Chapter Summaries

Hannah Abbott and Pomona Sprout discussed the Ministry’s treatment of Werewolves and the difficult question of what made someone human. Severus returned home, and Pomona’s teasing turned into a passionate kiss before he pushed her away to find food.

• Hannah told Pomona that Professor Snape had stopped the Werewolves from rescuing Fenrir and worried about the planned execution of the captured Werewolves.
• Pomona comforted Hannah as she recalled her mother’s death and her father hiding her half-blood ancestry.
• Severus returned at lunchtime and asked what Pomona and Hannah were making.
• Severus kissed Pomona beneath his cloak, then Pomona stunned Hannah when she continued watching them.
• Pomona called Severus her Hungarian Horntail, and after he pushed her away to seek food, she pounced on him.

Pomona kissed Severus Snape and then confronted Hannah about her fears, her mother’s death, and the danger posed by Werewolves. Hannah stood up with her wand and embraced Pomona, provoking Severus at the dining table.

• Pomona and Severus Snape shared a fiery kiss, and Hannah watched after waking from a Stunning Spell.
• Pomona told Hannah that she was a wizard and warned her that Werewolves were dangerous, invoking her missing mother and urging her to keep training.
• Pomona ordered Hannah to get up and reminded her to take her wand.
• Severus placed cooked flatbreads on the table and taunted Hannah about never having eaten with him.
• Hannah hugged Pomona and stuck her tongue out at Severus, leaving him furious.

Severus told Pomona and Hannah how Gideon Flatworthy’s Accionites collapsed and how Marcus Flint later joined the group, while Oliver Wood joined the Aurors. He pressed Pomona for information about Sirius Black’s money and hiding place, then gave in when she insisted they were equals.

• Severus recounted how Flatworthy’s refusal to do ordinary tasks left the Accionites hungry and led to his death beneath summoned hay and livestock.
• Severus explained that Marcus Flint had joined the Accionites and Oliver Wood had joined the Aurors, who were working to capture Flint.
• Severus questioned Pomona about where Sirius Black had obtained money for Harry’s Firebolt, and Pomona said Black had stayed with her before leaving.
• Pomona told Severus that Black had hidden in the Hufflepuff girls’ dormitory, prompting Hannah to criticize her for letting a man in.
• Severus asked Pomona to call him “sir,” but she asserted that she was his equal, and he yielded.
• Severus lightly kicked Pomona under the table while pretending nothing had happened.

Pomona and Severus shared an affectionate moment at Grimmauld Place while discussing her work, Harry’s duties, and Hogwarts’ need for a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Severus pulled her from the kitchen, leaving Honey to finish the dishes, as Pomona wondered how Winky was coping with Dobby’s death.

• Severus asked Pomona why she had moved from the second-floor room, and she said she planned to break up Lupin and Tonks because Lupin was a Werewolf and Tonks was too young.
• Pomona and Severus reminisced about their past and talked about his jealousy and possessiveness toward her.
• Severus asked Pomona about her Invigoration Potion, and she said she had four and a half days to improve it while also working with Lucius.
• Severus complained that Harry avoided Department of Magical Law Enforcement paperwork, and Pomona told him to keep Harry from getting himself killed again.
• Severus suggested Harry teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for the coming year, but Pomona said hiring a teacher was Minerva’s responsibility.
• Severus led Pomona out of the kitchen after Honey took over the dishes, and Pomona wondered whether anyone had told Winky about Dobby’s death.

Pomona reflected on Sirius’s trauma, her reasons for leaving the old house, and the danger surrounding Gringotts while spending time with Severus. As they shared a quiet evening, Severus confessed his guilt over failing to protect Pomona and their daughter, and they reaffirmed their wish to grow old together.

• Pomona recalled how Azkaban had damaged Sirius and how Severus’s potions and Pomona’s care had helped him recover, though the two men’s resentment remained unresolved.
• Pomona explained that she had moved to Osmanthus Street to avoid Mundungus Fletcher and turned her attention to securing Gringotts without asking Hagrid to risk Fluffy.
• Hannah asked Severus for a record player for her bar, and he agreed to have Honey deliver one when it was ready.
• Pomona and Severus listened to Elvis and discussed Dumbledore’s sacrifices, Severus’s hatred of his surname, and his guilt about leaving Pomona and their daughter unprotected.
• Pomona told Severus she wanted to grow old with him, and they became intimate on the sofa as the fire burned.

