Chapter Summaries

Harry struggled with the pressure of expectations and found the Room of Requirement closed, while Hermione told him about the struggling Wizard Cards Club and Ron’s breakup with Lavender. In the Gryffindor Common Room, they listened to a secret broadcast where Professor Moody explained why Albert’s basic combat training mattered, leaving Harry unconvinced that the students had time to focus on it.

• Harry admitted to Hermione that Slughorn’s visits and others’ expectations were wearing him down, then found that the Room of Requirement would not open.
• Hermione offered Harry Butterbeer and explained that the Wizard Cards Club had lost members and nearly lacked enough contestants for its competition.
• Harry and Hermione saw Ginny hurry away from an empty classroom with Dean following, and Hermione told Harry that Ron and Lavender had broken up peacefully.
• Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville listened to Lee Jordan’s secret broadcast, where George introduced Professor Moody as the guest.
• Moody argued that wizards needed basic combat training and spell practice, while Harry said the students should focus on learning useful magic with the time they had.

Harry struggled with doubts about his abilities and the pressure of obtaining Slughorn’s memory while Dumbledore explained the Horcruxes they had destroyed and why Voldemort could not sense their destruction. The chapter left Harry and Dumbledore focused on finding the remaining Horcruxes, including Hufflepuff’s Cup and the suspected Diadem of Ravenclaw.

• Hermione recorded the students seeking to join the Defense Association, while Harry felt frustrated that they trusted Albert’s group more than their own abilities.
• Harry told Dumbledore he planned to use Liquid Luck to get Slughorn drunk on his birthday and obtain the memory, but feared Slughorn had guessed his intentions.
• Dumbledore showed Harry the remains of Voldemort’s destroyed Horcruxes and revealed that he had killed Nagini at Crouch’s house.
• Harry and Dumbledore discussed the likely remaining Horcruxes: Hufflepuff’s Cup and the suspected Diadem of Ravenclaw, while Dumbledore said he still needed Slughorn’s memory to confirm his theory.
• Harry warned that Voldemort might create another Horcrux, and Dumbledore explained that repeatedly splitting his soul had damaged Voldemort’s humanity and severed his ability to sense his Horcruxes.

Harry told Hermione and Ron that only two Horcruxes remained, then recruited Winky to spy on Draco Malfoy and report if he entered the Room of Requirement. He offered Winky a home or a job with Albert after Hogwarts, leaving Hermione troubled by his bargain.

• Harry told Hermione and Ron about his conversation with Dumbledore and said a remaining Horcrux might be a Gryffindor relic or Ravenclaw's Diadem.
• Harry felt uneasy when the Room of Requirement would not open and told Hermione and Ron he suspected Draco Malfoy was plotting something.
• Harry went to the kitchen and offered Winky a future home or work with Albert in return for watching Draco Malfoy.
• Winky agreed to alert Harry if Draco entered the Room of Requirement, and Harry told her to stay safe.
• Hermione challenged Harry for using Winky, but Harry insisted it was a mutually beneficial transaction and said Winky could choose her future.

Draco Malfoy struggled to repair the Vanishing Cabinet for the Dark Lord’s mission while trying to avoid attention and keep Crabbe and Goyle from causing trouble. He feared that his family’s survival depended on Snape succeeding, and blamed Albert Anderson for the situation.

• Draco tried and failed again to repair the Vanishing Cabinet, and considered finding another way to bring people into Hogwarts.
• Draco heard students discussing Albert Anderson’s Defense Association and the students who wanted to join it.
• Draco stopped Crabbe and Goyle from tormenting a student, erased the victim’s memories, and warned them not to draw attention or pry into his mission.
• Crabbe told Draco that Albert’s Defense Association was attracting students, and Draco told Crabbe and Goyle to wait patiently while he completed his plan.
• Draco reflected that his family’s lives depended on Snape and blamed Albert for the danger facing them.

Narcissa and Bellatrix discussed Draco’s plan to assassinate Dumbledore and searched for Liquid Luck to improve its chances. Narcissa resolved to seek the potion from Potions Masters and, if necessary, across Europe, while Bellatrix agreed that Dumbledore’s death could earn the Dark Lord’s forgiveness.

• Narcissa searched the hideout for Bellatrix while worrying that Draco needed Liquid Luck to repair the Vanishing Cabinet and carry out the assassination.
• Bellatrix returned with Claire, whom she had captured because she was Albert Anderson’s classmate, and tortured her for information about Anderson and the Defense Association.
• Claire said she knew nothing about Anderson and suggested Bellatrix look for Shanna Wilson; Narcissa stopped Bellatrix from continuing to torture her, and Bellatrix ordered Claire taken to the dungeon.
• Narcissa told Bellatrix that Draco needed Liquid Luck, but Bellatrix said it was too rare to buy and too late to brew.
• Narcissa proposed asking Damocles, Altheda, or Hertok Dagworth for Liquid Luck, then searching France or elsewhere in Europe if they had none.
• Bellatrix accepted that killing Dumbledore could win the Dark Lord’s forgiveness, and Narcissa urged her to help secure the potion and improve the assassination plan’s odds.

