Chapter Summaries

After recovering from his trip to Avalon Island, Amosta returned to the wizarding world and found unusual tension at The Leaky Cauldron. He discovered that Harry Potter was there and approached Minister Fudge, leaving their meeting about to begin.

• Amosta returned to The Leaky Cauldron and noticed underground figures watching the room before they quietly looked away.
• A family hurried out with the boy Beck, who began to reveal the reason they were leaving for Paris before his father silenced him.
• Amosta overheard Tom arranging a room for Minister Fudge and Potter, and decided to avoid the Minister until he heard Potter’s name.
• Amosta stopped Fudge before he could go upstairs, and Fudge greeted him warmly by praising his Order of Merlin, his role in solving the Chamber of Secrets, and his Basilisk donation.

Amosta met Minister for Magic Fudge at the Leaky Cauldron and learned that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban. Fudge assured him the Ministry and Dementors were hunting Black, while Amosta suspected Black had escaped to target Harry Potter and considered investigating a Dementor.

• Amosta brought Fudge into a private booth at the Leaky Cauldron and learned that the Ministry had placed the Basilisk with Newt Scamander to tame it.
• Fudge told Amosta that the Ministry faced a disaster because Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban.
• Amosta asked whether Black had been rescued or escaped on his own, and Fudge said the Ministry believed he had escaped but withheld the details.
• Amosta guessed that Black had escaped to avenge Voldemort by targeting Harry Potter.
• Fudge said the Ministry's best people and the Dementors were hunting Black, while Amosta considered bringing a Dementor back for research.

Amosta initially refused to watch over Harry, but changed his mind when Fudge mentioned a fifty-thousand-Galleon reward for a lead on Sirius Black. He agreed to guard Harry until Black was captured and later joked that he could defeat a hundred Black-like opponents at once.

• Amosta said he needed to find Vitia Creona, secure a home, and eventually recover the Basilisk from Newt Scamander.
• Fudge asked Amosta to watch over Harry after he ran away from home, but Amosta refused because of other obligations.
• Amosta overheard Fudge mention a fifty-thousand-Galleon reward for a reliable lead on Black and agreed to stay by Harry until Black was captured.
• Harry learned that Amosta would accompany him until school began and asked how dangerous Black was.
• Amosta described Black’s past attack and claimed he could beat a hundred of him at once.

Harry enjoyed his stay at the Leaky Cauldron while Amosta Breen tried to lure Sirius Black into attacking them, promising Harry a Firebolt as a reward. As term approached, Amosta considered how to return to Hogwarts but insisted that Dumbledore must personally apologize and invite him back.

• Harry completed his school preparations with Amosta’s guidance and then looked forward to spending the rest of the summer enjoying himself.
• Amosta took Harry through deserted Diagon Alley streets, hoping to draw Sirius Black out, and promised to buy him a Firebolt if the plan succeeded.
• Harry and Amosta spent a week trying to bait Black but failed to encounter him.
• Amosta worried that he would lose his chance to earn money once Harry returned to Hogwarts and considered ways to get back into the school.
• Amosta decided he would only consider returning if Dumbledore personally apologized, invited him earnestly, and offered him a headmaster’s salary.

Harry woke at the Leaky Cauldron and wondered what Professor Breen had gone out to do. While considering possible careers for himself, Harry grew restless and rushed out of bed to get dressed.

• Professor Breen told Harry to stay at the Leaky Cauldron while he went out alone and expected to return in two or three hours.
• Harry suspected Professor Breen had found Sirius Black, but Professor Breen denied it and left.
• Harry wondered whether Professor Breen worked for the Ministry as a bounty hunter and thought about what Ron, Hermione, and other Hogwarts students might do after graduation.
• Harry considered working for the Ministry, playing professional Quidditch, or becoming a bounty hunter like Professor Breen.
• Harry suddenly got dressed and rushed out of his room.

