Snape opened Borgin and Burkes' door, causing it to creak and the bell on it to chime softly. The sound of metal against metal broke the silence and startled the man behind the counter, who raised his head quickly, suspicion and fear poorly hidden in his gaze. His eyes fell on the spot where Harry and Snape stood, and as he recognized the Potions Master, his expression changed completely. A false smile formed on his lips, but Harry could see the confusion and worry that it hid.

"Mr. Snape!" Borgin said in a sweet, fake voice. "But what a wonderful surprise!"

"Borgin." Snape repeated, much more coldly.

"What a joy to see you here, sir, in my shop. Safe and sound." Borgin said. And, though his tone was still just as smooth, Harry could detect some doubt in it. "There were the most frightful rumors about you, most frightful indeed."

"Really?" Snape replied with disinterest. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"Of course, of course, sir. Especially when they were such horrible stories in the first place. Things like... Well, I hardly dare say them out loud. Things like, Merlin forgive me, the Dark Lord had murdered you for being a traitor... Or that... that the Potter boy had slit your throat as revenge for Albus Dumbledore..."

Borgin shook his head and waved his hands, as if to make those dreadful thoughts disappear from his mind, but it didn't fool Harry. It was obvious he was trying to discover the truth, watching Snape's reaction to those words.

"Of course, they were all disgusting lies, I see." He continued. "You don't know how pleased I am to know that."

"That makes two of us..." Snape said coldly.

Borgin tried to hold the Potions Master's gaze but when those black eyes fell on his, he couldn't help but avoid them. Coughing slightly, the shop owner passed a hand over his oily hair and said:

"So, uh, well... What brings you to my modest store?" He asked, changing the subject. Then he seemed to remember that Harry was there as well because he added: "And who is this handsome young man?" A new student, perhaps? His face looks familiar..."

Harry opened his mouth to respond, trying to think of a lie, but Snape intervened before he had to.

"Maybe you'll remember him from one of your visits to Malfoy Manor last year. Mr. Evans spent some time there, as a guest."

Although that had never happened, Borgin nodded, as if he remembered it perfectly.

"Oh, of course, Mr. Evans. Of course." He said nothing else, however, and Harry had to admire Snape's cunningness. Borgin wasn't going to ask any more questions if they had to do with Malfoy manor. Everyone knew that Voldemort's inner circle had stayed there.

"As for what brings us to your shop..." Snape said, approaching the counter slowly, with that sinister elegance that characterized him. "I'm looking for certain materials that may be hard to find. Materials that I am hoping you can provide." He slipped a hand into the pocket of his robes and Harry could see Borgin tense up, but Snape merely pulled out a sheet of paper with a list written on it. He then passed it to the man, who took it with a slightly trembling hand and began to read.

"Hard to find, indeed." Borgin said after a few seconds of silence. "But you've come to the right place, no doubt about it." He folded the sheet Snape had given him and handed it back to him, smiling again with that fake sweetness Harry was starting to hate. "They should be in the back room. If you'd be so kind as to join me..."

Borgin indicated a door at the end of the shop, causing Harry to look at Snape anxiously. He wanted to go with him to cover his back, but he didn't know if doing so would arouse suspicion. He was about to say something, when Snape called him by that fake name, causing a second of confusion in the boy.

"Evans." He said, without looking at him. "You are coming as well. There are too many interesting objects in this store to leave you alone with them."

Harry exhaled, relieved, and hurried to join the two wizards.

"It's not an issue, really." Borgin said as he saw him approach. Though he smiled, Harry could sense his discomfort. It was clear he didn't trust them and would have preferred to keep them apart. "If the boy wants to stay and observe he can do so without a problem... It's normal for an intelligent young man to be curious and-"

"It's not his curiosity that worries me." Snape replied. "But his inability to keep his hands to himself. You don't want to know the disasters he caused at Malfoy Manor precisely by touching what he shouldn't."

"Oh, I quite understand." Borgin said, bowing his head. "Lucius has always kept magnificent things in that house." He seemed more relaxed than before, and Harry understood at once why. If 'Evans' had a keen interest in the Dark Arts and had stayed in the Malfoy's house for a while, long enough to cause several problems, it meant that he was not a traitor and was not on the Ministry's side. Consequently, Snape couldn't be either.

"An authentic paradise for Dark Arts enthusiasts, yes sir." Borgin continued, as Harry tried to form a remorseful expression with that strange face Snape had given him. "I imagine it must have been difficult not to look more closely into his collection, eh?"

"A little." Harry nodded, with what he hoped was a convincing smile. It must have been, because Borgin returned it, and it was the most sincere expression the boy had seen from him since they had entered.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't encourage the boy." Snape interjected in that icy voice of his. "His situation is already precarious, the last thing he needs is for the Ministry to find him rummaging through objects they deem 'dangerous'."

"No, sir, of course not. I wouldn't want that at all..." Borgin cleared his throat and, though he avoided meeting Snape's dark eyes and an awkward silence fell in the room, Harry could see that that hint of distrust and suspicion on his face had completely disappeared. With that seemingly innocuous topic of conversation, Snape had helped dispel Borgin's doubts, and had subtly reassured him that they were still on the same side, the one of the Dark Arts, Death Eaters and Voldemort.

