Chapter Summaries

Pomona reflected on Rousseau’s relationships with Madame Dubin and Madame d’Houdetot while comparing his hesitation with the boldness of a soldier. She then asked Severus about his documents and learned that a new Ministry law had stopped their plan to produce Wolfsbane Potion.

• Pomona studied Rousseau’s life, including how Madame Dubin manipulated him and how his affair with Madame d’Houdetot unfolded while her lover, Monsieur de Saint-Lambert, was away.
• Pomona considered Rousseau’s inability to challenge Monsieur de Saint-Lambert and thought Parisian society was decadent.
• Pomona confronted Severus and asked what he wanted to tell her.
• Severus explained that the Ministry had barred their Wolfsbane Potion company because buyers now had to register under their real names.
• Severus said the law was intended to stop werewolves from plotting rebellion while keeping clear minds and powerful bodies.

Pomona reflected on unchecked power, wartime choices, and the dangerous illusions people embraced while worrying that Voldemort could invade her mind. Aboard the nighttime train, she told Severus about the mental connection and kissed him before he could react further.

• Pomona considered how unchecked power enabled abuse and concluded that Voldemort's followers mostly obeyed him out of fear or self-interest.
• Pomona believed Albus had mistaken Harry for Voldemort's final Horcrux and feared Cedric Diggory might become another sacrifice.
• Pomona reflected on the Mirror of Erised and the seductive dreams it offered, then watched Severus sing to her beside her bed.
• As the train traveled through the mountains, Pomona worried that restricted medicines and illegal trade could leave werewolves vulnerable to Fenrir's influence.
• Pomona told Severus that Voldemort sometimes invaded her mind and had warned her about a color-changing ghoul in the carriage.
• Severus cursed, and Pomona sealed his mouth with a kiss.

Pomona and Severus discussed Voldemort, Lily, and the werewolves’ demand to surrender while traveling through Central Europe by wizarding train. The debate over whether werewolves counted as people left Pomona worried that Teddy would be drawn into public attention.

• Pomona questioned whether Lily had truly died, and Severus said he had buried her and that Voldemort had left no heir.
• Pomona and Severus agreed that “Stauern” would be their code word if she ever seemed unlike herself.
• Severus told Pomona that werewolves were seeking surrender and that the Ministry of Magic was debating whether to accept it.
• Pomona learned that Harry Potter supported recognizing werewolves as people, while Kingsley Shacklebolt cited Remus Lupin’s words and service at the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Pomona worried that Teddy would attract attention as the son of a werewolf, then kissed Severus and offered him Vienna Coffee.

Pomona reflected on the wars and alliances surrounding Vienna as the train approached the city, then wished Harry Potter good luck before his next challenge. The returned Potions professor questioned her, and the chapter ended with the train whistle interrupting her thoughts.

• Pomona recalled how European rivalries, the Ottoman siege of Vienna, and the Polish Winged Hussars shaped the Battle of Vienna.
• Pomona connected the battle’s apocalyptic riders and its effect on morale to the train whistle she heard from the observation car.
• Pomona said softly, “Good luck, Harry Potter,” hoping he would survive Avada Kedavra again and turn defeat into victory.
• The returned Potions professor asked with disgust why Pomona had said Harry’s name while holding a newspaper showing him as Director of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
• Pomona said Harry probably needed good luck and doubted he would drink Felix Felicis, then reconsidered the train whistle as it sounded again.

Pomona and Severus spent their hour in Vienna at the palace of Archduke Lorraine, where Pomona was dressed for a ball and Severus examined a cursed violin. As a dance tutor invited Pomona to learn the steps, the violin began playing an enchanting melody.

• John Muller met Pomona and Severus at Vienna Station and invited them to Archduke Lorraine's palace before their train to Venice.
• Pomona accepted an invitation to a ball and agreed to visit a villa in Venice, then traveled with Severus and John to the palace by Portkey.
• Two maids dressed Pomona in an ornate Hufflepuff gown while Severus examined a Guarneri violin with John.
• Severus explained that the violin was said to have killed six Muggles, and Pomona noticed blood and heard Parseltongue from it.
• A tutor from the Lorraine family invited Pomona to dance and teach her the basic steps, while the violin began playing a strangely enchanting tune.

