Recaps

Manus discovered that an unusually old Ashwinder and its unhatched eggs carried the Ember Dragon Heart’s power. After using the Heart to hatch one egg, the Ashwinder died of old age, leaving Manus with a Lesser Ashwinder and a theory about the creature’s origins.

• Manus found an Ashwinder guarding eggs in a cave and recognized traces of the Ember Dragon Heart’s power within it.
• Manus offered the Ember Dragon Heart, and the Ashwinder revealed that its eggs had never hatched because they lacked that power.
• Manus used the Heart on the Ashwinder’s most vigorous egg, but the Ashwinder died as its remaining power flowed into the egg.
• A Lesser Ashwinder hatched, and Manus learned that the Greater Ashwinder could not be resurrected because it had died of old age.
• Manus concluded that the traits the Dragon Robe had failed to retain had gathered in the Ashwinder, which he considered naming the Serpent of Etna.

Manus discovered that the long-lived Greater Ashwinder passed Mount Etna’s trait to its first-hatched offspring, which he named Yuke, and considered how its rare eggs might be used. He began making Broomsticks for the other houses’ Seekers to keep the competition balanced, while Lily found inspiration for her protective magic.

• Manus learned that only one Ashwinder could survive beyond an hour, and that the first to hatch inherited Mount Etna’s trait as the Greater Ashwinder died.
• Manus named the special breed Serpent of Etna and named the surviving Lesser Ashwinder Yggdrasil, or Yuke.
• Manus collected the remaining living and dead Ashwinder eggs for study and turned his attention to making a Broomstick from Oak Wood.
• Manus told Severus and Lily he was making Broomsticks for the Seekers of the other three houses to keep the competition balanced.
• Lily took out her notebook after the idea of a balanced event inspired her, while Severus waited for her to reveal her protective magic.

Manus discussed Broomsticks and magic lessons with Severus and Lily, then spent three days caring for two cured foals and naming them. Severus and Lily left to rest, while the foals joined Manus’s Soul System under names they did not accept.

• Manus showed Severus and Lily the finished Sleipnir and offered to design Broomsticks for them, though he recommended learning a Flight Spell instead.
• Severus raised questions about Force Field Shaping, and Manus connected their studies to the differences between Evocation and Conjuration magic.
• Manus let Severus and Lily rest for two days after their demanding lessons, and they went home delighted with what they had learned.
• Manus completed the last Pegasus and used his Life Essence to cure the two foals, making the little Flying Horse lively and the Eight-Legged Horse energetic.
• Manus brought the foals into his Soul System and named the Eight-Legged Horse Pegasus and the little Flying Horse Sleipnir, but neither foal accepted its name.

Manus entrusted the Demiguise with caring for two unruly foals before attending the Order of Merlin, First Class ceremony with Griffin. After the Wizengamot unanimously approved the award, Manus received public attention and spent the rest of the day greeting acquaintances and posing for photographs.

• Manus left the two foals in the Demiguise's care while he prepared to attend the ceremony.
• Griffin took Manus to the Ministry of Magic in a flying carriage and celebrated his son's achievement along the way.
• Dumbledore presided as the Wizengamot unanimously voted to grant Manus the Order of Merlin, First Class.
• Dumbledore introduced Manus to several Wizengamot members, and Manus exchanged greetings with acquaintances gathered at the public ceremony.
• Eugenia led Manus through photographs and conversations until lunchtime had passed.

Manus received the First-Class Order of Merlin Medal, then spent the day greeting guests and celebrating with friends. Dumbledore later led him through the Ministry of Magic to meet a group of people, whose identities had not yet been revealed.

• Manus let curious classmates inspect his First-Class Order of Merlin Medal and discussed whether he might earn another one someday.
• Lily and Manus’s friends joined him, and Griffin said the King family would host a celebration at the estate that evening.
• Manus greeted the guests and Hogwarts representatives, while Slughorn congratulated him and Dumbledore promised to introduce him to several people.
• Dumbledore led Manus through the Ministry of Magic and intercepted the people he wanted Manus to meet.