Impressed once again by the Potions Master's cunning, Harry was vaguely aware that Borgin had started talking again.

"... in that case, perhaps it would be better if the boy came with us, then."

He pulled a bunch of keys from the pocket of his robe, as Snape nodded. After searching for the right one for a few seconds, Borgin opened the backroom door.

"Come in, please, come in." He said, stepping aside and letting them through.

Snape entered first and Harry followed close behind him, feeling Borgin's gaze on his back as he passed the man. Once inside, his eyes took a little while to get used to the darkness of that new room. When they did, he could see that in front of them were dozens of shelves rising from floor to ceiling, creating aisles that stretched across the room. They were filled with jars with floating things inside, wooden boxes locked with padlocks, and a number of other strange objects that the boy couldn't identify.

"Give me a second, I'll be right back." Borgin said, closing the door they had come through. He then disappeared behind a bookshelf, his footsteps echoing through the room. Harry heard him walked between the aisles, until he stopped about ten meters away from where he was standing with Snape. After a few seconds of silence, the characteristic sounds of someone rummaging through objects filled the air.

While they waited, Harry looked at Snape and raised an eyebrow, asking him with a glance if he thought everything was going well. He didn't say it out loud as he knew Borgin would be listening to every word they said, but he trusted that the Potions Master would be able to understand his expression without a problem. Just to be sure, though, he let his thoughts float to the surface of his mind, where Snape could read them easily, even without using Legeremancy.

After a few seconds of prolonged eye contact, the Potions Master nodded slightly, responding to those unspoken words. At the sight of it, Harry sighed, relieved. However, the expression on Snape's face told him not to let his guard down, and the boy bowed his head, showing that he would not. After a few moments, the noises that Borgin was making stopped, and they heard his feet move across the floor towards them. When he appeared beside them again, he was holding something in his hands.

"Ah, here it is. Difficult to obtain, no doubt." He handed Snape a small bag containing something that looked like animal hair and then another filled with some whitish objects that Harry was almost certain were bones. "But useful, very useful."

The boy held back the urge to ask about it, as Snape pocketed the objects inside his robes. After a few seconds of silence, Borgin cleared his throat, nervously.

"And, uh, well, can I help you with anything else?" He asked, walking towards the door. "Or will that be all?"

"Actually... Yes, there is something else." Snape said and Harry sensed the danger in the professor's low, soft voice. The hair on his arms stood up, as a shiver ran through him, and he wondered if Borgin could feel it too. "Though I think it would be wiser to discuss it here, away from prying eyes."

Borgin, who had his back to them, about to open the door, stopped dead in his tracks at Snape's words. His shoulders tensed and slowly, like one facing a dangerous animal, he removed his hand from the knob and turned towards them again. Harry could see a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead and his throat visibly moved, swallowing hard.

"S-Sir?"

"You talked about 'rumors' when we came in..." Snape said, his gaze holding Borgin petrified, standing in front of him, his mouth half open. "Well, that's all I need. Rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Yes."

"I... I'm afraid I don't understand." Borgin gave a nervous little smile, in which there was no longer a trace of sweetness, but fear.

"Oh, let me explain." Snape began, in a sinister voice, as Harry breathed in nervously, waiting for his next move. "The Ministry considers wizards like me, like Mr. Evans here, to be, ah, quite harmless right now. But that will change if they see us asking questions about... certain people they consider dangerous." Snape let those words fill the air for a few seconds, watching Borgin intently. "My space to maneuver, to act, is limited. Very limited. As such, I am forced to ask you for information that, in other times, I wouldn't have to."

"Sir?"

"The others." Snape said, getting straight to the point. "The ones who managed to escape. The ones who were able to flee the Ministry."

"I don't know where they are." Borgin said immediately. "I don't know where they're hiding, I swear, I..."

Snape waved a hand, looking bored.

"I know you don't, Borgin. None of us would trust you enough to give you such valuable information." With a small smile, he took a step forward and moved even closer to the man, invading his personal space. "No. What I want to know is what your rumors say. About the next move. The plan."

Borgin swallowed hard, avoiding Snape's eyes, and Harry remained silent, his own heart pounding.

"Plan? What plan?"

"To bring back the Dark Lord. To get revenge on Potter and the Aurors. To retake control of the Ministry. Think, Borgin, think." Snape muttered, his voice softer and more dangerous.

Harry held his breath as Borgin shook his head. The boy didn't dare move. He felt afraid all of a sudden, even though Snape's gaze wasn't on him, even though he knew he was on his side. In his mind, he thanked Merlin that that was the case.

"T-there's no plan. I swear."

"Don't. Lie. To. Me." Snape said, clearly pronouncing each word, his face inches from Borgin's.

"It's the truth." Replied the man in a whisper. "They don't trust me, as you said, but that much it's clear. There is no plan, no way to reorganize or regain control of the magical world. And the Dark Lord... He's dead, definitely this time. Everyone says so. That's why there is no plan." Borgin said, speaking faster and faster. "And those who managed to escape have decided to flee. Leave Britain. Change their identity. Some of them contacted me to obtain Polyjuice Potion, illegal portkeys, things like that. That's why I know. There is no plan, I swear!"

