Chapter Summaries

Albert returned to Hogwarts for Christmas after spending time with Isabelle, and the two discussed their future, the dangers he faced, and a biography of The Le Me Couple. On Christmas morning, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan opened Albert’s many gifts and plotted how to handle the sweets that might contain Love Potion.

• Albert told Nia he planned to return after Christmas, and Nia asked Isabelle to keep him from doing anything reckless.
• Albert and Isabelle returned to their Hogsmeade home, where they planned a private dance and discussed his safety, their future, and Isabelle writing a biography of The Le Me Couple.
• Albert and Isabelle decided to publish Ancient Runes Guide under both their names, then spent the evening together before Albert returned to Hogwarts at five in the morning.
• Fred, George, and Lee Jordan opened Albert’s Christmas parcels and found 138 gifts, including 31 boxes of sweets sent largely by girls at school.
• Fred, George, and Lee Jordan suspected some sweets might contain Love Potion and planned to share them later while anonymously sending some to Montague, two others, and Ludo Bagman.

Albert sorted through his many Christmas gifts, then prepared for the Yule Ball with Katrina as his dance partner. The chapter ended as the champions and their partners entered the Great Hall to applause.

• Albert learned that girls had sent him more than thirty parcels of Love Potion-laced treats, and he let Fred, George, and Lee Jordan handle them.
• Albert opened gifts from Nia, the Le Me Couple, Dumbledore, Mog, Bard, and his roommates, then gave the treats to Fred, George, and Lee Jordan.
• Fred, George, and Lee Jordan threw a snowball at Albert, but it bounced back and hit all three of them.
• Albert met Katrina before the Yule Ball, and they watched Roger Davies arrive with Fleur as his dance partner.
• Professor McGonagall gathered Albert and Katrina with the champions and their partners, including Krum with Hermione, then led them into the Great Hall.

At the Yule Ball, Albert shared the feast and danced repeatedly with Katrina, while hinting that she should leave England and avoid the Ministry of Magic. After Katrina rested, Albert prepared to dance with Luna and other friends as the ball continued.

• Percy told Albert he had become Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and Albert warned him that his good fortune would not last and asked when Crouch's health had worsened.
• Albert encouraged Katrina to travel abroad after graduation and warned her that England and the Ministry of Magic would soon be dangerous.
• After the feast, the Weird Sisters performed, and Albert led Katrina onto the dance floor, where they danced through several songs.
• Albert took Katrina to rest and gave her Butterbeer and cake while Lee Jordan, Luna, and other friends joined them.
• Yanira arrived with Gabrielle and asked Albert to dance, while George arrived with Aaliyah and Shanna and teased Albert about dancing so much.

At the Yule Ball, Albert danced with Luna, encouraged her to make friends, and agreed to let her inherit the Wizard Cards Club if she maintained its gatherings and tournaments. He gave Percy cryptic advice about waiting for better opportunities in the future, then questioned Yanira about why she pursued him so determinedly.

• Albert left the conversation about the Weird Sisters and danced slowly with Luna, reassuring her and agreeing they could be friends.
• Albert told Luna he was considering her as the next head of the Wizard Cards Club, and she agreed to preserve its monthly gatherings and termly tournaments.
• Yanira offered Albert Butterbeer and insisted she still wanted to dance with him, while Luna jokingly suggested that Ravenclaw girls might use a Love Potion.
• Percy asked Albert to explain his earlier remarks, but Albert told him to wait until next summer and advised him to value someone who listened to him.
• Albert danced with Yanira and explained that he had given Percy indirect advice because Percy needed to reach his own conclusions.
• Yanira told Albert she pursued him because she admired his qualities, connections, and potential, and said she would not give up.

Albert escaped the Yule Ball after dancing with several girls, shared the Golden Egg’s secret with Krum, and returned through time to spend Christmas with Isabelle. They discussed their future amid the danger from the Dark Lord, and Albert fell asleep beside her.

• Angelina, Shanna, Aaliyah, and Fleur each danced with Albert before he invited Hermione to help escape the crowd.
• Albert told Hermione she could share the Golden Egg’s secret with Harry, then revealed to Krum that the egg’s secret could be heard underwater and asked him to distract the girls.
• Albert used the Vanishing Cabinet and Time-Turner to return to the cottage, where he reunited with Isabelle and danced with her.
• Albert and Isabelle discussed Katrina’s plans, their family, and the dangers they faced because of the Dark Lord; Isabelle chose not to postpone their wedding.
• Albert fell asleep after spending Christmas with Isabelle, and she watched over him as he rested.

