Chapter Summaries

After Ilari died, Paul forced Sir William to accept him as a partner by threatening what might happen to the Golems if he died. The Golems then revealed they had been deceiving everyone, killing Paul and Sir William and leaving Chris trapped with their sudden revolt.

• Ilari was shot dead by the bodyguards after his confidant opened fire, and Paul warned Sir William that the Golems might become uncontrollable if Paul died.
• Sir William agreed to make Paul a partner in the plan, and they arranged to hire wizards to handle the remaining memory work.
• When Paul ordered the Golems back to their seats, they moved irregularly and appeared to watch one another.
• A Werewolf Golem swiftly beheaded Paul and sent his head into Sir William's arms just before Chris raised the barrier.
• Sir William died of fright as Chris froze, and the Golems began moving freely and revealed their malicious expressions.

The Golems attacked the Stonefield Manor gathering, slaughtering the bodyguards and Stonefield family while Chris watched helplessly from behind reinforced glass. The Vampire Golem explained that they planned to offer the Stonefield family to Yodel Brolin as a gift, and the Werewolf Golem continued its killing upstairs.

• The Golems launched a coordinated attack, and the bodyguards’ gunfire failed to stop them because their hidden cores remained intact.
• Chris cowered behind the reinforced glass as a Vampire Golem killed a bodyguard in front of him and the Werewolf Golem threatened his family.
• The Werewolf Golem entered the private boxes and killed the unconscious Stonefield family members inside.
• The Vampire Golem told Chris that the Golems did not hate humans but were disgusted by them, and revealed that their creator had hoped they would become people.
• The Vampire Golem named Yodel Brolin as the intended recipient of the Golems’ gift, while the Werewolf Golem moved toward another private box.

Wade revealed himself to the Golems at the Stonefield Manor, where their massacre had been driven by fear and anger over their existence as tools. After Wade unleashed a wave of light that calmed them, the Golems gathered beneath him as if on a pilgrimage.

• The Werewolf Golem slaughtered the Stonefields while Chris hesitated to use Sir William's wheelchair controls and screamed as a cousin fell dead before him.
• Wade, disguised as John Stonefield, blocked a Werewolf Golem's attack with a Shield Charm and challenged the Golems for massacring the family.
• The Golems accused Wade of trying to control them, but they could not bring themselves to attack him.
• The Vampire Golem recognized Wade, struck the Werewolf Golem aside, and knelt before him, calling him Master.
• Wade's Polyjuice Potion wore off, revealing his true appearance, and he released light that soothed the Golems' anger and fear.
• The Golems throughout the venue gathered beneath Wade and looked up at him.

News broadcasts reported a massacre at Stonefield Manor, where more than two hundred people died during a private dinner. Chris Stonefield was the sole survivor from the venue and was taken into protective custody as a key witness.

• Morning news anchors reported that a violent incident at Stonefield Manor had killed more than two hundred people, including prominent political and business figures.
• NBC reporter Katherine described the manor as a scene of devastation and showed survivors being escorted to ambulances.
• Police led Chris Stonefield away in a straitjacket after he laughed and raved about his grandfather, Paul, and a deadly gift.
• Katherine reported that Chris was an important witness and that the massacre appeared connected to a conspiracy planned by the late William Stonefield.
• A grieving woman showed reporters her blood-soaked invitation and mourned her husband, who had attended the dinner.

The media exposed the Stonefield family’s identity-replacement plot, while Wade and Drayne watched the story spread and discussed the doubles who had vanished. The Stonefields’ deaths sparked public panic and a battle over their fortune, but Wade chose not to invent an explanation for the missing replacements.

• News stations aired surveillance footage of the Stonefield Manor gathering and an interview with Mary Chabu, who described being trained to impersonate a prominent woman.
• Wade told Drayne that the Golems had killed guests and guards in the laboratory and looted the Stonefield vault, while Drayne assured him he did not believe Wade had ordered the deaths.
• The New York police commissioner and mayor condemned the Stonefield family, while relatives, alleged invitees, and experts responded publicly to the scandal.
• The disappearance of the other doubles fueled conspiracy theories and public fear as creditors and others focused on the Stonefields’ vast fortune.
• Drayne offered to arrange for charred bodies to be found in a warehouse, but Wade declined, saying people would invent their own explanations.

