Chapter Summaries

Phoenix confirmed that Luke Gaunt had vanished and used a report to Fire Dragon to prompt an investigation, while Fire Dragon ordered inquiries into Phoenix’s past. Luke returned from six hundred years in the past to Joe, who asked whether he had found a way to retrieve her fruit; Luke claimed he could solve her problem but left the price unstated.

• Fire Dragon rejected the suggestion that Luke Gaunt might be dead, ordered Phoenix to keep investigating Luke, and tasked a young man with examining Phoenix’s past.
• Phoenix, disguised as Jenkins, pieced together signs at Hogwarts that something serious had happened to Luke and suspected Fire Dragon’s prophecy was tied to their conflict.
• Luke reappeared beside Joe after traveling through time and space, recovering from the journey’s weakness and joking that she could try the Tree of Time herself.
• Joe told Luke that the fruit could not be touched, and Luke said he had a way to solve her problem.
• Joe asked what price Luke would demand for helping her.

Luke negotiated with Joe, offering to arrange care for her while she recovered and asking for the chance to show her the world he hoped to build. Joe agreed to the deal, and Luke plucked the fruit she needed to reclaim her time.

• Joe accused Luke of trying to trick her, and Luke explained that he wanted her help as a willing personal guard rather than a coerced ally.
• Luke asked what Joe wanted after regaining her freedom, and she said she would recover and then return home.
• Luke offered to have someone care for Joe while she recuperated and described his hope that she would eventually join the people shaping the future.
• Joe agreed to Luke's proposal but warned him that she would repay any deception, then demanded that he pluck her fruit first.
• Luke used a Levitation Charm to reach the Tree of Time, snapped off a branch, knocked down Joe's fruit, and caught it.

Luke returned to Hogwarts after spending eight days six hundred years in the past, leaving him twenty-four days behind in class. He reunited with Taylor in the Slytherin Common Room and planned to meet with Dumbledore and visit Hermione.

• Filch and Mrs. Norris sensed Luke and Joe nearby, but Filch continued his patrol rather than investigate.
• Luke explained to Joe that Filch would likely report the possible intruder to the professors, then led her toward his dormitory.
• Joe noticed Taylor waiting by the Slytherin Common Room, and Taylor welcomed Luke back after dreaming of his return.
• Luke embraced Taylor and reassured her that he had returned safely, then told her he had brought her a gift for the next day.
• Taylor teased Luke about staying up late, and Luke said he would wait for Dumbledore and planned to take Hermione somewhere.

Luke reunited with Taylor and then told Dumbledore about his journey through the Forbidden Forest and the past, including his encounter with Slytherin. After learning that an impostor named Jenkins had come looking for him, Luke warned Dumbledore not to touch the Tree of Time and was left to investigate the mysterious pursuer.

• Luke told Taylor he planned to take Hermione to the Room of Requirement, but Taylor urged him to rest when she saw how exhausted he was.
• Dumbledore arrived, and Joe followed Luke's magical butterfly to Luke's room while Dumbledore questioned Luke about the snake.
• Luke told Dumbledore that he had found Joe in the Forbidden Forest and had not explored as far as its center.
• Luke recounted his journey, including the wonders deep in the forest and his battle and conversation with Slytherin, leaving Dumbledore shaken by the limits of his own power.
• Dumbledore told Luke that Jenkins was an impostor who had come for him, though his true identity and origins were unknown.
• Luke warned Dumbledore never to touch the Tree of Time without his help, and Dumbledore left.

Luke returned to Hogwarts after being missing for more than half a month, reassured his friends, and concealed what had happened at the Tree of Time. He told Hermione that her Memory Magic research had progressed enough for him to take her somewhere that night, and the chapter ended as Professor McGonagall greeted him in class.

• Luke returned to the Great Hall, where Hermione tearfully asked where he had been, and he apologized for leaving without warning.
• Luke comforted Hermione, then told his friends a fabricated story about being transported into a Wizarding ruin while keeping the Tree of Time secret.
• Luke planned to take Dumbledore to reinforce the barrier around the Tree of Time and trusted him not to misuse its power.
• Hermione told Luke she had mapped the circuits of common memory-related spells but had not yet identified their shared properties.
• Luke promised to take Hermione somewhere that night to inspire her research and said he would give the remaining inheritance to the most suitable person.
• Luke entered Transfiguration class, where Professor McGonagall stood and greeted him.