Dumbledore introduced Manus King to Newt Scamander, Theseus Scamander, and Joshua, despite the Scamanders’ obvious wariness toward him. Theseus then explained that Newt needed help with a problem stemming from the Experimental Breeding Ban and the dangerous creatures it had failed to prevent.

• Manus noticed that Newt and Theseus greeted Dumbledore cautiously, while Joshua appeared especially eager to leave.
• Dumbledore introduced Manus King to the Scamanders and said they might need his help, then left for the evening banquet.
• Theseus invited Manus to a conference room to hear about the Scamanders’ problem.
• Theseus explained that Newt had passed the Experimental Breeding Ban in 1965 to stop wizards from breeding Magical Creatures for experiments.
• Theseus described how Hidebehinds bred from Demiguises and Ghouls were multiplying and terrorizing forests in Massachusetts.

Manus proposed a judicial auction as a way for the Ministry of Magic to handle illegally bred Magical Creatures whose origins could no longer be traced. Newt and Theseus considered the idea as they struggled to resolve the bill’s enforcement problems.

• The Ministry’s bill became difficult to enforce because it could not trace or safely take custody of many pre-existing Magical Creatures.
• Manus suggested using Veritaserum to catch breeders who lied, but Theseus explained that its use was generally not approved for offenses of this severity.
• Theseus said the central problem was finding a way to deal with confiscated creatures and recalled that Newt’s offer to care for them had been rejected.
• Manus pointed out that handing the creatures to the bill’s proposer could undermine Newt’s reputation and damage the bill’s credibility.
• Manus proposed auctioning the unreturnable creatures as Ministry property to reduce the Ministry’s burden and raise revenue.

Manus proposed a court-ordered auction for the Magical Creatures seized under the Experimental Breeding Ban, and Newt rushed to present the plan to the Ministry. After discussing neutral faction politics with Theseus, Manus reunited with Aivina, who was relieved he had met the Scamander Family rather than been drawn toward the Ministry.

• Manus proposed that the Ministry auction the seized Magical Creatures at reduced prices while retaining limited inspection rights, and Newt accepted the plan and hurried to the Magical Creature Protection Office with Joshua.
• Theseus discussed Manus’s achievements and neutral faction politics with him, then left impressed by Manus’s insight.
• Manus reflected that the Scamander Family’s strength and prestige gave it considerable freedom as a neutral faction.
• Aivina asked Manus whom Dumbledore had taken him to meet, and Manus explained that he had advised the Scamanders and established contact with them.
• Aivina felt reassured that Manus had met the neutral Scamander Family, and Manus squeezed her hand to comfort her.

After a gathering at King Family Manor left Manus exhausted by the guests’ aimless schemes, he was glad to be home and treated Severus and Lily more kindly during lessons. His kindness only made them fear that he was preparing to intensify their studies, and Lily and Severus decided to endure the uncertainty rather than ask him about it.

• Manus attended the gathering at King Family Manor and found that the guests had no clear purpose, though some tried to push him toward leading Ravenclaw and others raised Blake’s murder of his uncle.
• Manus returned home exhausted, and Aivina comforted him with a pot of cream soup.
• Manus felt relieved to be home and taught Severus and Lily more kindly over the next few days.
• Severus and Lily grew convinced that Manus’s pleasant manner meant harder lessons were coming.
• Lily suggested they address their fears, but Severus argued that avoiding the problem was more practical.

Lily and Severus chose to begin duel training on their own rather than wait for Manus to intensify their lessons. Manus adapted his teaching plan to combine practical dueling with their regular studies, while Lily remained uncertain about her unfinished spell.

• Lily abandoned her idea of asking Manus about his strange smiles and proposed that she and Severus take charge of their training by dueling.
• Manus arrived at the secret base and watched Severus and Lily practice, comparing their choices with his own knowledge to improve his understanding of wizard duels.
• Severus defeated Lily again, and the two discussed her spell’s uncertain progress and Severus’s suggestion that she develop another spell alongside it.
• Manus changed his plan to teach dueling theory through combat practice, deciding that Severus and Lily could continue their regular magic classes while gaining practical experience.

