Chapter Summaries

Pomona considered Tom Riddle’s claim that Tonks descended from Helga Hufflepuff and learned that Neville and George had found Accionites’ people plotting to destroy the dam and hydroelectric power station. The group faced the immediate threat while Pomona worried that the revelation about Hufflepuff’s bloodline could provoke further conflict.

• Pomona wondered whether Tonks was Helga Hufflepuff’s descendant and reflected on the hidden secrets of Hufflepuff.
• Tom Riddle said Helga had been a Metamorphmagus Animagus and suggested Tonks inherited her rare bloodline.
• Neville and George returned and reported that Accionites’ people were planning to destroy the dam and hydroelectric power station.
• Neville urged the others to focus on stopping the plot, while Pomona said she would follow orders.
• Pomona feared that a werewolf’s child with a Hufflepuff descendant could become a source of discrimination and conflict.

Pomona reflected on her desire for Severus and her need for his support with Teddy’s situation before joining Luna and George to investigate a strange forest. The three followed a creature into a cave and decided to explore it.

• Pomona considered asking Severus to help with Teddy’s matter, though she expected him to tell her not to meddle.
• Pomona told Hannah to stay with Neville while she went to investigate the forest with Luna.
• George followed Pomona and Luna deeper into the forest, where Luna told Pomona she could tell she was not a bad person.
• The group heard rustling and chased a strange creature that looked like an unusually large goblin.
• The creature led Pomona, Luna, and George to a cave, and Pomona led them toward its entrance.

Pomona, Luna, and George discovered a hidden kingdom of wild House-elves beneath the village, and Pomona decided not to alert the Ministry. The discovery stirred George’s grief for Fred, while Luna and Pomona prepared to contact Bill and help Neville.

• Luna transformed George into a weasel, and he crawled through the narrow hole while Pomona waited with her.
• George returned covered in mud and said he had found an underground kingdom where wild House-elves lived.
• Pomona decided they should not alarm the elves or report them to the Ministry, and the group left the entrance.
• George described the elves’ soldiers and armor, then told Pomona and Luna that the discovery had made him think of Fred.
• Luna said Neville needed their help, and Pomona asked her to contact Bill because Angelina could not handle the situation alone.

Hermione Apparated to 12 Grimmauld Place after Yaxley caught her, prompting reflections on House-elf contracts, power, and the choices people made under cruel social systems. Pomona reconsidered her assumptions about Severus and Harry’s Horcrux hunt, ending with the losses victory had already cost the Weasleys.

• Hermione fled Yaxley by Apparating to 12 Grimmauld Place, where Kreacher’s loyalty to the Black family and his contract’s restrictions explained his hostility toward the house’s occupants.
• The chapter contrasted House-elves’ unequal magical contracts with human social contracts and considered how people accepted cruelty while claiming to oppose it.
• Molly’s eventual acceptance of Fleur after Bill was injured illustrated how the Weasleys endured hardship together, while Hermione’s determination to fight for House-elf rights reflected her compassionate but forceful nature.
• Pomona admitted she had wrongly blamed Severus for failing to find Hufflepuff’s Cup and reasoned that Harry, not Severus, had been the one to discover Ravenclaw’s Diadem.
• Pomona considered Voldemort’s need for security, the nature of his Horcruxes, and whether he had hidden another one somewhere safer than Hogwarts or Gringotts.
• Pomona reflected that Gryffindor’s victories had cost Harry his mother and the Weasleys Fred, leaving the family’s joy diminished.

Pomona, Luna, and Fleur investigated an abandoned village near a reservoir and suspected Giants had driven the residents away while someone tampered with the water supply. After Bill explained the reservoir served several cities, Pomona examined its spillway and reflected on Tom Riddle’s life.

• Pomona, Luna, and Fleur searched an abandoned cabin and found lingering traces of powerful, unfriendly magic.
• Luna suggested Giants might have migrated to Devonshire after the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures searched Somerset during the war.
• Bill arrived and explained that the reservoir supplied water to Derby, Sheffield, Nottingham, and Leicester, while Pomona and Luna feared the water could be contaminated.
• Pomona concluded the culprits had probably left and Apparated onto the dam to inspect the spillway.
• Pomona thought about Merope’s death during childbirth and quietly called Tom an idiot.