Albert investigated the attacks on Angelina, Claire, and Damocles, then arranged to have Bellatrix Lestrange committed to Severall Hospital. He planned to leave England with Isabelle and Katrina at the end of May, while remaining behind for a major event in mid-June.

• Albert read that Angelina had been attacked, Claire had gone missing, and Damocles had been tortured, then used his Crystal Ball to identify Bellatrix Lestrange as the likely culprit.
• Albert told Katrina that he planned to leave England with Isabelle and her at the end of May, though he expected to return to England for a major event in mid-June.
• Albert met Professor Manst as Mr. Edus and donated money to Severall Hospital, arranging for a violent, delusional patient to receive long-term care.
• Albert left the meeting satisfied that he had arranged for Bellatrix Lestrange to be sent to a psychiatric hospital.

Albert advised Angelina to remain at the Defense Association headquarters after her escape, while the group investigated why Death Eaters had targeted her and several Potions Masters connected to him. He identified Bellatrix Lestrange as Angelina’s attacker, arranged to gather more intelligence, and left the group with a lesson on combat and the Ministry’s failures.

• Albert and George found Angelina at the headquarters and urged her to stay in hiding rather than risk returning to Quidditch training.
• Albert showed Angelina the newspaper report about Damocles’s torture and warned her that leaving the safe house could put her in danger again.
• George and Cedric reported that Death Eaters had visited several famous Potions Masters connected to Albert, while Angelina suspected they had been trying to capture her.
• Albert identified Bellatrix Lestrange as Angelina’s attacker and directed George to buy information from Mundungus Fletcher and Fred to contact Kingsley.
• Albert taught the group Defense Against the Dark Arts fundamentals and discussed how the Ministry’s reluctance to train wizards had contributed to the wizarding world’s problems.

Mundungus delivered intelligence he had gathered for Albert, who discovered that Narcissa Malfoy had obtained Liquid Luck and warned Dumbledore that it could disrupt his plans. Dumbledore insisted he had matters under control, including the wand he intended Draco Malfoy to possess.

• Mundungus found a magical message offering Galleons for useful intelligence and decided to gather information for Albert rather than recycle what he had given the Order of the Phoenix.
• Mundungus delivered his intelligence to Sirius, and Dobby later brought the letter to Albert.
• Albert read that suspicious buyers were seeking Liquid Luck and concluded the Death Eaters were trying to acquire it for their plans.
• Albert used his Crystal Ball and saw Narcissa Malfoy holding a golden potion, confirming that she had obtained Liquid Luck.
• Albert warned Dumbledore that the Death Eaters' Liquid Luck could change the future and threaten his plan.
• Albert challenged Dumbledore about the wand and guessed that he intended Draco Malfoy to receive it, but Dumbledore said he would handle the matter.

Bellatrix and Narcissa’s hunt for Liquid Luck across Europe brought them wanted notices, dead Potions Masters, and a box of failed potions. Snape found one genuine bottle, but Bellatrix claimed it for the plan to kill Dumbledore, and Narcissa offered to help steal more from Slughorn at Hogwarts.

• Bellatrix killed the German Ministry employee who had followed them, forcing her and Narcissa to flee Germany as wanted criminals.
• After their search for more Liquid Luck failed across Europe, Narcissa took their bottles to Snape for identification.
• Snape identified most of the bottles as failed batches that poisoned rats, but Narcissa’s hidden bottle proved genuine.
• Bellatrix took the genuine potion for the attempt on Dumbledore instead of giving it to Draco.
• Bellatrix proposed stealing Liquid Luck from Slughorn at Hogwarts, and Narcissa offered to help with Snape’s assistance.

Snape informed Dumbledore that Narcissa planned to infiltrate Hogwarts for Liquid Luck, forcing Dumbledore and Albert to revise their plans. Draco learned that Narcissa was behind the break-in and confronted Snape, who revealed he had agreed to help her.

• Snape told Dumbledore that Narcissa intended to infiltrate Hogwarts and steal Liquid Luck, and Dumbledore said the news meant their plans might need to be brought forward.
• Dumbledore contacted Albert, who realized Narcissa was targeting Slughorn’s Liquid Luck to obtain the memory Dumbledore wanted and decided to make the situation controllable.
• Draco failed again to repair the Vanishing Cabinet, then learned from Narcissa that she and Bellatrix had obtained Liquid Luck and planned to steal more from Slughorn.
• Narcissa asked Draco to collect hair from students in his advanced Potions Class, while he warned her that the break-in could ruin their plans.
• Draco visited Snape, who revealed that Narcissa—not Bellatrix—planned to infiltrate Hogwarts and that he had agreed to help her because she would proceed regardless.

