Chapter Summaries

Pomona and Severus followed Ernie Macmillan to the Hog’s Head, where he argued with Aberforth about holding paid Patronus lessons. After Pomona stunned Ernie, she and Severus warned Aberforth that the war was not over and that a fragment of Voldemort’s soul remained undiscovered.

• Severus told Pomona about a Muggle who vanished at a hidden Underground station and claimed he had gone to Heaven.
• Pomona and Severus followed Ernie Macmillan into the Hog’s Head after spotting him in Hogsmeade.
• Ernie argued with Aberforth about using the pub for paid lessons in Expecto Patronum, and Pomona stunned him when Aberforth drew his wand.
• Pomona and Severus took Ernie into the back room, where Aberforth confronted Pomona about returning after faking her death.
• Severus urged Aberforth to face the danger ahead, and Pomona revealed that Harry Potter was not a Horcrux and that one soul fragment remained unfound.

Pomona and Severus confronted Aberforth with revelations about Albus, Ariana, and Pomona’s connection to his family. Aberforth recounted Ariana’s childhood trauma and his bitter history with Albus, leaving the three of them divided over the late wizard’s character.

• Aberforth demanded proof that Pomona had replaced Ariana, and Severus revealed that Albus had adopted her after she came from France as Corvus Lestrange’s half-Veela descendant.
• Severus told Aberforth that Albus had loved Gellert Grindelwald and described how Albus had treated Pomona as a replacement for Ariana before turning against her.
• Aberforth said Albus had neglected his family and recalled that Ariana had been attacked by three Muggle boys, after which her uncontrolled magic frightened the family and their father was imprisoned.
• Aberforth explained that he and Albus had argued over who would care for Ariana, while Albus and Grindelwald secretly pursued their plans.
• Severus said Voldemort had learned about Ariana by investigating Albus’s childhood, and he mocked Harry Potter’s ancestry and pure-blood politics.
• Pomona called Aberforth and Severus twisted, and Aberforth asked Severus whether Albus had been a great king or hero.

Pomona and Severus confronted Aberforth about Ariana, the Peverell Invisibility Cloak, and the dark creature connected to her death. Severus recruited Aberforth to help with an imminent upheaval, leaving Pomona to watch the goats and Norberta.

• Albus explained that the Potter family inherited the Peverell Invisibility Cloak through Iolanthe Peverell and that Grindelwald had searched for it in Godric's Hollow.
• Pomona invited Aberforth to let Ariana play Hangman with her, and Ariana agreed.
• Severus told Aberforth that an Obscurus had attacked the Leaky Cauldron and that he had summoned a dark creature because of his Unbreakable Vow.
• Severus criticized Albus's plan to have Pomona destroy Hufflepuff's Cup and said the dragon's escape had been a good thing.
• Severus asked Aberforth to lend the Hog's Head to the boy on the floor and to station himself at the Leaky Cauldron as trouble approached.
• Aberforth agreed to leave Pomona watching his goats and Norberta, then went with Severus for a drink.

Holmes identified The Devil's Foot as the poison behind the deaths of Mortimer Tregennis's family and uncovered Dr. Leon's revenge killing of Mortimer. The story then shifted to Ernie Macmillan, who woke in a filthy bar after Pomona had returned to her original appearance and asked her for House-elves to clean it.

• Holmes and Watson recreated the effects of the powder found at both crime scenes and nearly succumbed to its visions.
• Holmes confronted Dr. Leon, who confessed that he had forced Mortimer to burn The Devil's Foot and killed him in revenge for the woman he loved.
• The narration connected The Devil's Foot to Abyssinian Shrivelfig and the Hair-Raising Potion before digressing into history, magic, and wizarding characters.
• Ernie regained his senses on the bar's filthy floor and asked Pomona to lend him House-elves to clean it.
• Ernie claimed his success came from ability rather than luck and asked Pomona whether he or Justin was more outstanding.

Pomona reflected on wizarding injustice, loneliness, and the losses surrounding her before finding comfort at the Shrieking Shack with Crookshanks and an apparition or illusion of Albus. She ended feeling safe at Hogwarts.

• Pomona considered Severus’s abilities and the limits of his courage, along with the sacrifices and mistakes made during the war.
• Pomona reflected on Credence’s abuse and Ariana’s attack by Muggle boys, and struggled to forgive Muggles for the injustice wizards faced.
• Pomona withdrew to the Shrieking Shack, where Crookshanks arrived and she welcomed the cat into her arms.
• Pomona spoke to Crookshanks about Tina, Newt, and loneliness, and remembered a Slytherin boy who had once given her peppermint.
• Pomona leaned into the embrace of an old wizard in purple robes, unsure whether he was a ghost or an illusion, and felt safe.