Wade and Elsie discussed the Vanderbilt family’s cooperation over the Stonefield family’s hidden assets, then Rita Skeeter arrived and accepted Wade’s offer of a dangerous, career-making story. Elsie reflected on the Vanderbilts’ alliance with Wade as the new President’s inauguration approached.

• Elsie offered the Vanderbilt family’s help with the Stonefield family’s shadow assets, and Wade agreed to share some assets with them while arranging negotiations with their managers.
• Elsie guessed that the Acolytes had a claim to the assets, and Wade left her to draw her own conclusion.
• Rita Skeeter interrupted Wade and Elsie, recognized Wade, and proposed an interview for the Daily Prophet.
• Wade offered Rita a bigger story in place of the interview, and she accepted after he whispered the details.
• Elsie told Wade that backing him might be the Vanderbilt family’s wisest decision in a century, then contrasted the family’s mercantile outlook with the Acolytes’ idealism.

The Magical Congress held Lila Piquery’s inauguration ceremony after she won more than seventy percent support, while Amelia Bones questioned whether her rise was connected to Hawthorne’s fate. Tonks secretly alerted Moody and sent Kingsley a cryptic note as the ceremony began.

• Guests from across the Wizarding World gathered at the Magical Congress, where Scrimgeour, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Amelia Bones, and Moody attended.
• Bones told Scrimgeour she suspected something strange about Piquery’s overwhelming victory, but Scrimgeour said the matter was none of their concern.
• Tonks quietly spoke to Moody, who reacted with fierce enthusiasm and said he would handle what was coming.
• Tommy Croucher opened Piquery’s inauguration, and Francis Pegula praised her leadership as the American Wizarding World’s new leader.
• Tonks covertly sent Kingsley a paper airplane asking whether he would stop any spell aimed at Scrimgeour, leaving Kingsley puzzled while Scrimgeour mistook their exchange for flirtation.

Lila Piquelly’s inaugural address was disrupted by accusations that she ordered Salina Goldstein’s murder and sold wizards to Muggles for experiments. As magical mirrors broadcast Rita Skeeter’s exposé, Lila’s new administration faced a public scandal.

• Lila Piquelly promised to crack down on dark acts and reform magical education, infrastructure, and healthcare as she delivered her inaugural address.
• Anderson challenged Lila over Salina Goldstein’s murder, and Lila claimed Rex Grim was the culprit before Aurors dragged Anderson away.
• A man accused Lila of selling innocent wizards to Muggles, and Anderson shouted that she had ordered Salina’s death to prevent her crimes from being exposed.
• Lila threatened to arrest Anderson and the accusers, but dozens of decorative crystals unfolded into Streaming Mirrors across the atrium.
• Fontana and the Aurors tried to destroy the mirrors, while Kingsley and Alastor Moody intervened to protect them and Minister Scrimgeour.
• Rita Skeeter announced an emergency broadcast accusing Lila and her inner circle of trafficking wizards with the Scourers and Muggle organizations.

Rita Skeeter exposed evidence accusing Lila Piquery of human trafficking, corruption, and ordering Auror Salina Goldstein’s murder, while Lila’s supporters tried to silence the broadcast. As the atrium erupted into conflict, Salina’s testimony turned some Aurors against Piquery’s faction, and Samuel Goldstein demanded that Rita be allowed to finish.

• Rita Skeeter broadcast evidence from the Stonefield family vault and accused Lila Piquery of crimes including human trafficking.
• Headmaster Fontana tried to drown out Rita’s broadcast and urged the crowd to unite behind Piquery, sparking attacks on the Streaming Mirrors.
• Kingsley Shacklebolt and Moody defended the broadcast as spells flew and the atrium descended into conflict.
• Rita showed Salina Goldstein’s final written testimony, prompting some Aurors to lower their Wands and protect the Streaming Mirrors.
• Anderson accused Piquery of killing Salina, while Samuel Goldstein confronted officials attacking a mirror and demanded that Rita finish speaking.

Rita Skeeter’s broadcast exposed evidence of experiments on Muggle-born children and accused Egbert Fontana and Lila Piquery, prompting Lila to denounce the broadcast as a conspiracy and rally the crowd. Serafina Picquery then appeared at the atrium doors, while Wade remained unnoticed behind her and Stella.

