Chapter Summaries

Derek waited at an American harbor during a typhoon he knew had appeared because of him, while the chapter explained how Jon Smith Hufflepuff had reassured the American dark wizards of his power. Jon had secured their cooperation and was about to pursue the main purpose of his trip to the Americas.

• Two harbor guards stayed inside during the storm after Derek paid them to leave work early so a deal could take place at the port.
• Derek waited at the harbor and knew the typhoon had appeared with his involvement.
• Rumors about Dumbledore's failing health and the American Dark Magic Association's past conflict with Voldemort had left the American dark wizards wary.
• Jon Smith Hufflepuff revealed his identity and strength to the American dark Wizard Association, alarming the Prophet, its leader.
• Jon reassured the Prophet that he wanted a stable environment and did not want the American dark wizards to follow Voldemort.
• Jon prepared to pursue the main matter of his trip to the Americas, which required help from the American dark Wizard Association.

Jon met with Sirius Black at a storm-lashed port while preparing for a secret transaction with Zhu Sha. He accepted a crystal Dumbledore had sent along and began explaining its purpose by asking Sirius whether he had heard of the Sleeping Dragon Barrier.

• Derek watched Jon raise a vast storm at sea, then waited at the port to carry out Jon’s instructions.
• Jon arrived at the warehouse with Sirius Black, who questioned him about their mission.
• Sirius showed Jon the crystal Dumbledore had given him, and Jon confirmed that it held sealed power.
• Sirius said he would not meet Harry because their reunion might disrupt Harry’s path, and he trusted Dumbledore not to harm him.
• Jon checked the time before his scheduled meeting with Zhu Sha and asked Sirius whether he knew of the Sleeping Dragon Barrier.

Jon explained that the Dragon Bone Crystal could temporarily create a barrier that suppressed magic, then prepared to confront a target approaching the warehouse by boat. The chapter left Jon, Sirius, and Derek watching the small boat sail unharmed through the storm.

• Sirius recognized the Sleeping Dragon Barrier and worried that they had taken Hogwarts' most important protection.
• Jon explained that Dumbledore had used the Dragon Bone Crystal to create a temporary, limited barrier and that Dumbledore had given it to protect him.
• Jon told Sirius to activate the crystal when signaled and to keep himself and Derek safe.
• A melodious tune reached the warehouse as Jon watched a small boat approach through the storm.
• Sirius and Derek saw the wind and rain part around the boat, realizing it was protected by magic.

Zhu Sha arrived through Jon’s magically driven storm, carrying a coffin and accompanied by Bai Jin, whose unusual presence Jon recognized. After greeting her, Jon learned that Zhu Sha’s caution stemmed from the scrutiny and rivalries within her Noble Family.

• Jon recognized that the small boat approaching through his storm carried Zhu Sha, whose power could contend with celestial phenomena.
• Derek and Sirius saw Zhu Sha arrive with a towering coffin carried by Bai Jin, whose face they could not remember after looking away.
• Jon explained that Bai Jin was unusually powerful and had stayed with Zhu Sha after their time in the Small World.
• Bai Jin set down the coffin, nodded to Jon, and disappeared into the shadows without speaking.
• Jon asked Zhu Sha why she and Bai Jin were being so cautious, and she explained that her Noble Family’s rivalries made discretion necessary.

Jon and Zhu Sha examined a sealed coffin bearing the Hufflepuff family crest, and Jon used the World Tree’s power to open it. A haunting song emerged, filling those nearby with sorrow, loneliness, and fear.

• Zhu Sha showed Jon the coffin and its Hufflepuff crest, which suggested the occupant was connected to his family.
• Jon and Zhu Sha discussed whether the coffin held a Hufflepuff elder or a dangerous being sealed away long ago.
• Jon decided to break the seal, reasoning that his strength was sufficient and that someone more powerful could help if needed.
• The World Tree’s roots grew across the coffin and shattered its red-lacquer seal as Derek, Sirius, and Bai Jin retreated.
• A sound like a deep-sea whale song came from the coffin, overwhelming everyone who heard it with sorrow, loneliness, and fear.

