Chapter Summaries

Derrick and Leon received Gaom and his armored Troll Corps, who marched to the Followers’ castle with devices meant to weaken its defensive array. Gaom led the charge through the castle’s golden barrier, leaving the Followers under attack.

• Gaom introduced himself to Derrick and Leon, then led the Troll Corps to their prepared camp.
• Derrick arranged for the Trolls to rest and eat while Gaom advised him to keep the unit’s appearance mysterious.
• Leon gave Gaom devices designed to weaken the castle’s defensive array, and Gaom explained that the Troll Corps would also challenge the Nobles’ confidence in their defenses.
• Gaom shouted for the Troll Corps to attack, and the Trolls charged toward the castle.
• Gaom’s heavy sword broke through the wall, and the Trolls forced their way through the golden barrier as the Followers sounded the alarm.

Gaom led Luke Gaunt’s armored Trolls against Orson’s Followers, revealing that the Trolls could fight in coordinated formations and withstand their spells. Grindelwald appeared when Gaom challenged him, and Gaom severed a Troll’s arm to save it from Grindelwald’s blue flames.

• An armored Troll smashed a Follower, and another Follower discovered his Explosion Charm could not damage the Troll’s armor.
• Gaom ordered the Trolls to gather and charge, breaking the Followers’ formation and causing severe losses before Orson ordered a retreat.
• Gaom halted his troops and told Orson that Luke Gaunt had sent them, prompting spies outside the castle to report Luke’s growing power.
• Gaom asked where Grindelwald was, and Grindelwald appeared beside him, unseen by Gaom’s senses.
• A Troll swung its Spiked Club at Grindelwald, who engulfed it in blue flames; Gaom cut off the Troll’s arm to save it, and Grindelwald praised Gaom’s equipment.

Trippcard weighed the threat Luke Gaunt posed after learning that Luke commanded a Troll army, and debated whether to align with Grindelwald or remain cautious. Old Nott then warned other family heads that Luke had already made them his prey, leaving them to face whatever price he demanded.

• Trippcard ordered his people to investigate Luke Gaunt and his company in Britain while keeping close watch on the Skye Family.
• Trippcard told a Wizard in black to contact the Followers about a possible alliance, but the Wizard warned that Grindelwald was unlikely to prevail against the Muggles.
• Trippcard concluded that the old order was vulnerable and that Luke Gaunt was dangerous, while remaining uncertain which side to support.
• Old Nott told the gathered family heads that Luke had killed Voldemort and trapped them in his power, and said their survival depended on the price Luke would demand.

Grindelwald defeated Gaom’s Troll squad after they refused his offer to join him, though some escaped with Luke’s prepared equipment. The survivors returned to Luke’s side, where he ordered them to wait and observe before acting again.

• Grindelwald asked Gaom’s Trolls to become his subordinates, but Gaom refused and declared his loyalty to Lord Luke.
• Gaom’s Trolls hurled their weapons at Grindelwald, then used Luke’s escape tools and scattered as they fled.
• Grindelwald killed several Trolls with his spells, while the survivors broke through the wall and escaped pursuit.
• Grindelwald gave the Trolls’ greatsword to Orson to examine and took over the castle defenses so the exhausted Followers could rest.
• Derrick reported the returning Trolls to Luke, who was relieved Gaom had survived and told them to watch the situation before acting.

Gaom escaped Grindelwald’s castle with only seven Trolls and reported that Luke’s equipment had pierced the defenses but failed to harm Grindelwald. Luke decided that only he or Dumbledore could confront Grindelwald directly, while the American Wizarding Congress faced mounting pressure to admit the joint punitive force.

• Gaom reached Derrick and Leon, counted the Troll survivors, and urged an immediate retreat from Grindelwald’s castle.
• Gaom contacted Luke and admitted that he had left the Magic-Sealing Greatsword behind; Luke questioned him about the castle’s defenses and Grindelwald’s shield, then accepted the loss.
• Luke discussed the threat with Hermione and Taylor, concluded that Grindelwald required a direct confrontation, and planned to deploy the joint punitive force to pressure the Ministries of Magic.
• Samuel G. Cogsworth demanded that Gladys let the joint punitive force into the country, while Wot opposed him and Stephen Birmingham warned that the Wizarding Congress had lost ground in public opinion.
• Gladys reviewed a newspaper that blamed the Wizarding Congress for the Aurors’ losses and invoked its announced joint punitive force, leaving her facing the councilors’ divided reactions.

