Alfred’s Antiques – Creative Writing Assessment

Theo turned down a lane off Diagon Alley. Water from the drain pipes dripped down the side of the empty, dimly lit shops. Beneath his feet, the path was coarse and dirty. One shop far down the alley captivated Theo. As he got closer he read the old wooden sign hanging from two rusted chains; ‘Alfred’s Antiques‘.

A large mahogany door with a golden lion knocker stood in the storefront. The walls were made of cobblestone as rough as the storm that was moving in on the alley. On both sides of the door were two square glass windows that begged to be cleaned. The sound of the bustling main alley was now distant; not a single soul accompanied Theo in the deserted lane. Silence.

Timidly walking inside, one foot after another, Theo squinted his eyes to try to see what was in the shop but it was too dark. Slowly the lights flickered on. A sea of treasures displayed itself in front of Theo. Towering shelves formed chaotic rows all throughout the shop. Some shelves curved and weaved, some lead into walls and some even floated. Deep purple carpet covered the entire floor; this was a strange contrast with the bright yellow ceiling. On the ceiling were two aged, silver chandeliers beaming with light now. Dusty paintings of ancient wizards and witches covered the cracked wooden walls.

Dancing through the shop was classical piano music making Theo feel like he had gone back in time. The musty smell of all the old items blocked his nose from smelling anything else. Beneath Theo’s feet he felt the slight bounce of the fluffy carpet.

Theo now felt he should explore the weird, wizardly, wonderland that was ‘Alfred’s Antiques’. The floor squeaked under his feet with every slow step like a mouse under the foot of an elephant. Theo’s eyes darted from shelf to shelf trying to take in all the magnificent antiques. To his left, he saw a vast collection of globes. There were globes that zoomed in on different countries as Theo approached, globes that miniature people explored and globes that opened up to reveal smaller globes, just to name a few of the many globes.

To Theo’s right, he observed detailed swords of all sizes, shapes and colours. One sword that really stuck out to Theo was in a special glass box. Flames engulfed the blade of the powerful sword. The flames were so intense they had charred the roof of the box like a marshmallow that had been in a campfire for too long.

Continuing onwards through the shop Theo felt that the shop was much larger on the inside. Passing many mystical items, Theo finally reached the desk of the shop which sat along the back wall. A strange old man sat behind the desk glued to a book; the book was titled ‘Dragons and Where to Find Them’. Covering his desk were pages of books torn out with writing all over them, a dull oil lamp and the skull of what looked to be a dragon. Strange aromas of potions lined along the back wall filled Theo’s nose, he could now almost taste the mustiness of the shops air.