Chapter Summaries

Amosta discovered Snape mourning the Potters and concluded that Snape had loved Lily, making his hatred of Harry and his loyalty to Dumbledore part of a painful personal history. As Amosta prepared to leave Godric's Hollow, he spotted something at Potter Cottage and returned to investigate.

• Amosta watched Snape cry before the Potter family portrait and wondered what connected Snape to Lily and the Potters' deaths.
• Amosta reasoned that Snape had loved Lily and later turned against Voldemort after her death, and he hoped Harry might help Snape escape his grief.
• Amosta withdrew from Tramon's mind, altered her memories, and left the flower shop without finding clues about Black.
• Amosta reflected on his concern for Snape and prepared to travel through London back to Hogsmeade.
• Amosta noticed footprints near Potter Cottage as he entered higher-dimensional space, stepped back, and focused on the cottage again.

Amosta investigated the footprints in the Potter home and traced a strand of cloth to a faint aura that might lead to Sirius Black. He suspected Black was near Hogwarts and prepared to patrol, but Tonks’s warning about the powerful protections around Black’s ancestral home gave him pause.

• Amosta found a strand of grayish-white thread beneath the hole in the Potter home and recognized it as fabric like the clothes Gilderoy Lockhart had worn.
• Amosta used the thread to summon a tracking aura, but it darted in multiple directions and resisted being followed.
• Amosta concluded Black was likely cautious or concealed by powerful magic, and reasoned that he might be near Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, or Hogwarts.
• Amosta sealed the aura in a strand of his hair so it would react if Black came close, and resolved to patrol near Hogwarts.
• Amosta recalled Tonks saying Black’s ancestral home was protected by ancient, powerful spells as he prepared to Apparate.

Amosta devised a way to draw the Aurors away from Grimmauld Place without exposing his Golden Viper identity. When fireworks and a scream broke the night, Kingsley and Tonks learned that Sirius Black had returned and rushed to confront him.

• Amosta found Grimmauld Place’s exact address by searching Muggle police archives under a Disillusionment Charm.
• Amosta surveyed the Aurors’ surveillance and patrols around Grimmauld Place, rejected breaking in under the Golden Viper identity, and decided to lure them away.
• Tonks complained to Kingsley during her watch that the Aurors should search near Hogwarts instead of guarding Grimmauld Place.
• A distant explosion and fireworks drew Tonks and Kingsley’s attention, and they recognized Delix’s voice calling for Black to stop.
• Kingsley sent a message by Patronus and led Tonks toward the disturbance to capture Sirius Black.

A fake Black attacked the Aurors near Grimmauld Place, causing massive destruction before escaping, while Amosta used the chaos to approach the Black family home. The chapter left Amosta at the shared wall between Number 11 and Number 13 Grimmauld Place after he froze the Ministry’s enchantments.

• Tonks and Kingsley arrived at the blasted street and saw the damage and frightened Muggles.
• Delix told Kingsley that the black-robed intruder had revealed a face he recognized as Black’s, though Kingsley doubted the attacker was an ordinary wizard.
• The attacker sent a powerful wave of air through the Aurors, then stole a broom and fled toward the outskirts as the wizards pursued him.
• Tonks reassured a terrified Muggle woman before joining the pursuit on her Comet 260.
• Amosta emerged from his illusory shadow state, located the Ministry-marked Black family home, and froze its enchantments.

Amosta entered the Black family's hidden magical space and prepared to break through its defenses, but a decoy Black drew Dumbledore, Snape, and the Ministry's Hit Wizards away. He returned to Grimmauld Place, where Dumbledore and his forces confronted him.

• Amosta entered the magical plane surrounding the Black family's old house and studied its tangled defensive spells, weighing the risk of destroying the residence.
• Amosta sensed that Dumbledore and Snape had appeared elsewhere and concealed his aura before returning to Grimmauld Place.
• Kingsley suspected the fleeing Black's exceptional flying skill was a deception as the Hit Wizards pursued him.
• Snape ignored Dumbledore's warning and used Sectumsempra on the apparent Black, only to discover he had cut apart a stone wrapped in black cloth.
• Kingsley realized the decoy had lured them away so someone could enter the Black family's old house, and Dumbledore vanished to respond.
• Dumbledore and Amosta faced each other in Grimmauld Place as Snape and the Hit Wizards gathered behind Dumbledore, while Amosta gave a sinister laugh.

