Cherreads

Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Phineas Black

"A downright rotten seed!" a portrait bellowed, several others nodding in agreement.

"Filthy scoundrel."

"A disgrace to the school!"

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Now that we've established Sebastian Sallow committed heinous crimes during his student days—crimes that went undetected, including the murder of his uncle who raised him—it wasn't long after that he left Hogwarts. Hodge, do you have any questions?"

Hodge thought for a moment before saying, "Yes! Why did he do it?"

Dumbledore gave a faint smile. "You've hit the crux of the matter."

"My investigation suggests his descent into darkness stemmed from a curse on his sister, Anne Sallow. It was a peculiar ancient magic that caused gradual petrification of the body, accompanied by excruciating pain. This tragedy drove Sebastian Sallow to secretly delve into dark magic, becoming obsessed with exploring ancient magic."

"As we've discussed before, ancient magic isn't accessible to everyone; it requires a guiding talent. Sebastian Sallow, as it happens, was gifted but not exceptionally so. During his time at Hogwarts, he had a stellar reputation, known for his generosity. He was eager to share the Sallow family's hereditary magical knowledge with those he deemed exceptional…"

Hodge's eyes widened, and he looked up at Dumbledore.

"He was… selecting suitable people?"

"You could say that," Dumbledore said, nodding approvingly. "The Sallow family is ancient and never abandoned their study of dark magic, amassing a wealth of rare materials. But Sebastian was clever. He curated a safe, sunny image by omitting the dangerous parts. Had his uncle Solomon not reported him to the headmaster of the time, leading to the destruction of the Sallow family's dark magic manuscripts, we'd have no key to unravel his true nature."

"The headmaster at the time?" Hodge glanced at the portraits of past headmasters lining the walls. Following their gazes, his eyes settled on a shrewd-looking wizard with a goatee, dressed in Slytherin's silver and green.

"Oh, why's everyone staring at me?" the portrait's occupant said.

"This is Phineas Nigellus Black," Dumbledore said, winking at Hodge, who understood the hint at their distant kinship—Blackthorn, after all, was a branch of the Black family.

"You're the Blackthorn of this generation?" Phineas Black peered from his frame, sizing Hodge up with a sly, appraising look. "Boy, you've stumbled into a golden opportunity. The Black family has no heirs. Agree to take the Black name, and I'll make you the sole inheritor."

"Phineas," Dumbledore said, his tone carrying a warning. "I'd like you to recount what happened back then."

Phineas Black scratched his ear. As he glanced down, Hodge grinned and brandished his blackthorn wand. The bond between Blackthorn family members and their blackthorn wands was legendary, a source of fascination for centuries.

To the proud, pure-blood Blacks, however, it was an embarrassing stain on their history.

"Fine, let me think," Phineas drawled lazily. "It was simple. An uncle reported his nephew for studying dark magic. As headmaster, I had to investigate, but we found nothing conclusive. So Solomon burned the family's inherited manuscripts right in front of Sebastian… tch, the boy must've had nerves of steel to hold it together."

"Clearly, the Sallow lad despised his uncle," Phineas added.

"What about his sister?" Hodge asked.

"No idea."

"She didn't live with her brother and uncle?"

"I don't bother with trivialities. As headmaster, I was swamped with important matters," Phineas said irritably. "I didn't order the destruction, mind you—just witnessed it. Once it was settled, I returned to Hogwarts and issued a gag order."

"You issued a gag order?" Hodge asked.

"What else? Let rumors fester and tarnish the school's reputation? As for the sister, I didn't notice her. Maybe she was in another room."

Hodge turned to Dumbledore.

"So, did she die?"

"If you mean at that point, over a century ago, I'd say no," Dumbledore replied. "After Sebastian Sallow gained true mastery over ancient magic, he went on a rampage for a time. I'm referring to the chaos he caused, chasing ancient magic through historical ruins, ancient legacies, and hidden enclaves. He wasn't a wanton killer, but he showed no mercy to those who stood in his way. Then, one day, he vanished, leaving no trace in history."

Hodge lowered his head, deep in thought. He hadn't forgotten that Sebastian's name had come up through Umbridge, tied to the magical incident that awakened his own abilities.

"Professor Dumbledore, do you think he's still alive? Or perhaps he left behind some valuable knowledge that others found?"

Dumbledore shook his head, looking troubled.

"The trail ends there. I'm sure we can agree Sebastian Sallow's disappearance hides a great secret." He glanced at Hodge, who nodded. Dumbledore continued, "But we can't uncover that secret, nor can we confirm if his influence persists today."

"History buries so many mysteries," he mused.

Hodge didn't press further. Instead, he shifted to questions about The Secrets of Memory, which he'd been reading. Dumbledore answered patiently. Then, Hodge hesitated. He wanted to ask why Dumbledore had given him those two notes—whether he had special expectations for his talents—but the faint, lingering threat he sensed from Quirrell made him rephrase.

"Professor Dumbledore, can a wizard's innate talents be converted into magic? I read in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century that some people are born able to speak with animals, but I couldn't find a spell for it. My Occlumency talent, though, seems to produce a magical effect that can be isolated…"

"I thought it was straightforward, but both Professor Flitwick and Professor Quirrell praised it highly. Quirrell even seemed eager to discuss it, suggesting an idea…"

Dumbledore listened quietly, offering insights now and then.

When Hodge left, Dumbledore sank into thought. After a long pause, he muttered to himself, "Odd. Is Quirrell's disguise that poor? At least four people have shown suspicion."

Phineas Black's portrait spoke up. "You, Snape, the Blackthorn boy—that's three. Who's the fourth?"

"No comment, Phineas. She prefers anonymity."

"She? She?" Phineas tugged at his goatee, but Dumbledore clearly had no intention of elaborating. "Fine, Dumbledore. Could you pass a message to the Blackthorn lad? Ask if he'd consider letting one of his future children take the Black name…"

The surrounding portraits erupted in outrage.

"Shameless!"

"The boy's only eleven!"

"Slimy old git!"

"Undying old fool! Wait, you're already dead."

————

Supporting me on Patreon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.

pat-reon .com/Dragonhair

(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Patreon normally.)

More Chapters