Phineas winced at the sight before him. It had been one thing when Townsend and Avice had had live fairies as decoration at last summer's party at the secluded Malfoy Manor; it was another thing altogether for Pavo to be setting off magical fireworks in the middle of London. Phineas could tell by the carriages lined up outside that their owners had done their best to make them as Muggle-friendly as possible, despite the fact that a few still had animated paintings on the sides. Though Pavo was arrogant, he wasn't stupid. The Ministry would be on him for this, no doubt.
He stepped out of his carriage to see Townsend and Avice just in front of him. "Townsend. Lovely evening, isn't it?"
"Ridiculous, if you ask me," Avice snapped. She was a tiny woman who made up for it with her incessant talk. Sarcasm was lost on her. "Apparently he's telling the Muggles that Guy Fawkes Day is six months early this year. Can you imagine! The gall of that man. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the Ministry swooped in here tonight and arrested us all. Not to mention, with the way he's got this house furnished, he doesn't need the Ministry poking around in there as it is!"
"That,s enough, Avice," Townsend said vaguely, laying a hand on his wife's arm. "Why don't you go in and talk with Theodosia? I'm sure she's got something scandalous to say about the fashions in America."
Avice's eyes lit up, and she scurried towards the entrance. Townsend gave Phineas a what-can-you-do look. "So far as I can tell, nobody's been able to pry tonight's big revelation out of Pavo."
"Of course nobody could. That would keep you and me from being the first to know." The men chuckled and walked together up to the front door.
Pavo was waiting in the foyer, greeting each of his guests individually. "Absalom, Acantha, wonderful to see you. Theodosia has gifts for the ladies in the parlor, yes, all from America. Knox, Camilla, come in! How are the twins?" Pavo was a short man, not quite yet stout, and nearly always smiling. He looked up to see Phineas and Townsend. "Wonderful! Just the two I'd been hoping to see. Avice is already in there catching Theodosia up on the year's worth of gossip, and--"
"And you need us to do the same for you," Townsend finished for him. "After dinner. Now is simply the time for pleasantries."
"Then pleasantries it shall be," Pavo replied, turning to Phineas. "How is Orion doing? I've barely gotten any owls from him, but then it is quite a distance for a bird to fly, isn't it? He'll be done with school in a few weeks, yes? His grades are still good, I expect."
"Wonderful display outside," Townsend remarked idly. Phineas had to suppress a grin. "I take it you haven't had a single Muggle ask you about it."
Pavo waved his hand. "Not a worry to be had, Townsend. I have it under control." He glanced back at Phineas. "So, then Orion?"
"It is a time for pleasantries," Phineas replied before escaping into the house. He saw that Townsend had been unable to keep his smirk under control.
Phineas hadn't been to Pavo's home in a little over three years, but not much had changed. The Black family had long been practitioners of Dark magic; some even believed that they were foremost in those responsible for its discovery. They were certainly foremost in using it now. The house was filled with nearly ostentatious displays of Dark artifacts, making Phineas a little uneasy. He had only dabbled in the Dark arts once, and was able to pull himself away from it quickly. He was one of a very few. Most wizards quickly grew addicted to the rush of power one felt in using Dark magic, which was probably the explanation for Pavo's endless pride.
The house was filled with people, and Phineas noted as he passed the dining room that at least forty places were set. He felt a jostling behind him and turned to see Townsend. "Puffy old thing wouldn't let me go," Townsend groused. "It's nearly time to eat. Let's head in and find our places."
Phineas found himself seated near the head of the table, with Pavo to his left and Townsend to his right. He shook his head at Pavo's delusions and waited for everyone else to be seated.
Finally, Pavo approached the head of the table. The room quieted. Pavo beamed at his guests and began. "As you all know, I've been in America for the past year. My return is reason enough to call all my friends together. But I think you're all aware by now that I do have another reason for this evening's festivities...a reason of which I'm quite proud."
Phineas wondered how long this would go on. He stole a quick glance around the room to see nearly everyone sitting at attention, with the only exception being Townsend, who seemed to be purposely looking bored. Phineas hid a smile and turned back to Pavo.
"The Americans are a strong-minded people," Pavo was saying, "and provided me with the inspiration to...create. And create I have." he reached inside his robes and withdrew a small bottle with a flourish. The substance inside the bottle was a thick silvery-purple liquid that, Phineas noted, swirled disturbingly of its own accord. He felt Townsend start beside him.
"This," Pavo said, his smile bigger than ever, "is the Quaestio Potion. In some ways it's like Veritaserum, but it's a bit closer to the Imperius Curse." The room broke into hushed whispers, and Phineas realized with a sick feeling in his stomach why Townsend had reacted at the sight of the potion. The colors were different, yes, but that sentient movement was the same...
"It's an amazing innovation, if I do say so myself," Pavo went on, unable to take his eyes off the little bottle for a second. "There's a simple procedure in which you can attune a bottle of the stuff to yourself. Then you need only keep it on hand. When an enemy of yours decides to blackmail you, or testify against you in court, or some such thing like that, a few drops of this will have them telling the truth...but only from your perspective." Pavo finally glanced up at his audience, who had ceased their whispering and were rapt once more--this time, including Phineas and Townsend. Pavo's attention went back to the bottle. "The true beauty of the Quaestio Potion is that if it's administered first, Veritaserum won't change its effects. The subject is, after all, telling the truth; it's just not quite the truth as they see it." Pavo sat down.
The room exploded into applause and fast chatter, and Townsend grabbed Phineas's arm. "We need to go somewhere, outside, and talk about this. Now."
"We've got no proof," Phineas said vaguely, still feeling sick. "He took all the notes...there were no names anywhere..."
