Chapter Summaries

Albert succeeded at his first Transfiguration lesson, turning a matchstick into a needle and practicing further transformations while the other students struggled. The class ended with matchstick-to-needle practice assigned as homework, and only Albert and Katrina had managed the spell.

• Professor McGonagall warned the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first-years that Transfiguration was dangerous, then demonstrated by turning a desk into a pig and back.
• Albert studied Transfiguration Theory, spent 98 experience points to reach Level 1, and took notes during Professor McGonagall's lesson.
• Professor McGonagall had the students try turning matchsticks into needles, and Albert succeeded with Vera Verto, earning Gryffindor five points.
• Albert told Fred and Katrina that prior practice and the lesson notes helped him succeed, while Katrina also managed to transform her matchstick.
• Albert practiced restoring and changing his matchstick into other objects, while the other students failed to transform theirs before class ended.
• Professor McGonagall assigned the class to practice turning matchsticks into needles for homework.

Albert asked Professor McGonagall about learning the Summoning Charm, then proved his Transfiguration skill by turning a match into a lame mouse and earned a place in her Transfiguration Club. Afterward, he upgraded his Transfiguration Theory in the library and planned to join his roommates for a flying test later that afternoon.

• Albert asked Professor McGonagall about the Summoning Charm, but she warned him that he was not ready to learn it.
• Professor McGonagall tested Albert by asking him to transform a match into a mouse, and he produced a mouse with a lame leg.
• Professor McGonagall admitted Albert to her Transfiguration Club and recommended books for him to study.
• Albert told Fred, George, and Lee Jordan about the club, then agreed to meet them at the Quidditch pitch for a test flight.
• Albert went to the library, collected 2,000 experience points from the completed quest, and upgraded Transfiguration Theory to level two.

Albert waited for Fred, George, and Lee Jordan before they met Charlie Weasley at the Quidditch pitch to try flying. Charlie arrived late and explained that each of them would fly one lap around the pitch.

• Albert waited in the Great Hall, where Shanna hesitated to ask him for help with Transfiguration before the twins called him away.
• Albert joined Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, and they headed to the Quidditch pitch to meet Charlie.
• Albert unlocked the pitch gate with Alohomora, and the group waited while practicing spells.
• Charlie arrived with a Cleansweep Five and told the boys to fly one lap each, warning Fred and George not to pull any tricks.

Charlie taught Fred, George, Lee Jordan, and Albert to fly at the Quidditch pitch, where Albert rapidly mastered broom flight and impressed everyone with his speed. Charlie invited them to train as reserve players, while reminding them they would have to pass next year’s tryouts to join the team officially.

• One of the twins flew first, and Charlie judged his flight barely passable while showing clear approval.
• Charlie demonstrated broom basics and coached Lee Jordan, who completed a slow but steady lap around the pitch.
• Albert took off, discovered the broom’s cushioning charm, and gradually gained confidence as he flew.
• Albert raised Flight Skill (Broom) to Level 1 and rapidly accelerated, circling the pitch at nearly the Sweeping Seven Stars’ top speed.
• Charlie praised the group’s flying talent and invited them to train as reserve players using school brooms, but said they must pass next year’s tryouts to become official team members.

Albert received Professor McGonagall’s notice for the next Transfiguration Club meeting and chose it over Charlie’s Quidditch training plans. He spent the evening helping Shanna, George, and Lee practice Lumos before Fred and George returned after Filch confiscated most of their U-No-Poo.

• At dinner, Angelina delivered Professor McGonagall’s notice to Albert, and he told the others he would prioritize the Transfiguration Club over Quidditch practice.
• Charlie left to find out what had happened to his plans to train Albert for Gryffindor’s Quidditch team.
• Albert moved to the Great Hall to read and practice magic, where he encouraged Shanna to keep trying Lumos and gave her chocolate beans.
• Shanna eventually lit her wand, and Lee Jordan and George also practiced Lumos while Albert explained how he judged mastery of the spell.
• Fred and George arrived around eight-thirty and told Albert that Filch had confiscated most of their U-No-Poo before they could use it against Peeves.

