Chapter Summaries

Luke told Dumbledore that Grindelwald was preparing to leave Nurmengard and offered him a chance at immortality, but Dumbledore refused. Meanwhile, Voldemort chose to continue his plan to regain power despite suspecting Snape had created the curse preventing his leg from healing.

• Luke asked Dumbledore why Grindelwald wanted to leave Nurmengard, and Dumbledore said Luke may have given him a reason to live again.
• Luke warned that Grindelwald would become a major threat after Voldemort and offered Dumbledore immortality so he could outlive Grindelwald, but Dumbledore declined.
• Voldemort identified the curse on his wound as one created by Severus Snape, unsettling Myrian John and Randolph Mendy.
• Voldemort ordered his followers to proceed with their original plan and focus on restoring his strength.
• After Myrian John and Randolph Mendy left, Voldemort vowed to make Luke understand how terrifying he was.

Grindelwald examined Luke Gaunt’s mysterious background, noticed a girl in his file whose eyes resembled his own, and decided to investigate. He then confronted Bater Envy and Tekken, demanding that Bater surrender his forces within the Followers to Orson, while Bater insisted they belonged to him.

• Grindelwald reviewed Luke Gaunt’s file with Orson and acknowledged that the Followers had failed to uncover Luke’s full strength or place a spy near him.
• Grindelwald noticed a golden-haired girl with emerald-like eyes beside Luke in a photograph and said he would give something a try.
• Orson briefed Grindelwald on Bater Envy and Tekken, and Grindelwald went to meet the detained Nobles.
• Grindelwald offered Bater freedom in exchange for surrendering his control within the Followers to Orson, with future cooperation left open.
• Bater argued that his people had helped the Followers and belonged to him, while Grindelwald insisted they were Followers acting under his banner and must obey him.

Grindelwald forced Bater Envy to accept his authority over the Followers by torturing him until he yielded. Orson then took Bater Envy to arrange the handover and told him that his hypocrisy had helped make him inferior to Luke Gaunt.

• Grindelwald demanded that Bater Envy and his people submit to his leadership, but Bater Envy refused and offered cooperation as equals instead.
• Grindelwald painfully peeled and split Bater Envy's finger until Bater Envy agreed to his proposal.
• Grindelwald ordered Orson to take Bater Envy to handle the handover, while Tekken silently reflected on being ignored.
• Orson offered to arrange treatment for Bater Envy's injured finger and called him hypocritical.
• Orson told Bater Envy that he was no match for Luke Gaunt in family strength or personal character.

Sirius and the Malfoys considered the threat posed by Grindelwald’s escape and his return to youth, while weighing Luke Gaunt’s strength and ambitions. They chose to wait and see, though Old Lans’s peaceful life was about to be disrupted.

• Sirius read that Grindelwald had escaped prison and regained a young body, then concluded that Luke Gaunt’s Followers were now the enemy.
• Sirius decided he would remain loyal to Luke, whom he trusted more than Dumbledore or Grindelwald.
• Narcissa Malfoy suggested making Dumbledore young again to counter Grindelwald, but Lucius explained that Luke would never accept Dumbledore as a rival on his stage.
• Lucius said Luke might already rival Dumbledore and Grindelwald in strength, though he did not know Luke’s full power.
• Lucius, Alice, Sephir Skye, and Old Lans chose to wait and see, while Old Lans’s peaceful life faced an impending disruption.

Luke questioned Ryan Kane about an enemy Portkey that used the same methods as Ryan’s, but Ryan appeared genuinely surprised and said the techniques belonged to the Kane Family. Luke left with a new, unexplained possibility in mind.

• Little Lans welcomed Luke and Taylor to Lans Castle and admitted that the Lans Family had failed to detect a problem with Ryan Kane.
• Ryan Kane ate ravenously while Old Lans worried that he might be a mole and feared responsibility for introducing him.
• Luke confronted Ryan with a confiscated Portkey that matched the enemy’s devices and asked him to explain the similarities.
• Ryan examined the Portkey and said its space-folding technique was a result he had not yet developed.
• Ryan said the Portkey used Kane Family techniques but surpassed the family’s skill, and he denied having any unknown relatives who could have made it.
• Luke considered an absurd but plausible explanation for the Portkey’s origin.

Fire Dragon discussed his failed attempt to probe Luke Gaunt with the bearded man, then set out to find Luke’s secret base. Meanwhile, Luke cleared Ryan Kane of immediate suspicion and arranged to give him a House-elf, leaving Taylor puzzled about why he was helping Kane.

