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From what I understand, I can conclude that body, soul, and magic are interrelated. One influences the second, the second influences the third, and the third influences the first. Maybe in some other order, but the influence is unambiguous. Why do I need these deductions and knowledge? I have no idea.

"Well, then I should really look for the ring," I summed up my thoughts aloud and looked at Lady Walburga. "Do you have any ideas or suggestions?"

"None," Walburga shook her head negatively. "Even if the ring has any enchantment to find it, I don't know about it. Probably not. There are only two portraits of myself and Lord Phineas Black alive in the house. His portrait, however, is securely locked up by his own volition. At one time, he was headmaster of Hogwarts, so his portrait hangs in the headmaster's office. Portraits of headmasters are enchanted in such a way that they have to answer questions from the current headmaster, and as you understand, he can ask about what's going on in the house, about family, and other things. That's why the portrait is locked so that Phineas Black can't know anything at all about what's going on in the house, and so he can't tell."

"But why didn't anybody do their portraits?" I wondered. "It would have been nice and useful to talk to the ancestors."

"Very few pure-blood old families do ancestor portraits. Now I understand the reasons - self-confidence. After all, it's inconceivable that a great lineage could be interrupted or left without an older generation able to impart its wisdom to the young."

"But, if so, why did you make your portrait?"

Walburga sighed and was silent for a moment.

"I was the last of the House, not counting the stupid traitor Sirius. There was little hope that he would come to his senses, and there was no other heir in sight. Even if he did get out of Azkaban, I'm sure he would go against his own House again, and there would be no children from him. So I made a portrait of myself for two purposes. If an heir suddenly appears, I'll tell him all about the House. Also, to reprimand a wayward son. In case Sirius gets out of Azkaban and shows up here with his insane rude friends, blood traitors, and other ill-mannered rabble, capable only of ruining and denigrating the achievements of the ancestors."

At this speech, Walburga proudly lifted her chin. Aristocrat, damn it.

"Don't look at me like that, Maximilian. A portrait doesn't have many purposes in existence, only that which was invested before it died. You've seen the portraits at Hogwarts, haven't you? Many behave completely out of character with the respectable people they were when they were alive. That's because a lot of them died having already achieved some goals, with no regrets or anything. Many end up doing the nonsense they were thinking about before they died. You know Sir Cadogan?"

"Pfft-ha-ha, yes, I saw him. He's funny."

"Rumor has it that he died quite young, but in his lifetime, he achieved and accomplished everything a knight is supposed to do. Served the Crown, fought in the war, saved a princess, and slew the dragon. After a lifetime of training and campaigning, he never really rested or had any real fun. So now he goes from portrait to portrait, pestering everyone with his inept jokes."

"You mean you had..."

"Shh-shh," Walburga gestured for me to be silent. "Meditate on this in silence. I don't want to wallow in those memories."

After that conversation, I went off to do my homework, and I wrote a letter to Hermione, asking if she could remember any way to find a magical object that belonged to a person.

I had half of my transfiguration homework done by late afternoon and went to the Knights' house. There, after dinner, I sent a letter to Hermione with Pirate. Along the way, I wrote an application to subscribe to the Daily Prophet. I don't know why I had ignored this fascinating newspaper before.

The Pirate returned an hour later with two letters. One was on a plain enough notebook page, and the other, as it should be, in an envelope.

Hermione wrote that she was not at all surprised. It was my style to write the only letter of the summer, and it wouldn't say anything about "How are you?" or anything else. Immediately short and to the point. Well, it's not my fault that I think this way! I don't like to dance around pretending to be interested. I can tell without it that she probably went to France, to Paris. Visited every imaginable sight, ran around the entire Louvre, licking her eyes at the Sorbonne in passing. And when she visited the Magic Quarter, she certainly bought various exotic books with exotic charms of dubious practical value. The main thing is that they were beautiful. She likes that sort of thing. Oh yes, and she will definitely bring some examples of French magic fashion with her. That is exactly what I wrote her in my reply letter.

Regarding my question, she does not remember any such charms, spells, rituals, and other searching methods. She mentioned various search potions used with special enchantments of the map, but these are methods for finding the living and sentient.

In the letter from the Daily Prophet's publisher, there was an approval of the subscription and indicated the delivery time of the newspaper by an owl. Other delivery methods can be arranged, up to and including the Muggle mailman, if you wish. Still, they are all more expensive, and by the owl is only one knut. A ridiculous price, but it seems to me that The Prophet is funded by patrons and the ministry. Maybe even just a ministry, and there the benefits of correct information for the masses are obvious to everyone, so the newspaper is available to absolutely anyone.