Chapter Summaries

At Grindelwald’s trial, President Picquery presented evidence and summoned numerous witnesses, convinced she had restored their memories and could secure a conviction. Grindelwald remained calm and hinted that Abernathy’s disappearance might have undermined her plan.

• Dumbledore, Li Weide, and Tom attended Grindelwald’s trial, where President Picquery presided over a court packed with spectators.
• Grindelwald appeared composed, acknowledged the accusations, and suggested publishing a book to clarify his ideas if he cleared himself.
• The court displayed memories linking Grindelwald’s Followers to crimes, but none directly proved Grindelwald’s guilt.
• Picquery summoned a large group of witnesses and ordered that they testify after taking Veritaserum.
• Picquery told Grindelwald that Congress had watched Abernathy and restored the witnesses’ memories, but Grindelwald expressed concern only that Abernathy might live a long life.
• Picquery remembered that Abernathy had vanished just as Congress was preparing to seize him and realized this could threaten her plan.

At Grindelwald’s public trial, witnesses’ testimony repeatedly undermined the charges against him and portrayed him as a leader who had tried to prevent violence. As President Picquery called for the witnesses’ memories to be examined, Grindelwald welcomed the scrutiny, while Tom admired his ability to control the hearing without force.

• President Picquery called Morton Weber to testify, and Weber said Grindelwald had been present when a Follower killed his younger brother.
• Weber testified that Grindelwald had tried to stop the Follower from attacking, but an Auror interrupted him, leaving Picquery and the hearing hall stunned.
• The other witnesses largely failed to incriminate Grindelwald, with only Cyber Wright insisting that Grindelwald had harmed his No-Maj wife.
• Tom watched Grindelwald’s calm handling of the hearing and told Li Weide that he had benefited greatly from the experience.
• Picquery proposed examining the witnesses’ memories for tampering, and Grindelwald agreed, saying a rigorous process would clear his name.

Li Weide realized Grindelwald had turned the witness-memory examination into a trap for President Picquery and Dumbledore. After Mr. Wright’s restored memories revealed Picquery’s coercion, the court acquitted Grindelwald and released him.

• Li Weide explained to Tom that Grindelwald’s people might have infiltrated the Magical Congress and that Dumbledore was being used as a shield.
• Dumbledore found that Mr. Weber’s memory had not been altered, while Mr. Wright’s memory had been altered.
• Grindelwald insisted that Wright’s memories be restored, and Wright accused President Picquery of threatening him and arranging to alter his memories.
• Grindelwald invited the wizards to examine the witnesses themselves, and they confirmed that only Wright’s memories had been altered.
• President Picquery read the verdict dismissing all charges against Grindelwald, and the crowd celebrated as he was released.

After Grindelwald was acquitted and left the Magical Congress triumphant, Dumbledore learned from a note that Newt and Jacob had been imprisoned in its dungeons. He freed them, but accepted that they could not challenge Grindelwald’s victory there.

• Dumbledore watched Grindelwald depart and recognized that he had become more dangerous, while Tom criticized Picquery for betraying her ally.
• A disguised messenger delivered Grindelwald’s note, which revealed that Newt and Jacob had been held in the Magical Congress dungeons and taunted Dumbledore about the outcome.
• Dumbledore led Li Weide and Tom through the dungeon, where guards loyal to Grindelwald let them pass without question.
• Newt and Jacob learned Grindelwald had been acquitted, and Dumbledore explained that their testimony could not undo the result at the Magical Congress.
• A guard freed Newt’s chained Bowtruckle, and Newt climbed into his suitcase to feed the creatures inside before the group prepared to leave.

After Grindelwald cleared his name, Dumbledore watched him abandon violence and win support through public debates before he secured a powerful advisory post in Britain. Grindelwald challenged Dumbledore to wield political power if he truly wanted to stop him, leaving Dumbledore silent.

• Dumbledore, Newt, and Jacob discussed Jacob and Queenie leaving the United States, while Li Weide and Newt urged Dumbledore not to blame himself for failing to find them in Grindelwald’s dungeon.
• Tom persuaded Dumbledore to send Li Weide and him back to Britain through the Floo Network, thwarting Li Weide’s plan to watch Grindelwald’s speech.
• The Daily Prophet reported that Grindelwald had been cleared and that President Picquery had stepped down in favor of one of Grindelwald’s Followers.
• Grindelwald avoided violence and spread his ideas through debates with his opponents, which were published in wizarding newspapers around the world.
• After vanishing for half a month, Grindelwald reappeared beside Minister of Welfare and secured the British Ministry of Magic position of Senior Advisor, frustrating Dumbledore.
• Grindelwald told Dumbledore that he could only stop him by taking up the weapon of power, then questioned whether Dumbledore dared to touch power.

