Knockturn Alley

Gemma finally understood the trouble she may have gotten herself into when they turned to a familiar alley. She had been here before by accident when she tried to floo to Diagon Alley for the first time and instead ended up here in the darker more sinister Knockturn Alley.

The dark and dingy alleyway was the home for the darker aspects of magic. Human bones, dark artifacts, shrunken heads, all were fare game here on Knockturn Alley.

"Stay close Gemma," Blaise said from behind her as the small group wove through the vendors.

"This is definitely the wrong place to get lost in," Theo added.

Gee I only wish I knew that years ago Gemma thought bitterly.

The group of young wizards and witches arrived a shop Gemma was all too familiar with, Borgin and Burkes Antiques Shoppe.

Since it was in Knockturn Alley this was no ordinary antique shop, it held dark magical artifacts, and macabre items that wizards and witches could use in the dark arts.

Gemma knew this was another test. Just like asking her about the m-word. This was a test for her to prove to the group of Slytherins that she was just like them. She had passed the first part, now it was time for her pass this next test.

The shop looked exactly like she remembered, in fact it seemed like they still had a lot of the same stuff on display since the last time she was here years ago. There even seemed to be the same cobwebs and dust over the same objects!

Gemma had to admit some of this stuff was pretty cool. She hadn't really gotten a chance to look it before but maybe now she could see what he had to offer. She was probably going to have to buy something anyway so may as well buy something useful.

Gemma noticed some knick-knacks here, shrunken heads there, a pack of bloodstained cards. All seemingly random useless things. Then her attention was turned to the front of the store when one of her friends called out to her.

"Hey Gemma, isn't that the Black Family Crest?" Theo asked with his face pressed up against a piece of glass on the front counter.

Gemma walked over and saw a jewelry display. Theo had pointed to a golden ring with a with a oval inlay of her family's crest. A shield flanked by two greyhounds standing up. The shield had two five pointed stars at the top and a sword pointing up on the bottom. Below that was the family motto "Toujours Pur" meaning "Always Pure".

That was strange, that was her family ring! How did it end up here?

"See something you like miss?" said an old wizard approaching the pair from behind the counter.

Gemma was startled at the appearance of who she presumed was one of the owners Borgin or Burke. The old wizard had big grimace and gnarled and wrinkled face.

"U-um I think that ring belongs to me..." Gemma said slowly.

"It's in my shop, it belongs to me." The questionable wizard replied folding his arms.

"I-I mean it's my family's ring, the Crest is my Family's Crest." Gemma explained trying to diffuse the situation.

"100 galleons and it's yours," He replied not caring what she had said.

"100 galleons?" Gemma asked confused.

There was no way it was worth this much money.

"150 Galleons," The shop keep quickly replied.

"150 Galleons are you daft?!" Gemma exclaimed drawing in the attention of her companions.

"What's going on?" Draco said as he walked up to the counter.

"He wants 150 galleons for my family's ring," Gemma complained pointing out the golden ring under the glass.

"I need to make some profit," The elder wizard replied with a frown.

The blonde wizard looked at Gemma and then at the older wizard with a cold gaze.

Gemma had seen that gaze before, but not on Draco, it was the Lucius Malfoy used when he was mad.

"Mr. Borgin can I have a word with you in the back?" Draco asked firmly.

The old wizard looked at the tall blonde in the eyes, and then signaled for him to follow him.
Gemma watched silently as the tall blonde went into Mr. Borgin's office and closed the door.

Gemma felt kinda happy that one of her friends were sticking up for her. A part of her knew Draco was just trying to show off for her, but it still felt good to know he had her back in this even though they had just met today.

"Of course Draco would do something like that," Blaise muttered as he stepped up to Gemma's side.

"How do you think the ring ended up here?" Theo asked from her other side.

She returned her gaze to the ring in question. Gemma had thought the ring looked familiar? Had somebody stolen it? She wouldn't know if they had, the house had only recently been in her possession. Then she realized there was somebody who might know. Somebody who would even help her look more like a pureblood witch!

"KREACHER!" Gemma quickly shouted stepping away from the counter.

