Chapter Summaries

After Linley, Irina, and Ginny were treated in the hospital wing, Linley told Dumbledore how they entered the Chamber of Secrets, killed the Basilisk, and destroyed Riddle’s diary. Linley identified the diary as a Horcrux and suggested that his father Hendry’s death was connected to Voldemort’s Horcruxes, leaving Dumbledore reconsidering Hendry’s final message.

• Professor McGonagall fetched Dumbledore while Linley waited beside Irina’s hospital bed and refused treatment.
• Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts with Fawkes and asked Professor McGonagall to gather the patrolling professors in his office.
• Linley recounted how he and Irina used the Sorting Hat, Harry’s Parselmouth ability, and contact lenses to reach the Chamber, defeat Riddle, and destroy the diary.
• Dumbledore questioned how Linley and Irina resisted the Basilisk, and Linley showed him the contact lenses he had used in place of Alchemy Glasses.
• Linley asked Dumbledore if the diary was a Horcrux, then suggested that Hendry’s death was related to Voldemort’s Horcruxes.
• Dumbledore connected Linley’s claim to Hendry’s final message about a weapon that could defeat Voldemort and began reconsidering what it meant.

Linley recovered from his severe injuries after Dumbledore used Fawkes’s Phoenix Tears, while Irina remained unconscious in the hospital wing. Five days later, Irina woke, and Linley told her what had happened at Hogwarts before she fell asleep again.

• Linley asked Dumbledore to investigate his father’s death, and Dumbledore promised before Linley passed out.
• Dumbledore had Fawkes heal Linley with Phoenix Tears, then arranged for Madam Pomfrey to care for him.
• Linley woke the next day and learned that Ginny had left the infirmary, Harry had identified Lucius as the one who planted the diary, and Dobby had regained his freedom.
• Irina woke five days after arriving at the infirmary, and Linley explained what had happened while she was unconscious.
• Linley reassured Irina that he was there, and she soon fell asleep again.

After recovering from the Basilisk battle, Linley decided he needed stronger spells and broke into the senior Potions classroom to find Snape’s old textbook. He learned the Bat-Bogey Hex and discovered Sectumsempra, leaving the story with him eager to use the lethal spell against enemies.

• Linley reflected that his alchemy was not enough against exceptional opponents and resolved to learn powerful spells, including Dark Arts.
• Linley used Alohomora to enter the senior Potions classroom and found the Half-Blood Prince’s copy of Advanced Potion-Making.
• Linley studied Snape’s notes and memorized the silent Bat-Bogey Hex and its counterspell, Liberacorpus.
• Linley found Sectumsempra marked “For enemies” and judged it a powerful Dark Arts spell with no meaningful drawback for fighting enemies.

After Irina recovered from the Cruciatus Curse and left the hospital, Linley took her to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop in Hogsmeade to celebrate. Their outing ended with Irina blushing over an awkward order and suffering through Linley's terrible joke.

• Linley practiced Sectumsempra in the Room of Requirement's training ground each night and visited Irina in the hospital every day.
• Irina was discharged after the effects of the Cruciatus Curse had mostly disappeared, and Linley gave her a bag of Honeydukes sweets.
• Linley invited Irina to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, and she agreed after learning he meant tea rather than alcohol.
• Linley and Irina used the secret passage behind the One-Eyed Witch statue to reach Hogsmeade, where Linley bought her a rainbow lollipop.
• At the tea shop, Irina blushed after ordering the same cappuccino as Linley, then slumped onto the table after he told a terrible joke about Quirrell's turban.

Linley and Irina shared a warm visit to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, where he gave her the Half-Blood Prince's Potions textbook. Later, Linley visited Dumbledore, who explained that drawing Gryffindor's sword meant Linley had shown the qualities of a true Gryffindor.

• Linley and Irina drank cappuccinos together and teased each other at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.
• Linley gave Irina the Half-Blood Prince's textbook to help her improve at Potions, and she offered to tutor him in Herbology.
• After returning to Hogwarts, Linley went to the Headmaster's office to speak with Dumbledore about the Chamber of Secrets.
• Dumbledore told Linley that the Sorting Hat could only allow a true Gryffindor to draw Gryffindor's sword.
• Dumbledore explained that Linley had drawn the sword because he had possessed Gryffindor's admirable qualities at that moment.

