Dumbledore nodded.
"Well, let's get to the point. You know what that locket is, don't you?"
Phineas nodded. "I do. It's exactly what you're thinking, Headmaster—a foolish, misguided piece of magic."
"You call it foolish magic?" Dumbledore asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. I don't believe someone with your experience doesn't know this magic was originally created to split the soul as a desperate means of survival under a soul curse. That man took it too far. Horcruxes may make the soul harder to destroy, but immortality through them is a fantasy. The soul is damaged, emotions become unstable, and any magic requiring positive emotion becomes difficult—if not impossible—to perform."
Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, he lost his way. But I'm still not sure how deep he's gone into the darkness. Let's set that aside for now. Since you mentioned Regulus Black and gave me this locket, I assume you need something?"
Phineas nodded. "Yes, Headmaster. I need your help casting a Fidelius Charm on this house. I want its existence completely hidden."
Dumbledore frowned, studying him for a moment. Then he said, "Very well. Who will be the Secret Keeper?"
"I don't trust anyone in the Black family right now," Phineas said with a slight smile. "Could you serve as my Secret Keeper?"
Dumbledore looked surprised. "What are you afraid of?"
"I don't think you're unaware, Headmaster, of what happens when a child inherits the Black family legacy. There are people outside with ill intentions toward the family. My older brother was unjustly sent to Azkaban—you know that as well as I do."
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. It's still hard to believe Sirius betrayed James. They were like brothers."
"Exactly. Even if the Black family supported Voldemort, my brother joined the Order of the Phoenix. I can't believe someone like him would become the Potters' Secret Keeper, much less betray them. He was arrogant, flashy—but not the type to be chosen for something that important."
Dumbledore's eyes brightened. "So if he wasn't the Secret Keeper… someone else betrayed them." He paused. "Very well, let's proceed. But you know, you could be your own Secret Keeper. You did say you don't trust anyone."
Phineas blinked. He hadn't thought of that. "True… but I still trust you, Headmaster. If the greatest living wizard can't be trusted, then there's no hope for this world."
Dumbledore chuckled. "In that case, I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts. But I insist—you should be your own Secret Keeper. I already carry too many secrets."
He winked.
Phineas bowed. "Then I'll leave it to you, Headmaster."
The Fidelius Charm was one of the most advanced forms of protective magic. It sealed a secret within the soul of a living person, and required immense magical power. A single mistake could cause irreversible damage.
Luckily, Dumbledore had cast it before. With practiced ease, he wove the spell over the house. From that moment, no one—not even owls—could find it unless Phineas revealed the location himself.
When the spell was complete, Phineas whispered the location to Dumbledore. He would still need to receive his Hogwarts letter, and it was best to have Dumbledore deliver it personally.
"Now that it's done, I'll be going. Oh—and while I'm often busy, if a young wizard writes me to ask about magic, I usually find the time."
Dumbledore gave him another wink before leaving.
Phineas understood his message: Dumbledore wasn't offering private tutoring out of flattery. He simply wanted to prevent another Tom Riddle.
Phineas muttered to the empty room, "Trying to stop another Voldemort, huh?"
He turned. "Kreacher!"
The old house-elf appeared instantly. "Take me to Ollivander's wand shop. Actually—Gringotts first."
With a snap of Kreacher's fingers, they Disapparated into Diagon Alley.
It was the heart of magical commerce in Britain, full of top-tier shops and essential services. Phineas's priorities were clear: Gringotts and Ollivander's.
The Gringotts building stood out even among the crowded shops. A tall, white structure at the edge of Diagon Alley, near Knockturn Alley, it was known as the safest place in the wizarding world—after Hogwarts.
Gringotts was run by goblins, known for being stern, secretive, and brutally efficient. Only they could guide wizards to the underground vaults via high-speed mine carts, and only they could open the vaults themselves.
Phineas's goal was straightforward: withdraw money.
At the entrance stood two doors. The first was a gleaming bronze gate, guarded by goblins in crimson and gold. The second door, made of silver, bore an inscription:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
Crossing that threshold meant entering the main banking hall. The interior was vast and lined with polished marble. Dozens of goblins sat behind a long counter, scribbling in enormous ledgers and managing wizarding wealth.