Chapter 119: The End
However, even though the Flint family was nearly wiped out by him, Phineas still didn't feel the punishment was enough.
Just as he was considering how to deal with the last remnants of the Flint family should the negotiation fail, he heard Flint's weak voice.
"...I agree..."
Phineas looked up in surprise. The once-proud wizard now looked lifeless, like a hollowed-out shell. The vitality that had briefly flickered in Flint's eyes earlier had vanished, leaving him looking like a walking corpse.
Later, when the surrender agreement was signed, Flint remained in that same daze, mechanically signing the parchment before turning away in silence.
The subsequent transfer of vaults, real estate, and custody of Marcus were all managed by the Office of Pure-Blood Family Affairs. They would coordinate with the Ministry of Magic and the broader wizarding government to ensure all transactions were handled properly.
Phineas didn't need to worry about Cornelius Fudge meddling either. These affairs were under the jurisdiction of the Council of Elders—completely out of Fudge's hands.
Now, Phineas's focus shifted to sorting through the spoils of war.
A herbal garden, a robe shop, a potions apothecary, six vaults, two manor houses, two vacant storefronts in Diagon Alley (the apothecary and robe shop were considered businesses, while the Diagon Alley shops were real estate), and a hefty sum of gold galleons.
Although the Black family had spent a decent sum during the conflict, their expenditures were more than recovered through this enormous gain. They were left with a comfortable surplus.
Phineas had made a fortune—and now, at last, he could return to his studies at Hogwarts in peace.
Thanks to Marcus's fate, none of the students dared to provoke Phineas anymore.
As for Marcus himself, those well-informed in the wizarding world knew only that the young wizard—who had sparked a war between two noble houses—was sent to a Black family property and never heard from again.
No one knew whether he had died or been spirited away somewhere.
Some whispered that Marcus had become the subject of twisted magical experiments under Phineas's hand.
But only two beings knew the truth: Phineas, and Puff, the Black family's house-elf. Not even the clerks in the shop knew. Marcus had been delivered to the store, and Puff had arrived to take him away by Apparition.
Whatever Marcus's fate was, it was clear that Phineas's wrath toward the Flint family had left a lasting impression on the magical community.
Rumors began to circulate in hushed voices: Phineas Black might be the next Dark Lord.
Ordinarily, a rumor like that would have compelled Albus Dumbledore to act. But due to the Unbreakable Vow he had signed with Phineas, he was powerless to interfere. The oath only allowed him to intervene in matters related to the Dark Lord—not Phineas.
In hindsight, the agreement gave Dumbledore far less control than he had hoped. It merely ensured that as long as he lived, Phineas and the Dark Lord wouldn't work together. That alone was a small relief.
And so, the matter came to a close, and the wizarding world returned to its tenuous peace.
But within the walls of Hogwarts, undercurrents still swirled.
Phineas wasn't foolish. He knew Marcus hadn't had the brains or cunning to provoke him in the Great Hall with such calculated words—especially words that implicated the Black family.
It had all been too deliberate.
Marcus had always inherited the Flint family's signature troll-like stupidity. There was no way he had planned this on his own.
Which meant someone else had orchestrated it—someone who wanted Phineas to destroy the Flint family. But why?
Surely not just to use him as a weapon.
Such a scheme was audacious… and dangerous.
He couldn't afford to let down his guard.
According to the usual pattern in the wizarding world, Phineas reasoned the most likely suspect was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. He turned to Lee Jordan and asked,
"By the way, who's teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this term? I haven't had a single lesson yet."
Naturally. At the start of the term, Phineas had been performing the Blood Sublimation Ceremony and was away from Hogwarts for weeks.
When he returned, the confrontation with Marcus escalated into a war. Though he remained enrolled, the professor had taken a leave of absence.
Then, when classes resumed, Phineas was summoned to Nicolas Flamel's residence by Dumbledore. After a few more missed lessons, the Council of Elders called for arbitration.
Before he knew it, the term was nearly over—and he had never seen the professor once.
Before Lee Jordan could reply, George spoke up.
"Oh, right, it's Professor Rich."
Phineas's eyes narrowed. Rich? Could it be…?
He leaned forward. "What's his full name? Is Rich his first name or surname?"
Fred answered, "I think it's Sakaski Rich."
George nodded. "Yeah, that's it. But I've never heard of that name in the magical world."
Lee Jordan agreed. "To teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, you usually need a reputation. But this guy's the same as Professor Jonathan last year—no fame at all. I even asked my dad. He said that name has never appeared in the magical world."
But Phineas had heard the name—though he didn't know the man well, he certainly knew who he was.
Sakaski Rich: a prodigy of the Rich family, renowned for his dark magic talent. He had his first magical outburst at age three and was sent to Sguller Academy shortly after.
By the time he graduated at seventeen, he could duel multiple Aurors at once. His magical strength was just shy of earning him the title of great wizard.
But rather than return to the Rich family to continue his studies and become an Elder, he chose to stay at Sguller.
It was said his mental state was… unstable. At the academy, he reportedly delighted in using the Cruciatus and Imperius Curses on younger students.
Due to the longstanding rivalry between the Black and Rich families, his file had ended up in the Black family archives—and the Elders had personally marked him: dangerous.
A nearly great wizard with a warped psyche was not someone Phineas could afford to ignore.