Chapter Summaries

At the start-of-term feast, Dumbledore introduced the new staff and began the usual notices before Umbridge interrupted him to deliver a long speech about magical education and tradition. Umbridge’s address continued as the teachers and students grew bored and unimpressed.

• Dumbledore reminded students about school rules and announced that Professor Grubbly-Plank would teach Care of Magical Creatures and Umbridge would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts.
• Umbridge stood up and interrupted Dumbledore, surprising the professors and amusing the students.
• Umbridge greeted the school in an exaggerated childish voice, while Parvati, Lavender, Fred, and George mocked her.
• Umbridge shifted to a more normal voice and spoke at length about the Ministry’s role in magical education and the need to balance tradition with change.
• McGonagall and Sprout exchanged a look as Umbridge continued, and the teachers and students gradually lost interest in her speech.

Vincent learned about Hagrid’s past with Aragog and his suspicions about Riddle before encountering hostile centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. He challenged Bane to a contest of gunplay against archery, with the winner earning the right to set a condition, and Bane accepted.

• Hagrid told Vincent that Riddle had accused Aragog of killing a student, leading to Hagrid’s expulsion, and explained that Dumbledore later repaired his wand.
• Vincent and Hagrid met Bane and other centaurs, who ordered them to leave their territory and warned them with drawn bows.
• After returning to Dumbledore’s protected lake, Vincent decided to settle the centaurs’ hostility with a bet rather than negotiate.
• Vincent and Hagrid went back to the centaurs’ territory, where the centaurs surrounded them and Bane objected to their return.
• Vincent introduced his Gunblade and challenged the centaurs to a contest, wagering that the winner could name one condition.
• Bane accepted Vincent’s challenge, confident that his archery would defeat the strange weapon.

Dumbledore gathered Hogwarts staff to discuss a student outing to the Forbidden Forest, while McGonagall celebrated Vincent’s Transfiguration paper and proposed teaching him Human Transfiguration. He supported the outing despite Snape’s opposition, and the meeting ended with Trelawney predicting a student would go missing at the Black Lake.

• McGonagall announced that Transfiguration Today planned to publish Vincent’s paper, and she said she would guide him in Human Transfiguration next term.
• Trelawney warned Snape that he would face a terrible curse, but the staff dismissed her prophecy.
• Dumbledore considered Newt Scamander as a candidate for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position after Kettleburn arrived injured.
• Dumbledore told the staff that Mr. Wayne intended to take students on an outing to the Forbidden Forest and supported the plan as wilderness-survival education.
• McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout agreed to the outing, while Snape opposed it and Trelawney predicted a student would go missing at the Black Lake.

Pheobe attempted to claim the Golden Egg from the Welsh Green Dragon, but her spells enraged it and she was badly burned before the Dragon Tamers subdued it. Viktor Krum then entered the arena and cast an Ocular Impairment Curse on the Chinese Fireball Dragon.

• Pheobe tried to put the Welsh Green Dragon to sleep with a nonverbal spell, but the dragon resisted and turned its attention toward her.
• The Welsh Green Dragon struck Pheobe and engulfed her in flames as she tried to reach the Golden Egg.
• Charlie and the other Dragon Tamers stunned and restrained the dragon, and Pheobe was left with extensive burns.
• After Pheobe's attempt ended, Viktor Krum entered the arena, confident he could finish within ten minutes.
• Viktor cast an Ocular Impairment Curse at the Chinese Fireball Dragon's eyes, disrupting its vision as he approached.

Vincent learned that Peter Pettigrew had helped create the Marauder’s Map and likely knew how its magic worked, making it useless for finding the hidden Death Eater. He devised a plan to wait for the second task, when the enemy would have to act, and suggested making a new map in the meantime.

• Sirius Black and Lupin explained the Marauder’s Map’s complex magic and revealed that it took them three hundred attempts over a year to make one.
• Vincent realized Peter Pettigrew might know how the map worked, and Sirius Black and Lupin confirmed that he likely did.
• Vincent considered Moody’s magical eye and concluded they would have to inspect people individually to find the Death Eater.
• Vincent proposed waiting for the second task, when the hidden Death Eater would likely tamper with something, instead of screening everyone at school.
• Vincent suggested making a new Marauder’s Map while they waited, then he, Sirius Black, and Lupin tried the undiluted absinthe and disliked its taste.

