Chapter Summaries

After Crouch vanished from Hogwarts without a trace, Fudge blamed Percy Weasley and arrested him, while Skylar Malfoy used the press to turn public opinion against the Weasley family. Dumbledore remained unable to explain Crouch’s disappearance, and Skylar’s campaign left the Weasleys isolated and under attack.

• The Daily Prophet reported Crouch’s disappearance after months of unexplained absences and remote instructions to Percy Weasley.
• Dumbledore recalled Crouch’s strange behavior, his disappearance from the protected hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey’s damaged memory, but found no clue to what had happened.
• Fudge grew tired of the search and suspended Percy, then arrested him as the prime suspect in Crouch’s disappearance.
• The press accused Arthur Weasley and Percy of plotting to gain power, prompting the Prewett, Longbottom, and Diggory families to distance themselves from the Weasleys.
• Skylar Malfoy used his influence with the Daily Prophet and the International Confederation of Wizards to intensify the public backlash against the Weasley family.

As Harry prepared for the third task, Hermione and Ron helped him practise spells while Hermione hid her doubts about his chances against Skylar Malfoy. Skylar learned that Draco was scheming against Harry and perfected a way to fly as effortlessly as walking.

• Harry practised the Impediment Jinx, Reducto, the Four-Point Spell, and other magic with Ron and Hermione as he prepared to win the third task.
• Hermione decided not to tell Harry that Skylar had far surpassed his abilities, and instead encouraged his confidence.
• Ron spotted Draco speaking under a tree with Crabbe and Goyle keeping watch, and Harry wondered if Draco was using a walkie-talkie.
• Skylar studied a Dark Arts book until his watch indicated that Draco was scheming, likely by contacting Rita Skeeter to smear Harry.
• Skylar left the common room while hovering above the floor and completed his self-created flight technique, “Walking Like Flying.”

Skylar recognized Rita Skeeter in beetle form and asked Draco to hand her over so he could use her existing intelligence network. After explaining that intelligence mattered more than resources in a struggle for power, Skylar captured Skeeter and headed back to the castle with Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe.

• Skylar identified the beetle Draco was holding as an Animagus and inferred that it was an older woman who wore glasses.
• Draco revealed that the beetle was Rita Skeeter, a Daily Prophet reporter he had interviewed to write an article about Potter.
• Skylar asked Draco to give him Skeeter, then used Wandless Magic to stop the beetle from escaping.
• Skylar explained to Draco that he wanted Skeeter's established intelligence network to strengthen his own.
• Skylar trapped Skeeter in a rune-carved crystal bottle and returned toward the castle with Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe.
• Skylar spotted Ron and Hermione at a Gryffindor Tower window, waved to Hermione, and continued toward the castle gates after she waved back.

Skylar’s throne transformed into the True Dragon Throne as his growing power reshaped the serpents carved into it. When he sat upon it, Rita Skeeter was overwhelmed by its pressure and forced to her knees.

• Skylar’s throne changed as its serpent carvings evolved into Dragon-like creatures.
• Skylar recognized that the throne grew alongside his strength and named it the True Dragon Throne.
• Skylar sat on the throne, causing its green pearl to shine and a Dragon’s roar to echo.
• Rita Skeeter felt the throne’s oppressive force and collapsed to her knees, unable to move.

Rita Skeeter believed Skylar Malfoy wanted information from her, but he demanded control of her intelligence network and her service to the Sleeping Dragon Society. Skylar overcame her Occlumency with Legilimency and Absolute Dominion, leaving Rita as his loyal subordinate and head of the Society’s external intelligence division, codenamed “Reverse Scale.”

• Rita relied on her beetle Animagus form, memory magic, and Occlumency to gather intelligence and hide her secrets.
• After Skylar captured her, Rita expected to bargain with selected information rather than surrender her intelligence archive.
• Skylar demanded Rita’s intelligence network and ordered her to join the Sleeping Dragon Society.
• Rita blocked Skylar’s Legilimency with Occlumency, but he caught her off guard and used Absolute Dominion to alter her mind and personality.
• Rita became Skylar’s loyal subordinate and head of the Sleeping Dragon Society’s external intelligence division, codenamed “Reverse Scale.”

