Chapter Summaries

Skylar brought Luna and the other girls to Bowtruckle Island, where they fed and befriended the timid creatures. He gave Luna the recovered spell for her mother’s Pandora’s Box and reassured her that they were all her friends, leaving Luna crying as she finally let go of her loneliness and fear.

• Skylar explained that rowan wood was guarded by Bowtruckles and showed the group the pill bugs he had brought to feed them.
• Luna coaxed a Bowtruckle out of its hollow, and the girls each began feeding and petting the creatures.
• Skylar told Luna that the girls were her friends and would listen to her or help her whenever she needed them.
• Skylar gave Luna notes containing the restored incantation and instructions for her mother’s Pandora’s Box.
• Luna embraced Skylar and cried as she released the feelings she had kept bottled up for years.

Skylar delegated several research projects while focusing on magic that would strengthen his combat abilities. In February, Dobby reported that Harry had solved the Golden Egg’s riddle and that Skylar’s enemies in Hogsmeade had been identified, leaving Skylar ready to confront them.

• Skylar arranged for Nott Sr. and six European alchemists to study the Book of Truth, while Daphne, Morrie, and Cho Chang took on research into the Fidelius Charm.
• Skylar assigned Pygmy Puff breeding to Luna, Susan, and Astoria, and kept his combat-related research for himself.
• Dobby reported that Harry had worked out that the Golden Egg’s song had to be heard underwater, and that Ron and Hermione were helping him find a way to breathe underwater.
• Dobby told Skylar that Bathory had identified the five strangers in Hogsmeade, including four Dark wizards and the likely involvement of Madam Zabini.
• Skylar assessed the groups behind the threats against him, including Walpurgis and its allies and the five members of the Shadow of the Magic Dragon, who were under surveillance.

Skylar performed a ritual in the Suitcase Space to give his Dragon Patronus an independent body and mind. He named the newly reborn Dragon his companion, and it agreed to fight and fly alongside him.

• Skylar used an Ancient Divine Dragon specimen, a piece of his own flesh, and active dragon blood to prepare a magic circle in the Suitcase Space.
• Skylar cast Expecto Patronum as the sun and moon overlapped, and lightning struck the silver-white Dragon Patronus.
• The Patronus transformed into a living Dragon with seven-colored scales, golden horns, and two differently colored eyes.
• Skylar healed his wounded arm with a Potion and told the Dragon it was his companion, not his subordinate.
• The Dragon answered in Ancient Dragon Language that it would do as Skylar wished, and Skylar began to give it a name.

As the Triwizard Tournament’s second task began, Skylar watched Harry enter the Black Lake with Gillyweed and then revealed a new form of Transfiguration that let him breathe through his skin. The judges and crowd were stunned as Dumbledore announced that even he could not identify Skylar’s magic.

• On the eve of the task, Daphne went with Hector Fawley to Snape’s office while wearing protective bracelets Skylar had made to guard against mental magic and possession.
• The next morning, Harry arrived just before the task began, and Bagman started the one-hour challenge to retrieve what had been taken from the Champions.
• Harry used Gillyweed to grow gills, while Eleanor cast a Bubble-Head Charm and Katarin used a Whale-Lung Charm before all three entered the lake.
• Skylar calmly walked toward the lake without drawing his wand, and his body began changing as he approached the water.
• Dumbledore told the crowd that Skylar had demonstrated an unprecedented form of Human Transfiguration that appeared to let him breathe through his skin.

Skylar transformed into a Flood Dragon Man and fought through creatures that seemed sent to delay him before reaching the Merpeople village with Harry. After Harry rescued Ron, the Merpeople leader invited Skylar to retrieve his hostage, but Skylar confronted the group and addressed Katarina Monroe.

• Skylar used his Amphibious Transformation and Tentacle Technique to defeat attacking Grindylows and other Black Lake creatures, suspecting someone was delaying him.
• Skylar followed the Merpeople's song and encountered Harry, then swam with him to the Merpeople village.
• Skylar and Harry found Daphne, a Beauxbatons girl, Ron, and Poliakov tied to a statue while eight armed Merpeople watched over them.
• Harry cut Ron free and took him toward the surface after Skylar let him go first.
• The Merpeople leader invited Skylar to rescue his hostage, and Skylar called out Miss Katarina Monroe, saying the group's acting was terrible.

