Chapter 280: Arrangements for Sirius and Hagrid
Phineas nodded.
"Yes. This is essentially a declaration of war against the Ministry of Magic—and a call for change."
"Seeking change?"
"Yes, we need change. At the moment, Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix are too restricted. We have to fight not just you-know-who and the Death Eaters, but also the dead weight of the Ministryof magic. We need to force a shift—make one side an ally or an enemy. This chaotic in-between isn't working."
Astoria nodded thoughtfully and stepped into the Slytherin common room.
"Wait, Leah—how are things with your roommates?"
Phineas called out to her before she reached the girls' dormitory.
Astoria turned and smiled.
"They're kind people," she replied before skipping into the dormitory.
Phineas sighed and settled into a seat by the fireplace.
It was Halloween. Even the younger Slytherins were out enjoying the castle rather than staying cooped up in the dormitory. The empty common room gave Phineas a quiet space to think—no need to hide in the Room of Requirement.
As for Astoria, Phineas had always wanted her to stay in the dormitory near him—especially after Voldemort's return was made public.
He wasn't concerned about Daphne or Draco.
Daphne, though a Greengrass and allied with the Black family, had her own tight-knit group in Slytherin. From what they showed, it was clear these young witches were ambitious—trying to form something like what You-Know-Who built at Hogwarts in his day.
Draco, as the shadow prefect of their class, had his own room. No real challengers existed to his authority. With his private training, his peers couldn't match him.
But Astoria… she was different. Because of the blood curse, she was frail, lacking in magical foundation, not even a class leader. She shared a dorm with the others. If their parents sided with Voldemort, those kids might turn on her.
Yet Astoria didn't seem willing to follow Phineas' arrangements. He didn't know whether it was genuine reluctance—or just her shyness.
Now that he thought about it, Astoria had grown far shier than she was last year. Her face always turned red when speaking to him. She stammered softly, completely unlike the bold girl she used to be.
Phineas sometimes wondered if something had changed in her during her treatment for the blood curse. Had she become someone else?
As he pondered this, Draco returned and walked straight toward him.
"Phineas, was what Professor Dumbledore said really true?"
Phineas looked up and pointed to the sofa across from him.
"Sit first. I'm not sure what you're asking. I told you You-Know-Who was back at the start of term. As for Sirius and Hagrid stepping down—it's best you don't know more."
He stood up and smiled.
"Alright, Draco. You don't need to worry about it for now."
After parting ways with Draco, Phineas didn't retreat to the Room of Requirement. Instead, he stayed in the Slytherin dormitory.
No one had lived there for a while, but the Hogwarts house-elves had kept it spotless.
However, the furnishings Phineas had once placed there had changed.
The bookshelf now stood empty. The curtains for the bed had been folded into the large enchanted suitcase. Yet the little corner set up for Chocolate—the mat, the cat tree, the litter box—remained untouched.
I wonder how Lisa's taking care of Chocolate, Phineas thought.
He didn't know when the younger students returned. By morning, he rose and washed up like normal. But rather than heading to the Great Hall, he climbed to the seventh floor—past two stone statues—toward the Headmaster's office in Gryffindor Tower.
Today, Sirius and Hagrid were leaving Hogwarts, and Phineas had a few final words.
"Phineas, you're here!" Sirius and Hagrid called as he entered. They were seated across from Dumbledore, looking bored. The moment they saw him, their eyes lit up.
Phineas gave a polite nod and joined them by Dumbledore's side.
"Sorry, I overslept a bit today," he said with a light chuckle, before getting straight to the point.
"Sirius, Dumbledore and I talked over both your resignations. Hagrid—we need you to go to Minsk. Someone spotted traces of giants there. At least one tribe still exists. And from what we've gathered, your mother—Fridwulfa—might be there. I thought you'd want to meet her."
Hagrid's eyes widened—shock and joy mixing on his face.
He had searched for his mother countless times, but all he ever received were cold answers: ignorance or death. Now, suddenly, the hope he'd long buried returned, and he stared blankly at Phineas.
Phineas smiled and continued.