Draco cooperated with Narcissa’s plan to enter Hogwarts disguised as Pansy, while Harry grew increasingly convinced that Malfoy and others were preparing for a looming event. The chapter ended with Harry voicing his frustration at being kept in the dark and his fear that something was about to happen.

• Draco used the excuse of homework tutoring to keep Pansy occupied while arranging for Narcissa to impersonate her and approach Slughorn about buying Liquid Luck.
• Draco gave Snape a letter containing Pansy’s hair and asked him to handle the rest of the plan.
• Harry confronted Draco at the Owlery and warned him that the Ministry was watching him, but Draco dismissed the threat.
• Harry sent a package of Wizard Cards Club designs to Lee Jordan and told Ron and Hermione that he might need Albert’s help if his plan failed.
• Harry vented to Ron and Hermione about Dumbledore and Albert keeping secrets, then said he felt that the event they were all waiting for was near.

Avery warned Bellatrix, Narcissa, Alecto, and Snape that their plan to assassinate Dumbledore needed contingencies against Albert and Ministry reinforcements. Alecto reported their proposals to Voldemort, who ordered her to send Yaxley and appeared determined to proceed with the assassination.

• Avery arrived at a beach under an inexplicable urge, froze when someone Apparated nearby, and later found a piece of candy in his pocket.
• Avery warned Bellatrix, Narcissa, Alecto, and Snape that Albert could thwart their plan and proposed gathering Dementors and Dark Wizards to delay reinforcements.
• Alecto suggested freeing Azkaban's prisoners to distract the Ministry, and she agreed to discuss the proposals with Voldemort.
• Alecto told Voldemort about the assassination plan, the search for Liquid Luck, and the proposed prison break and Hogwarts blockade.
• Voldemort dismissed Alecto and ordered her to send Yaxley, while resolving that Dumbledore had to be dealt with soon.

Narcissa used Polyjuice Potion and Liquid Luck to infiltrate Hogwarts and steal Slughorn’s remaining bottle of Liquid Luck for Draco, but Avery ambushed her after she escaped. He drugged and fed her to the Dementors, leaving Draco’s planned operation in danger.

• Narcissa disguised herself as Pansy and entered Hogwarts through the passage beneath the Whomping Willow to approach Slughorn.
• Slughorn agreed to brew Liquid Luck but revealed that Dumbledore had bought his supply, so Narcissa used Veritaserum to locate his last bottle.
• Harry Potter attacked Narcissa, but she escaped through a smoke screen and gave the bottle to Goyle to deliver to Draco.
• Narcissa left Hogwarts through the tunnel and met Avery, who asked whether she had obtained Liquid Luck.
• Avery froze Narcissa with a curse, searched her, and knocked her unconscious before feeding her to the Dementors.

Harry used Liquid Luck to obtain Slughorn’s memory about Voldemort, but first interrupted Narcissa Malfoy’s disguised attempt to get Liquid Luck at Hogwarts. He told McGonagall that Narcissa had escaped and insisted Dumbledore return urgently.

• Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed rumors that Voldemort planned to break prisoners out of Azkaban, and Harry prepared to ask Slughorn for his memory using Liquid Luck.
• Harry spotted Narcissa Malfoy in Slughorn’s office on the Marauder’s Map and suspected she had entered Hogwarts to obtain Liquid Luck.
• Harry blasted open Slughorn’s office and attacked the intruder, discovering that Narcissa was disguised as Pansy Parkinson and was skilled enough to deflect his spells.
• Narcissa escaped under cover of smoke, and Harry revived Slughorn, who revealed that the intruder had questioned him under Veritaserum.
• Harry persuaded Slughorn to give him the memory, then put him back to sleep when McGonagall and students arrived.
• Harry told McGonagall that Narcissa had escaped through a Secret Passage and asked her to summon Dumbledore, who was away from Hogwarts.

Draco used the Liquid Luck to repair the Vanishing Cabinet and celebrated with Goyle and Crabbe while revealing the plan to kill Dumbledore that night. Meanwhile, Bellatrix’s forces prepared for the attack, and Narcissa was killed by Dementors without Bellatrix realizing she was among the victims.

• Draco received the Liquid Luck from Goyle, drank some in the Room of Requirement, and repaired the Vanishing Cabinet using Borgin's notes.
• Draco told Bellatrix the cabinet was fixed, and she ordered the Death Eaters to begin their operation that night.
• Draco celebrated with Goyle and Crabbe, explained how the cabinet would let Death Eaters enter Hogwarts, and revealed that the Dark Lord wanted him to kill Dumbledore.
• Bellatrix and Avery prepared Dementors and Inferi for the attack while Narcissa, unable to speak, was subjected to the Dementor's Kiss and died.
• Bellatrix asked Avery whether he had seen Narcissa, unaware that Narcissa was among the lifeless bodies being turned into Inferi.