Dumbledore refused to seize power to oppose Grindelwald, but vowed to bear the cost if stopping him became necessary. At the safe house, Senior Sister returned with a regulator that made the dangerous residue in her body safe for Li Weide to absorb, offering a way to escape her fate.

• Dumbledore warned Minister of Welfare Hector that Grindelwald was slowly controlling the Ministry, but Hector said no one there could oppose him besides Dumbledore.
• Hector urged Dumbledore to enter politics and use Grindelwald's methods, but Dumbledore refused because he feared becoming another Grindelwald.
• Dumbledore said he would deal with Grindelwald when the crucial moment came and declared that he would pay the price if someone had to.
• Li Weide harvested enhanced Chinese Chomping Cabbages and recalled how Newt had helped him improve the Undetectable Extension Charm before Grindelwald's arrival forced him and his companions into confinement.
• Senior Sister contacted Li Weide through Tom Cat and explained that she had built a regulator to convert the residue in her body into harmless residue.
• Senior Sister told Li Weide that he could absorb the converted residue as she produced it, and she believed this could eventually save her.

Li Weide absorbed the residue converted by Senior Sister and grew stronger while Grindelwald began using public campaigns and political proposals to pressure the British Ministry of Magic. The Minister of Welfare delayed deciding on Grindelwald’s recruitment reforms and sought Dumbledore’s advice, while Li Weide welcomed the prospect of earning Merit Points.

• Senior Sister told Li Weide she would remain sealed until the residue inside her had been completely converted, and they planned to meet at the place where they had first met.
• Grindelwald ended his speeches and used his newspaper to publicize proposals, including removing academic grade requirements for Ministry jobs such as Auror recruitment.
• The Minister of Welfare feared the reforms would let Grindelwald place his followers inside the Ministry, so he delayed his decision and wrote to Dumbledore for advice.
• At the Safe House, Tom remarked that Grindelwald’s proposal matched Li Weide’s predictions and said he was almost convinced by Grindelwald’s message.
• Li Weide had absorbed Senior Sister’s converted residue, raising his magical strength to at least the equivalent of one and a half Snapes, and he welcomed the chance to earn Merit Points if Grindelwald’s proposal did good.

Li Weide explained how Grindelwald’s reform proposal improved his public image, while Dumbledore persuaded the Ministry of Magic to adopt it despite the risk of Grindelwald’s influence. The chapter left Li Weide with a sharp Merit Point increase and a costly batch of mutated Venomous Tentacula seeds in the refreshed System Shop.

• Li Weide told Tom that Grindelwald had already benefited by publicizing his proposal, whether the Ministry accepted it or not.
• Tom realized that Grindelwald was building popular support through reforms rather than relying only on force.
• Dumbledore urged Ministry officials to judge Grindelwald’s proposals by their merits and accept the beneficial ones.
• The Ministry of Magic decided to adopt Grindelwald’s proposal, and Dumbledore prepared to watch for any missteps.
• Li Weide’s Merit Points rose to 59,000, and the refreshed System Shop offered mutated Venomous Tentacula seeds for 2,000 points.

Li Weide bought a Whomping Willow seed and mutated Venomous Tentacula seeds, while Grindelwald maneuvered for a position of real authority in the Ministry of Magic. The Minister of Welfare appointed him Head of the Department of Education, allowing reforms to proceed and giving Grindelwald influence over young wizards.

• Li Weide bought a Whomping Willow seed and a batch of mutated Venomous Tentacula seeds to study.
• Grindelwald declined to draft the Ministry's reform plan, leaving the Minister of Welfare to take responsibility for it.
• The Minister of Welfare's reforms stalled amid resistance within the Ministry, so he asked Dumbledore for advice.
• Dumbledore told the Minister of Welfare to give Grindelwald the power he wanted, and the Minister appointed him Head of the Department of Education.
• Grindelwald accepted the appointment, Ministry personnel became easier for the Minister to mobilize, and recruitment assessments began drawing wizards in large numbers.
• As previously overlooked wizards succeeded in the assessments, Grindelwald's reputation began to change.

Li Weide focused on cultivating magical plants while waiting to see whether Grindelwald’s change in methods would alter the future. When Tom entered the greenhouse, a plant accidentally fed the wrong solution fired its teeth at them, leaving half of Tom’s hair shaved off.

