Chapter Summaries

Pomona reflected on Victorian housing, voting rights, charity, and the rise of industrial towns before witnessing Myrtle and Paul argue at Hogwarts. Myrtle’s tears flooded the second-floor corridor again, and Pomona left without resolving the dispute.

• Pomona considered how railway growth, housing laws, and electoral reforms shaped workers’ lives and industrial cities.
• Pomona recalled how Victorian charity and factory-owned tied properties offered workers housing and recreation, while leaving them dependent on others’ choices.
• Myrtle and Paul argued after Paul criticized her loud crying and said the Ministry of Magic had confined her because she had taken revenge on her enemies.
• Paul told Myrtle she could have pursued revenge covertly, but his advice only deepened her distress.
• Pomona regretted interfering as Myrtle’s crying flooded the second-floor corridor, then left.

Pomona reflected on cooperation, economic reform, and society’s rejection of coercive power as she stood by the house point counter near the Great Hall. She worried that the Ministry and public were targeting Severus Snape, and considered apologizing to him when she saw him again.

• Pomona arrived near the Great Hall and noticed that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had gained points but still trailed Gryffindor and Slytherin.
• Pomona considered how cooperation and economic reforms could improve workers’ lives and reduce social conflict.
• Pomona reflected that society condemned the Death Eaters’ belief in rule by the strong and would not forgive the use of the Unforgivable Curses.
• Pomona thought she would have supported Lucius Malfoy if the Ministry had pursued him, but worried because Severus Snape was their target.
• Pomona remembered that Slytherin’s hourglass had once always been at the bottom and wondered if she could apologize to Severus Snape.

Pomona learned that Flitwick’s former student Pandora Lovegood had died in a Charms accident, then searched for Snape and found him raging in the forest. After they argued about guilt and happiness, they shared the food she had brought, leaving their disagreement unresolved but their anger eased.

• Flitwick told Pomona that his former student Pandora Lovegood had died during a Charms experiment, witnessed by her young daughter.
• Pomona searched Hogwarts for Snape, then headed toward the greenhouses and Hagrid’s hut while recalling the night Harry had been taken to Privet Drive.
• Pomona sensed trouble in the forest and found Snape surrounded by destroyed plants and rocks, his wand pointed at her.
• Pomona and Snape argued about innocence, happiness, and wrongdoing, but Snape eventually lowered his wand.
• Pomona tossed Snape two rolls, and they sat together sharing the rolls and her bear biscuits until they both laughed.

Malfoy’s housing projects and England’s justice system illustrated the importance of security, education, and self-discipline. Pomona and Severus discussed Hogwarts students for a Potions competition before spotting Spark, the red-eyed vampire elk, wandering outside its nest, and Pomona chased after it.

• Malfoy contrasted his housing projects with Peabody’s fenced communities and reflected on the history and powers of justices of the peace.
• Malfoy described how a local judge and justice of the peace helped him punish a neighbor who challenged his encroachment on the neighbor’s land.
• Malfoy connected compulsory education and personal restraint to the boys’ attack on Ariana and Hogwarts’s duty to teach young wizards control.
• Pomona and Severus discussed Joy and Charlie as possible entrants in the Potions competition, and Severus noted Charlie’s potent sleeping potion.
• Severus and Pomona spotted Spark, the red-eyed vampire elk, outside its nest, and Pomona hurried after it to bring it back.

Pomona and Severus found Spark at the lake, where Ministry Aurors arrived to capture the moose and confronted Hagrid. As the Aurors pursued Spark, Pomona was left facing Dolores, hoping Severus had a plan.

• Spark frolicked in the lake, and Severus asked whether an animal that drank unicorn blood might become like a human.
• Pomona saw Isidora's face in the water, then a vision of Mary Stuart hunting, before Ministry Aurors appeared in the forest.
• Hagrid blocked the Aurors and claimed Spark was under his protection, while Pomona stopped him from openly defying the Ministry.
• Dolores accused Hagrid and Pomona of wrongdoing, but Pomona challenged her claims and an Auror defended Hagrid.
• Robert Shacklebolt arrived, ordered the Aurors to capture Spark, and led them away while Dolores remained to glare at Pomona.

The chapter discussed the legal and financial struggles behind maintaining roads and building bridges in London, including the rivalry between Peabody and Malfoy. It ended with Dolores confronting Pomona before Albus Dumbledore arrived, leaving Pomona uneasy about him.

