Chapter 333: Guess and Decision
Voldemort, who hadn't been completely destroyed by Phineas, was now close to becoming a demigod. Dumbledore was not far behind, nor was his old friend, Grindelwald.
Although the magical world was officially governed by the Council of Elders, there had always been many legendary wizards—most of whom remained in hiding to avoid becoming targets of the Council.
The Chief Elder nodded and said,
"So, we must keep Phineas Black contained. With his talent, if he continues to develop, he may reach the demigod realm within a dozen years. He might even surpass your pace—or that of the next most likely candidate."
At last, the Third Seat understood what the First and Second Seats had meant.
To ascend to godhood, a wizard had to die. They didn't want to die—not yet. Therefore, they sought to eliminate anything that might threaten their ascension. Only by clearing the path could one of them become a god. The remaining elder would inherit the chief position, and new elders would be chosen from the ranks of the ordinary council members, according to the instructions left behind by those who had already ascended.
Unfortunately, Phineas Black had never been one to submit easily to others.
While he often chose to retreat or compromise when it served his safety or long-term benefit, he would never sacrifice his family to achieve his goals.
And now, he had a real chance to attain what they feared.
So, when the envoy from the Council of Elders arrived and relayed the Council's offer, Phineas handed him over to Damon without hesitation.
The old saying "Do not kill the messenger" meant nothing to Phineas. Messengers could provide valuable intelligence to the enemy—or worse, become future threats.
Thus, the envoy was killed—never understanding why until his final moment.
"Phineas…"
Sirius looked uneasily at the messenger being led away and then turned toward Phineas. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.
Phineas only shrugged.
"It doesn't matter. We've officially declared war on the Council of Elders. One envoy's death changes nothing. In fact, the very fact that they'd resort to sending such a message proves how desperate they are to suppress the Black family's rebellion."
He paused, frowning in thought.
Then, with a spark of realization, he said,
"Their goal isn't to eliminate the Black family to make an example of us—it's because of my rise to legend status."
"But Phineas, your becoming a legend shouldn't affect them so much," Hope said, clearly confused. "The Rich family has several legendary wizards…"
Harry, meanwhile, sat quietly, bewildered by the conversation. As a Gryffindor, raised in a culture where courage was everything, he had grown into a bold, impulsive young man. He acted based on instinct, rarely considering consequences.
To prevent Harry from making reckless decisions—as he had done in the past, like when he led his friends to the Department of Mysteries—Phineas had included him in this meeting. The goal was to lay everything out in the open, to show Harry that these were matters far beyond his reach, and that his role now was to listen and learn.
Phineas didn't know what the final result would be, but for now, Harry complied.
Phineas turned back to Hope.
"You're right. The Rich family does have many legendary wizards. So clearly, my legend status isn't the threat they're reacting to. There's only one explanation—they didn't expect me to ascend at this time."
He paused, thinking more deeply.
"Wait. Let's think back. The conflict between us and the Council of Elders started during my engagement ceremony with Leah, three years ago. I had a private discussion with Kuzan, Corvus, and Elrond. We talked about ascending to godhood."
"So the core of our conflict is divinity," he continued. "That means the only thing about me that threatens the Council is my talent. And I say this without arrogance—no one in the magical world has ever become a legendary wizard in their teens. It may not make me unique, but it does make me unprecedented."
Sirius nodded.
"That does make a lot of sense."
But Phineas shook his head.
"Not entirely, but it must be this reason. There's something I've never told Kuzan or the others—the truth is, godhood isn't limitless. The number of ascensions permitted in each era is strictly controlled, and the quotas are vanishingly few. In fact, the Elder Council reserves a handful of these positions in every age, all to maintain order in the magical world. That's why they're acting now—why they want me to surrender and join them. It's simple: they can't afford to let me claim godhood in this era."
"In other words, the openings to ascend are so scarce that not only are outsiders barred, but even among the Council's own ranks, there may not be enough to go around. Their desperation proves it—they fear I'll seize divinity before their chosen candidates can. That's how I know the number of slots is fixed… and it's certainly fewer than three."
There were, after all, only three seats on the Council.
Phineas didn't say it outright, but the implication was clear.
Now that he understood the true reason behind the Council's actions, his next move became obvious.
When facing an enemy and you're unsure of your next step, do the one thing they don't want you to do.
What your enemy fears most is likely what will harm them most.
That was Phineas's decision.
The war with the Council of Elders could be left to Sirius and Damon.
Sirius, once a member of the Order of the Phoenix and a veteran of the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, was no stranger to magical warfare.
Damon and his men, all of whom Phineas had rescued from various conflicts and sufferings, were seasoned warriors. Together with Sirius, they would carry out the battle plans with precision.