Chapter 42: The Great Shelby Returns to His Loyal Arms Shop

Chapter 42: The Great Shelby Returns to His Loyal Arms Shop

The Whomping Willow stood on the eastern side of the Hogwarts grounds, near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Concealed within its roots was a secret passage leading directly out of the school grounds, ending in the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade village. Dumbledore had arranged it years ago for Lupin, providing a safe place for his transformations during the full moon.

The passage was extremely narrow. Even for Leon, who was only eleven, much of the journey required him to stoop. Holding his wand aloft for light, he pushed forward, covered in dust and grime.

Cursing under his breath, he finally reached the end after ten minutes or so. An iron door, carved with the image of a werewolf, stood before him. Pushing it open, Leon stepped into a dilapidated shack.

He cast a quick Cleaning Charm on himself, then wasted no time, heading straight out the front door and walking south. The muddy path was difficult, but after crossing a sparse patch of fir trees, he reached a sloping, cobblestone road. Another ten minutes' walk west brought him to his destination: The Three Broomsticks pub.

Leon brushed the remaining dust from his suit and pushed open the door. A wave of warmth washed over him, the air thick with the sweet smell of Butterbeer and oak smoke.

Behind the bar, a woman was mixing a Flaming Whisky. She looked up at the sound of the door and called out a friendly greeting.

"Care for a Butterbeer to warm you up, handsome young sir?"

Leon was tempted, but he had too much business to attend to today. He offered the kind woman an apologetic smile and walked to the left side of the bar. Dropping a few Sickles onto the counter, he scooped a handful of Floo powder from the copper pot and tossed it into the nearby fireplace.

"Diagon Alley!" he called out clearly, stepping into the green flames.

After a brief, squeezing sensation, Leon found himself stepping out of a fireplace into the Leaky Cauldron.

The pub was much the same, though quiet this early in the morning. Tom the landlord was sitting at the bar, chatting animatedly with a witch with short-cropped hair. Seeing a young wizard suddenly appear from the Floo, Tom squinted, then his eyes lit up.

"Mr. Shelby!" he exclaimed, rising enthusiastically. "Long time no see! Can I get you something, or just passing through?"

"Just passing through, Tom. I'll stop by properly next time," Leon said hurriedly, heading for the back door. He turned right into the small courtyard and tapped a specific brick in the wall.

The archway labelled "Knockturn Alley" appeared before him. He let out a breath. After all that travelling, he had finally arrived.

Stepping into Knockturn Alley, the familiar stench of stagnant water hit him. Leon covered his nose and walked down the narrow lane. As he approached a corner, however, he suddenly slowed his pace, his body tensing.

"Protego!" Leon snapped, his wand flashing. A blue shield, taller than himself and with razor-sharp edges, sprang into existence before him. He immediately followed up with "Incendio!", and a wall of orange flame erupted along the inside of the shield, creating a barrier of ice and fire.

If Farley could have seen Leon's Shield Charm now, she would have been utterly mortified and would never dare claim she knew the spell again.

His defences up, Leon showed no mercy. He unleashed a Blasting Curse, blasting his hidden attackers out from around the corner.

There were three of them, all dressed in shabby grey robes, their eyes cold and vicious. But when they saw Leon's suit, their expressions changed instantly.

"Shelby's man?" the wizard in the middle rasped, his voice like nails on glass. "Didn't see your clothes. Our mistake. We apologize."

Leon narrowed his eyes, saying nothing. He simply raised his wand again. Attack spells flew thick and fast, like they cost nothing. His only regret was that he hadn't yet had the chance to learn more potent Dark curses, let alone the Unforgivables.

However, after his training with Lupin and Flitwick, Leon's already formidable talent had reached terrifying new heights. He was outnumbered three to one, yet he completely dominated the fight.

He hadn't forgotten his other skills either. While his right hand wielded his wand, his left occasionally fired off a calculated shot from the pistol hidden in his coat.

The smell of gunpowder mingled with the flash and crackle of spells.

With a final, powerful Blasting Curse, Leon shattered the Shield Charm the three wizards were desperately maintaining together. Binding Jinxes followed, and in seconds, all three were immobilized.

"Sectumsempra!"

Ignoring their pleas for mercy, Leon used the only Dark curse he knew, slitting their throats with invisible blades. As an afterthought, he used spells to disfigure their faces and obliterate their fingers and toes, destroying any means of identification.

Finished, Leon took a long breath, remarking to himself on the brutal nature of the wizarding world. Feeling refreshed, he strolled out of the alley.

A few minutes later, he reached his final destination. The weather was bleak, the weak sunlight filtering through clouds and smog onto the sign before him: Shelby Arms. Compared to the squat, grimy shops surrounding it, Leon's establishment looked almost absurdly grand, out of place.

Even before he entered, the sharp, acrid smell of gunpowder reached him. He inhaled deeply, savouring it.

As he approached, the door swung open automatically. It was still early, so the shop wasn't crowded. A few scattered wizards stood at the counter, where large men in black suits were demonstrating various firearms.

"Welcome to Shelby Ar—"

A familiar, greasy voice began, then cut off abruptly.

Leon looked over. Borgin stood there, his jaw dropped. He was completely transformed from their first meeting. His once-lank hair was neatly combed, his black suit immaculate, his shoes polished to a mirror shine.

"Long time no see, Borgin," Leon said with a smile. "You've changed since our last meeting. Good. I like this look."

Borgin finally snapped out of his shock, the notorious Knockturn Alley merchant actually stammering with excitement.

"Welcome... Welcome home, Boss!"

The Peaky Blinders behind the counter, realizing who had entered, froze, their faces lighting up as they snapped respectfully to attention.

The few customers in the shop stared at Leon in astonishment. There had been rumours that the true owner of Shelby Arms was just a boy. Most had dismissed it as nonsense. But now... it seemed the rumours were true.

"Alright, back to work," Leon said with a casual wave. "Serve the customers." He headed towards the back room, beckoning Borgin to follow.

He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Borgin. Have you seen a large black dog hanging around the shop these past few days?"