Chapter 225: Determining the Location
The smoke from the crystal ball swirled to reveal a shadowy cave, dimly lit and echoing with the quiet sound of flowing water.
As the image zoomed in, Phineas saw a dark, unremarkable cauldron sitting quietly near the water's edge. Inside it swirled a thick, dark gray liquid—viscous and unsettling.
Despite never recalling such a place, the scene felt oddly familiar to Phineas, like something he should recognize. He was certain he had never encountered this cauldron before—yet the familiarity lingered like a whisper in his mind.
Phineas trusted his memory. Thanks to his system, it was immune to tampering. No one could alter or erase his recollections. If he didn't remember visiting a place, then logically, he hadn't.
And yet, that was only partly true.
What Phineas failed to consider was that he didn't know Occlumency or Legilimency. It meant he was just as susceptible to forgetting as any other wizard. Human memory isn't flawless. Forgotten memories aren't gone—they're simply buried, discarded by the mind, or obscured through disuse. Without the aid of memory magic, they were nearly impossible to retrieve.
The vision felt familiar because Phineas had been there before—he had simply forgotten.
As he calmed down, the realization began to dawn on him. His unwavering belief in his perfect memory had made him arrogant, blinding him to the possibility of natural forgetfulness. Just like the memories from his past life, which had only surfaced due to the Mirror of Erised, this image was something once real but long since neglected.
"Puff, do you remember this place?" Phineas asked after casting the preservation spell on the crystal ball to lock in the vision.
He turned to the house-elf who had accompanied him on nearly every journey.
Most of the time, Puff had teleported him wherever he went, and given the nature of their blood contract, Puff could recall forgotten memories when prompted by his master.
Puff stared at the image and shook his head, ears drooping. "I'm sorry, Master. Puff doesn't remember. Puff has failed you!"
Had Phineas allowed it, Puff would have begun punishing herself like traditional house-elves, likely slamming her head into the wall.
Phineas sighed and waved his hand. "It's all right, Puff. I don't blame you."
Then he returned to thinking—reconstructing his movements and visits through the process of elimination.
He had only traveled without Puff a few times, making those rare occasions easier to isolate.
The first time was the Hogwarts Express—but there was no connection to a caulddon there.
Then, he was kidnapped by vampires and taken to their castle. That memory included no cauldrons—only blood rituals, transportation circles, and desperation.
Next, he visited a small Soviet town, where he bought owl popsicles and learned about Animagi. Again, nothing there matched the eerie, cave-like setting.
He briefly wondered if it could have been the Black family's castle, where he'd performed the blood sublimation ritual. That setting could have housed such a cauldron—but he hadn't seen any caves or underground rivers there.
Later, he visited Nicolas Flamel in secret. That was a strong possibility—an ancient alchemist could easily have a cauldron worthy of Hufflepuff's legacy.
Phineas's eyes lit up at the thought.
But then another memory surfaced—something he had almost overlooked.
After returning from Flamel's, he, the twins, and Jordan explored Gryffindor's treasure chamber.
That chamber had been hidden in a cave.
There was water there.
And now that he thought about it—yes, he remembered a cauldron, though at the time it had seemed mundane and unimportant.
Could it really be? The idea was almost too absurd.
If the cauldron belonged to Hufflepuff, what was it doing in Gryffindor's hidden chamber?
Was it possible Hufflepuff had deliberately hidden her secret behind Gryffindor's treasure? That anyone seeking her secrets had to first find his?
It was a clever safeguard—few would go so far as to pursue all four founders' treasures. Most would be satisfied with one.
And Gryffindor's chamber was elusive. Unlike Hufflepuff's, which offered surface-level clues to those observant enough to follow them, Gryffindor's location had remained buried, even in his own journals.
So now, Phineas had to confirm it.
The twins and Jordan had been with him when they explored that place. If they remembered seeing the cauldron, his theory could be true.
Grabbing the crystal ball, he strode out of the Room of Requirement.
Today was the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch match. That meant the best places to find Fred, George, and Jordan were either the pitch or the Gryffindor locker room.
Phineas chose neither.
He disliked the Quidditch pitch—it was far too humid after the rain. And as a Slytherin, loitering around Gryffindor's area would only invite trouble. Better to wait by the common room.
He climbed two floors and arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady, just in time.
The match had ended, and despite Snape serving as referee—putting immense pressure on Gryffindor—Harry and his team had pulled off a victory. Now, surrounded by cheering students, they returned to the common room.
Several Gryffindors looked surprised to see Phineas there, but not hostile. His close ties to the twins and Jordan softened their reactions.
Wood even grinned and called out, "Come to celebrate our victory? If we beat Ravenclaw next, we'll pass your House in the standings!"
Phineas shook his head. "I need to speak with George, Fred, and Jordan."
The twins, still high on adrenaline, turned with a mischievous grin and pointed at each other.
"What do you want with him?" they asked in unison.
Phineas smirked. "Let's talk inside. Where's Jordan?"
"Here!" came a voice from the back of the crowd.
Jordan had been detained by Professor McGonagall after the match—scolded once again for veering into personal commentary during his announcing.
He was the sort who couldn't help but ramble, especially with a microphone in hand. McGonagall had warned that if he didn't improve, he'd be replaced.
With all three gathered, Phineas asked, "Celebrate first or come with me now?"
The twins glanced at each other and replied, "Let's go now."
Jordan nodded, and the four slipped away into an empty classroom, leaving behind a few curious lions—Harry, Ron, and Neville—who had tried to follow.
Harry, especially, still didn't trust Phineas's earlier words about Snape. After seeing Snape cloaked and heading into the Forbidden Forest after the match, he remained deeply suspicious.
Back in the classroom, Jordan eyed Phineas. "What's going on? You wouldn't come find us during a party unless it was important."
Phineas reached into his robes and pulled out the crystal ball. "Take a look. Do you recognize this place?"
"Oooh, a prophecy crystal," Jordan whispered.
(Author's note: Yes, I know—Golden Legend! I couldn't help myself.)
George and Fred began mimicking Professor Trelawney in sing-song voices. "You have... sight!"
Phineas rolled his eyes. "Just look at the image. Do you remember where this was?"
Jordan squinted at the swirling picture. "Looks familiar… I just can't place it."
George took it next. "It's a place we all went to."
Fred snapped his fingers. "Isn't this where Gryffindor's treasure was? I remember seeing that cauldron, but I thought it was just junk."
"Yes! That's it!" George and Jordan said together.
Fred turned to Phineas, eyes wide. "Wait—is it a treasure after all? Is it worth something?"