When Borgin heard the words "sell something," he wasn't surprised—on the contrary, his wrinkled face lit up with glee. The smile that bloomed on his face was entirely different from the one he had earlier when entertaining Mr. Malfoy.
He bent deeply at the waist and said,
"Selling, of course… Mr. Vanderboom, this way please. As I've said before, it's an honor to accept your items into our collection."
With utmost respect, Borgin led them toward the counter.
On the way, Harry glanced back and noticed that the place they had entered from was a tall, ancient-looking mirror. But unlike the one at Viktor's house, this one didn't reflect anyone's face—its surface remained murky and gray.
Once they reached the counter, Borgin caught sight of the back of Harry's fluffy head and the direction he was staring.
"Ah, the Mirror of Solmar!" he exclaimed, quickly launching into an explanation.
"Invented by the alchemist Solmar, this mirror can detect the fear of the person standing before it and record it. If you stare long enough, it shows a flashback memory carrying that same emotion. No thief or criminal can hide before it."
Then he glanced at Viktor again.
"I still remember the first time you walked out of that mirror—you gave me quite the fright. I thought it was a cursed object. Since then, it's even developed new abilities…"
"Getting off-topic." Borgin chuckled. "Would you like to take this mirror with you? It's excellent for warding off intruders."
"No need," Viktor replied blankly as he walked past.
"My home mirror doesn't like companions. It causes... incidents."
Incidents? What kind?
Viktor didn't elaborate. He simply continued toward the counter.
After hearing the explanation, Harry couldn't help but look back again and inspect the mirror more closely. Since Borgin had mentioned alchemy, he took special note of the frame and sure enough, saw thin red patterns etched along the edges—like dried blood.
"Magic mirror…"
Harry whispered, reaching out to touch the surface, remembering the words Viktor had spoken before they entered.
"Mirror, mirror"—those were the words Viktor had said before walking through.
Was that the activation phrase?
Harry's mind wandered.
But then, as if in response to his touch, a figure slowly emerged in the misty glass. The image was foggy, almost as if seen through dense smoke, but Harry could tell it was a person on the other side—watching him intently.
He took two steps back, trying to get a clearer view.
The gray haze of the mirror began to fade. The figure became clearer—and stranger. Its skin was an unnatural shade of gray, and its face was too obscured to make out.
"Hey, kid."
"Huh?" Harry turned, startled.
It was Viktor who had spoken. He stood at the counter, his dark, hollow eyes peeking out from beneath the brim of his hat as he looked down at Harry.
"Come here. Don't mess with the mirror."
"O-oh."
Harry snapped out of it and wandered back over.
Viktor didn't explain further. Once Harry had stopped looking at the mirror, Viktor turned to Borgin and pulled a necklace from his pocket.
It was the same necklace he'd taken when leaving Baba Yaga's cottage. The cord was made of coarse hemp and looked simple and rough. Hanging from it was a worn, golden nautilus shell that shimmered faintly in the dim shop lighting.
Viktor set it on the counter and pushed it toward Borgin.
"I'm selling this."
"It stores the voice of a mermaid. When worn, whatever you say will come out as an enchanting melody. It has a limited mind-affecting effect—whoever hears it will fall under the song's spell and forget what they were doing. Usable three times."
"Mermaid's voice?" Borgin pulled out a pair of pince-nez glasses and examined the shell closely.
"So it only works underwater? I've heard mermaids' songs turn into screeches on land."
Mermaid songs become screeches?
Harry had never heard that before.
"…Probably not the same kind of mermaid," Viktor replied at last.
"You'll see when you test it. I've got two or three more of these. Left behind by a friend—experimental prototypes."
"I'll test it with professional equipment, Mr. Vanderboom. It may take a day or two," Borgin said, hesitating briefly before giving a deep bow.
"But I'm happy to pay you a partial advance. Your reputation is more than enough for me."
"If this is another of those alchemical objects that can fool magical detection, it's worth at least one hundred Galleons—no, one hundred and twenty. Final price depends on duration of the spell effect—one Galleon per second. How's that sound?"
"Fine."
Viktor nodded.
With that, Borgin began rummaging behind the counter. But even as he searched, he leaned across the counter toward Viktor, clearly more interested in something else.
With his hunched posture, it was easy for him to lean halfway across the counter, stopping mere inches from Viktor's face.
He lowered his voice and asked:
"By the way, have you reconsidered selling that mirror magic of yours? You don't even have to offer real spells—even a one-use alchemical item would bring in pure-blood clients in droves. With all the new crackdowns… Just look at the Malfoys—"
Viktor cut him off coldly.
"No."
"Alright, alright."
Borgin immediately sensed Viktor's unwillingness to continue and wisely shut his mouth. He regretfully returned to his position behind the counter.
Eventually, he pulled out a brass scale.
He picked up the nautilus necklace again, gave it another careful look through his glasses, then placed it on one side of the scale. On the other side sat a shriveled eyeball in a bottle—its purpose unclear.
Even while weighing the item, Borgin's eyes flickered restlessly, clearly scheming something.
And that's when his gaze locked with Harry's.
—Borgin had initially dismissed this kid as just some Muggle brat. After all, Borgin and Burkes only dealt with pure-blood families and dark wizards, where bloodline meant everything.
But when Borgin finally noticed those vivid green eyes and that familiar face, he suddenly realized—
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Borgin's eyes bulged.
"You're Harry Potter?!"
"You know me?"
Harry looked back at him, confused.
But Borgin was no longer listening. He stared fixedly at Harry, stepping around the counter in two or three unsteady strides, reaching out a trembling hand to touch the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
Harry instinctively backed away, avoiding the contact.
Borgin immediately jerked his hand back.
"Forgive me, Mr. Potter. That was rude of me. Please accept my sincerest apologies."
He bowed deeply, lowering his nose nearly to his knees. His tone was even more respectful than when speaking to Viktor, and his words practically dripped with flattery.
Even while bowing, he muttered with poorly disguised excitement:
"Of course I know you. Incredible. The legendary Harry Potter himself… in my shop. What a shocking—and troublesome—surprise."