Amosta, disguised as a dark wizard, faced Dumbledore and the Ministry’s Hit Wizards outside Grimmauld Place, then unleashed Fiendfyre to escape. Dumbledore began cutting through the wall of flames as the chapter ended.

• Snape declared that the dark wizard was not Black, while Dumbledore and Kingsley agreed that the intruder had to be captured.
• Dumbledore’s binding spell failed, and Amosta mocked him before announcing that he intended to leave.
• Dumbledore invited Amosta to talk over a drink, but Amosta declined and prepared to escape.
• Amosta summoned a massive Fiendfyre that split the ground and trapped the assembled wizards behind walls of fire.
• Snape’s spells failed against the flames, and Dumbledore raised his wand to slash through the fire.

Dumbledore suppressed the Fiendfyre after Amosta escaped, and the Ministry found that the attack had caused few serious injuries. Dumbledore left with Snape to investigate, while Fudge faced the task of controlling the public account of the incident.

• Dumbledore weakened the Fiendfyre, but Amosta restored the flames and Apparated away after erasing his magical traces.
• Delix tried to Apparate through the Fiendfyre barrier, was burned, and received treatment from Snape.
• Dumbledore extinguished the flames, and Tonks reported that only two Muggles had twisted ankles and no Ministry personnel were seriously hurt.
• Fudge arrived and blamed Dumbledore for Amosta's escape, then worried about explaining the incident to the public and the Muggle prime minister.
• Dumbledore told Fudge to keep people calm, then left Grimmauld Place with Snape and Fawkes.

Dumbledore and Hogwarts’s former headmasters discussed Amosta Breen’s attempt to enter the Black family’s old house and debated how to deal with him. The chapter ended with Phineas Black asking whether Dumbledore could still handle Amosta.

• Snape asked Dumbledore if he knew the dark wizard’s identity, then left without pressing him.
• Dumbledore waited in his office as the former headmasters watched an empty portrait frame for Phineas Black’s return.
• Phineas reported that Amosta had not returned to the Black family’s old house, and he argued with Armando Dippet over whether Amosta was a traitor.
• Dumbledore said he believed he understood why Amosta had tried to break into the house and insisted that the important fact was that he had done it.
• Armando Dippet urged Dumbledore to kill Amosta if Azkaban could not contain him, while Phineas defended Amosta and praised his discovery about Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets.
• Phineas asked Dumbledore whether he could still handle Amosta.

Dumbledore and the former headmasters discussed Amosta Breen’s growing power and the danger of driving him toward the Dark Lord. The Sorting Hat revealed that Amosta embodied the qualities of all four founders and could now belong in any Hogwarts house.

• Dumbledore said Amosta’s Fiendfyre was so stable that he might soon be unable to suppress him, but confirmed that Amosta’s soul remained intact.
• Phineas Black argued that Hogwarts had to win Amosta over, while Lady Deliss defended his kindness and restraint.
• The Sorting Hat recalled that Amosta had been exceptionally difficult to sort and possessed courage, wisdom, kindness, and ambition.
• The Sorting Hat explained that Amosta had entered Slytherin because he needed ambition to protect himself, and that he could be sorted into any house now.

Dumbledore reconsidered his suspicions of Amosta Breen but remained troubled by the unresolved truth of Sirius Black’s crime. After escaping Dumbledore, Amosta returned to Hogsmeade and found Hagrid drunk and weeping in an alley.

• Dumbledore thanked the Sorting Hat for reminding him that people could make different choices, and admitted that his fear of Amosta’s similarities to Tom had clouded his judgment.
• Phineas Black argued that Amosta’s mistakes should be forgiven and tried to use the discussion to defend Sirius, prompting the former headmasters to erupt into a brawl.
• Dumbledore questioned how Sirius could have betrayed the Potters despite the apparently clear facts of the crime, while Delis Devant asked what he planned to do about Amosta.
• Amosta evaded pursuit by Apparating repeatedly, then changed into his usual Wizard Robe and returned to Hogsmeade.
• Amosta found Hagrid drunk beside rubbish bins in a dark alley and asked what had made him weep alone.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed which Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was more professional, while Harry privately favored Professor Breen. At breakfast, they learned that Sirius Black had fought off Ministry Aurors and escaped, leaving behind extensive destruction.