"The giants are mighty, their skin spell-resistant, and they're devastating in battle. We're not asking you to win them over—just make sure they don't side with Voldemort. If they do, we'll lose even more ground."
Dumbledore added, "You can visit Beauxbatons and speak to Madame Maxime. Like you, she's uniquely qualified to approach the giants—and equally opposed to Voldemort's return. She'll likely help."
Hagrid nodded, blinking back tears. No one remarked on them.
Phineas turned to Sirius.
"Sirius, part of the reason for your dismissal is that we need you elsewhere. The other reason is… the curse."
Sirius opened his mouth, but Phineas raised a hand.
"Let me finish. I know you're not afraid of the curse. But we plan to use it. That position has been cursed for years. Even if someone escapes death, they often land in St. Mungo's. The next professor will be Umbridge. We want the curse to force her out."
"She's still a Ministry official. We can't directly oppose her. But if the curse pushes her to quit, it's the best outcome. You've only taught a few weeks—too short for the curse to truly affect you. You can return next year."
"By then, if all goes well, Voldemort will be gone—and the curse with him."
"Also, Black now plays a leading role in the war, just like the Order of the Phoenix. The Order acts independently, but the Black family forces follow a chain of command. Only you and I can issue orders. If we both remain at Hogwarts, Black's potential becomes a burden rather than a help."
"I once thought we could command from here—Hogwarts is secure. But the Ministry has cut off all external communication. That plan no longer works. So I need you to lead Black from the outside. Lisa will go with you. I've already written to her."
Sirius nodded quietly.
"Oh—and be careful. The Ministry's monitoring magical travel, even from Hogwarts. Avoid using magic unless necessary. Muggle transportation is invisible to them."
Both men nodded and left through the office doors.
They didn't take the Hogwarts Express, but a carriage to Hogsmeade.
"Will they succeed?" Dumbledore asked, unusually uncertain.
Phineas turned to him.
The long beard, once a mix of silver and auburn, was now pure white. His face was aged, skin no longer rosy but pale and worn. His strong posture was hunched. He no longer resembled the man Phineas had once met—he was older now, weaker.
The greatest white wizard of the age… was nearing the end.
Loss, heartbreak, time—all had taken their toll.
Dumbledore never sought immortality. Perhaps he never knew the secrets the Elders had hidden. He had long accepted death.
But… it wasn't meant to happen now.
"Not yet," Phineas said. "Not until Tom is gone."
Dumbledore, as if reading his thoughts, replied,
"Don't worry—it won't be now. At least not until Tom is finished."
Phineas instinctively tried to Occlude his mind, but stopped. Dumbledore wouldn't violate trust. Not even with Legilimency.
And the old man had spoken with certainty. He knew his time was short—but he would wait until Voldemort was defeated before accepting death.
Phineas suddenly recalled Dumbledore's death in the original timeline.
Throughout the Harry Potter novels, there were only a few people who genuinely cared about Draco's safety—his parents, Lucius and Narcissa; his godfather, Snape; and then, Dumbledore.
Dumbledore knew very well that if Draco failed to kill him, Voldemort would have him killed. So he chose to let Draco be the one to cast the fatal spell.
Of course, some might argue that he did so because he was already dying from the curse on the ring. But Phineas didn't believe that.
Dumbledore was one of the most advanced wizards in magical history. Magic couldn't solve everything, but it could work miracles. If he'd wanted to, Dumbledore could have found a way to delay the curse or even suppress it for a time. But he chose not to. He chose to sacrifice himself, to stall Voldemort, and to buy time for Harry and the others to grow stronger.
Even in death, Dumbledore made sure to pass the Elder Wand to an unlikely master, ensuring it wouldn't fall into Voldemort's hands.
Phineas shook his head slightly, brushing away the cloud of thought, then looked at Dumbledore and said,
"Professor, even though we've already defeated you-know-who once, I still don't think your time has come."
Dumbledore smiled gently and said, "Phineas, you must understand—death is not something to be feared..."
Phineas cut him off.
"Maybe not for the dead. But for the living, Professor, death is torture. I just said goodbye to Senior Nicolas. Please... don't make me say goodbye to you so soon."