Chapter Summaries

Nelson and Tom encountered Newt Scamander after he followed them to ask about Nagini, and they told him she had permanently transformed into a snake. Newt invited them to dinner and offered to help, while Tom said they would find a way to turn her back.

• Nelson and Tom recognized the Arcanus Wizarding Circus as the place where Nagini had once stayed and left after discussing its cruel owner, Skender.
• Nelson told Tom he had seen Nagini guarding Jonas's grave, and Tom explained that he had prepared food and tableware for her.
• Nelson and Tom noticed someone following them and trapped him in a net and mist while Tom blocked his escape with Impediment Jinxes.
• The pursuer revealed himself as Newt Scamander, apologized for following them, and explained that he had heard them mention Nagini.
• Newt treated Nelson and Tom to dinner, learned that Nagini had fully transformed into a snake, and heard Tom promise they would find a way to change her back.

Nelson and Tom discovered that a Paris newspaper had mistaken them for famous performance artists, while the Daily Prophet also reported on Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Tom returned to London through the French Ministry of Magic, and Andre appeared to offer Nelson a way back.

• Nelson read a Paris newspaper that described him and Tom as Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald and praised their search for the Pythia sculpture as performance art.
• Tom found the report and panicked that Grindelwald would retaliate, then noticed that the Daily Prophet also featured the pair in its coverage of the Wizengamot attack.
• Nelson and Tom went to the French Ministry of Magic at Place de Furstenberg, where Tom registered to use the international Floo Network.
• Tom traveled back through the fireplace, and Andre found Nelson at the Ministry and said not every Acolyte was wanted or unwelcome in every country.

Nelson returned to Nurmengard with Andre, found Grindelwald had honored his art with a statue, and learned he would soon travel to Poland with the others. He left using a cane enchanted as a return device, after hearing that Dumbledore’s conviction stood but he would be allowed to atone through merit.

• Nelson lamented that a reporter had made him famous, then saw Grindelwald’s statue of Pythia at the library entrance and denied that it was his art.
• Andre told Nelson that Grindelwald had driven off the attackers and explained how he had guessed Nelson would appear at the French Ministry of Magic.
• Andre revealed he had once taught literature at Heidelberg University and told Nelson to prepare for a trip to Poland with White and Zweig after Dumbledore’s trial.
• Andre enchanted Nelson’s cane so it could return him to Nurmengard, and Nelson learned that Dumbledore’s original verdict had been upheld but he could atone through merit.
• Nelson returned to his room with the cane after hearing Dumbledore would receive another Order of Merlin, Second Class.

Nelson entered Limbo with Grindelwald and saw how Herpo the Foul was trapped there, diminished by his Horcrux and the Lost Mist. When Herpo recognized the stone Nelson carried and chased him, Nelson fled through the mist and emerged in an empty white city resembling a modern metropolis.

• White smoke from the House of Gaunt's ring enveloped Nelson and brought him to Limbo, where Grindelwald explained that wandering souls passed through on their way to their final destinations.
• Grindelwald led Nelson through the Lost Mist and showed him Herpo the Foul, whose half-soul was wasting away while he searched for his Horcrux.
• Grindelwald explained that Herpo could not be killed unless his Horcrux was destroyed, and that Herpo's corpse had killed many of Grindelwald's companions.
• Herpo recognized Nelson and begged him for the stone, then crawled after him as Nelson panicked and fled through the mist.
• Nelson ran through a fissure and emerged in an empty white city that looked like a modern metropolis from his memories.

Nelson and Grindelwald encountered Herpo the Foul in Limbo, where Herpo offered his magic and knowledge in exchange for release. Grindelwald left without agreeing to help him, while Nelson noticed Herpo's voice had briefly sounded young.

• Grindelwald pinned Herpo down as he and Nelson discussed the future Nelson had seen and whether wizards would exist in it.
• Herpo called Nelson and Grindelwald prophets and claimed they shared an affinity for dark magic and conspiracy, but Grindelwald rejected the comparison.
• Herpo admitted he had chased Nelson because he thought Nelson carried a stone, then offered to help Grindelwald in exchange for release.
• Grindelwald told Herpo to surrender his Horcrux, and Herpo offered it as proof that Grindelwald could control his life.
• Nelson questioned whether Herpo might have more than one Horcrux, and Herpo said a soul could only be split once.
• Grindelwald led Nelson away through the passage, and Nelson noticed Herpo's voice had sounded young despite his decrepit appearance.