Dumbledore explained that Linley had drawn Gryffindor’s sword because he wanted to protect Irina, then offered him the Basilisk’s corpse as a reward. Linley asked to learn Fiendfyre to prevent future tragedies, but Dumbledore refused, haunted by his own past.

• Dumbledore told Linley that his desire to protect Irina had shown the courage of a Gryffindor.
• Dumbledore revealed that the Basilisk’s corpse remained in the Chamber of Secrets and belonged to Linley as spoils of war.
• Linley asked Dumbledore to teach him Fiendfyre, arguing that he could control it and use it to destroy Horcruxes and protect others.
• Dumbledore warned Linley that Fiendfyre was dangerous Dark Arts and refused to teach it, noting that Basilisk fangs could destroy Horcruxes.
• Linley left the Headmaster’s office disappointed, while Dumbledore reflected that his own tragedy had begun with a thoughtless choice.

Linley decided that Lockhart’s deception could become a danger if Voldemort used his public influence, so he planned to expose him. He and Irina began their plan by visiting Lockhart’s office, where Linley entered and locked the door behind them.

• Linley collected the Basilisk’s corpse and stored it in an enchanted bag.
• Linley told Irina that Lockhart’s reputation could sway wizards and that they needed to put parts of the original plot back on track.
• Linley explained a plan to Irina and said they would act that weekend.
• Linley went to Lockhart’s office after lunch while Irina followed under a Disillusionment Charm.
• Lockhart welcomed Linley inside, and Linley locked the office door after Irina entered.

Linley confronted Lockhart about fabricating his published adventures and stealing other wizards’ stories, then exposed him with Irina’s recording. After Irina knocked Lockhart unconscious, Linley destroyed his portraits and erased his memory, intending to send him to St Mungo’s.

• Linley challenged Lockhart to demonstrate the Human Transfiguration Charm and accused him of inventing his books and stealing others’ experiences.
• Lockhart admitted he had tracked down people who performed heroic deeds, stolen their stories, and used Memory Charms to make them forget.
• Lockhart tried to cast a Memory Charm on Linley, but Irina struck him with a purple beam and knocked him into the wall.
• Irina revealed that she had recorded Lockhart’s confession with the Two-way Mirror.
• Linley burned Lockhart’s portraits, cast Obliviate on him, and said he would send him to St Mungo’s.

Dumbledore accepted Linley’s account of Lockhart’s defeat and dismissed him, while Linley and Irina prepared for exams and enjoyed the days before the end-of-year feast. At the feast, they received recognition for killing the Basilisk, and Harry confronted Irina for leaving their search for the Chamber of Secrets to go with Linley.

• Dumbledore questioned Linley’s explanation for Lockhart’s condition and the ruined office, then decided Lockhart could no longer teach at Hogwarts.
• Linley took Irina to study History of Magic in the Room of Requirement, and the annual exams proceeded as normal.
• After exams, Linley and Irina spent their free days visiting Hogsmeade or relaxing with friends before the end-of-year feast.
• Dumbledore awarded Linley and Irina two hundred House points each and revealed that they had joined forces to kill the Basilisk.
• Harry complained to Irina that she had agreed to search for the Chamber of Secrets with him but had instead run off with Linley, making her blush.

Irina comforted Hermione over her guilt about having defended Lockhart, then traveled home with Linley aboard the Hogwarts Express. Linley removed the Ministry’s Trace from Irina’s wand, and the Weasley twins arrived to discuss their failed attempts to master an alchemy technique.

• Irina helped Hermione pack and reassured her that she should not blame herself for believing Lockhart’s lies.
• The students boarded the Hogwarts Express after receiving Ministry notices containing Traces, and Irina’s notice attached a Trace to her new wand.
• Linley used an alchemy formation to shield the Trace on Irina’s Ice Crystal Wood wand so she could use magic freely.
• Fred and George complained that Linley’s alchemy books had come from the Restricted Section and said they had struggled to learn the wandless technique.
• Linley advised Fred and George to practice Wandless Magic, but they explained that they had given up after failing to learn it.