Manus told Mrs. Margaret that he had found the Portkey to the hidden place beneath the volcano and warned her about its dangerous heat. He then brought her the magical textiles he had recovered, while Mrs. Margaret confirmed her family already knew the old stories about the place.

• Severus complained to Lily about the exhausting training Manus had put them through, and Lily tried to rest before brewing Scabies Potion.
• Manus visited Mrs. Margaret with a suitcase of processed magical textiles and told her he had found the Portkey beneath the volcano.
• Mrs. Margaret recognized the key as the Portkey and said her family had preserved stories about the place and a robe meant for entering it.
• Manus warned Mrs. Margaret that the extreme, uneven heat could be life-threatening, then set the fragile recovered clothing on the table.
• Mrs. Margaret said she knew the family-made garments had been ruined by time.

Manus returned two preserved Magical Textiles to Margaret and explained how to care for them. He then revealed that an undamaged Dragon Robe was the most valuable item in the building, and Margaret explained its fatal history before Manus began to discuss the result of the family’s attempts to alter it.

• Manus took two Magical Textiles dress forms from his suitcase and showed Margaret how he had preserved them.
• Margaret carefully touched the fabrics, then recorded Manus’s instructions for their storage and maintenance.
• Manus told Margaret that the most valuable item beyond the Portkey was an undamaged Dragon Robe.
• Margaret recognized the Dragon Robe as the one that had succeeded yet failed and explained that its creator had been blown to death while using it.
• Margaret said the family had tried to modify the unusable robe, and that the building had been constructed for that purpose.

Madam Margaret explained the Dragon Robe’s unstable power and how the Margaret Family had concealed its danger. Manus took the robe to study and realized its volcanic eruption could not have killed him, even if he had worn it recklessly.

• Madam Margaret told Manus that the Dragon Robe’s instability could be suppressed beneath a volcano, but eventually it had to discharge its accumulated magic through a wearer.
• Madam Margaret explained that the Margaret Family had spread the story that the robe burned itself to discourage others from seeking it.
• Manus took the Dragon Robe from the suitcase and asked Madam Margaret to stay and watch while he worked on it.
• Madam Margaret struggled to follow Manus’s magic and later wondered what kind of spell he had used.
• Manus concluded that the robe’s danger lay in its gradual accumulation of power, but its eruption could not kill him with his current abilities.

Manus considered how to prepare for Ragnarok, especially the threats posed by Fenrir and Surtr, without provoking the catastrophe. After learning that Severus and Lily feared his good mood meant more work was coming, he gave them an intense training session and returned home to find a letter from a researcher.

• Manus reviewed the myths of Ragnarok and considered countermeasures against Fenrir and Surtr.
• Manus arrived in Cokeworth on the Knight Bus and decided not to visit Severus and Lily that morning.
• Manus asked the Magic Mirror about Severus and Lily and learned they had been training because they feared he would burden them with more work.
• Manus gave Severus and Lily an intense training session at the secret base that afternoon.
• Manus returned home that evening and received a letter from a researcher.

Manus went to meet the mysterious researcher who had invited him to discuss the Meteorite Crystal and their academic interests. He met the frail man, who called himself Nick, and wondered why he had never heard of a wizard researcher by that name.

• Manus received an invitation to meet in person two weeks later and wondered whether the Meteorite Crystal was the real reason for it.
• Manus traveled to the Unplottable cottage, where he found protective enchantments and a carefully tended garden.
• A frail, elderly man emerged from behind the grapevines and introduced himself as Nick.
• Nick explained that he had wanted to meet Manus since their first correspondence but had been too unwell to travel.
• Nick recalled how Manus had impressed him by answering his test and exchanging ideas about potions, alchemy, spells, and ancient runes.
• Manus wondered whether Nick was a false name because he knew of no renowned wizard researcher by that name.

