Recaps

Murphy reassigned Alex Wood and Serika Wood to tutor Muggle researchers at the Magic Research Institute, then used a historian’s knowledge to locate the vanished village near Caerphilly that might hold clues to Joachim’s spell. Serika set out to investigate the site and promised to contact Murphy before exploring further.

• Murphy offered Alex a less exhausting tutoring job for three hundred Galleons a month, and Alex accepted.
• Serika told Murphy she could not locate Joachim’s village, so he brought her and Alex to the institute to serve as guiding wizards for Muggle researchers.
• Alex panicked when he learned he would teach Muggles, while Murphy warned him that the Aurors could send him to Azkaban for breaking the law.
• Murphy asked historian Hunter Werner to study the old village picture, and Hunter placed the village near Caerphilly Castle on a map.
• Serika decided to investigate the now-desolate valley herself and agreed to send Murphy a message before exploring any discoveries.

Lucius Malfoy was released from prison and reunited with Narcissa and Draco, only to find Murphy Darkholme waiting for him. Murphy explained that Lucius had lost their legal battle because Murphy had outspent him, leaving Lucius to recognize that he could not compete financially.

• Lucius Malfoy was released from imprisonment and received his wand from an Auror.
• Lucius reunited with Narcissa and Draco, then was shocked to see Murphy Darkholme waiting with them.
• Narcissa urged Lucius to hear Murphy out, and Murphy led him to a hillside by an abandoned lighthouse.
• Murphy admitted selling potions to Muggles and explained that Lucius had become his enemy by attacking his factory.
• Murphy revealed that he had spent one hundred thousand Galleons to win the lawsuit, and Lucius realized he had lost because he could not match Murphy's wealth.

Murphy humiliated Lucius Malfoy and offered him a paid role in building support for his business, warning him against becoming an enemy. After flying away, Murphy received word that the warehouse he had ordered watched had been infiltrated.

• Murphy confronted Lucius Malfoy over their failed business partnership and challenged him to kill him.
• Lucius Malfoy considered casting the Cruciatus Curse, but Murphy knocked his wand away and declared himself stronger.
• Murphy offered Lucius Malfoy money to recruit allies and promote cooperation, warning that real evidence would be submitted if Lucius opposed him.
• Murphy flew away using a spell from the diary, then stopped when his phone rang.
• Murphy's subordinate told him that the watched warehouse had just been infiltrated.

Murphy investigated an invisible intruder who had photographed potions in his warehouse and traced the fingerprints to Hamoud Abra, a potion maker he suspected was an Auror spy. After confronting Hamoud and wiping his recent memories, Murphy escaped before the Aurors arrived.

• Murphy and Schmidt Gibson reviewed ordinary, infrared, and thermal footage of a disguised wizard breaking into the warehouse and photographing potions.
• Murphy had a fingerprint expert compare the prints with files on his potion makers, and the expert identified Hamoud Abra.
• Murphy confronted Hamoud at Supreme Potion Store, but Legilimency failed because Hamoud used Occlumency.
• Hamoud revealed that he was an Auror and warned Murphy that colleagues were coming, so Murphy cast Obliviate on him and left.
• The Aurors found Hamoud beside a sewer in Knockturn Alley with no memory of the past month, while his residence had been burned down.

Scrimgeour and Kingsley shifted their investigation of Murphy to the Muggle world after Frank was attacked and their leads disappeared. Murphy secured Thief’s Downfall defenses and prepared to hear the Magic Research Institute’s first research presentation, a paper titled “Some Thoughts on the Path for Wizards to Become Gods.”

• An Auror reported that Frank had lost his wand and valuables and suffered a powerful Memory Charm, while Kingsley urged Scrimgeour to seek revenge.
• Scrimgeour and Kingsley decided to investigate Umbrella through Gawain Robards and secretly enlist Muggle resources.
• Murphy asked Locke to find a bulk seller of house-elves and said he needed at least fifty for the Magic Research Institute.
• Murphy installed Thief’s Downfall access gates at Supreme Potion Store, Western Mansion, and key areas of the institute.
• Laura Kruger invited Murphy to a research presentation, and he learned the institute’s first paper was titled “Some Thoughts on the Path for Wizards to Become Gods.”

