No matter how lively the Halloween dinner had been, the young wizards of Hogwarts still had to attend classes as usual the next day.
By November, the weather had turned colder, and snowflakes had begun to fall from the sky.
One morning, Phineas woke up in the Room of Requirement and saw that the grass outside the castle and the forest beyond were blanketed in snow. Even the Black Lake had begun to freeze. Of course, the ice wasn't thick enough to be safe yet, and Phineas had no intention of testing it.
Looking out at the lake, Phineas suddenly recalled a peculiar rumor circulating in the wizarding world: it was said that Godric Gryffindor still lived to this day. According to the tale, he had used Animagus magic in his old age to become a giant squid, residing in the Black Lake to guard the school he had helped found, waiting for the return of his best friend, Salazar Slytherin.
Perhaps Gryffindor's hidden treasure was located somewhere in the depths of the Black Lake?
Phineas shook his head, dismissing the idea. He hadn't even resolved the matter of Ravenclaw's heirloom yet—there was no point in thinking about the others just yet.
Even though he rarely spoke to other students, Phineas had heard whispers that winter had arrived earlier than usual this year.
Not that it mattered much to him. In his past life, winter arrived just after October anyway.
Still, Phineas took it upon himself to learn some common household spells—warming charms, drying spells, and the like.
After all, Hogwarts was in Britain, and Britain didn't exactly boast central heating, fire pits, or down jackets. Just thick wool clothes and fireplaces.
In previous years at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Kreacher would handle all the necessary preparations, and Phineas never once felt the cold. But Hogwarts was different. Even in November, he could feel the chill seeping through his robes, so he bundled up in a thick wool sweater and scarf.
Meanwhile, his search for Ravenclaw's relic had been put on hold.
He was currently studying how to affix a warming charm to his clothing. This sort of magical modification had moved beyond basic spellwork and firmly into the realm of alchemy.
Alchemy was an elective subject at Hogwarts—but only for N.E.W.T.-level students.
Even then, the curriculum was far from comprehensive. Anyone truly interested in mastering the subject would need either a strong family heritage in alchemy or enrollment in the Magical Academy in Cairo, where alchemy was taught as a foundational discipline. Both Albus Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel were said to have studied there.
Apart from Phineas, few students seemed interested in warmth spells; November's big event was more pressing for them—the start of the Quidditch season.
Every morning, students would catch sight of Hagrid trudging through snowdrifts, using an enormous broom to clear the paths to the Quidditch pitch.
Quidditch was, without question, the wizarding world's most beloved sport. Even Phineas couldn't help but pay attention. Years ago, he and Kreacher had attended the Quidditch World Cup together.
Though Phineas thought the sport had its fair share of absurdities, he had to admit it was thrilling and full of passion.
Well—except for the occasional match that lasted several days.
But this year, he wasn't paying it any mind. His focus remained fixed on designing magically heated clothing.
"Professor Flitwick, how would one go about casting a spell onto a piece of clothing permanently?"
Unable to make progress on his own, Phineas sought out Professor Flitwick. He'd already exhausted the alchemy books in the Hogwarts library and even those in his personal collection. To find anything more advanced, he'd likely have to return to the family library at Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
Flitwick raised his brows in surprise.
"Mr. Black, I must remind you that what you're asking about falls under the domain of alchemy. If you're interested, you can opt to take the course after your N.E.W.T.s in seventh year."
Phineas frowned. "Can't I study it now? From what I've read, students in Cairo begin learning alchemical concepts from their first year."
Flitwick shook his head gently. "You must have seen their introductory textbooks, then. What they're learning are simply theoretical fundamentals—basic material manipulation and simple magical infusions. The effects are usually weak and temporary."
Phineas nodded. "Yes, I've looked at their courses, and frankly, I don't believe what they're learning truly qualifies as alchemy."
Flitwick chuckled. "And what do you think alchemy is, Mr. Black? It's not only the creation of great objects like the Philosopher's Stone. Alchemy encompasses all magical crafting. Broomsticks, Golden Snitches, Invisibility Cloaks, even magical cauldrons—all are products of alchemy. Creating magical objects, infusing them with power—that is alchemy."
Phineas pondered this for a moment. "I understand now. Thank you, Professor."
Of course, he wasn't going to give up on the idea. He now understood that the most profound alchemical knowledge remained in the hands of true master alchemists—and he had no way to reach them for the time being.
As for staying warm, Phineas had already found a solution: he had recently custom-ordered a set of enchanted Hogwarts robes from Madam Malkin. They were due to arrive in a few days.
He had been exploring alchemy mostly out of a desire to craft such robes himself. He thought it might even become popular at Hogwarts. The Black family was wealthy, but Phineas believed in being resourceful.
Then again, he had nearly forgotten that his family held shares in Gringotts, dragon ranches, and numerous other lucrative enterprises.
He didn't need to find a way to earn money. Even if he spent Galleons daily, the Black family fortune would only grow. Many of the shops in Diagon Alley were merely tenants to the Black estate.
Phineas was, quite literally, a landlord and a rich wizard.
Still, this brief foray into alchemy had offered him a new clue.
The earliest Time-Turner in wizarding history had been invented by Rowena Ravenclaw. This suggested that Ravenclaw, in addition to being a brilliant witch, had also been a master alchemist.