Manus met Nicolas Flamel, recognized his identity, and entered his home for an academic discussion. Nicolas reflected that time was cheap to him, and the chapter left them sharing tea before their exchange began.

• Manus deduced that the mysterious Nick was Nicolas Flamel, the ancient creator of the Philosopher’s Stone.
• Nicolas asked how Manus had recognized him, then invited him through the hedge and into his home.
• Manus promised to keep Nicolas’s identity secret, and Nicolas said he trusted him because of their correspondence and Dumbledore’s account.
• Nicolas explained that his age made walking difficult and joked that time was the cheapest thing in the world to him.
• Nicolas used magic to serve Ceylon black tea, and Manus praised the tea and teapot.

Manus learned the principles behind Nicolas’s Alchemy and how it differed from crafting magical items. Nicolas explained the stages of Blackening, Whitening, and Yellowing, leaving Manus considering how the process might continue.

• Manus recognized the runes on Nicolas’s teapot, and the two discussed its craftsmanship and possible improvements.
• Nicolas told Manus that magical items made with runes and spells were not Alchemical products, then explained that Alchemy began with the search for a genuine way to create gold.
• Nicolas described Blackening, in which a substance became Dead Matter, and Whitening, in which Dead Matter combined with a seed to produce a new substance.
• Nicolas explained that early Alchemy was costly and produced impure results, so alchemists sought a stable, pure seed that would not be consumed.
• Nicolas said that creating such a seed was called Yellowing, and Manus considered how the stages of Alchemy might continue.

Manus learned from Nicolas that Reddening was the final stage of Alchemy, achieved when Nicolas created the Philosopher’s Stone. Their discussion led Manus to realize that Blackening, Whitening, Yellowing, and Reddening were progressive stages of the same technique.

• Nicolas explained that Reddening sought to create an omnipotent seed, known as the Philosopher’s Stone, capable of producing any substance and even life.
• Manus considered how different forms of Alchemy pursued different goals and asked why wizards had stopped pursuing Reddening after Nicolas created the Stone.
• Nicolas said many wizards had sought the Stone, doubted its authenticity, or abandoned Alchemy, and that no current wizards he knew could reach Yellowing.
• Nicolas explained that Yellowing seeds became Dead Matter when their creators died, prompting Manus to ask whether the four stages belonged to one lineage.
• Nicolas confirmed that Alchemy had remained fundamentally the same across all four stages, and Manus concluded that Whitening and Yellowing were more advanced forms of Blackening.

Manus explored the role of spirit and wholeness in the Philosopher’s Stone, then discussed Alchemy and Star Magic with Nicolas. Nicolas realized Manus’s meteorite crystal came from an advanced technique and contained a concept beyond the Four-Element System.

• Manus reasoned that spirit or soul was the only thing independent of the Four-Element System and might be what the Philosopher’s Stone transformed.
• Manus set aside his unanswered questions about the difference between Yellowing and Reddening and added Life Transmutation to his research queue.
• Manus considered whether Alchemy could cure congenital deficiencies or restore independence to lives incorporated into his Soul System.
• Manus shared Star Magic with Nicolas, who was bewildered by the meteorite crystal Manus had created.
• Nicolas concluded that the crystal was neither a natural substance nor an alchemical creation, but the product of an advanced technique.
• Manus’s stable meteorite crystal contained a concept beyond the Four-Element System, so it could not undergo Blackening or be transformed by the Philosopher’s Stone.

Manus spent the day exchanging ideas with Nicolas Flamel, who gave him books on Alchemy and hoped he would bring fresh insight to the field. Manus returned home to Aivina, who worried about the dangers posed by Death Eaters.