At those words, Snape had let out a growl and grabbed Borgin by the collar of his robes.

"Are you telling me there's nothing we can do?" He said, gritting his teeth.

"I... I..."

"Borgin." Snape warned, shaking him, forcing the man to look him in the eye.

"I... I... I'm afraid so." Borgin muttered, even more frightened if possible. "But you've managed to fool the Ministry, sir, you could-"

"Lucius!" Snape cut him off, causing Borgin to wince. "The Malfoy's. What happened to them? Did they escape?"

Harry tried to hide his confusion. They both knew the Malfoy's had been arrested.

Borgin swallowed hard, fearing what his next words might unleash.

"N-no, sir. The Aurors captured them."

Snape grunted and let go of the man's collar, who remained in place, cowering even more.

"That's it?" Snape asked urgently, drilling him with those black eyes. "Information, Borgin, I need information. What else do you know about them? What is their situation?"

With his back against the closed door, Borgin had nowhere to run or hide from the look on Snape's face. He raised his arms slightly, trying to shield himself from the professor's gaze, causing Harry to feel a pang of pity for him. He could see how scared he was and was glad once more than Snape was not looking at him that way.

"There are, there are rumors..." Borgin began, choosing his next words carefully. "I heard they're still at their manor. The three of them. Until the trial is over, at least. A small blessing." He said, hoping that that would succeed in placating Snape's anger. "Unfortunately... It seems that... with absolute certainty, Lucius will end up in Azkaban. But... But!" He added, seeing the expression on Snape's face. "Narcissa and Draco are likely to keep their freedom. They would remain under surveillance, of course, but relatively free." Borgin hastened to say. "They would be allowed to keep the house and a small part of their fortune. Provided Lucius cooperates, of course, and that... And that the Potter boy testifies on their behalf."

"What?" This time the surprise in Snape's voice was real, and Harry was sure his head had subtly jerked in his direction. "Why on earth would Potter testify on their behalf?"

Borgin opened his mouth and whispered:

"That… That I'm afraid I don't know, sir. There are some rumors that the Malfoy boy helped him. Saved his life. Or… Or maybe it was the other way round… It's not clear, sir. I apolo-"

"Be quiet." Snape silenced him. "I'm not interested in your apologies."

"Y-yes, sir…" Said Borgin in a small voice.

Silence fell in the dark back room and, suddenly, Harry felt very aware of his own body. Of the loud beating of his heart, of his labored, heavy breathing. He stayed still, trying not to call attention on himself, as his brain worked furiously. He had thought about checking on the Malfoys, but, between one thing and another, a month had passed from the Battle and he hadn't gotten around to do it. He knew they were captured and that they were relatively safe. But that, depending on the outcome of the trial, could change. He tried to understand how he felt about it, about them, but it was hard. He had hated that family with all his might for years, specially Lucius. If he was honest with himself, Harry thought that the man would deserve his eventual imprisonment, after all the pain he had caused. However, Draco's behavior when they got captured, refusing to identify him, and Narcissa's lie to Voldemort the night of the Battle, meant that things weren't as simple as before. He didn't feel as comfortable as he once would have, sending them to Azkaban, to spend the rest of their life in prison. It was complicated, especially now that, according to Borgin, their future rested on his shoulders. He would need to think about it, talk to Snape, maybe visit the Malfoys before the trial, if that was even possible. But, for now, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, to deal with them later. He couldn't afford to lose focus in the middle of Borgin and Burkes, with Snape getting close to Borgin once more and talking in his most threatening voice.

"… I see that you will not be of further use to us, then." He was saying. And then he put one hand inside the pocket of his robes. Both Harry and Borgin flinched, thinking that he was going to take out his wand. To the boy's relief, when he saw the long, white hand of Snape again, it was filled with a handful of bright coins. The Potion Master pushed them into Borgin's chest and whispered: "There, for the materials and the information. Don't let it be said that I don't pay my debts."

Borgin grabbed them automatically, his hands shaking. Once Snape was certain that he wouldn't drop them, he looked at him in the eye and added:

"Don't tell anybody what we talked about here today. Or I will pay you another visit. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y- Yes, sir. But I won't-"

"Good." Said Snape. "Evans! We are leaving. No, there is no need to see us out, Borgin. We know the way."

Harry swallowed, glancing at the pitiful looking man as he moved away from the door to let them pass. He knew what Borgin was, he knew that if it were him in his position the man wouldn't give another thought about him… But Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for him. And as he watched him shake, with that fearful look on his face, he wondered how Snape was able to stay in character. How could he withstand doing things much worse than this, witnessing others torture and murderer innocents, while Harry couldn't even handle a bit of rough talk and intimidation on a bad man.

He crossed the shop in silence, walking behind Snape, as a rush of admiration, sadness, and concern for the professor filled his chest. He hoped with all his might that this would be the last time Snape would have to play the role of a Death Eater. The Potions Master deserved some rest, some peace and quiet after everything. Merlin knew that they both did.