Chapter Summaries

Veronica told Father Constantine that her sister Monica had met a witch and encountered a devil, then witnessed a woman vanish and reappear at the DFS store by Rialto Bridge. She called Constantine with new information after Monica rushed out, while Cedric went off to play a vampire.

• Veronica told Father Constantine that Monica had met a witch who used magic and that she had found Zodiac, an American serial killer.
• Constantine warned Veronica not to confront a practitioner of black magic alone and explained how fear and witchcraft accusations had caused historical persecutions.
• Constantine gave Veronica his cross and advised her to look after Monica, who was her family in the secular world.
• At the DFS store by Rialto Bridge, Veronica saw a woman vanish and reappear, confirming to her that the woman was no ordinary tarot-reading witch.
• Monica rushed out, and Veronica called Constantine to report her new information.

Pomona reflected on cruelty, witch persecution, and the dangers of knowledge used by people without empathy as she pursued two motorcycle-riding thieves. She trapped their motorcycle, but the Occamy Cockroach Cluster escaped its bag and transformed into a fifty-foot serpent, leaving her unsure how to contain it.

• Monica answered a phone call while Pomona watched two motorcycle-riding thieves ahead of them.
• Pomona considered historical cruelty, witch hunts, and how Muggles might misuse witchcraft and other knowledge.
• Pomona turned a Venetian courtyard road into quicksand, causing the thieves' motorcycle to sink.
• The thieves' travel bag flew open, and the Occamy Cockroach Cluster escaped and transformed into a fifty-foot serpent.
• Pomona watched the panicking Muggles and wondered whether she could shrink the serpent back into a bracelet.

Alessandro followed Gianluca and the British wizard Edgar Smith to St. Mark’s Basilica, where Edgar confronted a Church secretary-general about the history of witch hunts and a murder tied to dark magic. The wizard magically sent Alessandro out of the room, leaving him grinning but regretting that he had asked about Linda.

• Fernando warned Alessandro that rising sea levels could turn the Moses Project into a permanent barrier and ruin the lagoon’s fishing grounds, while urging him to work as a boatman instead of going to university.
• Alessandro and Gianluca discussed seeking knowledge for themselves, then went with Edgar Smith to St. Mark’s Basilica.
• Edgar demanded to see Bishop Francisco, but a priest led the group to the secretary-general when the bishop was away.
• Edgar and the secretary-general argued over witch hunts, Church history, and whether the Church had been unfairly blamed for persecution.
• Alessandro asked whether a wartime spy had killed Linda and dumped her body in the lagoon, and Edgar used magic to make him leave the room.

Pomona reflected on superstition, witch trials, and the ways legends and stories were exploited, then examined the Snail Mansion and worked through the added puzzle. She found that its key was SLUG and considered the history of the Caesar cipher.

• The chapter recounted human sacrifice, Joan of Arc’s execution, and the fraud in which Anmeisi impersonated Joan with help from Joan’s brothers.
• It described the Decameron, the Inquisition, and how secular rulers and mobs also persecuted people accused of heresy.
• The chapter connected possession, inspiration, and commercial success through Joan’s brothers and Conan Doyle’s continued use of Sherlock Holmes.
• It discussed sleepless cities, serial killers, and the fascination with Jack the Ripper before Pomona looked toward the Snail Mansion.
• Pomona recalled Hermione Granger’s use of a Time-Turner and wondered whether the past could be changed or only fulfilled.
• Pomona identified SLUG as the key to the added puzzle and considered the origins of the Caesar cipher.

Severus Snape and Gianluca Dante argued with the Secretary-General about witchcraft, madness, and whether evil spirits could be distinguished from psychological and physical forces. The Secretary-General revealed that the bishop had gone to the Vatican, leaving the two visitors with him until a new Pope was chosen.

• Severus Snape and the Secretary-General discussed Prince-Bishop Ernst, alleged demonic possession, and the history of witch hunts while Gianluca questioned their claims.
• The Secretary-General explained the Stanford Prison Experiment and argued that social roles and prejudice could spread cruelty and madness among otherwise healthy people.
• Severus warned Gianluca about the Devil Effect, while the Secretary-General challenged his belief that a world without God or devils could be verified.
• Severus and the Secretary-General discussed dark wizards, Voldemort, Grindelwald, and the limits of their disagreement.
• The Secretary-General told Severus that the bishop had gone to the Vatican and that they would have to deal with him until a new Pope was chosen.