Nelson returned from Limbo and realized Herpo the Foul was hiding another Horcrux, then confronted him to demand it. Back in the real world, Nelson joined his companions for a mission to investigate a powerful wild wizard in occupied Poland.

• Nelson woke from Limbo with Marvolo's Ring and resolved to seek power of his own rather than become Grindelwald's shadow.
• Nelson returned to Limbo and demanded Herpo the Foul's other Horcrux, revealing that he knew about the secret Horcrux.
• Nelson told Barry and Andre that Herpo had been an ancient, incomplete soul unable to cast magic in Limbo.
• Barry gave Nelson an SS overcoat for their journey, and Nelson objected to wearing the uniform of warmongers.
• Andre explained that the group would travel through Germany to Kraków to investigate a powerful wild wizard during the occupation of Poland.

Nelson traveled with Andre, White, and Zweig on a military train bound for Poland, learning how magic had helped Andre secure a position in the German system and manipulate its leadership. As the train departed amid patriotic crowds, Andre explained that Germany’s thirst for war was the real German joke.

• Andre showed Nelson his genuine certificate naming him Senior Adviser to the Special Operations Force, Major General Andre, and explained that wizards influenced Germany’s Muggles.
• Zweig told Nelson that he had convinced the German leader that magic belonged to Aryans, while Andre revealed that an accomplice secretly cast spells for the leader.
• The group settled into a luxurious private carriage, where Andre discussed the German folk song “Thoughts Are Free” and traded jokes with Nelson.
• The train departed for Poland as soldiers and their families gathered on the platform, and Nelson noticed an old woman scattering flower petals over the train.
• Andre told Nelson that Germany’s enthusiasm for war extended throughout the country and called the nation’s undertaking the real German joke.

Nelson, White, Andre, and Zweig traveled to German-occupied Kraków to investigate a wild wizard living in the mountains. At an abandoned castle, they saw a giant winged creature vanish through a magical array, and Andre said it was not a dragon.

• Nelson, White, and Andre joked on the train about White bringing Barry an amber gift, while Zweig revealed that he knew and liked Nelson’s jokes.
• The group watched the devastation of Poland as the train approached Kraków, then disembarked and met a German military policeman.
• Andre told Nelson that the wild wizard lived in the mountains as their cars drove through military zones and into the hills.
• Nelson saw a giant green, winged creature perched on an abandoned castle before it vanished through a blue magic array.
• Andre said the creature was not a dragon and recognized that their mission would be more difficult than expected.

Andre, White, and Nelson witnessed a dragon and a giant thunderbird clash before Newt Scamander arrived and mistook Nelson for a captive. The wizards fought, and a stray blue spell raced toward Nelson.

• Andre warned that the dragon could use magic, but Nelson reminded him they had come to investigate a wizard rather than fight a dragon.
• A green dragon attacked a giant golden bird with fire, while the bird answered with a storm of lightning that knocked Nelson and Zweig down.
• Andre and White prepared to defend themselves as Newt Scamander approached, accused Andre of kidnapping Nelson, and opened his suitcase.
• Nelson tried to explain that Newt had misunderstood, but Newt, Andre, and White began dueling as magical creatures emerged from Newt's suitcase.
• A blue spell deflected off White's Shield Charm and sped toward Nelson, while Newt and Andre rushed to intervene.

The author reflected on the appeal of web fiction and the childhood love of Harry Potter that inspired this fanfiction. After thanking readers for helping the story reach nearly 300,000 words and go on sale, the author hoped to give them a better story and invite them to join a reader group.

• The author recalled discovering web fiction through Law of the Devil and argued that its online format did not make it less worthy as literature.
• The author explained that a love of Harry Potter and frustration with abandoned fanfictions prompted the decision to write this story.
• The author described spending half a year developing settings and outlines before writing nearly 300,000 words.
• The author thanked readers whose comments, recommendation tickets, and tips helped sustain the writing, and hoped to continue telling a better story.
• The author shared a reader-group number and invited readers to chat and share ideas.