Linley returned home after the school year and reassured Rowena that he was unharmed after helping kill the Basilisk. He used the Basilisk’s venom to activate the poisoning enchantment on a dagger he had made for his mother.

• Linley promised Fred and George notes on Wandless Magic, and the twins invited him and Irina to visit The Burrow in August.
• Linley and Irina said their summer plans might keep them away, but they expected to be free during the week before school began.
• At King's Cross, Irina reunited with her parents, while Linley returned to Roer Castle with Gael.
• Rowena checked Linley for injuries after reading about the Basilisk and hearing that he and Irina had killed it.
• Linley used venom from the Basilisk's fang to activate the poisoning Alchemy Formation on Rowena's purple-black dagger.

Linley searched the Roll Family’s restricted collection for information about the Fiendfyre Curse and found detailed casting notes and a counter-curse. He also learned the three Unforgivable Curses, but left the story needing a spacious place to test Fiendfyre safely.

• Linley returned the purple-black dagger to Rowena and began his holiday, planning to visit Green in France at the end of July and design a blueprint before using the Basilisk materials.
• Linley realized the Roll Family might have inherited Dark Arts materials and went to the fourth floor of Roer Castle to search its collection.
• Linley passed the forbidden barrier and searched the dangerous Dark Arts shelves for information about Fiendfyre.
• Linley found a parchment detailing how to cast Fiendfyre and counter it with the Vanishment Charm, along with notes from Roll Family ancestors.
• Linley learned the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Killing Curse, but decided he could only practice Fiendfyre somewhere spacious.

Linley tested Fiendfyre in a specially prepared training ground and learned that his flame affinity let him control it, but only within the range of his magical perception. Over the following weeks, he discovered that Fiendfyre shaped like beasts gained their strengths and weaknesses.

• Linley prepared a fenced training ground with four Mana Suppression Scepters in case his Fiendfyre escaped control.
• Linley summoned Fiendfyre and found that his flame affinity let him control its chaotic consciousness, though it would devour everything if he lost focus.
• Linley decided not to turn all his magical power into Fiendfyre because the resulting flames could extend beyond his range of perception and become uncontrollable.
• Over the next half month, Linley shaped Fiendfyre into various beasts and found that each form inherited the creature’s traits.
• Linley discovered that wolf-form Fiendfyre could tear through magical shields with its claws, but its waist was more vulnerable than its head.

Linley traveled to France to return the Philosopher’s Stone to Green’s teacher and underwent an alchemy combat test. He revealed that he had learned Fiendfyre and secretly formed a silent Alchemy Formation behind Green, leaving the test poised to continue.

• Linley used a tattered pair of underwear as a Portkey and arrived at Green’s home in France.
• Green explained that the Philosopher’s Stone was needed to brew the Elixir of Life and tested Linley’s progress in combat.
• Linley formed three Alchemy Formations in two minutes and used them to attack Green, who countered with matching formations.
• Linley used Fiendfyre to devour the water blades Green sent at him, shocking Green with his mastery of the Dark Arts spell.
• Linley formed a silent, dark crimson Alchemy Formation behind Green while drawing his attention to the attacks from his other formations.

Linley tested his concealed Alchemy Formations against Green, using Sectumsempra, Fiendfyre, and a Muggle weapon as Green escalated his attacks. Green ended the test satisfied after Linley counterattacked with his Desert Eagle despite having his magic sealed.

• Linley used a concealed dark-red Alchemy Formation to launch Sectumsempra at Green, whose Shield Charm was damaged but held.
• Green attacked Linley with water blades, a beam of light, and a Thunderbolt, and Linley protected himself with Fiendfyre stored in a bright-red Alchemy Formation.
• Green used a black Alchemy Formation to seal Linley's magic, then fired a Disarming Charm that knocked Linley's Wand away.
• Linley fired his Desert Eagle at Green before the Disarming Charm struck him, and Green deflected the bullet.
• Green dispelled the black Alchemy Formation, pulled Linley to his feet, and told him he had passed the test.