Albert used a Shield Charm to protect himself and his friends from Peeves, then attended his first Herbology lesson, where Professor Sprout introduced the class to magical plants. The chapter ended with the students learning that caring for Dittany would be a major topic and exam subject.

• George, Fred, and Lee Jordan had stayed up all night planning to prank Filch, so Albert woke them in time for Herbology.
• Peeves attacked students in the corridor with ink, but Albert blocked his assault with a Shield Charm and cleaned most of the mess.
• Albert explained the Shield Charm to George, Fred, and Lee Jordan, claiming he had learned it from a book.
• Professor Sprout taught the class about Herbology and explained Dittany's healing uses and the importance of cultivating it.

In Herbology, Professor Pomona taught the students about magical plants, including how to repel Devil's Snare. After lunch, the Weasley twins decided to prank Filch by throwing U-No-Poos into his office, and Albert offered to help them plan it.

• Professor Pomona demonstrated that Devil's Snare tightened around struggling prey and retreated from fire and warmth.
• George told Albert, Lee Jordan, and Fred that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was cursed, and Albert explained that Tom had cursed it after failing to get the post.
• Albert and the others saw Filch catch a Gryffindor student who had thrown a U-No-Poo into a corridor.
• After lunch, Fred and George decided to throw U-No-Poos into Filch's office, and Albert offered to give them suggestions.

Albert persuaded Fred and George to practice the Unlocking Charm so they could explore Filch’s confiscated-items drawer, but none of them managed to open a lock. He left the group considering how spells could be developed beyond their basic uses.

• Albert suggested the twins learn the Unlocking Charm, and they planned to use it to open Filch’s drawer of confiscated items.
• Lee Jordan returned with news that William had failed to escape detention and had been sentenced to scrub chamber pots.
• Back in the Gryffindor dormitory, Albert coached Fred, George, and Lee as they practiced Alohomora, but the spell had no effect.
• Lee gave up practicing to preview lessons, while Fred and George continued working on the spell.
• Albert explained that he had learned the spells in Standard Spells, Elementary and described creative ways to extend Lumos, such as making its light brighter or floating it away from the wand.

Professor Burdock Broad taught the first-years practical lessons about werewolves and how to signal for help with sparks. After class, Albert offered George, Fred, and Lee Jordan a defensive magic book, but reminded them they still had spells to master.

• Professor Burdock Broad warned the class that the Defence Against the Dark Arts position was cursed and shared advice from his travels.
• Professor Burdock Broad explained how to avoid transformed werewolves, summon help with red sparks, and treat bites from untransformed werewolves.
• Professor Burdock Broad taught the class to fire red and green sparks as signals and assigned them to practise.
• Albert told George, Fred, and Lee Jordan that they had not yet mastered several spells, then offered to lend them Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts.
• George, Fred, and Lee Jordan asked whether Albert had learned the book's spells, and Albert reminded George and Fred to focus on the Unlocking Charm.

Albert watched his roommates struggle with defensive spells, then bet Lee that Fred would master the Unlocking Charm first. The chapter ended with the friends discussing the difficult Disillusionment Charm and the twins worrying they would not learn it in time to sneak out at night.

• Fred, George, and Lee failed to cast the Armor Charm, and Albert advised them to practice easier spells.
• Albert explained his theory that practicing magic improved magical power and control, while Fred, George, and Lee turned to the Unlocking Charm.
• Fred unlocked his drawer first and won Albert's bet, so Lee ate a Pepper Imp and breathed flames onto George.
• Albert said he had not mastered the Disillusionment Charm, and the twins lamented that they might not learn it that year.

