Chapter Summaries

Li Weide discovered the Somnolen Family’s hidden library in the Old Manor and learned the unusual story behind the family’s origins. After reading its forbidden Dark Arts books, he returned to the Hog’s Head Inn with Toby and kept the manor’s existence secret from Tom and Dumbledore.

• Toby explained that Master Sophic had sold laboratory equipment before his death but had left the books in the tower untouched, and Li Weide eagerly went to inspect them.
• Li Weide read the Somnolen Family’s history and learned that its founder, Laetitia Somnolen, had stolen the sleeping princess’s child, who later became the family’s ancestor.
• Li Weide explored the third and fourth floors, finding family manuscripts and collections of Dark magic books, including “Secrets of Advanced Dark Arts.”
• At five in the morning, Li Weide decided to leave the books behind, ordered Toby to keep the Old Manor and their visit secret, and returned with him to the Hog’s Head Inn.
• Tom woke with a heavy head, and Li Weide gave him Wakefulness Potion without revealing that Toby had drugged him the previous night.

Li Weide and Tom chose books from Dumbledore’s gift, then decided to visit Diagon Alley to buy spare wands that could conceal the spells they had cast. At the Junk Shop, Li Weide considered learning Apparition but recognized that he would need an experienced wizard to supervise him.

• Tom let Li Weide choose a book first because he admired Li Weide’s strength, then selected several Defense Against the Dark Arts books for himself.
• Li Weide explained that he wanted extra wands to prevent others from discovering his recent spells with Prior Incantato, and Tom joined him to buy a spare wand and avoid the Ministry’s Trace.
• Toby took Li Weide and Tom to Diagon Alley in two trips because Li Weide’s magical strength made Apparition difficult for Toby with both boys at once.
• Li Weide gave Toby a list and Galleons to shop with, then entered the Junk Shop with Tom.
• Li Weide considered learning Apparition but decided he would need an experienced wizard to supervise him because of the risk of splinching.

Li Weide and Tom searched a shabby secondhand shop for usable wands and hidden treasures. Li Weide found a strange blue-glowing Lighter that only he could see and open, leaving him wondering why it responded to him alone.

• Li Weide found a nearly new secondhand wand for Tom and gathered five more battered wands for himself.
• Tom and Li Weide searched the heap of old books for valuable finds.
• Li Weide spotted a faint blue glow among damaged Alchemy Tools and uncovered a golden object shaped like a Lighter.
• After checking that the Lighter caused no harm, Li Weide opened it and found a small ghostly blue flame inside.
• Tom could neither see the blue glow nor open the Lighter, while Li Weide could do both.

Li Weide set aside the mysterious Lighter after Aberforth could not see its blue glow, then went to the Wizard Tower to practice Dark Arts. He persuaded Toby to help him learn Apparition despite the risk of Splinching, and agreed to begin at once.

• Li Weide bought the Lighter for ten Knuts, and Aberforth suggested asking Dumbledore to inspect it.
• Tom returned to his room to read while Li Weide took five old wands to the Wizard Tower with Toby.
• Toby showed Li Weide the cleaned first floor and summoned sturdy humanoid targets for his Dark Arts practice.
• Li Weide asked Toby to help him learn Apparition, and Toby warned him about the danger of Splinching.
• Li Weide trusted Toby to keep him safe, and they agreed to begin practicing Apparition.

Li Weide learned Apparition with surprising ease and decided to keep it secret rather than take the Ministry examination. He then turned to Nightmare Magic, a difficult Dark Arts spell he hoped would become a discreet and powerful trump card.

• Toby explained the three Ds of Apparition, and Li Weide successfully Apparated into a target circle on his first attempt.
• After Toby punished himself for speaking about his former master, Li Weide stopped him and reminded him that only his current master could order him to do so.
• Li Weide practiced until he could Apparate around the Wizard Tower, to Hogsmeade Village, and to Diagon Alley without failing.
• Toby reminded Li Weide that he needed to pass the Department of Magical Transportation's examination, but Li Weide chose to keep his Apparition ability secret.
• Li Weide began preparing to study Nightmare Magic, a powerful Dark Arts spell that could manipulate dreams and required an exceptionally strong soul.

