Chapter Summaries

Manus agreed to join McGonagall’s Transfiguration Club through its standard process by writing an article for Transfiguration Today. He then heard that Sirius and Regulus Black had sparked a fight between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and Lily began explaining why Narcissa Black had joined in.

• Manus agreed to write a paper for Transfiguration Today and ask McGonagall to help revise it.
• Manus heard that Gryffindor and Slytherin had each lost a hundred points after a serious fight.
• Lily told Manus that Sirius Black and his younger brother Regulus had argued over the Black Family’s honor.
• Lily explained that Narcissa Black, who was engaged to Young Malfoy, rarely involved herself in Pure-bloodism disputes.
• Manus asked Lily whether Narcissa had joined the fight because of the Black Family’s honor.

Manus explained to Lily that the Slytherins had used Narcissa as a pretext to target Sirius, while the larger fight tested whether Dumbledore would intervene in the Death Eaters’ conflict. As Slughorn began class, Manus reassured Lily that they should focus on improving themselves, and Lily hoped Minister Jenkins would resolve the Death Eater problem.

• Lily analyzed how seventh-year Slytherins had sparked a fight against Gryffindor, which grew into a House-wide brawl and led McGonagall and Slughorn to deduct a hundred points from each House.
• Manus told Lily that the Death Eaters had changed their methods and suggested the brawl was a test of whether Dumbledore would intervene; he thought they had seen the result they wanted.
• Slughorn entered class without his usual cheer and began teaching immediately.
• Lily asked Manus through a Communication Charm whether the Death Eaters’ changes would affect them, and Manus urged her to focus on improving herself.
• Lily silently hoped Minister Jenkins could resolve the Death Eater problem.

Manus discovered that his memories named Maximilian Crowdy as Minister for Magic, while Lily’s memories and the world’s records named Eugenia Jenkins. He found discrepancies suggesting the world’s memories and records had been changed, and began considering how to respond to the force responsible.

• Manus reacted with alarm when Lily mentioned Minister Eugenia Jenkins and later told her he remembered Maximilian Crowdy as Minister for Magic.
• Lily recalled Crowdy as a former Minister, and she and Manus went to the library to check historical records.
• Manus found that the books named Jenkins as Minister from 1968 and credited her with events he remembered as Crowdy’s.
• Manus argued that his memories had not been altered and pointed out that Crowdy’s wizarding experiences could not have belonged to Jenkins, a Witch.
• Manus found gaps and contradictory records in Jenkins’s supposed history, then shared his findings with Lily, who remained unconvinced by the evidence.

Manus investigated the altered history surrounding Maximilian Crowdy and suspected that time magic had sent him more than a century into the past. He reassured Lily that the disturbance seemed to have changed little in the present, but Lily refused to forget what she had learned.

• Manus found that Maximilian Crowdy had been inserted into history by shortening the terms of twenty Ministers for Magic, creating an eleven-year gap.
• Manus reasoned that Maximilian's changed actions might mean he knew he had traveled through time, and suspected he may have tried to stop Pure-bloodism at its roots.
• Manus considered whether the Department of Mysteries, Maximilian, or Voldemort had caused the time disturbance and planned to investigate the Ministry's records for clues.
• Manus told Lily the incident appeared accidental and advised her to act as though it had never happened.
• Lily refused Manus's offer to help her forget the incident.

Manus returned Helena’s preserved remains to Rowena Ravenclaw and arranged for them to inspect the remains together before a joint burial. Helena recognized her skeleton and accused Tom Riddle of stealing the diadem and destroying her grave.

• Manus left the library determined to investigate the power that had altered events and wondered why it had spared him.
• Manus brought Helena’s coffin to Rowena Ravenclaw and proposed that she and Helena oversee the preparations for their joint burial.
• Rowena traveled through the portraits to fetch Helena, who passed through the hidden door into the Chamber of Secrets.
• Manus opened the coffin and explained that Helena needed to confirm the remains because her tombstone and the tree beside her grave were gone.
• Helena recognized her remains and concluded that Tom Riddle had stolen her mother’s diadem, cut down the tree, and destroyed her tombstone.