Harry secretly followed Professor Breen into Knockturn Alley, where Breen revealed he had noticed Harry from the start. He explained that he had placed a tracking mark on Harry as a precaution against anyone abducting him.

• Harry left the inn and followed Professor Breen through Diagon Alley without his Invisibility Cloak.
• Professor Breen entered Knockturn Alley, and Harry hesitantly followed him into the dark passage.
• Harry froze at the sight of the gloomy shops until Professor Breen grabbed him from behind and revealed himself.
• Harry apologized for following Breen, then asked how the professor had discovered him.
• Amosta told Harry he had tracked him from the moment he left his room using a mark placed to help locate him if he was abducted.

Amosta took Harry through Knockturn Alley into an ancient underground cavern, where Harry saw the exploitation and corruption hidden in the wizarding world. After explaining the cavern’s dangers and the compromises that sustained its order, Amosta met Cacus and said he had come to give him a commission.

• Amosta allowed Harry to accompany him into deeper Knockturn Alley after warning him to stay close, keep quiet, and avoid staring at people.
• Amosta and Harry entered the underground cavern beneath a statue of Merlin and found Ministry Aurors searching for Sirius Black amid the sparse markets.
• Harry saw a chained Centaur and other imprisoned creatures, and Amosta explained why the Ministry did not eliminate all the evil in the cavern.
• Amosta explained that Voldemort had sought to impose an order based on enslaving others, while corruption among Ministry officials enabled goblins to conceal unclaimed wealth from the Ministry.
• Amosta brought Harry to Cacus at the commission market, declined the available jobs, and told Cacus he had come to give him a commission.

Amosta posted a year-long commission seeking the Druidic Order and its current priests, offering large rewards for reliable information. He then showed Harry the Black Stone Tower and explained the legend that Merlin was buried inside it, though no wizard had ever managed to damage or move it.

• Amosta asked Cacus Foley to post a commission for the Druidic Order and its current priests, offering five hundred Gold Galleons for a member’s location and two thousand for clues to a priest.
• Cacus required half the reward as a deposit, so Amosta reluctantly paid him from his limited funds.
• Harry asked Amosta why a wizard had built a tower underground, and Amosta took him to see the Black Stone Tower.
• Amosta told Harry that people believed the tower was Merlin’s tomb, filled with treasures said to grant power equal to the gods.
• Amosta showed Harry the spell marks around the tower and explained that neither wizards nor the Department of Mysteries had managed to damage or move it.

Amosta Breen pondered Merlin’s Black Stone Tower and tried to explain the underground world to Harry. Remus Lupin revealed that he had accepted the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, and Amosta mistakenly concluded that Lupin wanted the reward for capturing Black.

• Amosta wondered whether Merlin had built the Black Stone Tower before or after his legendary duel and considered how it connected to Morgan le Fay, Hogwarts’ founders, and the Twin Serpent Wand.
• Harry asked whether Dumbledore knew about the underground market for magical creatures, and Amosta argued that containing darkness could protect innocents.
• Amosta sent Harry upstairs to rest after noticing Remus Lupin enter the pub.
• Lupin told Amosta that Dumbledore had advanced him his salary and that he had accepted the Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts position.
• Amosta suspected Lupin was hiding his real motive, and Lupin began to mention Black before Amosta assumed he wanted the fifty-thousand-Galleon reward.

Amosta Breen proposed that he and Remus Lupin work together to capture Sirius Black for the Ministry's reward, while Lupin secretly sought revenge for his friends. They signed a contract and discussed Lupin's teaching role before the school term began.

• Amosta suggested Lupin watch Harry Potter at Hogwarts and pass him any clues about Black so they could claim the reward.
• Lupin said he wanted to kill Black himself, and Amosta agreed to hand Black over to him in exchange for a smaller share of the reward.
• Amosta and Lupin signed a magical contract that barred Lupin from revealing their cooperation.
• Amosta and Lupin spent several hours discussing Hogwarts students and how Lupin's teaching might improve people's views of werewolves.
• The ordinary days passed, and the school term began.