Rita expanded Skylar’s intelligence network, while Skylar considered using alchemy to solve the resulting staffing shortage. On the day of the Triwizard Tournament final, Rita published an article portraying Harry as unstable and dangerous, and Skylar remained focused on his own path as Draco’s friends laughed at the story.

• Rita sent her collected information to Susan Bones through an encrypted Two-Way Mirror, more than doubling Skylar’s daily intelligence sources.
• Skylar allowed Susan to borrow personnel from other groups and considered developing an alchemical artificial intelligence to analyze intelligence.
• On June 24, Harry received a paw-print card from Sirius, but Hermione’s Daily Prophet revealed Rita’s article accusing him of being emotionally unstable and dangerous.
• Draco’s friends laughed at the article, while Pansy mocked Harry for competing against Skylar in the tournament.
• Skylar decided that Harry’s actions and the old plotlines no longer mattered to him, and he neither encouraged nor stopped Draco’s scheme.

Skylar prevented Hermione from confronting Rita Skeeter and attended the Champions' family gathering, where he silently destroyed Mr. Moreau's protective heirloom with a glance. The chapter ended with Skylar greeting Lucius and Narcissa before the final task.

• Skylar realized Hermione had uncovered Rita Skeeter's Animagus identity and sent Cassius Warrington to warn Rita to stay away from Harry's trio.
• Hermione rushed out of the Great Hall, while Skylar sent Draco and Daphne off to their exams.
• Professor McGonagall told Harry and Skylar that the Champions could meet their families before the final task.
• Skylar entered the meeting room and shattered Mr. Moreau's amber pendant with a brief flash of his Snake Eyes, frightening him.
• Skylar greeted Lucius and Narcissa, who had arrived to watch him compete.

At Hogwarts, Mr. Hohenheim offered Skylar a marriage alliance with Eleanor, including the Hohenheim Family’s Human Alchemy inheritance and immense authority, but Skylar did not accept or reject the proposal. The Malfoys then spent the morning touring the castle, leaving the future of the alliance unresolved.

• Narcissa praised Skylar’s chances in the final task, irritating the other Champions’ families.
• Mr. Hohenheim praised Skylar and asked what he thought of Eleanor, revealing his interest in a marriage alliance.
• Mr. Hohenheim offered Human Alchemy and the status of Patriarch’s Son-in-Law if Skylar and Eleanor married.
• Skylar declined to make a decision, saying he would not treat his feelings as a political bargain and that he was unsure of their future.
• The Malfoys left the meeting room and toured Hogwarts, while Narcissa told Skylar stories from her school days.

Skylar returned to Hogwarts for the final task of the Triwizard Tournament, where his family and friends gathered to support him. He left for the Quidditch pitch confident in his overwhelming strength, while Daphne and Astoria promised to await him at the celebration.

• Draco reunited with Lucius and Narcissa at lunch, and Narcissa welcomed Daphne, Astoria, and Pansy to sit with them.
• Narcissa criticized Hogwarts food and its students, while Lucius mocked Dumbledore’s claim of equal treatment.
• Skylar sat alone by the lake and reflected that the final task would be no challenge for him, then resolved to finish the tournament quickly and await Voldemort’s return.
• At dinner, Dumbledore announced that the Champions would proceed to the Quidditch pitch for the final task.
• Astoria urged Skylar to win, and Daphne said they would wait for him at the celebration before Skylar left with the other Champions.

As the Champions left the Great Hall, Dumbledore sensed that Skylar’s magic resembled the Elder Wand’s and recalled the ominous Thestral-tail-feather wand’s history. He believed Skylar had mastered the wand without being corrupted by its power, but Skylar’s current aura still left him incredulous.

• Daphne watched Skylar leave and anxiously urged him to return safely.
• Dumbledore watched Harry and worried that the Mysterious Man might target him during the tournament.
• Dumbledore sensed Skylar’s magic surging with an oppressive presence like the Elder Wand’s.
• Dumbledore recalled how Skylar had been the only wizard compatible with the Thestral tail feather wand, which Ollivander’s family feared was cursed.
• Dumbledore considered Skylar’s ambition, restraint, cunning, and capacity for love, and trusted him to master the wand rather than become its slave.
• Dumbledore frowned at the aura around Skylar’s retreating figure, which left him utterly incredulous.