"I know that," Townsend snapped. "Trust me, I know we haven't got a leg to stand on legally, and I know that I was an utter idiot for it. I also have a good feeling that all the notes are gone. But I'm not letting Pavo Black not only take credit for something you and I put fourteen years of our lives into, I'm not letting him twist it into Dark magic, either."
He stepped out of his carriage to see Townsend and Avice just in front of him. "Townsend. Lovely evening, isn't it?"
"Ridiculous, if you ask me," Avice snapped. She was a tiny woman who made up for it with her incessant talk. Sarcasm was lost on her. "Apparently he's telling the Muggles that Guy Fawkes Day is six months early this year. Can you imagine! The gall of that man. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the Ministry swooped in here tonight and arrested us all. Not to mention, with the way he's got this house furnished, he doesn't need the Ministry poking around in there as it is!"
"That,s enough, Avice," Townsend said vaguely, laying a hand on his wife's arm. "Why don't you go in and talk with Theodosia? I'm sure she's got something scandalous to say about the fashions in America."
Avice's eyes lit up, and she scurried towards the entrance. Townsend gave Phineas a what-can-you-do look. "So far as I can tell, nobody's been able to pry tonight's big revelation out of Pavo."
"Of course nobody could. That would keep you and me from being the first to know." The men chuckled and walked together up to the front door.
Pavo was waiting in the foyer, greeting each of his guests individually. "Absalom, Acantha, wonderful to see you. Theodosia has gifts for the ladies in the parlor, yes, all from America. Knox, Camilla, come in! How are the twins?" Pavo was a short man, not quite yet stout, and nearly always smiling. He looked up to see Phineas and Townsend. "Wonderful! Just the two I'd been hoping to see. Avice is already in there catching Theodosia up on the year's worth of gossip, and--"
"And you need us to do the same for you," Townsend finished for him. "After dinner. Now is simply the time for pleasantries."
"Then pleasantries it shall be," Pavo replied, turning to Phineas. "How is Orion doing? I've barely gotten any owls from him, but then it is quite a distance for a bird to fly, isn't it? He'll be done with school in a few weeks, yes? His grades are still good, I expect."
"Wonderful display outside," Townsend remarked idly. Phineas had to suppress a grin. "I take it you haven't had a single Muggle ask you about it."
Pavo waved his hand. "Not a worry to be had, Townsend. I have it under control." He glanced back at Phineas. "So, then Orion?"
"It is a time for pleasantries," Phineas replied before escaping into the house. He saw that Townsend had been unable to keep his smirk under control.
Phineas hadn't been to Pavo's home in a little over three years, but not much had changed. The Black family had long been practitioners of Dark magic; some even believed that they were foremost in those responsible for its discovery. They were certainly foremost in using it now. The house was filled with nearly ostentatious displays of Dark artifacts, making Phineas a little uneasy. He had only dabbled in the Dark arts once, and was able to pull himself away from it quickly. He was one of a very few. Most wizards quickly grew addicted to the rush of power one felt in using Dark magic, which was probably the explanation for Pavo's endless pride.
The house was filled with people, and Phineas noted as he passed the dining room that at least forty places were set. He felt a jostling behind him and turned to see Townsend. "Puffy old thing wouldn't let me go," Townsend groused. "It's nearly time to eat. Let's head in and find our places."
Phineas found himself seated near the head of the table, with Pavo to his left and Townsend to his right. He shook his head at Pavo's delusions and waited for everyone else to be seated.
Finally, Pavo approached the head of the table. The room quieted. Pavo beamed at his guests and began. "As you all know, I've been in America for the past year. My return is reason enough to call all my friends together. But I think you're all aware by now that I do have another reason for this evening's festivities...a reason of which I'm quite proud."
Phineas wondered how long this would go on. He stole a quick glance around the room to see nearly everyone sitting at attention, with the only exception being Townsend, who seemed to be purposely looking bored. Phineas hid a smile and turned back to Pavo.
"The Americans are a strong-minded people," Pavo was saying, "and provided me with the inspiration to...create. And create I have." he reached inside his robes and withdrew a small bottle with a flourish. The substance inside the bottle was a thick silvery-purple liquid that, Phineas noted, swirled disturbingly of its own accord. He felt Townsend start beside him.
"This," Pavo said, his smile bigger than ever, "is the Quaestio Potion. In some ways it's like Veritaserum, but it's a bit closer to the Imperius Curse." The room broke into hushed whispers, and Phineas realized with a sick feeling in his stomach why Townsend had reacted at the sight of the potion. The colors were different, yes, but that sentient movement was the same...
"It's an amazing innovation, if I do say so myself," Pavo went on, unable to take his eyes off the little bottle for a second. "There's a simple procedure in which you can attune a bottle of the stuff to yourself. Then you need only keep it on hand. When an enemy of yours decides to blackmail you, or testify against you in court, or some such thing like that, a few drops of this will have them telling the truth...but only from your perspective." Pavo finally glanced up at his audience, who had ceased their whispering and were rapt once more--this time, including Phineas and Townsend. Pavo's attention went back to the bottle. "The true beauty of the Quaestio Potion is that if it's administered first, Veritaserum won't change its effects. The subject is, after all, telling the truth; it's just not quite the truth as they see it." Pavo sat down.
The room exploded into applause and fast chatter, and Townsend grabbed Phineas's arm. "We need to go somewhere, outside, and talk about this. Now."
"We've got no proof," Phineas said vaguely, still feeling sick. "He took all the notes...there were no names anywhere..."
"I know that," Townsend snapped. "Trust me, I know we haven't got a leg to stand on legally, and I know that I was an utter idiot for it. I also have a good feeling that all the notes are gone. But I'm not letting Pavo Black not only take credit for something you and I put fourteen years of our lives into, I'm not letting him twist it into Dark magic, either."