Linley told Green he had learned the Fiendfyre Curse and all three Unforgivable Curses, and Green agreed to supervise his practice to prevent the curses from corrupting him. Green took Linley to L'enfer Alley in France, where Linley was to practice against Dark Wizards, and warned him to avoid large-scale spells.

• Linley explained how he and Irina had killed the Basilisk and destroyed the Horcrux, then described learning the Fiendfyre Curse and other Dark Arts at Roer Castle.
• Linley admitted that he had learned all three Unforgivable Curses, and Green decided to personally supervise his practice.
• Green warned Linley never to practice the Unforgivable Curses alone because their backlash could corrupt his mind.
• Green Apparated with Linley to L'enfer Alley, a lawless gathering place for Dark Wizards in France.
• Green told Linley that the alley's inhabitants were suitable practice targets and cautioned him against using large-scale spells that could expose them.

Linley tested the Imperius Curse on a dark wizard in L'enfer Alley and felt the intoxicating power of controlling another person's fate. Green used the Clear Heart pendant to steady him, then led him to a backyard where a wizard was harvesting organs from children.

• Linley and Green found a black-robed wizard searching the home of an elderly wizard he had killed, and Linley used Soul Possession to control him.
• Linley made the black-robed wizard hand over a Gringotts vault key and then kill himself, and he felt thrilled by his power over the man's fate.
• Green placed the Clear Heart pendant around Linley's neck and explained that it could ease, but not cure, the mental harm caused by Dark Arts.
• Green removed the pendant after Linley had calmed down, and the two continued searching L'enfer Alley for a suitable target.
• Green led Linley to a backyard where a black-robed wizard tore a heart from the last living child among numerous mutilated children's bodies, and Linley grew furious.

Linley used the Unforgivable Curses against dark wizards in L'enfer Alley, but the violence and the power over life and death threatened to overwhelm his emotions. Green brought him back to his residence and limited him to one Unforgivable Curse per day during their next visits.

• After seeing evidence of a dark wizard trafficking in children and organs, Linley cast the Cruciatus Curse and tortured the man to death before Green used Clear Heart to calm him.
• Green vanished the courtyard’s corpses and organ containers, then led Linley to search for more targets in L'enfer Alley.
• Linley killed an old witch in the street with the Killing Curse, and Green immediately used Clear Heart and Apparition to take them away.
• Back at Green’s residence, Linley agreed to Green’s rule that he could use no more than one Unforgivable Curse per day, as the curses had made his emotions increasingly difficult to control.

Green taught Linley the Patronus Charm before giving him materials to study for refining Clear Heart. Linley produced a corporeal Silver Wolf on his first attempt and agreed to practice the spell while mastering Green’s alchemy books and notes.

• Green explained the Patronus Charm and taught Linley its incantation and casting technique.
• Linley recalled happy memories and summoned a corporeal Silver Wolf Patronus, which affectionately rubbed against his arm.
• Green praised Linley’s first successful Patronus and instructed him to practice daily, aiming to master Silent Spellcasting before school began.
• Green gave Linley his Clear Heart experiment notebook and a thick alchemy book, telling him to master both before learning to refine Clear Heart.

Linley began learning alchemy that could influence a wizard’s mind and considered combining it with the Mirror of Erised to create dangerous illusions. Meanwhile, Irina and Hagrid set out to visit Newt Scamander, and the Knight Bus arrived to take them to Dorset.

• Linley finished studying Green’s alchemy book and experiment notes, qualifying to learn how to make Clear Heart.
• Green brought Linley to his alchemy laboratory and taught him how to create formations that affected emotions, minds, and souls.
• Linley noticed similarities between the alchemy and the runes from the Mirror of Erised, and considered making an illusion that could trap people.
• Irina arrived at Hagrid’s Hut, and Hagrid prepared to take her to visit Newt Scamander in Dorset.
• Irina summoned the Knight Bus with Hagrid, despite dreading the ride.