The chapter recounted Wilda Griffith’s disappearance and the events that reshaped the Holyhead Harpies, then explored Druid lore and Pomona’s past. It ended with Pomona asking Bill whether he would still love Fleur if she became like her.

• Wilda Griffith vanished during a riot at a match against the Holyhead Harpies, and Gwenog Jones was arrested amid suspicions that she was responsible.
• After the Harpies lost Jones, Ginny Weasley joined the team as a Chaser, later left Quidditch to raise James Sirius Potter, and never returned to work.
• The chapter described the Druid Cliodna, her crest, and the dangerous rites and traditions of Druids.
• Bill exchanged information with Pomona about her seclusion and recognized that she and Fleur shared similar rhythms.
• Pomona told Bill that she had restrained Remus during full moons and taught James and Sirius to become Animagi.
• Pomona asked Bill whether he would still love Fleur if she became like her, and Bill asked what had made Pomona that way.

Pomona and the others found Neville and Hannah at a hidden hot-spring altar beneath a lake island, but Pomona refused to enter because her and Bill’s Dark Magic curses might trigger its defenses. She left the young witches and wizards to decide what to do next, suggesting Hermione should lead the investigation.

• Pomona discussed the lake’s magical creatures with Bill and Luna before Luna reported that Neville had sent a message from a hidden cave.
• Neville led the group to a mist-shrouded island, where they found an underground altar, hot springs, fireflies, and a water passage.
• Pomona refused to enter the cave with Bill, explaining that their curses might activate its defenses, while Fleur, Luna, Neville, and Hannah continued inside.
• Pomona questioned whether the island could conceal information from Voldemort and advised Neville and Hannah to let Hermione uncover the altar’s secrets.
• Pomona left the cave and reflected on clues connecting the letter G, the number seven, the Harpies, and the hidden history of the altar.

Pomona discussed her past, her regrets over her lost child, and her marriage to Severus Snape with Bill and Fleur. She learned that Norberta had escaped on her own, not been abandoned, and ended the conversation embarrassed as Bill offered her a dragon egg.

• Pomona collected a water sample from the lake and told Bill and Fleur she felt useless and exhausted after three days without sleep.
• Pomona recalled traveling to XZ with Severus to avoid the Great Judgment and spoke about her wish to make a better world for Teddy Lupin.
• Pomona explained that she had once been pregnant but lost the child, and that she had married Severus for reasons unrelated to his love for Lily.
• Fleur worried that Charlie was unstable and did not want to marry, while Bill described his love of outdoor pursuits and dragons.
• Pomona learned that Norberta had escaped her chains and been trapped after eating food laced with Sleeping Potion, rather than being abandoned.
• Bill teased Pomona about leaving her wedding early and offered to find her a dragon egg to care for.

Pomona returned from investigating the altar and told Severus what she had learned about Teddy Lupin before discovering the home he had prepared for her. The chapter ended with them floating together on a carpet beneath a starry ceiling as Pomona wondered what would keep someone from feeling adrift.

• Pomona returned to Ottery St Catchpole with a bottle of water from the lake and told Severus she had found a Druid village and identified Teddy Lupin as Helga Hufflepuff's descendant.
• Pomona kissed Severus and was overcome by complicated emotions, then reflected on grief, home, and the longing for belonging.
• Severus revealed a room decorated with rose petals and a ceiling like the Great Hall's starry sky, and Pomona asked whether he meant it as a birthday present.
• Severus explained that he had created the room because he had once wanted to sleep in the Great Hall, and Pomona lifted their carpet into the air with Wingardium Leviosa.
• Pomona and Severus lay together on the hovering carpet and looked at the stars.

Pomona woke in the cabin after Severus used an Invigoration Potion, and the two argued over their plans, gardening, and potion ingredients over breakfast. Severus then announced they would visit Draco, leaving Pomona wishing she could go back to sleep.