Pomona learned that Hagrid had secretly raised a Norwegian Ridgeback and discussed using it to test Fluffy, while Severus slowly recovered from the hellhound’s bite. The Occamy egg began hatching, and Lucius confronted Pomona about her relationship with Severus.

• Pomona treated Severus’s injured ankle and learned from Charlie’s letter that Hagrid’s dragon was a Norwegian Ridgeback due to be collected at midnight on Saturday.
• Pomona recalled seeing Hagrid’s visitors and realized Draco had discovered the dragon, while Severus explained that Draco had seen Hagrid incubating its egg.
• Pomona discussed finding a dragon to fight Fluffy with Lucius and Draco, then warned them that Norbert’s venomous bite could kill the three-headed hellhound.
• Pomona’s silver Occamy egg cracked, and she ordered Draco to fetch Severus as it began to hatch.
• Lucius told Pomona that her feelings for Severus were obvious and urged her to show some self-control.

Pomona learned that Lucius Malfoy had given her an Occamy egg so Severus could eventually ride the grown creature, and she urged Lucius to involve Draco in family responsibilities. The Occamy hatched in Pomona and Severus’s hands, leaving them to wonder which of them it would accept as its mother.

• Lucius Malfoy explained that the Occamy egg would let Severus ride the creature once it grew, and Pomona agreed to keep their plans secret.
• Pomona identified Damocles Belby as the person behind the secrecy and discussed the risks of Charlie Weasley’s evidence about the secretly raised dragon.
• Pomona challenged Lucius to spend more time with Narcissa and let Draco share his responsibilities, warning that Draco could leave home like Sirius Black.
• Severus and Draco arrived as the Occamy began to hatch, and Severus pressed close to Pomona to see whether it would accept one of them as its mother.
• The Occamy cracked out of its shell in their hands and stared up at Pomona and Severus with puzzled brown eyes.

Pomona and Severus argued over their relationship, her health, and the dangers of raising the Occamy, while they named the hatchling Cockroach Cluster. The chapter left them caring for the little creature and discussing Draco's loneliness as Severus held Pomona without answering whether she was his friend.

• Severus fed cockroaches to the Occamy while Pomona warned that bribery would not earn its affection and raised concerns about pregnancy and the creature's danger.
• Pomona urged Severus to regain control of their relationship and focus on normal life, then told him Bill and Charlie were in trouble and Lucius wanted to expel Bill.
• Severus complained about Harry, Ron, and Hermione causing trouble, and Pomona explained that Hermione was trying to solve the problem after releasing the Dragon from Gringotts.
• Severus dumped cockroach corpses over Pomona, and the Occamy woke and stared hungrily at the fallen food.
• Severus suggested naming the Occamy Cockroach Cluster, and Pomona and Severus discussed Draco's need for friends while the hatchling continued eating.

Pomona discussed the Black family’s succession and Draco’s lingering trauma after the Battle of Hogwarts, then prepared him to help protect Fluffy from a dragon. Draco headed to Hogsmeade while Pomona set out to find Hermione Granger and Amos Diggory.

• Draco told Pomona that Cissy was distressed about holding a family meeting to choose the next Black heir, and Pomona explained Bella Cissy’s role in the rift between Sirius and Regulus.
• Draco described how Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had saved him and Goyle, and Pomona urged him not to dwell on his frightening memories.
• Pomona told Draco that he needed to prepare a potion for dragon venom before Fluffy faced a dragon, and Draco agreed to help clean up the mess caused by Harry and his friends.
• Pomona sent Draco to wait at the Three Broomsticks with Cockroach Cluster while she went to find Hermione Granger and visit Amos Diggory.
• Draco left excited to practice Parseltongue with Cockroach Cluster, while Pomona mourned Cedric Diggory's death.

Pomona Sprout visited Hermione Granger to prepare her for her new Ministry job and recruit Harry Potter to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. They traveled to the ruined Diggory manor to meet Amos Diggory, where the chapter left them asking to come inside.

• Hermione welcomed Pomona at 15 Osmanthus Street and showed off her smoothed hair, while Pomona explained that Harry was needed as a temporary Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
• Pomona told Hermione that Neville was sheltering the werewolf Lavender Brown in a Hogwarts greenhouse and urged Hermione to meet her future colleague Amos Diggory before starting work at the House-elf Relocation Office.
• Pomona and Hermione discussed old Hogwarts incidents on their way to the Diggory manor, including Ron's dragon bite and Hagrid's Norwegian Ridgeback, Norberta.
• Pomona said Draco Malfoy had devised a solution to the Gringotts problem Hermione had left behind and took her to the Diggory manor.
• Amos Diggory opened the door, recognized Pomona and Hermione, and heard Pomona ask if they could come in and sit.