Gladys assigned Samuel, Wot, and Stephen tasks to negotiate with the Joint Expeditionary Force, shape public opinion, and contact Bater Envy while she sought to preserve the American Wizarding World’s independence. She secured Sephir’s support for invoking the wartime clause to stay in office, while Old Nott asked Old Lans to help him reach Luke Gaunt.

• Gladys warned that allowing the Joint Expeditionary Force into the United States could cost the American Wizarding World its independence, then tasked Samuel with negotiating acceptable terms, Wot with stabilizing public opinion, and Stephen with contacting Bater Envy.
• After Gladys left, Stephen challenged Samuel’s ideas about fairness, and Wot warned Samuel that Gladys had her own stance and that Trippcard supported his eventual rise to office.
• Gladys told Sephir Skye she wanted to invoke the wartime clause and remain in control, and Sephir agreed to mediate in her support.
• Old Nott asked Old Lans to arrange a meeting with Luke Gaunt, but Old Lans said he could only pass on the message if he saw Luke.

Old Nott sought Old Lans’s help in reaching Luke Gaunt, while Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley discussed the families seeking Luke’s favor and their inability to find him. Meanwhile, Draco managed Luke’s operations and sent Bosh to Germany on a mission he said could not fail.

• Old Nott begged Old Lans to pass his plea for mercy to Luke, and Old Lans agreed only to convey the message if he could see Luke.
• Lucius told Arthur Weasley that several families had approached him, including the Parkinson Family, and Arthur said Luke would decide which neutral families might be accepted.
• Lucius revealed that Draco and the Weasley Twins had vanished, while he and Arthur had been left carrying out Luke’s orders without knowing the larger plan.
• Draco ordered a scarred wizard’s team to rest for three days after a successful assignment and stressed that their lives mattered to the organization.
• Draco gave Bosh a file for an important mission in Germany, and Bosh promised to complete it.

Fred and George Weasley struggled to replace the unreliable springs in a transforming prank doll, then decided to ask Professor Flitwick for help. As they headed toward Hogwarts, Bater Envy’s agent spotted them, while Bater questioned Stephen about why he had joined the Followers.

• Fred and George showed Rur their completed Special Magic Bomb and a prank doll that transformed into a miniature version of him.
• Fred explained that the doll’s springs wore out quickly, and Rur advised them to seek help from a spell specialist in another department.
• George rejected asking Hermione for help, and the twins decided to consult Professor Flitwick instead.
• The Weasley Twins left for Hogwarts, and an agent reported their movements to Bater Envy.
• Bater asked Stephen whether he was dissatisfied with the terms he had offered and why he had chosen the Followers.

Stephen accepted Bater Envy’s backing and agreed to help keep the Wizarding Congress in chaos by provoking hostility toward the Joint Expeditionary Force. Bater Envy claimed loyalty to Grindelwald out of strategic necessity, but his true motive was fear of being tortured again; Grindelwald explained that Bater Envy’s sheltered confidence made him vulnerable to defeat and pain.

• Stephen accepted that Bater Envy had chosen him because he was the only free candidate and agreed to help keep the Wizarding Congress disorganized.
• Bater Envy instructed Stephen to let the Joint Expeditionary Force enter United States territory and stir local wizards’ hostility toward them.
• Bater Envy told Tekken that he needed Grindelwald to oppose Luke Gaunt, whom he believed would not tolerate him after the failed attack and Sephir Skye’s involvement.
• After Tekken left, Bater Envy remembered that Luke Gaunt had ruined his ambitions and revealed through his terror that Grindelwald’s torture was the real reason for his loyalty.
• Orson questioned why Grindelwald trusted Bater Envy, and Grindelwald explained that Bater Envy’s lifelong confidence had made him afraid once he finally experienced defeat and pain.

Fleur asked Luke what he feared, then reported that her work reforming France was nearly complete and requested a job that would let her learn from powerful people. Luke agreed to keep her by his side as he prepared to chair a meeting about the joint expeditionary force.

