Harry Potter Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Harry Potter Wiki

"Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno — dodgy place, Harry — don' want no one ter see yeh down there —"
Rubeus Hagrid informing Harry Potter of Knockturn Alley's sinister reputation[src]

Knockturn Alley was a shopping area off Diagon Alley in London. It was filled with numerous shops devoted to the Dark Arts, including Borgin and Burkes, which specialised in objects that had curious and strong magical properties.[1] Unusual, sinister and sometimes dangerous individuals walked around and shopped in the area. When Tom Riddle left Hogwarts, he worked at Borgin and Burkes.[3]

Overview[]

KnockturnAlley

Knockturn Alley sign

Just around the corner from Diagon Alley lay a dark, twisting alleyway devoted to the Dark Arts: Knockturn Alley. It was a place that the Weasley children were not allowed in, and with good reason. Not only were the wares sold there somewhat dangerous, but the wizards and witches hanging around behaved fairly suspiciously as well. From the shops and the street vendors one could purchase, among other things, shrunken heads, poisonous candles, human-looking fingernails, and Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent.[1]

Access[]

Knockturn Alley South 2

The entrance to Knockturn Alley

As with Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley was not directly accessible from the Muggle world. The Leaky Cauldron pub provided one access (via Diagon Alley), while Apparition and Floo Powder were other access options. In addition, as noted above, a vanishing cabinet located within one of the shops provided direct access to Hogwarts. The entrance to Knockturn Alley was noted to be gloomy in comparison to that of Diagon Alley.[1]

History[]

1920s[]

In the 1920s, Slytherin's locket was sold at Borgin and Burkes to Caractacus Burke by Merope Gaunt for ten Galleons, as Burke was not known to be a generous individual.[2] Burke later sold the locket to Hepzibah Smith, who paid an "arm and a leg for it". After graduating from Hogwarts, Tom Riddle worked as a shop assistant at Borgin and Burkes. His employers were surprised when he resigned his post and disappeared after the murder of Hepzibah Smith. After Riddle murdered Hepzibah he also stole Slytherin's locket from her, as well as Hufflepuff's cup.[3]

1988–1989 school year[]

During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Jacob's sibling and one of their school friends ventured into Knockturn Alley using the Floo Powder with the help of Patricia Rakepick, hoping to meet Mundungus Fletcher. After speaking to Mundungus Fletcher and also Villanelle, they went to enter Borgin and Burkes, but were approached by a Dark witch, who demanded something from them, with her cursing their friend with the Slug-vomiting Charm and then duelling Jacob's sibling. She was defeated, but more dark wizards and witches surrounded them, before they were dispelled by Rakepick. They then left the alley to visit the Three Broomsticks Inn to speak to Fletcher.[5]

Jacob's sibling and Rakepick visited the alley again that twice that school year, the first time being when they spoke to Mundungus Fletcher in the alley after purchasing a new wand at Ollivanders, who told them that he had sold the Marauder's Map to an unknown buyer, whilst they were looking for it.[6] The second time, Rakepick wanted to teach them the Unforgivable Curses, so she demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse on a Dark wizard, much to Jacob's sibling shock and horror.[7] Jacob's sibling also visited the alley to speak to Fletcher again, where they duelled a Dark wizard on Fletcher's orders and won the duel, as Fletcher claimed the wizard had cheated him.[8]

1989–1990 school year[]

During the 1989–1990 school year at Hogwarts, Jacob's sibling visited the alley to speak to Ben Copper about a missing skull from the Artefact Room, accusing them of stealing it, but Ben was instead looking for answers about Rakepick (by then a fugitive). Ben then spoke to Mundungus Fletcher, who warned them about a Wizard in white robes from the Mahoutokoro School of Magic, who was a deadly assassin.[9] At another time, they went to the alley to speak to Merula Snyde, who was planning on killing Rakepick as revenge, but their brother Jacob apparated on the scene and warned them that the assassin was after the both of them. They asked their brother for more information, but he had to leave after giving them a brief practice duel.[10] Jacob's sibling went to the alley another time to see Ben Copper interrogating dark wizards and witches. They encountered a witch who had information about the assassin, and then Mundungus Fletcher under a disguise, who told them Rakepick had been collecting dark artefacts.[11]

SkirmishInKnockturnAlley

The real Rakepick arriving in Knockturn Alley

Jacob's sibling also entered Knockturn Alley disguised as Rakepick with Polyjuice Potion, in order to infiltrate a meeting of the organisation R, which resulted in Rakepick discovering them and a brief duel occurred in the alley with them, Alastor Moody and their brother, with them overpowering Rakepick and forcing her to disapparate.[12] The last time they visited the alley that school year was when they discovered Merula Snyde to be the mole for R, after watching her reveal her supposed loyalty towards the group with a Dark witch they had encountered before with Fletcher, both under Invisibility Cloaks.[13]

1990–1991 school year[]

Jacob's sibling confronting Zenith Xeep

Zenith Xeep duelling Jacob's sibling in Knockturn Alley

During the 1990–1991 school year, Zenith Xeep went hiding in Knockturn Alley after her product, Xeep's Luscious Locks Solution, was discovered to have memory-erasing properties. Jacob's sibling and Ben Copper watched as she and Verucca Buckthorn-Snyde were having a meeting, and when Zenith was about to hand over the wand she had stolen, Ben interrupted them and attempted to grab the wand, but was Stunned by the Dark witch, who Disapparated when Jacob's sibling also came out. Zenith duelled Jacob's sibling and was defeated. She quickly took out a bottle of Xeep's Luscious Locks Solution and drank it herself, intending to erase her own memory, but the solution was so strong that she couldn't even remember her name afterwards.[14]

