Chapter 335 – Finale! A Fantasy That Ended in Vain
The battle to ascend to godhood can only occur between demigods and those on the brink of becoming one. Yet no one knows who the final victor will be.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of Phineas and Astoria's wedding.
As the second son of the Black family, Phineas Black's wedding was bound to be grand—especially now that the Black family, along with one other, had severed ties with the Council of Elders and yet remained standing, drawing even more scrutiny and awe.
Harry, Neville, Hermione, and others came to lend their support.
In truth, Phineas hadn't intended to invite Hermione—he knew of her feelings for him. Given the circumstances, he couldn't choose her, and didn't want to affect her emotions by bringing her to his wedding. Still, upon hearing the news, Hermione insisted on attending.
She and Luna stood at the garden entrance, holding seating charts and guiding arriving guests.
The waiters in white robes and the band in golden coats had already arrived at the venue to debug their equipment and make preparations.
Many wizards who came to watch the ceremony also arrived here in advance, sitting in their respective seats, gathering in twos and threes, smoking pipes and talking in low voices.
Above the garden floated a vast white canopy that shielded them from wind and light, giving the space a regal air. A long purple carpet stretched into the tent, flanked by golden chairs and pillars entwined with white and gold flowers.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan—Phineas's closest school friends—were tying golden balloons across the garden, conjuring a romantic atmosphere.
"When I get married, I'm never wearing this again. It's choking me," George muttered, tugging at his collar.
"I'm sorry, mate," Phineas replied with a small smile. "But I am still the second son of the Black family. Sirius may be the head now, but I still represent our name. There's no room for sloppiness today."
George shrugged. "Alright, alright. What can I help with?"
"Nothing, really. Just enjoy yourselves. Sirius arranged most of tonight's menu personally."
As they spoke, a group of guests in formal robes with golden embroidery approached, chattering excitedly. The tent filled with dignitaries and professors, all present to witness this grand union.
Lupin and Tonks also appeared in the garden. Yes, that's right. Although Voldemort was no longer a problem, Lupin and Tonks still met and fell in love. They got married a year ago.
Of course, not all the people who came to attend the wedding were members of various families. The former professors of Hogwarts also appeared here. After all, both Phineas and Leah could be said to be their excellent students.
Hagrid caused a stir as he entered, but Sirius managed the chaos smoothly.
The ceremony began under the guidance of Dumbledore, who stood before the guests.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today we gather to celebrate the union of two kindred souls…"
"Phineas Black, do you take Lady Astoria Greengrass…?"
Sirius and the Greengrass family sat at the front, Mrs. Greengrass sobbing into a handkerchief while Hope and Daphne watched with joy.
Hermione and Luna sat off to the side, their expressions uneasy, a quiet sadness clouding their eyes.
Then, like a trumpet, Hagrid's booming voice echoed as Dumbledore pronounced, "…I declare you bonded for life."
As Dumbledore's voice cartied across the gathering, rich with warmth and just a hint of theatrical flair, he swept his ancient wand over Phineas and Leah's heads. A shower of silver stars burst forth, cascading around them like celestial confetti, swirling in lazy spirals around their tightly entwined forms.
The twins and Jordan erupted into applause, their faces alight with joy. Above them, the hovering balloons gave a festive pop!, releasing a flurry of golden bells and a radiant bird of paradise that soared briefly before dissolving into shimmering motes of light.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Dumbledore called, his eyes twinkling, "pray, rise to your feet!"
At once, the assembly stood—and with another graceful flick of his wand, the chairs and tents lifted gently into the air, as if caught by an invisible tide. From nowhere, small tables draped in crisp white linens materialized, drifting down to settle neatly alongside the descending chairs.
The band, having arrived early, struck up a lively tune, their instruments weaving a melody that seemed to hum with magic itself. Waiters appeared as if from the very air, their trays laden with frothing mugs of butterbeer, steaming goblets of pumpkin juice, and the occasional fiery shimmer of Fire Whisky—not to mention platters heaped high with every manner of delectable treat.
And then—suddenly—a large silver canine Patronus burst into the center of the dance floor.
Damon's voice echoed from it.
"Master, run! They're coming—!"
The message cut off abruptly.
Time seemed to stop.
Phineas's wand was in his hand in an instant. Guests scrambled to Apparate—only to find the wards disabled. The protections of the Lisa Manor had been destroyed.
Black-robed figures stormed in, masks hiding their faces. They didn't care whose family was present. Green flashes of killing curses lit the air, striking indiscriminately.
"Damn it!" Phineas growled. "Leah, you and Hermione go first Sirius!"
But his words froze.
Sirius's head exploded in a cloud of red and white as a spell struck him from behind.
"You bastards!" Phineas roared, grief morphing into fury.
A demigod's wrath is not easily contained. The elemental creatures Phineas had pre-summoned sprang into action, battling the intruders with relentless force.
Leah wasn't one to sit idle. She raised her wand and joined the fray. So did Harry, Hope, the Weasleys, Hermione, Daphne—all of them, ignited by Sirius's death.
"Phineas Black!"
A roar rang out. A glowing purple magic circle flared around Phineas.