Jon and Zhu Sha opened an ancient coffin and waited for the powerful being inside to awaken while discussing Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Helga. A mermaid-like alchemical creature finally opened her eyes.

• Jon and Zhu Sha examined the darkness pouring from the coffin and discussed the creature’s ancient origins and power.
• Jon and Zhu Sha caught up on Helga, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald, including Dumbledore’s near-fatal recklessness and Grindelwald’s plan to take him away.
• Dark aura drew water toward the coffin, and Sirius used the crystal ball to place a containment barrier around it.
• Jon and Zhu Sha saw a beautiful woman with a blue fish tail lying inside and discussed how she differed from ordinary mermaids and the Jiaoren.
• The Mermaid opened her eyes.

A mermaid awakened in the warehouse and attacked Jon with a storm of ice arrows, but he blocked them with leaves. As the mermaid rose from her coffin, Jon and Zhu Sha saw the leaf he had been seeking.

• Water flowed into the mermaid’s coffin as she awakened, while Jon watched and Sirius’s barrier contained the rising water.
• The mermaid saw Jon and fired countless ice arrows at him.
• Jon formed a barrier of leaves that blocked the arrows, echoing a gesture he had seen Helga use.
• The mermaid flew from the coffin and unleashed an angry cry as Jon and Zhu Sha spotted a leaf.

Jon waited for the Mermaid to recover so the leaf he needed could be nourished, then fought her after she treated him as prey. Using Tears of Atlantis, the Sleeping Dragon Barrier, and the World Tree’s power, he gained the advantage and moved to finish her.

• Zhu Sha chose not to interfere while Jon waited for the leaf to mature, using the Mermaid as its nourishment.
• As the Mermaid regained her strength, she recognized Jon as an enemy and angrily accused him of scheming against her.
• Jon and Zhu Sha discussed the danger of letting the Mermaid grow stronger, but Jon insisted he needed to wait for the leaf to revive.
• Jon used Tears of Atlantis to suppress the water currents, and the Mermaid tried to attack him for the power in his blood.
• Jon countered the Mermaid with the barrier and the World Tree’s power, then pinched a leaf between his fingers as he looked at the bubbles and coffin.

Jon defeated the mermaid monster and secured the fully grown leaf, then warned Derek to report the battle and avoid further trouble. On the way back, he told Sirius that Harry would ultimately be the one to defeat Voldemort, leaving Sirius with questions about Harry’s role.

• Derek watched Jon use Mysterious Bird's speed to pull the leaf from the mermaid monster's heart and kill it.
• Jon discussed the leaf and the upcoming visit to China with Zhu Sha, who then left with Bai Jin.
• Jon ordered Derek to repair the damaged area with magic and report the battle truthfully.
• Sirius asked Jon why they did not use the Sleeping Dragon Barrier to defeat Voldemort, and Jon explained that Voldemort's rise would help clear the way for change.
• Jon told Sirius that Harry would ultimately be able to defeat Voldemort, while Sirius questioned whether Harry had any power beyond his mother's Sacrificial Curse.

Jon explained how the Sleeping Dragon Barrier could let Voldemort control Hogwarts and the wizarding world, while revealing that Voldemort would not gain its power. He returned to Hogwarts, checked on the barrier, and traveled to Magic Fairy Castle to visit the World Tree, where Ariana Dumbledore had been reborn.

• Jon told Sirius that the Sleeping Dragon Barrier regulated magical elements and that Voldemort wanted to control Hogwarts to use it.
• Jon and Sirius returned to Britain, and Sirius went home while Jon traveled to Hogwarts.
• Jon spoke with Peeves and Hog, who reported that the barrier was undergoing modifications and testing.
• Jon crossed the passage to Magic Fairy Castle and saw that Ariana Dumbledore had been reborn there.
• Jon asked Deler to take him to the World Tree in the garden.