Amosta studied Herpo the Foul’s notes on the Blood Curse and attempted to turn a frog’s soul into a curse seed, but the experiment failed. As someone approached his room, he decided the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts would be a better place for his research.

• Amosta examined manuscripts attributed to Herpo the Foul that described magic capable of cursing a bloodline.
• Amosta tried to extract a frog’s soul and bind it with black mist, but the soul shattered before becoming a curse seed.
• Amosta reviewed his notes and calculations but could not find why the experiment had failed.
• Amosta heard footsteps in the corridor, hid the evidence of his experiment, and thought of using the Room of Requirement for future research.

At a family banquet, the Weasleys thanked Amosta for saving Ginny and Ron, while their conversation revealed trouble involving Bill and Gringotts. After the adults went upstairs, Harry, Ron, and Hermione asked Amosta about his hunt for Black, and a rat emerged from Ron’s pocket as Hermione asked how he planned to deal with him.

• The Weasleys celebrated with Amosta at The Leaky Cauldron, and Mrs. Weasley repeatedly thanked him for saving Ginny and Ron.
• Mr. and Mrs. Weasley recalled trying to thank Amosta in person after earlier Hogwarts incidents, while Amosta congratulated Percy on becoming Head Boy.
• Mr. and Mrs. Weasley explained that goblins suspected Bill and his colleagues of helping Dark Wizards smuggle artifacts and had demanded their surveillance.
• After the banquet, Harry told Amosta that he had shared his suspicion that Black had escaped to kill him and that Amosta was pursuing Black.
• Hermione asked Amosta how he planned to deal with Black, and a rat poked its head out of Ron’s pocket.

Amosta warned Harry and Hermione that Sirius Black could still reach Harry, then left to keep watch on Hogsmeade while Lupin guarded Harry at Hogwarts. At dawn, Amosta heard that Black had repeatedly said Harry was at Hogwarts, and a voice confronted him outside Honeydukes.

• Crookshanks lunged at Ron, and Scabbers escaped from Ron's pocket and ran away.
• Amosta warned Harry and Hermione not to underestimate Black and told them to stay cautious.
• Amosta left the Weasleys and Harry, planning to watch for Black in Hogsmeade while Lupin watched over Harry at Hogwarts.
• Amosta overheard Mr. Weasley tell Molly that Black had repeated “He's at Hogwarts” in his sleep and wanted to kill Harry.
• Amosta arrived outside Honeydukes and heard someone order him to put his hands over his head and show his wand.

Amosta reunited with Tonks in Hogsmeade and learned that she was serving as an Auror trainee while the Ministry searched for information about him. When he said he planned to settle in the village, Tonks warned that Hogsmeade was dangerous.

• Amosta joked with Tonks about arresting him for arriving in Hogsmeade without permission, and they greeted each other at the Three Broomsticks.
• Tonks told Amosta that Ministry officials, including Umbridge, had been asking about his background, but she had not revealed anything.
• Tonks explained that she had been specially recruited as an Auror because she was a Metamorphmagus and recounted a failed mission that had injured her.
• Amosta said he worked as a freelancer helping people in trouble and explained that he had come to Hogsmeade to find a house to rent.
• Tonks warned Amosta that Hogsmeade was not a peaceful place at that time.

Amosta learned from Tonks that Sirius Black had betrayed the Potters after becoming their Secret-Keeper, leading to their deaths and Peter Pettigrew’s murder. He concluded that Black had to die and wondered whether Harry knew the truth.

