Chapter Summaries

After Black escaped execution with Lupin’s help, Fudge blamed Dumbledore and vowed to recapture them. In an abandoned wooden house, Lupin urged Black to stay alive and protect Harry from the shadows, giving Black a new purpose.

• Fudge learned that a Werewolf had rescued Black and ordered Aurors and Dementors to search for them.
• Fudge confronted Dumbledore, who pretended surprise and claimed Voldemort had sent the Werewolf.
• Lupin and Black appeared in an abandoned Wooden House, where Lupin used Healing Potions to treat his severe wound.
• Lupin reminded Black that he was Harry’s godfather and urged him to protect Harry rather than seek death.
• Black resolved to protect Harry from the shadows and thanked Lupin.

Bell learned that Sirius Black had been captured and rescued by a werewolf, while William focused more on discovering that Bell had a girlfriend. At breakfast, Shanna complained about missing a chance to fight Black, and Elena told Bell to keep an eye on his mischievous sister at Hogwarts.

• William told Bell that Black had been captured and that a werewolf had helped him escape, leaving Fudge disgraced.
• William reacted with surprise when Elena told him Bell had a girlfriend, and he wondered how the news might be useful to his plans.
• Bell showed interest in the werewolf report but kept quiet about knowing a werewolf at Hogwarts.
• Shanna complained that Black had chosen to sneak into Hogwarts during the holiday, when she was away and could not fight him.
• Elena warned Bell to keep Shanna from causing trouble at school, and Bell assured her that Shanna behaved well.

Bell confronted Lupin about helping Sirius Black and offered assistance, but revealed that he wanted access to the Black Family's magical collections. He left Lupin a Personal Terminal to pass to Black so they could negotiate directly.

• Bell visited Lupin and hinted that he knew Lupin was a werewolf who had helped Sirius Black.
• Bell warned Lupin against attacking him and said he had come to offer help to Lupin and Black.
• Bell claimed the Menethil Family could support them and denied that his family backed Voldemort.
• Bell admitted he wanted to borrow the Black Family's collections of magical knowledge.
• Bell left Lupin a Personal Terminal with his contact information and asked him to give it to Black.

Bell reasoned that Sirius Black was not a Death Eater and had few people able to help him, then considered trading knowledge for supplies. Hermione asked whether Professor Lupin had rescued Black, and Bell confirmed it, leaving her shocked and scolding him for accusing a professor.

• Bell concluded that Sirius Black was not a Death Eater and would need help from Lupin or Dumbledore.
• Bell speculated that Dumbledore had leaked Trelawney's prophecy and allowed Voldemort to attack the Potters and Longbottoms to test it.
• Hermione found Bell and quietly asked whether Professor Lupin was the Werewolf who had rescued Black.
• Bell confirmed Lupin had rescued Black, and Hermione reacted with disbelief before accusing Bell of unfairly suspecting a professor.

Bell confirmed to Hermione that Lupin had rescued Black as a werewolf and persuaded her not to report him yet. That night, Bell negotiated with Black for the Black Family’s magical knowledge, and Black asked what he would receive in return.

• Bell told Hermione that Lupin had admitted to rescuing Black as a werewolf.
• Hermione worried about the danger, but Bell convinced her to keep Lupin’s secret and put him on probation.
• Black called Bell late at night using the Personal Terminal Lupin had provided.
• Bell demanded all the magical knowledge collected by the Black Family.
• Black asked Bell what he would get in exchange.

Bell negotiated with Black over the Black Family’s collection, offering a safe hiding place and protection for Harry at Hogwarts. Black remained wary of Hogwarts’ dangers and demanded reassurance before handing over the collection, while Bell insisted on receiving it in advance.

• Bell offered Black a safe hiding place and supplies, but Black refused because he wanted to stay near Harry.
• Bell offered to ensure Harry’s safety at Hogwarts, and Black demanded that the Menethil Family protect Harry everywhere.
• Bell argued that Hogwarts was dangerous, listing the troll, basilisk, Acromantulas, Dementors, and the risks posed by Dumbledore and Snape.
• Black said he needed certainty that Bell would protect Harry before handing over the Black Family’s collection.
• Bell insisted Black hand over the collection in advance and argued that copying the books meant Black would lose nothing.

Bell enjoyed the benefits of his deal with Black while Hermione worried about Lupin, Black, and Buckbeak. After learning Buckbeak’s hearing had been set for April 24, Hermione asked Bell to help save him.

• Bell recalled that Black had accepted his deal, and a member of Bell’s family had gone to collect the protection fee.
• Hermione asked Bell why he was in such a good mood, but he kept the deal with Black secret from her.
• Bell complained that Care of Magical Creatures lessons were still focused on Flobberworms, while Hermione refused to drop the class because Hagrid would be sad.
• Hermione told Bell that Buckbeak’s hearing was set for April 24 and explained that Malfoy had blamed the Hippogriff for his own injury.
• Hermione asked Bell to help Buckbeak, believing he might use his pure-blood status to counter the Malfoy Family’s influence.

