"No. I'm not here to sell it."
Liam shook his head.
"The Philosopher's Stone is useful to me. I'm keeping it."
Borgin's eager expression immediately collapsed.
Liam continued before he could complain.
"I came here to warn you."
The dark wizard's face became serious.
"Once Voldemort discovers that the stone he stole is another fake, you'll be the first person he suspects."
Borgin snorted.
"So what? Borgin and Burkes only supplies counterfeits. We guarantee quality, not customer satisfaction."
His confidence lasted all of three seconds.
Liam stared at him.
"You think an enraged Voldemort is going to care about business ethics?"
The question immediately silenced him.
"His resurrection has been delayed because of one of your fakes."
Liam folded his arms.
"When that happens, I guarantee he'll use every resource available to hunt you down."
The shop fell quiet.
Liam wasn't exaggerating.
Borgin and Burkes was one of his most useful connections in the dark magical world. Through Borgin, he could obtain rare magical materials, restricted books, and obscure magical artifacts.
Losing that connection would be inconvenient.
That was the entire reason he'd come.
Borgin slowly rubbed his forehead.
He understood the logic.
The problem was that understanding and accepting were two different things.
"How strong is he now?"
After a long silence, that was the question he asked.
Liam considered it carefully.
"Hard to say."
He leaned against the counter.
"When I encountered him before, he was extremely weak."
His expression darkened slightly.
"But there are plenty of methods for restoring damaged souls. Several forms of Dark Magic can strengthen the caster by consuming other souls."
Given Voldemort's reputation, it would have been stranger if he didn't know those spells.
"I made a mistake."
Liam sighed.
"Dumbledore should have destroyed him immediately instead of handing him over to the Ministry."
That mistake irritated him more than he cared to admit.
"Regardless, the longer he remains free, the stronger he'll become."
His eyes met Borgin's.
"And eventually, you'll no longer be capable of defending yourself."
Borgin glanced toward the protective necklace Liam had crafted for him.
Liam noticed immediately.
"That artifact can protect you from the Killing Curse."
He paused.
"But the Killing Curse isn't the only way to murder someone."
That simple statement crushed any remaining optimism.
"My advice remains the same."
Liam pointed toward the door.
"Leave. Hide somewhere else."
His tone became slightly lighter.
"Money is important."
A faint smile appeared.
"But it's considerably less useful after you're dead."
Borgin sighed heavily.
His gaze wandered around the shop.
Shelves.
Cabinets.
Cursed artifacts.
Dark magical relics.
He had spent decades building this business.
And now he was being told to abandon it.
"What a miserable day."
His voice carried genuine sadness.
Finally, he looked back at Liam.
"How long before I can return?"
Liam shook his head.
"I don't know."
That was the truth.
"It depends on when I find Voldemort and destroy him completely."
Borgin frowned.
"What are your chances if you meet him?"
This time Liam took longer to answer.
After several moments, he finally spoke.
"If he's fully recovered?"
He thought about it carefully.
"About thirty percent."
Borgin's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Thirty percent?!"
The number sounded absurdly high.
Liam looked genuinely confused.
"Is that supposed to be impressive?"
Borgin stared at him.
The boy was serious.
The reason Liam estimated thirty percent was actually quite simple.
At present, he couldn't instantly cast the Ancient Forbidden Spell: Eternal Frozen Earth.
His current strategy involved using the Guardian Dragon to delay Voldemort long enough to construct the spell.
That process carried obvious risks.
Hence the relatively conservative estimate.
If he could cast Eternal Frozen Earth instantly, the odds would rise considerably.
And if he successfully mastered the spatial barrier magic described in one of the forbidden books he had recently studied...
The number would become even more ridiculous.
A sealed battlefield.
An inescapable prison.
A frozen world that continuously drained magical power.
The combination would create a death trap so terrifying that even Liam wasn't entirely confident he could survive it himself.
Unfortunately, creating such a battlefield required perfect preparation.
Both large-scale forbidden spells needed to be completed.
The enemy needed to remain inside the affected area.
And the caster needed to avoid being interrupted.
Until he mastered the spatial barrier spell, thirty percent remained his honest estimate.
Borgin shook his head slowly.
"That's Voldemort we're talking about."
His expression became complicated.
"Most people don't even dare say his name."
He laughed bitterly.
"Dumbledore himself isn't completely confident of defeating him."
Then he pointed at Liam.
"And you're sitting here discussing methods of killing him."
The difference in mentality was staggering.
Liam simply shrugged.
"Someone has to."
Borgin couldn't argue with that.
"Regardless," Liam said, "don't return to Knockturn Alley until Voldemort is completely dead."
The dark wizard nodded reluctantly.
Then another thought occurred to him.
A very profitable thought.
"Since I'm leaving anyway..."
His eyes began sparkling.
"Would you like to buy my inventory?"
Liam raised an eyebrow.
Borgin quickly explained.
"If I'm running, I can't take everything with me."
He gestured around the shop.
"There are too many artifacts."
Many of them had cost him very little when he acquired them.
Selling them now would still generate a substantial profit.
Liam looked around.
For several moments, he silently evaluated the contents of the store.
Then he made an offer.
"Ten thousand Galleons."
Borgin blinked.
Liam continued.
"I'll buy everything."
His next condition followed immediately.
"Anything I don't want after Voldemort dies can be returned to you."
That already sounded generous.
Then Liam added another requirement.
"While you're traveling, visit dark magic markets in other regions."
Borgin's eyes narrowed.
"Continue acquiring interesting merchandise for me."
Silence filled the shop.
Then Borgin laughed.
"You aren't buying my inventory."
His smile became sly.
"You're trying to hire me as your personal supplier."
"Am I wrong?"
Liam asked.
"Not at all."
The older wizard's grin widened.
"Frankly, I'd be delighted with such an arrangement."
The partnership made perfect sense.
Liam opened his suitcase.
Then he withdrew a dragonhide pouch expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
The heavy bag landed on the counter.
"Ten thousand Galleons."
Borgin eagerly opened it and immediately began counting.
Meanwhile, Liam raised a hand.
Dozens of dark magical artifacts rose from shelves throughout the shop.
Using a modified Levitation Charm, he guided them through the air and into the storage section of his suitcase.
Within moments, cursed necklaces, enchanted daggers, forbidden tomes, dark talismans, and countless other magical objects began disappearing into his growing collection.
....
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