Manus helped Helena reunite with Rowena Ravenclaw’s remains and took Rowena’s portrait to her grave, promising to find a way to sustain it beyond his time at Hogwarts. On the way, Rowena explained why the founders had chosen not to leave intelligent portraits behind.

• Helena grieved as Rowena Ravenclaw prepared to leave the Chamber of Secrets, and Manus clarified that the portrait would go with her to the grave rather than be destroyed.
• Manus promised Rowena that he would try to preserve her existence, and she considered trusting him after he had found Helena.
• Helena scouted the route and reported that Ravenclaw Tower was empty, allowing Manus to conceal the coffin and portrait and leave unnoticed.
• Manus asked Rowena why she did not want to connect to Hogwarts’ magical network, and she explained that the founders feared their outdated portraits would become shackles on Hogwarts’ future.

Manus, Helena, and Rowena Ravenclaw reached the Four Founders' tomb and discovered that Slytherin's remains were inside his grave, despite his wand being absent. Manus opened Ravenclaw's grave and began gathering her books, while Rowena pointed out three bottles whose contents remained unknown.

• Manus opened the entrance to the Four Founders' tomb, where Helena wistfully surveyed the graves.
• Helena noticed Slytherin's grave lacked a wand, entered it as a ghost, and found remains that might belong to him.
• Rowena Ravenclaw asked Manus to open her grave, and he moved its heavy headstone aside.
• Manus examined Ravenclaw's belongings and packed her books into his shoulder bag.
• Rowena asked Manus to take three crystal bottles, and he asked what they contained.

Manus returned Helena’s bones to Rowena Ravenclaw’s grave and promised to recover the Ravenclaw Diadem after dealing with Voldemort. Before leaving, he altered the crystal hidden door so Helena could pass through it again.

• Manus learned that the three crystal bottles held reusable memories left by the founders and carefully took them to view later.
• Manus placed Helena’s bones in Rowena Ravenclaw’s coffin, preserved them, resealed the coffin, and added Senior Helena’s name to the grave marker.
• Manus promised Rowena Ravenclaw and Helena that he would return the Diadem to the grave after Voldemort was dealt with, and Helena left with him.
• Manus cracked the crystal hidden door and used magical metal shaped into a Hogwarts Crest to restore it with a way in and out.

Manus strengthened and concealed the hidden door to the tomb of the Four Founders, leaving Helena able to enter it with her badge. Meanwhile, Dumbledore brooded over the missing Mirror of Erised and the painful memories of his family and Grindelwald, ending in despair at the old man he saw in the mirror.

• Manus gave Helena a badge that let her pass through the hidden door and added protective magic to it.
• Manus concealed the door behind an ordinary-looking brick wall with the Ancient Runes symbol ᛈ, while preserving the possibility that destiny might bring someone to it.
• Manus said goodbye to Helena, then planned to examine Rowena Ravenclaw's gift and work on his Transfiguration essay before dinner.
• The portraits in the Headmaster's Office wondered why Dumbledore had been sighing so often, and Armando Dippet blamed himself for failing to suspect Tom Riddle.
• Dumbledore reflected on the loss of the Mirror of Erised and recalled how a magical fight with his brother and Grindelwald had killed his sister and shattered his family and romance.
• Dumbledore looked into the mirror and saw a white-haired old man who believed he had nothing left.

Dumbledore struggled with his longing for the Mirror of Erised, while Manus stabilized Rowena Ravenclaw’s Memory Bottles and considered how to develop Transfiguration theory. The chapter left Manus preparing a paper on the Transfiguration School rather than revealing his radical ideas about transforming into Magical Creatures.