• Local authorities struggled to fund road and bridge repairs because toll collection on the King's Highway required royal permission.
• The chapter described the petitions and political cooperation needed to build Tower Bridge and the New London Bridge.
• Peabody expanded his London housing empire while Malfoy sold Wiltshire land and later opened his own bank, and the two remained rivals.
• Pomona recalled her first arrival at Hogwarts and looked at Dolores, whose eyes seemed predatory.
• Dolores asked Albus Dumbledore to judge who was right after he appeared, and Pomona sensed something strange about him.

Dumbledore and Pomona faced Dolores’s investigation into the dangerous animal and Hagrid’s attempt to protect it, while a disguised Dark wizard warned Pomona to stay out of trouble. Dolores left to check on the search, and Pomona returned to the castle, hoping to find Hagrid nearby.

• The chapter recounted how Dumbledore’s support for past Ministers helped shape Wizarding policies, including the Dementor breeding program, while the possibility of Voldemort’s return remained a concern.
• The chapter described the historical growth of British boroughs and cities, including policing problems, overcrowded prisons, conflicts over railway surveys, and disputes between the Crown and nobles.
• Dolores challenged Hagrid for protecting the enormous animal, and Dumbledore said it was an unknown North Pole moose that did not belong to Hogwarts.
• Pomona argued that Dolores’s investigation disturbed students before their exams, but Dolores asked what would happen if the animal was not caught and then went to check on the search.
• Dumbledore ordered Hagrid back to his hut and warned him not to act recklessly again.
• The disguised Dark wizard reprimanded Pomona for rushing out to defend Hagrid, then left; Pomona recognized that something was strange about him and returned toward the castle.

Pomona reflected on roads, masters and servants, and the history of queens as she walked alone from the Forbidden Forest. She returned to Hogwarts in moonlight, still unsure how Albus would react to Severus using his image.

• Pomona recalled telling a Muggle-born student a bedtime story and struggling to explain why peace and solitude were not the same.
• She considered how nobles funded road trusts and relied on stewards to manage their estates and investments.
• Pomona reflected on the power imbalance between masters and servants and worried about what Albus would think of Severus speaking in his image.
• Pomona remembered that betrayal had led to Lily Potter's death, though she still found it hard to believe Sirius Black had betrayed the Potters.
• After finding Hagrid absent, Pomona left the Forbidden Forest alone and walked back toward Hogwarts.
• Pomona recalled how Mary I and Elizabeth I connected queenship with marriage to the nation, then crossed the lawn with a laugh.

Pomona recounted the history of English witch trials before confronting Snape by the Black Lake about his Defense Against the Dark Arts post and what she should tell Dumbledore. She left him angry after saying she would repeat his words truthfully while keeping some things unsaid.

• The account described how villagers challenged Canterbury Abbey’s bridge toll and the king’s intervention left the abbey maintaining the bridge while still earning a profit.
• The account traced the growth of witch trials under James I, including the Pendle accusations, and described how a Lancaster judge secured the defendants’ release and later became a royal forest keeper.
• Pomona listened to Mermaid songs by the Black Lake and reflected on the Little Mermaid’s love for the prince.
• Snape approached Pomona in his own black robes, and she asked whether he wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts post or wanted to leave Hogwarts.
• Pomona told Snape she would report his words to Dumbledore without lying, though she would leave some things unsaid.

Pomona reflected on women, beauty, and the sacrifices people made for love before confronting Snape beside the Black Lake. After telling him that their past actions were wrong, she refused to be drawn back into their painful entanglement and returned to the castle alone.

• Pomona recalled stories and history that made her question how beauty, status, and love shaped women's lives.
• Pomona spoke with Snape in the boathouse, warning him that cooperation mattered and hiding could also be a way to survive.
• Snape demanded that Pomona stop hiding from him, while she insisted that he did not know who she was.
• Pomona told Snape to forget what had happened because it had all been wrong, and Snape left the boathouse.
• Pomona decided she would no longer take the bait, then returned to the castle by a secret passage.

Pomona recounted how medieval manorial law and the Black Death weakened feudal authority before arguing with Minerva about Severus’s handling of Spark. Minerva defended his decision, leaving Pomona angry and unconvinced.