Voldemort approved Yaxley’s plan to infiltrate the Ministry and ordered an attack on the Muggle world to distract it while Malfoy tried to kill Albert Anderson. At the Burrow, Fred and George told the family that Albert’s wedding details on the Silver Card were false and that the real time and location would be shared later.

• Yaxley proposed recruiting Piers Shinkle to infiltrate the Ministry and eventually replace Scrimgeour, and Voldemort approved the plan.
• Lucius Malfoy told Voldemort that Albert would marry on the twelfth at a manor in Devon, and Voldemort ordered him to kill Albert while McNeil launched an attack to distract the Ministry.
• Fred and George visited the Burrow to discuss Bill and Fleur’s engagement and Albert’s wedding invitation with their family.
• George explained that Albert had given guests a false time and location on the Silver Card to mislead Death Eaters, and Fred warned that the card might be a trap.
• Fred and George left to notify Albert’s other friends discreetly, while Fleur asked to bring Bill to the wedding and George agreed.

Draco and the Death Eaters tried to ambush Dumbledore at Hogwarts, but Dumbledore revealed that Snape had been working for him and that the attack was a trap. Dumbledore fought off the Death Eaters as reinforcements arrived, while the battle spread to the school entrance.

• Draco let Bellatrix and the Death Eaters through the Vanishing Cabinet and led them to the Astronomy Tower to ambush Dumbledore.
• Draco summoned the Dark Mark, and Dumbledore arrived and tried to persuade him to abandon the assassination.
• Dumbledore exposed Bellatrix’s group and revealed that Snape had helped set the trap; Snape then took the restrained Draco away.
• Bellatrix and the remaining Death Eaters attacked Dumbledore, but he deflected their spells and incapacitated several of them.
• Explosions struck Hogwarts’s iron gates as Dumbledore noted that the trap had caught more attackers than he expected.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron worried that Snape was trying to get past the defenses protecting the Philosopher’s Stone, so Harry decided to warn Dumbledore without naming Snape. Meanwhile, Quirrell planned to use a dragon egg to manipulate Hagrid into revealing how to handle the Three-Headed Dog.

• Hermione told Harry that Ron had been eliminated from the Wizard Cards Competition, and Ron protested her teasing.
• Harry told Hermione and Ron that he had overheard Snape pressuring Quirrell about the Philosopher’s Stone’s defenses, and the three discussed warning Dumbledore.
• Snape confronted Harry, Hermione, and Ron and threatened to deduct points if they slandered a professor.
• Harry chose to write Dumbledore a letter describing someone’s interest in the Stone, and Hermione wrote it for him.
• Quirrell, weakened by Voldemort siphoning his life force, planned to get Hagrid drunk after giving him a dragon egg so he could learn how to get past the Three-Headed Dog.

Sirius, Lupin, Bill, and Professor McGonagall fought their way through Death Eaters who had trapped them inside Hogwarts. Lupin finally killed Fenrir Greyback for ruining his life, and the group hurried toward a new attack outside the castle as Harry feared more danger.

• Sirius and the others took Liquid Luck, discovered a magical barrier blocking the Astronomy Tower stairs, and joined Harry and Professor Flitwick to break through the Death Eaters' defenses.
• Harry and the Order members collapsed the ceiling, disarmed several Death Eaters, and used the opening to surprise others lying in wait.
• Fenrir Greyback bit Bill, but Lupin blasted him away, bound him, and killed him in revenge for ruining his life.
• Sirius recognized the attack as a trap set by Albert to eliminate the Death Eaters, while Harry urged everyone to hurry toward the explosion outside Hogwarts.

Dumbledore’s planned trap defeated the Death Eaters’ assault on the Astronomy Tower, but Snape abruptly killed Dumbledore and ordered Draco Malfoy to flee Hogwarts. The chapter left Malfoy stunned as Snape’s apparent betrayal turned the victory into a crisis.

• Charles rushed to the Astronomy Tower and was quickly bound by Dumbledore, while Alecto realized the Death Eaters’ plan had failed.
• Dumbledore subdued Bellatrix, and the remaining Death Eaters tried to escape by jumping from the tower before he prevented some of them from fleeing.
• Professor McGonagall and the Order of the Phoenix arrived, and Dumbledore explained that Albert had foreseen the attack and arranged a trap with Snape and Malfoy.
• Dumbledore sent the others to defend Hogwarts and offered Snape and Malfoy a safe place, but Snape said he could regain Voldemort’s trust.
• Snape cast the Killing Curse on Dumbledore, then ordered Malfoy to wake the surviving Death Eaters and leave Hogwarts.