Chapter Summaries

Ron and Simon helped lure spiders into a Devil’s Snare trap in the Forbidden Forest, where Dementors also attacked. After Simon set off a chain of potion-barrel explosions, Ron was blasted unconscious and left in danger.

• Ron and Seamus reached the ambush site and found the Hufflepuffs cultivating Devil’s Snare to trap the spiders.
• Ron discussed Dumbledore’s Deluminator with Simon and later messaged Hermione with the fake Galleon.
• Ron and Simon stayed behind as bait, and Ron noticed his father’s supposedly living car in the forest.
• The spider swarm rushed into the Devil’s Snare while the advance group ignited Bubotubers and withdrew.
• Dementors appeared, and Ron summoned his Jack Russell terrier Patronus to protect Simon as he ignited the potion barrels.
• The barrels exploded in a chain reaction, Simon Apparated away, and Ron was thrown unconscious.

Sheriff David Cleveland organized a search after Anna Wood and Dylan Ernest disappeared into the Forbidden Forest. He met forest police officer Brandon Baker at the forest’s edge, and they prepared to search together while wondering whether Werewolves were involved.

• David learned from Anna's mother that Anna Wood and Dylan Ernest had gone into the forest, and he called the forest police for help.
• David asked Mrs. Carmody to contact a London man whose details he had kept, while Donald summoned Bob, Duman, and Teresa.
• David drove his modified police car to the forest station and met Brandon Baker at the fog-shrouded forest.
• Brandon said Anna was a skilled hunter and asked David whether he believed Werewolves existed.
• David asked Brandon if he could track, then decided they would enter the forest after the rest of the search party arrived.

After Ron Weasley went missing during the explosion, Arthur left with Simon to search for him while Harry organized the evacuation and moved the camp. The group settled beneath the forest canopy, unaware that a streak of black smoke had followed them and vanished nearby.

• Harry ordered an immediate search for Ron, but Arthur insisted on leading it himself and asked Harry to look after Molly.
• Arthur departed with Simon, while Ginny returned home and Harry prepared to relocate the camp.
• The hunters followed Harry on their brooms through the darkness to a new campsite, where Justin found a glowing rowan tree.
• A streak of black smoke trailed the group over the treetops before disappearing into the forest and mist.
• The hunters established a concealed camp and discussed wand-wood superstitions, including Ron's chestnut wand.

Ron spent a cold, hungry night lost in the Forbidden Forest after an explosion destroyed his broom. He befriended Buckbeak and left the cave with him, while an underage Centaur secretly held the two coins Ron had lost.

• Ron took shelter in a cave and used the Deluminator for light and warmth while thinking about his friends and family.
• Ron discovered that his Sailboat Coin and the fake Galleon from Dumbledore's Army were missing and feared he had lost them in the explosion.
• Ron heard a noise outside, found Buckbeak, and calmed the Hippogriff by bowing to him.
• Ron rested beside Buckbeak, then left the cave with him to avoid danger in the forest.
• An underage Centaur emerged from behind a tree, carrying Ron's fake Galleon and silver Sailboat Coin.

Hagrid led Arthur Weasley, Hermione, Simon, Rolf, and Luna through the Forbidden Forest to search for Ron, while tensions over the Centaurs and old rumors strained the group. They found Ron’s whiskey bottle and tracks leading into a dangerous part of the forest, then followed them into the fog.

• Hagrid warned the search party that they had entered Centaur territory, and Rolf explained the Centaurs’ customs and their hostility toward humans.
• Luna criticized Hermione for using the Centaurs to kidnap Umbridge, and Hermione argued with her until Arthur separated them.
• Simon asked Arthur about a rumor involving Snape and Sirius, but Arthur refused to discuss it while Ron remained missing.
• Hagrid found Ron’s half-finished bottle of whiskey and footprints in the snow, while warning the group that werewolves and Muggle hunters roamed nearby.
• Luna spotted hoofprints, and Hagrid led the group along the tracks into the white fog.

In the Forbidden Forest, Pomona taught Severus and Lily about Tree Monkey Frogs, Egyptian mysticism, and the wizard’s pursuit of power and freedom. Severus chose the path of a wizard, while Lily collected frog eggs to share with friends.