Luke returned to Hogwarts, reassured Professor McGonagall, and resumed classes while remaining suspicious of Professor Jenkins. He visited Gemma through a modified fireplace and told her to let their enemies keep making small moves so he could draw out more powerful opponents.

• Luke apologized to Professor McGonagall for worrying her, then returned to class and completed the practical work with ease.
• Luke resumed his packed schedule, noticed Professor Jenkins seemed unusually excited to see him, and left the Ministry power struggle for Old Barty to handle as a test.
• Luke returned to his dormitory, greeted Book and Doris, and took Joe through a fireplace he had modified to connect with fireplaces outside Hogwarts.
• Luke arrived at Gemma's side, where she embraced him with relief, and he told her to let their enemies continue making small moves so he could lure out bigger fish.

Gemma returned to Hogwarts and entrusted Hermione with handling the company’s dangerous internal crisis, while Bian Yan introduced her to Joe and recounted his recent journey. Hermione accepted responsibility for revising her plan, and Gemma left her to proceed with it.

• Gemma warned Luke not to risk himself unnecessarily after his disappearance, and Luke promised to tell her if anything similar happened again.
• Gemma told Hermione to take charge of the company’s affairs and revise her risky plan, promising to intervene only if needed.
• Gemma secretly left the dormitory and went to the Room of Requirement, where Bian Yan was waiting with Joe.
• Bian Yan introduced Joe as a powerful ally, and Hermione greeted her with a handshake.
• Bian Yan described his recent experiences to Hermione, including events from three hundred years ago, while leaving out details about the Tree of Time.
• Hermione accepted the task and agreed to revise her plan as Gemma returned to her dormitory with Book and Doris.

Luke and Hermione spoke with Rowena Ravenclaw’s Obsession Body about the Founders’ methods of immortality and the nature of memory-based existence. After Hermione answered Ravenclaw’s questions, Ravenclaw considered whether Hermione’s companion qualified to learn true Memory Magic and whether the Grey Lady could be brought to her.

• Ravenclaw’s Obsession Body explained that the Philosopher’s Stone, Gryffindor’s method, and Rowena’s research each offered different and imperfect paths to immortality.
• Hermione inferred that Ravenclaw’s Obsession Body could accumulate future memories and asked whether Rowena was still alive.
• Hermione revealed that she had met Rowena and Salazar Slytherin, and said Salazar could no longer transform into human form.
• Luke brought a young woman he believed could meet Ravenclaw’s requirement for true Memory Magic and offered to help arrange a conversation between Ravenclaw and the Grey Lady.
• Ravenclaw described the difference between a Thought Body and an Obsession Body, then asked whether the young woman dared to enter the door with Luke.

Hermione and Luke entered Ravenclaw’s hidden room and met her lingering consciousness, who revealed that the room was constructed from memories and asked Hermione about her immortality method. Hermione questioned whether the apparent reality was genuine and prepared to investigate further.

• Hermione and Luke entered the ancient door, which vanished behind them, and found themselves in an ornate room with simple furnishings.
• Ravenclaw’s lingering consciousness offered them wine and explained that the room came from their memories rather than existing in reality.
• Hermione tested the wine’s apparent sensory details and pointed out flaws in the room, concluding that its realism did not prove it was real.
• Ravenclaw praised Hermione and asked how she planned to improve her immortality method.
• Hermione said she needed to improve it further, put away her chair, and headed through another door with Luke following.

Hermione negotiated with Helena Ravenclaw, who agreed to teach Luke in exchange for help resolving the obsession that bound her memory construct. The chapter left Luke preparing to become Helena’s student while Hermione considered the danger of removing her obsession.

• Hermione reflected on the flaws in various Eternal Life Methods and the difficulty of improving them.
• Helena agreed to teach Luke and asked Hermione to help her remove her obsession.
• Hermione warned that removing Helena’s obsession might destroy her rather than free her, but Helena accepted either outcome.
• Hermione agreed to help Helena if she taught Luke, and Helena revealed that she had never wanted eternal life.
• Helena told Luke to return the next day for questions and lessons, leaving Luke nervous about her new role as Helena’s student.

Luke followed a magical fluctuation to a remote corner of Hogwarts and confronted someone disguised as Professor Jenkins. He exposed the impostor’s identity through their unusually good teaching and failure to publish research, then demanded to know who they were and what they wanted.