After Albert left the Yule Ball, Katrina explained why he had chosen her as his dance partner, while Hermione told Harry that Albert had solved the Golden Egg’s secret. Harry and Ron discussed Hagrid’s half-giant heritage, and Harry ended the ball regretting that he had never asked Cho Chang to dance.

• Katrina told the girls that Albert had invited her to fend off unwanted attention and that he had originally planned to dance with Isabelle.
• Hermione told Harry that Albert had solved the Golden Egg’s secret and advised him to put it in water and open it.
• Hermione explained that Albert had warned Hagrid not to reveal his half-giant heritage and cautioned Harry and Ron not to spread the news.
• Hermione left with Krum for the dance floor while Ron watched gloomily.
• Harry failed to gather the courage to invite Cho Chang to dance before the Yule Ball ended.

Albert recovered from his overexertion while spending a quiet day with Isabelle, and they developed a guide to wizarding-world customs for Muggle-born wizards. Back at Grandpa Luke's home, Albert promised to teach Nia to dance and make her a self-defense bag, then read about an apparent poisoning at the Ministry of Magic.

• Albert stayed in bed with Isabelle, and they discussed wizarding customs while he recorded material for a book called Wizarding World Common Sense Chat.
• Albert returned with Isabelle to Grandpa Luke's home for the rest of the Christmas holiday.
• Nia teased Albert about dancing and massaged his sore muscles, and Albert promised to dance with her once he recovered.
• Nia asked Albert for a bag that could hold many things, and he agreed to make one as her next Christmas gift.
• Albert read a Daily Prophet report that the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports had eaten bewitched chocolate and been taken to St. Mungo's.

Dumbledore pieced together that Barty Crouch Jr. was alive and suspected Voldemort had an accomplice at Hogwarts. He arranged to leave the school while Snape and Moody watched the professors, prompting Barty Crouch Jr. to decide not to warn Voldemort.

• Dumbledore questioned Winky and inferred that Barty Crouch Jr. had survived, with Old Barty Crouch involved in hiding the truth.
• Dumbledore failed to find Albert and had to postpone his visit to Old Barty after Ludo Bagman was sent to St. Mungo's following the Love Potion incident.
• Dumbledore told Snape to watch Moody and explained that he suspected someone at Hogwarts might be serving Voldemort.
• Dumbledore asked Moody to prevent professors from sending messages after he left, hoping to expose Voldemort's hidden accomplice.
• Barty Crouch Jr. realized he might be watched and chose not to warn Voldemort.

Dumbledore and Bagman investigated Barty Crouch’s apparent illness and discovered Voldemort hiding in his home. Voldemort escaped after Dumbledore destroyed his infant body and killed Nagini, but Peter Pettigrew killed Barty, leaving the Ministry uncertain how to respond to Voldemort’s return.

• Dumbledore and Bagman found Barty Crouch ill and acting strangely, then suspected he was under the Imperius Curse and returned to rescue him.
• Bagman immobilized Barty at the door, but Voldemort attacked with the Killing Curse as Dumbledore broke into the house.
• Dumbledore trapped Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew with golden flames, then used Gryffindor's Sword to behead Nagini, whom he recognized as a Horcrux.
• Voldemort fled after Dumbledore destroyed his infant body, while Peter escaped after killing Barty Crouch.
• Dumbledore told Fudge, Scrimgeour, and the others that Voldemort had returned and escaped, and they debated whether to keep the news from the public.

Albert learned that Dumbledore had killed Voldemort at the Crouch residence and destroyed Nagini, leaving him to worry that Britain would become unsafe. He promised to prepare carefully for the Triwizard Tournament and planned to send Nia out of England, while she asked when he would dance with her and show her Hogwarts.

• Albert read that Barty Crouch had been killed and that Dumbledore had defeated Voldemort at the Crouch residence.
• Albert checked his quest panel and saw that his contribution to the Dark Lord's downfall had increased, realizing Dumbledore had destroyed Nagini.
• Albert and Isabelle discussed the likely spy at Hogwarts, suspected to be the impostor posing as Mad-Eye Moody, and Albert said he would prepare for the third task.
• Isabelle urged Albert to be careful before returning home, and Albert told Nia he planned to send her out of England when school ended.
• Nia asked Albert when he would dance with her and take her to visit Hogwarts.

Dumbledore discussed Voldemort’s escape and the threat of his return with Snape and Moody, while suspecting Barty Crouch Jr. had infiltrated Hogwarts. The chapter ended with Moody noting that Fudge may have accepted Galleons to let Mrs. Pettigrew visit Azkaban.

