Chapter Summaries

Voldemort murdered wandmakers across Europe while searching for the spell that connected two wands, crippling the craft and alarming wizarding communities. Albert, Isabelle, and Katrina discussed his search, Harry and Ginny’s future, and how Albert and Isabelle came to marry.

• Voldemort murdered a third renowned wandmaker and his family, then killed other wandmakers who could not identify the golden spell linking the two wands.
• Wizarding communities across Europe demanded action, but their Ministries avoided confronting Voldemort, and wandmaking suffered a major setback.
• Albert told Katrina and Isabelle that he hoped Voldemort would seek Slytherin’s wand at Ilvermorny and provoke American Aurors.
• Katrina asked whether Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter would end up together, and Albert predicted Harry would likely die alongside Voldemort.
• Albert and Isabelle explained that they had pursued marriage through compatibility and commitment rather than falling in love at first sight.

After learning that Harry expected to die to destroy Voldemort, Ginny struggled with despair until Hermione urged her to give him a reason to live. Ginny chose to bind her future to Harry, leaving him shaken and Hermione keeping Ron unconscious next door.

• Hermione comforted Ginny and explained that Harry believed he had to die to destroy Voldemort, though Albert thought he might have a small chance to survive.
• Hermione urged Ginny to awaken Harry's desire to live, and Ginny spent several days deciding she wanted to become his wife.
• With Hermione's help, Ginny ambushed Harry and told him she wanted to have a child and marry him.
• Harry explained that his magical connection with Voldemort made his death seem unavoidable, and he said he would rather die fighting than rely on a slim chance of survival.
• Hermione watched over the unconscious Ron and apologized, knowing he would not have approved of Ginny risking her future for Harry.

Old Tom staged his death and abandoned The Leaky Cauldron after Dark Wizards repeatedly robbed and threatened him. Lee Jordan helped spread the rumor, while Percy’s connection to the Association and possible role as a Ministry spy remained uncertain.

• Old Tom let Dark Wizards loot his bar and pretend to find him dead after they discovered him lying injured in the kitchen.
• Old Tom handed Percy his wine and fled The Leaky Cauldron with Lee Jordan’s help.
• Wizards in Diagon Alley believed the Death Eaters had killed Old Tom, and shops closed amid growing fear.
• Lee Jordan admitted that he had helped spread the death rumor with Old Tom’s agreement.
• Lee Jordan and the Weasley twins questioned Penelope about Percy, and she said they had separated; Shanna suspected Percy was connected to Albert.

Albert revealed that Percy had secretly gathered Ministry intelligence for him, but Percy’s identity spread through the Order of the Phoenix and forced him to flee before Aurors could arrest him. After rejoining the Order, Percy faced Penelope over their breakup and planned to build ties with Kingsley for a return to the Ministry.

• Albert told Fred and George that Percy had been his Ministry spy, then used a Crystal Ball to show Penelope that Percy was dining with Audrey.
• Shanna reported that the Order of the Phoenix had found Mundungus Fletcher alive but mentally damaged, and Albert warned her not to contact him until they confirmed his identity.
• The Order learned Percy’s secret had spread and urged him to abandon his Ministry post; Percy confirmed the danger with Albert and fled before Walton McNeil’s Aurors arrived.
• Percy rejoined the Order of the Phoenix and received a warm welcome from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
• Penelope confronted Percy about ending their relationship by letter, and Percy admitted he had chosen Audrey and a marriage that would advance his career; Penelope slapped him and left.
• Percy asked Albert whether Kingsley would let him return as Minister for Magic’s assistant, and Albert said Percy was probably Kingsley’s best choice.

Albert took Isabelle and Katrina to a movie and amusement park, where they discussed Percy Weasley’s breakup with Penelope and enjoyed a day out together. Meanwhile, Percy’s disappearance plunged the Ministry of Magic into chaos, and the Ministry’s new accusations against the Order of the Phoenix were widely dismissed as another Death Eater frame-up.

• Albert explained that Percy had ended things with Penelope because she could not help him advance in the Ministry, and that Percy had accepted Albert’s proposal to become the Minister for Magic’s assistant.
• Albert, Isabelle, and Katrina watched a movie about a shipwreck, then discussed their own ship’s safety.
• Albert took the sisters to an amusement park, where they repeatedly rode the roller coaster before heading back after sharing kisses with him.
• Percy’s disappearance triggered Ministry screenings with Veritaserum, and Yaxley uncovered several people suspected of being controlled by the Imperius Curse.
• The Ministry blamed the Order of the Phoenix or the Defense Association and offered a reward, but most people believed the Death Eaters were framing them again.