• Fred and George declared that they preferred Professor Amosta Breen, while Ron said the Inferi Professor Breen brought to class had frightened him.
• Hermione teased Ron about fearing spiders, and Scabbers bit him after Ron accidentally spilled strengthening potion on it.
• Harry privately decided he favored Professor Breen but kept the reasons to himself to protect Breen's privacy.
• Hermione told Harry and Ron that Sirius Black had been found and escaped after a fierce fight with Ministry Hit Wizards.
• Harry and Ron read newspaper accounts showing that Black had seriously injured Delix and caused enormous destruction without killing any Muggles.

Harry promised Hermione he would stay inside the castle after dark, but ran to see Hagrid when he spotted him on the way to Herbology. Meanwhile, Amosta woke after a sleepless night, learned why Hagrid had been drunk, and received a visit from Lupin, who came to take Hagrid back to school at Dumbledore’s request.

• Hermione warned Harry to stay in Gryffindor Tower at night until Black was caught, and Harry agreed to avoid going out after dark.
• On the way to Herbology, Harry spotted Hagrid and ran toward his hut, with Ron following and Hermione trailing behind.
• Amosta recalled finding a drunk Hagrid in Hogsmeade after he had escaped the Ministry and Dumbledore, and bringing him home to recover.
• Amosta read that Auror Delix had been wounded while Black escaped and wondered when he had injured him.
• Lupin visited Amosta and explained that Dumbledore had sent him to take Hagrid back to school.

Amosta agreed to watch over Remus during the full moon by having Remus stay with him, while learning that Sirius Black was not hiding in the Black family residence. Later, Remus caught Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Hagrid’s Hut instead of Herbology class.

• Remus asked Amosta to watch over him during the full moon in case the Wolfsbane Potion failed to control his transformations.
• Amosta agreed to have Remus stay at his home during the full moon rather than go to Hogwarts.
• Remus told Amosta that Dumbledore had confirmed Sirius Black was not in the Black family residence, which contained no living person.
• Amosta considered using the remote Shrieking Shack to study the Blood Curse.
• Remus found Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Hagrid’s Hut during Professor Sprout’s Herbology class and demanded an explanation.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione found Hagrid drunk and learned that Malfoy's actions had left him fearing he would lose his dream job. Professor Lupin reprimanded the students for leaving class and warned them to trust Hagrid, while Harry considered asking Professor Breen for help and Hermione slipped away with her schoolbag.

• Harry blamed Malfoy for Hagrid's distress and shouted that Hagrid might lose his job because of him.
• Professor Lupin warned Harry, Ron, and Hermione that leaving the grounds unsupervised had put them and one another at risk, then told them to return to Professor Sprout's class and admit their mistake.
• After Lupin left, Ron and Hermione discussed whether Lucius Malfoy could get Hagrid dismissed, while Harry felt guilty and considered asking Professor Breen for help.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione struggled to remove Hagrid's coat and socks so he could rest more comfortably.
• Hermione claimed she was going to fetch Hagrid water and hurried outside with her schoolbag.

Hermione returned from tending to Hagrid with Bubble Branch beans in her hair, while Harry and Ron missed Herbology and later learned that Professor Sprout would assign them an essay instead of detention. That evening, Harry and Ron overheard Snape asking Draco who was threatening his parents, after Harry spotted Draco moving his supposedly injured hand freely.

• Hermione arrived at Hagrid's hut with a bucket of water and washed Hagrid, whose sneeze sprayed Ron with slime.
• Harry and Ron missed Herbology and Charms, then heard Neville speculate that Dumbledore was discussing student safety and the Board of Governors.
• Harry and Ron honestly told Professor Sprout why they had missed Herbology, and she assigned them an essay on Bubble Branches instead of detention.
• Harry and Ron noticed Hermione had gone to the library and decided to ask her about the beans in her hair.
• Harry spotted Snape talking to Draco beneath a tree and saw that Draco's bandaged hand was no longer in a sling.
• Harry and Ron listened as Snape asked Draco who was threatening his parents and how he could help.