Pomona and Hermione visited Amos Diggory, whose grief over Cedric’s death had left him isolated, and recruited him to advise and watch over Hermione as she pursued a career in magical law enforcement. After Amos agreed to join their efforts, Pomona recalled urging the young Severus Snape to fight back during their Hogwarts years.

• Amos mourned Cedric and blamed Harry Potter for bringing his son to the trophy that led to his death.
• Pomona asked Amos to keep an eye on Hermione and guide her in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
• Hermione told Amos she wanted to join the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to pursue Dark wizards and protect both wizarding and Muggle communities.
• Amos agreed to join Pomona and Hermione’s effort after Hermione asked whether he could work with Harry Potter’s friend.
• Pomona recalled shouting at a wounded young Severus Snape in the Forbidden Forest to fight back and endure for revenge.

Pomona, Hermione, and Amos met Draco to discuss using Hagrid’s three-headed dog to reassure the Goblins about Gringotts security. Their conversation turned to war reparations, past choices, and the losses they carried, while Pomona privately reflected on her unborn daughter and her own guilt.

• Pomona, Hermione, and Amos found Draco with an Occamy at the Three Broomsticks and asked about his plan for Gringotts.
• Draco proposed using Hagrid’s three-headed dog as a guard and said Hermione would need to persuade Hagrid to hand it over.
• Hermione apologized to Draco for her past judgment and recalled her own group’s use of Unforgivable Curses and their encounter with Lupin as a werewolf.
• Draco and Hermione argued about Death Eater reparations, his family’s treatment, and the way Harry’s actions were reported.
• Pomona rested while Amos went for drinks, then privately apologized to Lily and reflected on her grief, guilt, and determination.

Pomona and Amos discussed their losses, Cedric’s life, and the injustice of Sirius Black’s imprisonment while Hermione and Draco argued nearby. Pomona asked Amos to bring back Wormtail’s corpse, then left with Hermione to watch Quidditch training as Amos planned to dine at Hogwarts.

• Pomona reflected on how Draco had become a protector and helper to struggling Death Eater families, and hoped he would make real friends.
• Pomona and Amos reminisced about Cedric and shared their guilt and grief over his death.
• Amos admitted he blamed Harry for Cedric’s death, and Pomona asked him to bring back Wormtail’s corpse so she could expose the Aurors’ treatment of Sirius Black.
• Pomona explained that she had known Sirius and had once failed to become an Animagus because she was afraid.
• Amos toasted the dead Severus Snape, and Pomona invited Hermione and Draco to dinner before heading out to watch Quidditch training.

Pomona, Hermione, Draco, and Amos returned to Hogwarts through a snowstorm, where Pomona explained the school’s hidden magic and defended her choice to leave with Severus. Flitwick opened the guarded gate and revealed that Hogwarts was preparing for war with Werewolves, while Draco showed little reaction to returning to the castle.

• Hermione described how she found the Hogwarts kitchens and recalled accidentally transforming herself with cat hair while brewing Polyjuice Potion.
• Pomona explained that enchanted floor tiles prevented wizards from Apparating while allowing House-elves to travel, and said the damaged magical arrays beneath Hogwarts needed Goblin help.
• Hermione and Draco teased Pomona about being caught kissing Severus, then criticized her for leaving Hogwarts responsibilities behind; Pomona defended her choice and Hermione apologized.
• Pomona sent a message to the West Tower, and Flitwick arrived to open the main gate, explaining that Hogwarts’s defensive wards remained active because the school was at war with Werewolves.
• After entering the grounds, Pomona sensed that Hogwarts’s defenses were weakened, and Draco said coldly that he no longer feared anything there.

Pomona, Hermione, Draco, and Flitwick discussed Hogwarts’ defenses and the repair of its ancient rune array, while Flitwick revealed the array’s layered protections. The story ended when Neville appeared on the restored suspension bridge and called to Pomona.

• Pomona and Flitwick discussed Hermione’s Ancient Runes skills, Draco’s ambitions, and the risks of studying Dark magic.
• Flitwick explained that Miranda Goshawk would replace him as Charms professor while he focused on repairing Hogwarts’ defensive array.
• Hermione told Pomona about Harry’s life with Teddy, and Flitwick recalled Pomona’s resolve to keep Hogwarts open after Dumbledore died.
• Flitwick led the group to a concealed rune-covered stone and explained the castle’s defenses against intruders.
• Neville appeared on the suspension bridge wearing the sweater Pomona had knitted for him and called to her.