• Fire Dragon told the bearded man that Luke Gaunt and Orson had thwarted his probing, and he asked for Portkeys to visit Luke’s secret base.
• The bearded man refused to make Portkeys without an address, so Fire Dragon left to find one.
• Ryan Kane explained that his ancestor Ilarton Kane had learned advanced Portkey-making techniques and said he wanted to study Luke’s sealed Portkey.
• Luke and Taylor discussed their surveillance of Ryan Kane, and Luke allowed him to return to his laboratory while keeping him under watch.
• Ryan Kane accepted Luke’s offer of a House-elf, and Luke arranged to transfer Old Lans’s House-elf to him in exchange for finding Old Lans a replacement.
• After leaving the castle, Taylor asked Luke why he was transferring ownership of the House-elf to Ryan Kane.

Luke and Taylor agreed to hold back while they investigated the growing threat from Voldemort, Grindelwald, and the Followers. Voldemort failed to win Lucius Malfoy back, so he ordered a raid on Azkaban, while Luke told Lucius to keep gathering leverage against Gringotts.

• Luke told Taylor that Ryan Kane's strange story still needed investigation, and Taylor advised him to let their enemies make the first move.
• Voldemort learned that Lucius Malfoy had rejected his overture and suspected that Luke Gaunt had become Malfoy's new backer.
• Randolph Mendy pointed out that Malfoy had not reported them, but Voldemort dismissed the suggestion and ordered the Death Eaters to break their allies out of Azkaban.
• Myrian John and Randolph Mendy left to find food, with Myrian fearing the Dementors and Randolph worrying that the imprisoned pure-bloods would leave him behind.
• Luke reassured Lucius through the Mirror and told him to keep finding leverage against Gringotts, which Luke threatened to force into submission or destroy.

Luke and Lucius planned to weaken Voldemort’s forces at Azkaban while keeping pressure on Gringotts, and Luke met with Taylor, Alice, and Sephir. Sephir revealed that the Followers’ silence and Bater Envy’s disappearance suggested he had already been dealt with, leaving her worried that the situation was worse than it seemed.

• Lucius offered to investigate Gringotts and proposed striking Voldemort’s forces; Luke ordered him to coordinate an ambush at Azkaban with Barty and weaken them without stopping them from acting arrogantly.
• Luke told Taylor that the plan against Gringotts could not be advanced yet and that the group was still pushing for tangible benefits despite pressure from Alice, Sephir, and the Followers.
• Luke dragged Taylor off a cliff as a prank, then Apparated with her to meet Alice and Sephir.
• Sephir revealed a concealed Alchemy carriage, and the group boarded it to discuss matters somewhere more secure.
• Sephir explained that Bater Envy had gone silent and the Followers had not fallen into chaos, leading her to suspect Bater Envy had already been dealt with and fear the situation was dire.

Luke discussed the American Wizarding World’s uncertain response to Grindelwald with Sephir and Alice, then went to a secluded estate to meet Rov Scamander. Rov described how Grindelwald’s escape had made his leadership among the students dangerous.

• Luke promised Sephir he would not betray their agreement, and Sephir explained that American nobles were waiting to see what happened to the Envy Family while some considered cooperating with the Followers.
• Alice reported that the students had split over the nobles’ concessions and Grindelwald’s ideals, though Rov Scamander was still holding them together.
• Luke reflected that Grindelwald’s return had disrupted his plans and that his investigation of the Fountain of Youth had begun too late.
• Luke, Sephir, Taylor, and Alice arrived at Alice’s secluded estate, where they found Rov Scamander waiting.
• Rov told Luke that Grindelwald’s escape had made it dangerous for him to remain among the students because his family name was associated with defeating Grindelwald.

Rolf sought refuge with Luke after former companions turned against him, and Luke supported his resolve to continue pursuing his ideals. As Luke and his companions rested, Dumbledore reassured Professor McGonagall that Luke was prepared to handle the unfolding crisis around Grindelwald’s return.

• Rolf told Luke that former allies had tried to kill him and asked how he could keep pursuing his goals.
• Luke pledged his support, and Rolf drank until he collapsed while the others discussed the urgent situation.
• Luke advised Sephir to wait for a response from the Followers and then contact Trippcard if none came.
• Alice and Luke helped the exhausted group settle in, and Luke went to bed reflecting on how his plans had gone awry.
• Professor McGonagall woke Dumbledore and worried that Luke was exposed to danger outside Hogwarts.
• Dumbledore told Professor McGonagall to trust Luke and said he would intervene if anything went wrong.