• Pomona took Severus and Lily into the Forbidden Forest to gather potion ingredients, where Lily collected colorful Tree Monkey Frog eggs.
• Severus found Ronan the Centaur contemplating the stars, and Pomona led the children away without disturbing him.
• Pomona explained Egyptian beliefs about water lilies and asked whether returning to Eden would make people happy; Severus rejected a life of comfort without freedom.
• Pomona described wizards as seeking knowledge and power to become gods within their own gardens, then asked Severus whether he would choose to be a magician or a judge.
• Severus chose to become a wizard, and Pomona encouraged him to follow a path like Merlin’s.
• Lily showed Pomona her bag of frog eggs, and Severus said Muggle girls would find them disgusting.

Dylan Ernest, stuck in Trembling Town after his family lost its money, met Anna Wood and was drawn into her plan to hunt werewolves in the Dark Forest. Anna revealed that she had come to fulfill her duty of revenge, and Dylan went with her, finding the town less boring than before.

• Dylan sat in his car, brooding over his family's financial ruin and his hatred of Trembling Town.
• Anna arrived after arguing with her mother, drank Dylan's liquor, and kissed him.
• Anna told Dylan that her father and two tourists had disappeared in the Dark Forest, where she believed werewolves attacked them.
• Anna opened her guitar case and showed Dylan hunting rifles and silver bullets, then challenged him to join her hunt.
• Anna revealed she had been watching over Dylan rather than falling in love with him, and said she had come for revenge.
• Dylan brought his macaroni along, followed Anna into the forest, and accepted her new name, Nemesis.

In 1972, Pomona used Legilimency on Severus and learned his home life was troubled, then agreed to help Lily find a house for Eileen. In 2005, Anna and Dylan searched the snowy forest for werewolves as Anna prepared to leave her home, while Dylan considered staying in the countryside.

• Lily described how tree frog eggs she had brought home hatched into hopping tadpoles and frightened her family.
• Severus said he did not want to return home, and Pomona used Legilimency to glimpse an argument-filled memory involving his father.
• Severus angrily ran back to the castle after Pomona asked how he had gotten home.
• Lily told Pomona that Eileen needed somewhere to live, and Pomona agreed to help buy her a house.
• Anna explained werewolves and vampires to Dylan as they searched the forest, and she admitted she had brought him because no one else would go with her.
• Anna said she planned to leave regardless of whether she got revenge, while Dylan said he might stay in the countryside.

In 1972, Pomona urged Severus to prioritize effective tactics over powerful spells and listened as he worried about his mother and wanted to learn how to fight back. The memory ended with Pomona waking years later in the greenhouse, where she drank a potion and waited for Severus to return at dawn.

• Pomona explained that dodging could be more effective than blocking and told Severus about Voldermortist, Merlin's enemy, who had been defeated with a Paralysis Charm.
• Severus described potions he had learned from Slughorn and asked Pomona to help him obtain discounted Erumpent horn powder.
• Severus said he feared his father might hurt his mother and asked when Pomona would teach him to fight back.
• After watching Pomona use a Confundus Charm on a Kneazle, Severus argued that useful spells mattered more than powerful ones and asked her to cast the charm on him.
• Pomona cast the Confundus Charm on Severus, then woke years later in the greenhouse and found a note saying he would return at dawn.
• Pomona drank a potion made with Doxy eggs and waited for dawn, resenting that Severus had left without telling her where he was going.

After the explosion, Pomona left to check on Draco, worrying about his safety and reflecting on Severus, love, and the limits of changing people. She found Draco safe near the Forbidden Forest, learned he had proposed to Astoria, and suggested Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy as their future son’s name, while Draco remained resentful of Harry.

• Filius Flitwick extinguished the remaining fire with a localized rainstorm and dispersed the clouds as the crowd applauded.
• Pomona mounted a Thestral under an Invisibility Cloak and flew toward the Forbidden Forest to find Draco, leaving Severus to watch Harry.
• Draco arrived on his broom and led Pomona away from people hiding nearby before she embraced him and confirmed he was safe.
• Pomona urged Draco to rest after arranging watch shifts and told him to be kinder to Harry, whose elders were gone.
• Pomona learned Draco had proposed to Astoria and suggested Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy for their son, prompting Draco to complain that Harry kept taking things from him.

Pomona kept watch in the snowy forest, used magical butterflies to lift the spirits of the people around her, and spoke with Draco about his troubled relationship with Astoria. She urged him to understand Astoria’s fears and make new memories with her, leaving him chastened but still confused.