• Li Weide reasoned that the system would not reward Grindelwald’s change until a decisive future event confirmed its effects, and he chose to focus on growing stronger and researching new combat tools.
• Li Weide planted mutated seeds in a greenhouse and spent the following week tending them, while Tom mistook his studying for reading novels and thought he was slacking off.
• Li Weide and Tom Cat rushed to water the plants, and Tom was soaked with Nutrient Solution that spilled from the buckets.
• Tom followed Li Weide into the greenhouse and saw a plant firing sharp teeth; Li Weide explained that Tom Cat had used the wrong solution.
• Li Weide stopped the plant with a spell, then laughed when he saw that its flying teeth had shaved off half of Tom’s hair, prompting Tom to threaten him.

After Tom Cat’s hair was corroded by Li Weide’s mutated Venomous Tentacula, Li Weide promised to restore it and bargained with Tom to keep him from complaining to Dumbledore. Li Weide moved the plant to the Wizard Tower for experiments, while Grindelwald began pushing Dumbledore to reform Hogwarts’s education.

• Tom Cat accidentally poured Magical Creatures’ nutrient solution on Li Weide’s mutated Venomous Tentacula, which grew rapidly and sprayed corrosive venom that ruined half of Tom’s hair.
• Li Weide apologized and promised he could cure Tom’s scalp, then offered him a Dark Arts spell to stop him from writing a complaint to Dumbledore; Tom demanded two spells before settling for one.
• Li Weide transplanted the dangerous Tentacula to the Wizard Tower and prepared to study its venom, medicinal properties, consciousness, and possible taming.
• Grindelwald criticized Hogwarts’s outdated curriculum and weak Auror training, then called for sweeping educational reform.
• Dumbledore visited Grindelwald’s office as Hogwarts’s acting administrator, and Grindelwald told him the school’s educational policy needed reform.

Grindelwald argued with Dumbledore over reforming Hogwarts education, including stricter discipline and teaching students about Dark Arts. Dumbledore agreed to consider reasonable proposals while warning that Grindelwald’s political career bound him to follow the rules, leaving Grindelwald to reconsider his haste.

• Grindelwald presented Auror career records to argue that Hogwarts education failed to prepare students for success and practical challenges.
• Grindelwald proposed stricter student management and instruction in Dark Arts, while Dumbledore objected to exposing young wizards to them.
• Grindelwald called for military-style schooling to prepare wizards to survive threats, and Dumbledore accused him of building an army against Muggles.
• Dumbledore warned that parents and public opinion could oppose Grindelwald’s reforms and that entering politics had made him accountable to the rules.
• Dumbledore left after promising to review reasonable reform proposals, and Grindelwald reflected that he needed to proceed more carefully.

Li Weide trained a conscious mutated Venomous Tentacula while Tom recovered from the poison and endured Li Weide’s teasing. Dumbledore announced they could leave the Safe House, but Li Weide suspected he might be using them to bait Grindelwald.

• Grindelwald abandoned an aggressive education reform proposal and decided to pursue a less aggressive plan under Dumbledore’s watch.
• Li Weide spent seven days trying to tame the conscious Venomous Tentacula by withholding its preferred nutrient solution and giving it ordinary water.
• Li Weide returned to the Safe House, teased Tom about his bald head, and showed him a photograph made from a memory projection.
• Dumbledore arrived, asked about their summer homework, and announced that they could go out freely because Grindelwald had placed limits on himself.
• Dumbledore gave Li Weide and Tom Fawkes’s tail-feather Portkeys, and Li Weide wondered whether Dumbledore intended to use them as bait for Grindelwald.

After leaving the Safe House, Tom returned to Riddle Manor and found his grandparents had prepared him a secluded home and laboratory. He learned that his absent father, Old Tom, had helped design it, leaving Tom unexpectedly moved.

• Li Weide teased Tom about his bald head, while Tom endured the mockery and hurried back to his room.
• After his hair grew back three days later, Tom left the Safe House, met Mr. Augustus at the Leaky Cauldron, and traveled to Riddle Manor.
• Mr. Riddle and Mrs. Riddle welcomed Tom, and Mr. Riddle arranged a private house in the manor woods that suited Tom's needs.
• Tom accepted the secluded house and reassured Mr. Riddle that he could keep others away without guards.
• Mr. Riddle revealed that Old Tom had helped him arrange the wizard-like furnishings, stirring complicated feelings in Tom.

Tom visited the home he had prepared for Mr. Riddle and arranged a way for them to keep in contact, while Li Weide and Tom Cat finally won the Venomous Tentacula’s submission with nutrient solution. The plant accepted the name Venomfang and stopped attacking them.

• Tom told Mr. Riddle he understood his father’s pain and gave him a snowy owl so they could exchange letters.
• Mr. Riddle suggested letting Tom’s father name the owl, and Tom agreed.
• After Mr. Riddle and the others left, Tom cast protective and concealment spells around his new woodland base.
• Li Weide and Tom Cat exhausted the Venomous Tentacula by repeatedly blocking its attacks and withholding nutrient solution.
• Tom Cat tempted the plant with nutrient solution until it surrendered, then poured several bottles into its pot.
• Li Weide watched the plant recover and named it Venomfang, and the Tentacula accepted Tom Cat as its ally.

