Chapter Summaries

Fred and George escaped Filch and Snape by hiding in a broom closet on the eighth floor that Albert recognized as the Room of Requirement. They returned to Gryffindor Tower safely, then skipped Herbology to sleep through the afternoon.

• Fred used the Marauder's Map to try to evade Filch and Snape, but Filch blocked their route.
• Fred and George discovered a door in the wall and hid in a dusty broom closet as Snape and Filch searched nearby.
• Snape and Filch gave up and left, and the twins found that the closet door had vanished when they came back out.
• Fred and George returned to the Gryffindor Common Room and later told Albert about their escape.
• Albert recognized the vanished broom closet as the Room of Requirement, and Fred and George skipped Herbology to sleep.

After Snape punished Fred and George for their nighttime wandering, Albert warned them to avoid Filch’s patrols and learned the location of a Secret Passage. As the twins borrowed Albert’s essay, he revealed he planned to sneak into the Restricted Section to find the original Book of Spells.

• Snape deducted five points from Fred and George, gave them zeroes for their botched Cure for Boils Potion, and assigned them an extra report.
• Albert suggested Snape might be able to read minds and warned Fred, George, and Lee Jordan that Filch was patrolling the castle at night.
• Fred showed Lee Jordan the Secret Passage the twins had found during their nighttime excursion, and Albert memorized its location.
• Fred borrowed Albert’s Cure for Boils Potion essay, and Albert told him not to copy it directly.
• Albert said he planned to sneak into the Restricted Section to find the original Book of Spells, explaining that the current schoolbooks were censored editions.

Albert helped Fred and George investigate the mysterious broom cupboard, suggesting that it was a room that appeared according to a person's needs. When Percy suspected the twins of wandering the castle at night, Albert diverted his suspicion toward older students.

• Albert led Fred and George to try summoning the vanished broom cupboard by thinking of a place to hide, but nothing appeared.
• Albert suggested that the door had led to a room that changed to meet the user's needs, and joked that they should test whether it could produce a toilet.
• Percy confronted Fred and George about reports of Gryffindor students wandering the castle at night and nearly getting caught by Filch.
• Albert argued that first-years could not evade Filch and shifted Percy's suspicion toward older students, while Lee Jordan realized Albert was lying convincingly.

Albert celebrated his birthday at Hogwarts, where his family sent him books about economics and finance and a chocolate cake. He shared the cake with friends and reassured Shanna about learning to fly a broom.

• Albert demonstrated his growing skill with the Summoning Charm by conjuring chrysanthemums and orchids.
• An owl delivered birthday gifts from Grandfather Luke and Herb: two books about economics and finance, along with a cake from Albert's family.
• Albert read Nia's birthday card, learned she had helped make the cake, and shared it with his friends.
• Angelina tried to read Principles of Economics but could not make sense of it, while George wondered why Albert's family had sent such books.
• Shanna admitted she was nervous about being unable to ride a broom, and Albert reassured her that flying was easy to learn.

Gryffindor and Slytherin’s first-years attended their first flying lesson, where the Gryffindors quickly outperformed their rivals. The chapter ended with Fred and George beating Slytherin’s Warrington in a flying race and the Slytherins angered by Albert’s dismissive comment.

• Albert reassured the nervous Shanna that learning to fly would be like learning to ride a bicycle.
• Madam Hooch taught the Gryffindor and Slytherin students to summon, mount, take off, and land on their brooms.
• Most Gryffindors mastered the lesson quickly, while Shanna struggled and stayed behind with Madam Hooch.
• Fred and George showed off in the air, and Lee Jordan and Albert taunted the less-skilled Slytherins.
• Fred and George raced Warrington around the field and defeated him, then all three were scolded by Madam Hooch.
• Albert called the Gryffindors’ victory normal, infuriating the Slytherin students.

Albert denied rumors that he had beaten up a Slytherin student, then explained how a confrontation had ended with the student in the Hospital Wing. He returned to practicing the Cutting Charm on Protego Tree wood, unsure whether his carved pieces could protect against Dark Creatures.