• Pomona waited for Neville’s reply while watching the dark forest, then shared her food with nearby people who were roasting meat.
• Pomona transformed dead leaves into glowing Victoria’s birdwing butterflies and sang about her love for Severus.
• Draco woke and told Pomona that Astoria had asked about Pansy before running away in tears.
• Pomona explained that Astoria feared losing her chance to become the High Priestess and told Draco to forget Pansy and make a memory with Astoria.
• Draco asked Pomona why she had forced Severus to grow up, then complained when she brought up his father.

Pomona reassured Draco that the Elder Wand choosing him gave them a chance to survive, then a dark wizard awakened a Giant beneath the Forbidden Forest. As Slytherins fled, Pomona hid and sent Draco to find the person controlling it.

• Draco apologized to Pomona for the Unbreakable Vow and questioned whether Severus could lead the wizards while the Dark Lord was mad.
• Pomona comforted Draco about his fear of Severus and Bella fighting, and explained that the Elder Wand choosing him had helped protect them.
• Pomona admitted her magic had run dry after a fight elsewhere and told Draco she wanted only to rest with the Dark Lord.
• A huge skeletal claw emerged from a collapsing hollow, and an ugly black Giant crawled out as nearby Slytherins Apparated away.
• Pomona identified the Giant and told Draco to find the dark wizard controlling it before concealing herself beneath her hood.

Pomona fought a Giant skeleton in the Forbidden Forest and called for help when dark wizards remained a concern. A Snallygaster joined the battle, and Pomona recruited Simon Finnigan to destroy the skeleton while Hermione and Luna searched for the missing Ron Weasley.

• Pomona bound the Giant skeleton with rapidly grown Devil's Snare and worried that hidden dark wizards posed the greater danger.
• The Giant skeleton charged Pomona, who Apparated away as it smashed into a tree.
• Pomona tried to contact Severus with a crystal ball but received no answer before a Snallygaster appeared.
• Pomona warned the others to move aside as the Snallygaster attacked the Giant skeleton.
• Pomona found Arthur, Hermione, Simon, Luna, and Rolf Scamander, then gave Simon explosive liquid to destroy the skeleton.
• Luna explained that they had come looking for the missing Ron Weasley, while Hermione stood stunned and seemed not to recognize Pomona.

After the battle in the Forbidden Forest, Pomona argued with Arthur Weasley over his treatment of pure-blood families and his suspicions about her, then found comfort with Hermione. As Snape prepared to leave, Hermione gave Pomona a bottle of Crumple-Horned Snorkack horn powder that might keep someone awake for seven days.

• Pomona caught up with Arthur Weasley and said she was protecting her godson, Draco Malfoy.
• Arthur accused Pomona of siding with criminals and warned her away from his children, while Pomona criticized his actions and his views on Muggles and women.
• Hermione interrupted their argument and led Arthur away, then hugged Pomona as the two women comforted each other.
• Pomona told Hermione she wanted to see Snape off because the Dark Mark on his arm meant he could not stay at headquarters long.
• Hermione identified Pomona's fairy wings as a sign of her Veela blood and gave her Crumple-Horned Snorkack horn powder from Rolf.
• Pomona considered the powder's claim that it could prevent sleep for seven days and removed her summoning ring, thinking someone would want it.

Pomona and Severus reunited in the cold after the Giant skeleton attack, and Severus urged her to leave Britain with Draco and Astoria. Pomona refused to abandon the people at risk and asked about America’s wizarding school, leaving their next move unresolved.

• After the Giant skeleton vanished, the Northerners started a snowball fight while protective charms deterred anyone from approaching.
• Pomona and Severus were together beneath his cloak, where they discussed their past, Arthur’s suspicions, and the people now targeted for assassination.
• Pomona warned that Harry, Draco, Arthur, and Neville were potential targets, but Severus said they could leave the country with Draco and Astoria.
• Pomona asked how Severus had found Karkaroff and told him that Rolf had given Hermione Divine-Horned Beast horn powder, which Hermione had passed to her.
• Severus questioned whether Rolf had gone to America on his own or on orders, then said he needed to visit the little Troll while Pomona stayed to look after Draco.
• Pomona threw away the yellow scarf Severus put around her neck and asked him what America’s wizarding school was called.

