Chapter Summaries

After Gryffindor’s Quidditch victory, Albert helped Lee Jordan stop a failed Reparo experiment from smoking and discussed Cornelius Fudge’s rise to Minister for Magic. The chapter ended with Albert and the others heading to Herbology together beneath the umbrella he summoned.

• At breakfast, Lee Jordan tried to repair a bitten piece of fruit with Reparo, causing it to belch black smoke until Albert stopped the spell and the fruit crumbled into ash.
• Fred told Albert that Cornelius Fudge had become Minister for Magic, and Albert explained how Fudge had used his connection to Dumbledore to build confidence and support.
• Shanna asked about exams and repeating a year, while Isabelle reminded Albert that Professor McGonagall’s next club meeting had moved to three thirty the following Saturday.
• Albert said no experts had replied to his letters but expected they would after he won Today's Transfiguration's Most Promising Newcomer Award.
• When rain threatened their walk to Herbology, Albert summoned an umbrella, and George, Fred, and Lee crowded beneath it with him.

Albert and the others discovered that the mushrooms they had roasted were valuable Snow Mushrooms, prompting the twins to consider searching the Forbidden Forest for more. Albert warned them that the mushrooms were difficult to preserve and impossible for children to sell safely, leaving the twins disappointed but still tempted by the idea.

• George asked Albert when his garlic would be ready, and Albert said Hagrid expected it to be ready by the end of May.
• Albert explained that he was growing Dittany for its healing properties and continued carving a wooden bracelet with runes.
• Fred screamed after reading about Snow Mushrooms, and George and Lee Jordan reacted with despair when they learned what the mushrooms were worth.
• Fred and George regretted roasting the Snow Mushrooms, while Lee Jordan suggested searching the Forbidden Forest for more.
• Albert warned them that Snow Mushrooms were difficult to preserve and that children had no safe way to sell them, especially on the black market.

Fred, George, and their friend failed to find Snow Mushrooms and received detention after Hagrid caught them entering the Forbidden Forest. Albert worked on a Transfiguration paper, then visited the Hogwarts kitchen and chatted with the house-elf Kara, where he began teaching her a new recipe.

• Fred and George repeatedly searched the Forbidden Forest for Snow Mushrooms, but found none and were caught by Hagrid, who brought them to Professor McGonagall for detention.
• Albert explained to Angelina and the others that he was writing a paper on applying Transfiguration in combat for Professor McGonagall’s club.
• Albert finished the paper and let Aaliyah look at it, though she could not understand its advanced material.
• Albert went to the kitchen for tea and pie, where he met the house-elf Kara and asked about her distinctive magic.
• Kara declined to discuss house-elf magic, so Albert changed the subject and began explaining how to make scrambled eggs with garlic.

Albert tested a protective bracelet he had made, showing Fred, George, and Lee Jordan that it could block pillows and repel an Obstacle Curse. The prototype failed against a Stunning Spell, leaving Lee unconscious as the others decided to let him sleep until morning.

• George, Fred, and Lee Jordan ate Albert's garlic scrambled eggs before he returned, and Albert revealed that the house-elves had cooked the dish using garlic from Fred's flowerpot.
• Albert showed the others his wooden bracelet and explained that it carried a Shield Charm and could drive away Dark creatures.
• George tested the bracelet by throwing pillows at Fred, and the bracelet repelled them.
• Albert cast Impedimenta at George, but the bracelet stopped and rebounded the curse, sending Lee flying into a bed.
• Albert cast Stupefy at Lee during another test, but the bracelet failed and Lee fell unconscious.
• Albert said the bracelet was only a prototype, and he and the twins decided to let Lee sleep until morning.

Albert learned that his paper on using Transfiguration against enemies had been published in Today's Transfiguration, though Professor McGonagall had cut half of it. His classmates discussed the paper and his record-breaking publication as Katrina McDougal joined them, leaving her comparing Albert's brilliance with her sister Isabelle's.