• Lee Jordan, Fred, and George confronted Albert about rumors that he had beaten up Slytherin students.
• Albert said he had only been walking with his camera when a Slytherin bumped into him and fell, then hurt his hand when Albert helped him up.
• Albert explained that he had advised the Slytherins to take the injured student to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey healed him.
• Albert revealed that the Slytherins had deliberately tried to ram him and that he had squeezed one student's hand when the boy grabbed his.
• Albert showed the others his Cutting Charm practice pieces made from Protego Tree wood, and he wondered whether they could protect people from Dark Creatures.

Albert asked Professor Bludger whether Protego Tree wood could protect against Grindylows, and learned that only alchemically made amulets preserved its protective effects. He planned to make one for his sister and left with a recommendation to study alchemy.

• Albert asked Professor Bludger about the Protego Tree’s ability to protect people from Grindylows.
• Professor Bludger recounted how a Rowan Tree amulet once helped protect him from Dark Creatures, while a cheaply bought amulet was nearly useless.
• Professor Bludger explained that alchemists could make effective amulets from Protego Tree wood and warned Albert against buying market amulets.
• Albert showed Professor Bludger a crude Protego Tree cross he had made as a birthday gift for his sister.
• Professor Bludger recommended Simple Alchemy and invited Albert to visit his office that weekend.

Albert read Simple Alchemy, a book by Zoko that described enchanted objects and prank items, and found its examples of alchemy absurd. He left with his friends for Astronomy class, still questioning whether the book’s creations truly counted as alchemy.

• Fred finished his Astronomy homework with help from Albert, who spotted that he had switched Saturn and Jupiter.
• Albert explained that Professor Bludger had recommended Simple Alchemy, then read about charms used to make alchemical items, amulets, and pranks.
• Albert found the book’s Garlic Crucifix recipe ridiculous and concluded that it was a disgrace to alchemy.
• George noticed that Zoko, the owner of Zonko's Joke Shop, had written the book, and became interested in its prank-making methods.
• Albert packed the book and headed to the Astronomy Tower with his friends, saying he had not expected its contents to be so strange.

After finishing Simple Alchemy, Albert teased Fred, George, and Lee Jordan about their plans to use its ideas for joke items. The twins decided to make garlic-soaked protective crosses and considered growing their own garlic, leaving Albert stunned by their enthusiasm.

• Albert said he had finished Simple Alchemy and offered to return it to the library the next day.
• Albert gave George a crude Protego Tree wood cross and claimed it could protect against Dark Creatures, then explained that garlic could make it smell like the cross described in the book.
• Fred and George took Albert's garlic-soaking joke seriously and asked where they could get garlic.
• George proposed taking garlic from the school kitchens and growing more in Hagrid's vegetable patch.
• The twins agreed to grow garlic even though they did not know how, and Albert was left questioning their plan.

Albert read about alchemy and potion-making while Fred, George, and Lee Jordan struggled to find garlic for their plan to test whether it repelled Dark Creatures. Hagrid offered them garlic, and the boys planned to grow more near the Forbidden Forest.

• Albert and George returned Simple Alchemy to the library and borrowed Extraction, Separation, and Potions, where Albert read about extracting Dittany Essence and found information about Magic Photos.
• Fred and Lee Jordan returned from the kitchen without garlic, and Albert suggested they ask their families or order some from Diagon Alley.
• Albert discovered a task to make three moving Magic Photos, with the Alchemy Skill as its reward.
• Fred, George, and Lee told Albert they planned to look for garlic in Hogsmeade, but Hagrid overheard them and offered to give them some.
• The three boys agreed to help Albert think of a Christmas present for Hagrid and planned to grow garlic near the Forbidden Forest.

Albert met with Professor Broad to discuss alchemy and Defense Against the Dark Arts, gaining recommendations for advanced defensive magic and insight into the subject’s curse. He left Broad’s office with a new book and more to study.

