Chapter Summaries

Pomona studied Venice’s history of wars and maritime trade before hiding a letter with her next itinerary in the Doge’s Palace’s secret mailbox. She restored the damaged Lion’s Mouth with an illusion and left the palace with Monica and two young Venetians.

• Venice and Genoa fought a long rivalry over Black Sea trade, including a siege of Venice and the naval battle at Korčula, where Genoa won a decisive victory.
• Venice later sought trading privileges at Tana from Öz Beg Khan as it worked to establish footholds along the Black Sea coast.
• Pomona considered the Doge’s Palace’s history and its secret mailbox, then hid a letter written in invisible ink inside it.
• Pomona used an illusion to restore the Lion’s Mouth sculpture Napoleon had destroyed.
• Pomona left the council chamber with Monica and the two young Venetians, then climbed over the palace wall to depart.

Pomona took Monica and Alessandro through Venice, teaching them to encrypt messages while discussing the city’s history and postal systems. With someone pursuing them, she had them finish an encrypted letter at a restaurant and rewarded them with coconut ice cream.

• Pomona brought Monica and Alessandro to Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie to try its seafood and teach them message encryption.
• Pomona explained Caesar and polyalphabetic ciphers, and Monica and Alessandro practiced using the key she had given them.
• Pomona discussed Venice’s doges, its mysterious alarm clock, and the history of postal services as the group prepared to send a message.
• Because someone was chasing them, Pomona chose not to visit Caffè Florian and instead had the restaurant owner deliver their encrypted letter.
• Pomona urged Monica and Alessandro to finish writing, then ordered three scoops of Antica coconut ice cream as a reward.

Pomona and her companions searched a Venetian church for a cursed statue, and she followed strange whispers into its cemetery. As the history of plague and quarantine weighed on her, she saw her face reflected in the black marble gravestones.

• The narration described Venice’s old ruling families, the Orseolo Hotel Severus had booked, and the city’s history of political conflict.
• Pomona, Monica, and Alessandro visited the Church of Saints John and Paul, where Monica sensed faint whispers like snakes hissing.
• Pomona warned that the presence might be worse than ghosts, then used the Invisibility Cloak and followed the sound through the church’s back door.
• Pomona entered the cemetery and reflected on Venice’s plague history, Poveglia Island, and the people who died without leaving their names.
• Pomona removed her hood and mask and noticed her face reflected in the smooth black marble gravestones.

Pomona and her companions visited Venice’s Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and learned about the city’s history of plague, art, and religious devotion. After touring the church, they raced along the canals by motorboat, and Pomona decided Venice deserved more exploration.

• Venice’s history recalled how the Black Death devastated the city and how the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute was built after a plague vow.
• The account described the basilica’s artworks, including Titian’s paintings and Tintoretto’s The Wedding at Cana, and Napoleon’s removal of the latter to Paris.
• Venice’s later plague led authorities to quarantine people on Poveglia Island, where many died and were cremated.
• Monica spread her arms and laughed as she and her companions sped along the canals by motorboat.
• Pomona admired Venice’s scenery and the basilica as a possible wedding venue, then resolved to leave further exploration for another time.

Pomona visited the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute with Monica and Alessandro, where a strange Italian man warned that Venice was sinking. The church’s biblical artwork made Pomona wonder whether her cursed violin’s trapped souls could find redemption there.

• Pomona discussed the basilica’s construction and its costly foundations with Monica and Alessandro.
• Monica recounted the legend of Devil’s Bridge and asked Pomona to visit Torcello Island, but Pomona said she would have to ask first.
• Pomona and her companions entered the basilica through a side entrance and found a man in elaborate historical clothing admiring the church.
• The man told them to enjoy the beauty because their time was short and said, “This ship is sinking.”
• Pomona studied the biblical ceiling paintings and wondered whether bringing her cursed violin there could free the six Muggle souls trapped inside.
• Pomona noticed a figure that seemed to represent the plague and thought bitterly of Tom and his beautiful face.

Pomona toured the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and reflected on faith, vows, revenge, and Venice’s history. She encouraged Alessandro to learn fencing and Monica to consider a political future, but told Monica she needed to build a family and seek her family’s support first.