Skylar recognized that Katarin and seven other attackers had used alchemical artifacts to transform themselves into merpeople and realized they had come for him. After questioning their motives and learning that Gemma had been killed, he named Walpurgis and Black Sin Square as the reason behind their attack, prompting Katarin to order the group to strike.

• Katarin and the seven disguised merpeople revealed their identities, and Skylar deduced that they had used alchemy to transform themselves.
• Skylar inferred that the attackers had sacrificed merpeople to power their transformation artifacts and had targeted him from the start.
• Skylar confronted the group about the Ghosts Society, and Hector said Gemma had been killed for betraying it.
• Skylar asked why Katarin and Eleanor’s families and Walpurgis wanted him, then accused Walpurgis of pursuing him because of Black Sin Square.
• Katarin ordered the attackers to strike after Skylar revealed what he knew.

Skylar used his Amphimagus transformation and Conjuring Spell to terrify the eight students waiting beneath the lake. He left them fighting his copies while he turned invisible and stunned Gallup, and the battle continued with Hector rallying the others against him.

• Skylar unleashed a cloud of ink and summoned hundreds of copies of himself around the eight wizards.
• Katarin identified the copies as soulless Conjuring Spell creations, and the group attacked them with wide-range magic.
• Skylar stayed invisible and ambushed Gallup with a Knockback Jinx and a Stunning Spell, knocking him unconscious.
• Irina cried out that Skylar was nearby, and Hector ordered the others to maintain Shield Charms and stay together.
• Skylar praised Hector's composure but recalled that Hector had become his mortal enemy.

Draco and Eleanor turned against Hector and Katarin, and Draco joined Skylar in fighting them. Draco redirected Hector’s Dark Arts spells, but the chapter ended as a Daily Prophet report revealed Hagrid’s giant heritage.

• Draco stunned Irina, while Eleanor bound Miles with an alchemical bracelet.
• Draco accused Ghosts Society of trying to use him against Skylar and declared that House of Malfoy stood united against outsiders.
• Draco knocked the immobilized Miles unconscious with a water spell, and Eleanor explained why she had switched sides.
• Hector attacked Draco with three Dark Arts spells, but Draco absorbed them and sent them back toward Hector.
• Hector raised the Fawley family’s Heavenly Armor Protection Charm as a Daily Prophet report about Hagrid’s giant mother appeared.

Skylar and Eleanor rescued the hostages from the lake after Skylar forced Katarin to surrender. The judges awarded the Champions their scores, leaving Skylar first overall and Harry and Eleanor tied for second before the final task was announced.

• Skylar offered Katarin a chance to leave if she surrendered the task, and she swam away while Eleanor sealed Lucida in a crystal coffin.
• Skylar turned Hector, Lucida, Irina, Miles, and Gallup into statues, then he and Eleanor rescued the hostages and returned to shore.
• Dumbledore consulted Murcus, and Bagman announced that Katarin received twenty-five points, Harry forty-seven, Eleanor forty, and Skylar forty-two.
• Skylar remained first overall with ninety-two points, while Harry and Eleanor tied at eighty-five and Katarin finished with seventy.
• Bagman announced that the final task would take place on the evening of June twenty-fourth.

After the second task, Schelling's rumored relationships fueled a surge in his popularity, while Ron and Daphne retold their experiences to curious students. The excitement soon gave way to alarm when four prominent Slytherin students disappeared, prompting pressure on Dumbledore and a Ministry investigation.

• Ron repeatedly recounted how Dumbledore had put the hostages to sleep, embellishing the story over time, while Daphne gracefully acknowledged her relationship with Schelling.
• Rumors spread that Schelling had several girlfriends, attracting more female students to his fan club and leaving some male students unable to pursue the girls they liked.
• Cedric Diggory abandoned his interest in Cho Chang and began dating Angelina Johnson, while Roger Davies failed to win back his former girlfriend.
• Schelling received numerous confessions and invitations even after Valentine's Day, before the attention gradually subsided.
• Four Slytherin students—the seventh-year prefects, a sixth-year female prefect, and Quidditch goalkeeper Miles Bletchley—disappeared, alarming their families and drawing pressure on Dumbledore.
• The Ministry sent Gawain Robards and John Dawlish to Hogwarts to investigate, while Dumbledore learned the missing students had been seen on the day of the second task and vanished the following day.

