Chapter 142 – The Beginning
Back when Death Eaters attacked Muggles and Muggle-born wizards, they used a unique flying spell to travel, cloaked in dark mist.
Later, Dumbledore developed a variation of this spell for the Order of the Phoenix, building upon the version originally invented by the Dark Lord.
Phineas's second brother had once been one of the few individuals truly trusted by the Dark Lord. This flying spell had been passed to him directly and meticulously recorded in his personal diary—along with detailed analyses and instructions. That diary eventually came into Phineas's possession.
Recognizing the value of the spell, Phineas made sure all his followers learned it. He even improved it, although he deliberately kept the black mist effect. Unlike Dumbledore, Phineas had no interest in appearing benevolent. White mist simply didn't suit him.
While the magical world already had several modes of transportation—Apparition, Portkeys, the Floo Network, and the Knight Bus—each came with limitations. Apparition was difficult and risky, the Floo Network required fixed locations, and Portkeys demanded preparation. The flying spell filled a vital gap. It was easier to learn than Apparition, convenient for travel or combat, and—most importantly—didn't carry the risk of Splinching.
As more and more wizards arrived using the flying spell or Apparition, Phineas surveyed them with satisfaction. These were not just werewolf wizards—when Phineas had instructed Puff earlier, he hadn't specified who to summon. As a result, Puff had brought nearly all the powerful wizards under Phineas's command.
Of course, the most elite remained behind to guard the Black family's core holdings—Phineas's foundation. But those who had arrived were formidable. Among them were several great wizards, even some legendary ones. The weakest present were experienced adult wizards; most were high-level.
Such a force could easily raze a city. Given time, they might even dismantle the magical establishment of an entire country—though that would take years. After all, even Grindelwald, with his army of great wizards and legendary power, didn't succeed in toppling a nation outright. He'd partly held back, hoping his old friend would eventually join him, and when they dueled, he even surrendered to pave the way for him.
Phineas stood, removed his ghillie suit, and smiled as he addressed the assembled wizards.
"I'm glad you're here. You all know why I've come. Just ahead lies a vampire castle. These vampires provoked me months ago. Their fate was unpleasant—but it wasn't enough to quench my anger. And my anger is your anger. Now, let me see it. Direct your fury at the castle ahead!"
With that, Phineas raised his wand. A silver-white orb of light formed at the tip and shot toward the castle.
The wizards behind him followed suit. A barrage of luminous orbs flew through the air—war magic, legion magic.
Each orb struck the castle walls like artillery, shaking the structure, blasting stones loose, and fracturing its defenses. When two or three spells hit the same spot, the walls crumbled.
Under this magical assault, the once-formidable castle began collapsing into ruin.
Naturally, the vampires inside didn't sit idle. A swarm of low-level vampires rushed out, hoping to disrupt the attackers. Meanwhile, the higher-ranking vampires cast protective enchantments from within the castle.
But they had made a critical mistake.
Phineas and his wizards had no interest in merely destroying a structure—they aimed to eliminate the vampires themselves. The low-level vampires, unable to cast spells, became little more than moving targets under the rain of Killing Curses.
It was like facing modern weaponry with only a sword. The result was predictable—slaughter. Though the wave of low-level vampires briefly delayed the attack on the castle, they were quickly annihilated.
By the time the high-ranking vampires realized the gravity of the situation, the ground outside was strewn with corpses and soaked in blood.
Though this castle wasn't the Reformists' main base, it was a key stronghold—home to nearly half of the faction's high-ranking members.
Their decision to throw away their low-level counterparts had cost them dearly. With no cover left, they could no longer blend into the masses to shield themselves from curses.
Phineas didn't care what the vampires were thinking now. His focus was on killing every last high-ranking vampire still within those walls.
"Puff," he said calmly, "take some of the others and cast anti-Apparition wards around the area. I want no one escaping this time."
Tasks like these were best suited for house-elves. They could appear and disappear instantly, and their magical talent was naturally superior to most wizards.
Puff immediately vanished with several other house-elves from the Black family, racing to seal off escape routes.
But even with Phineas's quick thinking, it was a bit late. Some vampires had fled the moment the battle began. Others vanished after realizing their low-level brethren had been wiped out.
In the end, only about thirty percent of the vampires who had been there at the start were now trapped inside.