Chapter 310 : Four-Member Council
Elrond nodded.
"Speaking of which, my nephew is already eager for me to step down as clan leader. I can hand everything over to him under the pretext of mentoring and succession."
Corvus sighed.
"Little Corvus isn't yet of age, so I can't use the same excuse."
The Lestrange family has always been a peculiar one. Their patriarch is named Corvus Lestrange, and each is referred to by generation. The one before Phineas is Corvus VII.
In other words, the Lestrange patriarch is chosen at birth. If this individual does not grow up smoothly—say, dies prematurely—there will be no official patriarch that generation, and the family will be ruled by the elders. Between the fall of Grindelwald and the rise of Voldemort, Corvus V died at sea after being replaced by his sister, Leta Lestrange. Corvus VI later followed Voldemort. Thus, the Lestrange family was without a patriarch for decades.
Only recently had Corvus VII come of age and taken over the family leadership.
Corvus VII seemed like a star of fortune. With his rise, the Consular Family seat in the Council of Elders, left vacant since the fall of the Gaunt family, was filled once more—by the Lestranges.
Under Corvus's leadership, the French wizarding economy flourished. The passing of Nicolas Flamel—long a looming shadow with unmatched fame and influence despite his seclusion—allowed the Lestrange family to rise even further in dominance.
Now that Phineas had mentioned the matter of becoming a god, Corvus would undoubtedly begin preparations. Indeed, Corvus VII brought the Lestrange family remarkable fortune.
Still, as Corvus said, although the Lestranges held the reins of power, they had yet to master all the intricacies. The new patriarch was underage and could not take full control, so Corvus couldn't use Elrond's approach.
Fortunately, elrond—eldest of the four and a seasoned leader—quickly offered a solution.
"Corvus, here's an idea. Appoint assistants, deputies, secretaries—whatever you like. Recruit promising young talent. Once your family's elders decide the general direction, you focus on strategy and let your trusted subordinates handle the execution."
Corvus nodded thoughtfully. Elrond's strategy had merit. Even if it didn't fully work, it would lighten his load. Among the four patriarchs of the Consular Families, even the underage Phineas Black now surpassed him in magical strength. That was because Corvus had spent so long on family matters, leaving little time to improve his own magic.
"So," Kuzan asked, "where will this 'local battlefield' be?"
He referred to the mock war Phineas had proposed to deceive the Council of Elders.
Phineas considered it.
"What about the Gaunt family's territory? Their base is in Italy and the surrounding areas—we've already been fighting over it."
Kuzan frowned.
"And how do I know this isn't just a trick for you to seize it for yourself?"
Phineas shrugged and turned to Elrond.
"Elrond, do you want Italy?"
Elrond shook his head.
"Our Selwyn family is rooted in Greece. We're not interested in other parts of Europe, especially places lacking magical resources. And frankly, our focus is now in America. My grandson married into a family there, and Selwyn now owns shares in a Riem cattle ranch."
Phineas's eyes lit up.
"Riem cattle? Elrond, even if your family's elders hold most of the power, surely you can control some of the Riem bull's blood?"
Kuzan and Corvus also turned toward Elrond, intrigued.
Riem cattle are native to the American wilderness—rare and powerful. Their blood can temporarily enhance a wizard's strength and grant permanent magical energy. It's even an ingredient in the elixir of life.
Because of these properties—and their rarity—Riem blood is almost never sold publicly.
It was a coveted resource for the four, who were now all eyeing the path to godhood. So when Elrond hinted at access, the others watched him eagerly.
Elrond sighed.
"I can get some. I'll keep what I need and sell the rest—privately. But it must remain secret. If my family finds out, I'm finished—and you'll never get another drop."
Phineas nodded with a smile.
"In that case, I can trade basilisk venom, scales, skin, and blood."