• Luke noticed a fleeting magical fluctuation and followed it to an isolated part of Hogwarts Castle.
• A black-cloaked figure revealed themselves, and Luke identified them as someone impersonating Professor Jenkins.
• Luke explained that the impostor’s lessons were suspiciously good and that they had failed to publish a paper about the Soul-Guiding Flower.
• The impostor admitted they had overlooked Jenkins’s habit of publishing research but showed little hostility toward Luke.
• Luke asked the impostor to reveal their identity and explain what they wanted.

Luke learned that Phoenix Fitel had come to assess him because his sister Ruby and a prophecy connected him to a new order. Phoenix explained that he had left the Followers and belonged to another prophecy-driven organization, whose aim was to preserve or strengthen the existing order.

• Jenkins revealed that his real name was Phoenix Fitel and said he had come to see what level Luke had reached.
• Phoenix said his sister had told him Luke was the person they were destined to seek, and Luke realized she was Ruby.
• Luke asked about the prophecy, and Phoenix recited his family's prediction of someone who would open up a new world.
• Phoenix explained that the Followers' prophecy cast Luke as the greatest obstacle to Grindelwald's dream, but they were currently focused on rescuing Grindelwald.
• Phoenix said he and Ruby had abandoned the Followers and that his current organization followed prophecies and sought to preserve or strengthen the existing order.

Luke explained to Phoenix that he wanted to control the Wizarding World's growing conflicts before they erupted into a war that exposed Wizards to Muggles. Phoenix appeared to accept Luke's offer of help, then reported to Ruby that her plan could proceed as normal.

• Phoenix admitted that he disagreed with his sister's beliefs but had followed her into secret organizations, and said she had sent him to help Luke.
• Phoenix questioned whether Luke's vision could make the world better, and Luke said he was not confident but wanted to reduce the conflicts threatening the Wizarding World.
• Luke warned that a large-scale war would leave Wizards vulnerable to Muggles, then argued that Grindelwald had already failed and Dumbledore remained a formidable rival.
• Luke offered Phoenix a chance to test him, but Phoenix declined to fight and suspected Luke was forcing him to choose a side.
• Phoenix recalled how Dumbledore and Snape had watched him, then contacted Ruby and reported that Luke had tentatively accepted him.
• Ruby told Phoenix to proceed with the plan, and Phoenix transformed into Jenkins before returning to the students.

Gemma confronted Hailt over her staff cuts and the plan to acquire Diagon Alley shops, defending the changes as part of Luke’s instructions. Hailt accused her of exploiting Luke’s absence to seize control of the company, leaving their conflict unresolved.

• Hailt barged into Gemma’s office, and Gemma sent her apologetic employee out before addressing him.
• Hailt warned Gemma that her position depended on noble families, but Gemma cited Scrimgeour as an example of someone who rose through merit.
• Hailt demanded that Gemma halt staff cuts and shop acquisitions, while Gemma said the changes followed Luke’s plan and that she reported to him weekly.
• Gemma challenged Hailt’s claims about his group’s sacrifices by pointing to their incompetent employees and failing shops.
• Hailt admitted that his group expected Luke to rely on noble support and accused Gemma of taking assets and pushing Luke’s allies out of the company.

At the Ministry, Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch, Arthur Weasley, and others passed a law protecting companies, giving Gemma leverage against Hailt. Gemma exposed Hailt’s knowledge of Luke Gaunt’s disappearance, caught him trying to attack her, and prepared to investigate him with Joe’s help.

• Fudge discovered that Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch, Arthur Weasley, and other powerful figures had gathered to consider an urgent proposal.
• Hailt dismissed Gemma’s threat of a lawsuit, insisting that no laws covered the company.
• Gemma revealed that Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch, and Arthur Weasley had helped pass a company-protection law and that she had collected evidence against Hailt.
• Gemma questioned why Hailt was so certain that something had happened to Luke Gaunt, and Hailt drew his wand to attack her.
• A black-robed wizard petrified Hailt, then left to report the matter to Old Lans as Gemma ordered.
• Hailt tried to escape after the wizard left, but Joe, a living snake-shaped creature, agreed to watch him while Gemma investigated the company’s enemies.

