Chapter Summaries

Albert met Rita Skeeter at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop to stop her and other reporters from spreading scandals about him. After exposing her illegal Animagus secret and paying her, he arranged for her to publish a favorable account and send him a draft before printing.

• Albert confronted Rita Skeeter about her fabricated stories and revealed that he knew she was an illegal Animagus who became a beetle.
• Albert threatened to expose Rita to influential wizards and Azkaban, then offered her money in exchange for clearing up the scandals and limiting future coverage.
• Rita accepted Albert's terms and questioned him about his chess tournament recommendation, famous acquaintances, and photographs with Louise Delacour and Catherine.
• Albert explained that the photographs had been misrepresented and described his dispute with an American Ministry employee as a misunderstanding involving jealousy and abuse of authority.
• Albert criticized the lack of clear guidance for visiting wizards in the United States, and Rita agreed to write an article that satisfied him.
• Albert told Rita to send him a draft, paid for the tea, and Flooed from Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop to Diagon Alley.

After Rita Skeeter’s interview about Albert’s trip to the United States sparked outrage, the Weasleys worried about Harry, who had stopped replying to Ron’s letters. When they learned Harry had used magic in front of a Muggle, Fred, George, and Ron secretly took Mr. Weasley’s enchanted car and flew to rescue him.

• Fred and George guessed Albert had forced Rita Skeeter to correct her reporting, and Mr. Weasley explained that the interview had stirred international tensions over the American Magical Congress and the Rapaport Law.
• The Weasleys discussed the criticism of American wizarding laws, while Albert received letters and gifts from readers who sympathized with him.
• Ron told Mr. Weasley that Harry had ignored twelve letters, and Mr. Weasley promised to go get him if he still had not replied in a few days.
• Mr. Weasley learned that Harry had used magic in front of a Muggle and received a Ministry warning, while Ron, Fred, and George decided to fetch Harry themselves.
• Fred, George, and Ron took Mr. Weasley’s modified Ford car from the garage, turned it invisible, and flew off toward Harry.

Albert and Isabelle discussed introducing each other to their families, and Isabelle invited him to dinner at her home. After reading Hermione’s account of Harry’s rescue and the house-elf’s warning, Albert sent Hermione his suspicions and advised her to keep Harry cautious.

• Albert and Isabelle discussed their families, and Isabelle said her mother wanted to invite him to dinner next week.
• Shira delivered Hermione’s letter, which said Harry had been rescued by Ron, George, and Fred and that a house-elf had intercepted his letters.
• Albert recognized that the house-elf was likely connected to the plot against Harry and decided he could use the Chamber of Secrets incident to pursue more quests.
• Albert wrote Hermione that the house-elf’s behavior suggested its master was behind the warning and advised her that Harry should be careful.

Rita Skeeter defended her reporting on the American wizarding world, while Bertha Jorkins confirmed that her account was largely accurate and delivered her findings to Barty Crouch’s office. At Crouch’s home, Bertha discovered he had secretly rescued Barty Crouch Jr., and Crouch used a powerful Obliviate on her to protect the secret.

• Rita Skeeter told Bertha Jorkins that her report about the American wizarding world had conveyed Albert’s words and that she expected to return to work soon.
• After Skeeter’s Quibbler article brought a flood of angry letters to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Bertha researched the claims and found them largely accurate.
• Bertha went to Barty Crouch’s home with a document for his signature and heard the house-elf speaking to someone invisible in the kitchen.
• Bertha realized the invisible person was probably Barty Crouch Jr. and confronted the house-elf, but Barty Crouch appeared and confirmed her suspicion.
• Barty Crouch cast a powerful Obliviate on Bertha, expecting it to make her forget the discovery but possibly cause permanent memory damage.

Albert took the Knight Bus to Tinworth to visit his girlfriend Isabelle, enduring its jarring journey before finding her. He introduced himself as Isabelle’s boyfriend to a Muggle man who appeared to be courting her, then walked away with her.

• Nia asked where Albert was going, and Daisy told her he had been invited somewhere while hiding that he was visiting his girlfriend.
• Albert boarded the Knight Bus and paid Joyce extra to reach Tinworth faster, but endured several violent jumps and a detour to drop off Mrs. Marsh.
• Albert arrived in Tinworth, messaged Isabelle, and found her waving to him beside an unfriendly Muggle young man.
• Albert identified himself as Isabelle’s boyfriend, asked who the young man was, and walked away with Isabelle.

