Chapter Summaries

Harry, Hermione, and Ron searched Death Swamp for clues about Voldemort and learned the swamp was tied to the origins of Dementors and a dragon-treasure legend. Ron was badly wounded by a creature, and Hermione was left with him while Harry pursued it and their companion went for help.

• Harry, Hermione, and Ron found only a pair of wings and the word "revenge" while searching the fortress, then learned from Zabini that Death Swamp was said to be a place where early Dementors formed and a dragon guarded treasure.
• Harry led the group north into the swamp, keeping the search for Horcruxes secret from Zabini's two followers.
• At Riddle Family Cemetery, Voldemort summoned the Death Eaters, punished them, and rewarded Wormtail with a silver hand.
• A creature slashed Ron's legs, and Hermione's Dittany did not heal the wounds.
• Harry went after the suspected Dugbog while Hermione stayed with Ron, and their companion discovered that an Anti-Apparition Jinx prevented him from taking Ron to St Mungo's.

Harry and Wormwood discovered a hidden burial ground and a forest tied to Voldemort’s search for Dementors and former followers. After Dementors emerged and then mysteriously vanished, Harry escaped with Wormwood and Blaise Zabini, leaving Wormwood to explain what they had found.

• Harry met Wormwood in a strange wood, sent up a signal, and then followed him to explore when no one came.
• Harry and Wormwood found an overgrown farm and a buried field of human remains, which Harry suspected had been used to produce Dementors.
• Harry’s scar hurt near the burial ground, and he realized Voldemort had come seeking Dementors and former subordinates.
• An Augurey cried out, young Mandrakes began shrieking, and a swarm of Dementors rose as Harry and Wormwood fled the forest.
• Harry saw a dwarf and another figure in the mist before the Dementors abruptly returned to the forest, and he escaped with Wormwood and Blaise Zabini.
• Harry told Blaise to ask Wormwood what had happened, then Apparated away to see his friends.

Harry visited St Mungo’s after Ron was bitten by a Dark-magic-tainted Dugbog and learned the bite could harm Ron’s brain and nerves. Meanwhile, Pomona stayed with Severus at the manor, where their intimate moment ended in a reflection on the unpredictable feeling behind a decisive kick.

• Harry found Draco at St Mungo’s, and Draco led him to Ron in the Dangerous Dai Llewellyn Ward.
• Hermione told Harry that the Dugbog’s saliva had caused Ron to hallucinate and might damage his nerves and brain, then urged Harry to inform Kingsley about the danger in Death Swamp.
• Harry described what he had seen in Death Swamp to Hermione, left her to stay with Ron, and returned to the Ministry with Blaise Zabini after evading a Daily Prophet reporter.
• Pomona found Severus still at the manor, and he told her he had stayed because his return had been connected to Draco.
• Pomona and Severus shared an intimate moment, and Pomona reflected on how a player’s feeling could make a decisive kick succeed against the odds.

Pomona and Severus discussed conquest, utilitarianism, and the unequal treatment of Werewolves before Felix interrupted their romantic moment. The chapter left Pomona questioning whether her happiness with Severus was secure while reflecting on the discrimination Remus’s future child might face.

• Pomona read Jane Austen to Severus as he stared at the rain, and Severus quoted The Prince about the desire to conquer.
• Pomona explained to Severus that utilitarianism depended on a shared moral outlook and described Dumbledore’s opposition to war.
• Pomona and Severus discussed Dumbledore, Grindelwald, Voldemort, and Severus’s usefulness as a former Death Eater before they kissed.
• Felix interrupted them to remind them about lunch, and Severus lifted Pomona and spun her around the study after she laughed.
• Pomona reflected on her uncertain place in Severus’s heart and on the discrimination Remus and Tonks’s child might face because of having a Werewolf father.

Harry investigated the vanished creature in Death Swamp, but the Aurors found no evidence and Blaise Zabini urged him to prepare for the coming hunt. Pomona and Severus studied the maze and its alchemical clues, then considered asking their teacher for leave to return together.

• Harry and Galvin found that the Aurors had discovered no trace of the creature in Death Swamp, and Jim accused Harry of stirring up trouble.
• Harry questioned Blaise about Selwyn and Theodore Nott, then argued with Blaise over treating werewolves as prey and learned how Draco had told Snape about Harry's encounter with Lupin.
• Pomona followed Severus into the Chamber of Secrets and explained her and Voldemort's competing theories about the maze's coin clues.
• Severus proposed that the third coin's metal might be potassium or sodium, while Pomona worried about the maze's remaining riddles.
• Pomona invited Severus to return with her and ask their teacher for leave, and she admitted that begging might work.