• Dumbledore considered writing to Manus to ask directly for the Mirror of Erised back, despite worrying that it would seem undignified.
• Manus found that the memories in Rowena Ravenclaw’s Memory Bottles were reacting to his Mental World.
• Manus sealed the Memory Bottles with a new spell that blocked spiritual power and added the seal to his storage-area template.
• Manus considered whether the seal could cut a Horcrux off from its soul fragment, then wondered whether he could create a soul-producing core for the Mage Tower.
• Manus decided to write a Transfiguration paper about the Transfiguration School because revealing his ideas about transforming into Magical Creatures seemed too radical.

Manus received a letter from Dumbledore asking for the Mirror of Erised back and realized Dumbledore had deliberately led him to it. Manus wrote a reply explaining how he found the mirror, then revealed that he had dismantled it for alchemical research, leaving Dumbledore shocked.

• Manus finished a first draft of his paper on Transfiguration and received a letter delivered by Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes.
• Manus read Dumbledore's request to return the Mirror of Erised and inferred that Dumbledore had arranged for him to find it.
• Manus wrote back that the altered staircases had led him to the abandoned classroom, where he assumed the mirror had been discarded.
• Manus told Dumbledore that he had dismantled the Mirror of Erised for alchemical research, and Dumbledore tore the parchment before repairing it with Reparo.

Dumbledore read Manus’s conditions for creating another Mirror of Erised and struggled with the demand that he reveal his intended use for it. He sent Manus a secret letter arranging a meeting the next morning, while Manus hoped the school year would leave him time to pursue his research.

• Dumbledore decided to explain why he had altered the castle staircases but wrestled with admitting what he wanted to use the Mirror of Erised for.
• Dumbledore wrote Manus a confidential letter and sent it with Fawkes.
• Fawkes delivered the letter to Manus during dinner, where Bellows learned that Dumbledore’s phoenix had brought it.
• Manus opened the letter in the dormitory and found that Dumbledore had arranged to meet him in the abandoned third-floor classroom at nine the next morning.
• Manus reflected that he hoped to spend the school year researching new magical systems without further interruptions.

Manus heard Dumbledore’s account of his painful past, including his history with Grindelwald and Tom Riddle, and understood why he had wanted to use the Mirror of Erised. He agreed to make Dumbledore another mirror and planned to finish it the day after tomorrow.

• Manus prepared an abandoned classroom and waited for Dumbledore to arrive.
• Dumbledore told Manus about his half-blood background, his past with Grindelwald, and his regrets.
• Dumbledore explained that he had taken Tom Riddle from an orphanage and feared Manus might become like him.
• Manus accepted Dumbledore’s explanation and understood why he needed the Mirror of Erised.
• Manus said he would make another mirror and planned to complete it the day after tomorrow.

Manus listened as Dumbledore shared his past with Grindelwald, accepted Dumbledore’s apology, and promised to keep his story secret. On his way to the library, Manus reflected on Grindelwald’s Greater Good and wondered how the once-powerful movement had declined.

• Dumbledore asked Manus to leave the Mirror of Erised in the abandoned classroom when the time came, then pressed him for a response to his confession.
• Manus told Dumbledore that he accepted his apology, would keep his past secret, and would listen whenever Dumbledore needed someone to talk to.
• Dumbledore watched Manus leave and chuckled at the thought that Manus could be a listener for him in the future.
• Manus headed for the library and considered what Dumbledore had revealed about his relationship with Grindelwald and the Deathly Hallows symbol.
• Manus reflected on the Greater Good’s political aims and broad influence, then wondered how it had fallen into its current state.

Manus reconsidered The Greater Good’s fate after Grindelwald’s fall and regretted losing the chance to question Dumbledore about the organization, time magic, and Pensieves. He then began his busy school day, impressing Sprout with his knowledge of Mandrakes in Herbology.