Genetic engineer Andrew Tuke presented the Transfiguration Pathway, proposing that Transfiguration and Animagus magic could let wizards gain the abilities of many living things and move toward omnipotence. He suggested combining Animagus research with studies of potions, magical creatures, and transformative spells, while leaving the pathway as a conjecture for future investigation.

• Andrew Tuke introduced his paper on how wizards might become gods and argued that magic offered a way to overcome the limits of biological enhancement.
• Andrew explained that Transfiguration could give wizards other creatures' abilities, while Animagi could permanently assume animal forms.
• Andrew identified Animagus limitations: most could take only one animal form, could not become magical creatures, and faced a difficult transformation process.
• Andrew proposed studying Polyjuice Potion, Boggarts, werewolves, vampires, Metamorphmagi, and other transformative magic to address those limitations.
• Andrew named his proposed route to transforming into all things the Transfiguration Pathway.

Andrew Tuke proposed a four-stage Transfiguration Pathway, and Murphy approved creating a research group to test it. Murphy later met Patrick, who said he had good news of his own.

• Andrew Tuke described the benefits of Transfiguration and outlined its biological, non-biological, elemental, and void stages.
• Murphy asked Andrew to establish a Transfiguration Pathway Research Group and offered to provide researchers, equipment, and materials.
• Andrew proposed studying Animagus transformation alongside werewolf and vampire transformations, and Murphy praised his focus and promised Laura would help form the team.
• Murphy met Patrick while still excited about Andrew’s proposal, and Patrick said he had good news to share.

Murphy toured Umbrella’s research facilities and told Patrick to acquire promising electronics and software companies, then investigated Jennifer’s sudden memory loss and discovered an Auror had used a spell at the front desk. He suspected the Auror was tracing Venus Series suppliers back to his Beauty Potion warehouse and ordered Umbrella’s security team to prepare traps.

• Patrick explained how Dittany Promoter enabled an immune-enhancement therapy and described the laboratory’s patents and ongoing research into mutated dittany.
• Murphy told Patrick to look for electronics and software companies for Umbrella to acquire so Murphy could advance computer technology.
• Jennifer collapsed at the office, and Patrick found her breathing, heartbeat, and pupil response normal while her supervisor described her recent confusion and forgetfulness.
• Murphy reviewed lobby footage and saw an outdatedly dressed man cast spells on Jennifer before taking a supplier contact form.
• Murphy realized the Auror might be tracing Venus Series suppliers to his Beauty Potion warehouse and asked Umbrella’s security team to set traps at a potentially infiltrated facility.

Murphy learned that MI5 was investigating Umbrella Corporation at the Aurors’ prompting and planned to deal with those pulling the strings. He then visited Lucius Malfoy to recruit his help in making Supreme Potion the wizarding world’s only apothecary, leaving Lucius asking what Murphy wanted him to do.

• Patrick told Murphy that MI5 had ordered Umbrella Corporation to attend a national-security hearing, with the order coming from 10 Downing Street.
• Murphy realized the Aurors were using the hearing to expose his identity and told Patrick to delay the investigation while he handled the people behind it.
• Patrick mistook Murphy’s plan to bring down “him” as a threat against the Iron Lady, and Murphy clarified nothing before leaving.
• Murphy visited the Malfoys’ temporary manor and asked Lucius Malfoy whether he had decided to help after more than a month.
• Murphy offered Lucius gold and demanded that he shut down Slug & Jiggers Apothecary so Supreme Potion could become the wizarding world’s only apothecary.
• Lucius asked Murphy what exactly he wanted him to do.

Murphy sought help countering Scrimgeour, obtained True Blood from Lisandro with the bartender’s approval, and went to London’s East End to find a vicious person for his plan. He ended the chapter confronting a gang of thugs and asking who the district’s worst bastard was.

• Murphy asked Lucius to help deal with Scrimgeour and told him to have Kingsley target Alex Wood.
• Murphy asked Lisandro for blood to study how vampires and werewolves transformed others, and the bartender ordered Lisandro to give him True Blood.
• Lisandro gave Murphy two test tubes of True Blood, while the bartender said some people did not consider eternal life worthwhile.
• Murphy flew to the East End seeking a vicious person to use as a scapegoat and found several punks beating a man.
• Murphy grabbed one of the thugs and asked who the worst bastard in the district was.