• Snape told Dumbledore that Harry’s scar hurt and that the Dark Mark had weakened, while Dumbledore said he had driven Voldemort away rather than killed him.
• Dumbledore warned Snape that Voldemort was desperate to regain a body and that Snape should prepare himself.
• Dumbledore summoned Moody, who reported that Potter had fallen ill and that he had seen Snape clutching his Dark Mark.
• Dumbledore told Moody he suspected Barty Crouch Jr. was helping Voldemort and might have infiltrated Hogwarts.
• Dumbledore told Moody that Voldemort had returned in the form of a baby and that Aurors had found potion ingredients at Barty’s home.
• Moody said Fudge may have taken Galleons to allow Mrs. Pettigrew to visit Azkaban.

Peter Pettigrew found Voldemort hiding in Riddle House and offered to help him recover a physical body. Voldemort planned to leave England, rebuild his strength, and later check on his Horcruxes, unaware that others might know his secrets.

• Peter Pettigrew entered Riddle House and found Voldemort waiting there.
• Voldemort called Peter a coward, but listened as Peter described killing Barty Crouch and the Ministry's search for him.
• Voldemort ordered Peter to help him regain a physical body and send Barty Crouch Jr. a warning to stay hidden.
• Voldemort decided they should leave England because the Ministry might monitor their search for potion ingredients.
• Voldemort suspected Dumbledore had begun investigating his Horcruxes and resolved to check that they were safe once he regained his strength.

Sirius warned Harry about the dangers of the Triwizard Tournament’s underwater task and told him that Voldemort had briefly returned in a fragile body before Dumbledore destroyed it. Dumbledore connected the evidence and Sirius’s prophecy to a desolate manor in the village where Voldemort’s father was born, identifying it as a likely hiding place.

• Sirius visited Harry, Hermione, and Ron, discussed the underwater task, and warned Harry to prepare for breathing and swimming underwater.
• Sirius told Harry that Voldemort had returned in a fragile body, that Dumbledore had destroyed it, and that Barty Crouch had likely been killed to silence him.
• Sirius, Dumbledore, Arthur Weasley, and Kingsley Shacklebolt reviewed evidence that Barty Crouch Jr. was alive and had used Polyjuice Potion to infiltrate Hogwarts.
• Sirius showed the group his memory of Albert’s prophecy, whose visions led from Peter Pettigrew to Barty Crouch Jr. and finally to a graveyard.
• Dumbledore linked the prophecy’s desolate manor to the village where Voldemort’s father was born and concluded that Voldemort might be hiding there.

Dumbledore found Voldemort hiding in a rat at Riddle House, but Voldemort escaped as a wandering spirit while the wizards failed to capture Peter Pettigrew. Peter returned to the house, where Voldemort waited in another rat, while Barty Crouch Jr. worried about losing access to Polyjuice Potion ingredients and began planning ahead.

• Dumbledore trapped Voldemort in rat form at Riddle House, but Voldemort tore free and escaped through the magical barrier.
• Dumbledore, Arthur, Sirius Black, and Kingsley discussed how to capture Voldemort and searched for clues about the prophecy's final graveyard.
• Peter Pettigrew approached Riddle House, triggered the Aurors' alarm, and fled before they could catch him.
• Peter returned to Riddle House, where Voldemort had possessed another rat and was waiting for his help.
• Barty Crouch Jr. worried that his Polyjuice Potion supplies would run out and, as Moody, decided to make preparations in advance.

Albert tested how long the Bubble-Head Charm lasted while preparing for the second task in the Black Lake, and Moaning Myrtle agreed to guide him to the merpeople’s village. Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived to test the Golden Egg, and Albert explained that each champion’s beloved treasure would likely be a person they had to rescue.

• Albert tested the Bubble-Head Charm in the Prefects' Bathroom and concluded that its duration might not provide enough oxygen during strenuous swimming, so he kept his Underwater Breathing Potion as a backup.
• Moaning Myrtle told Albert there was a merpeople’s village at the bottom of the lake and agreed to guide him there without letting the merpeople bother her.
• Harry, Hermione, and Ron entered the bathroom to test the Golden Egg, and the Weasley twins sang its clue about finding a treasure underwater within an hour.
• Hermione realized that the champions’ beloved treasures referred to people, and Albert suggested that Ron would be Harry’s treasure and Hermione would be Krum’s.
• Albert warmed and dried himself and the others with a spell, then left Harry, Ron, and Hermione to continue testing the Golden Egg.

Hermione told Albert that Rita Skeeter had exposed Hagrid’s giant parentage, but Albert said Hagrid had ignored his warnings and would have to recover on his own. After the Christmas holiday, Harry struggled to plan for the Triwizard Tournament’s underwater task, while Albert and his friends returned to school and signed up for Apparition lessons.