Luke urged Rolf to stop doubting himself and act on his convictions, but breakfast was interrupted by news that Grindelwald had gained the allegiance of five of the Ten Great Families and destroyed the Dain Family. Trippcard reacted by seeking allies and help from Sephir Skye, the Wizarding Congress, and Dumbledore, while concluding that the students he had been negotiating with were likely in chaos.

• At breakfast, Luke told Rolf to challenge the people whose ideals he opposed and take control of his own destiny.
• An owl delivered Alice a message reporting that five of the Ten Great Families, including the Envy Family, had sworn allegiance to Grindelwald and that the Dain Family had been wiped out.
• Trippcard's subordinate reported that Grindelwald had turned the Dain Family's castle into the Followers' headquarters, provoking Trippcard's fury.
• Trippcard ordered his subordinate to contact Sephir Skye, the Wizarding Congress, and Dumbledore for help against Grindelwald.
• When asked about the students they had been negotiating with, Trippcard said it was too late and they had probably descended into internal chaos.

Ilvermorny students divided over how to oppose the Nobles and respond to Rolf’s absence, while Headmaster Aegilbert tried to keep the conflict from escalating. The students dispersed for class but remained committed to their opposing methods, and the yellow-robed boy declared that their next steps were theirs to choose.

• A yellow-robed Young Wizard accused the black-robed Young Wizard of helping the Nobles and worsening the students’ conflict by driving Senior Rolf away.
• Professor Morian warned Aegilbert that the students’ unrest would intensify and urged him to bring Rov Scamander back.
• The yellow-robed boy denounced Grindelwald as another oppressor, and Aegilbert called the students to class and cautioned that they could not confront the Nobles while a squad of Aurors could arrest them.
• The yellow-robed and black-robed boys argued over whether to compromise with the Nobles, with the yellow-robed boy refusing to betray his companions for peace.
• The black-robed boy left, and the yellow-robed boy told Aegilbert that the students would decide what came next.

Aegilbert met with Luke and Sephir Skye after Rov returned to Ilvermorny, hoping to protect the students from being used in the struggle over the wizarding order. Luke admitted he had helped instigate the student movements, but questioned whether he or Rov could still influence the students.

• Aegilbert worried that hidden forces had used Jacob and Rov as figureheads and blamed them for pushing students into danger.
• Miranda told Aegilbert and Morian that Rov had returned with a Skye Family carriage and that someone inside wanted to meet Aegilbert.
• Rov asked Morian about the tense situation at school, then hurried back to campus after reassuring Aegilbert that the meeting was not dangerous.
• Aegilbert entered the carriage and found Luke with Sephir Skye, then accused them of using students to break the existing order and urged them to let the students go.
• Luke admitted that he had helped drive both Jacob's resistance and Rov's movement, denied intending to sacrifice students, and asked whether anyone could still sway them.

Luke persuaded Aegilbert to remain neutral and let the students act independently while promising not to direct them further. As Grindelwald’s Followers struggled with the backlash from destroying the Dain Family, Bater Envy offered Orson a way to win over other Nobles.

• Luke convinced Aegilbert that his influence could help protect the students, and Aegilbert agreed not to take sides while demanding that Luke stop inciting them.
• Luke promised to leave the students’ actions to them and said the Snake Eye Organization and Skye Family would focus on bringing new Nobles and allied Nobles into play.
• Professor Morian and Miranda escorted Aegilbert from the carriage and planned to take him to the infirmary for an examination.
• Sephir agreed to work with Aegilbert, and Luke announced that they would prepare for their first counterattack.
• At Dain Castle, Orson reprimanded drunken Followers and worried that Grindelwald’s destruction of the Dain Family had made their position worse.
• Bater Envy offered to help Orson by giving the Nobles an excuse to set aside their hostility toward the Followers.

Orson discussed Bater Envy’s apparent submission with Grindelwald, who remained confident that Bater posed no threat and prepared for a counterattack by organized Nobles and the Wizarding Congress. Meanwhile, the Congress debated how to respond to Grindelwald and decided to seek allies and gather information on Dain Castle.

• Orson gave Bater Envy an opportunity to prove his value to Grindelwald, and Bater promised to do his best.
• Orson warned Grindelwald that Bater’s submissive behavior seemed false, but Grindelwald said Bater’s plans did not matter while he remained in power.
• Grindelwald told Orson to strengthen Dain Castle’s defenses and prepare for an attack by organized Nobles and the Wizarding Congress.
• Samuel G. Cogsworth argued that the Congress should consider peace to learn Grindelwald’s intentions, while another Wizard warned that doing so would strengthen the Followers and weaken resistance.
• Gladys Vesnina ordered the Congress to contact the Trippcard Family, monitor Dain Castle cautiously, and assign members to approach the Trippcard and Skye Families.

