Chapter Summaries

After learning that Patrick was near death and his son Ares had been taken by werewolves, Murphy forced his way into St Mungo's Hospital. He left with the injured Muggle security team, Patrick, Audrey, and trainee healer Valia Oster, taking them to the Magic Research Institute for treatment.

• Murphy learned that Patrick was unconscious with a torn throat, Audrey had been scratched by a werewolf, and Ares was missing.
• At St Mungo's Hospital, Kingsley Shacklebolt tried to provoke Murphy into revealing his connection to Umbrella, but Murphy used his voice to make Kingsley step aside.
• Murphy punched Hippocrates out of the way and found Patrick, Audrey, fourteen injured guards, and nine dead guards in the ward.
• Murphy bound the patients and corpses together, recruited the frightened trainee healer Valia Oster, and cast a Portkey Charm to take them all to the Magic Research Institute.

After Greyback abducted Ares during a werewolf attack on Patrick’s villa, Murphy launched a search and helped the Magic Research Institute treat the wounded. The researchers proposed using a personalized Magic Power Potion to help bitten Muggles survive transformation, leaving Murphy to consider a method developed in a project to turn Muggles into wizards.

• Murphy learned that Greyback’s pack had attacked Patrick’s villa, killed several guards, bitten the survivors, and taken Ares after injuring Audrey.
• Murphy ordered Rita Skeeter to publicize a bounty for information about the werewolves and assembled teams to treat the injured.
• Elodie explained that Audrey’s scratches could be treated, while the bitten Muggles faced rapid organ failure as magical rabies spread.
• Andrew said the bitten Muggles might survive by completing their transformation, but they needed a precise supply of magic power.
• Hordan revealed that the team had developed an injectable Magic Power Potion, and Andrew proposed using a Muggle’s Polyjuice-derived signature to make a potion compatible with each patient.
• Andrew told Murphy that the method came from a subproject on transforming Muggles into wizards and offered to shut it down if Murphy objected.

Murphy approved Andrew’s effort to develop a potion that could give wizards Muggle-like magical traits, then rushed to find a way to preserve Patrick while the potion was being made. As Murphy traveled to the Grand Canyon to hunt for a Petrifying Lizard, Kingsley pushed to have him declared wanted, and Gawain agreed to report the matter to Barty Crouch.

• Murphy told Andrew that magic should be shared and learned that the proposed Magic Power Potion would take at least half a month to make.
• Murphy and the medical experts concluded that true petrification could preserve Patrick, but Lisandro reported that Petrifying Lizard venom was unavailable locally.
• Lisandro learned that an explorer had seen a Petrifying Lizard in Arizona’s Grand Canyon, so Murphy arranged a Portkey trip to the United States.
• Murphy instructed Laura Kruger to oversee the institute and send the Watchmen to recover Ares safely if they received news of him.
• Kingsley asked Gawain Robards to issue a wanted notice for Murphy, and Gawain agreed to report the request to Barty Crouch.
• Murphy arrived in San Francisco, located the explorer’s map, and flew toward the Grand Canyon in crow form at supersonic speed.

Murphy flew from San Francisco to the Grand Canyon at Mach 3, where he accidentally injured a Thunderbird and escaped its attacks. After failing to find a Petrifying Lizard, he asked a courting American crow if it knew where one was.

• Murphy flew through a storm cloud and collided with a Thunderbird, tearing a hole in its wing.
• The enraged Thunderbird struck Murphy with lightning and attacked him, but Murphy escaped by transforming and Apparating behind rocks.
• Murphy searched the Grand Canyon for more than two hours but could not find the Petrifying Lizard.
• An American crow courted Murphy, and he asked it whether it knew where a petrifying reptile lived.

Murphy traveled to the Colorado Grand Canyon, persuaded local crows to lead him to a Petrifying Lizard, and defeated it with magic and a hydraulic hammer. As he prepared to collect its venom, a Thunderbird swooped down on him.

• Murphy told Miss Bugs Are Tasty and the Guguagua Clan a fabricated tale of his parents’ deaths and demonstrated his magic to win their help finding the Petrifying Lizard.
• Kingsley Shacklebolt learned Murphy had gone to the United States and ordered the Aurors to alert American authorities, seize Murphy’s properties, and activate deep-cover agents.
• Hundreds of crows gathered at the Petrifying Lizard’s valley lair to watch Murphy confront the creature.
• Murphy transformed into a hairless ape, dodged the lizard’s venom, bound its legs with transfiguration, and knocked it unconscious with a hydraulic pile driver.
• Murphy put on dragonhide gloves to collect the lizard’s venom, but a Thunderbird swooped down toward him.