• Manus reflected that Dumbledore might have explained why The Greater Good collapsed after Grindelwald’s departure, but decided the moment was unsuitable for asking his prepared questions.
• Manus went to the library, organized his future plans, cleared his mind, and began reading a book about Britain’s coastline.
• The next day, Sprout introduced the year-long Mandrake-care project during Herbology and asked the students about Mandrakes’ properties.
• Manus described obscure Mandrake uses and characteristics, earning ten points for Ravenclaw and surprising Sprout.

After hearing that Potter, Big Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew had formed a team called the Marauders, Manus wondered what role they would play in the future. He then questioned whether time-altering magic had changed Professor Binns’s memories and asked Binns about altered history.

• Manus collected magically reactive Mandrake soil while he and Bellows hurried from the greenhouses to History of Magic.
• Lily told Manus that Potter, Big Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew had formed a team called the Marauders.
• Manus considered whether the four might become a force opposing Voldemort and wondered if they knew about Lupin’s Werewolf identity.
• During Binns’s class, Manus questioned whether time-altering magic had changed the professor’s memories.
• After class, Manus asked Binns whether history had ever been altered by the power of time.

Manus questioned Professor Binns about time magic and learned that choosing four or more elective subjects next year would reveal an answer or its key. He suspected Hogwarts used time magic to let students attend overlapping classes, but decided to avoid researching it for now and returned to prepare a Magic Mirror for Dumbledore.

• Manus asked Binns about the Hour-Reversal Charm, and Binns told him to choose at least four electives to receive an answer or its key next year.
• Manus realized that taking four or more electives would create an impossible timetable and suspected Hogwarts used time magic to let students attend multiple classes at once.
• Manus considered the dangers and potential of time magic, then chose to focus on his existing research instead.
• After lunch and Charms, Manus returned to his dormitory to prepare the materials for the Silver Mirror Reaction as promised to Dumbledore.

Manus completed a low-cost Magic Mirror and reviewed his plans for further magical research. While examining Bone Magic, he realized that changes to his condition might have made Blood Magic usable after all.

• Manus finished the mirror surface with a silver solution, gelatin, and rustproofing, using less than twenty grams of magical materials.
• Manus reflected that the Magic Mirror’s role had diminished since he had developed a Mage Tower within his mental space.
• Manus decided to postpone upgrades to [Condensation] because he lacked the knowledge to use them effectively.
• Manus studied Bone Magic and compared its advanced concepts with Undead Magic and Blood Magic.
• Manus reconsidered Blood Magic after realizing that he might now be able to meet its demanding blood costs.

Manus tested the Blood Burning Technique and found that his enhanced vitality made its boost much stronger, though activating it produced conspicuous Blood Aura. He experimented with casting it in a pure-energy form and using souls instead of blood, recording that both methods worked but were less effective than burning blood.

• Manus cast the Blood Burning Technique in his Mental World laboratory and found that it greatly enhanced his physical abilities while consuming his own blood.
• Manus studied the growing Blood Aura and realized it contained impurities left behind when the spell extracted energy from blood.
• Manus transformed into a pure-energy body and cast the technique, but its physical enhancement weakened and disordered souls drifted away as Blood Aura.
• Manus returned to his material body and successfully cast the technique using souls directly, though the effect was weaker than burning blood.
• Manus recorded that blood carried vitality better than souls and that his Beast Blood Baptism enhancements were tied to his flesh-and-blood body.

Manus experimented with Blood Magic and considered how his soul-powered versions could inspire Soul Magic, while weighing the risks of blood-based healing and enhancement spells. He planned to improve Blood Burning Technique and continued exploring the system’s life-focused branch.

• Manus decided that his next enhancement plan would focus on strengthening Blood Burning Technique, accepting that it would consume more of his soul.
• He tested several Blood Magic spells and found Blood Shadow Step useful, though the other spells offered him little practical value beyond ideas for Soul Magic.
• Manus examined Vampirism and worried that drinking blood could expose users to serious infections without curing disease.
• He found that Blood Healing Technique worked better with his soul in place of blood, then compared Blood Fusion’s powerful but risky enhancements with Beast Blood Baptism.