Albert and the Defense Association considered claiming their own bounties to fund their work, and Fred and George developed a plan to exploit the Ministry’s corruption by turning in controlled Dark Wizards. The Order of the Phoenix privately approved of the idea but refused to endorse it openly, while Albert assigned Fred, George, and Lee to handle the operation and put Cedric in charge of training.

• Albert joked about turning himself in to claim his bounty, and Cedric warned that the Ministry would likely withhold the reward.
• Fred and George asked Percy whether they could collect their own bounties, then proposed using the Imperius Curse to control Dark Wizards and claim rewards for turning them in.
• Percy told his family about the twins’ idea, and the Order of the Phoenix held an emergency meeting to discuss it.
• The Order declined to approve the plan publicly, but Sirius offered to be the first person taken out so they could collect his bounty.
• Lee Jordan complained about the Order’s hypocrisy, and Albert assigned Fred, George, and Lee to handle the plan while Cedric trained the others.

Fred, George, Lee Jordan, Sirius Black, and Lupin captured Zack, a Seeker Squad member who had helped hunt Muggle Wizards and turn villagers into Inferi, and arranged his death to claim a Ministry reward. Their first trial run earned ten Galleons, and they left the body with a controlled Seeker Squad member to collect the payment.

• Zack returned to the young couple’s house he had taken over and was stunned by Fred, George, and Lee Jordan.
• Fred and George verified Zack’s identity, and Lee Jordan packed him into Albert’s suitcase to take him to Sirius Black and Lupin.
• Sirius Black rejected Lupin’s concern that the plan was a losing deal, and Lee Jordan gave Zack Polyjuice Potion to disguise him as a Muggle Wizard.
• Sirius Black used the Imperius Curse to make a captured Seeker Squad member kill Zack with Avada Kedavra.
• Sirius Black sent the controlled Seeker Squad member to the Ministry of Magic, where an employee paid the ten-Galleon reward.

At Order of the Phoenix headquarters, Molly worried that Fred and George had become willing to kill Dark Wizards, while Arthur, Moody, and Kingsley defended their actions as necessary to resist The Dark Lord. Harry overheard them and accepted that killing the murderous Dark Wizards could save lives.

• Molly told Arthur she feared Fred and George would kill people, and Arthur tried to reassure her about their choices.
• Moody and Kingsley joined them, arguing that the Dark Wizards’ murders of Muggles made resistance necessary and that Albert had helped the Order grow strong enough to fight them.
• Kingsley explained that Sirius Black had begun claiming Ministry bounties on Dark Wizards and that the group hoped to raise money for their expenses.
• Harry entered after overhearing the conversation, asked about Sirius Black’s bounty plan, and said the Dark Wizards should be killed before they could murder more Muggles.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny learned how Sirius Black’s bounty scheme worked and accepted its necessity. After the Daily Prophet reported Sirius dead and a bounty claimant disappeared, the Ministry of Magic’s corruption provoked widespread distrust and resistance among Dark Wizards, while Sirius remained safe.

• Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny discussed Sirius Black’s method of using Polyjuice Potion to claim bounty money and decided it had brought justice and funding to the resistance.
• The Daily Prophet published a death notice for Sirius Black, claiming Death Eaters had killed him, while the Ministry drastically reduced the bounty paid to the supposed killer.
• Sirius confronted a senior Ministry of Magic official over the missing Galleons but failed to recover the money, and the claimant later disappeared after being silenced.
• The radio confirmed Sirius was safe, but the bounty scandal spread and caused Dark Wizards to distrust the Ministry and Death Eaters; many Seeker Squads disbanded and the official was robbed repeatedly.
• Yaxley responded to the scandal by killing a Ministry employee who argued with him, and Sirius treated the affair as a joke.

Snape and Dumbledore discussed the danger of Dumbledore’s Army, Harry’s plans, and Voldemort’s changing intentions. Snape left Dumbledore responsible for helping manage Hogwarts’ troubles and keep the students safe.

• Snape warned Dumbledore that forming Dumbledore’s Army could provoke Carrow and Parkinson, especially because Carrow hated Anderson.
• Dumbledore told Snape that Harry and Albert had wanted to capture him and use Veritaserum, but Albert had promised not to seek trouble with him.
• Snape said Voldemort had stopped intending to kill Harry personally, and Dumbledore stressed that Voldemort himself had to kill Harry.
• Snape said he could not change Voldemort’s orders and suggested Dumbledore ask Albert to help keep the plan moving forward.
• Snape revealed that he had approved the Whipping Decree, then demanded Dumbledore help manage Hogwarts and protect its students.