Fred and George Weasley staged a U-No-Poo prank to distract Filch while Fred broke into a drawer of confiscated property and stole an envelope. Filch caught both twins, and Professor McGonagall sentenced them to detention and docked Gryffindor twenty points as they began cleaning up their mess.

• Fred and George planned to throw a U-No-Poo at Filch, and Fred let himself be caught while George slipped away.
• Filch dragged Fred to his office, where Fred found the confiscated-property drawer and used Alohomora to steal an envelope during a second U-No-Poo distraction.
• Filch caught George and took both Weasley twins to Professor McGonagall, who deducted twenty points from Gryffindor and assigned them detention.
• Filch led the twins to a broom closet beneath a spiral staircase and ordered them to clean up the prank.

Fred and George cleaned up their U-No-Poo mess, then discovered that the confiscated parchment they had stolen was the Marauder's Map. They began exploring its secret passages while keeping their discovery from Albert and Lee Jordan.

• Fred and George spent hours mopping up the U-No-Poo they had thrown around the corridors and missed lunch.
• Fred showed George an old parchment he had taken from Filch's confiscated goods drawer, and George activated it with the phrase, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
• The twins discovered that the Marauder's Map revealed Hogwarts's layout, secret passages, passwords, and the locations of people in the castle.
• Fred and George used "Mischief managed" to make the map blank again and decided not to tell Albert or Lee Jordan about it yet.
• The twins followed the map to a secret passage, entered through a statue, and learned that it led to the fifth floor.

Albert and his friends discussed their lessons, detention, and spell practice before gathering to practise Transfiguration. After none of them managed to turn a match into a needle, Katrina reminded them that the subject took time to learn, and the group set off for Astronomy class.

• Lee Jordan told Fred and George that their detention was scheduled for the next night in the Trophy Room, and Albert said he had seen William after his Hospital Wing chore.
• Albert shared his notes with the group and reassured them about their progress with Lumos and Transfiguration.
• That evening, Albert turned a twig into a match with Vera Verto and duplicated matches with Gemino for everyone to practise with.
• The group failed to transform their matches before Astronomy class, and Katrina told them that Transfiguration required several days of practice.
• Albert checked the time and led everyone toward Astronomy class, which they would attend with Hufflepuff.

Albert and his classmates attended their first Astronomy class, where Professor Sinistra introduced the Solar System and taught them to use telescopes and draw star charts. After class, Albert headed to the kitchens with Fred and George, leaving Lee Jordan to follow with their bags.

• George and Fred showed the group how the Drunk Knight in a portrait fell into a neighboring painting’s river after Fred shouted at him.
• Cedric Diggory and the Huffleffpuff students arrived before class began, and Professor Sinistra revealed a model of the Solar System.
• Professor Sinistra taught the first-years about the planets and how to draw star charts, while Albert helped Fred identify Mars on his chart.
• The students practiced using telescopes to find the planets, but Albert did not locate all nine before class ended.
• Albert set off for the kitchens with Fred and George, and the twins handed their backpacks to Lee Jordan before leaving him behind.

Albert and the Weasley twins returned to Gryffindor Tower after Filch assigned Fred and George detention, and Albert received a quest to help Gryffindor win the House Cup. The chapter left him considering whether to wait for Potter to arrive before attempting it.

• Filch caught Fred, George, Albert, and Lee Jordan near the Entrance Hall and assigned the twins detention polishing trophies at seven the next evening.
• Albert and the others took secret passages toward Gryffindor Tower and encountered Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Burdock Broad, who recognized Albert and examined him strangely.
• The Fat Lady reluctantly let the four into the common room after Fred and George gave the password.
• Charlie told the group about upcoming Quidditch training, but Fred and George said they could not attend because of detention.
• Albert discussed Gryffindor's poor House Cup record with the twins and received a quest to help Gryffindor win the cup for one skill point.

In Charms class, Albert and a few others learned Nox while many students still struggled with Lumos, and Professor Flitwick assigned a two-foot report on the spells. After class, the group discussed the homework and upcoming flying lessons, while Professor McGonagall warned that she would check their Transfiguration progress the following week.