• Pomona considered the Venetians’ promise to build the basilica and reflected on the power of vows and faith.
• Pomona connected Venice’s history of sacrifice and political risk to the choices people made when tested.
• Pomona asked Alessandro if he wanted to learn fencing, but he refused.
• Monica asked if she could learn fencing, then said she might begin a political career by running for mayor.
• Pomona told Monica to ask her family for support and said she needed to build a family rather than act alone.

Pomona explored Venice with Monica and Alessandro, reflecting on its history, the Knights Templar’s money, and the Deathly Hallows before Severus arrived. She challenged him to repeat his declaration of love, but he disarmed her and insisted she come home with him; they left the church together when a phone rang.

• Pomona discussed the Knights Templar’s rumored transfer of wealth to Venice with Monica and Alessandro, and suggested that Napoleon might have sought the money.
• Pomona connected the story of the Devil’s Bridge witch and the Peverell brothers’ Invisibility Cloak to the possibility of a magical fabric.
• Severus entered the church after solving the key as “Coconut,” and Pomona asked what he had promised God when he was in the hospital.
• Pomona spoke about the church’s history and asked Severus to declare his love for her before God; he called her mad and disarmed her with Expelliarmus.
• Severus told Pomona to come home with him, and they left the church together when a Muggle phone rang.

Pomona reflected on the Knights Templar, Venice, and the power of Swiss banks while considering how she might help Monica and Alessandro. On March 5, 2005, she left her home with Severus after resisting his invitation only briefly.

• Pomona considered Venice’s chance to replace Switzerland as a financial center and connected the Knights Templar’s treasure to the city’s history.
• Pomona recalled the legend that Jacques de Molay cursed Philip IV and Pope Clement V before his execution.
• Pomona decided that Monica and Alessandro could win if they joined the game, though they might lose their carefree visits to Uncle Fabio’s house.
• Pomona reflected on her past and missed the Slytherin boy she had once wanted to protect from bullies.
• On March 5, 2005, Pomona and Severus left their bedroom, where they had stayed for three days, and Apparated away.

Severus and Pomona met Alessandro in Venice, where he asked Severus to teach him skills beyond magic. Their conversation turned to Venice’s role in the Fourth Crusade and the legend of the Spear of Destiny, while Pomona went to look for food.

• Severus and Pomona arrived at the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and met Alessandro, who had been waiting for them.
• Alessandro asked Severus to teach him skills, explaining that his father was a boatman and that he wanted a chance to pursue another life.
• Severus challenged Alessandro about Venice’s dealings during the Crusades, and Alessandro defended the city’s history.
• Severus recounted the legend of Longinus and the Spear of Destiny, then explained how Venetian finances and power shaped the Fourth Crusade and the fall of Constantinople.
• Pomona went to look for food while Severus and Alessandro continued talking.

Pomona and Severus traveled with Alessandro and Monica to Torcello Island while Pomona reflected on Venice’s history, religious power, and the hardships of life. As they reached the island, she wondered whether vampires might be connected to magia posthuma, and Severus teased her with a bet.

• Alessandro picked up Monica, and she, Pomona, and Severus traveled by motorboat toward Torcello Island.
• Pomona reflected on Venice’s origins and the histories of Constantinople, the Church, witch hunts, and magia posthuma.
• Pomona fell into Severus’s arms and thought about his first love, Lily, and the life he had spent protecting her son.
• Pomona asked Severus whether vampires might be on the island, and he whispered a bet that made her punch him.

Pomona and Severus investigated the Devil’s Bridge legend in Venice and learned that a witch had traded newly dead babies and their souls to the devil. As they reflected on Harry’s near-fatal childhood and the devil’s possible motive, a gondola drifted past, leaving Pomona unsure what to believe.

• Pomona found the Devil’s Bridge ordinary, but Severus pressed close to her while they stood outside.
• Alessandro’s cough interrupted Pomona’s reverie, and she straightened her disheveled clothes as tourists arrived by boat.
• Monica told Pomona and Severus that the witch and devil had traded on Christmas Eve every seven years, before the devil began appearing every Christmas.
• Severus connected the timing to Harry’s arrival in Godric’s Hollow before Christmas, and Pomona recalled Nagini’s attack on Harry and Hermione.
• Monica said the witch had traded newly dead babies and their souls, and Pomona wondered whether the devil wanted them to keep children from losing their way.

