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.
Often, the entrance to the Market appears like a long, dimly lit stone-brick tunnel.
- There is one at the end of Knockturn Alley, concealed in a shadow.
- There is another in an old oak in the Melrose Cemetery in Candlestick Row
These portals are guarded by Mazzikins - lightning bugs that steal memories of the market from the minds of trespassers.
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.
Cautions
Pick-pockets can steal memories off the top of your head if you don't cover your ears.
Goblin Law prevails. Humans who do not have a right to enter to enter the Market cannot represent themselves in court, but must be represented by a blood relative or someone with whom there exists a blood magic connection (also known as 'tethered').
Those imprisoned in Cheapstowe may get out on bail. Bail, in this case, means to temporarily give up one's hand (through amputation) to the authorities.
Culture
There can be somewhat of a social hierarchy among the regular patrons of the Hag Market, with goblins often holding the highest stature.
House elves can sometimes be mistrusted due to their proximity to wix.
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.
Denizens
- Greenie, a house elf of the Carstairs family
- Dr. George Sundry, a vampire bookseller. He doesn't like a scene. He has one gold fang. [1]
- Ozz, a goblin merchant. "Ozz was old and meddled in all affairs."
- Malgrit, a goblin who works with Ozz.
- Costaravis Underthames, a free elf and chief investigator
- Zonyk Keyforge, a goblin investigator
- Stronis, dungeon keeper
- It is said a sphinx holds a position of some importance.
At Absit Omen
- Lazarus Blackburn and Kurby Bagnold visit the Hags Market on 14 Jan 2012 in Dark Side of the Moon
- Natalie Morrow stumbled into it where she met Aviad Cohen who was doing business there. 31 Aug 2012 God's Away on Business
- Virgil Carstairs and Natalie Morrow go into the market on an errand for Ancasta 19 Jan 2018 - Where shall we gang and dine to-day?
- Virgil Carstairs and Natalie Morrow were held in a dungeon by Hag Market authorities on suspicion of involvement in the death of Ozz the goblin merchant. Tongue-tied, We Are Bound