• Pomona woke on the cabin floor to Severus singing a ballad while he made breakfast.
• Pomona told Severus about her visit to the Druid territory with Bill and asked whether he wanted a dragon egg.
• Pomona and Severus discussed going to Venice and the Axminster carpet he had bought.
• Pomona and Severus bickered about her gardening and whether her plants met his standards for potion ingredients.
• Severus told Pomona they would visit Draco after breakfast, and she wanted to go back to sleep.

Pomona and Severus went to the Malfoys' villa after the Werewolves' attack and learned that Draco had shut himself in the bathroom. As Severus went to check on his godson, Pomona remembered Draco's old injuries and grieved how much he had changed.

• The Ministry covered up the London Chinatown attack by telling Muggles that a gas leak had caused the disaster.
• Pomona and Severus arrived at St Mungo's, where victims' blood still stained the hospital after a night of treating Werewolf wounds.
• Pomona and Severus used Narcissa's Portkey to travel to the Malfoys' villa, where Honey told them Draco had been in the bathroom for nearly an hour.
• Severus went to check on Draco after Pomona urged him to, while she recalled Draco's Sectumsempra wounds and his recovery in the Hospital Wing.
• Pomona leaned against the wall and mourned the loss of the arrogant young Draco she remembered.

Pomona reflected on the Wizarding World’s divisions, beauty, and the sacrifices people made to escape death while preparing food with Honey as Draco broke down in the bathroom. The chapter ended with Pomona recognizing that Draco did not want Astoria to see him before he had pulled himself together.

• The chapter recounted how the Hogwarts train and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters were established despite pure-blood opposition and ongoing secrecy problems.
• Pomona considered Draco’s fear of Werewolves and the moral line between using lethal magic and seeing someone as human.
• Pomona and Honey prepared food for Draco while Severus stayed with his godson, and Pomona noticed that the villa’s colors had changed.
• Pomona reflected on beauty, gender expectations, and the desperation that drove people to pursue immortality through murder.
• Pomona heard Draco crying in the bathroom as Severus murmured to him and realized Draco did not want Astoria to see him before he had recovered.

Pomona and Severus discussed Draco’s fear of becoming a Werewolf and whether to postpone their honeymoon before deciding to travel to Venice. Severus asked which platform served the train to continental Europe, and Pomona answered, “Seven and a half.”

• Pomona learned that Draco was asleep after receiving a sedative and that he feared becoming a Werewolf after cutting his finger on a torn glove.
• Severus asked Pomona whether they should postpone their honeymoon in Venice, and she agreed that they could travel.
• Pomona reassured Severus that Astoria would still love Draco if he became a Werewolf.
• Severus asked which platform the long-distance train to continental Europe departed from, and Pomona said Seven and a half.

Pomona reflected on Severus’s suspicions about the Chamber of Secrets and Harry’s whereabouts while he pressed her about their honeymoon in Venice. Their dinner ended with Severus accusing Dumbledore of ruining their lives, and Pomona left exhausted as Severus followed her.

• Pomona considered how Severus had investigated Harry’s disappearance and the Chamber of Secrets, and suspected that his planned trip to Italy had another purpose.
• Severus teased Pomona about wearing silk or gauze and suggested camping in Italy, while Pomona tried to redirect their conversation toward art.
• Pomona asked how Severus had secured permission to travel, and Severus complained that Dumbledore remembered him only when he was useful.
• Severus accused Dumbledore of allowing Sirius to languish in Azkaban and of arranging a lonely future for Pomona.
• Pomona said she was tired and asked to go to sleep, and Severus immediately stood to follow her.

Pomona reflected on how exhaustion, distance, and the need to be noticed had shaped her relationships, then admitted she had begun changing herself to draw Severus’s gaze. The chapter ended with her teasing Severus about his feelings for Harry, whose imagined transformation into a girl horrified him.