Li Weide struggled to learn Nightmare Magic, whose first step required him to stay lucid and control his dream. He finally reshaped his dream before waking exhausted, but found that the effort had strengthened his soul.

• Li Weide repeatedly used Sweet Dreams to practice staying lucid, but woke each time before he could control his dream.
• In a dream garden, Li Weide noticed the approaching White Mist and discovered he could summon a wand and blast through the garden wall with Confringo.
• Li Weide realized he could control his dream when wishing for a path caused one to appear, and the White Mist dissipated after he remembered his purpose.
• Li Weide transformed the dream into a London street, but the effort exhausted him and caused him to wake.
• After drinking a Wakefulness Potion and recovering, Li Weide discovered his soul strength had increased and wondered where the promised Dark Arts were.

After practicing Nightmare Magic, Li Weide slept for a long time and dreamed again of a black figure that told him to follow the Lighter. He followed its blue flame into the empty streets of Hogsmeade Village, where it continued to lead him onward.

• Li Weide left the manuscript aside and returned to the Hog's Head Inn to sleep, while Toby kept watch and refused to tell Tom where he had been.
• Tom worried that Li Weide had not eaten, then went to bed after Li Weide slept on without waking.
• Li Weide dreamed of a black figure in white mist, failed to control the dream, and heard it say, "Follow it. Come find me."
• Li Weide woke to find the Lighter glowing and vibrating, then watched its blue flame float out through the window.
• Li Weide stunned Tom, Apparated outside, and followed the flame through the empty streets of Hogsmeade Village.

Li Weide followed a ghostly blue flame from Hogsmeade into the Forbidden Forest and through a Stone Toad portal to meet the Strange Man who had appeared in his dreams. The Strange Man said only Li Weide could save his life and revealed that only Li Weide could see the glow of the Lighter.

• Li Weide followed the flame into the Forbidden Forest, where a carved Stone Toad swallowed him and transported him to a huge underground chamber.
• A voice guided Li Weide up a long stone staircase, extending it by another fifty meters when he complained about climbing.
• Li Weide reached a second chamber, where the voice used powerful Nightmare Magic to turn the bare room into a garden.
• Li Weide met the Strange Man, who said he had sought him out because only Li Weide could save his life.
• The Strange Man took the glowing Lighter from Li Weide and asked whether only Li Weide could see its light.

Li Weide learned that the Strange Man had created Nightmare Magic and used it to contact him because they shared the trait for Ancient Magic. The Strange Man revealed that he was trapped in a cloak that kept his unstable power frozen and asked Li Weide to absorb some of it so he could be free.

• The Strange Man explained that Li Weide could see the blue lights because they both possessed the trait for Ancient Magic.
• The Strange Man revealed that he had created Nightmare Magic and had used White Mist reminders and the Lighter to guide Li Weide to meet him.
• The Strange Man said he had absorbed too much Ancient Magic power and had been frozen in an alchemical cloak for decades to prevent a potentially city-destroying explosion.
• The Strange Man explained that he had created Nightmare Magic to endure his isolation and later used its power to observe the outside world.
• The Strange Man asked Li Weide to absorb some of the Ancient Magic power within him so he could regain his freedom.

Li Weide refused the Strange Man’s request to absorb Ancient Magic, fearing he might become like him, but accepted a sample to study. After returning to the Forbidden Forest, Li Weide heard a crash and vanished under a Disillusionment Charm to investigate.

• Strange Man showed Li Weide that he was trapped in a dream and could be controlled, then promised to let him leave if he refused.
• Li Weide rejected Strange Man’s request because he feared becoming like him, and Strange Man accepted his decision and offered to teach him Nightmare Magic.
• Strange Man said he had about two years left and gave Li Weide a vial containing a sample of Ancient Magic.
• Li Weide returned to the Forbidden Forest with the vial and wondered whether Ancient Magic could affect the mind.
• A crash and startled cries sounded in the distance, so Li Weide cast a Disillusionment Charm and disappeared into the darkness.

Li Weide rescued Aurelius from Nagini and left him in the Forbidden Forest as his Obscurus threatened to erupt. When Nagini attacked Li Weide, the Ancient Magic in a broken bottle awakened within him, and he used it to shrink her.

