For all my dark witches and wizards, Death Eaters, and lovers of the Dark Arts, this shop tour is for you! We will be touring the only shop in Knockturn Alley- Borgin and Burke’s.

Borgin and Burke’s is the most well-known shop in Knockturn Alley. We see parts of it in The Chamber of Secrets and see Draco and mama Malfoy enter it at the beginning of Half-Blood Prince. It is a shop full of dark objects, cobwebs, and horrors. It’s a dodgy place, but it is one of my favorite shops in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The first time I stepped into this shop, I got chills. This is partially because Knockturn Alley is cold and partially because I was amazed by how amazing it is. Obviously it’s cleaner and a lot more stylized than the shop we see in the movies, but that doesn’t take away from how amazing this shop is.

One of my favorite aspects of the shop is how it is decorated. The cabinets are filled with creepy dolls, skulls, and other dark artifacts. The Vanishing Cabinet used to sneak Death Eaters into Hogwarts is in the corner, standing tall and looking like it’s ready to be used at any moment. There is a Boggart in a trunk near the registers along with wall decor that looks antique. The chandeliers above are ornate and cobwebbed, adding to the spookiness of the shop. In one of the cabinets at the front of the store we see the hand which grabs Harry in Chamber of Secrets. We also see the opal necklace that curses Katie Bell in the Half-Blood Prince. A replica of this necklace used to be available for purchase, but sadly it isn’t available for purchase now.

Throughout the shop we have several items that any dark witch or wizard would love to own. There are hourglasses made of “bones” and other trinkets made of “bones”. You can purchase Lucius Malfoy’s Death Eater mask as well as his cane- both of which are really cool. For your wand, you can purchase a black wand stand. Mugs, shirts, and more are available for the dark witch and wizard and Death Eater who wants to proudly display their love for the Dark Arts. My favorite item in the shop is the shrunken head that we see in the Knight Bus at the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban. On one of my recent trips there I was finally able to purchase one and I am absolutely ecstatic! I just need to find the perfect place to hang him- and I also need to give him a name because all good shrunken heads need a name!

I think the main reason I love this shop is because of the aesthetic as well as the overall design of it. Though I’m a Ravenclaw and would probably be considered a good witch, my tastes run on the darker side. I love skulls, the color black, and things that are creepy. This shop speaks to me in ways that the other shops don’t. And I love how a store like Borgin and Burke’s can exist in the same world as a shop as bright and cheerful as Honeydukes and Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.

So if you were to venture into Borgin & Burke’s what item would you purchase? Besides the shrunken head-which I have already purchased- I have seen a Patronus tank top I would love to purchase as well as the black wand stand! Have a delightfully dark week everyone!