Now Kuzan and Corvus's eyes gleamed even brighter. If Riem blood was rare due to scarcity, basilisk materials were nearly nonexistent due to their danger—and legal restrictions. Many who tried to raise them died themselves.
"You have a basilisk?" Kuzan asked.
Phineas didn't answer directly. He smiled.
"Black and Gaunt are distant relatives. Don't you know that?"
Elrond added thoughtfully,
"So, you've mastered Parseltongue as well."
"Also? Oh, that's right—your son's wife is from that family. I'd guess that Silna has the talent too."
Phineas paused.
Elrond nodded.
"Sadly... she's a Squib. Otherwise, with that talent alone, she'd have made a name for herself."
Kuzan added,
"I can contribute unicorn materials. Our family maintains a very well-hidden unicorn preserve."
Corvus said,
"In that case, perhaps the Lestrange family's ravens may interest you."
Unlike the Black family—whose magical creature bloodlines stem from now-extinct beasts—the Lestranges resemble the Dumbledores. Their bloodline comes from magical ravens. Every Lestrange child receives one at birth, and the family breeds them on a secure estate.
Many keep ravens as pets, but the Lestrange ravens are magical—rare and potent. Their blood can prevent death for a short period, serving as a powerful defense in life-threatening situations.
Had Lisa and Sirius possessed raven's blood during their ambush, they would've survived—even if struck by the Killing Curse, it would've only caused suspended animation.
But this blood was rarer than that of the Riem, and the Lestranges never sold it.
"Excellent," said Phineas. "We'll stage our war in Italy. It'll be efficient and manageable, allowing us more time to improve our strength. And meanwhile, we'll support each other with magical materials."
Elrond, Kuzan, and Corvus nodded in agreement.
These were not unambitious men. Now that the secrets of godhood were exposed, they would no longer waste their talents serving the Council of Elders.
The four rivals would now form a temporary alliance—sharing resources and staging a false war—to mask their true goal: finding their own path to divinity.
Of course, they each still held secrets.
Phineas knew that the Selwyn family owned not just a Riem ranch but also an ancient forest inhabited by elves. What resources they'd obtained from the elves remained unknown.
The Lestranges, beyond their ravens, controlled all of France's wizarding world—known for its alchemy and being home to many Veela.
The Richie family—Kuzan's kin—had their own hidden treasures, even Phineas didn't know what.
As for Phineas, he too had his secrets—like his nearly-pure bloodline and advanced strength. Even taking alternate paths, he would likely become a god in under fifty years. With further purification, it would be even faster.
Of the four, Phineas was the most likely to secure godhood without needing the Council's approval.
Thus, the secretive, tension-filled meeting came to an end.
Elrond, Kuzan, and Corvus dined at Phineas's manor, then departed.
Afterward, Phineas escorted Astoria back to the Greengrass estate. They were engaged but not yet married—and she was only twelve. Phineas would never harm her.
Sirius asked nothing about the meeting. He wasn't ambitious. Had Phineas not been the Black heir, Sirius might have abandoned the family altogether. He preferred tinkering with motorcycles, fighting Death Eaters, or frequenting Muggle nightclubs.
Watching Sirius head to bed after a few brief words, Phineas suddenly remembered something—he had forgotten to ask Lupin whether Sirius had ever fallen in love or dated at Hogwarts.
Lupin had gone back now, but Phineas could still send a letter.
He wrote his questions swiftly, and Popsicle—the messenger owl—took the letter at once.
From Sirius's awkward evasions and behavior, Phineas suspected his godfather had indeed loved someone once.
If the woman was now married, that was unfortunate. But if not, Phineas planned to investigate her character. The Black family already had Phineas to produce a proper heir.
Whoever Sirius wanted to marry didn't have to be a pure-blood, but she had to be kind and without ulterior motives.
Otherwise, Phineas might prefer Sirius to accept a marriage of political convenience. At least then, the match could be vetted—perhaps even with one of the more agreeable Selwyn daughters.