• Professor Flitwick taught Nox, and Albert and Lee Jordan learned to extinguish their wand lights and candle flames while most students struggled with the spells.
• Professor Flitwick assigned a report on Lumos and Nox, and Albert explained how the students could research and structure it.
• Fred and George briefly confronted a skeptical Hufflepuff student, then joked with Diggory as the group continued toward class.
• Angelina said she wanted to try out for Quidditch, and George told her Charlie was recruiting reserve players that afternoon.
• Professor McGonagall said she would check the students' matchstick-to-needle Transfiguration next week and warned that those who had made no progress could be in trouble.

Albert found the hidden entrance to the Transfiguration Club and joined its meeting, where Professor McGonagall introduced the topic of Animagi. The discussion began with a paper Albert could barely understand.

• Albert searched the sixth floor for Classroom 21 until Izabel Macdougal showed him how to enter through a portrait.
• Albert transformed Professor McGonagall's parchment into a chair and added a cushion made from a candy wrapper.
• Izabel introduced herself and revealed that Katrina McDougal was her younger sister.
• The Transfiguration Club members arrived, admired Albert's chair, and welcomed him as a new member.
• Professor McGonagall congratulated Mr. Selwyn for winning an award, introduced Albert, and began a discussion of Animagi.

Albert learned about the dangers and complexity of Animagus transformation, and a new quest appeared urging him to become one. At the Transfiguration Club, he practiced the Summoning Charm with Professor McGonagall’s book and managed to summon only a chrysanthemum stem.

• Albert considered the theory and challenges of Animagus transformation, then received a quest to complete the ritual and become an Animagus.
• Albert told Fielder that his understanding of Animagus transformation had changed, and Fielder said she thought he had the talent to become one.
• Professor McGonagall warned the students not to attempt Animagus transformation rashly because failures could leave wizards trapped as half-human, half-beast creatures.
• Professor McGonagall had the club practice the Vanishment Charm and lent Albert her copy of Intermediate Transfiguration to study the Summoning Charm.
• Albert practiced the Summoning Charm and summoned a chrysanthemum stem, while Fielder accidentally vanished a table leg and Professor McGonagall restored it.
• Fielder examined Albert’s summoned stem, and Albert said he would succeed, though he still could not summon a bouquet by the end of the club.

After the Transfiguration Club meeting, Albert avoided drinking from a suspicious teacup, but George got bitten when he tried it. The boys later discussed joining Gryffindor’s Quidditch team, and Albert said he would likely have little time for training.

• Albert returned to the Gryffindor Common Room and made milk tea, then chose a chocolate-transfigured cup instead of a suspicious teacup.
• Fred and George came back from polishing trophies for Filch, and Albert described the Transfiguration Club and his practice with the Summoning Charm.
• George drank from Lee Jordan’s Biting Teacup, which bit his nose, and he chased Lee while Fred laughed.
• Albert recounted the Transfiguration Club meeting to Fred, then called George and Lee back before they could finish fighting.
• Lee told Albert that Angelina flew well, and Albert explained why joining the Quidditch team could cause resentment and interfere with his time.

Albert attended his first Potions class with the Slytherins and answered Snape’s questions correctly. Snape still took a point from Gryffindor, leaving the students convinced he favored his own House.

• Albert and his friends went with older students to avoid getting lost on the castle’s changing routes, and Albert reviewed a book before Potions class.
• Albert entered the dungeon classroom with Lee Jordan and saw Snape preparing a lesson on the cure for boils.
• Snape questioned Albert about potion ingredients and plants, and Albert answered each question correctly.
• Snape dismissed Albert’s answers as copied from a book, then took one point from Gryffindor after Shanna whispered to Albert.
• Albert quietly studied Snape and compared his appearance to the Severus Snape he remembered.