Chapter Summaries

Wade demonstrated that his quill could translate the speech of several magical creatures, impressing Professor Murray. Murray then showed him an invitation to serve as a judge at the International Alchemy Innovation Competition in New York, leaving Wade to weigh the opportunity against his family promises and other responsibilities.

• Wade demonstrated his translating quill by having it interpret a mouse, a tit, and several pixies.
• Professor Murray praised Wade's invention and gave him an invitation to the International Alchemy Innovation Competition.
• Wade discovered that the International Alchemy Association had invited him to judge the competition because he had invented Golems.
• Wade hesitated because he had promised to spend the holiday with his parents and had many other concerns to manage.
• Professor Murray told Wade he could decide later and said the competition's other experts had no right to dictate his choice.

Michael, Ryan, and Wade discussed the invitation-only Alchemy Competition and how many companions Wade could bring as a judge. At the End-of-Year Feast, they learned Slytherin had won the House Cup, but Wade worried Dumbledore might still award points for Harry and Wade’s achievements and change the result.

• Michael explained that the Alchemy Competition admitted invited competitors and spectators, and Wade said judges could bring seven people.
• The students entered the Great Hall and saw it decorated in silver and green for Slytherin’s House Cup victory.
• Hermione gave the House point totals: Slytherin had 507, Hufflepuff 386, Gryffindor 355, and Ravenclaw 341.
• Michael and Padma suggested Slytherin students feared Dumbledore might award points for Wade and Harry’s past achievements, while the Slytherin table remained subdued.
• Wade regretted not discussing the House points with Dumbledore earlier as the Headmaster stood to begin the feast.

At the end-of-year feast, Dumbledore awarded points to Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter, and Wade Grey for their courage and achievements. Slytherin retained the House Cup, and Wade reminded Anthony that every House had something to celebrate.

• Dumbledore praised Cedric Diggory’s sportsmanship and awarded Hufflepuff fifty points.
• Michael teased Wade Grey about Dumbledore’s remarks and called him the Gray Demon King.
• Dumbledore praised Harry Potter’s courage and awarded Gryffindor eighty points.
• Dumbledore praised Wade Grey’s wisdom, perseverance, and skill, awarding Ravenclaw eighty points.
• Dumbledore announced that Slytherin had won the House Cup with 507 points.
• Anthony wondered why Ravenclaw had finished last, and Wade said everyone, including Slytherin, had reason to celebrate.

At the end-of-year feast, Dumbledore warned the students that the threat of darkness had not passed, and Slytherin celebrated winning the House Cup. On the train home, Wade revealed to his friends that Voldemort had escaped and urged them to warn their families, leaving them facing the journey with new fears.

• Dumbledore congratulated Slytherin on winning the House Cup, then warned the students to stay united and vigilant against the darkness.
• Wade sent Eva home with a letter, and the students packed up and left Hogwarts by train.
• Theo, Ryan, and Michael discussed Dumbledore's warning, speculating that Grindelwald and his followers might threaten Britain.
• Wade cast a Silencing Charm and told his friends that Voldemort had escaped and survived.
• Wade urged his friends to warn their families to be careful, and they fell silent as gray clouds gathered beyond the train window.

Wade and Ferdinand discussed the final Minister for Magic election candidates and the campaign scandals that reshaped the race. Umbridge was disqualified after Wade helped expose her, but Amelia Bones also lost, and Pius Thicknesse was elected Minister.

• Wade and Ferdinand read the candidates’ campaign declarations and criticized Thicknesse’s vague promises of unity and stability.
• Wade identified the wave of damaging stories about the candidates as Umbridge’s work, while noting that her own scandals had been suppressed.
• Wade contacted Rita Skeeter, paid her to publish verified reports about Umbridge internationally, and helped bring about her disqualification and prosecution.
• Wade’s favored candidate, Amelia Bones, failed to win the election, and Pius Thicknesse became Minister for Magic.

Wade read an article about Pius Thicknesse’s inauguration and the failed campaigns of Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour. After discussing why Bones’s idealism cost her political support, Wade told Ferdinand that he might be an idealist too.