Bell agreed to help Hermione save Buckbeak by proposing that Hagrid transfer the Hippogriff to him, but Hagrid refused. As days passed, Hermione remained worried, while Harry’s Firebolt led Gryffindor to a swift Quidditch victory over Ravenclaw and left Shanna furious.

• Bell proposed that Hagrid give Buckbeak to him so the Malfoys could not control the Hippogriff, and Hermione eagerly brought the idea to Hagrid.
• Hagrid rejected Bell’s offer, and Bell comforted Hermione by saying Dumbledore could protect Buckbeak, though he privately doubted Dumbledore would help.
• Hermione continued to worry about Buckbeak after Hagrid refused their help.
• Harry’s Firebolt helped Gryffindor defeat Ravenclaw in a Quidditch match that ended quickly.
• Shanna tried to rush onto the field and burn Harry’s broom, but Hermione, Phyllis, and Lena held her back; Hermione later scolded Bell for watching instead of helping.

Bell listened as Penelope complained that Percy was pressuring her to pay for losing a Quidditch bet, then learned she had spent most of her salary buying books to understand Bell’s research materials. Penelope questioned whether Bell could understand the difficult materials, and he left her doubt unanswered.

• Penelope complained to Bell that Percy had made her angry, and Bell asked what had happened.
• Penelope said she had bet ten Galleons with Percy that Ravenclaw would beat Gryffindor, but Harry’s Firebolt helped Gryffindor win.
• Penelope explained that she had asked Percy to wait for her salary before she paid him, and Bell teased her about spending all her money each month.
• Penelope said she spent most of her salary on expensive magic books because Bell’s research materials were too difficult for her to understand.
• Penelope asked whether Bell could understand the materials, and Bell smiled without answering.

Penelope complained that Percy was relentlessly demanding the money she owed him, while Bell later eagerly supported Shanna’s plan to catch Hogwarts’s Giant Squid for dinner. Hermione stopped them from acting without permission and threatened to tell Bell’s mother if they harmed it.

• Penelope told Bell that Percy kept following her because he thought she was avoiding paying their bet, and she refused Bell’s offer to lend her money.
• Hermione messaged Bell to come to dinner, and Shanna rushed to him with a plan to catch and eat the Giant Squid.
• Hermione recalled how she had persuaded Shanna by insisting that Bell would not approve of catching the creature without asking him first.
• Bell agreed with Shanna and proposed cutting off the Giant Squid’s tentacles because they could regenerate, but Hermione rejected the idea.
• Hermione threatened to tell Elena Aunt if Bell tried to cut off the Giant Squid’s tentacles.

Bell and Shanna prepared Hogwarts’s first Campus Recruitment Fair during Easter Holiday, with Bell arranging an interview space and announcing that interviews for the Research Department would begin. The fair was set to start as applicants gathered on the lawn.

• Hermione joined Bell, Shanna, Penelope, and Fina as an assistant interviewer, while Phyllis and Lena came to watch.
• Seventh-year Seniors asked Penelope where the fair would be held, and she looked to Bell for instructions.
• Shanna raised earthen walls to make a venue, but Bell stopped her and reshaped the area into an outdoor interview space with a Protective Barrier.
• Bell reassured Shanna that the simple venue was suitable and praised the chairs he had made.
• Bell amplified his voice, welcomed the applicants, and called for the first Research Department interviews to begin.

Bell interviewed Sean Horner for a Magical Plant Breeder position and hired him after he demonstrated his expertise by diagnosing and treating a struggling Soul-Melding Grass. Horner accepted the job, leaving Bell reminded of his own first job after graduation.

• Penelope called Sean Horner into the recruitment area, where Bell interviewed him for the Magical Plant Breeder position.
• Horner correctly explained the properties of Soul-Melding Grass and Necroflowers.
• Bell presented Horner with unhealthy Soul-Melding Grass, and Horner traced its poor growth to Fire Attribute animal droppings in the soil and treated it with ice.
• Bell applauded Horner's solution, privately recognizing that Little Fina had caused the problem.
• Bell hired Horner, who excitedly accepted the position.

Bell explained that Magical Plant Breeder interviews mainly assessed applicants’ abilities rather than determined whether they would be hired, and he interviewed Melt Acevedo after hiring Horner. Acevedo’s mistaken beliefs about Flame Flowers earned him a low rating, but Bell reassured him that he might still get a job.

• Bell hired Horner as a Magical Plant Breeder and marked his résumé with an A.
• Bell told Penelope that the interviews assessed applicants’ abilities and that he was willing to hire all the Magical Plant Breeder applicants.
• Melt Acevedo claimed that Flame Flowers were fire plants eaten by Fire Dragons, but Penelope corrected his mistakes.
• Bell explained that Acevedo had learned his false information from a fictional novel and added that Flame Flowers grew in deserts as well as volcano craters.
• Bell marked Acevedo’s résumé with a D, then reassured him that he could still be hired for a suitable position.

Bell interviewed applicants for the Menethil Family and rejected a Wizard who tried to force his way in and demand a high salary. Shanna blasted him through the barrier, but his Defensive Trinket kept him standing, leaving her eager to continue the fight.