After Voldemort returned to England, Albert warned the Defense Association that their camp might be attacked and began preparing them for an infiltration. Meanwhile, Voldemort heard that the Defense Association was exploiting his absences and reconsidered his plans for Snape.

• Albert told the Defense Association that his prophecy showed Voldemort finding their camp and a Dark Mark, so he was preparing another shelter and planning an emergency drill.
• Fred and George reassured the others that they had cut off contact with Mundungus, while Albert briefed the group on how to respond if the camp was attacked.
• Fred explained Albert’s warning to Angelina and the other Defense Association members, who agreed that a drill was necessary and spread the news.
• Yaxley and Snape told Voldemort that the Defense Association became active whenever he left England and that the Death Eaters lacked reliable recruits.
• Voldemort shelved his plan to kill Snape because he still could not confirm whether Dumbledore’s wand was the Deathstick and his forces were short of trustworthy people.

Sirius Black, Kingsley, Lupin, Bill, and the Order of the Phoenix debated how to respond after learning the Death Eaters planned to lure them into a trap by threatening a village. Albert opposed a direct confrontation, and the group recognized the attack might be intended to weaken their resistance to Voldemort.

• Kingsley worried that a string of wizard-caused disasters, including a sabotaged reservoir, would expose magic to Muggles and provoke them.
• Lupin and Bill reported that the Death Eaters planned to turn another village into Inferi, and Sirius Black and the others suspected the threat was a trap.
• Kingsley said they could not defeat Voldemort without Albert's help, while Moody doubted Albert would walk into the trap; Sirius Black nevertheless sent Albert an emergency message.
• Ron argued that they should kill the Death Eaters and invoked Charlie's death, prompting others to reconsider killing Dark Wizards.
• Albert advised them not to enter the trap or let Voldemort exploit the threat, and Harry warned that saving the village would only drive the Death Eaters to target another place.
• The group concluded that Voldemort might be using the threatened village to suppress the growing anti-Voldemort forces, but they rejected surrendering their resistance.

Albert told Katrina and Isabelle about Tom Riddle’s past and explained that Dumbledore had left him books and notes in exchange for helping Harry’s side. He refused to join the Order of the Phoenix’s plan to save a Muggle village, warning that their confidence and reliance on him could lead to more reckless choices.

• Albert explained that Tom Riddle killed his father’s family and framed his uncle after learning about his origins.
• Albert said Dumbledore had shared his investigation into the Dark Lord and left him books and notes to help Harry if needed.
• Albert and Isabelle discussed the Death Eaters’ plan to turn a Muggle village’s residents into Inferi and the Order of the Phoenix’s request for his ideas.
• Albert revealed that Sirius had claimed bounty money by disguising a dark wizard as himself, using the funds to support the Order of the Phoenix.
• Albert refused to help the Order rescue the villagers, saying he would not encourage them to rely on him or mistake repeated victories for proof they could defeat the Dark Lord.

The Defense Association grew restless over The Dark Lord’s trap targeting a Muggle village, but its leaders urged members not to rush into danger. Albert appeared to Shanna and insisted that the members should learn the facts and choose for themselves.

• Kenneth warned agitated members that charging into the Death Eaters’ trap without Albert’s protection could cost lives and leave them no closer to defeating The Dark Lord.
• Shanna told Fred, George, and other team members to monitor the association and explain the trap, relying on Albert’s emergency plan.
• Cedric and the others agreed to help, and Shanna planned a meeting with warnings and tougher training assignments.
• Albert appeared after the others left and told Shanna that the members were adults who had to make informed choices and take responsibility for their actions.

After Dark Wizards massacred Muggle villages, Tonks announced that the Order of the Phoenix and Defense Association would double their combat training as Albert prepared for a stronger Death Eater threat. The International Confederation of Wizards offered little help, and Harry proposed striking the Death Eaters, though Sirius questioned whether Albert would support the plan and whether Harry had mastered the Fiendfyre Curse.

• The Daily Prophet reported that Dark Wizards had massacred a Muggle village, prompting anger among anti–Dark Lord groups over the resistance organizations’ inaction.
• Tonks told the group that the Order of the Phoenix and Defense Association had doubled weekly combat training to prepare them to face Death Eaters.
• Albert increased his teaching and training efforts because he feared Snape’s plans to improve the Death Eaters’ combat abilities.
• Yaxley arranged more village massacres, while Kingsley failed to secure effective aid from the International Confederation of Wizards.
• Kingsley told Arthur, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Sirius Black that the Confederation had only warned the Ministry of Magic, and Harry proposed a counterattack against the Death Eaters.
• Sirius Black questioned whether Albert would join Harry’s plan and asked whether Harry had mastered the Fiendfyre Curse.