Murphy learned that Boris Pishkov had been ruined by Isaac Milburn and was searching for his missing sister, Marianne Hampton. Murphy offered Boris a chance to become a hero, leaving his response unresolved.

• Murphy used Legilimency on Boris Pishkov and learned that Isaac Milburn had framed him and broken his leg.
• Boris returned a kitten to Mrs. Hampton, helped her around the apartment, and exercised despite his injury.
• Boris examined clippings about Isaac Milburn and missing girls, including Marianne Hampton, when Murphy suddenly appeared in his room.
• Boris revealed that Marianne was his younger sister and that he suspected Isaac had trafficked her.
• Boris begged Murphy to help find Marianne, and Murphy asked whether he wanted to become a hero as he took out a test tube.

Murphy gave Boris True Blood, and Boris endured a painful transformation into a vampire before flying to Milburn’s mansion. There, Boris attacked the guards, and Milburn recognized him as the accountant.

• Murphy offered Boris True Blood and explained the powers and drawbacks of becoming a vampire.
• Boris injected the blood, transformed after a painful ordeal, and discovered he could turn into a giant bat.
• Boris flew to Milburn’s mansion, and Murphy followed him inside.
• Boris drank a guard’s blood and fought off several armed guards, shrugging off bullets and killing them.
• Milburn came out of his bedroom, saw Boris, and recognized him as the accountant.

Boris and Murphy rescued Marianne from Isaac Milburn’s underground prison, and Murphy offered Boris a place with Umbrella Corporation. Boris agreed to become a research subject and agent in Muggle society.

• Boris killed Isaac Milburn’s armed guards while keeping control of his bloodlust, then Murphy used Legilimency to learn where Marianne was held.
• Murphy and Boris found Marianne and more than twenty other captives in a three-level underground prison beneath Isaac’s villa.
• Murphy sent Boris and Marianne home, freed the other prisoners, took Isaac and the estate’s valuables, and burned the villa.
• Murphy offered Boris work at Umbrella Corporation, promised help for Marianne and financial support for Boris’s grandmother, and Boris accepted the research role.
• Murphy asked Boris to replace him as his agent in Muggle society.

Murphy recruited Boris to pose as Murphys Anon, the public founder of Umbrella Corporation, then brought Isaac Milburn to the Western Mansion’s laboratory for experiments. He authorized the researchers to reshape Isaac into Alex Wood and alter his memories while keeping him alive.

• Murphy asked Boris to become Murphys Anon, and Boris agreed to serve him after Mariana’s safe return.
• Murphy gathered Niklas Dubi, Funes Bachmann, and Omid Abbott and laid out his standards for human experimentation.
• Murphy identified the bound Isaac Milburn as a violent criminal and authorized experiments on him, insisting that the researchers keep him alive.
• Murphy tasked Niklas with changing Isaac’s appearance to match Alex Wood using potions and surgery.
• Murphy ordered Funes and Omid to erase and implant Isaac’s memories and investigate how mind magic affected the brain.
• Omid proposed opening Isaac’s skull to monitor his brain activity, and Murphy approved the idea and offered to cooperate.

Laura Kruger reported the Magic Research Institute’s papers and research groups to Murphy, who then heard Haldan Haber explain his hypothesis that magic manipulated matter by directing wave-function collapse. Haldan began outlining testable spell theories, including the Probability Payment Hypothesis, and was about to introduce another when the chapter ended.

• Laura Kruger reported the institute’s papers, point rewards, and research groups to Murphy, who approved forming special-topic groups under the proposed leadership model.
• Murphy asked to meet the author of The Essence of Magic, and Haldan Haber arrived to explain his hypothesis.
• Haldan argued that magic granted wizards authority to direct wave-function collapse and produce physical effects without ordinary intermediate processes.
• Murphy questioned how such magic could be studied, and Haldan proposed investigating differences in wizards’ power, affinities, and ability to learn spells.
• Haldan introduced the Probability Payment Hypothesis, proposing that magic required greater costs to make less probable events occur, then began introducing the Necessary Conditions for Spells Hypothesis.

Hordan explained his theories about how magical power, will, and knowledge shape spellcasting, then proposed that a “Magic Web” fills in details a wizard has not imagined. Murphy suspected it might function like the large language models he had used before transmigrating.

