Chapter 289: Dumbledore's Army II
"I think we can start practicing. The point of this activity is for everyone to gain knowledge and get used to magical combat, right?" said Phineas, breaking the silence.
"If you want to engage in magical combat, the first spell you need to learn is the Disarming Charm. It's incredibly useful..."
He began introducing the function, effects, and usage of Expelliarmus.
"Excuse me!" a young Gryffindor called out. "Isn't Expelliarmus useless against You-Know-Who?"
Phineas smiled. "Though I haven't used it on him personally, this spell is very effective. It's even worked against Professor Dumbledore before. As for Voldemort, I wouldn't worry too much."
Harry looked at Phineas, confused. "Not worry? Phineas, what happened?"
Phineas nodded but kept it brief. "Something happened. I can't give details, but Voldemort won't be stirring up trouble in the wizarding world for quite a while."
Astoria glanced thoughtfully at Phineas, then turned to practice Expelliarmus with Luna.
Seeing this, the other young wizards paired up and began their own practice. Cries of Expelliarmus filled the Room of Requirement. Wands flew everywhere. Stray spells struck books off shelves, sending them tumbling.
With a few flicks of his wand, Phineas caught the falling books mid-air and returned them to their places. He glanced around at the students. They were clearly beginners—most couldn't properly perform Expelliarmus. The chaotic scene gave him a headache.
"Headache?" Penelope asked with a smile, walking over.
Phineas sighed and spread his hands. "I didn't expect their fundamentals to be this weak."
Penelope nodded in agreement. "Part of the problem is that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor changes every year. They haven't had consistent instruction. But it's also because they're only second years, and they haven't really lived under you-know-who's shadow."
Phineas blinked, then understood. Penelope was in sixth year, meaning she had been five years old when Voldemort disappeared. She had memories of those days, even if the worst had already passed. The wizarding world had grown increasingly dismissive of Voldemort over the years, so younger students lacked the urgency older generations had experienced. Their skills reflected that.
Phineas asked helplessly, "They're in second year—shouldn't they be studying magical creatures in Defense class, not dueling?"
Penelope thought for a moment, then nodded. "If I recall correctly, I learned about werewolves and vampires in second year."
"Right," Phineas said. "We'll need to tutor them properly."
He placed his wand to his throat and cast the Sonorus Charm.
"Okay, stop!"
His amplified voice made everyone pause and lower their wands.
"You all did well, but there's room for improvement—which is expected."
He continued, "Most of you haven't learned this spell before. It's a bit tough to start with, but this is material you should have already covered. If Sirius were still teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, you'd know it by now."
He turned toward two familiar students. "And for those of you slacking—yes, George, Fred, I see you."
The twins grinned sheepishly and raised their hands in surrender.
Phineas grinned. "Penelope and I will help those still struggling. Remember—Expelliarmus is about decisiveness. A moment's hesitation can be deadly. Once, a wizard cast the spell wrong and set his opponent's sleeves on fire... and paid the price."
Phineas and Penelope then moved among the students, correcting wand movements and incantations.
Time passed until a magical clock on a bookshelf chimed.
"Alright, that's it for today," Phineas announced.
Some students immediately dropped their wands, but not before a few final crackles rang out from late-cast spells.
"Well done, everyone. Time's up, and you need to return to your common rooms before Filch comes hunting for rule-breakers. We'll meet again next Monday at the same time. Watch your enchanted coins—Hermione will update you if anything changes."
"I know some of you want to practice Quidditch, but I suggest doing that on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. For now, we'll stick to Monday evenings."
Phineas organized the students into small groups and sent them off in waves. Harry followed the dots on the Marauder's Map to ensure everyone returned safely—the Hufflepuffs to their kitchen-side common room, the Ravenclaws to their tower in the southwest, the Gryffindors through the portrait of the Fat Lady.
Fred and George had given Harry the map at the start of the school year. They didn't need it anymore—they rarely wandered at night, spending most of their time in Phineas's quarters, and knew Hogwarts's secret passages by heart.
Once everyone had left, only Harry, Ron, Neville, the twins, Lee Jordan, Draco, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Astoria, and Penelope remained.
"That was incredible, Phineas," Hermione said, impressed.
He nodded. "Now that they've gone, it's time to talk business."
Penelope hesitated, unsure whether to stay.
Phineas noticed and handed her a notebook. "These are practical tips I've put together. Study them and come practice with me in the evenings."
It was both a promise fulfilled and a polite dismissal. Though he liked Penelope, he didn't fully trust her yet.
"Alright then," Penelope smiled and left.
Once the door closed, Phineas turned back to the group. "Now, let's discuss what I mentioned earlier—why Voldemort won't be causing trouble for now."
Astoria tilted her head. "Did you go after him?"
Knowing she was aware of Voldemort's involvement in Lisa's attack, the others turned to Phineas, eager for confirmation.
Phineas nodded. "Sort of. We attacked the Parkinson Manor and found Voldemort there. We fought."
Gasps filled the room. Astoria rushed to his side and inspected him.
"Are you okay? Were you hurt?"
He chuckled and gently waved her off. "I'm fine. I had Puff and Damon with me. Voldemort didn't stand a chance."
"But he's still powerful," Phineas added seriously. "He's in the legendary realm, though only just. If given time, he'll advance far beyond that. If you ever face him, avoid confrontation unless you've reached the level of a great wizard."
Hermione frowned. "Wait—did you defeat him?"
Phineas hesitated. "I'm not sure. I killed him... and Nagini. But he's used extremely dark magic—he won't die permanently until those enchantments are broken. I essentially returned him to the state he was in last year, but I think it counts as a victory."
"Voldemort is dead?!" Harry exclaimed, missing the nuance entirely. "So we're safe!"
Hermione sighed. "Harry, he said Voldemort isn't dead—just gone for now. He will come back."
Phineas observed Hermione with a fond smile. Even in Ravenclaw, she was still the one keeping Harry and Ron grounded.
While most of the group reacted with relief, Astoria remained by Phineas's side, quietly watching him with concern.
He smiled. "I'm really fine, Leah. I had my wizards protecting me. Voldemort couldn't touch me."
Astoria let out a relieved breath, though she puffed her cheeks in frustration. She looked like a tiny, adorable pufferfish.
Phineas patted her head affectionately. "Would you like to come to my house for Christmas? I don't think your father would mind."
Astoria blushed but nodded, running off to whisper excitedly with Luna and Ginny.
Phineas turned to Fred and George. "You've got OWLs next year. How's the prep?"
The twins exchanged guilty looks.
Phineas chuckled. "Even if you're not aiming for the Ministry, you'll need to pass to keep your mum happy—and to take electives like Ancient Runes, Potions, Herbology, and Alchemy. You'll need those if you want to create joke products."
Fred and George nodded. "We've talked it over—we'll each focus on two subjects."
That satisfied Phineas. As for Lee Jordan, his future was secure—he planned to join the International Quidditch League as a commentator, and was already honing his skills at Hogwarts.
Harry and the others still had time before they needed to make career choices.
Phineas turned to Harry. "Let's visit Sirius on Christmas Day. He should be awake by then."