"Oh, by the way, Mr. Black, there will be a chance to join my Transfiguration Club tomorrow night, and I think you need this."
As she spoke, a piece of paper flew from Professor McGonagall's desk to Phineas's hand.
Phineas opened it and looked at it. There was only one location written:
"Sixth Floor, Classroom 21?"
Phineas was very confused by this. He remembered clearly that there was no Classroom 21 on the sixth floor of Hogwarts Castle.
Professor McGonagall nodded and said,
"Yes, Classroom 21. Finding the professor is the first test to join the club. You must remember Gamp's Basic Law of Transfiguration."
Phineas nodded, thinking that maybe he could find the classroom tomorrow. Moreover, Professor McGonagall's last words were obviously an important clue. So he said,
"Then, Professor, I'm going back now."
Professor McGonagall nodded and watched Phineas leave her office. After he had completely disappeared, she immediately stood and went to the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor of the castle.
"Albus! What is that child looking for? Today he asked me about my office."
As soon as she entered, Professor McGonagall spoke quickly, completely unaware of Professor Jonathan, who was quietly sipping some kind of drink nearby.
"Don't worry, Minerva. Jonathan has already told me about the child,"
Dumbledore said calmly.
Professor McGonagall then noticed Jonathan in the office, and her expression shifted.
"Sorry, Professor Jonathan, I didn't see you just now."
Then she turned back to Dumbledore.
"Albus! You know that child is very talented, but none of us can be sure what will happen if he continues to stay in Slytherin."
Jonathan agreed.
"Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and I share the same opinion. Young Phineas is very talented, and I can feel the power in him growing steadily. If we continue to let him act on his own..."
Before he could finish, Dumbledore interrupted.
"Minerva, Jonathan, don't worry. I have plans for our young Mr. Black, and I'll speak to Severus about it later. But for now, I'd appreciate it if you both let an old man get some sleep."
Professor McGonagall's face was still tense. Whether because of Dumbledore or Jonathan, it wasn't clear. In any case, she turned and left without another word.
Watching her go, Dumbledore sighed and looked at Jonathan.
"Jonathan, can you keep an eye on the child for me? I know you can. I still haven't found any trace of Tom, but I believe he's still alive somewhere, waiting for the right moment to return."
Jonathan also sighed.
"Dumbledore, do you really believe in your so-called savior that much? You know what happened back then isn't much of a secret. It wasn't the child who defeated your student—it was his mother. I believe Phineas is a better candidate for your training than the one you left to grow up in the Muggle world."
Dumbledore looked at Jonathan with a trace of surprise.
"If I remember correctly, didn't you say you wouldn't get involved in this?"
Jonathan shrugged.
"True. Whether it's you or your student, all of this is too brief for me. Just a blink in the span of a sleep. But this child is different. His talent isn't just magical—it's in his heart."
He looked directly at Dumbledore.
"I believe you've heard my story from Nicolas, so you should understand how important inner strength is to us."
Dumbledore's expression turned grim—grimmer than McGonagall's had been.
"Jonathan, don't forget. When I invited you to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, you promised not to do anything to the students."
Jonathan shrugged again.
"I said I wouldn't attack them. But that doesn't mean I won't be moved when I see a child so suitable to be my descendant. And if he makes the choice himself, that's not me taking the initiative, is it?"
At that moment, Phineas, who was reading in the Slytherin dormitory, suddenly saw a new task pop up in the system.
Destiny's Choice:
An ancient and powerful being has taken a keen interest in you and will extend an invitation soon. However, you now face a difficult decision.
Choice 1:
Accept Jonathan E. Reed's invitation and become his descendant.
Mission reward: Gain the Bloodline of the Ancestor (Magic Affinity +5, Dark Arts Talent +1), Bloodline Magic Inheritance — Golden Echo (Jonathan).
Choice 2:
Refuse Jonathan E. Reed's invitation.
Mission reward: Purple Echo (Jonathan), a special magic, and unlock the Ancestor's Recognition mission.
Phineas was completely confused. He hadn't done anything unusual today—he hadn't even seen Professor Jonathan.
However, the mission details answered questions he'd never been able to confirm. Jonathan, the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, clearly wasn't ordinary.
Now Phineas understood why Jonathan never ate in the Great Hall, why his skin was occasionally pale, why there was sometimes a faint smell of blood around him on Mondays, and what his conversations with Professor Snape might have really meant.
And now, with the system's message, everything made sense. Professor Jonathan was a vampire—a vampire with the blood of the original ancestor. That's why he could speak of descendants and changing bloodlines.
And judging by Dumbledore's attitude, it seemed he already knew. Perhaps he had even invited Jonathan to Hogwarts because of it.