• Fred and George returned from planting garlic at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and told Albert about their efforts.
• Albert visited Professor Broad at ten o’clock and discussed Simple Alchemy and Dark Forces: A Defensive Guide over milk tea and pumpkin pie.
• Broad recommended Practical Defensive Magic and Its Countermeasures Against the Dark Arts and lent Albert a book from his office.
• Albert told Broad about the spells he had learned and asked why Dumbledore did not hire Aurors or rename the Defence Against the Dark Arts course.
• Broad explained that the course’s curse discouraged teachers and might simply transfer to a replacement course, then recommended Defensive and Deterrent Charms for further study.
• Albert thanked Broad for the conversation and left the office before lunchtime.

Albert, Fred, and George tried to grow garlic outdoors, but days of rain rotted the shoots. After Hagrid mistook them for heading into the forest, Albert explained the failed experiment, and the twins planned to grow the next batch in flowerpots.

• Albert and his roommates discussed the rain, their colds, and the Hogwarts notices about Hogsmeade and Halloween in the Gryffindor Common Room.
• Fred and George dragged Albert to check their garlic after the rain eased, and they found that all the shoots had rotted.
• Hagrid rushed over, fearing the students were going into the forest, and Albert explained that the twins had planted garlic to try making a protective charm.
• Hagrid offered the twins more garlic to plant beside his vegetable garden, but Albert said they would grow it in flowerpots and bring the pots back to the dormitory.

Albert used the quiet Hogsmeade weekend to enter the Room of Requirement’s storage room, where he began searching for Ravenclaw’s Diadem. He intended to help bring Voldemort down for personal gain while leaving the dangerous confrontation to Harry Potter.

• Fred and George tended the garlic they had grown in a flowerpot, and Filch warned them not to break school rules.
• Albert’s friends stayed in the Common Room to work on homework while he left to take photographs around the nearly empty castle.
• Albert found the Room of Requirement by pacing before the blank wall opposite the Barnaby the Bold tapestry.
• Albert entered the room full of discarded furniture and began looking for Ravenclaw’s Diadem, one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes.

Albert explored the Room of Requirement, hoping to find Ravenclaw's Diadem and earn rewards before reporting it to Dumbledore. After encountering a troll specimen, he received a quest to defeat a troll and decided he could borrow one after Harry Potter enrolled.

• Albert planned how he would explain finding Ravenclaw's Diadem to Dumbledore if he discovered it in the Room of Requirement.
• Albert photographed the room and examined discarded objects, including a Fanged Frisbee and Snape's old copy of Magical Potions and Brews.
• Albert stunned a small bluish-green creature that crawled out of a suit of armor, then continued past piles of junk and cursed-looking bottles.
• Albert found a Mountain Troll specimen and received a panel quest to defeat a troll for 3,000 experience points.
• Albert wondered where he could find a troll and decided he could borrow one after Harry Potter enrolled.

Albert explored the Room of Requirement, found Ravenclaw’s Diadem, and recognized it as one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. He left without touching it, pleased by the quests his discovery unlocked, while Fred, George, and Lee Jordan grew curious about his good mood.

• Albert examined the Mirror of Erised and realized it showed him holding Ravenclaw’s Diadem because he wanted the experience and skill points tied to finding Horcruxes.
• Albert collected an enchanted slingshot and inspected a damaged Quidditch chest as he searched through the Room of Requirement.
• Albert followed the Horcrux’s whispers to Ravenclaw’s Diadem on a wizard’s bust, but resisted its temptation and photographed it from a distance.
• Albert’s panel offered quests for identifying, returning, purifying, and destroying the Diadem, as well as confronting Voldemort; he considered relying on Harry to help complete them.
• Albert left the Room of Requirement in high spirits, and George, Lee Jordan, and Fred followed him to find out what had happened.

Albert and the Weasley twins pulled a prank on Filch, then attended Hogwarts’s Halloween feast, where Cetina Worbeck performed with a ghost. The feast ended with Gryffindor urging Albert to consider becoming Seeker after Charlie graduated, while Albert went to bed instead of joining the twins on a nighttime outing.

