As the man came closer, I could feel the cat tense up, baring its teeth. It was furious, ready to attack. This reaction made the man stop in his tracks and raise his hand as if to ward off an attack.
"Psh, no helping it. If it chose you, there's nothing I can do. You'll have to pay me for it," the man said, looking at me with disdain.
"Excuse me, but what do you mean?"
"Though it's very rare, these kinds of creatures choose their masters, forcing a bond. Normally, I sell them to special clients who use them as hunters until the creature recognizes the person as its master. But your case is special, runt," the man muttered, still grumbling.
"And how much do you want for it?"
"Hmmm, how about 350 galleons?"—the man's face changed, and he began to smile, cigar clenched between his teeth.
Damn, in my bag I have maybe 50 galleons at most. And a creature is not what I had in mind to buy right now. But it doesn't seem like it wants to leave me… I could try to escape, but honestly, running away in a place like this would only draw unwanted attention.
"What's wrong, runt? Don't have that kind of money? Hahaha, if that's the case, I've got another option. Something easier—depending on how you look at it…"
So that had been his intention all along.
"Out with it, old man."
"Hahaha, I like your attitude, runt. Follow me. Truth is, I just need a few favors, something simple, like collecting a few things," the man said, leading me into his shop of fantastic creatures.
If before I thought I'd seen many creatures, this was on a completely different level. Unlike the other shops, this one was incredibly large, filled with an immense variety of creatures…
"Alright, runt, I need your help collecting some creatures. Beasts I haven't been able to pick up myself because I've been too busy taking care of these beauties," the man explained as he stroked the head of a griffin, standing just a few steps from the shop's exit. One of the most ferocious creatures in the magical world.
Simply astonishing. I had never seen one before… This man… He was different from all the others in this place. Even the way he acted outside his shop earlier had been different. Now he seemed calmer, warmer, though he still had that roughness that came from years of hard work.
It also seemed that each beast, animal, or plant had its own habitat suited for survival. The place was incredible. It was like being a kid in a candy shop—though technically, right now, I was a kid.
"So, runt, what do you say? Want to help this old man out, or will you pay with your life?" the man asked as he walked down the shop's corridor until he reached the center, arms spread wide to show off all the creatures around us.
"What do you really want from me? Why me?" Though it seemed like a good deal, I wasn't about to accept something stupid for the sake of a creature I knew nothing about.
"Well, kid, as you can see, I'm a very busy man," he said, gesturing proudly at his shop with a cheeky smile.
The creature, oblivious to our entire conversation, seemed absorbed in chasing flies buzzing around the shop.
"And what exactly is it?"
"Earlier, I told you these creatures choose their master, but that's not the full truth. These beings are usually wise and powerful, never submitting to another's control," the man explained, walking over to a shelf and pulling out a large dark-colored book. "Though it looks like a simple cat, no one has ever truly seen its real form… mainly because no one has survived long enough to witness it."
"If that's true, then how do you have one?"
"That's just it. Not much is known about them, other than the fact that they're dangerous. Very few specimens have ever been found, and their eggs are nearly impossible to come across. I had the chance to save this little one before it hatched," he explained, coming closer and pointing to one of the book's pages. There was a half-drawn illustration of the cat, along with a brief description matching what he'd just told me.
It seemed to be an encyclopedia of creatures, and a very extensive one at that.
"An egg?"
"That's the strangest part. This creature lays eggs. Since its natural habitat is unknown, it's not easy to keep it in one place. I told my assistant to move it to another habitat while I went shopping, but apparently, he couldn't control it and it escaped," the man said as he handed me the book and then walked over to the shop window.
"The man who was chasing it earlier…"
"So you've met Philip. He's a bit clumsy, truth be told. Not a bad person, though. Few like him are left in this place. Good thing the creature didn't escape to the surface—it would've put the whole area at risk." The man walked back past me to a desk at the center of the shop, rummaging through one of its drawers.
"Put the place at risk?"
"I thought so. I've never seen you around here before. It's rare to see a runt in these parts… This is the Alley of the Bleeding Cauldron, one of the most secret places in the magical world—the true black market of sorcery. A place where you find everything you don't need but want… everything you crave but can't have. Everything necessary to fulfill your darkest desires." After saying this, the man pulled a suitcase from the desk drawer and placed the book inside.
"If this place were ever discovered, many high- and low-ranking sorcerers would fall before the World Congress of Magic, condemned for trafficking in countless illegal materials, creatures, and potions." the man continued.
"Is that why the man begged the old woman so much for mercy?"
"Oh, shit. Philip's in trouble with that hag again. I hate owing her favors," the man groaned, running his hands over his face. "Well, I'll deal with that later. For now… I'll give you this." He handed me a shovel and gloves.
"And what am I supposed to do with these?"
"Well, runt, you're standing among some of the most spectacular creatures in the world. Fantastic, beautiful, and dangerous. But there's one thing they all have in common—actually, all living beings share it—they shit. Some far more than they should for their size. And I'm an old man; time's catching up to me too quickly," he said, pacing the room, feeding his creatures, pointing to their droppings.
"You could just use magic for that."
"You don't know much about magical creatures, do you? Some are highly sensitive to magic. Even the slightest spark could cause them to destroy their cages."
"A calamity?"
"Nothing to worry about, runt. Maybe just the ramblings of an old man. Consequences of too many years in this work. But even so, I want to protect them," he said, turning his gaze back to me. Even though I wore a mask, it felt like he was looking straight into my eyes—the same way the cat had when we first met.
This man was definitely different. It almost seemed like his only purpose was to protect these creatures.
"One more thing. When you've gathered all the creatures on the list, come back to me so we can seal the deal." The man extended his hand. "Good luck on your journey… Wait, what should I call you?"
I hadn't thought of a name…
"You can call me Shadow Cat."
"That's a bit ridiculous, but if that's your alias, so be it. Nice to meet you. I'm Rakan, the Hunter of Fantastic Beasts. From now on, I'm counting on you, runt—or rather, Shadow Cat. We'll stay in touch. Best of luck on your adventure." He extended his hand again, shaking mine firmly.
_______________________________________________________
Damn, I lost a lot of time talking with old Rakan. Alphonse must've already noticed I'm no longer in Diagon Alley. I need to hurry.
Luckily, aside from setting conditions, the man also told me where I could buy the materials I needed. Some metals I won't be able to get here, so my only option will be to look for them in magical mines and extract them myself—but that will take too much time. Damn it.
Crossing back through the wall into the old woman's basement, I stumbled into Philip on the way up. Just a few steps further, the old hag was standing there, watching the situation unfold. Still, I had no time to waste lying around. I bolted for the door, shouting just before leaving the shop:
"See you soon, old woman! Thanks for your help!"
As I ran, I could faintly hear her unsettling voice behind me:
"What a strange little runt…"