Jon placed Helga’s leaf on the World Tree, where its growth would guide the tree’s other leaves and eventually awaken her. Seeking a way to become a god without following Helga’s path, he asked the World Tree for guidance and received a memory titled “Path to Godhood.”

• Jon pressed Helga’s fully grown leaf against a branch of the World Tree, beginning the process that would awaken her when the other leaves changed.
• Jon reflected that he would need a different path to godhood because he could not follow Helga’s path or join another pantheon.
• Deler told Ariana that Jon had grown quickly and might become a god by the time they met again, while Ariana said she missed her brother.
• Jon asked the World Tree how someone could become a god through gradual growth rather than taking an old god’s divine spark.
• The World Tree shared an inherited memory with Jon titled “Path to Godhood.”

Jon sent Lenna to find the entrance to the Hanging Garden as he pursued a path to godhood before the next twenty-year opportunity passed. At The Burrow, Harry celebrated his sixteenth birthday amid reports of attacks and disappearances, then learned he had been made captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

• Jon told Lenna to find the entrance to the Hanging Garden quickly while he considered the risks and deadline for becoming a god.
• Lupin reported two more Dementor attacks and said Igor Karkaroff had been found dead beneath the Dark Mark.
• Bill told the family that Florian Fortescue had likely been abducted, and Mr. Weasley reported that Ollivander had disappeared.
• Hogwarts sent Harry his school supplies list and named him captain of the Quidditch team.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to Diagon Alley with Hagrid and the Weasleys to shop under Ministry security. At Madam Malkin’s, they unexpectedly encountered Draco Malfoy.

• Harry and the Weasleys rode to The Leaky Cauldron in a Ministry car, where Hagrid greeted them as their escort.
• Harry, Hermione, Hagrid, and the Weasleys found Diagon Alley deserted and covered with Ministry warnings, wanted posters, and makeshift stalls.
• Mrs. Weasley split the group so she and Mr. Weasley could buy textbooks while Hagrid took Harry, Ron, and Hermione to Madam Malkin’s Robes.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the shop and heard a boy arguing with his mother and Madam Malkin about shopping alone.
• Draco Malfoy stepped out from behind the clothes rack and noticed Harry and the others in the mirror.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione confronted Draco and Narcissa Malfoy in Madam Malkin’s shop before leaving to visit Fred and George’s new joke shop. They arrived at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, where the crowded store and its outrageous products impressed Harry and Ron.

• Harry and Ron aimed their wands at Draco Malfoy after he insulted Hermione, while Narcissa threatened them and Hermione talked Harry into lowering his wand.
• Draco threw off his robe and left Madam Malkin’s with Narcissa after she insulted Hermione and the shop.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione met Hagrid, then joined Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny to finish their shopping in Diagon Alley.
• Harry and Ron bought owl treats for Hedwig and Pigwidgeon before the group searched for Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.
• Harry and Ron entered Fred and George’s packed shop and saw its Skiving Snackboxes, Blood Blister Chewing Gum, and trick wands.

Harry, Hermione, and Ginny visited Fred and George’s joke shop, where the twins showed them products ranging from defensive magical supplies to love potions. The chapter ended with Fred questioning Ginny about whether she was dating Dean Thomas.

• Hermione read the instructions for a Daydream Charm, and Fred offered her a free one before giving her bruise-removing cream for her black eyes.
• Fred and George showed Harry their Muggle magic supplies and a back room stocked with defensive products, including Counter-Jinx gear and Decoy Bombs.
• Harry bought Decoy Bombs, but Fred and George insisted he take them for free because his loan had helped fund the shop.
• Fred led Hermione and Ginny to the Wonder Witch Products, where George teased Ginny about dating several boys and Fred asked if she was dating Dean Thomas.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Draco Malfoy from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes into Knockturn Alley and eavesdropped on his meeting with Borgin. The chapter ended as Malfoy tried to persuade Borgin to help repair something he could not bring into the shop.

