The chapter opens with a flashback to the beginning of the novel, when the narrator explains that his mother was working on a new magic that would cure her daughter's disease. The narrator is surprised to find that his mom is still working on the new spell, and he asks her why she hasn't finished it yet. She tells him that she's been working on it for a long time, and that it's hard for her to believe that anyone would be so gentle with such a cruel creature as her daughter. She asks him to translate the spell for her, but he's not sure if he can do it. He asks her to let him go to the library to study, but she refuses, saying that she doesn't want to study too much, since her brain will rot if she studies too much. He tells her that she is just jealous of her, and she says that she hates it when her daughter is right. He says that his birthday is past, but that sneaking into the library was easier than he thought it would be, since it was past the curfew. He also says that school is holding him back from completing his mother's spell, so he wants to grow up and become friends with her.