Hag Market

The Hag Market (also called Hag's Market, Heks Market, Cheapstowe, or Craeky Hob in Gobbledegook) is an ancient hidden marketplace located (usually) somewhere beneath the Thames river in London. It is the purview of non-human magical beasts and beings, including Veela, goblins, hags, and vampires.

It is now virtually forgotten to the human world, and humans are considered trespassers. Any humans who happen to come to the market are either fools or enjoy death.

Access

The Hag Market only exists from time to time, and the exact when would require advanced Arithmancy to predict. When the market is open, secret magical gateways or portals exist or not in certain places around the country. There is one at the end of Knockturn Alley, concealed in a shadow.

Trade

Anything and nothing can be found at the Hag Market. The best and worst of magical objects, cursed books, caustic and dangerous potions, and forgotten works of beauty can be found there. Services are also rendered. Divination, oath-making, curse-breaking, oath-breaking, curse-making, alchemy, the lot. There is always food for sale.

Trade is typically based around haggling and bargains are sometimes magically bound with blood and hexes.

It is unregulated by the Ministry of Magic.

History

The market predates the Statue of Secrecy by several hundred years in some form or another, with some evidence it existed during Roman occupation. In its early centuries, the market was visited by all manner of magical beings, wix included.

The Ministry of Magic officially acknowledged its existence in 1760s (during one of the Goblin Rebellions) and attempted to regulate it. The effort failed. By then, tension between the Ministry and non-human magical beings were at an all-time high and wix were all but run out of the market. When the Ministry could no longer locate the market, they ended the effort and lost the records to save face.

At Absit Omen

• Lazarus Blackburn and Kurby Bagnold visit the Hags Market on 14 Jan 2012 in Dark Side of the Moon