Chapter 169: Dark Wizard
Phineas turned to look at the girl who, in the future, would become Harry and Ron's closest friend.
When he saw Hermione, he couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed—perhaps because his expectations were shaped by the image of Hermione played by the actress Emma in his past life. The girl before him had thick, bushy brown hair, bright brown eyes, and prominent front teeth, giving her a somewhat rabbit-like appearance.
Her light brown skin gave her a confident air, even a bit of arrogance, though it made her look more spirited. Still, she didn't seem nearly as striking as the Hermione he remembered. In truth, she appeared quite ordinary.
"No, but Neville? Neville Longbottom? His pet shouldn't be just a regular toad. It may have some blood from a Demiguise. If you search his compartment carefully, you might find it," Phineas said.
Hermione's eyes lit up. "The Demiguise! Yes, I've read about it in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It's a gentle, herbivorous creature that can turn invisible and has the ability to foresee the future, making it very difficult to catch. It's native to the Far East and looks a bit like an ape, with large black eyes and long silvery hair. That hair can be woven into Invisibility Cloaks, so it's incredibly valuable—"
"Oh, are you casting a spell? Can I watch? I've tried a few simple spells at home just for practice, and they worked! No one in my family's magical, so when I got my letter I was shocked—but also thrilled! I mean, as far as I've heard, Hogwarts is the best magic school in the world. I've already memorised all the course books. Of course, I hope that's useful. My name's Hermione Granger, by the way. What are your names?"
Hermione's words came out in a rapid-fire stream that left Phineas almost breathless just from listening. How could anyone talk that much in one breath?
With a wave of his wand—no incantation needed—he repaired Harry's glasses with ease. The tape fell away, and the glasses were restored to perfect condition.
"Phineas Black," he introduced himself casually.
"My name's Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter," Harry said.
At Harry's name, Phineas already knew what was coming.
Sure enough, Hermione's eyes widened as she gasped, "Is it really you? I've read all about you! I bought extra books for background reading, like A History of Modern Magic, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. You're in every one of them!"
Harry blinked, visibly overwhelmed. He turned to Phineas, confused and a bit dizzy. "They mentioned me?"
At this stage in his life, Harry instinctively trusted Phineas, the young man who claimed to be his uncle and treated him with genuine care. In the original story, Harry had only ever placed this level of trust in Dumbledore—because in his darkest moments at the Dursleys', Dumbledore had given him hope. But now, it was Phineas who had given him a sense of family.
Phineas smiled but didn't answer. He knew Hermione would fill in the blanks.
"Oh my goodness, you don't know? If it were me, I'd want to find every single book that mentioned me! By the way, have you found out which House you'll be sorted into yet? I've been asking everyone. Most people say Gryffindor's the best. Dumbledore was in Gryffindor, you know. Of course, Ravenclaw is good too. Anyway, we should go find Neville's toad—"
Phineas coughed twice, steering everyone's attention back to him.
"Miss Granger, you say Gryffindor is the best House. I must disagree. Gryffindor is well-known primarily because Dumbledore came from it. But other Houses have their own remarkable alumni. For example, Newt Scamander, the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, was a Hufflepuff. He once captured Gellert Grindelwald."
"And Slytherin," Phineas continued, "has produced the most influential wizards—many Heads of Departments at the Ministry of Magic, influential pure-blood patriarchs, and of course, Professor Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts. He's widely respected, even feared, for his skill."
"But aren't most Slytherins dark wizards?" Ron asked hesitantly.
"Oh—sorry, Phineas! I didn't mean you're a dark wizard—" he added quickly.
Harry and Hermione both looked startled. The calm, confident boy beside them—a Slytherin?
Phineas merely shook his head. "Ron, that's a common misunderstanding. Yes, Slytherin has produced a number of dark wizards. But so have Ravenclaw and even Gryffindor. Do you know how many Ravenclaw wizards are dark wizards today? Quite a few. It's just less talked about.
"In general, a 'dark wizard' is any witch or wizard wanted by the Ministry of Magic. Every House has its criminals. Don't forget—Peter Pettigrew, whom I just captured, was a Gryffindor."
Hermione suddenly blurted out, "Peter Pettigrew? But he's dead! He was murdered by Sirius Black! Only a finger was found!"
Phineas raised an eyebrow. "That's what The Daily Prophet reported, yes. But perhaps you'll see a different headline soon. Let's stay on topic."
"In a narrower sense, 'dark wizard' originally referred to those who study and use dark magic to harm others. And you should know, many who research magic deeply come from Ravenclaw. The more advanced the research, the more experimentation it demands. That often leads some down darker paths, sometimes unintentionally."
"And as for knowledge of dark magic—well, Dumbledore himself, the greatest living wizard, has mastered more dark spells than the Dark Lord himself. Don't forget—the Dark Lord was once Dumbledore's student."