Chapter Summaries

Joanne took Reel to a hidden shop that traded in information and unusual objects, where she sensed and acquired a Secret Magnetic Stone. Back at the villa, they spoke with Mrs. Figg, who wondered how long the apparent peace would last as trouble gathered beneath the surface.

• Joanne explained to Reel that the shop served as a link between the ordinary and wizarding worlds.
• Joanne sensed a Secret Magnetic Stone with her detector, selected it, and arranged for the shop owner to send it to her teacher.
• Joanne told Reel that Jon might ignore their advice, and Reel agreed that their task was done.
• Joanne and Reel found Rank talking with Mrs. Figg outside their home and greeted her.
• Mrs. Figg said life remained peaceful but questioned how long it could last as undercurrents gathered.

Jon reflected on his plans and his growing distance from Bella, then walked home with Lenna after discussing their lives. At home, he found Grindelwald pinning down a House-elf and wondered whose it was.

• Jon decided that Voldemort would return regardless of his actions and focused on protecting people where he could.
• Jon wondered why Bella had become distant and could not recall an important question she had once asked him.
• Jon left the company with Lenna and told her that his routine life had been bothering him.
• Lenna said she would tell Jon about her adventures another time, then left him at his front door.
• Jon entered his house and found Grindelwald pinning down a House-elf.

Jon examined Dobby after Grindelwald captured him and reflected on House-elves, their history, and Dobby’s well-meant but harmful interference. Grindelwald eventually threw Dobby out, leaving Jon to ask what the elf had said.

• Grindelwald explained that he had caught Dobby lurking nearby and sealed the House-elf’s mouth with a spell.
• Jon recognized Dobby and considered his betrayal of the Malfoy Family and his misguided attempts to help others.
• Jon recalled Helga’s teachings about House-elf society, its history, and the consequences of their powerful magic.
• Dobby chattered while Jon was distracted, and Grindelwald threw him out of the house.
• Jon asked Grindelwald what Dobby had said.

Grindelwald and Jon discussed the planned meeting with Dumbledore and arranged for Grindelwald to teach Jon research and combat magic. As they began a trial lesson after dinner, Grindelwald admitted he had never seriously taught anyone before.

• Grindelwald told Jon he had thrown out the House-elf while Jon was lost in thought, and Jon said the elf was a special case.
• Jon told Grindelwald that events in Germany were progressing according to plan and would create an opportunity for Grindelwald to meet Dumbledore.
• Jon and Grindelwald settled on lessons in research and practical combat magic to prepare Jon for the coming crisis.
• Grindelwald and Jon planned a trial lesson after dinner to adjust to each other's teaching pace.
• Grindelwald warned Jon to take the lesson seriously and said this was his first time genuinely teaching someone.

Grindelwald began teaching Jon how to cast magic in the real world and explained how he understood the role of a wizard. He left Jon with the warning that powerful people were tools who could be used by those stronger than themselves.

• Jon prepared to practice casting magic in the real world, where his previous training had not given his body full muscle memory.
• Grindelwald began the lesson by asking Jon what a wizard represented, but Jon let him explain instead of giving a familiar answer.
• Grindelwald dismissed theories about wizards as vessels or controllers and said a wizard could represent himself.
• Grindelwald argued that collective power surpassed individual strength and that even powerful wizards could be restrained by others.
• Grindelwald told Jon to understand that he, like every powerful person, could be used as a tool by those stronger than himself.

Jon reflected on how he had been swept into events beyond his control as Grindelwald urged him to treat himself as a tool for studying magic. The chapter left Jon beginning Grindelwald’s demanding training, including wandless magic and physical conditioning.

• Jon considered how his life had unfolded through forces and plans he could not control, and how he had tried to resist Dumbledore’s influence with Helga’s help.
• Grindelwald told Jon to adapt to being used as a tool and to maintain himself like a repairman.
• Grindelwald took Jon’s wand and ordered him to learn wandless magic.
• Grindelwald expanded the house’s space into a training ground while carefully avoiding effects on the surrounding Muggle world.
• Grindelwald began Jon’s training with physical conditioning, and Jon stood holding a bucket in each hand.

Grindelwald began teaching Jon how to advance from [Instructor] to [Professor], explaining that Jon first needed to reflect on his experiences and choose a direction for his research. With Jon’s location exposed and a meeting with the clever heir of Thoth approaching, he needed to strengthen himself quickly.

• Grindelwald ended Jon’s water-carrying training and began a lesson at the small blackboard.
• Grindelwald explained the difference between the ancient wizard advancement path and the modern two-pronged path, and told Jon to continue following the ancient path.
• Jon considered how quickly he had advanced with Helga’s help and the Bloodline Purification Potion, and recognized that he needed to improve his chances of survival before meeting the girl who had found him.
• Grindelwald explained that Jon had to reflect on his experiences, refine his knowledge, and choose a direction for his research before he could become a [Professor].

Grindelwald realized Jon was not ready to use a Legendary Wizard’s combat perspective and gave him the Castonian Manuscript as a lesson. He explained its history and purpose, then suggested its method could help Jon defeat his opponent and asked whether Jon had heard of Prometheus.