Albert visited Isabelle’s family home in Tinworth, then joined Isabelle and Katrina at a secluded beach, where the three gathered seafood. Albert cooked the catch over a portable stove, leaving the sisters impressed by his seaside barbecue.

• Albert arrived at Isabelle’s neglected home, where Katrina greeted him with an uneasy expression.
• Katrina joined Albert and Isabelle for a trip to a secluded beach beneath the cliffs.
• Albert and the sisters gathered fish and crabs among the rocks at low tide.
• Albert set up a portable stove and cooked the crabs with butter and seasonings.
• Isabelle tasted the crab and praised how delicious Albert’s cooking was.

Albert and Isabelle spent the day together at the seaside, where they discussed Katrina’s feelings for Albert, their future marriage, and researching beauty potions. They returned to the McDougal family villa and found Katrina still in her room, avoiding them.

• Albert photographed Isabelle at the seaside barbecue while Katrina grew uncomfortable watching them together.
• Isabelle told Albert that Katrina probably liked him, and they discussed her sister’s immaturity and the possibility that Katrina might like Diggory.
• Albert joked about having a girl on each arm, then suggested marrying Isabelle after graduation and revealed that Bard Brode had prepared goblin-made engagement rings.
• Albert told Isabelle about an invitation to research beauty potions, and she guessed that Miss Catherine had invited him.
• Albert and Isabelle returned to the McDougal family villa, where Katrina remained in her room to avoid seeing them.

Albert returned home after dinner at Isabelle's house, where both families got along well and Mrs. McDougal agreed to help research beauty potions. Afterward, Mrs. McDougal questioned Isabelle about Albert's unusual connections, while Isabelle confirmed their plans to become engaged when he came of age.

• Mrs. McDougal welcomed Albert for dinner, and the McDougal sisters prepared a seafood feast together.
• Mrs. McDougal arranged for Albert to use the Floo Network to return home before ten, where he told Daisy and Herb the visit had gone smoothly.
• Mrs. McDougal observed that Albert was unusually talented and connected to many famous wizards, but chose not to pry into his secrets.
• Isabelle told Mrs. McDougal that Albert planned to become engaged to her when he came of age, with Uncle Mog as their witness.
• Mrs. McDougal pointed out the similarities between Albert, Isabelle's father, and Mog, and suspected they belonged to a circle of exceptionally gifted wizards.

Gilderoy Lockhart accepted Dumbledore’s offer to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts after Dumbledore promised he could resign early to avoid the position’s curse. At his book signing, Lockhart met Harry Potter and tried to use Harry’s fame to boost his own, unaware that his actions would make Harry dislike him.

• Lockhart worried that the Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts post was cursed and initially refused Dumbledore’s offer.
• Dumbledore visited Lockhart and argued that he could avoid trouble by resigning early, as Bard had done.
• Dumbledore mentioned that Lockhart could teach Harry Potter and meet Albert Anderson, and Lockhart accepted the position on the condition that he could resign early.
• At Flourish and Blotts, Lockhart met Harry Potter, posed for photographs with him, announced his new job, and gave him a set of his books.

Albert left Fat Cat Tom with his grandparents and returned to Hogwarts, where his fame as the International Wizard's Chess Champion drew unwanted attention. He reunited with Lee Jordan and warned that trouble might arise this term, possibly involving Harry Potter.

• Albert said goodbye to his family at King's Cross and left Tom with Grandpa Luke because he feared the cat might be in danger at school.
• Albert searched for the house-elf near the station but did not find it, then crossed onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
• Wizards and witches crowded around Albert on the platform, and he turned down a girl by claiming he had a girlfriend.
• Lee Jordan joined Albert in his compartment and teased him about his championship fame and the girls pursuing him.
• Albert told Lee he had left Tom at home because he expected trouble, and he suspected it might involve Potter.
• Lee complained about the cost of Gilderoy Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts books and discussed how Fred and George would react to their new professor.

