Bab 140: Chapter 140: Phoenix Feather (1)
The Hog's Head in Hogsmeade stood as a foreboding silhouette against the cold November evening, its dark, wooden exterior worn and battered by countless storms. A creaking sign bearing the snarling visage of a boar's head swayed in the biting wind, casting fleeting shadows on the cobblestone path below. Weak lantern flames danced in the night, struggling to fend off the darkness and casting faint light on the imposing iron-banded door ahead. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and chimney smoke, mingling with the faint, muffled sounds of laughter and clinking glasses seeping from within the tavern's stout walls.
A tall figure clad in a black cloak approached the building swiftly, stopping in front of the door. Marquess Carsilion Egbert entered the main room of the Hog's Head, filled with grey smoke, and nodded to the bartender, who returned the gesture. The wizard climbed the squeaky wooden stairs and counted three doors to the right. He entered the room, closed the door, and removed his hood.
"How long does it take to get here from Hogwarts?" – Duke Edward McMahon asked, seated on a shaky chair and wrapped in a thick blue cloak lined with fur – "I travelled hundreds of kilometres and I was still on time."
"It's not like you travelled using Muggle means. I have duties at the school to attend to. I can't just leave whenever I feel like it. Next time, you might want to warn me in advance." – Carsilion responded sulkily.
"Oh, I'm so sorry I inconvenienced you, Professor!" – the other wizard replied mockingly, his ocean-blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Fuck you!" – the Marquess snapped, his eyes flashing silver for a moment, sending a sharp gust of wind swirling through the room, clearing away cobwebs and most of the dust.
"You wish!" – the blond man laughed heartily. His best friend had always had an extreme intolerance for dirty places, horrified at the thought of his clothes getting stained or, Merlin forbid, touching something filthy.
"Couldn't we meet at Hogwarts or somewhere I don't need to check myself for fleas afterwards? – Carsilion asked sullenly.
"I thought we'd have more privacy here." – the Duke remarked, shrugging as the door opened. The tall barman with long, stringy grey hair and beard entered the room, carrying a tray with two mugs of ale and what looked like a mouldy cheese board.
"Not exactly," – the other wizard disagreed, his sky-blue eyes tracking the newcomer. As the barman left, he took out his wand and cast Privacy Spells around the room – "You do know this is Dumbledore's brother?"
"No! Really?" – Edward exclaimed in surprise.
"Yup, though Albus and Aberforth haven't been on good terms for quite a while." – Carter responded, eyeing the dirty utensils with disgust – "I'm not sure what happened between them, but I know Albus always changes the topic when his family is mentioned."
"Speaking of families… have you found anything about Eileen's child?" – asked the Duke, taking a sip of his ale.
"Not much." – the Marquess shrugged – "It's difficult, considering we don't even know if we're looking for a boy or a girl. However, I can say with certainty that there's no one at the school who has eyes quite like the Prince family."
"That could mean that they haven't inherited them." – Edward muttered to himself – "What other features could we look for?"
"I don't know, Edd." – Carsilion replied, running a hand through his auburn hair – "The House of Prince has many talents, but it's not like I can test students for them. Short of stealing Merlin's portrait from Alexander's salon and forcing every student to touch it, I'm not sure what else we can do."
"What do you mean, touch it?" – asked the Duke, confused.
"It's the only surviving original portrait of Merlin. They used to charm the canvas back in the day, so the portraits react solely to their own blood and speak only to their descendants." – the other man explained – "Isn't your portrait of Morgana the same?"
"I'm not sure." – Edward said contemplatively – "I believe it was my great-grandfather who lent it to the Council's new building. While I've seen it many times, it never occurred to me to speak with her."
"Duke Prince specifically refused to lend Merlin's portrait because it was so precious and unique." – Carsilion mused, crossing his arms – "I'm starting to remember more from those days when I was his student, including meeting Eileen a few times, which I had completely erased from my memory. It's odd how I never really paid her any attention back then. She was like part of the furniture. I was so laser-focused on learning Air Magic and pleasing my father that nothing else mattered."
"I understand, brother." – the Duke said softly – "If I were in your place, I'm sure I would have tried to forget everything from that time too."
"What I do remember now, however, is that she wasn't around often, so she was definitely not home-schooled." – the Marquess continued, glancing disapprovingly at his friend who had helped himself to the cheese board – "Which makes sense; I mean, she was being prepared to be the heiress of House Prince. Since she didn't attend the Academy, she must have been sent to another school. Maybe even Hogwarts."