• Albert discussed methods for making the Shield Charm on his Protective Bracelet last longer and considered asking Professor Flitwick for advice.
• Fielder told Albert that his paper had appeared in Today's Transfiguration and showed him the edited version.
• Fielder warned Albert that the paper's combat applications did not meet the standards of an academic journal, and Albert acknowledged her point.
• Fred doubted most wizards could use Albert's ideas, while Shanna criticized his Transfiguration skills and George stopped Fred from arguing.
• Beck congratulated Albert for breaking Hogwarts' record with his first-year publication, prompting Katrina McDougal to join the awkward conversation.
• Katrina realized the students had been discussing her sister Isabelle and judged Albert's published work even more impressive than Isabelle's.

Professor McGonagall demonstrated advanced ways to use Transfiguration in the club, leaving the students struggling to understand how she had done it. Afterward, she praised Albert’s essay and advised him to learn from Transfiguration experts, while his classmates remarked that he seemed to be her favorite student.

• Professor McGonagall demonstrated how to transform and control water, ropes, and other materials, then challenged the club members to explain her magic and assess what they could do.
• Fielder compared notes with Albert, while Beck admitted that he had learned little from the demonstration.
• Professor McGonagall told the students to study their notes and continue the topic at the next meeting.
• After the club, Beck and Fielder discussed how far they were from Professor McGonagall’s level, and Isabelle asked Albert how much of his essay he could put into practice.
• Professor McGonagall praised Albert’s essay and suggested that he speak with experts, while Beck and Fielder told him that students considered him her favorite.

Albert received a reply from famous wizard Ed Fosco and gained a quest to befriend famous wizards through correspondence. He planned to make Developing Potion to pursue Alchemy while his friends discussed Apparition lessons and an outing to the Forbidden Forest.

• Albert received Ed Fosco's letter, answered his question about Gamp's Basic Laws of Transfiguration, and triggered the Well-Connected quest.
• Albert told Angelina that Ed Fosco had written to him, then learned from Lee Jordan that older students would practice Apparition in the Great Hall that afternoon.
• Albert borrowed Aaliyah's owl so he could order ingredients for Developing Potion, which he hoped would make people in photographs move.
• The twins invited Albert to search the woods for potion ingredients, but he declined and said he planned to play Wizard's Chess with Professor Burdock Broad.

Albert visited Professor Bludger, played Wizard’s Chess, and discussed Ancient Runes and their dwindling study. The chapter left Albert wondering why no one had investigated the runes more deeply, while Bludger explained that Hogwarts taught them mainly to preserve the old script.

• Professor Bludger welcomed Albert and praised his achievement in Today's Transfiguration, but Albert showed little interest in its recognition.
• Albert played two games of Wizard’s Chess against Professor Bludger and lost both, learning that tournament competitors were generally amateurs.
• Professor Bludger told Albert that fame could be useful and described his research into Ancient Runes.
• Albert revealed that he had taught himself Runic script and could read it, but had found none of the mysterious power described in legends.
• Professor Bludger explained that few wizards studied Ancient Runes deeply and that Hogwarts offered the elective to keep the ancient words from being forgotten.

Albert examined a scrambled Runic text in Professor Bludger’s office and deciphered it as passages from The Words of the Gods about the origins of Runic script. Professor Bludger was astonished by Albert’s skill and suggested he contact Professor Bathsheba about Ancient Runes.

• Albert asked Professor Bludger for permission to inspect the fragmented Runic text and recognized that its runes had been scrambled.
• Katrina McDougal arrived, and Professor Bludger invited her to play Wizard’s Chess while Albert continued studying the parchment.
• Albert translated most of the runes and identified them as passages from The Words of the Gods describing Odin’s sacrifices and the origin of Runic script.
• Professor Bludger questioned whether Albert had really only taught himself Runic script and praised his ability to decipher the text without a dictionary.
• Professor Bludger suggested Albert contact Professor Bathsheba if he wanted to pursue Ancient Runes.

Katrina challenged Albert to Wizard’s Chess to regain confidence after seeing how far his magical accomplishments surpassed hers. Their three games ended with one win each and a draw, leaving Katrina determined to challenge him again while Albert reflected on the pressure of having a genius sibling.

• Katrina asked Albert to play three games of Wizard’s Chess in the Great Hall, and Albert accepted after seeing a quest that offered rewards for defeating her.
• Katrina remembered that Professor Bathsheba had asked her to deliver notes to Professor Bludger, then hurried to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.
• Katrina won the first game, Albert narrowly won the second, and the third ended in a draw.
• Albert declined to play a fourth game and told Katrina she had won it, and Katrina accepted the draw but planned to challenge him again.
• Albert asked Isabelle why Katrina was so competitive, and Isabelle explained that Katrina wanted to beat him using her own strengths.