During the Triwizard Tournament’s final event, Skylar’s Thestral Wand transformed into the Nether Night Wand, revealing a form resembling the ancient death dragon Draco Mortem. The champions entered the maze, and Skylar vanished into its darkness as the contest began.

• Dumbledore recognized that the magic surrounding Skylar’s wand had taken the form of Draco Mortem, an ancient divine dragon descended from the Thestral’s ancestor.
• Dumbledore summoned Fawkes, and Skylar received the phoenix’s tail feather as his wand upgraded into the Nether Night Wand.
• Bagman led the champions to the maze, where McGonagall explained how to signal for help if they were in danger.
• Bagman announced the standings, with Skylar first, Eleanor von Hohenheim and Harry Potter tied for second, and Katarina Grindelwald-Monroe third.
• At Bagman’s whistle, Skylar entered the maze beneath his Night Star Cloak and disappeared from view.

Skylar used a spell to search the maze, then defeated a magically modified Blast-Ended Skrewt and recognized the Dark Arts behind its transformation. Harry found his path strangely empty as two Champions withdrew, leaving Skylar to suspect someone was interfering with the maze.

• Skylar sent a hundred magical field mice down the maze’s paths and followed one after it found something.
• Harry and Eleanor split up at a fork, and Harry continued through an empty route that made him uneasy.
• Two distress flares rose over the maze, and Skylar suspected Barty Crouch Jr. or someone else was interfering.
• A modified Blast-Ended Skrewt attacked Skylar, who severed its feeding tube and destroyed it by plugging its fire-spewing tail with his sword.
• Skylar identified the creature’s alteration as the Dark Arts spell Dark Blood Transformation and concluded that the competition was getting interesting.

Skylar defeated three animated armored warriors in the maze and discovered that their crossbow carried a rare goblin-made Magic-Breaking Arrow designed to penetrate magical defenses. After identifying the weapon, he suspected he knew who had sent it against him.

• Skylar encountered three armored warriors and conjured a silver shield when the crossbowman's arrow filled him with dread.
• When the ground turned to quicksand and the crossbowman fired, Skylar used tentacles and spatial magic to redirect the arrow and destroy the crossbowman.
• Skylar made the two remaining armored warriors slip into each other, then crushed their armor with a surge of earth.
• Skylar examined the black arrow, deciphered its inscription as “Magic-Breaking Arrow,” and realized it was an ancient goblin weapon made to defeat wizards.
• Skylar concluded that someone with access to a rare pure-blood family collection had likely sent the weapon after him.

Skylar encountered a Swordleaf Palm Tree that attacked anything approaching it and used Protego Diabolica to burn through its defenses. During the fight, his Rosier Family bloodline's Elemental Affinity awakened, helping him destroy the tree and clear the way forward.

• Skylar dispersed the magical fog with conjured eagles and discovered a Swordleaf Palm Tree whose sword-shaped leaves had wiped out the magical field mice.
• The Swordleaf Palm Tree slaughtered Skylar's eagles with its leaves, and Skylar realized he had to destroy it to continue.
• Skylar chose Protego Diabolica over the harder-to-control Fiendfyre and directed blue flames against the tree's attacks.
• Skylar's Rosier Family bloodline's Elemental Affinity awakened, allowing him to divide the flames into a nine-headed Fire Snake.
• One Fire Snake reached the trunk and set the Swordleaf Palm Tree ablaze, causing its leaves to fall into the earth and wither.

Skylar reached the Triwizard Tournament maze’s finish and discovered that Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, had been behind the obstacles and had taken Harry away. Skylar confronted him, and Barty revealed that his master’s return was near, leaving Skylar facing the disguised attacker with the trophy still within reach.

• Skylar used magical field mice to navigate the maze and reached the finish, where the Triwizard Tournament trophy stood but Harry was absent.
• Skylar sensed a trap, detected four strange shadows, and exposed Mad-Eye Moody’s Disillusionment Charm.
• Skylar identified Moody as Barty Crouch Jr. and accused him of arranging the maze’s obstacles.
• Barty admitted that he had arranged the Blood-Changed Beast, Magic-Breaking Arrows, and Excalibur Palm, and said Harry had already been taken away for his master’s return.
• Skylar reasoned that Barty might have used a Vanishing Cabinet to transport Harry and questioned why he remained in the maze.