Snape met with the secretary-general, who asked him to investigate a nobles’ gathering where spiritualist games might be held. Their discussion connected the gathering to an old witchcraft investigation and the possibility that Doctor Paul was possessed, and it ended with Snape demanding payment for his help.

• The secretary-general recounted Delio’s investigation into mysterious deaths at a Bavarian monastery and the accusations that implicated local elites in witchcraft.
• The secretary-general told Snape that nobles might hold a spiritualist gathering that night and suggested Snape infiltrate it.
• Snape asked about Venice’s witches and the secretary-general admitted that the Church was investigating a past outbreak of madness and the Civet Cat Incident.
• Snape questioned how many people had gone missing, and the secretary-general suggested that Doctor Fred and Doctor Paul might no longer be human.
• The secretary-general said Doctor Paul might be possessed and that the demon inside him was holding another banquet.
• Snape demanded to know what he would get for helping, and he and the secretary-general traded smiles without yielding.

Snape, Gianluca, and the secretary-general debated Zodiac’s cipher, the role of media and evil influences, and whether people could resist their impulses. The argument ended with Snape and Gianluca provoking the priest until he ordered them out of his office.

• The secretary-general examined Zodiac’s cracked cipher, while Snape suggested the killings followed lunar phases and Gianluca questioned whether the killer was influenced by the devil.
• The secretary-general recounted how five missionaries died among the Auca people and how their wives later returned, leading the chief to embrace the Gospel and abandon cannibalism.
• The secretary-general challenged Snape about his feelings for his wife and the woman who had saved him, prompting Gianluca to warn Snape not to let the priest control him.
• Gianluca suggested Zodiac’s cipher might be connected to a Ouija board, while the secretary-general speculated that ETT could be a curse or a misleading message.
• Snape and Gianluca mocked the secretary-general’s religious rules until he lost his temper and ordered them out of his office.

Alessandro reflected on sailors’ hardships and his father’s views on survival, justice, and responsibility as he considered escaping his unchanging life. After receiving Monica’s message, he went to meet her, while cardinals in Rome discussed choosing a new pope.

• Alessandro recalled how Alicia’s sailor partner had abandoned her and how she had raised her daughters alone.
• Fernando told Alessandro about shipwreck survivors drawing lots to decide who would be killed and eaten, and compared selfish British and American behavior to captains who abandoned others.
• Alessandro sat outside St. Mark’s Basilica searching the tourists for a mark that might identify Americans, then received Monica’s message asking him to pick her up.
• Alessandro remembered how the British wizard had shown him and Gianluca the Floo Network and advised Gianluca to buy houses with fireplaces in France and Germany.
• Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel discussed the pope’s resignation and the election of his successor.

Joseph watched the cardinals maneuvering before the papal election and warned Bergoglio that the Vatican held dangerous secrets. He left Bergoglio unsettled and walked away with the confidence of a rock star.

• Joseph left the buzzing cluster of cardinals after feeling that something had interfered with him.
• Joseph reflected on the Church’s age, the coming papal election, and the differences between conservative Ratzinger and reformer Bergoglio.
• Bergoglio asked Joseph about the pope’s health and whether he could preside over the Easter ceremony.
• Joseph said he protected the Vatican and the pope, then warned Bergoglio about ghosts and urged him to watch his words and actions.
• Joseph bowed respectfully to Bergoglio and walked away with a swagger.

Snape and Gianluca questioned the secretary about historical witch hunts, the child Veronica Zelirachin, and the Church’s response to accusations of witchcraft. The discussion turned to Protestant opposition to witch trials and ended with Snape considering Britain’s isolation and need for an American partner.

• The secretary told Snape and Gianluca how street children’s accusations had fueled witch hunts and recounted Veronica Zelirachin’s theft of Communion wafers, violent crimes, and execution.
• The secretary suggested that a group might have saved Veronica, citing the removal of her body, while Snape speculated that she could have escaped using invisibility.
• Gianluca asked whether children and witch hunts were connected to Zodiac and ETT, and the secretary ruled out the White Penitents and the Black Legend.
• Snape and the secretary argued over Protestant opposition to witch trials, the Reformation, and whether religious belief itself could be seen as a pact with the Devil.
• Snape and Gianluca left without raising their intended matter, while Snape reflected that Britain needed America as a partner and wondered why Newton and Einstein studied theology and mysticism.

The chapter discussed the Devil tarot card as a symbol of selfish ambition, material temptation, and passion overwhelming reason, using historical witch hunts, crowds, and false accusations as examples. It ended by connecting the Devil to Capricorn and Pan, and describing a maze that trapped people who could not warn those who followed.