Vincent learned that the Dursleys had confined Harry behind iron bars, so he and his parents went to The Burrow to tell the Weasleys and discuss helping Harry. Arthur promised the Ministry would handle the matter, while Eric offered to raise Harry if Harry agreed.

• After Harry cleaned the Dursleys' house, Vernon arranged for iron bars to be installed around the attic.
• Vincent heard from Gu Gu and Hedwig that Harry was in danger, and Eric agreed to take him to the Weasleys.
• Vincent, Eric, and Evelyn arrived at The Burrow and told Arthur, Molly, and the Weasley children what had happened to Harry.
• Arthur said he would notify the Ministry, and Molly assured the Waynes that Harry would reach school safely.
• Eric offered to raise Harry if he wanted to leave the Dursleys, while Arthur noted that doing so would require several procedures.

Vincent and Hermione concealed their visit to Snape’s memories while Snape discovered his office had been robbed and suspected Vincent. Snape confronted Vincent at the common room and searched his briefcase, but the hidden compartment holding the stolen items remained sealed.

• Vincent and Snape recognized that Greengrass and Malfoy were involved in the same matter, then returned to Hogwarts separately.
• Hermione told Vincent that she and the others had viewed Snape’s memories, and Vincent learned they had put everything back in place.
• Snape found that his valuable potions and ingredients had vanished from his office, while the Pensieve and memory bottles remained untouched.
• Snape confronted Vincent and demanded an account of his day, then accused him of robbing the office.
• Snape searched Vincent’s Mithril Briefcase but found only small bottles because Vincent had sealed off the compartment containing the stolen goods.

At Rosier Manor, Clement learned about Vincent’s childhood and tested his judgment while discussing the instability in the Wizarding World. Clement offered Devin’s help and made clear that the Rosier Family would cooperate with Vincent as partners, though its support would have limits.

• Eric told Clement how Vincent, as a child, beat up students who had bullied him and joked that he should have dressed more shabbily.
• Clement compared Vincent’s strength and treatment by others with the power struggles between wizards and Muggles, and reflected on Grindelwald, Voldemort, Vida, and Viktor.
• After lunch, Clement revealed that his cousin had recently contacted him about the Greengrass Family and that Devin had returned with Vincent’s name.
• Clement warned that the Ministry and others feared a crisis threatening the Wizarding World, while Vincent insisted he was only a second-year student.
• Clement offered Devin as a representative of the British Rosier Family and asked Vincent to understand if the family could not help when its survival was at stake; Vincent accepted the arrangement.

Vincent found Hermione and Daphne after Byron and two other students attacked them, and he brutally questioned the attackers before the girls stopped him from crippling Byron. After healing them, Vincent headed toward the Black Swan Club’s activity room, with Daphne joining him as he planned to punish the people Byron had named.

• Vincent mistook the scene for an assault and attacked Byron, demanding to know who had sent him.
• Byron named Parkinson, then Malfoy, Zabini, and Flint as those who had approved the attack.
• Hermione and Daphne stopped Vincent from crippling Byron, and Byron admitted he had used curses but had not touched them.
• Vincent ordered Byron and the other two attackers to roll to the Hospital Wing, then healed Hermione and Daphne.
• Vincent, Hermione, and Daphne returned toward the castle, and Daphne decided to accompany him to the Black Swan Club’s activity room.

Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and the students discovered the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets after Harry used Parseltongue to open it. The group found a deep, winding passage and suspected powerful Anti-Apparition magic protected the Chamber.

• Hermione defended Dobby, while Vincent challenged Snape's prejudices by saying House-elves in the United States wore clothes and supported themselves.
• Dobby warned that Harry would be in danger, and Vincent reassured him that Snape would protect the group.
• At McGonagall's urging, Harry tried to speak to the marked faucet but could not open it at first.
• Snape conjured a snake and guided it to the faucet, prompting Harry to speak Parseltongue and open the entrance beneath the sink.
• McGonagall sent enchanted ropes down the winding passage, but they failed to reach its bottom, and the group considered what magic might prevent Apparition inside the Chamber.

Vincent prepared to stop Quirrell after discovering he had gone into the Forbidden Forest, while Hermione and the twins tried to keep Snape from catching them. In the forest, Voldemort ordered Quirrell onward and hinted that Hagrid might be responsible for the choking smoke.