Pomona reflected on loyalty, power, suffering, and the way people pursued beauty and salvation as she learned the cursed violin’s history and its connection to The Devil’s Trill. She remained unsure why Lorraine had given her the priceless instrument, while Severus intended to pass it to Flitwick.

• Pomona toured Venice in ordinary clothes and reflected on Princess Cissy’s unhappy marriage, her own objections to Remus marrying Tonks, and the consequences of rulers and nobles abusing power.
• Pomona considered how people responded to plague and disaster by blaming Jews and witches, then recalled the story of Tartini’s dream and Paganini’s performances of The Devil’s Trill.
• Pomona learned that the violin had transformed six Muggles into neither human nor ghost and that, along with its composer, they had sold their souls to the devil.
• Severus planned to keep the soul-harvesting violin and give it to Flitwick, while Sybill drifted in a drugged, uncertain sleep and mistook Severus for a devil.
• Pomona remembered calming Severus’s uncontrolled magic with a song and feared Lorraine during his own magical rampage, before he regained control without her help.
• Pomona accepted Lorraine’s rewards but remained puzzled that he had given her the expensive violin despite her knowing nothing about music.

Pomona heard a strange voice from the violin while asleep on the train and woke Severus to tell him it had spoken to her in English. After they dismissed the violin’s temptation and turned to each other, Pomona reflected on Slytherin’s Locket and the deadly mistake that had inspired it.

• The chapter recounted the legend of a girl who stayed silent for six years to free her six brothers from a swan curse, then saved them as she was about to be burned at the stake.
• Pomona heard a hoarse, snake-like voice urging her to become a swan, but she rejected it and woke on the train beside Severus.
• Pomona told Severus that the violin had asked what song she wanted to hear, and they agreed it should be hidden somewhere safe, with Severus suggesting Hogwarts.
• Severus pinched Pomona to make sure she was real, and the two began undressing each other.
• Pomona thought about Slytherin’s Locket and the young man who had used an unforgivable killing spell, then reflected that death had to be taken seriously.

Pomona and Severus traveled through Romania while reflecting on Hungarian Horntails, dragon slaying, and Hungary’s history. The chapter ended with the two alone in their train compartment, where Pomona tried to ask for dinner and silence while Severus continued their intimate encounter.

• Pomona considered how Hungary’s past and its plains had shaped the region and its relationship with Hungarian Horntails.
• She reflected on the dangers of dragons and recalled how Harry and others had dealt with them during the Triwizard Tournament.
• Pomona came to her senses beside Severus and worried that their actions would become gossip.
• Severus shaped cigarette smoke into a dragon and suggested giving Draco the dragon egg while keeping Cockroach Cluster.
• Pomona agreed to meet Lucius as godmother and asked Severus to bring Hungarian food to their compartment.
• Severus silenced Pomona when she asked for beef stew and quiet.

Pomona reflected on Venice, European history, religion, and the treatment of Muggles before reuniting with Cockroach Cluster on the train. Severus brought her a meal and startled her with live cockroaches, then used Forgetfulness Potion to conceal the incident from everyone aboard.

• Pomona reconnected with Cockroach Cluster, which still remembered her after two months with Draco.
• Severus brought Pomona beef stew with potatoes over rice, which she praised.
• Pomona uncovered a cloth on the dining cart and found a tray full of live cockroaches.
• Pomona reached for her wand and threatened to kill Severus after he said the cockroaches were food for the Occamy.
• Severus said he had used Forgetfulness Potion so nobody on the train would remember what happened, then covered the cockroaches again.

Pomona and Severus settled into a luxurious residence provided by the Duke of Lorraine, where Pomona reflected on bathing, wealth, art, and the rebellious meanings of Renaissance paintings. She declined to bathe and went into the courtyard, while Severus followed her in a foul mood.

• Pomona examined the bathroom’s inscription and decorations, connecting its Bacchanal mural to the rebellious art of Titian.
• Pomona remarked that the boy depicted above the gods would be sent to the stake, and Severus asked whether he was a wizard.
• Pomona told the House-elf Liuli that she was tired and wanted to be taken to their resting place instead of bathing.
• Pomona went for a walk in the private garden, and Severus followed her despite complaining that she was filthy.