Pomona and Monica explored Torcello Island and discussed Venice’s history, its cunning merchants, and its naval power. Their conversation turned to the legend of Devil’s Bridge and a mysterious contract requiring a dead child every seven years, leaving Pomona unsettled by the possibility of a real devil.

• The narration described how Venetian merchants used debt and political cunning to build their power, while contrasting Venice’s customs with the quieter life on Torcello Island.
• The narration recounted Venice’s mercenary wars, the growth of its arsenal, and how Napoleon later requisitioned its navy.
• Monica linked arms with Pomona and suggested they go bar-hopping, joking that Pomona’s husband looked too old for a young people’s party.
• Monica asked Pomona about vampires in bars and whether Devil’s Bridge really had a devil.
• Pomona said she did not know why the bridge’s contract demanded a newly dead child every seven years, and Monica speculated that the girl in the legend had gained immortality from the devil.

Pomona, Severus, Alessandro, and Monica discussed the history of slavery, Rome, Attila, and Venice while visiting a stone chair said to have belonged to Attila. Severus wanted to stay beside the chair, but Pomona led him away, leaving its identity and future uncertain.

• The chapter recounted Roman slavery, gladiatorial combat, the Spartacus uprising, and the military customs of Sparta.
• It described Attila's invasion, earthquakes, and the fall of Western Rome, then questioned whether the stone chair in Venice had ever belonged to Attila.
• Monica asked whether evil spirits were above the church, while Pomona asked who had placed the chair there.
• Severus and Alessandro speculated about the chair's material and ownership, and Severus suggested a picnic instead of visiting a restaurant.
• The group picnicked near the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and discussed Venice's church, its history, and the value of giving.
• Pomona took Severus by the hand and led him away from the chair, which might become a legendary relic or remain an ordinary stone.

Pomona reflected on Venice’s festivals, history, and lessons about knowledge, restraint, and appearances while considering plans for a vault and her own shortcomings. She ended by judging herself unsuited to leadership and more comfortable as a follower.

• Pomona described Venice’s Savior Festival, the Redeemer Bridge, and the citywide celebrations that continued despite the epidemic.
• Pomona considered Venetian boat customs and the value of practical knowledge, then discussed the dangers of luxury and the need for restraint.
• Pomona compared Severus and Lucius Malfoy with other Death Eaters, noting that their restraint made them seem better without making them truly good.
• Pomona reasoned that Torcello Island offered a better site for a vault than Venice’s marshy main island and considered how competition could improve a shopkeeper’s terms.
• Pomona reflected on Regatta Day and appearances, judging Lockhart a foolish performer and admitting that she felt insecure around Severus.
• Pomona concluded that she was unfit to lead and preferred the ease and safety of following orders.

Pomona enjoyed a sunny day on Torcello with Monica and Alessandro, then explained her idea for reviving Venice by turning it into a financial center. She began telling Monica the history behind Festa della Salute and ended by criticizing Napoleon’s claim to Italy.

• Pomona bought sandwiches and a strawberry cocktail in Venice before traveling to Torcello with Monica and Alessandro.
• Pomona set up a magical tent and lounge chairs on Torcello, where Monica joined her in sunbathing before they headed to a vineyard.
• Monica asked what Edgar and Sandy planned, and Pomona described their idea of creating a Venetian financial center to replace tourism.
• Pomona explained that Venice’s religious traditions and reputation for keeping promises could help attract banks and investors.
• Pomona began telling Monica a story involving the Crusades, the Knights Templar, and the King of France, then remarked that Italians had never accepted Napoleon as their ruler.

Monica, Severus, Pomona, and Alessandro discussed the conspiracy of Marino Faliero and concluded that Giovanni Dandolo had exposed it to protect Venice’s oligarchic government. They decided their search for the Knights Templar’s money might require investigating both the Grazia and Dandolo families, and Severus raised the possibility of finding clues in Eugène Delacroix’s paintings.