Skylar impressed Snape with an ingenious Wit-Sharpening Potion, then admitted he had dealt with the missing members of the Ghosts Society after they attacked him. Snape agreed to keep quiet while Skylar handled the Ministry of Magic’s investigation.

• Skylar brewed a perfect Wit-Sharpening Potion by adding Moonstone, earning five points for Slytherin and Snape’s request to stay after class.
• Snape asked Skylar whether he was responsible for the missing students, and Skylar confirmed that he was.
• Skylar explained that the missing students belonged to the Ghosts Society and had attacked him beneath the Black Lake before he defeated them.
• Skylar told Snape to pretend he knew nothing and said he would handle the Ministry of Magic’s investigation himself.
• Snape agreed to remain silent.

Skylar recruited Snape as an ally by revealing his grim possible future and promising to protect him and Harry. Snape recommended Skylar for the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship, where Skylar planned to pursue another international title.

• Skylar told Snape that a vision showed Snape dying as a suspected traitor and Harry facing Voldemort, then offered to help change that future.
• Snape agreed to support students on Skylar's list and joined Skylar's faction, which planned to stay out of the coming conflict until the other sides weakened each other.
• Snape told Skylar about the upcoming Wizarding Schools Potions Championship and tested his knowledge by asking how he would improve Cheering Potion.
• Skylar proposed using Passiflora at a carefully chosen brewing stage to counteract Cheering Potion's side effects without weakening its main effect.
• Snape gave Skylar a recommendation letter for the championship and offered to help him study potions before the competition.
• Skylar asked Snape about his magical research and spells, including Unsupported Flight, before leaving with the recommendation letter.

Skylar visited Draco for a private talk, but Draco revealed his resentment over living in Skylar’s shadow and his determination to sever emotional bonds to become stronger. Skylar recognized that Draco’s words and behavior pointed to the influence of their ancestor, Lord Armand II.

• Skylar postponed his plans to deal with the Shadow of the Magic Dragon in Hogsmeade and went to Draco’s room at night.
• Skylar found Pansy leaving Draco’s room, then entered and noticed a Dark Arts aura coming from a mirror.
• Draco spoke about their weakened brotherly bond and admitted he had resented being overshadowed by Skylar since childhood.
• Draco declared that he would sever family ties and other attachments to surpass Skylar and prove himself stronger.
• Skylar realized Draco’s confession came from their ancestor, Lord Armand II.

Skylar confronted the presence controlling Draco and explained how he had pieced together the possession. He concluded that the intruder was Armand II, a Horcrux, as the two prepared to face each other.

• Draco briefly regained control, apologized to Skylar, then convulsed as Armand took over his body.
• Armand revealed his immense magical power, while Skylar activated his enchanted clothing and several magical artifacts to defend himself.
• Skylar recounted how Draco’s new strength, knowledge, and ambitions had led him to suspect that someone else was inside his brother.
• Skylar explained that Draco’s reaction to being named a Triwizard Champion convinced him he truly believed he was stronger than Skylar.
• Skylar identified Armand as a Horcrux rather than a remnant soul from an ancient era.

Skylar confronted Armand and discovered that the Family Head's Ring contained Armand's Horcrux and had been passed to Draco as the next head of the House of Malfoy. As Armand drew on Draco's life force through the ring, Skylar realized Lucius might not know what the ring truly was and glimpsed a possible key to stopping Armand.

• Skylar explained that he had risked confronting Armand to uncover the hidden motive behind the conflict between him and Draco.
• Armand produced the Family Head's Ring, and Skylar recognized it as the ring Lucius had worn as head of the House of Malfoy.
• Skylar concluded that Lucius had chosen Draco as his successor and that the ring was the source of the black mist he had seen around Lucius.
• Armand activated the ring, thickening the black mist as it drew on Draco's life force to approach resurrection.
• Skylar reasoned that Lucius might have mistaken the Horcrux for an ordinary family heirloom and realized this could be crucial to defeating Armand.

