Harry Potter – The New Dawn - Chapter 43

My great-grandfather when he started listening to Phineas almost choked on his words. The words he was about to say caught in his throat and he coughed to try to hide it. He quickly looked at me and said. “Phineas this is Arcas Black the current heir to our family.”

”Hmm? Did you have another child?” Phineas asked my great-grandfather back. As he looked at him he raised an eyebrow and looked at him carefully.

”What? No, of course not. Since Melania died I have not been with anyone else.” My great-grandfather answered, startled. My great-grandfather cleared his throat and replied.

“He is Sirius’s son.”

This answer surprised Phineas who stopped concentrating on my great-grandfather and began to stare with great intensity. After a few seconds, he told me. “Child, show me what you can do.”

After these words came out of his mouth, the atmosphere of the room changed. Looking sideways I could see that all the paintings had a family member and even if they tried to avoid it, a certain murmur could be heard among them. In response, I looked at my great-grandfather. He just looked at me in response and nodded.

Then I started to change my appearance quickly I started by changing to several normal animals and some magical ones. The more he shapeshifted, the louder the murmurs became.

”Is that all?” Phineas said upon seeing me. After saying that the murmurs stopped and I could only stare at him. In that my appearance changed again. Now he had the appearance of Phineas. This surprised all the cadres. What were murmurs before were now understandable words.

A little laugh escaped my great-grandfather. Phineas looked at him again while raising an eyebrow. I quickly understood why my great-grandfather laughed, so I looked at him and nodded my head. I returned to my normal appearance and began to adopt my shadowy form.

Once I show this look a general stir throughout the room. I could see Phineas startled. The general surprise was so great that some of the paintings were heard breaking glass. ”A true Black.” It was what was heard the most among all the voices. Although you could also hear it. ” That was my last glass goblet. ” A sad voice was heard.

Hearing that all the voices stopped. And they looked at a painting in the background. A couple of minutes passed and a general laugh began. While everyone laughed Phineas looked at my great grandfather and said. ”Enough.” At that, all the voices stopped and the seriousness of the room returned. Phineas looked at me again and then at my great-grandfather and in a very proud voice said.

“It seems that our family will rise again.”

On my great-grandfather’s face for a moment you could see the pride he felt when hearing these words from Phineas. But this quickly went back into hiding and he said again.

”About Hogwarts. What can we do?” Phineas sighed and said.

”I can’t do much and neither can you. But maybe little Arcas can do something.”

At that, a compartment that was under the painting of Phineas opened showing a small notebook. ”Take it. Maybe I can’t do anything but my old self thought that maybe that information would be useful one day.” Phineas said looking at the notebook.

My great-grandfather nodded. With his eyes, he told me it was time to go and I just nodded. As we were leaving my great-grandfather stood up and said.

”Thanks, grandpa.”

”Go at once child. I’m already tired of all this, I’ll get some sleep.” Phineas replied. Quickly my great-grandfather and I walked the corridors of the house until we reached his study where he sat behind his desk and began to review the notebook.

His face quickly showed many emotions but the one that stood out the most was surprise. Then he told me. “It seems there is a way for you to go to Hogwarts without putting yourself in danger.”

In that, he showed me that the notebook talked about the book that registered the young wizards who could attend Hogwarts. And what he said in a way surprised me but it had logic. The book did not record every wizard at birth, it recorded how chaotic magic was and when it was used for the first time.

That is why the sons of magicians were not automatically registered. And some parents despaired when their children did not show signs of magic. On the other hand, when a Muggle-born wizard showed some kind of magic for the first time, the book recognized it and gave a signal.

This made perfect sense to me since otherwise it would be very easy to track down any magician with such a book. On the other hand, recognizing the chaotic nature of a child’s magic was something more feasible.