Chapter 188: The Gaunt Family Ring
"Secondly, if I had rescued you back then, knowing your character and the situation at the time, you probably wouldn't have taken the family seriously. You'd most likely have handed over the family's assets and this house to the Order of the Phoenix—or to Dumbledore himself, wouldn't you?"
Sirius nodded. What Phineas said was not only plausible, but likely.
Phineas continued,
"And most importantly—my plan. I'm young, yes, but I've always had a guard of house-elves with formidable combat ability. Other wizards might not realize it, but the sworn families on the Council certainly do. House-elves are not inferior to goblins in strength, and their protection is exceptional."
"Moreover, before I started at Hogwarts, I spent most of my time here in this house, protected by a Fidelius Charm. After I enrolled, I was almost always at school. So for them, finding a chance to attack me directly was nearly impossible. That left you as their only point of leverage."
Sirius nodded slowly.
"And considering the circumstances of my imprisonment—no trial, no formal charges, just thrown straight into Azkaban—if anything had happened to me in there, it would've opened a door for you to retaliate against the Ministry."
Phineas shook his head.
"The Ministry would only have been a secondary target. If that scenario had played out, I'd have had legitimate grounds to bring a formal complaint to the Council and launch an inquiry against the Rich family and their allies. Your life would've become the key to securing massive benefits for the Black family."
Sirius inhaled deeply.
"And the fact that nothing did happen to me suggests someone figured out your plan. Maybe they didn't piece it together entirely, but they must've sensed something. No wonder they're so afraid of you and so desperate to limit your influence. If you were ever allowed full participation in the Council, the Rich family would be in serious trouble."
Phineas nodded.
"They probably also want to block my access to higher-level Council information. The fewer people who know the inner workings, the safer it is for them."
Sirius blinked in surprise.
"What do you mean?"
Phineas leaned forward slightly.
"I don't know much, but I had a confrontation with that lunatic from the Rich family last year. Before he died, he let slip a few things."
Sirius narrowed his eyes.
"You mean that maniac Sakaski?"
Phineas nodded again.
"Yes, him. Many of his plans centered around a single idea."
Sirius, intrigued, asked,
"What idea?"
Phineas replied simply,
"God."
Sirius dropped the account book in his lap and stared.
"God? Are you serious? The God I'm thinking of?"
Phineas nodded calmly.
"You were close to James Potter—you must've seen the Cloak, haven't you?"
"You mean the Invisibility Cloak?"
"Exactly. Aside from the Cloak being one of the Deathly Hallows, what other divine connection could the Potters possibly have? The Elder Wand, the Cloak, the Resurrection Stone—I know where all three are. They're real. So what about the master of those Hallows? The so-called Death from the story. If He didn't exist, how did these objects retain their power for generations?"
Phineas spoke casually, as though the Hallows—magical items many sought their entire lives—were trivial.
Sirius's expression changed.
"You say you know where they are. That means… they're all with Dumbledore?"
Phineas gave him a knowing look and chuckled.
"I was worried for nothing. Those families will regret underestimating me soon enough."
Sirius smiled faintly.
"It's not hard to figure out. I was there when Dumbledore borrowed the Cloak from James. And Grindelwald once held the Elder Wand—so it's not a stretch to assume Dumbledore, who defeated him, now possesses it. I don't know about the Resurrection Stone, though."
Phineas sighed.
"Dumbledore might be the final wielder of the Elder Wand. As for the Resurrection Stone, it was long kept by the Gaunt family. I told Dumbledore recently—I imagine he's already retrieved it."
Sirius stared at him in disbelief.
"You mean… that Gaunt family ring?"
Phineas nodded.
"What else could it be? That's the only item with such a property."
The Gaunt family ring was no secret among the sworn Council families, though only a few still remembered its significance. Back in Phineas's grandfather's time, it was considered a legendary artifact.
The Gaunts were unlike other families—they owned almost nothing, yet still held a seat on the Council. Their influence came entirely from the ring.
Through it, they could communicate with the dead and, under rare and difficult conditions, even bring someone back. It required four souls, a body, and an immense, permanent expenditure of magical power. Even so, the idea of reviving a loved one made it a coveted treasure.
Most families had lost someone. Everyone had regrets, someone they longed to see again.
This was especially true for pure-blood families, who often intermarried to preserve their bloodline. That led to high infant mortality and few descendants. Medical knowledge was lacking in those days, and many heirs died young.
The Gaunt ring's power to resurrect heirs made it priceless. Many families would pay any price for even a slim chance at a resurrection. That alone secured the Gaunts a seat among the consular families.
But by the time of Phineas's grandfather, peace had spread across the magical world, and medicine had improved enough to keep young witches and wizards alive.
As for the Gaunts, a family notorious for inbreeding, their mental state deteriorated. Over time, they forgot how to use the ring properly—and slowly, they lost their influence.