Snape warned Draco Malfoy and Yaxley that the Death Eaters were losing ground to Albert Anderson’s Defense Association, while Voldemort backed Snape’s plan for Dark magic lessons. Snape opposed Umbridge’s proposal to investigate wizarding families, then an unseen intruder froze him after knocking Yaxley unconscious.

• Draco Malfoy told Snape that Pansy was pregnant and asked him to become the child’s godfather, but Snape hesitated to accept.
• Snape explained to Draco that the Death Eaters were outmatched by the Defense Association and urged him to attend the weekly Dark magic exchange gathering.
• Yaxley told Snape that Voldemort would host the first gathering and described Umbridge’s plan to investigate families suspected of supporting the Order of the Phoenix and the Defense Association.
• Snape warned that the investigation could turn neutral wizards against them, but Yaxley wanted Voldemort to make the final decision.
• An unseen intruder knocked Yaxley unconscious, froze Snape, and said Snape’s actions had put him in a difficult position.

Albert confronted Snape to question his loyalty and warn that Voldemort might kill him, then offered to work with him against the Dark Lord. Snape kept Albert’s communication bookmark despite distrusting him, and used a false memory to cover up Yaxley’s Imperius Curse.

• Albert controlled the unconscious Yaxley with the Imperius Curse, disarmed Snape, and questioned his loyalties.
• Albert warned Snape that his efforts were strengthening the Death Eaters and said Voldemort intended to kill him.
• Albert urged Snape to cooperate to avenge Lily and end the war, while Snape angrily challenged his accusations.
• Albert left Snape and Dumbledore a communication bookmark, which Snape kept despite calling Albert more dangerous than the Dark Lord.
• Snape implanted a short memory in Yaxley, woke him, and watched him leave before considering the bookmark.

The Ministry of Magic formed the Oversight Committee to force wizarding families to register and identify opponents of Voldemort, with Umbridge leading the crackdown. The Order of the Phoenix discussed how the policy threatened families and the Defense Association, while Percy doubted it would persuade many wizards to resist Voldemort.

• Yaxley reported Umbridge's plan to Voldemort, who approved using it to weaken the Defense Association.
• Piers Shinkle's Ministry formed the Oversight Committee under Dolores Umbridge and required wizards to register within half a month.
• Most wizards refused to register, so Umbridge and her thugs began visiting prominent families and arrested someone.
• Kingsley, Percy, Harry, Hermione, and others discussed the policy at an Order of the Phoenix meeting and considered how it might threaten families and resistance groups.
• Fred said Albert had prepared the Defense Association for possible betrayal, while Percy warned that Umbridge's policy was unlikely to persuade many wizards to join the resistance.

The Ministry of Magic arrested relatives of Defense Association members and demanded that missing wizards report to clear up the accusations. As the group debated rescuing their families and dealing with Umbridge, Albert warned that the Ministry’s prisoners might be bait and left them without a final plan.

• Cedric read that the Ministry had arrested the Diggorys and other association members’ relatives, including Mr. Johnson.
• Angelina asked Fred for help, and Albert stayed at the association headquarters to reassure the members while admitting he had no solution.
• The group discussed removing Umbridge and dismantling the Ministry, but George warned that the Death Eaters might retaliate against the prisoners.
• Lee Jordan suggested breaking into the Ministry to rescue them, while Cedric proposed persuading their families or erasing their memories and hiding them.
• Albert warned that the Ministry might be setting a trap for a rescue attempt, and everyone waited for him to decide what to do.

Albert and the Defense Association captured Dolores Umbridge, forced her to reveal information and hidden wealth, and prepared to assault the Ministry of Magic to free the imprisoned wizards. Albert decided to notify the Order of the Phoenix before they acted that night.

• Umbridge celebrated her influence in the Ministry and hoped to become a Death Eater by earning the Dark Lord’s favor.
• Albert and members of the Defense Association ambushed Umbridge at home, beat her, and took her to a safe house.
• Under Veritaserum, Umbridge identified arrested wizards and revealed where she had hidden her ill-gotten wealth.
• Fred welcomed the prospect of funding their efforts with Umbridge’s money, while George worried that events had gone too smoothly.
• Albert decided they would attack the Ministry that night and notify the Order of the Phoenix, despite George’s doubts about involving them.