glass—
Several cockroaches floated, wriggling lazily.
…This place sells butterbeer?
That was Ron's first thought.
"Hey—you're finally here!" Harry grinned in relief.
"Morning, Uncle Chuck."
Wednesday walked up to the counter and tapped it lightly.
The hunched wizard yawned, perking up.
"Ah, Wednesday… long time no see."
"How's Hogwarts treating you?"
"Not bad," she replied after a moment's thought.
"You're here for this boy, I assume?" he said, pointing at Harry.
"Lucky kid. Otherwise, he'd probably have been skinned and dissected by now."
It wasn't an exaggeration.
In Knockturn Alley, most shopkeepers weren't just dark wizards—
They were dangerous in ways that defied normal morality.
Some enslaved others.
Some used human bodies as materials.
Some…
…simply ate them.
"Harry—stop drinking that, there are cockroaches in it!"
Hermione hurried over, tugging his sleeve.
"What?" Harry blinked, then laughed. "No, Hermione—it's Cockroach Clusters. A dessert."
Hermione looked closer.
The "cockroaches" were melting slowly into the drink.
Only then did she relax.
She did recognize Cockroach Clusters—
She'd seen them before at feasts.
She'd just never wanted to look closely enough to remember.