• Fleur asked Luke whether he feared revealing an ugly side when faced with pain or death, and Luke said he feared loneliness and life without friends.
• Fleur reported that France’s cleanup was nearing its final stage, crediting the French Ministry of Magic’s groundwork for the rapid progress.
• Fleur asked for an easier assignment that would also let her learn how important figures conducted themselves, and Luke agreed to keep her beside him.
• Fleur began planning Luke’s schedule after he said he would chair the meeting on deploying the joint expeditionary force.
• Luke explained that the meeting would help settle how its participants divided the benefits, while Fleur focused on the chance to remain at his side.

Samuel sought Don Trippcard’s advice before negotiating over the Joint Expeditionary Force, while struggling with his place in the relationship between Trippcard and Ivanna. Trippcard taught him to define whose interests counted and preserve balance, and Samuel left focused on the negotiations and Luke Gaunt.

• Samuel welcomed Don Trippcard and endured the familiar reminder that Trippcard and Ivanna’s relationship would not change for his sake.
• Trippcard asked Samuel what trouble he faced, and Samuel explained that he did not know what limits to set in the Joint Expeditionary Force negotiations.
• Trippcard told Samuel that his definition of the American Wizarding World would determine which losses he considered unacceptable.
• Samuel asked how to protect the shared interests of noble, common, and immigrant Wizards, and Trippcard urged him to learn from Gladys and maintain a balance among factions.
• Ivanna offered Samuel a strawberry while Trippcard ate from the same plate, and Samuel returned his attention to the negotiations.
• Trippcard advised Samuel to discover the other side’s bottom line and assured him that Luke Gaunt would keep the meeting from spiraling out of control.

Luke and Fleur arrived at the American Wizarding Congress meeting, where Samuel G. Cogsworth welcomed them and began introducing the representatives. As the group gathered, Lilith and Bape discussed Fleur’s reputation and her role in the upheaval of the French Wizarding World.

• Samuel waited outside the castle as representatives watched for Luke and Fleur’s arrival.
• Luke and Fleur drove up in a sports car, and Samuel greeted them as representatives of the American Wizarding Congress.
• Luke asked Samuel to introduce the other representatives on the way to their rooms, and Samuel began describing them.
• Lilith asked Bape why he was watching Fleur, and Bape explained her beauty, her political notoriety, and how the French purge had nearly sent him to prison or death.
• Samuel described Lilith as cold and goal-oriented, then called Bape gentle, humble, and a good person.

Fleur revealed that Bape Louis had organized poaching and used predatory loans that led to exploitation, though she lacked evidence to prosecute him. Samuel briefed Luke on the other representatives attending the meeting, and the chapter ended as he showed Luke and Fleur to their rooms.

• Fleur told Samuel and Luke that Bape Louis had organized seventy-four operations poaching rare Magical Creatures.
• Fleur explained that Bape Louis had lent money at usurious rates, leading to forced prostitution and potion experiments, but he had paid to cover up the crimes.
• Luke said the group could complain to the French Ministry of Magic if Bape Louis failed to behave properly.
• Samuel described the other representatives: Ursula Wells, Revel Delion, and Liu Nian.
• Samuel led Luke and Fleur to their rooms.

Luke and Fleur settled into their suite after driving to the conference, while Luke considered how to steer the negotiations. Elsewhere, Grindelwald and Orson discussed Luke’s influence over the Ministries and concluded that the Followers were being used as his weapon, though Grindelwald looked forward to their eventual confrontation.

• Luke told Fleur she could avoid the verbal sparring and assigned her the suite’s second bedroom, which she accepted.
• Luke explained that he had driven to make his position clear and reassured Fleur that she did not need to feel guilty about being unable to drive.
• Luke rested and considered how far to push his plans for the conference.
• Orson questioned why Luke Gaunt had been chosen to preside over a conference against the Followers, and Grindelwald said the Ministries were clinging to hope while offering little else.
• Grindelwald reasoned that Luke had bribed or distracted influential people in the Ministries, leaving them slow to respond.
• Grindelwald told Orson that the Followers were merely Luke’s blade and said they were also the amusement ride Luke feared most.

At a diplomatic banquet, Luke and Fleur confronted Bape Louis over his trafficking of girls and Luke threatened to keep investigating him. The gathering ended with Luke openly rejecting the French Minister’s orders and making clear that he would oppose anyone who crossed his moral boundaries.

