Chapter 80 – Returning Home
Chocolate was napping peacefully on the cat climbing frame in the corner of the room.
The shaggy-legged fishing owl, Popsicle—purchased in the Soviet Union—was perched on the shelf beside the window, occasionally pecking at the owl nuts in the small dish next to it.
Phineas had released Popsicle during the end-of-year exams and let it fly back to Grimmauld Place on its own. Because of the Fidelius Charm, even though Phineas had told Popsicle the address in person, he had been unsure whether it could actually find its way. Fortunately, it had returned safely—already proving to be more capable than the owl he'd brought when purchasing Chocolate.
Phineas collapsed heavily onto the large bed, closing his eyes.
The cane-wand he'd just bought rolled from his open palm and came to rest at the bedside.
Popsicle tilted its head at its little master in confusion, gave a soft coo, and then shut its eyes again.
Seeing Phineas asleep, Chocolate leapt from the climbing frame, curled up against him, and dozed off as well.
Thanks to Phineas's effective training—and perhaps for reasons unknown—his pets' habits had become more considerate. Even nocturnal creatures like cats and owls had learned to sleep or rest quietly at night so as not to disturb him.
It was already evening, but Phineas wasn't hungry—just weary after a full day's journey by train.
This was one of the benefits of having house-elves: there was no need to eat at set times. If he was tired, he could nap, and whenever he awoke, a simple instruction would bring a full meal within minutes.
Under the influence of magic, house-elves could prepare a feast in no time.
When Phineas woke again, it was fully dark outside. The sporadic glow of streetlamps illuminated the road faintly, leaving many corners in shadow.
Occasionally, a dog barked or a cat yowled from the darkness, but none of it disturbed the peaceful atmosphere.
Phineas shook out his numb arms, lifted the sleeping Chocolate into its nest, picked up the wand-cane, and opened the door.
"Who's on duty tonight?" he asked softly into the air.
House-elf schedules had been established by Phineas himself. The Black family had previously employed only a single elf—Kreacher—and the rest had been sold or taken away during past upheavals.
Only after Phineas acquired several more elves did the house become as clean and orderly as it was now.
With more elves, Phineas had introduced shifts to ensure no elf had to be woken from sleep unnecessarily.
A small crack sounded, and a male house-elf appeared beside him.
"Master, it is I," the elf said with a bow.
"Egg Roll," Phineas acknowledged with a nod.
"Yes, Master. Do you have instructions?"
"I'm hungry. Prepare something light to eat."
Egg Roll nodded and vanished with another crack, heading for the kitchen.
Thanks to the rotating shifts, there were always elves awake and ready. The day and night crews ensured Phineas's needs—and the safety of the house—were always attended to.
Phineas's original bedroom had been on the third floor. But after his mother's death, and with the help of Dumbledore, he had placed the house under the Fidelius Charm. He then ordered the elves to renovate and add a sixth floor above the fifth. The sixth floor held three rooms.
One was Phineas's current bedroom—the same one he had used before. A pot of white osmanthus sat on the windowsill. Nearby stood an owl perch, a cat climbing frame, litter box, and bed for Chocolate in the corner.
The second room served as his study. Every book in the house—wizarding or Muggle, valuable or mundane—had been moved there. It also served as Phineas's workspace for magical research.
The last room contained glass cases for his growing collection, along with his clothing. For now, that was all.
Outside these rooms stretched the sixth-floor corridor, where Phineas stood now.
After watching Egg Roll disappear, he made his way down the staircase, cane in hand.
The corridors of each floor featured empty portrait frames—meant to allow the portraits of Black family ancestors to travel, and to leave space for any new portraits Phineas might hang in the future.
Naturally, Phineas had restricted the movement of certain portraits—his mother's, for instance.
The Black family's history of intermarriage had left some ancestors mentally unbalanced. While Phineas hadn't removed their portraits, he had confined them to a guest room on the second floor, which he converted into an ancestral portrait chamber.
Instead of heading to the formal dining room in the basement, Phineas settled into an armchair in the second-floor living room.
There was no need to eat in any specific place when he was alone. Guests would require more formal settings, of course—but for now, he had no visitors.
Just as he sat, Egg Roll returned with a tray of food.
Since it wasn't a full meal, he had only prepared a few desserts and a pot of black tea—a light evening tea, just as Phineas had hoped.
He hadn't intended to eat much—just something simple before returning to sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day.
A few days prior, the Magical Creatures Emporium in Diagon Alley had sent him a letter. The Niffler he'd ordered nearly a year ago was about to give birth. As agreed, Phineas was to be present to witness the birth and select one of the newborns to take home.
Although Nifflers were cute and occasionally useful, both adult and young ones were infamous for their destructive nature. In the magical world, only Huskies—known to Muggles as "Erha"( name of husky in a novel )—rivaled their chaos.
Phineas needed a Niffler young enough to be properly trained by the house-elves, one that wouldn't tear apart his home.