Why Did Carl Take the Risk of going to Knockturn Alley to Kidnap a Dark Wizard?
This story starts from the time Carl spent reading all the books related to magic.
He discovered that the magic of the wizarding world is mainly divided into ordinary spells and dark spells.
General or ordinary magic comprises lifestyle-related charms — levitation, cleaning, cooking, and more — while dark magic consists predominantly of aggressive and harmful spells.
Most ordinary magic can be learned from commonly available books, which explain these techniques in detail.
But the same cannot be said for dark magic.
Dark magic is mainly divided into curse magic, poison magic, and pure dark aggression. The damage from poison and aggression is not that severe, which is why many such techniques can be found in some books — for example, the Repulsion Spell, the Volley Spell, the Extraction Spell, the Bat Spirit Spell, and the Knee-Twisting Curse.
However, many wizards — except for a few dark practitioners — avoid learning extremely harmful magic, and it's hard to find any information about it through normal means.
But when Carl came into this world, how could he let such powerful and useful magic pass him by?
So he came up with a way to learn it quickly and efficiently, without spending a huge amount of galleons or years of trial and error.
He decided to kidnap a dark wizard and bring him back to the manor — someone who already mastered those dark techniques — and learn directly from him.
Knockturn Alley is a place where dark wizards frequently appear. Particularly at night, many come here to buy and sell forbidden magical items.
As the owner of a herbal medicine shop, Tom Foley had previously gone to Knockturn Alley at night. It's a place nearly all wizards have visited at some point — not because it's entirely evil, but simply because many rare items can be found there.
This is precisely why everyone knows Knockturn Alley is dangerous, yet it still existed and remained a fixture of the wizarding world.
"Earth Style: Rock Hiding Technique!"
After entering Knockturn Alley, Carl chose a secluded spot and performed a D-rank earth release ninjutsu. His body seemed to blend into the wall of the alley.
In reality, it wasn't true fusion; it was more a clever disguise — his body surface took on the color and texture of the wall, making him nearly invisible.
Dark wizards vary in power. Some are weak — barely more than Hogwarts students — while others are quite proficient.
They all have in-depth knowledge of dark magic, and many have extensive experience battling Aurors and avoiding capture.
So instead of choosing a direct confrontation, Carl decided a sneak attack was a much more reliable tactic.
The main consideration was that dark wizards typically know how to Apparate. If a direct attack raised suspicion, they'd simply vanish.
So a surprise attack was the best way to bring someone back alive.
For nearly 3 hours, hidden against the wall, Carl remained patient, ignoring many passersby.
He avoided the very young, those who were two or more, and anyone who seemed strong enough to resist a sneak attack.
It was nearly 3 a.m. when a suitable target appeared — an elderly wizard in his sixties.
He walked casually out of a nearby shop, a handful of galleons in his hand, probably earned by selling poison.
As the old wizard walked past the wall where Carl was hiding and raised his wand to Apparate away, Carl struck.
He darted forward with a speed close to his physical limit and snatched the wand directly from the surprised wizard's hand.
Most wizards lose nearly all their power without their wand. Few can cast without it, and those who can are much less proficient.
Of course, there are a few exceptional people — Dumbledore or Grindelwald — who can match their power without a wand, but this elderly dark wizard certainly wasn't one of them.
The moment his wand was gone, the old wizard was stunned. Nevertheless, he tried to respond immediately by casting a non-wand curse.
But how could Carl, who was well prepared, let him do it?
He rushed forward, grabbed the old wizard, and Disapparated directly back to his manor.
Apparition is a convenient way for wizards to travel instantaneously, but it's not without side effects. The feeling of being compressed into a tiny tube is profoundly unpleasant. Many wizards even vomit after their first Apparition.
The moment the two arrived in the basement of Foley Manor, the strong discomfort disrupted the dark wizard's ability to respond. Before he could gather himself and attack again, a magical light struck him in the back.
"Excellent, Barry!"
Carl nodded in approval at the small creature responsible. His house-elf, Barry, was already waiting in the basement. Before Carl left, he had told Barry to attack with a sleeping spell the moment they appeared.
Barry was excited by the praise from her master and nearly fell over in happiness.
House-elves can perform powerful magic without wands or incantations — something ordinary wizards can't match — and a dark wizard who is already disoriented by Apparition has no chance against a well-prepared elf.
Carl removed all the dark wizard's belongings, bound him in chains, and placed him under Barry's careful watch in the basement. Then, without disturbing him further, he went back upstairs to rest.
The next morning, instead of going directly to the basement, Carl first decided to check what spoils the old wizard had on him.
There were not many items — only a total of three — a silver pocket watch faintly radiating magic (the properties were yet to be determined), a magic wand (the dark wizard's own), and a small box.
When Carl opened the box, a spark of surprise crossed his face.
The box was enchanted with a Traceless Extension Charm, much like his own pouch. Inside were numerous galleons and a collection of magic books — a rich haul, indeed.