Pomona revisited The Prince while searching her book piles and dreamed of a mysterious figure who debated how rulers should take advice. She woke in the Chamber of Secrets to find the maze model had changed again, and Voldemort reported that he could not enter its final level.

• Pomona searched through her disorganized books for The Prince while Severus mocked Dumbledore and complained about being left no way out after Dumbledore asked him to kill him.
• Pomona wondered whether a ruler praised for wisdom was wise in his own right or merely followed others’ advice, and a strange figure appeared among the bookshelves to discuss the question.
• The figure argued that a ruler who consulted many advisers might fail to act decisively, while one who listened to only a single adviser risked letting that person seize power.
• Pomona chose a book about preparing a banquet, and the figure vanished as her surroundings darkened and became a starry void.
• Pomona woke on the sofa in the Chamber of Secrets, where Voldemort told her that birds could fly inside the maze but he could not enter its final level; the maze’s inner structure had appeared.

Pomona, Severus, and Voldemort investigated a bird-themed maze whose puzzles appeared tied to constellations and alchemy. Severus confronted Pomona about his fear of becoming monstrous, then accepted her reassurance that she would stay with him as they prepared to enter the maze.

• Severus guessed that the raven and swan sculptures on the fifth and sixth levels represented Corvus and Cygnus, then identified a strange bird for Pomona to ask an expert about.
• Voldemort revealed that he wanted the Original Body Potion and a female Dragon, explaining that Nagini had laid the egg from which he hatched after drinking the potion.
• Severus admitted he had considered forbidden ways to save Pomona and feared becoming like the maze's creator, then seized her throat and demanded that she understand his decision to bring Voldemort back.
• Severus explained the alchemical meanings of the raven and swan and recalled that Voldemort killed the Muggles celebrating Tom Riddle Sr.'s engagement, beginning the Death Eaters' gatherings.
• Pomona told Severus she would not leave him because of his Dark magic, and he cried in her embrace while she comforted him.

Harry asked Bill to watch for suspicious Goblin contacts after finding a Death Eater camp and a hooded dwarf, then struggled with the prospect of more deaths before leaving the Leaky Cauldron. Meanwhile, Pomona welcomed her new neighbor Nadia Vasika, who arrived to visit Severus and her.

• Harry told Bill about the Death Eater camp and hooded dwarf, and Bill agreed to watch for suspicious people contacting Goblins.
• Harry asked Bill what he should do to prevent anyone from dying, but Bill had no answer and left.
• Aberforth brought Harry a bottle of Gamp's Old Gregarious, which Harry tasted before refusing to drink more.
• An owl delivered Nadia Vasika's note to Pomona, and Nadia arrived at their door at three o'clock.
• Pomona invited Nadia inside, and Nadia immediately began looking around the house.

Pomona and Severus hosted Nadia at their new home, hoping to learn why the village was tied to an old magical attack. Nadia revealed that the house wall’s inscription connected the battle to the Order of the Golden Fleece, while Felix showed enthusiasm for investigating the area.

• Nadia toured the house and met Severus and Felix, while Pomona and Severus pretended Felix was ill and kept their reasons for staying there vague.
• Pomona struggled to entertain Nadia without proper china, but Kreacher produced a hidden Wedgwood set that had belonged to Mrs. Black.
• Severus asked Nadia about the magical beast reportedly killed by a Muggle army, and she described the Golden Fleece and the inscription on the restored wall.
• Nadia said the man who led reinforcements during the battle had been a Knight of the Golden Fleece, but his decoration was revoked afterward.
• Pomona claimed that she and Severus were studying the tangled overlap between wizard and Muggle history from 1692 to 1707, and Nadia said she was glad she had sent her nephew to school.

Pomona and Severus discussed Nadia and the danger surrounding their search for a prize comparable to the Golden Fleece. Severus warned Pomona to stay alert for an ambush that night, leaving her suspicious of the stories and people connected to their quest.

• The narration recounted the myths of Theseus and Ariadne, the fall of Crete, and the changing significance of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
• The narration described Medea’s revenge on Pelias and explained how Zeus raised her cauldron into the sky as the constellation Crater.
• After Nadia left, Severus asked Pomona how she thought the encounter had gone, and Pomona said Nadia was pretending to be ignorant but was a poor actress.
• Severus told Pomona to stay alert for an ambush because their target was on the same level as the Golden Fleece.
• Pomona grew jealous and punched Severus, while she doubted that the general supposedly bearing the Golden Fleece had ever existed.

