Chapter 156: Speculations About the Founder
Through the model, Phineas could see Dumbledore hurrying into Professor Rich's office and searching the area thoroughly.
Before long, Professor McGonagall and several others arrived as well.
Although he couldn't hear their conversation, Phineas guessed they were trying to determine Rich's whereabouts and how he had managed to leave Hogwarts.
Shaking his head, Phineas returned his focus to the castle model and the floating crystal ball before him.
If the Marauders had managed to use these tools to create the Marauder's Map, then there was no reason he couldn't do the same.
He pulled out a piece of parchment he had prepared in advance—one on which he had already copied a basic layout of the Marauder's Map, along with several hidden passageways.
Now was the perfect time to attempt making one of his own.
With a series of drawing and enchantment spells, he transformed the parchment into a simple version of the Marauder's Map. Then, using magical text, he linked the parchment to the castle model, allowing the map's layout to shift with real-time changes—such as secret passageways opening or staircases shifting.
Next came the most important part.
Phineas cast a linking spell between the parchment and the crystal ball. Unsurprisingly, the spell failed—after all, the nature of the objects was different.
But this had been expected. His goal wasn't a direct link; it was to mimic the magical frequency of the crystal ball on the parchment.
Then came a simple spell—a duplication charm even first-years learned to avoid excessive handwriting: Gemino in Copula.
Used on the parchment, with the crystal ball as the source, it copied the crystal ball's effects—namely, the ability to show individuals' current positions within the castle.
As the charm took effect, names appeared across the map. However, their positions remained fixed at the moment the spell was cast; further movement wasn't tracked.
Phineas had anticipated this. His creation was, at this point, nothing more than a dynamic floor plan—far from a true Marauder's Map.
He tried the linking spell a third time, again targeting the parchment and the crystal ball.
This time, it worked.
As the spell took hold, the names on the parchment transformed into moving footprints that shifted in real time.
The Marauder's Map had been successfully recreated.
Of course, Phineas was well aware of its limitations. The map could only track movements within Hogwarts Castle, and only until its magic wore off.
That was the limitation of the link spell.
Compared to the original Marauder's Map—essentially a projection of the castle's full magical authority—his version was little more than a magical scrap.
Still, even scraps have their uses.
Phineas had long harbored a theory about the castle. And now, with the success of his map, that theory was becoming harder to deny.
At Hogwarts, Dumbledore might not be the figure with the highest authority. Someone—or something—else had greater control over the castle itself.
And the only beings who could possibly hold such authority were the four Founders.
Ravenclaw was confirmed to be dead, not only from historical records but from her remains and legacy, which had long since been accounted for.
Gryffindor was in the Black Lake—a fact Phineas had only recently uncovered.
That left two figures shrouded in mystery: Hufflepuff and Slytherin.
According to her descendants, Hufflepuff had vanished without warning. No trace, no records, not even a portrait.
Slytherin, on the other hand, was rumored to be dead. His wand, after all, lay buried beneath the snakewood tree at Ilvermorny.
And yet… something about that didn't sit right with Phineas.
All three other Founders had left identifiable legacies or clues within the castle and the wider wizarding world.
But Hufflepuff? Nothing.
It was ironic—the most affable and approachable Founder had left the fewest traces.
Modern wizards remembered her only through the legend of the house-elf, said to have improved their lives through kindness.
But according to Phineas's understanding, house-elves were created to serve wizards—likely by Hufflepuff herself. He doubted her kindness was as simple as the stories suggested. Wizards of that era were rarely so benevolent.
There were no notes, books, portraits—nothing.
It was as if Hufflepuff had deliberately erased herself.
And yet, Phineas didn't believe she would remain in the castle all this time without a single trace.
That left only one conclusion: the one currently holding ultimate control of Hogwarts was Salazar Slytherin.
As a wizard consumed by the study of magic, it made sense that Slytherin would find a way to remain hidden for centuries.
After all, this was the man who bred the only known basilisk, delved into blood magic, invented countless Dark spells, and created a secret chamber in the deepest parts of the castle.
Who but a recluse would build a secret lab in the castle's foundation?
Though it's likely that his descendants had modified the chamber's entrances, the original was probably so obscure that even the other Founders couldn't find it.
Phineas even suspected that Slytherin's supposed "departure" from Hogwarts was a ruse—that he had simply gone underground, watching as the others scoured the world in vain.
After all, what better hiding place than right beneath their feet?