• Wade read that Pius Thicknesse had become Minister for Magic, while Sirius had skipped the inauguration to take Harry flying and roast potatoes.
• Wade read the newspaper’s account of Umbridge’s crimes and its analysis of why Bones and Scrimgeour had lost the election.
• Ferdinand argued that Bones’s commitment to absolute fairness would alienate officials, donors, and even potential supporters.
• Wade explained that Bones lacked compromise and political finesse, and Ferdinand asked why he had supported her despite her poor chances.
• Wade smiled and said he might be an idealist too.

Harry, Sirius, and Remus discussed Scrimgeour’s inaugural address and what it might mean for the Ministry, Hogwarts, and the Aurors. Remus saw Scrimgeour’s promises as a hopeful sign, while Sirius warned that his actions mattered more than his speech.

• Harry considered comforting Wade, who might be disappointed that Madam Bones had lost the election.
• Sirius mocked Scrimgeour’s praise of former Minister Fudge, and Remus explained how the address reassured Ministry officials and signaled a commitment to stability.
• Harry asked whether Scrimgeour’s promise to respect educational freedom meant he would leave Hogwarts alone, and Remus said that avoiding interference would help preserve stability.
• Remus argued that Scrimgeour’s emphasis on fair law enforcement and professional Aurors was a hopeful sign, but Sirius warned that speeches could hide a politician’s true intentions.
• Sirius reminded Harry and Remus that Fudge had once seemed humble and supportive of Dumbledore before turning against him, and urged them to judge Scrimgeour by what he did next.

Pius Thicknesse took office and swiftly began reforming the Ministry of Magic, then oversaw the trial of Dolores Jane Umbridge. The Wizengamot found Umbridge guilty on every charge and sentenced her to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

• Thicknesse kept Scrimgeour as head of the Auror Office, made limited personnel changes, and met with Dumbledore and other officials while filling his schedule with Ministry work.
• Marchioni told Wade that Thicknesse’s relentless work had impressed the reporter covering him.
• Wade and Marchioni attended Umbridge’s trial in the Wizengamot courtroom, where Madam Bones read out the charges against her.
• Umbridge tried to excuse her crimes by claiming she had been controlled by the Imperius Curse, but the evidence and witnesses left her no defense.
• The Wizengamot unanimously found Umbridge guilty on all charges, and Madam Bones sentenced her to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

After witnessing Umbridge’s removal from the courtroom, Wade accompanied Marchioni to the not-yet-opened Land of Little People to inspect it. Marchioni revealed that an ancient elven magical painting shrank visitors and everything they carried, and he led Wade toward an area he had designed.

• A Dementor carried Umbridge out of the courtroom, and Wade and Marchioni left the Ministry of Magic.
• Marchioni treated Wade to lunch, then took him to a hidden entrance in an alley near the Ministry.
• Marchioni used a spell to open a painted window, and he and Wade passed through it and shrank into a vast landscape of grass and leaves.
• Wade tested his Wand with Incendio and asked how the shrinking worked.
• Marchioni explained that a restored painting artifact made by elves created an Elf's Ring Fortress, and led Wade toward an area he had designed.

Wade and Marchioni tested a magical miniature amusement park, where oversized insects and spiders revealed serious safety risks. They agreed to restrict dangerous creatures, and Wade proposed disposable Shield Charm badges to protect visitors as they searched for Ejection Mushrooms.

• Marchioni explained that the stone-circle painting was a safe alchemical creation whose shrinking spell could provide a miniature journey, and Wade recalled rumors that ancient beings might be awakening.
• A giant stag beetle charged at Wade and Marchioni, and Wade froze it with Petrificus Totalus after their weakened Charms made escape difficult.
• Wade warned that the beetle could fatally injure visitors, so Marchioni agreed to restrict dangerous creatures to designated areas.
• Spider Silk snared Marchioni and lifted him into the air, but he cut the strand with Diffindo and Wade lowered him safely.
• Marchioni showed Wade the Ejection Mushrooms that launched visitors out of the park and restored them to normal, and Wade suggested adding disposable Shield Charm badges for extra protection.