• Luke discussed Chinese cuisine and Eastern culture with Liu Nian while Bape Louis watched Fleur.
• Bape Louis reflected on his former interest in Fleur, Luke’s standing as a Gaunt, and his plans to expand the Louis Family’s trafficking business.
• Fleur confronted Bape Louis at the banquet and warned that she would stop him if he continued trafficking girls.
• Luke apologized for Fleur’s rudeness, then told Bape Louis he would investigate his crimes and deliver a defiant message to the French Minister.
• Bape Louis turned pale, Lilith questioned the true nature of his business, and the guests recognized Luke’s willingness to oppose wrongdoing.

Luke revealed his influence over the British Ministry of Magic and named Fleur as its representative at the meeting. He then earned Ursula Wells’s trust, while Lilith Von Adolf remained the last uncertain vote Luke needed to win over.

• Revel Delion asked whether Luke represented the British Ministry of Magic, and Luke said Fleur held that role instead.
• The attendees were shocked that Fleur represented Britain, and Samuel concluded that Luke’s claim demonstrated his control over the Ministry.
• Luke greeted Ursula Wells and cited her past work leading a team that killed hundreds of Followers and saved thousands of victims.
• Ursula described her team’s actions as revenge-driven and flawed, and Luke said he trusted her not to cooperate with the Followers for profit or fear.
• Luke assessed the other representatives’ likely positions and identified Lilith Von Adolf as the last person he needed to win over.

Luke maneuvered the international representatives at dinner, isolating opponents and winning Lilith’s cooperation before leaving to prepare for the meeting. Later, Sephir reported on Samuel’s sense of justice and warned that Bater Envy might attack, but Luke said he had already prepared a gift for him.

• Luke invited Lilith to cooperate, and she accepted his olive branch after he disrupted the representatives’ alliances.
• Luke left dinner with Fleur after achieving his objective, while Bape Louis, Liu Nian, and Revel Delion each departed to reconsider their plans.
• Samuel, Ursula, and Lilith reflected on how Luke had reshaped the negotiations and left them uncertain about his next move.
• Sephir told Luke that Samuel had a strong sense of justice and warned that Bater Envy was likely plotting against them.
• Luke said Samuel would make concessions and claimed he had already prepared a big gift for Bater Envy.

Gemma oversaw a plan using the Weasley Twins as bait while the Enforcement Department pursued the real target. The Twins were taken to meet someone, but they remained calm and prepared to see how events unfolded.

• Gemma learned that the Weasley Twins had been captured but were under surveillance and negotiating calmly.
• Gemma ordered her subordinates to continue the plan and use the opportunity to cut off an enemy's influence.
• Gemma discussed her burdens and Luke Gaunt's absence with Joe, then returned to managing the company.
• Fred and George recognized one of Gemma's subordinates during their capture and concluded that Gemma knew about the plan.
• The squad leader told Fred and George that they were being taken to meet someone, and the brothers decided to wait and see.

A Wizard squad attacked Bater Envy's hidden camp, but he escaped in a concealed carriage while Tekken surrendered and the Old Butler was captured. The squad received approval to continue searching for Bater Envy.

• The Wizard squad captain ordered his men to attack Bater Envy's camp after receiving a report that their operation was progressing normally.
• Bater Envy and Tekken realized the Weasley brothers had likely been used as bait and fled the burning house with the Old Butler.
• Three Wizards ambushed them near their hidden carriage, and Tekken and the Old Butler fought back while Bater Envy boarded the carriage.
• Bater Envy escaped in the carriage after the captain revealed it with dust, then the carriage vanished again before the Wizards could stop it.
• Tekken surrendered, and the Wizards dragged the unconscious or dead Old Butler from underground and ordered that he be kept alive.
• The captain reported that Bater Envy had escaped and received approval to continue the search.

After Bater Envy escaped an ambush, Hermione and Taylor discussed the risks and why Luke had used George and Fred as bait. Meanwhile, Samuel found the negotiations blocked by a united front coordinated by Luke, and Luke’s tap on the table left the talks poised for a new turn.

• Hermione and Taylor accepted Bater Envy’s escape as a tolerable outcome and discussed Gemma’s use of George and Fred as bait under Luke’s plan.
• George and Fred reasoned that they had been chosen because they were available and their inventions made them tempting targets, then decided to continue their research with Professor Flitwick.
• Samuel reported unexpectedly favorable terms to Chairwoman Gladys, who urged him to press for further concessions.
• Fleur and the other representatives presented a united position, frustrating Samuel’s plan to divide the negotiating parties.
• Samuel fell silent as he struggled to continue the talks, and Luke tapped on the table.