• Ginny admired the Pygmy Puffs at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes while Ron argued with Fred and Mrs. Weasley scolded him.
• Harry spotted Draco Malfoy walking alone past the shop and suspected he had escaped Narcissa's watch.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione hid beneath the Invisibility Cloak and followed Malfoy into Knockturn Alley.
• Hermione found Malfoy speaking with Borgin inside Borgin and Burkes, and Ron used Extendable Ears to listen.
• Malfoy asked Borgin how to repair an object that had to remain where it was, then offered something to make Borgin more confident.

Draco threatened Borgin into repairing a Vanishing Cabinet and keeping another item for him, while Hermione’s attempt to discover what Draco had reserved failed. After she left, Jon confronted Borgin and ordered him to find a way to breach Hogwarts’s defenses by repairing the cabinet.

• Draco warned Borgin not to reveal their conversation, threatened him with Fenrir Greyback, and told him to keep an item safe without selling it.
• Harry and Ron tried to work out what Draco had left with Borgin, and Hermione entered the shop to investigate.
• Hermione asked whether a skull was reserved for Draco, but Borgin saw through her story and threw her out.
• Jon appeared after Borgin closed the shop and demanded to know whether the Vanishing Cabinet could be repaired.
• Borgin said repairing the cabinet was possible but breaching Hogwarts’s defenses would be difficult, and Jon refused to help him do it.

Jon secured Borgin’s cooperation in Dumbledore’s plan and returned to Hogwarts to work on its defenses. Meanwhile, Harry became convinced that Malfoy had joined the Death Eaters, though Ron and Hermione doubted him.

• Jon pressured Borgin into agreeing to help and warned him that people would watch his actions.
• Jon left Knockturn Alley and headed back to Hogwarts to prepare its defenses and ensure the Vanishing Cabinet would connect.
• Harry repeatedly questioned Ron and Hermione about Malfoy’s visit to Borgin and Burkes, but they grew tired of discussing it.
• Harry concluded that Malfoy had become a Death Eater after recalling his reaction when Madam Malkin touched his left arm.
• Ron and Hermione doubted Harry’s theory, and Harry left the room frustrated.

Harry traveled to Hogwarts under heavy security and told Mr. Weasley that Draco Malfoy might be a Death Eater carrying out a dangerous plan. Mr. Weasley remained uncertain as Harry boarded the train, while he and Mrs. Weasley discussed whether Harry had guessed what was coming.

• Mrs. Weasley explained the security arrangements for Harry's journey, and the group packed and left The Burrow the next morning.
• Two Aurors escorted Harry and the Weasleys through King's Cross, and Harry insisted on walking through the barrier by himself.
• Harry told Mr. Weasley that he had followed Draco under the Invisibility Cloak and seen him threaten Borgin to repair one object and store another.
• Harry said he suspected Draco had been branded with the Dark Mark and had taken his father's place as a Death Eater, but Mr. Weasley doubted the claim and said the Ministry had searched Malfoy Manor.
• Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express, and Mrs. Weasley told him he would spend Christmas with the family; afterward, she and Mr. Weasley discussed whether Harry had guessed what was coming.

Jon met with Dumbledore to discuss the Longbottoms, the Wizarding world's future, and plans that would rely on Snape to provoke Voldemort into acting. They agreed the preparations were mostly in place, while Dumbledore warned Jon to be careful around Professor Slahogern.

• Jon examined the Resurrection Stone in Dumbledore's office and reported that the Longbottoms' situation had mostly been resolved, though they had not yet awakened.
• Jon and Dumbledore discussed changing the Wizarding world and the consequences of Dumbledore's past choices involving Voldemort and Harry.
• Dumbledore said Jon's arrival had eased his burden, and Jon explained that he was helping because of his responsibilities to Ancestor Helga and his family.
• Jon told Dumbledore that the remaining plan depended on Snape provoking Voldemort to act, and Dumbledore agreed there were no other major problems.
• Jon said he intended to visit Professor Slahogern, and Dumbledore cautioned him that Slahogern was also a master of Dark Magic.