• Fred and George used Albert’s winged slingshot to pelt the floor near Filch with mud balls, sending the caretaker chasing after them.
• Professor Bludger entertained the students with a story about a Shield Charm, and Lee Jordan’s remark drew attention to Albert’s possible knowledge of the spell.
• Dumbledore welcomed Cetina Worbeck to the Halloween feast, and Albert and Shanna struggled to appreciate her music.
• A ghost joined Worbeck onstage, blending its shrieks into the performance, and Worbeck later sang “You Stole My Cauldron, But You Can't Have My Heart.”
• Mark and Charlie urged Albert to take over Charlie’s Seeker position after he graduated, and Albert said they could discuss it if Gryffindor found no suitable player.
• Albert declined George’s suggestion to wander at night and went to bed while Fred and George danced and sang in the dormitory.

Albert watched Gryffindor face Slytherin in a bitterly hostile Quidditch match that quickly descended into repeated fouls and retaliation. The match remained underway as both teams continued their rough play.

• As winter arrived, Charlie prepared Gryffindor for its opening match against Slytherin, and the House hoped a victory would improve its standing.
• Fred and George dragged Albert out of bed to watch the match, and Albert used the Drying Charm to warm them and Lee Jordan.
• Albert and his friends joined the Hogwarts crowd and visiting fans at the pitch, where the teams exchanged hostile handshakes before the match began.
• Gryffindor scored first, but Slytherin players repeatedly fouled Gryffindor, prompting Madam Hooch to award penalties.
• Gryffindor players retaliated against Slytherin, while Charlie nearly caught the Golden Snitch before Montague collided with him.
• Wood struck Montague after Montague entered Gryffindor's scoring area, and Madam Hooch awarded Slytherin a penalty shot as the rough match continued.

A violent Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin escalated until Madam Hooch removed every player from the pitch. Gryffindor assembled a reserve team, with Albert chosen as Seeker, and prepared to resume the match.

• Montague scored for Slytherin after hitting Wood in the face with the Quaffle, but the referee disallowed the goal for a foul, and Madam Pomfrey healed Wood.
• Gryffindor retaliated against Montague, and Erin hit him with a Bludger, leaving him with broken ribs and forcing him out of the match.
• Players from both teams turned the match into an aerial brawl, prompting Madam Hooch to remove all four Beaters and then send every player off the pitch for an hour-long substitution break.
• Fred dragged George and Albert to the changing room, where Charlie selected reserve players, assigned Albert as Seeker, and promised Professor McGonagall they could win.

Albert joined Gryffindor as its young Seeker and caught the Golden Snitch in twelve minutes, securing victory over Slytherin. Gryffindor celebrated as Albert was tossed into the air.

• Charlie briefed the team and told Albert to search for the Snitch while Fred and George protected him.
• Albert flew into the rain, searched the pitch, and spotted a flash of gold near Slytherin’s goal hoops.
• Albert dodged the Keeper’s attack, struck him with an elbow, and evaded a bat before catching the Golden Snitch.
• Slytherin players pursuing Albert crashed into the stands as Gryffindor won the match.
• The Gryffindor team celebrated with Albert, lifting him up and tossing him into the air.

After Gryffindor won the Quidditch match, Albert helped his teammates dry off and joined them in the Hospital Wing, where they encountered the injured Slytherins. The team celebrated in the Gryffindor Common Room, while Albert planned to use his Summoning Charm to conjure an umbrella.

• Albert used the Drying Charm on himself and his teammates before they went to the Hospital Wing for anti-cold potion and Jack's examination.
• Madam Pomfrey healed Jack, and the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams exchanged taunts in the crowded ward.
• Mark revealed that the Slytherin player who had thrown a bat received detention after he and another player crashed into the stands and injured spectators.
• Charlie led the Gryffindors away as Danny and the others joked about Vicky's missing teeth, while Albert insisted Vicky had hit his elbow himself.
• The Gryffindors celebrated their victory with food in the Common Room, where Albert told Fielder he was practicing the Summoning Charm to conjure an umbrella.