Knockturn Alley

Knockturn Alley
Location information
Location	Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain
Permanent residents	Borgin Caractacus Burke
Affiliation	Dark Arts

"Skulking around Knockturn Alley? Dodgy place. Don't want no one to see you there. People will think you're up to no good."

— Rubeus Hagrid

Knockturn Alley is a shopping area off Diagon Alley in London. It is filled with numerous shops devoted to the Dark Arts, including Borgin and Burkes, which specialises in objects that have curious and strong magical properties. Usually, unusual, dangerous and scary people walk around there. When Tom Riddle left Hogwarts he worked at Borgin and Burkes.

Overview

Just around the corner from Diagon Alley lies a dark, twisting alleyway devoted to the Dark Arts: Knockturn Alley. It’s a place that the Weasley children are not allowed in, and with good reason. Not only are the wares sold there a bit dodgy, but the wizards hanging around behave fairly suspiciously as well. From the shops and the street vendors one can purchase, among other things, shrunken heads, poisonous candles, human-looking fingernails, and Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent.

Access

Entrance

As with Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley is not directly accessible from the Muggle world. The Leaky Cauldron pub provides one access (via Diagon Alley), while Apparition and Floo powder are other access options. There may be other entrances. In addition, as noted above, a vanishing cabinet located within one of the shops provided direct access to Hogwarts. The entente to Knockturn Alley is noted to be gloomy in compassion to that of Diagon Alley.

History

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. 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.

Harry Potter visits the alley for the first time in 1992

Harry Potter first entered Knockturn Alley in 1992 when using floo powder at the Weasleys. He ended up inside Borgin and Burkes when he didn't say "Diagon Alley" clearly enough when trying to travel there by Floo powder from the Burrow. When inside the shop he briefly saw Lucius and Draco Malfoy, where Malfoy senior was selling Dark artifacts. He ran into Rubeus Hagrid outside the shop. 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.

The trio visit 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, Harry suspected him of being a Death Eater. Draco let several Death Eaters into Hogwarts through a Vanishing Cabinet in Borgin and Burkes at the end of the 1996-1997 school year.

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.

Items that can be purchased

• a “bloodstained pack of cards”
• poisonous candles, sold in a shop several doors down from Borgin and Burkes
• “evil-looking masks”
• Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent, which Hagrid apparently bought somewhere in the alley
• The Hand of Glory, which “gives light only to the holder” – purchased by Draco Malfoy at some point before 1996 and used to help Death Eaters break into Hogwarts, spring 1997
• hangman’s rope
• human bones
• human fingernails, sold by a street vendor
• Slytherin’s locket, which Borgin and Burkes purchased from Merope Gaunt for ten galleons and later sold to Hepzibah Smith for far more
• a cursed opal necklace, priced at 1500 Galleons, which killed nineteen Muggle owners and was later purchased by Draco Malfoy for an attempt to kill Dumbledore. Katie Bell was injured instead
• rusty, spiked instruments
• shrunken heads, on sale in a window across from Borgin and Burkes, one of which might have been purchased by Crabbe in 1996
• skulls, at least one of which costs sixteen galleons
• giant black spiders, in a shop window a couple of doors down from Borgin and Burkes
• a “staring glass eye”
• a Vanishing Cabinet, which unknown to anyone but Draco Malfoy (at the time, at least) linked directly to its partner in Hogwarts. Draco bought it in 1996 and used it to sneak Death Eaters into the school the following spring

Known locations

• 13B Knockturn Alley - A building where Borgin and Burkes is located.
  • Borgin and Burkes - An antique shop.
• Beard Trimming - A barber shop.
• Betting shop - A shop that takes bets on various events.
• Chimney Sweep Elf
• Cobb & Webb's - A shop that sells items related to Dark Arts.
• The Coffin House - A shop that sells Dark Arts materials related to raising the dead.
• Dystyl Phaelanges - A shop that sells bones.
• E.L.M and Wizards Undertakers & Embalmers
• Fledermaus and Tanner Bats & Skins
• Markus Scarrs Indelible Tattoos
• McHavelock's Wizarding Headgear
• Moribund's
• Mr Mulpepper's Apothecary - A shop that sold potion ingredients.
• Msaw Ætare
• Noggin and Bonce - A shop that sells shrunken heads.
• Potage's Cauldron Shop - A shop that sells different types of cauldrons.
• Tallow and Hemp Toxic Tapers
• Trackleshanks Locksmith
• Shyverwretch's Venoms and Poisons
• The Spiny Serpent
• The Starry Prophesier
• The White Wyvern - A pub.
• Wizarding Supplies
• Ye Olde Curiosity Shop - A shop where people can purchase curios related to Dark Arts.

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

Knockturn Allley sign

• The Whispering Wizard may have been an inhabitant of Knockturn Alley.
• The 2-disc DVD edition of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets includes an interactive tour of Diagon Alley, which includes one of the entrances to Knockturn Alley (in the early films depicted as being directly to the right and behind the Leaky Cauldron access), although the tour does not progress into the alley itself.
• In the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Shrunken Head in the Knight Bus announces "Next stop, Knockturn Alley!" after the Knight Bus has dropped off Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. This suggests that either there is an entrance to Knockturn Alley that does not lead through the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley, or that the Knight Bus can actually jump into Knockturn Alley, to a bus stop there. This is not seen (or possible) according to J.K. Rowling's book canon.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Entrance only) (PS1 version only)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (Mentioned in deleted scene)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game) (Nintendo DS version only)
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• LEGO Dimensions (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore (Mentioned on a sign, Pottermore on PlayStation Home)
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Diagon Alley

Notes and references

London's wizarding quarter

England, Great Britain
Carkitt Market - Diagon Alley - Horizont Alley - Knockturn Alley