Chapter 55: Kidnapped

Due to the chaos of the sudden attack and the crowd of young wizards on the Quidditch pitch, the professors hadn't noticed that three students hadn't gone to the match. Two of them now lay unconscious in a corridor on the seventh floor of the castle. The third had already been taken by the dark wizards.

It was clear that Phineas was their true target—but whether it was due to his connection to the House of Black or something else entirely remained uncertain.

Phineas awoke in a cave.

It was dark, damp, and bitterly cold. The wind cut through him like a blade, and it was the only thing that made him feel alive at that moment. Faint moonlight filtered in from an unseen source, allowing him to make out some of the surroundings.

To his surprise, the ground beneath him was concrete—not stone or earth, as he would have expected in a natural cave. This place had clearly been constructed, though the rough, irregular walls still bore the signs of magical shaping.

He reached instinctively for his wand. It was gone. So was the leather case he used to carry it. That realization brought a spike of fear—his wand was practically a part of him.

He took a shaky breath, memories of the attack rushing back. The corridor. The red smoke. George and Fred—

Were they safe?

"Puff," he whispered.

His voice echoed faintly in the cave. He had no hope the house-elf would appear—if she hadn't come during the castle ambush, something must have prevented her. And wherever he was now, it was clearly beyond Hogwarts' wards.

No wand. No house-elf. Just a freezing cave and growing uncertainty.

He could cast some spells without a wand, but they were weak and few—mostly everyday utility charms. Against those attackers? Wandless spells wouldn't help him now.

"Is the boy awake?"

A low voice echoed from outside the cave, deep and commanding.

Phineas quickly rolled onto his side, closed his eyes, and tried to keep his breathing steady.

"Master, he hasn't woken yet," came a second voice—nervous, trembling.

"I told you," the first voice snapped, "he's to be kept alive. You were only to use a Sleeping Charm on him!"

"That's what we used, Master, I swear—"

"Then why is he still unconscious?"

The fear in the second voice was palpable. "M-Maybe... maybe he passed out from magical exhaustion? He did try to resist when we captured him."

A pause.

"It's possible," the first voice muttered. "He's just a schoolboy—limited reserves of magic."

Phineas barely managed to hide his reaction. Reed? Professor Jonathan? Then they're vampires...

"But why are they looking for me? Professor Jonathan said this was an internal matter..."

"Did you search him?"

"Yes, Master. This is all he had."

There was a soft rustle as the man handed over the items: Phineas's wand, the case, his pocket watch, some vials of white essence, and his wallet.

"Hmph. He's well-supplied. Are you sure this is everything?"

"Yes, Master. He has only his robe and... a ring."

"A ring? Why didn't you remove it?"

Phineas's heart skipped a beat. The Ravenclaw ring—they hadn't taken it!

"T-The ring... we couldn't remove it."

"Oh? Alchemy? Enchanted? Would cutting off his finger work?"

Panic surged through Phineas—but the second man stammered quickly, "Master, please—it's not worth it. The boy isn't one of us. Hurting him will provoke Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore..." The first voice scoffed. "He won't be around much longer. But you're right. We'll give him a little grace while he still lives."

Then his tone sharpened.

"When the boy wakes, question him thoroughly. We know Reed passed something to him. Find out where he's hidden it."

"Yes, Master."

Footsteps retreated. Silence fell.

Phineas opened his eyes slowly and sat up, wrapping his arms around himself to fight off the chill.

So it was true—these people were vampires, or allied with them. And they were after the item Professor Jonathan had given him before Christmas.

The blood inheritance...

But something didn't add up. If they needed that blood, then they weren't the Ancestors themselves. And if they weren't Ancestors, then why risk defying one? Especially one as powerful as Jonathan?

Unless... what Jonathan had given him wasn't just blood. It was something more valuable. Something worth risking war over—even against a fellow vampire lord.

That thought brought some relief. He had hidden the vial in the Room of Requirement after Jonathan gave it to him. They wouldn't find it on him. But if he had kept it, and they had succeeded in capturing him and retrieving it...

He didn't want to think about what would've happened.

For now, all he could do was hope the professors realized he was missing and Dumbledore returned in time to help.

Resistance wasn't an option. No wand. No magic strong enough to fight. No idea where he was.

Where was Puff? Had she been attacked too? Or blocked somehow?

Phineas exhaled slowly, clutching the Ravenclaw ring on his hand.

All he could do was wait—and protect the secret at all costs.