Wade and Marchioni explored Marchioni’s Land of Little People, where ordinary garden features and household objects became a vast landscape for shrunken visitors. After they returned to normal, Marchioni mourned that the Statute of Secrecy kept his inventions and business from reaching the Muggle world.

• Wade and Marchioni explored forests, lakes, tunnels, and other enlarged features of the garden, along with miniature castles and oversized household objects.
• As dusk fell, Wade and Marchioni used an Ejection Mushroom to return to normal size on a padded rooftop platform.
• Wade looked back at the garden and reflected on the extraordinary world they had explored.
• Marchioni recorded observations and ideas for improving the Land of Little People in his Notebook.
• Wade told Marchioni that the project would be a tremendous success, and Marchioni agreed.
• Marchioni saw London’s vast cityscape and lamented that the Statute of Secrecy prevented him from selling his inventions to Muggles.

Wade warned Marchioni that Muggle technology would eventually make the Statute of Secrecy impossible to maintain, inspiring Marchioni to imagine a future magical kingdom built for Muggle visitors. After Marchioni rushed off to work, Wade addressed a hidden person who emerged from the shadows.

• Marchioni wondered whether the Acolytes’ goal of ending the Statute of Secrecy could be worthwhile, but Wade warned that it could bring war and destroy the Land of Little People.
• Wade explained that surveillance cameras, livestreaming devices, and satellites could expose wizards within about twenty years, and urged Marchioni to prepare for drastic change.
• Marchioni became excited by the prospect of Muggle customers and imagined ways to make them spend money, but first insisted on taking Wade home.
• Wade told Marchioni he could go to work, and Marchioni hurried toward Aslan's Magic Workshop, declaring that he would build a magical kingdom everyone would admire.
• After Marchioni left, Wade told a hidden person to come out, and the person repeated, “Twenty years?”

Wade met Drayne, who delivered Grindelwald’s urgent request for him to attend the Alchemy Competition and wondered whether Wade had foreseen the Wizarding World’s future. After leaving, Wade spotted Lucius Malfoy in a filthy alley and followed him.

• Drayne asked Wade whether the future he had described was a prophecy, and Wade vaguely agreed that he could see something like it.
• Drayne told Wade that Grindelwald wanted him to attend the Alchemy Competition because he would discover something important, but Wade had not decided whether to go.
• Drayne reflected that Muggle society might force the Wizarding World out of hiding and took renewed confidence from Wade’s inventions and Golems.
• Wade transformed into a peregrine falcon and flew across London toward home.
• Wade spotted Lucius Malfoy walking through a rubbish-filled alley and silently followed him.

Lucius Malfoy visited Snape in his cramped home and brought a parcel intended for the Dark Lord. The chapter ended with Lucius and Snape each gripping the parcel, neither yielding.

• Lucius hurried through a filthy alley and knocked on Snape's door.
• Snape let Lucius inside, where two unconscious intruders lay; he explained they had mistaken his home for Wade Grey's and tried to steal research notes.
• Snape said Dumbledore had arranged the misunderstanding as a trap, and Lucius bitterly agreed that Dumbledore made use of everything.
• Lucius revealed a dragon-hide parcel containing what the Dark Lord needed and asked to deliver it himself.
• Snape refused, warning that the Dark Lord's restraint toward Lucius's family was already mercy, and the two men clutched opposite sides of the parcel.

Lucius pleaded with Snape to help him regain the Dark Lord’s trust, writing a letter affirming his loyalty and explaining his escape from arrest. Snape hinted that the Dark Lord was planning something involving imprisoned Death Eaters, and told Lucius that proving his worth could earn him renewed trust.