Harry visited George at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes after learning Ron had been injured, but George focused on shop security and challenged Harry to take a firm stand against Fenrir Greyback's Werewolves. Harry left with George's encouragement to fight them that night, still embarrassed by George's teasing.

• Harry hurried through the crowded shop and found no Skiving Snackboxes on sale, reflecting on the dangers posed by the Werewolves.
• Harry told George that Ron was injured and at St Mungo's, but George said Hermione would alert them if Ron's condition was serious.
• George explained that he was improving security by researching Sneakoscopes and dismissed Harry's complaints about their lack of concern for Ron.
• Harry admitted he was conflicted about the Werewolf issue because he was Teddy's godfather, and George warned him that not all Werewolves were like Remus Lupin.
• George urged Harry to fight Fenrir and Krum Crouch's Werewolves, and Harry understood that he should capture them rather than remain indecisive.
• George teased Harry about never using the Marauder's Map to cause trouble, and Harry hurried out before staying for dinner.

Pomona and Voldemort discussed clues about the labyrinth, the crow, laurels, and the Sun Gold ring while Pomona prepared dinner. The chapter ended with Voldemort claiming he was the chosen one, as Severus planned a trip to Turin with Pomona.

• Pomona set aside Slytherin's Locket and began preparing dinner while Voldemort asked why Nadia had mentioned the Golden Fleece.
• Voldemort connected the labyrinth's laurels, the crow, and the Dodona Prophecy to mythology and alchemical symbolism, while Pomona worried about leaving Severus behind.
• Voldemort said the ring he had found belonged to Luke Mayer and might have drawn animals to the labyrinth and kept the laurels alive.
• Severus announced that he and Pomona would go to Turin the next morning for chocolate after Pomona criticized the male lead from The Mummy.
• Voldemort suggested the Resurrection Stone might be connected to the Scorpion King's bracelet, then joked that the labyrinth's masks were Guardian Ringwraiths.
• Voldemort declared himself the chosen one, and Pomona dismissed his grand claim.

During dinner, Severus and Pomona discussed the mysterious fifth floor and made plans to test Felix before they returned to Britain. Their meal was interrupted by Madam Cloris Roland, who exposed Nadia Vasika’s enchanted food and demanded to know why the group had come to Paroldo.

• Pomona asked Severus about the fifth floor, and he linked its sudden appearance to Fred and George’s Vanishing Cabinet prank on Montague.
• Severus revealed he had built a device in the study, then joined Pomona in assigning Felix books, homework, and a future exam.
• When the silver bells rang, Severus went to investigate as Pomona, Felix, and Kreacher prepared for danger.
• Severus returned with Paroldo healer Madam Cloris Roland, who used Surgito on Nadia Vasika’s lasagna and revealed an eavesdropping demon inside it.
• Cloris challenged the group about their identities and purpose in Paroldo, while Severus asked whether she could remove his neck scar.
• Severus took Pomona to speak privately with Cloris, and Pomona glanced at the tranquil blue moon as Felix was sent to his room.

Severus and Pomona questioned Cloris Roland about Paroldo’s secrets and the danger surrounding Nadia’s schemes. Cloris warned them away, but Severus and Pomona decided to stay cautious and consider what bait Nadia might be using.

• Severus told Cloris that an Obscurus had attached itself to the child they had brought in search of a cure.
• Cloris urged Severus and Pomona to leave Paroldo and warned that its residents were dangerous, while Severus challenged her about the village’s secrets.
• Cloris said the demon was not dead and warned them to distrust Nadia, who used people to scout for secrets.
• Cloris compared people who approached danger to the brothers in the Deathly Hallows tale, then left the manor.
• Severus and Pomona agreed to act carefully and discussed whether Nadia was using the Fountain of Youth or rejuvenation as bait.

Harry watched Tottenham and Manchester City’s match while Dean Thomas questioned him about Ron’s injury and the plan for the show. Meanwhile, Pomona and Voldemort discussed the real Death’s Cloak and suspected that the Werewolves might be using the stadium event as a feint, while Severus told her to leave the warning to him.

• Harry told Dean that Ron was injured and that Hermione was at the hospital, then refused to explain the backup plan.
• Dean spoke about his father’s death, his own reasons for becoming an Auror, and Harry’s reputation before leaving as Tottenham charged toward goal.
• Harry checked Ron’s Sneakoscope, which appeared normal.
• Voldemort wondered who had convinced Grindelwald that collecting the Deathly Hallows would make him master of Death, then described the black cloth Grindelwald used to summon followers.
• Pomona told Severus that Voldemort believed the cloth might be the real Death’s Cloak, and Severus compared it to a Dementor’s cloak and discussed the veil in the Death Chamber.
• Voldemort predicted that the Werewolves might not attack the stadium that night, but could be using the event to study the Aurors’ defenses; Severus told Pomona he would handle the matter.