• The narrator contrasted a vulnerable fourteen-year-old girl’s fate with Wu Zetian’s, then described how the Devil’s promise of wealth and security enslaved people to material desires.
• The narrator recounted the Pope Joan legend and Maria Renata Singelin’s execution, then described how witch accusations spread through communities.
• The narrator compared accusations against Ariana Dumbledore and Michael with historical cases of children being exploited and falsely believed.
• The narrator explained how crowds surrendered individual judgment and responsibility, citing the French Revolution and the Martina Human Nature Experiment.
• The narrator described how extreme leaders could influence people’s behavior, then linked the Devil card to Capricorn and Pan.
• The narrator concluded that the Devil’s maze trapped those who entered and prevented them from warning those who came afterward.

Snape and Gianluca argued with the secretary-general about religious persecution, magic, and the danger of rising sea levels in Venice. Snape asked the priest to protect his godson and tried to hand over a cursed violin, while Gianluca recounted the history of the Waldensians; the chapter ended with Snape dismissing Gianluca’s claim that the present was already like hell.

• Snape tried to persuade the secretary-general that Protestants were not all bad, while Gianluca argued that they should work together to save Venice.
• Snape and the secretary-general disputed the history of inquisitions, dark magic, and the meaning of Snape’s Patronus.
• Snape asked the secretary-general to protect his godson if he came to Venice, and Gianluca ordered coffee as the priest and wizard called a temporary truce.
• Snape revealed that Lorraine of Hesse had given him a cursed violin containing the souls of six Muggles, but the secretary-general resisted taking responsibility for it.
• Gianluca explained how Waldo and the Waldensians challenged Church authority and were branded heretics.
• Snape lifted the Muffliato Charm and dismissed Gianluca’s suggestion that the world was already hell.

Snape read materials on Zodiac while the Secretary-General took a phone call, as the chapter discussed medieval food, medicine, masks, and the Church’s history. When the Secretary-General finished his call, Snape offered him the untouched sfogliatella, urging him not to waste food.

• Snape drank coffee and read the materials on Zodiac on the Secretary-General’s desk while the Secretary-General answered a phone call.
• The Secretary-General occasionally glanced at the untouched sfogliatella as he spoke.
• After putting down the phone, the Secretary-General received the plate of sfogliatella from Snape.
• Snape smiled and told the Secretary-General that food was innocent and that wasting it was blasphemy.

Pomona tried to rescue the panicked Occamy Cockroach Cluster from the Snail Palace and guide it into a dry well so it could shrink. As she climbed after it, she spiraled into doubts about her relationship with Severus and reached the rooftop, where Cockroach Cluster was hiding.

• Pomona stunned Alessandro and Monica’s robbers, then asked Alessandro to check the ornate well while she planned to move Cockroach Cluster into it.
• Alessandro found the well dry, and Pomona ordered him to remove its iron grate and keep visitors away.
• Pomona climbed the damaged staircase, calling to Cockroach Cluster while brooding over Severus, love, and whether he was real.
• Pomona found Gellert Grindelwald on the sixth floor and continued questioning her life and her connection to Severus as she climbed.
• Pomona reached the rooftop and found Cockroach Cluster curled into a cartoon pile of poop with its head hidden; she called it and its brother cowards.

Snape, Gianluca, and the priest debated betrayal, justice, and the forces that turned ordinary people against Katharina Kepler, before Gianluca revealed their search for evidence of Venice’s past dealings. The conversation ended with Snape proposing that they use the Devil together and hinting at a former friend who betrayed his family for love.

• The secretary-general asked Snape whether he had considered betraying his master, prompting a discussion of Zimbardo’s Lucifer effect and the witch trial of Katharina Kepler.
• The secretary-general recounted how Kepler exposed the motives and false claims behind the accusations against his mother, who died in prison despite being acquitted.
• Snape challenged the priest’s emphasis on obedience and asked whether he would help save Venice by finding evidence that Battista Cornaro-Piscopia diverted military funds to support the Christian alliance.
• Gianluca and the priest questioned Snape about betrayal and loyalty, while Snape argued that shared interests could unite people and suggested they use the Devil together.
• Snape said he had a friend who betrayed his family for a woman, and Gianluca cut off his explanation with a sarcastic remark about Snape’s supposed friends.