• Quirrell left the castle, and Vincent told Hermione, Fred, and George to stay outside the Forbidden Forest while he returned to prepare.
• Hermione saw Snape leave his office and realized he might discover Quirrell's identity; Vincent then equipped himself and vanished with a Disillusionment Charm to pursue Quirrell.
• Vincent urged the others to make a commotion and draw Dumbledore over so Snape could not punish their House, and Hermione began planning how to do it.
• Quirrell reached the lakeside, where the persistent choking smoke made him suspect someone had tampered with the forest.
• Voldemort rebuked Quirrell for fearing death, then suggested Hagrid had raised dangerous Fantastic Beasts at school and caused a student's death.
• Quirrell accepted Voldemort's warning as his final mercy, waved his wand, and walked deeper into the smoke.

Vincent demonstrated a new Gwent that linked to large-scale Magical Projections, then upgraded everyone’s Magical Communicators for testing and promotion at the World Cup. The group played through the night as Lucius discussed his business plans with Snape and asked him to look after Draco after the tournament.

• Vincent and Hermione demonstrated the new Gwent, drawing their rounds with matching totals of 198 points.
• Vincent upgraded the group’s Magical Communicators and gave them access to the camp and stadium projections for internal testing.
• Molly stopped the twins from wandering outside at night, and they joined the queue to play Gwent.
• George equipped the projected Snape with medieval underwear, making Neville and the others laugh while Snape sensed familiar malice from across the camp.
• Lucius told Snape he planned to develop devices for wizards’ daily lives and asked him to look after Draco after the World Cup.

Rolf struggled to win Little Black’s affection while Draco recovered from his encounter with the hippogriff. Vincent explored the runic enchantments in the Ancient Runes classroom, where Draco arrived looking healthier and more cautious.

• Madam Pomfrey gave Draco a potion after Crabbe and Goyle brought him to the Hospital Wing, and the treatment made him convulse more violently.
• Rolf bragged about finally patting Little Black, but Astoria and the others teased him because the dog preferred Little White.
• Cedric learned that Fred and George had thrown Stink Bombs in the dungeon, prompting Snape to catch them and leaving their House points wiped out.
• Cedric tried to pet Little Black, but the dog sneezed at the wolfsbane scent on his hand and retreated into its cabin.
• Vincent examined the rune enchantments in the Ancient Runes classroom, and Draco entered looking recovered but no longer swaggering.

Harry, Snape, Vincent, and the others used Patronuses to hold back the Dementors after Peter Pettigrew’s explosion injured the group. Vincent and Hermione left with a Time-Turner to capture Pettigrew and returned with him barely alive, though they admitted a small accident had occurred.

• Sirius Black shielded Harry from the explosion, and Harry summoned a Doe Patronus to repel the Dementors.
• Snape, Vincent, Lupin, and Hermione added their Patronuses while the injured group recovered and Ron remained unconscious.
• Vincent warned McGonagall that they could not keep fighting the Dementors indefinitely and offered to capture Peter Pettigrew alive.
• McGonagall agreed to let Vincent and Hermione pursue Pettigrew, and they activated the Time-Turner in front of the group.
• Vincent and Hermione reappeared dragging a barely living Peter Pettigrew, then told McGonagall there had been a tiny accident.

Vincent and Hermione met Minister Scipio in Italy and presented a proposal to broadcast matches using Magical Base Stations. Scipio was impressed by the invention and began weighing both a partnership and the wider changes it could bring to the Italian Wizarding World.

• Vincent and Hermione rode a cylinder through the Ministry of Magic and followed a secretary to Minister Scipio's office.
• Scipio welcomed them, offered tea, and discussed his interest in painting and sculpture.
• Hermione admired the Italian Ministry's treatment of House-elves, and Scipio joked about how Minister Fudge would react.
• Vincent presented a proposal for broadcasting matches with Magical Base Stations, and Scipio was impressed by their capabilities.
• Scipio considered whether to partner with Vincent and whether the Italian Wizarding World should embrace the changes the invention could bring.

Hermione deflected her friends’ attempts to uncover details about Krum while worrying about the secrets she had to keep for Vincent. After seeing Vincent on the celebration broadcast, Krum realized he had lost to him fairly and decided to move on.