Li Weide left home to visit Tom and Mr. Scamander, while Tom practiced Sectumsempra at Riddle Manor. After a warning note arrived, Tom investigated the gunfire and discovered the Riddle Family estate had been attacked; he crept toward the lit second-floor window to see what was happening.

• Li Weide left Toby and Tom Cat in charge of the house and departed with Nagini to visit Tom and Mr. Scamander.
• Tom practiced Sectumsempra at Riddle Manor and wondered why Li Weide’s magic was so much stronger than his own.
• A snowy owl brought Tom a hurried note warning him to be careful and run, and Tom chose to investigate instead of using Dumbledore’s Portkey.
• Tom put on his Invisibility Cloak and found a Riddle Family guard brutally killed, with the estate’s other guards also lying dead.
• Tom approached the manor house and floated up to the lit second-floor window to look inside.

Tom found Morfin Gaunt and several Dark Wizards torturing Old Tom while searching for a stolen ring. He rescued his father and fought the attackers, but the remaining Dark Wizard escaped and blamed Morfin for claiming their opponent was only eleven.

• Tom flew to the second-floor window and saw Morfin Gaunt torturing Old Tom while other Dark Wizards searched the house for a vault.
• Morfin demanded to know where Tom was, and Old Tom insulted him instead of answering.
• As Morfin prepared to kill Old Tom, Tom used Sectumsempra to sever Morfin's wand arm and entered the room under his Invisibility Cloak.
• Tom collapsed the staircase, vanished, and evaded the Dark Wizards' barrage of Killing Curses by flying outside.
• Tom blasted through the ceiling, killed one Dark Wizard, and forced another to Apparate away.
• The surviving Dark Wizard punched Morfin and berated him for claiming their opponent was an eleven-year-old.

Tom defeated the Dark Wizards who attacked the Riddle Family, but Morfin Gaunt shot Old Tom as he spoke with Tom. As Old Tom lay gravely wounded, he suggested naming Tom’s owl “Newborn,” and Tom remained by his side trying to heal him.

• Tom used knockout gas to incapacitate the Dark Wizards and checked that the Riddle Family was still alive.
• Tom told Old Tom he planned to leave forever, but Old Tom argued that the family would not blame Tom for the attack.
• Morfin Gaunt shot Old Tom from the broken second-floor window, and Tom killed Morfin with a powerful nonverbal spell.
• Tom tried to treat Old Tom’s severe wounds with Dittany, a healing potion, and Episkey, but his injuries remained critical.
• Old Tom suggested naming Tom’s owl “Newborn” as he spoke of new life and hope.

Tom watched Li Weide save Old Tom after the attack on Riddle Manor, then recounted the events to Dumbledore while the authorities handled the aftermath. As the chapter ended, Tom asked why his Sectumsempra had become so powerful, and Li Weide asked whom Tom had been fighting for when he cast it.

• Old Tom began to die from blood loss, but Li Weide arrived and saved him with potions and spells.
• Li Weide summoned Toby to find Dumbledore and treated the Riddle family and their butler, erasing some of their painful memories.
• Dumbledore arrived, listened as Tom explained the attack, and summoned the Ministry while Li Weide prepared the injured for St Mungo's.
• Aurors sealed Riddle Manor, and the Riddle family went to St Mungo's while Tom sat silently outside.
• Tom asked Li Weide why his Sectumsempra had been so powerful, and Li Weide asked whom Tom's wand had been fighting for.

After Tom experienced a sudden breakthrough in wandless magic, Li Weide’s advice led him to connect his power to family and love. Dumbledore and Grindelwald arrived, and Grindelwald ended by announcing plans to add Dark Arts to Hogwarts’ curriculum, leaving Li Weide and Tom stunned by his blunt hints about their studies.

• Tom asked Li Weide whether his sudden change in spellcasting was the magic of love, and Li Weide offered his view that love meant caring deeply for something beyond oneself.
• Tom realized he had cared most about family and transformed a dead branch into a flower with wandless Transfiguration, then thanked Li Weide.
• Dumbledore offered Li Weide a future teaching post at Hogwarts, but Tom guiltily threw the flower away after realizing Dumbledore might have heard him discuss Dark Arts.
• Grindelwald arrived, retrieved Tom’s flower, and argued with Dumbledore that his Ministry role gave him reason to check on the students.
• When Li Weide asked about Grindelwald’s education reforms, Grindelwald announced that Dark Arts would become part of the standard curriculum, shocking Li Weide and Tom.