Pomona invited Severus on a date, and the two began a passionate relationship despite her guilt over Lily. Later, as she feared an imminent attack, Severus gave her the Salamander Ring and taught her how to transfer life force so they could survive together.

• Pomona confronted Severus after he humiliated Harry in class and invited him to visit her evening primrose nursery.
• Pomona asked whether Severus would become a spy for her, and they kissed in the greenhouse.
• Pomona changed into formal robes, drew tarot cards, and reunited with Severus in the greenhouse, where they began a sexual relationship.
• Pomona woke beside Severus, who said he had found her with a Tracking Charm.
• Severus gave Pomona the Salamander Ring and taught her how to extract and infuse life force, while Pomona worried she might become pregnant.

Severus and Pomona walked through the Forbidden Forest, trading barbs while discussing Percy Weasley, authority, and the need for wizards to protect themselves. The sound of approaching Centaurs left them thinking of an older, more dangerous age.

• Pomona fell over a tree root after Severus warned her to watch her step, and the two teased each other as she got up.
• Pomona told Severus that Penelope Clearwater had dumped Percy Weasley, and Severus criticized Percy for mistaking hard work and votes for real power.
• Severus explained that authority depended on others obeying, then described how his own power was limited by McLaggen's father's influence.
• Severus argued that strength was necessary for self-protection and criticized laws and Umbridge for leaving young wizards defenseless.
• Severus laughed off Pomona's suggestion that Umbridge had angered him, while hoofbeats from Centaurs sounded deep in the Forbidden Forest.

Pomona teased Severus as they wandered through the forest, but their flirtation was interrupted by an Acromantula and stirred up memories of his old grudges. Severus resumed their intimate encounter while angrily recalling Sirius Black and Regulus, leaving their unresolved conflict hanging over them.

• Pomona teased Severus about Percy and imagined him wearing glasses as they walked together through the forest.
• Pomona shoved Severus against a tree near Grawp's old dwelling, and they challenged each other over their old senior-junior relationship.
• Pomona recalled kissing Severus in an empty classroom and how their earlier moment had been interrupted by Voldemort.
• Severus drove off an Acromantula that had nearly ambushed Pomona as they continued their intimate encounter.
• Pomona warned Severus about Old Barty Crouch's death and his near-imprisonment, while Severus recalled Sirius Black and Regulus and complained that Sirius still haunted him.

Pomona reflected on the loneliness and troubled family lives of Grawp, Regulus, and Barty Crouch Jr. while trying to comfort Severus, who feared death and resented his past choices. Their conversation turned to the Elder Wand and Albus, then ended with Severus provoking Pomona into a snowball chase through the forest.

• Pomona considered how Grawp needed firm guidance, how Walburga had waited for Regulus, and how family pressures had shaped Sirius and Barty Crouch Jr.
• Severus admitted that he was afraid of dying and having nightmares, and Pomona apologized for neglecting him while she had been busy.
• Severus mocked Pomona over her work and insisted they would go to a movie the next day, then criticized Sirius and Draco as spoiled cowards.
• Severus asked how the Elder Wand had passed from Regulus to Albus, while Pomona demanded that he show Albus proper respect.
• Severus threw snow in Pomona's face and ran, and Pomona chased him before stopping to catch her breath and threaten to teach him a lesson.

Pomona searched for Harry after learning he had entered the Forbidden Forest with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville, while Severus went to find him. Pomona sent Minerva a warning about Harry and the Time-Turner, then asked Hannah to investigate why Neville could see Thestrals and admitted she had erased Harry’s memories.

• Pomona found Dean Thomas at the operation camp, and Severus used Legilimency to learn that Harry had gone into the Forbidden Forest with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville.
• Severus warned Pomona to notify Minerva and watch out for the Time-Turner, then flew off to search for Harry.
• Pomona ordered Hannah to bring her medical kit and Justin to notify Arthur Weasley, then left the command tent.
• Pomona conjured a swan Patronus warning Minerva that Harry was missing and to beware of the Time-Turner.
• Hannah joined Pomona, who asked her to investigate why Neville could see Thestrals and confessed that she had erased Harry’s memories.