• Pomona described how widows, villeins, clergy, and gentlemen navigated manorial courts as the Black Death and labor shortages eroded villeinage.
• Pomona recounted how a young girl became a dark witch after her mother was taken away over a dead deer, and how the Wizards' Council later removed the girl’s body.
• Pomona joined Sinistra at breakfast, where Minerva rebuked Sinistra for guessing the age of a witch seeking marriage.
• Minerva took Pomona aside and defended Severus’s handling of the vampire moose, saying it had never belonged to Hogwarts and that angry parents were concerned.
• Pomona accused Severus of framing an innocent person and compared the situation to Patricia’s, then left for breakfast without changing Minerva’s mind.

Pomona watched Elena struggle with broom-flying and reflected on Lily’s childhood talent, then turned to questions of free will, responsibility, law, and punishment. She ended by choosing to enjoy her breakfast and wishing for the lighthearted happiness Lily had shown as a child.

• Pomona watched Elena Duncan eat breakfast looking gloomy while Tonks and Joy enthusiastically discussed the Quidditch World Cup.
• Pomona recalled Lily’s natural ability to fly, her decision to focus on studying, and how Snape had tried to impress her on a broom.
• Pomona considered Dumbledore’s willingness to let Harry endure a difficult childhood and reflected on how stories and examples shaped people’s understanding of fate and responsibility.
• Pomona thought through historical arguments about free will, legal authority, excommunication, and the changing procedures of the Inquisition.
• Pomona wondered whether ignorance or knowingly committed evil was worse and recalled the fairy tale of the Resurrection Stone.
• Pomona ate bread and oatmeal without worrying about her figure, hoping to feel as happy and light as Lily had while flying from the swing.

Pomona reflected on Florence’s political unrest and the Ciompi Revolt while researching the era’s labor and slavery. At Hogwarts, she saw Emily Taylor give a girl expensive earrings and invite her friends to stay in touch, then left without speaking to Emily.

• Pomona inferred from slave-market records that most slaves transported along the Silk Road had not been bought to spin thread.
• Pomona considered looking for original historical documents during summer break and disliked the prospect of joining Sinistra to observe stars through radio waves in Australia.
• Pomona heard girls admiring the earrings Emily Taylor held near the Transfiguration Courtyard.
• Emily gave the earrings to one girl and urged her friends to keep in touch after Emily graduated.
• Emily invited the girls to visit her in London during summer break and talked about her recent life there.
• Pomona silently recited Buddhist scriptures and left without greeting Emily.

Pomona reflected on public order, justice, and the Ministry’s treatment of Myrtle while caring for an overheated student and visiting the Hospital Wing. After Myrtle vanished, Pomona went to see Miss Duncan, who had regained consciousness.

• Pomona took a child suffering from heatstroke to the Hospital Wing, where she found Elena unconscious after someone knocked her from her broom.
• Pomona went to the abandoned washroom and found Myrtle crying because Olive Hornby’s nephew worked at the Ministry of Magic.
• Pomona considered how the Ministry preserved peace by punishing those who resisted, and recalled Albus Dumbledore urging her to endure wrongs and take revenge later.
• Pomona decided she could give Myrtle freedom, but Poppy Pomfrey announced that Miss Duncan had woken up.
• Myrtle disappeared down a toilet, and Pomona left to visit Miss Duncan.

Pomona comforted Elena in the Hospital Wing, helping her reconsider her doubts about being sorted into Hufflepuff and her conflicts with other students. After Tonks and others arrived to visit, Pomona left, reflecting on the boundary between the living and the dead.

• Pomona visited Elena, who worried that being unable to ride a broom meant she was stupid and belonged in Hufflepuff.
• Pomona explained Hufflepuff’s strengths and told Elena about the Mermaids and the Centaurs, reassuring her that her differences did not make her foolish.
• Elena told Pomona that Slytherins called her “Mudblood” and thought she should not represent the school in the Potions Tournament at Durmstrang.
• Elena explained that her old classmates had helped her when she could not see, and said she was happy at her new school despite Joy wanting to compete with her.
• Pomona advised Elena to adapt to her surroundings, encouraged her to let friends call her Elaine, and reminded her to listen to Madam Pomfrey.
• Tonks and a group of people arrived at the Hospital Wing, and Pomona left after seeing Elena surrounded by lively voices.