Nelson and Newt stopped fighting with Andre and White long enough to discuss why each side had come to the castle. As Nelson and Newt watched the battle overhead, the Thunderbird unleashed a devastating attack on the Dragon, which appeared to break free and mock it.

• Zweig took White's spell to the face, and Nelson urged Newt, Andre, and White to stop fighting and talk.
• Andre checked Zweig, then challenged Newt’s accusations; Nelson explained that his group had come to investigate the wild wizard in the castle.
• Newt apologized, and the group sat down on a transfigured picnic blanket to talk while watching the Dragon fight the Thunderbird.
• The Thunderbird tore open the clouds and attacked the Dragon with hurricanes, lightning, and a tornado.
• Andre vanished to deal with distant Muggles as the lightning pillar engulfing the Dragon intensified.
• The Dragon roared and burst through the lightning pillar, while a blond woman at the castle window shouted at Dungas.

Andre, Nelson, White, and Newt entered the ruined castle seeking help for the injured Zweig while trying to address the Dragon and keep Muggles away. They met Lorian, who revealed that the Dragon was actually her magical dog, Dungas, and ended with her questioning why they had come.

• Andre said the Muggles had been kept away from the mountain with a Muggle-Repelling Charm, but the group still had to deal with the Dragon.
• Lorian appeared from the tower, introduced herself, and used magic to float the injured Zweig before leading everyone inside.
• Newt asked about the Dragon, and Lorian revealed that it was her clumsy little dog, Dungas.
• Lorian brought the group to her tower hall, where a small alchemical doll served tea and accidentally spilled hot water on Newt's shoe.
• Lorian offered medicine for the injured and asked Andre what business he had in the castle, wondering if he had come to collect rent.

Tom Riddle Sr. boarded the Icarus searching for the boy he believed was his lost child, while Nelson and the others discussed Lorian’s unfamiliarity with wizarding society. Andre learned that Lorian wanted to return to her homeland and began considering how her origins might benefit the Acolytes.

• Captain Jack met Tom Riddle Sr., who showed him a newspaper article about a boy and asked whether the boy had traveled on the Icarus.
• Little Jack recognized the boy in the article as Mr. Williams, and Captain Jack told Tom that the boy had taken their previous voyage.
• Nelson sneezed and wondered whether Tom was thinking about him as the doll pressed a hot towel to his face.
• White explained that hidden wizard communities could exist, and Newt Scamander offered to show Nelson the wider wizarding world.
• Andre introduced himself as a follower of Grindelwald and asked Lorian to avoid alarming Muggles with her dragon.
• Lorian said she wanted to return to her homeland, and Andre asked where it was while considering the possibilities of cooperating with its magical forces.

Nelson discovered that Lorian had given Jonas Nicklaus the notebook that led him to her, and she offered to teach him magic. Elsewhere, old Tom Riddle told Captain Jack about his past and his search for his missing son and daughter, leaving Captain Jack to understand why he sought the boy in the newspaper.

• Nelson asked Lorian about the notebook, and she recalled giving it to reporter Jonas Nicklaus, whom Nelson identified as his uncle.
• Lorian learned that Jonas had died and offered to teach Nelson from her notes, inviting him to stay at her castle.
• Old Tom Riddle showed Captain Jack a newspaper picture and asked him to help locate the boy he believed was his son.
• Old Tom recounted abandoning the boy's mother after his infatuation ended and described his later marriage and daughter, Lola.
• Old Tom told Captain Jack that Lola had been abducted and remained missing, and that he wanted his son to inherit his estate and search for her.

Nelson confronted Herpo the Foul in Limbo and learned that Herpo’s final Horcrux depended on an Auschwitz-like tragedy, which Nelson intended to prevent. Nelson challenged Herpo to prove he could escape on his own, then woke at Nurmengard shaken but determined.

• Nelson used the Pythia statue to travel from the gathering at Lorian’s home to Nurmengard, where he retrieved his notebook and Riddle’s ring before entering Limbo.
• Herpo offered Nelson a book of spells and urged him to find his Horcrux, while Nelson questioned why it had been hidden near Kraków.
• Herpo revealed that Pythia’s prophecy had foretold Auschwitz and became ecstatic at the prospect of witnessing its horrors.
• Nelson told Herpo that Auschwitz would not happen because he planned to prevent it, explaining that he had promised to carry on another person’s ideal.
• Herpo argued that another Auschwitz would inevitably arise and complete his Horcrux, but Nelson accused him of fearing fate and dared him to escape Limbo himself.
• Nelson returned to his bed, removed Riddle’s ring, and trembled as he recovered from the encounter.