• Manus and Nicolas discussed Potions, ancient runes, and magical item crafting until sunset, then agreed to meet again before school began in August.
• Nicolas gave Manus several Alchemy books and urged him to surprise him with new ideas, while hoping Manus would pursue Alchemy by a path of his own.
• Nicolas watched Manus leave, reflecting on his own exhausted progress and his hope that Manus might advance Alchemy further.
• Manus returned home late and told Aivina he had visited an elderly Wizard, without revealing Nicolas's identity.
• Aivina heated dinner for Manus and warned that the Death Eaters made the situation dangerous despite no recent reports of Wizards being killed.

As Aivina and Manus discussed the Black Family’s latest scandals, Manus explained why Walburga Black could not disown Sirius Black on her own. He predicted that Sirius might eventually be disowned if Orion Black decided his son could not be reconciled with the family.

• Aivina told Manus that Andromeda had married a Muggle-born Wizard and Cygnus Black had struck her from the family tree.
• Aivina reported that Walburga Black had fought with Sirius and threatened to disown him.
• Manus explained that Walburga’s authority depended on Orion and their sons, so she could not decide Sirius’s place in the family by herself.
• When Aivina asked whether Sirius would be disowned, Manus said it was likely unless Sirius accepted the Black Family’s values.

Manus discussed the Black Family's likely response to Big Black before an unexpected visitor arrived at his secret base. Petunia asked Manus to teach her magic despite Dumbledore telling her she had none, leaving Manus to consider her request.

• Aivina listened as Manus reflected on why the Black Family might disown Big Black and the risks of changing sides.
• Manus planned to teach Severus and Lily dueling techniques and study Alchemy at the secret base.
• Manus found Petunia waiting outside and brought her inside to talk.
• Petunia told Manus she wanted to learn magic and that Dumbledore had rejected her request to attend Hogwarts.
• Petunia explained that she had come because Lily and her parents said Manus could do anything.

Manus explained to Petunia that teaching her magic would mean enduring difficulties beyond those Lily and Severus faced, since she would have to understand magic from its most basic components without being born with it. Petunia remained eager to try, and Manus left the possibility open while warning her of the arduous path ahead.

• Manus considered whether to help Petunia gain magic before he had finished organizing the world’s magic system.
• Petunia told Manus she had secretly studied and completed the books he had once given Lily.
• Manus warned Petunia that she would have to endure every hardship Lily and Severus had faced, along with others they had not.
• Manus compared learning magic without innate magic to learning origami without hands and explained that Petunia would first have to understand how magic was made and controlled.
• Manus reflected that Lily and Severus’s innate magic limited their ability to master advanced spellcasting techniques.

Manus warned Petunia about the personal, social, and political dangers of pursuing magic, then offered to teach her if she remained determined. Petunia fled after unexpectedly encountering Lily, who was left wondering what future Petunia had discussed with Manus.

• Manus explained that Petunia might lack her parents’ support and could struggle to survive independently if she chose to pursue magic.
• Manus warned Petunia that Muggles might reject her and that wizards could distrust someone who gained magic unexpectedly.
• Manus showed Petunia newspapers documenting Death Eater violence and described the ongoing clashes between Lily’s Gryffindor house and Slytherin.
• Petunia hurried away after Manus invited her to return if she decided to learn magic, then told Lily, “You’re doomed!” when they met.
• Lily found Manus with the newspapers and questioned him about Petunia’s visit, but he said Petunia’s future was hers to discuss.

Lily asked Manus what Petunia meant by saying she was finished, and Manus used her behavior at Hogwarts as a reason for the Evanses to warn her about relying on rules and professors. Later, he examined an Alchemy system focused on creating life and tested its Black Earth Technique.

• Lily noticed the newspapers Manus had put away were connected to Death Eaters and asked what had happened to her at school.
• Manus told Lily she would probably find out when she went home, hoping her parents would caution her about her behavior at Hogwarts.
• Severus arrived, and Lily turned her attention to studying with him.
• Manus studied several Alchemy systems involving life creation and identified one as a possible way to cure innate defects after birth.
• Manus activated the Black Earth Technique on a twig, turning it into chaotic, lifeless black matter, then considered how the system's stages worked.