Richie rubbed his chin, suddenly understanding. "So it's basically the black market. That explains why you'd find banned curse books there."
He blinked at Hagrid with an innocent look. "Doesn't that mean you're going there to do something illegal too? Aren't you worried the Dark wizards might try something?"
Hagrid let out a deep chuckle. "They wouldn't dare. Years ago I smashed two idiots who tried to double-cross me so hard their heads ended up in their own stomachs. These days, the second they see my face they think twice about causing trouble."
He leaned in closer, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Plus, I've got people watching my back. They know better than to mess with me."
Richie smiled sweetly. "So if I stick with you, nobody in Knockturn Alley will touch me, right?"
Hagrid's eyes widened. He'd walked right into that one.
"Well… technically, yeah, but…"
"Hagrid," Richie said earnestly, "you're just buying some feed for Norbert. I only want to buy a book. You know how much I love learning."
Hagrid narrowed his eyes, suddenly sharper than usual. "You want to buy a book in Knockturn Alley? Those are all forbidden texts!"
Richie patted his chest. "If you're worried, you can watch me the whole time. The second you say something's off, I won't buy it."
Hagrid still looked ready to refuse.
Richie played his final card. "Otherwise I'll just go by myself."
Hagrid's shoulders slumped. "No, no, no—you're a little wizard. You can't wander in there alone."
Richie just gave him the big, pleading eyes.
Hagrid stared at him for a long moment, then threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine. If you're dead set on it, we'll go together. But I'm showing you exactly why Knockturn Alley is a hundred times worse than anything at Hogwarts!"
He turned and started walking. "Come on, then."
Richie fell in step beside him. "You know, people say you're really kind-hearted."
"All my friends say the same thing!" Hagrid waved it off.
Richie didn't follow right away. He drew his wand and called softly, "Accio my Hogwarts robe!"
Upstairs, his bedroom window rattled open. A black robe shot out and wrapped itself neatly around him. He flipped it inside-out so the school crest and house badge were hidden against his body.
No way was he walking into a black market in pajamas.
After a few winding streets they reached a small park tucked behind some trees. A massive black motorbike with a sidecar sat waiting in the clearing.
"Flying motorbike," Richie said immediately. "TBT-20 model."
Hagrid looked impressed. "You even know the model?"
"My grandpa has one. His is a lot smaller, though."
Hagrid swung a leg over the seat and patted the handlebars. "I'm not the owner—I'm just borrowing it. The real owner has excellent taste. We used to be friends… I've regretted that ever since."
He twisted the throttle. The engine roared like an angry dragon.
Richie scrambled into the sidecar. "Hagrid, where's the helmet and seatbelt?"
Before he could finish the sentence the bike shot straight up like a rocket. Hagrid slammed a red button and the whole thing vanished from sight.
"Off we go!"
The invisible motorbike blasted into the sky with a thunderous boom.
A few startled neighbors later peeked into the park with baseball bats and flashlights, then spent the rest of the day warning their kids to stay away because of the "lion/tiger/bear" living in the trees.
---
They landed in a narrow alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. Richie climbed out on shaky legs. Hagrid's flying was smooth, but rocketing through the air with no helmet, no belt, and no control of the handlebars was not his idea of fun.
Hagrid hopped off, pulled the pink umbrella from the sidecar, and tapped the bike. A huge black sack instantly swallowed the motorcycle, turning it into an ordinary-looking pile of trash.
"I keep my wand hidden in the umbrella," Hagrid whispered. "Don't tell anyone."
Richie nodded, though he had no idea why that was a secret.
"Right then," Hagrid said, starting down the alley. "We'll go through Diagon Alley to reach Knockturn Alley. Stick close."
They stepped into the Leaky Cauldron, exchanged quick nods with a few regulars, and headed straight for the back courtyard. A couple of quick wand taps on the bricks and they were in Diagon Alley.
Richie made a quick stop at Gringotts and exchanged some notes for forty Galleons. Then he followed Hagrid down a side street that grew narrower and darker the farther they walked.
Eventually they turned into a cramped, twisting little passage. After five or six minutes the bright, colorful shops of Diagon Alley disappeared completely.
They had entered Knockturn Alley.
It was a narrow, crooked lane paved with uneven cobblestones. The buildings leaned at odd angles, blocking out most of the daylight even in the morning. The air smelled of mildew and rot.