• Rita Skeeter showed gruesome experimental footage and blamed Egbert Fontana for Mabel’s fate, accusing him of denying Muggle-born children access to magical schools and selling their names and addresses.
• Lila Piquery destroyed the podium and claimed the broadcast was a coordinated smear campaign, calling on the crowd to trust Fontana and ordering Director Sloane Paul to arrest those responsible.
• Lila’s speech won back some support, but skeptical guests continued to weigh the evidence shown on the Streaming Mirror.
• The atrium doors burst open, and Serafina Picquery entered with Stella supporting her.
• Wade stood unnoticed behind Serafina and Stella, while a guest met his gaze with a satisfied smile.

Wade secretly used magic as Serafina confronted Lila at Congress headquarters and vowed to clear Niccolo Hawthorne’s name. Serafina claimed she had evidence, leaving Lila’s position under threat.

• Wade disguised as a Magical Hospital healer hid in the shadows and cast a spell that froze several Streaming Mirror displays.
• FMC redirected its cameras to Congress headquarters as Serafina faced Lila in the atrium.
• Serafina denounced Lila’s lies and said she had come to atone for the damage her relative had inflicted on Congress.
• Serafina declared that Niccolo Hawthorne was innocent of the crimes he had been accused of.
• A young official demanded evidence, and Serafina answered that she had it, prompting him to glance at Lila.

Seraphina exposed memories showing that Reginald Perez and Lila had helped frame Niccolo Hawthorne, then revealed documents proving that officials had secretly altered Hawthorne’s orders and deceived Congress employees. The crowd turned against Lila and surged toward the stage.

• Seraphina used a Pensieve to show Hawthorne and Ezra Hughes entering a trap, with Reginald Perez and several officials, including Lila, watching the confrontation without intervening.
• Seraphina declared that Hawthorne had fought corruption and had been framed by people who altered his decisions and sowed distrust between him and Congress departments.
• Guests read documents revealing that Lila and her allies had concealed approved honors, withheld subsidies, and falsified an employee’s promotion request and Hawthorne’s reply.
• The revelations drove Congress employees and families to condemn Lila, and an enraged crowd drew Wands and surged toward the stage as she swayed near collapse.

Lila turned the crowd’s accusations back on Seraphina and the Congress officials, then offered to submit to trial while secretly signaling her loyal clerk. As Aurors approached to arrest her, the clerk received her command to act immediately.

• Lila accused Seraphina of siding with Grindelwald and argued that the evidence against her was incomplete and suspicious.
• Lila challenged the officials to explain how she could have controlled Chairman Hawthorne’s orders and communications without their knowledge.
• Lila realized that words could only delay the crowd and decided to retreat rather than resist arrest.
• Lila offered to accept the strictest trial, and several Aurors moved toward her as the officials hesitated over whom to trust.
• Lila silently signaled her bespectacled clerk, who understood her command to act immediately.

A bombing at the Magical Congress left several people dead and injured, while Lila Piquelly and Fontana vanished, raising suspicions that they had faked their deaths. With the Congress leadership crippled, the crowd turned to Seraphina Piquelly for guidance, but Wade restarted Rita Skeeter’s footage of officials’ alleged ties to the Prometheus Project.

• Corbin attacked Lila with an Explosion Charm, killing several people and devastating the area around the podium.
• Corbin died suddenly after celebrating the attack, while the crowd questioned whether Lila and Fontana had been framed or had escaped.
• Scrimgeour and Amelia Bones compared the explosion to Peter Pettigrew’s staged death, and Samuel Goldstein argued that Lila and Fontana might have used another means of escape.
• The Congress officials realized their leadership and Floo Network Authority were incapacitated, then asked Seraphina to take charge; she refused.
• Wade restarted Rita Skeeter’s Streaming Mirror footage, which resumed listing officials’ alleged involvement with the Prometheus Project.

After Lila and the others escaped, the crimes of their allies were exposed, and officials in Congress began arresting the suspects. Seraphina ordered a lawful investigation before collapsing from exhaustion, while Stella took her to the hospital and asked Wade to ensure Lila and the others were punished.

• Rita Skeeter's accusations led Aurors to detain officials whose names were read out, including Director Alonso and Sloane Paul.
• Samuel Goldstein punched Sloane Paul and demanded to know where Lila Piquery had gone and who had killed his sister.
• Seraphina ordered the suspects restrained and investigated, requiring their rights to be protected and promising severe punishment if the charges were proved.
• Seraphina collapsed, and Healer Woods began treating her as Stella arranged to take her to the hospital.
• Stella asked Wade to make sure Lila and the others received the punishment they deserved, and Wade agreed.

