However, Dumbledore had not intervened in the spread of rumors about Phineas before, choosing instead to stand by and watch.
He couldn't say anything to Phineas at this point.
Should he tell him to stop using magic on his classmates in the future? That he should endure the rejection and ridicule? Even if they attacked him, he couldn't retaliate?
Wasn't that a joke?
Dumbledore knew very well that Phineas had never been a kind person.
The reason so many people in the wizarding world hated and rejected him was because of what happened when he reported the Death Eaters. He didn't just expose the heads of pure-blood families but also some young Death Eaters—many of whom were considered the future hopes of their families.
As a result, Phineas sent some people to Azkaban. The pure-blood families, seeing no way to save the heads of their households, were left without the means to protect their younger generations.
Phineas's actions had led to the punishment of two families whose descendants were given the Dementor's Kiss.
To make matters worse, these were two of the most influential pure-blood families. Could they not hate him for it?
When Dumbledore first learned of Phineas's reports, he thought Phineas had acted out of a desire to buy time for his family, to temporarily relieve the pressure they were under. However, as Phineas reported more families, Dumbledore realized that it was not just about saving himself. It had also been an act of revenge against all the families that had plotted against him.
How could such a person be considered kind?
Therefore, Dumbledore no longer had the ability to intervene. Phineas was, after all, the victim here, while most of the young wizards at Hogwarts were the perpetrators.
There's a saying that the law doesn't punish the masses, but when the offenders are nearly everyone, even Dumbledore's intervention would do little to improve the situation. He couldn't force the students to accept Phineas and be kind to him. Even he himself was wary of Phineas—a young wizard from a pure-blood family with vast heritage.
As the oldest and richest family in the magical world, the Black family had countless secrets hidden behind its legacy. Even now, no one knew how many great wizards it held within its bloodline—or whether any legendary figures still lived.
And Phineas had inherited all of this, legally and rightfully. How could Dumbledore not be cautious of him?
In short, everything that had happened left Dumbledore feeling powerless for the first time.
Snape, the double agent for both Voldemort and Dumbledore, had also taken note of these developments.
"I told you, what you did was wrong," Snape said to Dumbledore, his expression as cold as ever.
Dumbledore smiled bitterly. "I admit that I made a mistake here, but what can we do to improve the current situation?"
Snape's face twisted in disdain. "So, you're just going to watch as things deteriorate at Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore shook his head, his tone grave. "I believe the love of our professors will change everything."
Snape sneered. "Love? You keep talking about love, but I've never seen it work."
Dumbledore looked at Snape, his gaze filled with understanding. He gently stroked Fawkes, the phoenix perched beside him. "Severus, you know very well that Harry survived because of Lily's love."
At the mention of Lily, Snape's fury only intensified. He suddenly stood, leaning forward over the desk, his eyes burning with anger. "It's because of your so-called love that Lily died!"
Dumbledore fell silent, the weight of Snape's words hanging in the air.
When Snape learned that Voldemort intended to kill the Potters, he had gone to Dumbledore, desperate to save Lily. But it was too late. The betrayal of James and his own failure to protect her had led to Lily's death. And in her sacrifice, she cast a protection on Harry that kept him safe from Voldemort's curse.
That event had become a thorn in Snape's heart—a pain that could never be removed.
The shape of Snape's patronus had changed to that of a doe, the same as Lily's, symbolizing the depth of his grief and love.
This conversation ended on a bitter note. Dumbledore and Snape parted ways without a clear solution to the problem of Phineas.
Both men were now anxious to resolve the situation. In two years, Harry Potter, the so-called "Chosen One," would be entering Hogwarts, and they were both aware that Hogwarts was not currently in a stable state due to Phineas's actions.
Phineas, meanwhile, had begun to settle into a routine. Despite being largely ignored by others, it was better than the constant isolation and mockery he had once faced.
His daily life became predictable. Outside of classes, he spent his time in the Room of Requirement on the seventh floor, having moved his dormitory there from Slytherin. It didn't matter where he lived, as long as he had a place to practice magic in peace.
Perhaps because the professors didn't want him to be alone all the time, they made a point of asking him questions in class, often awarding him extra points. Though this hurt their own House's chances at the House Cup, they did it in the hope that it might improve Phineas's situation.
Even Professor McGonagall, who cared deeply about the House Cup, would give him extra points because she understood that the more points Phineas earned, the better his life would be in Slytherin.
"That poor kid... I really don't know how he survived on his own all this time," Jonathan, a professor who had initially refused to ask any questions in class, would now find reasons to award him extra points.
Despite the professors' efforts, things didn't improve for Phineas in the long run. However, he did manage to open several House Treasure Chests from his consistent point-gathering.
Originally, I had planned to write more about his daily life—his classes, the questions he answered, and how many extra points he earned. But I've decided to skip over these details. I know you don't want to read too much about the mundane aspects of his life, and honestly, I'm not very good with numbers. So, I'll just gloss over these chapters to avoid any discrepancies with the points.