Pomona connected Isolt Sayre’s maternal Gaunt ancestry and Parseltongue to the possibility that Harry inherited Gaunt blood, and urged Severus to investigate the Potter family tree and Hogwarts admission records. After they parted, the chapter turned to Bella forcing Severus to make an Unbreakable Vow, while Pomona grew jealous over the attention he received from other women.

• Pomona recounted Isolt Sayre’s life, including her escape from Gormlaith Gaunt and her friendship with William the Pukwudgie and a Horned Serpent.
• Pomona suggested Harry might have inherited Gaunt blood through his mother’s side, and Severus questioned why Slytherin’s Basilisk had not obeyed him.
• Pomona described clues from her dream and proposed checking the Potter family tree and the list of young witches and wizards registered for Hogwarts.
• Severus kissed Pomona to stop her from talking, and they later parted for the time being.
• Bella made Severus swear an Unbreakable Vow, while Pomona fumed over the women vying for his attention.

Ron followed the Ford Anglia through the Forbidden Forest and met two Muggles, Anna Wood and Dylan Ernest, who had been injured and chased by magical creatures. After healing Anna and sharing what he knew about the forest, Ron led them onward to hunt Acromantulas.

• The Ford Anglia led Ron and Buckbeak through the foggy forest to a Muggle encampment.
• Ron met Anna Wood and Dylan Ernest, healed Anna’s leg, and accepted their roast chicken as food.
• Anna explained that she and Dylan had disturbed a nest of bugs while hunting deeper in the forest.
• Ron told the Muggles how to fight magical creatures with fire and Bubotuber pus, then boasted about defeating Voldemort.
• Ron led Anna and Dylan through the forest to hunt Acromantulas, with Buckbeak following behind.

Harry Potter decided to search the Forbidden Forest for Ron after learning that people were cheating by collecting spider pincers, and he found a chaotic crowd at the explosion site. He rallied the hunters to stay and fight the Acromantulas, but the crowd’s reaction to the name “Dumbledore’s Army” left their allegiance uncertain.

• Molly Weasley told Harry about his parents and admitted she feared Voldemort might return, while Harry said he believed Neville that undiscovered Horcruxes remained.
• Justin Finch-Fletchley told Harry that people were collecting spider pincers at the explosion site to cheat the hunting count, so Harry decided to search for Ron with Neville, Lavender, and Hannah.
• Harry Apparated to the explosion site and found hundreds of people scavenging spider pincers from the corpses.
• Harry warned the crowd that Dementors were in the Forbidden Forest and offered free food, coffee, warm beds, and Acromantula venom to those willing to stay.
• Harry rallied the hunters to fight without tricks, and Terry Boot shouted “Dumbledore’s Army” before the crowd silently began collecting spider venom.

Before dawn, Harry drank Gurdyroot Tea and discussed politics and Hogwarts with Terry Boot before his scar began hurting. An old Centaur confronted Harry about the Ministry and Hogwarts, then disappeared into the darkness.

• Terry Boot gave Harry Gurdyroot Tea to help him stay awake while a reporter questioned the crowd.
• Harry and Terry discussed N.E.W.T.-level Potions, Harry's recovered Half-Blood Prince book, and the political treatment of pure-blood families and former Death Eaters.
• Harry's scar flared with pain, and he staggered away from the gathering to brace himself against a tree.
• An old Centaur emerged from the darkness, said the trees were angry, and challenged Harry to consider whether he belonged to Hogwarts or the Ministry of Magic.
• The Centaur said he would speak only with people possessing true wisdom, then vanished as the power affecting Harry's scar faded.

Neville Longbottom reconsidered his fears, his family’s expectations, and the consequences of love while reflecting on what he had witnessed in the greenhouse. He chose to approach Hannah and Lavender with the Sorting Hat in hand, leaving his next steps open.

• Neville entered the greenhouse to ask Professor Sprout about his course selections and stumbled upon her embracing Severus Snape.
• Neville left the greenhouse and reflected on the prophecy, his grandmother’s expectations, and how people had treated Harry and him as potential Chosen Ones.
• Neville recalled Professor Sprout’s advice, his decision to choose his own path, and why he had stayed silent when the houses acted against Slytherin.
• Neville applied his homemade ointment and considered the dangers of love before answering Lavender’s call.
• Neville ran toward Hannah and Lavender with the Sorting Hat in his hand.