Albert brewed the Developing Potion in the Room of Requirement and successfully used it to make moving photographs, completing his quest. After claiming the reward and raising his Alchemy skill, he realized he lacked enough theory to improve his magical items and recorded ideas for later.

• Albert worried briefly that Nia might feel pressure from living under someone else's reputation as a genius.
• Albert gathered the ingredients and brewed the Developing Potion in the Room of Requirement, producing a usable batch.
• Albert applied the potion to a photograph and cast Develop and Reveal, making the people in it move.
• Albert made two more magical photographs, completed the Moving Magic Photo quest, and claimed its reward.
• Albert raised Alchemy to level two but found his theoretical knowledge insufficient to improve the Protective Bracelet.
• Albert recorded his ideas, cleaned up the brewing room, checked the Marauder's Map, and returned to the Gryffindor common room.

Albert gave Shanna a bottle of Developing Potion, then helped the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan interpret a parchment labeled “Gryffindor's Secret Treasure.” He suspected it was a prank, and the group left with a damaged library book they planned to examine later.

• Albert gave Shanna Developing Potion and explained that he had brewed it a few days earlier.
• George and Fred dragged Albert away from the Great Hall, where Lee Jordan showed him a parchment they had found hidden in a library book.
• Albert interpreted the parchment as pointing toward a spot near the centaurs' camp in the Forbidden Forest, but warned that the treasure was probably a prank.
• Filch caught the four boys whispering and ordered them to move along.
• George revealed that the twins had damaged the book while retrieving the parchment, so Albert told them to hide it and examine it in the dormitory later.

Albert failed to repair The Life of Ulick with Reparo and dismissed the parchment map as nothing special, unaware that it changed after he left. He went to Professor Bludger’s office and learned that Moggy MacDougal wanted his help with Ancient Runes.

• Albert advised Fred and George not to return the damaged book and reminded them their History of Magic assignment was due the next day.
• Albert discovered that Reparo could fix other paper but not The Life of Ulick, then tapped the parchment map with his wand and found that nothing happened.
• Cragg delivered Professor Bludger’s note asking Albert to visit his office before eight, and Albert hurried there after giving her candy.
• Albert arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts office and found Moggy MacDougal waiting for Professor Bludger.
• Moggy told Albert that Brode thought he might help with Ancient Runes and praised Albert’s translations.

Albert met Moggy MacDougal and was invited to help him and Professor Bludger compile an advanced book on Ancient Runes, using knowledge from a Ravenclaw legacy. After a long work session, Albert returned to the Gryffindor Common Room overwhelmed by what he had learned and fell asleep.

• Albert met Moggy MacDougal, who praised his skill in Ancient Runes and invited him to help write a book.
• Professor Bludger arrived and explained that he had recommended Albert to assist MacDougal with the project.
• MacDougal examined Albert's wooden bracelet, identified it as a prototype for using runes, and pointed out that Albert had not yet mastered it.
• Professor Bludger revealed that the runic material came from a legacy left by Ravenclaw, which MacDougal hoped to compile into a book.
• Albert worked with MacDougal and Professor Bludger, then returned to the Gryffindor Common Room overwhelmed by the knowledge and fell asleep.

Albert studied Ancient Runes intensely while attending breakfast with his friends, then planned to observe the afternoon Apparition Class. He explained how the Ministry of Magic's Trace monitored underage magic, prompting Shanna to question the fairness of relying on wizarding families to police themselves.

• Albert's rune experience increased rapidly as he studied McDougal's teachings, though he avoided raising his skill level with experience points.
• At breakfast, Albert corrected Lee Jordan about Figo and Truman, and the twins admitted they had returned a damaged book after tearing out its ruined page.
• Albert agreed to watch Wilkie Tekross's Apparition Class and lamented that first-year students could not sign up for lessons.
• Percy and Albert explained the Ministry of Magic's Trace and its limits to Shanna, who criticized the idea that wizarding families could supervise themselves.