• Hordan outlined hypotheses that magical power and will were necessary for spells and that wizards had different magical affinities across six dimensions.
• Hordan argued that spells grew stronger when their effects followed natural laws, magical power increased, or a wizard’s knowledge and practice sharpened their imagination.
• Hordan proposed that the Magic Web decided the unimagined details of spells and treated spellcasting as making a wish to it.
• Murphy connected Hordan’s Magic Web theory to the large models he had used before transmigrating and considered whether repeated spellcasting had taught it spells.

Murphy discussed how wizards might bypass the Magic Web by developing precise perception, magical control, knowledge, and computing ability, and named this approach the Spellcasting Path. Later, he learned that a warehouse he owned had exploded after his team planted Claymore mines, despite describing the traps as nonlethal.

• Murphy asked Hordan whether a wizard could cast spells directly without relying on the Magic Web, and Hordan explained the abilities and knowledge that would be required.
• Murphy asked Hordan to establish a research group to improve those abilities and named the approach the Spellcasting Path.
• Patrick told Murphy that authorities might soon investigate their business and demand its accounting records, so Murphy advised preparing to transfer its core operations.
• Murphy saw a report about an explosion at a chemicals warehouse rented by Pansibo Company and confirmed that it was his warehouse.
• Murphy called the risk mitigation team and learned they had planted Claymore mines among the supposed nonlethal traps.

Kingsley led an Auror raid to arrest Alex Wood, whom he believed was Murphy Darkholme’s assistant, while Murphy met Rita Skeeter for an interview and destroyed her enchanted notebook. The chapter left Kingsley believing he had captured Alex as Murphy confronted Skeeter’s fabrications.

• At St Mungo’s, Kingsley learned that Basque had been gravely injured and resolved to arrest Alex Wood, whom he suspected of working for Murphy.
• Papede identified Alex as the man who had processed materials for Murphy, and Kingsley organized an Auror ambush at an owl shed.
• Kingsley’s team stunned a hooded figure sending a money bag by owl, and Papede identified him as Alex Wood.
• Rita Skeeter questioned Murphy at the Daily Prophet headquarters and began inventing claims about him in her enchanted notebook.
• Murphy drew his wand and set Skeeter’s notebook and quill ablaze without using fire.

Murphy threatened Rita Skeeter into stopping her attacks on him and recruited her to write a story under his direction. Meanwhile, Kingsley’s interrogation of Alex Wood failed to produce evidence, and he ordered Aurors to stop Murphy and use Veritaserum on Alex.

• Murphy trapped Rita Skeeter, revealed that he knew she was an Animagus, and warned her not to publish anything slandering him.
• Murphy told Rita that he had bought shares in the Daily Prophet, made her his employee, and took her to get a big story.
• Kingsley and the Aurors questioned Alex Wood, but Alex admitted little and resisted Legilimency with apparent Occlumency.
• An Auror reported that Murphy was bringing reporters to the Ministry, increasing the pressure on the interrogation.
• Kingsley accused Alex of helping Murphy sell potions to Muggles, then ordered the Aurors to stop Murphy and give Alex Veritaserum.

Kingsley weighed whether to publicize Alex Wood’s Veritaserum confession against Murphy Darkholme, then let Rita Skeeter witness it as pressure mounted. Barty Crouch backed the Aurors’ arrest, but Murphy challenged their methods and Crouch’s authority before any trial had taken place.

• Alex Wood confessed under Veritaserum that he worked for Murphy Darkholme and helped make and sell potions to Muggles.
• Kingsley considered waiting for stronger evidence but, reminded of injured Aurors, allowed Rita Skeeter into the interrogation room.
• Rita Skeeter entered with a photographer, followed by Murphy and Barty Crouch.
• Kingsley told Barty Crouch that Alex had confessed to helping Murphy violate the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.
• Barty Crouch declared that the Aurors should lock Alex and Murphy in Azkaban, and Murphy criticized him for suggesting imprisonment without a Wizengamot trial.
• Murphy challenged the Aurors’ use of Veritaserum, asking whether Crouch considered it a trial.