Murphy was battered by the Thunderbird and poisoned by the Petrifying Lizard while trying to escape. After his suitcase exploded and left him badly injured, he realized he had grabbed Dittany Promoter instead of healing potion, and the enraged Thunderbird descended on him again.

• The Thunderbird interrupted Murphy’s Apparition, pinned him down, and pursued him as he escaped in raven form among the crows.
• Murphy dodged the Thunderbird and the Petrifying Lizard’s venom, but the venom petrified his left arm and began spreading across his body.
• Murphy summoned his suitcase for Mandrake Juice, but the Thunderbird crushed it and spilled its contents across the ground.
• The Thunderbird’s lightning ignited the scattered supplies and explosives, blasting Murphy across the area and leaving him gravely wounded.
• Murphy mistook Dittany Promoter for Essence of Dittany, then saw the Thunderbird return amid a fiery tornado, shrieking in pain.

Murphy drank a Dittany Promoter as the Thunderbird prepared to kill him, transforming into a monstrous creature and fighting back. He killed the Thunderbird and swallowed its brain, ending the chapter transformed and standing over its crushed corpse.

• The Thunderbird killed the petrifying lizard, swallowed its brain, and fixed Murphy with a murderous gaze.
• Murphy, badly injured and holding a broken wand, challenged the Thunderbird and drank the Dittany Promoter.
• The potion transformed Murphy into a giant, regenerating monster, and he attacked the Thunderbird in midair.
• The Thunderbird summoned a tornado, but Murphy grew enormous wings, caught it, and tore its head apart.
• Murphy crushed the Thunderbird's corpse, swallowed its brain, and howled at the sky.

Murphy’s failed Animagus potion triggered a deadly transformation, and he used the crows and a superbrain to try to shape it before the potion’s effects ran out. As lightning burned away most of his brain, he gained a brief chance to think at the speed of light, with only five microseconds left.

• American Aurors led by Captain Mary spotted a massive tornado of black clouds near the Grand Canyon and flew toward it.
• Murphy’s body mutated into a huge mass of flesh, but he fought to survive and began chanting the Animagus incantation.
• Miss Bugs Are Tasty defended Murphy as the crows joined his chant and spiraled around him, summoning a vast storm and lightning.
• Mary and the other Aurors saw Murphy rise inside the tornado, then fold his wings around himself like an enormous egg as lightning struck him.
• Murphy used Total Recall and a rapidly growing superbrain to understand that the potion had begun transforming him into a Thunderbird and Petrifying Lizard Animagus, and that he had to complete the ritual to survive.
• Lightning formed an electromagnetic neural network in Murphy’s brain; he burned away most of his cortex and gained five microseconds to think at the speed of light.

Murphy gambled on using a mysterious hide to survive an extreme Animagus transformation, and emerged from a black egg as a creature combining Thunderbird, Petrifying Lizard, and unknown traits. After learning that American Aurors were looking for him under a British warrant, he vanished in a storm of lightning.

• Murphy used the nearly indestructible hide to contain his transformation, despite knowing its unknown magic could cause further mutations.
• A sphere of protection swallowed the storm, crows, and Murphy, leaving a black, scaly egg suspended in the air.
• Mary identified Petrifying Lizard scales and Thunderbird feathers, then touched the egg and caused it to crack and explode.
• Murphy emerged as a horned, feathered, scaled humanoid and stopped his crows from attacking the Aurors.
• Mary told Murphy that the British Aurors had issued a warrant for him, and he summoned the crows into enormous wings and flew away in a bolt of lightning.

Murphy survived his unstable multiple Animagus transformation and used lightning to travel back to the Potions Laboratory, where he was attacked by Bertram and two wizards. After overpowering them, Murphy took Bertram's wand and used Legilimency to find out what was happening.

• Murphy's thunderbird, basilisk, and goat-like transformation receded, leaving him badly injured and with lightning powers he could barely control.
• Murphy tried to travel toward London by lightning, but the journey worsened his condition, so he recalled how he had once performed wandless Apparition.
• Murphy entered a silent state of concentration and Apparated into a meeting room at the Potions Laboratory, where the lightning-linked arrival short-circuited nearby equipment.
• Bertram and two wizards recognized Murphy and attacked after noticing he had no wand, but Murphy swiftly incapacitated all three.
• Murphy picked up Bertram and summoned his wand, then cast Legilimency on him.