The chapter examined Kepler’s efforts to protect his mother, then traced the Waldensians’ growth and persecution, linking religious authority and false accusations to the dangers of social upheaval. It ended by warning that children could inflict lasting harm through malicious accusations, with no assurance that innocence would prevail.

• The narrator explained how Kepler’s return and investigation could prevent his mother from dying in disgrace, while his family faced persecution and hardship.
• The narrator distinguished believers, disciples, and apostles, and described how Waldo’s followers gained prestige by preaching across towns and villages.
• The Roman Church declared the Waldensians heretics, but their movement spread among dissatisfied townspeople and peasants before mercenaries attacked their communities.
• The narrator described how witch accusations and political turmoil threatened nobles and commoners alike, including a scheme to erase a monastery and everyone connected to it.
• The narrator contrasted childhood innocence with children who maliciously accused others, arguing that such false accusations could destroy their victims’ lives.

Snape and Gianluca argued with the secretary-general about the Crusades, democracy, demon worship, and the Church’s response to Zodiac’s plea for help. The secretary-general ended by asking what they knew about Sweden, where a Swedish marchioness was hosting a party that night.

• The secretary-general warned Snape to stay away from Rome and revealed that Nero’s ghost had been sealed in the Basilica of Saint Mary of the People.
• Snape challenged the secretary-general’s account of the Crusades, and the two debated political unrest, democracy, and public opinion with Gianluca.
• The secretary-general described Zodiac’s demon worship and the brutal massacre in Mexico, while Snape and Gianluca questioned whether the Church would answer Zodiac’s call for help.
• The secretary-general discussed Rousseau, Robespierre, and the end of wizard trials in Venice, then asked Snape and Gianluca what they knew about Sweden and its Nobel Peace Prize.
• The secretary-general noted that a Swedish marchioness was hosting that night’s party.

Snape, the Secretary-General, and Gianluca argued over the Church’s influence, religious violence, and the history of Protestant and Catholic conflicts. Gianluca revealed that they had come to Venice to find proof that it once funded the Church.

• Snape discussed Rome’s fire and compared Nero, Justinian, and Emperor Yang of Sui as rulers who provoked popular resentment.
• Snape and the priest debated Sweden, its treatment of outsiders, Viking religion, and the Church’s role in historical violence.
• The priest challenged Snape’s defense of Northern Europeans by bringing up witch trials, the Crusades, and the Thirty Years’ War.
• Snape identified himself as Snow Wolf and argued with the priest about Swedish history and the prospect of splitting Sweden.
• Gianluca said their group had come to find proof that Venice once funded the Church and suggested Church support had helped equip Polish cavalry.

Snape and Gianluca discussed Venice’s wealth, the Church’s financial needs, magic, and the possibility that Voldemort’s soul had survived. After questioning the Secretary-General about his beliefs and personal life, Snape decided not to show him the five-stringed violin.

• Snape and Gianluca told the Secretary-General that Venice could provide the Church with a vast sum of money to address its financial crisis and support Poland’s military.
• Snape asked about the Philosopher’s Stone, warned that Muggles might misuse magic, and said he suspected Voldemort had possessed his wife.
• Snape described venom that could destroy an evil soul and explained that Phoenix tears were needed to save someone poisoned by it.
• The Secretary-General said his exorcist had gone on vacation and discussed religious persecution, marriage, and the follies of high society with Snape.
• Snape changed his mind about showing the Secretary-General the five-stringed violin, saying he did not want it to destroy him.

The Secretary-General recounted how panic during Milan’s 1630 plague led people to blame suspected poisoners and described Bassani’s tale of a mysterious stranger and black-robed followers. The conversation turned to Snape’s past, reputation, faith, and the people he was protecting, leaving the Secretary-General burdened with his work and the others still probing Snape’s secrets.

• The Secretary-General told Gianluca and Snape about Milan’s plague panic, including the persecution of an apothecary and Bassani’s story of a stranger who urged him to poison the city’s doors.
• Snape said the Black Death had not been caused by magic, though people in black may have worsened the panic, and he discussed how people could be misled by confidence and reputation.
• Snape said he had joined an organization, then claimed it was the Dark Force Defense League rather than the Dark Lord’s group.
• The Secretary-General described how reputation shapes public belief and explained that he saw himself as a shepherd protecting his flock from wolves.
• The Secretary-General said his faith had begun after an experience in a Mithras temple and said he hoped people would settle down and start families.
• Snape joked that the Secretary-General wanted people to attend fewer parties and go home earlier, and the Secretary-General pointed to his stack of documents.