On the way to find the Thestrals, Pomona and Hannah discussed Snape, Neville, and Hannah’s possible feelings for him, while Hannah challenged Pomona’s defense of Lily Potter. Pomona ended the conversation grieving for Cedric Diggory, who had died before experiencing love.

• Hannah told Pomona how Harry had taken command of the plan and tensions had risen at headquarters after Ginny visited.
• Hannah questioned Pomona about her marriage to Snape, and Pomona said she had chosen for herself and would accept the consequences.
• Hannah accused Pomona of trying to pair her with Neville, and Pomona urged her to pursue him before his ex-girlfriend Luna could become an obstacle.
• Hannah criticized Lily Potter for failing to understand Snape, while Pomona defended Lily and explained that their disagreement over Dark magic had separated them.
• Pomona embraced Hannah, then mourned Cedric Diggory for having died without ever experiencing love.

On Lily's birthday in Hogsmeade, Pomona helped Severus respond carefully to the bullying by James Potter and Sirius Black while reflecting on the relationships and fortunes that would shape their futures. Later, Pomona rode into the Forbidden Forest with Hannah to search for Harry Potter and watch over Neville Longbottom.

• Pomona took Lily and Severus to Hogsmeade, bought them Sneakoscopes, and warned Severus to endure the bullying rather than confront James Potter and Sirius Black in public.
• James Potter and Sirius Black entered Zonko's Joke Shop, and Pomona advised Severus to report them for visiting Hogsmeade without permission slips.
• Pomona considered Severus's later wealth and business investments, his enduring love for Lily, and the possibility that she would leave him if he continued clinging to his former love.
• After Bella's curse forced Pomona into danger, Pomona flew into the Forbidden Forest with Hannah, told Hannah to watch for the Guardian Tree, and sent her Thestral to find Harry Potter.
• Pomona watched the forest from above, intending to protect Neville Longbottom while Harry already had a guardian angel.

Pomona and Hannah investigated the Forbidden Forest after finding poisoned Acromantula corpses, while Harry and the others explored a cave. Harry reported that a new spider queen had agreed to keep her colony in the forest but warned of a planned attack, and Luna arrived with the Sorting Hat.

• Pomona and Hannah followed the orange glow of poisoned spiders to a cave and prepared a Devil’s Snare trap at its entrance.
• Hannah contacted Harry’s group, who confirmed they were inside the cave with brooms.
• Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Neville emerged from the cave, and Harry said the Acromantulas planned to attack that night and might threaten a nearby Muggle town.
• Harry explained that the group had negotiated with Martha, a new spider queen who agreed to keep her colony in the Forbidden Forest in exchange for being spared.
• Luna arrived with Rolf on a Thestral and delivered the Sorting Hat, which Professor McGonagall had sent Harry.

Harry and the others argued over whether to seek help from the Ministry of Magic or trust the Order of the Phoenix and the Slytherins, while Neville warned that Voldemort might return. Harry decided to contact the Order and approach the Slytherins, leaving Pomona to return to camp with Luna and Rolf.

• Pomona gave Ron a calming draught as the group gathered, while Hannah and Lavender argued over Neville.
• Neville opposed seeking Ministry help and warned Harry that Voldemort might return if there were more than seven Horcruxes.
• Rolf and Hannah argued that the Slytherins, including Lucius Malfoy, might be useful allies, prompting Ron to defend the Ministry and insult Malfoy.
• Pomona stopped the argument and asked Harry to decide what they should do.
• Harry sent Neville to notify the Order of the Phoenix, then left with Hannah, Ginny, and Hermione to speak with the Slytherins.
• Pomona returned to camp with Luna and Rolf while Ron remained behind, staring into space.

Pomona wrestled with grief and loneliness while talking with Astoria about love, family, and the risks of becoming too attached. Neville then asked Pomona to help him negotiate with Mosag, hoping to guide the spiders to a chosen location rather than fight them.

• Pomona, feeling miserable and isolated, hid from the reunion around her and recalled her fears about her possible connection to Voldemort.
• Astoria found Pomona and told her Draco had proposed; Pomona urged her to consider how love and family could affect those left behind.
• Pomona and Astoria discussed the house in Godric's Hollow, Astoria's plans to decorate it, and the seasons they liked.
• Neville proposed that Mosag wanted to escape her own offspring, and suggested helping her flee in exchange for leading the spiders to a designated location.
• Pomona offered Neville her summoning ring and asked if he was still afraid of Severus; Neville said he had grown up, though Severus still seemed as if he wanted to kill him.