• Grindelwald recognized that Jon could not yet make use of his experience and fetched him the Castonian Manuscript.
• Grindelwald explained that Castini had written the manuscript to teach the first wizards how to understand and wield magical elements.
• Grindelwald described how the manuscript’s encrypted teachings spread through the Dark Age and how its abandonment marked the start of the Wizard Era.
• Jon asked why he needed to read the manuscript, and Grindelwald said its method could help him defeat his opponent.
• Grindelwald asked Jon whether he had heard of Prometheus.

Jon told Grindelwald the story of Prometheus, and Grindelwald explained that the familiar tale hid a deeper history involving the Greek gods, the fall of Zeus, and Ragnarok. He left Jon to infer who succeeded Zeus after the god-king died.

• Jon recounted how Prometheus gave humanity fire, endured Zeus's punishment, and was eventually rescued by Hercules.
• Grindelwald said the story was one-sided and explained that Prometheus had been the Greek God of Foresight, with knowledge of the gods preserved in the Azure Deep Sea.
• Grindelwald connected Mr. Castini's theft of knowledge from the gods to Prometheus's actions and asked Jon what he knew about the God War.
• Grindelwald linked the God War to the Roman Empire's victory over Ancient Egypt and asked who had succeeded Zeus after his death.
• Jon realized that Zeus's death might have occurred during Ragnarok, and Grindelwald waited for him to work out the answer.

Jon studied the Castonian Manuscript’s account of how writing and language formed the roots of magical power, then nearly destroyed his soul by recalling the name of Nuwa. The warning from the [Azure Deep Sea] drew powerful beings’ attention and left Jon questioning whether the Deity Era had truly ended because the gods had gone too far.

• Jon learned that several Eastern pantheons had surpassed this world, while the East and West remained separate systems of divine power.
• Grindelwald ended his guidance and left to visit Reel, Joanne, and the others, while Jon continued studying the Castonian Manuscript.
• Jon read that the gods had given humanity writing and language, which became foundations of civilization and power.
• Jon recalled Nuwa and nearly suffered the collapse of his soul before the [Azure Deep Sea] warned him not to echo the name of the ancestral god.
• Grindelwald and Dumbledore briefly sensed the disturbance as numerous powerful wills rose through the deep sea.
• Jon sensed at least twelve beings stronger than Helga and wondered whether the Deity Era had truly ended because the gods had gone too far.

After Jon’s thoughts stirred the gods in the deep sea, Grindelwald explained why the disturbance had happened and warned him to show reverence toward the unknown. He revealed that surviving gods hid from the Muggle world and described the cruel order behind Ragnarok, leaving Jon with more questions about Dumbledore and Voldemort.

• Jon returned to reality after causing a disturbance in the deep sea, and Grindelwald appeared to question him.
• Grindelwald confirmed that Jon had seen the gods surface and assured him that Dumbledore had not seen him.
• Jon explained that he had thought of an extraordinary being’s name, and Grindelwald warned him to show reverence when referring to gods.
• Grindelwald explained that gods differed in power according to the order in which they claimed the world’s laws, and that surviving gods hid from the Muggle world.
• Grindelwald said he could not yet explain why Dumbledore was troubled by Voldemort, then told Jon that Ragnarok’s truth favored the victor and crushed the loser.

Grindelwald explained that Jon’s lessons from Helga were meant to teach him how to view the world from a god’s perspective, not merely how to gain strength, and gave him books to study. Jon began searching through the books for knowledge that could help him face his current crisis.

• Grindelwald told Jon to continue training his body and warned him that gods could sense when their names were spoken.
• Jon asked whether other worlds existed, and Grindelwald said he did not know their true nature.
• Grindelwald explained that Helga had taught Jon to observe the world from a god’s perspective, which could change how he understood his crisis.
• Grindelwald pointed Jon to a chest of ancient books and returned to finish his meal.
• Jon searched the chest and found a magical-world account of the myths and legends concerning Prometheus.

Jon realized the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon was seeking power because its gods were nearing the end of their existence, then used Ravenclaw's glasses to enter a detached state and search for traces of past energy. He quickly found a possible source of hope as Grindelwald's warning about persevering in the face of uncertainty stayed with him.

• Jon concluded that the Ancient Egyptian gods were attempting to return before the world could support them because their remaining power was fading.
• Jon wondered whether Ling was connected to the crisis, then prepared to begin the training Grindelwald had arranged.
• Jon put on Ravenclaw's glasses and entered a state in which his viewpoint separated from his body while remaining protected.
• Jon sensed the magical elements around him and began searching for energy left behind by those who had come before.
• Jon recalled Grindelwald's advice to keep making attempts and quickly found the hope he was seeking.

Jon examined the magical network beneath London, found the answer he had been seeking, and returned to the study. Grindelwald admitted he had guided Jon toward the discovery and reassured him that there was time to prepare, then asked whether he knew about operations research.

• Jon viewed London from above and saw its magical network and the city's revelers below.
• Jon questioned whether destroying a divine kingdom was worthwhile and returned to the study after finding his answer.
• Grindelwald returned, and Jon realized Grindelwald had arranged for him to make the discovery himself.
• Grindelwald explained that Jon needed to learn through the process and said the return of the pantheons still left them time.
• Grindelwald asked Jon whether he had heard of operations research.