• Amosta hinted that Dumbledore could protect Hogwarts from Black, and Tonks revealed that Black had been the Potters’ Secret-Keeper.
• Tonks told Amosta that the Potters had rejected Dumbledore as Secret-Keeper, trusted Black instead, and were betrayed to Voldemort.
• Tonks explained that Black later killed Peter Pettigrew, who had confronted him to avenge the Potters.
• When pub workers interrupted their conversation, Tonks stopped sharing the classified story.
• Amosta recalled Lupin’s hatred of Black, realized why Lupin wanted him dead, and resolved to kill Black himself.

Amosta talked with Tonks about the Basilisk and met Kingsley Shacklebolt, who arrived to take over her shift. Before leaving to watch Grimmauld Place, Tonks explained that the Aurors could not see or enter the heavily protected Black family home.

• Tonks told Amosta that the Ministry had stunned the Basilisk after attempts to tame it nearly ended in disaster.
• Kingsley Apparated to Hogsmeade, and Tonks realized she had stayed too long talking with Amosta and missed her shift change.
• Amosta greeted Kingsley and eased the tension by apologizing for delaying Tonks.
• Kingsley and Tonks prepared to leave for their watch near Grimmauld Place, where they suspected Sirius Black might return.
• Tonks told Amosta that ancient spells concealed Grimmauld Place and prevented the Aurors from seeing or reaching the house.

Amosta settled into a rented house in Hogsmeade and received a letter from Remus Lupin reporting that Harry Potter had fainted during a Dementor inspection. As he considered how to catch Sirius Black, Amosta decided to investigate the place where the Potters were killed for clues.

• Amosta moved into a shabby Hogsmeade house while planning to buy a quiet estate after Black was caught.
• Amosta sealed cracks in the house before a storm and considered capturing a Dementor, but decided against it.
• A grey owl delivered a letter from Remus Lupin saying Harry Potter had fainted during a Dementor inspection on the train.
• Amosta pondered how to catch Sirius Black and decided to visit the place where the Potters were killed in search of clues.

Amosta visited the ruined Potter house in Godric's Hollow and reflected on Harry's future burden and Dumbledore's protectiveness. He left hoping Harry would grow strong enough to face Voldemort.

• Amosta traveled by Muggle bus to Godric's Hollow and saw the memorial statue of the Potters and baby Harry.
• Amosta asked a local wizard for directions and reached the ruined Potter house, where he examined the magical protections and visitors' footprints.
• Amosta used his wand to reveal the memorial sign and flowers left by wizards who had come to mourn the Potters.
• Amosta reflected that Harry had likely never visited his birthplace and worried about whether he could bear the burden of becoming a hero.
• Amosta recalled how Dumbledore had shielded Harry from danger and explained that he had taken Harry into the underground world to help him prepare for the future.

Amosta searched the abandoned Potter house for clues and found a bouquet of dried lilies beside the Potters’ portrait, along with footprints leading into the ruined bedroom. Examining water marks on the dusty glass, he realized someone had cried there, leaving him uncertain about what the clue meant.

• Amosta entered the long-abandoned Potter house and found no unusual traces on the first floor.
• Amosta inspected the bedroom where the wall had been blasted away and discovered dried lilies and footprints beside the Potters’ portrait.
• Amosta guessed that Black had placed the flowers while mourning Voldemort, whom he believed to be Black’s master.
• Amosta noticed dried water marks on the dusty shattered glass and concluded that someone had cried in the room.

Amosta investigated who had left lilies and tear stains at the Potters’ ruined home, then searched a florist’s memories for clues. He discovered that Professor Snape had bought lilies there about a month earlier.

• Amosta questioned whether Sirius Black had left the flowers and tears at the Potters’ home, then suspected the wilted lilies could help him identify the visitor.
• Amosta visited the cemetery and bought lilies from Eri Tremont, asking about wizards who had come to mourn the Potters.
• Eri could not identify past customers, so Amosta searched her memories without her consent and reviewed the visitors from the previous month.
• Amosta saw a greasy-haired wizard buy lilies in Eri’s shop and recognized him as Professor Snape.