Luke urged Tripcard and Sephir to launch a surprise attack on Grindelwald’s Followers before they could recover, and Sephir and Tripcard agreed to fund a joint call to action. The chapter ended with an explosion breaching Azkaban’s outer wall, prompting guards to begin searching and patrolling as they suspected a diversion.

• Luke argued that the American Nobles should strike the Followers quickly, even if they could only disrupt their recovery and exhaust their resources.
• Sephir pledged that the Skye Family would answer the call, and Tripcard agreed to share the cost equally with her.
• After Luke left, Sephir and Tripcard discussed how to make the other families contribute without driving them to flee or join the Followers.
• An explosion blasted a huge hole in Azkaban’s outer wall, but the guards found no one and no Dementors nearby.
• The guards criticized the Minister of Magic’s response to rumors of The Dark Lord’s return, and their leader split them between investigating the breach and starting patrols.

Voldemort and two uneasy followers advanced through Azkaban toward the Death Eater cells while the prison guards quietly planned to avoid fighting and escape through a hole in the wall. The guards’ plan was interrupted by a sudden blast, leaving one of them in darkness.

• The chief guard recognized that Azkaban’s guards had little reason to defend the prison and slowed his group’s advance, changing their direction without objection from his subordinates.
• Voldemort dismissed Randolph Mendy and Myrian John’s fears, explaining that the guards were unlikely to fight him and telling the two men they would have to earn the rewards they wanted.
• Voldemort, Randolph Mendy, and Myrian John headed toward the Death Eater cell block with Dementors accompanying them.
• A group of guards decided to stay by a hole in the wall, stage a brief confrontation, and flee if trouble began.
• A loud bang struck beside the guards, and one guard sank into darkness.

Gary led a hooded team into Azkaban to attack Voldemort’s weakened Death Eaters, while warning them to flee if they encountered Voldemort himself. Voldemort reached the prison’s secluded cell block, where his loyal followers recognized him and a woman touched his face, certain he had returned for her.

• Gary explained that Ministry guards had abandoned their posts, then told his team to target the weakened Death Eaters and use Portkeys to escape Voldemort.
• Gary led his hooded team deeper into Azkaban after reminding them not to confront Voldemort.
• Voldemort refused to free the other prisoners yet, reasoning that they might betray him to the Ministry for pardons.
• Myrian John saw a crazed prisoner recognize Voldemort, prompting the other inmates in the cell block to crowd toward the bars and greet him fervently.
• Voldemort recognized his imprisoned loyalists and stopped at the farthest cell, where a woman touched his face and said she knew he would return and would not abandon her.

Voldemort and his Death Eaters escaped their cells, but hooded Wizards ambushed them and forced them to scatter. Gary’s group captured Myrian John, and Gary said his lord wanted to see him.

• Voldemort reunited with Bellatrix and led the Death Eaters in breaking open the cells, while Randolph freed Rodolphus Lestrange and Myrian opened another cell.
• The newly freed Death Eaters received unsuitable wands before hooded Wizards attacked them as they left their cells.
• Randolph urged Voldemort to retreat, and Voldemort escaped as Black Smoke while Randolph fled and Myrian was captured.
• Gary confronted Myrian, saying he had traded betrayal for a chance to live, then slapped him when he demanded to see his lord.
• Doran reported that few prisoners could be put to use, and Gary told him the Death Eaters’ threat had been reduced to a controllable level.
• Gary released Myrian and told him that his lord truly wanted to see him.

Voldemort summoned the Death Eaters, punished those who had abandoned him, and declared Luke Gaunt his greatest enemy. While Randolph Mendy briefly questioned his worship of Voldemort, Lucius resisted the Dark Mark’s call and chose to stay aligned with Luke.

• Randolph Mendy told Voldemort that Myrian John had been captured, and Voldemort concluded that Myrian John had betrayed him.
• Voldemort praised Randolph and summoned the Death Eaters by pressing his wand to Randolph’s Dark Mark.
• The Death Eaters gathered, and Voldemort accused them of abandoning him and named Luke Gaunt as an enemy alongside Albus Dumbledore.
• Voldemort tortured Avery for seeking forgiveness and challenged the gathered Death Eaters to oppose Luke Gaunt, prompting Nott and the others to pledge their support.
• Randolph Mendy saw that the Death Eaters were bound more by Voldemort’s power and their own interests than by loyalty, and briefly doubted his devotion.
• Lucius resisted the burning Dark Mark and decided not to answer Voldemort’s summons, preferring to continue working with Luke.