Chapter 158: Searching for Nott
In truth, Sakaski was not a Hogwarts graduate. Like other Skull wizards, his name didn't appear on the Marauder's Map at all.
Because of this, it naturally wouldn't appear in the castle's control center either.
While this didn't affect things directly—after all, Nott had also disappeared, proving that Sakaski was indeed gone—this discrepancy made Phineas begin to question his previous conclusion: that Sakaski's target was the blood given to him by Jonathan.
After all, the premise for that deduction had been flawed from the beginning. And if the foundation was wrong, how likely was it that the result would be correct?
If Phineas wanted to sever his own connection with the castle, he had only one option: to find a way to break the ritual magic binding him.
But with his current skill level, trying to undo a ritual that had even affected Dumbledore was pure wishful thinking. Phineas couldn't believe that someone like Dumbledore hadn't thought about this same concern. Yet even Dumbledore had left the ritual in place, which suggested that its function wasn't solely surveillance—it might also serve as a protective measure, or have other purposes entirely.
Since a complete solution wasn't possible, a temporary one would have to do. At the very least, even if Dumbledore discovered what he had done, he likely wouldn't reverse it right away.
"Invisibilis," Phineas whispered, waving his wand.
It was a Concealment Charm. He cast it to remove his presence from the control center's crystal display—hiding himself from anyone who might be observing.
Of course, that spell alone wouldn't suffice. As the concealment took effect, Phineas followed it with another incantation:
"Confundo."
The Confundus Charm. Its purpose was clear: to confuse the crystal display with false targets, so that even if someone lifted the concealment, they wouldn't see his name—they'd see someone else's.
As the spell completed, Phineas watched his name gradually fade and vanish from the time-sensitive Marauder's Map he had recently enchanted himself.
It worked. The spell was successful. He had hidden himself from Hogwarts' surveillance system.
Satisfied, Phineas turned his eyes back to the model of the castle.
Dumbledore was no longer inside the school. Professors McGonagall and others were moving through the halls, seemingly searching for something.
Phineas guessed that they had found something in Sakaski's office—some clue pointing to his current whereabouts. That would explain Dumbledore's sudden departure from the castle.
As for Nott, he was likely still somewhere inside Hogwarts, which was why Professor McGonagall and the others were searching blindly.
That realization made Phineas quietly pleased. Normally, McGonagall's search would be the best method available. But now? He had something they didn't—the Marauder's Map.
As long as someone was still magically connected to the castle, locating them inside Hogwarts was as easy as glancing at the map.
Phineas began scanning the map and model, his eyes moving through secret chambers and hidden passages.
Before long, he found Nott's name—tucked behind a corridor on the third floor.
A hidden room—or more accurately, a basement. Its entrance wasn't particularly concealed; it was a trapdoor, plain and obvious.
Phineas frowned at the room depicted in the model. It seemed… familiar, though he couldn't place why.
He didn't dwell on it. He turned and left the Headmaster's office, heading straight for the fourth-floor corridor.
He had no intention of calling Professor McGonagall or the others. First of all, Dumbledore's absence meant he had likely located Sakaski—which meant Sakaski wasn't inside the castle. There was no immediate danger.
Second, if Phineas could rescue Nott before anyone else—especially if Nott was a direct descendant of the Nott family—it would win him the family's gratitude, and possibly reduce some of the burdens weighing on House Black in the future.
The Nott family, after all, were the authors of the Pure-Blood Directory. Their influence in wizarding society was immense, though not widely understood.
Rumor had it that the Notts, as the compilers of that Directory, held many secrets about the bloodlines of pure-blood families—more than most people could imagine.
That's what made them dangerous. The Directory didn't only list official family members; it also included several illegitimate children whose existence was unknown to the public, complete with the names of their mothers.
Were it not for the Nott family's connection to the pureblood council and their protection under its laws, they would have been eliminated long ago.
After all—only the dead can keep secrets.
This was why Phineas saw such value in earning the Notts' favor.
With these thoughts, he arrived at the end of the third-floor corridor. He stood before a crumbling old door—and suddenly realized why it all felt familiar.
"Alohomora," he whispered.
As the spell unlocked the door, Phineas stepped inside and saw the trapdoor set into the floor. His suspicion was confirmed.
After opening the trapdoor, he cast a Feather-Light Charm on himself and jumped down.
Just as he expected, it was a vast underground space.
He was right this was the hidden passage from first yearin the original book. The place where Dumbledore and the other professors had set up obstacles to guard the Philosopher's Stone.
But now, it was nothing more than an abandoned, dusty room. Only a few fresh footprints marked the floor.
"So this is where Sakaski was up to something…" Phineas muttered.
He pushed open the door to the next chamber.
The room that once held flying keys was now completely empty.
Then came the giant chessboard. Professor McGonagall had designed it with love—but now, it was inert, without magic.
Next was the troll chamber. Then the potion room. Both were empty as well.
Finally, Phineas reached his destination: the last room.
In the original timeline, this room had held the Mirror of Erised—and the Philosopher's Stone.
Now, it was where Nott was being held.