• Monica recounted how Marino Faliero’s anger over Steno’s insult led him to conspire with Isanero and Calandario against Venice’s ruling council.
• The Council of Ten uncovered the conspiracy, executed Marino Faliero and his supporters, and left an empty frame where the Doge’s portrait belonged.
• Severus explained that a sailor likely informed Giovanni Dandolo, who reported Marino’s plot to prevent him from destroying the Council of Ten and the Great Council.
• Monica said Giovanni Grazia succeeded Marino as Doge, prompting the group to consider investigating the Grazia and Dandolo families for clues about the Templar money.
• Severus suggested Delacroix’s paintings might contain clues, while Pomona wondered whether Marino’s wife Lucia had truly withdrawn to a monastery.

Pomona, Severus, Monica, and Alessandro discussed Venice's history, its exiles, and Monica's theory that Eugène Delacroix was connected to Freemasonry. The conversation ended when Monica explained that Women of Algiers depicted a woman's bedchamber, shocking Pomona.

• Pomona wondered whether Giovanni Dandolo was related to the Doge of the same name, and Alessandro said the Dandolos would oppose Marino's schemes.
• Severus asked Monica what clues she had about Eugène Delacroix, and Monica recalled a photograph of him posing with his hand inside his coat.
• Monica connected Delacroix to Morocco through Women of Algiers and The Jewish Wedding in Morocco, and Pomona questioned her theory about Morocco as a tax haven.
• Pomona discussed Venice's Jewish quarter, the city's history of sheltering exiles, and the risks of exploiting workers.
• Monica said Delacroix painted both works during his 1832 trip to Morocco, and explained the political context of that journey.
• Monica said Women of Algiers depicted a woman's bedchamber, and Pomona shrieked while Severus smiled at Alessandro's confusion.

Pomona reflected on Venice’s history, its wealth, wars, and decline while considering how the city might uncover evidence of the Knights Templar’s presence and build a new financial center. The chapter ended with Venice’s eventual submergence seeming inevitable as the Adriatic Plate sank and rising seas threatened the city.

• The narrator recounted the history of the Bridge of Sighs, the Foscari family, and the wars that weakened Venice.
• The narrator described how neglected manuscripts, tax evasion, and underfunded defenses had shaped the fortunes of Venice and other states.
• The narrator considered the Knights Templar’s wealth and reasoned that account books, descendants, and informed witnesses could reveal whether Venetians had protected the order.
• Pomona felt like a salon hostess as intelligent guests gathered around her and she provided food and a place to meet.
• The narrator explained that rising seas and the sinking Adriatic Plate would eventually return Venice to the ocean.

Pomona and Monica explored Venice’s history, political decline, and plans to turn Poveglia into a tourist destination. At Lazaretto, Pomona explained that the supposed vampire ritual reflected despair rather than a real monster, and she doubted Venice could be roused from its decline.

• The narration described Venice’s former power, its political struggles, and how Napoleon’s invasion destroyed the original sculpture of Doge Francesco Foscari at the Porta della Carta.
• Monica and Alessandro’s plan to shift Venice from tourism toward banking faced resistance from the city’s complacent residents.
• Venice’s government pursued a real-estate project to lease Poveglia, the plague island, despite the island’s grim history.
• Pomona and Monica left Torcello in the afternoon and traveled to Lazaretto, where Muggle archaeologists had recreated a ritual for driving away supposed vampires.
• Monica explained that plague victims buried before death may have struggled in their shrouds, and Pomona said the supposed vampires were Dementors and that abandoning hope opened the gate to hell.

Pomona and Severus explored an abandoned plague church on Lazzaretto Island and discussed how despair and Dark Magic might create Dementors. They left after sensing that an archaeology club’s activity on the island involved dangerous Dark Magic.

• Pomona learned that the church had once treated leprosy and Black Death patients and that the island had later been used as a military base.
• Pomona wondered whether Dementors had physical bodies that could be destroyed, and Severus said they had watched him while Dementors bred in great numbers.
• Pomona cast a swan Patronus and set off magical fireworks, surprising Monica and Alessandro.
• Monica and Alessandro discussed Venice’s history, its independence, tourism, and the threat of flooding.
• Pomona declined to visit the mass grave, and Severus sensed Dark Magic connected to the archaeology club’s activity on the island.
• Pomona and the others decided to leave the island, with Severus suggesting that it be made Unplottable.