Jon reflected on overall planning after Grindelwald explained how it could regulate thought, then examined the framework and flame he had recently gained. He was left eager to discover how Prometheus had scattered Egypt’s divine realm and incorporated it into humanity.

• Jon recalled his knowledge of overall planning and considered how it could make complex tasks more efficient.
• Grindelwald explained how wizards could use altered thought rhythms to coordinate their minds, then left Jon alone to study the method.
• Jon examined the framework that protected human souls and suspected it had been bestowed by the gods, possibly as part of Prometheus’s return.
• Jon manifested a frightening but insubstantial flame, a recent gain from drawing a person’s will away under Grindelwald’s guidance.
• Jon wondered how Prometheus had scattered Egypt’s divine realm and incorporated it into humanity’s essence.

Jon studied a mysterious configuration that seemed to change according to the observer, while considering how gods and the world's rules shaped humanity. Meanwhile, Grindelwald identified the House-elf disrupting Joanne's observation of Harry Potter, leaving Rank unsure whether to tell Dumbledore about Grindelwald's presence.

• Jon used Grindelwald's suggestion to break down the configuration and considered whether its shifting human and nonhuman forms could reveal useful information.
• Jon reflected that gods were constrained by the world's laws and that even powerful divine beings could be erased if they defied the world's order.
• Jon spent several days researching while the company continued operating and Laura remained away at the Americas headquarters.
• A House-elf disrupted Joanne's plan to observe Harry Potter, and Grindelwald identified the elf as Dobby.
• Grindelwald found Joanne's firsthand account of Harry Potter's life entertaining, while Rank struggled to decide whether to report Grindelwald's presence to Dumbledore.

Rank chose not to interfere with Grindelwald, but a House-elf’s break-in at the Dursleys’ home forced him to reconstruct what had happened. While Reel practiced surveillance, they witnessed the Weasley brothers rescue Harry Potter, and Grindelwald stepped forward to advise the startled onlookers.

• Rank decided that staying silent was safer than making a move under Grindelwald’s watch.
• A House-elf broke into the Dursleys’ home, and Rank used a listening device and Grindelwald’s help to piece together events.
• Reel began practicing surveillance magic after Grindelwald trained him in intelligence-gathering methods.
• Reel noticed a flying car near the Dursleys’ home, and Rank, Joanne, and Grindelwald watched the Weasley brothers break Harry out of his room.
• Harry escaped with the Weasley brothers, taking his belongings and Hedwig as the Dursleys tried to stop him.
• Grindelwald approached the bewildered onlookers and told them they lacked experience.

Grindelwald used magical markings and a crystal ball to remotely watch Harry and the Weasley brothers as they traveled in the flying car, while Joanne recorded their conversation. The surveillance continued through the night as Harry discussed Dobby’s warning, the Malfoys, and the Weasley family.

• Grindelwald adjusted the crystal ball and projected an image and sound of Harry, Ron, Fred, and George traveling in the flying car.
• Harry told the Weasley brothers about Dobby’s warning, and Joanne recorded the information.
• Fred and George suspected someone had sent Dobby to prevent Harry from returning to Hogwarts and discussed Draco Malfoy’s possible involvement.
• Ron told Harry that he had worried when Harry failed to answer letters, and the brothers discussed their family and Percy’s unusual behavior.
• Grindelwald left Reel two magical markings and a note promising to teach him how to maintain them the next morning.
• Reel watched the surveillance projection through the night while Joanne continued taking notes.

Harry arrived at the Weasleys’ home, the Burrow, with Ron, Fred, and George, while Reel and Joanne watched the scene through a magical image. Mrs. Weasley scolded her sons for taking the car, welcomed Harry inside, and the chapter ended as Mr. Weasley returned home.

• Harry and the Weasley boys landed the flying car beside the Burrow and admired the crooked house.
• Mrs. Weasley caught the boys outside and angrily scolded them for leaving without a note and taking the car.
• Mrs. Weasley warmly welcomed Harry and brought him into the kitchen for breakfast.
• Joanne and Rank observed the Weasley household’s magical daily life as Mrs. Weasley prepared breakfast and the brothers went into the garden.
• The Weasley brothers dealt with gnomes in the garden, and Mr. Weasley returned home.

Jon brought his research proposal to Grindelwald, who explained why Legendary Wizards were restricted from initiating battles and offered a way to think about estimating power. He left Jon with a question about whether the present situation resembled something that had declined from its peak.

• Joanne watched footage of Harry settling into life at the Weasleys' home while Grindelwald praised her draft and Rank served them sweets.
• Grindelwald told Rank that he now recognized the merits of the Muggle world and explained that Legendary Wizards could not initiate battles that established hostile relations.
• Jon arrived, greeted Grindelwald, and gave him a research proposal, but Grindelwald noted it lacked clear estimates of power.
• Grindelwald suggested Jon look to the projected footage for inspiration and asked whether something that had declined for a long time could be compared with its peak.