Pomona traveled to Liverpool for the Liverpool-Everton match, while the chapter recounted how gutta-percha cables and steamships transformed communication and trade before examining Liverpool’s rise and decline. In Liverpool, Pomona prepared Italian chocolate as Easter eggs for Draco and wondered where the Malfoy family’s owl-delivered sweets went.

• Gutta-percha’s insulating properties made it suitable for telegraph cables, and the Pioneer successfully laid a cable across the English Channel in 1851.
• The Agamemnon survived a storm and completed the first transatlantic cable connection in 1858, while Al Fred Holt’s hybrid steam engine helped usher in steam-powered long-distance freighters.
• The American Civil War disrupted communication across the Atlantic, and Liverpool later declined from a major port city as its shipping industry faded.
• Pomona used a key to travel from Turin to Liverpool on March 21, 2005, where the city prepared for the Liverpool-Everton derby at Anfield.
• Pomona decided to wrap Italian chocolate as Easter eggs and send them to Draco, then wondered what happened to the large packages of sweets once sent to the Malfoy family.

Pomona considered how to obtain Sun Gold and save Regulus while a mysterious former Hogwarts student discussed myths and the bird sculpture she had transformed. She struck a deal with Voldemort to use him as her bodyguard, then set off to explore Liverpool with Kreacher as the stranger vanished.

• Pomona examined the bronze bird sculpture and told Kreacher they needed to plan carefully before returning to the village for Sun Gold.
• A mysterious man who said he had attended Hogwarts discussed the Liver birds and Greek myths with Pomona, then walked away without revealing his identity.
• Pomona identified the sculpture as resembling a Stymphalian Bird and offered Voldemort a deal, threatening to cast Obliviate on herself if he refused.
• Voldemort angrily flew away, but Pomona declared her mission accomplished and started exploring Liverpool with Kreacher.
• The mysterious man vanished among the crowd, and Voldemort's crow soon followed Pomona and Kreacher.

Pomona confronted Voldemort in a forest created by her Occlumency, challenging him to face his fear, his father, and his incomplete soul. She let him leave after he asked for time, then turned her thoughts from famous individuals to the many unnamed people represented by a single name.

• Pomona entered a forest mindscape where Voldemort pursued her and asked whether it was her Occlumency.
• Pomona transformed and challenged Voldemort to confront his fear of killing Myrtle, his cowardice, and his need to be perfect.
• Pomona told Tom to forget his father and said his life began when he arrived at Hogwarts.
• Tom asked for time, and Pomona restored the forest so he could leave.
• Pomona opened her eyes beside a wall of famous names and thought instead of the unnamed people represented by a single name.

Pomona learned about Liverpool’s wartime football history before Ma Youjiang confronted her over Britain’s treatment of Chinese sailors and its colonial past. His accusations spoiled her mood, and she left the restaurant feeling she should visit Chinatown less often.

• Pomona heard diners discussing the evening’s football match while she ate mussels at a restaurant near Liverpool Chinatown.
• Ma Youjiang joined Pomona and asked where she had been during the past month.
• Pomona asked whether Ma pressured players to fix matches, prompting Ma to criticize British colonialism and the repatriation of Chinese sailors after World War II.
• Ma compared Britain’s attention to the werewolf incident with its failure to clean the River Thames, and Pomona said the authorities were doing what they could.
• Pomona left the restaurant without eating and walked through the rain, deciding she should come to Chinatown less often.

Pomona encountered two ghosts at Liverpool’s Albert Dock while discussing feathers, ink, and the metals represented in a mystery with Voldemort. She guessed that Vega represented copper and the sculptures were Stymphalian Birds, but Voldemort left her to work out the remaining clues herself.

• Pomona and Kreacher saw a ghostly girl waiting for her father and a gentleman searching for a feather at Albert Dock.
• The girl told Pomona that her father had sailed to New York, and Pomona recognized her as May, who was waiting for her father from the Titanic.
• Voldemort explained how quills and historical inks were made, and Pomona connected iron gall ink and blood to iron and the Cygnus feathers.
• Voldemort said Pomona had solved five parts of the puzzle and that two remained, then challenged her to think through the clues herself.
• Pomona shouted that Vega represented copper and identified the sculptures as Stymphalian Birds, but Voldemort gave no reply.