Pomona confronted Hagrid about the Acromantulas threatening the Forbidden Forest and discovered he had secretly bred Blast-Ended Skrewts. Hagrid accepted his duty to protect Hogwarts, leaving Pomona to decide how to handle the spiders.

• Severus had treated Ron's dragon-bite poison but left its curse active, while he had devised a potion to cure Fluffy's hellhound bite.
• Pomona arrived to help Neville after the Acromantulas resumed attacking creatures in the Forbidden Forest.
• Amos examined Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewt, and Hagrid admitted he had bred it by crossing a Fire Crab with a Manticore.
• Pomona rebuked Hagrid for neglecting the Acromantulas and for hiding the danger while seeking Mosag's help.
• Hagrid acknowledged that Aragog's death had made him an enemy of the spiders and asked Pomona what he should do to protect Hogwarts.

Pomona explained to Hermione and Neville how she had used Venomous Tentacula to control the Forbidden Forest’s Acromantulas and agreed to resume the work while shielding Hagrid. A flashback showed Pomona and Severus reconnecting after Sirius’s funeral, ending with Katie Bell still hospitalized from the cursed necklace.

• Pomona explained that Venomous Tentacula poison could control the Acromantulas and that collecting their venom could help fund the school.
• Pomona told Neville and Slughorn they would be responsible for keeping the spiders’ population under control, and agreed to cover for Hagrid.
• Hermione suggested seeking help from the centaurs, but Pomona wanted to see how effective the poison was before escalating the conflict.
• Slughorn arrived with Draco, and Pomona proposed that they work together on a profitable deal.
• In a flashback, Severus gave Pomona Venomous Tentacula seeds and told her he was glad she had returned; they spoke about Sirius’s funeral and Harry’s hatred of him.
• Pomona invited Severus to her home, but he left without answering, while Katie Bell remained hospitalized from the cursed necklace.

Horace Slughorn questioned Pomona Sprout about rare Scented Illusion Grass, her planting in the Forbidden Forest, and her political loyalties. Pomona defended her choices and told him she feared her fate had been cursed.

• Slughorn asked Pomona where Scented Illusion Grass grew after finding its leaves in an injured Niffler’s pouch, and he connected the rare herb to Potential Potion.
• Pomona denied planting Two-Eared Grass in the Forbidden Forest and explained that she had chosen Neville Longbottom to succeed her because she trusted her student.
• Slughorn warned Pomona that her neutrality, support for Lucius Malfoy, and association with Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy could endanger her reputation and safety.
• Pomona defended giving Lucius Malfoy a chance to atone and rejected Slughorn’s attempt to influence her.
• Slughorn admitted that he feared dying and had avoided contact with outsiders for two years, then asked why Pomona had returned to the conflict.
• Pomona touched her turquoise bracelet and told Slughorn that she thought her fate had already been cursed.

Pomona confronted Minerva about Dumbledore’s manipulation and Harry’s near-sacrifice, then explained Severus’s apparent death and their return to Britain. As they shared cake, the two friends discussed their losses and continued arguing over whether intuition could be trusted.

• Pomona met Minerva in the entrance hall, and Minerva demanded to know why she had vanished for six years.
• Pomona accused Dumbledore of making Harry sacrifice himself and insisted Harry had not been a Horcrux, while Minerva defended the difficult choice.
• Pomona revealed that Severus had used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate a Slytherin Head of House and that an Unbreakable Vow bound him to protect Draco Malfoy.
• Minerva led Pomona to a quiet stairwell, where they ate cake and talked about Severus, Dumbledore, and their grief.
• Pomona explained her theories about the failed killing curses, and she and Minerva argued over Pomona’s reliance on intuition.

Pomona and Minerva arranged to bring Harry back to Hogwarts as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher while recruiting staff and resources to restore the school. Pomona then reunited with Severus and left with him to visit the kitchens and have dinner at Malfoy Manor.

• Pomona proposed Harry Potter as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Minerva offered him her unused Transfiguration office.
• Minerva ordered Pomona to return as a Transfiguration teacher and bring Sinistra back to Hogwarts.
• Minerva explained that the school needed funds and staff confidence, while Pomona proposed hunting Acromantulas and staging a performance for Gringotts security.
• Pomona and Minerva discussed borrowing the grounds and returning surviving Goblin property in exchange for help repairing the defensive wards.
• Severus contacted Pomona, and she met him in the Transfiguration Courtyard.
• Pomona invited Severus to visit the kitchens with her and have dinner at Malfoy Manor.