Phineas didn't go to the Great Hall for breakfast. Instead, he headed straight for Ravenclaw Tower. He had been here just last night and now again this morning.
As a student from Slytherin, Phineas' behavior was quite strange to the young wizards of Ravenclaw. However, none of them gave it much thought. As mentioned before, as long as one could answer the riddle of the bronze door knocker, they would be allowed entrance into the Ravenclaw common room—just as it had always been.
The Ravenclaws didn't particularly care about Phineas' intentions. After all, he was permitted to enter, so what was there to question?
Of course, this indifference was based on the confidence that no outsider could access their dormitories. Ravenclaw was one of the only Houses, along with Slytherin, that had protective enchantments on their dormitories. Not even fellow Ravenclaws could enter each other's bedrooms without permission.
Standing before the eagle-shaped bronze knocker, Phineas paused.
Just as he had speculated last night, he believed that Ravenclaw's treasure—or inheritance—might be accessed by answering the door knocker's riddles repeatedly. So here he was.
He knocked once on the wooden door. The eagle's beak opened, and a musical voice asked:
"What can fill a room or a heart, something that can be owned but not shared?"
Phineas smiled slightly. This one was easy.
"Loneliness," he answered. "It can fill both a room and a heart, but it belongs to only one person. If it's shared, it's no longer loneliness."
"That makes sense," the knocker responded pleasantly.
The door swung open.
But Phineas had no intention of going inside. Instead, he shut the door again and knocked once more.
"What question can you never answer?"
Phineas touched his chin, thinking for a second, then replied, "Are you dead?"
The eagle seemed to pause, as if stunned, before finally responding: "That makes sense."
Again, the door opened. And again, Phineas closed it.
"What animal starts out walking on four legs, then walks on two, and finally walks on three?"
"A human," Phineas answered calmly. The classic riddle of the Sphinx.
"Correct."
Phineas nodded and knocked once more.
"Where are the dead?"
"In memory," he replied.
"That makes sense."
More riddles came, and they gradually became more difficult. At first, Phineas answered swiftly, but soon he began taking longer and longer as the questions required deeper thought. It seemed the difficulty increased with each correct response.
This excited Phineas. The evolving challenge confirmed his theory—the eagle knocker had layers, and if he kept going, perhaps he would unlock something beyond the common room.
Emboldened, Phineas continued his strange mission. To the students of Ravenclaw, he now appeared truly odd. Why continue answering riddles if he didn't want to enter?
Even Ravenclaws didn't enjoy the knocker's riddles most of the time. The questions could be absurdly abstract. Which came first, the phoenix or the fire? Where do lost things go? These might seem poetic when you know the answers, but in the moment, they were deeply frustrating.
So even to the logical and curious Ravenclaws, Phineas seemed like a lunatic.
From morning until noon, Phineas continued answering the riddles. In doing so, he also helped numerous Ravenclaws who couldn't answer their way into the common room.
Normally, there'd be a crowd of frustrated students outside the door, but today, thanks to Phineas, everyone got in with ease.
Eventually, Phineas noticed a pattern—the riddles started to repeat. Despite his relentless effort, there were still no clues about a hidden room, treasure, or inheritance. It was a dead end.
His relentless questioning finally attracted the attention of Professor Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House.
Professor Flitwick watched silently at first, allowing Phineas to exhaust himself.
Eventually, after answering the same set of riddles for a third time, Phineas gave up. There was nothing new to uncover. His theory seemed incorrect.
"Giving up?" Flitwick asked gently.
Startled, Phineas turned. He hadn't even realized the professor was there. His mind had been consumed by riddles, oblivious to the world around him.
"Professor!" he greeted, slightly embarrassed.
Flitwick waved a hand, smiling. "You'd fit right into Ravenclaw. It's a shame you were sorted into Slytherin."
Phineas rubbed the back of his neck, smiling awkwardly. "I was just curious... Does the eagle door knocker have a set bank of questions? Or are they infinite? I counted—there must be about two hundred unique riddles before they start repeating."
Flitwick chuckled. "It doesn't matter much. Ravenclaw doesn't exclude those who seek knowledge. After all, extraordinary wisdom is the greatest wealth of mankind."
That phrase again.
Phineas' brow furrowed. "Professor... what does that sentence really mean?"
Flitwick gave him a long, thoughtful look. His eyes seemed to say, Ah, so that's what this is about.
"So," the professor said, "the reason you've been interrogating the knocker like a madman... is because of that sentence, isn't it?"
Phineas was stunned. His actions had been discreet—or so he thought. There were no gaps in his logic or behavior. How had Professor Flitwick seen through him so easily?
Sensing his confusion, Flitwick smiled and explained:
"That phrase is actually the key to a private library left behind by Lady Ravenclaw. Some call it her legacy—her inheritance. I take it you were hoping the sentence itself was a magical key of sorts?"
Phineas said nothing. He didn't need to.
Flitwick's smile deepened, kind and understanding.
"Curiosity is a gift, Mr. Black. But even gifts must be used wisely."