Entire Knockturn Alley

> 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 in 1992, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

**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. Unusual, sinister and sometimes dangerous individuals walked around and shopped in the area. When Tom Riddle left Hogwarts, he worked at ***Borgin and Burkes***.

### Location

Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain

## Overview

 File:KnockturnAlley.JPG
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.

## Access

 File:Knockturn Alley South 2.jpg
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. There may have been other entrances. 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.

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## History

### 1992

 File:Harry Potter in Knockturn Alley 2 COSF.jpg
Harry Potter first entered Knockturn Alley in 1992, when using floo powder for the first time at the ***The Burrow***. 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 artefacts. 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.

## Items that could 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 an ***aged witch***.
* Slytherin's Locket, which Borgin and Burkes purchased from Merope Gaunt for ten galleons and later sold to Hepzibah Smith for far more.
* The 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 was located.
	+ ***Borgin and Burkes*** - An antique shop.
* ***Beard Trimming*** - A barber shop.
* ***Betting shop*** - A shop that took bets on various events.
* ***Chimney Sweep Elf***
* ***Cobb & Webb's*** - A shop that sold items related to Dark Arts.
* ***The Coffin House*** - A shop that sold Dark Arts materials related to the dark art of Necromancy.
* ***Dystyl Phaelanges*** - A shop that sold bones.
* ***E.L.M and Wizards Undertakers & Embalmers***
* ***Fledermaus and Tanner Bats & Skins***
* ***Markus Scarr's 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 sold shrunken heads.
* ***Potage's Cauldron Shop*** - A shop that sold 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 could 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

 File:KnockturnAlleySignWU.png
* The ***Whispering Wizard*** may have been an inhabitant of Knockturn Alley.
* The 2-disc DVD edition of Template:COS 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 film 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

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* Template:COS Template:1st
* Template:POA Template:Mention
* Template:GOF Template:C
* Template:HBP
* Template:PM
* Template:WW
* *Harry Potter: The Wand Collection* Template:Mention
* Template:WWHP- Diagon Alley
* Template:HM
* Template:WU
* Template:PAS Template:Mention
* Template:MA Template:HoM mention

## Notes and references

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Template:Entire Knockturn Alley

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 Template:COS
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Template:HBP
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Template:HBP
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Template:HBP
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Template:HBP
6. ↑ Template:HBP
7. ↑ Template:HBP