Chapter 168: The Incomplete Truth
Phineas paused for a moment.
"I can only tell you the part I know for now. Let's put it this way, Harry. The relationship between my brother and your father, James, began when they both started at Hogwarts. Back then, your father—James Potter—my brother Sirius, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin—though the name might not be familiar to you yet—were all Gryffindor students and close friends. People used to call them the Marauders."
"For various reasons, my brother was disowned by the Black family and ended up staying with the Potters. They lived together for years, and that's why I say James and Sirius were like brothers—they truly supported each other through everything."
"There was another Gryffindor student at that time, Lily Evans—yes, your mother. It's said she was intelligent and kind, though I never met her myself. Eventually, she and your father fell in love, married after graduation, and had you. When you were born, they chose Sirius as your godfather."
"At some point, the Dark Lord—the one who murdered your parents—began hunting the Potters. To protect themselves, James and Lily cast the Fidelius Charm on their home."
"This is a powerful secrecy enchantment. Once cast, only the Secret-Keeper can reveal the location of the protected place. At first, Sirius was the Secret-Keeper, which is why many believed he betrayed them."
Harry looked confused. "But, sir... didn't you just say someone else betrayed them? Not Sirius?"
Phineas nodded. "That's right. Sirius had an idea—reckless, but clever. He suggested making Peter Pettigrew the Secret-Keeper instead. Almost no one knew, so the Death Eaters would keep chasing Sirius, thinking he held the secret, while Peter could hide more easily."
"Unfortunately, Sirius overestimated Peter's loyalty. When the Dark Lord threatened Peter's mother, he gave up the Potters."
"When Sirius arrived, your parents were already dead, and the Dark Lord had vanished. Blaming himself, he handed over his motorbike to Hagrid—yes, you've likely met him. He brought you to your aunt's house back then, and he should be picking you up this time as well."
"Later, Sirius found Pettigrew trying to flee down an alley. Peter cut off a finger, caused an explosion, transformed into a rat, and disappeared into the sewers. He ended up hiding in the Weasley home. Since they were close to Dumbledore, Peter believed he could keep an eye on things and flee again if the Dark Lord ever returned—sacrificing the Weasleys if necessary."
Ron frowned. "But, Phineas, why didn't you do anything about Scabbers before? He used to be Percy's pet. Are you saying you never noticed?"
Phineas shrugged. "Fine, I'll admit it. I've never been fond of Sirius. He's a classic Gryffindor—reckless and self-righteous. Besides, I'm currently the sole heir of the Black family. If Sirius were freed... well, that would change."
"As for why I acted now, there are two reasons."
He looked Harry in the eye. "Even though I never met your parents, I had some connection with Lily Potter—well, I suppose I should call her Senior Lily. I won't allow anything to threaten your safety, even if it risks my inheritance."
"Second, I realized it might actually be easier to deal with Black family matters if my brother were around."
"But enough of the past. I'm sure you have more questions."
Harry hesitated, then asked, "Um... sir—I mean, Uncle Phineas... your family's all magical, right?"
Phineas smiled. "Harry, just call me Phineas. I'm only two years older than you. And yes, the Black family is a pure-blood family, just like the Potters—though the Potters never cared much about blood status. They're more like the Weasleys in that regard."
"So you must know lots of spells?" Harry asked, wide-eyed.
Phineas gave a modest shrug. "Well, most young witches and wizards don't know much magic before Hogwarts. But I've already spent two years at school, so I've learned a fair bit. It's nothing special."
Harry sighed. "I wish I'd been born into a wizarding family. Then I wouldn't have had to live with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. I wish I had three wizard brothers, like Ron."
George corrected him. "Five, actually."
Fred added, "Bill and Charlie have graduated already. Then there's Percy, who you've met, and the two of us. Oh, Phineas, we're off to find Lee—want to come?"
Phineas shook his head. "I'll stay with Harry. Don't forget to ask Lee about that other matter."
George nodded, and he and Fred left the compartment.
Phineas turned back to Harry with a warm smile. "Look, Harry, maybe your Muggle relatives weren't kind to you. But that's behind you now. You're a wizard. And in the magical world, there's nothing magic can't fix. And if there is—then you just use more magic."
He pointed his wand at Harry's glasses—
Just then, the compartment door slid open again.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost his."