• Snape told Lucius he could deliver the package to the Dark Lord but could not arrange a direct meeting or promise a response.
• Lucius offered Snape anything he wanted in exchange for passing on a message, then wrote a letter declaring his loyalty and blaming Barty Crouch Jr. for his escape from arrest.
• Snape accepted the letter and revealed that the Dark Lord was planning something involving comrades buried alive in Azkaban who had not betrayed him.
• Snape said Lucius could regain the Dark Lord’s trust if he proved his worth and made an unquestionable contribution to the plan.

Lucius Malfoy left Snape after agreeing to wait for the Dark Lord’s instructions, while Snape refused to let him interfere with the Dark Lord’s plans. Wade Grey, secretly listening in as a concealed peregrine falcon, escaped without revealing what he had heard.

• Snape told Lucius to stay vigilant and wait for instructions, then said he would send the two thieves to Dumbledore.
• Lucius suggested using the thieves’ plan to capture Wade Grey for the Dark Lord, but Snape angrily warned him not to act without orders.
• Snape promised to deliver Lucius’s letter to the Dark Lord and insisted that only the Dark Lord could decide Lucius’s fate.
• Lucius warned Snape that Dumbledore was dangerous before leaving the dilapidated brick house.
• Snape noticed the peregrine falcon outside, but Wade stayed hidden under a Disillusionment Charm and flew away after Snape went inside.

Wade worked on developing a hormone and inhibitor for Werewolves while enjoying a peaceful visit from Fiona and reading letters from friends. The calm ended when he discovered a letter from Dumbledore.

• Wade prepared for possible Werewolf testing while he and Wiser worked in the alchemy room.
• The travel Cloak tried to keep an invitation’s wax seal, then fought with Wiser after he accused it of betrayal.
• Fiona visited Wade, brought fruit, and chatted with him and the Golems before leaving.
• Mihail burned the apple the Cloak offered him, setting the Cloak’s hood smoking.
• Wade read letters from Harry and Theo, skipped Gringotts's financial report, and found a letter from Dumbledore inside Michael’s letter.

Wade received Dumbledore’s request to travel to the United States for the Alchemy competition and meet Seraphina Piquelly to retrieve vital information. He accepted the mission and enlisted Dobby to help him transport his Golems and belongings discreetly.

• Wade found a concealed Portkey in Dumbledore’s letter, which instructed him to meet Seraphina Piquelly in the United States and warned him to return if danger arose.
• Wade confirmed the pendant was a trigger-activated Portkey and agreed to go, while the Golems eagerly asked to accompany him.
• Wade decided not to rely on the Pencil Case because American Ministry officials might inspect it and discover or confiscate his Wardrobe Space.
• Wade asked Dobby to help him transport the Pencil Case discreetly, and Dobby eagerly promised to do the task perfectly.

Wade prepared to send the Pencil Case to the United States, while Moody proposed hiding it in a prosthetic leg and having Silvanus Kettleburn transport it. The chapter ended with Moody’s plan laid out and Dobby still holding the Pencil Case.

• Dobby worried that taking the Pencil Case would leave Wade without protection, but Wade assured him he had other arrangements.
• Moody arrived and questioned whether Dobby was trustworthy enough to guard the Pencil Case, but Wade defended him.
• Moody revealed his plan to conceal the Pencil Case inside his hollow prosthetic leg.
• Moody explained that Silvanus Kettleburn would carry the Pencil Case to Wade after leaving several days early.

Wade chose to entrust the operation to Dobby rather than switch to Professor Kettleburn, explaining that he trusted the House-elf’s loyalty and was wary of human impersonation. Dobby set off to begin his task, while Moody departed to prepare the trip with Remus.

• Wade told Moody he would keep his agreement with Dobby and trust him with the operation.
• Moody accepted Wade’s decision, warned Dobby not to fail him, and said he would arrange the itinerary and paperwork with Remus.
• Moody left after seeing Dobby celebrate with Mr. and Mrs. Gray, reflecting on how trust could end in betrayal.
• Wade explained to Dobby why a House-elf was harder to impersonate or control than a wizard and reassured him that he deserved the trust.
• Dobby, encouraged by Wade, hugged his pencil case and vanished to begin his task.