• Pomona considered how her work had kept her from truly knowing Lily and how limited time and energy could weaken relationships.
• Pomona reflected on women’s historical treatment, their search for attention, and the role of art and wealth in expressing unmet emotional needs.
• Pomona recognized that she had become an ordinary woman who cared about her appearance to attract Severus, and regretted having cut ties with Lily.
• Severus lay beside Pomona in the lounge, and they reassured each other that their presence was real.
• Pomona asked whether Severus cared about Harry, and he admitted that he hated the boy in a complicated way.
• Pomona asked what Severus would think if Harry were a girl, and Severus recoiled in disgust.

Pomona and Severus boarded the luxurious European train at King's Cross, while Draco and Astoria saw them off. Pomona carried a picnic basket to share with Severus, privately imagining the voices of friends who were no longer alive.

• Pomona reflected on the European train, its luxury, and the Malfoys' role in operating it through the Channel Tunnel.
• Draco recovered enough to eat normally after taking sedatives, though he remained quiet and haggard.
• Draco and Astoria accompanied Pomona and Severus to King's Cross to see them off.
• Pomona, Astoria, and Draco exchanged cheek kisses as the train prepared to depart.
• Pomona boarded with a picnic basket, intending to share food with Severus and imagining that voices outside the compartment might belong to their dead friends.

Pomona and Severus traveled aboard the European Special while fleeing arrest, posing as newlyweds. Their anniversary brought up a painful memory of Severus forcing their first encounter, and Pomona left him on the sofa as she retreated to the bedroom.

• Pomona inspected the train’s luxurious honeymoon suite and worried that the Ministries of Magic might have an extradition treaty.
• Severus read Rousseau while Pomona reflected on his difficult past and the reversal of his fortunes with Sirius.
• Pomona sat on Severus’s lap, took his book, and challenged his ideas about force and obedience by quoting Rousseau.
• Severus suggested reliving the night he had forced himself on her, and Pomona told him she wanted romance rather than coercion.
• Pomona hit Severus with the book, ordered him to sleep on the sofa, and shut herself in the bedroom.

Pomona and Severus ate breakfast aboard their enchanted carriage while traveling through France, and Pomona imagined their flight as a romantic escape. The chapter ended with her insisting on recreating Roman Holiday in Rome, while Severus remained baffled by her plans.

• Pomona reflected on France’s spring, the French Revolution, and how inequality could drive uprisings.
• Pomona wore the Empire-style dress Severus had given her after their argument, while they ate breakfast in silence.
• Pomona asked Severus whether he could ride a bicycle and announced that she wanted to ride one in Rome.
• The dining-car attendant explained that Pomona wanted to reenact Roman Holiday, prompting Severus to roll his eyes.
• Pomona called Severus an idiot, then finished the toast she had torn apart.

Philippe, a French Squib aboard the European express, entertained Pomona and Severus with food, stories, and conversation as Pomona brooded over the locket Voldemort had given her. After Philippe and Severus discussed the Quidditch World Cup and expressed prejudice toward African migrants, Pomona returned to her compartment alone.

• Philippe reflected on his life as a Squib, his love of cooking and films, and his experiences helping passengers aboard the train.
• Philippe invited Pomona to watch the sunset and learn to make escargot, and his humor kept her from returning to her compartment.
• The narration discussed social inequality, romantic devotion, the Crusades, and the role of Venice and wizards in European history.
• Pomona grew irritable while thinking about wearing Slytherin's Locket, and Philippe stopped joking after Severus signaled that she was on her period.
• Philippe and Severus discussed the Quidditch World Cup and Philippe complained about African migrants and Yunbo stealing food.
• Pomona kissed Severus on the forehead and left for her compartment while he stayed to talk with Philippe.

Pomona reflected on her past relationships and tried to prepare herself for a proper date, but when Severus invited her to dance aboard the train, she chose to leave with him. They kissed in their compartment as the train continued toward Venice, leaving their journey and relationship to unfold together.

• Pomona stayed awake in the compartment, reread romance novels, and worried about her past and her promises to Minerva.
• Pomona followed music to the reception room, where Severus told her the train would pass through Vienna and continue to Venice.
• Pomona asked Severus to dance, and he led her across the reception room while she set aside her worries.
• Pomona invited Severus back to their compartment, and they kissed together on the sofa.