After Seraphina was taken away, Klinch Barrett organized the chaotic Magical Congress into a functioning response. Congress detained suspects, treated the injured, secured evidence, and prepared to inform the public while planning to pursue Lyla Piquery and Egbert Fontana if they had escaped.

• Wade watched Pegasus carry Healer Woods and the carriage away, then turned back toward the chaotic Congress atrium.
• Auror Anderson stopped an official from fleeing, while Klinch Barrett called for order and directed Samuel Goldstein to take suspected officials to detention.
• Barrett assigned Mr. Devers to send the injured to the Magical Hospital and Madam Opalka to preserve evidence and check whether Madam Piquery and Headmaster Fontana had escaped.
• Barrett asked Avery Jenkins to prepare a public explanation and proposed a pursuit task force led temporarily by Samuel Goldstein if Lyla Piquery and Egbert Fontana had escaped.
• Congress officials accepted Barrett's temporary arrangements and began their duties, with department heads scheduled to meet in one hour.

After the battle at Congress headquarters, Wade realized Grindelwald’s Acolytes had used the crisis to expand their influence in the American Wizarding World. He suspected Vanderbilt was their powerful American collaborator as he and Antoine left to get coffee.

• Wade collected the tiny burned corpse of an ant from the ruins beneath the podium and met Antoine at Congress headquarters.
• Antoine revealed that Klinch Barrett and Mr. Devers were aligned with Grindelwald’s people, and said Barrett knew the consequences of betraying Grindelwald.
• Wade and Antoine discussed how Grindelwald controlled Congress through proxies rather than seeking office himself.
• Antoine invited Wade to a bar, but Wade chose the Oak Coffee Shop instead.
• Wade concluded that Vanderbilt had not stayed outside the conflict but had collaborated with the Acolytes and backed Barrett with its vast resources.

Antoine and Wade Apparated away to begin their work while Lila and Fontana escaped to the woods near Ilvermorny. Fontana realized the Acolytes had used their crimes to seize control of Congress and told Lila they were criminals with no chance of returning to power.

• Antoine told Wade that accompanying him was work personally assigned by Grindelwald, and Wade revealed he had learned Apparition before the tournament.
• Lila dispelled the Binding Charm on Fontana after they arrived in the woods near Mount Greylock.
• Lila urged Fontana to hide, rally their supporters, and use her secrets to fight the new regime.
• Fontana explained that Grindelwald's magic had prevented him from breaking free and that the Acolytes planned to exploit the power vacuum they had created.
• Fontana warned Lila that the Acolytes would expand their purges and that they were criminals, not former leaders awaiting a chance to return.

Lila and Fontana realized the Acolytes had infiltrated the American political crisis and that a broadcast had exposed their crimes, leaving them wanted and isolated. As they fled toward Rockford Village to gather information and supplies, crimson flames erupted beneath them.

• Lila remembered that she and Rex Grim had chosen to let Brolin use the Acolytes as a political distraction, hoping the resulting chaos would drive Hawthorne from office.
• Fontana disguised himself and Lila with Disillusionment Charms as two wizards passed nearby, discussing the accusations against Fontana and deciding to transfer their son Evan away from Ilvermorny.
• After the wizards left, Lila learned that she had become a wanted criminal, while Fontana realized the ceremony broadcast had likely continued as Rita Skeeter exposed their alleged crimes.
• Fontana led Lila on foot toward Rockford Village to learn what had happened and obtain supplies, avoiding Apparition to conceal their Magic Power.
• Near an abandoned hunter's cabin, Fontana warned Lila and cast an invisible suit of armor around them as crimson flames burst from beneath their feet.

Lila and Fontana survived an explosion beneath their feet, but enemy wizards pursued them to a volcanic wasteland. Fontana shielded Lila from their attack before grabbing her and Apparating away.

• An underground explosion blasted Lila across the ground and left her badly injured.
• Fontana Apparated with Lila to a dry volcanic wasteland and treated her wounds with a Potion.
• Lila spotted several gray-robed wizards Apparating nearby, and they immediately attacked Fontana and Lila.
• Fontana drove the attackers back with a sandstorm while Lila took cover and tried to raise a shield.
• Fontana grabbed Lila and Apparated away as the wizards continued their assault.