Albert, Lee Jordan, Fred, and George discussed the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and realized Harry and Ron were missing after the train departed. The chapter ended with Fred and George suspecting the boys had deliberately missed the train to fly to Hogwarts in the Ford Anglia.

• Lee Jordan asked Albert whether Lockhart would make a good Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and Albert suggested they would find out in class.
• Fred and George arrived just before the train departed, then returned from looking for Harry and Ron without finding them.
• Hermione and Percy reported that Harry and Ron were missing, and Albert guessed they had not boarded the train.
• Albert asked what someone should do after missing the train, and Fred and George called Ron an idiot for not seeking help.
• Lee Jordan suggested Harry and Ron might have missed the train on purpose, and Fred and George suspected they planned to take the Ford Anglia to Hogwarts.

After Harry and Ron flew the enchanted Ford Anglia toward Hogwarts, Percy’s letter alerted the Weasleys, while Albert and Hermione learned that the boys’ stunt had been spotted by Muggles. The car finally reached Hogwarts, but Harry and Ron crashed into the Whomping Willow and were left terrified about what awaited them.

• Percy sent his family an owl saying Harry and Ron had disappeared, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley realized the boys had taken their stolen Ford Anglia.
• Albert told Fred, George, Lee Jordan, and Hermione that Harry and Ron would likely face fines, lost points, and detention for flying the car.
• Albert and the other students arrived at Hogsmeade Station and heard rumors about someone coming to school by car.
• Harry and Ron flew the Ford Anglia over the Hogwarts grounds and crashed into the Whomping Willow.
• The Whomping Willow battered Harry and Ron, leaving them shaken and worried about what would happen next.

At the start of term, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley flew a Ford Anglia to Hogwarts and crashed into the Whomping Willow, while Albert drew attention as the youngest International Wizard's Chess Champion. The feast introduced Gilderoy Lockhart as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and the chapter ended with Harry and Ron returning to a crowd in the Gryffindor Common Room.

• Percy told Professor McGonagall that a Ford Anglia had flown toward the Forbidden Forest, and Dumbledore sent Snape to find Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
• Snape tracked Harry and Ron to the Whomping Willow, saw that they were unharmed, and secretly followed them back to Hogwarts.
• Albert joined the Gryffindor feast, where students talked about his chess title and the car incident as the Sorting ceremony took place.
• Snape reported that Harry and Ron had crashed into the Whomping Willow, and Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall left to deal with them.
• Dumbledore announced Gilderoy Lockhart as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, while Albert warned Fred and George that the classes might go badly.
• Albert went to bed before Harry and Ron returned to the Gryffindor Common Room and received an enthusiastic welcome.

Albert retrieved his Time-Turner from Professor McGonagall and tried to mend his strained friendship with Katrina. He then helped Professor Sprout treat the Whomping Willow and learned about its medicinal value.

• Albert ran into Katrina on his way to Professor McGonagall's office, and they collected their Time-Turners together.
• Albert asked Katrina if she was angry about his relationship with Isabelle and urged her to talk with her sister, but Katrina left without answering whether they were still friends.
• Albert met Professor Sprout outside and accompanied her to treat the Whomping Willow injured by Harry Potter's car.
• Professor Sprout showed Albert how to subdue the Whomping Willow using the knot on its trunk, then taught him about the medicinal uses of its branches and shoots.

Albert helped Professor Sprout treat the Whomping Willow, then watched Lockhart get injured when the tree attacked him. At breakfast, Lockhart’s accident became school gossip, and Ron received an angry Howler from Mrs. Weasley.

• Professor Sprout finished bandaging the Whomping Willow while Albert wondered about the hidden passage beneath it.
• Lockhart tried to trim the tree’s damaged branches, and the Whomping Willow struck him before Albert stopped its attack.
• Albert took Lockhart to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey found that he had broken bones.
• Albert told the Gryffindors that Lockhart had been attacked by the Whomping Willow, and Professor McGonagall awarded him five points.
• A Howler from Mrs. Weasley roared through the Great Hall, scolding Ron for stealing a car.

Albert reviewed Lockhart’s first-lesson quiz and planned to get his signature for a Restricted Section permission slip while investigating the professor’s secrets. As the students headed to Defence Against the Dark Arts, Ron’s broken wand and the twins’ careful handling of Albert’s research money came up.