• Hermione told Albert that Rita Skeeter’s article had left Hagrid shut away, and Albert said Hagrid had brought the trouble on himself by ignoring repeated warnings.
• Hermione repeated Albert’s response to Harry and Ron, then helped Harry investigate the Golden Egg’s underwater song; Harry admitted he could not swim, and Ron asked whether Hermione would be his treasure.
• After the Christmas holiday, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan said they had fought off students seeking revenge for the Love Potion pastries, and Albert noted that they had also sent Bagman to St. Mungo’s.
• Fred, George, Albert, and Lee signed up for the Ministry’s twelve-week Apparition course, with Albert offering to lend the twins money for the fee.
• When the sixth-years asked Albert for Apparition advice, he summoned a Ministry booklet about common mistakes and returned to his dormitory.

Albert reviewed his long-term plans, then took Fred, George, and Lee Jordan to Hogsmeade by Apparition. There, he discussed Sirius Black’s plans to expose Peter Pettigrew’s escape and joined his friends in planning to damage Ludo Bagman’s reputation.

• Albert added a backup escape plan to his notebook and returned to bed.
• Albert told Fred, George, and Lee Jordan that he had revealed the Golden Egg’s secret to Viktor Krum so Krum would not risk dying in the Black Lake.
• Albert used Accompanying Apparition to take Fred, George, and Lee Jordan to Hogsmeade, where they recovered from the unpleasant journey.
• Albert told his friends that Sirius Black planned to publish how Fudge had helped Peter Pettigrew escape Azkaban and suspected Fudge had Death Eater connections.
• Albert suggested tipping off Rita Skeeter about Ludo Bagman’s debts, and the four agreed to use her reporting to ruin Bagman’s reputation.

Albert discussed plans with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan for selling joke products and defensive gear while they watched Ludo Bagman argue with goblins. Sirius publicly revealed the Ministry’s suppressed information about Voldemort and the Crouches, then joined Albert to discuss pursuing Peter Pettigrew and Bagman’s debts.

• Albert advised Fred, George, and Lee Jordan on advertising joke products, developing Wizard Cards, and preparing a business selling protective gear.
• Lee Jordan overheard that Ludo Bagman wanted to gamble his way out of debt, while Rita Skeeter arrived to investigate him.
• Harry and Hermione confronted Rita Skeeter, and Sirius exposed the story of Mrs. Pettigrew’s sacrifice and Voldemort’s escape from the Crouch home.
• Sirius revealed that Barty Crouch Jr. was alive and involved in a plot to restore Voldemort, and he accused the Daily Prophet of hiding the truth.
• Sirius offered Albert half of Peter Pettigrew’s thirty-thousand-Galleon bounty, and Albert suggested they discuss it elsewhere because Pettigrew might have left England.
• Albert explained that Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had planned to use Rita Skeeter to expose Bagman, while Sirius described Bagman’s debts and their failed efforts to collect them.

Fudge struggled to contain the political fallout from Peter Pettigrew’s escape and Sirius Black’s claims that Voldemort was returning. Dumbledore explained Sirius’s motives, warned that prophecies foretold disaster, and Fudge agreed to judge the Triwizard Tournament amid the Ministry’s turmoil.

• Fudge blamed Sirius for exposing his deal with Mrs. Pettigrew and worsening public demands for his resignation, then wrote to Dumbledore and the Daily Prophet’s editor.
• Barnabas Cuffe defended the Daily Prophet’s coverage to Fudge and shifted responsibility for the scandal onto Sirius and his magazine.
• Dumbledore told Fudge that Sirius was pursuing Peter out of revenge and had sought a Master of Prophecy to locate him.
• Dumbledore warned that prophecies foretold deaths, an Azkaban breakout, and the Ministry’s collapse, while Fudge dismissed his claims about Voldemort.
• Fudge decided to serve as a Triwizard Tournament judge and asked Amelia Bones to serve as the other judge.

Fred, George, and Lee Jordan discussed Sirius, the Triwizard Tournament, and their plans to sell Wizard Cards and their inventions, while Harry and Ron examined the expensive product catalogue. Hermione arrived in distress, pulled Harry away, and revealed that Winky had broken down.

• George, Fred, and Lee Jordan discussed Rita Skeeter's reports about Ludo Bagman and worried that Fudge would retaliate against Sirius.
• Lee Jordan told Harry and Ron that the Triwizard Tournament would continue because its champions were bound by the Goblet of Fire contract.
• Fred, George, and Lee Jordan described their Wizard Cards, sweets, and other products, and Ron called Albert a crook after seeing the catalogue's prices.
• Hermione rushed into the Common Room looking for Albert, then dragged Harry away and told him that Winky had broken down.