Chapter 182: Phineas Black's Commission
Chapter 182: Phineas Black's Commission
Felix walked out of the L.C.A Building, and it was already noon. On his way, he stopped by Little Red Book Publishing, much to his delight, the proof copy of his book, The 'Magic' of the Muggle World, was already complete.
'They work fast, I don’t need to worry at all.'
This book, as a serious science popularization work, followed the same vein as his previous two Muggle Studies monographs, and had the potential to become a series.
At least, that's what the elegant lady in the purple dress told him.
Felix also specifically asked about things he hadn't paid attention to before, such as how his book had spread from Britain to the rest of the world.
From her response, Felix learned that there were two ways to distribute a book internationally. One was to receive a recommendation from the Ministry of Magic of the home country, but this method had limited slots and could face resistance from some countries due to its official nature. The other method was to become a member of the International Wizarding Publishers Union.
The International Wizarding Publishers Union was a relatively loose international Wizard organization, whose members were top publishers from different countries. They held gatherings in March and September each year to select some valuable books.
These lucky books would then be sold in magical bookstores in different countries.
Felix had unknowingly benefited from this arrangement. He expressed his gratitude once again.
"Your book is excellent, Mr. Heap. For us, it’s a win-win."
...
Felix returned to the school, and many professors were back. Professors Mcgonagall and Flitwick were decorating the Great Hall, their moods were exceptionally cheerful, and Professor Mcgonagall was even humming a tune.
The tall and burly Hagrid carried in two three-meter-long fir trees. Flitwick elegantly waved his wand, causing the trees to stand in one corner of the Great Hall and hang with colorful ribbons.
"Felix", Hagrid greeted him with a rough voice.
"Hagrid, how is the preparation for your class going?" Felix asked.
Hagrid replied cheerfully, "It’s going well. I looked up a lot of information in the Library and went through the latest books on the market. I can say with confidence that the textbook I chose will be fascinating."
"I remember the textbook for this course has always been Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?"
"Ah, that's for the upper grades. I’m trying something new with the third year... You told me that innovation needs a test subject, and if it works, it can be rolled out to everyone."
"I’m looking forward to it, Hagrid."
The next day was the start of the school year, and the professors gathered around a square table for dinner that evening. Even the elusive Professor Trelawney, draped in a shawl, made an appearance.
She whispered to a House-elf, "Dear, could you get me some sherry?"
The House-elf stammered, "O-of course, ma'am."
Her figure vanished, and a moment later, she reappeared, staggering with a large wine bottle. "I’m sorry, I couldn’t find a small bottle, only this one."
"Ha!" Trelawney's eyes lit up. "No problem, this will do just fine, very fine indeed."
"Would you like some?" She looked at Felix, shaking the bottle, the wine sloshing inside.
"No, thank you", Felix politely declined.
Trelawney poured herself a drink, and Professor Burbage, sitting next to her, took a small sip.
Dumbledore, who had not been seen since their meeting in France, appeared looking in good spirits. He chuckled as he took a plate of brown pastries from Flitwick. Felix suspected it was because he had just finished a tedious task.
After dinner, he called out to Felix.
"Wait a moment, Felix. Nearly Headless Nick has a few books for you, and he asked me to bring them to you", Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.
So, the two of them headed to the Headmaster's Office. Dumbledore spoke in a light tone, "Just a moment, I left them by the bedside in my bedroom. I read a bit each day while you were away."
Felix nodded, watching as Dumbledore ascended the spiral staircase and disappeared into the second floor of the office.
"I wonder what Dumbledore’s bedroom looks like", he thought curiously.
The Headmaster's Office hadn't changed much. In this spacious, circular room, various whimsical sounds filled the air: Phoenix Fawkes breathed rhythmically on his gilded perch, the silver instruments on the long-legged desk spun and hummed, and the portraits of former Headmasters snored intermittently from the walls.
Felix's gaze lingered on the Sorting Hat, which lay quietly on a shelf, hesitating whether to pick it up for a closer look.
"Hey, Slytherin boy!" an unpleasant voice called out.
Felix turned to see one of the portraits on the wall. At the bottom of the frame, a line of gilded script read:
'Phineas Nigellus Black, Term: 1847 to 1925, Graduated from Slytherin House.'
Felix asked, "Headmaster Black, are you calling me?"
The portrait grunted, "Who else would I be talking to? Is there anyone else alive in this room?" His goatee twitched, and his thin eyebrows made him look quite unappealing.
He leaned forward, gripping the frame. "Come closer, I have something to tell you", he said, his tone growing more urgent when Felix didn't move. "It will be to your benefit!"
Felix was filled with doubt. If it was a benefit, it probably wouldn't be for him. Nevertheless, he approached Headmaster Black's portrait.
The other portraits stopped snoring, some opening their eyes to observe, others half-closed, closely watching the interaction.
But Headmaster Black didn't react, or perhaps he couldn't. So he whispered as quietly as possible, "Have you heard of Sirius Black?"
"Of course, he's a celebrity now, having escaped from Azkaban three weeks ago", Felix replied.
Headmaster Black was taken aback, his embarrassment turning to anger. "He is a descendant of the noble Black family, my great-grandson!"
"Oh."
"You insolent boy, what do you mean by that!" Headmaster Black hissed, but then he said slyly, "We are both Slytherins, my boy. I know what you're thinking..."
"Listen, the Black family has a long and illustrious history. Their ancestral home is filled with a vast collection of books, far superior to the meager offerings at Hogwarts. Want them? Help me with one thing."
"What is it?"
"Bring him to me, not this me, but another portrait. Remember, 12 Grimmauld Place."
Felix was very interested in the Black family's collection, but he cautiously probed, "Don't tell me the ancestral home of one of the 28 Pure-Blood Families has no defenses."
"Listen, don't interrupt me, time is limited! You will find it, I believe you can. But you need something, something unique to the noble Black family... Oh, Dumbledore! When did you get back?"
Felix spun around to see Dumbledore standing at the top of the stairs, two books tucked under his arm, his expression unreadable.
"Quite a while ago, when you admitted Sirius Black is your great-grandson", Dumbledore said as he descended the stairs. He stood against the light, making it hard to see his eyes, but his voice was firm: "Phineas, we discussed this... He committed an unforgivable crime."
Headmaster Black's portrait shouted, "Dumbledore, he is the last descendant of the Black family!"
But Dumbledore raised his voice, speaking steadily, "He betrayed his best friend and killed thirteen people, one of whom was a close friend he had known for ten years. Do you know his fate, Phineas? The only things the scene investigators found were Peter Pettigrew's finger and blood-stained clothing fragments."
The old man approached the portrait, his tone icy, every wrinkle on his face radiating anger. "And now, he has escaped, dreaming of helping his former master regain power, willing to kill his godson to do so."
"Phineas, my Headmaster... You want to protect him? A criminal?"
The Headmaster's Office fell silent.
(End of Chapter)
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