Murphy stopped undercover Aurors from taking over the Magic Research Institute and gave Andrew Tuke instructions for accelerating the Animagus Potion. He then learned that werewolves had abducted a child in the London Docklands, but the Aurors might have taken control of the security store, so Murphy set out to find them himself.

• Kingsley's awakened undercover agents seized the Magic Research Institute, but Murphy subdued them and ended the rebellion.
• Murphy told Andrew Tuke that they no longer needed Petrifying Lizard venom and gave him instructions for speeding up the Animagus Potion to prepare an antidote.
• Murphy underwent medical tests, but the researchers could not explain his transformed body.
• Laura told Murphy that a caller named Moony had seen werewolves abduct a child near Surrey Docks.
• Murphy ordered a rescue, learned he could not reach the Watchmen, and decided to search the Docklands himself.

Murphy tracked down and captured seven werewolves while the injured patients recovered at the Magic Research Institute. After admitting his role in the danger to Patrick and his security team, Murphy recruited the infected guards with the promise of controlled werewolf transformations and announced their first target: the Aurors.

• Murphy used lightning ravens to locate seven werewolves in Surrey Docks, captured them alive, and returned to the Magic Research Institute with Little Ares.
• The dittany-enhanced Magic Power Potion helped Little Ares, Patrick, and the other patients recover, and they all woke the next day.
• Patrick remembered that Murphy had altered his memories, learned Murphy was a wizard, and watched him summon ravens.
• Murphy told Radwan Perry and the surviving security personnel that his enemies had targeted them, and promised generous compensation to the families of the nine dead men.
• Murphy explained that Wolfsbane Potion could suppress the infected guards' loss of reason and offered to develop controlled transformations that could be used without a full moon.
• Murphy persuaded the mercenaries to join him and said their first target would be the Aurors.

Murphy’s werewolves ambushed Aurors across Diagon Alley, leaving the force devastated and Barty Crouch furious. Crouch learned the injured Aurors had gone to Murphy’s Mercy Wizarding Hospital and rushed there.

• Murphy identified Auror spies around the shuttered security store and authorized his werewolf pack to attack them.
• Radwan ordered his teams to launch simultaneous attacks, aiming to cripple the Aurors and bite them without killing them if possible.
• Werewolves ambushed Grace Carter and Doris in a café, then attacked across Diagon Alley, biting Aurors and leaving widespread destruction.
• Barty Crouch berated Gawain Robards over the attacks and learned that Mercy Wizarding Hospital treated lycanthropy and had received the injured Aurors.
• Crouch ordered Robards to take him to Mercy Wizarding Hospital immediately.

Mercy Wizarding Hospital treated werewolf-bitten Aurors, undermining Barty Crouch’s case against Murphy Darkholme. Crouch tried to rush Murphy’s trial, but the Wizengamot postponed it because the Watchmen had captured Sirius.

• Mercy Wizarding Hospital cured several Aurors bitten by werewolves, and its patients learned that Elodie and Valya worked there alongside doctors from the Magic Research Institute.
• Barty Crouch questioned Elodie and Valya, who said Murphy had taken them with their consent and helped establish the hospital, though Crouch recognized their account as a prepared cover story.
• Crouch realized that the hospital’s success could invalidate the Aurors’ warrant against Murphy, so he returned to the Ministry and ordered an immediate trial in absentia.
• Gawain Robards told Crouch that the Wizengamot had postponed the trial to prioritize Death Eater cases.
• Robards revealed that the Watchmen had captured Sirius.

Murphy located Sirius Black through the ravens’ shared vision while tracking Aurors and searching for Peter Pettigrew. Sirius was cornered by Dementors and nearly lost his soul before Murphy struck one with lightning.

• Murphy used the ravens’ vision to search for Aurors and found Sirius Black hiding in Diagon Alley.
• Murphy broke the arcade’s Tetris record, entered the name Anon, and left to deal with Sirius.
• Sirius stayed in Diagon Alley, hoping to find Peter Pettigrew, despite the growing danger from Dementors.
• Dementors cornered Sirius, and his weak Patronus failed to protect him from their attack.
• Murphy struck one of the Dementors with lightning and wondered aloud whether a billion volts could kill them.

Murphy rescued Sirius from the Dementors, revealed that Peter Pettigrew had been captured, and arranged for Sirius to receive a retrial. With Pettigrew exposed in court, Sirius was declared innocent and regained his freedom.