Jacob's sibling later returned to have a private meeting with Verucca Buckthorn-Snyde in Knockturn Alley with Merula, after Verucca tasked her niece with bringing them to her. After ordering her niece to purchase her some poisonous candles from Tallow and Hemp Toxic Tapers, Verucca informed them that their father Peregrine was out of control, and that they had a common interest in returning him back to normal. They were sceptical, but reluctantly agreed to work with Verucca after they told her about the effects of Dai Ryusaki's amulet on Peregrine.[15]

Verucca meeting with Peregrine in Knockturn Alley

During their plan to steal the amulet, Verucca met with Peregrine in Knockturn Alley, while Jacob's sibling remained hidden under their Invisibility Cloak. After briefly talking with him, Jacob then confronted him and started arguing with him, allowing Jacob's sibling to sneak up on him from behind. However, Peregrine detected their presence and knocked them to the ground with the Banishing Charm. Verucca then took the situation into her own hands, telling Peregrine that he would be handing over the amulet when she threatened him with a purple spell. Jacob stood in the way of her Conjunctivitis Curse when she fired it at Peregrine, defending his father, which completely blinded him. Alastor Moody and his Aurors soon Apparated to the scene to arrest Peregrine and Verucca, having been told of the plan, leading the two to instantly Disapparate before they could be arrested.[16]

1992[]

Harry Potter in Knockturn Alley 2 COSF

Harry Potter visiting the alley for the first time on 10 August 1992

Harry Potter first entered Knockturn Alley on 10 August 1992, when using Floo Powder for the first time to travel to Diagon Alley from the The Burrow. He instead ended up inside Borgin and Burkes when he didn't say "Diagon Alley" clearly enough. While inside the shop he briefly saw Lucius and Draco Malfoy conversing with Mr Borgin, to whom Lucius was selling Dark artefacts. After leaving the shop, Harry encountered an aged witch with mossy teeth selling what looked like human fingernails on a tray. The witch asked him if he was lost, but Harry was intimidated by her leer. Thankfully for him, Rubeus Hagrid immediately showed up, with his huge presence startling the witch, causing her to drop her tray of fingernails and curse in response. Hagrid, who was getting Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent in Knockturn Alley, told Harry that he shouldn't be hanging around in such a "dodgy place". Hagrid then escorted Harry back to the Weasleys in Diagon Alley.[1]

1996[]

Halfblood-00627

The trio visiting the alley during the height of the Second Wizarding War

Harry's next visit to the alley was in 1996, when he, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger followed Draco Malfoy, whom Harry suspected of being a Death Eater.[4] Draco let several Death Eaters into Hogwarts through a Vanishing Cabinet in Borgin and Burkes at the end of the 1996–1997 school year.[17]

From the shops, one can purchase many types of dark objects, which include poisonous candles, shrunken heads, giant spiders, human-looking fingernails and toenails, and Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent. Because of its contents, Arthur and Molly Weasley prohibited their children from entering Knockturn Alley.[1]

Items that could be purchased[]

Known locations[]

Etymology[]

The name "Knockturn Alley" is a play on "nocturnally", just as "Diagon Alley" is a play on "diagonally". "Nocturnally" has to do with the night and darkness, hinting at its dark nature.

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 77 images related to Knockturn Alley.

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 4 (At Flourish and Blotts)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 13 (The Secret Riddle)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20 (Lord Voldemort's Request)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 6 (Draco's Detour)
  5. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 10 (Knockturn Alley)
  6. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 17 (Broken Bonds)
  7. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 19 (The Unforgivable Curses)
  8. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 24 (Dark Pranks)
  9. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 4 (Friends in Low Places)
  10. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 6 (On Jacob's Trail)
  11. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 9 (Artefact Check)
  12. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 35 (Infiltrating 'R')
  13. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 45 (The Messenger)
  14. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 14 (The Search for Zenith Xeep)
  15. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 53 (An Unexpected Offer)
  16. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 54 (Best-Laid Plans)
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 27 (The Lightning-Struck Tower)
  18. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 12 (Silver and Opals)
  19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 11 (Hermione's Helping Hand)
London's wizarding quarter
England, Great Britain
Carkitt Market - Diagon Alley - Horizont Alley - Knockturn Alley
Knockturn Alley
Shops

13B Knockturn Alley · Beard Trimming · Betting shop · Borgin and Burkes · Chimney Sweep Elf · Cobb & Webb's · E.L.M and Wizards Undertakers & Embalmers · The Coffin House · Dystyl Phaelanges · Markus Scarrs Indelible Tattoos · Moribund's · McHavelock's Wizarding Headgear · Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary · Noggin and Bonce · Potage's Cauldron Shop · Priya Treadwell's shop · Shyverwretch's Venoms and Poisons · The Spiny Serpent · The Starry Prophesier · Wizarding Supplies · Ye Olde Curiosity Shop · Msaw Ætare · Tallow and Hemp Toxic Tapers · The White Wyvern · Trackleshanks Locksmith

Known residents and shop employees

Mr Borgin · Caractacus Burke · Cobb & Webb's shopkeeper · Madam Potage · Priya Treadwell · McHavelock · Moribund · Mr Mulpepper · Podric Batworthy · Tom Marvolo Riddle (formerly) · Ye Olde Curiosity Shop shopkeeper

Advertisement