Chapter 70: Awakening
How could he not understand what Snape meant? If the spell had not been taught to Phineas by the two of them, then it must have been Lucius who taught him—and everyone knew Lucius was the right-hand man of the Dark Lord.
In that case, one had to wonder if Phineas had any connection to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
As Snape spoke, the room fell silent.
---
A day later, Phineas awoke. He blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings, his gaze sharp and wary.
It was clearly a hospital wing. He lay on a bed draped in white sheets, a small table beside him holding what appeared to be a toilet seat—though smaller than usual and smelling suspiciously of chocolate.
Phineas, familiar with the original story, was certain this had to be the handiwork of the Weasley twins. After all, if he was in the hospital wing, only those two would leave such a… unique gift.
The ward was empty. Phineas stared at the white ceiling for a moment before calling out softly.
"Puff?"
He had realized in the dungeon that when he was attacked, Puff hadn't appeared—she must have been held back by the vampires. Now, he wasn't sure if the elf responsible for his care and protection had survived.
Pah!
At his call, a small, trembling, tearful house-elf materialized beside his bed.
"Master! Puff is so sorry! Bad Puff let Master get hurt!"
She moved to bash her head against the wall, but Phineas stopped her with a sharp command.
"Puff, I order you not to punish yourself!"
House-elves couldn't disobey direct orders. Puff sniffled, her large eyes brimming with guilt.
"Master is too kind to Puff..."
Phineas waved a hand.
"Puff, go home and fetch a few elves from the defense team. If something like this happens again, I want reinforcements ready."
Puff nodded eagerly, but before she could leave, a familiar, kindly voice interrupted.
"Phineas, I don't believe you'll need quite so many guards at Hogwarts."
"Professor Dumbledore."
Phineas turned to the old wizard, then dismissed Puff with a nod. The elf vanished with a soft snap.
Dumbledore approached, his eyes twinkling.
"Fred and George did indeed gift you a toilet seat. Madam Pomfrey deemed it… unhygienic, so she confiscated it. They improvised with a chocolate version instead."
Phineas smirked. "Sounds like them."
"How long have I been here?"
"A full day," Dumbledore replied. "You collapsed upon your return and remained unconscious until now. Arthur Weasley visited as well—you know Arthur, I presume?"
Phineas nodded. "Arthur Weasley—a talented wizard."
Dumbledore smiled. "Madam Pomfrey insisted I wait until you'd fully recovered before questioning you, but I thought it best to speak now. What do you think?"
"I agree." Phineas said. "Though, Professor, could you summon some food first? All I have is that chocolate toilet seat, and—well, even if I could stomach it, the shape is… off-putting."
With a wave of Dumbledore's wand, a tray of assorted snacks appeared. Phineas grabbed a biscuit and took a bite.
"So, what do you want to know?"
"Many things," Dumbledore admitted. "But first—why do you believe those vampires abducted you?"
Phineas shrugged.
"Professor, are you aware of the hidden room on the seventh floor?"
Dumbledore nodded. "I am."
"I stored something there—an artifact left to me by Professor Jonathan before he disappeared. I suspect that's what the vampires were after."
"You don't know what it is?"
"Jonathan claimed it was his 'blood inheritance,' used to create offspring," Phineas said. "But I doubt that's the truth. If it were, why would vampires care about the blood of a mere progenitor?"
Dumbledore's expression grew grave.
"That artifact contains Cain's blood. There are rituals that could use it to resurrect him."
"Cain?"Phineas frowned. "The legendary vampire progenitor?"
Dumbledore's eyes gleamed with approval.
"Precisely. Cain predates even Gryffindor and has ties to Herpo the Foul. The vampire race was his creation."
Phineas set down his biscuit, sitting straighter.
"He created them? How?"
"Vampires are not magical creatures," Dumbledore explained. "They are the result of a blood curse. Are you familiar with such curses?"
Phineas nodded. "They pass through maternal bloodlines. Initially, the cursed can shift between human and beast forms—like an Animagus—but eventually, the beast form dominates, and the mind is lost."
Dumbledore sighed. "I once had a friend afflicted by one. We tried everything to break it, but… in the end, she became a beast forever."
"What does this have to do with vampires?"
"They originated from a blood curse," Dumbledore said. "Cain cursed his victims, twisting them into beings that could only survive on blood. Over time, the modern vampire emerged—though I doubt even Cain foresaw the result."
Phineas frowned. "But historical records describe Cain himself as a vampire."
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. Legend says that after seeing what his curse wrought, he cast it upon himself—becoming the first true vampire."