• Murphy struck the Dementors with lightning, scattered them, and brought Sirius to his home.
• Murphy told Sirius that Peter Pettigrew was in his custody and explained that he wanted to clear Sirius's name while using the case against Barty Crouch.
• Sirius agreed to spare Pettigrew temporarily and testify at a retrial, while Murphy promised to ensure a fair hearing.
• The Daily Prophet reported on the Aurors, the Watchmen, and Sirius's arrest, helping the Watchmen's reputation grow.
• Dumbledore forced Pettigrew back into his true form at Sirius's trial, and Sirius was declared innocent, freed, and moved to tears.

The Daily Prophet’s coverage of Sirius’s innocence and Murphy Darkholme’s persecution turned public anger toward Barty Crouch and the Aurors. After Peter Pettigrew escaped during transport, Murphy confronted Crouch at home, exposed his hidden son, and left Crouch begging to cooperate.

• The Daily Prophet published Rita Skeeter’s articles praising Sirius’s innocence and questioning the Aurors’ authority for putting Sirius and Murphy on wanted lists.
• Gawain Robards told Barty Crouch that Peter Pettigrew had escaped while being escorted to Azkaban, and Crouch returned home fearing his career was over.
• Murphy ordered Winky out of the room with his Commanding Enchanting Voice and confronted Crouch about hiding Barty Crouch Jr.
• Crouch refused Murphy’s offer to cooperate, so Murphy beat him, tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse, and pulled Barty Crouch Jr. from the cupboard.
• Murphy prepared to leave with Barty Crouch Jr. for Azkaban, but Crouch grabbed his foot and asked what Murphy wanted him to do.

Murphy forced Barty Crouch to withdraw the wanted notice and apologize, then outlined reforms that could restore his reputation and help him become Minister for Magic. He left Crouch with a plan to curb the Aurors, establish Watchmen oversight, and arrest a list of suspected Death Eaters.

• Murphy stripped Barty Crouch Jr. of the Invisibility Cloak and restrained him, then offered old Barty Crouch a path to becoming Minister for Magic.
• Murphy told Crouch to withdraw the wanted notice and apologize to Murphy, Sirius, the injured Aurors, and those harmed by his handling of the werewolf problem.
• Murphy advised Crouch to blame Gawain Robards for past abuses and propose reducing the Aurors' authority while assigning them ordinary law enforcement and disaster-response work.
• Murphy proposed an independent Watchmen organization elected by its members to oversee the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and report its findings to the Wizengamot.
• Murphy gave Crouch a list of suspected Death Eaters, including the Carrow siblings, Yaxley, and Avery, and told him to arrest them and make them talk.

Patrick saw Umbrella’s success as a way to help lead humanity toward Murphy’s greater goal of uncovering the end of magic. Meanwhile, Barty Crouch reformed magical law enforcement and captured several Death Eaters, while Murphy sent the Lightning Ravens after a self-proclaimed Dark wizard and learned Fenrir Greyback was gathering werewolves in Suffolk.

• Patrick reflected on Blue Queen’s success and decided Umbrella should lead humanity toward collective ascension as part of Murphy’s necessary path.
• After Peter Pettigrew escaped, Barty Crouch apologized for past failures, lifted the wanted orders for Sirius and Murphy, and announced reforms to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
• Barty Crouch captured the Carrow siblings, who confessed that they had helped Peter escape to find Voldemort, and the Watchmen later captured Yaxley and Avery with Murphy’s covert assistance.
• Murphy tore up Harold Nielsen’s letter and ordered thirty Lightning Ravens to find him.
• A Lightning Raven reported that more than forty werewolves had gathered in Suffolk under Fenrir Greyback, and Murphy said he had finally caught him.

Greyback tried to restore his authority over his werewolf pack by challenging Remus Lupin to a bloody duel. Lupin accepted to give the others a chance at a better life, but Greyback transformed and attacked him, leaving Lupin apparently mortally wounded.

• Greyback decided to use a bloody duel to stop his pack from turning against him.
• Remus Lupin challenged Greyback's claims and urged the werewolves to seek help from Mercy Wizarding Hospital, Dumbledore, or Murphy.
• Greyback invoked the pack's tradition of fighting to the death, and Lupin accepted the duel after handing his wand away.
• Lupin told the werewolves to seek a better life if he lost, then entered the clearing to fight Greyback.
• Greyback partially transformed, pounced on Lupin, and tore at his neck with his fangs.