• Hermione told her friends how she had met Krum, but Daphne and the others failed to pry further after Hermione shut down their questions.
• Mustafa awarded the Irish National Team its medals and presented Troy and Quigley with the championship trophy.
• Krum watched the celebration broadcast while Ivanova treated his broken nose and recognized Vincent as the man in the VIP box.
• Krum learned that Ivanova had known Vincent was the girl’s boyfriend and thanked her for keeping it from him during the match.
• Krum put away the Golden Snitch and invited Ivanova to celebrate his decision to move on and his title as World's Number One Seeker.

Vincent spent Christmas opening presents, including the repaired Rascal Rabbit broom, while Fred and George hosted a noisy banquet that irritated the Black Swan Club. After Vincent accidentally kicked open their doors, Draco restrained himself from confronting him, remembering his father’s warning to wait before seeking revenge.

• Tonks inspected the owls carrying Christmas presents for Vincent and approved them for delivery to Hogwarts.
• Vincent opened a large package containing the repaired Rascal Rabbit and a set of broom maintenance tools.
• Fred and George hosted a banquet in the Owl Court Club common room and amused the students with jokes at Ron’s expense.
• Draco and the Black Swans grew irritated by the noise from the banquet and shut their common room doors.
• Vincent finished opening presents, kicked open the Black Swan Club doors by mistake, and left after greeting the club members.
• Draco stopped himself from throwing his teacup and remembered his father’s warning not to provoke Wayne yet.

Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts after Tom opened the Chamber of Secrets and learned that Filch and Mrs. Norris had been petrified while Lockhart was badly injured. Vincent then planned to use Dobby to retaliate against Lucius Malfoy, before McGonagall summoned him to Dumbledore's office to meet Ministry officials.

• Dumbledore arrived at the Great Hall and learned from McGonagall that Tom had opened the Chamber of Secrets, released the Basilisk, and tried to trap the school; Filch and Mrs. Norris had been petrified.
• McGonagall told Dumbledore that Lockhart was in critical condition, and Dumbledore worried about finding another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
• Vincent brought Tom's nearly torn diary to the kitchen, recognized that the Malfoys had likely planted it, and asked Dobby if he wanted to be free.
• Vincent whispered instructions to Dobby, who agreed to help him retaliate against Lucius Malfoy.
• McGonagall told Vincent that Dumbledore wanted him in his office because Ministry officials had arrived.

Hermione prepared to use the Pensieve while George, Fred, Cedric, and Rolf packed, then Vincent met Rita Skeeter in London and gave her carefully limited information about Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, and Gilderoy Lockhart. Rita finished the interview without getting the dangerous scoop she wanted, and Vincent prepared to meet someone else.

• Hermione worried about using the Pensieve as George, Fred, Cedric, and Rolf encouraged her and packed their belongings.
• Vincent offered Rita a lead about the person who had given Lockhart the notebook and warned her that she was not yet on Tom's kill list.
• Rita chose not to investigate Voldemort's immortality and began a straightforward interview with Vincent.
• Vincent predicted that Lockhart would receive life imprisonment and refused to reveal why Daphne Greengrass had joined his club.
• Rita suggested linking Lockhart to Quirrell, then noticed Vincent had another appointment and abandoned the idea of spying on him.

Lucius and his allies planned to use Wizard Cards’ price cuts and a manipulated secondary market to profit from Gwent’s card-pool idea. Vincent and Fudge then arrived at the rival shop with a crowd, leaving Lucius’s group preparing to confront them.

• Madam Zabini learned that Fudge had received no rare cards in two hundred pulls while a Greengrass girl had drawn two in ten, and Old Flint blamed Wayne for tampering with the system.
• Lucius’s allies posted a price-cut notice, drawing a crowd to the Black Swan Wizard Card House with cards whose materials seemed worth more than their prices.
• Lucius, Old Parkinson, Old Flint, and Madam Zabini discussed building a secondary market, inflating card values, and secretly manipulating it for profit.
• Vincent and Fudge arrived at the Black Swan Wizard Card House after ten thousand Gwent cards had been drawn in under an hour and a half.
• A clerk warned Lucius that the rival shop’s people had come to cause trouble, and Lucius’s allies prepared to confront them.