• Li Weide found Nagini attacking Aurelius, who was close to losing control of his Obscurus.
• Li Weide Apparated Aurelius to the Forbidden Forest, where Aurelius unleashed a violent burst of black mist after Li Weide left.
• Nagini attacked Li Weide, and he fought her with Apparition, a Shield Charm, and Transfiguration.
• Li Weide discovered that the Ancient Magic in his broken bottle had vanished and awakened inside him.
• Li Weide's Ancient Magic weakened Nagini, and his wand stroke rapidly shrank her massive body.

Li Weide used Ancient Magic to shrink and capture Nagini, then alerted Aberforth that Aurelius had lost control in the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore arrived and sent Li Weide back to the inn while he went to find Aurelius and Aberforth.

• Li Weide poured his Ancient Magic into Transfiguration, shrinking Nagini and leaving her too weak to move.
• Li Weide stunned Nagini, sealed her in a vine cage, and decided to hand her over to Dumbledore.
• Li Weide Apparated to the Hog's Head Inn and told Aberforth that Aurelius had lost control in the Forbidden Forest.
• Aberforth sent his goat Patronus toward Hogwarts, then flew into the Forbidden Forest with Li Weide pointing out the direction.
• Dumbledore arrived, sent Li Weide back to the inn, and went to find Aurelius and Aberforth.

Li Weide explained to Dumbledore how he had encountered Nagini in the Forbidden Forest and how a mysterious lighter had led him to a bottle of ancient magic. Dumbledore concluded that Li Weide had the trait needed to wield Ancient Magic and recalled a gifted Senior Sister who had possessed it too.

• Aberforth carried the unconscious Aurelius back to the Hog's Head Inn while Dumbledore kept Li Weide downstairs to question him.
• Li Weide told Dumbledore that he had restrained Nagini alone and used Transfiguration to shrink her, and Dumbledore confirmed the snake was Nagini.
• Li Weide showed Dumbledore the lighter, which only he could see glowing blue, and explained that its flame had led him into the Forbidden Forest.
• Li Weide claimed a bottle of strange mist shattered during his confrontation with Nagini and that its contents entered him, giving him the power to shrink her.
• Dumbledore recognized ancient magical traces on the glass and told Li Weide he likely shared the ability to wield Ancient Magic with a talented Senior Sister he had heard about.

Li Weide told Dumbledore that using Ancient Magic intensified his desire for power and asked how to keep it under control. Dumbledore praised his self-awareness and assured him he could use Ancient Magic as long as he held to his principles.

• Dumbledore recalled that a legendary Hogwarts student had been celebrated by professors and older students.
• Li Weide admitted that Ancient Magic made him intensely happy and increased his desire to become stronger, then asked Dumbledore for help resisting that temptation.
• Dumbledore said Li Weide’s concern showed he had already controlled his desire and explained that wanting to improve was not inherently wrong.
• Dumbledore urged Li Weide to use Ancient Magic without fear while holding to his moral limits, adding that he trusted Li Weide with such power.

Li Weide discussed Ancient Magic and the events surrounding Nagini and Aurelius with Dumbledore, then met Senior Sister in a dream. Senior Sister agreed that he could call her that, and Li Weide asked her to tell him her name.

• Dumbledore encouraged Li Weide to use Ancient Magic in moderation and offered to help him learn to control it.
• Li Weide guided Dumbledore through an account of how he had encountered Aurelius and Nagini, and Dumbledore left with Nagini to deal with the situation.
• Li Weide returned to his room, woke Toby, and told him to keep the secret of his absence.
• Li Weide entered a dream garden and called for Senior Sister, who appeared in the pavilion.
• Senior Sister thanked Li Weide for keeping her existence from Dumbledore and said he could call her Senior Sister; Li Weide asked for her name.

Li Weide discovered that Senior Sister believed her name had never existed and asked him to find out whether Dumbledore remembered it. After waking, Li Weide sent Dumbledore a letter, while Tom accused him of using a Stun Spell.