"The Council?" he hissed. "So, you've come yourselves."
One masked wizard removed his hood, revealing an aged face.
"You're clever, boy. So clever. Why challenge us?"
Phineas narrowed his eyes. "Second Elder. You've reached the demigod stage. I see. This is about time, isn't it? You can't see the future anymore. You know I'm too close. If I ascend, I'll destroy the Council."
The Elder shook his head.
"You misunderstand. It's not what you'll do after becoming a god we fear—but what you'll do before."
Then Phineas realized—the Council wasn't here to kill. They were here to capture—specifically, Leah.
He turned.
And saw her struck by a volley of spells—cutting, crushing, explosive, and deadly.
"No!"
His scream shattered the magic circle around him as raw magic surged through him. Divine energy erupted, and the Second Elder didn't even finish his cry before he was disintegrated.
Grief-stricken by the deaths of Sirius and Leah, Phineas's rage triggered his final breakthrough. In a surge of magic, he ascended—becoming the last god of this era.
With godlike power, he annihilated the Elders and their forces.
But even gods cannot resurrect the dead.
And when the smoke cleared, only Phineas remained, standing in a field of corpses on what should have been the happiest day of his life.
Harry lost an eye, Neville an arm. Hope and Hermione, though gravely wounded, survived.
Carrying Leah's lifeless body, Phineas returned to the villa. In the silence of their wedding suite, he laid her gently on the bed and sat beside her, saying nothing.
At this time in the garden, Dumbledore and others who had left here to find helpers finally returned here with a lot of combat power, but found that they came back too late and could only leave this hell on earth with four seriously injured people.
Days passed.
Professor McGonagall visited the manor and found three fresh graves behind the garden: Lisa, Sirius, and Leah. Phineas was gone.
A few days later, news of the destruction of the Elder Council began to spread in the magic world.
Rumors swirled.
Some claimed he died. Others whispered he vanished into exile after destroying the council of elders.
But Dumbledore and Kuzan—true demigods—knew the truth. He had ascended and left the world.
At the moment he ascended to godhood, Phineas understood—clearly and painfully—why no gods existed in this world.
It was simple.
The world itself could not bear the weight of a god. Its laws, its structure, its very magic—were too limited. Any being who reached that divine state was instantly repelled, forced out into other realms where such power could be contained.
Phineas endured the crushing pressure of this world just long enough to do what needed to be done. He destroyed the Elders who had brought ruin upon his wedding. Only then, having fulfilled his vengeance, did he begin to slip from this reality.
He should have returned to his original world—where his journey had begun—but the toll of resisting this world's collapse for so long caused his consciousness to falter. At the edge of existence, he fell into a coma.
No one knows when or where he will awaken.
Nor what he will become when he does.
Looking back on his life, it was marked by sorrow from the very beginning. His father died before he could remember him. His mother passed shortly after. Of his two brothers, one vanished mysteriously and died, while the other was imprisoned—framed and locked away for over a decade.
Still, Phineas endured.
He upheld the crumbling Black family name and earned great respect in the wizarding world. After rescuing Sirius, he enjoyed a brief few years of peace. But his longing to return home eventually drew the attention—and ire—of the Council of Elders.
Through it all, he changed lives.
He saved Sirius from despair. He improved Remus Lupin's life. He mended the bond between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. He protected Hermione from being ostracized.
He found Sirius's daughter—Hope Black—and raised her as his own. And he fell in love with Leah, whom he married on the day tragedy struck.
But in the end, fate still had its way.
Sirius, Astoria, and the Lupins—who had once died in the original timeline—all died in battle this time too. Their deaths were heroic, but no less heartbreaking.
Still, not everything was lost.
The Black family did not fall. Hope survived to inherit the family name and legacy. Hermione, through her deep ties to the Blacks, found a firm footing in the Ministry—and may rise higher than ever before.
Neville, though disabled in the final battle, earned the lifelong respect of the entire Black family. He had fought to protect both of its patriarchs, and that loyalty would never be forgotten.
Phineas Black's life had been a turbulent storm—filled with grief, triumph, sacrifice, and glory. It may not have ended as he hoped.
But it was far from meaningless.
It was extraordinary.
And it was never in vain.
---
~~~~~
In a dilapidated hut in a northern town, a young man sat up in bed, rubbed his forehead, and murmured,
"So it was all just a dream."
Truth be told, the book's progression had issues—including its plot. Many foreshadowed elements went unused, like the original vampires' bloodline introduced early on, or the founders' inheritances Phineas obtained. Originally, I'd envisioned the vampire storyline spanning another volume, followed by a journey across the magical world to uncover relics and treasures before the final confrontation with the Elder Council.
Even that confrontation shouldn't have been so abrupt. I could have easily written another 100,000 words to flesh it out. But I misremembered the full attendance reward model, got carried away, and rushed the plot. Combined with recent civil service exams, corporate job hunts, and other real-life pressures, the ending ended up feeling hasty—or even unsatisfactory.
At least I'd written down some of my initial ideas. There was no magical wizarding world, no Hogwarts. Just a starving eleven-year-old boy's beautiful dream.