Pomona reflected on abandoned pets, the Black Death, and James’s instinctive loyalty before asking Minerva about Oliver Hongbei’s nephew and his remarks to Myrtle. Minerva said he would be proctoring at the Clock Tower during the O.W.L.s exams, leaving Pomona to wait until then to question him.

• Pomona noticed an abandoned cat in the Transfiguration Courtyard and planned to return for it after finishing her business.
• Pomona recalled how James had helped Lupin through his transformations and prevented a murder without being asked.
• Pomona visited Minerva’s office and asked whether Oliver Hongbei’s nephew was at the school.
• Pomona asked why the nephew had said things to Myrtle, but Minerva did not know what she meant.
• Minerva told Pomona she could question him at the Clock Tower during the O.W.L.s exams, and Pomona left.

Pomona waited for an abandoned cat and thought about plague, labor, and medieval society before Snape warned her to protect herself while he was away next term. After Snape saved her from a venomous snake, they set off together to release it elsewhere.

• Pomona returned to the cardboard box, found the cat gone, and searched nearby hiding places for it.
• Snape found Pomona and warned her to protect herself while he was away next term.
• A snake landed on Pomona’s shoulder, and Snape petrified it with a spell before removing it.
• Pomona insisted they should release the venomous snake rather than kill it because students were nearby.
• Snape caught Pomona by the collar, then took her hand and led her away from the Transfiguration Courtyard to set the snake free.

After recounting Joseph’s rise in Egypt and reflecting on masks, false appearances, and social morality, Pomona argued with Severus in the Forbidden Forest. Severus reassured and hugged her, then abruptly pushed her away, leaving her grumbling.

• The chapter recounted how Joseph saved Egypt from famine, settled Jacob’s family in Goshen, and later had his remains carried back to Canaan.
• It discussed how Roman law and social customs treated surrendering one’s freedom, drunkenness, and secret romances under masks.
• Severus dragged Pomona into the Forbidden Forest and asked her to apologize for misunderstanding his motives.
• Pomona accused Severus of framing an innocent person, while he insisted the deer belonged to that person and denied acting for personal gain.
• Severus told Pomona to follow what made her happy, then hugged her to comfort her.
• Pomona complained that Severus was wearing a cloak in midsummer, and he shoved her away, leaving her rubbing her shoulder and grumbling.

Pomona reflected on justice, moral duty, freedom, love, and death while considering Grindelwald’s influence and the choices people made. She followed Severus into the green forest, where she accepted that she and Lily had chosen separate paths, and wondered whether the Centaurs were right that Voldemort would return.

• Pomona contrasted self-interest with moral duty through examples of a pawnbroker, then considered Kant’s ideas about freedom, human dignity, and protecting oneself.
• Pomona reflected on death, tragic lives, and the way people lost themselves in love, fame, or the persuasive illusions of Grindelwald.
• Pomona noted that Dumbledore had allowed Severus to use his image when speaking to Ministry officials, and that Delphina’s departure had left a Muggle tailor unable to make anything but ribbons.
• Pomona questioned whether Severus would know how to kneel and bow if he worked in a palace, and he laughed coldly before walking into the woods.
• Pomona hurried after Severus and thought of Lily’s choice to walk a separate road, then wondered whether the Centaurs had any reason to lie about Voldemort’s return.

Pomona and Severus discussed honor, morality, parental authority, and the ways people could be controlled by possessions and family ties, as the chapter recounted examples from wizarding and Muggle history. Severus described how Voldemort had examined his memories, shared his hatred of his father, and taught him secret knowledge; Pomona and Severus then continued along a woodland path as a crow cried overhead.

• Pomona’s reflections on magical rings and the story of Artemisia Black described how Artemisia’s obsession with perfection led her to torture her Squib daughter and lose Blackwood Manor in a fire.
• A court dispute over a sergeant’s claim to parental authority illustrated how guardianship, honor, and moral duties could differ.
• Pomona considered how family loyalties and self-interest affected the Black and Malfoy families, then reflected on Voldemort’s suspicion of Severus and his hatred of Muggles.
• Severus told Pomona that Voldemort had examined his memories, learned of his relationship with Tobias, and later taught him things books could not teach.
• Pomona and Severus walked through the woods as a crow’s cries prompted Pomona to think of a poisoned princess and the unlucky knight.