"I wonder why Alexander didn't want his daughter to attend the Academy. It wasn't so bad back then." – Edward said, taking another piece of cheese.
"I'm not sure. He's never been one to share details about his family, even with his students. – Carsilion stated, deep in thought – "I know there was something scandalous regarding Eileen's mother, but I don't know any specifics since she died a long time ago. Maybe it was that, or perhaps it was because Eileen was chosen to succeed the title of House Prince while being a woman."
"What does that matter?" – asked the Duke, confused – "House Prince has traditionally favoured women as their Head of House."
"Indeed, but I think it was based on some particular belief they have in their family." – Carsilion responded, standing up, his silver robes draping behind him as he paced around the room – "You don't understand because it has never been an issue for you. McMahon girls were out of the picture by default because they were either not born or killed. However, in the other Houses, there were a few attempts by particularly gifted and ambitious women to acquire the position of Head of House. They all ended up unsuccessfully. Daughters, even in the main families, are treated as pretty objects that make your home look luxurious or complement you as a man. You know that even in our time at the Academy, our female classmates were never encouraged to become powerful or learn advanced magic. It became normal for them. Therefore, I understand why Alexander wanted a better environment for Eileen."
"So, bottom line, we're back to square one." – the other wizard sighed – "Do you think Dumbledore would help us? Maybe he knows if Eileen Prince studied at Hogwarts."
"I doubt it." – Carsilion responded with uncertainty – "Things between us have been a bit tense in the last few months. After I told him we were not willing to further engage in his fight against that Dark wizard, his attitude towards me definitely changed."
"This sounds a bit childish." – Edward remarked – "You know him much more than I do, but it's hard to imagine one of the most powerful wizards of our time being pissy over something we agreed on long ago. After all, we've held up our end of the deal. All the information on the Council and its decisions should be enough remuneration for his troubles."
"You'd be surprised how juvenile Albus can be sometimes." – the Marquess said with a smirk – "I'd never deny how much he's done for me after I left home, but that doesn't mean I'm going to participate in his plans more than necessary. He has his vision of what's good for people and how it should be achieved, and he's not very open-minded about changing it. I know we don't really have a choice regarding Catherine's training, but I'm afraid he could negatively affect her."
"My daughter's very smart. She's never been easy to sway." – the Duke declared proudly.
"Don't underestimate Dumbledore. It has nothing to do with being smart." – Carsilion explained, stopping next to the fireplace and staring into the flames – "To him, everyone's a pawn that can be sacrificed if needed... for the Greater Good. Unfortunately, he's never been short of followers willing to heed his call. I'm not saying he has bad intentions; he's done a lot for the Wizarding society. However, the price has often been excessively high. Your daughter grew up knowing she was seen as a crime against the noble sacrificial act of her ancestors who signed the Pact. She's exactly the kind of person who'd follow Albus, and he knows she could be an incredible asset."
"Nobody has told Catherine such a thing!" – the other wizard yelled angrily, jumping to his feet.
"Yet, her behaviour shows that's exactly what she thinks." – the Marquess responded calmly – "All I'm saying is that we need to be vigilant for any signs that Dumbledore intends to use her in his fight against Voldemort or whatever his name was. That's not our problem, and it shouldn't be Catherine's either."
"I won't allow that!" – Edward stated firmly, his eyes full of rage – "I sent her to Hogwarts so she could be safe and happy, not to be turned into a weapon by that old geezer! It's bad enough we have to present her like that in front of the other aristocrats! You know she has a birthday tomorrow, right? I wish she could have a proper birthday party for once. It's just so unfair!"
Carsilion looked at his best friend, who was gazing out the window into the darkness, trying to control his emotions. "You should stop tormenting yourself about this. We did what needed to be done so she could be alive. Plus, I'm certain her friends will celebrate with her. She doesn't lack attention, considering she had three dates for the Halloween Ball."
"I beg your pardon?" – Edward exclaimed, his face flushed – "What do you mean, three dates!"
"Calm down, it's not as bad as it sounds." – the Marquess laughed – "She went with her friends. They're always together. I suppose they just wanted to make her feel special. She's a teenager now; you should get used to that."
"But she… she's too young… Plus, with everything around her, this could be dangerous…" – the Duke stuttered.
"Didn't you say all these years ago you wanted her to grow up feeling normal?" – the other aristocrat asked – "Let her explore life and be a fourteen-year-old girl with everything that entails. Besides, Potter, Black, and Lupin are really protective of her. They're quite a menace as a combination, especially since I have to deal with them, but I do believe they genuinely care for Catherine."