With a soft pop, her familial house-elf had appeared in the store. House-elves had a special relationship with their masters and mistresses whenever called upon they would appear no matter the location.

"What can Kreacher do for Mistress Black?" The old house elf said as he bowed in front of her.

Gemma ignored the small gasps from her friends around her as she summoned the elf and focused her attention on him.

"Kreacher I want you to tell me, has anyone stolen from my house?" Gemma asked with a voice of importance.

"Yes mistress," The house-elf slowly ground out as he twisted one of his ears, "Kreacher tried to stop them but those blood traitors and thieves took so many things."

This was her chance to look like a good dark pureblood witch, Gemma was finally glad she had a crazy blood fanatic house-elf to help prove she was one of them.

"Kreacher, I want you to find whoever did this and take back everything, with interest, use any means necessary, Kreacher. Then I want you to gather all the artifacts in the house along with things your reclaimed and put them somewhere safe, where no one can find them," Gemma said giving her orders in her most haughty pureblood voice she could to the house-elf.

"Yes Mistress, Kreacher lives to serve," Kreacher said smiling as he left with a soft pop.

Gemma peeked at her friends faces and was glad when she saw respect in their eyes. She had done it! She inwardly cheered with relief. She had pulled off the ruse! It had come so naturally to her, after years of seeing how those haughty girls acted in school.

Just as she was celebrating in her head, the door to the office opened and Draco walked out with a smirk on his face as he returned to his friends.

The old wizard returned to the counter and grimaced again at the young black-haired witch standing on the other side.

"20 galleons and the ring is yours Miss Black," Borgin ground out tersely.

"Sold," Gemma said smirking as she reached for the money to reclaim her family ring.

After exchanging the money the shop keep handed her the ring and started to turn away from the group only stopping when the blonde-haired leader called out to him again.

"Mr. Borgin, about my other purchases?" Draco said expectantly.

"I'll get them packaged up for you Mr. Malfoy," the old wizard said with a huff.

Gemma wasn't sure what Draco said but he had pulled through in the end, and for that she was grateful. After all she had reclaimed the ancestral ring, as well as ingratiate herself further among her new friends.

Gemma smirked as to herself as she turned the ring over in her hands. There was something about it, she couldn't explain it, it just felt right to have it. She was a member of the Black Family after all, maybe the ring knew that? She slipped it onto her right ring finger, and was amazed when the ring shrunk slightly to fit snugly onto her small hands.

"Well I guess that proves it then," Blaise said as he watched what the ring did.

"W-what do you mean?" Gemma asked confused.

"Family Rings like that only accept blood relatives as their wearers, had you been anyone else it could have killed you." Blaise explained.

Gemma's eyes widened at that revelation. It could have killed her if she wasn't a Black? She had no idea.

Wait but she wasn't really a Black was she?

Had Dumbledore done something else to her besides magic her onto the family tree?

Gemma was too busy wrapped up in her thoughts to even notice what Draco had purchased at the mysterious antique store.

Part of her body, the part Dumbledore had made, was telling her she was born a Black so of course there was no reaction from the ring. It was hard to ignore that part. At times Gemma started to get confused which voice was hers and which wasn't.

She was just thankful it was only temporary. A couple months of small confusion here and there would be manageable, if it meant she could accomplish her tasks.

Gemma quietly followed the group back to Diagon Alley, back to the Leaky Cauldron as the sun was setting in the Wizarding World.

Today had it's ups and downs, and that end Gemma couldn't say she didn't have fun, she did on parts of it. Gemma couldn't help but remember the lines of the sorting hat had sang in her first year...

'Or perhaps in Slytherin, you'll make your real friends...'

She had to admit they weren't all bad, she could see some good in them, for the most part they were normal teens, maybe after this was over and everything was done they might could be real friends one day. Gemma didn't dislike that thought.

"It's getting pretty late, I should head home," Pansy said as they arrived at the fireplace.

"It was really nice meeting you Gemma, see you on the train?" Millicent said

One by one her new friends started leaving through floo network saying their goodbyes and wishing her well. She had returned their smiles and their well wishes as each left.

Until finally one of her new friends was left.