Hogwarts: The Greatest Wizard

Chapter 98: As You Wish

When Phineas heard this, his expression changed. His eyes scanned the hall, lingering for a moment on the professors' faces. A faint smile curled at the corners of his mouth, as if to say: This is not my fault. If the Flint family vanishes from this point forward, it will have nothing to do with me.

Upon seeing that smile, both Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape felt their hearts tighten. They knew what was about to happen, and though they tried to stop it, they were already too late.

Phineas gave a subtle nod.

"Very well, then. As you wish—war is coming."

As he spoke, he pulled a folded piece of parchment from his robes and threw it at Marcus Flint's frozen face. The parchment fluttered to the floor, and glowing letters appeared across it—an official declaration of war from the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black against the Flint family. A kind that would not end until one side was completely destroyed.

Marcus, already pale, became entirely rigid at those words: "As you wish—war is coming." The meaning struck him like a curse.

If someone nearby had natural talent in Legilimency, they would've heard the scream inside Marcus's mind—pure rage at the one who told him to provoke Phineas. Didn't he say Phineas wouldn't dare?!

As the parchment fell, even Professor McGonagall and the others could no longer intervene. From this moment forward, even if Phineas were to kill Marcus in the Great Hall, no magical law would punish him. Because this wasn't a schoolyard quarrel—it was war.

War between wizarding families meant absolute, unrelenting conflict, resolved only when one side was utterly defeated. And though powerful figures might intervene, the price for stopping such a war would be steep—often greater than letting it run its course.

Phineas calmly picked up his cane and walked out of the Great Hall. At the Slytherin table, the young pure-bloods remained frozen in place. Even those who weren't fully pure-blooded had deep ties to pure-blood heritage. They all understood what had just happened.

They had just witnessed the beginning of a family war.

None of them questioned whether Phineas had the authority to make such a declaration. Even if they hated to admit it, they now saw clearly: Phineas wasn't just another second-year student—he was the head of the Black family, wielding the same authority as their own fathers.

Until now, Phineas had never truly responded to their bullying. Not because he was afraid, but because he didn't think they were worth the trouble. But when forced, he resolved matters not with words—but with war.

And from this moment on, the entire magical world would feel it.

No one noticed that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Sakaski Ritchie, was still seated at the head table, quietly watching the Slytherin table, a meaningful smile on his lips.

As for Marcus—he had moved from shock to panic, but no one paid him any mind. Regardless of how the war ended, he was now the one who had doomed his family. He stood dazed for several moments before finally realizing he couldn't waste time. Phineas had already declared war. The Black family would act swiftly.

But the Flint family had no idea. If he didn't warn them, they'd suffer enormous losses. Even if punishment awaited him, he had no choice.

He bolted from the Great Hall, racing for the Owlery in the West Tower. He had to contact his father immediately—to confess his mistake and beg them to prepare.

Unlike Marcus, who relied on owls, Phineas had other means. As he stepped into the corridor, he called out softly,

"Puff."

With a pop, his loyal house-elf appeared.

"Go tell Kreacher to declare war on the Flint family. Begin with the plan I drafted in advance."

Puff nodded and disappeared with a pop.

After his mother's death, Phineas had long suspected that certain families had their eyes on the Black family's fortune. He had quietly prepared for this—creating separate plans tailored to each potential rival. Though the Flint family was not among the most powerful, they had once been a vassal of House Black. Even so, he had contingency strategies ready.

In the years following, Phineas continually updated those war protocols, especially as Voldemort's reign had driven many pure-blood families to liquidate assets and curry favor with the Ministry of Magic. While industry and holdings changed hands frequently, the core remained the same.

As Puff delivered the message to Kreacher, a vast network of house-elves deployed from Number 12 Grimmauld Place to all corners of the world.

Shortly after, the Black family's businesses—from magical breeding farms to shops and trading companies—began withdrawing funds, halting operations, and issuing notices.

And in that moment, the wizarding world felt the tremor before the quake.

It was the calm before the storm.

The sudden shift in assets from the Black family's holdings sent shockwaves through the British magical economy. The Ministry of Magic felt the pressure as the flow of galleons disrupted markets and shook confidence. Transactions halted. Rumors spread.

Most pure-blood families initially dismissed the reports. They had heard of the "war" from their children at Hogwarts but treated it as a minor squabble. After all, they had long ceased fearing the Black family or its heir. While they hadn't outright stolen from House Black, they had all profited over the years. They assumed Phineas Black was weak and naïve.

They were wrong.

The war was real. The Flint family's businesses were attacked—its assets frozen or devalued. Desperate, they tried to sell off industries that couldn't be used for defense, hoping to raise funds.

Only then did the pure-blood families realize that the Black family had never truly fallen. This young heir wasn't weak. He had baited them for years, letting them feed off the scraps of Black holdings—all while keeping the true empire hidden.

Now, with war underway, they saw the truth: Many of the largest, most profitable businesses in the French, Nordic, Soviet, and even American magical markets... were secretly owned by the Black family.