Amosta Breen explored the Shrieking Shack and began turning it into a research base, clearing out pests and a Boggart. That night, Hermione heard that Malfoy's parents had been threatened by a dark wizard.

• Amosta finished repairing his house and climbed to the Shrieking Shack to inspect the research site he had reserved.
• Amosta found rats and Bundimun beneath the floorboards, trapped the rats, and left the Bundimun alone rather than risk damaging the house.
• Amosta explored the shack, transfigured a chair, and destroyed a Boggart hiding in the kitchen.
• Amosta rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning the shack.
• In the Gryffindor common room, Hermione asked whether Malfoy's parents had been threatened by a dark wizard.

Harry speculated that Sirius Black was threatening the Malfoys, but Ron and Hermione dismissed his theory. Meanwhile, Amosta’s repeated attempts to imprint a curse on a living creature’s soul continued to fail, leaving him exhausted and furious.

• Hermione warned Harry and Ron that Lucius Malfoy’s influence made his secret visit to Snape suspicious.
• Harry theorized that Black was forcing the Malfoys to help him reach Harry, but Ron mocked the idea and Hermione urged Harry to rest.
• Ron wondered whether they had forgotten to ask Hermione something as they headed toward the dormitories.
• Amosta continued experimenting in the Shrieking Shack, killing numerous small creatures while trying to imprint a curse on a living soul.
• After another failed attempt, Amosta threw down his wand and angrily searched for the flaw in his method.

Amosta continued researching a Dark Magic spell in the Shrieking Shack while Crookshanks helped a starving black dog plan how to get back into Hogwarts and deal with the traitor disguised as a rat. Crookshanks entered the Shack to investigate, but Amosta caught him, and the black dog raced after him.

• Amosta failed to make progress on the Dark Magic spell, cleaned the Shack, and prepared to return to the village.
• Crookshanks brought the black dog a fat rat, which the dog ate in a cave near the Shrieking Shack.
• Crookshanks and the black dog considered ways to reach Hogwarts and retrieve the fake rat, settling on Crookshanks investigating the Shack and its possible traps.
• Crookshanks hurried toward the Shrieking Shack, and the black dog followed after him in concern.
• Amosta caught Crookshanks in the Shack's Entrance Hall and recognized Hermione's pet.

Amosta discovered Crookshanks visiting his hidden research room for food and let the cat return when needed, then spotted a gigantic black dog and wondered if it was the Grim. At Hogwarts, Harry learned he could not visit Hogsmeade while Black remained at large, but remembered Professor Breen would be there to protect him.

• Amosta found Crookshanks in his hidden room, where the cat had followed the scent of rats, and gave it a mouse.
• Amosta allowed Crookshanks to visit for food but warned it not to bring Hermione or other young wizards to the house.
• Amosta spotted a bear-sized black dog fleeing nearby, while Crookshanks stood protectively between the dog and Amosta.
• Harry asked Hermione and Ron about the Hogsmeade trip and learned he could not go while Black remained uncaught.
• Harry recalled that Professor Breen would stay in Hogsmeade and felt reassured that he would be safe there.

Harry decided to ask Professor McGonagall about going to Hogsmeade, while Crookshanks’s attempt to get at Scabbers caused a chaotic fight between Ron and Hermione. Ron stormed off with Scabbers, and Hermione was left grieving as Harry went to the dormitory.

• Harry decided to ask Professor McGonagall for a chance to go to Hogsmeade.
• Crookshanks tried to trade a mouse for Scabbers, but Ron refused and accused the cat of wanting to kill his pet.
• Crookshanks flung the mouse into the common room, where it frightened Lavender and hooked its claws into Neville’s nostril before Ginny petrified it.
• Crookshanks tore at Ron’s bag, and Scabbers escaped before Ron managed to retrieve him.
• Ron argued with Hermione, warned her to keep Crookshanks away, and stormed off while Ginny comforted Hermione.
• Harry said he would talk to Ron, then went to the dormitory.