• Albert showed Fred, George, and Lee Jordan Lockhart’s quiz questions and answered that Lockhart’s favourite colour was lilac.
• Albert said he wanted Lockhart’s signature to borrow a Restricted Section book, while privately planning to complete a panel mission and expose Lockhart’s hidden secrets.
• Ron complained that Lockhart had released Cornish Pixies in his class and resisted Hermione’s advice to get a new wand because he feared another Howler.
• Albert suggested that Ron borrow money from Harry to buy a wand, while Fred and George insisted they would not misuse the Galleons Albert had given them for research.
• Lee Jordan felt guilty about having spent some of the research money on snacks and toys before replacing it, and he urged the others to go to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Albert and his friends attended Lockhart’s first Defence Against the Dark Arts class, where Lockhart gave a quiz and read aloud from his textbook. After class, Albert used Lockhart’s signature to get permission to borrow books from the Restricted Section.

• Albert joked with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan about Lockhart’s popularity and turned down Lorena Kama’s flirtation because he had a girlfriend, Isabelle.
• Lockhart introduced himself to the class, gave the students a quiz, and awarded Gryffindor ten points after Albert earned full marks.
• Lockhart spent the rest of the lesson reading from the textbook, prompting Fred and George to wish Albert could teach them Defence Against the Dark Arts.
• Albert showed Shanna Lockhart’s signed slip and explained that he had secured Restricted Section access by asking about vampires who overcame blood-drinking and ate only carrots.

Albert maxed out Wizard Bloodline, then sought Professor Flitwick’s help learning the Human-Tracking Charm so he could track Ginny Weasley before the Basilisk attacks. He also learned that the Trace was difficult to block and agreed to write a paper in exchange for instruction in advanced Shielding Charm techniques.

• Albert used the Forbidden Magic Zone reward to raise Wizard Bloodline to level six, its maximum, and found that his magic had grown more powerful.
• Albert planned to track Ginny Weasley with the Human-Tracking Charm so he could prepare for the Basilisk incident and earn another Special Contribution Award.
• Albert asked Professor Flitwick to teach him the Human-Tracking Charm, quickly grasped its basics, and claimed he wanted to use it to locate his cat, Tom.
• Professor Flitwick demonstrated that a powerful Shielding Charm could block the Human-Tracking Charm and explained that the Ministry’s Trace was difficult to block because it was a form of Contract Magic.
• Professor Flitwick agreed to teach Albert advanced applications of the Shielding Charm in exchange for a paper on the subject in Charms Innovations.

Albert visited Hagrid and asked about Gilderoy Lockhart, learning about the former student’s many attention-seeking exploits. When Lockhart arrived at Hagrid’s cabin, Albert disappeared before Hagrid could introduce them.

• Albert brought Hagrid butterfudge and fed Fang dried fish at the Hunting Cabin.
• Albert asked why Dumbledore had hired Lockhart and complained that his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were dreadful.
• Hagrid said Lockhart had been vain and troublesome at Hogwarts, recalling his enormous name carved into the Quidditch Pitch and his portrait projected into the sky like the Dark Mark.
• Hagrid also recounted Lockhart sending himself a flock of Valentine’s Day cards and said the professors had been relieved when he graduated.
• Lockhart knocked at Hagrid’s door, and Albert vanished after Hagrid opened it.

Albert visited Hagrid and met Harry, Hermione, and Ron, who was vomiting slugs after a curse backfired. When Hermione asked about the insult Malfoy had used, Albert explained it and argued that pure-blood wizards were pitiful products of inbreeding, leaving everyone stunned.

• Lockhart visited Hagrid to boast and offer advice about water monsters, while Albert hid until Lockhart left.
• Harry, Hermione, and Ron arrived at Hagrid’s hut, and Albert’s attempt to break Ron’s slug-vomiting curse failed.
• Albert suggested Harry sign his Wizard Cards and said he had made cards for Hagrid and other professors, though Snape had refused.
• Harry explained that Ron had tried to curse Malfoy for calling Hermione a “Mudblood,” and Albert explained the slur.
• Albert claimed that pure-blood wizards were inbred and prone to various problems, leaving Hagrid, Harry, Hermione, and Ron stunned.