Nelson spoke with Newt about leaving Hogwarts and responsibility, then learned that Lorian came from another world and shared his own memories with her. As Nelson broke down in tears, the chapter shifted to Tom opening the entrance to Slytherin’s secret chamber at Hogwarts.

• Nelson visited Lorian and helped gather vegetables while Newt questioned why he had joined Grindelwald’s circle.
• Nelson asked Newt whether he regretted leaving Hogwarts, and Newt admitted that he did.
• Newt told Nelson that Albus had praised him for saying that great power brought great responsibility.
• At dinner, Lorian explained that she prayed to magic, not God, and later Nelson asked whether she had found a way home to her world.
• Lorian told Nelson about her war-torn home of Arad, and Nelson cried as he remembered his own past.
• Tom opened the entrance to Salazar Slytherin’s secret chamber in a Hogwarts girls’ lavatory.

Tom followed the hidden passage beneath Hogwarts and discovered Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets, where he awakened its magical displays and found pillars that revealed categories of Slytherin’s magic. He left eager to tell Nelson, then encountered Moaning Myrtle in the girls’ washroom.

• Tom slid down the bathroom pipe and reached a vast sewer beneath the Black Lake, where he passed an enormous snakeskin.
• Tom spoke Parseltongue to open Slytherin’s door and entered the Chamber, where he used a battered book to find the words that awakened the statue.
• Slytherin’s eyes illuminated the Chamber and revealed magical categories on its pillars; Tom activated the Transfiguration pillar and saw instructions appear in starlight.
• Tom left the Chamber, flew back through the passage, and retrieved his school robe from beneath the sink.
• Moaning Myrtle appeared sobbing in the washroom, and Tom asked her what she was doing there.

Tom comforted Moaning Myrtle after finding her crying in the girls’ lavatory and learned that Ravenclaw students had been bullying her. He returned to the Slytherin dormitory, where he told George Carrow to stand up to Myrtle’s tormentors without going too far.

• Tom found Moaning Myrtle crying in the girls’ lavatory and offered her his handkerchief and help.
• Tom told Myrtle that Nelson was traveling in Europe and encouraged her to write to him.
• Tom returned to the Slytherin dormitory and asked George Carrow about the rumors targeting Myrtle.
• Carrow explained that Myrtle’s roommates and other Ravenclaws mocked her appearance, character, and family background.
• Tom told Carrow to bully Myrtle’s tormentors in return, but warned him not to go too far.

Andre tried to persuade Lorian to stay at Nurmengard, and she agreed to visit in a few days. That night, Nelson flew with White to Auschwitz and placed a snake-shaped sticker beneath an observation platform railing.

• Andre explained that Muggle military plans for the area could disrupt Lorian’s life and invited her to stay at Nurmengard.
• Lorian agreed to go with Andre in a few days, while Newt warned her against trusting him.
• Nelson met White at night and told her he wanted to visit Auschwitz; she offered to take him there on her broom.
• White flew Nelson to a hill overlooking Auschwitz, where he stuck a snake-shaped sticker beneath the observation platform railing.

Nelson and White observed the construction of Auschwitz’s prison camp before returning to Hogwarts. Tom gathered Slytherins in Hogsmeade to teach the Iron Armor Charm, where he unexpectedly met Dumbledore, who had bought a pub for Aberforth and asked how he was doing.

• Nelson and White watched prisoners being forced to build a camp in Auschwitz, and White explained why people feared other people more than animals.
• Nelson and White flew back to the castle, where Lorian welcomed them and talked about Dungas.
• Tom led a large group of Slytherins to a pub in Hogsmeade after finding the Three Broomsticks under renovation.
• Tom taught the Slytherins the Iron Armor Charm and promised to teach them more useful spells and hexes.
• Avery warned Tom that Dumbledore had arrived, and Tom went out to meet him.
• Dumbledore told Tom he had bought the pub for Aberforth and asked how Aberforth had been lately.