Pomona, Severus, and Neville entered the Forbidden Forest to negotiate with Mosag and secure peace between the Acromantulas and Hogwarts. After Pomona fought off the spiders and escaped, Neville returned to the forest alone to continue the mission.

• Neville explained that Hermione had shortened the forest operation to protect valuable creatures and prevent people from exploiting the forest.
• Severus led Pomona and Neville to Mosag’s nest, where Neville proposed summoning the object on her back to draw her over.
• Severus and Neville approached Mosag while Pomona prepared Devil’s Snare and fire to distract the spiders.
• Pomona battled the advancing spiders with plant magic and fire before Apparating to the forest’s edge.
• Severus and Neville reappeared covered in spider silk, and Neville thanked Severus for everything he had done for Hogwarts.
• Pomona wished Neville luck as he returned alone to the Forbidden Forest.

Pomona and Severus discussed the war, Bella’s possible survival, and the damage caused by the Accionites boys while planning a future with their family. The mother spider’s choice ignited the Forbidden Forest, and Severus pounced on Pomona in the greenhouse.

• Pomona and Severus kissed in the greenhouse, then discussed the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny’s role in poisoning the Mandrakes, and Bella’s possible survival through a Horcrux.
• Severus told Pomona he had tortured two Accionites boys before handing them to the Aurors, and he explained that their crimes had derailed Kingsley’s efforts to secure protections for wizards under Muggle law.
• Pomona urged Severus to stop dwelling on fate and the Deathly Hallows, and they talked about Draco and Astoria, their future home, and raising Teddy and Scorpius.
• Severus praised Neville’s intelligence and said the next step depended on what the mother spider chose.
• Flames erupted in the Forbidden Forest, and Pomona concluded that the mother spider had made her choice.
• Severus pounced on Pomona after she joked about cold-blooded creatures.

Ron Weasley endured a spider-extermination mission that forced him into an Acromantula nest and left him feeling neglected by his family and friends. Alone afterward, he met the mysterious Tao Zhang, who urged him to learn the Deluminator’s purpose before vanishing.

• As a baby, Ron’s brothers transformed his teddy bear into a spider, giving him a lifelong fear of spiders.
• Ginny confronted Justin’s grandfather for belittling Harry and Ron, then insisted Ron join the mission to face his fear.
• Neville used poisoned rats to lure spiders from a burrow, where Ron and the others encountered the enormous, talking spider Martha.
• After Ron vomited and returned to camp, Molly scolded him while Arthur focused on Harry, deepening Ron’s sense of being overlooked.
• Ron released the Deluminator’s stored lights and met Tao Zhang, who told him to ask a wooden stake about the object’s purpose before disappearing when Hermione called.

Ron struggled with insecurity about his marriage to Hermione while the House-elves prepared a Bubotuber-pus trap for the spiders. After talking with Rolf Scamander and being slapped by Lavender Brown, Ron left angrier and more dejected than before.

• Hermione explained that Neville had devised a Bubotuber-pus trap to lure and blow up the spiders, but Ron withdrew, brooding that he was unworthy of Hermione.
• Luna and Rolf invited Ron to drink whisky, and Rolf tried to draw him out by discussing marriage and family tensions.
• Lavender Brown slapped Ron and called him a bastard before leaving to look for Neville.
• Rolf told Ron about intelligent wolf cubs in the Forbidden Forest and explained ways to treat Werewolf wounds and manage transformations.
• Ron snapped at Rolf about the dead inventor of Wolfsbane Potion, then walked away drinking and full of anger.

Ron struggled through a terrible day while Simon Finnigan invited him to blow things up, but a secret warning from Arthur changed his priorities. Ron learned that Harry was in danger, that Hermione had been staying in a hidden safe house, and that he must protect his family; he ended by deciding to let Hermione go her own way.

• Simon Finnigan invited Ron to meet him with a broomstick so they could blow something up, and Ron agreed.
• Ron overheard Draco Malfoy insulting Harry and demanding that Hermione Granger join their discussion about cooperation.
• Arthur pulled Ron aside, warned him that someone was plotting against Harry, and gave him a Sailboat coin for secret family communication.
• Arthur told Ron that Hermione was living in Sirius Black's former safe house and ordered him not to leave The Burrow, even if Hermione asked him to.
• Arthur asked Ron to consider carrying on his work between Muggles and wizards, and Ron comforted him before claiming he had plans to fly.
• Ron saw Hermione enter the tent with Hannah Abbott and decided that, if Hermione wanted freedom, he would let her go and watch from afar.