Penelope looked at Phineas in surprise upon hearing his name, then froze, likely recalling the rumors she had heard.
"Are you that little Phineas?"
She quickly realized how it might have sounded and rushed to explain, "Oh! I'm so sorry—I didn't mean it like that, I..."
It was clear she was apologizing for her initial stunned reaction.
Phineas shook his head.
"Senior, you don't have any bias against me because of the rumors about my brother or my family, do you?"
Penelope shook her head quickly.
"Of course not! I'm a Ravenclaw—I know better than to judge someone for things they didn't do."
Phineas nodded.
"Then there's no need to apologize. You didn't insult me or reject me. You were just surprised. That's perfectly natural."
Professor McGonagall, nearby, interjected with a small smile,
"Filius was right—Mr. Black, you truly would have suited Ravenclaw well. Now, let's all have a seat. The others will be here shortly."
"Good evening, Penelope," called a tall, red-haired boy as he entered. He paused briefly at the sight of Phineas.
"You must be new to the club. I'm Percy Weasley. That's a nice chair you've conjured."
Phineas gave a polite shrug.
"Hello. I'm Phineas Black. I suppose you must be Cousin Molly's son?"
The Black family was ancient and well-known throughout the wizarding world—famous not only for their power and purity of blood but also for their many complicated ties to other pure-blood families. The Malfoys, Longbottoms, and Weasleys were among those most closely linked. Arthur Weasley, Percy's father, was the son of Cedrella Black, making Percy the great-grandson of Phineas's great-uncle. But since Cedrella had been disowned, it was easier to trace the relationship through Molly Prewett, Phineas's cousin.
Percy's expression shifted subtly. He was well aware of the bloodline connections. But Phineas's current reputation in the wizarding world—colored by inflammatory reports and suspicion—was less than pristine. And Percy had ambitions of joining the Ministry of Magic, which made such associations... inconvenient.
After that brief exchange, Percy remained silent and did not speak to Phineas again.
Phineas wasn't surprised. He merely shrugged and let it pass. He had long grown used to this kind of wary distance from others—as long as it didn't turn into the overt hostility he sometimes faced in Slytherin.
"Percy, are you seriously ashamed of being related to the Black family? That doesn't sound like something your family would teach you."
The voice came from a blond, slightly balding boy who had just entered. He was a Slytherin, a descendant of a branch of the Malfoy family, and one of the few students who didn't follow the current fashion of shunning Phineas.
"You weren't this self-important in first year. Don't judge someone by their name."
Another student walked in—Selwyn from Ravenclaw. A member of the old Selwyn family, he was known to Phineas, though he wasn't a direct heir. His magical talent wasn't exceptional, which is why he was at Hogwarts rather than a more private education.
"Long time no see, young Master Phineas."
Phineas nodded calmly.
"Long time no see, William."
Phineas didn't need to show deference to William; the Black and Selwyn families were equal in status, and Phineas, as heir and current head of his house, held more influence.
"All right, since we're gathered," said Professor McGonagall, taking her place, "today's topic is a recent article from Transfiguration Today. The author presents some intriguing developments on the Shrinking Spell. It's worth discussing."
She turned to Phineas.
"I suggest you subscribe to the magazine—it's only a few Galleons."
Phineas shook his head and reached into his robes, producing a folded copy.
"I've subscribed for years, Professor."
Penelope smiled.
"Professor McGonagall sometimes helps edit the journal's manuscripts."
With that, the lesson began. Professor McGonagall used the article to explain new applications of the Restoration Charm in a clear and engaging way. She then expanded the discussion to include recent theories in Transfiguration, all of which fascinated Phineas. He felt the information resonate with his system's interface, watching as his Transfiguration experience slowly ticked upward.
"Mr. Black, if I'm not mistaken, you have Astronomy next. You should be going."
Phineas blinked and stood up quickly.
"Right. Thank you, Professor."
He said his goodbyes and left Classroom 21.
Astronomy was the least magical subject Phineas took at Hogwarts. It consisted mostly of identifying stars and planets through telescopes and understanding celestial movements, which was useful in theory for astrological divination. But like Divination itself, it required a gift—and without that gift, it was difficult to make progress.
What frustrated Phineas the most was the lack of a magical star chart. The Astronomy professor used vague finger-pointing to indicate star positions, expecting students to guess the rest. It felt imprecise and flawed—especially for someone who preferred logic and accuracy.