Chapter 1

In the dimly lit environment, the single candle cast a faint light on the shadowy figure in front of the lampstand. Judging from the silhouette, it was a small child, flipping through an ancient, thick book under the weak candlelight.

The unknown leather-bound book and the occasional black smoke that wafted from its pages clearly indicated its ominous nature.

At this moment, a small, bald creature with a nose like a pig's snout and large, bat-like ears covered in white fur appeared in the dim room, wearing only a dirty, tattered cloth.

"Master Regulus, the funeral for the lady has been completed. Is there anything else you need me to do, Kreacher?"

The house-elf spoke in a hoarse, deep voice, addressing the young boy's back.

Hearing Kreacher's words, the boy paused in his reading, remained silent for a moment, then turned to look at Kreacher.

At this moment, the moonlight streaming through the window revealed the boy's face, which had been hidden in the darkness.

Under the cover of his medium-length black hair, he had a very handsome face, with deep gray eyes that exuded a gentlemanly aura.

The boy's slightly youthful face was pale, and the dark circles under his eyes showed his fatigue.

The boy looked at Kreacher and sighed, asking,

"Is everything done? What have the other families said about my inheritance of the Black family's estate?"

Kreacher nodded, answering the boy's question,

"Everything is done, and the family's assets have been transferred to your name. At the funeral, Miss Narcissa was very sad, while Miss Bellatrix was quite excited and expressed dissatisfaction with your absence. Apart from the Lestrange family showing some interest in your assets, the other families have not reacted much."

The boy nodded, jumped off the chair—yes, he jumped off the chair.

It turned out that the reason the child looked like a teenager was because he was sitting on the chair, and the shadow cast by the candlelight made him appear taller.

Now, looking at the boy's height and build, he appeared to be only three or four years old.

The boy looked at Kreacher and asked,

"Then, what about the Selwyn family? Who came from them?"

Kreacher replied,

"It was Mr. Elrond, who is on good terms with you, Master Regulus. Before leaving, he asked Kreacher to convey his condolences to you."

The child understood and did not pursue the topic further,

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Take me to my room."

Kreacher picked up the child and walked out of the study, ascending the stairs.

The house they were in was a five-story mansion.

This was the ancestral home of the Black family, located at 12 Grimmauld Place.

If one were to look at the house from the outside, it would appear very old, with a door covered in scratches and painted black. The only noteworthy feature might be the silver door handle shaped like a coiled snake. There was no keyhole or mailbox.

As a pure-blood wizarding family, the Blacks did not need such things; doors were opened with magic, and letters were delivered by owls and pigeons.

Inside the house, there was a basement where the kitchen was located. It was a room with rough stone walls and a fireplace in the distance.

Of course, the basement was not just a kitchen; it also had a storage room that could accommodate two people and a small dining room.

On the first floor, which was the entrance to the mansion, a long corridor stretched out, with peeling wallpaper, worn carpets, gas lamps, and a chandelier and candelabra shaped like a snake.

The walls were adorned with portraits that had turned black over time, depicting the ancestors of the Black family. Most of the decorations in the hallway were snake motifs, including an umbrella stand made from a troll's leg, which were symbols of the ancient pure-blood families.

Up the stairs to the second floor, the walls were lined with the heads of house-elves who had served the Black family for life. All house-elves, including the current Kreacher, considered it an honor to have their heads placed on this wall after death. The living room was on this floor, along with several bedrooms and a bathroom.

The living room was luxurious and elegant, with a large window overlooking the street in front of the house. On either side of the large fireplace were two ornate glass cabinets, and the most important feature was a tapestry on the wall depicting the Black family tree. It showed the portraits and names of all the Black family members, but some portraits had been burned, representing those who had been disowned by the family.

The third floor had only two rooms, one of which was the child's bedroom. The bedroom had a high ceiling, a bed, a wardrobe, and a blank portrait.

The portrait belonged to an ancestor of the Black family, Phineas Nigellus Black, who had been the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and shared the same name as the child (shortened to Phineas).

The child was named Phineas Walburga Black.

The fourth floor had the same layout as the third floor, while the fifth floor, being the top floor, had some differences. It had three rooms: the bedrooms of Phineas' older brother Sirius Black, his second brother Regulus Black, and his mother, Walburga Black. However, they were no longer there.

No matter from which angle or perspective, it was clear that this so-called mansion was in a state of disrepair and neglect.

The main culprit for the mansion's current state of disrepair was Walburga Black, the child's mother, who had, in her later years, supported the Dark Lord who had fallen not long ago, like a madwoman.

If one were to delve into the details of these events, it would be a long story, so it would be better to recount them slowly in the future.

Now, let's return to Phineas, who was carried back to his room by Kreacher.

After placing Phineas on the ground, Kreacher said,

"Master Regulus, according to the lady's last wishes, you will be going to Schola soon."

Phineas pouted upon hearing this. Schola was a very special school in the wizarding world, exclusive to pure-blood families, and only those from certain pure-blood families could attend.

Only the descendants of ancient, noble pure-blood families like the Blacks, Selwyns, and Lestranges, who had completed their magical outbursts before their seventh birthday, could enter this school.

It was a school unlike any other magical school, more like a military academy or a high-level training institution.

(I have borrowed some settings from the world of Harry Potter, such as the rivalry between the Selwyn and Lestrange families and the setting of Schola. This is a tribute, and I will not delve too deeply into these aspects in the future.)