"I see." – Edward sighed, taking a piece of parchment from his pocket – "Greg sent me this letter from his sister a few days ago. She's asking to spend Christmas with the Potters. I'm not sure what to do."
"I don't know them personally, but from what I've heard, they're a very good family. Despite being pure-bloods, they don't act superior, which is rare nowadays." – Carsilion explained as he sat back down in his chair.
"I'm not sure Louisa will allow it." – the Duke sighed heavily, also returning to the table – "Catherine really seems to want to go, even asking for this as her birthday present to feel like a normal girl."
The other man burst into laughter. "Light, she really has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she? I'll never understand why she wasn't sorted into Slytherin. Such professional emotional blackmail!"
"The Sorting Hat knows what it's doing." – Edward replied sulkily – "I think I'll allow her to go. After all, it's just for a couple of days, and we're still planning the Grand Winter Ball at home. I don't want her to miss out on having fun with her friends just to spend Christmas alone in her room."
"My cute Hufflepuff!" – the Marquess smirked, enjoying his friend's flushed face – "Would you stop eating that abomination of a cheese already?"
"It's not Bitto Storico, but it's better than it looks." – the Duke responded with dignity – "You're way too snobbish."
"It's not about being snobbish, it's a matter of hygiene." – Carsilion replied proudly – "I prefer to be selective about what I put in my mouth."
"Oh? That's new!" – Edward grinned slyly.
"Very funny, Edd." – the other wizard rolled his blue eyes – "A top joke for someone at your son's age."
"I wasn't exactly joking." – the blond man replied, still smiling – "I was merely surprised, considering I've heard you recently indulged in a certain dish from the marvellous Scottish cuisine you hadn't tried before."
Carsilion stared at his friend with a blank expression, forcing himself to remain completely neutral. "I don't understand your metaphors." – he stated evenly.
"You don't need to build your Occlumency shields." – the Duke remarked, unperturbed – "I'm not going to sink as low as to invade your mind. However, I can't help but wonder why you didn't share this with me."
"It's a private matter." – Carsilion responded, avoiding Edward's gaze.
"A private matter?" – the other aristocrat barked a laugh – "But when you described to me Lord Stirling's dick in details two months ago, that wasn't private? What's the difference, I mean, besides the fact that this time I actually do want to know?"
The DADA teacher fell silent, not uttering a word for a few minutes. Eventually, Edward took a deep breath and chose his words carefully. "You don't have to tell me if you don't feel like it. It's just very weird for you to keep such a thing for yourself. The only time this happened was when you were with Theo…"
"It's not the same!" – the Marquess interrupted him hastily – "How do you even know… Can you spy on me through the walls of the castle? Is this some kind of power the heirs of Hogwarts have?"
"Not really." – the Duke smiled – "I'm just worried about you. I don't want you to be hurt again."
"It's not about me." – Carsilion sighed – "To be honest, I should have resisted the temptation, but I simply couldn't. I don't want to hurt Minerva. She's an amazing woman and an incredible teacher. However, we both know it's inevitable."
"Why?" – Edward asked tentatively – "Is it because of your involvement with me and Catherine and the breach of the Pact?"
"No. Well, it is a consideration, but I'm mainly fearful of my inability to be in a committed relationship." – the wizard admitted, glancing at his best friend's face – "She's not someone who'd accept anything less, and frankly, she deserves so much better than me. I guess this is the result of going for someone who's not even remotely my type."
"You have a type?" – the Duke exclaimed, amused, earning a frown from the other man – "Sorry, yeah, now that I come to think of it, you do have one – empty-headed pretty men and women who you get bored with in maximum two or three months. You can make faces all you want, Carter, but the truth is after Theo, you tried your best to get involved only with people who you deem interchangeable. You thought that way you'd never run the risk of falling in love again."
"Thank you for the lovely psychiatric evaluation, Your Grace!" – Carsilion said mockingly, jumping to his feet and grabbing his cloak – "If you excuse me, I have to grade the Gryffindor fourth-years' assignments'. There's no need to worry; I'm way too busy to fall in love with Minerva or anyone else. See you!"
"Hey! Wait! Louisa wants to know if you're coming to the Winter Ball! – Edward shouted after his best friend, who dashed through the door as if a horde of dragons were chasing him – "Light! Why's he always so stubborn?! Too busy to fall in love… my poor friend, that particular cat is already out of the bag."
Status Power Mingguan
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