Only then did Phineas notice a cabinet in a corner of the library that was completely different in style from the rest of the room.
"If we make new discoveries, we sort and store them here," said Professor Flitwick. "After all, knowledge is meant to be shared. Remember—extraordinary wisdom is the greatest wealth of humanity. Well then, you can stay and read. I'll be going."
With that, Flitwick ignored Phineas's reaction, grabbed a door handle on the wall—the same one they used to enter—and disappeared. It was clearly a Portkey as well.
Watching Professor Flitwick leave, Phineas shrugged and checked the system achievement notification from earlier. However, upon entering Ravenclaw's private library, the system had not registered it as completing the task of discovering Ravenclaw's inherited treasure.
"So this isn't the place I need to find?" he muttered, a little frustrated.
Still, he couldn't afford to dwell on disappointment. The library contained countless valuable books—there might be clues or information about the inheritance hidden here.
Despite his own encouragement, Phineas was undeniably disheartened. He had been so focused on this mission that he had stopped answering questions in class. His house points had dropped significantly, and he had only earned enough to open two house treasure chests—too few to be worth using. Compared to the Inherited Treasure mission and the Explore Hogwarts achievement, the house chests offered uncertain rewards. The other missions gave specific, guaranteed benefits.
The Explore Hogwarts mission reward—Fiendfyre Mastery (including counter-spells)—was especially tempting. Fiendfyre was an extremely powerful and dangerous Dark spell. It could summon raging magical fire that mimicked monstrous shapes and indiscriminately consumed everything in its path. It was also cursed—ordinary spells couldn't extinguish it, and only specialized counter-curses could end it.
The Ending Spell, an advanced variant of Finite Incantatem, could forcibly stop magical elements in the area and dispel Fiendfyre. However, All Curses End was a legendary spell requiring vast magical power. During the battle between Gellert Grindelwald and the alliance of European Aurors, many wizards had to cast it together to counter Fiendfyre.
Without mastery of the counter-curse, few dared use Fiendfyre. Its counter-spell had faded from general knowledge due to its difficulty. If Phineas could learn and control both, it would be an immense advantage.
As for the Four Founders' Inheritance mission, its reward—Formulation Talent +1—could enhance his aptitude in a specific magical field. For example, a boost to his Black Magic talent would make wandless or silent casting of dark spells far easier. Enhancing Transfiguration or Divination talent would likewise boost his abilities. Alternatively, he could add points to talents like Animagus transformation or Parseltongue.
Such a reward was far superior to anything random from a treasure chest.
Having resolved to continue the search for Ravenclaw's true inheritance, Phineas turned his focus back to the private library.
Compared to wandering the castle aimlessly, this place seemed more likely to hide important clues. If Ravenclaw had left a legacy behind, it would make sense to conceal it somewhere as private and protected as her personal library.
Of course, if Ravenclaw had never intended anyone to find it, then no amount of searching would uncover it.
Time passed.
By mid-October, a new notice appeared on the Slytherin common room board: permission slips for a Hogsmeade weekend. All third-years and above could visit the largest wizarding village in Britain, as long as they had written approval from a parent or guardian.
But that wasn't the only notable event in October—Halloween was fast approaching.
Phineas grew increasingly anxious.
And it was no wonder. He vividly remembered that Halloween at Hogwarts was always a magnet for trouble.
In Harry Potter's first year, a troll broke into the castle. In the second year, Filch's cat was petrified. In the third, Sirius Black tried to enter the Gryffindor common room. In the fourth year...
Halloween was practically cursed.
Phineas didn't want to get dragged into any disasters. He had more important things to do—like searching for Ravenclaw's legacy.
Meanwhile, Hagrid's pumpkins were ripening. To celebrate Halloween, Hagrid had cast an Engorgement Charm on them.
Even though Phineas dreaded the holiday, he couldn't stop it from coming.
When the Halloween feast finally arrived, Phineas sat, as usual, alone at the Slytherin table.
There was not a single classmate beside him.
The professors noticed.
Some sighed quietly. Others turned a blind eye. A few wore faint expressions of worry.
Phineas had it all—ambition, the wealth of the Black family, and tremendous magical talent that only grew stronger under the full moon.
Some, like Dumbledore, feared that isolation might push him toward the path of a dark wizard.
And if he ever chose that path, he might become something even more dangerous than Voldemort.
After all, Voldemort had never been ostracized as a student. Nor did he possess the resources or raw power that Phineas held now.
Snape, watching from the staff table, glanced at Dumbledore with a frown. His eyes seemed to ask: Why haven't you done anything about Phineas yet?
If this continued, Phineas might start thinking like a true Dark wizard.
Dumbledore met Snape's gaze and slowly shook his head. But his expression betrayed a hint of concern.
Phineas finished his food quickly, but for once, didn't leave immediately to research clues. Instead, he stayed seated, observing the changes in the Great Hall.
He hadn't paid much attention when he first arrived—he'd been too hungry. Now, he looked around properly.
The Hall was decorated elaborately for Halloween.
Twelve of Hagrid's enormous pumpkins had been hollowed out and carved into lanterns shaped like pumpkin carriages. They were big enough to seat three or four students each.
Bats flitted through the enchanted ceiling, which mirrored the night sky. Occasionally, they swooped over the tables, causing the pumpkin-shaped candles to flicker dramatically.
During dinner, Dumbledore introduced a special guest—Celestina Warbeck, the famous wizarding singer.
She performed "Children, Hit Back the Bludgers and Throw Out the Quaffles," the team anthem of Puddlemere United.
Though her voice was powerful and captivating, Phineas couldn't get used to the magical music.
He had grown up listening to Muggle songs. In his past life, he had been an ordinary person, used to Muggle tastes. Celestina's performance just didn't resonate with him.
Still, the rest of the students were thrilled. They stood and cheered, swaying to the music.
Only Phineas and a few Muggle-borns remained seated, unsure how to react.
It was a little awkward.
Fortunately, the song didn't last long and ended quickly.