Skylar confronted Armand about House of Malfoy’s decline and accused him of slaughtering his own family to strengthen his soul and bloodline power. Armand admitted to pursuing immortality and power through Horcruxes and murder, leaving his confession at the point where he described killing the last of his relatives.

• Skylar used House of Malfoy’s history and lost bloodline inheritance to accuse Armand of destroying the family.
• Armand confirmed Skylar’s suspicions and recalled awakening the Magic Eye, mastering the family’s secret spells, and growing bored after defeating his rivals.
• Armand said he sought ultimate power, immortality, and an undying soul, and made a Horcrux despite his family’s objections.
• Armand confessed that he experimented on Muggles and servants, then killed his sister Agatha after she discovered his secret chamber.
• Armand said Agatha’s death revealed the power of soul magic and drove him to kill his father, mother, uncles, and the remaining family members.

Armand recounted how he slaughtered most of House of Malfoy before a dying relative’s ancient spell destroyed his body, and explained that he later survived through a Horcrux. Skylar realized Armand’s long-planned scheme targeted him, and the chapter ended with Skylar lamenting the dangers gathering around him.

• Armand said he had killed nearly all of House of Malfoy, while the Wizards' Council and other families had been too afraid to intervene.
• Armand revealed that Nicholas escaped as an infant and that Agatha's younger cousin died casting an ancient spell that destroyed Armand's body and exacted a price from House of Malfoy.
• Armand asked Skylar who he was and why he could open the Magic Eye.
• Skylar concluded that Armand had used Draco as a means to reach his true target: Skylar.
• Skylar reflected on how Ghosts Society, Walpurgis, Shadow of the Magic Dragon, and now Armand had brought danger to him and those around him.

Skylar deduced that Armand had planned to use Bloodline Fusion to resurrect himself through a Malfoy descendant, but Armand revealed that he had set his sights on Skylar’s exceptional body and powers instead. Armand prepared to take possession of Skylar, confident that doing so would let him challenge Dumbledore.

• Skylar explained that Bloodline Fusion could merge a possessing soul with a blood relative’s body, and said Armand had spared a Malfoy ancestor to preserve descendants.
• Armand confirmed Skylar’s deductions and recounted how he had possessed Draco through the Family Head’s Ring while concealing his resurrection from powerful wizards and Skylar.
• Armand described Skylar’s extraordinary bloodline, spiritual power, life force, magic, Magic Eye, and other abilities, which had made him a far more desirable host than Draco.
• Armand revealed that he had long wanted Skylar’s body and blessings, then declared that possessing him would leave him unafraid of Dumbledore.

Skylar used his Amphimagus transformation and rune-casting through tentacles to break Armand’s control and trap him inside a sphere of blood. He ended the chapter casting a soul-binding spell at the sphere.

• Armand’s black aura blocked Skylar’s Fourfold Elemental Strike, then bound Skylar’s hands and feet with tendrils.
• Skylar transformed his back into tentacles and inscribed runes with them, launching ice dragons and Fire Salamanders at Armand.
• Armand cast Shield of Light and Shadow, then turned into black mist and charged Skylar.
• Skylar transformed a blood arrow into a shield that became a wave and enclosed Armand’s black mist in a crimson sphere.
• Skylar raised his wand and cast Soul-Sealing Spirit-Binding at the blood sphere.

Skylar fought Armand after Armand escaped the blood orb, then sacrificed his lifespan to restore his magical power and counterattacked. He revealed a lotus-shaped mark and unleashed several attacks, leaving the battle against Armand and six masked men unresolved.

• A streak of black light fired from the mirror stand and shattered the blood orb, freeing Armand in Draco's form.
• Skylar realized Armand still had far greater magical reserves and used life-sacrificing magic to restore his power at the cost of his vitality.
• Armand cast Soul-Rending Slash, but Skylar struck him with the Lightning Curse and used Aquila to deflect the scythe, though it grazed his shoulder.
• Skylar revealed a lotus-shaped mark on his forehead and sent Aquila's six duplicates, vines, and a lightning-wreathed Teiwaz spear against the six masked men.
• Two masked men were tripped by Skylar's vines, which took their wands and bound them.