Pomona reflected on women’s confinement, power, and justice through the history of Venice and the story of The Merchant of Venice. In modern Venice, she left her sleeping newlywed husband a note and went out in disguise, inviting him to find her in the city.

• The narration examined how Renaissance architecture and ideals of feminine beauty confined women, then discussed usury, persecution of Jews, and the legal conflict between Shylock and Antonio in The Merchant of Venice.
• Portia used the bond’s exact wording to prevent Shylock from taking Antonio’s flesh without spilling blood, then secured the confiscation of Shylock’s property.
• The narration contrasted Portia’s disguise as a male lawyer with the greater freedom women had gained by the twenty-first century.
• On March 1, 2005, Pomona dressed in jeans while her newlywed husband slept, then left him a note proposing a masked game of hide-and-seek through Venice.

Pomona wandered through Venice while reflecting on Charlotte, Vernon, and the fragility of life, then devised clues for Severus to find her as she searched for a way to contact him. She left the story still moving through the city, with Cockroach Cluster hungry and unable to serve as a messenger.

• Pomona explored masked, crowded Venice and reflected on Charlotte’s revenge, Vernon’s sacrifices, and lives shattered by difficult choices.
• Pomona realized Severus had come to Venice because the city was about to sink, rather than fleeing Britain after the Chinatown battle.
• Pomona decided to walk through the city instead of Apparating and planned clues about Venice’s flooding and food to help Severus find her.
• Pomona searched for a magical contact who could provide an owl, since she wanted to avoid using her crystal to reach Severus.
• Pomona fed dried cockroaches to Cockroach Cluster, then tried to remain composed when a passing Muggle girl screamed at the sight.

Pomona explored flooded Venice and reflected on its religious relics, history, and glassmaking while traveling on her honeymoon. She met a local guide named Monica, who misunderstood Pomona’s suggestive joke and offered to arrange a threesome.

• Pomona crossed the flooded St. Mark’s Square and considered the stories behind the basilica, its relics, and the Holy Grail.
• Pomona recalled Venice’s glassmaking history, including how glasswort helped produce clear glass for Galileo’s telescope.
• Monica approached Pomona and offered to guide her around Venice.
• Pomona told Monica she was on a honeymoon treasure hunt with her husband and joked that Monica could earn a commission by recommending places.
• Monica quoted a daily fee and said she would not sleep with Pomona, then suggested that some people liked threesomes.
• Pomona stopped Monica and reacted with surprise at how openly Muggles discussed sex.

Pomona toured Venice with Monica, who took her to Caffè Florian and introduced her to her mother, Alicia. As they ate and discussed where to go next, lively accordion music began outside the café.

• Pomona reflected on the Hebrews' journey to Canaan and on the challenge of turning seawater into drinking water while wondering how angry the Potions professor would be when he woke and found her gone.
• Monica guided Pomona around St. Mark's Square and brought her to Caffè Florian.
• Monica embraced and kissed Alicia, who was clearing cups, then introduced her to Pomona.
• Alicia offered Pomona drinks and food, while Monica recommended Strega and warned her away from a nearby tourist-trap pasta place.
• Monica told Pomona that she brought guests to the café because Alicia worried about her meeting bad people.
• Pomona and Monica discussed Venice's districts and past hardships as accordion music began outside the café.

Pomona discussed Venetian art, love, and the legend of the Bridge of Sighs while resisting Monica’s attempt to take her on a gondola. She left Venice’s romantic customs and tragic love stories with cynical commentary about loyalty, sacrifice, and witches’ love potions.

• Pomona compared Venice’s art and landmarks with those of France and Austria, then described Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love and interpreted it through the story of Alcestis and Orpheus.
• Pomona imagined Severus being tortured by women, beginning with Alicia, and mocked earthly love and expectations of female modesty.
• Pomona argued that Plato advocated honest unions between men and women, while Venetian service knights offered companionship and protection to noblewomen in exchange for payment.
• Pomona refused to ride a gondola with Monica and clung to Venice’s winged stone lion as tourists watched them struggle.
• Pomona recounted the Bridge of Sighs legend of a condemned prisoner who saw his beloved kissing another man, then questioned the value of dying for an unfaithful spouse.
• Pomona described Golden Witch Liqueur as a supposed love potion and warned that Venice was best avoided during Carnival.