Murphy Darkholme challenged the Aurors’ testimony against him as the supposed Alex Wood died during interrogation, turning the accusation back on Kingsley Shacklebolt. The Minister’s secretary then revealed that the real Alex Wood had traveled to Germany, leaving the Aurors facing the death of a mistaken captive and Rita Skeeter poised to report the scandal.

• Murphy questioned the supposed Alex Wood about the alleged potion sales, and the man failed to provide details before screaming in pain.
• The captive died when Murphy activated the Thorn Oath, while Murphy accused the Aurors of having cursed and killed him.
• Kingsley demanded Murphy’s arrest, but Barty Crouch ordered an examination of the captive’s death and barred everyone from leaving Auror Headquarters.
• Davis Pruitt told the room that the real Alex Wood had taken an International Floo Network fireplace to Germany.
• Murphy asked who the dead man was if Alex Wood was in Germany, and Rita Skeeter urged her photographer to capture the revelation.

Murphy exposed that the dead man had been disguised as Alex Wood, using fingerprints to prove that the real Alex had left the country. He accused the Aurors of framing him and turned the failed arrest into a scandal, while Kingsley realized Murphy had orchestrated the trap.

• Kingsley questioned Davis about when Alex had passed through the fireplace, and Murphy proposed checking fingerprints on the Floo application.
• Davis retrieved Alex's Ministry documents, and the Aurors confirmed that the dead man's fingerprints did not match Alex's.
• Murphy challenged Kingsley to explain where the impostor came from and accused the Aurors of framing him.
• Kingsley accused Murphy of destroying Lucius's mind and using him as a sacrifice to set the trap, but Murphy denied the allegations.
• Murphy told Rita Skeeter to report that the Aurors had tortured and murdered an innocent man, and Rita prepared to turn the events into a sensational story.

Rita Skeeter’s articles exposed Auror Headquarters’ unchecked powers and fueled public outrage, forcing Rufus Scrimgeour to resign while the Wizengamot scheduled a retrial for Sirius Black. As Scrimgeour left office, Kingsley Shacklebolt vowed to uncover the truth and clear his name.

• Rita Skeeter published sensational reports about Aurors torturing suspects and imprisoning people without trial, citing Sirius Black’s case and a man’s death in interrogation.
• Public outrage prompted demands for punishment, Sirius Black’s retrial, and the resignations of Scrimgeour and Barty Crouch.
• A month after the scandal began, Scrimgeour resigned, and the Wizengamot announced it would set a date to retry Sirius Black.
• Scrimgeour met Kingsley Shacklebolt at Auror Headquarters and accepted responsibility for the scandal, telling Kingsley not to underestimate their opponent.
• Kingsley vowed to reveal the truth and restore justice to Scrimgeour as Scrimgeour left the Auror office.

Murphy secured Lucius Malfoy’s cooperation in backing an Auror candidate and protecting their influence over the Muggle Prime Minister’s secretary. He then took the near-death Dobby from Lucius and brought him under his ownership.

• Murphy and Lucius Malfoy discussed the candidates to replace Scrimgeour and Lucius proposed backing his friend Rasim Selwyn.
• Murphy agreed to meet Rasim, gave Lucius access to Vault 9654, and demanded that one of their own become the next Auror assigned as the Muggle Prime Minister’s secretary.
• Lucius considered using the Prime Minister’s secretary to threaten Murphy’s power, but Murphy’s watchful gaze made him wary.
• Murphy asked Lucius for Dobby, and Lucius dismissed the battered House-elf from the Malfoy family and transferred him to Murphy.
• Murphy lifted the barely conscious Dobby by his pillowcase and took him away.

Murphy returned to Siren's Song, where the patrons treated him with new respect, and met with Locke to discuss opening a wizarding security business. After settling on the name Wizard Security Store, Murphy asked Locke about the search for House-elves.

• Murphy found the patrons at Siren's Song deferential and paid for everyone's drinks.
• Lisandro told Murphy that his master had made him and his friends honored guests with exclusive use of the back room.
• Locke told Murphy that he had been promoted to manager of Gringotts Bank UK's Capital Operations Department.
• Murphy explained that he wanted to open a security company to protect wizards and their property, and Locke wondered if he was building his own Auror force.
• Murphy rejected Locke's suggestions and chose the name Wizard Security Store.
• Murphy asked Locke how the House-elf search was going.