Skylar confronted Barty Crouch Jr. in the maze, where Barty revealed that Meredith had prepared a contingency to target him. Skylar defeated Barty with a surprise aerial attack, leaving Barty injured and convinced that Snape had taught Skylar Unsupported Flight.

• Barty blamed Skylar for disrupting his plans and revealed that Meredith had prepared a contingency targeting him.
• Skylar asked if Barty believed he had him trapped, then identified Meredith as the Master behind the plan.
• Skylar vanished beneath the Night Star Cloak, but Barty summoned shadow demons to hunt him by sensing fresh blood.
• Barty's shadow demons and barrage of spells failed to locate Skylar, and Skylar struck when Barty paused to catch his breath.
• Skylar blasted Barty's wand apart and sent him crashing to the ground, then appeared above him in midair.
• Barty recognized Skylar's Unsupported Flight and suspected that Snape had betrayed Voldemort by teaching him.

Skylar overcame his hesitation about killing Barty Crouch Jr., but stopped his Killing Curse when Barty threw Hermione’s wand at him. Elsewhere, the Daily Prophet published an attack on Hagrid, and Harry and his friends tried to speak with him as he avoided them.

• Barty Crouch Jr. taunted Skylar about his reluctance to kill, and Skylar explained that he had sought power to protect his loved ones.
• Skylar questioned Barty about whether he regretted betraying his family for the Dark Lord, and Legilimency revealed painful memories of Barty’s strained relationship with his father.
• Barty insisted he would never regret his choices, and Skylar began casting the Killing Curse.
• Barty threw Hermione’s wand, making Skylar redirect his curse and blast a hole in the ground beside Barty.
• The Daily Prophet published claims that Hagrid was a dangerous half-Giant, while Harry and the other two tried to talk to Hagrid and found him avoiding them.

Skylar learned that Meredith had taken Hermione and used Barty Crouch Jr.’s Portkey trap to reach her location. After killing Barty and securing the Shadow Demons, he prepared his equipment and touched the Goblet of Fire, leaving for the confrontation.

• Barty Crouch Jr. told Skylar that Meredith had taken Hermione and that the Goblet of Fire was a Portkey to her location.
• Skylar killed Barty Crouch Jr. and captured the four Shadow Demons with Jormungandr.
• Skylar vanished Barty’s corpse, returned Jormungandr to the locket, and checked that his equipment was ready.
• Skylar thought of his friends, Meredith, and Hermione before touching the Goblet of Fire and disappearing.

Harry took a blank book’s Diricawl feather from the maze and was transported to a graveyard, where Wormtail used Harry’s blood in a ritual to restore Voldemort. Voldemort rose from the cauldron reborn, leaving Harry bound before him.

• Harry found a blank book in the maze and was transported to a graveyard when he touched its pale blue feather.
• Wormtail bound Harry to a headstone and prepared a cauldron while Voldemort spoke from a bundle.
• Harry recognized Wormtail and Voldemort, but Wormtail gagged him and placed Voldemort in the cauldron.
• Wormtail added Voldemort’s father’s bones, his own wrist, and Harry’s blood to the cauldron.
• Voldemort emerged from the cauldron in a restored body and ordered Wormtail to dress him.

Voldemort resurrected in the graveyard and summoned the remaining Death Eaters, intent on rebuilding his forces in a changed wizarding world. He learned that several former allies had vanished, been imprisoned, or drifted away, and Yaxley revealed that the House of Lestrange and House Rowle had been destroyed.

• Voldemort recovered his yew wand, lifted Peter Pettigrew onto the gravestone, and changed the Dark Mark on Pettigrew's arm from red to black.
• Voldemort's summons brought fewer than ten hooded Death Eaters to the graveyard, and he threatened those who had abandoned him.
• Avery told Voldemort that Lucius Malfoy had distanced himself and that the Goyle and Crabbe families had followed him.
• Yaxley reported that Dolfin had been sent to Azkaban and the House of Rowle had been wiped out.
• Yaxley added that Werewolves had annihilated the House of Lestrange, a family formerly on good terms with the House of Rowle.