Pomona visited the Franchetti Gallery with Monica, reflecting on art, love, and her treatment of Severus. Voldemort challenged her assumptions about beauty and men’s desires, while Monica arranged for her teacher to pass a message to Edgar.

• Monica asked Pomona whether Alicia was right to discourage her dream of studying fashion design, and Pomona suggested she consult her grandmother about Divination.
• Pomona learned that Monica’s teacher was at the gallery and later heard that he would tell Edgar if he arrived.
• While viewing art, Pomona reconsidered how cruel she had been by making Severus chase her and decided she did not want to keep playing games.
• Voldemort told Pomona that beauty was not invincible and urged her to guess what men were thinking.
• Monica asked Pomona where they should go next, but Pomona was unsure how to respond to the idea of a clearheaded Voldemort.

Pomona escaped her husband with Monica’s help and commandeered Alessandro’s boat to reach Soul Casino. As they traveled through Venice, Pomona recalled local legends about the casino, Marco Polo, and the Mermaids who lured men into the sea, and her appetite for mischief returned.

• Pomona spotted her husband guarding the Franchetti Gallery entrance, so Monica called her cousin Alessandro to help them escape by boat.
• Monica and Pomona climbed from the gallery balcony onto Alessandro’s speedboat and fled through the canals.
• When Alessandro resisted taking them to Soul Casino, Cockroach Cluster emerged, and Pomona revealed she was a witch and cast a Tickling Charm on him.
• Pomona threatened to turn Alessandro into a frog unless he cooperated, then lifted the spell and had Monica steer the boat toward Soul Casino.
• Pomona recalled Venetian stories about Marco Polo, the Turandot legend, and Mermaids who used a ballad to lure men, then welcomed the chance for more mischief.

Pomona and Monica reached Venice’s Soul Casino seeking shelter and answers about sacrifice, but its priest refused to admit Pomona. Pomona decided to visit Monica’s grandmother to find out where Venice’s witches were.

• Pomona and Monica confronted Alessandro when he tried to leave them at the cursed site, then went ashore together.
• The ugly face above the Soul Casino’s entrance spoke to Pomona and refused to open the door for her.
• A priest allowed Monica inside but barred Pomona, leading Pomona to challenge his beliefs about who deserved salvation and why people sacrificed themselves.
• Monica refused to enter without Pomona, and Pomona chose to seek help from Monica’s Squib grandmother instead.
• Alessandro returned carrying a harpoon and wearing a cross, and Pomona led the group back toward the boat.

Pomona visited Rosa, a Squib painter in Venice, and spoke with her about art, family, and choosing between magical and Muggle life. Pomona asked Rosa to keep her visit to the Doge’s Palace secret from her husband, who she claimed might kill her.

• Pomona admired Rosa’s paintings and asked where wizards gathered, and Rosa explained that she was a Squib who had chosen to remain in the Muggle world.
• Rosa told Pomona that her father had fought against Grindelwald’s pure-blood ideology and died in the war, while her mother had taught him to appreciate the beauty of still paintings.
• Pomona and Rosa discussed Rosa’s family, her years as a painter, and the painting of the Virgin unafraid of Roman soldiers.
• Rosa said she disliked the Mona Lisa, and Pomona admitted that she did too.
• Pomona asked Rosa not to tell her husband that she had gone to the Doge’s Palace, claiming he might kill her.

Pomona explored masked Venice with Alessandro and Monica, buying a Colombina Mask and visiting St. Mark’s Square. She noticed a person in a Ghost Mask as the square’s clock chimed, but chose not to investigate.

• Pomona bought one of Rosa’s paintings and a handmade Colombina Mask after eating a free lunch.
• Pomona put on her Invisibility Cloak while Alessandro and Monica changed into carnival outfits, and the three traveled by motorboat to St. Mark’s Square.
• At the pier, Pomona brushed past a person wearing a plain white Ghost Mask.
• The clock in the square chimed loudly, and Pomona left the masked stranger alone.