As the school year ended, Luke discussed a company purge, Taylor’s research and plans to study Muggle science, and the group’s summer plans. The students prepared for their holidays, with the Triwizard Tournament awaiting them next year and Luke planning his next move in Britain afterward.

• Luke read Old Lans’s apology explaining that people from other organizations had infiltrated the company, and Hermione and Luna assured Fleur that the spies could not reach the operation’s hidden core.
• Luke said the company was undergoing a purge, while he trusted Gemma Farley to handle the cleanup despite her lack of recent reports.
• Taylor said she would pause her research, continue studying at Hermione’s laboratory over the holiday, and asked Luke about attending a Muggle university; Luke offered to arrange a study plan and consider university the following year.
• Luna planned to explore, Taylor planned to research, Hermione planned to study, and Luke said he would handle other matters instead of joining Luna.
• Fleur planned special training for the Triwizard Tournament, and Luke said the tournament would precede the next stage of his plan in Britain.
• Luke wished the girls luck as the bell marked the end of his third year at Hogwarts.

Harry learned that he had to return to the Dursleys to maintain the protection spell, while Sirius promised to support him and discussed repaying the family. On the train home, Luke showed Hermione a Gaunt Family Bloodline Compass that appeared to point toward his father.

• Sirius told Harry that the protection spell required him to live with blood relatives, so Harry could not move in with his godfather.
• Harry asked Sirius to exchange Galleons for pounds so he could repay the Dursleys, and Sirius cautioned him that debts of kindness and resentment could not be calculated simply.
• Luke and Hermione traveled to King's Cross, where Hermione said she would return to Hogwarts each week to study Memory Magic.
• Luke told Hermione he planned to search for someone during the holiday, then revealed a Bloodline Compass tied to his Gaunt branch of the family.
• Hermione noticed a red dot near the edge of the compass, and Luke concluded it most likely marked his father's location.

Luke struggled with whether to leave his ongoing plans to search for his possibly living parents, then used the Bloodline Compass to mark their direction and began reading Robert Gaunt's Diaries for clues. He learned about his father's secluded upbringing and first meeting with Caisha Rose, but had not yet found a useful lead.

• Luke considered whether his missing parents might still be alive and decided to take his cat and snake along while searching for them.
• Luke studied a magical world map, placed the Bloodline Compass over his family's cottage, and marked the direction it indicated.
• Luke began reading Robert Gaunt's Diaries, hoping to find clues about his father's life and the family’s past.
• Luke learned that Robert's branch of the Gaunt Family had stayed hidden during the eras of Grindelwald and Voldemort.
• Luke read that Robert and Caisha Rose first met in a Muggle tavern after both had skipped their bills, and finally spotted something that caught his attention.

Luke followed clues in Robert Gaunt’s diary to Abyss Valley, where his father had vanished, and decided to investigate it alone before seeking help. Meanwhile, Taylor asked her Grandma about the family’s connection to Grindelwald, explaining that Luke had already planned for her to handle the Followers.

• Luke read the end of Robert Gaunt’s diary, which contained blank pages and the final message, “We have to leave. Sorry.”
• Luke followed the map to Abyss Valley, found an unremarkable mountain valley, and decided to inspect it himself before calling for backup.
• Luke considered visiting Raymond, Taylor’s Grandma, and the Grindelwald Family to learn more about the prophecies and his family’s secrets.
• Taylor asked her Grandma about the family’s relationship with the Grindelwald Family and described Luke’s time-traveling encounter with an ancestor.
• Taylor told her Grandma that Luke had instructed her to ally with or merge with the Followers and influence them through their shared ideals.

Luke traced Abyss Valley’s history, prepared for an expedition, and flew toward the suspicious location marked by his compass. Meanwhile, Luna entered a dark forest in search of power and the things she wanted, while Luke neared Abyss Valley and awaited confirmation of his deduction.

• Luke summoned two more books mentioning Abyss Valley, found no direct answers, and left the library determined to learn the truth while protecting himself.
• Luke gathered camping gear and more than a dozen Magical Artifacts from the Gaunt Family storeroom before setting out.
• Luna wandered into a forest near Britain’s border and followed a mysterious voice deeper into it, hoping to find what she wanted.
• Luke flew for several days on the Firebolt Sirius had given him, following the compass toward Abyss Valley.
• Luke checked his map and compass near Abyss Valley, expecting the red dot to move inside the compass if his deduction was correct.