• Senior Sister became agitated when Li Weide asked her name and realized that neither she nor Dumbledore had ever mentioned it.
• Senior Sister asked Li Weide to ask Dumbledore whether he remembered her name.
• Li Weide woke after ten in the morning and decided to investigate whether Dumbledore and Hogwarts records contained Senior Sister’s name.
• Li Weide learned that Dumbledore had left on a long journey and sent him a letter asking about Senior Sister.
• Tom woke with a headache, accused Li Weide of stunning him, and tried to fight him.

Newt and Dumbledore discovered that Li Weide’s Ancient Magic Transfiguration had temporarily restored Nagini’s human consciousness by weakening her beast soul. Dumbledore took Nagini with him, then reacted with alarm while reading Li Weide’s letter, as Li Weide received a reward for saving her.

• Newt and Dumbledore confirmed that the shrunken snake was Nagini and waited for her to wake.
• Nagini regained consciousness, communicated by writing, and showed that she could stay conscious while transformed.
• Dumbledore deduced that Ancient Magic Transfiguration had weakened Nagini’s beast soul and might temporarily restrain the Maledictus curse.
• Dumbledore took Nagini in a cage, then began reading Li Weide’s letter and turned alarmed before finishing it.
• Aurelius thanked Li Weide for saving him and Nagini, while Li Weide teased the injured Tom about his defeat.
• Li Weide received 5,000 Merit Points for preventing Nagini’s fall into evil and saving her future victims.

Li Weide wondered what had happened to Nagini, then learned from Dumbledore that a former student’s name had vanished from memories and Hogwarts records. Dumbledore warned Li Weide to stop investigating her and conceal his ability to use Ancient Magic, fearing he might be in danger.

• Li Weide stopped questioning Nagini’s fate and blamed Tom for sleeping late, allowing him to return to studying.
• Li Weide encountered Dumbledore carrying Nagini’s cage, and Dumbledore brought him into a sealed room to discuss two matters.
• Dumbledore told Li Weide not to ask about the former student’s name or inspect her records, and offered to guide him in Ancient Magic.
• Li Weide explained that he had noticed Dumbledore never mentioned the student’s name and had written him a letter.
• Dumbledore revealed that the student’s name had disappeared from people’s memories and Hogwarts records, while other details remained.
• Dumbledore warned Li Weide to conceal his Ancient Magic and avoid further questions because he feared someone might be targeting its users.

Li Weide and Dumbledore agreed to conceal Li Weide’s Ancient Magic while Dumbledore quietly investigated the magic that had erased Senior Sister’s name. Dumbledore also taught Li Weide how to use Ancient Magic to preserve Nagini’s consciousness, leaving Nagini in Li Weide’s care for regular Transfiguration extensions.

• Dumbledore warned Li Weide that the magic erasing Senior Sister’s name might have been intended to erase her entirely, and urged him to keep his Ancient Magic secret.
• Li Weide agreed to stop investigating Senior Sister’s records while Dumbledore began a discreet investigation into the spell.
• Dumbledore revealed that Li Weide’s Ancient Magic had kept Nagini conscious and explained that extending her Transfiguration could suppress her Beast Soul.
• Li Weide used Ancient Magic to extend Nagini’s Transfiguration, and Dumbledore said each extension might weaken the Beast Soul without harming her human soul.
• Dumbledore gave Li Weide a nutritional potion and arranged for Nagini to stay with him, explaining that each extension would last about three days and that he had concealed the Ancient Magic from detection.

Li Weide brought Nagini to Tom so he could translate her speech, and learned that she wanted cooked food after regaining consciousness. When Tom refused to teach him Parseltongue, Li Weide decided to learn it from Nagini instead, leaving Tom dismayed.

• Li Weide took Nagini to Tom and asked him to translate what she said.
• Tom recognized Nagini and panicked, but Li Weide explained that Dumbledore had placed her with him and that she could now stay conscious.
• Tom translated Nagini's request to avoid raw food, and Li Weide offered her boiled eggs.
• Li Weide asked Tom to teach him Parseltongue, but Tom refused because he considered it an innate ability.
• Li Weide said Nagini could teach him to write and learn Parseltongue, leaving Tom feeling helpless.