Albert visited Professor Bludger and reviewed a partially completed book Mog was writing with their help. He doubted ordinary readers could understand it, but Professor Bludger said Mog intended it to raise the standard of Ancient Runes.

• Fred, George, and Lee Jordan planned to visit the library while Albert left to meet Professor Bludger.
• Beck asked the Gryffindors to remind Albert to submit his Transfiguration Club paper that evening.
• Isabelle met Albert outside Professor Bludger’s office and reminded him about the overdue paper.
• Professor Bludger invited Isabelle inside, asked her to return and borrow books, and gave Albert Mog’s partially finished manuscript.
• Albert judged that the manuscript would be difficult for most people to understand, and Professor Bludger explained Mog hoped it would advance the study of Ancient Runes.

Albert revised Mog MacDougal’s Ancient Runes manuscript with Professor Bludger while Isabelle struggled to understand it. Their discussion of Ministry punishments and Apparition ended when MacDougal produced the second draft of the book.

• Isabelle watched Albert interpret and revise Uncle Mog’s parchment, discussing Ancient Runes with Professor Bludger.
• Moggy MacDougal arrived and told Professor Bludger that Carlotta Pinkerton had received a fine, another ten-year sentence, and a ban on using a wand.
• Albert questioned MacDougal about penalties under the underage sorcery decree and whether repeat violations could get him expelled.
• MacDougal offered to help Albert if he helped finish the book, and explained how connections could soften minor Ministry punishments.
• Albert admitted he was interested in learning Apparition, but Professor Bludger warned that it was too difficult for him for now.
• MacDougal returned the conversation to the manuscript and placed its second draft on the table.

Albert helped McDougal revise the Ancient Runes manuscript, then attended Apparition class and unsuccessfully tried the spell himself. After Apparition still failed to appear on his skill panel, he decided to seek help experiencing it and headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts Office.

• Albert reviewed McDougal's second-volume manuscript with McDougal and Professor Bludger, while Isabelle struggled to follow their Ancient Runes discussion and left after lunch.
• McDougal gave Albert a small black notebook before Albert left for Apparition class.
• Tekross taught the students to focus on the Three Ds, and the class's attempts resulted in failures, inaccurate landings, and one Hufflepuff boy being splinched.
• Albert tried to Apparate to an empty spot but remained where he was, and Apparition did not appear on his skill panel.
• Albert decided that experiencing Apparition with someone's help might unlock the skill and headed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Office.

Albert asked Professor Bludger to let him experience Apparition, and learned how unpleasant and dangerous it could be. After being taken through an Accompanying Apparition, Albert discovered that Apparition had appeared on his Status Panel, while Professor Bludger warned him about Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest.

• Albert told Professor Bludger and McDougal that he wanted to experience Apparition, though he had given up trying to master it quickly.
• Professor Bludger explained Disapparition, Apparition, Splinching, and Accompanying Apparition, then took Albert into the Forbidden Forest.
• Professor Bludger Apparated with Albert to a nearby clearing, where Albert felt intense nausea and retched.
• Albert noticed Apparition on his Status Panel and promised Professor Bludger he would not practice recklessly.
• Hagrid caught Albert leaving the Forbidden Forest and asked him to warn the Weasley twins to stay out of its dangerous depths.
• Professor Bludger told Albert about a possibly local Acromantula breeding ground and a wizard who had disappeared while searching for it.

Albert read McDougal’s notebook and learned about the stages required to use Ancient Runes in magic, though the explanation remained vague. Professor Bludger gave Albert permission to borrow Ancient Runes books from the Restricted Section, while McDougal urged him to trust Albert’s abilities.

• Albert declined Fred, George, and Lee Jordan’s invitation to search for Gryffindor’s Secret Treasure in the Forbidden Forest and warned them about the Acromantulas.
• Albert read McDougal’s notebook, which described his study of ancient spells and included correspondence with Dumbledore about a speaking Patronus.
• Albert asked McDougal about sensing what made runes special, and McDougal explained the three stages he had passed through to use runic magic.
• Albert obtained Professor Bludger’s note granting him permission to borrow Ancient Runes books from the Restricted Section.
• McDougal told Professor Bludger that Albert was a genius and that they should trust their own judgment by giving him guidance.