• After Aisweide left, Bell resumed the interviews and liked Bisiji Cassidy when she conjured a chair with Transfiguration.
• A Wizard tried to blast through the Defense Barrier, and Bell opened a doorway to ask what he wanted.
• The Wizard demanded a high salary and an important position, but Bell refused to hire him and told Shanna to clear the area without killing him.
• Shanna leaped onto the table and used Magic Power Impact to send the Wizard flying through the doorway.
• Bell noticed that the Wizard's Defensive Trinket had protected him, and Shanna prepared to keep fighting.

Bell and Shanna continued Hogwarts interviews, with Shanna overpowering a troublemaking Wizard and testing applicants for Magical Animal Keeper roles. The chapter left Warner rejected as a Fire Dragon keeper after Shanna’s attack showed he could not defend himself.

• Shanna trapped the troublemaking Wizard in a giant Transfigured stone hand and crushed his Shield Charm before Bell stopped her.
• Bell resumed Cassidy’s interview, gave her an A, and saw the remaining Magical Plant Breeder interviews finish without further trouble.
• Penelope called Gryffindor applicant Dorbys Warner, who said he wanted to keep Fire Dragons.
• Bell asked Shanna to test whether Warner could withstand a Fire Dragon’s breath, but Warner fell flat without casting a defensive spell.
• Shanna released the troublemaker, and Bell told Warner he was not suited to keeping Fire Dragons.

Bell interviewed Warner and hired him to raise harmless Magical Animals, then interviewed Bu Luer, whose request to raise Unicorns left Bell unsettled. The story left Bell trying to contain his irritation while Penelope hid her amusement.

• Warner fled when Bell mentioned a Fire Dragon, but returned and answered questions about Magical Animals correctly, earning the job.
• Bell called Fina back to attention after noticing she had fallen asleep during the interview.
• Bell discovered that Bu Luer, a male Ravenclaw, wanted to raise Unicorns despite their refusal to let men near them.
• Bu Luer explained that he disliked crude boys, and Penelope admitted through her behavior that she had withheld the information to amuse herself.
• Bell confirmed that he could address Bu Luer as Mr. and silently struggled to accept his answer.

Bell interviewed Bu Lu Er, then met Luna, who wanted to raise Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. Luna revealed that she could sense thoughts without being noticed, and Bell tested how her Legilimency worked.

• Bell reluctantly agreed to consider Bu Lu Er for the Magical Animal Keeper role after learning he knew only about Unicorns.
• Luna applied to raise Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, and Penelope explained that The Quibbler had described them as an imagined animal.
• Luna said she could sense what most people were thinking but could not read Bell or Shanna.
• Bell realized Luna had used Legilimency without his noticing and asked her to try again while he exposed some thoughts.
• Luna sensed that Fina had secretly eaten three Spirit Pet Pills, and Fina reacted in alarm.

Bell discovered Luna was an exceptionally gifted natural Legilimens and tried to recruit her into the Menethil Family. After promising to show her a wider world, he persuaded Luna to join, though she remained most interested in finding Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

• Shanna caught Fina with a stolen Pet Spirit Pill, but Bell stopped her from throwing Fina out because they needed her for security interviews.
• Bell sensed Luna had entered his mind and confirmed she was a remarkably powerful natural Legilimens.
• Luna said her father believed the Menethil Family was gathering and brainwashing dangerous Magical Animals to overthrow the Magical World, and Bell denied the accusation.
• Bell offered Luna other animals, including Unicorns and Thestrals, but Luna said she still preferred Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.
• Bell promised to take Luna to a broader, more magnificent world if she joined the Menethil Family, and Luna agreed to join and study Curses, especially Legilimency.

Bell and Hermione discussed Luna’s extraordinary Legilimency talent after her interview, while the hiring process continued with a capable applicant for magical artifact research. Bell then arranged three possible opponents for security applicant Rufus George, including Shanna, leaving the combat assessment about to begin.

• Hermione questioned Bell about his interest in Luna, and Bell admitted Luna’s Legilimency talent far surpassed his own.
• Bell dismissed the remaining mediocre candidates but found Ravenclaw graduate Asamos Abad capable of working in magical artifact research.
• Shanna eagerly awaited the security interviews so she could fight the applicants.
• Bell called Rufus George of Gryffindor for a combat assessment and offered Hermione, Fina, or Shanna as his opponents.
• Bell threatened George not to hurt Shanna, and the combat assessment was poised to begin.

George chose Little Fina for a duel, but his Disarming Charm failed to hurt her and she quickly defeated him. Bell healed George and sent him away, while Shanna checked on Fina after her first battle.

• George rejected the other opponents and chose Little Fina, who eagerly prepared to fight.
• George cast Expelliarmus, but the spell only made Fina tilt her head back slightly.
• Fina mistook George's attack for a sneak attack and slashed his right arm, knocking his Wand away.
• Shanna picked up Fina and checked her for injuries while Bell treated George with a Healing Potion and Quick Healing.
• Bell told George he would be contacted within a week, and George fled back toward the castle.